Season 1 Episode 2

A Summary of the Adventures of 2009-2011

by Colonel John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay

with a selection by Commander Richard Woolsey

(Much of this information was not shared in detail with Jack O'Neill until 2012)

John Sheppard narrates:

"After our brush with alter-reality entanglement (no, I'm not calling it a mission), things stayed pretty quiet for about four months during which we briefly settled back on the planet Old Lantea and began talking to the Athosians about a couple of relocation options in our territory and options for an expanse of their new home world parameters. Stargate missions resumed as usual, and the peace was too good to last.

Todd paid us an unexpected visit and informed us that he had been sabotaged; a large part of his own fleet had been decimated. I don't know how he manages to get himself into so many jams. Believe it or not, things were that much crazier than the stuff we're used to having shoved in our faces. A so-called mythical Primary - who's wraith name is pronounced "Morrtra" from the wraith Ancient Todd translated for us – an elite queen bee who's been whispered about for eons, was no longer legend. She'd materialized, intending to seize Atlantis, wipe out life forms in various systems to control the wraith and the food source, and rule Pegasus forever.

As Woolsey put it, "There's one in every galaxy, isn't there?"

McKay jumped in with, "One ring to rule them all. Yup. Dude was right; go figure."

I gave him a hard time about that, and told him Morrtra better not be hauling a stargate around with her! Turns out she used to, but we never found the darn thing. Another myth for us to unravel one day in the distant future. Dr. Jackson said he'd get back to us about that. I'm not holding my breath.

Todd had never spoken of this Morrtra to anyone before, and he mentioned that it was only in recent years he was assured her existence was not a folktale. He wouldn't tell us how he arrived at such a conclusion. Said we'd hear the story someday. He does that. Holds out on us until the last second. I demanded to know why she woke up only now, why wasn't she among those who emerged when I killed the Keeper several years ago? Todd's theory is that she awoke later because she comes from outside the galaxy. We have yet to learn what the "outside" means."

And here, Rodney McKay adds to the narrative for a time:

"We seasoned members of the Pegasusian ace team are currently in the process of sifting through a pile of data surrounding a really crappy Primary we heard about several months ago. That was also when we learned that the wraith do actually have personal names.

John's "I told you so" was, frankly, 'annoying'.

I can't see the point of wraith having personal names, but nature rules. Of course they need designations. I'm not sure yet if any of the wraith we've dealt with on a more personal level have bothered to secretly name us. Hopefully to them I am not "He who is totally a bum".

Right, John? Let me ask him.

John says, "You're a lot closer to reading their minds than you know."

He's so good to me.

As you know, the wraith don't speak their own names aloud. That would be beneath them, and it's all about mystical, telepathic communication of identities. Todd can translate for us, and without hesitation, he called the aforementioned Primary, "Morrtra". He said it like that's who she is. Apparently she's been a ghost of a Primary among wraith and humans alike for centuries (not that we ever heard of her, we were spared the anxiety and the gas) and guess what she ended up doing after we reestablished the city in Lantea? She emerged from the shadows and blew half of Todd's main fleet to smithereens six months to the day after he got back to his mothership.

Well, he dragged himself into Atlantis, and initiated what turned into an incredible conversation, by coolly and calmly announcing that Morrtra had taken out his lead hive. We all knew that that was only part of the truth. John and Ronan and I were like, "Ooh, ok, so…clarify again why we are supposed to be concerned?", only we each had our own inimitable manners of expressing that).

Todd's like, "Sarcasm in such a moment as this, gentlemen, is hardly appropriate." That was one worry down; he wasn't starving or anything. And number two, we were definitely sure he had not come to barter.

Predictably, the first person to completely catch on was John: "Oh, so you're too embarrassed to admit to a bunch of heavy losses that have obviously left both the Alliance and Atlantis at a huge disadvantage, and you're hesitating to tell us that we're in just as much trouble as you are. Guessing this Primary is no ordinary wraith gal."

