Tollan (Stargate)

The Tollan are a human civilisation that features in Stargate: SG-1.

History

The Tollan

A human society on the neighbouring planet, Serita, having reached a technological level comparable to that of Earth, was granted advanced power-production technology by the Tollan. The Seritans used this technology to wage a war which, while lasting only one day, resulted in the utter destruction of the planet. Subsequently, the side-effects of this destruction knocked Tollan out of its standard orbit and caused it to become uninhabitable.

The Tollan were forced to evacuate the planet, and a final Tollan team were going to disable the Stargate, to ensure that nobody would come through the Gate and be injured on the now-harsh surface. However, due to volcanic activity they were incapacitated before they could reach their objective. SG-1, who had recently arrived through the Stargate, saved them, to the inexplicable dismay of their leader, Omoc. However, another Tollan, Narim, took a liking to Samantha Carter. It soon became apparent that their technology was overtly sought after by the US Military, particularly by the NID. Eventually, with the help of the Nox, SG-1 managed to get the Tollan survivors to safety. Before parting, Narim showed Tollan technological prowess by giving Samantha Carter a device which has a recording of his emotions for her on it.

The Tollans settled by ship on a new planet, Tollana, which originally had no Stargate. However, the Nox eventually helped the Tollan create their own Stargate, a proof of their advanced development as a race. Tollana was protected by a network of advanced ion cannons capable of destroying Goa'uld Ha'tak-class ships with one shot.

In 2000, Klorel, inhabiting the body of Skaara, fled to Tollana, hoping that the Goa'uld motherships, under the control of Heru-ur, pursuing him would be destroyed by the Tollan ion cannons defending the planet. Klorel subsequently crashed on Tollana. His host, Skaara, asked the Tollan to have the Goa'uld removed, and a Triad was organised to determine who could control the body. Skaara asked SG-1 to defend his interests during the Triad. However, the Goa'uld Apophis and his minion Zipacna used the opportunity to conquer the planet by targeting all canons at once, after being marked by their delegation on the surface. The attempt was thwarted by SG-1 and Lya, a Nox, and effectively saved the Tollan civilization.

In 2000, the Tollan were one of several advanced civilizations who threatened to cut all diplomatic relations with Earth after some of their technology had been stolen by a rogue faction of the NID under the supervision of Harry Maybourne. However, the SGC, and specifically Jack O'Neill were able to expose this faction and shut down their activities.

In 2001, Anubis developed shield technology (probably based on Ancient technology, as most of his technological breakthroughs were) capable of resisting the Tollan ion cannons. After the Tollan became aware of the negation of their only tactical advantage over the Goa'uld, the desperate Curia decided strike a deal with Tanith, representing his master. They agreed that the Tollan would produce weapons capable of penetrating solid matter, including Earth's iris. It was Anubis' intention to force the Tollan to attack Earth with these weapons, so the Asgard, who protected Earth according to the Protected Planets Treaty, would not intervene. However, Omoc, who was a member of the Curia, did not condone this deal and threatened to expose it to the Tollan public. He was subsequently murdered by the Curia.

After Omoc's death, the Curia suddenly decided to change its policy regarding technological exchanges, and contacted SG-1 to negotiate about trading trinium for their, albeit unknown to the SGC, now useless ion cannons. This trinium was required for the building of the phase-shifting weapons and therefore instrumental to Tollana's survival. However, after SG-1 discovered the existence and purpose of these weapons, they were able to convince Narim to stop building the devices and destroy the already-completed ones. Subsequently, Tanith, obeying Anubis' orders, attacked the planet with his fleet, and the defenseless Tollan were wiped out. Fleeing ships were also shot down, so it remains questionable the Tollan civilization survived. The Tollan ultimately fell victim to their own arrogance, believing the Goa'uld could never be a threat to them.

Overview

The Tollan were governed by a panel of high-ranking Tollan officials, the Curia. However, this Curia has limited power. For example, it cannot make a contract with the Goa'uld. Many of the members believe strongly in their policy of isolation, sometimes even bordering on xenophobia. Even trade with other species is out of the question. All sessions of the Curia are, in theory, recorded and available publicly. Concealing such records, or tampering with them, is a crime of such magnitude that murder apparently pales in comparison. The High Chancellor is the head of the Curia and apparently the head of the Tollan government. The only one seen was High Chancellor Travell. Also, an official protest of Tollan policy is filed with every level of every branch of the government.

