LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

OKAY FOLKS, HERE WE GO!

Get your Kara Thrace Gen Fic Battle Gear On (helmets and flight suits optional) and Let's Get this Party Started!


This is a prompt-driven GENERAL fanfiction battle (much in the vein of the porn battles, but hold the smut).

General fanfiction may include allusions to romantic relationships, maybe even employ romance as an element to illustrate a larger theme, but, romance, or the lack of it, should not be the point of focus for the story.

Action-Adventure, Friendship, Humor, Angst, Comfort, all of these are good categories to explore. Kara could lead a mission, make a sacrifice, exact revenge, solve a mystery, confess a secret, come to a decision, teach a student, go on a quest, reflect on a mistake, celebrate a victory, learn a lesson, question an order, save a life, or roll the hard six (just to name a few options). The possibilities are endless.

The Fic Battle closes July 31 at 11:59 PM EST.

Please title your entries as such: Title, Prompt(s). (i.e. Shining from the Ashes, Dogtags, Regrets)

Fic can be posted in the comments in their entirety up to about 850 words (LJ’s limit is 4300 characters) or can link back to your own journal for longer fics.

Please be sure to “reply to this” for each ficlet when leaving feedback. Do not comment with anything but entries and feedback please.

A masterlist will be posted on or around August 1.