Todd laughed at him. "You are sooo much more like wraith than you know, John Sheppaaarrr-D. The Alliance is crippled, but not entirely dysfunctional. If you still require proof that our loyalty has not been swayed, I'm afraid that it will have to wait. There is no time for the usual exchange of pleasantries."

John: "Aw, I've missed that. Anyhow, maybe this round I'll give you the full benefit of the doubt, but don't forget, I'm watching you."

You know what was a little disturbing? Todd's left sleeve had been burned apart right around the elbow area and there on his exposed skin was this bluish-black tattoo mark, the same color as the one he's got on his forehead and under his left eye. I always think his facial marks are reminiscent of Ace from the 90's Kiss group. Anyhow, back to the elbow…the mark sure looked more like an injury. He saw us kind of staring at it, and with a snarl, clapped a hand over it. Said someday we'd know what it meant, but not for now.

Then he went on. "Don't be so quick to imagine that I am here for a dual purpose. Not all survival requires negotiations, isn't that right?"

John just looked at him. "Keep going."

"I didn't realize right away that Morrtra was my attacker because she did not try to invade my mind, and secondly, because I have never seen nor heard of her presence. We certainly could not invade her thoughts. She was intent on destroying as many hives as she could while capturing a few remnants for herself before leaving the rest of mine to rot away in the Doranda system. Naturally, the force of the attack made me suspect the primary was no ordinary outlier. When I managed to flee with the remainder of my crew to another one of my hives, I was forced under the queen's power for mere seconds just before going into hyperspace. As her mind swept over the living, my brethren were struck with fear. She wields such power as I have never known, and I learned without hesitation that her name is Morrtra."

"Oh, goody," Woolsey muttered. He was standing to John's left. "Then she knows your identity as well?"

"I have no idea. I fought to close my mind. I cannot tell how much she gathered, the moment was so fleeting."

"I see. And how did…how exactly do you know who she is?" Woolsey asked him. "We'd like every detail, if you please." (He's good at appearing calm while fidgeting.)

It was no secret to any of us that Todd was enjoying himself. He can't help it. "Mr. Woolsey, just as you name your own kind, the wraith understand one another's identities by having our minds scrutinized…and being granted permission to ascertain identities. Morrtra…is her definition. I do not know why she revealed herself to me and to my crew in the first place, but I suspect that she does such a thing to all who she is about to destroy, just to rejoice in the pure terror that exudes because of our unexpected vulnerability. I do not say this lightly: she will come for us all in the end…all, including yourself, if she is so inclined. Of course I hope for your sake that she does not. I am here to offer to join forces once again with Atlantis. You do not strike me as someone who is equipped to handle Morrtra."

Woolsey looked like he was having a hard time swallowing. "The reason you are here is not merely to ask the city for help, but for sanctuary."

"It is only natural. Your compliance has been very kind," Todd responded. He managed - (I should actually say "tried his best") - to keep his countenance as he looked at each of us in turn.

Sheppard smirked a little. "Do you always talk in riddles or is it just a phase?"

Teyla gave Todd the "don't you dare give us a hard time" glare.

"I thought perhaps you would aallll be interested to know that the worst Primary you can only hope to avoid crossing paths with has begun a long-planned ravaging of the entire galaxy, starting in the Edowin system, for the purpose of gaining limitless control. I attribute the success of my narrow escape to the fact that we were not recovering from a recent jump. Otherwise…I would not likely be here today."

Boooyy, the room was quiet. John tried to appear bored, but it wasn't working. "Well, at least we know you're not one of her worshipers."

Todd sighed. "You still have much to learn."

Ronan looked dangerous. "Oh, really? I don't know about that..."

John was still playing it cool. "It's ok, Todd, we've gotten used to this: one day you're flying the Union Flag and the next, you're taking apart Yorktown."

