Atlantis, Proteus
Milky Way Galaxy
July 11, 2008 (Taur'i Calendar)
0900 Hours

The control room was mostly empty save for a handful of technicians sitting at the sensor and communication stations. Without having to worry about incoming travelers there just wasn't much need to have the room filled as it once was with techs, airmen and marines. Of course, today was the exception since they were expecting their new visitors to be arriving any minute. At the bottom of the stairs just in front of the inactive Stargate a small entourage of people stood waiting.

Jack bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet impatiently as he waited in his dress blues, "I thought you said they dropped out of hyperspace already?"

Colonel Carter stood next to him in a similar uniform, "They did sir. Maybe they're taking a little longer to gather everyone up?"

"Well they better move it; Daedalus needs to get under the cloak as soon as possible," Mckay pointed out as he tugged at the tight collar of his suit.

Once Sheppard had piloted the city to their new, temporary, home they had to land and raise the cloak as quickly as possible. The only other inhabitants of the system were a small mining facility on the far side of the planet. It appeared to be focused on mining minerals from the ocean depths since it to floated on the surface. It had a small landing pad for shuttling supplies off and on-world. It must not have been a very strategic operation, however, as it lacked any kind of ship in orbit for defense. Still, it was unlikely they missed Atlantis's arrival and word would likely get back to whoever was in charge that someone had made an incursion on Proteus. For that reason, they had kept the cloak up and running at minimal levels to avoid detection and why the soon their battlecruiser got underneath it's protection the better. They had Atlantis's unique and extremely powerful long-range sensors scanning the surrounding systems for a habitable planet they could fly the city to away from prying eyes, but it was a slow-going process given their old navigational charts were useless. And with so few ships under their command that were capable of hyperspace travel, they couldn't afford to send them out in search of any either.

Carter raised a hand to her ear, "Sir, Daedalus is incoming. They're ready to beam down the Quarians now though."

Jack nodded and gave the go ahead. A few moments went by and soon nine pillars dropped down from the ceiling and deposited the Quarian delegation along with Colonel Mitchell and Daniel Jackson. The Quarians seemed startled, given it was only their second experience with beaming technology, and began looking around at their new environment. Their helmets bobbed back and forth as they went from the windows, to the stairs, to the group in front of them. A few looked behind them, their gaze lingering on the strange but elegant ring resting over their heads.

"Jack, I'd like to introduce our two Quarian delegates: Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Alarei and Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib," Daniel introduced in a very formal matter the two standing near the front of their group and wearing much finer suits than their fellow Quarians.

Rodney couldn't help but let out a small snicker when he heard the introduction, only to catch himself when the glare of the Admiral in question came his way. Turning he saw similar glares coming off his peers and he cleared his throat and loosened his tie in an attempt to clear away the awkwardness that was quickly arising in the room.

Shaking his head, Jack walked forward and extended his hand, "Gentlemen, welcome to Atlantis. I'm General Jack O'Neill, leader of this base."

Say what you will about the SG-1 veteran, but he did have an ounce of class and conduct when it came to occasions like this. Admiral Zorah grasped the human's hand firmly and returned the shake, having travelled the galaxy enough to know the meaning of the gesture. Koris did the same, though he wasn't as smooth as his peer in returning the handshake. Turning the General introduced the welcoming party one by one.

"This here is Colonel Carter, Dr Rodney Mckay, and the big guy is Teal'c of Chulak who represents the Free Jaffa."

That seemed to peak Zorah's interest, "Free Jaffa? Yes, we learned of your race during our flight here. As I understand it, you are not human despite appearances?"

Teal'c nodded, pushing his tan cloak slightly as his arms folded behind his back, "Though our ancestors were once humans, the Jaffa have been genetically altered to such an extent that we no longer share enough DNA to be considered as such. Besides our need for a symbiote or Tretonin, we possess a far longer life expectancy than humans. Our physical capabilities are also superior to that of humans."

"Yes, we we're hoping to take samples from your people to verify that your lack of immune systems is similar to our own, and to see that this 'Tretonin' does indeed work the way these… Taur'i claim."

While onboard the Daedalus, Daniel had spent much of that time going over more things from their history including details about the Jaffa and the universe they came from. Among these details, was the fact that humans from Earth in their universe were known as the Taur'i, and for the sake of distinguishing themselves from the humans of this galaxy they decided to officially adopt the name as their own. The Quarians found the name intriguing, and oddly fitting as it wasn't like any language they'd heard; much like these humans who seemed unlike any they'd met.

The Jaffa Master nodded, "I understand. But I assure you it does work the way we have claimed. Without it, I would have perished long ago."

"Why don't we get started on the tour. These men will handle your belongings with care and have them brought to the quarters we've prepared for you," Carter spoke up as she motioned for the marines standing off to the side.

The marines moved forward and began taking the packs and cases out of the hands of the Quarians, who in turn let them go with only a second's hesitation. The marines nodded and a few even gave small smiles as they tried to be as nonthreatening and reassuring as possible while taking their stuff. As they started moving away from the gate room to drop the luggage off, Jack motioned for the rest of the group to follow him. Daniel and Mitchell bid farewell as they both had debriefings and other duties that required their attention. Daniel walked away muttering something about hoping the classroom hadn't burnt down. The group walked up the stairs as the Quarians continued to take in their surroundings.

"So, I'm assuming this is the control center for the city correct?" Koris guessed as he observed the numerous terminals and stations being manned.

Carter nodded, "For the most part. Sensors, communications, things of the like are all operated from here. Other, more sensitive systems are housed in a more… secure control room. This room also acts as the control room for gate activity."

"Yes… Dr Jackson explained the function of these 'Stargates' as well as showed us archived vids. Such a device sounds incredibly useful… if it truly works the way you've claimed."

"Yeah, well, not having a gate network in this galaxy means it's gonna be pretty tough to make a showcase of it," Rodney stated back, a bit of bite in his voice.

Carter gave him a look but didn't reprimand him, "It's an understandable reaction to something that seems impossible. When I saw a Stargate activate for the first time… well, there isn't much else that compares to it."

