"We've got eyes on the target."

"Here they come."

"Kill them!"

Martin and Hailey bolted down the alley. They could hear the impossibly fast footsteps of the Quinterans behind them, running like Olympic sprinters despite the equipment on their backs. Martin and Hailey weren't carrying much and the nightmarish soldiers were still easily catching up. They didn't dare look back but if they did they would see the Quinterans' venomous eyes pierce the dark almost as if they were glowing.

Bullets whizzed overhead as the Quinterans fired blindly at their prey. They were lucky firing while running isn't very accurate. But they had to get back to the subspace station and at this rate they'd get shot before that happened.

"LEFT!" Hailey suddenly screamed, grabbing Martin by the arm and dragging him out of the alley. A confused Charles almost tripped trying to readjust his course as they ran into the middle of the streets. The cars may act as cover but it was a much longer way back to the subspace station. It wasn't until Maritn finally regained his balance from making such a sharp turn on short notice did he finally realize what Hailey was up to.

The squad of Quinteran try to make the same turn. But as they tried to slow themselves down to make the turn their shoes lost traction with the ground. Their speed suddenly became a detriment as the rubber skidded across the cement as their momentum sent the Quinterans stumbling across the street, hitting cars and bouncing into the next alley. Any of the Quinterans that did manage to slow themselves were quickly sent flying by their comrades.

It was a simple tactic but it was enough. Hailey chuckled to herself, knowing that this would buy them enough time to get back to Umar and the others.

-.-

Corin peeked over the barricade and out the window. They packed up most of their equipment and used the tables and everything in they could find in the station to barricade the doors and windows. Hell was coming, or at least its army was, and they must be prepared for it.

"Commander," Corin suddenly called out. "Charles and Jenny are back." Umar went to the window and watched as Martin and Hailey ran across the streets toward the sub-space station.

"Dannick, get Doctor Osborn and get out of here," Umar ordered.

"Wait, what about Isaac?!" Dannick argued. They worked so hard to get him here safely just to ditch him?

"Unchain him and get him out of here. We'll be right behind you, now do as I say!" Umar barked angrily, readying his gun. "Nevec, I want you to join them," Umar said.

"I follow Terra Nova's orders, not yours," Corin argued. There was so much adrenaline pumping through his body that the entire moment felt like a dream. He didn't want to die, he was terrified of dying, but he couldn't just abandon his friends. He wasn't military but he was not leaving.

"Professor, we both know you detest using firearms and you detest killing even more," Umar yelled impatiently. "You'll only get in our way."

Corin glared at Umar angrily. He hated it but it was true. Corin was still a mess with firearms and he kept freezing when he pointed it at a person. He was useless in a fight. Before he could utter another word, panicked banging came from the door. Umar ran to the door and carefully picked up the metal cabinet leaning against it and set it to the side. He opened the door just a crack, wide enough for Hailey and Martin to scramble in.

"Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger," Martin kept muttering in panic as he closed the door and Umar moved the cabinet back in place.

"It's the Quinterans!" Hailey exclaimed as she jumped into the room. "Nyrah was a Quinteran officer!" Corin's eyes widened at this statement. Umar looked at him once more.

"GO!" he ordered. There was no argument from Corin this time. He turned and ran down the stairs.

"Hailey, where's your blast cannon?" Umar asked when he saw that she was wielding her pistol instead. She and Martin were drenched in sweat and panting from the run.

"Destroyed," she managed to say. Umar's face stiffened at this statement. The reason General Mercer ordered each team to carry at least one alien weapon was to even the odds in a hostile encounter. They were now one weapon down.

"Major Hailey, what's your tactical analysis?"

"I'd say there's about ten of them," Hailey commented. "Number-wise, they don't have that much of an advantage over us but they are way better equipped and we will be at a disadvantage taking care of Isaac."

"In other words…" Martin translated. "We're buggered."

-.-

Corin rushed into the basement. They had to take Isaac away before the fighting starts. Dannick was waiting at the side while Chen and Kara were already busy removing Isaac's chains.

"We should try to take him to the gate while we can," Kara suggested as she tossed the spare chains aside.

"That might not be a good idea," Corin shouted as he reached the bottom. "It's the Quinterans! Nyrah had been a Quinteran officer this entire time!"

Chen looked at Kara as if to say 'I told you so'.

"They'll probably have the gate guarded," Chen remarked.

"We have to risk that!" Osborn argued. "We have to get McFree back to Millennium."

"No…" McFree croaked hoarsely when she said this.

"And what's your plan to fight?" Chen asked. "I can't take them all on by myself!"

"NO!" McFree suddenly yelled, grabbing Chen and Kara by the arms. Chen immediately slapped away Isaac's hand before rushing over and tearing the other hand off of Kara. Chen was thankful they had not finished unchaining McFree but something told him it wouldn't matter.

"Isaac?" Dannick asked, standing up. Everyone knew what was happening but they were all too stunned to react.

"You should've left when you had the chance!"

Chen's hand flew to his gun. He didn't want to shoot McFree but he will if he had to.

"Fight it, Isaac!" Kara shouted as she was shoved behind Chen.

"You don't understand!" McFree shouted, sweat pouring form his skin. The familiar black slime oozed from his body. "You need to know." McFree gritted his teeth and groaned as he tried to fight back the mutation. "You think the harvesters are monsters. But you don't understand they do this because they have to. They only do what they have to do to survive and you can't stop them."

"Steven, wait!" Kara yelled as Chen aimed his M4 right at Isaac's chest and pulled the trigger. He watched as black liquid sprayed out of the bullets holes, black blood, but nothing happened. Steven's eyes widened in shock. Ignoring Osborn's and Dannick's protests, Chen immediately aimed the gun at McFree's face but Kara shoved the barrel back down.

"It's too late!" Chen snapped. "You can't save him!"

"YES WE CAN! We can stop this."

"No…you can't," McFree suddenly rasped. McFree opened his mouth once more but was cut off as the black slime finally engulfed his head.

-.-

Umar peeked out the window nervously. He knew the Quinteran soldiers were on their way. It was only a matter of time…

"What about Major Nova?" Umar asked. "Did you achieve your objective?"

"Yeah, the Major got away," Martin said from behind his cover. "We better bugger out of here, 'cause-"

He never got to finish his sentence as a loud roar rocked the ground followed by panicked yelling and screaming. Umar looked at the door to the basement in horror. He had sent Corin, Dannick, Chen and Osborn down there to get McFree. If McFree had mutated as they were unchaining him…

Umar ran for the basement, Martin and Hailey close behind him. But they had barely managed to take a step when they all dove for the ground as a hail of bullets suddenly ripped through the barricade, burning into the floor and wall of the building. They could see the small puffs of dust being kicked form the floor where the bullets hit all around them, shattered glass raining upon them. Even at a distance, the bangs of the guns were deafening, as if they were coming from inside the room. The barricade may be great at blocking line of sight but it was useless to stop the bullets.

They started crawling across the ground as more bullets flew in through the window. Crawling down a flight of stairs wasn't the easiest thing but they had no choice unless they wanted to get shot.

-.-

Several blocks down, Quinteran soldiers had opened fire on the sub-space station, their automatic weapons pelting the building. Four of the soldiers were raining fire on the station while the rest stood at the ready nearby. Nyrah and Daemon walked up from behind them men, scanning the scene.

