Teyla Emmagan

For the Teyla Emmagan from an alternate reality, see Teyla Emmagan (alternate reality).

Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan
Full name:	Teyla Emmagan
Species:	Athosian (Wraithkin)
Gender:	Female
Height:	5' 4" (1.63 m)
Eye color:	Brown
Hair color:	Brown
Homeworld:	Athos
Birthplace:	Athos
Affiliation:	Athosians Federation Atlantis Expedition Wraith Todd's Alliance
Family
Mother:	Tagan Emmagan (deceased)
Father:	Torren Emmagan (deceased)
Marital Status:	Single
Children:	Torren John Emmagan (son; b.2383)
Career
Assignment:	unofficial third-in-command, Starbase Atlantis, M35-117 Starbase Atlantis Lantea
Rank:	None (civilian) (present), Primary of Todd's Alliance Leader of the Athosians (formerly; past)
Insignia:

"Leaving my fellow Athosians for a home here on Starbase Atlantis was a very difficult decision. I was their leader — for some, the only leader they'd ever known. And despite the fact that I was as close as a trip through the Stargate, there were moments when I felt I'd betrayed them. I sometimes still second-guess my decision. But then I remember that I can do more here to help my people and the rest of the humans in this galaxy than I ever could on my homeworld."

— Teyla Emmagan

Teyla Emmagan is a female Athosian who is the leader of the Athosians from the planet Athos, and was one of the first to speak to the Atlantis expedition. She is an original member of the First Atlantis Reconnaissance Team. Due to experimentation on her ancestors by a rogue Wraith scientist, Teyla is one of a select few Athosians who can "sense" the aliens and utilize some of their telepathic abilities. Her unique skill set has made her a priceless asset to the expedition and a target of opportunity to its enemies, and she represents the very best her home galaxy has to offer.

Biography

Background information

"You were born for a higher purpose — to be the leader of our people."

— Charin

Teyla in her standard Athosian clothing

She is the daughter of Tagan and Torren Emmagan. She lost both of them by a young age. Teyla has a rare ability to sense the Wraith, due to one of her ancestors having Wraith DNA spliced into their genetic makeup. Since this was discovered, she has been able to make contact with Wraith minds on occasion, with varying degrees of success.

Teyla's leadership qualities are very respected on Starbase Atlantis and she is often considered the unofficial third-in-command of Starbase Atlantis and has on occasion been left in charge when both the current leader of the expedition and Colonel John Sheppard are away.

Relationships

Atlantis expedition

Teyla has a good friendship with all of the members of her team, John Sheppard and Typhuss James Kira in particular. When the expedition first made contact with her people, she didn't like Colonel Marshall Sumner very much but got along with Sheppard and Typhuss fine. The two became friends and she joined his team. Teyla also became friends with Typhuss. Teyla trained Sheppard in Bantos fighting at his request. The two have a bond as both friends and warriors, and Teyla even named her son after him. 

With Ronon Dex she has a bond of friendship as well as that of two warriors. Also she and he have a bond as the two ‘aliens' of the team as they are not from Earth like everyone else.

With Dr. Rodney McKay she has a bond of friendship although she grows frustrated with him at times. They have somewhat of a special bond however as he delivered her baby and he was technically the first one to hold her son.

Although not an original member of the expedition, Teyla has earned a great deal of trust from the rest of the expedition, to the point that, unofficially, she is 4th in line of command of the starbase, after Sheppard and McKay. Both Dr. Elizabeth Weir and John Sheppard have entrusted her with leadership of Starbase Atlantis as a whole when they were absent during their first return to Earth.

John Sheppard

Throughout their time together on the team they have always had a strong friendship. Their feelings developed into romantic feeling between the two. Especially when Teyla reavealed that having Torren was actually a result of a one night stand with Kanaan and it was before they started seeing each other. But after both acknowledging their mutual attraction they started seeing each other often. With Teyla having doubts because of her clan and of her having Wraith DNA and not entirely sure that John would accept her. John having to decide if its right dating a team member and who is under his command. But, John accepted her heritage making her understand that it didn't bother him in the slightest. Ronon felt their relationship was making John more sympathetic to the Wraith and didn't approve at first.

Typhuss James Halliwell

"Typhuss there's something I need to tell you if we're going to die I've always had feelings for you when we first met that day I know you're married I just wanted to tell you that."

— Teyla, 2381

Teyla always had feelings for Typhuss when they first met that day in 2379. In 2381, Teyla told Typhuss she had had feelings for him, Typhuss there's something I need to tell you if we're going to die I've always had feelings for you when we first met that day I know you're married I just wanted to tell you that. (Star Trek: The New Generation episode: "Inferno")

Kanaan

Teyla and Kanaan were friends since childhood. As adults that friendship developed into a full-blown romantic relationship and Teyla ended up pregnant by him although she was unaware of it until later. Ronon Dex was not surprised by this as he could tell by how Teyla talked about him that she was in love with him. Elizabeth Weir noticed this as well. Kanaan moves in with Teyla for at least a time on  Starbase Atlantis and supports her decision to rejoin Sheppard's team, taking care of their child while she's away on missions.

Alternate realities

Teyla, lover of Typhuss James Halliwell

• In an alternate reality, Teyla and Typhuss were lovers after she developed romantic feelings for him, it developed into a full-blown romantic relationship a few weeks later and Teyla ended up pregnant by him although she was unaware of it until later. With Teyla having doubts because of her clan and of her having Wraith DNA and not entirely sure that Typhuss would accept her. But, Typhuss accepted her heritage making her understand that it didn't bother him in the slightest. Teyla apparently never knew Kanaan in this reality. Typhuss was apparently an honorary member of the Athosian high council in his universe.