A night out in Caprica City (w/ Lee or Zak)
"Agathon's just slow, sir"
air force
alcohol and bad choices
all the time in the world
ambrosia with a chaser
art classes
bad cover band
barefoot
battlestars I have known
becoming a flight instructor
being the CAG
best friend
bet me
birthday
birthday blues
bloodsucking fiends
blue skies
born a lion
borrowing clothes
boss
bounty hunter
breaking down the wall
buildings and bridges
bum knee
by the book
Cadet Zak Adama
canvas
careful planner
Catullus
caught singing on film during "Final Cut"
chasing the sun
cigar
circle of light
clenched jaw
coffee
coffee deficit
cold shower
compartments
cookie cutters
cooking for the old man (bonus points if Dee gets jealous)
Cool Aunt Kara
cornflakes
counting pushups
cradle and all
crossing the line
"Death becomes a learning experience"
destiny is overrated
detention
devout
"Did you just say 'please'?"
disorderly conduct/drunk and disorderly
divorce
"Do you always get what you want?"
"Do they call you 'Helo' 'cause that's all you're good enough to fly?"
doomed to repeat
dreams
dress uniform
drummed out of how many schools?
drunken stupor
escalation of trouble-making
eternal life
every action has an equal and opposite reaction
everything's grey here
faith in things unseen
falling into the deep blue ocean
falling slowly
falsely accused
fast cars
fate and free will
father figures
father's day
fear of the gods
festival of Aphrodite
fierce flawless
fighter
finding her faith
finding the arrow
fingers and thumbs
firecracker
first day on the Galactica
first flight
first frak, first fight (but not with the same person)
first kiss
first love
first tattoo
first time drinking
first time in a viper
first week on Galactica
fists
five careers Kara thought about besides the military
five times Kara's apologized and the one time she really meant it
five times Kara landed in the brig
fleet's magic luck charm
flight training
flying
foodfight
freezie pops
girls night out
girly bonding
giving up Kacey
going to the rifle range
going to the temple (either by choice or because she was made to go by a parent)
good at math
good bad ugly
good with people
goodbye
graphic novels
gun camera footage
halfway 'round the world
hands clasped 'til midnight
happy
Helo
her 1000th landing
hide and seek
hiding from the truth
high heels
"holding on when you need to let go"
hollowed out
home
honor thy mother
household pets
how she got her call-sign
how she got the idols
how to disarm (literally or figuratively) the hall monitor
"I can hear you, you know"
"I don't need directions"
"I don't want to be forgotten"
"I need a whole Cylon armada!"
Icarus
"I'd like to have a copy, just so I can watch me kick your ass."
identity crisis
if he tries anything
"If I'd known you were comin', I'd've baked a cake"
I'm no heroine
in pieces
in spite of it all
jackboots
jealous of someone else's mother
jealous of the moon
joyful girl
Kara inadvertently discovers silly putty
Kara takes ballet as part of her Pyramid training (bonus points if she likes it, EXTRA bonus points if the
pictures/film end up on Galactica)
Kara Thrace and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
Kara's one and only experience babysitting
kicked out of the bar
"kicking ass and taking numerical designations"
killing
knuckle down
landing gear
last meal
laughing so hard
laughing when you want to cry
laundry day
Laura Palmer
learning to ride a bike
Leoben
let the warm rain wash the blood away
let's be war buddies
letters never sent
linger
liquid latex
listen up
listening to her father's music
"Live Together, Die Alone"
living with other pilots
long day
losing faith
losing hope/faith
lost in space
lost in the woods
lost woman song
loudmouth
loyalty
lucky charm
lying to herself
Madame President
"Maybe I'll get one of those talking bird things. Teach it to tell you off for me. Save my voice that way."
medal of valor (how did she get it?)
mentor
minerva
mobster
"Momma always said…"
monotony
morning routine
most embarassing moment ever
most popular
motorcycle
murder of crows
my IQ
names and dates and times
near-death experiences
needful things
never felt more alive
nightmare
"No fate but what we make"
Not a morning person
not a pretty girl
not ready to make nice
not supposed to like it
nothing but the rain
nuggets
numbing the pain
ocean
oil paints
old photographs
oneupmanship
Ophelia's flowers
orders she doesn't follow
painting the mandala
peace
people she wants to hate but can't
personal bubble
personal possessions
plaster/metal gods versus real ones
Playing the piano with Dad
playing with asteroids
PMS
prayer
prayers that never got answered
promised land
pulled the covers back up over her head and prayed to the gods that no one noticed her there
punch-happy
pyramid
pyramid cards/triad cards
rage
rank
razor
reading poetry
realizing Tigh is a Cylon
reasons to stay
reckoning
recycled air
red to black
rejoice
remembering the dead
risk v. reward
rockstar
role models
rotgut
rules are meant to be bent (not broken)
running
safe
salty sweat
scars and souveniers
scars, outside and in
second time around
shaky hands
Sharon Valerii
Sharon's bachelorette party
she never could stand a psychic
she refused to touch the piano, but she couldn't keep her hands off the paintbrush
she'd be damned if anyone was going to outshoot her
"She's in command."
shot glasses
showoff
sibling rivalry
silk sheets
sins of the father
sirens
situational ethics
skinnydipping
smell my feet
so much shouting, so much laughter
"So what'd I miss while I was gone?"
sometimes in the middle of the night
somewhere a clock is ticking
space between life and death
spies among the ruins
sports bra
star matter
stars
staying sane on New Caprica
stealing glances
streak of blonde
superhero
superior assholes
survivors
sweat, blood and tears
sympathy for the devil
tactics
"Tag, you're it!"
talking to myself
teacher's pet
temple
temple of faith
"That's not what your wife said."
the color black
the first time she tried to give herself a haircut in the ship's head was right before the worlds ended
the good points of…
the hills are alive
the lies she doesn't tell
the next life
the one night w/ the Major from (?)
the one time Kara lost her voice
the other tattoos
the tears she won't let fall
the true story of what was
the walls are coming down
things she doesn't regret
thinking outside the box
this feels like home
"This is me walking away"
thunder and lightening
to the teeth
top gun
train wreck
trying not to screw up too badly in class
two bottles down, one to go
two little girls
under her bird
unusual
up for the pros
up, up, up, up, up, up
vaulted over the low wall
veins in the back of her hand
washed away
watching Kacey sleep
wearing sunglasses indoors
what if she never came back
what ifs
what is and what never should be
what other postings did Kara have?
what really happened on the day when the Adama boys picture(in her locker)was taken and/or how/why Dee got it
"What the frak are you staring at, Adama?"
wheels
when Kara met Helo
when she's on the ground
whoops
"Why can't I keep my mouth shut?"
why she prays to Artemis and Aphrodite
why she sometimes wishes she were more girly
why she thinks the Picon Panthers are a bad team
willing to fight
winning Baltar's cash
wish upon a star
wishing for a sibling (or NOT wishing for one)
work your way out
wrestle
writing and illustrating a novel or comic book/strip to entertain the Fleet
"Your father's idea of pressure is nothing like my mother's."
zero G

BUNDLES...or feel free to use the words separately
(watercolors, slippery, nuance, leather jacket)
(waiting, umbrella, sunshower, pity)
(bruised knuckles, the great outdoors, compass, peace)

Comments

Re: Not a Stranger to the Rain, waiting/umbrella/sunshower/pity

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Thanks babe! I enjoy bundles. It's such a fun challenge to write to multiple prompts. There's a slightly longer version of this at my LJ, I ran out of room here, even to place a link. It was a challenge to write Papadama and not be angry with him! :)

Re: Not a Stranger to the Rain, waiting/umbrella/sunshower/pity

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Thanks girl. Aw Zak. :( And how they all missed him so.

