Battlestar Galactica - From the Beginning
Disclaimer: The world of BSG and most of the characters are not my creation. I have simply taken them out to play in my own version of their world!This is entirely for my own enjoyment and I recieve no financial benefit from this.
Note: I loved the character of Lee Adama, and it bothered me when he was paired with D as a love interest. So, I have introduced a major character-AJ Darr-into the pilot and carried her throughout the series. For the most part, I tried to stay true to the series plot, but a few things had to be changed to include the new character.
Warning: This chapter contains sexual content.
Chapter One
Beginnings and Endings
Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama arrived on the Battlestar Galactica despite his hearty wishes to be somewhereanywhereelse in the known and unknown universe. His chiseled jaw was clenched in a subdued sort of anger, and his blue eyes shone coldly. The absolute last thing he wanted was to see his father, whether in public or in private. The harsh words hed spoken when they were last together still echoed in his ears and, despite the look of pain on his fathers face, he couldnt bring himself to regret having said them. He had sincerely meant them at the time, and his feelings hadnt changed in the two years since then. His father was directly responsible for Zaks death, though Lee was sure his father would never accept the responsibility. Lee had lost a brother he deeply loved because of a lifetime of pressure placed on them both by a father who could accept nothing less than total perfection from his sons.
At a relatively young age Lee had said to hell with the old man and done what hed wanted with his life, but Zak had been determined to please their father in any way he could. He went to the academy because hed been told his entire life that to be a man worth respecting, he had to have pilot wings on his collar, and the academy was the first step toward that lofty goal. Zak made it through the academy in the middle of his class, and then had gone straight on to flight school. He went to his death doing what the old man wanted, despite the fact that he was an average pilot, at best.
Well, for good or ill, he was headed into his fathers territory the Battlestar Galactica.
Lee took a deep breath and opened the canopy of his Viper, watching the beehive of activity in the landing bay. Surprisingly enough, hed had to do the entire landing "hands on", when on most ships the process was automated once the pilot placed the ship on the proper entry vector. Another one of the old mans quirks, he thought with an irritated shake of his head as he stiffly climbed out of the cockpit. He had no idea how he was going to frakking get through the next day so near his father and all the people who thought the old man was the gods gift to the colonies. If he had his way, hed be light-years away from both the Galactica and his old man.
Things went from bad to worse to miserable as he was forced to act honored and humbled to fly the old mans forty-year-old bird when he was to do his fly-by during the ceremony that afternoon. But he had to admit the squadron looked like a good group of people who knew their business, if you could get past the obvious adoration they felt for the Almighty Adama. He could tell by the looks that the other crew and pilots sent his way that they considered him an arrogant prig with a stick up his ass. But he couldnt unwind and relax on his fathers ship. In his fathers kingdom.
At that moment, Lee had never hated his last name, and his family connection, more.
And things got even worse, though he hadnt thought it possible, when he finally found his oldest friend, Kara Thrace. Kara went by the call sign Starbuck, and had been his roommate in the academy. It was through him that she had met and fallen in love with his brother, Zak. Their history together was long and volatile, but he knew he could always count on her to see him for what he was not just the old mans son. Almost every instance of trouble hed been in through the years had been at her influence. She was a free spirit, to say the least.
He found her in the brig, her feet propped up on a metal cot as she did pushups. She was as lean and mean looking as she had always been, and he smiled his first honest smile of the day as he watched her. Her light blonde hair was cut short and the sweaty locks were pushed behind her ears. Her fair skin was flushed and damp with exertion and her regulation tank and work pants clung to every damp curve and indentation of her womanly, yet muscular, form. As he looked at her he knew exactly why most of the men on this ship, and every other one shed been posted to, were hot for her. Though she was the least feminine woman hed ever met in his life, she still had all the right curves to entice the male of the species, and an attitude that posed a definite challenge to incite even the most indifferent of men.
He had a love/hate relationship with this woman that went beyond friendship and into the realm of family. She was a total pain in the butt, but he respected and admired her despite her cocky attitude and the enormous chip on her shoulder. With Kara Thrace, you always knew where you stood, whether good or bad.
"This seems familiar," he said dryly to get her attention as he gripped the bars of the cell, watching her. As a matter of fact, hed been to visit her in the brig more times through the years than he could count. Her mouth and uncontrolled temper combined with excessive alcohol could usually be counted on to land her there at least a few times a year. If not for the old man, Lee had no doubt shed have been cashiered from the military for her insubordination.
"Captain Adama, sir," she drawled, looking up at him mid pushup. "Sorry I wasnt there to greet you with the rest of the squadron. Did they kiss your ass to your satisfaction?" she asked with a smirk as she rose to her feet and took a step toward the bars that stood between them.
He fought the urge to grin, but he didnt want to give her the satisfaction. Gods love her. She was cocky enough already for a pilot spending her time in hack. "So, whats the charge this time?"
"Striking a superior asshole."
"Ahh. Ill bet youve been waiting all day to say that one," he commented, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his expression deadpan. It was hopeless, though. A small grin escaped as she gave him the look that silently told him to kiss her ass, and his chuckle escaped despite his best efforts.