As they reached the top of the stairs, a door slid open revealing an outer deck. Jack stood at the door and held his hand up, offering their guests the chance to walk through first. One by one they walked through the opening, followed by Mckay, Teal'c, and finally Carter who gave him a soft smile as she walked through. Jack held a smirk of his own as he followed and watched with a fair amount of smugness at the reactions of their guests. They all were leaning against the railing that lined the deck and staring out at the city before them. The massive spires, the piers that held the single Ha'tak mothership, and another that had the Daedalus slowly easing onto the metal hull as it's landing gear extended out from underneath and allowing it to settle onto the city. A handful of Jumpers happened to be doing a flyby as they watched, weaving in and around the buildings in an impressive display of piloting. The day they arrived on couldn't have been better, it was one of the 'clearest' they'd had since arriving on this oceanic planet and allowed for a total visual once over of the magnificent city. The constant storms and tsunamis on this planet meant that their shield had to be raised every so often when a tidal wave came their way.

Slowly Admiral Koris backed away from the edge and turned to face the humans standing behind them, "This city… I can see why Rola and Jal were so swayed. It's… it's unlike anything I have ever seen."

"It's something alright," Jack agreed as he looked out over the shiny towers that lined the horizon.

"And to think that this city is capable of space flight and setting down on a planet like this… even the largest mass effect core in the galaxy wouldn't be capable of it. What powers Atlantis exactly?" asked one of the other Quarians in the group.

"I'm afraid that's classified," Carter quickly stated, essentially telling the Quarians that such specific questions about their technology wouldn't be answered.

Not yet, anyway.

"The footage that we received from Jal and Rola showed that this city has a great barrier that shields it from attack. As well as maintain an internal atmosphere correct? And for it to be capable of FTL… whatever power source you do utilize, it could revolutionize the way we go about constructing starships. It could even eliminate the reliance on Element Zero entirely," Zorah began to contemplate just how massive an impact these humans and their technology could have.

"Well, we're a long way off from that I'm afraid. I mean we've spent years trying to figure out how to make more Zed-" Rodney started.

"-What Dr Mckay is trying to say, is that we've got our own problems to worry about before trying to capitalize on any of the technology of the city," Jack cut him off with a small look that said 'seriously'.

Moving on from the balcony, the group began to wander the halls of the city as Carter and Mckay explained certain things about their technology like the transporter closets that took them to far off areas of Atlantis that would have normally taken hours on foot. They group soon arrived at one of their outdoor training grounds as they walked through a security checkpoint. The doors to the outside opened, and they were momentarily blinded by the change in light as their eyes and helmets adjusted. They continued until they arrived near one of their shooting ranges which made the Quarians stop in their tracks. Jack looked over to see what had their attention; several Jaffa were firing their staff weapons in a line at a variety of targets down range. The familiar zip and whoosh of plasma bolts being fired seemed to completely grab their guests' attention.

"What kind of weapons are those?" Admiral Zorah asked with peaked interest as he observed.

Carter stepped up next to the Admiral, "Those are Goa'uld staff weapons sir. They fire a condensed bolt of plasma energy at various rates of fire and power levels. The Jaffa use them as their primary weapons in battle."

Just then a Jaffa fired a bolt at a roughly constructed cement wall. The bolt traveled down range slower than others, but the moment it impacted the entire wall burst into a chunky white cloud. As the dust cleared, almost half the wall was pulverized and black from the force and heat of the blast while the rest was cracked and looked like it was ready to topple over.

"Impressive. But those 'staffs' seem like they'd be very unwieldy in combat."

Teal'c nodded in acknowledgment, "It is true that our weapons were designed for fear and intimidation. Rest assured, in the hands of a skilled marksman, they can be quite deadly. Jaffa battle tactics have tended to revolve around superior numbers, our ships' technological edge, and the advantages we possess in close combat."

"We're hoping to make some modifications to compensate for that soon, but for now our own forces have taken the responsibility of ranged combat," Carter explained further as she motioned to some marines and airmen further down the line.

One of the Quarians in the group kneeled down and picked up a spent casing, turning it over in her hands as she examined it. She held it up to her visor as she tried to get a closer look, her eyes widening in realization.

"Wait… is this a bullet casing? I've read about them in my studies on humans and their history prior to gaining mass effect technology. Why would your people be using such archaic means of defending yourselves?"

Another Quarian grabbed the spent casing out of her hands, "You do realize that these will be next to useless against even lower-end barriers, right?"

Jack and Carter shared a look. One of the many things they learned from this 'codex' they got from Rola and Jal was that mass accelerator weapons were the standard in this galaxy. Not only did their capital ships and fighters use them for primary weapons, but their small arms were of the same weapon variety. Of course, they didn't have access to any and could only guess at their capabilities. However, it was Mckay and Carter's opinion that these weapons would put their own forces at a great disadvantage in ground-based combat. Weapons that were faster, more accurate, had greater penetration, and with ranges that seemed almost absurd for even for the marksman rifles. The common place of personal shields in this galaxy didn't help their tactical situation either. Given that they had swiftly decided against trading any military technology with the Quarians, they knew they in turn couldn't ask for these weapons in return.

"We're working on that issue as well," was all Sam could say without sounding at too much of a disadvantage.

The group moved on and made their way towards the residential areas of the city. As they walked through the halls, the Quarians got the occasional odd look from the civilians and Jaffa walking the halls, but most were looks of curiosity as opposed to the scorn their kind usually got. They passed into a large, open foyer where people were sitting in leather seats sipping drinks of some kind, others were playing what looked like a kind of strategy game on tiled tables, and children were kicking a small black and white spotted ball to each other. It was a mixture of humans and Jaffa, indicated by the various black tattoos on some of the children's foreheads. It seemed that the human youth were trying to teach their Jaffa peers how to play their game as they all passed the ball back and forth. The Jaffa looked lost as they tried and failed to catch the ball with their feet and swiftly pass it back to their human counterparts.

One of them made a misstep and the ball suddenly veered away from the group and towards General O'Neill and his entourage. The ball came to a halt just at the foot of Admiral Koris, who bent down and held the odd-looking thing in his hands. One of the older, and bolder, children came racing over ignoring the protests of what must have been his mother or caretaker. As the boy reached the kneeling Quarian, his eyes widened as he took note of the physical differences: three-fingered hands, two-toed feet, bright eyes behind a foggy purple mask.

"Whoa! Are you, like, a real-life alien?"

Even Jack rubbed the back of his head at the boy's lack of tact, and Carter and Rodney groaned and bit their lips hoping that their guests weren't too offended by the boy's enthusiastic remark. Instead, Koris let out a light chuckle as handed the boy his ball back.

"As opposed to those Jaffa children you're playing with?" he pointed out as he looked at the group now staring at their encounter.

The boy looked back at his tattooed friends, "Well, yeah I guess they count. But they look just like us. You look… well, you kinda look human. But you've got awesome space suits Do you have tentacles underneath?!"