Re: Second Time Around

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Ouch. :-( Didn't mean to read that. But I did because the writing was so good I couldn't resist. But ouch.

In the end, she’s just Kara.
Yes, she just was. :-)

freezie pops (sort of)

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

Kara always gets along better with the boys than with the girls. The boys aren't scared of messing up their clothes and going fast.

She's ten years old--skinny, elbows and knees sticking out whenever she moves. But she adjusts fast, learning how to make this new version of her form fly when she plays sports with the neighborhood boys. Bruises that don't come from her mother dot her arms and legs, but she loves the rush of quick movement and winning, so it's worth it.

Clark claims it was his idea, but later she finds out he learned about it from some cousins. Take a big flat container--a roasting pan, maybe--fill it with a couple of inches of water and freeze it. They take the blocks of ice and tote them to the grassy hill near the base where their parents live. When she finds out about it, Kara grabs an old towel and runs to join them.

They sit on the ice blocks, towels used to keep their clothes dry and for cushioning, and slide down the hill. Soon Kara's the fastest, leaning back until she's almost lying on the ground, legs straight in front with feet carefully held up high enough to avoid dragging them on the grass and slowing her down.

It's amazing. They ride down the hill over and over, shrieks filling the air. Gradually their clothes get coated in dirt and the towels are soaked with mud. Kara loves it.

When the ice starts to melt and break up, they break it into chunks and toss them, first down the hill, then at each other. Kara's covered in dirt and scrapes and water. It's still too hot outside, but this was worth it.

Then Mama sees her muddy towel and clothes and Kara can't use that left arm to hold her balance. She stays in and reads books until the marks are gone, and by that time the boys have moved on to a different game.

Re: Not a Stranger to the Rain, waiting/umbrella/sunshower/pity

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you! It was a challenge to remember how much love and affection there once was there and try to do it justice.

I think she would have tried too, but in the face of the acceptance and parental love he offered...she wanted that maybe and maybe she even thought she'd be sparing him the pain. A tangled mix of selfishness and selflessness but not necessarily ill-intentioned.

I'm so pleased you like that line in particular. It's one of my favorites. She never does call him Bill.

Kindred Spirits, what ifs, Cadet Zak Adama, coffee, firecracker

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

Brief Author's note: This is a crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer which is probably going to serve as a jumping-off point for a longer fic; when I saw 'firecracker' and 'coffee' in the prompts list, I knew I had to do it, since the former was Faith's mother's nickname for her and the latter is....well, they do mention Starbuck's in Buffyverse canon.



Three weeks into Basic Flight, and two of her Nuggets already have their callsigns.

The first is Cadet Zak Adama, who, despite his famous name, is not exactly blowing Kara away with his superior flight skills; she has the feeling that he's not going to make it through her class, despite the tutorials he's getting from the pretty brunette who's sitting next to him (and pretending not to notice the way he's looking at her). The other students have dubbed him Hermes - partly because his older brother is Apollo, but mostly because, as the Academy grapevine has it, he's had quite a bit of luck with his tutor.

That brunette, Cadet Faith Lehane, is the other Nugget who's acquired a callsign; her classmates took to calling her Firecracker soon after the first day, and Kara's decided that it suits her. She feels a kinship of sorts with Lehane; the girl's at the top of her class in Flight and Unarmed Combat, and somewhere near the bottom in all the others, and Kara can appreciate somebody who's better at the physical than the intellectual. Also, Lehane has a peculiar closed-mouthed nature when asked about her past which makes Kara suspect that they have similar parental issues, though she can't imagine asking.

She does, however, plan to ask the girl why she cracks up every time Kara's callsign is mentioned - and what the frak coffee has to do with it.

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

First reaction - poor Kara. Her mother sucks so hard.

