Fandom: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/Battlestar Galactica
Pairing: Mostly canon pairings
Length: 156,591 words
Author Website: Rap541 (fanfiction.net)
Summary: What do you do when you're a lost Starfleet officer in the Beta Quadrant? You blend in and hope for the best.

Why this must be read: This story is amazing. It's well-written, well-plotted, handles both sets of characters brilliantly, and includes a ton of background from both series to make the crossover work. You can also read this with minimal knowledge of either show without getting lost.

Basically, one of the characters on the Battlestar is really a very lost Starfleet officer, trying to get home. Once he does, however, things don't really go as expected.

A warning - chapters 65-67 (the last 3 chapters) are really a prequel. They can be read either before or after the main story, it just depends on whether you enjoy being thrown into the story in media res or would prefer a slow buildup. Going Native also has a sequel, which is an ongoing WIP.

Going Native

Title: Four Ways To Survive A New World (The Jackson Town Remix)
Author: Templemarker
Length: ~2000 words
Author on LJ: templemarker
Author website: Her website
Why this must be read:

Surviving is what Kara Thrace does now, with all her skills from her Galactica days intact, not to mention her memories. She has landed in the Galaxy Far, Far Away when she meets a 'loud-mouthed' pilot known by the nickname 'Slick.' Momentum carries Han and Kara forward to a brief time together and Kara leaves it with her sense of self intact. Join this remix for a masterfully crafted universe filled with a backstory that will make you nod and say to yourself, "It could be this way."

Four Ways To Survive A New World

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Pairing: Cally Henderson/Galen Tyrol
Length: 3690 words
Author on LJ: sabaceanbabe
Author Website: On AO3 | On LJ
Why this must be read:

Because Cally is awesome, and this fic will show you why. This is a backstory for Cally that really works, and keeps her quirks and her place in the Fleet while making her the (tragic) hero of her own story. I've always thought that Cally is one of those people that most of us would be like- she's not the President or the Admiral or the hot-shot pilot; she's the grunt working her butt off and doing the best she can to survive in a world that's really messed up. And this lovely story follows her through all that, from her life on the Colonies to her breakdown and death. If you didn't appreciate Cally before you read this story, I suspect you will after.

Freefall

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Musical artist: Mr. Brightside//The Killers
Character(s): Bill Adama, Leoben, Kara Thrace and Laura Roslin
Vidder on LJ:lj user=beccatoria>
Vidder's website: her website
Why this must be seen:

If you're in the fandom, you've probably seen this, because it is hysterical. If you're not but you've watched BSG, you need to watch it precisely for that reason. Crack- especially vidded crack- is hard to come across in the BSG fandom, and vidded crack done well is even harder, because it's just such a dark canon. And this isn't a vid that really captures the series or a character or an actual arc. But really, anything that can make Adama/Leoben with the side-ships of Kara/Leoben and Laura/Leoben work must be watched, praised, and thoroughly enjoyed. Plus, it mocks season 4.5 emo!Adama, so it admittedly has a very special place in my heart.

The Other Love Quadrangle (No, the Other One)

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Characters: ensemble
Length: ~4000 words
Author on LJ: puszysty
Author website: On AO3 or fluffyfic on LJ
Why this must be read:

I don't know the first frakking thing about law or the rules of evidence, but you really don't need to. (Although BSG fandom really seems to have a lot of lawyers and law students.) The Federal Rules of Evidence are really just a pretty neat gimmick to tie together this series of drabbles. Each drabble deals with a different rule, and is demonstrated by a wide variety of characters and situations. Given how much BSG deals with issues of guilt and personal responsibility, this is a fantastic way to look at the series. puszysty's style lends itself extremely well to drabbles, and these are all very compelling.

Federal Rules of Evidence Drabbles

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Pairing: Lee/Lida, Lee/Kara, Lee/Dee
Length: ~8500 words
Author on LJ: nicole_anell
Author website: Her Fic
Why this must be read:

If you're active in the BSG fandom right now, you've probably been seeing this one recced all over. And with good reason. It's an AU, set during New Caprica, where Lee is also captured by the Cylons and kept by a Six. There's serious dubcon/Stockholm's type issues going on in this fic, so beware if that's an issue for you, but it's also extremely well done, dealing with the consequences and the fall-out.

Lee's a frustrating character a lot of the time (the writers never seemed to get a purpose for him), but here, he really works in this plot, and even if you're not an ardent Lee fan, nicole_anell makes him and his slow destruction and... something of a recovery utterly compelling. It's sparse and desperate, which is pretty much pitch perfect for Season 3 BSG :) It's extremely well done, and well worth the time to read.

