The wind caught Commander Aldran Kolya harshly across the face, stinging with relentless beatings until he conceded folding up the collar of his jacket for protection. There was nothing here. A barren planet, void of life and hardly worth the rugged ground it rose from. Certainly not a viable location to establish base operations.

His heavy boots fell to the ground simultaneously, drawing to a halt ahead of his... the word team felt like a stretch. He had gladly risen to take the lead after his father's death, despite his young appearance he was a competent leader, skilled and trained by the best but the men who followed him did so mostly because of a hatred for Ladon. They despised the current Genii government and so they followed his lead by default not out of loyalty.

He was fine with that.

Acastus had been the one to demand respect but personally he found instilling fear a far more productive tactic. It was effective for winning over soldiers who would sooner see him die than put their own lives at risk.

"There's nothing here worth our time, fall back to the gate," the order grated harshly off his tongue, carried by the howling wind. Despite first impressions of the planet his gut had told him to pursue the cause, convinced there was something important worth finding. Now he was starting to question that impulse.

His men dispersed and he wandered over to a patch of terse shrubbery, hoping the seclusion would supply him with answers. He wasn't quite ready to give up his own personal agenda just yet and tilted his head, closing his eyes to shut out the sound of the group retreating. He'd long ago honed his senses to such a refined skill and when he picked up on a misplaced sound he drew his gun stepping closer to the noise.

Being a man of precise agility surprise wasn't a distraction he usually fell victim to but as he pushed back the foliage, the revealed sight caused him to stumble barely catching himself with a sharp breath. Of all the scenarios he'd ever imaged witnessing on such a desolate planet this was by far the most unexpected.

At a loss for words he crouched down beside the huddled women, drawing his eyes away from her naked body to focus on her ashen face. He'd seen her before only once, when his father had taken Colonel Sheppard prisoner but there was no denying it was definitely her. He could recall standing in the shadows watching those same eyes shoot daggers through the monitor, blazing with anger as her military leader had been fed upon by a Wraith.

Only now, they were haunted with confusion resembling a timid animal caught in headlights and he brushed his fingers lightly against her shoulder.

She was freezing but certainly felt real.

Quickly pulling free from his jacket he guided it over her tightly curled body. Given the circumstances it was a decent fit offering modestly and warmth but her lips had already turned a deep shade of blue and he knew hypothermia wasn't in question.

Glancing around to reaffirm it wasn't some sort of trap, he brought his gaze back with a hesitant eye gripping her arm through the bulky material, "Doctor Weir?"

She jolted at the contact as if noticing his presence for the first time and her voice caught in a violent tremor, "I'm..m..'orry... d...d... don't-" the words got lost between her chattering teeth and he frowned, wondering if the confusion was a matter of her physical state or something more. Perhaps amnesia? Could the fates really be that fickle after the hell they'd subjected he and his father to?

Regardless, it wasn't an opportunity he was about to pass up and he wrapped his arms firmly around her body. She tensed, struggling under the tight grip but he didn't relent forcing out an unnaturally gentle tone, "it's all right, I can help you."

She relaxed against him and he pushed forward a smile.

Whilst he may not have found anything in the way of answers he was confident her unexplained appearance was the key force driving his instincts. Perhaps he had spent too much time and unnecessary resources searching the planet but the efforts had turned up something far more valuable than a desired location. If he played his cards right, avenging his father's death was only the beginning.

After that he would bring Atlantis to it's knees.

**

**

John stumbled out of the gate, feeling a wave of apprehension as his eye's washed over the barren planet's surface. It was drizzling lightly, casting a grey monotonous mist over the area and he sighed moving down the steps as the wormhole disengaged. "Which way Rodney?"

The scientist rubbed his hands together, bristling at the freezing temperature. "About an hours walk that way-" he pointed left, shivering as the words fell behind a puff of white condensation in the air. He wasn't keen on hiking in such dismal conditions but the mission held a lot of promise and so he swallowed the whine hovering against his tongue. The planet, or morbid rock as he'd nicknamed it, had been recently found in database and supposedly held an underground lab built by the Ancients which if it came to fruition, would prove to be a valuable source of information. "You think they would've at least-"

"Hold up!" Ronon called out, making no acknowledgement of the interruption as he crouched down by the DHD. Imprinted lightly over the ground were footprints... still fresh, and he recognised the boot markings immediately. "Genii have been here," he confirmed, straightening up as the team joined his position.

Sheppard subconsciously tightened the grip on his gun. "How many?"

Judging by the tracks he estimated there were about a dozen of them, if not more and reached for his stunner dialling up the voltage, "twelve at least."

McKay glanced nervously at the footprints. It was unlikely they would've located the lab given it was hidden deep underground but all the same, he didn't fancy running into any of them. Ever since he and Sheppard had been hunted down whilst searching for the 'great' temple of Larris, he'd been incredibly wary about crossing paths with them again. "You think they're still around?" he questioned, almost forgetting the situation as he recalled the portrait hung after he and John had returned victorious.

That moment had pretty much made the ordeal worth it but still he couldn't see this mission playing out with the same comical end. "I mean, seriously?" he glanced around the desolate shrubbery, "why would any want to hang around here?"

Teyla bent down, forming her own assessment of the situation. There were two sets, lighter imprints heading into the woods and heavier ones directed to the gate which did suggest they had already taken their leave of the planet. Standing back up she reassured Rodney with a caution, "it does appear they went back through the gate. However, it would be wise not to make too much noise just in case..."

He nodded, still feeling uneasy as they started to move out. It might have been the dark, damp, atmosphere but something about the planet didn't sit right with him.

For instance the coordinates had been in the Ancient's database this whole time and yet they'd only popped up in his scans a few days ago? That alone was enough to irk him. True there were still a lot of planets being discovered in the information banks but locations housing ancient technology were supposed to be primary targets. They should have discovered it months, if not years ago.

In his opinion the sooner they found they lab, got what they needed and left... the better.