Born to the stars
I do not own these characters just borrowing them.
A story of one survivor of Caprica who had a choice be branded as the little rich girl
forever or become something else. But when a liilte rich girl wants something is she REALLY
going to give it up."
STARS Lee ADAMA, Kara THRACE, Bill ADAMA and introducing Kellie Morton as CUBIT
Dear Diary,
Daddy has just brought me a new toy, my very own ship complete with FTL. What fun! An opportunity to go far away places and PARTY.
Of course daddy says he has to give me instruction in flying her. I don't NEED instruction but dads a bit of a stick in the mud like that. Once the lesson is over with
then the fun can begin.
" Civilian vessel, you are in a military only zone." Spoilsports the military, all I want to do is look over the battlestars Well not REALLY the ships themselves but all those men in UNIFORM, SIGH. Still daddy is getting a bit nervous and telling me to fly out of the territory before they decide to shoot us down.
I spin up my FTL and jump just slightly outside Caprican space. It is so beautiful here. All quiet, nothing here but the stars and …
daddy what is That.. it was huge and shiny like some big flying star…. " I don't know sweetie, He had sounded scared..
What does it WANT.. Lets jump back to Caprica Daddy.. I think that THING is going there too Patty..
We followed IT discretely. To the orbit of Caprica. If it knew we were there then it just ignored us. Not that we were a threat to IT.
We should warn someone daddy… No lets just wait a bit sweetie.. Maybe they're friendly..
"whats it doing? Oh my god Daddy its FIRING on Caprica
It was the worst thing I had ever seen, missiles striking toward my home planet, then the explosion. My friends were down there, the rest of my family.
"Daddy, we have to DO something. Land, pick up people. PLEASE.
He went forward to the controls but instead of beginning the landing sequence he was firing up the FTL drive.
"Daddy, what are you doing? "We have to GO sweetie! "But DADDY, we can save people." NO, we must save ourselves".
"I am going to jump away". Where will we go? "We have supplies to last us YEARS on this ship sweetie. I made SURE it was well stocked.
We will FIND somewhere to go." PLEASE Daddy, we must save others. " I am sorry sweetie"
He did it spun the FTL and we jumped away.
That was the day I survived the beginning of the Cylon war because I was RICH and because my father was SELFISH.
We jumped into the orbit of Geminon but THEY were there too bombing away. The sky was filled with colours, it would have been beautiful but it just told a story of destruction and death. But hey WE were safe and that's all that mattered, or so dad said anyway.
We jumped into deep space again. It seemed like our whole life was falling apart people we knew were DYING. But hey WE were STILL OKAY.
Space can we so BORING. But today it was scary. I sat there WAITING for IT to happen. For the enemy to FIND US. One missile and it would all be over.
We didn't have weapons on this ship. Daddy seemed calm, a man on a mission, survival at ALL costs.
But WHERE could we go? We floated through space our eyes and sensors attuned.
A flash in front of us nearly caused dad to have a heart attack. I waited for the inevitable, the explosion but luckily it was a military Raptor giving us instructions to follow it to what was LEFT of our race.
I don't KNOW what I expected, maybe a whole FLEET, thousands of ships, not just the few that awaited us. Is this ALL that was left. I felt sick.
We COULD have saved some more people. Instead we had RUN. What DID that say about us.
"Thank goodness you found us". We were just out for a cruise when we saw Caprica get nuked, there was nothing we could DO!
That statement from my dad made me look at him in a new light. What a big fat LIAR. We had time to WARN Caprica, we had time to SAVE people.
But did I say that, NO. I still HAD a sense of self preservation.
They asked Daddy to make room on our ship for people who were on sublights. He wasn't that KEEN, but since he didn't want to get SHOT at by CYLONS, he agreed. CYLONS I thought they were no more, a myth. Why did I have to see this day, WHY, WHY, WHY!!!
Before we could make room for more passengers something happened we were ordered to jump away. Dad didn't hesitate he just spun up the FTL.
"What about the people on the sublight ships, Daddy. "What about them?"Are we LEAVING them here?" YES". "Why?
"Because they are too SLOW and we have to leave NOW." "What will happen to them Daddy?
Oh GOD are those Cylons….
So we left AGAIN. More people DIED but we went forward dad and I.
Did I feel lucky to be ALIVE? YES. Did I feel sad for those left behind, YES. Would I put myself in danger to save them?
I am a COWARD.
