Deception on the Zodia (Second Season: episode 1)

by Aliana

What happens when Starbuck stumbles across some inconsistent computer data?

Aliana's Second Season: Episode 1

TIME FRAME: ABOUT A MONTH (SECTAR) AFTER "HAND OF GOD",

DECEPTION ON THE _ZODIA_


Based on the characters created by Glen A. Larson. This story is for fun and not meant to infringe upon any copyrights.



A hollow sound echoed down the corridor with each step. Lieutenant Starbuck walked slowly, heading nowhere in particular, the dark emptiness of the passage matching his mood. He had been following the _Galactica_'s interior corridors at random, letting his feet lead him while his mind was elsewhere, not caring where he went so long as he was alone and free to think.

He had been wrong, and Cassiopeia had every reason to be angry at him, he knew that. Even as he thought about it, he could hear her words ringing in his ears: "You're a louse! I've had it with your childish games -- so don't bother trying to see me anytime soon. I've had enough!" With that, she had stormed off in the opposite direction. Although she had been calmer when he had tried to talk to her later, to apologize, her words had cut deep: "This is not the first time you've done something like this, intentional or not. Just when I think we've got something good going, you get afraid that you'll end up with a commitment, and then do something stupid, like you did today. Look, I can forgive you for today, but I think we need some time apart -- to think. I don't know what to feel anymore. So let's just cool things for awhile."

So what did he feel? Why was he so afraid of making a commitment? If he didn't love Cassiopeia, why was he so disturbed by the thought of losing her? Starbuck bounced these questions around in his mind, but could find no answers. Gradually, his thoughts drifted back to the present, and he paused to figure out where his aimless wandering had taken him. He realized with mild surprise that he was on Delta deck, on the opposite side of the ship from where he had started. To his left, he noticed the flickering of a computer screen through an open door. He walked in, curious as to who else was up at this centar of what for most was their sleep period. After a brief moment, he realized that this was the statistics department, a huge room filled with computer terminals where technicians kept track of all of the vital and not-so-vital information about the fleet. With a fleet of some 220 ships, information was constantly being transmitted to and from the center, so at least one person was always on duty.

As Starbuck entered, one of the technicians glanced up from his work. "Can I help you, Lieutenant?" he asked.

"Uh . . . no," Starbuck stammered, not really knowing why he had come in. "I was just passing by -- I couldn't sleep -- and I was just curious about how things are going . . ." He let his voice trail off, feeling kind of foolish.

The technician raised an eyebrow slightly, but said, "Go ahead and look. All we're doing is a routine compilation of ship populations and crew status to check on supply distributions."

"Oh," said Starbuck quietly. He gazed past the man at the screen where a list of figures was scrolling up. As the technician moved on to check something else, the lieutenant watched the names and numbers with a vague curiosity, glad for any diversion to distract his thoughts from his dilemma with Cassiopeia. Some of the ships listed were familiar to him, others were not. Out of the 220 ships in the fleet, he had had direct dealings with only a small number: the Rising Star, the _Celestra_, the prison barge, the agro ships, and about a dozen others due to routine inspections.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. One of the names, the _Zodia_, was familiar, but the number given for population seemed incongruous. Starbuck puzzled over it for a moment while the figures scrolled up and off the top of the screen. The number he had seen printed was 854, but that felt wrong. He frowned as he concentrated, trying to pinpoint the source of that feeling. Then he remembered: Boomer and he had inspected the _Zodia_, along with about half a dozen other ships about a secton after the destruction of the colonies. He remembered commenting on how big the _Zodia_ was, yet how much of the space was wasted, as its design could only accommodate about 350 passengers.

He motioned to the technician. "Hey, some of this information is incorrect," Starbuck said.

The tech frowned at the interruption, looking up from his work. "You must be mistaken, Lieutenant," he said. "All of this information as been verified with each ship's captain."

"Well. . ." Starbuck was sure that "854" for the _Zodia's_ population could not be accurate, but perhaps he had read the wrong line. "Could you punch up the information on the _Zodia_? I could've sworn it said "854" for its population, and I know that can't be right."

The tech gave Starbuck an impatient look but motioned him towards another terminal. "All right, I'll check, if it'll make you feel better." He punched in several codes, and a list of statistics on the _Zodia_ appeared on the screen. About halfway down, it read, "POPULATION: 854."

"See! I knew I'd seen the right number!" Starbuck pointed at the screen. "I've done the inspection of the _Zodia_ before, and it can only hold about 350 passengers. They couldn't possibly squeeze 854 people on that ship!"

The technician gave him a look of exasperation. "All I can tell you is that all of these figures have been verified with both the ship's captain and one of the fleet's statisticians. Maybe it's been modified since you last inspected it."

"You're probably right," Starbuck admitted. "Thanks for your time. I'll leave you to your work," he said as he headed for the door. The tech managed a smile, but looked relieved to see him go.

Out in the dark corridor once again, Starbuck headed back towards his squadron's quarters. Technically, they were on rest period, but he had been too tense to sleep. Boomer should be there, though, and he intended to discuss this strange incident with him. Something did not feel right; the _Zodia_ could not possibly have been modified enough to increase its capacity to over 800, he was sure. Starbuck needed a rational opinion on this matter, and he could not rest until he had an answer. So he headed for Blue Squadron's quarters, his troubles with Cassiopeia temporarily forgotten.

II
"Boomer, wake up!" a voice whispered in his ear.

Boomer groaned at the intrusion, rolling over in an effort to ignore it. Something nudged his shoulder, and he forced an eye open, regretfully losing the dreamy peace of sleep. Squinting in the dark, he could just make out Starbuck's face. "Huh? Do you know what time it is?" He knew without checking his chronometer that it was definitely NOT time to get up.

"I need to talk to you," Starbuck whispered.

Boomer groaned in irritation, "Can't it wait?"

"I just found out something strange, and I need your help with it, " said Starbuck softly, ignoring his friend's unspoken plea to be left alone.

"What are you doing up at this centar anyway? You're supposed to be sleeping -- like I was!"

"Boomer, please. This may be important," Starbuck said, his voice rising above a whisper. An angry "Shhhhh!" came from one of the other bunks.

Realizing that he would get no peace until he heard what his friend had to say, Boomer reluctantly rolled out of his bunk and followed Starbuck to a corner behind some of the lockers. Switching on a dim light, he growled, "All right, what's so important that it couldn't wait?"

"Boomer, do you remember the _Zodia_?"

"What's this got to do --"

"Just hold on," Starbuck whispered. "I'll explain in a centon. Do you remember it?"

"Yes," Boomer sighed.

"Do you remember how many passengers it could hold?"

"Something like 350. Starbuck --"

"Do you think they could possibly have modified the ship to hold up to 800 people?"

"Starbuck, what's this got to do with anything?"

"I need your objective opinion on this, then I'll explain," Starbuck whispered. "Please."

Boomer gave him a quizzical look, but said, "Okay. No, I don't think the _Zodia_ could have been modified enough to hold 800 passengers. Its design is all wrong for that. Now, for Sagan's sake, will you explain what's going on!"

Starbuck briefly explained where he had been and what he had seen in the stats room. "The tech double checked it, " he continued. "It clearly said it was holding 854."

Boomer frowned, some of his irritation fading. "Well, maybe I was wrong about the design. Maybe they found a way to alter some of its main structure."

"It just strikes me as strange, " Starbuck said. "I mean, since all of those statistics have supposedly been verified -- twice! -- none of the techs who handle that information would be likely to question it. But how and why would the captain and the statistician verify false information?"

Boomer shook his head, puzzled. "I don't know. It's probably nothing, but maybe you should report it to the commander. Let's just get some sleep for now, okay? It'll wait a few more centars, and you look as if you could use some rest."

Starbuck suddenly felt the long centars catching up with him as his initial excitement faded. Boomer was right; he would not be able to stay on his feet if he did not get a little sleep, and a Warrior was supposed be "battle-ready" at all times. "All right," he whispered. "Sorry I woke you up. I've got a day's furlon tomorrow anyway, so maybe I'll check it out first before I bother the commander."

Boomer glanced at him but said nothing as they turned out the light and walked quietly back to their bunks.

III.
"This is Lt. Starbuck requesting permission to land for a routine maintenance check." As he waited for the official clearance, Starbuck reflected that it was fortunate that the _Zodia_ was one of the ships on which viper maintenance was carried out; otherwise, he would have had a more difficult time creating an excuse for coming here. Even so, Apollo, who as his squadron leader had had to authorize the service check, had been reluctant to sign the request, sensing that something was up. Starbuck had convinced him, finally, with a few half-truths, describing in general terms the argument that he and Cassiopeia had had, and saying that he needed something routine to do to give him time to think. It was not that far from the truth, really. Apollo had agreed, but still seemed a bit suspicious.

His comline crackled, and a voice said, "Lieutenant, you are cleared for landing."

Bringing the nose of his ship around, Starbuck lined it up with the entrance to the landing bay and glided smoothly down. As he climbed from his cockpit, a technician approached, fingers poised over a small, hand-held computer, and asked, "What seems to be the problem, Lieutenant?"

"Well, my ship's been acting a bit sluggish at times," he lied. "I think it needs its fueling systems checked out."

The technician punched the information into the computer and nodded. "All right. We'll run a complete scan of the systems. It should take about 50 centons. You can wait in the rec room, if you'd like."

Starbuck smiled a silent "thanks," and headed towards the corridor with a sign and an arrow indicating the direction to the rec room. When the technician turned his back, however, the lieutenant moved quickly into the turbo-lift and pressed the button marked "Beta Section." The doors hissed closed, and the lift shot upwards. Having inspected every level of the _Zodia_ in the past, Starbuck knew exactly where he was headed; when the doors hissed open again, he glanced briefly up and down the long corridor, then strolled casually to his left. While his presence there was not strictly illegal, since he had the proper clearance as a Colonial Warrior and an officer, it could raise questions he was not yet ready to answer. Fortunately, few people passed him as he headed for his destination.