"Most of the afternoon, yeah," she admitted. "So how longs it been?"
"Two years."
"Two years! We must be getting old," she said with a slight frown. "Seems like the funeral was just a couple months ago."
"Yeah," he agreed, his mood beginning to sink again at the unexpected change in topic. He hadnt expected Kara to bring up such a bad time in both of their lives so casually. He still didn't like to talk-or even think-about Zak's death.
"Your old mans doing fine. We dont talk about it much. Maybe two or three times a year. He still struggles with it though," she added softly through pursed lips, her tone contemplative.
Her unexpected mention of his father washed away what little was left of his grin, along with more than a bit of the pleasure he had felt at seeing Kara again after so long. He knew where this conversation was headed, and he sure as hell didnt want anything to do with it. She was like a dog with a bone sometimes, and he could tell that he and his fathers relationship was going to be the bone. Lee looked away, again wishing he was somewhere else.
"I havent seen him."
"Why not?"
"Kara, dont even start," Lee warned, shaking his head. Why the hell hadnt he fought the instinct to see her and hidden away someplace until his duty was done? And why couldnt they just be glad to see each other like the old friends they were without all the verbal sparring? It had been a frakking big mistake to come to see her. He could see that now.
"How long are you going to do this?" she asked in obvious exasperation.
"Im not doing anything," Lee countered sullenly.
"He lost a son, Lee!"
"And whose responsible for that?" he spat, clenching his jaw in an attempt to hang onto the threads of his temper. For the past two years, since shed met his father before the funeral, her loyalty had shifted to rest upon the great Commander William Adama. He didnt think anything would ever change that now. In his father shed found the family shed been without most her life and would never be able to see that it was the old man who was responsible for Zaks death.
She shook her head as his words soaked in. "Same old Lee. You havent changed either," she commented, her tone telling him that her words were not a compliment. Hell, what had he expected?
"Zak was my brother!" he gritted out, anger flaring inside him as he realized how alone he truly was now. Even his oldest friend was firmly entrenched in the other side. It was a bitter pill to swallow and his stomach churned with acid at her defection.
"And what was he to me? Nothing?" she shot back in a voice that was deadly in its softness.
"Thats not what I meant, and you know it," he replied, his temper boiling at her inability to, just once, see his side on this particular issue. No matter what he said, she still insisted that the old man had no guilt or responsibility for Zaks death. Her tunnel vision infuriated him!
"You know you should go," she told him softly, her angry eyes shooting fire at him. "Im getting the urge to hit another superior asshole."
Lee stood and looked at her for a long moment and then turned and slowly walked out the door. Through the years theyd managed to avoid any knock down, drag out fights, but he thought those days just might be past. It was apparent to him that shed tear him a new asshole before she let him say anything negative about his father in front of her. And no matter how he wished it were otherwise, he knew he was far from ready to forgive the old man for the lifetime of indifference hed inflicted upon his sons.
AJ "Athena" Darr wandered the decks of Colonial Transport 738 Heavy, her mind light-years away. Shed seen her entire family this past week and, despite how much she loved them all, they were exhausting! Her mother and stepfather smothered her with love and concern, though in such a kind and cheerful manner she felt shed be the worst daughter in the universe were she to complain. Her younger sisters wanted to hear everything about her life during the past year, thinking that her post was a lot more exciting than it actually was.
Athena had lasted only one day before she escaped to her stepfathers mechanical engineering shop. She had stripped down to her boxer shorts and uniform tank before pulling on an old coverall and crawling under a stripped down Viper Mark II. What a find! Other than the nuclear core, it was structurally intact, and Athena felt herself begin to relax as she tested components and began replacing some of the burned out mechanisms.
"I thought Id find you here," her stepfather stated with a grin as he rolled under the Viper from the opposite side. His gray-blue eyes sparkled at amusement as he passed her the exact wrench she needed. "I see you found my new toy. I was saving it for when you came home."
"I couldnt believe my eyes! Where did you get it? If you had a core, I have no doubt we could get her up in the air,"" Athena responded excitedly, smiling back at the man she had always known as her father. He'd been the one to pick her up whenever she fell since she was a toddler, and she loved him deeply. He understood her. He knew even better than her mother what made her tick.
"And that, my girl, is why theres no core! I picked her up for a song, thinking that we could restore her next time you came home," he admitted, anticipating her next move and handing her the next size larger wrench. "What do you think?"
"The hydraulics are shot, but should be easy to replace. The electrical system has been stripped, but that too, should be easy to fix. Give me two days and a core, and well have her flying like new!" Athena answered with a laugh.
He grinned back at her, his love for the young woman he considered his eldest daughter sparkling in his eyes and expression. "Two days we have. But a core is way beyond my toy budget. Your mother would have my hide! Are you going to be here long enough to help me?" His question was serious despite the playful twinkle in his eyes.
