They miscalculated by four hours.

The Hive ships entered orbit of the planet and began their attack on the city of Atlantis before the evacuation was complete. Thankfully they were already down to a skeleton crew, with only the head staff remaining, but the fragments of the database hadn't finished downloading. Whilst McKay threw a fit, stating that there was no way the time they had estimated for the ships' arrival could be wrong, it was generally acknowledged that the Wraith must have stepped up their pace, or pulled another trick, making the argument as to whether the calculations were right or wrong null and void.

Terentia stood in the command centre, head tilted, as if listening for something. All eyes were on her. She gazed sadly back at them, shaking her head, "…I'm sorry…" she whispered. She stared at the ground and set her jaw, angry.

McKay disconnected the main drive that was downloading the database and yanked it out of the computer system they had set up. He threw the cables across the floor, clearly agitated, as the noise of energy blasts hitting the weak Atlantis shield increased in volume. Rodney pulled the remaining drives from the system and staked them precarious on the terminal in front of him, before he grabbed Ford by the arm and started to load them into his arms, "These make up the last segment of the download. I don't know if what we've already got will work without these. Protect them with you life."

Aiden almost laughed, "We're losing this city and you're worried about a few hard drives?"

"If you haven't already realised, if we can't dial back here, those hard drives will be all that's left of this city."

"Alright," Elizabeth interrupted, "Enough," she approached what served as the Atlantis DHD system and dialled the 'Gate herself, "Get going. That's an order. We'll be right behind you," she wasn't exactly sure how she managed to keep her voice so calm.

Teyla sighed and gazed out across the room, "…The Ancestors would be greatly saddened to know their city was lost forever…"

"I'm sorry," Tia whispered again.

The Athosian looked back at the Ancient, startled, "I meant nothing more by my statement than the words themselves…" she said softly.

"Rodney, Aiden, Teyla, please," Elizabeth nodded towards the 'Gate, "I want," she stopped, "I need to know you're safe."

Rodney grabbed the last of the equipment around him, "See you at the Alpha site…" he headed off first, nodding in Tia's direction as he passed her.

Teyla embraced the girl as she walked by, "Be safe."

"See you on the other side," Aiden called to his commanders as he left to head for the 'Gate. He offered Tia a wave and strode quickly to catch up with Teyla and McKay.

The trio halted at the 'Gate, glancing back up to the command centre, before they stepped through.

John folded Tia into his arms, "You sure this is what you want?" there was such a loud blast noise around them that he swore he felt the city shake.

"…The shield's nearly gone…" Elizabeth said softly.

Terentia nodded, "Yes…I can't leave. Give me the button to press and I'll destroy the city when you're gone…"

"Tia-"

"Elizabeth," she smiled sadly, looking out over John's shoulder, "Go. I complete what I was made for, in whatever way. I had a life! However short. I had a childhood and I had people who cared for me. This is what I was created for. To save this city in whatever way possible. To protect people, the way you've protected me. Go. Please."

Elizabeth couldn't form a reply. She quickly closed the distance between them all and wrapped her arms around both Tia and John, holding them tightly, "…I'm so sorry…" she uttered.

Terentia didn't hear her. She couldn't even hear the pounding of the weapons against the almost shattered shield. But she could hear voices. Hundreds of thousands of voices.

John was the one to realise something was wrong. It had something to do with the sudden light that poured from her body, a single pulse before the shimmer stained Tia's skin even brighter than it had been before, "…Tia…" he took a tentative step back.

"Oh my god…" Elizabeth whispered, as she gently released the young woman.

"…I can hear them…" she said, voice strangely high, almost as if she were choking.

"Hear who?" he demanded.

"…The Others…" Terentia's eyes glazed over, "I can hear…others…they know me…"

Electrical sparks from the consoles around them made the two Humans jump.

"The shield's gone!" Elizabeth shouted.

"I can hear them…" Tia's form pulsed brightly again and she began to wander away from them.

"Tia… Tia, no," she lunged to stop her, and missed, only thanks to the fact that John held her back. She glared back at him, torn between anger and distress, "Don't," she whispered.

"This is her choice," John kept his voice low, refusing to release her, "Whether we are here or not. Her choice."

"She never had a choice!"

Terentia paced steadily down the steps as the ground shook beneath her feet. She still smiled, as if she could see something nobody else could. Like she had found something wonderful. Her expression still read complete absence. She had a purpose. They were calling to her. They knew everything. They were sorry. They taught her. The Others could never return to Atlantis. They had grown beyond it and now were forbidden to protect their own city. But she still had form. She wasn't bound by the same laws. She could do anything. Stop anything.

"John, no…please, don't let her…" Elizabeth still fought him, voice broken.

He held her firmly in place, "Her choice…"

The Ancient girl halted, swaying slightly in her place, gazing at the Stargate. Suddenly everything came back to her. The Wraith, the ships, the singing of the crystals throughout the city as they were shattered. Another strike. Pain. Terentia's vision focused and her expression became grim. She mentally reached out to the weapons platforms she had found and primed them to fire with an absent thought. Her body shone brighter and brighter as her head snapped back and her eyes fell shut.

"Tia!" Elizabeth shouted, "…Stop…" she quietly pleaded. She's saving your city, a voice in the back of her mind kept repeating. She hated how selfish it sounded.

The weapons fired and a huge burst of energy shot from the 'Gate room of Atlantis, making the two remaining Humans shield their eyes. The drones released from the weapons systems tore through the Hive ships until the following, single blast of energy, shot through their cores to complete the job. Golden energy dissipated, destroying everything it touched.

The display tracking the ships fell dormant.

Silence.

Absolute silence. No shaking. No sparks. No nothing.

Blinking and a little dazed, John and Elizabeth forced themselves to look down at the 'Gate room.

Elizabeth broke from his side, thankful he didn't try and stop her, and slowly walked down the steps. She knelt beside a pile of grey fatigues in the centre of the floor, silently. Numb, she heard footsteps, and looked back to see John at the foot of the steps. She tried to relinquish the grip on the fatigues that she didn't even know she had formed.

John slowly moved to kneel beside her, gently uncurled her fingers, and let the material fall back to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her silently.

Their city was safe.

But Tia was dead.

Fin