SGA-06 Entanglement

Might makes right…

In their ongoing quest for new allies, Atlantis's flagship team travel to Halcyon, a grim industrial world where the Wraith are no longer feared — they are hunted. Horrified by the brutality of Halcyon's warlike people, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard soon becomes caught in the political machinations of Halcyon's aristocracy. In a feudal society where strength means power, he realizes the nobles will stop at nothing to ensure victory over their rivals.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rodney McKay enlists the aid of the ruler's daughter to investigate a powerful Ancient structure, but McKay's scientific brilliance has aroused the interest of the planet's most powerful man — a man with a problem he desperately needs McKay to solve.

As Halcyon plunges into a catastrophe of its own making the team must join forces with the warlords — or die at the hands of their bitterest enemy…

The eye of the beholder…

When Dr. Carson Beckett disturbs the rest of two longdead Ancients, he unleashes devastating consequences of global proportions.

With the very existence of Lantea at risk, Colonel John Sheppard leads his team on a desperate search for the long lost Ancient device that could save Atlantis. While Teyla Emmagan and Dr. Elizabeth Weir battle the ecological meltdown consuming their world, Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Rodney McKay and Dr. Zelenka travel to a world created by the Ancients themselves. There they discover a human experiment that could mean their salvation…

But the truth is never as simple as it seems, and the team’s prejudices lead them to make a fatal error — an error that could slaughter thousands, including their own Dr. McKay.

EXOGENESIS

“The Ancestors do not want us here, Teyla,” Halling said by way of greeting. “We are being punished.”

Teyla felt compelled to deny his words, and yet he had uttered Ea’s very sentiments. “As children we idealize our parents. It is only when we grow older that we come to understand that they are both fl awed and fallible.”

Halling went to speak, but she motioned for him to let her finish. “That does not diminish our love and respect for them. Indeed, our greater understanding allows us to judge their shortcomings, and our own, less harshly.”

“Then should we no longer aspire to be worthy of them?”

Gently clasping his arm, Teyla looked up into his troubled eyes. “Not all of the Ancestors were as pure in spirit as we once believed. We should aspire to be worthy of those who were. But perhaps more importantly, we should aspire to be worthy of each other.”

Taking a step towards the jumper, she added, “Come. The Daedalus will be arriving soon to evacuate everyone.”

When Halling did not respond, she turned to see him staring bleakly up at the mountains. For his next question, she could provide no answer.

“I wonder how Jinto is faring.”

The rock of Aegis…

Deception and lies abound on the peaceful planet of Heruun, protected from the Wraith for generations by their mysterious guardian — the Aegis.

But with the planet falling victim to an incurable wasting sickness, and two of Colonel Sheppard’s team going missing, the secrets of the Aegis must be revealed. The shocking truth threatens to tear Herunn society apart, bringing down upon them the scourge of the Wraith. Yet even with a Hive ship poised to attack there is much more at stake than the fate of one small planet.

Born to rule…

With Ancient technology scattered across the Pegasus galaxy, the Atlantis team is not surprised to find it in use on a world once defended by Dalera, an Ancient who was cast out of her society for falling in love with a human.

But in the millennia since Dalera’s departure much has changed. Her strict rules have been broken, leaving her people open to Wraith attack. Only a few of the Chosen remain to operate Ancient technology vital to their defense and tensions are running high. Revolution simmers close to the surface.

When Major Sheppard and Rodney McKay are revealed as members of the Chosen, Daleran society convulses into chaos. Wanting to help resolve the crisis and yet refusing to prop up an autocratic regime, Sheppard is forced to act when Teyla and Lieutenant Ford are taken hostage by the rebels…

THE CHOSEN TEASER

From above them, a cry went up. “It burns. The river burns— and the Wraith with them!”