Athena realized that she had not been home for any length of time since shed first started at the military academy. About the time shed discovered the identity of her biological father and found herself pulled into the complexities of his life. And she suddenly realized that her stepfather, the man who had dried her tears and taught her most of her valuable life lessons, had missed her. Because of him, she only knew how to fly complicated aircraft she knew how to build and maintain them, as well. "Im sorry, dad."
He looked at her silently with his head tilted in confusion. "For what?"
"Im sorry I havent been home more in the past six or seven years. Ive-"
"Whoa!" he interrupted, reaching over to push a stray lock of hair out of her face. "I was not trying to imply that you didnt visit enough. Youre a grown woman, Athena. You have a wonderful life that youve made for yourself, through your own hard work. Your mother and I couldnt be more proud of you though, yes, we do miss you. But youre doing what all children are supposed to do grow up and follow your own path."
"I love you, dad," Athena told him with a tear filled smile. It was because of him that she was where she was and who she was today. There had been no one more influential in her entire life. No one. "Finding my biological father never changed that in the slightest."
"I know, baby girl," he replied with a teary smile of his own. Then he shook his gray head and cleared his throat. "So. How much time do you have? Id love your help with this heap of metal."
"I have exactly three days until I have to report back to the Presidents detail," she told him, going over her coming schedule in her mind. "Then I have one day before flying out with the Secretary of Education to the decommissioning of the Battlestar Galactica."
"That sounds like fun. Id give a years income to see the inner workings of Galactica," he added with sincerity. "They made them right back thenwith real mechanical parts. The ships they put out now are run by computers programs and plastic gismos."
"Youre just an old fogie," Athena chided him with a laugh, even though she privately agreed. "I can think of nothing more I'd like better than to spend three days with you and mom and this Mark IV!"
Athena had spent three precious, uncomplicated days with her parents before reporting back to her most recent assignment as personal pilot to the President of the Twelve Colonies. Flying around the man who was not only president, but also her biological father.
She had grown to love him since shed first met him at sixteen, as she had gotten used to a more complicated life. Until this year they had only seen each other two or three times a year, and always in secret. His political life did not lend itself to the introduction of an almost grown daughter whom he had never known and never supported. In his defense, he hadnt even known about her existence until she was almost grown and, to his credit, had instantly taken great interest in her life. He had offered sage advice and career guidance that led to her application into the military academy. Due to her excellent school grades and her outstanding mechanical ability, she had been accepted right out of public school. She had flown through the academy and graduated in the top of her class, and then gone right into basic flight. It was there she discovered a love for flying that exceeded her love for all things mechanical, and knew what she was meant to do with the rest of her life. Be a pilot.
As the top graduate in her basic flight class, she had been a shoo-in for fighter pilot training, then officers candidate training, and finally War College. She was only four months from graduating as a full lieutenant when her father had asked her to join his detail as his lead Raptor pilot. After being assured she could return to War College after the one-year detail was complete, she agreed, looking forward to the time getting to truly know her biological father. He had seen to it that she received her rank prior to starting the Presidential Transportation Detail, and a new segment of her life had begun.
It was the introduction of Secretary of Education, Laura Roslin, which had brought her to the Galactica Decommissioning Detail. Athena had known Laura for as long as she had her father, and knew that the two were long-termthough secretlovers. Laura was a very down-to-earth woman that Athena admired greatly. Knowing that Athena would dearly love to visit the Galactica, one of the original battlestars, Laura had asked that Athena be her Raptor pilot. It wasnt until they were well away on the trip to Galactica, that Athena discovered the Colonial Transport ship was to dock directly inside the enormous Galactica, and her Raptor wasnt even needed for the transfer of Lauras entourage. However, so far it had been a great trip and she was having the time of her life.
Lee survived the public ordeal of publicity photos with his father, and truly did his best to bite his tongue when he was forced to be alone with the man moments later. After the earlier argument with Kara, it was all he could do to remain civil to his father through the small talk about Lees promotion to captain and his mothers engagement. Finally, hoping to escape the tension that was building uncontrollably, he asked to be dismissed.
"Why dont you talk to me, Lee?" his father asked softly, making an obvious attempt to break the solid ice wall between them.
"Wh" Lee stopped and laughed harshly. Lee had no intention of succumbing to some phony father-son moment. He was here because hed been ordered to, not because hed been dying to see the old man. Hed simply had no choice. Frak! He hated how, despite his thirty years, his father still managed to make Lee feel like a child in his presence. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"
"About anything. Youve been here for an hour."
"Well, I dont have anything to say." Lee replied in what he hoped was his most casual and unemotional voice. However, his heart was racing and his head was beginning to throb from the tension of the day and now being trapped in the same room with his father. He could feel his anger beginning to radiate as if from his very pores. "My orders said to report here for the ceremony. So, Im here. And Im going to participate in the ceremony. But there wasnt anything in my orders about having any heart-to-heart chats with the old man."
"Accidents happen in the service," his father said abruptly, cutting to the heart of the matter.
"Dad. Listen, I"
"You know, all the things that you talked about, the last time we were together"
"I really dont want to do this!" Lee gritted out, wild to do anything to stop the direction of this conversation. Argument. Whatever the hell it was! He didnt want any part of it.
"at the funeral" his father persisted.
