Ronon and Sheppard are trapped, injured, and alone on a distant planet. Hunted by people who possess a sadistic weapon, Ronon has to keep Sheppard alive and hope for rescue which may not come in time.

When mysterious aliens kidnap Sheppard and use him to try and take over Atlantis, it's up to the team to save him. Inspired by "The Daedalus Variations," this is the AU take on what the team was doing fighting the aliens on one of the Daedalus ships in the alternate timeline. Lots of Shep whump and team angst to follow ...

Following the events in Common Ground, this story explores what might have happened if Sheppard's team had shown up to rescue him five minutes too late.