Lantash

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Martouf was the host to Lantash when SG-1 met him
Lt. Elliot became Lantash's final host

Summary

Lantash was the Tok'ra symbiote that had Martouf as a host when SG-1 met him (2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1"). After Martouf died (4.05 "Divide And Conquer"), Lantash was kept in stasis until he took Lt. Elliot as his host (5.15 "Summit Part 1"). Both Lt. Elliot and Lantash died making the ultimate sacrifice to save SG-1 and Jacob Carter/Selmak, as well as the formula for a Tok'ra-developed symbiote poison (5.16 "Last Stand Part 2").

Character Biography

With the Tok'ra, the line between host and symbiote are often blurred. Lantash very seldom made his presence known whenever SG-1 associated with his host, Martouf. The blending between the host and Tok'ra symbiote meant that both beings shared one body, so it was often hard to distinguish where one left off and the other began. Lantash would make it clear whenever he spoke from his own opinion by flashing Martouf's eyes, often hid when Martouf would bow his head and close his eyes, and using the altered voice. Martouf was a gentle soul while Lantash oftentime showed arrogance. However, Lantash was also quite gentle when personal matters were discussed, most often concerning his mate, Rosha/Jolinar of Malkshur. (2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1", 2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 2")

When Samantha Carter was taken as a host to Jolinar, no one was aware of the Tok'ra. To everyone at the SGC, a "snake was a snake," and there were absolutely no differences among them. Jolinar proved the difference by giving up her life in order to save Carter's. Additional gifts that Jolinar left Carter were a protein marker in her blood that indicated that a symbiote had died within her, naquadah in her blood that enabled her to sense the presence of another symbiote (whether being carried by a Jaffa or implanted in a host), and memories and emotions of her life. Using the memories, Carter was able to lead the SGC to contact the Tok'ra who hid in artificially-created tunnels on various planets. When SG-1 traveled to the planet in Jolinar's memories, they were met by a party of Tok'ra who sprang up from the sand, a clever method of camouflage. Martouf/Lantash were among the Tok'ra who surrounded a very surprised SG-1. (2.02 "In the Line of Duty", 2.05 "Need", 3.04 "Legacy", 2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1")

Carter immediately recognized Martouf, but he had to tell her about the relationship between Jolinar and Lantash, himself and Rosha, Jolinar's previous host. They had been mates for over a century. According to Lantash and Martouf, the Tok'ra "love as one and mourn as one." Lantash took over when Martouf was too distraught to talk about Rosha/Jolinar. Martouf/Lantash also told Carter that symbiotes do not have a gender, but often show a preference for a certain gendered host. Lantash, from then on out, was always referred to as a "he" because he favored male hosts. Jolinar, on the other hand, preferred female hosts. The hosts were attracted to each other as man and woman, so the symbiotes shared in that love. (2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1")

After Carter's father, Maj. Gen. Jacob Carter, became the new host for Selmak, one of the oldest and wisest of the Tok'ra, Martouf/Lantash learned more about the Tau'ri and became one of the Tok'ra's most popular representatives among the members of SG-1. They came to the SGC when they heard that SG-1 had taken the Goa'uld Apophis from a crash site on another planet. Lantash spoke urgently and "passionately" about the Tau'ri's knowledge and technology being "primitive" and, as such, they could learn nothing from Apophis by holding him prisoner. Lantash insisted that they return Apophis to Sokar so that he would be "eventually" executed, adding, "Surely, you welcome this. His guilt is clear. He cannot be allowed to escape punishment." Martouf apologized and asked that the Tau'ri forgive Lantash for his harshness, but still supported Lantash's warning that Apophis's presence at the SGC was too dangerous. (2.17 "Serpent's Song")

True to Lantash's warning, Sokar struck back at the Tau'ri by using a particle accelerator through the wormhole, causing the Stargate's iris to heat up. Sokar intended to bombard Earth's Stargate until they were destroyed because they had taken Apophis from him. After one of the attacks (a wormhole can only stay open for approximately 38 minutes), the SGC managed to dial out to the planet on which they found Apophis and to return his dead body to Sokar. This appeased Sokar, who stopped the attacks on Earth, but Apophis was revived in a sarcophagus to be tortured to death and revived again as long as Sokar desired. Martouf echoed Lantash's sentiments by saying, "Surely, a fate he justly deserves." (2.17 "Serpent's Song")

When Carter was thought to be a zatarc, a Goa'uld-programmed assassin, Martouf admitted that he had grown fond of her, not just because of her having Jolinar's memories, but for her being her own self. If these feelings were truly shared equally between the host and the symbiote, then Lantash was also admitting that he was fond of her as well, but it was only Martouf who spoke. They didn't get a chance to explore this possibility because it was actually Martouf who had become the assassin, sent to kill the President of the United States as he met with the Tok'ra's High Chancillor Per'sus. Martouf managed to get a few shots off from his energy weapon (but not eliminating his target), but was gunned down by the guards in the Embarkation Room. Martouf knew that he'd try to kill himself for failing to carry out his program, so he begged Carter to kill him by firing her zat twice, thus preserving his body for study. Carter fired on him, and then ran straight to him to hold his dead body in a tender embrace. (4.05 "Divide and Conquer")

Lantash was kept in stasis after Martouf died

When taking a tour of the Tok'ra's underground tunnel system at Ravanna, Carter was reunited with Lantash, who had survived Martouf's death and was placed in stasis. According to the Tok'ra Ren Au, Martouf was beyond saving, but Carter felt that more care was given to the symbiote than to the host. Ren Au assured her that Martouf lived on in Lantash. (5.15 "Summit Part 1")

Carter was with members of SG-17 on the tour, and while they were in the same room as Lantash, the Goa'uld attacked the base, causing the tunnel to collapse. Lantash was released when his stasis chamber was damaged, and he found a new host in Lt. Elliot of SG-17. Elliot was severely injured, but Lantash felt that he could heal him. Lantash needed to concentrate his strength on the healing process and asked that Elliot speak for him. (5.15 "Summit Part 1")

O'Neill, Teal'c, Carter, and Elliot/Lantash started moving toward their escape, but it was slow going as Elliot was severely injured, and they had to create new tunnels to get to the surface. While Elliot/Lantash had the opportunity, Elliot told Carter that Lantash loved her as much as he had loved Jolinar. (5.16 "Last Stand Part 2")

Lantash, through Elliot, led them to a sensor array that they could reprogram to send an "S.O.S." signal to Jacob/Selmak. After Carter reprogrammed the sensor, the team was reunited with Jacob/Selmak and Daniel, but they realized that they were surrounded by Jaffa patrols and wouldn't be able to get to the Stargate that was 25 miles away. These patrols were not only looking for Tok'ra survivors, but also for the formula for a symbiote poison the Tok'ra had asked Daniel to use while undercover at a Goa'uld System Lord summit. In order to maintain the current balance of power, Daniel didn't use the poison device at the summit, so Elliot/Lantash proposed that they be left behind to use the device against the Jaffa guard (the poison not only killed the symbiote, but the host or Jaffa as well). Elliot knew that Lantash couldn't save him, so they both decided to sacrifice their lives so that the others might survive and take the formula with them. Lantash's last thoughts were expressed by Elliot to Carter: "He's happy now; he just wanted you to know how he felt." (5.16 "Last Stand Part 2")

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--DeeKayP 17:05, 20 Jul 2004 (PDT)

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