"I really dont want to do this," Lee insisted for a second time through gritted teeth. Gods! Would the old man never listen?
"they still ring in my ears, after two years," Bill admitted, still looking away from Lee.
"Good!" Lee spat, his voice brimming with the anger that was ready to bubble over and burn them both. He hesitated for a moment in an attempt to calm his temper and then continued. "Good, becauseyou know what? They were meant to." Now all he wanted was for the old man to hurt as much as he did! As much as his mother did! Just for one moment, let the person who was the most to blame feel the pain that had resulted from his actions, or his inaction. Lee wasnt sure which part bothered him more. The times his father interfered and pushed him and Zak, or the times he acted as if he didnt even have two sons at home.
His father looked up at the wall and took a deep breath as if trying to defuse Lees anger. "Zak had a choice. You both did."
But the absurdity of the words only made Lee snort in disbelief. It was frakking unbelievable! As if there had ever really been any choice for Zak or Lee. "A man isnt a man until he wears the wings of a Viper pilot. Doesnt that sound at all familiar to you?" he demanded furiously, his muscles bunched and tensed.
"Thats not fair, son."
"No, its not fair," Lee agreed as he took a furious step toward the man who was his father. He forced his voice to remain calm and firm, when all he wanted to do was cry and rage all at once. "Because one of us wasnt cut out to wear the uniform."
"He earned his wings just like we all did."
"One of us wasnt cut out to be a pilot," Lee persisted cruelly, his voice breaking slightly despite his best efforts. His build-up feelings of hatred and anger toward his father were beginning to seep through his veneer of civility. "One of us wouldnt have even made it into flight school if his old manhis daddyhadnt pulled the strings!"
"Thats an exaggeration. I did nothing for him that I wouldnt have done for anyone else," Adama stated, his face stony as he continued to look across the staff room, away from Lee.
"Youre not even listening to me," Lee said in little more than a whisper, feeling as he always did in his fathers presence. Unheard. Unheeded. Unloved. His hurt mutated into a ferocious feeling of anger and unresolved hatred that he could no longer restrain. "Why cant you get this through your head? Zak did not belong in that plane! He shouldnt have been there. He he was only doing it for you." Lee hesitated and took a deep breath. He smiled in brutal coldness as he stared coldly at his father. "Face it. You killed him."
Though his father didnt so much as flinch, Lee could see that his words had struck home, stabbing the older man through the heart. For a moment, he feared that he had gone to far this time. Because for the first time in his life, Lee thought his father looked old. Old and tired and lonely.
"Thatll be all, Captain." The commander stood stiffly, not moving a muscle.
Lee looked at his father for several long seconds, wishing things could be different. Gods, how he wished they could just talk to each other without using their words as weapons to poke and prick at each other. With a last look at his father, Lee turned and walked from the room.
Lee did his duty, flying his fathers old, refurbished Viper Mark II in formation during the ceremony and then moving into position to escort the Secretary of Education and the reporters back to Caprica. He listened to his fathers speech in amazement, his anger bubbling away into nothing but a sense of numbness. Until he was filled with only sadness and regret.
"The Cylon war is long over," his fathers voice came over the wireless, as raspy and vital as ever. "Yet we must not forget the reasons why so many sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom. The cost of wearing the uniform can be high." There was a pause so long that Lee wondered if the wireless radio had lost its frequency. Just when he was getting ready to fiddle with the dial, his father began again. "Sometimes its too high. You know, when we fought the Cylons, we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question, Why? Why are we as a people worth saving? We still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy. And we still visit all of our sins upon our children."
Lee felt his heart race at those particular words. What was his father trying to say? Was there a message in the words that was directed at him? Or was he fooling himself and hearing what he wanted to hear from his father. Lee leaned forward slightly in the cockpit as he continued to listen.
"We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that weve done. As we did with the Cylonswhen we decided to play God. Create life. And that life turned against us. We comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it really wasnt our fault. Not really. Well, you cannot play God and then wash your hands of the things that youve created. Sooner or later the day comes when you cant hide from the things that youve done anymore."
Lee breathed in and out with shuddering, emotion filled breaths. Deep in his heart of hearts he believed his father was reaching out and sending him a message. An apology. An acceptance of guilt. Would this change anything between them? Lee wasnt sure. So many hurtful things had been said and donemany of them on Lees part. If he were honest with himself, Lee had to admit that he had unleashed his anger toward his father in hopes of getting past the iron exterior and reaching the father he still loved, despite it all. And now he wondered if, perhaps, he had gotten through. But at what cost? His father had sounded old, tired, and beaten. And Lee knew he was the one who had made him feel that way.
As much as he didnt want to admit it, he had become very much like the man hed hated for so many long years. Isolated. Cold. Needing no one. There was a tiny sense of pridebut more of sorrowin acknowledging that fact.
They were not even two hours away from the Galactica when reports of Cylon attacks began to come in over the wireless and Lee experienced his first heart-pounding combat with an enemy he had never before seen in space. He prayed under his breath as he maneuvered and fired the ancient Viper, but managed to destroy the missile that had been fired at the Colonial ship, and losing control of his own ship in the process. Within minutes after he docked his damaged Viper back within the transport ship that rescued him, he knew that things were not looking good, but his respect for Laura Roslin, the Secretary of Education, had increased a thousand fold.
