"I'm going in."

Doctors Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay and Carson Beckett heard Major John Sheppard's quietly spoken words and knew their friend was about to sacrifice his life in an attempt to save Atlantis. Elizabeth stared grimly at the monitor on which they were tracking the Puddle Jumper's progress towards the Wraith ships, her fists clenched tightly. For once, Rodney was silent, eyes following the lone blue dot. Directly in front of the monitor, Carson was muttering under his breath, a prayer in a language few understood.

Unable to hold everything in, Elizabeth murmured, "John…oh…."

As the words left her mouth, another vessel streaked into sensor range.

"A ship!" Rodney burst, flinging himself onto a keyboard. "It just dropped out of hyperspace. It's the Daedalus. They're early."

"They're goin' after the Wraith," Carson added, pointing to the display.

"Major, hold back," Weir shouted into her radio. "Let's see if the Daedalus can turn the tide of the battle."

"Copy that," came Sheppard's reply. "I'm staying up here, just in case."

"Agreed," she said, watching at the Earth ship held it's own against their enemies.

At the console next to Rodney, the young marine looked up. "Ma'am, we've got data contact with the Daedalus. The General wants a report on our status down here."

Leaning over to the comm. station, she said, "We have Wraith in the city. Our defenses are taking a beating. Several of our people have been taken by the wraith darts. We are prepared to initiate self destruct should it prove necessary."

"Message transmitted," the young man said, watching his screen. "They're sending some ground troops."

"Daedalus just launched a fleet of F-302's," McKay announced as a whine from down in the Gate area announced the arrival of half a dozen heavily armed people. Another two whines deposited the same number of grim looking soldiers.

A petite woman waved her hand and the troops split into groups and hustled off to defend the city. The woman sprinted up the stairs. "General Hammond sends his regards," she said to Weir. "More Marines will be down shortly, but they're trying to get an insurgent team onto the hive ship where your people are being held, so they need the rings for a moment."

"People are ringing onto the hive ships?" Rodney asked, sounding both amazed and aghast. "that's suicide."

The woman nodded. "We don't abandon our people." She paused, than asked, "Any specific spots need added defense, so I can direct our re-enforcements that way."

"Here and here," Weir said, pointing to two areas on the city schematic. "That's where the Wraith took our people."

"Sands, Pound, your teams are heading into iffy areas. Heads up," the woman said into her radio.

"Copy that, Doc," came two replies and Weir glance at the woman.

The woman noticed. "Doctor Rebecca Ryan," she said by way of introducing herself. "We met at SGC, but that's neither here nor there. Have there been any breeches of main areas?"

Knowing now was not really a time to question this particular development, Weir, Rodney and Carson began to brief Dr. Ryan on their situation.

In high orbit, John Sheppard watched as the Daedalus and a squadron of smaller, maneuverable ships engaged the Wraith. He itched to join the fight, but knew it wasn't a good idea with the nuclear weapon sitting right behind him. If the battle seemed to be going in the Wraith's direction, then they would need him to commence the suicide run he had come up here to commit.

He saw several darts dock with one of the hive ships and, from the radio chatter being fed up to him from Atlantis, he could guess those were the ships that had taken their personnel.

"Atlantis, our people are aboard the smaller hive ship. Repeat, our people are aboard the smaller hive ship," he said, scrolling through the Puddle Jumpers functions, hoping there was something he could do.

"Major Sheppard, this is General Hammond aboard the Daedalus. We're putting a team over there now. I've been briefed on your plan. Continue to hold your position," a voice said over the comm. channel.

"Copy that sir," Sheppard replied, then couldn't help himself and asked. "Elizabeth, how are you holding up down there?"

"About as well as can be expected," came her strained reply. As soon as the words were out, gunfire and shouts sounded over the comm. link and Sheppard held his breath. "John! We're all right. A few Wraith just made it into command. They've been dealt with."

"Be careful," Sheppard almost pleaded with her. Though he knew he needed to hold his position, at least for now, a large part of him wanted to be down there defending his friends. Or at least participating in the dogfight happening right before his eyes.

As he watched, several of the smaller fighters commenced a straight run at a hive ship. Two of them pulled off a nice strafing run, but the other seemed to disappear into the hull of the Wraith vessel.

After a few minutes, it reappeared and rejoined it's fellows.

"What the hell is going on?" John grumbled. He hated sitting on his ass when the world seemed to be exploding all around him.

Aboard the Hive ship, Lieutenant Commander Jamison Kirkland pulled herself along on her elbows. After studying the enemy, with their large, broad builds, she figured they weren't likely to consider the slender ventilation shafts as a viable point of attack.

