Disclaimer

I really do wish that Ba'al was mine... Sadly, neither he nor the other characters belong to me.

Note

This bit of dialogue came about as I was wondering: What would have happened, if their first real meeting with Ba'al wasn't when he tortured O'Neill? (I don't count Summit, since there was no direct interaction.) What if he met them while Apophis was still alive? Before they met the Tok'ra, or any of the other races? What if he explained things from a warlord's point of view?

I will admit, I read a story - I can't remember who it was by - that had Ba'al's human family die in a plague. He was then offered a symbiote by the ever-apologetic Tok'ra when they arrived too late to save his people. My Ba'al's first interaction with them was far worse. (At least, from my point of view.) I'll clean that piece up and possibly post it later.

Edit: Corrected an error - Carter is a Major at this point in time.

An Alternate Meeting With SG1

He eyed SG-1 with a frown. "Let me be certain that I understand you. You are here, out in the galaxy, looking for allies to destroy my species." He gave a snort of amused derision. "Good luck."

Jack eyed him. "All right. I suppose I'll bite. What's so funny?"

Ba'al lounged on his throne and closed his eyes for a moment in internal debate. "Babati, have seats brought in for my guests."

Jack stared in shock at this. A Goa'uld caring about their comfort? Nah, there had to be another explanation. Probably just wanted their undivided attention... That sounded about right.

The First Prime bowed. "As you wish, my lord."

Several chairs were brought in and, much to SG-1's amazement, various refreshments. Ba'al accepted a glass of wine from his Lo'taur and eyed them. "To understand – to truly understand – you have to know more about the galaxy than you currently do. Let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time – I've been told this is the traditional opening – there was a race known as the Lanteans. You know them as the ones who built the Stargate. They were just as arrogant as the Goa'uld, though they hid it better. They messed with the universe in ways that would frighten you: They terraformed worlds, created black holes and seeded life where there was none.

No, I'm not talking about transplanting your ancestors to other worlds. They created your ancestors in a bizarre bit of hubris. They also created several others, including my own. Oops, I suppose... And they did all that right after they nearly wiped themselves out with a plague. I have it on high authority that they created that plague themselves.

At any rate, they were one of four so-called Great Races. The others showed propensities for varying skills. Like the Lanteans, the Nox were given to the development of the mind. Unlike the Lanteans, the Nox did not build weapons. They were – and are – pacifists. Good luck getting anything but riddles out of them if you ever meet.

The third Race, the Furlings, disappeared at around the same time that the Lanteans did.

The fourth Race, the Asgard, retreated to their home galaxy. I believe you call it the Ida galaxy? At any rate, you are not going to be able to reach them for a very long time, I would imagine. Though they do still like to drop by on occasion. Just trust me on one thing – avoid Loki. He likes to mess with primitive genetics in a similar fashion to Nirti.

So, that was that as far as their Alliance went.

In the absence of the first four space-faring races, others rose into power. The Asgard were supposedly keeping an eye on things – such as any new players on the galactic map. But their patrols were so far between that we had developed space travel and moved to dozens of worlds before they even noticed us. For some reason, they don't like us. We are aggressive, supercilious, and vicious creatures. That probably has something to do with it.

Destroying us would mean wiping out too many planets for their tastes, so they proposed a treaty. The so very imaginatively named Protected Planets Treaty. We do not trespass on certain worlds and they leave us alone. It doesn't bother us much, since we're having too much fun trying to eliminate our dearest friends and allies. We're almost as bad as humans in that way. I sometimes wonder if we learned it from you, or you learned it from us... I suppose it's pointless to speculate.

Also having risen from the primordial muck, you might say, was the Tollan. Not quite as pacifistic as the Nox, the Tollan are perfectly happy to ignore the rest of the Universe as long as they are safe. Their idea of providing help to primitive races is to tell them not to call again until they reach an acceptable level of evolution...

A threshold which we generally leave them alone at, if they reach it. Thereby making any Tollan aid a moot point.

