A Little Bit of Fear
By AshtakRa
Disclaimer: I do not have any claim on any characters from Battlestar Galactica but I'll use them anyway - for absolutely no profit, just the thrill and pleasure.
Warning: This will contain slash, if you don't like it - I don't really care.
Author's Note: I have been too kind with characters before; this time I want them to be just a little unlikeable, at least to begin with.
Reviews: Yes please, feed me Seymour!
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica 21st century style, season 2 set after Black Market.
Characters: Most of them at some point but mostly the pilots and of course Apollo and Helo, and also a few creations of my own.
Chapter Ten
Battlestar Pegasus
The small group halted at the beginning of the corridor, following the Fury's lead. He stood stock still, surveying the empty corridor and every person thought the same thing 'what does he see that we can't?'. There was only six in the group, Lucian and Helo, Apollo, Hotdog, Tyrol and Starbuck; others had wanted to come along but Lucian wanted the team small. Fact was when word spread that Marcus had been kidnapped, by none other than Pegasus crew; many aboard Galactica were willing to once again train weapons on the larger ship – even with Lee Adama now in command. It was soon made apparent however that it was just the action of a few – probably the bare few that remained of those that had imprisoned Lucian. All that had been left on Lucian's bunk was a black bag, exactly the type of bag they had once put over his head just before they almost shot him. It was enough to tell Lucian what had happened to Marcus and who had done it.
The fake 'mutiny alarm' had been a ploy to get Lucian off the Galactica so they could board, abduct Marcus and get back to Pegasus. Why? When discovered by a Pegasus security team (sent by Apollo) the abductors had demanded Lucian come in person – or they would execute Marcus immediately. It was all Helo could do to prevent Lucian going in alone, and then they had to prevent others from joining the team. Every one of the people who had been training with Marcus and Lucian, and even some other pilots and deck crew had wanted in. Marcus had quickly ingratiated himself with Galactica personnel, his easy manner, humour and skill as well his ability to just always be likeable. Galactic had embraced the Pegasus pilot as one of their own and now he was in danger – Helo had to wonder what insane person would want to anger so many just to get to Lucian.
There had to be easier ways. But then it was the only way to truly get his absolute attention – and probably the only way to really hurt him. Whoever had organised this may be insane but certainly not stupid, but as they stood there looking down the corridor at the storage bay door Helo was at a loss to explain what these people hoped to achieve. They may kill Marcus, they may even kill Lucian if he gave himself over to them – but there was no escape; no Admiral Cain or any of her ilk to absolve them of this action. It was madness and it made Helo all too aware of how the cylons viewed humanity – dangerous and ultimately self-destructive.
Lee impatiently stepped forward, it was his ship after all, but Lucian shot a hand out and stopped him. The commander glared at the Fury for a moment but then backed down, perhaps their earlier run in had precipitated such a retreat or maybe he just trusted Lucian's judgement. Either way the command of this situation was silently passed to Lucian. He was suited up in his Fury uniform but carried just a pistol, although Helo was positive he would have several knives hidden on his body. Picking up a loose crate Lucian tossed it halfway along the deck, it landed in an explosion of sparks and the lights flickered and died. Almost immediately the back-up systems kicked in and the alarms were sounded, the sound was cut at a word from Lee but the flashing red remained. Helo and Lucian looked at each, each saw the resolve in the other and in unison they stepped forward.
Nothing happened, whatever they had used to charge the deck plate had burned out – just to be sure Tyrol opened a panel and started rewiring. Before he had even finished Helo and Lucian were at the door and had tested the handle, it wasn't locked. Apart from the sounds of the rest of the group approaching there was little to hear, only the hushed operating systems of a modern Battlestar. Lucian paused with his hand on the release and lowered his head, an audible sigh escaped – the only evidence of the stress he was under. Starbuck had moved up and patted him on the arm; he nodded at her – their silent communication a carry over from years past.
Stealth was no longer needed, whoever was inside knew they were here so once he had checked everyone was in position Lucian swung the handle and pushed the door, it swung noiselessly into the storage bay while everyone crouched out of sight. The electrified deck had proven these guys meant business and only a fool would put his head through the door. Lucian was no fool but stood up and moved into the doorway, Helo waited for the bullets to slam into the Fury's body but nothing happened.