At that moment the woman from earlier came over and put her hand over the boy's shoulder, "Jason! I am so sorry sir he doesn't…"

At that moment she finally took in the appearances of the Quarians, and her eyes grew as wide as the boy's. Some of the other onlookers began to wander over as well to see what the commotion was when they noticed the Quarians as well. Jack began moving forward as he realized that they may have an incident on their hands and prepared to intervene. By now, every civilian in the city knew who most of the senior staff was and knew a lot of what they had done for Earth over the last ten years. As a result, Jack and the others had almost celebrity level status among the populous who saw them as heroes; with that came a healthy amount of respect and admiration that had most people drop whatever they were doing if one of them gave the say so. And he preferred to avoid an intergalactic incident on their first day.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude but… who… what are you?" the woman asked as she finally found her voice.

"I am Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib, commander of the Civilian portion of the Migrant Fleet. As for what we are, our people are known as Quarians."

The small gathering had looks of curiosity and wonder on their faces. While there was an initial shock of living side by side with the Free Jaffa, the people quickly adjusted given that Jaffa were once humans and descendants of their ancestors. The camaraderie that quickly developed from the civilian populations of both races was a bit of surprise to the command staff, but a welcome one. People on both sides realized that they had a lot to teach the others, and watching the youth of both play, learn, and work together was a sight that brought a smile to even the sternest soldier. It was a crazy situation, particularly for the humans who didn't even know aliens existed before, but in some crazy way it almost made them feel normal to have alien neighbors to grab food and drinks with, and alien friends for their kids to interact with. Almost.

One of the other children who had walked over let out a snort, "Qwib Qwib? That's a funny name."

To the surprise of Jack and the others, it was the other Quarians who let out a strained groan this time. Admiral Zorah held a hand to his facemask as he shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

Before someone could chastise the young girl, the Admiral assumed the straightest and proudest stance he could, "Our people have, during difficult periods, purchased pre-owned vessels from other cultures. And have, on occasion, had difficulty altering the ship's registry information. The citizens of these foreign-named ships have borne the stigma of these names with grace and honor!"

Despite the rehearsed sounding nature of the Admiral's statement, they didn't seem to detect any malice directed at the girl who laughed at the odd sounding name. Perhaps the Admiral felt he needed to justify the odd sounding name, but it offered a little more insight into the culture of this space-migrating race.

"So, Qwib Qwib is the name of your ship?" Rodney asked with a look of sympathy, obviously being no stranger to having bad names.

Zorah nodded, "Once our people have returned from their Pilgrimages, they are assigned a ship to crew and live on. The names of these ships become our names, such as mine: vas Alarei."

The boy Jason raised his hand, "Why do you live on ships?"

"Because we have no home. Our race has lived on ships for generations, ever since the Great Exodus when we were forced to flee from our homeworld," Koris explained, a hint of sorrow creeping into his voice.

"Oh. I'm sorry. We had to leave our home too. It was really scary: lights kept falling from the sky, big explosions were happening everywhere…" the boy trailed off as he suddenly found the floor a much more interesting sight.

The woman pulled him close to her as he held him, "It's alright Jason. We're safe now," she turned to look at Koris who had sense stood up, "He was visiting me in DC for the weekend while my sister and his father were on a business trip. His parents… well, we tried to make our way to the police station when we found ourselves blinded by a flash of light. The next thing we knew, we were on a spaceship of all things! It's been hard, but we've all been working through it these last few months."

Looking out at the small crowd of people, Admiral Koris could see their moods had become downtrodden as they all began to recollect the attack on the homeworld. As he stared into their eyes, he recognized the same looks he saw every time he walked the halls of his ship. The look of a people who were lost, and even afraid. But he could also tell that they had a certain strength about them that they kept. As they had noticed with Dr Weir and their other delegates back on the Rayya, these people had suffered some kind of tremendous loss. Something profound that, despite their efforts to hide it, seemed to permeate throughout their entire beings. To the well-trained eye of a Quarian, however, they may has well have been open books. Thinking back to what they had said about their origins, about their homeworld, the vids showing such terrible destruction…

"No, I should be the one apologizing for bringing up such memories. Our people have had generations to cope with the loss of our homeworld. In time, I believe you'll find the strength to overcome it as we have," he offered as he raised a hand to his heart.

The woman nodded in thanks and offered a small smile of her own, "Thank you Mr. Koris. Wow, I never thought I'd be thanking an alien… uh, now offense. I guess we're still getting used to all this."

The Admiral nodded in understanding and the two groups began splitting apart. The adults went back to their lounging and conversations while the children went back to their game. The boy Jason smiled and waved to the Admiral as he ran back to his friends with the ball which they promptly began to kick around again. Jack walked and stood next to Koris and winced slightly as they watched them go.

"Uh, sorry about that. I thought this corridor was going to be emptier at this time of the day."

The Admiral, however, waived him off, "No need for apologies General. I'm glad we came here and met some of your civilians. It's given me some much-needed insight."

Jack blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well, you're welcome. I guess."

They continued onwards past the civilians. The halls they passed through had an assortment of Jaffa, military personnel, and no small number of civilians with whom they had similar encounters. The Quarian's didn't seem to mind given that they were being treated with far more respect and dignity than they'd ever been treated with outside the Flotilla. Privately, some of them even enjoyed the looks of amazement and reverence the younger humans seemed to be giving them.

Finally, they came across a set of double doors that seemed to lead into a much larger area of the building they were in. Jack swiped his hand on the door console with ring and the bulkhead doors slid into the walls allowing them entry. The room was roughly the size of their Conclave chamber back on the Rayya. Lining nearly every square inch of the walls, floors, and windows were stalks and vines and roots of fruits and vegetables being grown. It was one of many hydroponics facilities spread throughout the city and was one of the few that had a successful crop nearing it harvest date. The Quarians observed what looked to them like civilians tending to the plants with practiced care.

A woman saw the group and walked over with a smile on her face, "General O'Neill! Good to see down here, it's been so long since we've had a chance to go over our yield projections! Do you have an hour or two?"

Jack had to plant his feet in order to avoid turning right around, "Um, now's not a good time doc. We've got guests."

She finally noticed the group of suited aliens standing behind the General and her eyes lit up with excitement, "Oh, so sorry I didn't notice you there! You must be our new Quarian allies! Dr Katie Brown, head of our agricultural division here on Atlantis."

"A pleasure doctor. I am Admiral Rael'Zorah, this is Admiral Zaal'Koris. An impressive yield you have started here."

