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Title: Of Warriors and Scholars
Fandom: SG-1
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 747
Spoilers: None
Prompt: Gen - Bra'tac's respect for Daniel
Summary:“But you, with the...soft hands.” Bra’tac waggled his fingers as if to demonstrate his point.
This fic was written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sg_fignewton.
“I had thought they were all crazy.”
Daniel, belly-down in mud and watching the nearest hill, just hoping beyond all hope that it will be Jack, Sam and Teal’c that are the next to crest it and not the twenty or so Jaffa that has been pursuing them for three days straight, turned his head and looked at the man lying beside him, watching the hill just as intently as Daniel had been and looking for all the world like he hadn’t just spoken.
“Who’s with the what now? Daniel asked and Bra’tac let out a low chuckle, having recognised the Jack-ism for what it was.
“At first, when I saw you, I thought they had soft brains.”
Daniel had pulled off his glasses, tried to find a bit of his uniform that wasn’t caked in mud and gave up, sliding them back on his nose and resolving himself to having a smudgy time of it. “You mean the Tau’ri in general?”
“No,” Bra’tac shook his head. “I mean you in particular, not the collective.”
“I’m sorry Master Bra’tac, I’m not sure-“
“I could see why O’Neill would appeal to Teal’c, brusque and crabby just like myself but a warrior nonetheless. Samantha Carter would have made any Jaffa husband proud-“ Here Daniel tried to unsuccessfully disguise a snort with a half-hearted attempt at a sneeze. “But you, with the...soft hands.” Bra’tac waggled his fingers as if to demonstrate his point. Daniel looked down at his own work-roughened hands and thought Bra’tac’s standards must have been pretty steep.
Daniel was cold, bone-weary and hoping the strange sensation on his right leg was just mud drying and not a creature of any kind. He wasn’t sure he was up to being called a wuss on top of it by Bra’tac. The older Jaffa seemed to sense Daniel’s displeasure at the current turn of conversation because he leant a hand out and first touched Daniel’s wrist and then traced something in the mud, a symbol made up of three intersecting lines and a half crescent underneath.
“There is a word that has no true Tau’ri translation,” Bra’tac said as Daniel leant forward, his interest perked despite his misgivings. “Tel’an’anac.”
“One who… bleats?” Daniel scrunched his face and Bra’tac let out another rumble of low laughter.
“As I said, no true Tau’ri translation. The word is an amalgam. Basically, one who learns but also fights.”
“Oh that’s…” Daniel looked a little puzzled, unsure what Bra’tac was actually getting at.
“You have to understand, Daniel Jackson. I am from a proud people who measure ability and worthiness by pitting themselves against their fellow Jaffa. Physical prowess and skill with the staff are the important things. Reading, writing and language other than that of our God were considered taboo. Scholars were either simpering servants or dangerous.”
Daniel remembered the first time he had drawn a symbol in the sand on Abydos and how horrified the natives had seemed, how quickly they had obliterated any evidence of it with fists and feet. He remembered Sha’re tracing a cartouche with a reverent finger and how her fear had been palpable for simply looking at the written word.
“You devote yourself to learning and fight out of necessity. I was unsure of your place because you would agree that I do the reverse.”
“You still have doubts?” Daniel asked, eyeing Bra’tac speculatively.
“Would that I did. I believe if we existed in a more peaceful time then I would be free to regard you as useless and you would be free to remain so.”
“Um,” Daniel scratched at his temple and then turned his attention back to the hill. “Okay.”
“What I am saying Daniel Jackson, is that you have grown into a warrior I would have stand by my side in any battle and I am saddened that necessity has made it so.”
Any further comment was cut off by rings dropping down around them. As soon as they dropped away again, Daniel and Bra’tac sprang to their feet and were relieved to see Teal’c at the control. “I am pleased to see you both well,” he rumbled and clasped arms with Bra’tac.
“We had time for a nice chat,” Bra’tac said and Daniel blinked at him.
“What’d you two talk about?” Jack asked, sauntering into the holding bay and pulling himself up on a stack of crates.
“I told Daniel Jackson I was sorry he had to shoot people.”
“Ah, cool. Me too.”
Daniel gaped and Jack and Bra’tac smiled at each other and then gave Daniel an identical "What?”.
Fandom: SG-1
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 747
Spoilers: None
Prompt: Gen - Bra'tac's respect for Daniel
Summary:“But you, with the...soft hands.” Bra’tac waggled his fingers as if to demonstrate his point.
This fic was written for
sg_fignewton.“I had thought they were all crazy.”
Daniel, belly-down in mud and watching the nearest hill, just hoping beyond all hope that it will be Jack, Sam and Teal’c that are the next to crest it and not the twenty or so Jaffa that has been pursuing them for three days straight, turned his head and looked at the man lying beside him, watching the hill just as intently as Daniel had been and looking for all the world like he hadn’t just spoken.
