sg_five_things | Prompt 19.08

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Prompt 19.08

Five things Cameron would change about SG-1.

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Well, there is that thing about Jackson not always waiting--the man'll tell you he's methodical and rational, and Cam knows that's a load. Jackson's as rash as Cam knows he is himself, but Jackson'll tell you every reason he has for jumping off a cliff. Cam'll just do it. But once Cam thought this over a few times--and after that whole thing with Jackson having to stick his head in that brain-scrambling Ancient peep show to get a device they aren't even sure worked--he knows he could not have given the orders for the man to do that. No--that one was too close to having him gone. Which got him thinking about the years Jackson was going through the 'gate with O'Neill. Sure, the responsibility falls on the guy in charge. But having a guy who takes part of it on himself, who won't let you be responsible for him--either it's some kind of blessing, or the worse curse there is. And he knows now how O'Neill must have felt--some days you want to thank the guy; other days you'd settle for locking him up in irons. There's no way in hell you can do either because you need him, but you just can't encourage him to keep it up even though he always will.

Then there's Vala. Godalmighty, what he wouldn't give for a zat in his hand some mornings. He didn't ask for the woman on his team, and lord does he regret he ever listened to Jackson on that one. But every time he thinks about ripping that patch off her arm and shoving her into the nearest open wormhole--or just into a cell for a few hours of quiet--he thinks about Jackson saying she might be the one with a key to this mess. She might get to that Ori daughter of hers. So, well, hell. At least he knows she manages to get even deeper under Jackson's skin.

And, of course, he could use some clearer lines of command with his team. Sam sort of reports to him--except on anything science, and isn't that like fifty percent of what they do. And Jackson--did the man ever act like he reported to anyone? Cam's never seen it show up, and even Jackson's reports from the early years read like a fine piece of work when the man's got a burr up his butt. Cam won't even go into how Vala fits into it since she doesn't. And Teal'c--man, maybe there was some respect for O'Neill, but Cam's got an idea that Teal'c's been training all of them with some sort of sly Jaffa-Jedi mind-control thing for years. He'd bitch about that more except Cam's smart enough to listen to a guy who's a hundred something; and he listens most when Teal'c ain't saying much. Which makes all of this a lot like flying--you just have to trust everyone in your squad knows what they're doing, and these folks do. So you read their moves, let them handle their part of it. Which means he doesn't miss his wings as much as he thought he would, so maybe it's not so bad.

However, one thing he could do with are a few less Priors. He had in the back of his head, SG-1 would finally be able to get back to more poking around like they used to. But he's never been one to back down from a fight and nothing chaps his hide more than this kind of zealot intolerance. He's a church going man--was raised that way--but he was also raised that respect and doing what the good book says means more than just readin' it. And his granny would have had a few things to say to these people, but since she's not around, he's gonna be sayin' it for her. On whatever end of a gun it takes to get the saying done, and, well, he'd be a hypocrite if he didn't add that he damn well does love the action.

But the only real thing he'd like to change, when it comes down to the fine print on the page, is that he thought he was going to get a chance to serve on this team under General O'Neill. 'Course he's still angling, and he'd like to find a way to it that doesn't put Jackson's head on the line, or his team at risk, or the entire freakin' world in the balance. Landry's a good man, but he's not a legend. And, yeah, maybe getting O'Neill back to the SGC is a dream, but a man needs a few things to have sitting on the horizon.

Clearer lines of command - ain't gonna happen, Cam.

Jack back at the SGC - yeah, that sounds good.

Love the Mitchell voice in this, and the observations about the team -- and about Mitchell, too (like he'd be a hypocrite if he didn't add that he damn well does love the action) -- are so spot-on. Also really like the bit about Landry at the end, and the little self-admitted fantasy of getting O'Neill back. Shows Mitchell retaining a little bit of that fanboyishness, and it keeps the observation well within his point-of-view, which really works for me. (What I mean is, I have my own doubts about Landry that don't have to do with him being a legend or not, and I think he hasn't clicked as the right CO for SG-1 for various reasons, but this is how Mitchell would likely think about it. And he never served under O'Neill. He doesn't entirely know what he's wishing for *g* ... but then, he never did. Neat.)

#3 = teh awesome.

Wonderful set. Love your Cam-voice. And... yeah, Cam would *so* dream about having Jack back... *g*

Fabulous Cam voice! These are all note perfect.

Then there's Vala. Godalmighty, what he wouldn't give for a zat in his hand some mornings.