Todd growled deep in his throat. "Youuu believe…that I, the leader of the Alliance, I, now vulnerable and stripped of my standing among wraith ONCE again!...would mildly wander into this City knowing only a slight misunderstanding could merit me capital punishment? The chances that you might not believe me were very high. Your impetuous natures incite caution even in your other allies."

"Speak for yourself," John retorted.

"About time you got some of your own medicine, Todd," Ronan said. "Woolsey's right. How do we know you didn't lead Morrtra here and are trying to lure us out there?"

"I told you, I don't believe she followed me, the devastation from her weaponry just as we went into hyperspace was intense. I have not felt her presence since then. If I did, I would not have come here."

"Regardless, I bet she knows you're alive. You're just as shaken as we are," Woolsey put in quietly.

Todd's yellow eyes regarded Sheppard steadily and a tiny growl rose in his throat.

"Now, gentlemen," Woolsey intervened. "We're as surprised by Morrtra's presence as the Alliance is and this is a less than fantastic time for us to be losing our heads. Todd. Tell us the remainder of what you know."

John was still eyeing Todd. "Yeahhh, we've just had a lot on our minds, and we're pretty used to you involving us in galling adventures. You've behaved for the past several months though. Gold star."

Todd leaned forward. "Neither you nor I chose to become involved with this Morrtra." His yellowish eyes swept over the small, tense gathering before him.

John shrugged. "You don't owe us anything."

Todd stared. "Your stubborn opinion of the wraith will cost you a great deal one day, Sheppard."

"Hasn't it already? But I guess we can make exceptions. Depends which wraith we're talking to."

"Definitely depends," Ronan muttered. He had one of his short swords unsheathed and was running his thumb gently along the blade.

Todd forgot to continue hiding the crack in his leathery sleeve. "I do not know Morrtra's routes. Even if I did, they will change at a moment's notice whenever it suits her. She possesses five…fleets. I have already made contact with all Alliance survivors. Morrtra has strategically scattered her fleet throughout particular systems neighboring Doranda. She knows very well that Atlantis is as awake as she is. But she will not look for it directly."

"Well, that's one thing crossed off, she can't have Atlantis," John said. "The housing market's crashed. Also, we don't feel like sharing."

Teyla's silence up to this point was unusual, and I kept watching her. She appeared to know more than she was letting on. Course she did. She's wraith-kin. I suspected Todd was communicating to her telepathically at times. I think Teyla and Woolsey learned more during that discussion than the rest of us put together because they asked the right questions while the rest of us subtly gave Todd a hard time.

We were also sure that he hadn't let himself get beat up in order to cover up deceit.

Woolsey's first move against Morrtra was to warn the systems before hiding the city and sending the Daedalus into deep space. Looking for a nook or cranny to stuff Atlantis took me pulling an all-nighter in the command center. The discussion in front of the star charts didn't take long by the time everyone was done arguing.

Todd's knowledge of our current and future locations was a bit of a risk because he could change sides at any moment, but by then, none of us could doubt him, and even John, while insisting that he be allowed to keep an eye on Todd, was clearly relieved. Like Ronan said, "I never thought I'd actually say it out loud and mean it. Good thing we've got this wraith on our side."

"Don't ever warn me there's the slightest chance you'll take that back," John told him later on. "I'm not in the mood for more betrayals and displays of wraith temper such as we witnessed with the Attero device. Makes my head itch."

Richard Woolsey speaks now:

"It was Todd's suggestion that Atlantis should occupy the very system that Morrtra spent hundreds of years dominating until finally, she emerged with a portion of her fleets. It was the most unlikely place that she would think to look. At first, Todd's suggestion that we fool her by going straight into her domain had me on pins and needles. I point-blank put to him the question, "What do you really want?"

It turns out, after much debating and ending all of our communications with Earth for the time being, Todd was perfectly correct. I had thought to hide Atlantis in the empty Asuran system and keep the city moving along the explored regions of the galaxy; someone hiding behind a dog chasing its own tail, like in the cartoons. Yes, unprofessional descriptions are least on my litany of concerns.