"Status report?" Daemon demanded from a Quinteran soldier.

"They've managed hole up in the subspace station," the soldier said, handing Daemon a set of binoculars. He scanned the structure, recognizing the barricades in front of the windows.

"They have nowhere to run," Nyrah said with a smile as she watched the bullets tear holes into the building. "Shooting rats in a cage." Nyrah Krampus has slaughtered more than she could count in her life, gunned down hundreds of deserving aliens. This should be just as easy. She could already foresee her gunning down these humans.

"We should have the men form a perimeter to prevent their escape," Daemon suggested, putting away the binoculars.

"You go do that," Nyrah remarked lazily, even giving him a pat on the shoulder. "I'll do this…" She gestured at the soldier carrying the drone launcher, who stepped forward, took a knee, and took aim while the other Quinterans kept firing, keeping their pressure on.

Daemon gave Krampus a disapproving look. Her tactic was certainly faster and could produce the same results but it was risky. A building of that size certainly must have another door, one their enemy could sneak out through.

"I am familiar with your reputation, Colonel Krampus," Daemon said calmly, interrupting Nyrah before she could give the final order. "Your boldness and willingness to take risks is what led you to ascend the ranks but that is also what cost you that rank."

"I got where I was because I got the job done," Krampus snapped, storming up to him, fury roaring through her blood. Daemon simply looked back at her, his face in the same tired but determined scowl he always had. "And I lost my rank because of those humans down there. Those race-traitors blemished my record, disgraced my name. I'm a descendent of two of the original members of TR-1, the team that toppled the alien regimes that controlled this galaxy, cemented our place in the universe, and earned our position as the Fifth Race. I will continue my family's legacy! I will do whatever it takes, burn all that stand in my way, I will ensure that ALL will fall before the MIGHT of the FIFTH RACE!"

She whipped around toward the troops and without hesitation or second thought gave the order.

"FIRE!" There was a pop as a the drones flew right out of the launcher, the squid-like missile engulfed in a crackling field of black and purple energy that burned through the air. These drones could burn through the armored hull of a starship. The wall of a building was nothing. Nyrah watched as the drone as it rammed into the building, the wall shattering on impact and flying into the structure. A moment later, Nyrah watched as the entire building exploded, the ground trembling in terror as an inferno poured from the structure, hurling debris out the window, the door blown off its hinges and sent bouncing across the ground. An enormous mass of black smoke was sent billowing up into the air. The base of the metal antenna practically evaporated from the sheer heat as the rest of the antenna crumbled, crushing what was left of the building. As the roof and ceiling caved in the walls soon followed, sinking into the pit made by the explosion a steady cloud dust rising out of the rubble.

"One and done," Nyrah said with a smile. She glanced at Daemon. It seemed that her bold tactic triumphs again. "You can still have your men surround the crater if they want," she added, giving Daemon a pat on the shoulder as the men stood down. Daemon watched as Krampus waltzed off. She may have been satisfied but he was not.

"Form up!" he ordered. "Secure the area, make sure they did not get away."

The Quinterans lined up before the ruin. They raised their weapons and began to slowly approach the giant wall of smoke. Daemon leveled his shotgun and joined his men as they prepared to gun down anyone they saw as they descended upon the rubble.

-.-

Elsewhere in the city, Nova looked up as the explosion cracked the air. She could see the column of dust and smoke rising above the buildings. She looked back, knowing her team was back there. Her friends were back there. She removed her hand from her wound. Doing anything that used a stomach muscle sent sharp pains through her body. Every time she inhaled it felt as if a branding iron was put against her chest. She had done all she could to stop the bleeding but she still left a decently long trail of blood behind her and she was already starting to feel lightheaded. If any of the Quinterans found it they could follow it right to her. Then again, it shouldn't be a mystery where she might go.

Nova managed to stand up and look down upon the stargate. The overturned MALP was still there, covered in sand and dirt. Strangely enough, not a single Quinteran was there. No one was guarding the gate. She stumbled down the hill, hand still on her chest. She knew what she had to do: gate back to Millennium and come back with reinforcements. Mercer may be cold as ice but he should surely agree with the notion of 'no man left behind'.

She stopped in front of the DHD, prepping her GDO. But as she reached to press the first panel she froze. She leaned against the console.

It was a fool's errand, a suicide mission. But she couldn't leave her team behind. She looked back at the rising smoke before looking back at the stargate. Millennium was just a dial away. But it would take a while for amass the appropriate number of troops to arrive and she wouldn't be allowed to join.

Nyrah Krampus... Nova had already made one bad decision today and in doing so she had given away information about Millennium and left them in a vulnerable position. What would a second bad decision lead to? What would she lose if she made the wrong choice again?

She thought about her father, who died in a car crash. She thought about the first time she served on: SG-23. Their team leader was killed while fighting the Lucian Alliance and the other two members were killed by a Goa'uld-possessed wraith while they were serving on Atlantis. One of them was even fed upon in an attempt to save her.

Nova closed her eyes and gave a sigh as she finally made her decision. She would go save her friends. She had lost her pistol during the firefight from earlier but she found her hand drifting toward her knife. She didn't know what she could do but she was sure as hell going to try something.

"I can't lose another family."

-.-

Martin peeked out over a window on the third floor of a nearby building, looking down at the crater where their hiding place used to be. The Quinterans were searching the debris, looking for any bodies. Several of them had put away their guns and taken out machetes and bladed shovels as they combed the ruins and nearby buildings. Even from this distance he could hear some of their conversation.

"Colonels, we have yet to find any traces of their remains," one of the Quinteran soldiers said.

"Could they have been destroyed in the explosion?" Daemon asked gruffly.

"Unlikely. Even high yield explosions would produce human remains."

"Which means they got away!" Krampus snarled. "The humans are here somewhere!" she announced to all her subordinates. "Find the humans and slaughter them before I slaughter all of you!"

Martin watched as her troops immediately obeyed and began combing buildings around them.

"Well…This sucks," Martin muttered as he looked back at Dannick, who laid against a wall.

"So what now?" Dannick asked nervously. Martin wanted to answer but he wasn't sure himself. In the chaos of escaping McFree and the explosion and to find a place where they wouldn't be seen they had all gotten separated, the ones nearest the front running in different directions and the ones behind them picking someone and following them. It may have seemed like a stupid thing to do but this was usually how soldiers would become MIA on a battlefield, in their panic desperation they would dash for the for safe place they see and not notice the person beside them was running a different direction.

"Protocol states that in a situation like this we should head back to Millennium and come back with a more appropriate force," Martin said. He looked at Dannick, who looked absolutely terrified. Martin couldn't really blame him. Even soldiers have cracked under the pressures of combat, trained individuals who went out knowing what could happen and they'll still crack. He couldn't blame an untrained civilian to not handle situations like these very well.

Dannick knew Martin could see that. He was scared. One bullet was all it took and it would be lights out for good.

"Sorry, I'm not good in these situations," Dannick stuttered.

"Oi, mate," Martin said to Dannick. "You got a favorite movie? Or videogame? Book?"

"What?" Dannick stuttered. This was the last question he expected from Martin. They were being hunted my murderous humans and he was asking about movies?

