"Previously on Stargate Atlantis." "Ara, Rakai!" "Me, Rakai, Ara, we're your friends." "You belong with us." "You want to hit a Wraith lab?" "Having a ship would make things a whole lot easier getting us in and out before any reinforcements arrive." "We'll go this way." "You go that way." "Contact us if you find anything." "Thank God, it's you three." "You're Wraith worshippers?" "What did they do to you?" "They rewarded us with the gift of everlasting life." " Rakai, no!" " No weapons." "Run, and get away while you can, because the next time we meet, it will not be as friends." "You getting any sleep these days?" "Not much, I'm afraid." "Although things are a little easier now that Kanaan's request has been granted and he's been allowed to return from the mainland." "How's he liking life in the big city?" "Well, he's happy to be reunited with Torren and I, but he's having difficulty adjusting to life on Atlantis." "Yeah, I hear the shower scared him." "And you once stunned Dr. Gero at your own surprise birthday party." "He spooked me." "Uh-huh." "It's difficult for Kanaan." "He has Torren and me, of course, but I still think he feels isolated." "Yeah, well, he just needs to make some new friends." "You should get him to come by the gym some time." " We could spar." " Thank you." "That's very kind of you, but I need him in one piece for the foreseeable future." "You're no fun." "Hey, hey." "Hey!" "Ronon!" "Tyre." "The Daedalus confirms the results of your preliminary search." "There's no sign of Ronon's subcutaneous transmitter anywhere on that planet." "That means he's still alive." "If Tyre wanted him dead, we would have found a body." "Unless he just took him somewhere to exact a slow revenge." "I don't mean to sound overly negative, but from what I've heard, his mind is seriously warped." "And yet he didn't kill me." "It would have been safer for him to leave no witnesses." "So perhaps, despite what the Wraith did to him," "Tyre still possesses his Satedan sense of honor." "It didn't stop him from ambushing you." "We can use that Satedan sense of honor to help us find Ronon." "How do you propose we do that?" "We get a Satedan to help us." "You happen to have one handy, do you?" "Teyla knows where one is." " Solen Sincha." "Who?" "He is a survivor of the Wraith attack on Sateda." "Ronon and I encountered him on a trade mission to Belkan two years ago." "Judging by your description, he isn't exactly the settle-down kind of guy." "I mean, what are the chances he's still gonna be there?" "There's only one way to find out." "Mr. Woolsey, permission to go offworld?" " You have a go." " Great." "And, Teyla, will you be accompanying Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay?" "I only ask because I've yet to receive your formal request to return to active duty." "Of course she'll be returning." "Right?" "I've yet to make a decision about my future with the team." "Oh." "Okay." "However, I would still like to accompany" "Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay to Belkan." "Of course." "Teyla!" "Where's Teyla?" "I left her back on the planet." "Don't worry, she's fine." "You know I wouldn't hurt her." "Do I?" "I accept the fact that you no longer trust me, but I'm hoping that will change in time." "Sateda is gone." "We're the last of our kind, Ronon." "We're brothers, not enemies." "We're brothers?" "So I should just forgive you for setting me up last year?" "If you had just listened to reason, things could have been different." "Ara and Rakai would still be alive, and we'd all be working together again." "As Wraith worshippers and traitors to the memory of Sateda?" "Hell, no." "Of course not." "I see that now." "You're blinded by the past, lied to by your so-called friends on Atlantis." "But I still have faith in you, old friend." "You just need to open your eyes to the truth." "All right." "Just untie me, and I'll listen to what you have to say." "Would that be before or after you try to beat me unconscious?" "I don't know." "You choose." "Or I could just surprise you." "I don't doubt it." "What's wrong with you?" "I'm not well." "But I've been worse." "You know where we are?" "You remember Sarif Sur, don't you?" "Yeah." "You almost died on that run." "We both nearly died because you refused to leave me behind." "You risked your life to save me." "Today" "I return the favor." "Solen Sincha." "Go away." "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" " We need your help." " Ronon Dex is in trouble." "Ronon Dex is always in trouble." "Well, his life is in danger." "Again!" "What else is new?" "What kind of trouble has he gotten himself into this time?" "He was abducted