Tok'ra: Difference between revisions
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What Jacob and Selmak did not reveal during this crisis was that after 2,000 years, Selmak was dying (8.18 "Threads"). Jacob would not let the symbiote go, and when Selmak finally succumbed, it did not have enough energy to prevent its natural toxins from infecting Jacob. Both would die. The Tok'ra were notified and ignored their past disputes to pay respect to their colleague as he passed away. | What Jacob and Selmak did not reveal during this crisis was that after 2,000 years, Selmak was dying (8.18 "Threads"). Jacob would not let the symbiote go, and when Selmak finally succumbed, it did not have enough energy to prevent its natural toxins from infecting Jacob. Both would die. The Tok'ra were notified and ignored their past disputes to pay respect to their colleague as he passed away. | ||
===Seasons Nine and | ===Seasons Nine, Ten, and Movie=== | ||
{| | {| | ||
|valign="top"|[[Image:92009.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Battle at P3Y-229]] | |valign="top"|[[Image:92009.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Battle at P3Y-229]] | ||
|valign="top"|[[Image:Taseem.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Ta'seem]] | |valign="top"|[[Image:Taseem.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Ta'seem]] | ||
|valign="top"|[[Image:Sgcon-sg-1.jpg|thumb|170px|left|SG-1 on Tok'ra homeworld]] | |||
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SG-1, after a failed first attempt, were finally able to capture the Ori's leader in the Milky Way, Adria (10.19 "Dominion"). However, Ba'al had gotten to her first and implanted her with his symbiote (or at least, one of his clones). Ba'al claimed he would control Adria to order the armies to leave the Milky Way. SG-1, distrusting Ba'al, contacted the Tok'ra with an alternative. The Tok'ra would remove the Ba'al symbiote and enact Ba'al's plan with one of their own. Unfortunately, the removal process did not go smoothly and Ba'al was able to release its toxins into Adria's system, leading to her death/ascension and stopping the plan. | SG-1, after a failed first attempt, were finally able to capture the Ori's leader in the Milky Way, Adria (10.19 "Dominion"). However, Ba'al had gotten to her first and implanted her with his symbiote (or at least, one of his clones). Ba'al claimed he would control Adria to order the armies to leave the Milky Way. SG-1, distrusting Ba'al, contacted the Tok'ra with an alternative. The Tok'ra would remove the Ba'al symbiote and enact Ba'al's plan with one of their own. Unfortunately, the removal process did not go smoothly and Ba'al was able to release its toxins into Adria's system, leading to her death/ascension and stopping the plan. | ||
When the last of the Ba'al clones was finally captured, the Tok'ra invited SG-1, including General O'Neill, to attend the extraction ceremony to witness the execution of the last system lord (Stargate: Continuum). Without having to hide in underground caves, the latest Tok'ra homeworld created an elaborate city from their crystals. The extraction ceremony itself was very formal—with a long chant in Goa'uld listing all the crimes the system lord had wrought before the symbiote was extracted. In his last words, Ba'al threatened this would not be the end, but he didn't realize the original Ba'al's plan to change history had been thwarted by SG-1 in an alternate timeline, so the rest of the ceremony continued without incident. | |||
==Notable Tok'ra== | ==Notable Tok'ra== | ||
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* [[10.01 "Flesh And Blood Part 3" Episode Guide|10.01 "Flesh And Blood Part 3"]] | * [[10.01 "Flesh And Blood Part 3" Episode Guide|10.01 "Flesh And Blood Part 3"]] | ||
* [[10.19 "Dominion" Episode Guide|10.19 "Dominion]] | * [[10.19 "Dominion" Episode Guide|10.19 "Dominion]] | ||
* [[Stargate: Continuum]] | |||
==Related Characters== | ==Related Characters== | ||
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* [[Sarah Gardner]] | * [[Sarah Gardner]] | ||
* [[Hathor]] | * [[Hathor]] | ||
* [[Hebron of | * [[Hebron of Parabal]] | ||
* [[Klorel]] | * [[Klorel]] | ||
* [[Mother]] | * [[Mother]] | ||
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* [[Telchak Device]] | * [[Telchak Device]] | ||
* [[Tel'tak]] | * [[Tel'tak]] | ||
* [[Time Travel]] | |||
* [[Goa'uld Language|Tok'ra (Goa'uld) Language]] | * [[Goa'uld Language|Tok'ra (Goa'uld) Language]] | ||
* [[Tok'ra Technology]] | * [[Tok'ra Technology]] |
Latest revision as of 12:04, 18 January 2009
Summary
The Tok'ra are part of the same species as the Goa'uld, but most if not all are descended from one queen, Egeria. They do not believe in taking hosts against their will and instead form a symbiotic relationship with their hosts. Their initial goal was to fight against the head Goa'uld system lord Ra (tok'ra in the Goa'uld language means "against Ra"), and they continued to fight their Goa'uld "cousins" through subterfuge. They have formed a sometimes uneasy alliance with the Tau'ri and have assisted Jaffa rebelling against the Goa'uld.
