Chapter Four:

Captain Kara Thrace stepped down from her Viper onto Galactica's hangar deck after coming back from patrol. Cally waited for her at the bottom of the ladder.

"How was your patrol, Captain?" asked Cally.

"Fine, uneventful," replied Kara. "No problems with my bird, either."

"That's good to hear," said Cally.

A voice came over the intercom. "Pass the word for Captain Thrace," said the voice of the comm. officer. "Captain Thrace, report to the Admiral's quarters immediately."

"Frak, I just got back," said Kara. "I still need to check over my bird, go over the CAP reports, and pick up Kasey."

"I'll check over your bird," said Cally. "And I'll pick up Kasey and keep her until you're done.

"Good, thanks," said Kara. "Let me know if there are any problems."

Kara didn't even bother to change out of her flight suit as she headed to Adama's quarters. If the old man was calling her right after she landed on the deck that meant it was pretty important.

Kara entered the Admiral's quarters and found him sitting behind his desk. The President and Lee were both sitting in chairs in front of the desk when Kara walked in. Normally, Kara would have walked over to Lee and had her lips all over his, but this looked like an official meeting. The Admiral had asked them to keep their relationship professional in official situations.

"You wanted to see me, sir," she said.

Lee stood up and motioned for Kara to sit down on the couch. She moved over to the couch and sat, while Lee settled down on the couch next to her. He took her hand and held it gently.

"Kara," said Adama. "Lee and the President were just meeting with me about a report from Talk Wireless that aired an hour ago. You were on CAP at that time, I believe."

"Yes," said Kara. "I don't listen much to Talk Wireless when I'm not on CAP anyway."

"I record the programs for future reference," said the President. "I'd like to play the recording of today's because you should hear what was discussed. I have to warn you though that you are not going to like what was said."

The President pressed the play button on a nearby recorder. A woman's voice was hear mid-broadcast.

"…and so, the fallout from the Quorum's decision to support the President on greater regulation of the drug Kamala is yet to be seen. In other news, another shocking ramification from our time under Cylon occupation on New Caprica has come to light. Apparently, famed Viper pilot Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace returned from New Caprica with a half-Cylon, half-human child! Rumors of hybridization programs initiated by the Cylons upon their occupation of both the original 12 colonies and New Caprica have been rampant, but now we have confirmation from a reliable source that Captain Thrace not only came back with a hybrid child, but that the hybrid in question is her daughter!"

"Oh, frak," said Kara. "We knew this was going to come out eventually, but…"

"Wait, listen," said Adama.

"We now have our field reporter Evander Pericles to fill us in on the details," said the newscaster. "So, Evander, what can you tell us?"

"Well, Sarah," said Evander Pericles. "We have an inside source that has provided details about how this child came to be, and where the child came into contact with its mother. First, the child in question is a girl named Kacey. She is approximately two years old. Our source informs us that this child was created as the result of a Cylon breeding experiment on Caprica. While there retrieving the Arrow of Apollo for President Roslin two years ago, Thrace was captured and held for several days by the Cylons. While there, they removed one of her ovaries, which was then fertilized by a Cylon and implanted into a captive human woman."

"Wait, captive woman?" asked the woman newscaster. "There were people held captive on Caprica for this purpose?"

"Yes," said Pericles. "It seems the rumors of the so-called Cylon breeding farms are true. Captain Thrace's fertilized ovary was implanted into the unwilling human captive, who carried the child to term only to die giving birth to the child. Apparently there were hundreds, if not thousands, of humans held for this purpose on Farms throughout the colonies."

"So this child did not result from sexual contact between Captain Thrace and a Cylon?" asked the first newscaster.

"No," said Pericles. "Our source informs us that while on New Caprica during the occupation, Captain Thrace was held prisoner yet again by the Cylons. The individual Cylon who fertilized Thrace's egg held her in a rather luxurious apartment for four months, and the child was with them for a significant period of that time."

"Sounds very domestic, doesn't it?" asked the woman newscaster, with more than slight sarcasm in her tone.

"SHUT THAT THING OFF!" yelled Kara.

The President turned off the recorder. "Those BASTARDS think that time I spent in HELL in that prison was DOMESTIC!" yelled Kara.

Lee held Kara and tried to soothe her, but she would not be calmed down so easily. "Kara, I'm afraid there's more," said Adama.

"What's next! They speculate on the sexual positions I used with that Cylon bastard!" asked Kara, her voice filled with fury.

"Just listen," said Adama. He nodded towards Roslin, who turned back on the reporter.

"Well, our source did say that Thrace was an unwilling prisoner," said Pericles. "If anything did go on, it was probably not with her explicit consent. It should be said that there is no clear evidence that Captain Thrace ever engaged in any kind of sexual contact with a Cylon, willing or otherwise."

"Back to this little girl," said Sarah, the female newscaster. "The hybrid. Captain Thrace still has the child?"

"Yes, the child is alive and well and living with Captain Thrace aboard Galactica," said Pericles. "Captain Thrace thinks of the child as her daughter, and intends to raise it. Her husband, Sam Anders, apparently broke off the marriage with Captain Thrace over the child."