"Talk to me, mate," Martin said impatiently as he watched Daemon begin combing the debris himself.

"Well, I like crime dramas," Dannick stuttered, not sure where to start.

"To each his own I guess," Martin muttered. "Alright, and in these shows they go through some firefights and the sort, right? When you get down to it, this isn't really that different than that. Granted we're in a science fiction, not a crime drama, but it's still bad guys trying to shoot the good guys."

"I…I guess."

"So not that bad. Anytime a firefight starts just think that you're in one of those scenes or something else that you like to watch. It's just a trick I use in buggered situations like these. It's a way to help keep your cool once the bullets start flying."

"You don't expect me to help fight, do you?" Dannick suddenly asked in panic.

"No, but I do need you to keep your head on once things start hitting the fan. If you start panicking you start making bad choices. Until then, we need to stay hidden as long as possible; at least we weren't seen," he added as he looked out the window again, careful to make sure he wasn't obvious.

The Quinterans were still searching the ruins and the surrounding buildings. It was then he noticed one of them was knelt down with a controller in his hand.

"What the…" Martin muttered, eyeing the Quinteran suspiciously. Why was he on the ground with what looked like a smart phone and not searching the buildings with his comrades? He was so transfixed on this one person that it wasn't until the answer flew up into his face was he thrown back into reality. A massive silver disk had floated up to the window. It didn't have any visible cameras or lights but Martin knew exactly what it was. Quinterans had used UAV's to explore planets before. After getting Ancient technology and finding their 'kinos', the Quinterans incorporated kino technology into their UAV's. No longer using the small silvery orbs, they now used massive silvery disks to hunt down their prey.

"Ah, bugger my ass, you gotta be kidding me!" Martin exclaimed.

-.-

On the ground, the Quinteran technician looked up from his PDA and at Daemon.

"Got him," the field technician said. Daemon looked up at the building where their enemy hid. His solid gaze remained unchanged, even after knowing where his enemies were.

"Put the recon-drone into battle mode and open fire," Daemon ordered. He reached back and pulled his shotgun from his back and looked at his troops. "You two, with me!"

-.-

Martin watched as the silver disk transformed before his eyes, the disk morphing and transforming into a spider-like machine, eight long spindly legs dangling below its body. Four claw-like mandibles rubbed together in the front, right below a pair of cannons that extended from its body. A mass of tentacles waved behind it with a single whip-like tail. The drone turned and faced its target, weapons locked on.

Martin dove to the ground as the robot opened fire, a shotgun blast tearing into the walls of the room. Dannick fell to the floor with his hands on his ears. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, his eyes wide with horror as the energy-encased projectiles smashed through the walls. Dust sprinkled over him as the walls disintegrated on impact, the wood turning to splinters and the concrete walls crumbling to powder. His whole body was paralyzed with fear.

"Just like movies…" Dannick muttered, his body barely easing up. "Just like the movies…" He couldn't stay there on the ground. He had to get to cover. Dannick stayed down and crawled behind a nearby desk. It wasn't much and would probably melt from a single blast. They both had to get out of there. He looked up and examined the room. The door was wide open and the stairs were right in view. All they needed to do was get to it.

Martin was pinned down, hiding behind a cement column by the oncoming hell storm of bullets, the pillar slowly crumbling from the weapons fire. "C'mon, Martin!" Dannick yelled, crawling for the door. "We have to get out of here!"

Martin was firing blindly at the recon disc, the crackling bolts of energy streaking by harmlessly. A single bolt form an ion rifle may have had the power of a grenade but it didn't matter if those bolts didn't hit anything. It was a time for a change of plan. Martin set the ion rifle to maximum yield and fired it at the ground directly under the drone. It might've been overkill but the explosion blasted a ole in the floor and sent both him and the drone flying in opposite directions. Charles yelled in pain, dropping his gun and covering his ears.

Seeing his companion on the ground, Dannick rushed over, tapping him on the shoulder. Dannick helped Martin stumble to his feet. He was waiting for Charles to recover but, instead, Martin immediately grabbed Dannick by the hand and bolted out of the room. The explosion may have tossed the drone out of the building but it did not destroy it. The flying death machine flew back into the building to continue the fight.

"The stairs are back that way!" Dannick yelled as he stumbled through the doorway. Another shotgun blast ripped through the building.

It took every ounce of mental strength for Dannick not to not collapse in terror as dust flew from the ground right in front of him as the bullets punched through the concrete.

"I got a better idea!" Martin called out, aiming his ion rifle at the wall ahead. With the weapon set to max, he fired. The concrete and wood exploded into a plume of dust and smoke as the wall fell to pieces like a wrecking ball through Lego's. There was a single story building below. It was a hell of a fall but compared to running upstairs and getting cornered or running downstairs and getting pincered by Daemon and his drone, this was the only way out.

They all yelled in fear as they jumped out of the third story. Technically they only had to fall one story and with the extra height of the roof they would definitely survive the fall.

Martin let out a pained 'oof' as he hit the roof followed by Dannick. Charles didn't even give them time to recover as he sprung to his feet and hauled Dannick off the roof and into the streets. The fall may not be lethal but it was painful as they hit the pavement.

Daemon and his two troops had reached the third floor. They stood at the edge of the hole and were spraying the area. The alleys were not in direct line of sight and the Quinterans were trying to blind fire through the building.

"We have to get back to the gate!" Martin yelled, dust spraying out of the wall and into his face as the bullets just barely missed him.

"What about the others?!" Dannick asked between battered breathe.

'Never leave a man behind.'

Martin remembered that phrase. Every instinct told him he should stay behind and help his friend. Just leaving was against everything he believed in. It wasn't right. If the Major had asked him to choose between staying and leaving he would vote to stay. But he wasn't second in command at the moment; he was in charge.

"We can't help them if we get killed," Martin finally said. "We gotta get back to the gate. The others will be fine!"

-.-

If only he knew…

Hailey and Corin snuck through the alley ways. They knew the Quinterans were hunting them like animals. She hated running. She was a fighter; always was. She wanted to stand her ground and take the Quinteran on but that was suicide.

Hailey remembered fighting what few jaffa that remained loyal to the Goa'uld back in the Milky Way, how they fell after a burst of bullets. SG mission reports talking about their fights with Jaffa, wraith, and Lucian Alliance pirates, how it would take over a dozen of them to even last against an SG team. SG-1's kill count was legendary. But here, in this galaxy, they were spending more time running and hiding. The mere act of taking on the enemy was an accomplishment. They couldn't fight; they had to run. They had no choice.

She stopped for a moment and put her hand to her radio. They hadn't seen the rest of either team since getting separated. She wanted to radio them. But what if they were hiding from the Quinterans and the sudden crackle of the radio leads them to getting caught?

"Jennifer, c'mon!" Corin said, breaking her out of her stupor. She had let go of her radio and was about to get moving but something else felt wrong. As she looked up, she glanced behind her, looking up at the rooftop of the building behind them.

"Oh no," she muttered. Corin also turned around, immediately understanding what Hailey was worried about as his eyes fell upon the towering monstrous figure that was Isaac McFree. It had been hunting them for the past several minutes. Realizing it had been seen, the creature stood up, a fully mutated beast that bore little to no resemblance to a human, an extra pair of mandibles growing form its lower jaw, scales forming what looked like gills on its neck.

