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First Strike is episode 20 and the season finale Stargate Atlantis season 3.
Summary
The IOA agrees to launch an attack on the Asurans after learning that they are building ships capable of reaching Earth. Weir questions whether the military trusts and respects her.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
Plot
Dr. Jennifer Keller (Jewel Staite) has taken over Dr. Carson Beckett's former position as head of Atlantis' infirmary. She doubts her qualification for the position and asks Dr. Weir for a replacement. Weir assures her she will adjust but Keller has her doubts.
Colonel Abe Ellis, captain of Apollo, arrives in the city with news that routine flybys by Daedalus have revealed that the Asurans are building ships capable of reaching Earth. The military has decided to launch a first strike and destroy the threat before the ships can be completed. Weir and Shephard are surprised to know that the military has known about the threat for two weeks but only informed them twelve hours before the mission was to be undertaken. While Sheppard embraces the proactive stance, Weir believes the military disrespects her position and doesn't trust her ability to handle important matters. She contemplates the possibility of having to step down. Teyla tries to reassure her and encourages her to give it some time.
TheApollo's preemptive strike will launch a missile against the Asuran ship building facilities and separate into six nuclear weapons to take out various positions on the planet. Drs. McKay and Zelenka also doubt the wisdom of the plan and McKay suggests that it might be better to wait until area 51 completes their planetary wide anti replicator weapon. They nevertheless, oversee the preparation of the weapon. The missile launch is successful and several explosions are witnessed. Sheppard does reconnaissance with a cloaked puddle jumper to be certain of their success.
The team returns to Atlantis and a short while later, a small vessel drops out of hyperspace in orbit of the planet. At it's core, is a stargate. The stargate opens and a beam comes through it cutting a swath through the planet's ocean and heading toward Atlantis. The city raises its shields but the vessel positions itself directly above the city and continues to fire a continuous beam of energy, that will ultimately diminish the city's ZPM. The Apollo's weapons are unable to get through the satellites' shields. The beam is directed from Asuras powered by their unlimited supply of ZPMs. Dr. Weir attempts a reasonable discussion with Asuran leader Oberoth but it proves pointless and the Asurans use the opportunity to try to upload a computer virus.
Shephard approaches Ellis wanting to return to the Asuran planet to take out their weapon but he believes the damage caused to the shields will make them vulnerable. Ellis expresses to Sheppard that he believes Sheppard should be running Atlantis and not Weir.
McKay determines that if they submerge the city, the shields will last longer, just as it did for the Ancients during the siege on the city. The plan proves only modestly successful, and they must devise a new plan. Taking a page from the book of Wraith tactics, they decide to interrupt the beam with an asteroid and give the city enough time to lift off the planet with the assistance of an energy boost from the undersea drilling platform.
Major Lorne and his team are sent out to find and guide an asteroid into position with the assistance of several F-302s. They are successful and the asteroid is successfully pushed into place. Sheppard uses the city's control chair to fly but the city barely has enough power to rise from the ocean and they are forced to shut down the shield once on the surface, to give them enough of a boost to get to 18,000 feet. Just as they make their altitude mark, the Asuran weapon burns through the asteroid and the shield is turned on but not before it grazes the City's control tower, shattering the windows, damaging the control room and injuring several people, Dr. Weir most severely.
Atlantis is launched into space and enters hyperspace. Sheppard leaves the chair to see the damage caused by the weapon. After a short while, the ship drops out of hyperspace and McKay realizes they have no idea where they are and getting there has taken up most of their energy reserves. They don't have the option of using the Stargate as they aren't near any planetary bodies. In 24 hours, the shield will fail and they will run out of air.
Quotes
Sheppard: ...See, I would be Mr. Fantastic, Ronon would be "The Thing", McKay would be the Human Torch and you would be the Invisible Woman.
Teyla: I am not invisible.
Col. Ellison: You want to bring an asteroid toward us? Is that wise?
Mckay: Well today it is.
Ellison: Listen, I know you don't like me very much.
Weir: Colonel that's not...
Ellison: It's O.K. To be honest I'm not that crazy about you either.
Weir: OK.
Ellison: But, if I've crossed the line here or there in regards to your command, I apologize. I'm used to making the calls. But I don't want you to think I don't respect you. I do doctor.
Weir: Thank You. I appreciate that. I wish the rest of the military felt that way.
Notes
- Asuran vessels are unlike their Milky Way counterparts in that they are not made up of smaller self-replicating parts allowing them to be completely destroyed by energy weapons.
Guest Stars
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
