Disclaimer: I own nothing, just doing this for kicks =] Author's note: I've only just started watching the series and am half way into season 2 so if I get something wrong try not to be too mean and just let me know kindly. Please and thank-you.
Spoilers: Season 1, Episode 3
Pushing the tears form her eyes Lieutenant Kara Thrace continued to stare and the sleeping Specialist who was always so full of life. Sitting in the doctors quarters on Galactica the Lieutenant went over the throughs she had about previous event on the day and the girl laying in the bed in front of her.
How could this have happened? It was not supposed to get out of hand.
Cally Henderson was a Specialist. She was not supposed to be in the field. But she had been. She was assigned to a team sent to the prison ship Astral Queen to enlist prison volunteers for water recovery from an icy moon. That's all she was supposed to do. She wasn't meant to be laying there in front of her. She wasn't meant to be a hostage. And she most defiantly wasn't supposed to get shot. She was just apart of the delegation, she wasn't a soldier.
Kara couldn't get the thoughts out of her head. The moment she knew Cally had been sent there she had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Call it her gut-instinct or maybe it was something more about her friendship with the girl, she didn't care. All she knew was that she didn't like it, not one bit.
They had always been friends, right from the Specialist's first day on board Galactica. Kara had just entered the cargo-bay for the viper's alongside Shannon. They had been teasing each other, the cylon thinking that Thrace puking just a few summers ago still being hilarious. It wasn't till she heard a giggle from behind the Chief that she ever paid any real attention to those around the squabbling duo. After introductions had been made, Kara remembers not wanting to move. Not wanting to let go of the brunette's hand. To just stay in the moment. It was nice.
But it wasn't nice right now, not when the girl in question wasn't around to make fun of her just like Boomer would.
How could they do this to her?
It took a while before the news had set in about what was happening on Astral Queen before Kara got her head out of her butt and went to follow out her orders. She remembers the look on Commander Adama and Tigh's face as they told her about the hostage situation. She remembers the white hot flash of anger coursing through her body as they told her who was on the prison ship. But she couldn't do a think about it as they shuttled her and a few others off.
Kara remembers the blank faces of the marine's around her. They to were sombre. They knew each person that was being held hostage. Well maybe they didn't know Billy that well but he was a nice enough bloke and they all knew that.
She also remembers her jumbled train of thought. Not knowing if things were getting worse the longer they weren't there. Not knowing if Tom Zarek would order their kill. Order Cally's kill.
Apart of her hated the fact that she stalled. She hesitated. She waited for Lee to do whatever it was he was doing, to talk and compromise. But Cally was lying on a bunk bleeding, and she should have taken the shot. Sometimes she hated having too much faith in Lee, she felt like she failed Cally.
Shuffling her feet as she made to get more comfortable, Kara easily accepted the notion that she would be there a while. She wasn't going to leave, not now. Not after it took her all her strength and courage to enter the corridor outside this very room.
Why did they send you?
She remembers asking that exact question as she made an attempt to control the anger. She remembers Tigh giving a snort in her direction, thinking she was out of line once again for asking such an absurd question. But she wasn't and Adama knew that. Frak, most of the time he knew things before they even came into her conscious awareness. This time she was grateful for that.
Adama had felt guilty, it was written all over his face. He knew that sending her in would have caused some problems for the Lieutenant. Kara was not used to not having Cally around her constantly and this in itself was a problem. She was too emotionally attached to the girl. He had thought sending Billy and Petty Officer Dualla along with her and his son wouldn't land him in to much hot water. But apparently it had.
Not in a sense that she would lash out and hit him. No, she would do that to others but not him. He was a father-figure of sorts to her. But that wouldn't stop Kara from hurting. She wouldn't yell or scream because he knew she was holding it in for whomever was holding the hostages at bay. She wouldn't make a mistake and get one of her own shot, she was too clear minded at the moment. It was clear enough for her to see that she needed to get everyone out with minimal damage. But most importantly she was clear headed enough to no frak up.
Kara knew that it wasn't entirely his fault. He wouldn't put anyone at risk like that, especially someone whom he knew so personally. At times both Kara and Cally were like daughters to him, Dee and Boomer included. No he was not to blame, at least not entirely. Lee had later told her that it was President Roslin who hand-picked each individual. Well Billy had picked Dee but she had pick Cally. And to her that was just unacceptable. Everyone knew that Cally was off limits, both her and the Chef watched out for her even when she opposed the idea.
She get out a sigh.
A brief flicker of thought was over her. But she couldn't let it be more than that. They didn't give into terrorists, no matter what. Kara had heard Adama go on about how if they did it would open the flood-gates and everyone would start demanding things. In the brief moment she wondered that if they did give in, would Cally have died. Would she have still gotten shot and nearly raped? No she couldn't think like that. Adama was family, and Cally was alive.
Looking at the supposably fragile girl, Kara had to wonder if she really was okay. She had been held prisoner, had to fight off a rapist and got shot for trying to fight him off or was it because she ripped his ear off? She was still a little hazy when it came to exact details. But all she really needed to know was if Cally was going to be okay.
Just a few moments ago, Kara had passed the Chief and two of his men as they exited her room once they were sure she was sleeping soundly. They had given her a nod, respectably choosing not to comment about her late presence by the Specialist's bedside. The Chef however wasn't as quite.
"Why didn't you come to see her right away?" he had asked. Every time he had seen Starbuck anywhere near her viper he was bound to see Cally not far behind. Together he was sure the they would be about to fix the most tragic of vipers and save it from the scrap-heap.
But frak, she had asked herself the same question. And the truth of the matter was, it scared her. Cally scared her. The entire situation scared her.
So here were the facts: The President chose the team. Kara didn't like the idea of Cally being on it but she wasn't around to argue. The Commander agreed to let his people go aboard the Astral Queen. And that in itself was betrayal. He knew the Lieutenant wouldn't approve, not that it was her place to disapprove. She could not call the shots, she couldn't tell Cally to stay behind and she couldn't protect her. And that was the problem.
As soon a Adama had told her to storm the ship she done so without asking why she should be in charge. She had told herself that it was because the mighty son of Zeus; Apollo was on board, that her co-workers were on board. But that wasn't right. She done so because she wanted to be Cally's knight in shining armour.
Cally was hers to protect, plain and simple. Well the Chef did at times to but he always let her take the lead. It seemed that he knew too, just like Adama.
How did I miss this?
Before she had a chance to doubt her newest revelation, Cally begun to stir. Spotting a deer caught in the headlights appearance Kara had no idea what to do with herself.
Should I get up and leave before she notices that I'm gone? No that would be cowardly and she would want to know that I've come to see her, were friends.
Chewing on her bottom lip Kara didn't know what to make of her latest train of thought as Cally slowly opened her yes. But any doubt she had of walking away was gone in a matter of seconds as the Specialist focused in on her and gave one of her brightest smiles in return.
Defiantly couldn't walk away now even if I tried.
[should I continue?]