Tracker

"Tracker" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of Stargate Atlantis.

Synopsis
Jennifer Keller is kidnapped by a runner named Kiryk. While Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex tracks them, Kiryk takes Keller to a seriously injured young girl. She must do it fast, since the Wraith have found him, and are hunting them down.

Plot
Doctor Rodney McKay prepares to go offworld, with Jennifer Keller to M33-985 on a routine medical check-up, since the natives are undergoing an outbreak, comparable to Influenza, but mild. Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard notices that he is preparing to impress her, and thinking it's strange that he would volunteer doing humanitarian work on his day off, but lets him off. McKay arrives in the Gate Room to go with Keller, but notices that Ronon Dex has also volunteered to join in also, much to the annoyance of McKay. The chemistry between the two doesn't start well, when they both, at the same time offer to hold a bag for her. In the end, McKay lets Ronon take it.

When they arrive on M33-985, Keller checks up on a boy, who has the fever. She agrees on giving the boy some medication, some Neuraminidase inhibitor (which McKay memorised) to help ease through the infection. She then starts to check up on Erran, the boy's mother, and tells McKay and Ronon to get to the local tavern to get lunch, so that she wouldn't be bothered. They both go to get some lunch in the tavern. During the meal, McKay notices a leg of some kind of bird in his stew, and wouldn't eat it (unlike McKay). After they finish, they come back to Erran's house, the same house the infected boy was in. She tells them that she has finished with them both and then gone to join them in the tavern. However, when they arrive at the tavern, they notice that Keller is nowhere to be seen. They radio for her answer, but there is none. She has mysteriously disappeared.

Meanwhile, Keller awakens next to a tree, and bound with rope. She notices a mysterious man rummaging through her bags. When he finds out that she has awakened, he turns to her. Keller asks questions. However, the man aims a Wraith handblaster at her, and warns her not to talk, and if she continues to ask questions, he will stun her. She agrees to the terms. He picks her up, and takes her through the forest. However, Keller attempts to run. The man suddenly disappears, then reappears in front of a fleeing Keller, and stuns her.

Ronon is also trekking through the forest, and sees tracks, one set belonging to Keller, and another belonging to a mysterious figure. He informs McKay, who is on his way to the Stargate, to call back-up from Atlantis. However, just he is about to dial, he notices someone else is dialling in. McKay takes cover and watches the gate activate. He sees four Wraith step through, and splitting. McKay warns Ronon, but he steps on a stick and snaps it, alerting one of the Wraith, who notices McKay.

McKay hastily runs out of the area, but is continually being followed by him. He eventually hides behind a tree trunk, until he feels the Wraith has disappeared. However, the Wraith is right behind him. McKay pulls out his sidearm and shoots him a few times. However, the Wraith isn't much affected, so he stops McKay and is about to feed on him, when Ronon saves him, by killing the Wraith. He tells McKay that he is a Wraith hunter, a certain Wraith, who hunts for runners, meaning there is a runner somewhere on the planet. McKay and Ronon rushes back to the village and warns everyone of the Wraith presence. The villagers decide to evacuate to the caverns, a known hiding place from the last Wraith culling.

Keller re-awakens, with the man with her. He tells her that she must never run away again. He promises to tell her everything when they arrive at a certain location. However, a Wraith hunter approaches. The runner was able to disappear again, and re-appear next to the hunter, and drives a sword to him. They both run away, where he tells Keller that he is a runner. Keller tells him that she knows a runner, who had a tracking device on him. Keller tells him that she will remove the tracker. The runner agrees. Keller uses a scanner to search for the device. However, when she discovers it, she notices that the device is fused on the spine and brain stem, meaning that removing the device will kill him.

While McKay and Ronon follow the footprints, Ronon notices that the tracks are out on the open, which is unusual for a runner, since they should try to hide their tracks. However, Ronon then notices a brutal floor trap. Ronon tells McKay that runners "aren't stupid", and they move on, only to find more traps. They eventually encounter another Wraith, only this time, McKay shot him enough to kill him. He notices that if they are tracking a runner, he should acquire the tracking device on the hunter's arm. However, they are very far away, but continue on.

Keller and the runner manages to go up a set of cliffs, without the need to climb up. There, Keller notices that the runner has a teleportation device, which explains how he was able to kidnap her that quickly. At night, he then takes her to a cavern, which houses a ten-year old girl named Celise. The runner once spent one night on a planet, when the Wraith attacked. He was able to save her and evacuated the planet. She is seriously injured, but the runner was able to look after her. She suffers from a very bad infection from the wound, and will soon die if she wasn't treated. He cleaned out the wound the best he could, and later heard of the Atlantis Expedition. He had to kidnap her, because he wouldn't risk asking for help, only to be turned down.