I couldn't believe Aldeni was so strangely empty. After what happened to Doranda and Asuras, I thought perhaps Aldeni had suffered a similar fate: half of its contents blown up by desperate, human (and possibly Ancient) error. Todd was not enthusiastic about entering the system before we did, thereby raising our suspicions that he wanted to use the city as a test subject. It turns out that he had no such intentions, but Colonel Sheppard remains "ten percent unconvinced." Todd's fleet did indeed enter and begin long-range scanning while we were on our way to the rendezvous. He found nothing to alarm us.

Todd claims Aldeni was cursed eons ago. I'm intrigued by Todd's and his fellow crewmembers' fear of the place. It is not like the wraith to be hesitant like that, but then again, I don't know that many of them personally. Todd and I had the longest and deepest discussion I could have ever imagined I would have with a wraith and although I am certain that he has not told me all, he has given us enough information that we might actually survive this escapade involving a savage devil of a Primary.

According to the star charts and long-range scanners, Aldeni is absolutely devoid of wraith. It's a very small system compared to others, and Morrtra seems to have called out all her forces at once. Twice now, Todd has left Atlantis and returned to report his discoveries and what he has learned. We had no choice but to allow him to conduct his own investigations; the Alliance is crumbling apart at the seams and Todd knows more than we do about the locations, uprisings, and most likely future migrations and rogue defenses as Morrtra sweeps through the systems looking for more followers, searching for runners, and destroying those wraith and worshipers who refuse to ally themselves with her.

The Primaries are giving us the most noteworthy clues of all. Queens are extremely territorial beings, and some of them have banded together in order to eliminate Morrtra out of pure jealousy. A few, it is rumored, have willingly allowed her entrance into their domains, as she is for them a role model and the queen who's return they "have awaited for centuries". However, Todd is sure they are pursuing the secrets of her power and longevity and wish to acquaint themselves deeply with such a living myth.

As much as I would hate to face Morrtra - because she could… crush me like a bug - note, WE are the insects here - my curiosity expands by the day. Todd and his most trustworthy subordinates (according to Teyla's assurances) have tracked, captured, interrogated, and threatened rivals and allies alike in their search for every ounce of information about Morrtra they can glean, and certain traitors to the Alliance, snared via the doggedness of Sheppard's and Lorne's teams, have been placed in stasis in order that data may be taken from them through Teyla's much-heightened powers.

Todd has double-crossed and triple-crossed multiple foes, doing what he does best with great ease, and he is certain he knows where Morrtra is resting. It's a process of elimination. She has to come to a halt at some point. She has grown slightly careless, but he says that we will do the same if we forget for an instant who she is.

"Tread with care," he says. "She has tried to bait you four times by feigning fatigue or power deficiency, but this time, I believe she has finally come to rest."

Todd hoped that she would return at length to Aldeni and fly right into Atlantis' jaws, but that is not how things went. She is waiting for us to show ourselves. Our main tactic for the future is: we head into hyperspace for the neighboring solar system to where she is supposedly located, near Drakis. McKay and Zelenka have been working on an incredible piece of work in order to communicate our location to Morrtra and surrender under false pretenses in a way that won't allow her to decode the encryptions. We will wisely assume that she could still see straight through the mask and attack at the opportune moment.

Todd wants to lead a strike team straight into the heart of the hive itself. Colonel Sheppard and Ronan have volunteered to accompany him, and Teyla will provide distraction and amplification of Todd's powers from a neighboring hive. If we act helpless, if we convince the queen that our greatest weapon is not the city, and that we do not have the abilities that the Ancients did, perhaps she will underestimate us and search for a greater power (that we don't at all possess). Not to mention, we shall feign handing her a potential feast on the silver platter of Atlantis. Is she hungry?

For once, I very much hope so.

It is too late for us to pretend we ARE the Ancients.

