(Shocked 1# Rosha Fan, wow long name. Thanks, and glad you didn't see it coming.
Telboriel, thanks. Interesting to know to know what you find interesting.
Stoko, glad there was no choppiness to report. Thanks.
Ilaaris, thanks. Is this update soon enough:grins:
Itsirk, your the second (and a half) person to comment on the Sam/Selmak thing. I'm glad it got attention. Thanks for the review.
Blue Banrigh, nice to hear from you. I finally found a way to bring Malek into the story as more than a very minor character, and I wondered where you went. I'm glad you brought Malek up. When you first mentioned him, I had to look up him. As luck would have it, Sci Fi also aired his two episodes that week. He's an enjoyable character to write.)

The Mirror
Part 6, Morals

"I know I'm not really your daughter, since your from a parallel universe, but this is me. I'm Sam."

Jacob continued to ignore her.

"Please, help me. If I'm captured by the Tok'ra here, they will kill me."

At this Jacob gave Selmak control.

Noticing the switch alt-Sam asked, "Why do you allow my father control? You're Tok'ra."

"I believe that answered your question."

"Dad, talk to me."

Selmak ignored her, and moved out as she saw the Goa'uld were retreating. She decided to stay put, and continue to guard the room. She was approached by alt-Lantash a few minutes after. "Thank you for your help. I am afraid I have bad news. The Goa'uld have stolen the mirror and remote."

Jacob took control. "We're trapped?" This added to his anger. They had agreed to help these Tok'ra, and now they lost their only means of getting home.

"That is the only mirror we have in this universe. I am afraid so. Do you wish to be part of a search party to find your Daniel Jackson and Lantash?"

Jacob was again surprised. "They're lost?"

"They were underground when the Goa'uld attacked, and your Samantha Carter lost contact."

"Yeah, but first, I captured one of the Goa'uld. Can you help the host?" Jacob gestured into the room.

Alt-Lantash raised her eyebrows in surprise, and followed him into the room. "Selmak."

Alt-Sam looked up from trying to undo the bonds, and her eyes flashed as alt-Selmak took over. Jacob read the action as anger since alt-Selmak bitterly replied, "Lantash."

Alt-Lantash looked to Jacob. "Yes, we can help the host." She looked back to her new prisoner. "We have a method of removing the symbiote."

"What! No! You can't do that!"

Guards came in, and helped her up. They cut the bonds on alt-Sam's feet so she could walk.

Alt-Sam was given control. "Dad, you can't let them do this!"

"Take her to a holding cell," alt-Lantash ordered.

"I'm a willing host! Dad, don't let this happen to me. Dad..."

Jacob closed his eyes briefly, as he listened to the voice of his alternate daughter call him for help until she too far to be heard. "How long until you can help her?" he asked once she was gone.

"Unfortunately with everything going on, it might be a several days. I'm sorry, I should have warned you that our version of your daughter was taken by the Goa'uld. I did not realize they would attack us."

Jacob nodded. "I'll join the search party."

-

"Martouf, are you all right?" Daniel asked, as he tried another way to open the door of the main room. He failed again.

Lantash was the one who responded. "These events have been disturbing. To believe our mate was controlling my host was...unpleasant, but to realize it was myself controlling our other mate is worse." He tried a method of opening the door, and also failed.

"It's hard, but I believe you need to think of them as completely different people. She may be Lantash, but she's not you." Daniel tried a method of opening the door, and only ended up pinching his fingers. He pulled them away. "Ow." He shook his hands. "We need to find the others, and tell them the morals of the Tok'ra and Goa'uld are switched in this universe."

"I agree. However..." Lantash trailed as he felt other symbiotes behind him. He turned around to see his double, and a few other Tok'ra. Daniel turned around when he saw Lantash turning.

Alt-Lantash smiled. "That wouldn't do us very good, now would it?"

Lantash glanced around, trying to see where they came from.

Alt-Lantash spoke as she walked forward. "Your others figured out you were trapped in a hall, and are proceeding to dig you out. We told them it was the only way in. You on the other hand are to proceed as you were doing." She tapped at the wall, and the door in front of them opened. The way she moved and spoke suddenly seemed to be very Goa'uld-like.

That's not Rosha. That's not Rosha. That's not Rosha, Martouf repeated in his head. Alt-Lantash's new mannerisms were eerie, and he wondered if he hadn't noticed before, or if the old mannerisms were an act.

Lantash looked to the alt-Tok'ra to see they had zat'nikatel pointed at Daniel and him. He'd be shot if he made a grab for his weapon. He and Daniel moved forward as instructed. Alt-Lantash stopped them in front of a small door, and removed their weapons. She opened the door, and gestured them inside. The door closed after they entered, and they quickly discovered they were not alone.

Alt-Samantha was quite surprised when she saw Martouf come in, and wasn't sure which Martouf she was looking at. "Martouf?" He wore strange clothes.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Sam?" It was clear she wasn't the Sam he knew.

