Magnificence (PG)
This is the first of the S2 bingo ficlets, or "Bingo in SG-1 Minor" as I've been tagging them. :) For the Magnificent square, and the unimaginative title simply works too well to change.
Jack's thoughts during a bittersweet moment of The Serpent's Lair. 363 words. Rated PG.
Magnificence
Carter's voice rattled in his ear over the radio, sounding as shaken as he himself felt. They'd made it off the ship before it blew, and Earth was safe, but it hurt to survive like this when Daniel hadn't. Bra'tac, too, was surely mourning the rebel Jaffa he'd brought with him to fight against Apophis, and who hadn't survived to see their victory.
But they were soldiers, all of them - they'd lost their civilian now, he thought with fresh pain - and they'd faced loss before. Grief for the fallen had its place, but they also deserved a quiet moment to savor their triumph, the joy of knowing Earth and all its billions of inhabitants were safe.
"Our glider's had it," Carter was saying, clearly taking refuge in reporting their status so she wouldn't have to think about anything else. "We got cooked pretty bad in the explosion."
"Captain," Jack began, but she was still talking about her ship's damage, so focused on the instrument panel that she didn't even realize where she was.
"We're low on power and in a fairly low orbit, so I don't imagine it will be too much longer before we burn up in Earth's atmosphere..."
"Captain," he said again, gently but firmly, "Take a look up."
The slight catch of her breath over the transmitter told him that she'd obeyed. He stared up himself at the glowing blue and white marble, full of magnificent promise, spinning unheeding against the backdrop of stars. He knew she'd once dreamed of being an astronaut, of hoping to catch a glimpse of this very vista one day. Now they were here, at least until their orbit decayed, and it was a benediction of sorts to know that even when their gliders spiraled into the atmosphere, the fleeting shooting stars they would create would be the only memento of the death that Apophis had wanted to unleash on an innocent world.
Not a bad day, indeed.
"It's beautiful," Carter finally whispered, her voice as reverent as his own thoughts.
"Yes, it is," Jack agreed, watching the clouds drift across the Pacific Ocean.
"We saved it, sir."
"Yes." Jack murmured, and smiled. "We did."
Jack's thoughts during a bittersweet moment of The Serpent's Lair. 363 words. Rated PG.
Magnificence
Carter's voice rattled in his ear over the radio, sounding as shaken as he himself felt. They'd made it off the ship before it blew, and Earth was safe, but it hurt to survive like this when Daniel hadn't. Bra'tac, too, was surely mourning the rebel Jaffa he'd brought with him to fight against Apophis, and who hadn't survived to see their victory.
But they were soldiers, all of them - they'd lost their civilian now, he thought with fresh pain - and they'd faced loss before. Grief for the fallen had its place, but they also deserved a quiet moment to savor their triumph, the joy of knowing Earth and all its billions of inhabitants were safe.
"Our glider's had it," Carter was saying, clearly taking refuge in reporting their status so she wouldn't have to think about anything else. "We got cooked pretty bad in the explosion."
"Captain," Jack began, but she was still talking about her ship's damage, so focused on the instrument panel that she didn't even realize where she was.
"We're low on power and in a fairly low orbit, so I don't imagine it will be too much longer before we burn up in Earth's atmosphere..."
"Captain," he said again, gently but firmly, "Take a look up."
The slight catch of her breath over the transmitter told him that she'd obeyed. He stared up himself at the glowing blue and white marble, full of magnificent promise, spinning unheeding against the backdrop of stars. He knew she'd once dreamed of being an astronaut, of hoping to catch a glimpse of this very vista one day. Now they were here, at least until their orbit decayed, and it was a benediction of sorts to know that even when their gliders spiraled into the atmosphere, the fleeting shooting stars they would create would be the only memento of the death that Apophis had wanted to unleash on an innocent world.
Not a bad day, indeed.
"It's beautiful," Carter finally whispered, her voice as reverent as his own thoughts.
"Yes, it is," Jack agreed, watching the clouds drift across the Pacific Ocean.
"We saved it, sir."
"Yes." Jack murmured, and smiled. "We did."