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Introduction.
It is my belief that there are more goa'uld system lords than represented in The episodes "Summit" and "Last Stand."
My argument for this is based on several peices of evidence.
"Only dozens of System Lords, thousands of Goa'uld in general" - Selmak of the Tok'ra, Seth.
"That's all the major players" - Jacob Carter, Summit.
"You are familiar with the system lord Nurrti?" Imhotep, The Warrior
The opponents of this view have used the following as evidence.
"We intend to strike at all of them at once." - Ren-al of the Tok'ra, Summit.
The vote carried out in "Last Stand"
Supporting Evidence.
1) Seth. There are dozens of System Lords.
1a) It could be argued that between the time of Seth and Summit the other system lords have been killed. We know that seven system lords attended the meeting. Between Seth and Summit the system lords Heru-ur and Chronos are killed. Also killed is Seth, though he was on earth. If we also count Nurrti that gives a total of eleven system lords, including Seth.
We may also add Sobek to this list, though it is unclear if he was a system lord, or a rogue goa'uld like Anubis, Apophis and Sokar. This gives a total of twelve. Dozens denotes at least twenty four.
2) All the major players does not include minor players. This for example does not include Nurrti, who was presumably weak, although she may have absorbed some of Chronos' forces. There may be many other system lords who do not qualify as 'major players'
3) It is clear from this quote that both Imhotep, who is a minor goa'uld, and SG-1 consider Nurrti a system lord, even after the "Summit" confrence.
Opposing evidence.
1) Ren-al's quote. Taken out of context this seems like all system lords would be attending the meeting, however in context she is specifically talking about killing all of the goa'uld at the meeting, not all of the system lords.
2) This argument states that the goa'uld at the meeting voted to accept Anubis' return as a system lord. Therefore the goa'uld attending the meeting must represent all of the system lords. However this makes the assumption that the system lords are democratic. This however is a false assumption, the goa'uld will happily kill each other, and decapitate their enemies, using the severed heads to decorate their palaces. The goa'uld are probably not democratic. This argument also ignores the actual dialogue of Baal;
"Who among us accepts the return of Anubis into the system lords?"
"The vote need not be unanimous, by a vote of six to one, anubis is awarded the title of system lord and welcomed back among those who rule the goa'uld."
This does not necceserily indicate that all system lords were present, The fact that the most powerful system lords can award the title of system lord does not necceserily prove they are the only ones in existance. For example, the UN security council can make major descisions, despite the fact that not all members sit on the security council at all times. In the same way, the prescence of the most powerful system lords who were at the confrence does not preculde the existance of others.
Conclusion.
There are more system lords than those at the confrence, however those who were there represent a goa'uld security council analogy. They are undisputedly the most powerful of the goa'uld system lords. |
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