Disclaimer: BSG is not mine etc. etc. Setting: Galactica / Colonial One, season 4 but definitely AU. Main character: Laura Roslin. Warning: No A/R!
The Things You Do To Me
Laura was sitting in her office keeping herself from pacing around, reports serving as devices to distract her mind. A basestar was floating right next to Colonial One, in sight for her if she dared to look out of the windows to her right.
No – she shook her head – she wouldn't even start thinking about what they could want. They would set foot on her ship soon enough and then she would know. Know what they were willing to reveal, know what they would wrap in deceptive phrases, often poetic and dangerously so. She frowned.
It was a careful knock that ripped her out of thoughts she tried to avoid, and Tory Foster announced the Admiral's arrival. Bill entered her office the way he always did, calm and respectful. He had added that way of looking at her lately, as if he was checking her mood of the day – she didn't know what to make of it and now wasn't the time to ask.
When Bill sat down he looked out of the windows she so desperately ignored, his face stern and unreadable. Laura put down her glasses, leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and releasing a frustrated sigh. They didn't speak a word – they didn't have to. They had exchanged their mutual confusion about the Cylons appearance over the comm a short while ago. He had argued with her to deny them their wish to meet one-on-one, she had considered it and went through with what was acceptable for her. If she was honest, she was frakking curious to see what the Cylons had up their sleeves. Her feeling was strong that she wouldn't like it.
Minutes passed, silence ruled – it was the awkwardness of waiting for a verdict that lay heavy in the air. Tom Zarek entered the room followed by Tory Foster who both joined the moment of quiet with a puzzled look on their faces. When the presidential security detail lined up with some guards Adama had brought from Galactica, Laura straightened in her chair and put her glasses back on. She always felt more presidential with her glasses on, and yes, more in control.
It was one Cylon who entered the room, her face familiar and almost human looking. Fright mirroring Tory's expression, the blonde Cylon model known to them as Six walked up to Laura's desk, graciously and slowly. In a gesture of respect, she nodded her head and addressed her accordingly. "Madam President."
Laura Roslin crossed her arms in front of her chest, a curious smile threatening to form on her lips and a question mark evident in her doubtful eyes.
"Admiral," Six addressed Adama in an equally respectful manner before she asked for permission to sit. After receiving hesitant approval from the President, the tall Cylon woman took a seat next to the Admiral.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Laura fought hard to keep cynical mockery out of her voice.
Six smiled. It wasn't a sarcastic smile, nor a spiteful one – if nothing else, Laura almost judged it as understanding.
"I know this will be hard for you to believe, but we came in peace. Our intentions are noble and we seek no harm."
The President raised her eyebrows. "Is this some kind of joke?" Her face was unamused.
"Madam President, I don't know how well informed you are about a civil war amongst the Cylon race."
Bill raised his eyebrows while Tom Zarek shifted from alarmed to interested.
"Indulge me." Laura leaned back, her face calm and controlled.
"There are those among us who believe in self-determination for all of God's creatures, in a shared right for evolution and growth."
"How very human of you," Tom couldn't help but state the obvious.
Laura, chiding him with a quick teacher-ish look, nodded and encouraged Six to continue her tale.
"The Final Five walk among you. They are the connection between humans and Cylons. There are those of us who believe that they could be the beginning of the end of our conflict."
Tory Foster sat down, fighting hard to control herself while Laura only looked into the Cylon model's wide eyes.
"What are you offering me?" the President finally asked.
"I am offering you a chance for coexistence, a chance for survival." The blond Cylon paused, looking for the right words to convey. "Cylons and humans shouldn't fight each other. We are all God's children."
Bill Adama rolled his eyes. "If I were you, I'd cut the religious BS."
Six, her voice calm and friendly, answered him with a shy smile. "I know there are those among you who worship our God. I know that you do believe in your own scriptures, that you, Madam President, have great faith in a path you might be destined for. And wasn't the one who came back to you from the dead sent off to find the Earth she claims to have seen?"
Laura smiled in an almost tormented way. "So what you are saying is that you wish for us to side with you. To believe your noble motives, to trust you, to risk getting sucked into a civil war that is none of our business without us having any guarantee to be left unharmed either way."
Six looked for direct eye-contact with the female leader. "I know you do not trust me. I know you have every reason not to. But listen to your instincts, push your fear aside. What do you see? There are two basestars out there within weapon's range and we haven't sent out raiders nor did we send a delegation. All you have is me. Ask the Six you have in captivity. Ask the Sharon who lives among you and serves you well. Locate the Final Five. Cooperation has already started and loyalties lie with ideas and not with race."
Laura Roslin held the Cylons glare and tried to find malice in her eyes, deception, arrogance. To her astonishment there was none – but she could be mistaken of course. A sigh.
"Alright, let's say we considered this, what exactly do you want? An alliance?" Laura ignored the stoic look Bill Adama tried to bore into her.
"Yes." Six nodded relieved.
"So you would offer us protection, fight for our survival as much as we'd fight for yours in exchange for a peaceful coexistence on the 13th Colony?" Laura continued to look directly in her eyes. "Just to be clear on this."
"Yes. And we offer to release the human captives we freed from other basestars and resurrection ships."
A moment of deafening silence enveloped the room.
"Captives?" Bill Adama was the first one to speak.
"Yes, the collective decided to take prisoners in order to learn from the humans and to see whether we could re-educate them." The Six sounded almost innocent in her statement.
"Why release them now?" Bill fought with rage.
"To keep prisoners goes against a possible alliance and it undermines our values and the right for self-determination." The blond model chose to address the President rather than the Admiral. "We would appreciate it if you considered to interrogate delegates from our basestars instead of Cylon prisoners in exchange."
Laura shushed Adama before he could mouth his disapproval and looked at Tom who had gotten up. "Any questions, Mr. Vice President?"
Tom gratefully took the floor. "So what you are asking is for us to continue our interrogations without holding anybody against their will."
"Yes," Six nodded eagerly, relieved that she was understood.
Tom shrugged, misjudging Tory's puzzled expression and sat again to give the floor to the President.
"How many prisoners do you have to offer to us?" Bill asked quickly before Laura was able to silence him again.
"Twenty-two," the Cylon answered almost ruefully.
Laura closed her eyes and leaned back again, whispering the number to herself in both shock and gratitude.
"It might interest you to know that I brought the prisoner from our basestar already. To show you our earnest will to be your allies." Six waited for the President to open her eyes again. "If you will send your men down to my ship, you will find..."
Bill didn't wait for Six to finish her sentence and gruffly ordered two of his men to get down to Colonial One's docking bay right away.
"When would you release the other captives?" Tom Zarek dared to ask while Laura tried to read the Cylon woman's intentions.
"We are releasing them right now, we wanted to make sure you knew that the ships flying out in a moment aren't meant to harm you."
Bill reached for the presidential phone and asked for her permission to warn Colonel Tigh. While doing so, he stared out of the window and saw 21 raiders leaving the two basestars, heading towards Galactica. He was still processing the situation when his two men returned, guarding the former Cylon prisoner walking before them.
It was Laura who saw him first, and the expression on her face caused Bill to avert his eyes from the Cylon raiders. Seeing her shocked expression, caught between disbelief, joy and denial, Bill turned his face while hearing her breaking voice. Her hands dropped on her desk the same time he dropped the receiver, and Laura's heartbeat moved to her throat while Bill's dropped a beat.
"Richard."