Gerak

Free Jaffa Leader Gerak

Summary

Gerak was a former First Prime of the Goa'uld Montu, who was in service first to Ra, then to Ba'al. After the Rebel Jaffa were successful in gaining the Jaffa their freedom, they set up their new homeworld on Dakara, the site where the Jaffa had first been created and where they won the battle for their freedom. Gerak became one of the members of the Free Jaffa Nation's High Council, and was subsequently given control of the Council by promoting the old ways. With a strong belief in the Path to Enlightenment, Gerak embraced the Ori and attempted to make Origin the official religion of the Free Jaffa. Finally realizing his mistake in following another set of false gods, Gerak's act of defiance against the Ori saved many lives but cost him his own.

Character Biography

After the defeat of the System Lords and Replicators at the battle over Dakara, the galaxy's release from the grips of those who would lord over and enslave millions resulted in several groups' taking advantage of the power vacuum. The rise of the Free Jaffa Nation as one of the most powerful organizations in the galaxy was demonstrated in their acquisition of the Goa'ulds' ha'taks, planets, mines, and gratitude of freed slaves. The most powerful of the Jaffa were those who had the greatest military might. All that Teal'c and Bra'tac strove for in obtaining the Jaffa their freedom and a chance to live in a democracy was threatened by those Jaffa who would stand by the old ways which prevent a Jaffa from becoming his own master. (8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2")

The newest leader of the Free Jaffa Nation was Gerak, a former First Prime of the Goa'uld Montu who was in service to Ra and then after Ra's defeat, to Ba'al. The Free Jaffa of Montu were led by Hubrok, who supported Teal'c and Bra'tac in their fight for democracy, but Hubrok mysteriously disappeared and Gerak rose to power. Some believe that Gerak, one who followed the old ways and believed that the strong should govern the weak, had assassinated Hubrok, but this could not be proven. (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

Realizing the importance of keeping the alliance between the Tau'ri and the Free Jaffa, Gen. Hank Landry, the new commander of Stargate Command, invited Gerak to a meeting to discuss various issues of importance to them both during this critical stage following the defeat of the System Lords. While Gerak and Landry maintained a level of formality, Gerak's lieutenant, Yat'yir, showed his mistrust of Teal'c and Teal'c's loyalty. (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

During this meeting, the first Prior of the Ori in the Milky Way Galaxy was brought into the SGC by Col. Mitchell and SG-12 from the planet P3X-421. Gerak wished to hear the Prior's presentation of Origin, the religion of the Ori which promised the Path to Enlightenment (ascension) to all who believed and followed. The Path to Enlightenment has been part of the Jaffa's belief system for thousands of years. While the Prior spoke of Origin and the Ori, Gen. Landry and Col. Mitchell discovered the true threat the Prior posed and quickly put him under guard. Seeing no way of escape, the Prior set himself on fire and left nothing of himself behind. Gerak was outraged by the SGC's interruption of his investigation into the Prior's threat. (9.03 "Origin Part 3")

The Ori attempted an invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy by means of the building of a Super Stargate ("Supergate") through which a fleet of attack ships could travel. In order to power this Supergate from the great distance of the Ori's home galaxy, the Ori needed the energy produced by a black hole, so they went about creating one by collapsing the Free Jaffa planet Kallana with a force field. Before they knew that their energy weapons were actually aiding the Ori's plans, Gerak demonstrated his mistrust of the Tau'ri by threatening to turn his weapons on the Prometheus if the Tau'ri didn't continue firing at the force field. Gerak lost two of his ha'tak and his own mothership was damaged, so he had to withdraw from the battle. He did, however, watch what happened from a distance. Kallana was lost, but the Supergate was destroyed before it could be used by an invasion fleet. (9.06 "Beachhead")

After it came to Gerak's attention that the former System Lord Ba'al was hiding out on Earth, he sent Jaffa to the planet to find him. He didn't inform Teal'c or the SGC. There was a great deal of tension built up between the Tau'ri and the Free Jaffa when both groups conducted their searches separately. Teal'c and Col. Pendergast of the Prometheus found Yat'yir hiding behind Earth's moon with a ha'tak which was used as a base from which cloaked cargo ships could operate. After Teal'c asked Yat'yir to join the Tau'ri in the search instead of continuing to offend them, Yat'yir could only apologize and say that it was too late to mend the differences between them. (9.07 "Ex Deus Machina")