We were ordered to share supplies with the other ships. So daddy reluctantly docked with the ship called Colonial One.
I think they only reason he agreed was because he was to SCARED to be left alone with Cylons following us. If he'd had a CHOICE, we'd have LEFT.
What did that make me feel about HIM. Well he was a SURVIVOR but I didn't like him right now.
Daddy got to meet the PRESIDENT. Not the one WE knew but the former secretary of Education.
I'm president Roslin, and you are? Morton, Mr Roger Morton of the Morton Industries. You know the BIGGEST company in Caprica.
"You mean the FORMER biggest company in Caprica."
She was DIRECT, but then dad NEEDED that, a swift kick up the rear. My eyes though were not focused on the President though or my Dad instead I was OOGLING the Colonial Warrior who was standing beside the president. Yep he was CERTAINLY CUTE. I was not ashamed to admit that I fluttered my eyelashes a bit. Though good soldier that he was he totally IGNORED me.
We will be rendezvousing with the Galactica soon, Mr. Cute told the president. "Good Captain, then we can get more supplies and equipment.
Probably some more people will want to come about your ship Mr. Morton."I DON'T know. "Well you are under our PROTECTION now.
We have to WORK TOGETHER if we want to survive."
Captain Cute was almost as blunt as the president, miles CUTER though. "I am an important man CAPTAIN", Dad was throwing his status and money back in this soldiers face. " Not anymore, now you're JUST a survivor." Yeah RIGHT, well I WON"T be treated like the rest of the RABBLE. Who ARE YOU to give ME instructions mister. Tell me your Commanding officers name, I WANT to speak with him." Ohh Daddy was in full I am important mode and I felt sorry for the cute Captain. " That would be Commander Adama Mr. Morton." "Right well contact this Adama so I can report YOUR attitude. What's your name soldier?
"It's Captain Apollo, or if you prefer Lee ADAMA" I grinned, one nuke up my dads backside. Of course the Commander wasn't going to yell at his own SON.
Dad looked rather deflated. The silly TWIT.
This is galactica to Apollo requesting your presence sir ASAP.
"Well it was NICE chatting with you MR Morton, Captain Cute told daddy with just a hint of a sarcastic smile. I liked him for that. If circumstances had been different I would have flirted my ass off to get his attention. But now there was a WAR on and I suppose Captain Cute was needed elsewhere.
Dear Diary
We ended up sharing our ship with a lot of other people. I could tell dad really HATED it. He went around most times in a bad mood.
For my part it was the small things I missed, a moments PRIVACY, a long HOT shower, feeling SAFE.
Though being RICH certainly had its benefits and dad started shamelessly bartering using our 'private' supplies.
So we got to meet some important people including the 'famous Dr Baltar. He was kinda cute as well. But I still fancied that Captain more.
Plus the Captain was the Commanders son, more OPPORTUNITY there.
But what chance would I have to see him again? Now I was just one of many.
I heard loads of STUFF, including the fact pilots were DYING out there. Luckily the Cutie lived on.
Then came the moment when everything changed.
"Miss Morton,Lt Greer, Galactica we are searching through the data base to find everyone who has ever FLOWN and your name came up.
We were wondering if you'd train to be a viper pilot? "
A pilot ME! Yep they'd asked. Normally I'd have LAUGHED myself sick. But maybe I just need to atone for being ALIVE or maybe I wanted to be CLOSER to Captain Cute again. SO I AGREED.
Dad thought I'd slipped a cog. But he didn't STOP me. As long as he survived !
Next thing I knew I was on a raptor heading for Galactica. I tell you it didn't look that IMPRESSIVE.
She was an OLD ship and looked it. Surely one missile would blow her out of the sky. But here she was surviving when the more modern Battlestars were lying in pieces.
I couldn't wait to clap my eyes on that cute Captain again I'm SURE I'd enjoy having him for a flight instructor.
Ahh but that's not what happened. I got a FEMALE instructor. The BEST pilot on this old crate, or so scuttlebutt says. That infamous STARBUCK.
I think it might have been HATE at first sight. She reckoned we all knew NOTHING ! I'd been flying daddy's ships since I could WALK.
But COULD I handle a VIPER, NOT according to STARBUCK. Ooh I wanted to put HER out the nearest airlock.
Name?" she asked me in a sarcastic tone. Kellie Morton SIR. " oh so you're the LITTLE RICH GIRL". Everyone in the squad room turned and stared.