He had spent most of the afternoon following along behind Secretary Roslin, trying to take her measure and ensure she had the proper advice on which to base her weighty decisions. In the process, he learned that the woman was a force with which to be reckoned. For a woman he would have considered more used to politics than the reality of war, she had a good head on her shoulders and was able to cut thought the trivial to what was really important and necessary in each situation that confronted them. She had the demeanor of a general, a substantial dose of confidence, and was ultimately the highest ranking cabinet member to survive the Cylon attacks.
Lee had watched in pity as she received the news of the destruction of Caprica and the deaths of the President and all of the resident cabinet. Her face paled and she took several deep, calming breaths before looking up at the pilot of the transport ship and asking if he could find a priest. The loss she felt at the death of the president and so many friends was evident in her face as she was confirmed as the new president of the Twelve Colonies, and Lee stood staunchly at her side the entire time. He couldnt take on any of her burdens for her, but he could certainly be one of the rocks she could lean on should she need support or assistance in the coming days.
For a few moments at least, in the presence of the new President Roslin, Lee had felt a little of his own confidence return. That is, until the moment he spoke to his father over the radio, and was forced to respectfully decline to follow what Lee considered the most sensible plan hed heard since the attack. As much as Lee questioned the old mans abilities as a husband and father, he had no doubt his father was one of the most adept military leaders of his time. The man inspired confidence and loyalty in his troops for damned good reason.
"This is Apollo," Lees spoke into the headset, relieved beyond description to discover that his father and the Galactica had survived the initial Cylon attacks. In the back of his mind he had feared the worst. "Go ahead, Actual."
"How are you?" the Commander asked, hesitating in what could only be described as an awkward manner. "Is the ship all right?"
"Were both fine," Lee responded in a sarcastic tone. Even at the end of the world as they knew it, his father was uncomfortable with anything emotional or even slightly personal. However, Lee was able to read between the lines and knew the old man was simply at a loss for words that could be spoken over a public radio frequency. "Thanks for asking."
"Is your ships FTL functioning?"
"Thats affirmative." Lee frowned, knowing instinctively where this conversation was headed. "Then youre ordered to bring yourself and all your ships passengers to the rendezvous point. Acknowledge," the Commander ordered.
How the hell was he to answer that without directly disobeying the orders of a commanding officer? At the same time, he was acting upon the orders of the new President of the Colonies. Frak! Now he was really going to be between a rock and a hard place! Well hell, what else was new? He should be used to that by now. "Acknowledge receipt of message."
"What the hell does that mean?" his father demanded, his anger very apparent in his tone. The old ma knew that in speaking those words Lee was subtly declining to follow his command and he didnt like it one bit.
"It means, I heard you," Lee replied impatiently. For better or worse, he was here with the President and he owed her his loyalty. He was the only military advice she had available, and he couldnt leave her and the others to the Cylons. He wouldnt.
"Youre going to have to do a lot better than that, Captain."
Lee closed his eyes. Some things never changed. Even across space they were again at cross-purposes and arguing. No matter what he said, the Commander was never going to see things Lees way. "Were engaged in rescue operations. By order of the president."
"You are to abort your mission immediately!"
"The President has given me a direct order," Lee protested in return. He was in the middle of a no-win situation, and he knew it. He couldnt disobey his orders from the president, but he really didnt want to disobey the Commanders either. Lee was pretty damned sure he was going to lose no matter which choice he made.
"Youre talking about the Secretary of Education. Were in the middle of a war!" The Commanders fury was apparent in his voice. He wasnt used to his orders being countered or disobeyed. "And youre taking orders from a schoolteacher!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Lee saw the President return to the cockpit. The crook of her eyebrow told Lee that shed heard his fathers disparaging words. In that instant, Lee knew he would never leave the President at a time when she needed him the most. Regardless of the personal cost to himself. At the same time, the dradis display began a subtle beeping and Captain Russo leaned over to see who or what was approaching.
"Weve got trouble," the Captain said, looking in alarm between Lee and the president.
"Uh, stand by, Galactica." Lee said abruptly and pulled off his headset, taking the few short steps to scan the console. Frak! There were two inbound Cylon fighters and their transport ship was defenseless. They had no weapons and not much time to initiate a FTL jump. What in the gods name were they going to do now?
When President Roslin refused even to attempt a jump to safer space and abandon the passenger liner they were attempting to rescue, Lees brain locked onto something hed seen earlier and knew there was only one possible chance for them. He excused himself brusquely and ran down to the bay where his now non-functioning Viper was docked behind a Colonial Raptor, remembering that he had seen a set of energy coils from the Galactica stored there. It was a slim chance, but if he could send out a strong enough energy burst, it might look enough like a nuclear blast to fool the Cylons and buy them some much needed time.