Tollan legal disputes are settled in a so-called Triad, the Tollan version of a private law proceeding. The system was adversarial with two seekers who argued their case and each defended by one or more archons of their choice. There was also a third archon, chosen to be neutral to the case. The seekers argue their case until the archons are ready to reach a decision. Each of the three archons casts a vote for one of the seekers; ordinarily, each seeker's archon will vote for his or her seeker, leaving the ultimate decision in the hands of the neutral archon.

The Tollan are one of the most advanced civilizations of humans encountered by the SGC. This massive technological superiority, even over the Goa'uld, has resulted in them being stubborn to the point of arrogance, believing any species with lesser technology than theirs to be inferior. Also, they generally prefer isolation from the rest of the galaxy, depending on their advanced defensive technologies to keep their homeworld, Tollana, safe from external threats. However, this reliance on a single tactical advantage and arrogance made Teal'c note that the Tollan "do not think strategically".

Tollan technology is extremely advanced, and superior to that of most other Milky Way civilizations. It is so far ahead of Tau'ri technology that even reverse-engineering their devices was impossible for Earth science early in the series. Their technology had no wires, no moving parts, or anything found in normal mechanical devices, decreasing the possibility of compatibility with technology from other cultures. Most of it is also made from trinium. According to Tollan law, the sharing of technology with a less-advanced culture was forbidden

One of the most impressive examples of Tollan technology are their Ion cannons. These incredibly powerful weapons could destroy a Goa'uld Ha'tak with even a single shot and have served in Tollana's defense several times. The Tollans have also constructed their own Stargate with the help of The Nox, since their new homeworld did not originally possess one. The Tollans' Stargate was smaller than those built by the Ancients and prompted Jack O'Neill to remark "Ours is bigger". The most important Tollan buildings were protected by technology that disabled all weapons it detected, including Tau'ri projectile weapons and Goa'uld staff weapons. However, the weapons carried by Tollan security forces remained unaffected. They also had developed emotion-recording technology, and phase-shifting devices that allowed the user to walk through solid matter, including Earth's iris. Also, every Tollan had a small implant in his body, monitoring the wearer's health. In case of a medical emergency, this implant would automatically alert the emergency services. This small device could also be used to track one's position, although this was highly illegal.