Stargate References
Basic Biology and Historical Origins
The Goa'uld and Tok'ra biologically are identical. They are small, sentient snakelike-creatures who burrow into another species in order to communicate and interact. As part of the host, they can control all motor function, including speaking, and can increase the lifespan of the host as well as heal ailments and injuries. Their naquadah enriched blood is blue, and they cannot live long outside of a host–though they can survive for some time in water that contains some type of electrical current.
The Tok'ra and Goa'uld's difference is more a philosophical distinction. While the Goa'uld have a parasitical relationship with their hosts–taking over the bodies, the Tok'ra claim a more symbiotic role. According to their laws, they will not take hosts against their will (although as described below, this law has been broken), and the host is allowed control of the body and speech. Human hosts agreed to voluntarily blend with symbiotes for the advantages of advanced knowledge and wisdom, good health, and a lifespan at least twice that of a normal human. (2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 2").
Tok'ra are mostly (if not totally) descended from one Goa'uld queen, Egeria. Over two thousand years ago, Egeria was captured by Ra and entombed on the planet Pangar (6.10 "The Cure"). Her fate was unknown for millenia. The Tok'ra believed her killed until she was discovered dying on the planet, a victim of the people's unwitting scientific experiments for half a century.
The Tok'ra continued the fight against the Goa'uld for centuries. Their goal was to: "undermine the Goa'ulds individual power and keep them fighting amongst themselves until we have a way of eliminating them. Once and for all" (4.22 "Exodus Part 1".) To achieve these goals, they used disguise and subterfuge. They also hid in their bases in underground caves built by crystals (5.11 "Summit Part 1").
At times the Tok'ra would take action. Tok'ra such as Garshaw and Jolinar were known to be enemies of the system lords (2.02 "In the Line of Duty", 2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1"). Occasionally, the Tok'ra would be in a position to remove Goa'ulds from their hosts, freeing the humans from this existence, as they did with Skaara, Vala Mal Doran, and presumably Sarah Gardner (3.15 "Pretense", 8.12 "Prometheus Unbound", 7.15 "Chimera").
Encounters with the Tok'ra
Seasons Two and Three
SG-1 first encountered the Tok'ra when evacuating Nasya (2.02 "In the Line of Duty"). A Tok'ra operative named Jolinar of Malkshur was hiding from the Goa'uld and used a Nasyan man named Quinta as its disguise. When the Goa'uld attacked Nasya, Quinta was killed, but Jolinar was able to survive by blending with Captain Samantha Carter when she was giving Quinta mouth-to-mouth. Believed at first to be a Goa'uld, Jolinar eventually explained she was part of a Goa'uld resistance movement called the Tok'ra. Teal'c had never heard of such a group, but knew the name Jolinar to be an enemy of the Goa'uld system lords. A Goa'uld assassin, an ashrak, attempted to assassinate Jolinar. The Tok'ra symbiote died, but used her remaining strength to save Samantha Carter's life.
Sam was haunted by some of the symbiote's memories still in her head. One dream showed a Stargate address where other Tok'ra were (2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1"). SG-1 went on a mission to the location to see if they could meet these potential allies. There they met many Tok'ra. Each side was distrustful of the other, but they continued to talk. They agreed they were for the same thing–defeat of Ra and other Goa'uld, and were impressed the Tau'ri were the ones who defeated Ra. The Tok'ra believed the only alliance they could have with mere humans would be an alliance of blending–human hosts to their symbiotes. SG-1 was hoping they would share intelligence and technology. During these initial talks, O'Neill witnessed one Tok'ra, Cordesh, using a small round object.
Despite the initial forays of diplomacy, talks broke down. The Tok'ra were appalled that SG-1 found the idea of blending with them abhorrent (2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 2"). Their distrust of the team was furthered by the arrival of SG-3, sent to extract Captain Carter because her father was close to dying from his cancer. Desperate to save her father, Captain Carter convinced the Tok'ra they might have a host available. The Tok'ra were willing to send her and O'Neill back, because one of their own, Selmak, was also near death. They kept SG-3 and the rest of SG-1 as good-faith hostages. In the meantime, the Tok'ra were attacked by the Goa'uld. The Carters and O'Neill returned to find pandemonium. The Tok'ra were evacuating, with the SG teams help. O'Neill realized Cordesh with his round object was probably a spy in the Tok'ra ranks. With O'Neill's revelation, and the successful blending of Jacob Carter and Selmak, the Tok'ra were willing to consider further interactions with the Tau'ri. They wanted to make contact on their terms however, keeping a "don't call us, we'll call you" mentality.
Apophis, at least, learned of the SGC's alliance with the Tok'ra (2.17 "Serpent's Song"). He pretended to be the Tok'ra to lure SG-1 to PB5-926 and request asylum from Sokar. They team returned with the injured Goa'uld. A Tok'ra delegation arrived on Earth and explained the political climate, noting that Sokar would destroy the SGC to get Apophis back. Apophis died on Earth, and his body was sent back to PB5-926. Martouf later explained that Sokar would likely revive Apophis by way of a sarcophagus.