"Oh gods, please let this work!" he said as he punched in the codes to activate the energy coils. Upon pushing the final keystroke, the force of the power surge knocked him off his feet and onto the floor in an unconscious heap.
Lee blinked his eyes and awoke to find himself laying on the deck floor, the President and Captain Russo leaning over him in obvious concern. They carefully helped him into a sitting position and his mind began to clear. Holy Frak! He had used the energy coils to send out a huge pulse of magnetic energy, which hadhopefullydisabled the warheads that had been fired at them by the Cylons. After explaining what he had done in the simplest of terms they had headed back up the stairs to the main section of the ship. Once again, Laura Roslin proved her intelligence by learning from her mistakes and making the decision to relocate to safer space before the Cylons discovered they hadnt actually been destroyed by the incoming warheads.
It was hours later that he asked to take a few hours rest and prepare for what was to come. They had amassed a surprisingly large number of refugee ships, all fleeing from the relentlessly efficient Cylon attack. Many were damaged, some beyond repair. The ships in the best shape were those that were run by older technology. He had learned from Boomerwho was the only survivor of the Galactica squadron that had faced the Cylonsthat any new, computer run ship had been somehow deactivated and easily destroyed by the Cylons.
Lee had no more shut the hatch to the crew sleeping quarters behind him when the power system put out a loud groan and the engines came to a halt. "Frak," he muttered as he stared into the now pitch-dark room. He closed his eyes and envisioned the room as he had briefly seen it before the lights went off. There had been four sets of bunks on the other side of the room and, since he heard no sleeping or waking noises, he assumed he was alone.
"Attention please," the loudspeaker system crackled into life, echoing around the dark room. "Do not be alarmed. Colonial One has experienced a power shutdown, but this does NOT include the life support systems. Please stay where you are. Wandering around the ship in the dark would not be advisable. We will have the power back on at the earliest possible moment. Thank you."
Lee sighed heavily as he unbuttoned and removed his dress uniform. He laid it out as carefully as possible on the top bunk and sat down to unlace and remove his boots and socks. On an afterthought, he pulled off his tank and tossed it downhopefully on his boots. Life support systems were not connected to the air conditioning, so he had no doubt things were going to get more than a bit stuffy in the small room. Oh well, hed hardly notice as he slept, he thought as he stretched his arms up over his head and worked his stiff shoulder and back muscles. His mind and his body were both on the verge of exhaustion. After having put in a full day prior traveling to the Galactica, then participating in that farce of a ceremony, all added to escorting what was now Colonial One into the path of invading Cylons, he had been left feeling more tired than he could remember being in a long time. The stress of being the lone military voice advising the new president didnt help much either.
He sighed again and dropped back onto the bunk, his head sinking gratefully into the pillow as he stretched his legs out fully. He threw an arm out to the side and was startled to hit warm flesh.
"Take it easy there, pilot," a low, husky voice warned him from the darkness at his side.
"Frak!" he exclaimed, sitting up in alarm and banging his head into the top of the low bunk above him. He hissed in pain as he plopped back down on the pillow, his hands going to the now sore spot at his hairline. "Who the hell are you?"
"Just a tired pilot trying to get a little much-needed rest," the feminine voice told him with a husky chuckle from the pillow beside him. "I was in the middle of a really great dream where I was testing out the new Mark VIII when you hit me in the belly."
"Sorry. Well this is a bit awkward. Im Lee. It was dark when I came in so I just hopped into the first open bunk I found. Any of the others free?" he asked, filing the information about her dream into his head for later review. He hadnt known there were any other military pilots, except for Boomer and those flying Colonial One, on board.
"Nope. I dont think so, Lee. When I came in there were boxes of files and such on all the racks. I just cleared this one. But I dont take much room, so youre welcome to share."
Lee was too tired to probe further and his head was starting to ache from the stress of the day and the none too gentle knock hed just taken. He massaged his throbbing forehead and decided he was going to have one hell of a bump before the end of the day. "You have a name?" he asked the disembodied voice, realizing that she hadnt offered any real information about herself.
"Some people call me Athena," she informed him softly, her voice as tired as he felt. "Now go to sleep. We can do the niceties later."
He both heard and felt her roll over and turn her back to him, and he smiled at her casual manner. She had to be a pilot. Not too many females in his acquaintance would be so indifferent to sharing their bunk with a man that they not only didnt know, but also hadnt so much as seen before. In his experience, only military women were that heedless of their privacy.
He sighed tiredly and closed his weary eyes. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours of his life. Hed seen his father for the first time since his brothers funeral, and of course theyd argued again. Hed seen Kara, also for the first time since Zaks funeral, and she had threatened to hit him. Hed flown in a Mark II Viper that hadnt been in the air for over forty years, fought with the Cylons who, in the past hed only heard of in abstract, and had witnessed the new president of the colonies being sworn into office. Nothingnot even a strange woman sharing his bunkwas enough to keep him from the sleep he so dearly needed.
