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Daniel sees Vala off from Stargate Command, relieved to be rid of a perpetual distraction. When he collapses soon after, Dr. Lam theorizes that he and Vala are still linked. With Dr. Lee unable to find a way to dissolve the bond, Daniel and Mitchell turn to Arlos Kadavam, the scientist from whom Vala originally stole the bracelets. He theorizes that a massive energy surge might have caused the link to persist even without the bracelets - such as that caused by the Ancient communications device. But he will only help break the link if Vala returns another item he stole - his mother’s necklace.

So begins a sequence of escalating deals. To get the necklace, Vala must return a power coil. To get the power coil, she must return a cargo vessel. To get the cargo vessel might be a bit trickier, as it’s in the hands of the Lucian Alliance, a group of smugglers attempting to make themselves a force to be reckoned with in the post-Goa’uld galaxy. Since Daniel and Vala ruined one deal with them, they’re not very likely to cooperate. In fact, they very much want Vala dead. And Gen. Landry is not inclined to provoke any kind of confrontation.

That is, until Vala sabotages a meeting with the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman that already wasn’t going well. With the Goa’uld and the Replicators no longer a threat, with the need to construct more ships like the Daedalus, and with the international community placing its full emphasis and backing on the civilian-led multinational Atlantis project, Stargate Command faces serious budget cuts and a curtailment of its exploration efforts. Frustrated by Vala’s impolitic comments, Landry permits Mitchell, Daniel, and a visiting Teal’c to try and steal the cargo ship right out from under the Alliance by offering them what they want - Daniel and Vala. It’s a plan just crazy enough to work - but will it get them the information they need?

written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
directed by Will Waring
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Claudia Black (Vala), Bill Dow (Dr. Lee), Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Wallace Shawn (Arlos), Malcolm Scott (Caius), Michael P. Northey (Inago), Geoff Redknap (Jup), Eileen Peddy (Maj. Gibson), Bruce Gray (Sen. Fisher), Morris Chapdelaine (Tenat), Darren Moore (Vosh)

Notes: The prior deal with the Lucian Alliance referred to in this episode is Vala’s attempt to steal the Prometheus in season 8’s Prometheus Unbound.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

A seemingly quiet reconnaisance mission is shattered by the appearance of a Wraith dart, which leaves Dr. Beckett unharmed but snatches up Rodney and Lt. Cadman, their armed escort. Sheppard and his troops shoot the Dart down, but when the beam is reversed, only Rodney’s body appears - and yet he insists he can hear Lt. Cadman in his head. As he spends more time with his unexpected visitor, Rodney can be seen having arguments in the halls of Atlantis with someone who no one else can see or hear. Cadman insists on coaching Rodney during a much-anticipated date, but even a woman’s insight can do so much to help the socially inept scientist. And when Rodney does devise a plan to reconstitute Lt. Cadman’s body, it’s not guaranteed to help him escape with his sanity or, for that matter, his life.

written by Martin Gero
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Jaime Ray Newman (Lt. Cadman), Claire Rankin (Dr. Heightmeyer), Kavan Smith (Major Lorne), David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Brenda James (Dr. Brown), Jeffrey Robinson (Wraith Pilot), Tina-Jane Krohn (Scientist)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Despite promises to the contrary, Colonel Tigh has declared martial law, refusing to allow the release of President Roslin from Galactica’s brig despite protests from the other Colonial ships. Before long, the other ships make their displeasure known by withholding urgently needed fuel and supplies from Galactica, a situation Tigh sends some of the battlestar’s Marines to resolve. But when that encounter turns an uneasy situation into a deadly one, a division begins forming which could lead to a split at best - and a small civil war at worst - as sides are chosen and strategies concocted to help the President escape from Galactica. And on Caprica, Helo and Starbuck discover the last thing they expected: a human militia is gathering strength for a strike against the Cylons. Unfortunately, Cylons are exactly what the resistance fighters think their new visitors are.

written by Toni Graphia
directed by Allan Kroeker
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Michael Trucco (Anders), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Lorena Gale (Priest Elosha), Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Chris Shields (Cpl. Venner), Bodie Olmos (Hot Dog), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Dominic Zamprogna (Jammer), Tamara Lashley (Sue-Shaun), Jeremy Guilbaut (Lt. Joe “Hammerhead” Palladino), Heather Doerksen (Marine with a sandwich), Curtis Lee Hicks (Marine sergeant)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Dozens of Priors have made contact with worlds across the galaxy, spreading the word of Origin. Vala urges Mitchell to take some kind of stand against the Ori, and has a particular planet in mind - a world where, she claims, the natives trust her. That gets Mitchell’s attention, and he gets Gen. Landry’s approval to bring Vala, Teal’c and Daniel with him to the planet. Once there, Vala impersonates Quetesh, the Goa’uld she once hosted. After the Tok’ra removed Quetesh from her, Vala used this planet as a base - it was sufficiently out of the way that it did not know Quetesh had been defeated, and continued to worship her as a god.