by a fellow Satedan, a Wraith worshipper by the name of Tyre." "You mean former Wraith worshipper." "Word is, the dog disappointed his masters, so they turned him loose." "That's uncharacteristically kind of them." "Not exactly." "So long as he's on the run, he's a living, breathing example of what happens to humans who disappoint them." "Tyre's a marked man now." "Most anyone I know would kill him on sight." "It's just a matter of time." "He was once a proud Satedan, not unlike yourself." "He was subjected to unimaginable torture." "Perhaps he had no choice." "There is always a choice." "He could have chosen death like a true Satedan." "Any idea where we can find him?" "If I knew that, he'd already be dead." "All right." " Tyre's not thinking straight, right?" " Sure." "So it's probably just a matter of time before he slips up." "And when he does, I'm assuming your leads will hear about it." " Probably." " So what do you say you contact us when you hear something?" "We'll deal with Tyre and save you the trip." "All right." "To Ronon." "Look at you." "You can barely walk." "Let me get you some help." "I'm beyond your help." "It's the Wraith, isn't it?" "What they do to you?" "At this point, it's not so much what they did to me as what they aren't doing to me." "Giving you life?" "Reverse-feeding or whatever the hell it's called?" "It's hard to describe." "The sense of euphoria it offers is..." "You became addicted to it." "You can't understand it unless you've experienced it yourself." "It was a gift, one that was denied me after I allowed you and your friends to escape us." "Free me, I'll get you some help." "I promise." "Help is already on the way." "For both of us." "What does that mean?" "What the hell did you do?" "I've saved us." "Ronon Dex." "I looked forward to the day when you would finally serve me." "Well, then, I'm gonna feel real bad disappointing you." "I'm sure you'll try." "But in the end, you'll come around." "Mr. Woolsey." "Teyla, any news on Ronon?" " Not yet." " I'm sorry." "I suppose we can draw comfort from the fact that he is a proven survivor." "He defied the odds for many years as a runner." "Yes, he did." "How can I help you?" "I wanted to apologize for not having come to you sooner with a decision regarding my position on the colonel's team." "Take whatever time you need." "If necessary, I can assign someone to fill in for you." "Oh..." "Mr. Woolsey, do you have children?" "No." "But I did have a Yorkie for many years." "It's a small dog." "Ah." "But my wife got him in the divorce." "I loved that dog." "I never really had the chance to say goodbye." "So, no." "No children." "Then, with all due respect, you may not understand how difficult this is for me." "For most of my life," "I never imagined the possibility of leaving my people, not even for a moment." "And then circumstances changed." "And after realizing a far more important role on Colonel Sheppard's team," "I never imagined the day would come when I would have to let it go." "And now here that day is." "Five years ago, if anyone had asked me if I ever planned on taking a job outside of the Milky Way, my answer would have been a definite no." "And now..." "Look at me." "So, while I can't empathize," "I certainly do sympathize." "Believe me, I know priorities change." "And sometimes they don't." "Teyla, I'm sure Kanaan will support you whatever decision you make." "Yes." "Of course he will." "Thank you, Mr. Woolsey." "How does it feel to have your life stolen?" "To be pushed so close to the darkness, only to be pulled back from the brink?" "From what I understand, it's a magnificent sensation." "To be honest, I've felt better." "Defy me all you want." "Your fellow Satedans were no different." "Like them, you will eventually submit." "I'll die before I submit." "No, you won't." "Hey." "You're up early." "It's 10:00 a. m." "It is?" "Oh, God." "I didn't sleep at all." "I was up all night thinking about this Ronon situation." " You got anything?" " Nothing." "I tried everything, pacing, snacking, bathing." " Bathing." " Yeah." "Like Archimedes." "You mean that Greek scientist who had a crush on Teyla?" "No, like the Greek mathematician who came up with the Archimedes Principle, the physical laws of buoyancy." "According to legend, the idea came to him when he was sitting in the bath, so..." "Look, the point is that the revelation occurred while he was relaxing, not thinking about the problem." "And the solution, as it turns out, was right in front of him all along." "You think we've overlooked something?