- "We're not like the Ancients; we're not gonna sit around and wait. If they don't back off; we have the capacity and the will to go kick their asses for a change."
- — John Sheppard
The Federation-Wraith War (2379-2391) is a conflict fought between the Federation and the Wraith in the Pegasus galaxy, primarily, but also in the Milky Way galaxy, albeit to a far lesser extent.
At the time of the arrival of the Federation in Pegasus, the Wraith had had dominion over the galaxy for 10,000 years since the disembarkation of the Ancients, which was the conclusion of the Lantean-Wraith war. From their arrival, the Federation have faced seemingly insurmountable odds against the Wraith and their large fleet of massive and formidable Hive ships. However, the Expedition, dedicated to the protection of the Humans in that galaxy has continued to combat the Wraith over the duration of the expedition.
This combat has included the defense of the Midway space station, the protection of the numerous human worlds in the galaxy, and offensive maneuvers aimed at achieving the ultimate downfall of the Wraith. After the fall of Queen Death, the Federation and the Wraith were able to reach a deal that ended the war in a manner that was beneficial and agreeable to both. (Star Trek: Intrepid; Star Trek: George Hammond)
History[]
Beginnings (2379)[]
Sheppard exploring the wreckage of a crashed Wraith dart
When the expedition first arrived in the Pegasus galaxy by using the Intergalactic gate bridge in 2379, they soon encountered the Wraith on the planet Athos. In the valiant defense of the planet, several Athosians and Humans were captured by Wraith Darts and taken to the Wraith homeworld. In response, the Atlantis Expedition soon sent a strike force, lead by Major John Sheppard, Captain Typhuss James Kira and Lieutenant Aiden Ford, on a rescue mission to retrieve their people.
When the team arrived to the planet, via Puddle Jumper, they discovered that their people were taken to a holding cell aboard a Wraith Hive ship. Meanwhile, Colonel Marshall Sumner was being interrogated by the Wraith Keeper who soon found out about the existence of Earth, with its billions of humans for the Wraith to feed on. The queen then started feeding on Sumner as Sheppard arrived.
He then ended Sumner's pain and shot the queen. The Wraith then captured Sheppard, who was soon rescued by Ford. They then fled after rescuing their people, and after a brief skirmish with a group of Wraith Darts, safely returned to Starbase Atlantis. However, upon leaving the Wraith Hive, the queen said that every Wraith in the galaxy would awaken to find Earth, and then they would feast. (Star Trek: Intrepid)
The Siege of Starbase Atlantis (2380)[]
The Wraith fleet which plans to attack Starbase Atlantis
The Wraith sent three Hive ships and nine cruisers to attack Starbase Atlantis. The first Hive ship was destroyed by a Lagrangian Point satellite in the system, but the other Wraith ships destroyed the satellite and continued on to Starbase Atlantis. Seeing no further hope, Dr. Elizabeth Weir ordered an evacuation. However, just before they were set to leave, Stargate Command managed to establish communications with the starbase. Brigadier General Jack O'Neill sent a force of some fifty marines under the command of Colonel Dillon Everett with a mission to defend Starbase Atlantis at all costs. With them they brought 50 turrets and a Mark II Naquadah generator which was able to power the weapons.
After the first wave of Wraith Darts attacked the starbase, Major John Sheppard took one of the Puddle Jumpers armed with a torpedo on a suicide mission to detonate it inside a Hive ship. Sheppard, however, was saved when the Federation ship USS Daedalus, under the command of Colonel Steven Caldwell, rescued him before completing his suicide mission with his actual death. The third ship was destroyed by transporting a warhead with Asgard transporters onto the last Hive ship. Seeing their Hives destroyed, the cruisers withdrew, while the remaining Darts made a kamikaze run onto the starbase. However, the Daedalus had also brought a Zero Point Module, and the Atlantis expedition was able to raise the shields.