Stopping just short of a door marked, "data center," he took a deep breath and silently rehearsed his explanation in his mind before entering. As he crossed the threshold, he swiftly scanned the room. It was smaller than the computer rooms on the _Galactica_, but held the same familiar rows of computer banks and other delicate equipment. To his relief, only one technician seemed to be on duty, working intently. Starbuck paused, watching her as she worked, unaware of his presence. She had waves of auburn hair that flowed to her shoulders, and gazing at her profile, the lieutenant had the vague feeling that he had met her before, but could not place where. Shaking off the distraction, he focused back on his goal. As he walked towards her, the technician turned to face him and said, "What are you doing here? This is a limited-access area."

Starbuck answered with a soft smile. "I need to check some information for the _Galactica_'s data files.

The technician frowned, unfazed by the lieutenant's attempted charm. "Any verification of data can be done by computer."

"I know that," Starbuck stated quietly. "But there seems to be a discrepancy in the computer's report, so I'd like to check it out at the source. I do have the proper clearance, if that's what your worried about."

"It's not standard procedure to send a Colonial Warrior to do the job of a technician." She looked at him, frown still in place, suspicious."

"No," Starbuck answered, "but the _Galactica_ is a bit understaffed at the moment. I volunteered to help out a friend." He looked at her, shrugging slightly, questioningly, silently praying that she did not try to contact the bridge for confirmation.

The technician considered his words for a moment. Sighing, she said at last, "All right, what do you want to check?"

Not letting his relief show, he said, "Can you show me the statistics on the _Zodia_'s population and total capacity?"

Turning to the terminal in front of her, the technician issued several voice commands, and a list of figures appeared on the screen. At the same time, the feminine computer voice stated, "Current population is 326. Total capacity is 370."

After entering the data in a hand-held computer, Starbuck said quietly, his face expressionless, "These are not the same figures that the _Galactica_ has in its records. The _Galactica_'s records show the present population as 854."

The technician eyed him skeptically. "That's impossible. This ship could never hold that many people."

"I know it's impossible, but that's what the files say. Can you tell me how false information could be sent to the _Galactica_ when the _Zodia_'s own computer says something different?"

Pursing her lips, the technician considered the question for a moment. "The only way I know would be for someone to have created a subroutine that's automatically accessed and sends a separate file when an outside source requests information." She looked up at Starbuck, puzzled; then her face went hard. "Look, how do I know you're telling me the truth? What would be the point? I need to check with the captain before we go any further with this."

As she turned to hit the intercom switch, Starbuck grabbed her hand. "Wait. Let me tell you the truth, everything I know. Just listen before you contact anyone." He looked into her eyes. "Please."

"Who are you, anyway?" She frowned at him, agitated.

"I'm Lt. Starbuck, a viper pilot, but I'm familiar with the _Zodia_ because I've inspected it before, after the destruction of the colonies. May I ask your name?"

"I'm Shara," she answered hesitantly. "I've heard of you on the IFB - I recognize your face now. Why would you be here checking on computer data? You're one of the _Galactica_'s top warriors."

Starbuck quickly told Shara what he knew and why he was there. "I haven't told the commander anything yet because I thought there might be a simple explanation," He said finally. "I wanted to check it out first before starting any scandals. That's why I'm not officially supposed to be here."

Shara sighed. "All right. What do you want to do?"

"Can you check to see if such a subroutine exists? I mean, I know what the _Galactica_ files say, and it is not the same as the _Zodia_'s."

"This will take a few centons," she said as she this time deftly punched in a series of commands using the keyboard. For several moments, the computer searched through the multitude of data. Finally, a command line appeared on the screen. Shara typed another command, and the details of the program were listed in front of them.

Shara looked slightly pale as she turned to Starbuck, pointing at the screen. "There it is," she said in disbelief. "This program is set to run when accessed by outside computers, and it provides a whole different set of statistics on the _Zodia_." She looked at him. "So what is going on here?"

Starbuck impassively considered the situation, including Shara's expression and reactions, staring at the screen for a moment. His instinct told him that she was genuinely surprised and not concealing anything, that she had truly not known about the false information. Finally, he said, "Someone wants the _Galactica_ to think the _Zodia_ has over twice as many passengers and crew as she actually does. The _Galactica_ computers use the figures to designate exactly how much food and supplies each ship receives. Obviously, someone is hoarding supplies for some reason. Whoever created this program-- "

The doors to the data center whooshed open. Starbuck turn quickly, hand automatically poised on his laser. He was greeted by drawn weapons held by two men in _Zodia_ uniforms, one security, the other with the insignia of the captain. Shara gasped. Starbuck quickly noted the deadly serious expressions, stepped fully in front of the technician, and slowly raised his hands away from his sides.

"Wise decision, Lieutenant," said the captain quietly. "Hand over your weapon - slowly - or you will both be shot."

Shara inhaled sharply, but said nothing. Starbuck stood motionless and said in almost a whisper, "What's going on? You must be mistaken. I'm here on behalf of the _Galactica_ and Commander Adama."

"There's no mistake, Lieutenant. Now, hand me your weapon," said the captain. His eyes were cold, his face stony.

Had Shara not been behind him, Starbuck might have pressed the issue, might have gambled on his reflexes being quick enough to stun both men; however, he could not risk her life and had to proceed cautiously, carefully. Slowly, he withdrew his laser, rotating it so that he held the barrel, and offered it to the guard, all the while keeping his gazed locked with the captain's. The guard grabbed it, and Starbuck put his hand back up in a surrender position.

The captain exhaled and said, "I'm afraid, Lieutenant, you've put us in an awkward position with your presence here."

Starbuck let some disbelief show in his face. "You do know that you can't just kill us - Commander Adama would have Warriors all over this ship."

"True, but . . . accidents happen." His voice was slow, cold, and sent a chill through Starbuck's body. The captain nodded slightly, and the security officer stepped forward. He removed a pair of binders, clasped them on one of Starbuck's wrists, then reached down and grabbed Shara by the arm. He pulled her out of her chair, gripping her as she stumbled, and quickly snapped the other end of the binders on her wrist, as well. With a wave of the lasers pointed at their hearts, the two were ushered out of the data center.

IV.
As Apollo fastened his holster around his waist, he paused to watch as Boxey tackled Muffit. They had just finished their breakfast, and Apollo was preparing as slowly as possible to head back on duty, having taken a centar break from the morning routine. The droid hummed and growled, barking with its electronic "yap, yap" as the boy teased it and pulled its tail. Apollo smiled, feeling a strong tug of love as he watched his son. Boxey had grown so much since his mother's death, he reflected.

The door chime interrupted his train of thought. He walked the few paces to activate the door, and it slide open to reveal Boomer. The lieutenant was about to speak when Boxey spotted his friend. "Boomer!" he called, and ran into his waiting arms for a hug. Muffit barked excitedly.

Boomer could easily guess how they had been playing and said, "So, I see you've been testing Muffy's reflexes as a Colonial guard daggit again."

Boxey grinned. "Muffy's too slow to be a guard daggit!" The droid gave a growl, and Boxey rushed back to tackle him again.

With Boxey occupied again, Apollo asked quietly, "What's up, Boomer? You've got that puzzled look on your face."

"Well, I was just wondering . . .have you seen Starbuck this morning?"

Apollo raised his eyebrows. "He went to the _Zodia_ earlier this morning. Said his viper was acting funny and needed a maintenance scan. But I got the impression that there was more to it than that."

Boomer shook his head and said, "You might say that." Boomer told Apollo about the late-night conversation he had had with Starbuck, finishing by saying, "I think the argument he had with Cassie is clouding his judgement. If something really is going on, he's liable to get himself into trouble by snooping around on his own."

Apollo frowned. "It does seem strange that the data would be so inaccurate. I think we'd better talk to my father about this."

"My thoughts precisely," answered Boomer. "And let him know what Starbuck is up to."

Commander Adama was standing silently on the bridge, gazing out the forward viewport, his mind lost in thought, when Apollo and Boomer entered. As they approached him, he turned a calm face towards them, noting their purposeful strides and serious expressions. As Apollo was about to speak, however, a small warning light began to flash on the short-range scanner console, and Rigel turned to the commander, startled, saying, "Sir! Scanners just picked up a small explosion to the rear of the fleet!"

Adama's brow creased, the peacefulness lost, and Apollo and Boomer stopped abruptly. "Can you get a fix on it?" The commander asked.

"It occurred at coordinates Alpha 79.3, only a few hundred metrons from the cargo ship, _Zodia_, but scanners show no signs of attacking space craft."

Apollo felt a cold, tingling sensation at the base of his spine. "Father-" he began, but a signal from the communications console cut him off. Athena, at communications, activated the interfleet channel, and a voice said loudly over the speaker, "_Galactica_, this is Captain Connly of the _Zodia_. Come in please."

"Captain, this is the _Galactica_ bridge. Go ahead," said Athena.

Connly's face, looking grim, appeared on the communications viewscreen. "There's been a terrible accident," he said.

Adama stepped forward, staring at the face on the screen. "This is the commander. What happened?"

"Sir, one of your Warriors launched without clearance. Apparently, the maintenance crew had not completed a repair on the fueling line of his viper, and," the captain shook his head, "his ship exploded two centons after he launched."

Apollo went pale. "Oh my God," he whispered. Boomer looked at the viewscreen in disbelief, unable to speak. Adama, puzzled and greatly disturbed, looked from his two pilots to the captain's face on the screen. "Give us a full report, please," he said at last.

