Part Two: Descent

[Hades]

3700 hours (local time)
Lethe

It was hard to imagine a more inhospitable place in the Delian Galaxy than the planet Lethe. Located in the distant reaches of its solar system far from its sun, the slowly orbiting planet had a 150 hour long day, and took almost three centuries to complete an orbital cycle. The surface of the planet was little more than a frozen ice sheet, where biting winds swept across the tundra at hundreds of kilometres an hour. Not that the view was a problem - being so far from the sun the planet was dominated by darkness. Not quite pitch black, but enough to make navigating the wasteland a challenge. The planet was void of life, with no known plants or animals calling its frigid surface home.

Despite the challenges, the planet had once been a stronghold of Hades. Its location in the remote corner of the Delian Galaxy, and lack of any civilisation or natural resources, had seen the planet become forgotten through the ages. This is what first drew the Lord of the Underworld here - an opportunity to build a hidden prison to hide away the Olympians most hated enemies. Over generations the prison population constructed a large stone complex on the surface of the planet, most of the initial inmates dying before the building was complete. Those who were housed in the compound fared no better, for Lethe was considered one of the worst Olympian prisons to be housed in.

For reasons unexpected, Hades and his guards abandoned the world decades ago, leaving the prisoners to face a painful, yet swift, death. No longer protected by force shields, heating or the efforts of the inmates, the ice soon reclaimed the land. All that remains now is the collapsed and almost unrecognisable shell of the complex. The Stargate, once housed in a central annex of the compound, sits exposed to the elements.

However, unbeknown to the humans of Earth, the followers of Hades have recently returned to Lethe, and have begun construction on a secret underground complex, the purpose of which is only known to the most revered of Hades’ followers.

< Tag Task Group Green [ Kimberly "Kim" McKinnon , Adam "Sly" Collier , Marah "Tonobi" Law , Elizabeth "Beth" Houghton , Erik Sorensen , Kieran "Bear" O'Shea ] & Task Group Red [ Koren Telion , Nolen "Dragon" Syaria , Stephanie Martin , Victoria Ramel , Andy Buchanan , @adaheart , Justin Anderson ] >

[Andy Buchanan]

3700 hours (local time)

Lethe


"Well, this is certainly hospitable," came the unmistakable voice of Andy Buchanan. They'd been forewarned about the conditions on Lethe before departure and were thus clad appropriately. The polar suit made him feel not unlike the bulkiest man alive, but he had been pleased with the adaptation he'd made to the goggles those of the party who'd accepted more of Rigger's 'experimental tech' wore. Despite the biting cold which would easily have iced over regular goggles, or seen them fog up from the inside, Rigger's carefully designed goggles were well equipped to handle both these problems, allowing consistently clear vision. He'd not had time to install full night vision elements into them, and during early stages, the odd pair had burst into embarrassing flames. But prototypes were prototypes. He'd ironed out that problem now. No chance of any spontaneously combusting Stargate personnel here. "Well, hospitable if you happen to like the cold and the dark. Like you were a side of meat in a freezer or something," he muttered in addition. 

Andy's return to the field had certainly not gone in any kind of manner he'd anticipated. Not that he'd ever given the idea that much thought: but whenever he had, sub-zero temperatures and an inky blackness that was so dark it held its own shape and form hadn't exactly figured at the front and centre of those daydreams. He unhooked his night-vision binoculars from his belt and despite the lessened mobility brought about by the polar gear, brought them up to have a good peer around.

"Ah," he observed. "There's some snow over there. Although that bit might be frost, I'm not sure." Sarcastic comment duly delivered, he took note of their current location, duly reporting what he saw to his commanding officer as the forces gathered. What Andy saw was what he had expected, on the review of the data he'd made before leaving.

"Nothing to report, sir," he announced. "Actually, nothing might be an improvement on what's out there. But you know. On the flipside, I don't see any signs of activity. So for now, at least, we're on our own."


<Tag Task Group Red - Koren Telion Nolen "Dragon" Syaria Stephanie Martin Victoria Ramel @adaheart Justin Anderson >

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

3700 hours (local time)
Lethe

The bitter cold was not necessarily something that Kieran wanted to embrace with open arms, but he had went through speciality training for conditions such as these, so he was prepared. The prototype goggles that the Lieutenant had offered up were quite handy and Kieran made a mental note to secure a pair for his own personal gear if he could. The Irishman shifted his pack on his shoulders before checking his weapon once more, the bulk of the uniform they all wore to keep themselves warm didn't help with movability so becoming aware of their surroundings was key.