"I broke it off with him," said Kara, as she corrected the reporter like he could hear her.

"No wonder," said the other newscaster. "I'd bet that was an interesting spousal chat they had when Thrace brought that hybrid home."

"Well, not everyone is unhappy about it," said Pericles. "We've all heard the stories about Thrace and her alleged dalliances with Commander Lee Adama, son of Admiral Adama and the commander of the Pegasus. Apparently, Thrace has been quite domestic with him since her marriage fell apart, and the child is quite taken with Commander Adama and vice versa."

"It should be said that we have tried to reach the President and Admiral Adama for comment on this issue, but both said they had nothing to say at this point," said the other newscaster.

"We didn't want to comment until we discussed things," said Adama.

"But not everyone is remaining silent on this issue," said the female newscaster. "Philosopher and Lecturer Antoninus Labreth is here with us today. Welcome to the program, Mr. Labreth."

"Thank you, it is an honor to be here to discuss this important issue with you," said Labreth.

"Sir, you have spoken out quite extensively about the possible danger posed by Cylon infiltrators that may be hiding among us," said the newscaster.

"Yes," said Labreth. "We must always remember that we saw what some of the humanoid Cylons look like on New Caprica, but not ALL of them! And now, not only do we face the attempted extermination and domination of humanity by these evil, unholy machines, but now we are confronted with a threat to our own soul! Our humanity, the identity of humanity itself, is threatened by the existence of this hybrid and all others like it! This is not a child we are talking about! It may look like a child; it may seem like a child! But we must always remember that the scriptures say that sometimes evil may wear a pleasant face! Indeed, some of the humanoid Cylons we know about are quite physically attractive people! They speak in sweet voices just before they torture, enslave, and kill you."

"So, Mr. Labreth, if this child is a threat, then what should be done?" asked the newscaster.

"This ABOMINATION should not be allowed to exist among us!" said Labreth, forcefully. "For it to be sheltered on one of the ships guarding the remnants of humanity is APPALLING! This fiendish little demon sent by the Cylon devils should be cast out from among us, or sent to the bowels of hell from which it was conceived!"

"Wait, are you saying that the child should be killed?" asked the newscaster.

"This abomination should be eliminated, euthanized, or at the very least sent away from us!" replied Labreth. "The thing is a machine! Find its OFF SWITCH!"

President Roslin shut off the recorder. Kara stood up from the couch and began pacing around the room.

"That SON OF A BITCH wants to kill my BABY!" said Kara, her voice filled with rage. "If he so much as comes NEAR HER, I will shut HIS ASS OFF! Painfully!"

"Kara," said Lee, as he got up and went to Kara. He put his hands on her arms, which were now crossed over her chest, and pulled her to him. "Shh, don't worry," said Lee. "We won't let anything happen to her."

"Please, Kara, I know this upsets you," said President Roslin, in a soothing tone. "We felt that you needed to know about this, and wanted to tell you before you found out second hand."

"Rest assured, Kara," said Adama. "I will not let anyone hurt your daughter. Not on this ship."

"Meanwhile, Labreth and those reporters are bad mouthing you and Kacey around the fleet," said Lee. "It's gonna make things difficult."

"Look, I can handle talk about me," said Kara. "I mean, I've never been the poster child of proper behavior. But Kacey. I mean, right now she probably won't hear about this, or even understand if she does, but in the future she probably will. And now, there is some hot head out there threatening to kill her."

"Kara, you had to know this might happen," said Lee. "I mean, there is a lot of bitterness out there towards the Cylons."

"With good reason," said Kara. "I'm not denying that. I guess I was just stupid enough to hope that we could either keep Kacey's origins under wraps, or that people could see her as I do."

"A lot of people do," said Adama. "But others don't. Even on this ship, there are people, I'm sure, that are not comfortable with Kacey's half-Cylon heritage."

"There are two questions we need to answer right now," said Roslin. "First, who is this 'inside source' the reporters are talking about? And second, what do we do about this?"

"Let's start with the first," said Adama. "Who all knows about Kacey?"

"A lot of people know she is a hybrid," said Kara. "But to know THAT many details about her conception. Very few know that much."

"Who?" asked Roslin.

"Well, me, Lee, the two of you," said Kara. "I assume no one here blabbed."

"Who else?" asked Lee.

"Helo, Sharon, Cally, Tyrol," said Kara. "I trust them not to say anything. Colonel Tigh, who wouldn't say anything either, I'm sure. He hates reporters, almost as much as he hates Cylons. There's the Cylons thesmelves, maybe some who were New Caprica Police that we haven't found yet."

"We're forgetting someone," said Lee. He looked pointedly at Kara. "Who else knows that much and is bitter over Kacey because of your feelings for her?"

Kara looked at Lee, and then a look of understanding passed over her face. "Anders," she whispered. "No. I can't believe he would go that far. I mean, if he did this, then I never really knew him at all."

"You'd better have a word with him," said Adama.

"Our marriage bonds are being dissolved tomorrow," said Kara. "I'll ask him then."

