After their temporary alliance with the Wraith backfires, the Atlantis team must find a way to stop two Wraith hive ships that are headed for Earth. Weir orders Colonel Caldwell to attack the Hive ships using the Daedalus and the Orion before she is ordered to return to Earth to account for her team's failures.

While looking for suitable stargates to harvest for their new Intergalactic Bridge, the team comes across a small village with a revered leader. To their surprise the village's leader, Lucius, has an obnoxious manner and an utter lack of credibility.