Hara'kash
Summary
The hara'kash was a small hand-held device used by Goa'uld, at least Goa'uld ashrak. It had many features but was principally known for being a painful method of execution.
Features
The hara'kash is a small three pronged device that fits into a human palm, worn over the fingers like a ring. It is small enough to be swallowed, as that is how an ash'rak hid the device when posing as an injured Nasyan. It is unclear whether or not the hara'kash is activated by naquadah, like the Goa'uld hand ribbon device, as it has only been seen to be used by a Goa'uld assassin.
The hara-kash, like the ribbon device, has multiple functions:
- Healing? — this feature may not be due to the hara'kash, but the ashrak had been badly burned on Nasya before being brought back to the Air Force Academy hospital for treatment. A glowing began to appear in his stomach area (coincidentally, the ashrak had swallowed the hara'kash earlier), and later the ashrak stripped off his bandages, completely healed. No Goa'uld has been seen to heal in this manner on their own.
- Sensor — the ashrak used the hara'kash to scan Nasyans in order to locate the Tok'ra Jolinar. Daniel Jackson came upon the ashrak just as he was finishing his scan of Talia. The beam from the device caused an x-ray effect on the victim, though they remained unaware.
- Hypnosis — the device could be used to implant suggestions into the victims mind. When the effect was worn off, the individual would have short-term memory loss of any events during and immediately before the hara'kash's use.
- Torture/Weapon — it is uncertain whether or not this function was directed at solely the symbiote or equally at symbiote and host, but it could be directed at a blended individual's forehead like the ribbon device, shooting the x-ray type effect, but causing extraordinary pain. It was considered a particularly harsh method of execution amongst the Goa'uld.
Stargate References
An ashrak was sent to kill the Tok'ra Jolinar of Malkshur by means of the hara'kash. Posing as a Nasyan man, he had been badly burned during death glider attack on Nasya. He was brought back to Earth with the other wounded and well refugees. He was brought to the Air Force Academy Hospital for treatment and heavily bandaged. A glowing appeared through the bandages from his stomach area. Later, he was conscious and completely healed, stripping off his bandages. He coughed up the hara'kash from where he had swallowed it. It is unclear whether or not the hara'kash had been somehow activated from where he had swallowed it.
Now wearing the hara'kash, the ashrak roamed the hospital, posing as a doctor from clothes he had stolen from Dr. Jacobs after he had badly beaten him and hid him under the bandages. He used the hara'kash to scan various Nasyan patients, presumably looking for Jolinar.
Not finding Jolinar amongst the patients, he grabbed a guard, disabling him and putting on the uniform. When he jumped into one of the trucks, the driver immediately knew he was an imposter. The hara'kash implanted a suggestion that he really was the right soldier, and the driver blankly stopped questioning and drove to the base. After he arrived and the ashrak had left, the driver snapped out of his fugue. He immediately reported to the infirmary explaining he had no memory of events from before he left the hospital and was uncertain how he had arrived at Stargate Command.
This hypnosis feature was used again when the ashrak went through the security checkpoints. An SF wondered about the small hand device he took off his hand for the palm reader. The ashrak responded it was a ring and asked if the guard wanted to see it. He instantly pointed the hara'kash at the SF, then walked through the checkpoint. Although the palm reader alerted this was not authorized personnel, the guard said in a monotone: "Have a good day, airman."
When he wished to quickly disable/kill, he resorted to the Beretta sidearm, killing the men guarding Samantha Carter/Jolinar. He noted to Jolinar that the Beretta weapon was "crude but effective." He pronounced Jolinar's sentence before subjecting her to the full force of the hara'kash. She writhed in pain as Sam's skull was visible beneath the invisible beam of the weapon. Jolinar collapsed unconscious from the agony. About to be discovered, the ashrak left, announcing to the arriving Teal'c and O'Neill that they were all dead while he maintained his disguise as guard to escape.
Jolinar in fact had not died, but both symbiote and Sam were in mortal danger. Dr. Fraiser and the medical team were not able to help, but monitored the life signs of both. Sam survived, later explaining that Jolinar had given up her life to save Sam.
Several months later, a tortured and dying Apophis appealed to SG-1 for kal'mah, sanctuary (2.17 "Serpent's Song"). Sokar had used the hara'kash on Apophis when he held him captive. Sam remembered her own experience as host to Jolinar when Dr. Fraiser showed the lesions and damage on the symbiote.
Episodes
Related Characters
Related Articles
- Air Force Academy Hospital
- Ashrak
- Beretta
- Goa'uld
- Goa'uld Technology
- Nasyans
- Ribbon Device
- SG-1
- Stargate Command (SGC) Base
- Tok'ra
--Aurora 18:51, 23 January 2008 (PST)