"You sure you don't want me to be there?" asked Lee. "Especially after the possibility…"

"No," said Kara. "I want to handle this alone. It will be done here on Galactica. Helo and Cally will be witnesses. I'll ask him afterwards. If you were there, it would just cause problems. I think I can get him to be straight with me if you aren't there."

"That leaves problem two," said Roslin. "Kara, I would like you to consider doing a press conference, with Kacey in attendance. Let the public see that she is a child…"

"NO!" said Kara. "No, I am not going to parade her in front of the public for all to see like that. I won't use her as some kind of publicity tool."

"Kara, if we could humanize her in the eyes of the public…" began Roslin.

"She is HUMAN already!" said Kara. "Human enough for me, and for those I love and care about! That's good enough for me. FRAK what the rest of the world thinks!"

"Kara, she is going to have to grow up in that world," said Adama. "Perhaps if she were presented to it early as…"

"No, sir," said Kacey. "She'll meet the world with me by her side. I'll help her fight her battles in it and with it when they come along. But I won't have her find out someday that I paraded her in front of the press to save myself some grief."

"It wouldn't be just for you," said Roslin. "It would be for her sake as well."

"Lee, you've been pretty silent on this issue," said Adama, as he knew his son's influence on Kara. "What do you think?"

Lee looked at Kara, and then his father. "I think I know why you asked me," said Lee, as he checked his father's move. "And my answer is that I support Kara's position on this. She has made up her mind, she is Kacey's mother, and I support her."

Roslin let out a sigh. "Very well," said Roslin. "We won't bring Kacey before the press. But what about you, Kara, and Lee. You should both make some kind of statement to the press. We could do it under controlled circumstances. Perhaps an interview with one reporter. At the very least, you can tell about your experiences as a Cylon prisoner, and dispel the innuendo about it."

"I don't know," said Kara. "I'd be liable to make things worse. I just…don't know."

"Look, it has taken Kara a lot to get over what happened to her, both times she was held captive by the Cylons," said Lee. "I don't think she should have to dredge all that back up again because of the speculations of some tabloid journalists. Maybe I can do an interview, and present Kara's side for her."

"Son, I admire your willingness to defend Kara's honor and reputation," said Adama. "But anything like that must come from her to carry the weight it needs."

"Bill is right," said Roslin. "Think about it, Kara. But don't take too long. In the meantime, I will try to deal with the ramifications of this as best I can. Kara, know that I am on your side here."

"We all are," said Adama. "We just want what's best for you and Kacey."

"Thank you," said Kara. "For telling me about this."

"Come on," said Lee. "I'll walk you to quarters."

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After Lee walked with Kara to pick up Kacey, and then brought them both back to their quarters, Lee had to bid goodbye to them and return to the Pegasus. His duties to his ship and crew beckoned, and he had already been away from his ship for several hours.

But on the way back to Pegasus in a Raptor, Lee contemplated all that had been said on the wireless earlier. Someone had threatened to kill that beautiful little girl, and he didn't like it. Even while he tried to soothe Kara's anger, he himself had to fight the anger within him over the threats to Kacey's life. As far as he was concerned, Antoninus Labreth had threatened his little girl. He decided he had to do something about it.

"CoolHand," he said to the Raptor's ECO. "Get me Pegasus on secure channel. I want to speak with Major Hoshi."

"Yes, sir," said CoolHand. He activated the Raptor's comm. "Pegasus, Raptor 25 on secure channel. Pegasus Actual requesting to speak with the XO."

A few moments later, Major Hoshi's voice could be heard over the com. "Sir," he said.

"Hoshi, access the civilian registry," said Lee. "Find me the whereabouts of an Antoninus Labreth. Do it quietly, Hoshi?"

"Stand by, sir," said Hoshi.

Lee waited impatiently for Hoshi to respond. A minute later, the latter's voice spoke over the com. "Sir, Labreth is listed as quartered on the Perilous Voyager. May I ask why you wanted to know?"

"Sorry, Hoshi, need to know," said Lee. "I'll need you to take over the maintenance inspection for me. I'll be delayed in returning to Pegasus."

"Are the reasons for your delay need to know too, sir?" asked Hoshi.

"Yes," said Lee. "Sorry, Hoshi, but this is something I have to take care of, and I can't discuss it with you. Pegasus Actual out." He cut off the comm. transmission, and spoke to the Raptor pilot. "Boxman, divert course to the Perilous Voyager. CoolHand, contact the ship's Captain and inform him of our arrival."

"Yes, sir," replied Boxman and CoolHand.

Lee pulled a sidearm out of the Raptor's armaments locker. He pulled the pistol out of its holster, checked to see that it was loaded, and then returned the weapon to its sheath. He put the holster belt around his waist, and then waited for his Raptor to arrive at its destination.

End of Chapter Four. Chapter Five coming soon.

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Don't you just love a good cliffhanger? Want to find out what Lee is gonna do? Any guesses as to what will happen next? Stay tuned to find out. In the meantime, please continue to provide me some feedback through reviews. I really appreciate all of the wonderful feedback I have received so far, and look foward to seeing what you think about the direction the story is now going in.