Gavilan, by Elysium (PG)

Rec Category: Gen

Pairing: none
Categories: gen, Teal'c, original character POV, action/adventure
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: unknown
Author's Website: Welcome to Elysium
Link: Gavilan

Why This Must Be Read: This intriguing fic, written before Tangent, gives us a fascinating original character: a pilot flying the converted death glider from The Serpent's Lair, and his observations of the civilian that the Air Force insists he take along on a test flight – a mysterious, enigmatic, silent man who seems to be codenamed "Teal'c." And when the "routine" flight takes a sudden serious turn, the pilot finds himself awed not only by Teal'c's undeniable expertise, but also by his character, his courtesy, and his grace.

It's rare to find an author who can create an original character and invest him with personality and depth without allowing that creation to take over the story entirely. Elysium walks the perfect line here; Major Mike Gavilan treats us to his initial reluctance to deal with Teal'c, his growing admiration and awe for his skills, and his confused ignorance of everything that he shouldn't know, and doesn't get to find out.

Some of this is clearly AU for what we know of SG-1 today: Jack never did bother to learn to speak Go'auld, and of course this death glider doesn't have Apophis' recall device. But I enjoyed this story for its intelligence, its narrator, its interesting storyline, and Elysium's wonderful portrayal of Teal'c as seen by an outsider. Despite the annoying white-text-on-black-screen setup, Gavilan is a story that any fan of Teal'c is sure to savor.

[Jack and Sam are also in this fic, but Daniel isn't even mentioned, and I still loved this story. Surely that's recommendation enough? ;) ]
 

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Heroes: The Story of the SGC, by Purpleshrub (PG)

Rec Category: Episode related

Pairing: none
Categories: episode related, Janet Frasier, gen, team, drama, angst
Warnings: spoilers through S7 Heroes; canon character death
Author on LJ: purpleshrub
Author's Website: Purpleshrub at StargateFan
Link: Heroes: The Story of the SGC

Why This Must Be Read: This long, satisfying fic doesn't exactly "fix" Heroes – Janet still dies. On the other hand, Purpleshrub breathes vibrant life into Emmett Bregman and the other minor characters of the episode, fixes many of the glaring plotholes, and gives us a more humane and empathetic story than the one we watched on our screens.

For a gen fangirl like me, of course, there's the deconstruction of the Sam/Jack innuendo put forth by the interviewer and the teamy goodness as SG-1 rallies to defend Sam against the insinuations. We still have tragedy, but it's Janet where she's supposed to be, instead of inexplicably where she never should have gone. And we get a very different view of who the heroes of the SGC truly are, with a much better film for Bregman as a result.

If you liked Heroes just the way it was, then this story is not for you. But if you prefer a more intelligent look at the SGC and all of the heroes who keep the Earth safe, then you will be absolutely delighted with this fic!

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