SGA ficlette: Calm After The Storm

[mhalachai]

This is for slythhearted, who was wondering how the events of The Storm/The Eye affected the attitude of the Marines under his command. I'm not sure what the Marines think, so I had to go for Sergeant Bates' POV.

As an aside, what is it about SGA that makes me want to write tiny stories in present tense? It's a totally weird thing for me. K, onto fic.

Calm After The Storm
A Stargate Atlantis ficlette

Summary: Bates didn't like Major John Sheppard in any way, shape or form, but that didn't matter after the storm.
Rating: PG for swearing
Disclaimer: Sony and MGM own all things Stargate Atlantis. I'm only borrowing and will return them at the end of the fic.
Setting: After "The Storm" and "The Eye" (mid season 1)
Word count:: 491
Note: Yeah, Sergeant Bates was portrayed as a jerk, but I liked him. He was uncompromising and had the best interests of the expedition at heart in all he did. Well, most of what he did.

~*~

When Bates learned what had happened on Atlantis during the storm, he could only think one thing. To quote his drill sergeant, holy motherfucking shit.

Bates didn't like Major John Sheppard in any way, shape or form, but that didn't matter. Bates was a sergeant, a soldier, and he would obey the chain of command. Even so, after Colonel Sumner's death, he'd maneuvered to keep himself as head of Atlantis security in an attempt to prevent any screw-ups by Sheppard, who by all accounts was a no-good reckless fly-boy with a predilection for disobeying orders.

Bates also hadn't liked how Sheppard had gotten so close with the men. He was their CO, damn it, not their buddy. He wasn't supposed to be trying to arrange football games in one of the old Atlantis greenhouses, or leading a petition to Weir to have the cafeteria serve pie.

(There was also the close relationship Sheppard had with Weir, in light of her role as civilian head of the expedition, but Bates was Not Going There. He'd read up on Weir, and knew she'd never let her common sense be swayed by Sheppard's little boy smile.)

He'd considered trying to stay on Atlantis as the storm approached, but in the end decided that if the city was lost, he needed to be on the scene, protecting their people. Sheppard and a couple of marines could probably manage to protect two people, even if one of those people was the monumentally annoying Dr. McKay.

When he got back to Atlantis and heard how Sheppard had single-handedly warded off a Genii assault on the city, killing over sixty enemy combatants in the process, Bates had almost had a stroke.

Sheppard didn't look any different, didn't seem to care he'd killed so many people in a few hours. It didn't fit in any way with Bates' Antarctic fly-boy view of Sheppard. Bates would have given almost anything to see what was in Sheppard's sealed files, the ones Colonel Sumner had read before he bent enough to allow Sheppard on the expedition.

The Genii incident only served to increase Sheppard's standing in the eyes of the men. To most of them, the Major could do no fucking wrong. They knew he'd do anything for any of them: walk into a Wraith ship to pull them out, fly an insane jumper mission, take on a Wraith in a fucking knife fight. Hell, if the stories kept up, the marines might start to believe the Major could step off the South pier and go for a nice stroll on the ocean.

Bates didn't like the burgeoning hero worship, even though he knew he it would make discipline easier. He didn't like how Sheppard was getting far too personally involved with Teyla Emmagen. He downright hated how Sheppard refused to acknowledge that he couldn't charm his way out of any situation.

Still. Sheppard might not be a total loss after all.

the end

Comments

[slythhearted.livejournal.com]

Squeee! And again she says SQUEE!!

[shadowartemis.livejournal.com]

First, Spelling Error or Something thing: Bates didn't like the burgeoning hero worship, even though he knew he it would make disciple easier. He knew it would make discipline, maybe??

Second, nice character portrayal. You seem to be having a lot of fun digging into the Atlantis cast. <3

To quote his drill sergeant, holy motherfucking shit. XD You always manage to start these with the most interesting attention-grabbing sentences.. I love it.

but Bates was Not Going There. XD I actually giggled when I read that part.

<3 <3 <3

[shadowartemis.livejournal.com]

...would make disciple easier. Unless of course you were playing off that whole walking on water thing. :) *now has images of the marines entering discipleship (that does not look right.. o_O *stares at the spelling* Although the idea doesn't really look right either. XD)*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it :) Thanks for the idea.

[plsteward.livejournal.com]

I love seeing John through the eyes of others. John is just one person who doesn't see himself, he just sees the world, not his place in it (might be why he's so in love with flying & able to swing from killer to kid.) Rodney, Elizabeth, & Carson are usually the characters that authors pick to anylize John, but picking a person who doesn't want to like John was brill, because they will either lie to themselves or say nothing but the truthiness.

I wish it was longer, but then again that wouldn't work.

Loved.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Gah. I stared at that word for a minute the first time and was convinced it was right.

Glad you liked it; I like to explore all these characters. There are so many of them, and they're all so very pretty a new challenge.

