Chapter 2- the gaze burns brightly
Aaron had waited until the 2's, 4's and 6's had left the room before he accosted an 8. "There is only one place this viper and the pilot can be, Galactica", he told the 8." Your sleeper model is already over there and could take care of the situation.
The 8 shook her head forcefully, "you know what the plans are for her", she countered her voice angry. "Yes , I do", Aaron agreed, "but this is important too, we cannot let them discover the secrets of that drive".
He took the 8 in a firm grip pulling her close to him and holding on tight, "I think we should alter the 8's mission, let her take out the pilot then bring that viper to us. While a bomb could be planted to destroy the viper I don't want to risk even one circuit of that drive surviving. As a cylon the 8 should have no problem operating the drive."
"You cannot change the plan without the others approval", this 8 warned. 'Aaron gritted his teeth and actually snarled at her, "well I'm going to change it", he remarked .
On board Galactica Sharon Valerii was on the flight deck with the other viper and raptor pilots. They were all gathered around Lee Adama's viper giving it a through visual inspection. 'The CAG has never mentioned anything about extra technology," Kain Michaels aka Twister stated ." No he hasn't ", Crashdown agreed.
"From what I saw there is only one explaination of what happened", Sharon offered. Twister had already reached his conclusion as well, 'it jumped", he stated loudly. "Come on it's impossible in a viper", counted Angie "marauder' Harris. 'We all saw it Angie", Crashdown pressed.
"If that is right then we come back to the question how come the CAG never mentioned anything", Boomer asked.
"Maybe he wasn't supposed to", Crashdown suggested.
"A secret weapon", Boomer theorized. "Yeah but it's not a secret anymore", Crashdown observed.
They all agreed with that, "so who wants to ask the old man whats going on", Boomer wanted to know. None of them looked particulary keen. "Who wants to ask the CAG whats going", on Angie asked with a little wiggle of her eyebrows. Several female pilots tittered. Boomer knew what sort of asking Angie was implying. None of them would have even suggested that when former CAG Jaackson Spencer had been in command. But Apollo was as one female pilot had described, "one cute honey". She could actually see what they meant but didn't need any more problems herself, she had enough with her illegal relationship with the chief. "
"Look I don't think any of you need bother because I am sure Kara will ask him", Crashdown suggested.
"You can let go now Kara", Lee told her as she supported him along another corridor. "Are you sure", Kara asked studying him worriedly. He'd been a little pale when they had first moved away from the hangar bay but was now rapidly regaining his colour. "Yeah I was a little dizzy initially but now I'm fine", Lee told her. Kara let him go and stood watching him. Now she knew he was physically okay she could start asking a few questions. But before the prodding she should start with a little praise, "what you did was amazing", she told him. Lee smiled widely acknowledging that it was rare for Starbuck to complement others, "that's high praise Kara," he told her. Good now she'd softened him up it was time for the questioning, "yes it was clever, in fact unless my eyes deceived me I could have sworn your viper performed a jump."
Lee knew the rather public display of what his ship could do had probably washed away any need to keep details a secret, so he told her, "I did". Her eyebrows shot up, "in a viper", she exclaimed. 'Yes", Lee agreed. "Wow, it took you hardly anytime at all to program the coordinates ", Kara observed. Lee swallowed recognising that he'd come to the part that really might shock her, "that's because I didn't program anything, I just asked her to jump and she did", he told Kara.
He wondered what she was going to say about that and didn't have to wait very long to find out, "well frak me", Starbuck spouted in amazement. A very inappropriate thought came upon Lee in that moment and he found himself turning to her and saying, "nice offer but I don't really have time now, the Commander and Colonel will want a report ,so I better go and take care of it".
Starbuck was turning beet red as what he'd just said to her sunk in. Lee was truly surprised as he'd never thought he'd see the day when he made the mighty Starbuck blush. "You do that Captain", Kara managed to croak out.
Lee waited until she had walked away about 100 metres before adding with a grin, "maybe I can take you up on your offer later". He cracked up with laughter as Starbuck actually fled.
Shaking himself back to command mode Lee then turned toward his office and made his way there knowing eventually Tigh was going to turn up wanting answers and this time he better have some.
The Colonel was at that moment approaching Lee's viper with the Commander by his side. They immediately noticed the group of pilots around the ship. Typically Tigh thought both Captain Adama and Lt. Thrace were no where to be seen. "Haven't you all got something better to do", Adama demanded of the assembled pilots. Most of them hung their heads and stared to scurry off at that but one voice pipped up , "it there an FTL drive in that viper, sir". All eyes turned toward the speaker, Sharon looked around too, that was one daring pilot speaking out like that. Then she saw the stares and realized it was her voice that uttered the question, she hadn't meant to ask that, had she.