Connly took a deep breath. "Sir, the crewman who was doing the repairs reports, and our records confirm, that the pilot of the viper was Lieutenant Starbuck."

Adama muttered a soft, "Lords of Kobol," then said out loud, "Go on."

"The lieutenant landed at 0700 centars for a maintenance scan on his fueling systems. The crewman reports that just a short while ago, the lieutenant rushed into the service bay and boarded his ship. When the crewman tried to stop him, the lieutenant said something about needing to get back to the _Galactica_ and launched before he could be stopped. The rest will be clearer if I replay the lieutenant's transmissions."

Adama glanced at Apollo and Boomer's stony faces, feeling the oppressive silence that had fallen on the bridge. "Go on," he said quietly.
Connly continued, "I'm terribly sorry, sir . . . Here is the tape." The screen went blank, and then after a few moments of static, a voice said, "Viper Three, a critical repair has not been completed on your viper! Return to the service bay immediately!"

A short pause, and then a voice, definitely that of Lieutenant Starbuck, said with a touch of urgency, "_Zodia_, reverse thrusters do not respond. I'm cutting all power! Felgarcarb!" At that moment a visual image of a viper appeared on the viewscreen as the _Zodia_ had apparently locked its monitors on the ship.

The tape continued with a different voice: "Viper Three, we have you on our scanner. We will send assistance. Shut down all-" At that moment, the viper on the screen exploded, erupting into a burst of flame and metal, which died just as quickly as all oxygen was consumed. A moment later, Captain Connly's face reappeared on the viewscreen. He said in a slow voice, "That's all, sir. As you heard, it happened too quickly for anything to have been done. I'm sorry."

Adama took a deep breath, holding back all emotion. "There will, of course, have to be an official inquiry, but the tape seems to clearly indicate the events. I'd like a copy transmitted here immediately. My communications officer will handle that. Adama out." The commander moved next to Athena, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up in shock at her father, immobile for a moment, then turned to handle the communications.

Apollo finally found his voice. "Father, I can't believe that Starbuck would be that careless. . ." His voice trailed off.

Adama shook his head. "Why was he on the _Zodia_, anyway? I thought he was on furlon today.

Apollo spoke quietly, fighting the terrible sensation he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. "First, I'd like to handle the inquiry." When Adama nodded silently, he continued, "Second, there's something you should know." Apollo and Boomer explained the events of the previous night and why Starbuck had gone to the _Zodia_.

The commander closed his eyes, rubbing his brow. "This is too much of a coincidence. Get on this at once."

"Trust me, sir," Boomer felt an anger burning in his gut. "We will. We will get to the bottom of this."

V.
As the commander's face faded from the viewscreen, Captain Connly turned slowly to the two people standing against a wall, just outside of the photosensor's range. Connly said quietly, "You would have made a good actor, Lieutenant. Your line was quite convincing, fortunately for Shara's sake. The smile that crossed his lips was cold. He gazed for a moment at the two: their hands were secured behind their backs and mouths closed tightly with electrical tape. The security guard stood about five paces away with his laser pointed at Shara. They were not on the bridge, but in a secondary communications room, and the regular bridge crew knew only that the captain was reporting from there; they had no clue anyone else was there, any more than the _Galactica_ did. When the "emergency" from the service bay had taken place, the captain had been away from the bridge and had rushed to the "nearest" communication console to contact the _Galactica_. What the bridge crew did not know was that he and the maintenance technician had staged it all.

Starbuck glared at the man, furious and frustrated, but did not move, even as Connly continued, "You are probably thinking that this cannot work. Well, the only person in the bay when you "launched" is a part of our group, and your companions will have no reason to doubt him. And the discrepancy in computer information will be traced to its source, a skillful computer technician." He switched his gaze from Starbuck to Shara, still smiling coldly.

Starbuck could stand it no more, turning away in disgust. Connly nodded to the security guard, who waved the laser at them, saying, "To the door, you two." When neither moved, he grabbed Shara by the arm, shoving her forward with the laser. Connly's smile faded as he said, "I suggest you move, Lieutenant."

Starbuck locked his gaze with the captain's as he moved slowly to the door and out in front of Shara and the guard. The guard, still gripping Shara, used his laser to shove the lieutenant forward down a short corridor towards the turbolift. As they entered, the guard shifted the laser to Shara's temple and said, "Delta section." The doors hissed closed and the lift hummed downward, then horizontally towards what Starbuck guessed was the rear of the ship. Finally, the door opened onto a wide catwalk that overlooked part of the ships main energizers.

The structure was massive, which was one reason the _Zodia_ could never have been modified to hold too many more passengers. The loud drone of the energizers was deafening as they walked along the catwalk, which ended at the entrance to a long corridor. The door automatically slid open as the three approached, and as they passed though, the doors gratefully cut off the mind-numbing drone. Starbuck could discern seven or eight doors leading to various compartments, mostly for storage. At the first of these, marked "storage 1D" the guard ordered them to stop. Holding tight to Shara, he told Starbuck to stand against the wall. Watching the lieutenant closely, the guard quickly activated the door, and motioned for Starbuck to enter first. With his hands secured, he wondered what the guard feared he might do, but with his mouth still taped, he could not even laugh at the lunacy of it all.

"Move!" The guard pressed the laser into Shara's temple, and Starbuck complied. "Stand against the back wall." Starbuck rolled his eyes but did as told, not daring to endanger Shara. The guard turned Shara to push her in as well, but paused as she tried to speak. As he looked at her, she shook her head, mumbling loudly. The guard, glancing at Starbuck, quickly pulled off the tape.

Shara gasped, and said, "Thank you! Surely you're not going to leave us bound up like this?" She looked imploringly at him. She was small, the top of her head coming only up to his shoulders, and she gazed at him with clear, green eyes made more striking by the contrast with her auburn hair. The guard hesitated, then removed a key to unlock her binders, all the while shifting his gaze from Shara to Starbuck. When she was released, he shoved her into the storage compartment. "Wait!" she shouted before he could close the door. "What about the lieutenant?"

"Sorry, but the captain said he's not to be trusted," he said, still eyeing Starbuck. "He's a Warrior, and we can't take any chances."

The doors slid shut with a hiss, and they were alone. At least, the guard had had the decency to leave the light activated for them, dim though it was. Shara approached Starbuck and carefully removed the tape from over his mouth. The lieutenant stared solemnly at her for a moment, then sunk to the floor, gazing up to the ceiling. Finally, he said, "How could I have been so stupid! And thanks to me, you're in this mess, too." He looked at Shara. He felt drained and totally disgusted with himself. Yet somehow Shara seemed calm, and Starbuck gazed at her in amazement. "You're taking this pretty well, considering I probably sealed our fates by giving in to making that blasted recording."

Shara sat next to him, touching his arm lightly. "Starbuck, maybe you saved us by giving in. You didn't really have a choice." Her faced darkened as she remembered the earlier events. After the captain had removed them from the data center and taken them to the secondary communications room, he had described how he intended to create the false tape. Starbuck had refused at first. Shara rubbed her arm as she remembered how the captain had grabbed her elbow and twisted. She had cried out, and Starbuck's resolve had faltered. As the captain twisted her arm even further, Starbuck had agreed to cooperate, and had made his brief but convincing recording. "I don't doubt he would have killed me had you refused, so I'm grateful, really."

Starbuck let out a deep sigh. "Well, this is not how I planned to spend my furlon! Tell me," he looked into Shara's green eyes, "do you have anyone who will be wondering where you've gone when you don't show up after your duty shift?"

Shara shifted her gaze to the floor, and tears edged up for the first time. "No," she said softly. "My family perished in the raid on the colonies. My betrothed was a viper pilot named Seally. He died in the most recent . . . and, who knows, maybe last . . . battle with the Cylons. . ." The tears welled and rolled down her cheeks, and she wiped them away silently.

"Seally," Starbuck said softly. Now he remembered where he had seen Shara before. Bojay's natal party had been only a secton before the _Galactica_ had encountered the lone basestar. Seally had been there with Shara. She had been radiantly happy, arms wrapped around the pilot, green eyes sparkling. Seally had joyfully presented her to everyone at the party, and Bojay had offered a toast to the couple. They were to have been sealed within the sectar, but fate had intervened. While tracing an old gamma signal, Apollo, Starbuck, and Sheba had detected the basestar. Instead of fleeing, Adama had decided to attack, to strike first, and Apollo had devised the plan to disable its external sensors. When Apollo and Starbuck had successfully infiltrated the basestar and succeeded in their plan, the _Galactica_ had been able to destroy it with much less damage to the fleet or loss of life. Nine pilots had died, but it could have been considerably more. Still, that must have been small consolation for Shara. Starbuck felt the old anger burn briefly in his gut, the anger that so many, many had died because of the Cylons. He made a silent vow that, at the very least, he would do his best to protect Shara.

He said in a whisper, "Seally was in Silver Spar Squadron. I knew who he was. I'm sorry." Starbuck wanted to reach out to her, but was bound by his shackles. Instead, he shifted until he was kneeling in front of her. "Look, I'm going to do everything I can to get us out of this mess. For the time being, they still need us, at least until they work out how to finish this deception. And that still gives us some time."

Shara laughed bitterly. "Look, no offense, but you are hardly in a position to get us out of here." She nodded at his bindings, security-issued shackles, not likely to be opened without the key.

"Maybe," he admitted, "but, obviously, you've not heard of the 'Starbuck luck.' I've been in tighter spots than this." Starbuck hoped he sounded much more confident than he really felt. "Besides, I'm counting on my friends to not give up on me that easily. If they listen closely to that recording. . ."