"Isaac?" Corin asked cautiously, stepping forward.

"Corin, get back!" Hailey hissed but Nevec wasn't listening. If there was even a remote chance Isaac McFree was in there somewhere, he had to try to reach out to him.

Hailey knew this was Corin's plan, and she wanted to save him more than anyone, but this idea was madness. Still, what if Corin actually succeeds?

McFree slowly crawled down the side of the building, clinging to the wall like a spider before reaching the ground.

Corin was about to approach but Hailey quickly pushed him back and stepped in front of him. She was military, she was the one who puts her life on the line first. Besides, if Isaac was in there somewhere, he'll more likely to recognize her.

"Isaac?" she said softly. She kept her pistol trained on him as she reached out with her other hand. She wished she had something more than a pistol, considering she knew that was it was ineffective against harvesters' scaled hide. But, something was different. She looked into his eyes, realizing that these weren't the slit monster eyes but human eyes. He was in there.

Her hand was just about to touch Isaac's snout. She was just about to make a connection. But then, Isaac closed his eyes as if he was wincing in pain. Its eyes opened once more and Hailey stared right into the yellow slit eyes of the creature as it assumed full control.

The beast let out a roar the shook the planet before backhanding the two of them. The two humans went flying through the air before crashing onto the hood of a car, the glass shattering and hood warping on impact. They both got up but while Corin prepared to run, Hailey didn't.

"Get to the gate!" Hailey ordered, prepping her pistol. "I'll hold him off!"

Corin gave a reluctant nod as he took out his pistol and handed to Hailey.

"Careful out there," he said before taking off down the road. They both knew the monster McFree turned into was faster than any of them. This was the only way.

Jennifer looked at her friend. She wanted to keep trying, to keep Corin by her side and try to get to Isaac. He was in there; they just learned for a fact that he was in there somewhere. But, if she stays to fight him she only risks her life while if she tries to connect with him she risks both their lives. She could not do this.

"Sorry, Isaac," she muttered. The creature let out a roar as Hailey began her advance, opening fire at the monster's eye.

-.-

Corin stumbled and tripped down the road to the gate. The stargate was the main mode of transportation between planets so it made sense that the biggest road led straight to it. People would park beside the DHD and dial their destination.

He knew the commotion of Hailey fighting McFree would attract the Quinterans. He could only pray that that Hailey could escape and pray that the Quinterans wouldn't catch up to him.

Too late…

Corin had barely caught a glimpse of some motion out of the corner of his eye. He probably wouldn't have even though anything of it if it wasn't charging at him. He looked at whatever was rushing after him and his eyes widened when he realized it was Nyrah charging at him full speed. He gave surprised yell and fell backwards as she brought her maul down upon him. There was loud clank that echoed through the air as she narrowly missed him, the axe-end of the weapon embedding itself into the car. Corin took that opportunity to crawl away and made a mad dash for the nearby building. Nyrah tried to pull her maul out. The blade was really stuck in there and it needed just as much effort and force to yank it out. With a grunt she tore her weapon from the hood of the car but Corin had already run away. She grumbled in frustration as she made her way into the building.

"Come on out, Corin!" Nyrah called out teasingly. "You're just gonna die tired."

Nyrah didn't even bother using her gun. It would've been easier to simply shoot Corin but not as fun.

-.-

Corin found himself sprinting through a seemingly endless maze of hallways. This was some sort of apartment building. Hopefully the rooms will give him an opportunity to hide and sneak past Nyrah and get to the stargate. He finally slowed to a stop as he took a moment to try to get his bearings.

He looked in either direction, trying to figure how where Nyrah could be. She was knocking the walls with her weapon, the thumping signaling her approach and his inevitable death. He ducked into the stairwell at the side as Nyrah Krampus came around the corner, maul in hand. The floor creaked with every step she took as she came ever closer to Corin. She knew that he could be anywhere in this building, in any of the rooms. She had to hunt him down.

Corin tried to slow his breathing, or at least not breathe as loudly. He practically jumped out of his skin when the next thud was on the other side of the wall. He couldn't stay there. He couldn't tell if Nyrah was still randomly hitting the wall or if she was mocking him and telling him she knew he was on the stairs. He had to get out of there. He didn't want to go upstairs but it doesn't seem like he had a choice. Corin made his way up as quietly as he could. He picked up his foot and gently set it on the next step, trying to muffle his footstep the best he could. He glanced behind him, half expecting Krampus to be standing behind him. But it seemed that she had not noticed him yet. He continued up the stairs, making sure the she couldn't hear a single footstep. He had just reached the stop and it seemed like he was in the clear. But as he put his foot on the top step, the degrading wood gave a long creak.

"Crap," Corin muttered. There was no way Nyrah didn't hear that. He wanted to run, just run for his life; but this would make more noise. Instead, hemade a silent dash into the nearby room. Nyrah was a lot less quiet as she stomped up the stairs. When she reached the top she scanned the floor. It seemed like Corin had escaped again but she knew better. The old building hasn't been ventilated in decades and the degrading red carpet was covered in a fine layer of dust and sand. A wicked smile spread over her face as she eyed the streaks in the soot right in front of a door. That door had recently been opened and closed.

"You know, Corin," Nyrah called out as she walked up to the closed door and tested the handle. "If you wanted to hide from me you shouldn't have closed the door behind you…"

From inside the room Corin cursed to himself. There was nowhere to run now. He started rummaging the empty apartment in a desperate attempt to find something to brace the door, expecting Nyrah to use her maul to mash it down. Instead, with an earsplitting bang, Nyrah blasted a hole where the door knob used to be, the shredded metal sent flying across the room and out the window. She kicked the door open as she slung her rifle back over her shoulder, smoke still rising from the underslung shotgun.

"End of the line, Corin," Nyrah chuckled, brandishing the maul.

Corin looked around in panic, realizing that he had nothing to defend himself with. He desperately picked up a wooden chair and held it up in front of him. But, with a single swing, Nyrah destroyed the chair and sent the splinters flying. Corin ducked as she swung again, the maul flying above his head. He made a break for the door but felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and pull him back. As he stumbled backwards there was a fleshy crack as his head hit the corner of a metal table and his unconscious body hit the ground with a thud.

Krampus crouched down atop of Corin and rolled his body over, blood trickling from his forehead. She was almost sad about finishing him…almost.

She flipped the maul so its axe head was facing forwards. She lifted it up, preparing to bring it down on his head and split it like a melon.

"NYRAH!" a voice called out. Nyrah froze upon hearing her name. She knew that voice. She lowered her maul and turned around. There she was; Terra Nova stood in the doorway, combat knife in hand. She had dropped her tactical vest since it now served as a hindrance and turned her BDU into a makeshift bandage to wrap around the wound in her stomach leaving her in a sweat-soaked black shirt. It wasn't perfect but it was the best she could do. Regardless, she must've lost a lot of blood by this point.

Nova kept her eye on the rifle slung over Nyrah's shoulder. The knife could beat the gun but only if she can get close. The twenty foot rule: a person with a knife could traverse a distance of roughly twenty feet and get a stab off in the time it takes for a person to draw and fire a gun. She was definitely a lot closer than twenty feet but charging an armed person still wasn't ideal. Depending on how the fight goes, Nyrah could still stuff her with bullets. Nova considered running, leading Nyrah away from Corin. But, she was in the perfect range to charge in and attack. If she runs she'll lose this advantage.