Vala’s real motive in returning to this world was to pick up some treasure she had been hoarding. But the others will not let her continue to dupe the natives - especially with the Ori already making inroads through displays of power and healing. Daniel convinces Vala to admit the truth, hoping that it will encourage skepticism. Instead, the betrayed natives sentence Vala to death. Mitchell is able to convince them to hold a maldoran instead - a judicial proceeding instituted by Vala herself. As Daniel mounts his defense and urges the natives to reject the Ori, a Prior enters the chamber. Daniel recognizes him as the town leader who oversaw Harrid and Sallis’s execution, now elevated by the Ori.

At Stargate Command, Landry and Lam have a tense exchange over lunch; Lam’s relationship with Landry, her father, has been strained for some time. She gets a distraction from her family problems when Mitchell reports that the natives have started to fall ill. Vala attempts to treat them with a Goa’uld healing device, but the villagers are falling faster than she can heal them. Lam brings a medical team to the planet, but is unable to find any way to stop the disease. Daniel and Teal’c note that it is similar to the plague that once afflicted the Ancients, and which the Stargate program encountered in Antarctica a few years ago. That knowledge, however, doesn’t stop villagers from dying, or Mitchell from becoming infected. Daniel and Vala use words and weapons to try and overcome the Prior, but it soon becomes clear that only a mass conversion will stem the tide of death.

written by Martin Gero
directed by Will Waring
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Claudia Black (Vala), Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Cam Chai (Azdak), Greg Anderson (Prior), Pablo Coffey (Vachna), Nicola Correia Damude (Play Vala), Matt Johnson (Play Warrior), Chad Hershler (Villager Aide), Michael Coleman (Med Tech)

Notes: The plague that afflicted the Ancients was discovered in season 6’s Frozen.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Dex find a less than warm welcome waiting for them on a planet they visit through the stargate. They’re trying to beat a hasty retreat from a group of hostile humans with primitive weapons when another ship appears to cover their escape and lead them to safety. This ship belongs to a more advanced group of people who reveal that the “primitives” are, in fact, their most dangerous criminals, stranded on a remote island for life - but that island contains the planet’s lone stargate. The planet’s advanced civilization apparently enjoys a certain immunity from the Wraith’s visits because the Wraith go no further than the island for their feeding. Sheppard’s team still has to return to the island to reach the gate, however, and their jumper is shot down by primitive explosives launched from the surface. A prisoner named Torrell takes Sheppard’s team hostage and insists that McKay fix the jumper so the prisoners can escape before the next Wraith feeding. Torrell assigns another prisoner to help McKay repair the jumper, and this man makes a chilling revelation: to keep the Wraith from overrunning their society, the government has been steadily lowering the severity of crime required to deport offenders to the island. But how long before no one on the planet is safe - and can the Atlantis team escape before then?

teleplay by Carl Binder
story by Sean Carley
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Darcy Belsher (Eldon), Christian Bocher (Torrell), Alan C. Peterson (Magistrate), Kavan Smith (Major Lorne), Kyla Anderson (Marin), James Lafaznos (Wraith), Chuck Campbell (Technician)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Though not yet fully recovered, Commander Adama resumes his command of Galactica. He declares finding President Roslin, and his son, to be the first order of business. In a meat freezer aboard one of the other Colonial ships, Roslin, Apollo and Zarek plan their next move; Zarek’s first choice, to have Apollo denounce his father in a public announcement, turns out to be something Apollo can’t do. Instead, Roslin again plays up her religious destiny, and asks any interested ships to follow her back to Kobol upon a pre-arranged signal, and Adama finds that he may have lost his hold over the fleet - and perhaps more than just that. On Caprica, during a raid with Anders’ resistance cell, Starbuck is injured and wakes up in an abandoned hospital, where a doctor says survivors are still being treated. But her real treatment is the flipside of a terrifying experiment.