VI.
Apollo held the disc containing the tragic recording in his fist as he and Boomer strode in silence to the computer center. As they entered the room, Apollo slammed the disc down on the table and said once again, "I just don't believe it! Starbuck would never be that careless." He slid the disc a little more carefully into the slot and said in a more even voice, "computer, play recording."

Boomer's expression was strained as they listened to the voice of the technician and then Starbuck, and watched the viper explode, disappearing. Apollo stated after it had finished, "Computer, identify voices in the recording."

"One moment . . . viper technician Torran, Lieutenant Starbuck of Blue Squadron, and communications officer Speling."
Apollo rubbed his brow. "Is there any possibility that the voice is not Starbuck's?"

"Negative."

"Play the recording again." Both men listened intently, ignoring the visual of the viper. Starbuck's words cut through the silence in the room: "_Zodia_, reverse thrusters do not respond. I'm cutting all power! Felgarcarb!"
Apollo asked, "Computer, any indications of tampering or editing with the recording?"

"Negative."

Apollo turned to Boomer, who was leaning back in his chair, deep in thought. "What else can we do here?"

Boomer did not answer for a moment, then said, "I didn't catch it the first couple of times, but I think Starbuck mumbled something at the end. "Computer, play it again."

This time, Apollo also heard something mumbled near the end. "Computer, print a transcript of the recording."

After several seconds, the brief dialogue appeared on the monitor. Starbuck's line read: "_Zodia_, reverse thrusters do not respond. I'm cutting all power! Dobeth felgarcarb!"

Apollo and Boomer stared at it. "Computer, verify that last line!" Apollo said quickly. The second readout said the same. Slowly a grin crept over Boomer's lips and he shook his head. Apollo said quietly, feeling a bit of relief, though much was still unknown, " 'Dobeth' - 'Don't believe this' - That's the code we created back in the academy! That tape was manufactured, and Starbuck was somehow forced to go along."

Boomer jabbed a finger at the monitor. "I knew he would never be that careless! That means Starbuck wasn't in that viper, but -"

"Where is he?" Apollo finished. "Look, we've got to be very careful. If that explosion was really staged, then the captain is involved in . . .whatever is going on. And Starbuck is definitely in some serious trouble."

Boomer thought for a moment, then said, "Let's start by checking those figures on the _Zodia_." He turned to the computer and said, "List population figures for the _Zodia_."

The voice stated as the figures appeared: "Current population is 326, totally capacity is 370."

"That's not what Starbuck saw last night," Boomer said.

"Obviously, someone is trying to cover their tracks." He turned back to the console. "Computer, list supplies allotted to the _Zodia_ for the past six sentars. Visual listing only."

A long listing began to scroll up the screen. As both men studied it intently, Boomer was the first to catch the inconsistency. "Computer, freeze listing!" He pointed to the screen. "There! Four sentars ago, the quantities nearly doubled. They've been receiving, according to this, almost twice the amount of food, medical supplies - everything! - then they should."

Apollo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "We need to proceed very carefully. If we probe to deeply or too quickly, then they might really kill him." He did not add what both were thinking - if it were not too late already.

VII.
Starbuck looked around the storage room for the hundredth time, mentally searching for something of use to them, and for the hundredth time saw nothing. The room was no more than a closet, really, and held three metal crates, all empty, and nothing else. He settled his gaze on Shara, who sat silently on one of the crates, staring at a grease stain on the floor.

"Starbuck," she whispered eventually, "what do you think is going on here?"

He sighed. "Boy, I wish I knew. The captain obviously has a small group of people involved in . . . something. And they've been hoarding supplies for a reason only they know. Either for illegal trade -- or worse." He shifted uncomfortably where he sat on one of the other crates, his arms aching no matter which way he moved and his wrists feeling numb. "Shara," he said after another moment of silence, "I can only think of one possible way out of this, and I'm going to need your help. And it will be very risky, at best."

Shara could read the pain in his face, a pain more emotional than physical, for he had apologized at least a dozen times for involving her in their dilemma, and he wanted to protect her as much as possible. Asking her to endanger herself was the last thing he wanted to do. She stood, moving next to him, and rubbed his shoulders. "Starbuck," she said softly, "I don't blame you. There was no way you could have known what was going to happen. And I'm as angry as you are about this mess -- about everything." Her voice took on a bitter edge. "I've lost everything already. I'm not afraid of dying, and I'm as mad as hades that Captain Connly thinks he can just use us like this."

"Okay, then," Starbuck said. "Can you handle a laser?" He told her the details of his idea, such as it was, more a last hope than a true plan.

As he finished, Shara nodded. "Yes, I can do it. As I've said, I have nothing to lose, and I'll do anything to upset Connly's plans."

They drifted into silence again, with nothing left to do but wait and wonder if or when someone would return. The unpleasant thought crossed Starbuck's mind that perhaps they had no intention of returning, perhaps they were to be left in this cell, without food or water . . . No, he reflected, why leave on the light and why leave on his binders? They couldn't be that cruel . . .

"Starbuck!" a voice whispered in his ear. "Someone is coming!" He realized that he had drifted off to sleep. Shara's words snapped his mind alert. She had been sitting near the door and had been listening for any sounds from outside their "cell." Starbuck pulled himself to his feet quickly to stand next to her. A moment later, the door hissed open.

"Stay back," ordered the voice of the security guard before he appeared in the doorway, laser leveled in their direction. He stepped in and to the right as the captain followed him in. The captain, Starbuck noted, did not have his laser drawn, though he wore it in his holster.

The captain nodded towards the crates. "Please, have a seat," he said.

"I'd rather stand," Starbuck answered, unmoving.

"It is not a request. Sit down now," he said. His eyes were cold, his face expressionless.

Shara glanced at Starbuck, who nodded slightly, and they sat on the crates. Now was not the time to press their luck. Connly had noted the exchange, but said nothing. Instead, he pulled the third crate over near his captives and sat as well. The guard stayed at the door, laser drawn.

"Now," the captain said, "I am aware of your service record, Lieutenant, and of your reputation. And Shara," he looked at the technician. "you have been a hard-working crew member since we began this voyage. I feel you both deserve an explanation." For a moment, his hard face let signs of weariness and a trace of compassion show; then the cold mask returned. "I am part of a growing group that is tired of this endless journey. For the past several sectars, we have been preparing to break from the fleet to settle on an inhabitable planet. As you probably guessed, we've been stockpiling supplies. We knew there was a chance of being discovered, but had hoped that it would not be this soon. We are not yet ready to proceed. We need more time."

Starbuck asked, "Just how many are in this group?"

"Enough that we should have been able to accumulate the necessary supplies without raising suspicions - had you not intervened, Lieutenant." Connly shook his head. "I had the computer programmed so that I was alerted if anyone accessed our subroutine. How did you find out about the false data, anyway?"

Starbuck explained briefly.

"Unfortunate," the captain said. "Your curiosity has created a dilemma we had hoped to avoid. He gave them both an even gaze.

"Look," said Starbuck, "my friends know why I came here. The technician on the _Galactica_ saw the data as well. Killing us will not stop you from being discovered. Even that fake tape of my viper accident is bound to be revealed."

"All we need is a little more time to put our plan in motion. We do not wish to kill anyone. We have decided to hold you here until we are ready to make our break from the fleet. That should be in a day or two, not all that long, really. All we need to do is shift our supplies to the designated escape ship. We have enough fuel to make it back to the last inhabitable planet we passed nearly a secton ago."

"And then?" Starbuck asked.

"We will either send a message back to the fleet once we are gone, or . . .we are debating whether to bring you as hostages, in case the commander tries to stop us."

Starbuck shook his head. "Why go through all of this deception? Why not make your request before the Council of Twelve?"

Connly narrowed his eyes. "You work closely with the Commander. You know that he would never openly permit ships to start breaking off from the fleet. Even the Council knows that the fleet needs unity. That there are not enough supplies for anymore than a couple of ships to separate. This way we accomplish our goal of being free without jeopardizing the fleet. Our departure will cause a stir among those who also feel as we do, but the commander will be able to maintain control - he has done so for this long."

Starbuck exhaled slowly, considering. "Captain, if your . . . group . . . is permitted to break from the fleet, it could cause chaos. Either open disaster, or other groups trying to secretly break from the fleet. And that would destroy us! You _know_ there's still a Cylon threat. We need to work this out, as you said, to maintain our unity. This disillusion you feel - it needs to be presented to the commander openly and honestly."

Starbuck was not prepared for the reaction he got from the captain; Connly's stony mask dropped, an anger radiating in his face. He grabbed the lieutenant by the front of his jacket and lifted him to his feet, his face centimetrons from his, and breathed, "I do not have the patience to deal with the bureaucracy, Warrior. Nor do I really care anymore what happens to the others after we leave. We are weary, frustrated, and maybe even desperate. You Colonial Warriors do not feel the constant strain, the ever-present pressures from this endless trek and the perpetual shortages. We will not wait anymore!" The captain shoved Starbuck roughly back, hard enough that the crate tipped and he tumbled backwards to the floor. The captain stepped back and jerked his head at the guard, heading for the door.

Shara jumped to her feet, saying, "Wait! Wait!" The movement caused the captain to pull his laser. Shara stopped, hands raised, and said, "Wait, please."

He gave her a cold stare. "What is it?"

Shara glanced at Starbuck, who half sat, half lay on the floor where he had fallen, still too surprised by the intensity of the reaction to move. "If we're going to be here for a while," she said, "could you please remove his binders?" She gave the captain a pleading look.

The anger had faded a bit, and after a pause, he nodded to the guard. Handing the laser to Connly, the guard gripped Starbuck by the arm and pulled him to his feet. Removing the key from his pocket, he released the binders and stepped back to reclaim his laser. Starbuck rubbed his numb and aching arms and wrists.

