DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to BSG or the characters included within. I do own the path this story will take and character of Kenzi Brennan.
PREMISE: I've taken the series and am including actual events and dialogue into my story, but this is MY take on things, particularly with Apollo. Some things may appear out of order, but that's the beauty of this forum. Mistakes are mine and no disrespect is meant to the series and/or characters. Kenzi is Starbuck's half-sister who shares a past with Lee. This is how she ends up with Galactica and how she's integrated into the crew. This was something that came to my head while writing my first story, Apollo and Daphne. This is another take on that tale with a lot more interaction with the crew.
RUMOR HAS IT
"Did you hear the scuttlebutt," Daphne asked her half-sister and best friend, Starbuck.
"How could I not? How do you feel about it," Starbuck asked her sister.
Daphne rolled her eyes at her sister. Kenzi Brennan, or Daphne as she was known aboard Galactica, knew her sister was trying to get her to admit that she wanted nothing more than to see the Commander's son again. Kenzi wasn't going to give her sister that satisfaction.
"It's the retirement of his father. He SHOULD be here," Kenzi said to Kara Thrace.
Kara eyed her sister, knowing full where that Kenzi hadn't told her the whole story. "Well, I'm off to a card game," she said to Kenzi.
"Enjoy yourself. I have something for you before you go," Kenzi said.
Kara turned around and faced her sister. Kenzi reached into the pocket of her flight suit and handed her sister a cigar. "Good luck," Kenzi said before turning around and heading back to their bunks.
"Thanks, sis," Starbuck said as she headed to the game.
Kenzi entered the bunk and hung her jacket in her locker. She took off the rest of the suit and was standing in the bunk room in her boy shorts and regulation tanks. She spied her boxing gear on the bottom of the locker and, grabbing her gym pants, took the gear and headed to the flight deck. She needed to work off the frustration she was feeling because he was coming to the ship.
He was Commander Bill Adama's son, Lee 'Apollo' Adama. Kenzi had been dating Lee when they were both on Caprica. They had talked marriage and Kenzi was seriously thinking of giving up flying and starting a family with Lee, traveling to nearest bases to his postings and living an idyllic life. Then she had been involved in a Viper accident. Kenzi had been seriously injured in the accident and required several weeks of rehab after the accident. The accident had also caused her to miscarry.
Lee was mad that she had been flying while pregnant. Kenzi hadn't bothered to change his mind. He'd stuck with her until she got out of rehab and played the dutiful boyfriend until she caught him with another woman. Kenzi didn't think Lee knew she had seen his infidelity. They had spent the weeks since her rehab release just rolling with the motions and Kenzi had enough. She moved out of the apartment they had shared and into one that had been her half-sister's until Kara was sent to Galactica. She'd been renting it out to cadets at flight school, but it needed some maintenance, so they hadn't rented it out that month and Kenzi decided to take it so she would have a place until the lease ran out. When it did, Kenzi transferred to Galactica. Partially to be with Kara, partially to be under the command of Bill Adama. She tried to tell herself it was because he was a legend, but she'd be lying. It was because he was Lee's father and she wanted to see what the man was like since Lee held so much animosity toward him.
Kenzi was Kara's half-sister, sharing the same mother. Kenzi's father had raised her because Kenzi's mother was going to give her up for adoption. She said 'one mistake is enough and I'm saddled with this one for the next eighteen years.' Kenzi's father had never said a cross word about her mother, but she and Kara spent time together until her father was transferred elsewhere.
Kenzi joined the military as soon as she could because she had always wanted to be a pilot. She had a skill that equally matched her sister, Kara, and graduated at the top of her class in flight school and headed into War College. She was now a Lieutenant on the Battlestar Galactica serving under the command of her former boyfriend's father.
Bill Adama knew Kenzi had meant something to Lee but he wasn't sure of the extent of their relationship. He had never pressed but he sensed Kenzi held strong feelings for his son and they shared a past.
Kenzi knew Lee's arrival was going to throw both herself, her sister and his father in a tizzy and Kenzi needed to get the frustration out now. She stood on the flight deck, knowing she was attracting attention.
"Chief," she called, heading toward her good friend, Galen Tyrol.
"Lieutenant. Aren't you a bit under-dressed for flight duty," he asked, eying her current outfit.
"I need you," she said, smiling at him.
"Well, it's about time you realized it," he said, teasing her and smiling back. He pointed to the boxing gear. "Need a partner, again," he asked.
"You know it," she said, "You game?"
"Give me fifteen minutes, then my shift is over. That work for you," he asked.
"Of course it does. Thanks, Galen," she said, heading off the flight deck to several whistles from the crew on the deck.
She spied Jammer eying her and she winked at him. Jammer nearly dropped the tool he was working with and heard the Chief clear his throat.
"She's way out of your league. You know that right," he said.
"Can't help but be an admirer, though," Jammer said, returning to his job.
Galen shook his head. He loved Kenzi like a little sister and knew she didn't get that guys leered at her and Starbuck on a daily basis. He also knew that she didn't accept any affection from any of the men on Galactica and, despite her denials, it was because of her unresolved feelings for Lee Adama.
He finished his job and told the crew he was finished with his shift. He headed back to his bunk and changed into his gym clothes. Kenzi was a tough sparring partner and Galen would get just as much of a workout as her.
He entered the gym area and found Kenzi doing situps on the floor. "Don't you ever stop," he asked her.
"Gotta keep up with Kara," she said.
"You and Starbuck are two different people. You aren't in competition with her, you know," Galen said.
"I know. I'm not. Kara's my best friend and she enjoys competing with me, so I go along with it. It keeps the relationship fresh," she said, taking a sip of her water.
"You ready," Galen asked, getting his gear on and facing Kenzi.
"Yep," she replied and assumed her position.
Forty-five minutes later, both were sweaty and tired. "So you want to tell me what brought this on," he asked.
"Lee."
Galen nodded his head. He, Kara and Karl Agathon were the only friends that knew about her past with Lee and why that would have her needing to work off some frustration.
"Did you ever confront him," Galen asked, wiping his face with a towel.
"No. It was too painful. I just wanted to forget about it. It not only broke my heart that he cheated on me, but also made me lose confidence in myself. I figured if he was going to cheat on me, it must be my fault," she said, sitting on the bench.
"Maybe THAT'S why you push yourself so hard to keep up with Starbuck. Maybe that's why you do anything in general. You don't think you're good enough," Galen said. "Which, if you ask me, is ridiculous. You're good enough and if the great Lee Adama couldn't see that, then he's frakking stupid," Galen added.
Kenzi eyed her friend. She couldn't understand why she and Galen Tyrol were such good friends, but she was glad they had clicked. She had never held romantic notions toward Galen. She didn't know if Galen had held romantic aspirations for her, but it didn't matter. Galen was in love with Sharon. Sharon was doing patrols while they were sparring, which was why the Chief had agreed to spar with her.
"You might have a point," she said.
Galen's smile was a mile wide. "What? I didn't get that," he said.
"You might have a point. Gods, you're annoying. Why are we friends," she asked, getting off the bench.
"Because I'm not your sister," he said, following her out the gym doors.
"Thank the gods for that," she said, earning a soft shove from the Chief. Kenzi headed off in the opposite direction from the Chief, feeling like she'd let off some of the steam that had been building since she found out Lee was returning to the Galactica.