Having successfully used the Wraith retrovirus to turn an entire hive ship of Wraith into humans, the team returns to Atlantis with their prisoners in stasis. Weir continues to defend her leadership in the face of an independent review being conducted by IOA member Richard Woolsey.

Exploring a village, the team is suddenly attacked and taken prisoner. It turns out that Ronon had visited the planet before, and unknowingly lured the Wraith there. The Wraith then made a pact with the villagers that if they capture Ronon and contact them, the village will be spared from any future culling.