After their initial force was destroyed, the Wraith then sent 12 more Hive ships to attack Starbase Atlantis. However, the Daedalus intercepted them and destroyed 2 more Hive ships before retreating to Atlantis. When the Hives arrived, they immediately began bombarding the starbase's shields. With only days of shield power left, Dr. Rodney McKay and Sheppard came up with a plan to fake a self-destruct. Believing Starbase Atlantis was destroyed, the Wraith fleet left and Starbase Atlantis survived. (Star Trek: Intrepid)
Temporary truce and Aftermath (2381)[]
The battle over Asuras
Knowing that the Atlantis team had re-activated the attack command in the Asurans, the Wraith, Todd, allied himself with them in an attempt to stop the Asurans once and for all as they were a common enemy between the Wraith and the humans of the Federation. After Dr. Rodney McKay came up with a plan that would destroy the Asurans for good, the humans of Starbase Atlantis formed an alliance with the Wraith to forge an attack fleet to hold off the Asuran fleet long enough for the plan to be put into play. In the battle that followed the Federation, Xindi, Wraith and Travelers worked side-by-side against the Asurans and finally destroyed them with the loss of a single Hive ship and a single Traveler generational ship. Afterward, the alliance was ended and the war resumed.
During the Battle of Asuras, Todd was able to organize the recovery of several Zero Point Modules from Asuras before it was destroyed. He planned to use three to power the Wraith cloning facility, which had turned the tide of the Lantean-Wraith war, and clone himself an army with which he could conquer the other Wraith factions. Todd's plan to create a clone army was interrupted about a week later when a Wraith under his command turned on him, triggering a series of events which eventually led to the facility and the trio of ZPMs being destroyed by Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard's team when they crashed a Hive ship into the facility.
Wraith invasion of Midway (2382)[]
Attack on Midway (2383)[]
- Main article: Battle of Midway
While the Atlantis Expedition worked together with Todd against the Asurans, he hacked into Dr. Rodney McKay's computer and found out about the Midway space station. He either shared this information with other Wraith or had it stolen from him, as, several months later, a group of Wraith were able to dial the station and conquered it. Afterward, a Wraith team was sent to Earth, but they were pursued and eliminated by Ronon Dex and Typhuss James Kira, who had been visiting Midway in preparation for an upcoming interview Ronon had with the International Oversight Advisory. Before more Wraith could be sent to the Human homeworld, Colonel John Sheppard and a strike team defeated all the Wraith on the station, but during this process the self-destruct system was inadvertently activated by Dr. Peter Kavanagh. Since it couldn't be stopped, the station crew was evacuated on a Puddle Jumper and later rescued by the USS Daedalus during its trip to return Ronon to Starbase Atlantis around a week later.
Later skirmishes[]
The Daedalus and the Aurora
In 2380, the Atlantis Expedition came across a severely damaged Aurora-class battleship named Aurora. When the Daedalus arrived, they detected a Wraith scout ship already at the ship that they quickly destroyed. Shortly after, they detected 2 Wraith cruisers approaching their current position. However, both ships were destroyed soon after their arrival when the Aurora self-destructed.
The Battle of Edowin
Later in 2380, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard's team was captured by Aiden Ford and his coalition in an attempt to destroy a Hive ship. When the plan ultimately failed and they were captured by the Wraith, the USS Daedalus arrived and engaged the Hive they were on, and another Hive that joined up with it. However, the Daedalus was seriously outmatched. Meanwhile, Sheppard and the majority of his team escaped in a Wraith Dart and began to fire on both Hives. Because of some mistrust already placed between them, they both thought that the other Hive was attacking them. Both Hives then opened fire on each other and were subsequently destroyed as Sheppard flew the Dart to the USS Intrepid-A and returned to Starbase Atlantis.
Another skirmish occurred when the team went to rescue Ronon Dex from the Wraith on Sateda. Over 30 Wraith were killed in the battle by Ronon, Typhuss, Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan before the Wraith Leader responsible went one-on-one against Ronon before being killed by Dr. Carson Beckett.
Later a Wraith Queen whose Wraith cruiser tried to destroy Starbase Atlantis by self-destructing her cruiser and causing an eruption that would destroy Starbase Atlantis. After being tricked by Teyla, she was killed by a full phaser rifle fire in the back by Dr. Rodney McKay and a bunch of phaser shots by Sheppard. (Star Trek: Intrepid)
The Alliance (2383)[]
The Orion destroys a Hive ship
In 2383, the Wraith proposed an alliance with the Atlantis Expedition after Dr. Jennifer Keller tested Doctor Beckett's Iratus bug retrovirus on Michael Kenmore, the experiment ending when Michael realized his true nature and escaped back to his Hive. The alliance was turbulent as the Wraith were actually using the alliance as a ruse by planting a spyware computer virus into the Atlantis database to gather two key pieces of information; the Aurora mission report, in order to work out how to upgrade the Wraith hyperdrive, and the location of Earth. While on the Hive ship, Ronon Dex and Dr. Rodney McKay were captured. The USS Daedalus fell victim to a surprise attack. Colonel John Sheppard used an F-302 fighter-interceptor and latched onto one of the Hive ships before taking off into hyperspace.