In truth, while the crop was well off for what it was, it by no means was enough to sustain a population of their size. The Quarians could tell pretty quickly just how bad of shape these humans were in if this was one of the only viable crops they had. Even with rationing their current stores and rationing the yields they'd get from their hydroponics they'd need to rely on an off-world supply chain until they could support themselves. It painted a better picture as to why these humans had sought them out in the first place. Dr Brown showed off the rest of the hydroponics lab to their guests, explaining that the food being grown in these labs was a mixture of Earth plants and those found on planets in the Pegasus galaxy.

"I'm sorry, but you mean to say that some of these plants are extragalactic in nature?" one of the Quarians asked incredulously.

Dr Brown nodded, "Of course! We spent three years on Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy; a lot of these plants were cultivated from various worlds during that time. We mentioned that, didn't we?"

The Admirals looked over to the General and subordinates who could only offer a slight shrug in response.

"…We were getting around to it," Jack replied, unable to think of a good excuse.

Deciding it was a conversation left for later, they continued the short tour of the lab before thanking the doctor for her time and leaving. They moved on to the final place of the tour, a small well-lit room around halfway up the main tower. As they walked into the room, the Quarians noticed a large slightly raised platform in the center. In front of that, a standing console that seemed to have a smooth glass surface on its top face with no discernable buttons or controls. Once the entire group was inside, Rodney moved in front of everyone so he had everyone's undivided attention.

"Since some people think a history lesson is in order, we decided to bring you to the hologram room. This place has the complete historical archives of the Ancients, the race that built Atlantis and the Stargates. Ask whatever questions you want, it'll answer," he explained, clearly annoyed that he was being forced to explain 'soft science', as he stepped up to the console.

An ethereal light lit up the entire platform. There was a shimmering of light particles that began floating around the air before pulling themselves together and forming a figure that glowed like a personal sun. The figure was a shapely woman, garbed in a beautiful ivory dress that hung loosely from her body. Her face was tanned and without flaw; flowing ebony locks draped over her shoulders as she stood with her hands folded politely over each other.

"Hello, I am Ganos Lal, chief educator for youth instruction and comprehension. This program is designed to help teach Lantean children foundational lessons in-"

"-Yeah, yeah we know all this. Skip to the end."

There was a slight pause as the hologram flickered, "Acknowledged. Please, state the nature of your inquiries."

Rodney stepped down from the console and raised a hand to it, "Here ya go. Ask away. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with a particularly annoying set of subspace equations for a Jumper's hyperdrive that has been driving up the wall."

With that the Canadian physicist left the room in a hurry leaving the Quarians staring after him in confusion and the other humans shaking their heads in annoyance. Carter offered them her best smile as she tried to reassure them that the man meant no ill will. Rodney's particular… personality traits had often gotten them into hot water during diplomatic situations such as this.

"Sorry about that. Rodney is valued for his intelligence, his manners on the other hand…"

Admiral Zorah seemed to understand, "I took no offense. I've often found myself in a similar state of frustration when pulled away from important research."

"So, what are we able to ask this… VI?" Koris questioned as he moved towards the console.

Carter moved alongside him and showed him where to place his hands in order to initialize the system, "Anything pertaining to history and culture. For security reasons, any detailed information regarding our technology or is of strategic importance has been firewalled and locked. If you want to ask a question, just place your hands there and verbally ask."

Koris nodded and stared at the holographic woman. He found it odd that this program seemed to refer to the humans as 'Lanteans' but filed it away as another term they described themselves like Taur'i. He started to think long and hard about what he should ask first. Dr Jackson had taught them some things about his people during the trip from the Fleet, but time constraints hadn't allowed for much more than a brief overview of their history the last few years prior to coming to this 'universe'. More than anything, the Admiral realized he was most curious about this city and its origins. The archeologist had noticeably left out details about it, nor had he given any information about these so-called Ancients. The Quarian delegation had quickly deduced that this city was not, and could not have been, built by human hands. Nor any other race in the galaxy. And there was not historical reference they'd ever heard of that referred to a race called Ancients.

Deciding on his first question, Koris placed his hands on the console, "VI, what is the origin of Atlantis. Who are these Ancients who built it and these 'Stargates'?"

The hologram paused as it seemed to process his question. Then the woman disappeared, and a holographic image of an unfamiliar galaxy appeared in the center of the platform. The Quarians watched in interest as a single system was highlighted and then zoomed in, showing a single Garden World floating in an elliptical orbit around a star.

"Approximately twenty-million years ago, the Alterans evolved in a distant galaxy…"

Atlantis, Proteus
Milky Way Galaxy
July 12, 2008 (Taur'i Calendar)
1300 Hours

"I'm not sure what to think here Koris. On the one hand, these people have been extremely courteous to us compared to most, and they did bring back Rola and Jal. But… what that VI told us… what they've been saying since we met them about their origins…" Admiral Zorah trailed off as he looked out over the ledge at the city and ocean surrounding it.

The two Admirals along with their staff were enjoying their nutrient pastes on one of the decks where outdoor seating was abundant. Around them were other people doing the same only with actual food or drinks. Despite the occasional look, most of them left the Admirals to themselves. Some were reading, and others still were enjoying the view. The city's great shield was raised currently as a monstrous typhoon was blowing through the hemisphere. While it forced them to drop the cloak in favor of protection, it also masked the city's presence from the limited sensors the planet's mining colony had available. It was a unique sight as massive waves and torrents of rain crashed against the shield. A bolt of lightning crashed into the shield near the southern pier; the purple arcs of energy being distributed throughout the immediate area of the shield; resembling veins on a leaf before dissipating away. It was an oddly beautiful sight to observe.

Koris finished off his tube as he nodded at his peer, "I know Rael, I know. But… I'm starting to see more and more evidence of their claims. Technology aside, I mean, the effort it would take to make up a story like this. What would be the purpose? Why lie about something this big?"

After their session in the VI room, the Quarians had retired to their temporary quarters. They were surprised at how luxurious they seemed to be. Each member of the delegation had an entire room to themselves. The rooms, though small, had full sized beds and computer terminals that had limited information on the city. The windows were of a specialized glass that could dim and become solid, or completely transparent depending on what setting the occupant used. The view they offered of the city was nothing short of spectacular. The Quarians also had the entire corridor to themselves, though there were guards posted at the entrance. Still, they had the freedom to go to any of the mess halls and public areas that they desired.

