Song of the Traveler, by Babs (PG)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Rec Category: Daniel Jackson

Pairing: none
Categories: Daniel Jackson, gen, drama, angst, character study, Jack and Daniel friendship
Warnings: original character death
Author on LJ: unknown
Author's Website: Babs at Alpha Gate
Link: Song of the Traveler 

Why This Must Be Read: In Song of the Traveler, Babs does a lovely job of capturing Daniel's essence. Here we see not only his love of knowledge, but his incessant need to share that knowledge with others – and the anguish he feels when the past is ignored, or even deliberately forgotten.

SG-1 meets the Pulani, a band of natives that have abandoned the ways of their nomadic ancestors. Daniel becomes close to Yushai, an elderly woman who still speaks the old tongue and remembers the songs of her youth, when the Pulani were called the Upashani and travelled from place to place. Daniel is eager to record her songs, her memories, her language – but what happens when there's no one left to care?

Babs also gives us a nice look at Jack, watching Daniel's near-obsession with preserving culture – not understanding that need, but very much understanding how important it is to Daniel. And when the story reaches its unhappy (but, perhaps, inevitable) conclusion, Jack is there to stand as support for Daniel and help him persevere.

Song of the Traveler is a poignant character study of Daniel Jackson as I like him most: with his love of knowledge, his delight in history and heritage, and his passion for sharing that love and wonder with others.

 "This is ridiculous." Jack paused from his third circuit around Daniel's office. Daniel was pretending he didn't hear a word and continued his methodical packing. "Damn it, Daniel."

"I'm still going. I have General Hammond's permission. It's not as if they're firing up the Gate just for me."

"You're running yourself ragged." Jack took a few more steps and slammed his hands down on the work table.

"I'm doing my *job*, Jack." Daniel said.

"No, you're doing the job of more than one person. Recording Yushai's songs and words isn't a requirement. It's not as if..."

Daniel stepped into his space, glaring at him. "As *if* what? As if it's *important*? Because although it might not be important to you or to the Stargate program, it's important to Yushai. I made a promise that her words would not die."

Jack looked at the stacks of tapes, at the notebooks he knew contained Daniel's transcriptions of those tapes from Upashani to Pulani. Hours and hours of work, Jack knew. He'd tried to get Daniel to leave the mountain one evening only to find him listening to one of Yushai's songs and her translation from the language of her childhood to the language of her people now. He'd waited a few hours only to realize Daniel wasn't going to budge until he'd managed to save one more song for posterity. Add to those hours, the hours he spent doing all the things he did as part of SG-1 and the hours he'd spent with Yushai off-world and it was all shaping up to a man who was burning the candle at both ends.

Daniel grabbed the notebooks and tapes and placed them into his pack, not looking at Jack.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?" Daniel glanced around the room before finally meeting Jack's gaze.

"Good luck. And tell Yushai hi from her old pal Jack." He might not do apologies with finesse, but a quick shy smile from Daniel told Jack his friend understood.

"I'll do that." Daniel said. They fell into step in the hall, no more words necessary between them.