gensplosion!

FANDOM: Star Trek: TNG/Star Trek: DS9
FIC LINK: Captain Teddy
AUTHOR LINK: eggheadwizard
RATING/WARNING(S): Gen, no warnings
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 1,072
MAIN CHARACTERS: Data, Bashir, Riker, Troi

FIC SUMMARY: After meeting Kukalaka, Data decides to get a teddy bear of his own.

RECCER'S NOTES: Short, sweet, and very cute. This is the sort of story that can serve as an emotional reset if you've been doomscrollong and need to dwell on something nice for a few minutes.

FANDOM: Star Trek: Deep Space 9
FIC LINK: A Space for Faith
AUTHOR LINK: beatrice_otter, Beatrice_Otter
RATING/WARNING(S): General Audiences, no specific warnings
WIP?/WORD COUNT: 22,757 words, complete
MAIN CHARACTERS: Original characters, canon characters mentioned in passing.

FIC SUMMARY: Tora Manar grew up in the camps, during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. She loves Bajor, but she's ready to see the galaxy. Now Bajoran separatists threaten to end her Starfleet career before it can really get started.

RECCER'S NOTES: Unlike all of the other Treks, and most other TV shows, DS9 made religious faith a central part of its story, and treated the subject with respect. A Space for Faith continues in this vein, and does a wonderful job of representing the Bajorian and other religions, and how they fit into the largely secular landscape of the Federation.

There is Bajorian politics, music, and culture in abundance. There is also unflinching discussion of the destruction wrought by the Occupation. The story deals with the ways in which the Federation is helpful with recovery, and the ways in which they can't see past their privilege.

Despite the name, however, the faith of the protagonist is not the central driving force of the plot, though it does feature heavily. I think of this primarily as a story about friendship. The two main characters, a Bajorian recently folded into Starfleet following the formal joining of Bajor to the Federation, and a Vulcan who joined Starfleet to support the war effort, form an unlikely but respectful friendship. It dovetails nicely into the overarching themes of the story.

Don't be put off by the lack of canon characters. All of the OCs are well drawn, easy to like, and nicely developed. Personally, I found that being given new characters through which to experience the setting made the story feel very fresh.

A relatively short read, I highly recommend this one for someone who wants a smart, interesting story that does a great job of coloring in the edges of the existing universe.