Genii

"You do not want to make an enemy of the Genii."

- Cowen

The Genii are humans from a planet in the Pegasus galaxy.

Overview
As most planets and human civilizations in the Pegasus Galaxy were subject to regular cullings by the Wraith, the Genii have used extreme measures to defend their society. As their technology was relatively advanced, at least compared to most other civilizations in the Pegasus Galaxy, they realized the Wraith would eventually come to wipe them out, as they do to most species that have reached a level of technology that could potentially threaten Wraith dominance. Instead of reverting to a primitive level of technology, like the Athosians had done, they decided to hide their advanced technology. In their contact with other peoples, they posed as simple, Amish-equivalent farmers. However, most of their society was hidden in huge underground city-sized bunkers. Entrance to these bunkers was provided through several hatches located in Genii structures. Typical trespassers who discovered these bunkers were usually swiftly dealt with. Still, they have revealed their true identity to some.

The Genii were bent on striking back on the Wraith, and eventually plan to destroy their species. With this purpose, the Genii were engaged in a great military undertaking, and had been developing nuclear weapons for decades. With these weapons, they planned to strike back, blowing up as many Wraith Hive-Ships as possible, before the next large culling of their civilization. Their plan was ultimately flawed, as there were far too many Wraith ships to destroy with a coordinated strike, some of which were completely inaccessible to the planet-bound Genii, being located on planets with orbital Stargates.

However, the Genii nuclear experiments were of poor quality, for they could not separate the intended material from the unusable material that has a similar atomic structure (likely isotopes Uranium-235 and Uranium-238), and most of their bunkers were flooded with dangerous radiation, although Genii scientists were convinced that the radiation was harmless. Still, large numbers of Genii citizens were dying of cancer, which was largely untreatable by their medicine.

Throughout the galaxy the Genii are known for their tava beans, and frequently trade them with other worlds. Among their allies and trade partners were the Athosians, and to a more limited degree, the Manarians.

Before discovery by the Tau'ri
"The Genii were once a great confederation of planets. Millennium ago, the Wraith had driven us to the brink of total annihilation. Our forefathers sought the protection of bunkers such as these -- originally created for wars long forgotten -- and it was here that a small number of our people managed to survive undetected."

- Cowen

Approximately one thousand years ago, the Genii were the focal point of a great multi-planetary confederation. However, as the Wraith began to consider their relatively advanced technology a threat, they were eventually driven to the brink of annihilation. The ancestors of the Genii sought protection within concealed bunkers that were originally created for wars. It was there that a small number of Genii managed to survive, undetected by the Wraith, where they made technological developments entirely in secret, even from many of their trading partners.

Many generations ago, during a culling, the Genii successfully shot down a Wraith Dart. Though lives were lost in the event, the ability to resist in even the slightest way gave the Genii hope. This Dart contained a Wraith data storage device, which allowed the Genii to study their enemy's technology, as well as begin to mount plans against them. They endeavoured to perfect a nuclear weapon, with which to destroy the majority of the Wraith fleet while they were hibernating. However, although they could produce plutonium, they couldn't perfect a triggering mechanism.

Early contact with the Atlantis Expedition
When the food supply of the Tau'ri expedition occupying Atlantis began to run out, they were forced to seek trading partners. Relying on their Athosian allies, a team led by John Sheppard travelled to the Genii homeworld to initiate negotiations. When Rodney McKay discovered an entrance to the Genii underground bunker complex and realized the truth about the Genii's two-faced identity, the team was threatened by the Genii leader Cowen. However, Sheppard pressed that both societies' ultimate enemy was the Wraith, and that attacking each other would only benefit their mutual enemy.

A joint strike force was devised to steal valuable intelligence from a Wraith Hive-Ship, but when one of their soldiers was abandoned on the Hive-Ship, which the Genii believed to be because of Teyla Emmagan, the last seeds of mistrust were sewn. The Genii subsequently betrayed the team and tried to steal their C-4 explosives, which they believed could help their triggering problems, as well as a Puddle Jumper. However, the Atlantis team had expected the change of heart and brought secret backup. Sheppard and his team were eventually able to escape back to Atlantis, with the stolen Wraith data.

Since then the Genii and the Atlantis Expedition considered each other enemies. When Atlantis was threatened by a huge hurricane and most of the Expedition was forced to relocate to Manaria, the Genii attempted to take over the city. Two Tau'ri soldiers were lost, and the city was almost destroyed, but eventually the Genii failed. However, they lost more than sixty soldiers in the process, most at the hands of John Sheppard himself who activated the Iris shield, killing the arriving support troops.

Several months later, Sheppard's team was again confronted with the Genii. During their search for a ZPM on the planet Dagan, the team was captured by Acastus Kolya, who had also commanded the Genii's attempted takeover of Atlantis. It was only when the ZPM had been found that the team was able to turn the tables on their captors. However, Sheppard allowed Kolya to escape, although he did promise not to be so forgiving during their next encounter.

Détente and change of leadership
As the Wraith had been awakened from hibernation, they finally came to cull the Genii homeworld. Although their nuclear weapons were operational at the time, they had no way to deliver the weapons to the approaching Hive-Ships, and the Genii had no other defense against the invaders. Still, with advance knowledge of the incoming attack, they were able to deactivate their underground reactors before being detected by the Wraith. Though hundreds of lives were lost on the surface, thousands more survived in the bunkers below.