When the SGC encountered an alien race called the Reetou, they contacted the Tok'ra (2.20 "Show and Tell"). One of the Reetou, "Mother", created a human clone "Charlie" to communicate with the humans. A Tok'ra team, including Jacob Carter, arrived and explained that while the Reetou were a peaceful race almost wiped out by the Goa'uld, some of their number developed a violent rebel movement–one that did not distinguish between the symbiotes and their human hosts. They would attack Earth. The Tok'ra provided the SGC with Transphase Eradication Rods (TERs) swiped from the Goa'uld. They worked with the SGC, helping them destroy a five member Reetou terrorist team. After Mother's death, the Tok'ra agreed to take Charlie back with them and make him one of their number.
A Tok'ra operative named Raully acted undercover as a Goa'uld underling when Hathor tried to consolidate a position after her escape from Earth (3.01 "Into the Fire"). She used tunnels to get word to the Tok'ra that Hathor had captured SG-1 and was trying to gain intelligence from them. Her information was passed through the Tok'ra to SG-3, and from there to Stargate Command. Additionally, Raully tried to save O'Neill from being infested with a Goa'uld symbiote. Although she succeeded, she was severely injured by Hathor and her ultimate fate was unknown.
The Tok'ra next worked with Earth while trying to get a census of where the Goa'uld system lords were (3.02 "Seth"). They believed Seth may still be alive on Earth, and Selmak/Jacob Carter was sent to try and track Seth down with SG-1's help. They succeeded. On a more personal note, Selmak and events on the mission influenced Jacob to mend the strained relationship with his son, Mark Carter.
Once, SG-1 was captured by a bounty hunter named Aris Boch (3.07 "Deadman Switch"). They were merely an accidental bonus, since he was really on the hunt for a "Goa'uld". He used SG-1 to capture his Go'auld quarry. When the team discovered Korra was really a Tok'ra escaping Sokar, they vowed to help him. Unfortunately, they were all recaptured by Boch. Korra tried to take a suicide pill to avoid being captured alive and interrogated. Boch was confused by this non-goa'uldlike selfless gesture. SG-1 was able to convince Boch the Tok'ra were different and, hoping to fight the Goa'uld, Boch let them all go free. This encounter also showed that despite their small numbers, the Tok'ra valued their mission to stop the Goa'uld over their own lives.
When Selmak was captured while undercover on Sokar's headquarters of Delmak, the Tok'ra approached SG-1 for help (3.11 "Jolinar's Memories"). The only one ever to escape Sokar's prison world of Netu was Jolinar. Using their memory recall technology, they tried to get Samantha to remember how Jolinar escaped. The original plan went awry when Apophis recognized the team, and recaptured them (3.12 "The Devil You Know"). He was able to corrupt the memory device to his own purposes, hoping any information he gleaned would get him back to Sokar, where he could kill the system lord and take over his domain.
Teal'c was able to escape and alert the Tok'ra to the failed mission. Worried at what intelligence Sokar would learn from now two captured operatives, they sent Aldwin to return with Teal'c. Unbeknownst to Teal'c, Aldwin was ordered to destroy Netu. Only after the bomb was already launched, Teal'c locked Aldwin in the ring room and was able to intercept the team's ring platform, helping them escape. Surprisingly, Martouf was sanguine about Netu's planned destruction, believing his people must have good reasons for wanting to destroy the world rather than attempt to help them escape. Apophis was able to take advantage of the bomb to make his own escape to Delmak; Sokar was not so lucky.
Seasons Four and Five
Anise of the Tok'ra approached the SGC to experiment with found technology–the Atoneek armbands (4.03 "Upgrades"). Tok'ra physiology made them unable to use the devices, but humans could and with subtle diplomatic threats and the potential for knowledge, the human members of SG-1 agreed to be guinea pigs on these 'superhuman" devices. When they worked, the Tok'ra sent word of a vital mission the "superteam"'s skills could be utilized. Hammond refused, angry that his team were mere guinea pigs, but the team went against orders. Unfortunately, Anise's imperfect knowledge of the device caused her to learn too late the devices wore off. It was only through Teal'c's assistance that SG-1 was able to escape.
When Teal'c's childhood sweetheart, Shaun'auc, now a Jaffa priestess, came to the SGC convinced she was able to turn her now-almost mature primta away from its forebear's evil ways, the SGC contacted the Tok'ra (4.04 "Crossroads"). Hopeful that she was right, but suspicious all the same, the Tok'ra provided a host for the mature symbiote, Tanith. Although not revealing it to their Earth allies even after Shaun'auc's death, the Tok'ra soon realized their suspicions were correct. Tanith was merely pretending to be an ally, but was truly a Goa'uld spy attempting to infiltrate them. They planned on using him as an unwitting double-agent, and were able to convince Teal'c to let them have their way rather than the retribution killing he wanted to inflict.
Despite these missteps, after much negotiation by Daniel Jackson and some Tok'ra agents, the Tau'ri and Tok'ra formalized a treaty (4.05 "Divide and Conquer"). When the Tok'ra leader Per'sus and the U.S. President were supposed to meet to sign the document, the summit was marred by za'tarc assassination attempts. The Tok'ra were able to use technology to reveal some brainwashed SGC personnel, but it was only through quick thinking and a ruse that SG-1 were able to stop a brainwashed Martouf from assassinating the President. Unfortunately, Sam had to kill Martouf during the attempt.