Tigh was looking at Adama who seemed uncomfortable. There was a painful silence and he began to wonder if there was going to be a reply when Adama stated, "yes, that viper has a jump drive". The pilots all turned and looked at each other, "I never knew we had such technology sir", Crashdown remarked . "It is a new thing", Adama told him.
The others all looked excited, "so when are our ships getting one", Angie asked.
Now damn Tigh was smirking Adama could see the look out the corner of the eye. "There are a few issues with this technology", he told them honestly. "This is a prototype that unfortunately didn't come with a manual".
"Captain Adama seems to manage alright", Crashdown observed. "Yes but there are unusual circumstances", Adama told him. "I will brief you all about this drive at tomorrows squad room meeting. In the mean time I suggest you all go back to work".
They drifted off slowly with Sharon in particular taking long time to leave. She simply could not seem could to get the knowledge of the drive out of her head. "I guess we'll learn how Apollo works that thing" , Racetrack enthused. "Yes", she replied absently. "I am looking forward to getting one over on those frakking cylons for a change", Angie stated firmly. Boomer would have agreed with that as well but her mind still seemed to be focused on the drive and on Lee Adama, "get rid of both of them", she seemed to hear. It was like a ghost of a whisper entering her mind. " "Hey you with me Lt", Racetrack asked as he noticed she was was staring into space. "Yeah just thinking about beating your ass at cards tonight", Sharon quickly shot back. "Yeah right you will", Racetrack challenged as they moved off down the corridor.
Once all the pilots had cleared the deck Saul Tigh turned to his XO, "So we are going to fill them all in on what we've got", Tigh observed. "What we have got hasn't changed since I last spoke to you", Bill reminded him rather sarcastically, "we can't do anything with this FTL technology". Tigh looked over at Chief Tyrol checking over the ship, "maintenance has been working on this ship almost every day and not got zapped so it's not as though we cannot touch the thing". We can touch the ship, but not the drive", Adama replied.
"Maybe we don't have to touch the thing, the systems seem to allow scans so we can get a readout of that drive to see how it is constructed", Tigh suggested
Bill just knew that no matter what he said in the end he was going to lose this fight. But he still had some good points to get across, "alright even if we do get information that is advanced technology where are we going to find the parts to construct another drive", he countered. Saul screwed up his face and gave the 'look' that scared many nuggets , "you are not making this easy Bill', he observed. "I am just stating the facts Saul. Don't you think I thought about this before I decided to keep the knowledge of the drive quiet". He offered his XO a glare, "or did you think it was all about Lee".
Saul didn't answer right away just looking up to the viper, "alright so maybe we can't copy the whole thing but there must be some component that allows the Captain to mentally program a jump. We could just copy that".
"So we actually manage to copy it then what are you going to do with it Saul", Bill wanted to know. Saul had thought about that already, "put it in Galactica Bill. Consider the advantage of not having to wait to make a jump".
Bill's eyes were wide as he thought about the missing factor from this conversation, his son. "Lee cannot make the Galactica jump", he protested.
Dammit thought Tigh now they were back to the damned brat again. But he still had a challenging question for his CO, "how do you know"." I wouldn't have thought it possible he could even make a viper jump."
Bill was getting tired of this argument and recognised that his XO was effectively counting every point he made Deep in his soul he knew this actually was all related to Lee and not wanting him hurt. But he was also a military man and could actually see that Saul had made a good case. ' Alright have it your way, we scan the ship to see if we can gather information about the drive. But if anybody else dies, that will be it", he added warningly.
"Of course Bill", Saul agreed visibly relaxing now that he'd won at least part of this argument. Time for the next step which might be more dangerous than facing down a Cylon basestar.
"We'll need some scans of Captain Adama as well, just to see what it is in his brain that enables him to do this", he tentatively suggested
Bill's jaw tightened, he'd promised Lee he would not be experimented upon to gain information about the drive.
Saul took the quietness for a bad sign, 'I am not thinking of anything invasive", he hurriedly assured his CO.
"Alright but scans only Saul", Bill took a step toward his XO and glared into his face, "you put one hand out of place and I'll rip your guts out", he stated fiercely.
Saul swallowed hard getting the idea that Bill was totally serious. "I swear I won't hurt a hair on his head", he stated.
"Good I'll hold you to that", Bill confirmed. "Can we got talk to him now, Saul asked.
"Very well", Adama agreed
They found Lee in the CAG office. Bill noted the immediate tensing of his body as they entered. Lee did not make any comment though . "Congratulations on saving the Tylium ship Captain", Saul decide to play nice for awhile. "You certainly had a unique way of going about it".