Give You All

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW), HARRY POTTER
Characters: McGonagall, Roslin, and Dumbledore
Length: ~4500
Author on LJ: miabiciletta
Author Website: BSG fic sticky
Why this must be read:

Laura Roslin is one of the strongest, most powerful female characters I've ever found. And although she's not a central character, so is Minvera McGonagall. The idea of the two of them meeting- and the lovely, optimistic end that this results in- is absolutely wonderful. The conversations between Minerva and Laura and between Minerva and Albus are fantastic, and I really enjoyed this sweet, peaceful, hopeful fic. It's wish fulfillment of the absolute best kind.

A Teachable Moment

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Pairing: Gaeta/Hoshi
Length: 30,000
Author on LJ: kappamaki33
Author Website: LJ fic sticky
Why this must be read:

Everyone's got that fic that you read and it just gets to you and sticks with you for a long time. This was that fic for me.

This is a season 4.5 AU, where Hoshi and Cottle have cottoned on to what Felix is up to and stop him. The dust has long since settled, the Fleet is still looking for a planet, and Gaeta and Hoshi are a settled married couple looking to start a family. But at the same time, Hoshi had a family before, back on Sagittaron, which we're told in canon is a very repressive Colony.

This is a very character-driven story, focusing heavily on Hoshi and his life before the attacks, as well as how he moves on to his life now. And why should you care about Hoshi, who is pretty much a name and a few lines of dialogue on the show? Because this version of him is warm and compelling, trying too desperately to hold on to what he loves and very, very human. This is also very much a story about being a gay parent in a repressive society and the expectations that Hoshi has for himself.


Picture Perfect on LiveJournal

(Disclaimer: I did do the art for this, but only because the story was so amazing.)

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Characters: The Eight that becomes Sharon Agathon
Pairings: pre-Athena/Helo
Length: 3,362 words
Author on LJ: imelda72
Author Website: no designated site that I found
Why this must be read:

Athena Agathon is a fascinating character, and one that doesn't get a lot of pre-series fic exploration. Probably, I'm afraid, because either 1.) you can believe she was activated to explicitly seduce Helo and she didn't have a pre-series life, or 2.) because what she did probably wasn't pleasant. Personally, I prefer #2 because it makes her conversion and change of heart so much more powerful. And this fits that so well- it's a story of Athena during and right after the attacks on the Colonies, and her time on Sagittaron. It's the story of her call to seduce Helo and the process she goes through making that decision, and the build-up of what leads to the choices Athena later makes. It's a great backstory for her, and a nice little cameo by a relation to a canon character that ties so much together.

For a Daughter

Good morning! I'm lls_mutant, and I'll be your driver pilot on the BSG van Raptor this month. I'm a fan of fic about the secondary characters, especially the bridge bunnies and the knuckledraggers.

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NEW)
Character/Pairing: Anastasia Dualla, Dee/Lee
Length: 6560
Author on LJ: munditia
Author Website: At Livejournal|At AO3
Why this must be read:

Dee is a sadly underused character, especially by the show. Usually the focus in the Season 2/3 love quadrangle ends up on Kara and Lee, but this is a fantastic, in depth look at Dee during that time, and her thoughts and feelings and her motivations and insights. The prose is lovely and the emotions are true, and it really is a fantastic story.

Her Cloudy Trophies (The 'Go Not to Lethe' Remix) on AO3
Her Cloudy Trophies (The 'Go Not to Lethe' Remix) on LiveJournal

Title: that girl was an assassin too by coffeesuperhero
Pairing: Gen; Mara Jade, Tom Zarek
Length: 1,298
Author on LJ: coffeesuperhero
Author Website: Profile at Archive of Our Own
Why this must be read:

Because Mara Jade is such a fun character to read about and this author does an excellent job getting her inner voice down. Zarek is just as sleazy and underhand as he is in canon and seeing these two interact was very entertaining.

She has it on good authority from one of Rogue Squadron's newest members that the New Republic is secretly testing out a new snub fighter, and though fighter planes aren't usually her thing, she certainly wasn't going to turn down Starbuck's offer to give one a good run-down. Kara owes her the favor-- hell, Kara owes her at least ten favors-- and she knows could use the time away from responsibilities, not to mention that Kara's usually up for a good fight, and Mara's been itching for one ever since she started this undercover work with Lando.

that girl was an assassin too

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2003)
Pairing: Adama/Roslin
Length: 3600~
Author on LJ: zinke
Author Website: Fic Journal
Why this must be read:

I’m a little biased about this one, as it was written for me for the 2009 adama_roslin Secret Santa exchange, but there’s no question that it deserves to be here. zinke is one of my favorite authors in the fandom, and this beautiful fic – a post-Daybreak AU where Laura’s cancer progresses more slowly, allowing her to spend some time on Earth – is her at her best. This understated and painfully honest glimpse into Adama, Roslin, and the life they’re learning to share is sweet but not saccharine. Plus, it makes fishing sexy!