The captain turned to leave, then paused one more time. "We will provide you with some food, water, and, ah, amenities soon. And please don't think of doing anything foolish." He gave the lieutenant a knowing stare. "We will kill, if necessary."

VIII.

Captain Apollo noted the bustle of activity as he and Boomer stepped out of the _Galactica_ shuttle into the maintenance bay of the _Zodia_. At least a half-dozen technicians were busy repairing five different craft, two vipers and three shuttles. As they walked slowly towards the nearest craft, a technician appeared from behind them, saying, "Captain . . .Lieutenant, may I help you?"

Apollo turned. "We'd like to speak with everyone on duty here at 0845 to 0900 centars this morning."

The technician nodded towards a tall, dark-haired man working on the thrusters of the nearest viper. "That would be Torran. Things were actually slow this morning, and everyone else was on nutrition break at that time."

Apollo and Boomer approached Torran, shouting to be heard above the noise of the repairs. "Excuse us! May we speak with you?"

The technician turned his head, then set down his tools to approach the two warriors. "I assume you want to talk about this morning. Let's go to the break room where it's quieter."

He led the way to a lounge off from the bay. As the door whooshed closed, the quiet enveloped them. Apollo nodded to some chairs around a small table, and all three sat down. Torran spoke first, saying, "I'm sorry about your friend. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen."

Apollo kept his face impassive. "Please tell us everything, starting with when Lieutenant Starbuck first landed."

Torran chewed his lower lip for a moment, thinking. Finally, he said, "The lieutenant landed at about 0700 this morning. He said that he wanted us to check his fueling system because his viper had been acting sluggish. He left, and I proceeded with a fueling diagnostic. The computer indicated a possible problem in the right rear thruster, so I did a thorough scan, which showed a weak connection in one of the valves."

Apollo interrupted. "Could you show us the computer readings, please."
Torran nodded and motioned for them to follow. He led them back out into the maintenance bay to the computer banks along the back wall. Picking up a portable pad, he placed it into a port and used the voice command to download the necessary information. A moment later, the download complete, he picked up the pad and led the two warriors back to continue their discussion in the quiet of the lounge. He punched a few commands into the pad and handed it to Apollo. "These are the diagnostic readings."

Apollo carefully read the information, looking for inconsistencies, discrepancies, anything to support his belief that the accident had been staged. So far, the facts in front of him gave no reason to doubt Torran's description of the events. Apollo handed the pad to Boomer, whose technical and computer skills were greater than his. Perhaps the lieutenant could see something that he had not. As Boomer silently scanned the information, Apollo tried to reconcile two opposing facts in his head: while the computer data clearly showed a defect in the viper fueling system, Apollo also knew that Starbuck had created the story as a cover for going to the _Zodia_, and that the _Galactica_'s records showed his viper's systems to be operating at peak efficiency. But, then, anyone with the correct skills could create any computer records they wanted.

As Boomer laid the pad on the table in silence, Apollo said, "All the data here support what you've said so far. Please continue."

Torran said, "Anyway, as you could see in the records there, the diagnostic indicated a defect in one of the fueling valves. I was in the process of replacing the part when the lieutenant came running into the maintenance bay, saying that he had to get back to the _Galactica_. He had gotten into the cockpit before I could stop him." Torran's face showed regret as he shook his head. "I tried to explain the situation, but he simply ignored me. I don't understand why -"

Torran broke off as the door opened and the captain entered the lounge, saying, "Gentlemen, I would like to assist you in any way that I can." All three rose, but Connly waved them back to their seats as he pulled up another chair. "We all are deeply sorry about the loss of your companion."

Apollo looked at the captain's face, which revealed very little. They're good, he thought to himself. If I didn't have two opposing sets of data and just know in my gut that Starbuck would never do what they're saying he did, they would have me convinced. He choose his words carefully: "Captain, do you know why the lieutenant was here, really?"

"I know that he wanted more than just a maintenance scan. Since the accident, I've been investigating why the lieutenant was so eager to launch. I've found evidence of some computer tampering in the _Zodia_'s supply records, and one of our computer technicians is missing. Beyond that, I don't know."

Apollo nodded to Boomer. "Lieutenant, go ahead and tell the captain what happened last night and why Lieutenant Starbuck really came to the _Zodia_."

Boomer retold the events for Connly, stating them as they had happened, leaving out only their suspicions about the tape of the viper accident. Instead, he said, "We replayed the tape and ran it through the computers. It seems to check out."

The captain frowned. "His actions must be related to our missing computer technician. Her name is Shara and she was supposed to be on duty this morning. When our main computer indicated someone tampering with some information, my security officers and I went to check it out, and we found that Shara was not at her post. We have not been able to locate her."

"Who on the bridge saw the computer warning? And at what time?" Apollo asked.

"My communications officer, and it was about 30 centons after the lieutenant's unfortunate accident."

"Captain," Apollo said evenly, "how do you explain that the _Galactica_'s scans of Lieutenant Starbuck's viper checked out in working order only a day ago after his last patrol? We are convinced that he created the story about a problem with the fueling systems as a cover for coming to the _Zodia_."

Torran answered, "Sir, a routine scan like the _Galactica_ does would not pick up the problem that I located. I was doing a very detailed diagnostic because the lieutenant had requested a specific scan of his fueling systems. It was a much more thorough check then is done routinely after patrols. I'm afraid it is a unfortunate coincidence that there actually was a problem."

"Captain," Connly added, "I'm sure that would explain why the lieutenant did not listen to Torran when he tried to stop him, since he did not think there were any actual problems. He would not have believed there to be any reason not to use his ship."

Apollo looked at Boomer. The lieutenant's eyes reflected the frustration that he was feeling. Apollo knew that even if they spoke with the communication's officer, he or she would verify what Connly had told them. A tight feeling of urgency was growing in his stomach. Nothing was going to be gained from talking with the captain or anyone directly involved with him. It was time to approach this differently. Finally, Apollo said, "Thank you, captain . . . Torran. We will issue an alert to find the computer technician. She obviously is involved in something that the lieutenant uncovered."

Connly nodded. "I've already done so. Unfortunately, we had several shuttles come and go before we began looking for her, so she could have easily have left the _Zodia_ undetected."

All four rose, and Connly followed Apollo and Boomer to their shuttle. Apollo looked the captain squarely in the eyes as he said, "I'll recommend to the commander that we immediately send some additional security to help search the _Zodia_. She's a big ship. Starbuck was like a brother to me and a son to the commander. We have to know why this happened. We have to find that technician."

Connly's expression betrayed nothing as he answered, "Understood. We welcome any help, because - as you said - we have minimal security forces here ourselves. I'll be waiting for them."

Having taken their leave of Captain Connly and technician Torran, Boomer gave Apollo a questioning gaze as they strapped themselves into the shuttle seats. "Was that such a good idea?" he asked finally as Apollo prepared to launch. "If we send security to search the ship, won't that put Starbuck at risk?"

Apollo's voice was filled with frustration. "The way I see it, Starbuck is either already dead, or they're holding him somewhere. If he's alive, it would be to their advantage to keep him that way as we probe this "accident." He's a bargaining chip; at least, that's how I hope they see it."

Boomer closed his eyes as Apollo asked for clearance to launch, then guided the shuttle out into space for the short journey back to the _Galactica_. He let out a slow, deep breath. "You know, if Starbuck hadn't clearly used that code word for deception, they would have me convinced." He looked at Apollo. "So what now? How do we get through all of this felgarcarb to the truth?"

Apollo was silent for a moment, his mind working quickly, an idea forming. "We come at them from a different direction. Let them think we believe them. Let them think that we are intensely searching for this computer technician, Shara. We'll brief the commander, but not the security team. We can't afford to let Connly know of our suspicions, or he might do something drastic. If the security team is truly searching for the computer tech, they might get lucky. Or more likely, Connly can guide their investigation and keep his confidence that his deception is succeeding."

"So what do we do next?"

"Our goal is to find a crack in this plot through a different source. We know that the _Zodia_ was receiving almost double the supplies it should have. That means someone involved in all of this must be working with the supply ships. We'll start with the shipping records and hopefully find a key there."

Boomer felt impatient. "This could take a while. What about Starbuck?"

"Assuming he's alive," Apollo met Boomer's gaze, "he'll be better off if the captain believes he has successfully deceived us. He should be okay for at least a couple of days." He did not bother to add the alternative, that if the lieutenant were dead, time was not much of an issue then, either.

IX.

Connly and Torran watched the shuttle depart before silently making their way to the captain's quarters. Already inside were the security guard, Ransey, two other technicians, and two shuttle pilots. Before the door had even closed, Connly asked, "What's the status of our supply shift?"

One of the technicians answered, "We are nearly finished - only two more loads should do it."

Connly rubbed his brow, thinking. At last, he said, "We need to proceed carefully. The _Galactica_ will be sending a security team to help in the search for Shara. I should be able to keep them away from our cargo area without a problem - only someone familiar with the ship would know about the aft storage holds, anyway -- but any other activity will need to cease while they are here. Once they are gone, we get the rest of those supplies transferred as quickly as possible." He looked at the solemn faces around him. "Then we make our break from the fleet."

Ransey cleared his throat. "What about our 'guests'?"

Connly began to pace around the cramped space of his quarters, his impatience beginning to show. "I've discussed it with the captain of the _Leonis_, and he agrees. Harming them would guarantee that the commander sends his forces after us. So we bring them with us - as hostages. We move them last, right before we plan to make our escape."

X.