"Well DADDY can't save your ass now nugget. Maybe we should call you CUBIT". The whole room laughed and I wanted to sink into a large HOLE.
So I made it my MISSION to prove to STARBUCK that I COULD fly and fly well.
I felt justified when I heard Starbuck talking to Captain Cute who was also our CAG.
"How's the nuggets coming Kara?Oh they' re GETTING there Apollo. The best of the bunch is that Kellie Morton." Sounds ALMOST like you're NOT happy about that Kara." Well she's daddy's little rich girl. Only survived the attack because they had a private SHIP."She won't LAST Lee" I can TELL."
Ohhh I just wanted to SCREAM. Admittedly it was HARD to adjust to life on a Battlestar. First there was the SLEEPING quarters, bunking with all those OTHERS. I was used to my own private space. It took awhile to get used to the snoring .
Then there were the UNISEX bathrooms. You should have seen my face the FIRST time I walked in to one of those. I didn't know WHERE to look.
I'm no prude but stripping off blindly in front of BOTH sexes was a challenge almost as hard a piloting the viper, at first.
On the up side I got to see A LOT more of Captain CUTE. Yep just as nice WITHOUT clothes. One of the officers though caught me staring and warned me I'd probably get a short sharp whack very soon.
"It's not DONE to STARE. "Yeah well how can you help it? "Look elsewhere. If you are SEEN eyeing the CAG like that they'll be trouble.
"Like WHAT? "A short sharp slap" "He HITS women, somehow he doesn't look the type." Oh HE won't hit you but STARBUCK will."
"What HAS she got special rights to him or something? "No she'll do it to keep you in line." So he's AVAILABLE. "Look DON'T go there."
"Why NOT/ He's our CO, it's just not RIGHT.
Spoilsports ALL of them. Oh well at least I'd get to FLY with him, right! NOPE. It seemed if there was something tricky us Nuggets got to fly backup while STARBUCK got to fly with the CAG. She was REALLY beginning to GET to me.
Trouble was I wasn't that brave. Starbuck could hit hard, I'd SEEN her. I'd never been trained in VIOLENCE like that. Nope if I wanted to get RID
of the competition for awhile I'd have to find another way.
"Right everyone, we have a mission coming up, Captain Apollo, told us from the podium.
He proceeded to lay out the plan which of course featured him flying lead with HER. This time though I had a PLAN. If Starbuck was SICK or something then the CAG would have to pick the best of his new pilots to fly with him. Guess who that was!
So while I was paying daddy I little visit I BORROWED some pills. Nothing too DEADLY of course, just to give the mighty Starbuck an AWFUL stomach ache.
The way SHE ate nobody would be surprised if she got sick
So when she wasn't looking I spiked some of her food, unfortunately though things didn't turn out EXACTLY like I planned.
"Hey wake UP Lee, its time to get ready for the mission. Starbuck slid the Captains curtains back from around his bed. "LEE, she said louder, to the unmoving Captain, "WAKE UP. "OHH, he stirred slowly. "Hey are you okay?" Starbuck noticed Lee looked a little pale and so had everyone else.
"I feel… he got up and raced out the room. Starbuck wide eyed followed him.
"What's up with the CAG, I asked one of the others. "Don't know, he was fine earlier, laughing, enjoying a snack with Starbuck."
Yeah he ATE all that steak she bought"
Guess where I'd put those pills? Yep in the steak that I'd though Starbuck loved. Only she'd gone and given it to HIM.
I followed the other pilots to the head.
Poor Apollo looked terrible.
"Come on lets go see Cottle". I quickly helped Starbuck support the Captain. Afterall I NEEDED to see what was going to happen.
"Right LADIES, give me room to look over the patient. Doc Cottle pushed us both out of the way and pulled the curtains around the bed.
I hung around pretending to look over medical equipment so I could hear what was being said.
"When did you last eat Captain? A few… a threw up again, hours.. oh frak… Right, tell me if you feel any discomfort"
"oww"."Hmm Captain, let's just get a blood sample." Just give me a jab Doc and I'll go, got a mission coming up."
"No you don't MISTER." "Oh FRAK.. Lee sounded like he was being sick again.
Dr Cottle came out of the curtains about 10 minutes later. "Well how's Apollo,asked Starbuck. "Not feeling too well", replied the doctor.
"What did he eat recently? "Some Steak I'd brought". "Well it COULD be food poisoning, the test will tell us more".
"Apollo has a mission to fly soon Doc." "Well you'll have to find someone to take his place. He CAN'T afford to throw up out there Starbuck.
