Tok'ra - SCIFIPEDIA

Tok'ra

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

The Tok'ra are a fictional race on the TV series Stargate SG-1. Tok'ra, literally translated, means "against Ra". They are of the same race as the Goa'uld but are diametrically opposed to them philosophically. The Tok'ra have fought the Goa'uld for several thousand years through infiltration and sabotage. They became allies of the Tau'ri, who provided them with hosts, including Samantha Carter's father Jacob Carter, who became host to the Tok'ra Selmak.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

1 History
2 Tok'ra Customs
3 Tok'ra Science and Technology
4 Prominent Tok'ra
5 Key Episodes

History

The Tok'ra descend from the Goa'uld queen Egeria, who was imprisoned by Ra on the planet Pangar. Several thousand years ago, Egeria had an epiphany and came to realize the evil of the Goa'uld. She passed on her philosophy to the symbiotes she birthed, and they eventually came to be known as the Tok'ra.

The Tok'ra were first discovered by the Tau'ri when Jolinar of Malkshur took Samantha Carter as her unwilling host. Believing her to be a Goa'uld, the SGC imprisoned her and she was attacked by an Ashrak, a Goa'uld assassin who infiltrated the SGC. Jolinar gave her life to save Carter and passed on her memories.

Jolinar's memories led Carter and SG-1 to a hidden Tok'ra base on Vorash where they attempted to form an alliance. The Tok'ra made it clear they were not like the goa'uld. The Tok'ra only take willing human hosts in a blending process that allows them both to share the body equally.

The Tok'ra were wary of an alliance with the Tau'ri but the Tok'ra high council, their ruling body, gave it due consideration. As they use only goa'uld technology for their infiltration, they had no use for Earth technology and could only see value in an alliance if Earth offered them new hosts. The connection was cemented when Carter introduced her father, who was dying of cancer, to the Tok'ra as a new potential host for Selmak, whose own host was dying. The blending was successful and Jacob became a link between the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra.

The Tok'ra are constantly in motion, moving to new bases and destroying their old ones when they leave in order to keep ahead of the goa'uld who have hunted them for centuries. They developed technology that allowed them to quickly grow tunnels and rooms made of crystal for their use. When they move on, they collapse the tunnels, leaving no vital evidence for the goa'uld to find.

The Tok'ra alliance ultimately led to several collaborations with the Tau'ri in their fight against the Goa'uld. Tok'ra technology aided the SGC in discovering a Za'tarc, a brainwashed human, who intended to kill the president. They also helped defend the SGC against the Retu.

The alliance was expanded to include the rebel Jaffa. The Jaffa and the Tok'ra were mistrustful of each other having fought for thousands of years on opposite sides. The alliance ultimately fell apart when a goa'uld assassin manipulated their existing mistrust resulting in almost full conflict. The Tok'ra and the Tau'ri also went their separate ways. Tau'ri methods of fighting the go'auld conflicted with their own and resulted in the deaths of many Tok'ra operatives. Selmak and Jacob Carter continued to aid the SGC but at the expense of losing the trust of the Tok'ra High Council.

The Tok'ra are a dying race. Tok'ra, like goa'uld symbiotes, are asexual and cannot reproduce. With the death of their queen Egeria, the Tok'ra lost the only opportunity to sustain their race. Egeria was the only one capable of passing on the genetic memories that make the Tok'ra different from the goa'uld. With the death of each Tok'ra operative, the race diminishes and will eventually die out unless a solution can be found.

Tok'ra Customs

The Tok'ra have developed a unique culture unlike the goa'uld who emulate the cultures of their hosts. They do not bury their dead, instead they place the body on a high platform in front of a Stargate. After a brief ceremony, the gate is activated and the event horizon disintegrates the body.

The implantation of Tok'ra symbiotes differs from the goa'uld. The Tok'ra, prefer to enter the body through the mouth, avoiding scars and pain caused by burrowing through the back of the neck as the goa'uld do. The lack of a scar may allow a Tok'ra to be overlooked as human when examined by a human. The Tok'ra like the goa'uld have naquadah in their blood however, an can be identified by goa'uld, Jaffa or former hosts.

The Tok'ra's relationship with their host is a balanced one. When one of the two desires to speak, they typically bow their heads, and close their eyes to indicate the change. Tok'ra also have romantic relationships with each other as Jolinar did with Martouf/Lantash. It is a complex relationship of four. When one Tok'ra is mated to another, typically the host and symbiote are both in love with both the partner's host and the partner's symbiote.

Tok'ra Science and Technology

The Tok'ra are master scientists. Although they use much goa'uld technology, they have developed several unique to them. Most of their technologies relate to their infiltration of the goa'uld and exemplify their skills in organic chemistry.

Using information provided by the SGC, they were able to create a memory-altering chemical based on the one given off by the Re'ol. The chemical enabled Daniel Jackson to infiltrate the goa'uld summit as the Lo'tar of Lord Yu. Additionally, they devised a radioactive isotope, which they injected into Daniel and Jonas Quinn rendering them invisible to goa'uld sensors for several hours. This allowed them to infiltrate Anubis's mother ship.

When the people of Pangar were discovered to be using goa'uld symbiotes to create Tretonin, the Tok'ra were called in to help solve the problems caused by the use of the drug. The drug replaced the immune system, granting them perfect health and longevity but rendered the user dependent on the drug for life. It was soon discovered the queen being used to reproduce the symbiotes was their own Egeria whom the Pangarans discovered imprisoned on their own planet. Egeria died, but her help made it possible to cure the Pangarans of their dependency. The drug proved to be the key to guiding the Jaffa from their dependency on symbiotes. The Tok'ra refined the drug and created a synthetic form which some Jaffa like Teal'c depend on for continued life and health.

Crystal Tunnels — The Tok'ra have mastered crystal growing technology and they use them to create temporary homes for themselves.
Force shield — a unique one-way shielding technology that allows objects or people to enter but prevent them from leaving once inside the enclosed space.
Kull Disruptor — Designed in collaboration with the Tau'ri, the Kull disruptor was based on the Ancient healing cube. It successfully canceled the energy used to give the Kull Warriors life.
Symbiote Poison — A poisoned designed only to kill goa'uld symbiotes. The poison is deadly to Jaffa as well which is a deciding factor in when and if it should be used. The NID deployed the poison, murdering thousands of Jaffa. The SGC has also used the poison on several occasions.
Za'tarc detector — An advanced lie detector most notoriously used to seek out brainwashed individuals. Carter and Jack O'Neill proved the machine adept at recognizing a lie even when the individuals do not know they are lying. The machine compares conscious and subconscious memories, seeking out discrepancies.