In his time in the Stargate Program, Kieran had seen some beautiful planets; full of lush, tropical plants, and cool seas. He had also seen deserts where not a soul could live due to the scorching heat and lack of food or water. This, on the other hand, was nothing like planets he had been on. It was just cold. Because of the briefing they had beforehand he knew that at one point in time there had been civilization on this planet, but judging by its current state that was long before the Tau'ri stepped food in this galaxy. 

Kieran walked a little ahead of the group just to get a good look around them. He took in a deep breath, his finger hovering over the trigger of his weapon. He slowly made his way around the group and lifted his weapon when he heard a noise to his right, only to realize it was the harsh wind that was whipping around them. "I don't think we'll have anythin' here to worry about. It's too cold for anythin' to survive."

< Tag: Task Group Green & Task Group Red >

[Deleted]

3700 hours (local time)
Lethe

Even with the suit on, Shauna felt the cold or so she taught, just the sight of the environment tricked her in to thinking she was cold. But despite that, with the cold and the darkness she was still gobsmacked by the planet. This was her first real off world mission, she had only ever traveled to off world bases and never fully packed for combat. She'd be lying to say she wasn't a bit nervous, but she brushed those fears aside and stayed focused.

As she looked around, she could hardly believe that this place once had life, even if it was Alien made and kept prisoner. She could only imagine how long a prisoner would of lasted in this environment,

" Would this cold have the same effect on the enemy's ?" Shauna said out of curiosity," How long do you think the prisoners would of lasted once they came here ?" she wasn't expecting answer, but just couldn't help asking the questions and it was a habit that annoyed her mother. Question after question.

Slowly she followed the group remaining in the center, with her lack of experience it was the position she was assigned to and one she was comfortable with at the moment. If anything she felt like the weak link in the group, lacking experience and knowledge of world's through the Stargate. But curiosity once again hit Shauna,

" How long would it take to cover up are tracks or someone elses," when she spoke she couldn't help but frown at herself for asking another question.

<tag all>

[Koren Telion]

3700 hours (local time)
Lethe

Koren stepped through the gate and sighed in exacerbation; it was exactly as was reported, but that didn't mean Koren wasn't hoping for better. The frozen tundra stretched for miles in every direction; even the faint bleating of the sun couldn't warm the frigid surface, giving way to a snow/frost that more resembled an ice-sand blend that blew across the landscape with the extremely high winds. Koren snapped his one-eye nightvision down over his helmet so he could see into the inky shadows, seeing only accumulations of the snow-sand behind the hills. Koren turned to his right 70 degrees and took in what they came here to investigate; the ruins of Hades old prison. Rumor had it that Hades had abandoned the prison after the fall of Olympia, leaving the prison to collapse under the weight of the cold and winds, leaving this particular hell to literally freeze over. According to intel, the site had been abandoned ever since, and Task Group Red was tasked with entering the ruins and seeing if they could glean anything from the rubble that may prove useful in the fight against Hades.

It was a long shot, and Troy had admitted to Koren before they embarked that he was sending them on this mission, even though they would probably come up empty, because he had underestimated just how little they knew about Hades. This was their best lead, he had said.

If this is our best lead, Koren thought to himself, we really got in over our heads this time.

"Nothing to report, sir," Andy announced. "Actually, nothing might be an improvement on what's out there. But you know. On the flipside, I don't see any signs of activity. So for now, at least, we're on our own."

"Lets hope it stays that way," Koren said, using his P90 as a tabletop for his arms. Realizing that was far too O'Neill of him, he gestured to the ruins, "Lets move out. We've got half a mile to cover before we reach the prison, and I'm only permitting us 3 hours on planet so we have a decent safety net should something go wrong," Koren turned towards the group. They were all giving him an odd look, "Because we're Stargate," He said, then realizing the connotation that implied, added, "And safety is a priority."

"Would this cold have the same effect on the enemy's ?" Shauna said out of curiosity, "How long do you think the prisoners would of lasted once they came here ?"

"According to intel we gleaned from Olympia," Koren said walking beside her, "Hades erected a thermal shield that encased the prison and kept its occupants at a survivable temperature while deterring escape attempts. Our research indicates that even our strongest allies would only last a few minutes on the exposed surface, so the half-mile journey to the stargate was out of the question." Koren looked out to the ruins once again, "As far as survivability?" He sighed deeply, "Well, all we know is that when Hades abandoned this outpost, he just turned off the heat shield. He didn't evacuate, didn't transfer the prisoners to another prison; he just up and left, leaving the prisoners...exposed."

