SGA fic: "Midway" tag

[xparrot]

"Midway," as naye's amazing picspam/review attests, was awesome, awesome, and also awesome. This is simple mathematics: Ronon is awesome. Teal'c is awesome. Ronon vs Teal'c is awesome².

So naturally this fic...doesn't have either of them. Yeah, I know. It's just, they're men of few words, but they say everything that needs to be said. And John doesn't, so much. So there you are.

Also, sheafrotherdon wrote a lovely slash tag to the ep, which bears more than a passing thematic resemblance to this story; she manages to say the same things in half as many words, and with hot sex to boot, so if you're McShep inclined do go read it.

SGA: Tenets of Leadership in Vacuum {4,370 words}
PG-13, gen, ep tag to 4x17, "Midway"
John wouldn't necessarily say that hanging out with Rodney was less stressful, but it did tend to leave fewer visible bruises.

Read it on AO3

Comments

[made-of-toast.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this. It felt like I was watching a bit of the episode that should have been there. Great job!! :D

nicely done

[kormantic.livejournal.com]

I really liked the language here, and the argument.

[snarkydame.livejournal.com]

*squeak* Take this, and match it with the look on Rodney's face from the time Sheppard gave him the order to the time he found him in the space suit, and you get . . . utter brilliance, apparently. ♥

[witchofthedogs.livejournal.com]

Because you're stronger than me, John thought. Because he'd picked the best of the best to be his team, all more skilled than him, smarter and faster and stronger and better, and every day he asked and expected them to do what he could not.

Yes.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

What gets me is the fact that John's marines might have been still alive. Agh.

[thisissirius.livejournal.com]

this is very well done indeed!

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Tense and sharp; I really love their conversation, how much is said that we'll never see (but should).

[naye]

Wow. Beautiful. True to character - great voices. Loved a LOT. Wanna hug both of them. Awww, boys. Would say more, but head is killing me. *hugs*

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

A very, very tense conversation and one that I could see Rodney having with all that built up frustration. Those were some very vital points and I don't think John realizes the consequences to his Team, whenever he orders them to do something that would kill him.

Of course John's the leader, but he has double standards, willing to do anything or bend every rule to save one of them, but tends to forget that might feel they have that right too, but are thwarted by the command structure.

Thanks goodness I think they would disobey him, if given a chance. John's not expendable, and I don't think he has a death wish, but his friends care about him, and it is a painful thing to endure. Great dialogoe, characterizations spot on.

Thank you, very well done.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Dang: I wish we'd seen this on screen! I really didn't like the episode, but your tag? I like that, a lot.

[nakedwesley.livejournal.com]

I'm glad Rodney didn't back down and that coming to terms wasn't easy for either of them. They both have good arguments here and there aren't always easy answers. Nice tag!

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

This was good. Painful, as it should have been, and good. I love that you touched on John's not letting Rodney sacrifice himself when he'd asked.

(I'm falling asleep right now, so I'm not sure this comment makes full sense, but I really liked this tag. It brought depth to the episode which is always good.)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it! (your icon is very special, as it blinks at me...)

Re: nicely done

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad it worked for you!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee, thank you! (I may have studied that look to write this. A lot. A lot a lot. Such a great moment!)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

That disturbed me, because I doubt the Wraith were taking the time to eat all of them...with the self destruct time limit they didn't have much choice, but still. The cavalier deaths of non-major chars on TV always tweaks me out...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you - yeah, the team needs to have a chat with Sheppard about this, sooner or later...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

So glad you enjoyed it! <3 (hope your head feels better! *long-distance massage*)

[witchofthedogs.livejournal.com]

I should have probably said more than just "yes," but that quote sums up John and them and the whole sad, twisted and yet fully believable and full-of-affection bond they all have for one another...

So, "yes" seemed to cover it all.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, the team needs to talk with Sheppard about this, sooner or later. I agree, he doesn't have a death wish, he fights too hard to survive for that - but he'd rather be dead himself than live with losing one of his team, and he's selfish enough to try to make them the ones who'd have to go on without him. I love him for that character trait, but it's awfully hard on his friends who love him...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad you did like it! (the ep had a lot of plotholes, which I could let slide and go with the ride, but there's been other eps I haven't been able to do so even if everyone else enjoys 'em, so I understand the feeling!)

[witchofthedogs.livejournal.com]

Jumping in for just a second...

the look on Rodney's face from the time Sheppard gave him the order to the time he found him in the space suit

This is what got me because that look tells us so much about Rodney and that he gets it - he doesn't like it, he hates it in fact, but he gets it. And the Rodney of three or four years ago would have bitched and moaned and refused, but Rodney has grown and learned and suffered and understands that sacrifices are often necessary in ways he could have never understood before.

I'm not a huge Rodney fan (I know, I know, sacrilege) but that look combined with Rodney becoming the de facto leader of that little band running through Midway and heading for the jumper and the fact that he acted like a soldier... Those few scenes did more to show me the breadth of his growth as a character than the slew of Rodney-centric episodes that have aired in the last two years...

And now I'll stop hi-jacking your comments.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, the story is really just meta written out as fic, they have so many issues to work through, if not solve because there maybe are no solutions, this is just who these people are...