As soon as she had left the launch bay, her co-pilot, Captain Anthony Taylor, had rejoined the space battle. She and the others aboard the ship would have to find another way off the Hive ship. Soon after her arrival, she had slid into the air system and peered through the grates until she found an abandoned terminal. With it, Kirkland accessed information, such as the location of the cells and the engine room.

Her first stop was the engine room, where she planted several c4 charges with remote detonators. It was a fairly nerve wracking experience, as several Wraith seemed to stalk through the room at random intervals. But SEAL training tended to give one nerves of steel, so she completed her work and moved on.

Crouching in the air vents above the cells, she thumbed the remote, setting off the charges in the engine room. The ship rocked and alarms sounded. Knowing the chaos was likely to provide her with minimal cover, Kirkland dropped into the hall way and pounced on the console that controlled the cell doors.

A dozen men and women poured out of the cells, some of them recognizable from the briefings her team had been given on the Atlantis Expedition. Meeting the eyes of young Lieutenant Ford, she asked, "Is everyone mobile?"

He nodded, then glanced back into the group. "Peter's the worst off. He's been up here the

longest."

Kirkland followed his gaze to a man with ashen, bruised skin, who was leaning on an exotic young woman. His gaze was clear and alert however as he declared, "Let's get the hell out of here, please."

She nodded and handed her 9mm.'s and P90 off to Ford and two other marines, keeping her zat in hand. As the moved quickly, but cautiously down the hall, Ford whispered, "Ma'am, that explosion sounded big. We're going to have to watch for decompression."

"The engine room is several levels down from the launch bay we're headed for," she said, then zatted a Wraith that stepped into the hall. Another marine retrieved the stunned, and as they passed, Kirkland put two more blasts into it, leaving no trace.

The chaos caused by the destruction of the engine room was a better cover than Jamie had dared to hope for. The Wraith were obviously un used to having such stubborn and persistent enemies. Though several more Wraith were encountered on the way to the bay, they were quickly put down with either a zat or stunner blast. In fact, the most difficult part of their exit was figuring out hoe to get aboard the Wraith dart.

In the end, it was Teyla, the exotic Athosian woman, who found the hatch on the underside of the ship. The group made quick work of scrambling or being lifted into the ship and Kirkland dropped into the flight chair with a grimace. Damn thing was made for a 6'6" Wraith, not a 5'8" human.

Ford watched her scoot forward in her chair so as to reach all the controls. "Can you fly this thing, Ma'am?"

"I can fly anything, Lieutenant," she assured him, then proceeded to tap several panels and power up the craft. Before them, the launch bay doors parted and they shot out into space. "Daedalus and all F-302's, this is Commander Kirkland. I have our people. We are aboard the dart at the co-ordinates I'm sending you. Please be so kind as to not blow us out of the sky."

After a moment a voice crackled over her comm. Link. "It's good to hear your voice, Commander," General George Hammond said. "That ship you just left is the last hive. We were just waiting on you before finishing our job. Get yourselves into Bay 3."

"Respectfully, sir, I think that would be a bad idea," Kirkland said, feeling Ford's puzzled gaze on her profile. "I don't want to bring this craft aboard Daedalus. It could be rigged. I recommend doing a flyover of Atlantis. I can beam everyone but myself down, then land this thing on the mainland, a deserted area, and wait to be picked up."

There was a pause. "Agreed, Commander. Major Sheppard's Puddle Jumper will escort you to Atlantis, but you may have to wait a few hours for pick up."

"I'm sure I'll find something to do, sir."

"I await your debrief with baited breath. Have fun. Hammond out."

Ford raised a questioning eyebrow at Kirkland. "Fun, Ma'am?"

She grinned at him this time. "I'm going to have hours alone with an alien space craft. My inner geek is overjoyed," she told him. "and I'm Lieutenant Command Jamison Kirkland, by the way."

Before Ford could introduce himself or even make a quip about her name, the radio crackled again and a puddle jumper shimmered into view nearby. "You folks in the dart ready to go home?"

Kirkland waved Ford to the comm. "Yes, sir," he said, then glanced back at the others in the ship. "Major, Dr. Grodin's with us. He was on the hive ship."

"My God, how's he doing?" Sheppard's voice was heavy with relief.

"I'm alive, Major," Grodin said loudly from his seat where Teyla was inspecting his wounds. "So, bloody great!"

"Good to hear that, Peter," the Major called. "Now, Commander Kirkland…nice bird by the way."

"You should see my F-302," she quipped. "You want point?"

"You take it. I'll guard your six," he said, then paused. "You do know the scientists are going to be all over that dart the first opportunity they get."

"I know how to share my toys, Major," Kirkland smiled. "And I know all about scientists."