And the progress his son was making.
With the ship it was easy to see, each day a new part was added, or the two engines had fewer of their parts scattered around them, or the spools that held the wiring looked a little lighter. Each day it looked closer to being a ship and not just a pile of metal.
Lee's progress was more subtle, but Bill was often a subtle man, or at least he liked to think so. The first few days the withdrawal symptoms were wreaking havoc on Lee, he'd been a grayish shade of green most of the time. When that passed he started to improve quickly, he'd finally tracked down a pilot with shears and got his hair back to a regulation length and his color improved everyday. Between his morning runs and evening workouts with Helo, his uniform was starting to fit correctly as well. Every day, he looked a little more like Bill's son and not the refugee he'd been a month before.
Looks were deceiving in this case, because while Lee was walking the corridors of Galactica, he'd remained on Caprica in spirit. He'd become closed off with nearly everyone but Helo and, according to the guard logs, he spoke with the Sharon he and Agathon had brought with them somewhat regularly.
At first Bill thought it was just him, but when he spoke with Kara she'd left hints that her own relationship with Lee was running "hot and cold," emphasis on the cold. Kara had described their recent conversations as akin to walking through a mine field.
His own experiences with Lee were not that different. There seemed to be glimmers of hope at times, but his son was as stubborn as he was. He knew that Lee wouldn't rest until he went back to Caprica and either found his mother or rescued the resistance they met and any words that his father said to the contrary would be met with either hostility or avoidance.
That was part of the reason he assigned Lee to oversee the construction of the fighter, because he needed time for his son to face the truth. No matter how much it hurt Lee, or Bill himself, to accept it.
"Sir." He turned to find Lee standing next to him on the catwalk, "Your daily inspection?"
He nodded slightly, "I just have to make sure you aren't down here trying to sweep any female deckhands off their feet."
His son actually chuckled as he tied the upper half of his orange coveralls around his waist, "It was Zak who did things like that. I was never all that popular with the ladies."
A gruff chuckle escaped him, "Son, I remember Zak telling me about a 'gaggle of girls' that passed your house every day to see you and Zoë Washburne playing Pyramid in the driveway with something akin to awe. I'm sure Zoë was pretty but I doubt they were fawning after her." Lee laughed and looked down at the lower level, his cheeks clearly pink. "How's it coming?"
"It's good, we've been getting help from all over, Petty Officer Dualla is down there right now working on the communication system. The Chief and I plan to finish up the engines this afternoon and perform a few start-up and burn tests in the morning before we install them."
A somewhat comfortable silence settled over them as they watched Kat and Cheese prepare for their patrol launch. Not long after the launch, Lee grinned slightly and shook his head. Bill turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "What?"
He shrugged, "I was just thinking about my time on the Atlantia and the Solaria and wondering if Cheese is short for something."
He shook his head at his son but enjoyed the seeming ease of the moment, "Dad?" He turned at the tone of voice Lee used and wondered what was bothering him. He'd been gone most of Lee's childhood, but his son always seemed to save the important questions for those rare occasions that Bill made time to call home or took a few days leave.
When he was young, Lee had brought him the questions that all young boys asked their fathers, about life and school and who were the Cylons and what things like duty and honor were. He sat with wide-eyed awe as Bill did his best to muddle through those questions and not confuse his son.
Then as Lee grew into adolescence, his father's absence and withdrawn nature took their toll and he began to resent not having Bill around. Then he'd divorced Caroline and married Anne and suddenly Lee's questions turned hard and accusatory. How could Bill leave them? Why was he always gone? How could he not only love another woman but a Battlestar more than Lee and Zak and the woman who bore them? Then by the time Lee had started the Academy the questions and almost everything else stopped…
Lee's voice just now reminded him of long ago conversations where his son wanted to know something only his father could tell him. Perhaps that was why Bill tried to stretch the moment out, the nostalgia and warmth of that thought was too good to resist. He finally removed his glasses and blue eyes met each other as father and son, "What is it, Lee?"
