Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

Chapter 23: Sinell and Ereshkigal

McKay couldn't take his eyes off the Ancient that stood before him. He wondered if Sheppard, Radek and Lucy were thinking the same thoughts. Most of those thoughts were on the possibility that this person standing before them wasn't an Ancient but some type of imposter.

He was trying to think of what to say, but one of his companions spoke before he even had a chance.

"Hello. I am Dr. Lucy Taylor. This is Dr. Radek Zelenka, Dr. Rodeny McKay and Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," she said pointing to each in turn, as she introduced them all.

"It is an honor to meet all of you," Sinell said with a slight bow of his head at each one in turn.

McKay turned his eyes to Sheppard, wondering what was going through his friend's mind. He turned back to the being standing calmly before them. "You're the Ancient that put a chip in Ereshkigal," he remarked once he was able to think of something to say.

The Ancient turned and focused his eyes on McKay. "Yes, I did. I know that you must have many questions and you are hoping I have the answers."

"Yeah. Actually, we do. We need you to come with us," Sheppard ordered.

"Very well," Sinell replied as he bowed his head slightly and waved his right arm for Sheppard to lead the way.

Sheppard lead the group to a room used for meetings. They all took a seat around the large table in the center of the room. McKay saw Sheppard whisper into his communications link and knew that he was talking to Teyla and Ronon.

Sinell had taken a seat and had placed his hands gently in his lap.

McKay sat down in the chair on Sheppard's right who had sat directly across from Sinell. Lucy sat on Sheppard's left and Radek took a seat in the empty chair next to Lucy.

"Why are you here?" Sheppard asked his voice thicker and rougher than his usual lighter self did.

The Ancient sat there without raising an eyebrow at Sheppard's dark tone. "You know why I am here. Ereshkigal has returned just as I knew she would one day." The Ancient clasped his hands tightly together. "That is why I preserved myself in the Archives."

"So, when we started researching you and Ereshkigal, it activated your release?" Taylor said.

Sinell nodded his head.

"We had discovered the planet that the people called Tigria along with Ereshkigal, their leader. We made contact with them because we wanted to know about them."

"You wanted to know about Ereshkigal," Radek corrected.

The Ancient hung his head and then looked up. "She was different from the Tigrians. She wasn't one of them. We, I mean I, I wanted to know all I could about her."

Sheppard prompted him to continue with a nod of his head.

"She wanted to know about us as well. Her thirst for knowledge was just as impressive as the things she already knew. We brought her to Atlantis to see our technology. We had no reason to suspect that she was dangerous."

Sinell unclasped his hands and put them on the table, palms upwards. "Ereshkigal and the Tigrians were friendly."

"But?" Lucy prompted.

"They were hiding something. We weren't certain exactly what, but we couldn't help our curiosity. We didn't fear her or them. We were intelligent and powerful beings that couldn't be harmed by them." Sinell paused as he held his eyes with Sheppard. "We were wrong."

"She found some way to control us."

"What? How?" McKay asked fearfully.

Sinell shook his head. "I was unable to determine exactly how but I believe that it has something to do with our genes."

"What?" Sheppard exclaimed.

"That is all I know. My people adored her. Some more than others. It was as though we couldn't help ourselves."

McKay wondered how it was possible when Lucy broke the silence that had taken over the room. "What about the Tigrians? Is she controlling them too?"

Her control over them hadn't anything to do with what she had done to us. She controlled them through mysticism and they revered her as a goddess."

"So, how do we stop her?" Radek asked.

McKay's forehead furrowed as he leaned forward, his eyes never wavering from Sinell's eyes. "Any ideas, Sinell?"

"I am unable to get close to her or she may be able to control me again." The Ancient shook his head. "If I had some way to stop her, I would have done so when I had the chance. If I could have fought the control she had over me."

"Some part of you fought her," Radek pointed out. "That's why you left us all these clues."

"Yes, and I was able to lock her up in the stasis chamber but I couldn't destroy her. I am here to do what I can to help you, but I cannot see her face to face."

McKay looked at Sheppard, wanting to have the power to read his mind. The information that Sinell had given them made sense but the Ancient's words were like a glacier that appeared harmless, but there was danger was lying in wait beneath the surface.

"So, Ereshkigal can control Ancients," McKay said sitting in the same chair but his back was toward the table. Teyla was sitting in a chair next to him, while Sheppard and Ronon were standing.

After the meeting, Sheppard sent Sinell to out of the way quarters with a couple of men, men he trusted to guard the Ancient. Lucy and Radek had returned to the lab.

"John, that's why you are so infatuated with her," Teyla replied as she leaned forward in her chair, elbows on her thighs, hands clasped before her. Teyla and Ronon had been outside the room during the meeting with Sinell and had heard everything.

Sheppard eyes darkened. "I am not infatuated with her!"

The three of them exchanged glances at his outburst.

Sheppard sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Can we focus on the real issues here?"

"Ok. I have the Ancient gene and you didn't see me following her around like a little puppy dog," McKay pointed out.

Ronon nodded his head. "That's right, but your Ancient gene is a synthetic one."

"I suppose," McKay half-heartily agreed. "John's Ancient gene is one of the strongest among us in Atlantis. The only one that I know that is just as strong is General O'Neill. Maybe the strength of the gene makes all the difference."

"Maybe she uses some sort of device to control you," Ronon suggested.

Sheppard frowned and waved his hands dismissively. "She didn't have anything on her when she came here."

McKay bit his lip for a moment and then snapped his fingers. "Maybe a pheromone? Like that, Goa'uld that took control of the men at the base back home. It could be linked in her genetics."

John sighed. "Maybe."

Teyla stepped up to John and placed a hand on his arm. "We can have Dr. Beckett look into her genetics again to see if he can find something."

John nodded his head and gave her an appreciative smile, even though it was a small one. "That's a good idea, Teyla."

"Can we trust what this Sinell told us?" Ronon asked.

"We have to," Sheppard replied. "Besides, I think he wants to stop Ereshkigal just as much as we do."

McKay sighed wondering if his timing was a little too perfect. He still had many questions that he wanted to ask, but he wasn't certain if he wanted to ask them of the Ancient just yet.