Chapter IX: Through the Looking Glass



Skaara flipped a page in one of the books she'd found in the quarters within Cheyenne Mountain. Daniel's doing, if the fact that the five books were either on history, or myth, was anything to go by. The one she was reading at the moment was on the legend of Atlantis and it's possible real life locations. It was amusing, to say the least, given that Atlantis was around in her world and time. But it was comfortable enough a way to pass the time as she waited days and days for Sam and the other "eggheads" , as Colonel O'Neill called them, to figure out a method to get her safely to the surface of Rhea.

It had been a week and a half, and still every time she visited Sam in the lab, the woman simply shook her head and went back to her notes. Skaara had never seen that face so dejected, and it worried her.

She shut the book. There was just no concentrating given the situation. She glanced over at the clock and got up. Maybe she could find Teal'c or Daniel in the commissary and grab something to eat. This constant waiting was beginning to drive her crazy.

She nodded to the young lieutenant, Ryan, who stood outside her door, and took the elevator one floor up, praying all the while for someone from SG-1 to be eating. She was getting rather tired of the stares. Although, Skaara smirked, single handedly causing the rumor mill to implode was rather fun. Apparently this universe was as hell bent as the other two she knew of on getting Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill together. Really, she mused as she turned the last corner to the commissary, how many universes did they need to meet in order to realize the universe was trying to tell them something?

Good, Teal'c was there. She'd found very quickly that sparring with Teal'c was good for grounding her in something familiar. Like her Ari'ii, Teal'c had quickly accepted her presence and begun offering her the chance to keep her skills intact. He genuinely seemed not to care that she was the ward of a completely different man, or that she'd caused some extra tension between his CO and adopted sister. If anything, the whole situation amused the stoic warrior.

She grabbed a tray, a tuna sandwich, and a bottle of Perrier, and sat down across from him, nodding the proper hello as she did so.

"Skaara Sha're, it is good to see you have not let the situation harm you."

"I am affected, I just learned long ago how to bear it as befitting a Jaffa," she smiled," any news from Captain Carter?"

"She has yet to find a solution. It appears there is not just soil blocks your way. I believe she fears that some of the objects hidden from Ba'al may render any digging impossible." Skaara closed her eyes a moment. That's what she'd assumed. Who knew what could be buried on the other end? She remembered several explosive rounds, for instance, sitting not far from the p-90s. If they tried to dig, they could cause an explosion and render the mirror useless anyway.

"I thought so."

Something in her voice gave away the fear she'd kept at bay until that moment, because she felt Teal'c lay a comforting hand on hers. She smiled. He could read her as easily as the counterpart she'd never see again.

"There are worse fates, Skaara Sha're, than to live well in the name of those you love."

"I am an O'Neill, Teal'c. I cannot leave anyone behind," with that she resolutely dug into her sandwich, trusting the male Jaffa to let her be.


There was nothing left.

Daniel Jackson tried to tell himself that the eyes could deceive, that just because the tent house was a mess didn't mean his niece had been inside when it had burned to ash. She was Jaffa as well as human, he reminded himself. No doubt she could have escaped.

It didn't stop him from feeling like he'd lost Sam and Jack all over again.

He looked away, back towards the remains of the market and the town. They'd lost twenty people—nineteen his brain demanded—mostly the elderly who couldn't get away from the blasts fast enough.

"She got away, Daniel," his wife said in a whisper as she hugged him from the back. He gripped the hands that met over his stomach, but remained silent.

"Then why hasn't she come back like everyone else?" he said after the silence had begun to stretch too long. Nearly every remaining survivor whose body was not counted had returned. Yet he hadn't seen Skaara's blond head among them.

"Daniel Jackson," the archaeologist broke free from his wife's embrace and turned to meet Teal'c's eyes," I do not find a corpse. Skaara Sha're did not die when the attack occurred. That much we may be thankful for."

Daniel took a breath.

"Perhaps she injured herself somewhere in the forest? She could be fine but unable to return."

She was right, of course. Skaara knew as well as any of them what was expected of her should the Goa'uld attack. But it still left them with the inability to know which direction she ran. And then there was the thought of Skaara injured and unable to--

"DANIEL JACKSON!!"

He turned a sheepish eye towards his wife.

"Stop worrying. We'll find her and she'll be fine. She's an O'Neill," she gently laid an arm around his shoulders," we'll start looking now, ok?"

Daniel look at her, hair flying in every direction and soot mushed all over her face. He'd nearly lost her today. And she was there and right as usual when it came to these things. He knew from her eyes that she was as worried for Skaara as he was, but she was staying calmer than he was.

"Ok," he sighed," you're right. Any ideas?"

Teal'c scanned the remains of his dwelling, then looked down into the market. Daniel followed his eyes.

"She would have tried to find us. That means the market," he said. Teal'c nodded.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Vala added, rolling her eyes," lets go find our girl so I can chew her out. I'm getting to be an old lady, and you don't scare old ladies!"

Teal'c looked at Daniel with a quirked eyebrow, and for once since the attack a smile crossed his face.

"Not even touching that one. Lets go find Skaara. She'll be crankier than Jack after a shot if we leave her waiting all day."

"Indeed."