AN: Yes, these 'chapters' are very short, this is because they're less fatiguing to write, and improve the search metrics because the forums I crosspost on reward frequent updates. In reality this whole conference would be one 'chapter' of 10k or so words. Also its more likely someone will comment/review one of the issues brought up by each of these segments rather than making notes and reviewing the hypothetical 10k post.

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During their discussion the officer in charge of the presentation had raised the lights again, but one of the previous slides still occupied the screen. Durov glanced down at his watch and saw almost two hours had passed since Zhukov's arrival, and he considered his words following Basin's remarks.

"Our relations with the Jaffa are very similar to those with the Svorrin. To begin, the Jaffa occupy the second rank in the Goa'uld society, sometimes the priests are higher, but in most god's domains the Jaffa, carrying the Goa'uld symbiotes in their bodies, are almost sacred. Within the Jaffa each Goa'uld, and especially the System Lords, have an elite unit of guards. Apophis' wear snake helmets, Ra and the others of Ra's family have bird helmets. Almost all the First Primes, the head of each Goa'uld's Jaffa, used to be Guards for their gods. As such you can see how once again, if we remove the Goa'uld we remove the lynchpin of Jaffa society. Their culture is predicated on service, they collect taxes from the human slaves, and they themselves serve the Goa'uld as soldiers and incubators. All Jaffa leaders are Guards, and the Guards have much better armour and more advanced equipment than the other Jaffa, meaning they're less likely to rebel. We have good relations with Bra'tac and Teal'c, but their 'cell' comprises little more than the apprentices each has taken, their students in effect, it's not a political movement. Neither of them can comprehend life without the Goa'uld, they just know their masters aren't actually gods and don't like it."

The chief medical officer, Dr Belik, stepped in, "Nor would they be able to rebel if they wanted to. The Goa'uld symbiote strengthens the Jaffa, making them physically superior to a human, but also acting as their immune system and extending their lives. Teal'c is 50 but looks 20, and Bra'tac is almost 90 but only recent retired. In all tests on captured specimens when we remove the symbiote the Jaffa rapidly deteriorates, eventually succumbing to various infections that their symbiote would normally fight off. My division has examined both Jaffa and symbiote extensively, and we're currently looking toward a substitute drug."

"Like insulin for diabetics." Said one of the others.

"Exactly, but for the moment the Jaffa need a new symbiote every 20 years or so, as the ones inside them grow to maturity. Without a supply of fresh ones we'd not be able to supply a rebellion." Replied Belik.

"And fresh Goa'uld only come from Goa'uld Queens, who seem to be incredibly rare. We suspect Ra and the other System Lords all have one, but that they're used as bargaining chips, 'ally with me and I'll supply you and your Jaffa with symbiotes' and so on."

A few questions broke out regarding the specifics of the Queens, but Abramovich rapped the table with his knuckles, "Belik's findings are in your briefing packs, back to the subject at hand." He ordered.

"Didn't you find that planet…" asked one officer Durov didn't recognised, "The theorised Goa'uld homeworld? I understood there to be plenty of Goa'uld there?"

Belik nodded, "I have a slide prepared for this." And he instructed the projection officer who put up a picture of two Goa'uld side by side. "Specimen A is what we're calling a 'Primordial' Goa'uld, B is a 'Dynasty' Goa'uld. As you see the Primordials are significantly larger, especially in the fins and head area, while B is much weaker. Essentially you're looking at an ape and a human, an animal at different evolutionary steps. The Primordials primarily hunt like a sea snake, using venom and grasping onto fish, whereas the Dynasty Goa'uld rarely leave their hosts. All aspects of the anatomy not dedicated to their parasitism have atrophied, for instance the venom glands are still there, but smaller, and in their place a significantly more developed system of nerves and connections between them and the host, whether Unas or human. From what we understand from the Unas folklore, the Primordials can't take a host for more than a few days, I believe because they lack the, well we haven't named it yet, but it's basically a placenta that develops when a Dynasty Goa'uld takes a host for an extended period. Comrade Gauis didn't have one, but the host Vulcan was in before him did."

"So these 'Primordials' aren't… compatible?" asked the questioner, clearly struggling with the explanation.

Belik answered in the affirmative and the discussion continued again, Durov sitting back to watch. Eventually Zhukov asked his own question. "Are the Jaffa politically reliable?"

"Cuts to the heart doesn't it?" Abramovich murmured to Durov, then turned to the table. "Colonel Kuzenov, tell us about your theory."

An officer about half way down the table nodded and stood, straightening his uniform. "Sir," he exclaimed perfunctorily, "My team's been working on understanding Jaffa society, specifically liaising with the Chulak cell as well as interrogating the prisoners we've taken. Currently we've theorised the Jaffa both as exploiters and exploited, as their biological situation contrasts with their political. We concluded based on this understanding that we'd have to remove the Goa'uld, but then also dismantle the framework of vassalage that would remain, for the reasons Colonel Durov and Major Reniv discussed in relation to the Svorrin. More recently however I've proposed an alternative view regarding the Jaffa and therefore our actions, namely one of plurality. While some aspects of Goa'uld culture are monolithic, for example their ascetic to an extent or their technology, others are diverse. I therefore argue we must be equally diverse to take account for this plurality. To put our situation into perspective there are billions of Jaffa. Apophis, one of the stronger System Lords, has at least five hundred million, spread out across a vast domain, the majority of which he doesn't directly manage. Currently we're in a period of long peace among the Goa'uld, and Teal'c hadn't been on one of their spaceships till recently, but we have to consider just how large and for how long the Goa'uld civilisation has been developing. I don't say this to give you an idea of the military situation we face, but to emphasise how diverse the cultures we'll encounter are. So far we've met worlds populated by people from most continents, as well as cultures we can't identify with any particular Earth-based period. Thus I conclude that our strategy must be as diverse as our enemy."

"Kuzenov's theory is currently under consideration." Said Durov, "But even if we don't adopt it in its entirety, there are useful elements to draw out. For example, Bra'tac believes the Goa'uld to be unjust and cruel, and therefore opposes them for philosophical reasons despite his position of privilege. Teal'c, being Bra'tac's student, follows this to an extent, but his opposition primarily comes from a desire for revenge against Cronos because Cronos killed Teal'c's father. If Apophis allowed this desire, which given the Cronos' entry into the Apophis-Ba'al conflict currently is not impossible, Teal'c might simply go back to being a loyal Jaffa. In its general terms, Kuzenov's theory is correct regarding the diversity of our enemy."

Discussion once again broke out on the issue and again Abramovich reigned them in. "As with Basin's comments we have a working group dedicated to this issue. All suggestions to him and so on… Chapeyev, your account on currently operations if you please."