Ha'tak

Ha'tak schematic

Summary

Ha'tak-Class Motherships are the primary capital starships of the Goa'uld. They are almost always in the possession of the Goa'uld System Lords, and are a direct representation of a Goa'uld's military power. Since the collapse of the System Lords at Dakara, Ha'taks have been seen in the possession of the Free Jaffa Nation, Lucian Alliance, and the Tok'ra. The first time we see this ship is Stargate: The Movie. The first time they appear extensively, both internally and externally, is 1.22 "Within The Serpent's Grasp Part One".

Gallery

Exterior view of Klorel's ha'tak	Door control panel as part of wall of ha'tak	Fleet of ha'taks
Tel'tak approaching Anubis's ha'tak above Earth	Anubis's ha'tak descends onto Kelowna	Ancient drones destroy Anubis's ha'tak

Technical Details

Ha'tak literally means "pyramid ship", and is the general name for this type of vessel, although there are at least five variations seen. The most common type consists of a flattened oval superstructure, with a large, dark gold three-sided pyramid in the center of the ship. The pyramid can be considered similar to the exposed superstructure of a naval vessel. Inside this pyramid is where all major functions of the ship are controlled, including the bridge (called pel'tak in Goa'uld language), and the cargo bay/docking ports, and the hangar bays for Death Gliders. Several ring platforms exist throughout the ship.

The ships are presumably created with naquadah hulls, and, as most Goa'uld technology, is powered through naquadah power sources. Goa'uld computer and hyperdrive technology is crystal based, and the ha'tak has probably many hundred crystal systems aboard, as well as many stored as spare parts. The exact number of Jaffa that crew a ha'tak is unstated, however, given the size of the vessel (over six hundred meters in diameter), several thousand troops could be transported aboard a single vessel. (description, 1.22 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part 1", pel'tak reference, 4.22 "Exodus Part 1")

Ha'taks are the primary vessels of a Goa'uld System Lord, and often a ha'tak will be the flagship of a particular Lord. Because of this, their personal ha'tak is often much more powerful than others, and contains specific technology for aiding them in their godly duties. The pel'tak of the ha'tak will have the System Lord's throne, often customized for the individual Goa'uld. From here they will issue orders to the helmsman of the ha'tak, and are directly positioned behind them and the pel'tak's front window. A sarcophagus may also be carried onboard incase of an accident. (1.22 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part One", 5.01 "Enemies Part Two")

A ha'tak vessel is similarly sized to the Daniel Jackson of the Asgard, but it is of no comparison in general military strength. Asgard ships have demonstrated an ability to completely annihilate several ha'taks at once, while sustaining zero damage themselves. However, ha'taks are still powerful forces themselves, compared to Earth vessels. The rail guns and nuclear missiles of the Prometheus- and Daedalus-class vessels do not penetrate ha'tak shields. Ha'taks have demonstrated that they can engage the Daedalus-class and nearly destroy it within minutes. Ha'taks, while being used for space combat, are primarily flying garrisons, and are also used as planetary bombers in Goa'uld invasion tactics. This can be used to strike fear into the populace and force them to worship the Goa'uld in command, or to simply dispose of a planet and its population.

For offensive and defensive technology, ha'tak primary weaponry is staff cannons, a scaled up version of the hand-held staff weapon. They also possess powerful defensive shielding. The staff cannons are a fearsome weapon, capable of striking targets with an explosive power in each burst equal to 200-megaton detonations. This quoted value may not even have been full-power strikes. There are also at least 24 point defense cannons set around the perimeter. Combined with flights of Death Gliders, a ha'tak can fend off both small fighters and capital ship attacks.