"I'll admit, you're even stronger than I gave you credit for," Nyrah remarked, thinking back to when she shot Nova.

"You'd be surprised what I can do when you threaten my family," Nova replied.

"Oh him?" Nyrah asked, casually gesturing towards him with the maul. "It wouldn't have hurt. You maybe, but not him."

"If you want to hurt me, here I am…"

Nyrah raised an eyebrow, surprised Nova would put herself forward like that.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. And you might wanna hurry before Daemon comes to spothat mucil your fun."

A smile spread over Nyrah's mouth as she unslung her rifle and put it on the table. She removed the holster that held her pistol and did the same. This was exactly what Nova had hoped: to use Nyrah's bloodlust to give her a fighting chance against the Quinteran officer. She might still lose but it would buy

"I am going to enjoy this," Krampus chuckled, prepping her maul.

"Then let's do this!" Nova yelled, raising her combat knife. Formalities were out the window. Knife in hand, Nova rushed forward and Krampus charged at her, maul raised. A maul was bulkier and had a longer range but it was slower and if she got close enough then Nyrah would have a trouble putting the breaching tool into her skull.

With a quick feint, Nova tricked Krampus into swinging her maul. Nova saw her opening and charged in. She tried to bring the knife down upon Nyrah's head but the Quinteran soldier blocked her hand with the handle of the maul before swinging it sideways and slamming the butt of the handle into Nova's jaw.

Terra Nova jumped back as Krampus swung her maul upwards, the axe head smashing into the ceiling, dust and plaster raining down on the two of them. Krampus adjusted her grip and pulled the maul out of the ceiling and down to the floor, attempting to smash the top of Nova's head with it in the process.

This room was too close quarters to fight in. With furniture and splintered remains of a table over the ground, it was too difficult to maneuver. Nova turned and ran into the hall. She glanced back and it was a good thing she did. Major Nova dove to the ground as the maul flew over her head and embedded itself into the opposite wall with a crash.

Nova picked herself back up just in time to see Krampus rush at her. Nyrah Krampus always carried an array of knives; from daggers to combat knives to throwing knives. Nova just caught a glimpse of the curved claw-like blade Krampus held in her hand, the blade curving forward from the bottom of the fist.

She gave a yell as the blade sliced through her ribcage. Nova grasped her open wound as she turned to face Krampus, who smiled as she twirled her blade.

-.-

Hailey jumped into a building right as the wall exploded and McFree came barreling through. He was stronger, faster, and had a thousand times tougher than she was. Her only option was to turn tail and run and pray that he'll mutate back into a human sometime soon.

She turned around and fired the last of her bullets, her berretta 92's clicking as their hammers hit empty chambers. She tossed the now empty guns aside as she turned and made a dash for the front door. The harvester monster may be faster but barreling through walls slowed him down.

Tunnel vision from the adrenaline and panic were beginning to set in as her legs moved as fast as they could carry her. She could see the door growing in size. She was going to make it.

She let out a surprised yell as a massive claw seized her leg and tossed her into the ceiling. Jennifer came crashing back down, the pipes, wires, and tiles from the ceiling coming down with her. There was no fighting this thing. She was advanced in hand to hand but that didn't matter when fighting an alien monster.

Isaac rolled Hailey over and grabbed her head, his mutated claw so large its palm covered her entire face. He let out a roar and threw her at the window. The glass shattered and she felt her brain whip back in her skull as she hit the pavement. She gave a weak cough as she sat up, gripping her left arm. She looked up to find the massive beast already standing over her.

Her mind was racing as she tried to think of a way to turn the tides of this already lost battle. What would Carter do? She would find a way to adapt and improvise. What did Hailey have on her that she could use? There was one thing on her that she could think of. It was risky but she was dead if she didn't do anything anyways.

"You know, Isaac," Hailey remarked, struggling to stand up as she reached for her belt. McFree crawled right up to her, so close she could feel his breath. "You always were a pain in the ass." There was a slight click as she finally pulled the item off her belt. She didn't know if it would work or not, but it was her last trick. "I had a hell of a career though. Nearly got expelled from the Air Force Academy. I'll admit I can be hot headed but it was a hell of an adventure. So you know what, let's end this with a bang." She held up her hand, holding a flashbang right in front of McFree's eye. The pin dangled from her thumb so she simply let the lever fly off. Hailey closed her eyes and looked away, knowing what was about to happen. The flashbang went off in her hand. Even with her eyes closed, the flash of light still penetrated her eyelids. She couldn't tell if she was still standing, stumbling, or just rolling on the ground. It felt as if the whole world was spinning and tossing her about, her ears ringing from the deafening noise.

Hailey may have been stunned by her own flashbang but her plan worked. Harvesters had enhanced vision and hearing. They could see and hear better than any other creature. This also meant they were a lot more sensitive too. The blinding light became searing pain in his eyes, like someone had jabbed them with a branding iron. The deafening bang that would stun a human practically imploded his ears drums. He let out roar and collapsed to the ground.

Hailey was still dazed but she knew she couldn't stay. She began feeling around, trying to get her bearing. She could hear some sort of bubbling but couldn't tell what it was. It wasn't until her hand brushed against a human foot did she realize Isaac had mutated back into a human. She gave a weak smile. Whatever the flashbang did, it triggered his mutation.

She stumbled to get to her feet, keeping her right hand on his shoulder so she would know where he was. With a grunt, she hauled his unconscious body against hers. Her left arm was busted so she was going to have to make do. Still, she still had trouble walking. The world was still wobbling and she could only take a few steps forward before stopping again.

She was about to take another step when she felt a firm hand put on her shoulder. The Quinterans had caught up. Her hand flew to her dagger that she instantly unsheathed and prepared to stab whatever was behind her.

"At ease, ma'am," Commander Umar said comfortingly, taking the knife out of her hand before it met its mark. Hailey felt a wave of relief flow through her body at his voice. Chen and Osborn quickly came up beside her and took McFree. The Dusk Riders have had enough adventure for one day. "C'mon, let's go home…"

Hailey smiled at the sound of that. Osborn and Chen helped carry McFree as Hailey kept a hand on Umar's shoulder so she could tell where she's going as the five of them made their way to the stargate. They might just be able to get out of this nightmare after all.

-.-

Nova slashed at Nyrah but with Krampus's insane speeds dashed passed Nova's blade and slashed her shoulder. Nova turned around and took a stab but Krampus slashed open Nova's wrist.

They continued slashing at each other, leaning back to avoid the other's blade and rushing in to exploit the opening. Nova may have been a competent fighter but she was completely outclassed. She found herself getting pushed back.

She took another step back and felt a chill run down her spine. She had reached the end of the hall, her back pressed against the window to the outside. Krampus charged in, knowing Nova had nowhere to go. Terra Nova was able to block the incoming blade just in time, jamming her wrists against Nyrah's, the blade stopping right in front of Nova's face. Krampus pushed against the knife, and Nova pushed back but she knew that there was no way she could win the pushing match and the tip of the blade was getting ever closer to her face. Nova was butchered and Nyrah hadn't received a scratch.

