Let There Be Light by Nicola Mody (gen)

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Fandom: BLAKES 7
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: vilakins
Author Website: Breaking Orbit
Why this must be read: Nico is a Vilaphile, one of the best interpreters of the character of Vila, thief, frequent coward, occasional hero, unwilling buffoon and a lot of other things. He's also, in the rigid grading system of the Federation, a Delta, living on the spaceship Liberator among a mainly alpha crew. Even Blake's commitment to democracy doesn't always prevent his conditioning from making him talk down to Vila. In this fic, Vila is trying to re-create aboard the ship the Festival of Light he recalls celebrating at home. It's an amalgam of religious and secular winter festivals which the federation allows labour grades to celebrate as opiate for the masses. The Alphas Blake, Avon and Jenna at first feel only a kind of bemused contempt for it and don't understand why it matters to him. Cally, the telepath, and Gan, who isn't an Alpha either, show more understanding:

“We have a Green Festival in midwinter,” Gan said suddenly. “It’s a time for family too.”
Vila grinned at him gratefully. “What’s it like, Gan?”
“Ah, now...” Gan leaned back with his hands behind his head. “Well, it’s green of course.” He shot an almost mischievous glance at Avon. “We decorate our houses with conifer branches and red berries, and have blazing fires to warm us, and eat...ah, we eat till we can’t anymore. Meat, vegetables, spiced cake, dried fruit and nuts...”
Avon turned his attention to him, as Vila suspected Gan had intended. “Oh, this is too perfect. Absolutely classic. Greenery to seduce the growing season back, fire to represent the sun—”
Vila rolled his eyes. Couldn’t just be for warmth, could it, oh no.
“—and the preserved harvest from the previous season, fruit and nuts and so forth. Tell me, Gan,” Avon purred, “does it speed the return of summer?”
“No,” Gan said mildly, “but it makes us feel damned good.”

In this fic the professed liberals and rationalists have to learn a bit of tolerance, and the possibility that what is "true" is not always the same as what is "fact". Though there's a basic sadness in any B7 story, given what we know will happen in the canon, this is warmer and more hopeful than most.

PS no, it's not a crossover for crossover day - sorry. If I ever find a crossover I like, I'll rec it.

Let There Be Light