The Tok'ra and Tau'ri's alliance was still uneasy. When Jack O'Neill and Teal'c were trapped in space on the failed X-301, the Tok'ra would not allow official intervention because anyone in the region was conducting their own "vital missions" (4.12 "Tangent"). However, unofficially, Anise let slip that Jacob was in the area, and Daniel and Sam were able to get her father's help to rescue the others. Jacob, speaking on his own behalf, scolded them for trying to scavenge technology too far advanced for them, realizing the Tok'ra had a point in thinking humans were still too young.
Later when Sha're's harcesis son Shifu reunited with Daniel, the Tok'ra were anxious to learn what they could from this human with Goa'uld knowledge (4.17 "Absolute Power"). Shifu let Daniel know in a dream that the knowledge was too dangerous to let loose, and Oma had locked it in his brain for a reason. Daniel would not allow the Tok'ra to use their technology on his "stepson", and Shifu left the SGC in the amorphous energy state of ascension.
After Cronus's death, SG-1 ended up with one of his ha'taks. As part of the Tok'ra/Tau'ri alliance, the team arrived on Vorash to help the Tok'ra move the Stargate to a new base unknown to the Goa'uld as a way of creating a new permanent Tok'ra base (4.22 "Exodus Part 1"). In exchange for SG-1's help, the Tok'ra agreed to give the SGC "flying lessons" for the ha'tak, although Jacob recommended they leave the ship with the Tok'ra instead. However, Apophis would arrive sooner then they planned. The Tok'ra and Sam Carter came up with a plan to blow up Vorash's sun to destroy Apophis when he arrived at the base by having the Stargate dialed to P3W-451, the planet with a black hole and send the Stargate into Vorash's sun. The Tok'ra evacuated through the Stargate, with Selmak/Jacob staying with SG-1 and the ha'tak to enact this plan. The sun exploded, destroying Vorash; both Apophis's and SG-1's ha'taks were caught in the shockwave as they escaped through hyperspace windows, and were thrown into another galaxy.
The Tok'ra believed Jacob and the team were killed in the supernova, mourning them as casualties of war (5.01 "Enemies Part 2"). General Hammond was not so sanguine about their fate. He was proven correct. Although both ha'taks were destroyed in fights with replicators, both in their galaxy and the Milky Way, SG-1 and Jacob were able to escape in a cargo ship and return home.
The SGC introduced the Tok'ra to a chemical naturally exuded by a species called the Reol to disguise them from enemies. The Tok'ra synthesized the chemical into a ring (5.15 "Summit Part 1"). They also worked on a chemical poison that would kill Goa'uld symbiotes. They approached the SGC with a daring plan for Daniel Jackson to infiltrate a Goa'uld system lord summit as Lord Yu's lo'taur. Once there, he would release the symbiote poison, killing all the system lords and throwing the Goa'uld hierarchy into chaos.
While Daniel left with Jacob for the summit, the rest of SG-1 and SG-17 stayed with the Tok'ra on their base of Revanna. Carter learned that Lantash was extracted from Martouf and kept alive in stasis, but Martouf himself died from his injuries. What neither the Tok'ra nor the SGC was aware of was that a new Goa'uld was already wreaking havoc among the system lords. Anubis, through lesser Goa'uld, was taking over Goa'uld territories. He also had discovered the Tok'ra base on Revanna and sent Zipacna to destroy it. Revanna was attacked. Many evacuated, but the three members of SG-1, and Lt. Elliot of SG-17, who blended with Lantash during the battle, were the sole survivors cut-off from the Stargate.
They evaded the Jaffa, trying to keep the symbiote poison formula out of enemy hands (5.16 "Last Stand Part 2"). Meanwhile, Daniel Jackson discovered Anubis had returned and was seeking to once again become a system lord. He and Jacob decided to forestall releasing the poison and use this mission to gather intelligence. During one of the meetings, Daniel overheard Osiris explain that as they spoke, Anubis was destroying the Tok'ra base. Daniel escaped, narrowly avoiding being killed by Yu and Osiris. He and Jacob returned to Revanna, but their cargo ship was shot down. They were trapped with their friends. A mortally wounded Elliot/Lantash offered to go on a suicide mission. He would be captured, releasing the symbiote poison when he was taken to the Stargate--killing the Jaffa and Goa'uld in the area and making the way home safe for the others.
Anubis also tried to destroy Earth by sending a naquadah filled asteroid to collide with the planet, avoiding issues with the Asgard treaty by making it seem like a natural disaster (5.17 "Failsafe"). The Tok'ra were asked to help Earth, but no agent could arrive in time to assist; however, they did reach the planet in time to rescue SG-1 after the team had averted disaster.
The Tok'ra were again contacted to come help when one of SG-1, Daniel Jackson, suffered a lethal amount of radiation on an offworld mission (5.21 "Meridian"). Jacob Carter arrived and although warning the damage was severe tried to use the healing device. At Daniel's "request", Jack asked Jacob to stop, and Daniel instead ascended.