"How long would it take to cover up are tracks or someone elses," Koren smiled at Leifteanant Keyes continued questioning. It was that curiosity and drive that led Koren to request her transfer to the SGC. From what he had seen of her during flying during Operation Black Widow, she would most definitely be an asset to this operation, but it was her character that clinched the deal for Koren. There was never a lack of need for a pilot with a brilliant mind in the Stargate program, and they had a lot to live up to with Jack O'Neill.

"Well, based upon the speed of the wind, and the fine snow and ice on this planet," He turned around to confirm his theory, seeing that their footprints from near the stargate were gone, leaving only about a 75 yard trail behind them "Yup. Just take a look behind us." A surge of panic ran through Koren's mind, as he knew Shauna's question was a pointed one. Koren activated the heatsink on his P90 as he turned around and cautiously entered the field of debris left from the prison.

<TAG Task Force Red>

[Hades]

3711 hours (local time)
Lethe

While Lethe looked like a barren wasteland on the surface, far beneath the planet’s crust it was a hive of activity.

Seated on an oversized thrown carved from smooth, obsidian black rock, Hades was keeping abreast of the progress of the underground complex. Before the throne stood loyal lieutenants and advisors, informing their immortal leader of how their respective work parties were progressing. As of the last hour, the north-west and north-eastern caverns had been completed, and were being outfitted with the technology and machines required to enact the next step of Hades plan. The tunnellers had successfully bored out another staff into the planet’s core, allowing them to continue rising the temperature of the complex and meet their ever increasing power needs. The latest subterranean crop was producing an increased yield, and of lesser concern to Hades, reports were that the produce was more palatable to the workers.

By all report, Hades’ plan was progressing as expected.

A officer from the military cadre hurried into the room and pushed to the front of the queue, dropping to one knee upon arriving at the foot of the throne. Such a display of disrespect was usually cause for death, and from the shadows of the cavernous room previously unseen stepped masked bodyguards, their weapons levelled at the officer as they advanced.

Hades waved them off.

“Speak.”

“Your Majesty of Eternal Darkness,” the man stammered, knowing he could be seconds from death if his misspoke. “The Propylaea on the surface above has activated and has brought forth enemies. Their clothes match those of the Delian Expedition.”

This was a development Hades had not foreseen.

Sensing this, Rhadamanthus - the Vizier of the Underworld - stepped forward from Hades side. It would not do for Hades to ask questions about this turn of events - the Ruler of Death was an all-knowing god. In such cases Rhadamanthus would ask the questions, thereby saving face for Hades.

“How many do they number?” the Vizier demanded.

“They number thirteen, a bad omen,” the officer replied. “They appear unaware of our presence here, but should they discover…”

“They shall discover nothing,” Hades interjected, rising from the throne and feithing foreknowledge of the teams arrival. “Their coming here was through my wishes and actions.”

“Deploy the Hoplites and bring them to me - it is time they came face-to-face with the bringing of their doom.”

< Tag Task Group Green [Kimberly "Kim" McKinnon , Adam "Sly" Collier , Marah "Tonobi" Law , Elizabeth "Beth" Houghton , Erik Sorensen, Kieran "Bear" O'Shea ] & Task Group Red [Koren Telion , Nolen "Dragon" Syaria , Stephanie Martin , Victoria Ramel , Andy Buchanan , @adaheart , Justin Anderson ] >

[Erik Sorensen]

3700 Hours (local)
Lethe

The cold of this planet hadn't been a secret but as per his childhood experiences being in the cold was different to imagining it. While he was sure he was more comfortable than some with the cold the frigid nothingness of this planet and the darkness wasn't completely alien, he'd spent a couple months during the season long polar night testing equipment for the Norwegian MoD before joining the Stargate program, navigating here would be a fair deal harder, they didn't have GPS or a few centuries of maps and clue left to save someone lost and alone.

Around the middle of the pack he'd turned down some of 'Rigger' Andy Buchanan's goggles because he'd witnessed the time they went 'hot' and he was sure if they were now as safe as the Briton claimed, the soldiers would be of far better use than he if they needed to fight. He listened to the others, the cold and darkness did things to your mind it was remarkable how the cold and dark reawakened the base instinct of fear.

The discussion about the effects of the cold and the covering of their tracks caused him to look behind. Their tracks were already starting to disappear, a snow trail was out of the question, undoubtedly they would have to rely on technology or dead reckoning, and for the best results a right and left hander needed to walk side by side their natural drifting tendencies canceled out by each other. "Well, based upon the speed of the wind, and the fine snow and ice on this planet," The Major Began "Yup. Just take a look behind us." he shook his head and looked back at the Major.