Alt-Sam looked to Daniel. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"I-I'm Daniel, and this is Martouf."

She seemed to sadden, and explained when both looked concerned. "I was hoping you were my Martouf."

"I'm sorry," Daniel said.

"I realize though he couldn't be."

Martouf was curious. "Why is that?"

"Well, you don't act like him." She turned around, and started running her hand on the walls.

"You are friends with him and...Jolinar?" He had been going over alt-Jolinar's actions now, trying to find a clue in that she was good.

She smiled slightly, but didn't stop what she was doing. "We are mates."

While Martouf found himself more surprised, Lantash was more jealous. You get Samantha and Jolinar, and I'm the evil one who is controlling Rosha.

Martouf smirked slightly in response.

"How long have you been here," Daniel asked.

"About fifteen minutes," alt-Selmak replied.

Daniel jumped slightly, as he wasn't expecting that voice to reply. She hadn't made any indication of a switch.

Lantash took control now. "You are Goa'uld." He had been able to sense that, but he felt the need to confirm it.

"I am."

"Captured during the attack?"

"If the rest of the Goa'uld was able to retrieve the mirror, then my capture was worth it."

"The mirror is that important?" Daniel asked.

"Not the mirror, no." Alt-Selmak continued to run her hands along the wall. "The people trapped in another universe are."

Lantash wondered if that was his universe. "Jolinar, Anise, and Apophis."

Alt-Selmak stopped and turned. "Yes." She smiled lightly. "Are they well?"

Daniel and Lantash glanced to each other, and Lantash responded. "I'm afraid Anise and Apophis of your universe were killed."

There was a brief amount of pain on her face. "What of Jolinar?"

"She...he escaped."

"Who killed them?"

"I do not know who killed Anise, however, I believe it was Lantash of this universe who killed Apophis."

Alt-Selmak stepped closer. "It seems we are in the same situation now. It might be best I know who you are."

"I am Lantash, and it seems I should know the same."

Her eyebrows raised slightly when he said his name. "Selmak." She turned away, and continued touching the wall, which by now had both males wondering why. "I don't understand. If you are Tok'ra, then why do you allow your host control."

"The morals of Goa'uld and Tok'ra seem to be switched in our universes," Lantash replied.

"We just figured that out," Daniel added. "That's actually why we are here."

"That explains a great deal. I saw the father of my host of your universe, and we could not believe at first that he was actually in control."

"You saw Jacob?" Daniel was a bit surprised.

"He is the one who captured me." Alt-Selmak glanced back. "Is he blended with Aldwin in your universe?"

"Actually, he is blended with Selmak. Uh, why do you keep touching the wall like that?" He wondered if it was a way out.

"This room was not meant to be a prison cell. Lantash...our Lantash, took out the panel inside so that I could not open it. However, what she doesn't know is Ra was claustrophobic, and slightly paranoid about being trapped in one of his smaller rooms. He made sure each room had at least two ways to get out."

"Shouldn't we be helping to look for that other way out?"

"You are welcome to try."

-

"Malek."

Malek looked back to alt-Lantash. It was still difficult thinking of her as such. "Yes?"

"After the cave in is cleared, do you think you could possibly work on the Tollan defenses? I do not think so many are needed to follow one hall, and the sooner the defenses are up, the safer we all are."

Malek thought about the request for a moment. He really didn't want another attack. "If you can spare someone to help with this, I can look at the defenses now."

Alt-Lantash smiled. "I'm sure someone else can help. I'll go find someone." She turned to leave, but heard Jacob call her name. She winced slightly, but smiled as she turned. "Yes, Jacob?"

"After we clear this out, I'd like to go see the other Sam. Where is she?"

"We have not yet been able to remove the symbiote."

"I know that."

"Then why do you wish to see her?"

"If you had children, you'd understand. I know she's not really my daughter, but in a way, she is my daughter."

"Seeing her would be dangerous."

"I promise she won't escape. I'll have backup. Kela'an, you wouldn't mind coming with me, would you?"

"No," Kela'an responded without stopping his work.

"I'll consider it." Alt-Lantash hurried off before anyone else could say anything.

Jacob went back to working on the cave in. He felt a little guilty. "Sam, you don't mind, do you?"

Sam glanced to him. "No, I understand. I wish I could see her myself, but I'm afraid that could make things worse." She was a little jealous, but fully understand the emotions one could have about another version of someone they know. She knew that her double being controlled by a Goa'uld, and knowing who that Goa'uld was made it harder on her father and Selmak.

Slowly they made a path. Malek had already left to work on the Tollan weapons. Jacob and Kela'an left to find alt-Lantash. The alt-Tok'ra who were helping said they needed to go. Sam and Teal'c were left to go through.

After asking around, Jacob found alt-Lantash fairly quickly. "Lantash, the path has been cleared."

"That's good to hear."

"Where is she?"