As Cassiopeia entered the commander's quarters, Apollo could see the red rims around her eyes. She tried to muster a weak smile as she glanced at the room's occupants: Apollo, Boomer, Colonel Tigh, and the commander, all seated around the commander's desk, curiosity edging in on the grief she felt. Athena, in tears herself, had notified Cassie of the accident as soon as she could take leave of the bridge. She had stared at Athena as the words pierced like a knife through her insides. To have parted on such awkward terms and to never have the chance to resolve their differences, the idea tore at her heart. Athena had played the tape for her. It had left her feeling numb. The rest of the morning had been spent in shock as she had tried to carry out her duties in the lifestation. Every time she had remembered Athena's words, her mind had rebelled in disbelief. It was with a sense of both dread at facing the reality of it and a curiosity that she had answered the commander's summons to his quarters.

The commander motioned for her to be seated and said softly, "Cassie, there is a possibility that Starbuck was not in the viper when it exploded."

She looked at him in confusion. "How can that be? I heard the tape - that was Starbuck's voice."

Apollo answered, "Boomer and I analyzed the tape, and when we had a transcript made, it contained a code word that gives us reason to believe that Starbuck was coerced into making that recording." Apollo explained the code that they had created when in their last yahren of training in the academy. "Some of our training missions involved what to do if captured by an enemy. Starbuck, Boomer, and I came up with our own code to use in just this sort of situation - if forced to provide false information." He handed her the transcript, explaining, "'dobeth' means, 'don't believe this.' I'm convinced that he was not in that viper, and that the whole thing was staged."

Cassiopeia shook her head, feeling stunned by the sudden turn of events, not knowing what to feel at the moment, not daring yet to believe that he was still alive after spending the past several centars trying to accept his death. "Wait a centon," she said as the implications sank in. "That means the captain's involved in . . . what?"

Boomer took over. "We don't know. Whatever it is, it has something to do with hoarding supplies for the past several sectars, and involves people from both inside and outside of the _Zodia_. Starbuck apparently inadvertently uncovered the false computer information and has ended up in the middle of this." Boomer explained Starbuck's early-morning discovery and what they knew so far, including the added involvement of the computer technician, Shara.

"But how can you be sure he's alive?" Cassiopeia asked, still very confused.

"We can't," Apollo answered. "All we know is that the recording is not to be believed. And that means there is an equal chance that he is alive."

"Which brings us to what we must ask of you now, " Adama leaned forward in his chair to gaze into Cassiopeia's eyes. "You must tell no one of our suspicions. I've told Athena, so she knows, but she is the only other. And we must keep it that way until we know more."

Cassie gave the commander a confused look. "I'm sorry. I don't understand." Her mind was still reeling with all of the events of this day.

Apollo explained, "Since we know that the captain of the _Zodia_ is somehow involved, and to insure that Starbuck stays alive - if he is indeed still alive - we must proceed as if we believe the story we are getting from them. We are sending a security team to the _Zodia_, as we speak, to search for the missing computer tech." Apollo reached out from where he sat to put a hand on her arm. "We are the only ones who know the truth. Boomer and I are leaving shortly to do more investigating. We think we can figure out some of the other people involved by tracing some of the supply and shipping records. In fact," Apollo looked at Boomer and both stood, "we need to get moving."

Adama rose and walked around to offer a hand to Cassiopeia. As she stood, he clasped her shoulder, saying, "We know you and Starbuck are close and we felt you should know the truth. However, his life may depend on no one else knowing what we suspect."

Cassie nodded, watching as the door hissed closed behind Apollo and Boomer.

XI.

Captain Connly stood near the maintenance bay turbolift, watching as the shuttle carrying the _Galactica_ security team departed. Torran stood next to him, looking visibly relieved. An extensive, eight-centar search, stretching into the early centars of the morning, had revealed nothing, especially since the storage area behind the enormous energizers was not common knowledge. As the shuttle disappeared, angling to the right as it cleared the bay force field, Connly said quietly, "It's 0200 now, so we have four centars until the regular duty shift begins. We are going to remove as much of the remaining supplies as we can and rendezvous with the _Leonis_ at 0430. We cannot afford to wait any longer - the _Galactica_ may find out too much as they search for Shara. Our time is limited."

Torran nodded silently and left to inform the others. Connly stared solemnly for a moment at the blackness, broken only by a few faint stars, no other ships visible, beyond the force field. His mood mirrored that empty blackness; he was weary and drained. When the fleet began this voyage, this escape from the Cylons, Connly had felt as confident as everyone else. The sectars and sectars of constant shortages, no end in sight, had slowly drained his desire to continue on. Even knowing that they were still not free of the Cylons, did not change the growing urge to end this trek. And he was not the only one who felt this way. It was through a casual conversation with the captain of the _Leonis_ that he had discovered that Beltran felt the same way. From that point they had carefully recruited a dozen others as Connly, possessing considerable computer skills, had created the subroutines to alter the supply records of both the _Zodia_ and the _Leonis_. Since the _Leonis_, a much smaller ship, carried few passengers, yet had a sizable cargo capacity, they had decided to use it for their escape. The forty-five or so occupants and most of the crew knew nothing of Connly's intended future for them. And as the time approached to make the final exchange of supplies and personnel from the _Zodia_ to the _Leonis_, the captain did not care how they felt. To him, living in the confines of the ship had become worse than death. He and his group had decided that settling on an inhabitable world, with the chance to breath fresh air and to feel real dirt, was preferable, even with the threat of annihilation by the Cylons, were they to be discovered.

Connly glanced at his chronometer. Time to prepare for the final departure.

XII.
Starbuck stretched his back straight against the wall and shook his head to ward off the drowsiness. Next to him, Shara slept fitfully curled on the cold floor, his flight jacket serving as a pillow. Not long after their revealing discussion with Captain Connly, two security guards had unceremoniously tossed in a canister of water, several packets of rations, and a few other supplies. All of it had been dumped inside quickly, with the door being open for barely 20 microns, offering no chance for escape. Since then, they had been left alone. If and when someone came again, he figured, it would be the last time in a long while.

Starbuck rubbed his neck. He could not afford to fall asleep now; their only possible chance of escape would be to somehow surprise their captors the next time the door opened. He also knew that it was a risky long-shot, but he just could not let them go through with their plan unchallenged. To let them succeed in breaking off from the fleet could mean a complete collapse in the unity of the fleet. It could lead to a crumbling in the confidence and morale of the others. Starbuck was as tired as everyone of living in the confines of a space ship, of breathing stale, recycled air, of eating synthetic food more often than not, of not being able to look out a window to see the sun's glow wash away the night sky in the early dawn. . . He also knew that he and the other warriors were better conditioned to living extended periods in space; it was a part of their training. He could imagine that if _he_ felt the weariness and frustration of their voyage at times, then it must be much harder on the untrained civilians and crew members.

However, it had only been a sectar since their last encounter with the Cylons. While it may have been by more by random chance than through being tracked by their enemy, they had happened upon the basestar after sectons of feeling safe. And no one knew if the basestar, before being destroyed, had had a chance to send a signal back to the Cylon empire. The commander and most everyone in the Colonial service agreed that it was too soon to let their guard down now, to be sure that they had lost the Cylons for good. And for humanity to survive the exodus after losing so many in the holocaust, they had to be as sure as possible that when they stopped to settle again, whether it be on Earth or another inhabitable planet, that the Cylons would not locate them. They also needed to remain united, for the population of the fleet was not great enough to be able to afford splintering into smaller groups scattered across the galaxy, not if they hoped to rebuild the human race.

No, regardless of how risky an attempt might be, he had to try to stop Connly and his group; at the very least, he had no intention of any further cooperation . . . his mind was drifting again. . .

The sound of the thrusters pulsed momentarily as the outer door was opened, then closed. Starbuck snapped alert and grabbed Shara's arm to awaken her. "someone's coming!" he said, pulling her to her feet as she shook off the disorientation of sleep.

Nodding her readiness, Shara took up a crouched position on the left of the door. Starbuck did likewise on the right. The door swooshed open and Connly's voice said, "Step out into the corridor, one at a time!"

Neither moved. Both hugged the wall in a position to jump whoever came through the door. Which way that person turned and whether they aimed their weapon straight or low was up to fate.

Connly shouted impatiently, "Don't waste my time with heroics! Out! Now!"

Starbuck held a deep breath. He could feel the adrenaline pumping, could feel Connly's anger growing. He risked a glance at Shara. She looked steady and determined. Silent microns passed.

A brushing of clothing indicated the start of the next few chaotic centons. The security guard entered, spinning to the left as he passed the threshold. Starbuck leaped forward, grabbing for the guard's gun arm as he tackled his midsection. Shara flattened herself against the wall as the two fell past her, struggling in a heap for the weapon. At that same instant, another guard rushed into the storage room, turning also in her direction. Shara, remembering a course in self-defense she had taken eons ago, threw herself at him, aiming for the most vulnerable area with her fists. The guard doubled over as he fell backwards with Shara on top of him. His laser clattered to the floor.

Unfortunately, neither had counted on Connly bringing reinforcements. Connly and a third man entered on the heels of the others. The captain grabbed Shara by the shoulders and pulled her effortlessly off of the guard and shoved her small frame into the embrace of the forth man, who held her tightly. He then turned to the pair struggling on the floor. Starbuck and the guard were rolling back and forth, neither gaining the advantage, struggling for the laser. Connly watched for an opening, then kicked the lieutenant forcefully in the ribs. Starbuck let go of the guard, gasping in pain. Connly dropped to his knees on top of the lieutenant, pulling his arms behind his back, as Ransey scrambled clear and pulled out the binders. As Connly roughly snapped them on Starbuck's wrists, he said through gritted teeth, "You're just lucky that we need you alive. That was very foolish!"

Still angry, the captain yanked the warrior to his feet and shoved him against the wall, arm across his chest. Pulling his laser, he pressed it under the lieutenant's chin and said, "You pull something like that again and I'll shoot you - I'll shoot you both!"

