Tretonin Discussion

[Cloud Buster]

SPOILERS FOR S6 "Cure", "The Changeling", S7 "Birthright"



















We established in "Cure" that one of the primary reasons we didn't want Tretonin from the Pangarans was that it was (as Jack so eloquently put it), "ground Goa'uld". Furthermore, the Tok'ra queen that was spawning the symbiotes is gone, and there was no more Tretonin to be had.

In "The Changeling", Jacob shows up with a "refined" version of it specifically for Jaffa. Teal'c and Bra'tac then become dependent on it, and it's very clear that throughout season seven they're both using the drug frequently. Furthermore, we agree to provide the drug to Ishta's Jaffa warriors in "Birthright".

So the question becomes, where's the Tretonin coming from? The whole reason we give it to Ishta is so they'll stop taking symbiotes from other Jaffa, but what's the point? It's very well established by now that Goa'uld larval symbiotes are in very short supply -- not to mention that the Goa'uld, for whatever reason, have started eating what few symbiotes they spawn ("Summit", "Last Stand"). So where are the Tok'ra getting this Tretonin?? The only other source would be Jaffa -- but the moral issue from "Cure" and "Birthright" still exists, not to mention that head on combat just isn't the way the Tok'ra operate, especially not just to get symbiotes.

[Angelodemortis]

Mabe its chemically synthesised like most drugs on this planet.

[Iki-Ryo]

The Tok'ra Probably found a way to synthesize it, during the refining of the drug, and gave that technology to earth, like they did with the Symbiot poison as they reveiled in last weeks epp, why would they do that? we could easily accidently wipe them out too.

[Teal'c]

The Tok'ra version probably has been refined as to not need actual symbiotes... but then again even the Tau'ri can clone symbiotes (Nightwalkers)

[Calicto]

No. There are no symbiotes in the new formula. It wouldnt make sense. They would then be dependent on the Goa'uld literally. Even if they were cloning them, so many things could go wrong and Earth definately doesnt want a pool of symbiotes.

[Ugly Pig]

Well - at the time Egeria died the Pangerans still had a large pool full of symbiotes. And presumably they had Tretonin stocked up somewhere else, too. I'm guessing they still use these symbiotes while making the Tretonin (Jaffa Edition) but that they will eventually run out and that will create a problem. Remember, Jacob said that given time the Tok'ra were expecting to be able to resolve the Jaffa dependancy on Tretonin.

And so far, not many Jaffa are using it. Teal'c, Bra'tac and Ishta's gang. There's probably enough Tretonin left for these relatively few Jaffa for the time being.

[aschen]

The Tok'Ra did help refine it, thus saving the Pangarens lives. Once you have the basic chemical structure down, it shouldn't be that hard to give it to a Jaffa who'd want it.

[crimsontide101]

what i want to know is what happened to all those blank slated symbiotes. Like anubis's did they get programed to follow the Tokra or what, just left to be ground up

[po134]

the tretonnin come from the tok'ra ... they give us the recipe and now we can make it without goa'uld [The tok'ra queen said it during the episode concerned]

[Beatrice Otter]

the tretonnin come from the tok'ra ... they give us the recipe and now we can make it without goa'uld [The tok'ra queen said it during the episode concerned]

Or, maybe the Tok'ra have captured a Goa'uld queen and are using her to produce the symbiotes to make the Tretonin, a la the Pangarans' project. Given their reaction to the Pangarans' methods (before they knew the queen in question was Egeria), I'd say they wouldn't have any ethical problems with that.

[Ugly Pig]

the tretonnin come from the tok'ra ... they give us the recipe and now we can make it without goa'uld [The tok'ra queen said it during the episode concerned]

Actually, no. What Egeria gave the Pangarans was a way to reverse their addiction to Tretonin, which was caused by her deliberately sabotaging her offspring. She wouldn't even know how to make Tretonin - she's not the one who made it.

[thespyofcharles]

so tretonin solves the problem of jaffa dependence on goauld symbiotes. but isn't tretonin made of ground up symbiotes? so you're getting no more than the mass of the symbiote, which is good for a couple weeks of tretonin, and sacrificing like 9 years of symbiote use? that doesn't sound very economic... where are the tok'ra and the sgc getting all the symbiotes required to make the tretonin? unless u change the jaffa physiology, you probably can't solve their dependence on goauld symbiotes, since u need symbiotes to make tretonin.

[Darkdreams]

so tretonin solves the problem of jaffa dependence on goauld symbiotes. but isn't tretonin made of ground up symbiotes? so you're getting no more than the mass of the symbiote, which is good for a couple weeks of tretonin, and sacrificing like 9 years of symbiote use? that doesn't sound very economic... where are the tok'ra and the sgc getting all the symbiotes required to make the tretonin? unless u change the jaffa physiology, you probably can't solve their dependence on goauld symbiotes, since u need symbiotes to make tretonin.

I could be wrong but I believe that the tretonin is based on the orig formula and that it is synthesized and not made from actual symbiotes.. please can someone verify this?

[spg_1983]

I could be wrong but I believe that the tretonin is based on the orig formula and that it is synthesized and not made from actual symbiotes.. please can someone verify this?

there is actually considerable debate about this. personally i think that when jacob says that they have refined the proccess, he was meaning that they had managed to create it without symbiotes. its the only answer that makes sense. the people that created it had vats with hundreds of symbiotes in it and they were desperate to find another queen because they were going to run out soon. if it was still dependent on actual symbiotes, the number needed would be astronomical to be a viable option for the jaffa, and they would still be dependent on symbiotes so nothing really changes. the tok'ra have to have figured out a way to synthesise it artificially, otherwise they wouldnt be pushing it as an option for the jaffa.

[SaberBlade]

Tetronin was described as being more refined but its still based on symbiotes (well thats how i remember it)

well Tretonin isn't being mass produced. there are only a few select people using it (about 6 that i can remember) so with the large amount of symbiotes on Pangar, that would be enough to sustain 6 or more people for quiet a long time, even if its more refined to require less symbiote.