An alternate version of Atlantis-1, dead

• In an alternate reality, Colonel John Sheppard's team went on board the alternate Daedalus and starved to death on board the runaway ship.
• In the alternate reality which another Rodney McKay, known as 'Rod', came from, Rod- apparently an honorary member of the Athosian high council in his universe- mentioned that his Teyla was difficult to talk to.

Alternate timelines

• In an alternate timeline, Starbase 290 had been destroyed after a reactor core breach. Consequently, almost the entire Atlantis expedition was killed shortly after their arrival in the Pegasus galaxy. They never travelled to Athos and therefore never met Teyla or the Athosians.
• In another alternate timeline created when Colonel John Sheppard was accidentally sent 48,000 years into the future, he learned that Teyla had given birth to her child, but was killed by Michael Kenmore, while the baby was used to perfect the Hybrids.

Powers

Due to her Wraith DNA, Teyla is a Wraithkin who developed exceptionally powerful abilities once they were unlocked by hypnosis. Her abilities grew to be as strong as that of a Wraith Queen after years of use and training from Guide.

• Wraith saensing: The most common ability amongst the Wraithkin is the ability to sense the presence of the Wraith when in proximity. While some are able to do it stronger than others, Teyla has always been amongst the strongest. This part of Teyla abilities appeared to expand over time with Teyla able to sense that Ellia was different than the other Wraith and that another hive ship had dropped out of hyperspace and was very close to the one she was currently on. She was also able to sense that at least one Wraith cruiser had entered orbit over Levanna. Teyla's ability to sense Wraith extends for miles and she can sense if a Wraith is further away or has moved much closer. However, if the Wraith are in hibernation, she is unable to sense them, even in close proximity to a hive ship with a hibernating crew. Following Guide's training, Teyla was sure that she would be able to sense a hive ship even if it was hiding on the other side of a planet.
• Access to the Wraith Telepathic Network: After tapping into her abilities fully, Teyla learned to access the Wraith's telepathic network, enabling her to see and hear through the eyes and ears of any Wraith in relatively close proximity. Teyla has also been able to use this to pass on a message to the Wraith in order to trick them.
• Wraith mind-linking: Teyla has the ability to link with the mind of any Wraith in close proximity directly. While linked with a Wraith's mind, Teyla can read their thoughts and see flashes of memory. While Wraith can take control of Teyla if she links with them, they generally need Teyla to link with them first. Despite this, one was able to initiate a link Teyla and take control of her. However, this appeared to be more of a hypnotic command than a full possession. The same Wraith was later able to initate a link to communicate with Teyla over 10,000 light years, farther than normal Wraith telepathic communication, but the Wraith's abilities were enhanced by his state as a Human-Wraith Hybrid at the time. On another occasion, after Teyla linked with her, an extremely powerful Wraith Queen demonstrated the ability to take control of Teyla's mind and body, successfully posing as Teyla to her friends. However, Teyla needed to open her mind first and when fully prepared, was able to even plant a false memory for the Queen to find as a trick.
• Wraith technology control: Due to her Wraith genes, Teyla is able to control Wraith technology generally inaccessible to non-Wraith such as hive ships and Wraith cruisers. At first, this was extremely exhausting for her, though it got easier when she was pregnant with her son, also a Wraithkin and became "almost effortless" during this period. After extensive training from Guide in using her abilities, Teyla was able to effortlessly use this ability to fly Wraith ships on her own. However, this control can remain somewhat limited at times due to unfamiliarity with the specific systems Teyla is trying to control.
• Wraith technology immunity: While all of the other humans who encountered the Wraith mind manipulator were negatively effected, Teyla was immune to its effects as a Wraithkin.
• Empathy: Teyla has displayed the ability to sense the emotions of a Wraith who is in a heightened emotional state in close proximity to her. During the Battle of Starbase Atlantis, Teyla was able to sense the Wraiths fear that word of the human victory against them would get out and inspire other human worlds, telling Doctor Elizabeth Weir that at such close proximity, it was easy for her to sense this. She was also able to sense when a Wraith Queen was upset by the appearance of a second hive ship to join her culling, describing the Queen's feelings in detail. Later, when Michael was holding her captive, Teyla sensed his fear when the Atlantis team came to rescue her, though Michael called it "concern" instead.
• Possession: While pregnant with her son, Teyla displayed the ability to take possession of a powerful Wraith Queen. However, this required intense concentration on her part and left herself and Torren vulnerable when that concentration sliped even slightly. While possessing the Wraith Queen, Teyla was able to both control her movements and speak through her, making her own voice come out of the Queen at one point.
• Wraith telepathic communication: After being trained by Guide, Teyla displayed the ability to telepathically communicate with nearby Wraith without the need for linking with their minds. This ability was limited to telepathic talking and did not feature an exchange of thoughts or images beyond what was said telepathically.
• Wraith genetic memory: Using hypnosis, Teyla was able to access the genetic memory of the Wraith Queen Osprey whose lineage the scientist who created the Wraithkin descended from.
• Biokinesis: After extensive training from Guide, Teyla displayed the ability to mentally stop a Wraith's biological processes similar to a Queen, killing them. She was even able to kill a Wraith Queen in this manner.