With a casual movement, Lee took a perch on the hand rail and spoke, "I was wondering… I mean, President Roslin isn't exactly the type of politician you mesh too well with."
He nodded, "I suppose that's true, especially when she campaigned with Adar for his first term."
Lee grinned, "Zak used to love telling me how you called Adar's administration a bunch of 'Nanny-State Idiots.'" Bill responded with a slight frown, he remembered that conversation with Zak well as he'd told him Lee was starting War College. The mention of Zak sobered them both, they'd each discussed what happened with Kara but it occurred to him in that moment that they'd never discussed what Zak's death did to them. "I just-"
Bill cut him off, "It was right after we jumped away from Ragnar, I was in my cabin looking through some of my books on the Sacred Scrolls, trying to get some idea on a direction. Roslin came in and we discussed some things, including Earth and came to an understanding concerning her role as President and my role as Military Commander. Then the conversation turned to you."
He looked out over the flight deck and felt a scowl come over his features, "My mood was understandably bleak, Kara and I had been going through what few possessions you had and the President could have easily spouted platitudes about honor and patriotism and sacrifice…" He looked to Lee again, "She didn't, instead she just gave me this look and said, 'if I could trade my life for Captain Apollo's I would in a heartbeat and I'll go to my grave regretting not calling him back to our convoy when I had the chance.'"
He watched a number of emotions pass over his son's face, "I don't know why, but that comforted me son. We talked about you often for the next few weeks and she told me how much she respected and admired you and how she'd appreciated everything you'd done for her in those first few hours. She listened to stories about you; we even brought Kara into a few of those conversations. You created a link between us, son."
Silence settled between them as Lee took in what his father had said, "Sirs?"
The two men looked up to see Specialist Seelix saluting at the top of the staircase with a clipboard in her hand. The Commander returned the salute and told her to stand at rest, "What is it Specialist?"
Her eyes darted towards Lee and a flush passed over her cheeks for a moment, "Captain Adama wanted to see this morning's diagnostic report."
Lee had jumped off the railing and extended his hand, the younger woman handed him the clipboard. Lee took it and gave her a smile that reminded Bill of Caroline with the way it lit up his face. He scanned over the report for a moment then said, "Thanks Seelix, I'll sign off on these and give them to the Chief later."
She flushed again, "My pleasure, sir." She gave him one last smile and descended the steps.
Bill gave his son a skeptical look and Lee flushed himself, "Okay, so maybe there were a few girls who liked to come by the house when Zoë and I were practicing but I'll never admit to a 'gaggle.'"
Bill took a chance while Lee seemed to be open, "Son, what happened on Caprica?"
The younger Adama frowned while his eyes searched the distance for the memories of his experiences. "It was… I told you about most of it. I was alone for most of it, I think it was over a month before Helo and Boomer found me."
"I know you were looking for your mother, but did you ever see anyone else?"
He shook his head, "Not until we found the C-Bucs. It was weird, it was like they rounded everyone up that first night while I was in the forest and by the time I got to Caprica City…" He shook his head.
Bill nodded, "Did you hear anything?"
"Some rumors when we were with the resistance, prison camps, forced labor, that sort of thing. Anders' intel was sketchy at best but it fits the facts."
"Those are?"
"They didn't hit anything but the power grid, military bases and The Capitol Building. They wanted survivors, they wanted as many as possible."
He took that in, he didn't ask for theories in Lee and Karl's reports to allow them some time to gain some distance and perspective. He wanted them now because he felt it would be healthy for Lee. "Why would they want survivors?"
Lee was silent for a long time, staring into the distance before he whispered, "Breeding." Lee then faced him, "They want to create a race of hybrids."
Bill suddenly felt violently ill. It was the last thing he'd expected, even with the pregnant Cylon in the brig. "Our Prisoner is part of that?"
"Maybe at first, but I think… She loves Karl."
"Programmed to-"
Lee shook his head, "I-ah, I don't think that's it, sir. I think that somewhere along the way the Cylons succeeded in recreating humanity, more than they hoped. She went native and I don't think she liked the idea of the Cylons raising her child. I think she feared what they'd do to her child."