Members

• Travell : a female Tollan who came to serve as High Chancellor on her people's new homeworld of Tollana. She was a member of the Curia that was the Tollan's highest ruling body. Like most of her people, Travell firmly believed in the Tollan's highest law, and therefore resisted any sharing of their advanced technology with primitive, or less advanced civilisations, such as the Tau'ri. She was also qualified to administrate a triad, a Tollan private law proceeding, as a judge, and has been known to negotiate with other worlds and civilisations, such as Earth and the Goa'uld. Travell was first encountered by SG-1 in 2000, after Klorel had crashed on Tollana, the new Tollan homeworld. Klorel's host, Skaara, subsequently asked the Tollan to have the Goa'uld removed, and according to Tollan law, a triad was organised. Skaara asked SG-1 to serve as his archon, the Tollan version of an attorney. Travell presided over the hearings, and witnessed the Goa'uld's attempt to conquer her planet. She eventually ruled to have Klorel removed from Skaara's body. After several thefts of advanced Tollan technology by a rogue faction of the NID under the command of Harry Maybourne, Travell threatened to cut all diplomatic relations with Earth. However, after the SGC managed to capture these criminals, she eventually continued to be a strong supporter of her people's alliance with the Tau'ri.When Tollana became threatened by Anubis, represented by his minion Tanith, Travell and the Curia were forced to strike a deal with the Goa'uld. In exchange for the survival of the Tollan people, they would create advanced phase-shifting weapons, capable of penetrating solid matter, even the iris protecting Earth's Stargate. However, SG-1 and the Tollan Narim learned about Travell's plans. Narim eventually destroyed the already produced weapons, breaking the bargain with the Goa'uld. Tanith subsequently attacked, placing Travell and the rest of her people in the midst of a war they could not win. Travell is presumed dead
• Narim : was a male Tollan who was one of the survivors to had fled his people's original homeworld. SG-1 first encountered Narim on the original Tollan homeworld, which had undergone catastrophic volcanic activity, forcing their civilisation to flee the doomed planet. Along with a group of fellow Tollan led by Omoc, Narim was found barely alive by SG-1 and taken back to Earth for medical treatment. After recovering from his injuries, he became friends with Captain Samantha Carter, with whom he developed an apparent attraction. She also gave him a cat named Schrödinger. Eventually, with the help of SG-1, Narim and his people were rescued from the NID, after they were introduced to the Nox, who were eager to take them in while they continued to search for a new home.Narim was eventually returned to Tollana, the new Tollan homeworld, by the Nox. He was again encountered two years later when Skaara crashed on the planet and asked for his Goa'uld to be removed. SG-1 was subsequently invited to defend their personal friend in the resulting triad, a Tollan private law proceeding. During this meeting, Narim made it clear that he still had feelings for Carter, but she informed him that she was not looking for a relationship at that time. Despite this, his attraction to her remained. The last contact with Narim occurred two years later, after Omoc's death, when SG-1 was invited to his memorial service. Suspicious after learning that his government had agreed to give Earth several Ion Cannons, something which was against official policy, he investigated and discovered along with SG-1 that his government, the Curia, was collaborating with the Goa'uld. Due to shield upgrades implemented by Anubis throughout his fleet, the Tollan Ion cannons no longer had the capability of destroying his Ha'tak class vessels. In addition, Narim learned that the Tollan were being forced by the Goa'uld to create weapons of mass destruction capable of penetrating solid matter, including Earth's iris. To spare Earth from destruction, Narim destroyed the all ready produced phase-shifting weapons. Seeing that the Tollan were unable to deliver the weapons, the Goa'uld began attacking the planet. Narim escorted SG-1 to the Stargate but chose to stay behind to help his people fight a hopeless battle against the Goa'uld. A short time after SG-1 returned to Earth, the SGC received a message directly from Narim, informing the SGC of Tollana's devastation. After the transmission ended, it was assumed that Narim and the Tollan people perished in the Goa'uld attack.
• Omoc : was a male Tollan who was one of the survivors to had fled his people's original homeworld with him being a close friend of Narim. Like most of the Tollan, Omoc was arrogant and set in his ways. He had learned well from the mistakes his people had made with Serita, a neighboring planet that destroyed itself after the Tollan shared their advanced technology with them. Therefore, he firmly believed in his people's isolationist policy and refusal to trade for technology with other, more primitive civilizations, such as the Tau'ri. In 1998, when his people were forced to evacuate their doomed planet, Tollan, Omoc and his team were assigned to disable the Stargate to prevent any other visitors from being stranded on the dying planet. However, Omoc and his team failed to make it out in time, and he and the rest of his team would have died if SG-1, who were visiting the planet at the time, hadn't rescued them and brought them back to Earth. Upon waking up in the SGC, Omoc largely refused to interact with members of the Tau'ri, believing them to be too primitive. He was therefore opposed to forming an alliance with Earth, who desperately wanted to acquire Tollan technology. After it became clear that neither Omoc nor his fellow Tollan would share their technology freely, the NID threatened to take the Tollan guests into custody and force information from them. However, Daniel Jackson contacted the Nox against the orders of his superiors, who were eager to help the refugees escape the clutches of the United States military. Omoc and the others were eventually returned to the new Tollan homeworld, Tollana, by the Nox. He became a member of the Tollan Curia, his people's ruling body. However, when his civilization was threatened by Tanith, and the Curia decided to trade advanced Tollan weapons with the Goa'uld in exchange for Tollana's survival, he firmly resisted this agreement, and threatened to expose it to the Tollan people. He was subsequently murdered by the Curia, who made it look like he had suffered a heart attack. Omoc's modest memorial service was attended by several high ranking Tollan and SG-1, whom he somewhat respected. However, Narim, with SG-1's help, eventually saw through the cover story regarding Omoc's death, and subsequently exposed the conspiracy in the Curia, leading to Tollana's destruction by the Goa'uld.

Notes

• The Tollan featured in the setting of the Stargate universe.

Alternate Versions

• The Tollan were also mentioned briefly in the year 2010 of an alternate timeline where the Aschen had sterilised a large portion of the world's population. The now dissolved SG-1 considered the Tollan as potential candidates to aid Earth against the threat of de-population and Aschen retaliation.

Appearances

• Stargate: SG-1:

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