Second reaction - being a tomboy myself, I totally love this story and the idea behind it. I live out in the country, and my grandmother owns a sizable piece of hilly property that used to be a chicken farm; one of the bigger hills has a pond at its base, and we used to slide down it on the lids of metal trash cans and go flying into the water at breakneck speed. This made for a nice trip down memory lane as well as a very enjoyable read. Well done!

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

Katraine wasn't the most reliable officer in their division

I started giggling at this, pretty loudly - I could never bring myself to like Kat much, despite how she ended up leaving. And I like how Maggie never replied when Kara asked what 'Leland' wanted; it lets those of us who are rabid shippers mentally reply with 'to make a booty call' while people with less lurid imaginations can assume otherwise.

All in all, a very enjoyable read.

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

Knowing what's coming when he does find out makes this painful to read, but I'm a literary masochist anyway, so that's okay. I love that she keeps trying to tell him and getting cut off, and the Old Man wanting her to tell him about his sons.

Also: Kara feels something unfamiliar stir inside her. It feels like hope. Heartbreaking, but very in-character, for that to be a hard emotion for her to recognize.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I guess this is sadder than I thought. I mean certainly it is sad, with their grief and guilt and tortured relationships, but I don't know, somehow I felt it was hopeful too. That the rain (and the comfort) offered is cleansing in a way. I don't think she had much hope after Zak died, sadly. Before yes, but afterwards...I imagine it was tough to find it.

Thanks for reading!

Re: freezie pops (sort of)

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Oof, that ending. Very punchy and powerful.

And hurrah for Kara's elation at flying (sorta) for the first time! :)

Re: Second Time Around

[somewhereapart.livejournal.com]

I know, I know. I wrote the scene that we all like to pretend didn't happen. But I was looking through the prompts and got to "second time around" and it just kinda started writing itself in my head. heh

Glad you liked the writing, though. :)

Serious Business, sports bra, girly bonding

[ivanolix.livejournal.com]

"The military hates boobs," grumbled Kara in Galactica's locker room as the ship prepared for another slow mission around Caprica. Her fingers handled the black cotton of her sports bra with disdain. Sharon glanced over as Kara continued. "Women have had their roles for decades, you'd think they'd get a clue."

"Underwires are dangerous," Sharon said, slipping her damp hair out of the way as she slid her own bra on.

Kara snorted. "No, what's dangerous is forcing us to crush our boobs flat against our chests for hours on end. Notice that the pants don't have that problem? Nice and roomy down there."

Sharon glanced down a hers.

"No, our example is supposed to be the Amazons." Kara stretched the bra up and over her head and humphed. "Fat chance. I like these."

"Yeah, they are nice," Sharon said, looking at hers in the mirror. "But I don't mind waiting till after work to give them the special treatment."

Kara paused and looked down at her cleavage. "A point, there."

"And don't let Karl catch you talking about boobs," Sharon added as her tanks went on.

Kara snickered. "You know I know Karl from way back, right? But yeah, he takes boobs too seriously."

"Maybe with Admiral Cain's promotion, the military will clue up." Sharon left the locker with that comment.

"Don't care who or how," Kara muttered with a sigh. She retucked her bra before putting on her tanks. Damn, a little comfort wasn't too much to ask for.

Re: bloodsucking fiends (urban fantasy AU)

[justascrewup2.livejournal.com]

Nice AU 'verse! I can totally see Kara as a vampire hunter :)

Re: Unreliable Witness, Helo, "Momma always said…"

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

*sniffles*

I love this.

Re: War Scars, scars and souvenirs

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

Love that last line making all the rest of it more meaningful.

Re: Second Time Around

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

I'll second (or third or whatever) love of the line about the world contracting like before a jump.

Lovely story.

Re: Serious Business, sports bra, girly bonding

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Yeah, I think Kara has a little more to deal with in this department than Sharon.

Re: Second Time Around

[somewhereapart.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! Glad you liked it. :)

A Pirate's Life for Me, "Maybe I'll get one of those talking bird things..."

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Kara comes in hot, engine smoking from a close call with a heavy raider, landing gear burning a scorch mark into the deck. She’s barely down the ladder and back on solid ground before Tigh comes charging her way. He’s red-faced and out of breath and Lee is dogging his heels with a grimace. She barely manages to hide her grin when she realizes they must have run all the way from CIC.

