[SGA] Picked Up By Those Behind :: PG :: Gen :: 5/5
Title: Picked Up By Those Behind
Author: chaletian
Fandom: SGA
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None
Summary: A sequel to The Lost Expedition. Five times Essie Malcolm’s daughter finds evidence of the fate of the first Atlantis expedition as she attempts to stop the Genii from taking over the Pegasus galaxy.
~1~
~2~
~3~
~4~
~5~
The clearing is warm from the flaming torches and loud from singing and dancing: a cocoon of celebration and revelry in the midst of dark woods.
“It was a good treaty,” said Caroline Mercer, and only the most alert ear would detect the effect of alcohol on her usual clipped tones.
“A damn good treaty,” agreed Dubois, raising a cup to toast. “Good work, Caro, Roan, everyone.”
“Well,” said Caroline, contemplating the bottom of the her cup. “It’s not like the Genii are going to back down completely. There’s going to be trouble. But for the time being, they’ve gone off to lick their wounds.”
“We have done well,” said Roan, and everyone drank to it.
oOo
“This is nice,” said Nell fuzzily, as she and Toran sat together under one of the big linmus trees.
“Very Moon of Endor,” agreed Toran, draping an arm across her shoulders.
“Wha’s that?”
“Children’s stories. After the rebels defeat the empire for the last time, they have a… thing. This sort of thing,” and he waved his arm to encompass the clearing, “to celebrate, and everyone gets drunk and happy and Han and Leia declare…” He broke off suddenly, and Nell twisted round to face him.
“Declare what?”
“Nothing,” said Toran, looking away.
“Huh,” said Nell, and settled back down. “So, what empire were they defeating?”
“The empire empire. I dunno. They were evil, and the emperor was evil, and Darth Vader was sort of evil but not quite.”
“That’s a stupid name.”
“Yeah. So, the empire took over the republic, and then the rebels - no, wait, there’s the Jet-eye. They’re all “feel the force” but I’m not sure what the force is, it just makes them all powerful. But they don’t come in till later. But the rebels are trying to stop the empire and things happens, and then they fight with lightsabers, which are sort of swords with lasers.”
Nell was silent for a bit. “My mother always used to say that most stories have cultural significance and, um, relate to people’s history and stuff. D’you think that’s really about your first ancestors? They were rebels who fought an evil empire?”
Toran raised an eyebrow, gaining a little sobriety in derision. “Do I think the First Ancestors fought an evil empire with lightsabers and the Jet-eye Force? Not really.”
“Whatever. So who were Han and Leia?”
“Leia was a Jet-eye princess, only she didn’t know it. She was a politician, and she teamed up with Luke Skywalker, who turned out to be her brother. Han was a mercenary. In some stories he’s amazing, and in others he’s stupid and obsessed with flying his ship, but they’re still good stories. He and Leia fall in love, only Han thinks she loves Luke, because he doesn’t know they’re brother and sister.”
“That sounds like Greek myths or something,” said Nell sleepily. “Mom would’ve loved it. She’d’ve loved this. She always thought the Genii were hinky.”
They sat together for a while longer, then the strains of music reached them, and Toran jumped up, pulling Nell with him.
“They’re playing the songs of the First Ancestors,” he said. “Come on.”
Singing they were, with instruments that resembled Earth’s guitars, while others, both from Atlantis and the Brotherhood danced along.
“Well, if they freed me from that prison,” sang Toran, as he swung Nell around in time with everyone else, “if that railroad were mine, I bet I’d move it on a little further down the line.” Liquor was flowing, and everyone was laughing and dancing by now, while the Brotherhood sang their songs, and Toran and Nell swayed to the music.
And in a corner, Meredith Gaskell, who was pleasantly drunk, lifted his head, frowning as a tiny shard of memory appeared. Across the clearing came music and light, and he watched as his daughter danced with one of the Brotherhood - what was his name? - Toran, that was it. And they were singing, singing their own songs, but he knew those words, and he listened as they drifted across - And I’d let that lonesome whistle, blow my blues away… - and he knew them. He’d heard them before, a gruff voice, something Essie had played for him, something old, very old.
He staggered to his feet, to find someone, to tell them, because it means something, and he can’t work out what because he’s had just that bit too much to drink, but there’s laughing and singing and someone patting him on the back, and then he’s on a shuttle heading back for Atlantis, with a song ringing in his ears.
oOo
“Han told Leia he loved her,” said Toran, and Nell smiled up at him.
“Do you love me, Toran?”
He leaned down, kissed her, smiled. “You know I do.”
Nell grinned, then kissed him back. “Yeah. I know.”
They danced, as a new song began.
Yes, they'll all come to see me
In the shade of the old oak tree,
As they lay me 'neath the green, green grass of home.
oOo
And in the morning, Meredith Gaskell, knocked on the door of Atlantis’s resident historian, and said, “Peter, I think I’ve found something that’ll interest you.”