Starbuck kept his face expressionless and his eyes locked with Connly, saying nothing. The captain was rattled and more volatile than he had seen him since it had all begun. Under other circumstances, he might have tried to nettle him more, to keep him unsettled, but he still had Shara to consider. Having taken the risk and having failed, it was time to be cautious again, to wait.

Connly, breathing deeply, regaining his composure, finally released the lieutenant. Stepping back with the laser leveled at Starbuck, he motioned to Ransey, who had finished securing Shara's wrists behind her back with another pair of binders. From a small pouch on a utility belt, the guard pulled out a roll of electrical tape and broke off two pieces. Working quickly, he used the tape to gag both captives. The captain looked at his chronometer and growled, "Blast it!" He glared at Starbuck again. "That stunt of yours put us behind schedule." He waved the laser towards the door. "Let's get moving!"

XIII.

Feeling the exhaustion and a building headache after centaurs of scrutinizing computer records, Apollo glanced at his chronometer as Boomer eased the shuttle out of the launch bay. 0335 it read. He and Boomer were en route to one of the agro ships. An in-depth search had revealed a common name involved in several discrepancies among the supply data and two ships, the _Zodia_ and the _Leonis_. For the past four sectars, the records showed that one pilot, Zell, had been responsible for the transport of excess supplies to both ships. That he resided on the _Zodia_ seemed too much of a coincidence; thus Apollo and Boomer decided they needed to talk with the pilot. Through another tedious search, communication records had shown that Zell was currently aboard the agro ship on a supply run, final destination the _Zodia_.

When Apollo and Boomer arrived aboard the agro ship, both saw the transport ship in the landing bay. Boomer brought the shuttle in so that the other ship's cargo doors were on the opposite side and they would not be in plain sight of the pilot. Disembarking quickly, Apollo motioned for Boomer to go around the ship in the other direction. Apollo walked quietly, easing around the craft into view of the pilot, who was loading the last few crates into the cargo hold. He was working so intently that he was not aware of his visitors. When Apollo was within a metron of the pilot, he stopped, knowing that he had approached unnoticed, and said loudly, "We'd like a word with you, Zell."

Startled, the pilot spun and nearly dropped the crate he was carrying. His eyes went wide at the sight of the Colonial warrior, and Apollo could clearly read the anxiety on his face. For the first time since it had all begun, he felt the advantage shift in their favor. Apollo let his hand hover near his laser and walked slowly, deliberately, towards the pilot. Zell let go of the crate, shoving it towards Apollo, and turned to flee. Instead, he ran into Boomer, who deftly grabbed his arms, spinning him around again to face the captain. Apollo drilled the pilot with an icy stare as he continued to walk slowly towards him, stopping within centimetrons of him. The pilot shrunk back against Boomer. Finally, Apollo said, "I know something's going on, and I want you to tell me everything you know."

Despite his fear, Zell shook his head and started to say, "I don't know -"

Apollo grabbed his laser and pressed it against the pilot's chest, saying, "Look, we know you've been hauling extra supplies to both the _Zodia_ and the _Leonis_. We know that someone created false computer data to cover it up. And we know that Captain Connly is in the middle of this. Now, we've both been awake for nearly a day. I'm losing my patience!" He pressed even harder with the laser.

The pilot said nothing, but Boomer could feel him trembling against him. Relentless, the lieutenant twisted Zell's arm up and back as he leaned close to his ear, whispering, "It's just the three of us here, and as the captain said, we're both _very_ tired. So talk!" He twisted until the pilot grunted in pain.

"All right! All right!" he said. Boomer eased up, and Apollo took a step back but kept the laser leveled at his heart. The pilot continued, "Captain Connly and Captain Beltran are planning to make a break from the fleet using the _Leonis_. We've been stockpiling supplies for this. I'm supposed to meet them on the _Leonis_ at 0430 centars with this last shipment."

Apollo glanced at his chronometer. 0405. He glared at the pilot. "Tell me what happened to Starbuck - to the Colonial warrior that was supposedly blown up in the viper. We know the accident was staged. And what about the computer technician?"

The pilot stuttered for a moment, and Boomer twisted again. "They're both aboard the _Zodia_." he gasped. "Connly plans to bring them along too." Boomer released the pilot's arms, letting him rub the feeling back into his aching limb, and looked at Apollo.

Apollo motioned to the cargo ship. "We don't have time to call for assistance right now. This ship has to be at the _Leonis_ in less than twenty-five centons, so we'll have to fill the commander in along the way. Now let's go!"

Boomer gripped the pilot's arm as he guided him aboard the cargo ship. As Apollo strapped himself into the copilot's seat, the lieutenant hustled Zell into the pilot's chair, saying, "We need you to proceed as if nothing has happened." He paused long enough to grip the pilot's shoulder and make eye contact. "Look, if you cooperate with us, we'll do what we can to help you later. But right now we've got to act fast."

Zell nodded, realizing his position and the futility of resisting now, and quickly began the preflight preparations. Apollo, thinking, remained silent while the pilot worked. He felt an acute sense of urgency; the timing was critical, but yet too much was still up to chance. He knew that the _Leonis_ was a small transport ship with only around seventy passengers and crew, and it would not be difficult for Connly to gain control. Given the right (or wrong) set of circumstances, they could easily end up with a hostage situation. Which was why every decision had to be based off of the immediate events, and every possibility had to be considered. While Zell called for clearance to launch, Apollo used the secure channel over his copilot's headset to contact the _Galactica_. When he was through to the commander, Apollo explained briefly, saying that he would be back in contact in several centons. Finally, Apollo turned to the pilot and said, "We need all of the details of Connly's plan - how many people, who's to do what, everything! - so that we know what to expect when we arrive at the _Leonis_."

Zell kept his eyes on the instruments and the viewport as he eased the cargo ship out of the landing bay, but he explain, "There are twelve total in the group, counting me. Connly has five others with him - and the hostages - and they are supposed to be at the _Leonis_ by 0430, same as me. Captain Beltran is supposed to be waiting on the bridge with one other -- a security guard, and the other three from the _Leonis_ are to meet Connly and me in the cargo bay. From there, Connly and three others are supposed to go to the engine room. The others are to wait in the cargo bay to provide security as needed. Connly will signal Beltran, then cut all power. He and Torran, a technician, have devised a computer program that should conceal the _Leonis_ from the fleet by combining blackouts with a series of course changes."

Apollo wanted to ask where in Kobol's name they planned to go, but that would have to wait. Instead, he asked, "Who's the second-in-command of the _Leonis_?"

"The navigator, Morgan. He's not involved."

Apollo thought furiously for a precious moment longer, then contacted the _Galactica_. "Commander," he said quickly, "prepare a level one Emergency Security Alert for the _Leonis_, to be issued _only_ through the navigator, Morgan. Also, inform him that Beltran and four others from his ship are involved. Wait until you hear from either Boomer or me before proceeding. And we'll need backup then." A level one ESA would mean that all doors would be sealed and could only be opened by a command code from, in this case, the navigator.

Apollo glanced at Boomer, who stood behind the pilot's seat, concentrating, his thoughts running parallel with the captain's. Boomer looked at Apollo and said, "We've got to get Beltran away from the bridge before the ESA can work." He tapped Zell's shoulder. "When you report in, tell the captain something - anything! - that will get him to come check on you."

They were quickly approaching the _Leonis_ now. Both warriors watched intently as the cargo bay grew larger, filling the viewport. Boomer was the first to notice the break in their favor. "Look!" he exclaimed, "Connly's shuttle's not here yet - there're no other ships!"

Zell felt his hand shaking as he signaled the _Leonis_, requesting permission to land. When Beltran answered, the pilot took a deep breath and continued, "Sir, I need your assistance with my ship."

Beltran's voice sounded strained. "It will have to wait - you know that."

Zell persisted. "Sir, I've got a problem with my load that requires your presence here."

Beltran, unable to refuse the request in front of the others on the bridge, said at last, "All right, I'll meet you there!"

XIV.

The pilot switched his gaze from his instruments to Connly and back. All were silent, and the atmosphere was strained, tense. Starbuck watched as Connly glared at his chronometer yet again and figured it was probably for the better that he was gagged, for innumerable comments kept springing to mind, all of which would have earned him Connly's wrath, had he verbalized them. Instead, he watched silently, shifting in an attempt to keep his wrists from going numb behind his back, pressed against the shuttle seat and tightly secured as they were. Connly appeared tense, volatile, more so than any other the others seated around Shara and him.

When Shara caught his gaze, Starbuck simply shrugged, knowing of no way to ease her anxiety.

At last, the pilot said, "Sir, we're approaching the _Leonis_." He then asked for clearance to landed.

When they were acknowledged by the navigator, instead of the captain, Connly snapped his attention to the viewport, squinting ahead at the _Leonis_, and growled, "Where the frak is Beltran. He's supposed to be on the bridge!" The captain stood behind the pilot as he brought the shuttle down into the cramped cargo hold.

*****
The cargo bay to the _Leonis_ was long and narrow, with storage space on either side of the landing area and little room in which a ship could maneuver. The design had been meant to hold the maximum of cargo on a small transport vessel, not to accommodate several shuttles or other supply ships. Through the ship's viewport, Apollo and Boomer could see forward towards the doors to the lift that were the only other entrance to the cargo bay. Zell had gone out to meet the captain; the warriors had to hope and trust that his instinct for self-preservation would be stronger than his loyalty to the renegade group. As soon as they saw Beltran step out into the cargo bay, Apollo alerted the _Galactica_ to proceed with the Emergency Security Alert to the _Leonis_, stressing that one of the group still remained on the bridge and would have to be dealt with from that end. The rest would then be confined to the cargo bay, which appeared devoid of any other crew members, save for the three Zell had said would be waiting.