We finally made contact with Halling. The Athosians won't inform Atlantis of their whereabouts, but Halling has left them in relative safety, and he rendezvoused with a rogue band of humans fleeing Edowin. Upon our receiving a communication from them, Ronan met up with Halling near the Doranda system. They didn't arrive at verbal blows, but the latter was still being a bit of a mouse, if you ask me. Can I blame him?"

Rodney McKay picks up the narrative from here:

Have you even heard of the Aldeni system before we talked about it? Hmm, nope. Didn't think so. And how is that possible? Well, even I hadn't memorized the star charts so carefully that I took particular notice of random, unexplored territories situated outside the northern edge of Pegasus - if one imagines a three-dimensional model of the galaxy, and places Old Lantea in its southern hemisphere.

Now, my team is being temporarily disbanded due to the various strengths of its members being required to pull off the demise of this new (old) Primary. We're disunited physically, but not so in our goals or hearts.

Atlantis is still cloaked in the shadows of Aldeni, and has been for five months now. We've halted pursuit of the Morrtra factions and what was left of the Alliance hives in Lantea since they were compromised and employed as bait in about five point two seven different sectors despite Todd's best efforts to prevent that disaster. He pulled the rest of his troops and hives and fled to what's left of Asuras. He doesn't dare head to Aldeni anymore unless he can guarantee that he isn't being followed, so we communicate long distance now. Very carefully.

And we all know Todd is afraid of Aldeni. We've got a one-up on him. I never fail to remind him of his cowardice. And he never fails to remind me that I'm not a wraith. I take it as a compliment and that really pisses him off.

John, Teyla, Major Lorne and AR-3 recently returned from leading into safety the starving peoples of 7L8-473, a planet well outside Athos, badly ravaged by Morrtra. She fled like a shadow at the approach of our teams responding to distress signals because we actually made her think Atlantis was right above the planet. It took three of Todd's most powerful wraith brethren, himself, and Teyla to fake it; they did an amazing job. Morrtra acts like a replicator, she's the mistress of deception, but thankfully, we've confirmed that she's just a wraith. Yep, I said that: JUST a wraith. Teyla insists Morrtra has a weakness of some kind. Todd is still looking into that theory. He's so arrogant he only calls it a theory. Amazing.

John told Todd that he's finally getting experience with what it's like for humans to have to run screaming from the wraith. Todd's ever-ready response? "John Sheppard, you don't know what it is to run."

Ronan said, "On your mark…get set…"

"We have not collectively seen all that you are capable of against my own skills, Ronan Dex. Shall I take you up on the offer?"

Ronan hefted a pair of bantos rods. "Not on my life."

Apparently, it's been ages since Todd wasted time hunting runners, and he hasn't sampled the fun of a chase with his own factions of late. Ronan got all insulted that Todd wanted to try the sport against a "former runner." But I think otherwise. I learned Todd used to be a fantastic runner trader. You may imagine John's disgust.

I've run off the trail here, I need to talk about Aldeni. Backed by Todd's newest second-in-command (we nicknamed him Aeden; he replaced "Kenny" because Kenny died back on Todd's old hive after my dear Jennifer's gene therapy turned cancerous), Ronan's preparing to enlist the help of runners who's detection devices are being tracked. Some of Morrtra's subordinates are absolute experts at tracking because they've been doing it since the fricken' planets were forged, and Ronan wants to assume a bait-role in order to draw the queen at least partly out into the open. Perhaps he can count on her wild enthusiasm for the chase, or he might be mistaken, and she can see two steps ahead and use him to track down Atlantis. We just don't know. We play everything by ear and by chance. Episode after episode after episode.

Naturally, John dislikes the idea of Ronan going out alone like that and the argument that ensued was epic. But John gave in. There's a lot to be decided now that Todd is sure he's pinpointed Morrtra's last known location and trajectory (she regularly switches over to various hives when recovery statuses allow her to vanish into hyperspace at a moment's notice) and Teyla suggests over and over that if she can mind-meld with Morrtra at the right moment, she will be able to control her. Todd's still totally against such a move, and for good reason. But Teyla will have to do it eventually; and only as a last resort. It has to be right when we can lure Morrtra, her actual body, into a pile of drones weapons.