"Don't fight it, Terra," Nyrah said with a smile. "You dug your grave the moment you decided to challenge the Fifth Race." Nova gritted her teeth as she tried to force the knife back to no avail. She had lost too much blood.

It is often said that a person's life flashed before their eyes right before they died. It seemed to certainly be true now. And the only thing that flashed in her mind was her childhood and every action that she regretted to this day. She remembered earlier in the mission, when it looked like a mutant Isaac McFree was about to kill her she accepted it. She remembered previous missions where she was prepared to accept her death when most would fight to the end. She had always been so overwhelmed by guilt over who she used to be and what she caused that whenever it looked like she was about to die, she was more than happy to accept it. But she couldn't now. Her friends, her family, were in danger. She put her new family into this and she was not exiting until she fixed it.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Krampus teased with a smile.

"Yeah?" Nova asked as her head was pressed against the window, and idea suddenly springing to her mind. "Well, so am I!" Nova shouted as she finally let go of the blade. She moved her head to the side but only slightly, Nyrah's knife plunging into her shoulder. Krampus tried to pull her blade out but Nova held it in with her left hand as she jammed her dagger into Nyrah's forearm. Krampus roared in pain as Nova proceeded to drag the blade through Krampus's arm. Distracted by the gnash in her arm, Nova grabbed Krampus by the collar and, with every ounce of strength she had left, flung her out the window, the glass shattering and Krampus landing on the ground outside with a thump. It was doubtful that a fall like that was lethal but it would at least buy her some times to get Corin and escape.

Nova collapsed to the ground, hand on her wound. If she hadn't lost much blood before, she certainly had now. She had begun to feel freezing and her vision was blurring fast. She hadn't gone far from the room Corin were left in but stumbling back was painstaking. The hall seemed to be rocking back and forth as if it was trying to slow her down. She grabbed the door frame as she reached the room and looked inside. Corin had just sat up and put his hand to the wound on his head, giving a pained groan.

"Corin?!" she called out. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw him getting to his feet.

"Terra, what happened to you?" Corin stuttered when he saw her. His head was killing him and merely moving made if feel as if his brain was being tossed about, but he immediately rushed to Terra's side.

"Hey, girls just wanna have fun," Nova remarked with a small laugh, trying to shrug it all off. But she could not hide her injuries. Corin let Nova lean on him for support as they hobbled out of the building. The first breath Nova took outside was a breath of relief. But she knew they weren't out of the woods yet.

"There're the others!" Nova called out when she saw the five figures walking down the road in the distance. Corin could already feel the burst of excitement shoot through his body, knowing their escape was once step closer. He was relieved to see Hailey and McFree among them, glad she survived and managed to subdue him.

They wanted to call out but they knew the Quinterans were still here somewhere. They waved their hands erratically, hoping one of the five would notice. Fortunately, Umar was still on alert. Noticing Corin and Nova behind them, he and the crew all paused so the two could catch up.

"You look no worse for wear, ma'am," Umar remarked when he saw how beaten up Nova was.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Nova replied. As the leaders, their teams looked to them for inspiration especially in a dark moment. These little quips always helped lighten the mood, to say they were bloodied, beaten, and downed, but not out.

"Hey," Chen called out impatiently. "We still got baddies lookin' for us. Can we get a move on? The gate's just down the road."

There was absolutely no disagreement in that. They had managed to find McFree and each other but they still weren't out of the woods.

"Wait a minute," Corin suddenly interjected. "Where're Dannick and Charles?"

"We don't know," Hailey said, shaking her head.

"We're in no condition to go looking for them," Umar said. "I'm sorry but we have to get back to Millennium and have General Mercer send more troops." Corin looked at Nova, hoping she would take his side. She opened her mouth to do just that but stopped. She wanted to stay and search for the remaining two but Umar was right. They were in no position to do this.

"I don't think we have to," Osborn suddenly chirped, pointing in the distance. They all looked in the same direction. It didn't take them long to see two people making a mad dash toward them. A smile spread across everyone's face when they saw this. They were all going to make it out of here after all.

But Chen knew otherwise…

"Something's wrong," he said, prepping his gun. He watched the two suspiciously. His eyes heart plunged as a mob of Quinteran soldiers appeared behind them in hot pursuit.

"Little problem here!" Martin cried out in panic. He was more than happy to see his friends but that still didn't get rid of the problem chasing them.

Something suddenly whizzed by him, striking him on the shoulder and sending him stumbling to the ground. He looked up and spotted the hatchet that had been hurled at him. He got back up merely to find himself staring down the barrel of a Quinteran rifle. The ion rifle was on the ground next to him but grabbing it would've been suicide. He slowly raised his hands as he rose to his feet. He didn't want to surrender but he had no choice.

More Quinterans suddenly came out from hiding. They had given up on searching and instead had decided to wait in the one place they knew their prey would go. Even Krampus came out from behind a building, holding her bleeding arm. Colonel Daemon stepped out from behind his men, his trap springing exactly as he had hoped. They were completely surrounded. They had all thought the Quinterans didn't leave the road to the gate guarded but they were wrong.

Chen and Umar pointed their weapons but didn't fire. They were so close. They had McFree, they were all together, and the gate was just down the road. So close yet so far.

"Well, you put up quite a fight," Krampus laughed. Daemon slowly walked up with shotgun in hand and shoved Martin and Dannick back with their friends.

"Chen, put your gun down," Nova suggested. Chen and Umar both gave her a surprised and disapproving look, not wanting to just surrender. But they had no choice. They were surrounded and were in no condition to fight.

"Oh, don't bother," Krampus suddenly chirped. "We're not in the mood for taking prisoners."

Nova felt her heart sink. She was hoping Krampus was still in her sadistic mood. Apparently even she has run out of patience.

"Kill them all," Daemon ordered flatly. The Quinteran soldiers gave a nod and took aim. Chen and Umar immediately aimed back and prepared to open fire. It was a losing battle but they were going to go down fighting. The two of them pressed their guns tight against their shoulder, ready to open fire, ready to take down as many Quinteran berserkers as they could.

At least they were going to…

Chen and Umar both suddenly lowered their guns, their eyes widening in horror. Corin and Nova stared into the distance. Her jaw dropped in fear at what she beheld. Even the cowardly Dannick became more transfixed on this unseen menace than the Quinterans about to shoot them.

Seeing this, the berserkers began exchanging nervous glances. There was something clearly wrong. Krampus and Daemon could sense it too. They both turned around and they immediately understood.

None of them had seen it. None of them had even noticed it. The sun had just about set, the blood red star now hidden behind a massive shadowy wall of creatures, squabbling monsters of every size and shape gathered behind them, their glowing red eyes piercing the shadows and staring down upon their prey. A crowd of hellish creatures stared down upon them.

"When it's silent, I can hear them: whispers in the back of my mind. They are coming. The Harvesters are coming." McFree had said this earlier and he was right. The harvesters had arrived.

"Open fire!" one of the Quinteran soldiers screamed in fear. "Everyone shoot!"

"Let's go!" Nova yelled. This was their one opportunity to escape and they were taking it. Even Krampus and Daemon were busy firing at the oncoming monsters. Smaller hellish dog-like reptiles were rushing across the ground and getting blasted back by the oncoming gunfire. Larger monstrous snakes slithered across the ground, lunging at their prey. Nova didn't know if this was a blessing or a curse for the harvesters to show up at that exact moment but they were taking advantage of it.