This time, Teyla made no move to stop the Dalerans climbing the trees to witness for themselves. Indeed, she immediately pulled herself aloft and stared across the eastern fields. The sight was mesmerizing and more than satisfying. The entire eastern portion of South Channel was a blazing inferno. Lines of fiery serpents began to appear through the far fields, where the oil had flowed along irrigation channels. From this distance it was not possible to make out individuals, but she could see many smaller flames moving about, like the wicks of a hundred candles. Having stumbled into the oil, some of the Wraith had been set ablaze. The gruesome creatures had extraordinary regenerative properties, but it was doubtful if those caught in the fields of oil could survive such a sustained conflagration. The three vast columns of Wraith began to fall back.

Cries of joy traveled across the treetops, and Teyla felt a measure of relief. The battle to come would not be easy, but the people of Dalera were now empowered by the sight before them.

Ushat touched her arm. She took his Shield from him, and he signaled the warrior below to blow the trumpet. Reply calls from the Citadel told them that the EM fields close to North Bridge and the western end of the wall had also been disabled. Just before the roiling black smoke obscured her vision, she noticed the nearest column of Wraith headed in their direction.

“They come!” cried a lookout. At the speed the Wraith were moving, the first waves would soon be upon them— far sooner than Teyla had planned.

By Sonny Whitelaw & Elizabeth Christensen

Creatures of the night…

When a series of gruesome murders are uncovered around the world, the trail leads back to the SGC — and far beyond…

Recalled to Stargate Command, Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Colonel John Sheppard, and Dr. Rodney McKay are shown shocking video footage — a Wraith attack, taking place on Earth. While McKay, Teyla, and Ronon investigate the disturbing possibility that humans may harbor Wraith DNA, Colonel Sheppard is teamed with SG-1’s Dr. Daniel Jackson. Together, they follow the murder­ers’ trail from Colorado Springs to the war-torn streets of Iraq, and there, uncover a terrifying truth…

As an ancient cult prepares to unleash its deadly plot against humankind, Sheppard’s survival depends on his questioning of everything believed about the Wraith…

BLOOD TIES

John cinched up the chinstrap on his helmet before stepping out of the Humvee. The faint rays of sunlight on the horizon were no longer strong enough to punch through the haze that still hovered over the street. He inhaled slowly, recognizing the pervasive, acrid smell of cordite and dried blood. The Museum building itself hadn’t been damaged in the ambush, but the front steps were a mess of crumbled concrete and shell casings.

It had taken a maddeningly long time to get here. The Army had had its hands full, trying to secure five different sites throughout Baghdad where explosions had occurred almost simultaneously. As critical as John and Rebecca’s mission was, it didn’t trump ongoing urban warfare. They’d been stuck on base at Balad, the outlook for Jackson getting bleaker by the minute, until word finally had come down that the Museum area was under control — at least for the moment.

Climbing down from the Humvee, Rebecca adjusted her Kevlar vest and studied the other vehicles on the street, many of them scarred, inoperable hunks of twisted metal. “Good God,” she said quietly. “If Dr. Jackson was in one of those —”

Burden of command…

It’s a dark time for Atlantis. Following the first Asuran clashes, Colonel Sheppard is buckling under the strain of command. When his team discovers Ancient technology which can defeat the Asuran menace, he is determined that Atlantis must possess it — at all costs.

But the involvement of Atlantis heightens local suspicions and brings two peoples to the point of war. Elizabeth Weir believes only her negotiating skills can hope to prevent the carnage, but when her diplomatic mission is attacked — and two of Sheppard’s team are lost — both Weir and Sheppard must question their decisions. And their abilities to command.

As the first shots are fired, the Atlantis team must find a way to end the conflict — or live with the blood of innocents on their hands…

CASUALTIES OF WAR

“Don’t just stand there and tell me it can’t be done. Find a way!”

Bristling, Rodney fired back. “What, so if I acknowledge reality, that somehow means I care about Ronon and Teyla less than you?”

“Both of you, stop it,” ordered Carson with a vehemence he rarely showed. It made an impact; Rodney’s mouth snapped shut. With that hard set of his jaw, his own sadness and frustration became visible at last.