Woolsey terminated all off-world expeditions ages ago (except for very select rescue missions) and the Daedalus is deeper inside Aldeni than we are. We couldn't make contact with the Athosians, they fled into hiding as well, but we think we can count on Halling for help in the long run.

Those people know how to hide. If I haven't missed my guess, Halling is doing this as much for us as he is for his own people. He never contacted anyone, just up and disappeared. We're worried and yet understand that he wants nothing to do with the war, but he's very much a part of it since Morrtra wants every scrap of human food she can collect.

Geez, I've digressed again. I know, I'm not the greatest story-teller in the world. Back to Aldeni…and some good news for those who can't stand sitting around. Pun not intended. AR-3 and I have been assigned an actual mission to a previously-inhabited moon within Aldeni. We are leaving tomorrow to search for clues, history, technology, anything that might give Atlantis more information about Morrtra's reign in Aldeni (since this is apparently where she's been dormant all this time) and we will try locating and looking into any currently existing races that have been affected by her factions, past and present. Long range scanners have failed to improve our slim hopes that there are humans left in the system. Strange that it synchronizes with her perfect timing in…waking up.

I want to interject here for a moment to pay tribute to one of our newest heroes. Lieutenant Laura Cadman was killed in action about two months prior to today. Her last deeds in the Pegasus Galaxy saved Zelenka and our anthropologist Corrigan from being taken by Morrtra's third-in-command subordinate. Elite commander-class wraith. Ugly, but overly capable. Laura threw Zelenka through an open stargate back to Atlantis. Zelenka and I tried to go back for her, but she was never retrieved and the planet she lead her mission on was overrun by the Morrtra wraith. Our then battle-scarred Zelenka vowed at her memorial ceremony to destroy Morrtra with his own hands, much to the silent amusement of Todd, who, as much as he tried, just couldn't refrain from smiling a little. Thankfully for both him and for us, he smiled only after leaving the ceremony.

John gave him the look. "You go right ahead and keep thinking it's funny. We're bigger than that, so I have nothing to add."

He fell silent when he noticed Todd's stare. Both sides understand what it is to lose team members, but one guy just can't admit to the gravity experienced by the other.

AR-2 is without now without the leadership of both Sergeant Stackhouse and Lieutenant Cadman, and until Woolsey can replace our lost people with new ones, which won't be happening until it's safe to reestablish a connection with Earth, AR-2 has teamed up with Lorne's team AR-3. Yamato is a specialized science officer, and Corrigan is a skilled anthropologist who saved John's life during one of our missions back in 2005. Those guys will do anything to avenge Laura, and now we're finally being allowed out on a research mission, so, this should prove exciting.

Sheppard wants to accompany me to the moon, but he's needed again to oversee Lantean claims over sectors that have been ravaged by Morrtra, in an attempt to rescue any survivors. Not to mention, Todd can be counted on to act more reasonable if John stays around in order to threaten and talk him into or out of things.

So why am I going to visit a moon? What peaked the interest of Commander Woolsey is that one of the major satellites in Aldeni has a stargate. So far as we know, it's the only stargate in the system. Todd spoke of Aldeni in the past tense. He claims to have never been to the moon and refuses to accompany myself and the teams there. I asked him why. He says that even wraith believe in curses.

I consulted the star charts, and discovered that the Ancients have been to Aldeni multiple times. But their records of it are scanty. That's a big red flag.

We need to get our hands on the gate's archive and see if the DHD is still live. We'll be taking the Experimental Jumper because of its hyperdrive ability. I haven't installed another such system yet, but I plan to, in Jumper 4. Hopefully this year. Not two years from now.

John's like, 'I'm not holding my breath, Rodney.'

If he's so interested in that book, why is he trying to read over my shoulder?"