None of them left their rooms once they'd arrived there, however, as they all felt they needed time to process what they had learned in their first day on Atlantis. The gravity of what the VI had told them, and what the humans had confirmed, weighed heavily on their minds. To think that they were in a city that was millions of years old and had traveled outside of the galaxy was impossible to believe. They'd been shown sensor data, historical archives, and numerous vids showing the FTL capabilities of the city in question; of course, nothing about the inner workings of the technology, just its capabilities. They'd spent hours in the VI room asking every question they could think of. Even without their Omni-tools, they could see the raw data for what it was. On the face of it, the numbers didn't lie. And, ultimately, these humans and Jaffa had the technology to back up these claims. Technology far beyond what even the Protheans were capable of. And they built the Mass Relays.

"So then, if they're telling the truth then…" Zorah trailed off.

"Then we absolutely must get these people on our side. We need to be even more cautious given how much of a technological advantage they over us, but they came to us. Out of all the races in the galaxy, even their own kind, they came to the Quarian people for help. They see within us a kindred spirit. A people forced from their home, as Dr Jackson said."

Zorah nodded, "Agreed. They've already offered a huge boon for our people if their scientists and our own can make this Tretonin work for Quarians. If we can get them to trade some of their other technology such as their hyperdrives… the possibilities for our people are endless."

"What else can we offer them? A supply line is all they have really asked for, and they're willing to bargain in our favor for it. But, if we offer them something else, we could start to build good will with them that will be useful down the road," Admiral Koris pointed out.

Rael Zorah leaned back in his seat as he tried to think. Unfortunately, from his perspective there wasn't much else the Quarians could offer the Taur'i that would be useful or valuable. From what they'd learned and seen so far most of their ship technology they had available wouldn't be of great use. Rola and Jal had reported that they were quite interested in their Omni-tools, and from what they'd observed since arriving these humans still used physical datapads and computers to do most of their work. While this clearly worked fine on a base such as Atlantis, in the field the mobility and lightweight of the Omni-tool offered a wider range of advantages. But they were also something that could easily be purchased from any civilized system in the galaxy. As such, the Quarians couldn't expect to hold a monopoly on them for long; especially once the Taur'i began venturing out in search of new resources and technology.

A thought popped into his head, "What if we offer them an upfront package deal of Omni-tools and small arms. From what we saw, they're still using the standard ballistic weapons of their twenty-first century time. And based on the rest of their gear, we could also offer some kinetic barriers for them to tinker with and create for their troops. In exchange, they may offer us some of their less sensitive technology, such as the subspace communication tech Colonel Mitchell spoke of."

Koris nodded in thought as he mulled over the idea, "Yes, that could work. Take advantage of their reliance on us while we can, and hope that once they become self-sufficient, they remember who helped them when they first came to this… uh, universe."

"I think it's a fair deal. Given that were still getting the better end of this from where I'm sitting, I don't think we can push for much more."

"It'll have to be a sizeable amount of materials given the number of troops they have. Given that eezo is non-existent where they come from perhaps a small sample of it should be included as well," Koris pointed out.

Later that day, the two Admirals found themselves sitting in a conference room back in the control center of the main tower. After deciding on their course of action, the two met with their staff to have them prepare a list of what they could offer the Taur'i exactly. They quickly compiled manifest of small arms of varying types, low-level Omni-tools that weren't capable of combat assistance but still functional, and a shipment of personnel kinetic barriers. Most of what they offered wasn't the best equipment as such things were reserved for the Migrant Fleet Marines, but they would be a good starting point for the Taur'i to start research and development. Sitting across from them, General O'Neill, Colonel Carter, Daniel Jackson, and a Lt Colonel John Sheppard were reading the manifest provided for them.

Sheppard finished swiping through the pages as he leaned back and rested his arms behind his head, "That's a lot of guns your offering to just give away."

General O'Neill slid the smartpad away from him as he crossed his hands and leaned forward on the table, "Yeah… I didn't know we'd shifted from food sales to arms dealing. We didn't offer nukes when I wasn't looking, did we Carter?"

"No sir, just the Tretonin and the promise of future cooperation."

"Well, to be frank we were hoping that we could have access to some of your other non-military technology. Colonel Mitchell spoke of the way your ships communicate through subspace," Rael explained.

Jack tilted his head to the side, "Really? That's all? Usually when someone offers fancy space-guns they want some kind of weapon in return."

Admiral Koris nodded, "In most cases that would be true. However, we don't have much in the way of weapons of mass destruction. Besides, from what we've learned of your technology nothing we have would be equal in trade to your energy weapons and hyperdrive technology."

"But your ground forces, besides the weapons those Jaffa wielded, use weapons that would be virtually useless against most forces in the galaxy. So, this will help even the odds a bit."

Carter nodded at that. When she and Mckay learned about this, she recommended that to the General that they avoid any and all ground conflict for the foreseeable future. At least until they were able to secure some of these weapons for their own use, or, figure out a way to reverse engineer them. She just figured that this wouldn't happen for quite some time. Until they began to venture out into the galaxy. Privately, she really couldn't wait to take a look at these mass accelerator weapons. To think, holding a railgun in the palms of your hands… not to mention those personal shields.

"So, Tretonin and subspace comms for food and weapons. We'll probably need some help learning how to use and break down these weapons," Sheppard pointed out.

Rael nodded in return, "Just as we will need to have some of your people help us develop this drug and our own versions of subspace communication technology."

Everyone knew the direction of this line of thought: an alliance. It was in both their people's best interest. Each had something the other wanted and required each other's help to get it.

"A formal treaty will need to be ironed out, the language of which we can decide most of right now. Admiral Koris and I have the authority to speak on behalf of the Admiralty," Rael informed them as he sat up straighter.

Jack looked over at Carter and Daniel who both nodded in support. Letting out a breath, he grabbed his tablet and opened up a blank page for notes and then motioned for Daniel to take the lead. They'd figured this meeting would eventually lead in the direction of figuring out the details of an alliance, so Daniel came prepared.

"Alright then, let's get started. First, we'll need to go over the exact specifications of what we what we're giving each other: exact amounts, number of personnel required, etc. Then we can move into talks of opening embassies with each other…"

Rayya, Migrant Fleet
Milky Way Galaxy
'July 18', 2183
2180 Hours

Suni'Sheedor vas Rayya was a well-known and respected geneticist within the Fleet. Being one of the few to actually pursue the field of study, she and her colleagues had spent years working on ways to boost their immune systems through pharmacology, herbology, and a number of experimental other ways. However, in all that time she'd never come across as substance like this Tretonin. It was… indescribable. The medical trials covering its history, creation, and subsequent use in these 'Pangarans' and 'Jaffa' was nothing short of astounding. If they could engineer a dextro-viable version of the drug, the Quarians would be able to live without the enviro-suits for the first time in three hundred years. What's more, their immune systems would become so strong that they could colonize any planet they desired without needing to adapt their systems to the environment. Their life spans would be increased, their reliance on medicine would become non-existent. If they could get it to work.