Season Six
Once again, the Tok'ra were called to assist when one of SG-1 became ill. SG-1 and a scientific expedition became infected with a plague (6.04 "Frozen"). Although the alien carrier was able to cure almost all of them, she died before she could heal Jack O'Neill. The only way he could be saved would be to take a Tok'ra symbiote. The symbiote, Kanan, had vital intelligence to reveal, but its host had died before he could. A reluctant O'Neill agreed to be blended as a temporary situation. The Tok'ra escorted him back to their world.
O'Neill remained unaware and ill most of the time he was blended with Kanan (6.06 "Abyss"). However, he had an unconscious influence on his symbiote. Kanan was struck by O'Neill's principles of not leaving anyone behind, and remembered Shallan, Ba'al's lo'taur, who had had cared for and used to gain access to Ba'al's hidden fortress. Kanan, using O'Neill's body, returned there surreptitiously to retrieve Shallan. They were stopped trying to escape, Kanan leaving O'Neill's body before capture. O'Neill was tortured, killed, and revived multiple times by Ba'al in an effort to learn why the Tok'ra had come there. Meanwhile, the Tok'ra Chancellor Thoran apologized to the SGC that they had "lost" O'Neill. They were uncooperative in revealing much information, such as Kanan's last missions, since that intelligence was not need-to-know for the Tau'ri. Diplomacy became strained while Earth refused to let Thoran return until they got the information needed. This information helped provide a means for O'Neill to escape, taking Shallan with him. She returned with the Tok'ra.
SG-1 was used as a courier for intelligence by allowing themselves to be captured by Khonsu's Jaffa (6.08 "The Other Guys"). Khonsu was really an undercover Tok'ra, operating as one of Anubis's underlings. Unfortunately, Anubis knew of Khonsu's true nature and one of Khonsu's Jaffa killed him before he could relay the information to SG-1. The team was now in trouble, but were able to escape with the help of some bumbling scientists who had stowed away.
The Tok'ra lost another base after a Goa'uld attack, and were able to take refuge at the SGC's Alpha Site (6.09 "Allegiance"). Some rebel Jaffa were already there. The two groups had a lot of bad blood between them from old history and were distrustful of each other. This distrust was exacerbated when members of each group were mysteriously killed. SG-1 was an uneasy mediator while they searched for the truth–eventually revealed to be a cloaked ashrak in their midst. By working together, the three groups were able to kill the ashrak, and an allegiance amongst all three was formed.
When SG-1 discovered the people of Pangar were using the offspring of a Goa'uld queen to make a miracle drug called tretonin, they contacted the Tok'ra (6.10 "The Cure"). A Pangaran was accidentally taken as a host by one of the Goa'uld symbiotes, and the Tok'ra hoped to help. To SG-1's surprise, the Tok'ra did not find using a Goa'uld queen for such experimentation was not morally objectionable. This position however changed when the Tok'ra realized the Goa'uld queen was in fact Egeria, the one who literally spawned the Tok'ra movement. They demanded her immediate release, hoping to replenish their numbers. One of the Tok'ra delegation, Kelmaa, sacrificed herself so her host could be available to Egeria. The queen, now able to speak, revealed she was too near death. She expressed her pride at her progeny, and revealed the defective gene she had created to try and stop the Pangaran experiment. Her revelation of the antidote to the people who had done this to her was her final act in the spirit of Tok'ra she wished to pass on.
After Jack O'Neill and Harry Maybourne disappeared on a Furling planet, the SGC requested the Tok'ra's help to find the pair (6.15 "Paradise Lost"). The Tok'ra eventually responded and scanned the planet, finding no life signs. Later, Major Carter figured out that alien technology had transported the pair to a neighboring moon. Once aware of this, the Tok'ra were able to search again and rescued both of them. Jack O'Neill was returned to the SGC, Harry Maybourne remained with the Tok'ra (see 8.13 "It's Good to be King", below).
After an attack of a rebel Jaffa summit, only Teal'c and Bra'tac were found to have survived by sharing Teal'c's one symbiote (6.19 "Changeling"). All three were dying at the SGC when Jacob Carter/Selmak arrived at the SGC with a possible answer. Since Pangar, the Tok'ra had continued experiments with tretonin, and had synthesized a version compatible to Jaffa physiology. Bra'tac and Teal'c survived. Now dependant on tretonin, the Tok'ra's treatment at least provided a vital step to stop the Jaffa's dependance on the Goa'uld. The Tok'ra hoped to further develop the treatment so that the Jaffa would no longer even need the drug.
Seasons Seven and Eight
When Anubis's Kull Warriors started wreaking havoc on planets, the Tok'ra, specifically Jacob Carter, started working with SGC to try and find out more about them and more importantly, how to stop them (7.11 "Evolution Part 1"). They performed an autopsy on a dead warrior, realizing it was a genetically created Goa'uld, specifically bred to be a warrior with limited cognitive function. Jacob/Selmak realized the warrior was created using the root sarcophagus technology by Anubis. The SGC was able to capture a living warrior and, using a Tok'ra memory device, learn the location of Anubis's homeworld, Tartarus.
With this intelligence, Jacob/Selmak wore the supersoldier armor to infiltrate Tartarus and help his daughter and Teal'c enter the base (7.12 "Evolution Part 2"). They were able to destroy Anubis's laboratory and escape in Bra'tac's cargo ship. Upon their return, Daniel Jackson and Bill Lee had been rescued by Col. O'Neill, their own mission to retrieve the Telchak device, the root technology for the sarcophagus, was successful.