Athena breathed as regularly as she could, as she worked toward slowing the pace of her racing heart. Shed been awakened from her first sleep in two days by the arrival of another pilot in her bunk. She knew he was as surprised to find her there as she was to have him join her, which was the only reason she had been able to handle things so casually. In her twenty-five years, shed never slept with a man in her bunk, and was not able to initiate and handle the casual intimacy that so many of her pilot friends took as a matter of course. She was much too discriminating and introverted in her private life to allow more than a few people close enough to really get to know her.
Oh sure, all her squadron of pilots, as well as the technicians and mechanics knew her, and most seemed to like her, but she was careful not to let anyone in far enough that they would expect her to share her confidences and secrets. They knew only what she wanted known about herself and nothing more. Even her name was a closely guarded secret. Only to herself and her immediate family was she known as Athena. The rest of the world knew her as AJ. She was known as someone in the top of her class at the academy and at flight school, and one who would have graduated with top honors from War College if the Cylons hadnt attacked and destroyed their entire world.
She wasnt sure what had happened to her mother, stepfather and younger sisters, though she knew for fact that her father was dead. The new president, Laura Roslin, had been the one to tell Athena about the death of her father and the rest of the cabinet. They had held each other tearfully, allowing a few moments of grief before the reality of survival had pulled them apart and back to the myriad of things that needed to be done. Now there was no one, except the new president, knew of Athenas existence as the illegitimate daughter of once President Adarr.
All this made it surprising to Athena that she had given her real name to the faceless pilot, Lee. Her only defense was that she had been so deeply asleep that she hadnt been thinking all that clearly when theyd so briefly spoken. Before hed arrived shed cried herself to sleep, grieving privately over the news of her fathers death, and her only excuse was that she hadnt been herself.
Athena found herself growing sleepy again, and was lulled into relaxation by the steady breathing of the man next to her, as well as the warmth of his body so close to hers. She hadnt been able to see him, but she could tell even in the dark that he was a large man. The mattress dipped deeply to one side, gravity making it hard for Athena to stay on her own side of the bunk. And he smelled so damn good! Like leather, soap and spice. Yummy! She smiled to herself as she drifted back to sleep.
Lee sighed contentedly and nuzzled the soft, sweet smelling hair that tickled his nose and gave him an instant hard-on. The woman in his arms smelled like jasmine. He only knew that was what it was because when they were roommates at the academy, Kara had poured a bottle of jasmine scented oil over the top of his head while hed been showering one evening. Hed smelled like jasmine for almost a week, despite the fact that hed shampooed and showered two or three times a day in his attempts to remove the feminine smell from his body.
A hand lay warmly upon his chest, and a mostly bare body was pressed intimately up against his side. The softness of her breasts pressed through a thin layer of her shirt into his ribcage and one of her bare legs had lifted to rest upon the tops of his thighs. Lee stroked the soft thigh that encaged him, and was gratified to hear her sigh lightly in her sleep. Not quite awake, he dipped his head and nuzzled the forehead, eyes and nose that he could reach with his lips. Her scent and feel were intoxicating, and he couldnt resist the temptation of her presence in his arms. Her head tipped upward, and his lips found hers. And damn, but they were soft!
She shifted against him as she woke and he pulled her atop him, her knees straddling his hips. He ran his hands up her thighs and found the hem of her shirt. Without thought, he pulled the shirt up and over her shoulders and head as she leaned down toward him with arms upraised, easing the task. Thank the gods, she was awake and responding to his intimate touch. His hands stroked the firm muscles along her back, and his erection hardened as he heard her sharp intake of breath. His fingers traced their way around her and he caressed the hardened buds of her breasts.
Her body quivered beneath his exploring hands, and her own hands shook as they followed the path of his arms and on down to his chest. Lee moaned with desire as she lightly rubbed his distended nipples before she moved on down to the waistband of his boxer shorts. Her pelvis ground firmly against his erection before she lifted and moved to one side, allowing room for her to slide his shorts down to his ankles. He kicked them off somewhere in the room and reached out for her through the darkness. His hands found hers as he sat up carefully in the bunk, and then stroked down the insides of her arms and on down her sides before using his newfound leverage to push her back onto the mattress. In his exploration he encountered a non-regulation pair of silky panties, and easily slid them down her body. When she was as naked as he was, he straddled her thighs and leaned down to kiss and lick the heated skin of her torso.
She moaned deeply and her body arched beneath him. "Lee," she breathed, her hands reaching out and moving restlessly up and down his ribs and hips. He could feel her muscles trembling and grinned when he realized she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He lifted slightly to allow room enough for one of his knees to divide her legs. When her legs were stretched wide enough to accommodate him, he moved so that his body rested between the vee of her thighs. "Are you sure?" he asked simply as he lapped his way up her neck and to the softness of her lips. As much as he wanted her, he needed to be sure this was what she wanted. Whoever the hell she was!
"Gods yes, she whispered, her hips lifting beneath him. Her arms moved and he felt her hands glide down his back to rest upon the hardness of his butt. She pulled him against her and he accommodated her by firmly grinding his penis against her warm, damp softness. She pulled his face to hers and they kissed for the first time, wildly and with unrestrained passion.