Lee stood at military attention and muttered, "thank you sir".
"You didn't have any problems", Adama asked seriously eyeing his son up and down. "No, I hardly get any disorientation anymore", Lee reassured him. "Well that's a good thing, as it enables us to use this technology in an attack", Saul observed.
Yes, I guess so sir", Lee answered . "We have decided to share the knowledge of this technology with the pliots, Adama told him. Oh frak, somehow he knew that was going to happen Lee thought, now the eyes of the whole ship would be on him ,all he said though was a clipped, "yes sir".
He was trying hard to be really officious Bill thought but he could also hear the fear in Lee's voice. "We will expect that you will be able to brief the pilots on how to make a jump", Saul told him.
Lee looked over at his father for a minute then back at the XO, "colonel there is only a small chance that any of them would be able to operate the drive without a chip embedded into their brain."
"Well I still want to test them. If we could find more pilots and are able to copy the jump components of the drive we could equip the fleet. It would help limit loss of life", Tigh told him. He raked Lee with his gaze, "if we could put this technology in the Galactica then we would consider a transfer to command for you Captain. He looked at Bill, "it would ultimately keep you safer." Bill felt like Saul was trying hard to soften the blow by saying that.
Lee just felt like things were spiraling out of his control. This was exactly why he'd never wanted to reveal the FTL technology. He made no response to the Colonels suggestion and noticed the tightening of the mans jaw. Did he really expect him to be happy about being maneuvered into a role he did not want to play.
"Think about how you are going to present the knowledge of the FTL to the other pilots Captain because you will be making the presentation tomorrow, Saul Tigh ordered in his firm military' you better not say no' voice.
Oh great thought Lee. "We will expect them to all be put in your viper to see if they can make it jump",Tigh continued. Lee thought he better mention something, "that could be dangerous sir, a stray thought could easily make them end up somewhere they don't want to be."
"Well that's why we are counting on you to brief them properly, afterall you are experienced at using this technology, Saul replied.
Lee really wanted to tell him to go to hell, but his father was gazing at him with the famous boot quaking Adama stare, so he just said, "very well sir, I'll work on the details".
"Good we'll expect you to hold that briefing at 0800 tomorrow", his father told him.
He and Tigh departed after that leaving Lee to sit in his office with churning thoughts as he wondered where all of this was going to lead. He was sure that most of his fellow pilots might be 'spooked' by the knowledge that he'd operated a drive by pure mental thought alone. That others could not do the same thing just made him feel like he was some weird freak. So he'd have to be very careful what he said.
Spending most of the rest of the evening planning his speech Lee finally retired to his bed late in the evening.
As per habit he woke around 0500 sliding out of bed and dressing himself in clothes suitable for a jog around the ship. He liked getting up before his bunk mates and spending this time alone with his thoughts.
Closing the hatch carefully after him Lee jogged off.
As the hatch snapped shut Sharon Valerii slipped from her bed. Anyone who saw her would have noted a vacant expression on her face, like her mind was else where. Moving over to her locker Sharon took out her weapon and put it into the back of her trousers band. Then she jogged off in the same direction Lee had taken.
Deep in the recesses of her mind the machine part of her was taking over. It knew what Sharon Valerii knew regarding the habits of the crew. This included the knowledge of the route Captain Lee Adama like to take when jogging.
There was a little intersection point on that route where two corridors met. She'd go there and wait for him to come along. It was quiet at this time with no one likely to witness what happened when they met.
Lee was taking to himself as he jogged, going over his speech. He was concentrating so hard that he failed to see the shadowed figure in the side corridor pull out a weapon. Sharon Valerii didn't even think about the man in front of her as being a friend or her CO she just fired.
In the part of her brain that thought she was human she was screaming right now . But the machine part had firm control just watching Lee Adama lying on the ground without passion and noting that he was not moving. Then she turned and walked to the hangar bay. At this time of the morning it was quiet also and she had no problem gaining access to Lee Adama's viper.
As she settled into the pilot seat the cylon part of the brain told her all about some coordinates she needed to jump to.
In the base star Aaron smiled and told an 8, "your model performed well, soon my mess will be cleaned up. We will rendezvous with the viper soon".
The 8 looked at him, "are you sure it's all going to plan", she asked.
Aaron nodded, "nothing could possibly go wrong", he told her. "Well I hope not because if it does go wrong the others are not going to be pleased", the 8 warned. "Worry is a human trait", Aaron replied scornfully. But when the 8 moved away he lifted his hand to his mouth and wondered if it was appropriate to chew his nails. "This is going to work out", he told himself.