( Excerpt )

Catch and Release

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2003)
Pairing: Slight Roslin/Adar
Length: ~3700
Author on LJ: bluerosefairy
Author Website: Archive of our Own
Why this must be read:

Really, the author’s summary says it all: Cass and Jamie Adar remember their parents - all three of them - as they wait for the Cylons.

It’s not often that a fic immediately engrains itself into my perspective of a character, especially one as close to my heart as Laura Roslin. ‘Lullaby’ did just that, though, when I first read it, and hasn’t lost any impact on further rereads. This fic explores a relationship that is barely touched on in canon, yet the Roslin/Adar affair takes backseat to the quietly woven and beautifully believable relationship between Adar’s two children and their “third mother”. It’s hard to believe that these two OCs, especially Cass, weren’t actually canon characters; as it is, their experiences at the end of the worlds are no less powerful for not having been shown onscreen.

( Excerpt )

Lullaby

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2003)
Pairing: Adama/Roslin
Length: 7500
Author on LJ: mondavis
Author Website: On Survival Instinct
Why this must be read:

This fic was written before Lay Down Your Burdens aired, so it goes AU after The Captain’s Hand. While there are a lot of wonderful fics dealing with the results of the election, this one twists things even further with an attack that severely cripples Colonial One, and shows Laura dealing with the aftermath of not only losing the presidency but also her makeshift home and the people she shared it with.

( Excerpt )

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Hi, there! I'm Avery, and I'll be driving the van for the BSG fandom this month. I'm a devoted Laura Roslin fan, and most of my recs will feature her in some form or another, but this show has a lot of wonderful characters and relationships to explore, so I'll do my best to represent that! On that note, let's get started.

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2003)
Pairing: Gen, with hints of Billy/Dee and Billy/OC
Length: 20,000
Author on LJ: smercy
Author Website: Fic Journal
Why this must be read:

This is easily the best Billy fic I’ve ever come across. Set post-Sacrifice with Billy as the final Cylon, it intersperses Billy’s new life on a baseship with snapshots of characters in the fleet – everyone from Corporal Venner and Ellen Tigh to Dee and Roslin – and the effects of his death has on them. It’s an unforgiving look at the characters at their most human, and a beautiful exploration of the individualities of the various Cylons.

( Excerpt )

something big is gonna happen (over my dead body)

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: none (Ellen, Cavil, Gaeta and Tyrol)
Length: 3000 words
Author on LJ: falafel_musings
Author Website: BSG fic list
Why this must be read: This is one of the first stories I read in this fandom. Ever since then, I've saved it away in my head with the lable of, "That one Ellen fic with the awesome first line." The first line is as follows:

Ellen kept her eyes closed while she took it.

Isn't it a thing of beauty? It delivers a punch and the tone of the story all at once. Also, the main character.

On top of the excellent first line, this is also that kind of fic about Ellen the heroine that I claim people are thinking of when they say there isn't enough Ellen fic around. And in case that isn't enough, it also answers the burning question of, how was the dead letter box established when nobody seems to know later? If all that isn't enough of a reason to read a fic, I don't know what is.

That concludes my recs for this month! Hope you all had fun.

Dead Letter Box

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: Barolay/Gaeta
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: safenthecity
Author Website: fic list
Why this must be read: Again with the Little Black Dress Challenge - the challenge to write all Gaeta pairings - and all the great fic it produced. Another story the challenge brought into existence is this story about Jean Barolay and her life on New Caprica. safenthecity uses the relationship she has with Gaeta to show her frustrations, and people's frustrations in general with Baltar's government. It's a story made up of precious little details giving you a sense that you're only seeing a glimpse of a whole complete world.

Another Day Just Like the Last

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: Baltar/Head!Six, Baltar/Caprica
Length: 500 words
Author on LJ: carnography
Author Website: fic list
Why this must be read: Because it's an awesome look at Head!Six, and there aren't enough of those. Since we know Baltar's Six as a walking and talking being with a strange sense of humor and a weirdly masculine idea of appropriate clothes, it's hard to depict her as the higher being she's supposed to be. This Six is really scary. Give it a shot, you can read it quickly.

Gaius would be absolutely terrified if he could see her - see her for what she truly is.