Although the ship can be best summed up as a mobile garrison and gun platform, ha'taks also can fulfill a carrier role, and can carry dozens of smaller vessels within. Large numbers of Goa'uld Death Gliders are stored within the ship, and could presumably be launched for surface deployment, recon, and defense of the mothership. Tel'tak cargo vessels can also be used as transports and landing vessels. Al'kesh bombing craft can also be presumably carried as well, but that has not been confirmed. Some ha'tak vessels have been seen equipped with a cloaking device. While it is unknown where this technology was developed, the ha'taks of Sokar were equipped with this device, and were subsequently absorbed into Apophis's fleet. Luckily, Apophis's fleet was destroyed soon after, and since then, no ha'tak has been shown to use a cloaking device. (4.13 "Serpent's Venom" and 4.22 "Exodus Part 1")

For a ha'tak's propulsion and traveling capabilities, it is known that they may travel at 32,000 times the speed of light through hyperspace (Calculated in 4.22 "Exodus part 1", as 125 years to travel 4 million light-years). The massive vessels are also shown to be capable of landing directly on a planet's surface. While it can land on almost any surface, properly constructed pyramids are shown to be more favored as landing pads, as they provide an immovable base for the ship as well as an easily defended departure point for the ship's ring transport system.

Ha'tak Variants

Ra's Mothership

Ra's Ha'tak

This variant is the first ha'tak encountered, and it was commanded by the System Lord Ra. It's design was a single pyramid which had an aperture on the top which could open to allow exposure to the outside atmosphere. No other specifications about the ship are known. It has been theorized, that with the ship's unique 'sun roof' that this is less a battleship and more of a personal yacht. Given that Ra was the Supreme System Lord, he may have felt secure enough to travel without a warship, and it explains why no other Goa'uld has been seen in a similar ship. (Stargate: The Movie)

Apophis's Mothership

Apophis and Klorel's ha'taks

This ha'tak variant was used as the flagship of Apophis before his defeat in Earth orbit. It was larger than a standard ha'tak, and was more heavily armed, shielded, and faster. It was destroyed by SG-1 by internally sabotaging the shield generator, making it vulnerable to an explosion. (2.01 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part 2" )

Apophis's Prototype Mothership

Prototype being destroyed

On the planet PX9-757, Apophis had been constructing a prototype ship with several advancements over the standard ha'tak. Technical details are sketchy but it is known that the ship's power core was armored in trinium and was cooled by a system that used several pipelines from the construction facility. Corridors within were defended by Jaffa patrols and several force fields. It was destroyed before completion, and never saw action. (4.03 "Upgrades")

System Lord Flagship

Flagship ha'tak and standard ha'tak

Larger than a regular ha'tak, but smaller than Apophis's, this variant serves as a generic flagship for a System Lord who has neither the technology or resources to construct a unique ship of their own. Its capabilities are shown to be between the standard and Apophis motherships, but leaning toward the more powerful. Anubis had one that he used to invade the Earth to try to enslave the Tau'ri. The Ancient outpost Drone Weapons destroyed it over Antarctica, along with a sizeable fleet of ha'taks. (7.22 "Lost City Part Two")

Anubis Mothership

Anubis's ha'tak battling a fleet of motherships

Anubis's mothership in battle with the System Lords' ha'tak fleet ("Full Circle")) The most powerful and largest of all ha'tak variants was the command ship of Anubis. The most unusual change was that it lacked the standard pyramid, and was simply a flat circle of massive proportions. The first of these ships was equipped with a very powerful energy weapon, demonstrated to destroy several ha'taks in one blast, and even capable of inflicting damage to a planets surface and destroy a Stargate. This weapon was later destroyed by SG-1, and later on the entire ha'tak was destroyed by other System Lords. It was shown in this battle that the mothership possessed a small escape vessel capable of hyperspace travel. (6.22 "Full Circle", 7.01 "Fallen Part One", 7.02 "Homecoming Part Two")

Ship Compartments

Pel'tak

Osiris's pel'tak

The pel'tak is the bridge of a ha'tak vessel. Several Jaffa members staff and guard this station, and, when a System Lord is present aboard, they occupy the throne situated behind the helm of the ship. A ha'tak is helmed by a single Jaffa, and the helm itself consists of a gold altar with Goa'uld crystals. The ship is controlled through manipulations of various fluorescent pink string-like devices. All functions of the ship can presumably be controlled from here. (2.01 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part Two", 4.22 "Exodus Part Two") Some pel'taks contain a second station that is limited to weapons control. This station has two large blue domes on either side of a panel. (8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 9.20 "Camelot")