With the intention of attacking Earth, Dr. Elizabeth Weir sent the Daedalus and Orion to intercept the Hive ships. The Orion managed to destroy one Hive before it retreated and the Daedalus managed to severely damage the other before it too became severely damaged. The Daedalus managed to beam over the retrovirus gas to convert the Wraith on the ship into Humans. 200 Wraith managed to turn Human, and were later taken to M8G-352. The expedition commandeered the Hive ship, which was subsequently destroyed. Of the 200 human turned Wraith, only Michael is known to have survived for sure although others may have as well. Michael was ultimately forced to flee for his life and began a crusade against both the humans and the Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy.
Wraith Hive Alliances (2384)[]
Two Hive ships in battle
In 2384, Todd contacted the expedition to discuss a drug that enabled the Wraith to forgo the feeding process and eat solid food. Even through he approved of the drug, the final decision lay with the Primary. As she would only meet with the queen from Todd's Hive, who died a year before. Teyla Emmagan had to pose as the queen of the Hive. When Todd and Teyla met the queen, Todd killed her and blamed it on Teyla, so she could be able to claim the leadership of the alliance. She ordered her ship to attack another Wraith faction to not arouse the suspicion of her fellow Wraith.
Catching the other Hive ship completely by surprise, they inflicted serious damage. However, this was planned by Teyla for the purpose of intentionally destroying several Wraith, on both sides. The battle was a losing one, until Colonel John Sheppard's team (except for Teyla) emerged in a cloaked Puddle Jumper. After seeing the state Teyla's Hive was in during the battle, Sheppard de-cloaked the Jumper and opened fire on the enemy Hive ship. After inflicting sufficient damage, he re-cloaked moments before Teyla's Hive ship destroyed the opposing Hive. Following the battle, Teyla secured her position as queen of the alliance, leaving Todd as its leader. She then returned to Starbase Atlantis where she was re-transformed into a human.
Hijack of the Daedalus[]
Todd's forces hijack the USS Daedalus
Some time later Dr. Jennifer Keller found a gene therapy from Michael's database that would prevent the Wraith from feeding on Humans again. The expedition invite Todd's Wraith faction to discuss this major discovery. Dr. Rodney McKay and Dr. Daniel Jackson unknowingly activated a signal alerting the rogue Asgard-faction, the Vanir, to their location. The members of the Vanir forced Daniel and McKay to activate the Attero device, which destroys any Wraith ships going into hyperspace.
This caused a duo of Wraith cruisers to be destroyed and Todd to believe that the Atlantis expedition had located and deliberately activated the device. Believing he was betrayed, Todd hijacked the USS Daedalus to travel to the source of the device.
Three Vanir spaceships, the hijacked Daedalus and one Traveler ship would confront each other around the planet M6H-987, where the device was. The Vanir lost two starships in the battle, the Federation re-took the Daedalus and Jackson and McKay destroyed the Attero device. Todd and his Wraith escaped via their Wraith scout ship before the battle, though.
Gene therapy and disease[]
The diseased Hive ship breaks apart
A Hive ship appeared in orbit over Starbase Atlantis and to everyone's surprise did nothing. It transmitted an automated but distorted message from Todd requesting their assistance. They had used Dr. Jennifer Keller's gene therapy and given initial apparent success distributed the therapy to the Hive. They had since fallen ill to a disease they cannot cure.
Members of the expedition investigated and found the whole Hive in hibernation. They decided to board the ship hoping to rescue whatever research they could on the therapy and make it viable. However, once on board, they discovered that the ship is in terrible shape and Lieutenant Williams was killed by a Wraith warrior who actually attempted to eat the body.
When more warriors were awakened due to a malfunction, Colonel John Sheppard and Major Evan Lorne's teams must fight them off. As a last resort for survival Todd suggested that they travel to a planet where the Wraith could allow the Iratus bug to feed on them either saving or killing them in the process. The ship was in no shape for hyperspace however and a short while later it began to break apart. The vessel's orbit decayed and began falling towards the planet. Todd was able to land the ship on water, soon after which they were rescued by teams from Starbase Atlantis.