"Helo – Starbuck," Lucian ordered, "The rest of you stay here." He stepped through and the two pilots followed, their weapons drawn and pointed to the sides, Lucian would have the point covered. The power was out in the bay as well but no emergency lights had come on, Lucian switched on a torch light and his body suddenly tensed even more – if it was possible. At the back of the room Marcus was strapped into a metal chair, he was conscious but his face was covered in cuts and bruises. He was gagged and his clothes ripped and bloodied – if Helo knew Marcus not all that blood was his own. Two hooded figures stood to the side of the captive, each with a gun to his head. Another stood at the side wall and was leaning nonchalantly against a pipe. No faces could be seen because of the hoods but they were all male and had similar builds, the one against the wall seemed bulkier however and it was he who spoke first.
"Weapons," his voice was rasped, whether natural or to cover his identity Helo could not tell. Both Helo and Starbuck waited for Lucian to lower his pistol before doing the same. Lucian went further and dropped it to the ground, kicking it along the deck so that it disappeared into the shadow behind Marcus' chair.
"You have me," Lucian addressed the one to the side, "I am unarmed so let him go – I am no longer a danger to you."
All three hooded figures laughed and one with a gun moved to cover Lucian while the other kept his weapon against Marcus' head. The one on the pipe spoke again, "I doubt that, you did not really think we would let him live do you."
With that the figure covering Marcus grasped his pistol double handed – ready to shoot. All credit to Marcus thought Helo as the young man's eyes did not even change; he just continued to look at Lucian as if studying him; no fear and no panic evident in his expression.
"That would be a mistake," growled Lucian, "You really have no idea what I am capable of."
"Oh I think I do," said the man against the wall, stepping forward and removing his hood and cloak. The light barely illuminated him but it was enough for Helo and Starbuck to gasp – he was wearing an identical outfit to Lucian.
There was another Fury in the fleet.
A Fury who was not on their side.
Helo realised that the odds of anyone getting out of this room alive had just got very long, he had only an instant to think this before everything went crazy.
The other Fury started raising a pistol towards Lucian, who threw the torch up into the air and turned away, Helo followed suit – closing his eyes an instant before the flash-bomb inside the torch exploded.
In the seconds following it was only through muzzle flashes that Helo could see what was happening. Starbuck had also known what Lucian was doing and after the flash quickly took out the man over Marcus while Helo shot at the other, he caught him in the shoulder but then the man was upon him. Throwing away the gun Helo went for his knife and slashed at where he thought the other should be, a grunt and some resistance on the knife revealed he was mildly successful.
It was at that point the lights came back on – Tyrol had finally restored power, Helo had not been ready for it this time and was momentarily blinded. When he opened his eyes a figure resolved itself, the second guy he had slashed but this time Helo was at the end of the weapon, a pistol precariously close to his head.
A movement to the side revealed Lucian, who had seen Helo's predicament and had spun around from his fight with the other Fury and flicked his knife – embedding it in Helo's assailant. This saved Helo but opened up an opportunity for the other Fury who buried a knife in Lucian's back before kicking him over to Starbuck and Helo and covering them with a gun that magically appeared in his hand.
Helo grabbed Lucian before he fell and immediately checked the wound, it had gone in between the armour plating and blood was already seeping out but Lucian could still stand. He took a shuddering breath and turned back to the other Fury, but his pain was evident as he relied on Helo to keep him standing.
"McMillan," rasped Lucian, "What do you hope to achieve?"
The other Fury chuckled, "What we always work for Luc, survival – at all costs."
"And I'm in the way?" asked Lucian innocently.
"Unlike Cain I will not underestimate you," McMillan answered, "When the Pegasus turned up I finally saw how things should be run, but then Adama had to make a stand. Luckily Cain's death has not killed her belief, I and many others will continue to work for a humanity that allows only the strong to survive – only then can we exterminate the cylons."
"What others?" spat Starbuck, "A few hooded nut-jobs hardly make for a coup, and you may have us but there is no way you're getting out of this."
"Ah Kara Thrace," muttered McMillan, "You were on our recruitment list like young Lucian here – you had all the qualities except for one little problem."
