1. When I Think of Home (pt 1)
She landed when the President did. It still felt strange to Laura, thinking of anyone else being the President. Even more so because it was Gaius Baltar. But the feeling of Colonial One shuddering beneath her as it landed on New Caprica was enough to dispel any lingering belief that this wasn't happening, that the Fleet hadn't made such a grave error in judgement as to elect Baltar to the highest office.
And that she had let them.
True, it wasn't that simple. She had done what was lawful, what was supposed to be right. But as she took that first step onto ground – the first step since Kobol – nothing could have felt more wrong.
All of her belongings were packed up quite in two little bags: the one that she had brought with her when she attended Galactica's decommissioning, and the second which had been found to hold what she had accumulated since then. It wasn't much, just a few suits that had been graciously given to her, a few of her more treasured desk accessories. The copy of Dark Day that Admiral Adama had insisted she take back, after the cancer was gone. Never lend a book.
She was glad of one thing, though. There, standing and waiting for her, was Maya. With the baby. Laura smiled. She was very thankful at this moment that she had picked a former teacher for the task of caring for that child. It would help keep her close by, keep them both under Laura's watchful eye.
Laura walked up to them. "Mada- I mean, Ms. Roslin," Maya said, blushing slightly, "welcome to New Caprica."
"Thank you, Maya. And please, call me Laura."
Maya nodded. "Laura, can I show you around?"
"Yes, that would be lovely." She wanted to put as much distance between her and her former ship as possible. If it had been up to her, she would have come with one of the civilian groups, just another face in the crowd. But she would never be just another face again. No, she would always be the former President, and as such her name and very presence still carried weight. And so Baltar had kept her on Colonial One, insisting it was easier this way – after all, why drag herself and her belongings to another ship, only to end up in the same place?
She had to admit, it made sense. That was the worst part. That, and knowing that by being associated with the arrival of Mister President she would also be seen as being a part of this travesty. As being complacent, perhaps even in agreement. Even though anyone who had bothered paying a shred of attention to the elections would have known otherwise.
As they walked, she took in her surroundings. Most of the civilian population by now had arrived and the landscape was littered with tents, lined up in a grid. As they passed through, many people nodded at Laura, greeting her. She smiled in return, but didn't stop.
The sun was out today and the feel of it warmed her skin. For a moment, she closed her eyes and enjoyed it. How she had missed true sunlight – even the illusion of Cloud Nine had never been able to compare to the real thing.
Cloud Nine. That thought destroyed the moment just as thoroughly as the nuclear blast had destroyed that ship, and the smaller ones around it. There would be no investigation, she had learnt. Nothing. Life would go on as if that tragedy had never happened, as if that attack on her survivor count was nothing.
She'd had the chance to ask Bill about it, after his last meeting before Colonial One touched ground. He told her that Baltar refused to listen, that he said being President meant that he didn't have to. She hadn't said anything but that reminded her of a meeting with Adama so long ago, a meeting in which she told him Presidents don't need to explain themselves to anyone.
That was not the example that she had hoped to set for Gaius Baltar to follow.
Finally they reached the tent which had been set up for Laura before she arrived. It was right beside Maya's. Laura quickly stepped inside and put down her bags. She looked around at her new home. It wasn't much. A thin mattress and a sleeping bag. A shared kitchen across the way. A shared latrine down the lane. There was no school yet, but now that she was here that would change. There was a spot, right next to the temple, just waiting for her.
"I'll take you there next," Maya said. Before she had a chance though, a woman walked up to her, asking for help with the water pump. Maya had mentioned that it was tricky to use.
"Laura, can you take the baby for a moment?"
Her nod of agreement hid well how loaded that question was. She would have to get used to being around this child, to taking care of her.
After Maya had left, Laura stared down at Isis. At Hera, at this little being whose very existence could unravel the universe. And whose very essence had saved Laura's life.
It was a cruel thing she had done, Laura knew that. Taking a child away from her parents, making them believe she was dead. But for Maya, it had been a gift from the gods, to be given this little girl to love and protect after her own baby died.
"I would do it again," she said softly. "I would do it all again."