Jacob continued to work with his daughter on the Telchak device at the Alpha Site, which the Tok'ra continued to use as a base (7.16 "Death Knell"). They were able to create a nullifier to stop the kull warriors, but only discovered it as the base was attacked by warriors. The base self-destruct was activated. Rescue teams discovered some Tok'ra, human, and Jaffa survivors, including an injured Jacob. Samantha Carter was still MIA. While the search for her continued, the three groups pointed fingers at each other as to how Anubis discovered the location of the Alpha Site. Selmak also discovered that his time blended with Jacob had diminished his authority amongst the Tok'ra council. Sam was eventually found alive, and the kull warrior weapon worked, but the rebel Jaffa and Tok'ra as groups decided to part ways from each other and wage separate wars against the Goa'uld.
During this time of strained relations, the Tok'ra symbiote poison began to be used on various worlds, killing not only Goa'ulds, but sometimes rebel Jaffa bases (8.10 "Endgame"). The Tok'ra were immediately suspected, and Teal'c and M'zel set out for a location where they knew a Tok'ra was undercover as a Goa'uld lord. The Tok'ra, Zarin, expressed shock at the news, just before P3S-114 was attacked and she and all the Jaffa were killed. Teal'c, whose tretonin treatments kept him immune, was the only survivor. As it turned out, the Earth organization the Trust was behind the attacks, having stolen Earth's Stargate and used it to carry them out. They were stopped.
After his rescue from the Furling moon, the Tok'ra set Harry Maybourne up with a human settlement on a planet (8.13 "It's Good To Be King"). When the Tok'ra learned the Goa'uld Ares was staking claims in this territory, they notified the SGC, so Harry could be removed to a new, safer home.
The Replicators finally arrived in the Milky Way Galaxy and immediately attacked the Goa'uld, assimilating their advanced technology (8.16 "Reckoning Part 1"). The Tok'ra were able to monitor the Goa'uld fleet, and a concerned Jacob/Selmak went against the wishes of the Tok'ra High Council and arrived to Earth with this intelligence, including stealing the monitoring technology.
When the weapon at Dakara was discovered, Jacob went with Sam to try and open the chamber holding it (8.17 "Reckoning Part 2"). They planned to destroy it before the Replicators or Anubis/Ba'al arrived, but once inside the chamber, Selmak realized the technology was similar to the anti-replicator weapon the SGC already used. He and Sam, in an uneasy temporary alliance with Ba'al were able to manipulate the weapon and simultaneously dial all the galaxy's Stargates, destroying all the Replicators.
What Jacob and Selmak did not reveal during this crisis was that after 2,000 years, Selmak was dying (8.18 "Threads"). Jacob would not let the symbiote go, and when Selmak finally succumbed, it did not have enough energy to prevent its natural toxins from infecting Jacob. Both would die. The Tok'ra were notified and ignored their past disputes to pay respect to their colleague as he passed away.
Seasons Nine, Ten, and Movie
After the defeat of the Goa'uld, the Tok'ra's contact with Earth became less noticeable. However, they still shared intelligence (9.16 "Off the Grid"). It was the Tok'ra's report that Ba'al was stealing Stargates from several worlds that helped the SGC realize what happened to a missing SG-1 and enact a mission to stop the Goa'uld.
Tok'ra ships were also part of the coalition trying to stop the Ori invasion at the Supergate battle near P3Y-229 (9.20 "Camelot"/10.01 "Flesh and Blood"). Like the other vessels there, they suffered heavy casualties.
SG-1, after a failed first attempt, were finally able to capture the Ori's leader in the Milky Way, Adria (10.19 "Dominion"). However, Ba'al had gotten to her first and implanted her with his symbiote (or at least, one of his clones). Ba'al claimed he would control Adria to order the armies to leave the Milky Way. SG-1, distrusting Ba'al, contacted the Tok'ra with an alternative. The Tok'ra would remove the Ba'al symbiote and enact Ba'al's plan with one of their own. Unfortunately, the removal process did not go smoothly and Ba'al was able to release its toxins into Adria's system, leading to her death/ascension and stopping the plan.
When the last of the Ba'al clones was finally captured, the Tok'ra invited SG-1, including General O'Neill, to attend the extraction ceremony to witness the execution of the last system lord (Stargate: Continuum). Without having to hide in underground caves, the latest Tok'ra homeworld created an elaborate city from their crystals. The extraction ceremony itself was very formal—with a long chant in Goa'uld listing all the crimes the system lord had wrought before the symbiote was extracted. In his last words, Ba'al threatened this would not be the end, but he didn't realize the original Ba'al's plan to change history had been thwarted by SG-1 in an alternate timeline, so the rest of the ceremony continued without incident.
Notable Tok'ra
Note that host names, if known, are listed in parenthesis by the symbiote name.