Others have tried to reach that level. However, they are either like the Tollan – devoted only to themselves, the Nox – complete pacifists, or us – conquerors who 'steal' resources and technology from others. Those who don't fit those molds usually find a way to destroy themselves before they reach the point that they could be any assistance to you...

Oh, have you met the Tok'ra yet? You don't have to answer, as it doesn't really matter. Their queen, Egeria, was actually "once a Goa'uld, herself." Now, I don't mean that she's a former host. I mean that she is a parasitic entity that professes to behave in a more symbiotic manner.

I can't quite recall the name of her last known host. I suppose it's not important.

Egeria spawned an ideological split from the rest of the Goa'uld. Supposedly, she felt that the humans should have more choices and that the so-called symbiote should share the host's body equally with the host. It's all well and good, I suppose. I and my host are blended and are now one entity. I know that supposedly that is a Tok'ra ideal, but I find it works just as well if the host agrees with the Goa'uld methodology.

But, no, the Tok'ra are scavengers and spies. Unlike the Goa'uld, who at least wage war openly, the Tok'ra will take the coward's way. They will run and hide, then strike at your backs when you forget that they are there or believe them gone. A... reasonable tactic, if they did more than just sit on half the intelligence that they receive...

What they won't tell you is that they have just as high a regard for regular humans as we Goa'uld have. If a planet or a group of humans were to die, then that's fine. After all, humans breed like rats and it just means that there are fewer to become Goa'uld. Acceptable losses.

They believe themselves just as far above you as we believe ourselves. However, they will lie to you about it. They'll call you young, reckless, unprepared. They'll tell you that they're keeping their technology from you for your own good. Never mind that it is technology that they stole from other, more advanced races. Never mind that sharing their knowledge might actually achieve their goals... It would mean that the other races would no longer have to "respect" them for having such impressive knowledge.

Yes, you can substitute 'fear' for 'respect' in that sentence and still be accurate.

They will use you for their experiments. They will smile and pat you on the head like a good dog when you pass information along to them. They will call you friend or ally. And then they will smile inwardly when your people are slaughtered instead of theirs in a battle that they have caused.

Don't believe me? I was born a Tok'ra. I simply chose to not be a hypocrite when I saw their behavior for myself. My host was in complete agreement.

Why no, Major Carter, I was not named Ba'al originally. I once had a different name. My host went by another name, as well. We have both voluntarily taken the name Ba'al to represent our collective will.

You look surprised.

My host's people are dead. There is no point in naming him by their system. In his mind, he died the same day the Tok'ra showed their true colors. My people are hypocrites, liars and fools. I reject the name that they would have had me use.

I - we are simply Ba'al...

Barring the technologically or mentally advanced, you have various communities of farmers or hunter-gatherers that are just trying to fly below the radar. That is the Tau'ri term, is it not?

So, yes, you could unite all the primitive races of the galaxy and beat us back. You could kill us all. You would lose over half of your forces and the presumably advanced races would simply stand back and watch as you nearly wiped yourself out in the attempt. Then, one of them would take our place.

So, I say it again: Good luck in finding the help you seek. I, personally, think you would be better off picking a System Lord and pledging your loyalty. But, that's just me.

He sipped his drink. "You are perfectly welcome to stay on board for a day or two, if you would like to get to know me and my people from a different perspective. Your friend, Teal'c, only truly knows Apophis' ways, after all, and I always found that brute to be more interested in his own pleasures than in the actual administration and care of his pledged peoples. You might find that you actually like me. Miracles do happen."

He turned to Sam. "If you ask nicely, I might even have my First Prime - Babati - take you on a tour of the engine room. Full explanations for any questions you want to ask that don't endanger the security of my vessel."

He smiled at Daniel. "I'll be happy to let you look at and perhaps even copy a portion of my language and historical databases. I understand that you're interested in the topic."

He frowned at Jack and Teal'c. "I'm not certain what entertainments I could offer you. Have you, O'Neill, ever learned to fly an Udajeet or a Tel'tak? Would you like to? Teal'c, I suppose can wander and spar with my warriors or kel'no'reem in the gardens. Perhaps make use of the ship's harem." He shrugged. "So, are you interested?"