Impress Me

Premise: What if Zak had never started Basic Flight?

Picon

Colonial Fleet Flight School

Office of Captain Kara Thrace, Senior Flight Instructor

Ten Months Before the Fall

Kara Thrace read through the progress report in front of her with a smile. Brendan Costanza had been just a single incident away from washing out of the Fleet when she took him under her wing. She whipped him into shape and drove him to be a much better pilot she even gave him his callsign, Hot Dog.

Now with a stroke of her pen, Hot Dog was about to graduate at the top of his class. Considering his disciplinary record, she'd still had to pull some strings to get him an assignment but going by reputation, Galactica should be good for him.

She heard a knock on her door, she signed off on Costanza's training report before she looked up… only to see probably the beautiful man she'd ever seen in her life. The dark haired, blued-eyed man wore dress blues with Captain's insignia, pilot's wings and a Fleet HQ patch on his arm.

She drank in the sight of him greedily, torn between wondering if he was here on some business and hoping that some of her students had decided to prank her with a visit from a stripper. If the latter was the case… Well, she'd have this man out of his G-string and on his back before he could say "breakaway pants."

He gave her a knee-knocking smile and said, "Captain Thrace?"

She nodded and waved him to the chair, "That's me. May I help you, Captain?"

He crossed the office and sat down across from her, "Captain Lee Adama."

She took in the name, "That name's familiar."

He shrugged, "My father and my brother Zak are both in the service."

She nodded, "Zak! I was supposed to be his flight instructor but he went on emergency medical leave before we started that semester."

Lee nodded, "Zak was in a really bad car accident while visiting our mother. He was clipped by a drunk driver and busted his leg in four places. He spent weeks in the base hospital on Delphi."

She gasped and said, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "I'm not sure Zak would have done all that well, he never really wanted to fly but his father and his older brother were bother Viper pilots. It worked out for the best, Zak works for the JAG office now in the investigative unit."

She titled her head curiously, "How'd he end up there?"

The other pilot grinned, "He met a girl. My brother Zak will follow a girl to Kobol and back."

The pair shared a laugh before she said, "Thanks for the story, but what brings someone from Fleet HQ out here to Picon?"

He reached into his pocket and produced a data disk, he handed her the disk and she notice the "Top Secret: Eyes Only" stamp on it. She put the disk in and ran the program. A few moments later schematics appeared on her screen and she had to fight not to salivate. She only vaguely heard Lee say, "Captain Thrace, I present the Viper Mark Eight."

She flipped through the schematics like a child presented with the very latest video game console. "Oh, she's beautiful."

Lee's voice continued but she was too busy reading the engine stats, "They've improved the engines to coax out better speed and maneuverability. A new armor design and the most advanced tac computer in the twelve colonies."

She finally tore her eyes from the screen to look at him, "She's gorgeous."

He nodded, "I've been placed in charged of the project, they want active duty pilots involved to help avoid some of the problems the Fleet encountered with first generation of the Mark VIIs." He smirked at her, "That's why I'm here. I'm recruiting test pilots and something told me that the cadet that broke four of my seven records in flight school should be the first person I come to."

Kara's eyes brightened as her smirk widened, "And I here I thought the prospect of frakking you through a wall was the most exciting thing I've thought of since you walked in."

She expected him to blush or at least expected his eyes to go wide for a moment. So she was surprised when he leaned forward and eyed her hungrily before he answered her smirk with a leer, "Don't sell that prospect short."

They locked eyes and she could practically feel electricity arcing between them, all she could concentrate was the pooling warmth in her belly and the quickening of her pulse. Finally, a pleased if throaty laugh bubbled out of her and she leaned back in her chair. "So, tell me. How many pilots are you recruiting?"

She noticed him adjust in his chair before crossing his legs carefully to adopt a nonchalant pose, "Three or four, you and I would be the lead pilots however."

She was trying to keep on topic but there was too much she could work with. She let a moan precede her next words, "Do you like being led, flyboy?"

His eyes were burning her up and his voice was very rich when he said, "I prefer to challenge the pilot on my wing." The silence between them spoke volumes, Kara was trying to decide if she could successfully pounce him from across her desk when he spoke again, "Why don't we discuss this further over dinner and maybe a drink or two?"