Umar ran ahead to dial the gate, punching in each symbol as quickly as possible as Chen prepped the GDO. The giant ring hummed to life as its white opal chevrons locked in each symbol.

"C'mon, move faster," Chen growled through his teeth, cursing how long it took for the gate to find and lock in each symbol.

"Uhh…what is that?" Dannick suddenly called out. Hailey and Martin looked up. In the distance they could see a massive wall of gray gas engulfing the landscape and headed right for them. It was chilling to see something of that size, a massive dark cloud hundreds of stories high. It looked like an all-consuming storm cloud covering the land. They remembered that the first move into harvesting a planet was to cover it in a gas that would incapacitate everyone that breathes it in. They had to get out of there before the gas reaches them.

Umar pressed the last chevron and pressed the center white dome, activating the stargate. The warm blue light from the open wormhole was a massive comfort.

"This is General Mercer," a voice suddenly came through the radio. "What is your situation with Doctor McFree?"

"This is Commander Umar. Situation is critical. Raise the barrier! We're coming through."

Osborn and Chen took McFree and immediately went through the wormhole. They didn't know if Mercer had raised the barrier or not but they couldn't wait. Umar and Hailey went through next. Martin and Dannick soon followed. Nova and Corin were about to go in when a yell behind them caught their attention.

"NOVA!" Krampus roared. She and Daemon had withdrawn from the slaughter and made their way to the gate. "I look forward to seeing you again!"

Nova didn't even bother responding. She couldn't finish the fight even if she wanted to and she knew once they were gone there was plenty of time for Nyrah and Daemon to dial out. Corin helped Nova turn around and hobble through the gate.

-.-

"Seal the barrier," Mercer ordered as Nova and Corin came through. The beam from the Asgard transport lit up and reformed the solid cover over the gate. He was not happy about this turnabout. Doctors were already en route. He immediately went down the stairs to meet the two teams.

Kauffman led in the doctors with stretchers.

"Kauffman, get Doctor McFree and Major Nova into surgery!" Osborn ordered. The nurses lay McFree onto a stretcher and helped Nova lay down on another one. She was about to follow them back to the infirmary when Kauffman suddenly stood in front of her.

"What're you doing?!" Osborn demanded to know.

"I will head the surgery," Kauffman said.

"What're you talking about?"

"Doctor, you are exhausted. It is clear that the mission did not fare well. I will perform the surgery."

Osborn wanted to protest but she knew he was right. They couldn't afford to make mistakes during surgery. She was tired both physically and mentally and couldn't even hold a pencil steady let alone a scalpel.

"Alright," she said. Kauffman gave a firm nod before turning around and rushing to the infirmary.

"Donavan," Mercer called. "Get security. I want guards in McFree's operating room, all armed with alien weaponry."

"Yes sir," Donavan barked.

-.-

Umar, Hailey, Dannick, Martin, Nevec, and Chen all had rather simple wounds and were treated at the infirmary. Nova's and McFree's were a bit more complicated. Osborn was still irritated that she couldn't help with the surgery but she knew they couldn't risk having a surgeon tired and worn down from a mission. She watched the surgeries from an observation window, knowing Kauffmann had it all under control.

"Doctor," General Mercer greeted as he walked in behind her. He stepped up to the window and looked down upon the operation rooms. "What are their conditions?"

Osborn looked at McFree's operation room as she explained.

"We're removing the parasite attached to McFree's neck. It seems to share some similarities with Goa'uld symbiotes so we have some idea of what we're doing."

"Have you determined what the cause of his mutation was to begin with?" Mercer asked. It may have seemed cruel to be willing to leave the Dusk Riders and Wolf Pack on the planet but none of them knew the capabilities of the mutant harvester McFree transformed into and Mercer's first and foremost responsibility was to the expedition.

"It seemed like the parasite was the cause of all of it. We haven't finished extracting it but we have been able to swab what appears to be venom glands. It was chock full of different viruses: retroviruses, adenoviruses, lentiviruses, even some we can't identify."

"What does that mean, Doctor?"

"Those are viruses we use in gene therapy. I think the parasite used these viruses to rewrite McFree's DNA. Some of the unidentified ones might even be the reason he was able to mutate so quickly. The thing is, the DNA transcribed on some of these viruses are completely unstable. Its chromosomes were already breaking down when we looked at them. I think that's why he kept transforming between human and harvester. The harvester's DNA was unstable would've soon died."

"So you are sure he will not mutate once the parasite is extracted."

"Positive. Another thing…we've been using some of the Alliance computers to analyze the Harvester DNA before it broke down. It looks like that whatever McFree transforms into was telepathic. Our theory was correct."

"You suspect that this was the reason the harvesters arrived?"

"I think so. When we first encountered the harvesters, they captured McFree but they let him go. I think after they put the parasite in him to learn about us. The parasite would mutate Doctor McFree into a harvester for as long as possible then mutate him back into a human so it wouldn't kill the host."

"This sounds like speculation," Mercer commented, staring into the operation room. Several guards kept their aim on McFree with ion rifles, blast cannons, and X-699's.

Kara gave a sigh. The General was right. This was all just speculation.

"It's what makes the most sense," she said.

"And what of Major Nova?" he asked, looking into her operation room. Osborn also walked over.

"First off, she's going to need a blood transfusion for sure. As for the bullet, it's pretty close to several of her vital organs. Normally I would recommend leaving the bullet there but Qinteran bullets seem to emit some sort of energy that lets it burn through objects. Hailey theorizes that this was inspired by Ancient drones. Right now the bullet lodged in her is burning her organs which is why we have to get it out. Her recovery will take the longest. McFree will be second longest and I advise a psychological evaluation. I have no idea what this process has done to his mind."

Mercer fell silent as he thought about the scenario.

"Doctor, tell me, can you extract the bullet in Major Nova without damaging it?" the General asked.

"With how much damage it's doing, the best course of action is to disable the bullet before removing it."

"No, tell Doctor Kauffman I want the bullet to be removed intact and sent to the science labs." Osborn felt a surge of anger rush through her blood upon hearing this. While removing the bullet without damaging it was possible, it was harder, would probably result in more damage to her organs, and would need an even longer recovery time. Not to mention, all surgery ran the risk of complications and leaving the bullet intact would increase that risk several times over.

"General, I really must protest," Kara said.

"Is it possible to remove the bullet without killing her?"

"Well…yeah, but-"

"Doctor Osborn, it has become abundantly apparent that the challenges we will face in this galaxy will be nothing like what we have faced before and we must be ready. You just stated Major Nova can survive so what whatever she does sacrifice will benefit the rest of this expedition."

"Yes, sir" she finally said in defeat. Mercer glanced into Nova's operation room once more. The anesthesia had finally kicked in and the doctors were preparing to cut her open. There was nothing more for him to see here. Without another word, Mercer turned and left the room.

-.-

When you talk to people who have gone through surgery, they talk about how the doctor tells them to count backwards from ten, and that they never reach zero. Nova had barely reached seven, or was it six? Either way, she was out. And, just like she was told, the next thing she remembered was waking up. At least she thinks she woke up.