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "Look, all I know is I was up all night going over it and I'm drawing a blank, so I could use a fresh perspective." "I'm not taking a bath with you." "Let's just go over what we know." "According to Solen, Tyre's on the run." "Now, we can assume he's operating alone, because if he had backup, they would have been in on the ambush." "Right." "He's alone with Ronon on the run." "So where would someone like that go?" "Well, I can think of something like 200 uninhabited planets that would be perfect." " Where do you want to start?" " How about Sarif Sur?" " What?" " We just got a message from Ronon's buddy, Solen." "He hears that Tyre and Ronon are holed up on a planet called Sarif Sur." "Thank you, Archimedes." "Major, get your team and gear up." "Yes, sir." "There's just no point in holding on." "You're just putting off the inevitable." "It's better if you just accept it." "You mean better for you, don't you?" "The Wraith cut you off and this is your way back in, by offering me up as sacrifice." "No." "You're not the man I risked my life for." "You are a traitor to the memory of our people." "You have no honor." "Things are progressing too slowly." "I have other matters to attend to." "We can continue this process back at the lab." "And when will I receive my reward?" "Your reward?" "I brought him here as we agreed." "In exchange, you promised to restore our previous arrangement." " Did I?" " You promised!" "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint, since your usefulness has come to an end." "We'll get him." "See that you do, colonel." "Nothing." "So we were wrong." "It has been known to happen." "Hey, I always said this was a long shot." "Colonel, this is Lorne." "We've got something." "I knew it." "Over here." "We checked his pulse." "It's barely there." "We gotta move him or we lose him." " Where's Ronon?" " Good question." "His injuries are minor, but both his heart rate and blood pressure are elevated." "He woke up about an hour after you brought him in." "He was delirious." "He was sweating, nauseous, trembling, so I sedated him and ran some tests." "After giving him a drug that blocks opioid receptors," "I noticed a drop in dopamine levels here." "A central link in the brain's reward circuit." "Right." "Meaning?" "Meaning this type of neurochemical activity is identical to that of reforming substance-users." "He's going through withdrawal." "I need you to save him, Doc." "Right now, he's our only lead." "If he dies, our chances of finding Ronon go with him." "Of course." "But it could be days before he's coherent enough to tell us anything." "John!" "Why wasn't I informed about the mission to rescue Ronon?" "We were playing on a hunch." "We had to act fast." "I'm going to go see if they're still serving lunch." "It's Taquito Tuesday." "I think I'll join you." "I'm surprised that you would be so quick to move forward without me." "Don't put this on me." "You're the one having second thoughts about returning to the team." "I cannot give you the option every time we're going offworld." "This is not an easy decision for me." "You think you're the only one feeling pressure?" "I've got Woolsey pushing me hard to find a replacement for you." " What did you tell him?" " I told him that I wasn't going to do anything until I talked to you." "Now, if you want to join the team, great." "I'll call Woolsey." "I'll make it happen." "But if you want to spend time with your son, I understand." "I do." "I really do." "You gotta make a decision." "You're finally awake." "The procedure can be very taxing." "You've been unconscious for the better part of a day." "You're wasting your time." "I'll die before I turn, just like Marika and Hemi." "I'm afraid you're mistaken." "Your friends didn't die because they were strong." "They died because they were too weak to withstand the process." "Their minds and bodies eventually shut down under the strain." "But you..." "You're stronger." "And it is your strength that will prove your undoing." "He broke through his restraints this morning and injured two guards, so I thought it would be best to put him in isolation." "At least this way if he breaks free again, he won't be an immediate danger to anyone." "How long is it going to take him to go through this?" "To be honest, I'm not even sure he will." "Please!" "You're killing me!" "Please!" "Can't you give him something for the pain?" "Sedatives will make him more comfortable, but they'll also slow down his recovery." "I want this to go as quick as possible." "No sedatives." "He's already sleeping?" "Why does it take so much longer when I try to put him down?" "You worry too much." "Perhaps he senses your anxiety." "Maybe he prefers the comfort of his mother's presence." "Well, there