This is a love story about Marsha and Jericho as told by the archivist.
**Stars Between Us: A Love Story of Marsha and Jericho**
The Royal Stargate SG4 buzzed with energy, a nexus of shimmering blues and golds, tethered to worlds unseen. Marsha, a seasoned navigator, and Jericho, a daring scout, had served side by side for years. Duty had always bound them, their lives dictated by interstellar charts, wormhole calculations, and missions into the unknown. Yet, amidst the chaos of duty, they had carved out a quiet, unspoken connection.
Now, for the first time in years, the pair found themselves on leave. The gates were silent, the galactic maps rolled away. The stars, for once, could wait.
—
**A Quiet Retreat**
They chose a small, verdant moon orbiting the gas giant Valoth Prime, a place far removed from the sleek corridors of SG4. Here, rolling fields of silver grass swayed beneath twin moons, and waterfalls shimmered in hues of violet under the planet’s glow.
Jericho, ever the adventurer, had suggested the destination, promising Marsha a break from her meticulous planning. She had reluctantly agreed, bringing along a holographic star map—just in case.
“Put it away,” Jericho teased as they stepped out of their sleek skiff onto the moon’s surface. “The stars will still be there when we get back.”
Marsha smirked, sliding the device into her satchel. “Someone has to keep us from getting lost.”
—
**Discovering Each Other**
Their first days were spent exploring. Jericho led them on daring climbs up crystalline cliffs, while Marsha found hidden caves filled with bioluminescent flora. By the third day, they settled into a rhythm: quiet mornings by the streams, afternoons walking under the iridescent canopies, and evenings watching the twin moons rise.
One night, as they lay on a blanket beneath the alien sky, Jericho turned to Marsha. “You’ve always been my compass, you know.”
She glanced at him, eyebrows raised. “Jericho, you’d get lost in a straight corridor.”
He laughed, a deep, warm sound that echoed through the still night. “I mean it. Out there”—he gestured to the stars—“I might scout, but you… you guide us home.”
Marsha’s heart skipped. She had always been the steady hand to his daring leap, the calm to his storm. But hearing it said aloud, with such sincerity, was something else entirely.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, her voice softer. “Even if you do tend to dive headfirst into trouble.”
“Trouble’s more fun with you around,” he quipped, but his grin faded as his gaze lingered on hers. “Marsha, I—”
A shooting star streaked across the sky, breaking the moment. But in the silence that followed, something shifted between them, a gravity stronger than any stargate.
—
**A Bond Forged Under Stars**
The rest of their leave was a blur of shared moments. They danced under Valoth’s moons, cooked questionable meals over open flames, and traded stories about their lives before SG4. Marsha learned that Jericho’s first scout mission had been a disaster, ending with him stranded for a week on a desert planet. Jericho discovered that Marsha’s meticulousness stemmed from losing her way as a rookie navigator.
By the time their leave ended, the connection they had long ignored was impossible to deny.
As they boarded their skiff, the stargate glimmering in the distance, Jericho took Marsha’s hand. “When we’re back out there, promise me we won’t forget this.”
She squeezed his hand, her usual precision softening into something more tender. “I won’t let us.”
And as they returned to the Royal Stargate SG4, ready to face the unknown once more, they carried with them a love as constant and boundless as the stars they served.
Stars Between us Prologue: A Bond Formed in Duty**
Marsha and Jericho had always worked seamlessly together on the SG4. She was the steadfast navigator, her mind attuned to the subtle ebbs and flows of cosmic routes. He was the bold scout, diving into uncharted territories without hesitation. Over countless missions—evacuating colonies, retrieving lost vessels, and exploring unstable wormholes—they had forged a connection built on trust and respect.
But beneath the surface, there was something unspoken. Jericho’s jokes, timed perfectly to break Marsha’s focus when she was too serious, weren’t just to lighten the mood. Marsha’s sidelong glances when Jericho risked too much weren’t just professional concern. For years, their lives had been too consumed by duty to explore what lay beyond their partnership. Until now.
—
**Chapter 1: A Moonlit Getaway**
The moon orbiting Valoth Prime was a far cry from the sterile corridors of the SG4. It was alive in ways Marsha wasn’t used to—silver grasses that hummed softly in the breeze, trees whose leaves shimmered like liquid glass, and a sky that seemed to shift colors with every breath.
Jericho had chosen the spot for its isolation and beauty, but also for its unpredictability. “No maps, no charts, just us,” he said, grinning as he pulled their gear from the skiff.
Marsha arched an eyebrow. “No maps? You realize you’re asking me to ignore years of training.”
“Exactly,” he said, tossing her a bag. “Consider it practice in improvisation.”
As they set up camp near a cascading violet waterfall, Marsha found herself relaxing in a way she hadn’t expected. The constant hum of duty faded, replaced by the soothing rhythm of nature. Jericho’s presence, once a constant reminder of her responsibility, now felt like an invitation to simply be.
—
**Chapter 2: The Hidden Cave**
On their second day, Jericho convinced Marsha to join him in exploring the cliffs near their campsite. The climb was challenging, but Jericho’s infectious enthusiasm made it bearable. At the summit, they discovered a hidden cave, its walls glowing with bioluminescent vines.
“Looks like we found the heart of this moon,” Jericho said, his voice reverent.
Marsha knelt to examine the glowing vines, her scientific curiosity piqued. “These are extraordinary… they must be absorbing the radiation from Valoth Prime.”
Jericho leaned against the wall, watching her. “You’re extraordinary, you know.”
She glanced up, startled by the sincerity in his tone. “Jericho—”
“I’m serious,” he interrupted. “You always see the patterns, the connections. You find order in chaos. That’s rare.”
Marsha felt a warmth rise to her cheeks. “And you always leap before looking, which is why I’ve had to save you more times than I can count.”
“Maybe I do it on purpose,” he said, his grin returning. “Gives me an excuse to stick close to you.”
Marsha rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her.
—
**Chapter 3: A Dance Under the Moons**
By their fourth evening, the twin moons of Valoth Prime hung low in the sky, casting a soft glow over the landscape. Jericho had scavenged pieces of driftwood and set up a makeshift firepit. As they sat by the flames, he produced a small holo-disc from his pocket.
“What’s that?” Marsha asked.
“Music,” Jericho said, activating the device. A lilting melody filled the air, haunting and beautiful. He stood and extended a hand to her. “Dance with me.”
Marsha hesitated. “I don’t dance.”
“You navigate wormholes,” he said with a wink. “You can handle a little two-step.”
Reluctantly, she took his hand, and he pulled her close. They swayed awkwardly at first, Marsha counting her steps, Jericho trying not to step on her feet. But soon, they found a rhythm, their movements as natural as their partnership on the SG4.
Under the light of the moons, Marsha let herself relax completely for the first time in years. As Jericho spun her, she laughed—a sound he realized he hadn’t heard nearly enough.
“You should laugh more,” he said softly as the song ended.
“You should stop giving me reasons not to,” she replied, but her smile was genuine.
**Chapter 4: The Confession**
On their final night, as the stars glittered above them, Jericho grew uncharacteristically quiet. They sat side by side on a blanket, the fire reduced to glowing embers. Marsha noticed his pensive expression.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked.
He hesitated, then turned to her. “You. Us.”
She tilted her head. “What about us?”
“I’ve been thinking about all the times we’ve faced death together,” he said. “The times I thought I might not make it back. And every time, the thought that kept me going was you.”
Marsha’s breath caught. Jericho rarely spoke so seriously. “Jericho…”
“I know we’ve always been about duty,” he continued. “But out here, away from all of that… I can’t pretend anymore. I care about you, Marsha. More than I probably should.”
For a moment, Marsha said nothing. She had always prided herself on her composure, but Jericho’s words struck a chord she hadn’t let herself acknowledge. Finally, she reached out and took his hand.
“You’re an idiot,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “But you’re my idiot.”
His grin returned, but there was a softness in his eyes. “Does that mean—?”
“It means you’ve got a lot to prove when we get back,” she said, leaning closer. “But for now…”
She closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a kiss that felt as inevitable as the rising of the stars.
—
**Epilogue: A New Beginning**
When their leave ended, Marsha and Jericho returned to the SG4 as they always had—partners ready to face the unknown. But now, their bond was stronger, no longer confined to unspoken glances and shared moments of danger.
Together, they charted the stars with a renewed sense of purpose, knowing that no matter how vast the galaxy, they had found something worth holding onto.