A monster, he might call her. Flaming sphinx with six wings - an ancient horror equivalent to those abominations that stalk Colonial myth - the Lamia, Scylla, Echidna.

Job 1:7

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: Gaeta/Seelix
Length: 5000 words
Author on LJ: millari
Author Website: millarific
Why this must be read: There's one thing about Gaeta that makes him more special than any other character in the fandom. Apart from the fact that he has the capacity of pissing off both the Starbuck fans and the Roslin fans, I mean. That's pretty special, too. ;-) No, it's the fact that he's the only character in the fandom who has virtually been paired with every other character in fanfic, thanks to the Little Black Dress Challenge on the gaeta_squee comm, a community effort to reach just that goal, and one that cannot be pimped enough.

Awesome fic was written for this challenge, because excellent writers went and took pairings that made no sense whatsoever, making it look like it couldn't have happened any other way. "Absolution" is such a story. And millari didn't choose the easy way out with it. It is set in the aftermath of "Collaborators", the episode when Seelix took part in an attempt to murder Gaeta for a crime he didn't commit. In this rather dark story, they both have a hard time dealing with what happened, and they pick the worst possible way of trying to make it go away.

Absolution

Fandom: DUE SOUTH/WILBY WONDERFUL/BSG (and more)
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and?
Length: guesstimate of around 3k
Author on LJ: shayheyred
Author Website: more fic here
Why this must be read:

Soooooooo… there were a lot of fics that called out to me for crossover day, but this one was the hands-down winner. It was written for the 2nd Intentional Badfic Challenge at ds_flashfiction but truly, this isn’t badfic – it’s crackfic of the highest order.

The basic premise is that a nuclear accident has created multiple versions of characters CKR and PG have played, and they all converge on Wilby. Written as a script, it’s outrageously funny, and everyone is perfectly in character.

And if that’s not enough - it has not one, but two theme songs rewritten just for it – how can it be anything but freaking (I mean, frakking) awesome?

Triplicomedy

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: Gaeta/Baltar
Length: one shot
Author on LJ: blue_crow
Author Website: fic list
Why this must be read: This story consists of a letter written to Gaeta by Baltar in his days of vice presidency. Now, there's a lot of good Gaeta/Baltar fic around. While this one doesn't exactly offer any new insights, unexpected plot twists or whatever else might make you rec a fic, it is pretty. It's just so pretty. blue_crow brought to us this letter authentically, on Colonial paper, including Galactica's logo and bad writing when Baltar stops paying attention. So it's smart on top of being pretty. It's more of a Colonial document than a fanfic, so you should check out the pretty even if the pairing doesn't do it for you.

Official Correspondence

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: Boomer/Ellen
Length: one shot
Author on LJ: icedteainthebag
Author Website: fic list
Why this must be read: Written for this year's bsg_remix, this is a hilarious little tale of how Ellen got drunk and fooled around with Boomer, told by Ellen herself. It includes a spot-on Ellen voice, a very cute pre-series Boomer, and some really hot porn.

Just Another Incident In The Alcohol Storage Room

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: Narcho/Gaeta
Length: 11,000 words
Author on LJ: lls_mutant
Author Website: fic list
Why this must be read: If you've been browsing the Gaeta fandom, you'll know this story. Everybody knows this story. So this is for new people! Also for people who wonder why Narcho has started showing up in porn prompts. Hi guys! Nice to meet you. You must have been quite puzzled.

Once upon a time, there was talk of how Narcho was originally cast as Gaeta's lover in the webisodes. Intrigued by that interesting bit of trivia, lls_mutant went and wrote the story of how that could have worked out.

Narcho is not a nice person on the show. He isn't in this story, either. Actually, in this story, he is one of the people who took part in the abuse of Gina on the Pegasus. That's a daring character to pick as a protagonist, but lls_mutant handled the issue extremely well. Gaeta and Narcho, in this story, are good for each other. But that doesn't make Narcho a better person at all. It's a very tight story, every word is there for a reason, and on top of everything else, it'll give you fascinating little insights into the former Pegasus crew.

The Touch of Your Grace

Hey there! I'm Trovia and I'm going to rec some BSG fic for you in this time of summer heat (at least where I am) when you undoubtedly have nothing better to do than sit in front of a computer. I'm a fan of Gaeta as well as unusual character combinations and minor characters, so that's what you're about to get.

