Diary Entry One
Renek Tol’Anak
System Lords Third Battle Group

Life is at the pleasure of our System Lords--the gods who give us the gift of long life, perfect health, and pure service to their will.

My wife raises our sons and daughters in the service of the Goa’uld, proud to carry their young in exchange for strength, health, and longevity. And I am gifted the pleasure of my family’s company twice each orbit of our star.

I was born to serve and to fight and I excel at my role. I take great pride in my service to the gods, and rejoice in the place in eternity I earn for myself, and my family through that service.

The Tau’ri have disgraced themselves and betrayed the gods who gave them life and purpose. That shame must be erased, along with all who resist. I swear upon my honor I will do my best to bring them down and regain control of this galaxy for my master. I must, or my suffering will be eternal.

Diary Entry Two
Renek Tol’Anak
System Lords Third Battle Group

I was deeply honored, twice today.  One of my Lords spoke my name, and honored me by telling me the location of our battle.  An old temple on an insignificant planet known as Amarna.  My mission was to eliminate the Tau’ri there, and secure a naquadah mine for my Lords.

Many fell to the Tau’ri warriors.  They fought with honor and they will be rewarded, as they will be remembered.

As for the Tau’ri, they too fought bravely.  Even as I crushed the life out of a female warrior, she summoned one of their robot guns that nearly ended my service to my Lords.  Another of their soldiers actually charged me with his little lead thrower, too many of his projectiles penetrating my armor. 

Thankfully, one of my Lords’ sons, a Goa’uld, restored me even as he cast the puny soldier aside, dashing his life out against the temple stones. 

My Lords spoke my name again in thanks at the end of our mission, when the last Tau’ri still in the temple had been killed as they fled through the gate.  If we had destroyed all of them, and prevented their flight, my Lords would have been far more pleased.  But they spoke my name in praise anyway. 

I shall never forget this day!

Diary Entry Three
Dis’Renek Tol’Anak
System Lords Third Battle Group

It is a battle like this that makes me glad my responsibilities are limited. So many pieces of this assault. So many little missions. So many chances of failure.

Find an enemy. Site and enemy. Shoot an enemy. This is the best of missions.

Capture an enemy, and extract information from them? This is more complicated, but my lords and their children do so enjoy the extraction of information. Regardless of the outcome, I am often rewarded for the bringing of new enemy to be interrogated.

This early part of the assault was rewarding to my station, if not particularly honorable in combat. The monks of Piramess were not absolute pacifist, but neither were they prepared or willing to fight against our forces. And the information my lords required rolled easily from their tongues, loosened with the skill my lords’ children possess.

It was the second part of this mission that became impossible. The simple task of retrieving data stored in a nearby structure became a slaughter almost as great as any I have witnessed.

Many Jaffa fell, today. Even my brother’s son, fresh to battle, eager to prove himself. He will be honored for his proud sacrifice to the gods, with a place in the next realm far greater than he had earned in this.

Even the children of the gods fell today. Cut down first by the long range weapons of the Tau’ri, until the weather device was activated, and a storm rendered those weapons all but useless.

We were driven from this world, without what my lords required. But many Tau’ri were likewise killed. My team fought with honor. They killed my lords’ enemies, and never once shirked orders or fate. I am clean of the failure of this mission, and once again, my lords spoke my name in praise.

Diary Entry Four
Dis’Renek Tol’Anak
System Lords Third Battle Group

I have never been to the ancient world of the Tau’ri.  I’ve heard many stories of the ancient temples and beautiful riches of the original land of the hosts. 

What I saw in today’s assault was none of those storied lands.  Just cement and metal, like all the other Tau’ri fortifications. 

My lords wished for a device and some data from the Tau’ri.  Both belonging to the Ancients.  I am not sure exactly what these goals represented, but I know that it was very important and many squads were assigned the task.  I’ve never seen so many of the god’s children assembled in one Ha’tak, before.

Despite the brilliance of my lords’ plans, we failed to achieve our objective and left the Tau’ri’s base without the data or the ancient device that was required.  I am convinced the assault was a deep blow to the morale of the Tau’ri, but I’m not sure if that will be a good thing, or a bad thing, in future engagements with them.  I have found their resolve to strengthen in the face of adversity rather than crumble as many of my lords’ other enemies do.

I committed myself to the fight with honor, and in fact only managed to escape with my life because I was requested by my lords’ children to provide covering fire as they retreated through the gate.  We took our initial objectives, but could not hold them long enough to obtain either the data or device.  I know my lords will wish us to try again, though how they will gain access a second time I do not know.  Surely the Tau’ri will tighten their security.

Diary Entry Five
Dis’Renek Tol’Anak
System Lords Third Battle Group

There are stories told to us as children about Mahes, and his Court of Judgment. About the terrible things that happen there to the disloyal, and the extreme trials that test the honor and dedication of all of his followers. Many Goa’uld sent their most promising soldiers to Mahes for testing. Some returned, tested and faithful. Many never came back.

Of course, the stories were so extreme, it was thought by all that they were fairy tales told to frighten children. But, many fairy tales are, in fact, true, and I know firsthand that our lords’ testing methods are without reservation.

We knew as we raced to the world, Leonops, that the Tauri had discovered its location. The hope was we’d beat them there, as my Lords understood some of the ancient devices’ rules and structure, and knew a battle would be unwise. But, our orders were simple. Secure the device and eliminate all trace, and if the Tauri were present, eliminate them as well.

Unfortunately, we arrived too late to secure the gate and prevent the Tauri from emerging, and we were plunged into the trial of Mahes. A trial that we failed, and yet somehow were allowed to live.

I’ve been shot by the Tauri weapons before. Felt the sting of their turrets, and the retching distortions of that cursed cloud of disease their scientists spew forth. I’ve even been killed on the battlefield, only to be honored by my gods with resurrection. But never before have I suffered so much. Has anyone. To die over, and over, and over again, in the most horrible of ways, only to be renewed with my team as if it was merely a nightmare.

We were not even allowed weariness and rest. Each resurrection left us as fresh as when we’d arrived, but with the building memories of horror upon horror. Only my long training and the Jaffa culture prepared me to withstand it.

I do not know how the Tauri were able to cope. I have learned long ago to respect them, and their dedication, and never to underestimate them. But I would have expected them to break long before, and yet they remained focused and determined to the end, besting us in the trail of Mahes.

I also confess here, though would die before I confessed elsewhere, that I almost shed a tear of relief when, after that last death, I found myself reappearing not in the force field contained compartment of the Court, but instead aboard our Al’kesh, in the ring room, along with the rest of my team. I knew we’d lost the trail, but I also knew the trial was over.

I think our commander felt the same, as he ordered the ship to depart, rather than to reengage the Tauri, and I am unaware of any disapproval from our Lords.