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CHAPTER ONE Teyla inhaled deeply the scent of the strange world they had landed on. It was so alien and yet . . . so familiar. The bizarre sights of the lilac grasses and mauve trees clashed with the familiar smells and sounds emanating from the woods. She closed her eyes, breathing again, and could almost imagine herself back on her homeworld Athos. Athos. The thought brought a pang to her heart for a number of reasons. The Wraith had razed the original Athos in retaliation of her people's defiance a long time ago, back when they had first met the people from Atlantis. Well, actually originally from Earth but that didn't seem to make much of a difference anymore. They all felt Atlantis was their home now, no matter their origins. The rest of Teyla's people, however, had not been satisfied to reside in the halls of the Ancestors. Many of the eldest believed they were not worthy of such greatness, but Teyla knew that the majority of her people simply did not feel comfortable in the cold, metallic city, no matter how majestic it appeared. Her people were an agrarian society by nature, much more at home in the forest than they could ever be on Atlantis. Eventually, and with the help of Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Weir, Teyla had helped her people move to a settlement they called New Athos. Finally, after all the time they had spent running and hiding from the Wraith, they had found a new planet to settle down on, raise children on, and ultimately call

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home. All that was gone now. Someone, or something, had taken her people away from their new home. They had been ripped from their settlements and taken to parts of the galaxy unknown, subject to who knows what kind of horrors and torture, orTeyla dreaded to think of itdeath. Ka-woooosh! Teyla dropped out of her reverie at the sound of an incoming wormhole. She automatically brought her P-90 up, pointing it at the 'gate in anticipation. "Teyla, Ronon," Sheppard barked. "Cover the 'gate" he looked up and saw both of them with their weapons already pointed at the open wormhole. "ah, never mind." He looked around and spotted Rodney sitting on the stone steps leading up to the Stargate, furiously tapping a laptop jury-rigged to an Ancient handheld scanner. "Rodney!" he yelled. "Find cover!" "What? Cover?" Rodney looked up distractedly. "Where? The closest tree is . . . whoa!" McKay's mouth dropped open. "The planet . . . it . . . it's purple!" "Yes, Rodney. We noticed," grated the colonel, rolling his eyes. "We have been standing here for ten minutes, waiting for Major Lorne's team to finally make their way through the 'gate, and now this might be them or it might be some Wraith looking for a tasty meal, so forget the purple trees and find some cover! Now!" He yelled the last

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word as Rodney hesitated, looking uncertainly from the open 'gate to the purple forest. McKay stumbled as he turned wildly in a circle, looking for something to hide behind. He lunged for the DHD as the closest possible object not including Teyla, Sheppard, or Ronon. Somehow he doubted any of them would take kindly to his cowering behind them. They were petty that way. He fumbled with the clasp on his 9mm, finally managing to take it out of his holster. Wait, he thought. Isn't there something else I have to do? Oh yeah! Take the safety off, dummy! He looked down at the pistol, searching for the little switch that would turn it from an expensive, but wholly useless plaything to a deadly weapon. He flicked the safety off and peered around the barrel of the DHD, holding the pistol in front of him for protection. Sheppard tapped his radio, wondering if he should risk sending a message, when the radio squawked. "Colonel Sheppard? This is Major Lorne. Come in, please." Visibly relieved, Sheppard lowered his P-90 slightly, but kept a firm grip on it. "Go ahead, Major Lorne." "Yes, sir. I'm coming through with Dr. Zelenka, as per your request." "Zelenka," snorted McKay contemptuously from behind his cover. Sheppard made a point of ignoring the comment. "Come on through, Major. The coast is clear."

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"Yes, sir. Lorne out."