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 2003
Pairing: none (Romo Lampkin, Felix Gaeta, Tom Zarek, Bill Adama, Lee Adama)
Length: ~ 8000 words
Author on LJ: brennanspeaks
Author Website: fic list
Why this must be read: There are two things we don't have enough of in this fandom. One of them is gen, and one of them is ensemble fic written by people who actually like all the characters that appear in the story. "The Gift of Hermes" delivers on both accounts, which makes it pretty special to start with. It's the story of how Gaeta had a trial after the mutiny, with Romo Lampkin cast as his lawyer. It's also a very well-drafted courtroom drama, reminiscent of Baltar's trial only insofar that both Gaeta and Baltar are unlikely to win. Contrary to the show, this one makes sense. It also delivers some excellent characterizations, even of the supportive characters. I especially remember Admiral Adama and his complex relationship with Gaeta. You'll know more about the characters after having read this one. That's rare, in my book, and pretty cool.

( snippet )

The Gift of Hermes

Vidder: txlsplash 
Musical artist: Coldplay
Pairing: Adama/Roslin
Vidder's website:  Youtube
Why this vid kicks ass:

I had a horribly tough job, trying to figure out which of the many BSG vids I love and re-watch regularly to rec.  I have high standards, but there are so many awesome BSG vids and vidders.  I chose this one because the music is an excellent choice, with lyrics that capture much of the emotion and underlying themes of BSG.  The clips are perfectly chosen, and synch well with music and lyrics.  It's a vid about Bill and Laura, and it's a vid about the Colonial Fleet, and it's a vid about power and the choices we make and living with the aftermath.  It's a vid that holds up well to multiple re-watchings.

( Lyrics )


Viva La Vida

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Pairing: Six
Author on LJ: inlovewithnight 
Author Website: Fic Index
Why this must be read:

This is, bar none, my absolute favorite BSG fic ever.  It's about a Six (which one, we're never told) who is sent to study Human stories, two years before the end of the world.  It's about the dangers of literature.  It's about the power of language.  It's about having your world turned upside down.  It's about growing beyond what you could have understood before.  And it's about the creepy downside of Cylon unity and love, the threat of boxing that hangs over anyone who might wish to break with the status quo.  It is a powerful story, told with elegance and understatement.

( snippet )

and besides you breathe differently down here

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA/TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Pairing: Cameron, John, Sarak, Derek, Ellison, Caprica, Starbuck
Author on LJ: beccatoria 
Author Website: fic tag, 
Why this must be read:

You'd think, what with both of them being about killer robots who want to destroy humanity, that there would be more crossovers between BSG and Terminator.  Particularly after we found out that Earth had already been destroyed by a nuclear apocalypse caused by a war between humans and cybernetic intelligences.  Alas, it is not so.  This gem, however, fits the bill nicely.  Kara and Caprica are on a Raptor looking for Earth.  They crash there.  Team Connor finds them.  And neither is quite sure what to make of the other.  There's not much more to this fic than that, but it's well-done and each canon gives an interesting point of view of the other.

( snippet of fic )

One Winged Birds

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Pairing: Roslin/Adama
Author on LJ: pellucid 
Author Website: fic tag
Why this must be read:

This is about Laura Roslin, and dying.  This is about the fourth season, and everything falling apart.  This is about life, and faith, and revelation.  It's lyrically written and makes Roslin's canon characterization towards the end of the show's run make sense.  (Also, though it was written before the destruction of the Resurrection Hub, it makes sense of that, too.)

( snippet )

Eschatos

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Pairing: Caprica Six/Saul Tigh
Author on LJ: gidget_zb 
Author Website: The Gidget Fic tag at fandom_bitches 
Why this must be read:

For half a season, we had one of the most interesting, underused pairings I know of: Caprica Six, in prison and slightly broken from everything she'd gone through but still looking for someone to love, and Saul Tigh, grieving the wife he'd murdered as a traitor and confused as frak about his Cylonness.  Both of them were screwed up, and it couldn't last long, and yet, for a period of time, they had one another.  Gidget captures their relationship and explores it in painful, honest detail, and the end is so hopeful (even though we know what's going to happen to them once Ellen gets back).  If you liked that relationship you must read this, and even if it wasn't your cup of tea, give it a shot.

( snippet )

Distance Making the Heart Grow Blind

Fandom: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Pairing: Lee  Adama
Author on LJ: meyerlemon 
Author Website: fic tag
Why this must be read:

In the miniseries, Roslin said "We need to start making babies."  Aside from the abortion plotline, the show didn't really deal with that.  Well, fanfic authors filled the gap, and this is one of the better ones.  Lee is, as we all know, the king of emo manpain, and so his response when he does his duty and contributes to the sperm bank is, well, angsty.  But it's restrained, and realistic, and heart-tugging.

( snippet )

Fatherhood

There's a very good remix of it, too, Fatherhood (If Ever You Did Believe Remix) by poisontaster.