"Most of our normal electronic gear wont last in this cold, I don't fancy getting lost in a blizzard or what ever kind of freak of nature storms this ice ball might have in store. Navigating in any conditions must be our primary concern" Getting lost in a storm would kill them as surely as running into Hades or some Trap he left behind, for them or the prisoners long Popsicle'd.

<TAG: @task groups red and green >

[Justin Anderson]

3711 Hours (Local)
Lethe

The planet was so cold, and he now owed an apology to certain people back at the SGC, an ice planet was worse than a desert planet, though he'd only been to a desert planet as reinforcements to help rescue someone stuck in a partially collapsing Goa'uld structure, he said many a thing he now regretted. Heat even dry, life sucking heat was better than becoming a human snowflake.

Traveling as rear security Justin was keenly aware he needed to remain in visual contact with the group, he also needed to make sure they weren't about to end up shot in the back something in these conditions he wasn't sure was possible but he'd damn well give it his all. The thick protective garments they wore might have kept them functioning but it didn't keep the cold or the thought of it away as well as traded significant mobility for a bigger and easier to see target.

As they moved into the debris field the SF had his M4 at the ready, his training was telling him this place was almost perfect for an ambush, with cover, low visibility and uneven ground almost all around he was only comforted by the inhospitable nature of the place, nothing could survive without significant technology, be it fancy clothes or techno heat shield.

<TAG: Task Groups RED & GREEN>

[Deleted]

3711 Hours (Local)
Lethe

Shauna slowly went with the group, her eyes scanned the surrounding frozen landscape and couldn't help but wonder what use it would be to return here now. A frozen plant in her eyes was useless, why would there Gods want to return and set up here. At the same time Shauna knew she lacked the knowledge to full understand these so called God's. She had managed to catch up on some information on these God's, but knew all to well sometimes meeting the enemy in battle was the only way to truly understand them. From what she read, that was one thing Koren Telion had ten fold off.

Been out of a cockpit was still strange and working under an American was not as strange as it had once sounded. She had to give them some credit, they weren't the gun hoe Americans she taught they would be, shoot first and ask questions later. Even flight training helped to lift some stigma she had grown about them and understand them better. Before joining the program she was happy in her own small Irish military life. Now after all the training and been on an alien world for two seconds, She could hardly imagine life without it.

Her eyes still continued to scan the landscape, expecting nothing but snow flakes and snow covered land. For once she never taught she'd miss the rain.

<TAG: Task Groups RED & GREEN>

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

3715 hours (local time)
Lethe

Kieran's gaze continued to travel around them as he took point in front of the group. His finger hovered over the trigger of his P-90 and he kept his ears open to the sound of the group behind him and the conversation they were having. While he understood all of the new girl's questioning, he couldn't help but wonder why they weren't brought up while they were in the briefing beforehand. Despite that, Kieran knew it wasn't all that big of a deal. He glanced over at the other men and women beside him, each caught up in their own thoughts and each keeping a look-out at what was going on around them. This was going to be an interesting time, that much was certain.

Kieran was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the sound of something buzzing and after activating the heat vision on the goggles he wore he held his fist up, motioning for the rest of the group to come to a stop. "Not to interrupt the party we seem to be having but we have something incoming at eleven o'clock, Sirs, Ma'am." While Kieran could not make out what it was, it seemed as if it was headed straight towards the group and he lifted his weapon, aiming down the sights as he waited for his orders.

Another long look at what these things were made the Irishman realize that they were soldiers of some sort, outfitted for the cold much like they were but with a likeness to soldiers from the Ancient Greek era. "Sir, they're soldiers. If memory serves, Greek ones. Perhaps part of Hades group," he breathed out only loud enough for the other members of his team to hear as he took a knee and aimed down the sights of his weapon so that he had a perfect headshot in view. It was now or never. The only reason they would be heading towards them was if they wanted a fight; and a fight was what they were going to get. 

< Tag: Task Group Green [ Kimberly "Kim" McKinnon , Adam "Sly" Collier , Marah "Tonobi" Law , Elizabeth "Beth" Houghton , Erik Sorensen  ] & Task Group Red [ Koren Telion , Nolen "Dragon" Syaria , Stephanie Martin , Victoria Ramel , Andy Buchanan , @adaheart , Justin Anderson ] >