Chaper 6

Kara Meets the Major

Lee knew he shouldn't go to McGee's a second time that week, but he found himself unable to resist when his roommate suggested it two nights later.

"I know you always say 'no'," Marty said, "but you know I always ask. I'm not going to stay long. I'll drink one beer and play a couple of games of darts because I need some cubits for the weekend. Then I'm coming back here to do some serious studying."

"Sure you are," Lee said. "But this time I'm saying 'yes'."

"No kidding? What changed your mind?"

"What's that old saying about all work and no play…"

"So what are we waiting for?"

McGee's was more crowded than he expected and there were no tables available. Lee and Marty sat at the bar. From his seat he wasn't able to see the table where Kara usually sat. He decided not to go look. It wouldn't do to have Kara Thrace think he was that interested. He wasn't really. He had a girlfriend.

Marty took his beer, wandered over to the dartboard and made a point of acting drunk, bragging about his skill, and then making some very mediocre throws. Within a few minutes he had some sucker willing to throw a game with him. Lee had seen the outcome of enough of those matches to know what was going to happen next.

He turned back to the bar and continued nursing the one beer he would allow himself that evening. Thirty minutes. That's all he would give himself before he returned to the dorm and his books. This trip to McGee's had been a total waste of time.

...

Kara never expected to see Lee Adama at McGee's anytime soon. Bookworm that Agathon said he was, Lee should have stayed out of McGee's. But two nights later he showed up again. She saw him come in with another cadet and go toward the bar, and then he was out of her line of sight. A few minutes after that she looked up and thought he was approaching the table.

But it wasn't Lee. It was a guy who looked a lot like Lee, slightly older and taller, but with dark hair. He had the same blue eyes. He was casually dressed in khakis and a dark pullover sweater. Good looking. Definitely an officer. Probably an instructor.

"Cadet Thrace?" he asked.

"The one and only," she answered. "And you are?"

"Hugh Connelly. I heard about what you did a couple of days ago in the Viper sims. Conrad told me today after a committee meeting. I'm more than impressed. Congratulations." He extended his hand.

Kara shook it. "Thanks. It's Kara. And Conrad would be?"

"Conrad Burgher...Colonel Burgher."

"So you were in a meeting with Colonel Burgher which makes you what, Colonel Connelly?"

"Major Connelly, but this is McGee's. We leave rank at the door."

"So I've heard. What do you teach?"

"History."

"Definitely not my strong suit. I squeaked by the required courses first and second years."

"Not in one of my class, you didn't. I'm sure I would have remembered you."

"Tarlton's class first year. Simpson's the second. They're both lucky I didn't die from boredom around mid-term. Would you like to join us?"

She indicated the chair next to her.

"You don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I minded," Kara said. "Especially if you're buying." She gave him her best smile and held up her empty beer bottle.

Connelly raised his hand and summoned a waitress. "A beer for Cadet Thrace and one for me," he said, "and put it on my tab." Then he sat down beside her. "Now tell a stuffy old history teacher how you smoked those sims."

"It was just my lucky day," Kara grinned and raised her eyebrows, "and something tells me that this is my lucky night." She paused for a couple of beats, enjoying the expression on Connelly's face. "I can't say I've ever had an instructor buy me a beer before. You're my first."

She paused again, hoping he got her meaning. He did.

She knew he was an officer and an instructor. And he was older, at least early thirties, but he was hot. So maybe this really was her lucky night. After all, she had promised Karl to leave Lee Adama alone, but that promise didn't extend to hot instructors. There were strict rules against faculty-student fraternization, she knew, but then when had she ever been about the rules?

…

Kara thought Lee had left, but fifteen minutes later, on her way back from the head, she saw him sitting at the bar. His back was turned and she could easily have walked past him. But she didn't.

"Well, well, well, Lee Adama. A-pol-lo. Twice in one week. That must be some kind of record for you."

Lee recognized her voice even before he turned around. "Hi, Kara. I came with my roommate."

Kara grinned. She knew he had come in with another cadet, but she couldn't resist teasing him. She stepped up close to him. "You look like you're alone to me. Is he invisible?"

To her surprise he didn't move back and for several seconds they simply stared at each other, eyes devouring, saying things that neither consciously realized.

"He's over there beating the pants off some cadet in a game of darts."

She finally rolled her eyes in the direction of the dartboards. "Since you've obviously been deserted, would you like to join us or do you want to sit here alone at the bar and wait for your friend?"

"I'd rather join you," he said much too quickly and then tried to cover his over-eager reply. "That is if there's room at your table," he tried to sound nonchalant.

Kara grinned. "For you, Lee, we'll make room."

As she stepped back she stumbled and Lee grabbed her arm. "Have you had too much to drink, Kara?"

"Not yet. But I'm getting there."