ROTFL! Yeah, me too!

And Teal'c--man, maybe there was some respect for O'Neill, but Cam's got an idea that Teal'c's been training all of them with some sort of sly Jaffa-Jedi mind-control thing for years. He'd bitch about that more except Cam's smart enough to listen to a guy who's a hundred something; and he listens most when Teal'c ain't saying much.

Love this! From funny as hell to "oh, yeah -- cool" in two sentences.

But having a guy who takes part of it on himself, who won't let you be responsible for him--either it's some kind of blessing, or the worse curse there is.

Oh that just beautifully sums up what it's like for the guy in command to have Daniel on the team!

And great Cam voice. I really love 'nothing chaps his hide like'...

Like everybody else said - great Cam voice! And he's such an SG-1 fanboy that, like most of us, he'd like SG-1 to go back to exploring.

Dreams are good, Cam. Dream on. :-)

Five things Cameron would change about SG-1.

1. Cam had always liked Sam Carter. They'd been posted together once early on but it was big base and they were always surrounded by friends and they just couldn't seem to hook up. They'd taken two courses together but on the first one Sam was panicking about getting through it in one piece with no thoughts to spare for socializing and on the second, well, it was his turn. They ran into each other overseas but overseas was Kuwait and there was a war on so nothing much happened beyond the whole "hale fellow well met buddies under fire" thing.

And now, now they saw each other pretty damned near every day, he was her CO. Sort of. Essentially. Most of the time. Point was, they were on the same team and that meant any kind of a... something more than friendship wasn't about to happen. Couldn't happen.

If he could change anything about SG-1, he wouldn't have Sam Carter on his team and... they'd all be dead a couple of times over. Couple of dozen times over. And a few planetary populations, not to mention planets would be toast as well. And without Sam, who'd get his jokes? Okay, she didn't usually laugh at them, but she got them. Who'd trade her date nut loaf for his brownies? Who'd do the sixteen paragraphs of techno-babble he usually ignored – and knew he could ignore because Sam would deal?

Fine. He was grown man. He could keep his libido under control. He wouldn't change a thing about Sam.

2. Dr. Daniel Jackson was a pain in the ass. He had the arrogance of the over educated and it drove Cam up the wall how inflexible he could be when he thought he was right. Okay, he was right more often than he was wrong but that wasn't the point. The point was, once the good doctor got an idea in his head it practically took an act of god to get it out – although they were kind of running out of actual gods. And the whole curiosity killed the cat thing? Oh, Daniel was the epitome of that!

And after ten years, Daniel had the running and the shooting and the strategy and the tactic pretty much down but the whole following orders thing, not so much.

If he could change anything about SG-1, he'd put Daniel Jackson behind a desk and... there'd be no one to make one of those last minute lateral moves that kept them all breathing. Daniel might not run through his lives quite so quickly but the rest of them, well, fairly toasted. And without Daniel, who'd make the 'we come in peace' speech? In spite of ten years of betrayals, and ambushes, and pitched battles more often than not, Daniel could still say the words with a straight face and make people believe them -- because he did. And who'd trade his vanilla cream cookies for those raspberry chocolate things?

Fine. When it came right down to it, he admired the way Daniel had maintained his faith in humanity in spite of everything. If SG-1 was a weapon, Daniel was the safety and Cam could cope with a few arguments if it meant they took the time to consider both sides of an issue. He wouldn't change a thing about Daniel.

I'm not much of a shipper, and what energy I do have for shipping is usually reserved for Sam and Jack...but darned if #1 doesn't just make me grin like an idiot. Excellent.

Cam/Sam just works for me on so many levels. Of course, it helps that BB would have chemistry with lawn furniture... *g*

3. Vala Mal Doran was a thief, and a con artist, and a loose cannon and had been responsible for getting them into the kinds of situations most crack military teams would be embarrassed to be found near, let alone in. Okay, she busted her ass to get them out of those situations but it would be whole lot less work for everyone if she'd just behaved herself in the first place.

And he still didn't completely trust her – she was just a little too much like a cat; not entirely domesticated.

If he could change anything about SG-1, he'd put Vala off the team and... break her heart. And damnit, he just couldn't do that. She was trying so very hard to change she was... well, not to put too fine a point on it, she was inspiring. And, all things considered – and then weighed in the balance of getting into yet another alien version of a bar fight based on a Vala-engineered misunderstanding – she was valuable resource in a universe that seemed to insist on a certain amount of ethical flexibility. Also, she hated the Thai chicken MRE's and he loved them so that worked out.

