Spoils of War


 * Series: Stargate Atlantis
 * Episode: 412
 * Original air date: January 11, 2008

"Spoils of War" is the title of the twelfth episode of the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. It is part three of a three-part arc, preceded by "This Mortal Coil" and "Be All My Sins Remember'd".

Plot
The episode begins during the battle over the Replicator homeworld, except this time from the viewpoint of the Wraith. As the Replicator mass begins to sink into the planet, Todd, the Wraith collaborator, sends a squadron of Darts to the planet surface to retrieve an unknown item. Todd manages to narrowly escape before the planet explodes, and it is revealed that the Darts had managed to steal several ZPMs, which are vital components for the next step in his plans.

Back at Atlantis, McKay has been tracking the movements of the Wraith Hive Ships. While most of the ships have split off into separate groups, McKay has noticed that one ship, the one carrying Todd, is alone. The ship is dead in space, but is still transmitting Todd's subspace signal. Curious, Sheppard organizes a mission to investigate. As he and the team prep for the mission, Teyla arrives and insists on being included in mission, but Sheppard steadfastly refuses, citing that she is still pregnant. Sheppard, Ronon, and McKay take a Jumper and board the Hive Ship, but only find signs of battle and dead Wraith. When they reach the control room, they find the tracking device, meaning that it had been removed from Todd. With the crew gone, the Atlantis team decides to take advantage of their good fortune and salvage the Hive Ship for their own use. With the conditions on the Hive Ship relatively safe, Sheppard brings Teyla onboard to help with the salvage efforts. While salvaging the ship, the team discovers the location of a secret Wraith outpost. Teyla, with her hybrid Wraith DNA, is able to control the Hive Ship and takes it to the location of the outpost. Her abilities are much stronger than before, because of her mind and that of her unborn child working together.

When they arrive at the system, the team finds that there is another Hive Ship orbiting the planet, making a frontal attack impossible. Using the Jumper, Sheppard, McKay, and Ronon infiltrate the outpost. They soon discover that the outpost is using a Wraith Queen to spawn newborn Wraith on a massive scale, with thousands of Wraith being incubated. The team realizes that they can't let the Wraith succeed, so they decide to destroy the outpost's power source. They then rescue Todd, who was being held prisoner by the Wraith Queen. Todd reveals that the outpost is a cloning facility, which was instrumental in the defeat the Lanteans, and that ZPMs are the only power source capable of powering it. However, they are then ambushed by guards. Todd manages to escape but the rest of the team is captured and brought before the Queen.

Back at the salvaged Hive Ship, Todd arrives in a stolen Dart and informs Teyla that the Atlantis team had been captured, but Teyla has an idea to save them. Using her enhanced powers, Teyla manages to take control of the Queen and has her spare the team's life before she can feed on them. While connected to Teyla, the Queen discovers Teyla's baby and begins to attack it. Fortunately, Teyla manages to free the team and Sheppard kills the Queen before escaping the outpost. Meanwhile, the salvaged Hive Ship comes under attack by the Queen's hive ship. Unable to fight off the Hive Ship, Shepperd instead evacuates everybody onto the Jumper and sets the salvaged Hive Ship on a collision course with the outpost, destroying both the ship and the cloning facility. The team is able to return to Atlantis through the planet's Stargate.

Back on Atlantis, Sheppard reveals that Todd has gone his separate ways again, taking a Dart and disappearing. Teyla then tells Sheppard about her harrowing experience with the Wraith Queen. Before, she was adamant about risking her life for the team whenever they were in danger. However, the mission had made her realize just how much danger she had put her baby in, and now understands why Sheppard has been so worried about her putting herself in harm's way.

Production

 * Story By: Alan McCullough
 * Teleplay By: ...


 * Directed by: Will Waring

Guest stars
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