So I got to fly lead on the mission but with HER. And she berated me the whole way
That turn was SLOPPY Cubit". You need to turn FASTER, next time. Oh And NEVER get in my way AGAIN."
Well I thought I'd done good. We certainly got a warm welcome on the hanger deck until…..
"Sir, Mission accomplished", Starbuck greeted Commander Adama with a smile. HE however was NOT smiling. "Something WRONG Sir?"
Starbuck sounded wary. "YES, Come this way PLEASE. He lead the way off the hangar deck then into the CAGS private office where the rest of the pilots were waiting. "It seems Captain Adama was GIVEN MEDICATION to make him sick. We are going to have to search everyone's lockers."
Did I panic, run off? NO way you see I wasn't STUPID. If something went WRONG I knew where to lay the blame.
"What are these STARBUCK", the guard had showed the Commander the bottle of pills he found hidden in her locker.
"Sir, they're NOT mine. I wouldn't make Apollo sick. Why WOULD I?" You had better come with US Lt."
Mission accomplished right? I got RID of the opposition and now all I had to do was wait for Captain CUTE to get better. RIGHT? WELL lucky I didn't know what the Commander was saying to Starbuck.
"Look Kara, I don't think this is down to you .But you're best qualified to know who Lee has pissed off lately". "That would be ALL of us SIR, at one time or another". Adama sighed. "Well who MOST of all? Starbuck looked down embarrassed. "Oh I SEE". He gave her an appraising look.
"Sir it WASN'T me. If I wanted to do something to Lee, I'd just sock him one. No need to slip him some pills."
"So one of the others Kara? Starbuck thought. "Well Sir, I don't WANT to spread GOSSIP but well Kat was telling me that one of the nuggets has been, well LOOKING at Apollo inappropriately".
Which one Kara? The one we call cubit, Kellie Morton." But WHY would she slip him some pills. Suddenly Kara's eyes widened. "WHAT?"
demanded the Commander. "Well Sir, Lee ate MY dinner." Maybe she didn't intend to give Lee pills at all."
"If I was too sick to fly the MISSION then SHE would have been lead with Apollo."
"There IS a slight problem of EVIDENCE Kara."
It was HER Commander, I KNOW it WAS!! I am going to GET HER.
Dear Diary,
I am SURE Starbuck suspects ME. But I am going NOT going to give her the satisfaction of PROVING anything.
The fact was EVERYONE knew Starbuck didn't LIKE me.
"How does Starbuck get on with the latest group of recruits, I heard Commander Adama ask Hotdog. "Well she's TOUGH Sir, but they NEED tough."
"Who is she toughest on?" That would be Kellie Sir, CUBIT. She called her a little RICH girl."
And has Kellie said anything about Starbuck? "Well she has this LOOK on her face ,Commander. If looks could kill the Starbuck would be VERY dead."
"What about Captain Adama, do you know how Kellie feels about him.? Hot dog looked embarrassed. "Oh its kinda a JOKE sir, we've ALL seen her LOOK at him like he's a choice CUT. But the Captain seems oblivious, just treats her like any other pilot.
"I know a few of the others have had a quiet word with Kellie Sir, as far as I know she hasn't TRIED anything with the Captain.
No I hadn't tried ANYTHING, YET!!!
Unfortunately I was next on the Commanders questioning list.
"Miss Morton, as you know SOMEONE gave Captain Adama some pills that made him sick. Do you have any idea who would do that?
"I thought you found them in STARBUCKS locker Sir". I smiled my best little girl lost smile. " YES but they could have been PLANTED.
Apollo and Starbuck are FRIENDS. She doesn't need to drug him.
Damn he'd make a good interrogator. But I was used to LYING to my Daddy and this was no different, RIGHT?
"Well Sir, could have been anyone. The CAG is tough, has bawled as all out at some stage."
What are your feelings toward him LT.? "Feelings Sir, he's the CAG, our CO." So you don't' find him attractive?
"Oh he's ATTRACTIVE Sir, I tried to keep the drool from falling down. But he's off limits, we ALL know that."
"Right, well REMEMBER THAT Lt."
Then he was gone. I was MAD but if I kept my head down for awhile ,everything would be okay again.
Dear Diary
Time went by and I was still ALIVE. I stopped being a nugget and became part of the regular pilots.
They MOSTLY accepted me, all except HER. But then we were NEVER going to be friends.
