Battle of Antarctica

Historic battle at Earth's southern pole climaxing humanity's struggle against the Goa'uld and signaling the beginning of the end for both Anubis – and his species' downfall.

Anubis's abrupt decision to attack may have been sparked by SG-1's destruction of an Ancient repository of knowledge on P3X-439 – a device he planned to use for himself to enhance his knowledge of the Ancients and/or locate additional technologies to further his plans for galactic domination.

Not only did this battle almost bring about the total annihilation – or dominion – of Earth by the Goa'uld, but the Stargate itself narrowly missed exposure to the world. Coupled with the deaths of thousands and the persistence of salivating truth-seekers, Anubis's low blow to Earth could have easily been the final straw – if not for the efforts of SG-1, the starship Prometheus and a team of dedicated F-302 pilots called "Blue Squadron"

ANUBIS MAKES HIS MOVE

His defeat over Langara a mere setback, Anubis amasses his forces and, led by his new mothership, enters hyperspace for Earth. Jaffa master Bra'tac arrives on Earth via the Stargate to inform Stargate Command of this news.

RECRUITMENT

As the knowledge of the Ancients begins to un-spool in Colonel Jack O'Neill's mind, Bra'tac and Teal'c are given permission to travel to Chulak to acquire ships and weapons to fight. Only the Jaffa Ronan offers his Tel'tak to their services. His only fee is that he be included in the operation. Soon, the rest of SG-1 joins them on Chulak to travel to the coordinates of Proclarush Taonas.

ASSESSMENT

Space-based radar detects the arrival of three Goa'uld vessels. President Hayes decides to hold off Prometheus and Blue Squadron so to not show Anubis their hand. Anubis's intent is to discover if Earth has procured Ancient defense technology, using only a few vessels to gauge humanity's strength. A United States naval group on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean is the first target. Plasma balls drop from the sky and destroy several carriers. Over two thousand servicemen and women are killed.

ACQUIRING A POWER SOURCE

SG-1 reaches Taonas outpost on Proclarush, using the cargo ship's ring transporter to enter the dome of the facility. Inside stands an Ancient control chair with a powered Zero Point Module. O'Neill, now unable to speak, retrieves this device from a panel near the chair.

TRAITOR UNCOVERED

Aboard the Tel'tak, the Jaffa Ronan reveals that he is an agent of Anubis, sent by his god to put and end to SG-1's mission. He stabs Bra'tac in the Symbiote pouch, but as the Jaffa master no longer possesses a symbiote, he is relatively unharmed. Instead, he takes Ronan's knife and stabs him in the same place. When SG-1 returns aboard the cargo ship, Jack uses his new powers of healing to repair Bra'tac's injury.

ANUBIS FACES HAYES

Using Asgard holographics, Anubis materializes in the oval office of the White House, demanding the unconditional surrender and worship of the peoples of Earth. President Hayes holds his ground, refusing all demands of the Goa'uld. Anubis, unable to sway him, departs.

ARRIVAL: DEATH KNELL

Anubis's fleet of 30 ships reaches Earth. Mostly comprised of Ha'taks, he has rebuilt his own vessel. The ships take up strategic positions around the planet and target key power grids to disable global communications. At the S.G.C., Anubis dials in to Earth's Stargate when Cheyenne Mountain Complex's power is severed. The iris is manually closed, preventing a powerful Goa'uld explosive from getting through. Vice President Kinsey is trapped on Earth and is soon forced to resign.

PROMETHEUS AND BLUE SQUADRON

President Hayes orders General John Jumper to launch Prometheus. General Hammond takes command of the bridge, relieving Colonel Kirkland. In the launch bay below, Colonel Cameron Mitchell gives Blue Squadron Hammond's marching orders. The F-302s are to protect SG-1 at all costs.

BURROWING A HOLE

Ronan's cargo ship exits hyperspace between the Goa'uld ships and Earth, forcing a hazardous entry into Antarctica's air space. O'Neill guides the ship to an area near to where the beta gate was found, several miles from McMurdo Air Force base. O'Neill's reconfigured mind has also allowed him to reconfigure the cargo ship's rings, which burrow a hole through the ice and down to Atlantus outpost.