Starbuck just snorted as McMillan moved around to cover them and the door, in the brighter light the three Galactica crew could see the entire room, the two bodies and Marcus still in the chair behind McMillan. Although not familiar with the Pegasus Helo recognised the re-enforced doors behind Marcus – this was not just a storage bay but a loading bay, the doors would open up into space and Helo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He knew how Furies operated and this being a loading bay would not just be chance, McMillan had some kind of back-up plan.
He wanted to somehow let Lucian know but there was no way, besides which Lucian was now letting almost all his weight fall on Helo who's hands were now covered in the Fury's blood from holding him up. This had to end soon or Lucian would bleed to death. Helo did not know this McMillan, he suspected he must have been on a civilian ship when the Pegasus arrived, but none the less it seemed the guy liked to talk. He could use that and it seemed Lucian was not capable of doing anything right now.
"What was the problem, she would have been too smart?" said Helo, hoping to antagonise McMillan.
The Fury was not that easily ruffled and just chuckled, "Nice try Agathorn, but no, we realised she had one little obstacle – a conscience. Something that just doesn't go well with our work."
"Crap," growled Lucian, who at that point almost collapsed, his legs turning to jelly, Helo had to ease him down and hold him up in a sitting position. From this stance Helo could see Lucian's face; obviously the fight had not gone well when the lights were out as blood dribbled from his nose and was fresh on his lips, also a cut on his temple made him squint one eye. Add to that his entire back was now saturated in blood from the knife wound and his skin colour had paled considerably.
"She would have made a great Fury," he continued, "Knowing right from wrong is at the very core of what we do, it is you McMillan who should never have been recruited."
This did seem to antagonise McMillan who stalked up and held his gun only a hand's width away from Lucian's head, "Right and wrong? You live in fantasy Luc, always have – the Brotherhood of Cain will prevail, the only regret is that you will not live to see it."
Lucian chuckled, "How cute – you even named yourselves."
"Laugh all you like but the Brotherhood has eyes and ears throughout the fleet, dozens of cells with hundreds of followers – devoted to an ideal of strength through purity, an ideal that will never include filth like you Lucian. A failure of a man who could not even pull off the simple rescue of your deviant lover."
This time Lucian laughed aloud and McMillan paused in his ranting, confused by the Fury's reaction.
Lucian sat up a little straighter and stared McMillan in the eye, "This was never a rescue mission you piece of shit, I just came to give Marcus his gun back."
Understanding dawned in McMillan's eyes a second before he heard the click of a gun cocking, too late he made to turn but Marcus put his pistol to the Fury's temple and fired.
BSGBSGBSGBSG
from Karl (Helo) Agathorn's perspective
I watched the doc work on Lucian and thought about how quickly this man had become part of my life and how close I had come to losing him. He'd been stabbed saving my life, not something I thought he would ever do because part of me had still believed that Fury's were just like McMillan. Ruthless, efficient and somewhat inhuman – with one track minds only intent on completing the mission, sound familiar? Lucian was many things; yes he was ruthless and efficient and extremely deadly – but inhuman? Lucian was far from that, he was more human than most people I know. He had hopes, dreams, a terrible sense of humour and was willing to give his life for another. If this was not enough I only had to see the way he looked at Marcus and how Marcus looked at him, even now as the young man stood next to me watching Lucian get patched up.
Lucian knew what it was to love, and to have someone love him even after all that had happened and all that may yet happen. Did I love the guy, gods yes but I now know there is not room for three in that relationship – and Sharon still needs me and yes I still love her – does that make me a lecherous bastard or what?
When he's recovered Lucian and Marcus are going to disappear. If the Brotherhood does exist and is not just a madman's boast then someone needs to find them and destroy them. Lucian can't do it alone and I can't leave Sharon, besides I'm not sure Marcus would be willing to lose Lucian again.
Where do I go from here? After being with Lucian I am more than just a pilot and navigator, more than just the guy that loves a cylon – I am a warrior who sees that the enemy is far more than just the cylons, that destruction can come in many ways and there must be those willing to face these dangers.
As I return to my quarters and open my locker I grin and then laugh as I realise what I am. Lucian has trained me, tested me and shown me the way. As I touch the red and black uniform he left me, my uniform with the triple headed insignia I can see that I am now much more than just Karl 'Helo' Agathorn.
I am a Fury.
THE END