The sound of a man cursing brought her out of her visions of the future.

"Ah, bloody hell!"

"Problems Dr Beckett?" she asked as she looked over to the other side of the lab.

The human was hunched over a microscope staring at the enhanced screen that showed what was going on. Small dark blue orbs on the screen were being attacked and broken down by white platelets. It wasn't long before the orbs were completely dissolved leaving nothing but microscopic blood vessels and other organisms.

Carson sighed as he leaned back into his chair and held his helmet covered head in his gloved palm, "That's the fifteenth failed trial. I was hoping we'd have made more progress by now."

Suni walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. She was initially a bit apprehensive at having to work with a human, but she quickly found that the doctor was well versed in his craft. She didn't think humans had such a firm grasp of genetics and bio-pharmacology. He showed them all how the drug functioned in humans as well as Jaffa; how it gave its users immune systems impervious to all disease and ailment. However, he also explained that once it was taken, Tretonin completely replaced the immune system of the user. This explained why the Taur'i hadn't put it into wide-spread use. But the Jaffa were another story. While the Quarians had extremely weak immune systems, they could still survive in their suits. The Jaffa, on the other hand, were genetically designed to have no immune system and instead rely on these 'Goa'uld' symbiotes to sustain them. Should a Jaffa's symbiote die, or they go too long without a dosage of Tretonin, then they would die in a matter of hours due to health complications. It was a steep price to pay, but if it meant that the Quarians could finally live without suits then it was going to be worth it.

But first they had to find a way for a dextro-safe version could be synthesized. Suni was taken aback at the level of care and concern Dr Beckett had for her people. In fact, he seemed overly cautious. He flat-out refused to say when the drug would be ready for live trials when some of the Admiralty asked and stated it until he was confident the Tretonin wouldn't cause any life-threatening conditions in the Quarians he wouldn't give them a time frame. Again, his concern was surprising given that these weren't his people. When she questioned him on his reluctance to speed things up, the human clammed up and said he just didn't want to see anyone get hurt. Obviously, there was a story in there somewhere but Suni knew not to pry into the personal matters of some human she barely knew.

"Converting a levo-based drug to a dextro one is no easy task doctor. The difficulties they had making medi-gel viable for every species… it took them decades to develop a stable formula. And with how restrictive you're being, it's going to take a long time."

Carson nodded at that, "Aye, I read about that… I know it might seem like I'm being overly cautious, but I have my reasons. Still, I hope it won't take us decades to figure this out."

Suni nodded as she took a seat near him and started going over the trial results, trying to figure out what went wrong this time. So far, every time they introduced Tretonin into a small sample of live Quarian cells… well, they didn't mix to say the least. It was such a strange substance… how a primitive human culture like these 'Pangarans' ever managed to create it in the first place completely baffled her. It was still hard to believe that these Taur'i were actually from another reality. The data they received via Dr Weir's subspace communicator from Admiral Zorah and Koris, however, confirmed it unequivocally. While it certainly explained their advanced and exotic technology, those in the know of their origins still didn't know how to feel about it. They were trying to keep the truth from the fleet at large, but these things had a way of making it out into the open.

"Perhaps we should take a break, you seem exhausted," she commented as she noticed the human's increasingly bad posture and sagging shoulders.

Carson nodded wordlessly and stood from his seat. Following the Quarian, the two left the small lab they had spent the better part of a day in and walked through the halls. Beckett drew the occasional curious glance, but the citizens of the Rayya had grown somewhat used to their three human passengers. The pair eventually came to the Conclave grounds where many other Quarians were lounging about during shift breaks and spending their free time in the company of friends. Suni and Beckett retreated to a far corner near a large tree and sat down on a bench. Suni pulled out a nutrient paste tube while Carson just leaned back and tried to relax; the nature of his suit not allowing him to eat, instead he was forced to retreat to the Jumper every time he needed to consume something. The two sat in silence as they observed the green house room, watching as people went about having conversations ranging from the new humans on the ship to complaints about overworked engineers in life-support.

Suni pulled the tube from her helmet and turned slightly to face the doctor, "We never finished our last conversation. About these 'Wraith'?"

"Oh right, yes, I'd forgotten where I left off. Would you care to remind me?"

"I think you were going to explain their… feeding process?"

Carson blanched behind his helmet, "…Oh, yes now I remember. I suppose that's why I cut the conversation short last time."

Suni raised a hand in surrender, "If this is uncomfortable, we can discuss-"

"-No, no, no. It's alright lass. Your curiosity is understandable. The Wraith just give me the heebie-jeebies is all," he explained as he took a breath, "Well, like I told you the Wraith evolved from the Iratus bug somewhere between five-hundred thousand and a million years ago when Ancients and humans settled on their world."

Suni nodded, "Right, and once they'd become almost entirely humanoid in nature then eventually developed organic ships and weapons that allowed them to start venturing out into the Pegasus galaxy."

"Of course, despite having a large amount of human DNA, they were anything but. They maintained a key trait of their Iratus ancestors. They fed on humans," he finished with a shiver.

Suni's bright eyes went wide, "T-they actually ate humans?!"

"In a way. A more accurate description is that they fed on the… well, we're not entirely sure what you could call it. Life-force? Energy? One's very soul? Whatever it is, they had evolved slits in their hands that allowed them to, quite literally, suck the life out of their victims. When they were done, their victims were nothing but dust and bones on the floor."

"That sounds horrible… how such a race could evolve…"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a natural evolution mind you. Had the Ancients never settled the world, the Wraith would have never come into existence. Now, by feeding on humans the Wraith are able to nourish and sustain themselves for extremely long periods of time," he continued.

"How long exactly?"

"As long as they get the proper 'nutrition' they need? Indefinitely. Especially if they enter into brief periods of hibernation; we have examples of some Wraith alive today who were present during the first Siege of Atlantis over ten thousand years ago."

"Ten thousand years? Not even Asari can live that long!" she exclaimed, thoroughly shocked.

Carson tilted his head in thought, "Asari? Oh, right! Those beautiful blue ladies with the cartilage head fringes. Fascinatin' species; to think a multi-cellular mon-gendered organism managed to evolve the way they did… not to mention these 'biotics' I've been reading about… truly amazing!"