Fine. If forced, he'd admit he liked having her around, that he saw things through her eyes he never expected, and that, mostly, she was a pain in Daniel's ass and that was kind of fun to watch. While there were a few things he'd like to change, those changes would make her less Vala and so, well, no...

4. The one word Cam would use to describe Teal'c was weary. He'd been fighting for so damned long. He'd risked so much and he'd lost so much and it never seemed to end for the poor guy. Oh, he was still the strongest, most committed, and scariest son of a bitch that Cam had ever met but there were days when even his shoulders seemed to bow a bit under the weight.

And the whole being pulled in two directions thing... Here the Jaffa, there the Tauri – it was a wonder he hadn't split in half.

If he could change anything about SG-1, he let Teal'c rest... except who was he to tell Teal'c to lay down his arms? He didn't have the cojones. And what the hell was Teal'c supposed to do then? Needlepoint? And without Teal'c who'd have his six when Sam was being all scientific and Daniel was sacrificing himself for the good of who the hell knew and Vala was coming up with impossible plans the shouldn't work but did? Eventually, he might even get the big guy to give up his Hershey bar.

Fine. Teal'c got to lay it down when it was all over, just like the rest of them. It wasn't so much he wouldn't as he couldn't change a thing about Teal'c.

5. If the president himself called him up and said, "Colonel Mitchell, what would you change about SG-1?" he'd say: "Not a damned thing, sir."

fabulous, such fine cameron tone of voice here. and the thinking process is delightfully him.

Thanks! I was a little worried about Cam's voice since I hadn't actually watched any SG-1 since the download of season ten so I'm REALLY glad it worked for you.

it worked very well. :)

It took him a while to work through it all but he got there in the end. :-)

When I read the prompt my entire response was "Not a damned thing." but that was four short so... *g*

>>If SG-1 was a weapon, Daniel was the safety....

Brilliant! And much love on swapping cookies!

Thanks, I'm kind of proud of that line.

And people in the military spend more time swapping the contents of their MREs than grade school kids do their lunch boxes. *g*

Love the structure of this -- Mitchell talking himself out of the things he'd change, or acquiescing to/acknowledging that it would be disadvantageous to change them. Neat observations of the team through his eyes. And the line she was valuable resource in a universe that seemed to insist on a certain amount of ethical flexibility is just so well phrased -- I love that. And the line about the MREs that follows it, perfect. :-)

Thank you.

One of the things I like best about the five things, thing... (me writer, me know many words *g*) is that it provides a chance to play with structure within an imposed structure. Okay, it's late, that may have made more sense in my head. *g*

It makes sense in my head too ... which may not be all that helpful. *g* But I know what you mean!

and that, mostly, she was a pain in Daniel's ass and that was kind of fun to watch.

This sums up 90% of why I enjoy Vala.

I like that each item involves food in some way. Hee. Great list!

Yeah, me too!

The food thing just kind of showed up, all unexpected like. *g*

And thanks.

The whole Sam/Cam is actually one of the few pairings I'm seeing with crystal clarity aside from my J/D OTP-thing. So: yes! to #1. These are fun, and insightful - and I *love* the food-swapping. LOL

Sam and Cam just have such wonderful chemistry together. I'd be thrilled if tptb went that way.

And thank you!

Oh, these tickle me! They're such lovely viewpoints of the strengths and weaknesses of the team. And I love the way he manages to talk himself 'round to their positive attributes, then throws in a food-related plus on top of it. I guess an army does march on its stomach!

Thank you!

The way I see Cam he's really a glass is half full kind of guy.

These are totally wonderful. Cam’s thoughts on Daniel, especially, were spot on.

I love how you put your own twist on the list, and still stay in the game. It’s one of my favorite things about this comm. I’m glad you came to play again! :)

Thank you!

I keep meaning to do more of these but life keeps getting in the way. (And lately, lj hasn't been helping)

Nice, nice! Try as he might, Cam couldn't find a thing that it would be safe or right to change.

It's great that in Teal'c's case, Cam was only thinking about what might be best for Teal'c. Everybody tends to see the big guy as invincible and indomitable, but Cam sees a weary man. *smiles at the images "needlepoint" brought to mind*

Sometimes, I just feel so sorry for Teal'c...

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

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Prompt 19.08

Five things Cameron would change about SG-1

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Five things Cameron would change about SG-1. (part 1)

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