She made a show of looking him over again, "Listen, you don't need to get me drunk."

He nodded and stood, "Just dinner then."

She rose to her feet as well, "Yeah, you should probably load up on some carbs. I still need to be impressed by you."

He walked to the door and held it open for her, "I look forward to the challenge."

Battlestar Galactica

Armistice Day

Four hours before the De-Commissioning Ceremony

As the hatch closed behind the photographers, Bill walked over to the water carafe and began pouring out a glass before turning to the remaining occupants of the room. Like him, his two sons were in their dress greys. Lee's Captain's rank caught his eye, reminding Bill of the day of his eldest son's most recent promotion.

Bill had to pull a lot of strings but he'd been able to get Galactica ordered to co-ordinate with Atlantia for some Joint Simulations long enough to be in attendance. Just weeks later, Lee's application to the Mark VIII program had been accepted and he was transferred back to Caprica.

His younger son, Zak was nearly as tall as his brother and while he didn't have flight wings, his JAG insignia was more than enough to stir pride in Bill. "Would either of you like a drink?"

Lee shrugged while Zak smile, "Thank you, sir."

Bill grimaced, "Cut the 'sir' crap Zachariah."

His younger son cringed while Lee laughed and wink at his younger brother. A boisterous laugh brought Bill's attention to the other woman in the room. The young blonde woman was wearing dress blues and Captain's ranks. Bill was quick to notice the "Mark VIII Project" Assignment patch. He smiled to himself, pleased that he was finally going to get the young woman his wife had been raving about for months.

His thoughts turned to his wife and how she crowed that she would finally have the great Bill Adama all to herself for the first times since the pair reconciled while taking care of the youngest in the first weeks after his car accident. Ironically enough, the drunk driver that ended Zak's piloting career before it began had saved his parents' marriage.

Lee stepped forward and took the proffered glasses while calling the young woman over, "When's Mom getting in?"

Bill frowned, "Her shuttle's running late. She was supposed to be here in time for the photo op, I've been hearing it all day from Doral."

Lee nodded while Zak smirked, "Maybe you should've gotten Ellen Tigh up here to substitute for the pictures."

Bill grimaced while Lee leaned over to his companion and quickly gave her a summery of the attitudes of Ellen Tigh. He sent a semi-serious scowl at Zak while turning his attention on Lee and his companion. The woman made eye contact with him and he spoke, "Forgive my sons, they both seem too rude to introduce us. Bill Adama."

She smiled and held out her hand as his sons both blushed, "Kara Thrace. Lee's told me a lot about you."

He took her hand a said, "All bad, I'm sure." She chuckled. "I understand that you met Lee when he recruited you for the Mark VIII flights?"

She nodded, "He did, he told me that he wanted the pilot who broke four of his records in Flight School, but he was mistaken, I broke four of his records, but I tied two more."

Lee flushed while Kara smirked at him and Zak laughed, announcing that he was happy his fiancée, Lida wasn't nearly as competitive. This time both Lee and Kara flushed and turned sheepish looks back to Bill, "Lee?"

With a visible effort, Lee straightened his shoulders and proudly took Kara's hand, "I asked Kara to marry me, she said yes and we were going to announce it after your retirement dinner after Galactica got back to Caprica."

He gave the young woman an appraising glance before he smiled, "In that case, welcome to my family, Kara."

With a warm grin, Kara said "Thank you, sir."

Bill led the trio over to the chairs, "Lee still has an hour before his flight briefing, let's talk. You're a Viper pilot, obviously. What's your callsign?"

"Starbuck, sir. I was a flight instructor on Picon."

He nodded, "That Starbuck, you've trained quite a few of my better young pilots. Ripper's has Costanza on his wing now, he was slotted to fly in the Ceremony but he sprained his ankle a few days ago. Did you teach him that jody call about the Cylon with its pants down?"

Kara gave him a smirk and he had a feeling it was a smirk he'd see a lot over the coming years, "Abso-frakkin'-lutely Commander."

He laughed and said, "Something tells me I'm going to like you, Starbuck."