The War Report by Mosca (PG)

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Fandom: STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: mosca
Author Website: Homoneurotica
Why this must be read:

I'm bending my no-previously-recommended-authors rule (hey, it was more of a guideline) to bring this story by Mosca to your attention. DS9 features the longest-running, most realistic war arc of any Trek series. This brief vignette counts the cost of war through Odo's eyes. It also features my favourite side to Jake -- the writer -- and shows just how much he's matured throughout the series. A quiet, subtle piece which I return to often.

Some of them line up opposite the screens where the new lists will be posted. There is a group of swing-shift crewmen that arrives at 05:00 every week, equipped with blankets and a bottle of Terran vodka that I doubt is synthahol. They sit vigil, draining the bottle gradually and completely, so that by the time the Captain posts the list, the intoxication can buffer them against the shock. They recognize more names than the officers: in this war, many more enlisted men have died.

War Report