BATTLE OVER ANTARCTICA

Anubis's fleet reorients itself over Earth's southern pole. Soon he launches an armada of death gliders and Al'kesh down on Antarctica. The cargo ship still burrowing, it is unable to evade the Goa'uld ships approaching from behind. Bra'tac detects a second fleet approaching from ahead, but it does not belong to Anubis.

Blue Squadron, led by Colonel Mitchell, targets the Al'kesh first, and gliders second. Prometheus takes up a position to defend the scout ship, settling directly over the craft. Almost immediately Mitchell and Banks's F-302 is damaged, it's left thruster hit by a glider's weapons. Below, SG-1 rings into the Atlantus outpost.

Redmond's 302 takes up position behind Mitchell's attacker and destroys him, but Redmond is killed soon after. Mitchell is able to destroy an Al'kesh inbound on Prometheus. But several minutes into the battle Mitchell's 302 is disabled. Banks is killed instantly, and the 302 plows into the snow below.

THE KULL

After SG-1 enters Atlantus outpost, Bra'tac moves the cargo ship away from the battle. Below, Anubis attempts to fool SG-1 with his holographic image, but they see right through him. Instead, he begins to ring Kull warriors into the antechamber. Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson and Teal'c fight them off with Kull disruptors attached to their standard weapons.

THE DRONES

Meanwhile, O'Neill has placed the Z.P.M. into the Ancient control chair. He takes a seat in the device, which immediately turns on. Out of the depths of the base materialize thousands of Ancient drone weapons which swarm and kill the remaining Kull. The fountain of lights leave Earth's atmosphere and overwhelm Anubis's fleet, destroying them.

AFTERMATH: DEEP WOUNDS

The Ancient knowledge having overwhelmed his mind, O'Neill is placed inside an Ancient stasis unit, where he is eventually thawed by Thor, who wipes the knowledge from his mind. O'Neill recalls nothing after using the Ancient repository of knowledge on P3X-439.

Mitchell is recovered, along with Banks's body, and is taken to an Air Force hospital. There, SG-1 visits him, including O'Neill – who offers him any command he wants if he promises to recover. After several intense months, Mitchell eventually recovers and, at the promotion of O'Neill, is offered the command of SG-1 by General Hank Landry.

LASTING EFFECTS

Anubis's defeat eventually leads the remaining System Lords to Earth, who wish to form an alliance with humanity to stop Baal from ruling the galaxy. Anubis manages to contain what is left of his form in a floating chunk of debris around Earth. He eventually transfers his form into a Russian Cosmonaut, to leave Earth via the Stargate.

Colson Industries is one of the corporations in charge of Antarctica's clean-up. Alec Colson salvages parts of the damaged space ships, in order to persuade his fellow citizens that they are being deceived. After the battle, his satellites – which were disabled – transmit pictures of the conflict, which he also intends to use to persuade the world.

Carter's theories that an F-302 is able to generate an electromagnetic pulse when it is destroyed are tested and confirmed in an operation to disable the Rand Protectorate of their abilities to control their Ori satellite weapon on Caledonia.

KEY EPISODES

Lost City, Part 2 - Anubis arrives at Earth and engages in a battle over Antarctica. He is destroyed, but the aftermath of the conflict will ripple for years to come.
New Order, Part 1 - The System Lords, interested in how humanity defended itself in the battle over Antarctica, arrive to negotiate a treaty for assistance.
Lockdown - Anubis, trapped in a piece of orbiting debris since the battle, transfers himself to a Russian Cosmonaut and travels to Stargate Command in the hopes of leaving the planet.
Covenant - Billionaire Alec Colson gathers his evidence from the battle over Antarctica to prove the existence of alien life to the world.
Citizen Joe - Joe Spencer sees flashes from the battle over Antarctica, taking place in real-time.
Avalon, Part 1 - Mitchell reflects back on his experiences during the battle over Antarctica, and the glider assault which grounded him for a year.
Stronghold - Mitchell is pressed by his friend Bryce Ferguson to explain what really happened down in Antarctica. He eventually relents and allows him to use Galaran memory technology to see for himself.