Missing

"Missing" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Stargate: Atlantis.

Synopsis
Teyla Emmagan and Dr. Jennifer Keller go to the new Athosian settlement on New Athos on a routine medical check-up. However, when they arrive, they find the Athosians missing, with a tribe of warriors taking their place. With no way to contact Atlantis, the couple is to survive the night while searching for clues as to what happened to the Athosians.

Plot
In Atlantis, Dr. Jennifer Keller packs up medical supplies and lolly pops to check up on the Athosians in their new settlement on New Athos. Keller tells Teyla Emmagan that she might not fit in, since the Athosians loved Dr. Carson Beckett. However, Teyla tells her that they will enjoy Keller's company, especially since she learned some of the Athosian culture and are looking forward to meeting her. They go through the gate, but not before Lt. Colonel John Sheppard wishes them luck, and hoping Teyla would enjoy her "hot date". The women walk through the thick forest and arrives in the Athosian settlement. Keller wonders whether the settlement is always quiet, since no one is in. As they search for clues as to what has happened, Teyla begins to suspect an attack by the Wraith.

When the women find nobody in the settlement, they notice two figures from a distance. Teyla and Keller hide, since they're not Athosian. Teyla says she knows of them, but hasn't seen one until now. She knows they're dangerous, but didn't bring a weapon. Keller wonders who they are. Teyla tells her that they are Bola Kai. They must hide from them, and decide to retreat back to Atlantis, since the weapons cache, which is used in case the settlement was attacked, is too far away. But on the way, Keller trips and twists her ankle. They abandon the backpack and go to the Stargate. However, from a distance, more of the Bola Kai are seen guarding it. With nowhere to turn, they plan on ambushing them, despite Keller's admittance that she doesn't know anything about fighting.

However, the Bola Kai notice and chase towards them. The women run away and hide down by the river. The Bola Kai can't find them and walks back. Teyla tells a panicked Keller that she should be prepared to fight back. They know that if Atlantis hasn't heard from them by tomorrow, they will send a Puddle Jumper to help. Right now, their best chance of survival is to get to the weapons cache. Keller needs her back pack to treat her ankle. The kit is on the way, but they hear drumbeats, meaning the hunt for them has begun.

They retrieve the gear that Keller has left behind in the forest and use it to treat Keller's injury. While treating her sprained ankle, Keller laments that she is not cut out for this kind of stress. Teyla tries to encourage Keller by saying that people are usually unaware of the amount of discomfort they can tolerate, citing the ten-day long rite of passage where Athosian children are to survive on their own. Keller gives Teyla her own version; summer camp, which she left due to homesickness after 3 days.

They continue on to find the weapons cache, but it is empty. Both women have no idea what could have happened to the weapons as the Bola Kai obviously do not have them and the Athosians could have used the weapons to easily fight off the savages, since the primitive Bola Kai weapons are no match for Earth guns.

The women decide to spend the night in a hunting camp, which is concealed. On the way, Keller and Teyla reach a sturdy Athosian-built rope bridge spanning a ravine. Keller is reluctant to cross, citing her Vertigo. When Teyla has had enough of her complaining, she proceeds to cross the bridge without her. Keller suddenly changes her mind and slowly walks across the bridge. She is about half-way, when she suddenly slips and desperately holds on for her life. Fortunately, Teyla is able to return to her and rescue her.

After they cross the bridge, Keller has a thought the Athosians managed to have evacuated, since they saw no dead bodies and knows the Bola Kai don't consider themselves to bury their victims. However, Teyla tells her that from what she heard of them, they may be cannibals. As they continue their trek, Keller narrowly misses a flying disc. A Bola Kai finds them, followed by two more. As Keller does nothing, Teyla engages them in hand-to-hand combat, and knocks two of them out, and then kills one. The third member attempts to run to alert the others. Fortunately, Teyla stops him and suffocates him to death.

As the remaining man gets up, Keller stays in fear, until Teyla comes up, takes her knife and Keller cringes, as Teyla kills him off-screen. Teyla tells her they need to take no one prisoner, as they may track them and hunt them down. They continue searching for the blind, when they notice an injured man, who is going to bleed to death if they don't save him. Keller decides to stay to treat his wound. Teyla objects, stating that the stranger is not Athosian, but ultimately agrees with Keller. After treating him, they take the stranger to the secure place to camp for the night.

Teyla manages to set traps around the perimeter, and hears a noise. It is actually a squid-like animal, which is attracted to body heat. Teyla kills it, and tells Keller that this is dinner, as it will sustain people, despite the fact the taste is somewhat acquired. Keller, rejects it, stating this was her least favorite part of Survivor. Teyla however, swallows it down. Later, the injured man awakens. He says his name is Nabel Golan, who is a Genii sent to spy the Athosians, but since he arrived, he claims the Bola Kai were Wraith worshipper and alerted the Wraith, who culled the village. He says the Athosians are all dead. He then asks questions, when Teyla tells him that he should not keep seeking intel for the Genii.

The next morning, Keller struggles to eat the squid-like creature, but has the courage to swallow it down. Teyla tells her that she reminds someone she knows, who doesn't get into much challenging, which Keller disagrees, as she feels going to another galaxy is challenging enough. Teyla then confides in her that she'd started a relationship with that non-assertive friend, an Athosian named Kanaan. She hasn't told anyone yet. She then goes to get water, when a Bola Kai with a lolly pop steps on a trap. The women, and Nabel, who can now walk are forced to run and then looses them.