The doctor finished bandaging John’s forearm before speaking again, more gently. “Listen to yourself, John. What are you really hoping to find?”

“I don’t know! But what’s our alternative? Just let them go, forget about them?”

“Forget about them, certainly not,” Carson replied, his voice solemn. “Let them go…aye, lad. I’m afraid so.”

John scrubbed a hand over his jaw, fast running out of rational points to make. Hell, he was starting to run out of irrational ones. All he had — all he knew — was the fact that his teammates were out there, and it went against everything he held fundamental to leave them, whether for an hour or forever, where they lay.

Where his mistake had led them. He’d sent Rodney’s group off unarmed, and this was the result.

“God damn it,” he whispered.

Fear to tread…

With their core directive restored, the Asurans have begun to attack the Wraith on multiple fronts. Under the command of Colonel Ellis, the Apollo is dispatched to observe the battlefront, but Ellis’s orders not to intervene are quickly breached when an Ancient ship drops out of hyperspace.

Inside is Angelus, fleeing the destruction of a world he has spent millennia protecting from the Wraith. Charming and likable, Angelus quickly connects with each member of the Atlantis team in a unique way and, more than that, offers them a weapon that could put an end to their war with both the Wraith and the Asurans.

But all is not what it seems, and even Angelus is unaware of his true nature — a nature that threatens the very survival of Atlantis itself…

ANGELUS TEASER

Out in the lightless gulfs of space, two great powers coiled around each other like monstrous serpents. And, like monsters, they fought and tore.

A week before, Ellis had watched the blood of the two serpents spread across Colonel Carter’s starmap in a series of vivid splashes: a brilliant, icy blue for the Wraith, a gory scarlet for the Asurans. Each splash, Carter had told him, was the site of a known engagement. Between these battle markers lay the serpents themselves, twisting wildly through each other in three dimensions — an approximation of the two powers’ battle lines.

The whole map, in fact, was an approximation, and therein lay the danger of it. “Most of this information is days old,” Carter had told him, pointing vaguely at a cluster of splashes. “At best we find out about one of these engagements a few hours after it’s over and done. Really, we’ve got no idea exactly where the fighting is going on.”

Ellis had peered closely at the map, a gnawing feeling of worry under his sternum. Carter had scaled the display to take in dozens of star systems, and already half of them were enveloped by the serpents and their terrible wounds. “Is there anything you can be certain of?”

“Just this.” Carter had touched a control, and a small green dot had blinked into life in the centre of the display.

“Let me guess.” Ellis straightened up. “Atlantis.”

Knowledge is power…

While exploring the unused sections of the Ancient city of Atlantis, Major John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay stumble on a recording device that reveals a mysterious new Stargate address. Believing that the address may lead them to a vast repository of Ancient knowledge, the team embarks on a mission to this uncharted world.

There they discover a ruined city, full of whispered secrets and dark shadows. As tempers fray and trust breaks down, the team uncovers the truth at the heart of the city. A truth that spells their destruction.

With half their people compromised, it falls to Major John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay to risk everything in a deadly game of bluff with the enemy. To fail would mean the fall of Atlantis itself – and, for Sheppard, the annihilation of his very humanity…

RELIQUARY

The spiral design in the center of the chamber floor was moving, becoming three-dimensional as the little metal tiles forming it shifted fluidly. The whole floor was still vibrating, making the glass and metal debris jump and dance. Something groaned again below their feet, and the spiral began to sink into the floor.

Standing at John’s elbow, McKay glared at Kavanagh, his mouth twisted in annoyance. “What did you do?”

John wasn’t thrilled either. “Some warning would have been nice, Doctor.”

Teyla and Ford watched the spiral uneasily, Kolesnikova a few steps behind them. Kavanagh shook his head, his eyes still on the metal sinking into the floor, his gaze rapt. “I wasn’t sure it was really here, if the power source was still active. If I was...imagining it...”