written by Carla Robinson
directed by Rod Hardy
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Michael Trucco (Anders), Rick Worthy (The Doctor), Lorena Gale (Priest Elosha), Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Tamara Lashley (Sue-Shaun)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Ori send a Prior to a world inhabited by free Jaffa. When the Jaffa refuse to accept the way of Origin, the Prior erects a force field around himself and the Stargate. A minor Goa’uld named Nerus makes contact with Stargate Command. His observational satellites over the Jaffa world are but one of his technological innovations, and he offers his assistance against the Ori. He provides intelligence that indicates the field is expanding and that somehow, the Ori are keeping the Stargate open indefinitely. Vala warns Gen. Landry not to trust any Goa’uld. But when the Jaffa high council does not respond to his messages, Landry feels Earth must do something to stop the Ori incursion. He sends Mitchell, Jackson and Teal’c to rendezvous with the Prometheus and then make contact with the Ori. Mitchell has orders to use any means necessary to stop the Ori, which includes using the Mark IX, a naquaddah-enhanced nuclear device capable of destroying a Stargate. Landry requests, and is granted, Carter’s assistance on the mission. Vala reluctantly joins as well because although the effects of the Goa’uld bracelets are weakening, she and Daniel still suffer ill effects when separated.

Mitchell delivers the ultimatum to the Prior. While the team is on the planet, Gerak arrives with a fleet of Jaffa ships to bombard the forcefield. Col. Pendergast aboard the Prometheus gets Gerak to stop in order to beam the team back aboard, but Gerak is upset at losing the element of surprise and at the humans’ seeming inactivity. Shortly thereafter, the Mark IX detonates. But the Stargate is not destroyed, and the force field expands more rapidly. Gerak resumes his bombardment and demands that the Prometheus join the assault. Mitchell authorizes the ship to do so, until Carter realizes that the force field is drawing upon the energy involved to fuel its expansion. Furthermore, the planet itself is collapsing. Carter theorizes that the Ori are using a black hole in their galaxy to power the wormhole, and are now forming one in the Milky Way to add power on both ends. Nerus has lured them into providing the Ori the power necessary to establish their beachhead. And now, unless the team can stop them, they will build a giant gate in space, capable of transporting a full-scale invasion fleet from their galaxy to ours.

written by Brad Wright
directed by Brad Turner
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Claudia Black (Vala), Barclay Hope (Col. Pendergast), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Maury Chaykin (Nerus), Louis Gossett, Jr. (Gerak)

Notes: Nerus claims to have assisted Ba’al, the Jaffa, and the SGC defeat the Replicators in season 8’s Reckoning.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

While surveying the Dorandan homeworld, the Atlantis team discovers a destroyed Wraith fleet and lifeless planet below. McKay detects faint energy readings, leading to an abandoned outpost laboratory on the planet. The technology is definitely that of the Ancients and McKay determines that they were working on a vacuum energy power source that would make the Zero Point Module look “like an alkaline battery.” After returning with a full research team, McKay conducts a full test of the power source, resulting in a barely-controlled overload and the death of one of the scientists. Despite Weir’s considerable misgivings, McKay convinces her that he can control the reaction and wants to run another test with just him and Sheppard present. The possibility of a power source that could turn the tide against the Wraith is too promising to dismiss entirely, so she agrees. However, things don’t go entirely according to plan.

Meanwhile, Ronon accompanies Teyla on a trade mission to Belkan. Ronon’s aggressive nature causes him to interfere with Teyla’s delicate negotiations. Afterwards, Teyla learns that someone else from Ronon’s homeworld of Sateda lives on Belkan. Ronon is reunited with a fellow soldier and learns that Kell, his former taskmaster in the Satedan military, is still alive and well. It turns out that not all reunions are happy reunions.

written by Damian Kindler
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Sean Campbell (?), Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Steven Caldwell), Christopher Gauthier (Mattas), Chuck Campbell (Technician)

Note: Trinity refers to the parcel of land near Alamogordo, New Mexico that served as the first test site for the atomic bomb on July 16, 1945.