Also, I'm a huge fan of the big first sentnece. You need to draw people in, right?

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

No, that wasn't the idea, although that does fit in with the themes :)

[shadowartemis.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I've actually read a fanfic where Sheppard noticed that everyone on Atlantis was pretty. He became convinced that not only had the military planned on having the best-of-the-best-that-wanted-to-go on Atlantis, but they had also brought the ones most likely to induce breeding-happiness. It was amusing.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

John is just one person who doesn't see himself, he just sees the world, not his place in it (might be why he's so in love with flying & able to swing from killer to kid.)

Very good point. His attitude doesn't seem to be a mask of his darker emotions.

You're right about picking a hater to describe the character. It's a lot easier, none of this "but all his good points" crap.

I keep wanting to write a fic of Teyla describing John (not in a shippy way), but I still haven't got enough understanding of her to do so. Oh well. In the interim, this'll have to do.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

That sounds like fun (the fic, I mean). If you can't take the galaxy through technilogilca advancement, then do it by a population explosion :D

[firefox1490.livejournal.com]

I have the urge to repeatedly stab you with a spork and it has nothing to do with this. I finally watcj Firefly.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

O_o

why am I going to get sporked? what'd I do?

[dvak-64.livejournal.com]

Hell, if the stories kept up, the marines might start to believe the Major could step off the South pier and go for a nice stroll on the ocean.


Hey Bates? John Sheppard is Jesus Motherfucking Christ and we all know it. Now stop swimming in De Nile and accept the simple fact.

Interesting perspective, good length. Well done!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he is pretty nifty.

Glad you liked it. I had fun writing it; a new character POV is always a fun thing, especially one as unsympathetic as Bates.

[shallanelprin.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned I love this Atlantis streak you're on? Makes me have happy Stargate days.

Great, great fic. Interesting character study of Shep from an observer.

[oportunemoments.livejournal.com]

but Bates was Not Going There Yay, shippy ^_^ And even if it's not, it's still highly giggle inducing ^_^

I agree, not a total loss, that John Sheppard :P I love how you portrayed Bates' reflection on how the men think of John, and the little bits about football in a greenhouse and PIE. The last two sound so much like him, it's adorable.

And I second that bit about appreciating your Atlantis-obsession. When you finally move on, I'm going to have to go buy the first season. ::pines for Rodney:: ::and others:: ::but mostly Rodney::

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I love this streak too, even though it's hell on my other writing. I'm okay with that, though, as I have A Plan to get back into the other things soon. It involved a lot of coffee, apple turnovers and multi-vitamins. (See, that way I never have to leave my house again)

I feel slightly awed, coming from a tiny fandom (Anita Blake) to this one, but damned if I'm not having a wonderful time. So many amazing writers!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

It's not shippy; it's just Bates not being able to deal with the concept of his CO and the city's leader not being all antagonistic :)

Oh, the DVDs are delish. I love the fact that they put out TV shows on DVD! So I was able to cancel my cable and buy DVDs instead! Technology is love.

Rodney is love too.

[jaydeyn-sitari.livejournal.com]

Ok, this ficlet officially makes me your bitch. No, I mean it. I realise you're like, the entire planet away, but did you hear that squeel of girlish delight at having Bates (BATES!!) have his own moment there? I actually woke my drugged mother from the other end of the house. Dude.

YES! :D

So. Much. Love.

:)
Jaydeyn

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

*glees* I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I have to say, Bates is a great character to write because he's such a dick half the time.

(and your poor mother :P)

[jaydeyn-sitari.livejournal.com]

I have a minor crush on the man and I don't know why! My brain is clearly missing. I liked the fact that he was there to think of this stuff - how people may be a threat to Atlantis, even Teyla... They really needed him to ... ok, be the voice of reason isn't exactly the right phrase... but you know what I mean.

I want him to come back. I mean Caldwell (hm... that doesn't look right, is that the spelling?) is sort of doing that, but after Critical Mass? meep.

Besides, I'd like to know how he's doing since being beaten almost to death by that Wraith. :(

:)
Jaydeyn

[sulien77.livejournal.com]

Yep, Shep is very good at hiding what's inside. He's got the brilliance of McKay (well, almost) and the luck of James T. himself (as well as that Captain's libido). I really enjoyed seeing him from Bates' perspective though, and under the same circumstances, I would probably have the same opinion of him.

Brilliant Observational Piece

[yinkawills.livejournal.com]

Just found this. Its a miniature gem.
I love other people's pov of Sheppard and McKay.
Bates is sadly under used for this.
You caught his suspicious, no nonsense, soemwhat grim persona accurately.

Looking forward to reading your other Atlantis fics.

Yinka

Re: Brilliant Observational Piece

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for your kind words. I always found Bates to be an interesting character, and was rather disappointed when he left the show.

I hope you enjoy/enjoyed the rest of the SAG fics :)

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Great story. Thanks.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it :)