Oma Desala

"Desala. Nature. Mother Nature, we're, we're talking about Mother Nature."

- Daniel Jackson

A wise, noncorporeal being, Oma Desala is a member of the Ancients&mdash;the original builders of the Stargate network. Oma focuses herself on helping other beings ascend to the higher plane on which the Ancients now live. In doing so, she has become an outcast by the Others. She, and those who follow her, walk a fine line between going against the wishes of the other Ancients by interfering with other races, and maintaining their rules enough so that she does not bring down their wrath. However, she is only able to open the door for them, as she can guide individuals to the path, knowing it is they, and they alone, who can make the decision of whether or not to travel the great path. She acts mostly on the planet Kheb, on which some sort of Buddhist-style temple is located, in which the people learn about ascension.

Biography
Oma Desala once made a great mistake when she helped the fallen System Lord Anubis to ascend. Anubis had discovered Ancient information about ascension and thus was able to pass all of Oma's tests. When his true nature was revealed, the others decided not to completely de-ascend him (causing Anubis to gain a big advantage over the other Goa'uld) in order to punish Oma for her constant rule breaking, forcing her to watch how he brought terror upon the galaxy. After this she ascends Daniel Jackson, and eventually decides to sacrifice her life and spend an eternity fighting Anubis to prevent him from wreaking further havoc on the galaxy. Oma was the self-appointed guardian of Shifu, the son of Apophis and Sha're. Through her guidance Shifu learned to deny the evil Goa'uld knowledge he possessed in his mind, and to eventually ascend himself.

It is initially unclear whether Oma was one of the Ancients, as Orlin had not heard of her. However, he also stated that he most likely didn't know her because of her actions, and thus being as banished as himself. The Ancient Merlin, however, had known Oma when he was ascended, and told Dr. Jackson that she had been helping people ascend for over 1000 years. He also said that she focused more on the individual, but did not elaborate further.

Oma Desala was first encountered by the SGC when SG-1 came to the planet Kheb in their search for Shifu, the young son of Apophis and Sha're. During their stay, the team discovered a Buddhist-style temple, where a single monk appeared to reside. The monk spoke in riddles, but spoke about a being called Oma Desala, a name Daniel Jackson translated as "Mother Nature". Also, the monk taught Daniel to use his mind in order to, among other things, manipulate fire.

However, when several Jaffa arrived on the planet, also searching for Shifu, SG-1 was forced to set up a defense at the temple. While SG-1 prepared to fight off the Goa'uld attack team, Daniel discovered that it was not his own mind that performed these amazing feats, but Oma Desala, a non-corporal being living on Kheb. With this knowledge he decides to leave Shifu in Oma's care, who in return neutralized the remaining Jaffa.

Shifu appeared again one year later, now aged to the state of a young boy. He revealed to Jackson through an elaborate dream that Oma Desala had taught him how to suppress the evil Goa'uld genetic memory he possessed. Eventually, Shifu was able to ascend himself, also with the help of Oma.

Several months later, after Daniel Jackson became poisoned by naqahdria radiation while preventing a cataclysmic accident on the planet Langara, Oma Desala appeared in a series of visions to Jackson while he lay on his death bed. Oma told him that although she could not heal him, she could help him to ascend. Although Jackson at first had to struggle with his own inadequacy, he was finally able to ascend with Oma Desala's help.

One year later, while the ascended Daniel Jackson was helping his former team members to prevent Anubis from obtaining the Eye of Ra (a devastating weapon hidden on Abydos) Oma Desala watched while Jackson interacted with the mortal world. She helped Skaara and several other Abydonians who were killed during Anubis and SG-1's battle over the Eye to ascend. She later intervened when Daniel was about to use his ascended powers against Anubis to save the people of Abydos, and prevented him from doing so. Instead, when Anubis destroyed the planet below, she helped the entire population to ascend.

Because Daniel had broken the ascended's rules, Oma was forced to de-ascend him and to take away his memories. Jackson was sent to the planet Vis Uban, where he was later discovered by his former teammates. However, it would later appear that Oma did not completely strip away Jackson's memories, but in fact had buried them deep in his subconscious.

Oma Desala appeared one final time to Daniel Jackson almost two years later. After Jackson had been abducted and killed by Replicator Carter, who had attempted to extract the Ancient knowledge still buried in his subconscious mind, Oma brought him to an intermediate level between ascension and mortal existence, where she again attempted to persuade him to ascend. During his brief stay, Jackson learned about the connection between Oma and Anubis, and how he had once tricked her into partially ascending him.

Still feeling guilty about the catastrophic mistake she once had made, she fully Ascends Anubis and then engages him in eternal struggle, knowing that if she tried to kill him while he was in a lower form the others would just stop her. Because the half-ascended Goa'uld was in the process of using the Dakara Superweapon to eliminate all life in the Milky Way, her benevolence and self-sacrifice saved the entire galaxy.

Oma Desala's being an Ancient is possibly confirmed when Daniel told Merlin about her ascending him, and Merlin responded, "Ah, of course," and indicated knowledge of her actions and intentions, thereby indicating that Merlin probably knew her while, at the very least, he was ascended.

Notable Quotes
Oma Desala is well known for her subtle, spiritual and very cryptic quotes.

"If you immediately know the candle light is fire, then the meal was cooked a long time ago"

- Monk on Kheb & Oma Desala - &

"The success or failure of your deeds, does not add up to the sum of your life. Your spirit cannot be weighed. Judge yourself by the intentions of your actions, and by the strength with which you faced the challenges that have stood in your way. The Universe is vast and we are so small. There is really only one thing we can ever truly control... whether we are good or evil."

- Oma Desala -

"Lightning flashes, sparks showers, in one blink of an eye, you have missed seeing."

- Oma Desala -

"Though the river tells no lies the dishonest man standing on the shore, still hears them."

- Oma Desala -

"You cannot tell the depth of the river, until you see the bottom."

- Oma Desala -

"Frank, I need a nose boy in a blanket, two hen fruit wrecked on a shingle with a mystery in the alley, a warm mead with a mouldy lid, and two checkerboards, alright? Oh yeah, hold the pig."

- Oma Desala -