As their tongues lightly mated, Lee lifted his hips until his penis was in position, and then began the tantalizing slide into her body. She was small and more than a little bit tight, and he slowed down, only to have her lunge abruptly upward until he was completely embedded inside her. She shuddered around him in the same manner as her entire body shivered against his.
"Oh, Gods!" he groaned, never having experienced a woman who was this tight and snug around him. He continued to kiss her tenderly and caress her body in what he hoped were all the right places, as his own body began to move within and against her. In much too short a time he felt her inner muscles begin to spasm round him and he allowed himself the release that loomed so temptingly before him. They both shuddered and shouted incoherent words together, and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that her orgasm had been as powerful and amazing as his.
Afterward, he rolled to the back of the bunk and pulled her with him, until she lay atop him with his penis still fully inside of her. As his breathing slowed, he miraculously found himself drifting back into sleep; the warmth, softness and scent of her lulling him into a sense of comfort and security hed never before experienced. He kissed her sleepily on the side of the head and drifted off into the sweet darkness of oblivion.
Athena lay on top of Lee, her own body feeling boneless and completely relaxed. Wow! There were no words to express what she was feeling. Shed never known that sex would be so unbelievably great! It had been a spur of the moment decision on her part when she had awoken to find herself in his arms, and had wondered if she would ever experience the "mind-blowing" sex so many of her friends endlessly talked about. And now, with the Cylons invading and exterminating any humans they found, it hadnt looked likely that shed ever get the chance. Then, this opportunity had come to her, along with the gift of complete anonymity, and she hadnt been able to deny herself the experience.
And she was definitely glad shed given in to the impulse. If she were to die today at the hands of the Cylons, at least shed know that there was definitely hope for the union of the men and women of her species! Lee had been a wonderful, considerate lover, and her first experience with lovemaking had been so much better than shed ever imagined possible. Plus, with the lights out, he would never know who she was if they should ever meet somewhere in the future. Here, in the dark, it had been easy to give herself to this gentle stranger, and she had no regrets.
The lights came back on just as she was beginning to disentangle herself from Lees arms and legs. He was holding on to her as if he feared she would escape, as indeed, she planned to do. She gently kissed him lightly on the cheek and carefully pulled herself out of his arms. The muscles in her thighs were a bit stiff from the intimate activity, and she was a trifle sore inside. Looking down at his now flaccid penis, she wasnt surprised at the ache she was feeling. If he was this large at rest, she could only imagine his size when he was fully aroused! She smiled at the absurdity of her thoughts and gathered her clothing together. She dressed as quietly as possible, not wanting him to awaken and discover her running away.
Once she was back in her uniform she tidied up his dress uniform and stood looking down at him for a few long moments. His light brown hair was cut short on the sides and longer on the top in what was a common military style. Even in sleep, the curves and ridges of his muscles made her catch a breath of complete arousal. He had a flat abdomen with the much coveted six-pack muscles, and just one of his thighs was larger than both of hers. She moved her eyes to study his face, not wanting to forget the man who had introduced her so wonderfully to sexual intimacy. Shed probably never see him again, and one or both of them could be dead by the end of the day, but it was important to her that she remember this man. Lee. Her first and only lover.
Athena sighed heavily and covered him with a light blanket. It was time to get back to work. There were stranded and frightened people who needed her help.
Lee woke to find the lights on and a light blanket covering him. He stretched for a minute, smiling as he thought about the amazingly sensual dream hed had. Wow! He could almost smell and feel his dream lover against him. He sat up suddenly on the empty bunk, careful not to bump his head this time, remembering that there had been another pilot in the bunk when he had first sacked out. She was long gone and he was naked. He climbed out of the small bunk and looked around. His dress grays were laid out neatly with his tank shirts and his boxer shorts resting on top. His socks were tucked neatly inside his boots. He knew he hadnt been that neat in the darkness. SheAthenamust have straightened up before she left. Pretty considerate for a pilot, he thought in amusement.
He looked down and his amusement transformed into something altogether darker. He frowned as he saw there were smears of blood on his penis and along the front of his thighs. Lee closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he realized his dream lover had been so much more than that. Not only had she been completely real, but shed been a completely real virgin. Something very rare in his world in the world of military pilots. Most pilots were very pragmatic, knowing that they might not live to see the following day, and lived their lives accordingly.
There was nothing left in the cabin to show that Athena had even been there, except for the traces of her blood on his body and her scent on his skin. He hesitated and then washed himself with a wet rag from the small head, removing all traces of her from him. He didnt even know what she looked like, because hed never actually seen her. If he were to walk by her right now, he wouldnt have any idea that she had been the one who had given herself to him with such joyous abandon. But hed know her scent anywhere, he thought with a grin. Jasmine, soap and sex. Lee willed his sudden erection to cease and then dressed hurriedly.
Back to the real world, he thought. When he had time hed ask President Roslin if there were any other Viper pilots on Colonial One, and maybe hed discover who his dream lover had been. And if not, well hed have one frakking good memory to fire him up in this new war that had begun with the Cylons. Amazingly enough, in the worst twenty-four hours of his life, hed just managed to have one of the best experiences ever!
End of Chapter One