- Aldwin—Tok'ra operative on several missions, he was sent with Teal'c back to Netu to retrieve the information from Jacob and destroy Sokar's base. Teal'c was able to rescue SG-1, Selmak and Lantash despite Aldwin's interference, and Aldwin gained new respect for the Tau'ri. He was killed during the Goa'uld attack on Ravanna
- Anise (Freya)—Tok'ra archeologist and scientist, Anise worked with the SGC on a few missions. She was attracted to Daniel Jackson, while her host was attracted to Jack O'Neill. Above that consideration was her thirst for knowledge, which at times put the people at the SGC at risk, and pitted her against the base chief medical officer, Janet Fraiser
- Cordesh—purported Tok'ra high council member, Cordesh was actually a Goa'uld spy. His host killed himself when the betrayal was revealed by O'Neill, but not before they symbiote switched hosts. Cordesh and its new host were discovered as well.
- Delek—member of the high council, Delek was leader of the Tok'ra staying on the Alpha Site when it was attacked by Anubis's kull warrior.
- Egeria—mother to all Tok'ra, Egeria was a Goa'uld queen who did not believe the Goa'uld should subjugate others. Through genetic memory, she taught all her offspring that belief. Captured and left on Pangara by Ra, Egeria was discovered by the native people who used her for scientific purposes. She birthed other symbiotes, but gave them minimal to no genetic knowledge. Weakened and sick by the time SG-1 and other Tok'ra encountered her, Egeria soon died, but not before praising her progeny for their work.
- Garshaw of Belote (Yasuuf)—a leader in the Tok'ra high council and one of the most hunted by the Goa'uld, Garshaw was among the first to encounter SG-1 after Sam Carter's blending with Jolinar. Skeptical of working with the less advanced Tau'ri, Garshaw came to appreciate the potential alliance with them after O'Neill revealed a Goa'uld spy in their midst and a dying Jacob Carter agreed to be host to Selmak.
- Jolinar of Malkshur (Rosha; Quinta; Samantha Carter)—was a famous Tok'ra operative who went on many missions. Her usual host was female; Rosha was the name of her host when she was with Lantash/Martouf. She took over a Nasyan man, Quinta, at some point when on the run from an ashrak. The host was killed, and when Sam Carter tried CPR, Jolinar took her over. Trapped on Earth and believed to be a Goa'uld, Jolinar was not too forthcoming to the SGC until almost too late. The ashrak arrived; Jolinar gave her life to preserve Samantha's.
- Kanan (Jack O'Neill)—was a Tok'ra operative in need of a host to reveal crucial information. A dying O'Neill agreed to the temporary blending. O'Neill's influence made him feel guilty for using Ba'al's lo'taur for information when he cared for her, and he returned to the stronghold to rescue her. He left O'Neill before they were captured. His ultimate fate is unknown, but he likely died with no host.
- Kelmaa—Tok'ra operative who went to Pangar to study a Goa'uld queen. When she realized the queen was the Tok'ra Egeria, Kelmaa gave her life to allow her host to blend to Egeria.
- Khonsu—undercover operative under Anubis, Khonsu's identity as a Tok'ra was discovered. He was killed by his First Prime Her'ak before he could relay crucial information to SG-1.
- Korra—undercover operative in Sokar's ranks, Korra was being hunted by the bounty hunter Aris Boch when SG-1 encountered him. The team and Boch helped him return to the Tok'ra.
- Lantash (Martouf; Elliot)—Tok'ra operative and lover of Jolinar, Lantash worked with Stargate Command during several missions and formed a bond with Samantha Carter. He and Martouf were victims of za'tarc brainwashing to try and kill Per'sus and the U.S. President, but were stopped. His host Martouf was killed by Carter during the attempt. Lantash survived in stasis until a Goa'uld attack broke his chamber. He took over the body of Lt. Elliot. Elliot/Lantash died in a suicide mission to kill the Goa'uld invaders and save SG-1 and Jacob Carter.
- Malek—leader of the Tok'ra base in the Risa system, he led his group to safety at Earth's Alpha Site after a Goa'uld attack. He worked with the Tau'ri and Free Jaffa during the ashrak attack and later met the Tok'ra queen Egeria.
- Marnon—Tok'ra who accompanied Anise to Earth with the Atoneek armbands
- Ocker—security chief of a Tok'ra base in the Risa system, he was killed by an ashrak after the Tok'ra fled to Earth's Alpha Site.
- Per'sus—High Councillor of the Tok'ra, Per'sus came to Earth to ratify the treaty between the Tok'ra and Stargate Command. He and the US President were both potential victims of a Goa'uld assassination plot; luckily both survived.
- Raully—undercover amongst Hathor's minions, Raully relayed SG-1's location to the Tok'ra, and tried to help them escape before being seriously wounded by Hathor.
- Ren Au—a Tok'ra scientist and member of the high council who was killed during the Goa'uld invasion of the Tok'ra base on Revanna
- Selmak(Saroosh; Jacob Carter)—one of the "oldest and wisest" of the Tok'ra, Selmak's host Saroosh was dying, threatening Selmak's life until Jacob Carter agreed to a blending. Jacob and Selmak acted as liaison between the Tau'ri and Tok'ra as well as went on several undercover missions before their eventual death.
- Sina—a Tok'ra operative who assisted the SGC after the destruction of Abydos to destroy Anubis's "superweapon"
- Ta'seem—a Tok'ra surgeon willing to perform the transference of removing the Ba'al symbiote from Adria and replacing it with the Tok'ra Zanuf.