Later, when Keller was unable to cure Todd, Sheppard agreed to honor his original wishes and permitted him to leave Starbase Atlantis to find a cure elsewhere.
Super-hive (2385)[]
The Daedalus opens fire
At the Battle of Asuras, Todd was able to steal a number of Asuran Zero Point Modules before the planet was destroyed. He set his underling to work on devising a way to integrate the ZPMs into a Hive ship. Eventually, when the Wraith underling was finally able to make it work, he mutinied, chasing Todd from the Hive. Todd apprised the Atlantis Expedition of the situation and yet again allied against the Wraith. He revealed that the Super-hive was still in the process of upgrading its systems, and if the process is allowed to complete, the Hive would be unstoppable.
The Federation sent the USS Daedalus to confront the Wraith underling's Hive ship, but the ZPM-powered vessel proved itself an impressive opponent, crippling the Daedalus before making a sudden and inexplicable jump into warp. The Expedition later found out that the Hive ship was on its way to Earth. In the Milky Way galaxy, two of Earth's Daedalus-class battlecruisers, the USS Apollo and the new USS Sun Tzu, failed miserably to stop the Wraith ship. They then relayed a message back to Starbase Atlantis, detailing the failure to stop the Hive.
Meanwhile, the expedition managed to locate more Federation ships along with the USS Intrepid-A, the Void Fleet and the USS Polaris with the full complement of ships, was then on course to Earth in a last-ditch effort to defend it. When the fleet arrived, it placed itself in a position between the Hive and Earth in order to buy Stargate Command some more time. The fleet took the brunt of the Hive ship's assault on Earth and launched a barrage of photon torpedoes in retaliation. The SGC eventually succeeded in destroying the Hive (via smuggling a quantum torpedo aboard).
Rise of Queen Death[]
Around six months after the super-hive was destroyed, the Atlantis expedition returned to the Pegasus galaxy to find that a new Wraith Queen had emerged calling herself Queen Death. Queen Death had begun to gather the hive ships under her command, feeding wherever she pleased and destroying whatever she didn't take. In order to help combat her, the Atlantis expedition released Guide to return to his alliance.
Soon after the expedition's return, Queen Death's forces captured Doctor Rodney McKay and turned him into a Wraith called Quicksilver. With McKay's knowledge of Atlantis' systems, the Wraith were able to raid the city and steal its ZPM. McKay also equipped Wraith ships with shields, though none as good as on Earth's ships due to power requirements. In order to combat Queen Death more effectively, Teyla once more transformed into Guide's queen, Queen Steelflower and aided him in his efforts to unite Wraith forces to battle Queen Death. Guide also began working with his scientist Ember and Doctor Jennifer Keller on creating a new retrovirus, one that would allow the Wraith to feed on humans without killing them. They eventually came up with one successfully and the Atlantis team raided Queen Death's hive ship to rescue McKay and retrieve the ZPM. While they were unable to retrieve the ZPM, they succeeded in destroying the hive ship and rescuing McKay who's mind had returned though he remained a Wraith.
2390s[]
Battle of Alpha Site[]
Fall of Queen Death[]
- Main article: Second Battle of Starbase Atlantis
After the rescue of McKay, Teyla, as Queen Steelflower, aided Guide in recruiting more ships to their cause, including the ship of Queen Waterlight. At the same time, Doctors Carson Beckett and Jennifer Keller were able to aid McKay in returning to human form though he still retained some minor Wraith features and telepathic abilities similar to Teyla's. Teyla began getting some of the memories of one of the first Wraith Queens, Osprey through her dreams and learned the true nature of the Wraith. With the help of the memories she accessed through hypnosis, Teyla was able to locate a ZPM that had a 97% charge and with it a weapon designed by the Ancient Hyperion that could destroy the Wraith. On the planet with the weapon, the Wraith Queen Alabaster was found, the long-lost daughter of Guide. The presence of Alabaster helped to solidify the alliance between Guide and the expedition, but Ashes, the last remaining original Wraith and the true force behind Queen Death's rise to power, learned that it had been found and convinced Queen Death to launch an all-out attack on Atlantis to destroy the weapon.