THE END
Author: chaletian
Fandom: SGA
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None
Summary: A sequel to The Lost Expedition. Five times Essie Malcolm’s daughter finds evidence of the fate of the first Atlantis expedition as she attempts to stop the Genii from taking over the Pegasus galaxy.
~1~
~2~
~3~
~4~
~5~
The clearing is warm from the flaming torches and loud from singing and dancing: a cocoon of celebration and revelry in the midst of dark woods.
“It was a good treaty,” said Caroline Mercer, and only the most alert ear would detect the effect of alcohol on her usual clipped tones.
“A damn good treaty,” agreed Dubois, raising a cup to toast. “Good work, Caro, Roan, everyone.”
“Well,” said Caroline, contemplating the bottom of the her cup. “It’s not like the Genii are going to back down completely. There’s going to be trouble. But for the time being, they’ve gone off to lick their wounds.”
“We have done well,” said Roan, and everyone drank to it.
oOo
“This is nice,” said Nell fuzzily, as she and Toran sat together under one of the big linmus trees.
“Very Moon of Endor,” agreed Toran, draping an arm across her shoulders.
“Wha’s that?”
“Children’s stories. After the rebels defeat the empire for the last time, they have a… thing. This sort of thing,” and he waved his arm to encompass the clearing, “to celebrate, and everyone gets drunk and happy and Han and Leia declare…” He broke off suddenly, and Nell twisted round to face him.
“Declare what?”
“Nothing,” said Toran, looking away.
“Huh,” said Nell, and settled back down. “So, what empire were they defeating?”
“The empire empire. I dunno. They were evil, and the emperor was evil, and Darth Vader was sort of evil but not quite.”
“That’s a stupid name.”
“Yeah. So, the empire took over the republic, and then the rebels - no, wait, there’s the Jet-eye. They’re all “feel the force” but I’m not sure what the force is, it just makes them all powerful. But they don’t come in till later. But the rebels are trying to stop the empire and things happens, and then they fight with lightsabers, which are sort of swords with lasers.”
Nell was silent for a bit. “My mother always used to say that most stories have cultural significance and, um, relate to people’s history and stuff. D’you think that’s really about your first ancestors? They were rebels who fought an evil empire?”
Toran raised an eyebrow, gaining a little sobriety in derision. “Do I think the First Ancestors fought an evil empire with lightsabers and the Jet-eye Force? Not really.”
“Whatever. So who were Han and Leia?”
“Leia was a Jet-eye princess, only she didn’t know it. She was a politician, and she teamed up with Luke Skywalker, who turned out to be her brother. Han was a mercenary. In some stories he’s amazing, and in others he’s stupid and obsessed with flying his ship, but they’re still good stories. He and Leia fall in love, only Han thinks she loves Luke, because he doesn’t know they’re brother and sister.”
“That sounds like Greek myths or something,” said Nell sleepily. “Mom would’ve loved it. She’d’ve loved this. She always thought the Genii were hinky.”
They sat together for a while longer, then the strains of music reached them, and Toran jumped up, pulling Nell with him.
“They’re playing the songs of the First Ancestors,” he said. “Come on.”
Singing they were, with instruments that resembled Earth’s guitars, while others, both from Atlantis and the Brotherhood danced along.
“Well, if they freed me from that prison,” sang Toran, as he swung Nell around in time with everyone else, “if that railroad were mine, I bet I’d move it on a little further down the line.” Liquor was flowing, and everyone was laughing and dancing by now, while the Brotherhood sang their songs, and Toran and Nell swayed to the music.
And in a corner, Meredith Gaskell, who was pleasantly drunk, lifted his head, frowning as a tiny shard of memory appeared. Across the clearing came music and light, and he watched as his daughter danced with one of the Brotherhood - what was his name? - Toran, that was it. And they were singing, singing their own songs, but he knew those words, and he listened as they drifted across - And I’d let that lonesome whistle, blow my blues away… - and he knew them. He’d heard them before, a gruff voice, something Essie had played for him, something old, very old.
He staggered to his feet, to find someone, to tell them, because it means something, and he can’t work out what because he’s had just that bit too much to drink, but there’s laughing and singing and someone patting him on the back, and then he’s on a shuttle heading back for Atlantis, with a song ringing in his ears.
oOo
“Han told Leia he loved her,” said Toran, and Nell smiled up at him.
“Do you love me, Toran?”
He leaned down, kissed her, smiled. “You know I do.”
Nell grinned, then kissed him back. “Yeah. I know.”
They danced, as a new song began.
Yes, they'll all come to see me
In the shade of the old oak tree,
As they lay me 'neath the green, green grass of home.
oOo
And in the morning, Meredith Gaskell, knocked on the door of Atlantis’s resident historian, and said, “Peter, I think I’ve found something that’ll interest you.”
THE END