Stargate Atlantis: Path of the Storm

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Chapter Eleven

Elizabeth Weir sat back in her seat and contemplated the situation carefully. She had not long received a report from McKay about what had happened on Bre'tar and she had read it several times. Each time, Weir tried to look at it from another perspective and found she couldn't. "I really do wish this weren't happening," she said quietly placing it down on the table.

Peter Grodin took the file from her and started flipping through it, then looked up as he realised he hadn't been given an invitation. "Sorry," he answered. "May I?"

"Please," she replied. He gave a small smile then carried on reading through it in silence. Weir watched him then stood up, walking over to the full-length windows and staring down into the gateroom below. Grodin turned over each page carefully while glancing to her.

"Have you thought about contacting the Genii?"

Weir hesitated then slowly turned to face him. "And what make matters even worse?"

"I can't imagine it can get any worse," Grodin answered honestly. "We have three Wraith hive ships on the way and our military commander has been kidnapped." He shook his head as he placed the file down on her table. "Not to mention our negotiations with the Bre'tar falling through."

"Falling through?" Weir asked with a shocked face. "We were intentionally set up. Just so Kolya could get his hands on John."

"As I said, if we tried explaining…"

"Kolya is smarter than that," Weir said regretfully. "If he were on the Genii homeworld it would be simple to locate him but Ford thinks that he took Sheppard somewhere else. Somewhere we'd never be able to find him."

"For what purpose?" Grodin asked.

"Rodney said something about revenge," Weir replied turning back to the window. A horrible feeling knotted itself in her stomach; she hated to think about what plans Kolya had in store for him.

"This is Doctor Beckett. Doctor Weir, I think you better come down to the infirmary as soon as possible. It's about Teyla."

Weir spun round to face Grodin while tapping her headset. "This is Weir, I'm on my way." Grodin wore the same look as her as he stood up from behind the desk, intending to go back into the control room.

"What was all that about?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't know," she said softly, allowing him to go through the doorway and heading down into the gateroom. "But I'm going to find out." Weir stopped halfway down the stairs then turned to Grodin. "Peter…if any…"

"I'll let you know," he finished for her.

Weir nodded then carried on.

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That last statement made Sheppard want to laugh so hard in Kolya's face. "You want me to fix it?" he repeated seriously and also to clarify that was correct.

"Yes," Kolya answered.

"You expect me to do what?" Sheppard asked with a sarcastic tone. "Click my heels together three times and say there's no place like home? It's not that simple." He rested his forehead against the bars deciding that this argument was pointless. Immediately his thoughts turned back to Atlantis, to what the people there would be facing. The hive ships that were on their way.

"No it's even simpler," Kolya said tapping the bars to grab Sheppard's attention. John glared up at him and knew whatever came out the man's mouth was going to sound insane. "Atlantis has powerful weapons, with that kind of technol…"

"News flash," Sheppard said interrupting quickly. "The Ancients fought the Wraith, they finally lost." Then they came to Earth he added as an after thought; not that he was going to tell Kolya that.

"Then they retreated to Earth."

Sheppard looked at him in astonishment. "I was just thinking that…how could you possibly…" he frowned and shook his head. "It's like you're reading my mind."

"I am," Kolya answered then added. "In a way." With taking his eyes of Sheppard, he shouted at one of his men. "Matriya." The guard took two steps forward into the light where Sheppard realised the male turned out to be female, almost Asian looking by Earth standards. Kolya looked to her with a smile then back to Sheppard. "Meet Matriya Cin," he said to John. "She has some unique qualities that I decided to take advantage of."

"Let me guess," Sheppard said with a wry expression. "She reads minds." He looked from Kolya to the Matriya then back to the commander. "But that doesn't explain how you know what she knows."

"Anything she finds of interest, she communicates with me."

"Telepathy," Sheppard muttered looking back down to the floor, it was bad enough being stuck in this cage on this planet with this lunatic and between two Wraiths. Now he had to be careful of what he thought of.

"Yes," Kolya said then motioned for Matriya to take up her position once more, waiting for some sort of reaction from Sheppard. John didn't give him the satisfaction.

"So you're using this on the Wraith?" Sheppard finally said while looking up.

"We tried but it's extremely difficult." Kolya glanced to one of the Wraiths who hissed then looked to Matriya. "It's possible they have the same method." He looked back to Sheppard. "We have had no success yet."

"So you're doing it the old fashioned way. Meal provided."

"Ahh yes," Kolya said. "That reminds me." He turned to two of the guards on his right and motioned for them to come to him, he leaned in and whispered something to them before they left through the small door behind him. Sheppard stepped back from the bars and returned to the small bunk laid out on the floor for him and stared at Kolya, his curiosity was beginning to get the better of him.

"What the Hell was that about?"

"You'll find out soon enough Major," Kolya said following his men out but leaving Matriya behind. "Inform me if anything happens." She gave him a small nod then looked directly ahead. Kolya took his eyes off her to look at Sheppard. "If you require anything, just ask Ms Cin here." Sheppard waited until the door had shut behind him before glaring at the spot where he had been standing.

"Or just think it," he muttered to himself.

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