"So you think that after the Cylon became pregnant, that it decided to help you in earnest?"
Lee sighed, "May I make a suggestion sir?" At his nod, Lee said, "Let Helo question the Prisoner, you can have someone observing the interview but I think that maybe she'd be willing to help if it meant the welfare of her baby."
"Don't you think he's a little close to the Cylon?"
Lee shook his head, "I think that right now, Karl's the only person in the Fleet who doesn't see the Cylon that shot you."
"He'll push to have her released eventually."
Lee frowned, "At some point, so will I." The pilot smiled sadly at what had to have been his incredulous face, "She saved my life sir, and she helped me get off Caprica when she could have just sold me out to save her and Karl."
Bill scowled, "She could sell us out if she was loose."
"Let's be honest sir, if she was motivated enough she could sell us out with a thought. She came with us to protect her child, she provided intel on Kobol, maybe she'd offer more if she didn't have to fear that she was about to be air-locked every minute of the day."
He pondered his son's words for a moment before he spoke, "I think it might be best if Lt. Agathon and I spoke to the Prisoner, as you were, Captain." Lee straightened and saluted him; Bill returned the salute and left the flight deck to track down Helo.
&&&&&&&&&
Sharon had been dozing and was caught slightly off guard when her cell door came open. She sat up to find to two marines coming through the door with a table. They set it up in front of her and then brought in two chairs placing them on the far side of the table.
One took position by the door while the other took the chair she kept by the phone and placed it on her side of the table before taking position by the door himself. Out of reflex, she shot to her feet and snapped to attention a moment later when the Commander stepped through the door into her cell. The marines tensed while Adama regarded her with a raised eyebrow. She had to stifle a smile as Karl followed the Old Man into the cell. He gave her a reassuring expression while he and the Commander took a seat at the table.
She followed their lead and took the remaining seat at the table. She watched as Adama seemed to boil with numerous thoughts and feelings for tense seconds before the stone in his expression settled into his eyes and he spoke, "Ms. Valerii."
Sharon felt a chill go through her, the memories of the other Sharon were filled with a strange melding of admiration and fear of this man who was her commanding officer for so long. She settled herself and said, "Commander."
He cleared his throat, "Are you comfortable?"
She felt only a tiny bit relieved, "As comfortable as I can be, yes sir. Thank you."
He removed his glasses and gave her that same iron-crushing stare he'd given her counterpart the day of The Attacks and spoke, "Captain Adama and Lieutenant Agathon have expressed to me what you did to help them on Caprica as well as the information you provided to us while the Fleet was orbiting Kobol. They've expressed their gratitude to you."
Adama paused for a moment and Sharon took a moment to glance at Karl she felt warmth spread through her at the reassuring look in his eyes. She turned back to Adama as he spoke again, "They've convinced me that the continued survival of this fleet, and by extension, the Human Race may depend upon you. With that in mind, I've decided to offer you a chance to earn our trust."
"To do that, I'm willing to offer something on good faith, Lieutenant Agathon will be interviewing you over the next few weeks, he'll be recording the sessions as well. If you co-operate, I'll be willing to offer some additional comforts. I'm also willing to make a promise to you, as long as you do not actively endanger the fleet I assure you that we will not experiment upon you in any way. Do you have any questions?"
She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and shook her head silently. Adama stood up and left the cell, taking the marines with him. She turned to Karl and he smiled at her, he reached across the table and their fingers intertwined. He squeezed her hand and spoke, "Apollo…" He coughed and began again, "Apollo convinced the Old Man to give you a chance."
She nodded, "I figured as much."
"I only asked that I could interview you face to face."
She grinned, "You're taking a big chance."
He nodded, "You're worth it Sharon."
She pulled his hand to her and kissed his knuckles before releasing him, "I'll answer what I can, but bear in mind that I don't know everything."
He picked up his notepad off the table and pulled out a pen and tape recorder, "We should probably start with the Cylon agents. Can you provide some of the identifying characteristics of the models you know about?"
End Part