When Atlantis itself came under attack by three Hive-Ships six days later, the Atlantis Expedition had no weapons left to defend themselves with. Knowing the Genii were anxious to test one of their new nuclear warheads on the Wraith, Elizabeth Weir brokered an agreement with their leaders. Two of their warheads were eventually sent to Atlantis and detonated using a puddle jumper to house the weapons destroying a hive ship. However, when Ladon Radim toppled his own government by killing Cowen, the relationship between the Genii and the Atlantis Expedition significantly improved, most likely in gratitude for medical aid the Expedition has been providing for the many Genii, including Radim's sister, who are suffering as a result of their poor understanding of radiation poisoning.

In demonstration of their improved ties with the Expedition, Ladon and the new Genii government helped the Atlantis team in tracking down a group of renegades, led by Acastus Kolya, who had abducted John Sheppard. However, as Kolya considered himself the only rightful leader of the Genii and was bent on eventually staging a coup, Radim's help was not only motivated by altruism. Radim has since helped the Atlantis Expedition, and even offers Teyla and Ronon Dex a place with the Genii when they are temporarily evicted from Atlantis.

Sheppard, his team and Beckett came into contact with Kolya and his group of rouge Genii again, most of whom had become mercanaries after the fall of Cowen as they didn't want to work for Ladon. Kolya's forces were defeated with help from Lucius Lavin and the villagers on the planet. The confrontation took place on and Kolya was finally killed by Colonel John Sheppard.

Later while escorting Harmony to some ruins on her planet as part of her becoming queen, Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay ended up coming against Genii soldiers hired by Harmony's sister, Mardola to kill her. After their leader, Toran was killed by Sheppard and the mini-drones, the rest retreated. Ladon claimed to have no knowledge of the event saying those soldiers acted on their own.

Atlantis came on trial by the new Coalition of Planets, which the Genii were a part of. Richard Woolsey figured out that the Genii were in fact behind the trial as, with the expedition out of the way, they'd be the most advanced civilization in the Coalition and would be the military power behind it. Ultimately, this attempt failed but, it is unknown how this has affected the relationship between the Genii and the expedition.

Military strength
The Genii's military assets are significant, and they maintain multiple safe houses and military outposts on many Stargate-accessible worlds across the Pegasus Galaxy. These locations are watched by Genii caretakers. They also have a large network of spies and covert informants that allow the Genii a broad understanding of the events in distant parts of the Pegasus Galaxy. According to Ladon Radim, the Genii still have several attacks against the Wraith planned, attacks that could supposedly severely cripple their species.

The military appears to play an enormous role in their government, as the Genii are ruled by a military dictatorship. All of their leaders thus far encountered were high-ranking military officers. In fact, no civilian Genii citizen has thus far been encountered. During Cowen's rule of the Genii, he possessed an elite guard who served as his personal enforcers until their destruction during Ladon's coup.

Due to the Genii's relatively advanced technology, they are desired trading partners to those they reveal their true natures to (e.g. the Manarians). Teyla Emmagan herself considered the Genii the Pegasus Galaxy's best hope after the Atlantis Expedition had temporarily been forced to retreat back to Earth.

Technology
"We're about sixty years ahead of you."

- Rodney McKay

Dr. Rodney McKay estimates that Genii technology was about sixty years behind that of the Tau'ri, which put the Genii at the Tau'ri equivalent of about 1945. As well as their technology, their dress and aesthetics are also very suggestive of the WW2 era as well.

The Genii thus have access to very early computers and projectile firearms of various models, and primitive examples of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) technology in terms of their monitors is also shown. They are also capable of sending weak RF audio/visual signals (the same principle behind basic television) as a means of communicating with Atlantis, which is broadly consistent with that technology level as well. Needless to say however, that other than via the Stargate, they are not independently spacefaring.

Given that mastery of RF technology in particular at that level was basic, it is probable that the WW2 equivalent was about the highest stage of advancement that a Human society could hope to reach without being perceived as an excessive threat by the Wraith, due to the fact that said machinery would be much less detectable than that of later periods.

The Genii have directed much effort into developing Nuclear warheads, with which they hope to strike at the Wraith during their hibernation cycle. They have had trouble separating uranium 235 from 238, and in initiating fission in a supercritical mass. Genii medical technology is not as advanced as that of Earth, and many of their people suffer from radiation sickness due to inadequately shielded reactors.

The Genii provide their prototype nuclear bombs to Atlantis for use in defending the city during the siege of Atlantis. The incomplete prototypes are made functional by Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka. The Genii employ fully-functional nuclear devices for the first time a year later.

Genii weapons have proven to be somewhat effective against the Wraith on several occasions, however this would be more due to the Wraith's own relatively primitive technological level. Genii nuclear weaponry would be unlikely to be effective against Lantean technology or that of the Asurans, due to those groups' advanced forcefields.

Notable Genii

 * Acastus Kolya
 * Cassel Massan
 * Dahlia Radim
 * Ladon Radim
 * Athor
 * Cowen
 * Fortnum
 * Haemon
 * Heiron
 * Idos
 * Lanko
 * Pranos
 * Prenum
 * Sora
 * Toran
 * Tyrus