Suni smiled slightly at that. Not because she thought that highly of the Asari, after all they were one of the main reasons her people were banished to the fringes of the galaxy. Rather, she was smiling at the fact that there were still some things that their galaxy had that could spark a reaction from these Taur'i. It left her hope that there was more the Quarian people could offer them besides a supply trade and small bits of support. From everything she'd seen and learned in these last few days, having these people on their side could be the key to the Quarian people becoming whole again. To claiming a new place in the galaxy. Perhaps, even, reclaiming their lost home.

Beckett let out a small chuckle which pulled her from her thoughts, "It's funny; three years ago you would have had to take a cattle prod to my arse to get me to go off-world like this. Meeting new races and cultures, traveling through space… not exactly my forte."

"You seem to be handling it quite well despite that. I know our people are grateful for everything you've done since you've arrived here."

"Well, if we're being honest, I haven't done much of anything yet," he pointed out, his voice dropping a bit.

Suni placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "Don't sell yourself so short Dr Beckett. You've tried more than anyone else in this gods-forsaken galaxy has in a long time. Most races and planets don't give us the time of day unless we've got the credits to pay for it. Your people rescued two of our own, have given us the means to one day be free from these suits, and the potential for so much more if an alliance is born out of this."

Carson rubbed the back of his suited neck nervously, "Well, I suppose when you put it like that…"

"-Carson, where are you? I just got word from Colonel Caldwell. The Daedalus should be arriving shortly. The Admiralty wants us to come down to the hangar bay to meet the new arrivals," the voice of Dr Weir broke over their private channel.

Carson went to raise a hand to his ear out of habit when he remembered that there was a helmet covering it, "Okay Elizabeth. I'm on my way."

"Something wrong?" Suni asked as she stood up along with the doctor.

"It's nothing lass. Our ship is arriving, and your Admirals want us to be there when they do. Why don't you head back to lab; I'll be there soon after with the Tok'ra scientists. They're the real experts on the Tretonin. With their help we should be able to make some serious headway," he explained with upbeat tone.

Suni nodded, though she kept her body language reserved. Privately, she was eager to meet these Tok'ra; apparently, they were of the same species as the Goa'uld but were morally and philosophically different in every way. The two parted ways and Carson began making his way down to the bay where the Jumper was. He would have become very lost if not for the map on his HUD showing him exactly what corners to turn and what elevators to enter. In fact, during their first couple of days when he didn't have a map he entered someone's quarters more than once by mistake much to his embarrassment. Soon, Carson found himself entering the hangar bay. The Jumper was sitting right where Colonel Mitchell had parked it. In front of that, Ronon was sitting on an empty crate, leaning on his knees in boredom. Dr Weir stood just ahead with her hands clasped together and her posture perfect. Admirals Raan, Gerrel, and Xen were standing near here with similar stances. He noticed, however, that off in the corner of the bay were several massive crates close to the size of shipping containers. On some of the crates' faces there were warning symbols in Khelish, but he could tell that they must have meant something dangerous. As he walked over, he heard the tail end of their conversation.

"…hopes he'll be able to visit the fleet someday. He told me to tell you he appreciates the first shipment and hopes that our scientists will be able to make quick progress," Weir finished as she noticed Carson walking over.

Admiral Raan bowed her head, "We wish we could have gotten more, but on such short notice this was the best we could do. Rest assured, the next shipment will be much larger. You may wish to have your ship empty its hangars before coming to pick it up."

"I'll make sure to let Colonel Caldwell know," she replied before tilting her head to the side and nodding, "Speaking of, the Daedalus just dropped out of hyperspace and they're ready to beam."

The Admirals stood a bit straighter as they prepared for their fellow fleet leaders to arrive. A second later almost two dozen pillars of light dropped into the bay before depositing the mixed company of Quarians, Taur'i, Jaffa, and Tok'ra along with a few containers' worth of equipment and rations. Words of greetings and other pleasantries rang out as Admiral Zorah and Koris along with their staff were welcomed back; their new guests were welcomed with open arms as well. A figure stood out from the crowd as she bowed her helmet covered head.

"Greetings, I am Anise, leader of the Atlantis delegation sent here," her guttural voice rang out, and for a moment the Quarians wondered if there was a female batarian underneath the helmet.

Admiral Raan returned the gesture, "We welcome all of you to the Migrant Fleet. We hope that your stay here will be a comfortable one and represent an important step to our peoples' future together."

The Tok'ra nodded as she turned to her people and began ordering them to gather their materials. The Admirals' staff who had arrived with them bid farewell as they headed for decontamination and debrief about their time spent aboard the human's ship and, more importantly, Atlantis.

"Dr Beckett, would you care to show my people to the labs so that they can begin working on the Tretonin right away? The Admirals, Dr Weir and I have several important matters to finalize for our treaty," Anise asked the Scotsman.

He nodded affirmatively, knowing that their arrival and take over of his research meant that he could finally return to Atlantis. Though, if he was being honest with himself, the last few days hadn't been all that bad for him. Suni was a brilliant woman and had a grasp on microbiology and pharmacology that far exceeded his own and as a result he had learned a lot from her in their short time together; the fact that she wasn't human made the experience all the more enlightening. And her curiosity about his universe and his life had helped keep his mind occupied from other things that he had tried not to think about. Plus, helping her people with the Tretonin kept him focused on a goal, as opposed to the last few months on Atlantis that had him and his staff in a kind of limbo.

He directed the newly arrived Atlantis personnel to follow him. Once they'd past through decontamination it was only a short while before they got back to the labs he'd spent most of his time in. The red holo-lock in the middle blinked once before turning green with the door opening up and allowing them entry. As they walked in, the Quarians inside all halted their activities and watched as the dozen or so individuals walked in. They began to spread out and place their equipment and materials at open stations or anywhere that wasn't filled. Dr Beckett walked over to Suni who had halted a conversation mid-sentence as she observed the new arrivals.

"Suni, this is the team that is going to be taking over for me. This is Dr Lam, former Chief Medical Officer of the SGC."

The woman stuck her hand out for Suni to shake, "Hello, it's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

The Quarian tilted her head in confusion, "You know me?"

"Carson talked a lot about you in his daily reports," Lam replied as she gestured to the man next to her.

Suni's eyes narrowed as she chided the man in good nature, "Oh really? What exactly has he been saying about me?"

Carson started to splutter and rub the back of his neck nervously, "I-I, well-you see… yes Dr Ryan? You need some help with that, I'm coming!"