Death Glider Hangar Bay

Death Glider hanger bay

Death Gliders, the primary fighter of the Goa'uld, can be stored aboard ha'taks. They are stored in rows of four, directly attached to the ship. Controls are mounted near where soldiers enter them, and can be manipulated from a stored position to embarkation. Death Gliders are launched from racks, two at time. Directly before and after docking, the ha'tak's computer systems control the Death Glider, insuring smooth exiting and docking. (2.01 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part Two", 6.03 "Decent")

Shield Generator

Ha'tak shield generator

The ha'tak vessels shields are indeed formidable. They have been shown to be overwhelmed by Asgard and Tollan weaponry, but the naquadah-enhanced Mark 12A Minuteman nuclear weapon (estimated at 1 gigaton of explosive force), were unable to have any measurable decrease of the shield's power. The shields are powered by a massive generator deep within the bowels of the ship, heavily guarded. However, the top of the shield generator is exposed to several decks above, which was, slightly comically, destroyed by two grenades dropped by O'Neill. (2.01 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part Two")

Engine Room

Ha'tak crystals

SG-1 destroy ha'tak crystals

The power source and hyperdrive equipment of a ha'tak are stored here. Crystal based, they are several inches in dimension, and can be manipulated to enhance the ha'tak. Replicators, upon infesting a ha'tak, will flock here, presumably drawing energy from the reactors, and using their knowledge to improve the hyperdrive of the Goa'uld ships (4.22 "Exodus, Part 1").

Cargo Room

Jaffa enter cargo room on Apophis's ship

The cargo rooms of ha'taks hold cases filled with weapons, riches, naquadah, or whatever a Goa'uld needs to transport. Occasionally, ha'taks have been shown to carry a full Stargate and DHD aboard in one of their cargo bays. This Stargate is configured to work only in close proximity of a planet, allowing it to function as if it was a Stargate of that planet, and using the point of origin as the planet below. Out of orbit of the planet, the Stargate cannot be dialed, but as soon as it arrives at another planet, the Stargate can work once again. Ba'al's storage room was large enough to hold several Stargates and DHDs. SG-1 used one of them to escape Ba'al's ship before it was destroyed by the Lucian Alliance. (2.01 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part Two", 9.16 "Off the Grid)

Episodes

• Stargate: The Movie
• 1.20 "There But For The Grace Of God"
• 1.22 "Within The Serpent's Grasp Part 1"
• 2.01 "The Serpent's Lair Part 2"
• 2.06 "Thor's Chariot"
• 3.06 "Point Of View"
• 4.03 "Upgrades"
• 4.13 "Serpent's Venom"
• 4.21 "Double Jeopardy"
• 4.22 "Exodus Part 1"
• 5.01 "Enemies Part 2"
• 5.22 "Revelations"
• 6.01 "Redemption Part 1"
• 6.02 "Redemption Part 2"
• 6.03 "Descent"
• 6.22 "Full Circle"
• 7.01 "Fallen Part 1"
• 7.02 "Homecoming Part 2"
• 7.22 "Lost City Part 2"
• 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1"
• 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2"
• 9.16 "Off The Grid"
• 9.20 "Camelot Part 2"

Related Characters

• Anubis
• Apophis
• Ba'al
• Ra

Related Articles

• Al'kesh
• Ancient Outpost Defense Weapons
• Asgard
• Dakara
• Daedalus-Class Ship
• Daniel Jackson (Ship)
• Death Glider
• Dial Home Device (DHD)
• Free Jaffa Nation
• Goa'uld
• Jaffa
• Lucian Alliance
• Mark 12A Minuteman
• Naquadah
• PX9-757
• Prometheus
• Replicators
• Ring Transporter
• Sarcophagus
• SG-1
• Stargate
• System Lord
• Tel'tak
• Tok'ra
• Trinium

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--Written for Solutions by Jordan Kreiger.
-- Converted to Wiki and edited by Aurora Novarum, April 2006