may be times when he will have to learn to do without." "Does that mean you've decided?" "I thought so." "How can I return to the team with the knowledge that every time I step through the gate, there is a chance that I might not come back?" "That given the dangers, there's a possibility that our son will grow up without a mother?" "You have a responsibility to him." "But you also have a responsibility to the people of this galaxy." "Follow your heart without remorse." "And take comfort in knowing that you'll be doing so to safeguard the future of many," "including your son." "Just promise me you'll be careful out there." "He's been awake and lucid for about 10 minutes now." "What did he say?" "Only that he wanted to talk to you." "I know where they've taken Ronon." "Can you give us a gate address?" "Better." "I'll lead you right into the heart of the facility." "Well, you're still recovering." "Dr. Keller told me there were no longer any traces of the Wraith enzyme in my system." " That's not the point." " Colonel, please." "Let me help you get Ronon back." "No retreat in the face of battle." "No sympathy for the fallen." "No mercy for our enemies." "No retreat in the face of battle." "No sympathy for the fallen." "And no mercy to your enemies." "Our enemies." "Atlantis." "Atlantis." "No mercy." "He seems rational, says he wants to help us." "I say we trust him only as much as we have to." "Use his intel, but he stays here, under guard." "If you want to hit that Wraith facility, we're gonna need all the help we can get, and apparently he knows that place inside and out." "Yes, and is thus in the perfect position to lead you right into a trap." "All right, look." "I think as much as he'd like us to believe it, this is not about regaining some lost honor or some Satedan revenge thing." "Pure and simple, this is about a desperate guy who's willing to do anything to help his buddy." "And how can you be so certain of that, Colonel?" "Because I've been there." "Now, we have a chance to get Ronon, and I'm gonna take it, and you're gonna need to trust me on this." "All right." "Major Lorne's team will be accompanying you." "What is it?" "What's happening?" "We know where Ronon is." " I'm coming with you." " Gear up." "Teyla, this is exactly the kind of decision we were..." "I was just about to meet Kanaan in the cafeteria." "Would you please explain to him the situation?" " It's all right." " You..." "You..." "Please." "All right." "Well, well, well, who have we here?" "Cafeteria." "Cafeteria." "This way." "What is this place?" "You were looking for a target area that would maximize the effects of your explosives." "Well, this is it, the facility's power relay chamber." "Hide your charges to avoid discovery." "Let's go." "I assume you have a means to remote detonate from a safe distance?" "Yeah." "Just flip..." "Click." "This way." " Ronon." "Sheppard." "It's about time." "What's going on, buddy?" "We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up." "You're at a disadvantage." "You can attempt an escape, but you'll have to sacrifice your friend's life to do so." "Ronon, get out of the way." "I can't do that." "Ronon, step aside." "His life wouldn't be the only one forfeited." "Tyre." "Lower your weapons." "Take them away." "Ronon, what's happening here?" "Ronon!" "I assume this is a prize worthy of reward?" "Welcome back." "Well, you know, on the bright side, at least we'll never have to go back to Atlantis and hear Woolsey say, "I told you so. "" "We're gonna get out of here." "Oh, sure." "I mean, all we have to do is escape from this cell, right?" "Then get past all of the armed Wraith that are guarding the facility and free Lorne and his team from wherever they're being held to get back to the Jumper, which is probably being disassembled as we speak," "and, right, of course, we've got to rescue Ronon, who, I don't know if you happened to notice or not, isn't quite himself." "We're gonna get Ronon and we're gonna go back to Atlantis." "And even if we do, then what, huh?" "I mean, Tyre's recovery hasn't exactly been the rousing success we were hoping for." "We're going to get Ronon back." "Yeah." "Of course." "We're gonna get him back." "You waste a huge opportunity by killing them." "They have no use to me beyond the information they can provide." "You underestimate their value." "Is it their value I underestimate, or your loyalty I overestimate?" "Ronon's right." "They're much more useful to you alive and cooperative." "They just need some convincing." "All right, I got it." "We tell them we have some vital information that we're willing to give up, but we will only share it with