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fandomweekly2024-07-20 12:02 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2024-07-20 12:02 pm
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[#228] False Gods (Stargate SG-1)
Theme Prompt: #228 – Deity
Title: False Gods
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Rating/Warnings: PG / None.
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Teal’c was raised to revere his god Apophis, but a lot has changed since he came to understand the Goa’uld are not gods at all.
Teal’c had grown up revering his god, believing that was as it should be. His only ambition had been to become a Jaffa warrior, devoting his life to the service of Apophis. When he achieved that goal, he served willingly, even eagerly, as was only fitting, eventually being elevated to the position of First Prime, an honour almost unheard of for one so young.
But by that time, his unwavering devotion to his god was no longer what it once had been. Master Bra’tac, Apophis’ former First Prime, had trained Teal’c well. However, he had passed on to his best student not merely his extensive skills as a warrior, but also a great deal of knowledge which Apophis would no doubt have considered dangerously subversive, and cause for immediate execution, had he known of it.
It was Bra’tac who had taught Teal’c that Apophis and the other Goa’uld System Lords were not, in fact, gods, but parasites dependent on hosts, enslaving the people of Chulak both for that purpose, and as slaves to cater to their every whim. Even the Jaffa themselves existed in slavery, carrying within their stomach pouches immature Goa’uld symbiotes, without which the Jaffa could not survive. It made of them not only mighty warriors, but also incubators.
And yet, knowing Lord Apophis, and ALL of the Goa’uld, for what they truly were, false gods, was only the beginning. Even accepting this for the truth, what could the Jaffa do? How could even they fight to free themselves from those who declared themselves gods?
The majority of Jaffa were loyal to their gods, and had no desire either to hear the truth, or to be free. They enjoyed the privileges of their position, even though for many they could only expect to die in battle.
The Goa’uld held all the power, and they were many, with armies of loyal Jaffa to defend them and wage war against each other. For all their weapons, their strength, and their numbers, the Jaffa could not hope to defeat the false gods when most of their number were unwilling to accept what Teal’c, Bra’tac, and a few others now understood to be true.
So, lacking any other choice, Teal’c continued in service to Apophis, waiting patiently in the hope that someday a means would be discovered by which the false gods might be overthrown. It was not ideal, but there seemed to be no alternative.
Then, on a day much like any other, when a select group of Goa’uld were once again choosing hosts from those taken captive on various worlds, Teal’c encountered a group of people dressed in a manner he had never before seen. These were people of the Tau’ri, the first world, from whence the Goa’uld had initially taken slaves with which to seed other planets.
For the first time, Teal’c saw before him great warriors who were not Jaffa, potential allies in the battle to free his people from the false gods. Turning his staff weapon on his fellow Jaffa, he helped the strangers escape, and at their invitation, returned with them to the world of the Tau’ri, which they called earth. It was a daring move, but one which Teal’c felt was justified. Such an opportunity might never come again, it would have been foolish to allow it to slip through his grasp.
Earth proved strange in many ways. There was much that Teal’c needed to learn, about the people, their beliefs, their culture… It was difficult to know where to begin, but one question needed answering immediately.
“Do the people of the Tau’ri not have gods, O’Neill?” he enquired, curious yet cautious.
“Oh, yeah, we have a god, or maybe more than one. Depends on who you ask. They’re not like yours though.”
“I do not have a god, only false gods.”
“Right, well, not everyone here believes in God anyway, but even those who do, no one expects to see Him, at least not until after they die. Our God, or gods, don’t walk among us. We have a whole bunch of religions, lots of different ideas about what God is, or isn’t, and people worship in whatever way their faith claims is the right way, but we don’t all believe the same things. It’s… complicated.”
“I see.” Teal’c wasn’t entirely sure that he DID see, but what else could he say? He had no wish to be impolite to his new friends.
“You do?” O’Neill seemed surprised. “That makes one of us. Look, if you want to know more about earth religions, cultures, what have you, you should talk to Daniel. He loves that kinda thing, knows more about it than the rest of us put together. He can probably give you a whole bunch of stuff to read about all the major religions. Just, don’t believe everything you read. Half of it probably contradicts the other half, so who’s to say what’s right and what isn’t? Every religion has its own ideas.”
“Indeed.” Teal’c wasn’t looking for a new god himself, he had no desire to transfer his allegiance to another deity who might prove as false as the Goa’uld, but one could learn much about a people through their religion, and he was deeply curious about his new allies, people he would be living amongst as they sought a way to defeat the Goa’uld. “I will consult Daniel Jackson.” He bowed slightly.