Apollo had hoped that they might be fortunate enough for Zell to lure Beltran into the cargo ship, where the two warriors could deal with him, but the roar of an approaching vessel eliminated that possibility. Given the limited space, the captain knew the shuttle would have to land behind them. With the door to Zell's cargo ship located to the port side, Apollo had instructed the pilot to land as close as he could to the crates and containers stacked on that side, hoping it would provide some cover. As the drone of the shuttle's engines died, Apollo and Boomer slipped out of the cargo ship, weapons drawn, flattening themselves against the ship as they crept to the front. A quick check of his chronometer told Apollo that it had been nearly five centons since he had contacted the _Galactica_. No claxons. Had Adama gotten through to the navigator?

Voices could be heard but not distinguished as they reached the front of the cargo ship. A quick, furtive glance out showed Beltran, hands waving, his anger evident, talking to Zell. Two others stood near by. The sound of foot steps echoing on the hard floor, and another glance out revealed four more men, including Connly, had joined the group. This time, the two warriors could clearly hear the _Zodia_ captain's voice: "Beltran! What in hades - never mind! Just get back to the bridge and -"

The wail of the alert klaxon cut off the captain. Peering cautiously around the ship, Apollo and Boomer watched as both Beltran and Connly, realizing what the alert meant to their plans, rushed for the cargo bay exit. When the door failed to open, Connly pounded the activation pad for a moment, then turned in a rage towards Zell. Neither warrior needed to hear the captain's words to know that he had connected the pilot to the breakdown in their plot. The others, looking confused and anxious, backed away as Connly ripped the laser from his holster and paced towards Zell. The pilot stumbled backwards, looking around wildly for any cover. Connly's face was red, the veins bulging in his neck, as he brought the laser to bear on Zell.

"Hold it, Connly!" Apollo shouted to be heard above the klaxon as he and Boomer stepped out into view, weapons trained on the captain. "Drop it!"

The captain swung his laser towards the warriors, firing, and sprinted back towards the shuttle. Apollo and Boomer ducked back behind the cargo ship, then raced to the rear. As they came within view of the shuttle, stationed behind and more centered in the landing bay, they caught a glimpse of Connly as he rushed aboard and sealed the shuttle door. He's still got hostages, Apollo thought quickly, but that would have to wait. Running around the ship and back to the front, the warriors directed their lasers at the rest of the renegades, who had been too confused, too unnerved by the turn of events to move. Even Beltran, the co-conspirator, seemed unprepared to fight at this point. With the cargo hold sealed, where would they go? As Apollo and Boomer neared, slowing to a fast walk, the captain detached his weapon and let it fall to the floor. The others who were armed did likewise. Boomer could read the fear and uncertainty on their faces, the shock as the reality of their situation sank in.

The roar of an engine drowned out the alert klaxon. Without turning, Apollo knew that their backup had arrived. He glanced at Boomer, "Keep these guys covered while I explain the situation." He did a quick count: eight here, one on the bridge, presumably taken care of. That left Connly and two others aboard the shuttle, along with Starbuck and the technician as hostages.

*****
Connly was livid, irrational. He swung his laser at all aboard the shuttle, yelling at the pilot, "Launch! Launch! Get us out of here!"

The pilot stared at him, eyes wide with fear, and stuttered, "B-but where? There's no where to go!" He cringed as Connly waved the laser at him again. "Sir, where would we go?"

Connly paused, comprehending the words for the first time, visibly trying to control himself, to think. Starbuck watched as he teetered on the edge of rationality, wavering. The security guard, Ransey, stood across from Shara and the lieutenant, his laser sagging by his side, watching his captain and not the captives. His face mirrored the pilot's anxiety and fear. It was evident that Connly had been the driving force of the group, that his will had empowered the others. Now, without his solid leadership, the resolution of the others had crumbled into confusion and trepidation.

Connly was standing at the front of the shuttle, breathing in slow, deep breaths, eyes closed, deep in thought. An oppressive silence had settled over everyone. The pilot and Ransey both stared at Connly, tensely waiting.

Starbuck met Shara's gaze; she looked haggard, tired. He shrugged again, giving an exasperated look. He had been working off and on at loosening the tape over his mouth. Concentrating once more, he rubbed his chin on his shoulder and stretched his jaw. The tape finally peeled enough for him to be able to talk. In a quiet but urgent whisper, he said, "Ransey!"

The guard was still watching his captain and did not respond.

"Ransey!" he said it a little louder, glancing at Connly.

The security guard finally looked at Starbuck.

Starbuck nodded at Connly and whispered, "You've got to stop him. This is madness. There's --"

The beeping signal of the intercom interrupted him. Connly's eyes snapped open and he jabbed at the button to activate communications. A voice broke the silence: "Captain Connly, it's over. The rest of your group has surrendered." Starbuck felt a surge of relief as he recognized Apollo's voice. "Please come out and hand over your weapons. No one has been hurt, so I'm sure the commander will consider leniency, if you cooperate."

Connly practically screamed into the receiver, "No! No! I won't - I can't let it end now!" He cut off the connection and pounded the control panel with his fists.

Starbuck stared at Ransey, trying to make eye contact, finally catching his gaze. He whispered emphatically, "Stop him! He'll get you killed if you don't stop him!"

The guard shifted his gaze from Starbuck to Connly and back. He glanced at his laser, yet remained frozen in indecision and fear.

Connly turned from the control panel to his captives. His jaw was clenched, the tendons in his neck protruding. He glared at them.

Starbuck asked cautiously, "Captain. Sir. What else can you do?" When Connly remained silent, he continued, "Commander Adama is very reasonable. I'm sure he'll listen to all you have to say. It's not too late to talk about this."

Connly met the warrior's gaze and spoke in a quiet voice that unnerved Starbuck more than the previous outbursts. "You still don't get it. This is _not_ living. Being trapped in these metal tombs is worse than death. I will not give in. I can't." His breathing was becoming more rapid, his voice more menacing. "And if it weren't for you, my plan would've worked. If it weren't for you. It would have worked. We only had two more days to go. No one suspected anything. We would've just disappeared before the _Galactica_ knew anything and headed back to freedom. But then you. . ." Connly's voice trailed off as he slowly raised the laser at Starbuck. The intent written on his face was clear.

Starbuck squeezed his eyes shut and twisted away as far as his bindings permitted as a laser fired. He heard a loud grunt and the thud of a body collapsing. Opening his eyes and turning around, the lieutenant saw Ransey standing with his weapon still extended and Connly lying in an unconscious heap at Shara's feet. "Lords of Kobol be praised," he whispered as the tension drained from him and he sank back in relief.

XV.
Starbuck stared at his chronometer and gave a bemused chuckle. 0700. His furlon was officially over, and he was originally supposed be on patrol with Boomer in another two centars. Instead, Shara and he were in the _Zodia_ shuttle headed for the __Galactica__ for a debriefing with the commander, and then, as Apollo had put it: "he was confined to quarters to rest for the next ten centaurs, captain's orders." Apollo had made the comment as he and Boomer had departed from the shuttle on the agro ship to retrieve their vipers as they also headed for the debriefing. Starbuck hardly felt like arguing with him, since he had had about three centars of sleep in the past two days. And the meeting with the commander would be anything but brief. Apollo, Boomer, Shara, and he would have to describe all of the details of their adventure for Adama to help determine the level and severity of charges to be brought against Connly and his group.

Starbuck had mixed emotions about them all, even Connly. They had never meant to harm anyone, only to find a better way to live. Most had probably not considered the aftereffects their actions would have had, had they succeeded. Unity had to be maintained if they were to survive; Starbuck strongly believed this. The commander would probably have his own sleepless nights while he worked to reassure the people, once they knew what had happened. It would be next to impossible to conceal a mutiny led by the captains of two of the fleet's ships, not that they would even try. So they also had to come up with a press release for the IFB . . . Oh, Lord, Starbuck thought to himself. That meant interviews and news reports and endless jokes and ribbing from the rest of his squadron.

Leaning back in the shuttle seat, he felt the heavy weight of sheer exhaustion. A glance at the seat across from him revealed Shara had already succumbed and was fast asleep. As he let his own eyes close, he reflected that she had endured the events of the past day remarkably well. Even after being threatened, imprisoned, and held hostage, she had been more or less calm and in control. And she had participated in their last-ditch, futile attempt at escape with all the willingness of a warrior. Starbuck could easily see why Seally had been drawn to her; she possessed an inner strength. A remarkable woman. Seally would have been one lucky man . . . Starbuck felt the pangs of guilt again as his mind drifted back over the past events. Had he gone through the proper procedures and presented the information to the commander, she would never have been put in such a risky situation. But then, he wondered, would they have discovered the truth in time? What would have happened?

He felt his mind floating closer to sleep, his thoughts becoming more random . . . a vision with shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair drifted into his mind . . . Cassiopeia . . . he had almost completely forgotten about the reason for his original late-night roaming, until talking with Apollo and Boomer on the brief ride from the _Leonis_ to the agro ship. How would she feel now, after having believed him dead, at least for several centars? He knew that she had been through an emotional wringer, and she would either be relieved to see him . . . or ready to kill him. Or worse, ready to put an end to all of the uncertainty. That sudden thought pierced his heart like no other had. He had to make it up to her, somehow. Seally and Shara had been robbed of their chance at happiness together, and Connly had been microns from ending his . . . if he himself had not already thrown it away. Cassie, he thought, you've put up with all of my felgercarb . . . had faith when I did foolish things like rushing off to see Aurora without so much as a word to you. You've given me the space like no one else before has . . . maybe it's time I had the guts to face my feelings, instead of fleeing like a frighten ovion. . . Sleep finally washed even these thoughts from his mind -- at least for the next ten centons, when the shuttle would finally reach the _Galactica_.

THE END