She gave a startled gasp and bolted straight up. She looked around her, realizing something was different. She wasn't in the infirmary like she expected. She wasn't even on the Millennium. The entire world around her was pitch black, the only source of light coming from the glowing water beneath her that she somehow sat upon as if it was a solid surface. She slowly stood up, no longer in a hospital gown but in a blue T-shirt and jeans. She looked around, not sure which direction to go, all of this seem eerily familiar. Then she remembered: this was just like the hallucination she had when she first met the Furlings. She looked around, expecting a figure to appear and talk to her like last time but there seemed to be no one. Then she noticed someone standing on the horizon. It was...it couldn't be…

"General Hammond?" Nova breathed. She had only heard stories of the legendary George Hammond, only seen his picture, the first General in charge of the SGC. He had died because of a heart attack, yet here he was standing before her. But something seemed off. He seemed…sad…disappointed.

"Wait!" Nova called out when he turned around and began walking away. She immediately ran after him. Why would the Furlings show her this? As she finally caught up to Hammond, she realized he had changed. It was no longer Hammond but a Quinteran soldier. At least she thought it was. But then she noticed the SGC patch on its shoulder. The Furlings may be giving them a chance to prove themselves but they still had their reservations. She remembered she begged the Furlings to give them a chance because she believed in humanity. She hadn't lost faith, but only now had she begun to realize just how bad things could be as she stared at the figure in front of her. Only now had she begun to realize just how fearful the Furlings were of what Earth could become. There was no doubt in her mind that Earth would do more good with their technology, but if the SGC, in the future, did abuse the knowledge and technology they gathered, what could stop them? What if their next advancement in technology is one day abused? The Furlings may not have said anything to her this time but they didn't need to. They showed her everything they wanted her to know.

She just kept her eyes on the figure as the water beneath her feet began to rise and slowly engulf her. As the glowing water rose above her head, her entire body now submerged in the liquid, she thought about all the reports she read of advanced civilizations refusing to give Earth technology. She remembered how people felt the Tok'ra and Tollan were so arrogant and self-righteous. Now she got a glimpse of what could be the future that all the races feared.

Finally engulfed, the glow of the water slowly went away, immersing her in darkness. Suddenly, the blackness was split open by a blinding light. She instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes, blinking as her eyes adjusted. She sat up in her hospital bed. She was in the infirmary. To say her stomach felt bruised would've been an understatement. It felt as if her muscles had been placed in a spiked vice. Joining her in the infirmary were Hailey and Dannick. To her surprise, Chen was right beside her, laying in an empty hospital bed.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," he remarked when he noticed Nova had woken. She put her hand to the now stitched up wound, not even wanting to try to imagine what the operation looked like.

"What'd I miss?" she asked casually, looking around. She could still hardly believe that they all made it. Part of her was still waiting for the revelation that this was all a dream and that they were still back on the planet.

Chen and Hailey both looked at McFree.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"No snarky comment?" Chen asked.

"No immature jokes?" Hailey added. Isaac gave an amused snort.

"Not this time," he said, leaning back. "This time I'm more than happy to keep my mouth shut."

"You do that," Hailey remarked, though Nova couldn't tell if it was in irritation or amusement. "And I guess I'll be joining Chen on the pussy-squad," she added, holding up her bandaged right hand. "Flash banging yourself is not all it's cracked up to be."

"Admitting that you're wrong?" Chen translated. Hailey gave a weak smile, realizing that this was exactly what she did. There was a time when she was refuse to admit being wrong. Now here she was giving her equivalent of an apology for flash banging him earlier and telling him to get over it. She may have matured over the years but she still retained her temper. "Let's just call it even."

"Hey, Steven, where're Charles and Corin?" Nova asked.

"Sleeping in their rooms probably. You were out for an entire day." Terra Nova fell silent, thinking about this.

"Then why are you here?" she asked.

"I don't sleep," Chen said gruffly as if to shrug off the topic. Terra knew this was probably a lie since Chen was almost always chugging down coffee just to keep himself awake when working.

"If you say so," Nova said with a smile as she leaned back in her bed. She was battered and bruised and had about a dozen stitches but she was still alive. More than that, her friends had made it was well.

-.-

Mercer sat in his office, scrolling through the data gathered on the Quinteran bullet extracted from Nova. The Major had already lost a lot of blood and lost even more due to the surgery trying to extract the bullet intact and undamaged. But, thanks to that, they now know their hypothesis was correct. The Quinterans had somehow incorporated Ancient drone technology into their bullets. The bullet didn't have the propulsion or navigation system and the energy field encasing the metal projectile was not as strong as that around a drone but it was strong enough to burn through almost any type of armor or shield. It was one step closer to understanding their enemy.

Mercer looked up from his desk as several people walked into his office. It was in the middle of the night cycle so no one was around to see this…but that was the intent. Mercer could feel the presence of Tok'ra symbiotes in half the people. The other half were purely human.

The last person in peeked out the door to make sure no one was watching.

"So…we're all here," General Mercer said. He slowly got up from his desk and walked to the wall behind his chair, gently typing in the combination into the wall. The pearly white wall seemed to vanish, replaced with a doorway into a majestic hall with a wood table at the center, beneath the crystal chandelier. They all took their seats at the table, the General taking a seat at the far end. The eyes of several members gave a violent glow, the Tok'ra symbiotes making their presence known. The remaining humans were members of the IOA. They had all managed to sneak with the expedition.

"Gentlemen," Mercer greeted. "We agreed to this emergency meeting to discuss the latest events of Wolf Pack's mission. When this expedition was first conceived, the Tok'ra, Jaffa, and IOA agreed to work together because of a singular fear, a fear of a potential enemy far worse than the Goa'uld or any enemy we have ever faced before. The IOA is currently using the Millennium Expedition as a social experiment to gather and train individuals in the hope of creating teams that can match the skills and abilities of SG1 but will still yield to authority. The Tok'ra agreed to accept me into their ranks and the IOA agreed to let me be part of this expedition despite my history because of my unique set of skills that I can bring to bear. We have taken many precautions to prevent this fear from ever coming true."

"The Free Jaffa Council have agreed with our assessment and feel Teal'c and Bra'tac will be too emotionally involved," an IOA member explained. "As a result, they have not been informed of our actions and their fleet is ready for action."

"I still do not agree with this," a female Tok'ra from the back said. "I have worked with them before and I find it difficult to believe that they will become this."

"Perhaps the current leaders won't," an IOA member pointed. "Perhaps their successors, or their successors' successors won't. But with the recent drastic jumps in technology and their propensity to disregard authority when it suits them, we have to face this very real possibility."

"And, thanks to Wolf Pack's recent mission reports, we have some idea of what we may end up facing, the threat that may arise if they are left unchecked," General Mercer added. "And when the time comes, we'll be ready…"

-.-

A/N: Alright, been working on this for the last few months and I'm actually having difficulty getting it to a point where I'm completely satisfied. I don't know what it is but I feel off about this chapter. Also, this story's gone through several drafts. One thing I want is to have consequence to the character's actions: Nova's in this case. In the first draft, she completely lost her right arm. In another draft, she was killed. So, do you think those would've been ore suitable consequences for her actions?

I've done what I could for it. Please, let me know what you think. Most of all, enjoy.