The man quickly walked over to the other side of the room where Dr Ryan was standing looking confused; as he tried to explain that he hadn't said anything the Scotsman shushed him and started to grab various boxes. Dr Lam and Suni both couldn't help but let out chuckles at the man. Being in uncomfortable situations was not Carson Beckett's strong suite.

Anise and Dr Weir sat across from the Admiralty as Zorah and Koris filled them in on the more specific details of the proposed treaty. While they had been able to send word ahead of time through Dr Weir's subspace communicator, it helped to hear it from the horse's mouth so to speak. Anise sat patiently with her hands folded neatly on the table, her posture seeming as those she was incapable bending over. Elizabeth always felt a bit… intimidated around the Tok'ra. They were hundreds of years old, some even nearing well over a thousand, and thus had knowledge and wisdom far beyond that of humans. This sometimes led them to act a bit arrogantly around younger, less advanced races. But one couldn't deny the authority and strength they exuded with their presence alone.

"And how will we be able to communicate with our people on this Embassy once it's established?" Raan asked as she set down the datapad that held the words of this alliance.

Anise leaned forward a bit, "We brought a subspace communications device with us that will be yours to use as you see fit. You can contact your people whenever you so desire; our scientists will also be assisting yours in creating your own versions of the device for more widespread use."

The answer seemed to satisfy them, though internally they were very excited at the prospect of having access to such technology.

"And how will your people be staying here in the fleet? I'm assuming that your General O'Neill doesn't want to leave the Daedalus here for such extended periods?" Admiral Gerrel asked.

Admiral Zorah spoke up at that, "They brought another vessel with them; and Akash I believe it was called?"

Anise nodded, "An Al'kesh. A light bomber deployed by the Goa'uld to support Ha'tak in battle. It's large enough to support all our people here. We've also modified it for long-term habitability among other things. It will act as our Embassy in the fleet and allow our people to have a place they can rest comfortably and retreat to when they require time off."

"That's acceptable. We'll begin drawing up a list for who will serve on the Embassy staff. We'll them ready by the next solar cycle. Now, with your Tok'ra scientists here how long are you estimating before we have a viable Tretonin sample for live use?"

"We've been able to go over the data that Dr Beckett has been sending us. To be completely honest, we are not sure when we will have perfected a formula that will work for Quarians. In our reality, dextro-based life-forms are not particularly abundant. However, our ability to take on hosts of many different species was due to our unique immunity to disease and foreign substances. The concern here is making sure your bodies don't have a negative reaction," Anise replied in complete candor.

The Admirals seemed to accept this, no doubt having access to subspace tech satisfied their cravings for exotic technologies for the moment. They spent the next hour or so fine tuning the details Admirals Koris and Zorah had ironed out with the higher ups back on Atlantis. Nothing major: more accurate numbers in terms of supplies and weapons being traded, how many Quarians would be allowed on Atlantis, and setting up future talks to further this budding alliance. It wasn't long before they called the meeting to a close and the Admirals left to start issuing orders and get their diplomatic team prepared.

Anise turned to her human counter-part, "So how has your time here been? Staying in these suits nearly the whole time can't have been easy."

Elizabeth leaned back in her seat, "Haven't you read my reports?"

The Tok'ra nodded but leaned forward, "Yes, but I'd like to hear it from you directly."

"Well, not being able to shower has been a bit of a struggle… to say nothing of having to go to the bathroom. But, it has been an educational experience to be sure. The Quarians are a… very expressive culture."

"Really? I found their suits and helmets made it difficult to get a reading."

"No, I mean the way they speak to one another. They use a lot of hand gestures, and they inflect a lot of emotion in their words. They also have no problems using touch, so you should probably be aware of that," Elizabeth finished with a small chuckle.

Anise merely nodded at that as she stood and gathered her things, "What's next for you after you get back to Atlantis?"

That was a question that Dr Weir had been asking herself. During those chaotic first few weeks after Earth fell, she and other high-standing civilian members had worked night and day to create as stable and safe an environment as they could for their civilians. Their people adapted much faster than she thought possible, however. Not that she was complaining; she was extremely proud of how far they'd come in these last few months. But it had left her with an empty feeling. She didn't know what to do with her time. Before, back in Pegasus, she had administrative duties and negotiations to do with neighboring worlds. Since General O'Neill had taken command, her responsibilities had been scaled far back. That was until they'd encountered Rola and Jal. This is what she was truly good at, what she had gotten into politics in the first place for.

"I'm planning on drafting treaties and diplomatic packages for when we encounter the other races of this galaxy. Nothing formal as of yet, and nothing that would be implemented for a long time. But… I think it would be a good idea to be prepared for when those times come."

Anise held a hand to her helmet covered chin, "Yes… that would be wise to be prepared. I must admit I am most curious about some of these other races that inhabit the rest of the galaxy at large. Particularly, this 'Citadel Council'. I assume out of all the governments out there they seem to be the one we will most likely be dealing with."

Elizabeth shook her head in agreement, "Which is why I want to start working with Daniel as soon as I get back on how best to approach them, whenever that day comes. From the little I've read, I'm not sure how they will react to humans inhabiting a city as advanced as Atlantis. Not to mention the rest of our technologies."

"Then you best get back and begin working on these contingencies right away Dr Weir. We can ill-afford to make enemies right now."

With that, the two left the conference room and went in opposite directions: Anise to the labs and Weir back to the hangar where Ronon and Dr Beckett would be waiting for her in the Jumper. From there, they would depart and make for the Daedalus. They'd have to remain in the system until the Quarians had their delegation ready to leave, but at least the three could finally take off their suits and get a shower. While the suits did have waste filtration, it wasn't the same letting hot flowing water rain down one's body. And while Dr Weir was proud of the progress they'd made with the Quarians, she couldn't wait to get back home. Back to Atlantis.

So this is a bit of shorter and slower chapter. Basically, this is the end of the beginning arc and now we will start getting into the fun stuff of having Stargate in the Mass Effect universe. I wanted to make the setup more natural and not rush into things which is why it's taken seven chapters to get to this point. But we made it so now I can start writing the stuff I really want to get into. I'll be honest this chapter was kind of tough to write since not a whole lot happened and it just wasn't the most exciting piece to write. But its important I think to get this all written out so that there is well-established character motivations and understandings before they start diving into the lore of ME1. Thanks to everyone whose been leaving reviews and critiques, I really appreciate them! And for those who have been DMing me, you guys have had a lot of really great suggestions and ideas! Thank you all so much!