Calmly, she unsnaps the metal collar and hands her helmet to Cally as the XO starts raging about her reckless, insubordinate, boneheaded, blah blah blah… She stops him when he finally piques her anger at “unprofessional” though.

“It’s called walking the plank, sir,” she bites off, “and it’s a regulation maneuver when under heavy enemy fire.”

“Walking the—?! REGULATION!?” He booms. “Baah! Who the frak would authorize that bit of hotdogging?” He throws his arms out in frustration.

Kara quirks an eyebrow and looks past him, and Lee clears his throat. “I did, sir.”

“You!” Tigh gapes, open mouth and all, then whips his head around to look back at Kara, who’s not even bothering to hide the smirk she’s wearing now. “Ho, ho, I should have known.” He says, pointing at her then Lee in turn. “She’s a bad influence on the Old Man and she’s got you under her spell too now. I bet your bro—”

Lee steps in immediately, his jaw clenching hard so the muscle in his cheek jumps a little, and Kara grins harder because it’s never not fun watching Lee lose his carefully cultivated control. He’s eye-to-eye with the colonel now and there’s murder in his gaze. “I don’t think you have any frakking idea what you’re talking about,” he growls, nearly spitting the words, “sir.”

They look ready to draw daggers, and Kara rolls her eyes. Amusing as this is, it’s getting old and that was a double shift and she’s pretty sure she smells. Plus, she doesn’t want Lee cooling his heels in the brig for the next three weeks. That would mean she’d have to step up as CAG and she frakking hates paperwork.

So she coughs and steps forward, waits till Tigh’s eyes are on her. “The turkeys always strike the same way, simultaneous rapidfire shots from port and starboard. Timing’s tight but I realized if you go vertical at just the right second, they can’t get a bead. I worked up the plan and Captain Adama authorized me to try it in the next combat strike.”

Tigh scowls. "That's crazy! A frakking risky untested stunt like that! You're just lucky they didn't--"

“With all due respect, Colonel?” Kara tries not to sneer. “I don't rely on luck. Took out three heavy raiders in less than five minutes." She flicks a glance at Lee. "I believe that's a record?" He nods and she smiles triumphantly, leveling a smug stare at the XO. "Boom, sir.”

The colonel narrows his eyes and looks away, his glance falling on her viper, which sits unharmed. He frowns and mumbles, “Well, what the hell kind of name is that anyway, ‘Walking the plank?’ What is this, a frakking pirate ship?"

Kara blinks and bites her lip, determined not to meet Lee’s eyes. She’ll bet good cubits they’re both picturing Crashdown’s spot-on imitation of Tigh as a growling sea marauder. Once the ECO had even swiped Hotdog’s jock strap and used it as an eye patch. (Thankfully, it was clean at the time.)

The temptation is too much; she can’t resist. “Grr, Arrgh. Sir.”

The XO stares at her blankly for a minute, then his face twitches. She almost thinks he’ll crack a smile, but he just sighs loudly. “That's just frakking great." he says, drawling a little on the profanity and shaking his head. "Maybe I'll get one of those talking bird things. Teach it to tell you off. Save my voice that way.”

He pivots and leaves the deck, and Kara snaps a salute at his retreating back. “Aye, aye, sir,” she calls out and Lee snorts with laughter. That’s all it takes to set her off and they giggle until they’re wheezing, spouting quips about “bottles of rum” and “buried treasure.” Kara’s stomach aches from laughing so hard. But Tyrol hovers nearby glaring, and they try valiantly to recover the respectable demeanor befitting the CAG and flight instructor.

Their composure lasts for all of 30 seconds, until Crashdown saunters past, whistling innocently, and they start howling all over again.

[crazedcrusader.livejournal.com]

That was one of my prompts! And now I am giggling hysterically with delight at how it was answered.

Tigh's lucky the Old Man didn't hear him going there, about Zak...

Re: Serious Business, sports bra, girly bonding

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

*chokes* Oh, girls. =D

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Heh. Glad it amused! It was such an offbeat prompt and when I read it a couple times, I figured it had to be Tigh saying it.

Re: bloodsucking fiends (urban fantasy AU)

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Thank you =) Yeah, Maggie gets cranky about that a lot.
(he honestly makes the perfect captain *g*)

Re: bloodsucking fiends (urban fantasy AU)

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Thank you =) And there will be more, it's just... probably going to be long and not finished by the time this battle is over.