Yat'yir's search party captured a Goa'uld who was also hiding out on Earth by taking a businessman named Alex Jameson as a host. Jameson was formerly of The Trust, the organization of former NID agents and wealthy businessmen who aimed to protect the world from alien invasion in illegal and immoral ways. Gerak insisted that Yat'yir use the Goa'uld pain stick to get the information from the Jameson Goa'uld as to the whereabouts of Ba'al. Yat'yir hesitated because he and his people had been the victims of the pain stick during their time of service to the Goa'uld. Gerak said it was only appropriate that the pain stick be used against the Goa'uld. Relunctantly and with obvious disgust, Yat'yir tortured the information out of the Jameson Goa'uld and such treatment most likely ended in the man's death. (9.07 "Ex Deus Machina")

Eventually, Gerak's troops captured Ba'al at the same time the Tau'ri were raiding the compound with symbiote poison. Many of Gerak's troops died because of the poison, but Gerak felt that the ends justified the means. In front of the Jaffa High Council, Gerak killed Ba'al with a staff weapon. Gerak won the hearts of the High Council that day. (9.07 "Ex Deus Machina")

Not long after the destruction of Kallana, a Prior of the Ori visited Dakara. The Prior knew that if the Free Jaffa turned to the Ori, they would be a tremendous instrument for spreading the word of Origin through force. Gerak read the Book of Origin and embraced the religion, feeling that the Ori were the true gods and what they offered was everything that the Jaffa had ever hoped for. The Prior tested Gerak's devotion by asking him to wipe out rebels who had assembled on Chulak, led by Bra'tac and Teal'c. Gerak was torn, for he did not wish to kill his own. He hoped to give them more time to turn to Origin. The Prior took a gamble that Gerak would do the Ori's bidding by linking their consciousnesses to the City of the Gods in the Ori's galaxy through his orbed staff. Gerak was converted into a Prior through this link. Afterwards, he entered the High Council chambers and shocked everyone with his conversion and powers. (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Gerak's support on the Jaffa High Council increased after his conversion into a Prior. Using his position of power, he began to assemble his fleet to destroy the rebels who were gathering on Chulak. Teal'c asked for a meeting with Gerak before they started hostilities. Gerak accepted and met Teal'c at a memorial for those who died in the battle of Tazek'sur. Gerak's father died in that battle where the Goa'uld killed their Jaffa for questioning their godhood. Gerak was moved by Teal'c's words and agreed to turn against the Ori, knowing that in doing so, he'd die, but, in the end, he wished to die as a Free Jaffa. He went with Teal'c to the SGC and cured all of those who had been stricken with the Prior Plague and then his body was consumed by fire which was most likely a kill switch embedded into all Priors who turned from Origin. Gerak's last words were, "I die free." His curing those in the SGC gave the last piece in the puzzle to create a cure to the Plague. (9.11 "The Fourth Horseman Part 2")

With Gerak's death, support for his cause grew firm among those who were his supporters, including Yat'yir. They used their position of power to hurry a vote through the Council which would make Origin the nation-wide religion of the Jaffa. Teal'c and Bra'tac had some supporters for a democracy where every Jaffa's vote would be equal to another's. Their position was threatened by Yat'yir and his followers, so they also wanted to hurry the vote, but for democracy. The Council was near an impasse when Ba'al began to interfere by capturing and brainwashing the council members who were on the side for democracy. Ba'al intended that he turn the council in his favor and fight the Ori as a unified nation under his command. His scheming backfired, and it seriously jeapordized the Jaffa Nation's vie for democracy. As it turned out, Yat'yir's support was not as strong as he thought and the vote for a democracy won in the end. An Interim Council was formed until the outcome of the general elections. With this vote, Yat'yir's attempt to hold onto Gerak's power structure failed and the Free Jaffa remained opponents of the Ori and allies of the Tau'ri. (9.14 "Stronghold")

Episodes

• 9.02 "Avalon Part 2"
• 9.03 "Origin Part 3"
• 9.06 "Beachhead"
• 9.07 "Ex Deus Machina"
• 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1"
• 9.11 "The Fourth Horseman Part 2"
• 9.14 "Stronghold"

Gallery

Gerak becomes a Prior

Gerak meets Teal'c at the Tazek'sur Memorial

Gerak perishes free

Related Characters

• Teal'c
• Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell
• Gen. Hank Landry
• Ba'al
• Bra'tac
• Alex Jameson
• Montu
• Col. Pendergast
• Yat'yir

Related Articles

• Chulak
• Dakara
• Free Jaffa Nation
• Goa'uld
• Goa'uld Pain Stick
• Ha'tak
• Kallana
• Naquadah
• NID
• Ori
• P3X-421
• Priors of the Ori
• Prometheus
• Replicators
• Supergate
• SG-12
• Symbiote Poison
• System Lord
• Tau'ri
• The Trust

Related Links

• SciFi.com Character Biography

Actor

• Louis Gossett, Jr.

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--DeeKayP 07:30, 10 Jul 2005 (PDT)