Keller attempts to save her, while the runner keeps a look out. Celise awakens, and tells Keller that the runner's name is Kiryk. She also says that he has looked after her, and even made a doll for her, and became a father-figure to her. Keller was able to clean out the wound the best she could, but needs to go to Atlantis for more care. However, a Wraith was able to track them, stuns Kiryk and finds Celise. He is about to feed on her, when Keller drives a knife through the hunter, killing him. She then carried Celise to a safe distance, and later came back for Kiryk, and dragged him to Celise.

The next morning, Kiryk awakens, and Keller said that there is a probable solution to help him. She would use a defibrillator that would theoretically disable the tracker, which would mean he would no longer be followed, but it carries a risk of killing him in the process. Kiryk tells her that either way, he would be free, and would freely take care of Celise without constantly being hunted. Keller manages to perform the plan, which worked, the tracker is no longer transmitting. However, this would mean that McKay and Ronon are no longer able to track Jennifer, and the Wraith would send an army of more hunters and darts to search for him. Another problem, is that the teleportation device has burnt out.

Despite this, Ronon is able to find Kiryk and Keller, and starts to attack him. The couple fight, until Keller is able to stop them. McKay tells them that they should work together to get back to Atlantis. Ronon and Kiryk tie up loose ends, and form a friendship. However, more Wraith have found them, and ambushes them. McKay is shooting at one, until his gun is empty. Keller is able to buy time to take on the Wraith, while McKay reloads and finishes him off. Ronon and Kiryk manages to take out another Wraith and twists a knife into him. Keller explains that she was able to hold off the Wraith, due to a few sparring sessions with Ronon.

The team comes up to near the Stargate, when they find a group of at least six Wraith, and more being hidden, guarding it. They plan to shoot their way through. Howvwer, this is not necessary, as McKay is able to fix the teleportation device. Kiryk tells the rest he would buy time, so that the rest would escape and save Celise. Kiryk wastes no time in teleporting away, and kills several Wraith while teleporting himself from one location to another. However, soon the teleportation device burns out. He holds them off with a stunner, when he dials the Gate to another world. He goes through it, with several Wraith hunters and darts following, leaving his fate unknown. He managed to have brought the team time to dial Atlantis.

Now back in Atlantis, Keller was successful in saving Celise. She is now making a full recovery. She is playing one of McKay's hand-held computer game called Fowl Play, when Sheppard tells them that a family in M33-985 would be more than happy to adopt Celise, to look after her. She wonders when she will see Kiryk again. The team says they don't know. Ronon then comes to Celise and gives her back the doll she dropped on the planet.

At the end of the events, McKay comes to Ronon in the gym and wonders whether Ronon has a romantic interest in Keller. Ronon admits that he does, who also learns the McKay too has a romantic interest in Keller as well. They both agree not to fight over her, and agrees on letting her decide who to go with, wishing "may the best man win", before shaking hands.

Notable quotes
While evacuating a village, Ronon and McKay guide them to safety McKay: That's it. That's it. (to a large person) Mind your step, sir. Burly Woman: Sir? McKay: Ma'am, sorry. Uh... (gestures at his upper lip) you have a... (to Ronon) That is clearly a moustache!

In the Atlantis gym McKay: OK, here's the thing. I've been thinking and, uh, I need to know your intentions. Ronon: Intentions? McKay: With Jennifer. Ronon: I don't have any intentions. McKay: Oh! OK. Good. (smiles and starts to leave) Ronon: Wait. (McKay stops) What d'you mean by intentions? McKay: I mean, are you interested in her in a... romantic fashion? Ronon: No. McKay: Good! (starts to leave again) Ronon: Wait. (McKay stops again) McKay: What? Ronon: Maybe I do... have intentions. McKay: (groaning) Oh. Ronon: Do you have intentions? McKay: Yes, well, of course I do, that's why I was asking you. Ronon: So what are we gonna do about it? McKay: I don't know. (Ronon lifts a stick and swings it gently in McKay's direction) I'm not gonna fight you for her, if that's what you're thinking. Ronon: Great! McKay: I'm not gonna step aside, either, so we're just gonna have to let her decide. Ronon: OK. McKay: OK. So... may the best man win. (they both shake hands)

Background notes

 * Richard Woolsey and Teyla Emmagan do not appear in this episode.
 * Celise's village was attacked by Wraith because Kiryk spent a night there. Ronon Dex was in at least one similar situation. In the Season 3 episode "Sateda",  he returned to a village that had been culled by Wraith as a direct result of his presence while still a Runner.

Production

 * Mike Dopud previously played a Russian officer and bounty hunter Odai Ventrell in Stargate SG-1 episodes "Full Alert" and "Bounty" respectively.