“You do that, T.” O’Neill slapped him companionably on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll find it very… informative. Good luck, you’re gonna need it. Daniel will probably try to talk your ear off.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow; that was a possibility he had not considered, but perhaps it was only what O’Neill termed a figure of speech, and therefore not to be taken literally. “I will bear that in mind.” With another small bow of the head, Teal’c took his leave of O’Neill and went to seek out Daniel Jackson for what he hoped would prove an enlightening conversation.
The End
But by that time, his unwavering devotion to his god was no longer what it once had been. Master Bra’tac, Apophis’ former First Prime, had trained Teal’c well. However, he had passed on to his best student not merely his extensive skills as a warrior, but also a great deal of knowledge which Apophis would no doubt have considered dangerously subversive, and cause for immediate execution, had he known of it.
It was Bra’tac who had taught Teal’c that Apophis and the other Goa’uld System Lords were not, in fact, gods, but parasites dependent on hosts, enslaving the people of Chulak both for that purpose, and as slaves to cater to their every whim. Even the Jaffa themselves existed in slavery, carrying within their stomach pouches immature Goa’uld symbiotes, without which the Jaffa could not survive. It made of them not only mighty warriors, but also incubators.
And yet, knowing Lord Apophis, and ALL of the Goa’uld, for what they truly were, false gods, was only the beginning. Even accepting this for the truth, what could the Jaffa do? How could even they fight to free themselves from those who declared themselves gods?
The majority of Jaffa were loyal to their gods, and had no desire either to hear the truth, or to be free. They enjoyed the privileges of their position, even though for many they could only expect to die in battle.
The Goa’uld held all the power, and they were many, with armies of loyal Jaffa to defend them and wage war against each other. For all their weapons, their strength, and their numbers, the Jaffa could not hope to defeat the false gods when most of their number were unwilling to accept what Teal’c, Bra’tac, and a few others now understood to be true.
So, lacking any other choice, Teal’c continued in service to Apophis, waiting patiently in the hope that someday a means would be discovered by which the false gods might be overthrown. It was not ideal, but there seemed to be no alternative.
Then, on a day much like any other, when a select group of Goa’uld were once again choosing hosts from those taken captive on various worlds, Teal’c encountered a group of people dressed in a manner he had never before seen. These were people of the Tau’ri, the first world, from whence the Goa’uld had initially taken slaves with which to seed other planets.
For the first time, Teal’c saw before him great warriors who were not Jaffa, potential allies in the battle to free his people from the false gods. Turning his staff weapon on his fellow Jaffa, he helped the strangers escape, and at their invitation, returned with them to the world of the Tau’ri, which they called earth. It was a daring move, but one which Teal’c felt was justified. Such an opportunity might never come again, it would have been foolish to allow it to slip through his grasp.
Earth proved strange in many ways. There was much that Teal’c needed to learn, about the people, their beliefs, their culture… It was difficult to know where to begin, but one question needed answering immediately.
“Do the people of the Tau’ri not have gods, O’Neill?” he enquired, curious yet cautious.
“Oh, yeah, we have a god, or maybe more than one. Depends on who you ask. They’re not like yours though.”
“I do not have a god, only false gods.”
“Right, well, not everyone here believes in God anyway, but even those who do, no one expects to see Him, at least not until after they die. Our God, or gods, don’t walk among us. We have a whole bunch of religions, lots of different ideas about what God is, or isn’t, and people worship in whatever way their faith claims is the right way, but we don’t all believe the same things. It’s… complicated.”
“I see.” Teal’c wasn’t entirely sure that he DID see, but what else could he say? He had no wish to be impolite to his new friends.
“You do?” O’Neill seemed surprised. “That makes one of us. Look, if you want to know more about earth religions, cultures, what have you, you should talk to Daniel. He loves that kinda thing, knows more about it than the rest of us put together. He can probably give you a whole bunch of stuff to read about all the major religions. Just, don’t believe everything you read. Half of it probably contradicts the other half, so who’s to say what’s right and what isn’t? Every religion has its own ideas.”
“Indeed.” Teal’c wasn’t looking for a new god himself, he had no desire to transfer his allegiance to another deity who might prove as false as the Goa’uld, but one could learn much about a people through their religion, and he was deeply curious about his new allies, people he would be living amongst as they sought a way to defeat the Goa’uld. “I will consult Daniel Jackson.” He bowed slightly.
“You do that, T.” O’Neill slapped him companionably on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll find it very… informative. Good luck, you’re gonna need it. Daniel will probably try to talk your ear off.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow; that was a possibility he had not considered, but perhaps it was only what O’Neill termed a figure of speech, and therefore not to be taken literally. “I will bear that in mind.” With another small bow of the head, Teal’c took his leave of O’Neill and went to seek out Daniel Jackson for what he hoped would prove an enlightening conversation.
The End
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