- Thoran—was a Tok'ra operative who dealt with Stargate Command, especially during the time Kanan was implanted in Jack O'Neill.
- Zanuf—was the Tok'ra symbiote willing to take over Adria to stop the Ori war. Since Ba'al's removal from Adria was complicated, it is unclear whether Zanuf was even implanted. It was unlikely Zanuf would survive much longer without any host.
- Zarin—was an undercover operative pretending to be a loyal subordinate of Ba'als. She was killed during a Trust attack of symbiote poison on the planet she lorded.
Alliances
- Stargate Command (SGC)—The Tok'ra have been allied for some time against the Goa'uld. They have a treaty for sharing information against the Goa'uld, and have shared starships on several occasions.
- Rebel Jaffa/Free Jaffa Nation—Being a resistance against the Goa'uld has bonded the Tok'ra and the Jaffa. Despite initial mistrust between them, their alliance is strong and they have pledged to never spill the blood of each other again.
- Pangarans—Despite the Pangarans medical experimentation on the Tok'ra queen Egeria for fifty years, SG-1 was able to mediate the crisis of Egeria's discovery. As her dying act, Egeria provided information to create an antidote for the Pangarans. She wanted their salvation to be her legacy
- Tollan—The Tok'ra have an alliance with the Tollan. After Skaara won the triad to have Klorel removed from his body, the Tok'ra came to perform the operation. Klorel was placed in a holding tank to be returned to a Goa'uld world.
Enemies
- Goa'uld—The Tok'ra disagree on a fundamental level with the Goa'uld practice of taking hosts and slaves. They have fought against them for over two thousand years.
- Reetou—Inasmuch as the Reetou did not distinguish between humans and Goa'uld, they were less likely to see the Tok'ra as any different from their Goa'uld cousins. An artificial human named Charlie was created by some Reetou to warn of impending rebel Reetou attacks.
- Ori—Tok'ra ships fought against the Ori invasion at the Supergate. They also considered breaking their usual pledge of not taking hosts against their will to use Adria to stop the Ori army.
Episodes
- 2.02 "In The Line Of Duty"
- 2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1"
- 2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 2"
- 2.17 "Serpent's Song"
- 2.20 "Show And Tell"
- 3.01 "Into The Fire Part 2"
- 3.02 "Seth"
- 3.07 "Deadman Switch"
- 3.12 "Jolinar's Memories Part 1"
- 3.13 "The Devil You Know Part 2"
- 3.15 "Pretense"
- 4.03 "Upgrades"
- 4.04 "Crossroads"
- 4.05 "Divide And Conquer"
- 4.12 "Tangent"
- 4.17 "Absolute Power"
- 4.22 "Exodus Part 1"
- 5.01 "Enemies Part 2"
- 5.15 "Summit Part 1"
- 5.16 "Last Stand Part 2"
- 5.17 "Failsafe"
- 5.21 "Meridian"
- 6.04 "Frozen"
- 6.06 "Abyss"
- 6.08 "The Other Guys"
- 6.09 "Allegiance"
- 6.10 "Cure"
- 6.15 "Paradise Lost"
- 6.19 "Changeling"
- 7.11 "Evolution Part 1"
- 7.15 "Chimera"
- 7.16 "Death Knell"
- 8.10 "Endgame"
- 8.12 "Prometheus Unbound"
- 8.13 "It's Good To Be King"
- 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1"
- 8.16 "Reckoning Part 2"
- 8.18 "Threads"
- 9.16 "Off The Grid"
- 9.20 "Camelot Part 2"
- 10.01 "Flesh And Blood Part 3"
- 10.19 "Dominion
- Stargate: Continuum
Related Characters
- Col. Jack O'Neill
- Dr. Daniel Jackson
- Capt./Maj./Lt. Col. Samantha Carter
- Teal'c
- Vala Mal Doran
- Gen. George Hammond
- Dr. Janet Fraiser
- Adria
- Anubis
- Ba'al
- Jacob Carter
- Charlie
- Lt. Elliot
- Sarah Gardner
- Hathor
- Hebron of Parabal
- Klorel
- Mother
- M'zel
- Osiris
- Qetesh
- Shallan
- Shaun'auc
- Shifu
- Sokar
- Skaara
- Tanith
- Telchak
- Zipacna
Related Articles
- Abydos
- Alpha Site
- Alternate Realities
- Amon Shek
- Ashrak
- Ha'tak
- Hathor's Planet
- Harry Maybourne's Planet
- Kull Warrior
- Nasya
- Nasyans
- Netu
- Nishta
- PB5-926
- P34-353J
- P3S-114
- Pangar
- Ravanna
- Reol Ring
- Reetou
- Sarcophagus
- Sokar
- Stargate Command (SGC)
- Stargate Command (SGC) Base
- Supergate
- SG-1
- SG-17
- Symbiote
- Symbiote Poison
- Tartarus
- Telchak Device
- Tel'tak
- Time Travel
- Tok'ra (Goa'uld) Language
- Tok'ra Technology
- Vorash
- X-301
Aurora 12:17, 14 January 2008 (PST)