“Who’s with the what now? Daniel asked and Bra’tac let out a low chuckle, having recognised the Jack-ism for what it was.
“At first, when I saw you, I thought they had soft brains.”
Daniel had pulled off his glasses, tried to find a bit of his uniform that wasn’t caked in mud and gave up, sliding them back on his nose and resolving himself to having a smudgy time of it. “You mean the Tau’ri in general?”
“No,” Bra’tac shook his head. “I mean you in particular, not the collective.”
“I’m sorry Master Bra’tac, I’m not sure-“
“I could see why O’Neill would appeal to Teal’c, brusque and crabby just like myself but a warrior nonetheless. Samantha Carter would have made any Jaffa husband proud-“ Here Daniel tried to unsuccessfully disguise a snort with a half-hearted attempt at a sneeze. “But you, with the...soft hands.” Bra’tac waggled his fingers as if to demonstrate his point. Daniel looked down at his own work-roughened hands and thought Bra’tac’s standards must have been pretty steep.
Daniel was cold, bone-weary and hoping the strange sensation on his right leg was just mud drying and not a creature of any kind. He wasn’t sure he was up to being called a wuss on top of it by Bra’tac. The older Jaffa seemed to sense Daniel’s displeasure at the current turn of conversation because he leant a hand out and first touched Daniel’s wrist and then traced something in the mud, a symbol made up of three intersecting lines and a half crescent underneath.
“There is a word that has no true Tau’ri translation,” Bra’tac said as Daniel leant forward, his interest perked despite his misgivings. “Tel’an’anac.”
“One who… bleats?” Daniel scrunched his face and Bra’tac let out another rumble of low laughter.
“As I said, no true Tau’ri translation. The word is an amalgam. Basically, one who learns but also fights.”
“Oh that’s…” Daniel looked a little puzzled, unsure what Bra’tac was actually getting at.
“You have to understand, Daniel Jackson. I am from a proud people who measure ability and worthiness by pitting themselves against their fellow Jaffa. Physical prowess and skill with the staff are the important things. Reading, writing and language other than that of our God were considered taboo. Scholars were either simpering servants or dangerous.”
Daniel remembered the first time he had drawn a symbol in the sand on Abydos and how horrified the natives had seemed, how quickly they had obliterated any evidence of it with fists and feet. He remembered Sha’re tracing a cartouche with a reverent finger and how her fear had been palpable for simply looking at the written word.
“You devote yourself to learning and fight out of necessity. I was unsure of your place because you would agree that I do the reverse.”
“You still have doubts?” Daniel asked, eyeing Bra’tac speculatively.
“Would that I did. I believe if we existed in a more peaceful time then I would be free to regard you as useless and you would be free to remain so.”
“Um,” Daniel scratched at his temple and then turned his attention back to the hill. “Okay.”
“What I am saying Daniel Jackson, is that you have grown into a warrior I would have stand by my side in any battle and I am saddened that necessity has made it so.”
Any further comment was cut off by rings dropping down around them. As soon as they dropped away again, Daniel and Bra’tac sprang to their feet and were relieved to see Teal’c at the control. “I am pleased to see you both well,” he rumbled and clasped arms with Bra’tac.
“We had time for a nice chat,” Bra’tac said and Daniel blinked at him.
“What’d you two talk about?” Jack asked, sauntering into the holding bay and pulling himself up on a stack of crates.
“I told Daniel Jackson I was sorry he had to shoot people.”
“Ah, cool. Me too.”
Daniel gaped and Jack and Bra’tac smiled at each other and then gave Daniel an identical "What?”.
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:)
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Have to love Jack interacting with any alien. And Bra'tac is just so cool.
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I've always gotten a kick out of Bra'tacs "You've GOT to be kidding me" expression upon meeting the rest of SG1. I think you've managed to capture his essence, and crack me up at the same time.
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“Ah, cool. Me too.”
/melts
Oh, this was lovely, lovely, lovely. I adore how far Bra'tac and Daniel have come since they first met and he threatened to snap the bones in Daniel's wrist. I love the way you evoked that first moment here and gave us his stamp of approval instead.
A nice peek into the Jaffa worldview: the scholar as either "simpering" or "dangerous." How many 130-year-olds are capable of the courage to accept a new way of thinking? Quite frankly, the only parts of Stronghold that I found bearable were the Daniel and Bra'tac bits. I love how far they've come in the last decade. Both of them.
Thanks so much for this! I'll still squeeing at the idea of the first ever fic someone wrote for me. :) :)
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P.S. Bra'tac Rocks!
(found via that debrief thingie. Isn't it cool?)