Ronon." "So they send Ronon, he shows up, we appeal to him..." "I mean, the part of him that's still him." "Well, I can only think of three things wrong with that plan, but go on." "He hasn't been brainwashed as long as Tyre, which means he might be more susceptible to our influence." "We convince him to let us out or lead us out of here, and then, worst-case scenario, he's not entirely convinced..." "That's your worst-case scenario?" "Hey, I'm just spinning here, but, you know, we could take advantage of that moment of uncertainty" " and..." "Sheppard." "You've been summoned." "You want to go over the plan one more time?" "No." "No, I think I'm good." "I guess it's my turn for the sales pitch, huh?" "Wait." "We need to get something." "Kneel." "You know what would be really creepy and unexpected, is if you knelt instead." "God!" "I guess not." "All right, I'll try to make it work." "I appreciate your defiance." "Ronon, I really need you to snap out of it about now." "It will make turning you all the more enjoyable." "Teyla!" "McKay!" "How'd you get out?" " Tyre freed us." "Let's go." " Okay, come on, guys." "Go, go, go!" " How's it going?" " Not so good!" "My guys are holding them off, but not for much longer." "Give me that." "Tell them to back off." "My life will be a small price to pay for the lives of you and your team." "Then how about the destruction of this facility?" "Is that a small enough price as well?" "You lie." "I told them where to hide the charges for maximum effect, enough explosives to destroy this place and all its research." "Any advantage your hive may hold over its rivals will be gone with the push of a button." "Wait!" "Tell them to let us through." "What's to stop you from triggering the explosives from a safe distance?" "My presence here." "You let them go." "I'll remain behind." " Tyre..." " Once they've reached the gate," "I'll trade you this device for my freedom." "Or we all die together." "Let them go." "I'll be right behind you." "Let's go." "You turn your back on an incredible gift?" "Actually, you turned your back on me first." "And I thank you for it." "We're clear." "You are not beyond forgiveness." "It's not too late for you." "Yes, it is." "For both of us." "What kind of a time frame for recovery are we looking at?" "It's impossible to predict." "He has so much of the enzyme running through him that his body can hardly process it." "When it eventually does, that's when he'll come down, and he'll come down hard." "I'm gonna talk to him." "Open it." "There he is." " Hey, buddy." " Buddy." "So, how long are you planning on keeping me prisoner?" "As long as it takes to clear your head." " My head is clear." " Well, you may be feeling fine right now, but things are gonna get pretty rough for you." "We're gonna get you through this." "Whatever you got planned, it's not gonna work." "You got a choice, you either kill me or you let me go." "And if you let me go," "I promise I won't come after you or Atlantis." "You can tell Tyre I won't come after him either." "Tyre's dead." "He sacrificed himself taking out the Wraith lab." "Yeah, well, he was a traitor." "No, he was a good friend." "We all are." "You're gonna realize that pretty soon." "Yeah, well, you just kill me or set me free." "Sheppard!" "You kill me or set me free!" "Sheppard!" "Kill me please!" "Please kill me!" "No!" "I had what they called piano fingers, slim, nimble." "Well, it's really no surprise that my parents signed me up for lessons." "My first teacher, of course, hailed me as a natural." "Big Russian woman, Polanski or Baranski or..." " Sheppard." " Definitely a "ski. "" "Ronon?" "Hey, how do you feel?" "Like hitting someone." "Anyone in particular?" "You, if you don't loosen these straps and get me something to eat." "That is a good sign." "That's a good sign!" "He's back!" "He's back!" "So he's fully recovered?" "Well, physically he's still weak, but his blood work shows no traces of the enzyme in his system, so he should be back to his old self in no time." "Good to hear." "Well, it's late." "I think I'll head back to my quarters and change into something a little more relaxed." "Good night." "John, may I have a word?" "Yeah." "Sure." "Teyla, come in." "I thought you said you were changing into something more relaxed." "For me, this is more relaxed." " Can I offer you a drink?" " No, thank you." "I just spoke with John, and now I would like to make it official." "I'm requesting a return to active duty." "I would like to resume my position on Colonel Sheppard's team." "You're sure this is what you want?" "Very much so." "Well, then, welcome back." "Thank you, Mr. Woolsey." " Good night." " Good night."