As for the CAG well I no longer looked. But it doesn't mean I DIDN'T feel. He of course totally ignored me.
Well not as a pilot but as anything else. Not I wasn't desperate or anything . Maybe it was the lingering traces of rich girl
in there, the times I COULD have ANYTHING I wanted.
In the end I cracked. Decided to go after what I wanted. Maybe it was all about her, STILL the star pilot, liked by the Commander and FRIENDS with the CAG. Or maybe MORE. Not I'd never SEEN them DO anything, but the way they LOOKED at each other.
It happened on an OP. We were blasting toasters, doing well. Starbuck was laughing. I slipped closer to her machine. One little bump..just a little bump…
I couldn't DO it. DARN.
The toasters turned, now they were blasting US. All thoughts forgotten I went into battle mode. Then IT happened. The CYLON raider came close to Starbuck firing away. It was in my sights…. BOOM.
No I didn't fire HE did. Apollo wasn't going to let anything happen to HER. I knew then I had LOST. No matter what I did, how good I was I would never be HER.
"Did you hesitate LT," Apollo YELLED at me. "No Sir, I WAS about to fire." He stood closer. Now I could see directly into those BLUE eyes.
"We look after each other LT. If I EVER find out you DELIBERATELY withheld fire".
Ooh those eyes. It didn't matter he was YELLING at me. I didn't KNOW what happened but next thing I knew I was pointing my gun at him.
"What are you DOING LT? I advise you to SHUT UP SIR " Don't do this CUBIT.!!
I am TIRED of being IGNORED Captain. This time she won't WIN. You will do EXACTLY what I SAY or so HELP me I WILL SHOOT YOU."
"Will you,? those eyes looked into mine. "YES". "Then you WILL be cubit FOREVER. You'll DIE being CUBIT. A rich girl who had to TAKE what she wanted. My hands tighten on the gun. "You COULD be someone else if you TRIED.
It's too LATE.? IS IT LT. "You just DON'T want to DIE Apollo." My finger was on the trigger. NO but how will my DYING HELP YOU.
You will be in JAIL. IF they don't SHOOT you first. Maybe its YOU who want to DIE."
He was getting to me. "Put down the gun and I will forget this EVER happened." "Yeah RIGHT! "I WILL LT"
He meant it...oh my…he ACTUALLY meant it. He who had IGNORED ME was actually offering me a chance.
"Prove to ME, prove to EVERYONE you CAN be more than Daddy's little rich girl, MORE than CUBIT".
I put the gun down. Then I was ready for him to break his word take me away. But he DIDN'T.
He NEVER spoke of what happened between us. I knew though that this was my last chance if I EVER tried anything again, he would break me.
Everyone there is a big operation coming up. I need ALL of you to WORK together on this.
We launched. I was SCARED this was to be the biggest fire fight we had EVER engaged in. The odds were that some of us would NEVER make it back to Galactica.
There were CYLONS everywhere. I was firing at everything I could hit. My heart was hammering in my chest like a drum. BOOM
A raider exploded right behind me and I knew it was Starbuck saving my ASS. I ALMOST liked her then!
FRAK, there were still LOADS of raiders in front of us. Silver glinted from wing to wing. Fear tightened its grip. But was I going to give in NO, NO, NO.
So I blasted them and kept on blasting.
A raider was after one of the others. I flew down and blasted it out of the way. Don't do that to my family. The thought was heady. I was only CUBIT the outsider, the rich girl if I LET myself be that person. No I could be SOMEONE ELSE.
Soon it was over and we were recalled. I looked around, vipers had been lost, friends gone forever. Two vipers took up position near mine, Starbuck and Apollo.
We went into the landing bays together.
"Wow that was SOME piece of flying .SHE shook my HAND. Thanks for saving my ASS Lt. That was YOU, I thought, then I smiled.
THANKS for SAVING MINE .
You know LT. it occurs to me that Cubit is not a very good call sign for you, Apollo told me.
I think something more APPROPRIATE would be NOVA. That's for the BIG BANG those raiders made.
Apollo shook my hands and the blue eyes smiled at me. Then he HUGGED me. My throat went dry.
"Well DONE indeed NOVA."
I knew he wasn't just referring to this battle. Today I had won the right to be MORE than the girl who survived Caprica by being rich.
I was truly a colonial warrior, amongst family. OH some would NEVER be what I wanted. But they could still be my friends.
EVEN Starbuck….WELL…..MAYBE.
THE END.