Through a spy masquerading as a Wraith worshipper, the Genii learn of the impending attack on Atlantis and warn the expedition. In exchange for the destruction of the weapon, Guide and Alabaster agree to aid in defending Atlantis, but refuse to act if the weapon remains intact. The weapon is stolen by Ronon Dex, but he is ultimately unable to bring himself to use it as it will kill anyone with Wraith DNA, not just the Wraith themselves. McKay eventually flies the weapon into the sun in a Puddle Jumper, intending to sacrifice himself to destroy it, but is saved by Doctor Elizabeth Weir who transports him safely to the USS George Hammond. Queen Death's fleet arrives at Atlantis and an all-out battle erupts with Starbase Atlantis, the George Hammond, an Ancient ship salvaged by the Genii called the Pride of the Genii and Guide's fleet against Queen Death's forces. During the battle, Teyla boards Queen Death's hive ship and alongside Q een Waterlight, faces off with Queen Death. Teyla is eventually able to use her mental abilities to kill Queen Death and her surviving forces surrender to Alabaster who accepts the surrender in exchange for them swearing allegiance to her and Waterlight. After the battle ends, Alabaster, Waterlight and Teyla confront Ashes who had been responsible for Queen Death's rampage. However, while Waterlight and Alabaster turn Ashes over to Teyla, she chooses to let things end there and leaves Ashes to the Wraith to deal with.
Aftermath[]
Following the end of Queen Death, the Wraith offer Atlantis a deal: they will cede half of the galaxy to the humans if they are allowed to have the other half. With the implementation of the new retrovirus, Wraith feedings no longer have to be fatal for those subjected to them and the Federation accept the deal, ending the war. Many of their allies end up falling under the protection of this deal including the Athosians and the Satedans.
Months after the end of Queen Death and the war, the Federation and the Wraith come into conflict once more when Guide's hive chases a human known only as the Wolf who has been hunting the Wraith. The humans are unwilling to turn the Wolf over to the Wraith while the Wraith want the man to kill him. Things get complicated when the Wolf is revealed to be long-missing Lieutenant Aiden Ford. Eventually Doctor Elizabeth Weir is able to negotiate a settlement where Ford is "exiled" on Earth and the peace between the humans and the Wraith continues to stand.
Fleets that entered the war[]
United Federation of Planets[]
- 147th Tactical Fleet
- Federation Home Fleet
- Void Fleet
- Sixth Fleet
- Seventh Fleet
- Eighth Fleet
- Ninth Fleet
Klingon Empire[]
- Gho'vaD Defense Fleet
- Hegh yan Strike Fleet
- Qabjech Exploratory Fleet
- Qo'noS Home Fleet
Romulan Star Empire[]
Cardassian Union[]
[]
- Attack on Athos
- Battle of the Wraith Homeworld
- Skirmish of the Ancient Ruins
- Standoff on M7G-677
- Assassination of the Daimos
- Transformation of Michael Kenmore
- Attack on Thenora
- Capture of Steve
- Chase of Ronon Dex
- Rescue of Ronon Dex
- Raid on the Wraith weapons research facility
- Skirmish of the Wraith cloning facility
- Skirmish on Elson's planet
- Skirmish on M33-985
- Skirmish on Proculus
- Skirmish on the Aurora
- Skirmish on the Light Bugs' Planet
- Raid on a Hive ship
- Battle of Starbase Atlantis
- Battle of Edowin
- Battle of the Void
- Battle of M8G-352
- Escape from Olesia
- Goa'uld attempt to destroy Starbase Atlantis
- Skirmish on the Mobile drilling platform
- Battle of the Black Hole
- Skirmish on the Travelers' Aurora-class battleship
- Battle of Asuras
- Battle of Midway
- Battle of the Wraith Alliance
- Battle of M6H-987
- Skirmish with Michael's experiments
- Skirmish on M33-985
- Escape from Todd's hive ship
- Skirmish with Neeva Casol
- Skirmish over Alternate Earth
- Battle of the Super-hive
- Duel in the desert
- Battle of Levanna
- Raid on New Athos
- Raid on Bright Venture
- Raid on Starbase Atlantis
- Battle of the Frozen Planet
- Raid on the Revenant
- Skirmish on the desert planet
- Second Battle of Starbase Atlantis