When they got to the table, she gestured to the instructor sitting with them. "This is Major Hugh Connelly, history instructor. Connelly, Lee Adama, fourth year. Lee, you know the rest of the guys."

Lee recognized Major Connelly immediately. As Kara made the introductions, Lee noticed that Connelly only glanced at him and nodded. His gaze rapidly returned to Kara. Kara resumed her seat beside Connelly and Lee sat partway around the table in the only empty chair.

"Major Connelly," he said. "You taught me Colonial History, first year. It's good to see you again, sir."

Hugh Connelly dragged his gaze from Kara. He was holding a beer bottle by its neck and raised it slightly in acknowledgement. "Adama. You aced the final exam. And this is McGee's. Lose the Major."

Kara half stood and leaned across Connelly to get a handful of peanuts from the bowl on the other side of the table. From where he was sitting, Lee could see that her breast was pressed against Connelly's arm. Connelly made no attempt to move.

"Sorry," she giggled. "I'm not trying to knock you over."

Connelly finally shifted in his chair. "Just ask, Kara. I'll be glad to pass them to you."

Kara giggled again and put her hand on the top of his thigh. "Well, then, pass me the nuts, Connelly."

Lee couldn't believe Kara was being so forward with an instructor. Faculty-student fraternization was forbidden and that rule was strictly enforced. She was being stupid and stupid could get Connelly in big trouble. Stupid could get Connelly fired and possibly court-martialed. Lee caught her eye and frowned.

"What?"

He shifted his eyes toward the major, but Kara either didn't understand or chose not to. "Nothing," he finally mumbled. 'Where's Agathon tonight?"

"Studying. Can you believe it? I'm going to have to have a talk with the boy. Desertion is a firing offense."

"That's where I should be. I just came here for a few minutes with my roommate so he could win some spending money for the weekend. He throws a mean game of darts and there's always somebody here willing to give him cubits to prove it."

"My Academy roommate was a natural card shark," Connelly said. "That's how he made money for dating his whole four years here. Last I talked to him he was cleaning up on the Columbia. In his spare time he's their CAG."

Kara turned to Connelly. "Cards. Now that's my game. We'll have to play sometime."

"I said cards were my roommate's skill, not mine. I'm sure you'd win. Besides I'm too poor to pony up a stake right now. Alimony's a real bitch." He turned up the beer.

"I'm sure we could work something out," Kara raised her eyebrows suggestively and again leaned over Connelly, this time steadying herself with a hand against his chest as she took the beer from his hand. "I'm all out," she turned the bottle up, drank and then ran the tip of her tongue over her upper lip. "It's hot."

Connelly almost choked on the peanut he'd just tossed into his mouth.

"The beer," Kara said innocently. "I'll go get us some cold ones or better yet, Lee, you're closest to the bar. Get us a couple of cold beers. Please. Tell the bartender to put it on Connelly's tab."

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Lee said quietly.

"Nooo, I don't," Kara drawled. "Are you going to get us some beers or not?"

"Not," Lee said. "I've got to get back to my studies. I'm sure you can find some other sucker to do your bidding." He looked at Connelly, then Kara. "Goodnight, Major, Kara, everyone."

As he turned to leave, he heard Kara ask Connelly, "Now what do you suppose has gotten into him?"

He was too far away by the time Connelly answered her to hear the response.

Kara wasn't surprised by that last look Lee had given her. He obviously didn't approve of what she was doing, but then again, she didn't really care. Karl had been right. Lee Adama was all about the rules and regs.

She turned her attention back to Connelly, and after a few minutes, he put his arm across the back of her chair, leaned over and said to her too softly to be heard by anyone else, "I'm going outside and wait in my car for fifteen minutes. It's on the back row, third from the road. If you weren't just screwing with me tonight, you'll be there before I leave. If not, no hard feelings. And I mean that."

He got up and bid everyone goodnight. "See you around, Connelly." Kara said. Ten minutes later she got up too. "Don't laugh, but books are calling."

Sure, books were always calling, but that didn't mean she was going to answer that call. Not tonight, anyway. Tonight she had something better to do.

If anyone at the table figured it out, no one was stupid enough to say anything.

TBC…

AN: The character of Major Connelly was suggested by the scene in KLG1 where Lee confronts Kara after she slept with Baltar. I thought it was interesting that Kara agrees with Lee's escalating insults until he mentions the major and then she hits him. That gave me the idea that the major was the sort of man who would cause not just jealous, but possibly also inadequate feelings, in Lee. That meant the major had to be good-looking, smart, and someone Lee looked up to. Thus the major became a well-regarded instructor at the Academy. The extent to which Kara's relationship with the major has bothered Lee is evident in that he throws it in her face after the passage of a number of years. I also felt like the major meant something to Kara. Knowing he most certainly died on Caprica was one of the reasons that Kara lost control and finally hit Lee.