The groaning rumble of metal parts undisturbed for ages was growing louder, and John wasn’t sure he had heard right. “What?” he said, having to raise his voice over the din. “Why did you think you were imagining it?”

“I was imagining what?” Distracted, Rodney stepped sideways, moving along the edge of the shaft, craning his neck to watch the spiral’s progress.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” John shouted back, “I was—”

“Wait.” Rodney straightened up suddenly, looking at John. “It occurs to me that something may come out of here that could kill us.”

John swore and yelled, “Fall back, now!”

Deep freeze

Trapped on a planet being consumed by a runaway ice age, Colonel Sheppard and his team discover a people — and a mystery — long disregarded by the Ancients.

With the Stargate inoperable and their Puddle Jumper damaged, there is no way for Sheppard’s team to escape the killing cold. Death seems inevitable until they are rescued by the Forgotten, a people abandoned by those who once protected them — and now condemned to witness the slow death of their world.

But something terrifying haunts their tunnel homes. When Teyla disappears and Ronon goes missing on the deadly ice plains, Sheppard and McKay risk losing their only chance of getting home in a desperate bid to find their friends and save the Forgotten from extinction...

DEAD END TEASER

“This isn’t good,” Sheppard growled. “Oh, this is really not good...”

The HUD ran with strange figures. The Jumper lurched sideways, scraping along the edge of the wormhole limits. McKay was thrown roughly against Ronon as the Jumper listed crazily.

“What is happening?” Teyla yelled.

“Ask McKay!” Sheppard snapped, battling for control of the Jumper.

“What? This isn’t my fault!” McKay protested, heart thumping with alarm. “This didn’t happen to the MALP!”

Unbuckling himself with fumbling fingers, McKay stumbled over to a control panel in the rear of the Jumper — and was nearly hurled straight into it by a fresh yaw sideways. “Keep this thing on the road, will you?”

“You wanna fly?” Sheppard looked like he was struggling to maintain control.

“We’ve got massive power loss,” shouted McKay, desperately flicking a series of controls. “We’ll need to use the Jumper’s own supply to get us out.”

Teyla gave him a sharp look. “Can you do it?”

“If I can’t, we’re beyond screwed!”

Ronon Dex is a mystery. His past is a closed book and he likes it that way. But when the Atlantis team trigger a trap that leaves them stranded on a hostile world, only Ronon's past can save them - if it doesn't kill them first. As the gripping tale unfolds, we return to Ronon's earliest days as a Runner and meet the charismatic leader who transformed him into a hunter of Wraith. But grief and rage can change the best of men and it soon becomes clear that those Ronon once considered brothers-in-arms are now on the hunt - and that the Atlantis team are their prey. Unless Ronon can out hunt the hunters, Colonel Sheppard's team will fall victim to the vengeance of the V'rdai.

TEASER:

“I KNOW who’s after us.”

“You do?” That didn’t exactly make Rodney feel better. “By reputation, or personally?”

Again the hesitation before Ronon answered. “Personally. And we have to watch our every step from here on out.”

“Who is it?” Rodney wanted to know. Well, no, deep down he didn’t want to know at all. But he needed to know.

The answer was one he hadn’t expected. “Runners.”

“Other runners?” Rodney stared at him. “Like you?”

He felt the air move as Ronon shook his head.

“No. Not like me. Not any more.”

“Then like what? Who are they? How do you know them? What do they want?” Rodney was both horrified and fascinated. Before they’d met Ronon they’d never even heard of a Runner, but apparently the concept was legendary among all the worlds touched by the Wraith—a lone individual, caught by the Wraith but released and then hunted down. For sport. Most Runners didn’t last very long, a week or two at most—they were said to be chosen for their cunning and their skills but the Wraith had been hunting and killing for centuries.

Ronon had been a Runner for seven years.

If these others were even half as good at hunting and fighting as he was, they had a serious problem on their hands.