Unfortunately, Nabel's condition slows the group down, and Teyla considers leaving him behind, a side of Teyla Keller had not noticed before. However, they are soon surrounded by Bola Kai. Teyla attempts to fight them off, but is quickly surrounded. When Keller is taken, Teyla gets up and knocks out a few more, before getting subdued. They are taken to their camp, apart from Nabel, who has escaped.

Meanwhile, Sheppard, Dr. Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex attempt to contact Teyla and the Athosians, since their check-in is late, but they cannot reach them. They decide to send a Jumper for help.

Keller and Teyla are tied up and placed in a cage as prisoners. Teyla calms Keller down by asking her about her past, including the fact the she is from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and that her mother died four years ago, and her father is all that is left. Teyla tells her that she will see him again. They are then brought to the Bola Kai leader, Omal, who begins to interrogate them. Teyla accuses the Bola Kai of killing her people. However, Omal is confused, saying that his people are also being hunted by the Wraith and that the village had already been deserted since they got here. Omal knocks out Teyla after her accusation and takes her away. He then questions Keller, saying that they'll both be alive if she gives him the gate address from her world. In order to buy time, Keller gives the Bola Kai a gate address to an uninhabited planet, and tells the news to Teyla. They both then overhear a conversation between a few of them, who tells Omal that a ship went though the gate and cloaked, meaning the rest of her team has arrived. The entire tribe leave to get them, while two are left behind to guard them.

Sheppard, Ronon, and McKay arrive in a Jumper to look for Teyla and Keller, when they notice the people guarding the gate don't look Athosian. Ronon tells them they are Bola Kai, meaning he knows of them as well, but assures them that they can handle them. They land and notice that there are life signs around them.

At the camp, the two guards are shot and killed. It is Nabel, who has a gun from his own weapons cache and frees Keller and Teyla from their cage. They all run away from a distance, where Teyla thanks him. However, Nabel betrays them and knocks her out. He threatens Keller at gunpoint, demanding the gate address to Atlantis. Keller then realizes that the spy is not Genii at all, and accuses him of being the Wraith worshipper. He admits to lying about being Genii and implies that he may have lied about the fate of the Athosians. He agrees on giving her the information of the Athosians in exchange for Atlantis' location.

Teyla manages to trip their captor, but is about to kill her, when Keller overcomes her fear and aversion to violence and attacks Nabel and disarms him. She is about to free Teyla, when Nabel stops her, telling her that she is a doctor, not a killer. However, this doesn't stop Keller from shooting his leg. Teyla begins to interrogate him further for information about the Athosians, but the Bola Kai arrive, surrounding them. Fortunately, Sheppard's team arrives in time and takes down the Bola Kai, who later run off, but more Bola Kai arrive and the team is then forced to retreat. Meanwhile, Nabel has disappeared.

Back in Atlantis, Teyla is in the infirmary for her injuries. Sheppard tells her that the Bola Kai had disappeared as well as Nabel, and that they are still investigating the fate of the Athosians. Teyla swears she will find whoever is responsible for the disappearance of her people and will make them pay. After Sheppard leaves, Keller privately approaches her. She tells Teyla that she's just gone over some test results and that there is something she must tell her. Teyla shows an expression of concern.

Notable Quotes
Keller: It's just, I know they were very fond of Carson. I only hope to make half the impression he did.

(She picks up a large plastic container and puts it into a third bag. Teyla points to the contents of the container.)

Teyla: What are those?

Keller: Oh, lollipops – for the kids. Makes the check-ups go easier.

Teyla: You will make a wonderful impression.

Teyla: It was a rite of passage among my people. No food, no water, forced to survive on our own. None of us believed we could endure it but all of us did.

Keller: I went to summer camp. There were other kids; we had cabins – with beds ... and electricity ... and food.

Teyla: I see.

Keller: I didn't even make it three days. Got homesick; called my parents to come and get me.

Ronon: Hey. Did Teyla and Keller get back?

Sheppard: Haven't heard from them yet.

Ronon: They're late.

Sheppard: Doesn't sound like Teyla.

Ronon: No, it doesn't.

McKay: Well, she had that big feast last night. Maybe she did too much celebrating and needs to sleep it off.

(He smiles. Ronon looks at him.)

Ronon: Yeah, that sounds like Teyla.

(Rodney's smile fades.)

Sheppard: Those guys guarding the Gate certainly don't look Athosian.

Ronon: They're Bola Kai.

McKay: What?

Ronon: It's a warrior tribe. Ruthless. They like picking fights, especially with tribes who are peaceful.

McKay: Great. Just what we need, another bad guy.

Ronon: Don't worry. They're primitive. We can handle them.

McKay: Define "primitive"?

Ronon: Clubs and arrows.

McKay: Hey, arrows can hurt!

Ronon: Only if you're stupid enough to get hit in the ass with one.

(Keller aims the gun at Nabel.)

Keller: Get out of my way.

Nabel: Give me the gun.

Keller: I'll shoot you.

Nabel: No you won't. You don't have it in you. You're a doctor, a healer, not a killer.

Keller: You're right. I am a healer. But first I need something to heal. (shoots Nabel in the leg)

Teyla: How long must I stay here?

Keller: About another day or so.

Teyla: I told you: I feel fine. I do not have a concussion.

Keller: You're right. You don't.

(Teyla frowns at her puzzled)

Keller: Teyla, I've looked over your test results. There's something we need to talk about.

Goofs

 * Dr. Jennifer Keller tells Teyla Emmagan that she's not afraid to challenge herself, citing that she had signed up to be chief of medicine in a foreign galaxy. Previously, she had complained to Dr. Elizabeth Weir that she only intended to be a temporary replacement for Dr. Carson Beckett after his death.

Nominations

 * Nominated Gemini for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role" (Jewel Staite)

Character

 * Nabel Golan