LogBook entry by Jeff Godemann

The fleet has been divided. Twenty-four ships and 18,000 people have decided to follow Roslin back to Kobol. There they hope to find the legendary Tomb of Athena, which contains a map leading the way to Earth. As Roslin discusses their next move with Zarek and his people, an unknown contact approaches. Before the decision is made to open fire, a radio transmission comes through from Lt. Starbuck and the ship is allowed to dock. Starbuck has brought back not only the Arrow of Apollo, but Lt. Helo and his Cylon companion, Sharon, who claims to be pregnant with Helo’s baby. Roslin has a chat with Sharon, promising to spare her life in exchange for serving as guide to find the lost Tomb on Kobol. Priest Elosha warns that prophecy says a price will be paid in blood during any attempt to find the Tomb. Zarek and Meier, meanwhile, have their own ideas about the future of the fleet and decide that the mission to Kobol will be the perfect place to set them in motion.

Back at the Galactica fleet, Adama picks the green Lt. Birch as the new CAG for the Viper squadrons. Birch’s inexperience leads to several near disasters, forcing Adama to rethink his decision. He confides in Dualla that his feeling of being betrayed has filled him with an almost-overwhelming rage, but she suggests that the real problem is that he has failed to keep his promise to lead the fleet to Earth together.

written by David Eick
directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Lorena Gale (Priest Elosha), Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), James Remar (Meier), Patricia Idlette (Sarah Porter), Malcolm Stewart (Marshall Bagot), Luciana Carro (Louann “Kat” Katraine), Bodie Olmos (Brendan “Hotdog” Costanza), Ben Ayres (Lt. George “Catman” Birch), Linnea Sharples (Lt. Emmitt “Sweetness” Jones), Christina Schild (Playa), Biski Gugushe (Sekou Hamilton), Raahul Singh (Kimmitt)

LogBook entry by Jeff Godemann

A Jaffa is killed in a hit and run car accident in Virginia. Teal’c identifies the warrior’s tattoo as from a group of Jaffa loyal to Gerak, and returns to Dakara with Mitchell to investigate. Gerak is warning the council against developing close ties with the Tok’ra when Teal’c enters the chamber, pleading with his fellow Jaffa to build their new nation on a foundation of trust and cooperation. Mitchell tries to echo the point, but Teal’c interrupts; the council is not considered a place for outsiders. After the meeting, Gerak denies any knowledge of the dead Jaffa, but neither Teal’c nor Mitchell believe him. Another member of the council, Ka’lel, provides the important clue - Gerak has sent men to Earth in order to capture Ba’al. By doing so, he would sway even more Jaffa to his side.

Daniel, meanwhile, has discovered a connection between the Jaffa, a missing executive from defense contractor Farrow-Marshall, and the Goa’uld-infiltrated Trust. He meets with the executive’s wife, who tells him that her husband had started displaying strange behavior before he disappeared, and a private investigator she hired to follow him dropped the case after only a few days. Gerak’s troops break into Farrow-Marshall and get into a firefight. Soon after, Ba’al contacts Stargate Command with an offer: if Earth will allow him to live out his life in peace, he will obey Earth laws. But if the SGC or the Jaffa come after him, he will detonate a naquadah bomb hidden somewhere in the United States.

On Dakara, Gerak continues the hunt for Ba’al by torturing the missing executive, who is in fact now a Goa’uld host. Carter, Teal’c and Daniel officially agree to rejoin Mitchell on the SG-1 team, and then immediately split up. Carter and Daniel coordinate with NID Agent Barrett to try and track down Ba’al in order to kill him with the symbiote poison. Teal’c and Mitchell board the Prometheus to search for Gerak’s command ship. They find it, but are unable to convince the Jaffa in command to allow Earth to handle the matter itself. Ba’al, assuming the role of corporate executive, holds a news conference announcing a new acquisition, hoping that the publicity will make it difficult for SGC to simply have him disappear. SGC launches an attack anyway, which fails. So Ba’al tells them they will have to pay the price, and begins the countdown to detonate the bomb.

written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Louis Gossett, Jr. (Gerak), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Cliff Simon (Ba’al), Sonya Salmoaa (Charlotte), Peter Flemming (Agent Barrett), David MacInnis (Agent Cortez), Kendall Cross (Julia Donovan), Barclay Hope (Col. Pendergast), Chilton Crane (Sharon), Gardiner Millar (Yat’yir), Diego Klattenhoff (Team Leader), Simone Bailly (Ka’lel), Martin Chritopher (Lt. Marks), Kevin Blatch (Tobias), Adrian Hein (Runner), Ken Dresen (Alex Jameson)

Notes: The Goa’uld infiltrated the Trust in season 8’s Full Alert. The N.I.D. developed cloning technology for Goa’uld in season 7’s Resurrection. SGC received the symbiote poison, developed by the Tok’ra, in season 5’s Summit.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer