Title: There is No Reconciliation
Author: Stormbringer951
Rating: T
Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure
Status: Unclear- Its been almost a year since the author has updated anything.
Fandom: Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles
Pairings: Mild John/Cameron (nothing "on-screen" yet)
Summary: Post-Born to Run. John and Cameron are trapped in an unfamiliar future. In the present, the modern-day Resistance and Kaliba prepare to mobilize as Connor and Skynet's respective plans draw closer to fruition.

An interesting and suprisingly well-written take on what has become a fairly cliche setting in the SCC fandom. It takes a slightly more realistic view of teenage John Connor being stuck in the future. Unlike most fics of this sort, he's not a wangsty failure that can barely fight his way out of a paper bag, nor is he an instant super-soldier that slaughters hordes of Terminators. He's inexperienced at actually fighting the machines, and it shows, but he's also well trained and adapts quickly.

The author gets kudos from me for showing the conflict in the present in a new way. Present day Skynet and Resistance both are a hodge-podge of operatives from different timelines, and the Resistance has a major advantage over Skynet:
(mild spoiler)

Spoiler

The Terminators and Grays in the present are working to create Skynet without arousing suspicion that would undermine or delay their cause. They can't afford a stand-up fight, and it's shown that the losses they've taken and attention attracted from the Connors' actions in the show have actually put them under quite a bit of pressure. With that in mind, ramming the Zeira Corp building with that drone prototype comes off as an act of desperation rather than a calculated masterstroke.

My main gripe with this fic is the time-jumps (not the literal kind). They are frequent and can be jarring at times, especially toward the most recent chapter, where

Spoiler

we go through all the buildup of 16y/o John learning the ropes and just about to start showing what he can do, then BAM, 26y/o John, now a seasoned veteran arrives in the past/present to continue trying to prevent Skynet's creation. It's unclear if the Author intends to flesh out the interregnum or not. Hopefully he does, 'cause as it stands, it's a pretty shitty transition.

4/5