Orpheus, by Domenika Marzione [team challenge]

[miss-porcupine.livejournal.com]

Orpheus
53000 words; genfic

Summary: In the annals of SGC history, it will forever be debated whether the decision to remove then-Major John Sheppard from the Atlantis expedition was an act of great folly or one of great fortune.

John knew that he didn't have time to be maudlin or nostalgic, but he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be doing right now. He knew Atlantis and Atlantis knew him, but things had changed in the time he'd been away and he felt unhappy and lost with the strangeness of what had once been so intimate. He couldn't direct traffic or otherwise contribute to the Great Putting-Away because he wasn't sure where everything went anymore. He felt underfoot and useless, out of step with the pace of the city and its residents. He hadn't realized how much he'd put into this return, how much he'd anticipated it being only a good thing under terrible circumstances, and how badly he'd forgotten that you really can't go home again.

With thanks to ileliberte and vonknibble for their assistance and to the mods for holding the door open long enough for me to slip through.

Comments

[wychwood]

Damn, but that was good. I love the logistics of it all, the flow of the action and the increasing comfort with the hive ship assaults. I love your Teyla, and your Ford (I do like the way you've translated him into this context - and that he ended up working with Ronon! That was a nice touch). Seeing your regular Marines turning up unexpectedly was also fun - especially the rescue of Reletti. Plus Yoni, who is always awesome, though it was sad to see him so damaged here.

And Rodney - oh, Rodney. I was sad at the deaths, and especially Elizabeth, but once Rodney came back to the city there was such a sense of comfort at seeing him in the meetings again that his death had more impact than any of the others. So close, and yet... I did feel that it worked well, though, for the story and the character as you'd depicted him; guilt and grief combining with the selflessness and practicality he does have under the bluster and arrogance to push him into that sacrifice. And, as Teyla says, and in Pegasus especially, getting the death you choose is often as much as you can hope for.

I liked the idea of Hammond on Atlantis; he seems like a good guy, and can balance the military and civilian needs of the city and the expedition like Elizabeth usually managed (and Sam seems decent at, based on my severely backlogged viewing *g*) but Caldwell didn't always seem ready for. And the idea of Halling on an SG team - I was always a fan of the mixed teams, and it was fun to see one here! I liked John's sudden moment of realisation (and mine, because I hadn't thought of it!) that the loss of the Daedalus meant that Atlantis was still mostly in post-Siege conditions; that was an interesting twist.

Great story, anyway; I'm glad you did manage to get it out in the end, because I'd have been sorry to miss it!

[miss-porcupine.livejournal.com]

... and now you see why I wouldn't have minded a commentary track. ;)

Many, many thanks.

[wychwood]

Hey, I'd read a commentary! :) Perhaps next time the meme comes around...