"What, oh, yes, your other daughter. I don't think it would be wise to-"

"I understand your worry that she will escape. I just need to make sure she is all right."

Alt-Lantash frowned. "You don't trust us."

"It's what is in her head that I don't trust." In truth, Jacob and Selmak hadn't fully trusted alt-Lantash in the first place, and they were starting to get very suspicious.

"I understand that, but-"

Jacob was also starting to get angry again. "You can have as many Tok'ra as you want with me, but I still want to see her."

"Doing so may cause the symbiote to hurt the host."

"That symbiote's only hope right now is if she can convince me that her daughter has control. That hope will diminish if I don't visit her, but could refuel if I do visit her."

Alt-Lantash made a gesture that Jacob didn't understand until he heard a zat'nikatel firing.

-

Jacob woke up in a small room. He noticed Kela'an waking up near, and no one else.

"What happened?" Kela'an asked.

Jacob touched his temple, having a headache. "I think I was too persistent."

Kela'an stood up. "The Tok'ra in this universe seem to be as bad as the Goa'uld here."

"Actually, I'm starting to think the Tok'ra here are worse then the Goa'uld here." He also stood, and saw Kela'an looked rather offended by that. "You've seen what I've seen. The Goa'uld from here captured us only because they thought we had the means to return home. The Goa'uld here attack the Tok'ra only long enough to get the mirror."

"They may be planning an attack on our universe."

"Jolinar and the others could have done some damage while in our universe. As far as I can tell, they didn't, and you can he damn sure that if people looking like Martouf, Freya, and Apophis did anything but mind their own business, the Tok'ra would have heard about it. From what I can tell they hardly knew anything about us, yet the Tok'ra knew a lot more than I liked."

The side wall started to open before Kela'an could respond. The first person they saw was Daniel coming through, who quickly looked surprised. He was followed by Martouf and alt-Selmak. Alt-Selmak stopped as she looked to Jacob. "Well, it seems Lantash is collecting Selmaks."

Martouf glanced to her. "Can you call her something else?"

Alt-Selmak chuckled. "Well, she hates being called Lanty."

Daniel looked back. "You know what she hates being called?"

"Well, when you've been someone's enemy for a while, you must entertain the situation by figuring out what they most hate being called...by the way, don't ever call me Selm."

Jacob glanced between all three before asking, "What is going on?"

Daniel answered. "The Goa'uld and Tok'ra morals are kind of switched in this universe. We've been helping the wrong group."

Kela'an glanced to Jacob. "It seems you were right."

Alt-Sam took control. "Oh, now you believe me."

Jacob started feeling guilty about what had happened earlier. "I was getting suspicious when they wouldn't let me see you. I'm sorry." He glanced to the new doorway. "How did you open the wall?"

The three of them glanced around, and Daniel answered again. "Actually, we are not sure who triggered it."

"So, you were in next room then."

"Actually, we were two rooms down. This is the second time we triggered an opening to a small room instead of the main hall." He and Martouf then looked to Alt-Sam.

Alt-Selmak took control. "I said Ra had a way out of each small room. I never said he was rational about it. If we continue, we should find the trigger to the hallway."

-

Sam and Teal'c had found themselves facing a closed door. They didn't realize alt-Lantash had closed it so they couldn't reach the main room which had the laws.

Sam frowned. "Why would Daniel and Martouf go through, and then close the door? Daniel was near the cave in when I lose contact. I heard it."

"Perhaps he was near another cave in," Teal'c made an attempt to open the door. It didn't help that after turning a corner and walking several feet they were in pitch black. There flashlights were the only source of light.

"They still would have gone through here, and closed the door."

"You are correct. I believe we should find the others and inform them of the situation."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Sam turned around, and headed back. After she turned the corner, she noticed it seemed darker than it should be. After walking several feet, they saw the door on the way in had been closed.

"I do not believe this was an accident," Teal'c said as they approached the door.

"Yeah, I agree," Sam said as she tried her radio to contact someone else. She didn't get a reply.

-

Having absolutely no idea what happened to the others, Malek smiled lightly. He rather enjoyed working on the Tollan weapons, and hadn't realized how much time had passed. He turned to alt-Lantash who had been pacing the room. "I think I figured it out."

Alt-Lantash turned to him. "Really?"

"It's designed to use ditham for a source of power, but I believe tritham, which has the same base, will work as well. However, the tritham needs to be in a liquid state to work."

"Well, that won't be a problem. What else do we need?"

"Well, after that, you just set it up, and turn it on here." He pointed to where the switch was.

Alt-Lantash smiled. "Thank you, Malek. We'll set them up right away."

to be continued...

Alt-Character Key
(This is help to keep track of whom is blended with whom in the alternate universe.)
Jacob/Aldwin-Goa'uld
Martouf/Jolinar-Goa'uld
Rosha/Lantash-Tok'ra
Samantha/Selmak-Goa'uld