Karl found Kara in Ops Planning at the map table clearly trying to work out a rescue mission. He crossed the room and came to a stop next to her and took notice of the moisture gathering at the corner of her eyes. As she moved around models to try and get optimal cover position for a raptor marked "rescue."
He sighed, things between him and Kara were far better then they had been when he thought she was a willing partner in Dee's deception but they were still strained. No longer was he her passive best friend and sounding board, he was a man who'd judged her. Something he'd long ago swore to himself he'd never do.
However, he was still her friend and when the Admiral called her up to CIC and informed her that the Cylons were blockading the planet below and there was a chance they would have to nuke the surface with their people still down there, Kara's face told him all he needed to know. She'd need him.
He broke the silence gently, "Kara-"
She turned to him with a scowl and snapped out, "I'm not in the mood right now, Karl." He tried to step towards her and she took a step back. She landed in a very clear fighting stance as she hissed between clenched teeth, "Karl, I'm warning you."
He took another step and her fist flew, catching him on the cheek in almost the same spot Lee had a few days ago. He was undeterred and pulled her resisting form into an embrace. After a few minutes he felt a damp spot forming on his uniform and she shook against him. He relaxed; hopefully he wouldn't be hit anymore.
After a few minutes, she pulled back and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes. "Is it wrong for me to wish that the Cylons had waited a few days to show up?"
He leaned against the table, "So I'd be down there instead of Apollo?" She nodded and he grinned, "Somehow I doubt Lee'd come down here to make sure you were alright."
She gave him a watery smile, "Karl, no offence but I just don't think I'd be as broken up." She turned back to the table with a scowl, "They just found out about each other and the Cylons are gonna take Lee from Kacey. It's just so frakked up." She bowed her head and Karl noticed a tear splatter on the table top, "I should have told him months ago."
He reached out and gripped her forearm. When she finally looked back up at him, he spoke with as much conviction as he could muster, "We'll get them- we'll get him off the surface. I promise you, Lee will be back on Galactica making us all miserable before you know it." He grinned when her face screwed up not in angst but rather annoyance.
He took a step back and spoke more formerly, "Now, there's still a matter of striking the XO. Captain Thrace, I'm ordering you to quarters to spend some time with your daughter." He smiled reassuringly, "It's going to be fine Kara, I promise."
She nodded and left him a moment later. He looked the map over for a moment then shook his head before leaving Ops Planning as well.
He was almost to CIC when Sharon came around the corner with the Admiral and by the disturbed look in her eyes, he'd wager something was wrong. "Sharon, what-"
She cut him off, "Not here."
&
"While you and the President were meeting with Cavil and Baltar, I spoke with Boomer."
The statement hung in the air for a second before the Admiral said, "Are you sure?"
Sharon nodded, "Yes. We can differentiate between copies. She told me Hera was alive."
Karl was on his feet in an instant, his eyes searching the room wildly, as though his daughter was in the room in some as yet unseen location. The Admiral's reaction was more restrained; he removed his glasses and scrubbed his hand over his face. She realized that it was perhaps the first time she'd seen even that much emotion from the Admiral. That one action of resigned anger was also enough to give her hope, hope that Boomer was wrong about them, some of them at least.
Karl finally realized that just because Hera was alive, it didn't mean she was there. He turned bewildered features upon her, "Where is she?"
Sharon kept her eyes on the Admiral, "She's on the Base Ship, she's ill. Did you know?"
For just a moment, he seemed to lose focus on the moment and she wondered if Lee had asked him the same question about his own daughter. He quickly regained his composure, cementing it by replacing his glasses and rising to his feet. "No." He cleared his throat and turned towards the hatch. Before leaving he paused, "If you'll excuse me, I need to discuss this with the President immediately."
&
Bill stepped into his own cabin, a small voice in the back of his mind wondered how many times he'd have a conversation in this room that would leave someone feeling completely betrayed; Kara's confession about his son's death, his talk with Lee before the battle with the resurrection ship, Laura confessing her role in the election, and he now suspected he'd have to pry another confession from her about Hera.
It was enough to make him want to call maintenance and have them weld the hatch shut.
He found Laura at his desk pouring over the scriptures. Hearing his entrance she started speaking, "There's not much about the Eye in these scriptures but there's quite a bit about the Temple itself, 'Five pillars of the Temple were fashioned after the five priests devoted to the one whose name cannot…'" She looked at him quizzically when he reached across the desk and closed the book. "What is it, Bill?"
He scowled, it seemed every time he started to really feel something for this woman the Gods saw fit to do things like this. "The Cylon we knew as Boomer came aboard. She says they have Hera on board the Base Ship…" He paused just long enough to try and gauge her reaction, but she'd become quite the politician since the initial flight from the Colonies. He couldn't read her at all, "She said that Hera had been seen at your school on New Caprica."
Laura's eyes were clenched shut as she muttered what sounded like, "She's still alive." She removed her glasses and looked at him; he felt a small surge of bitter amusement as he suspected she'd picked up that mannerism from him. "Yes, the child was at the school. I kept her there. She was captured during the exodus from New Caprica." She rose to her feet and attempted to pin his gaze with hers, "I know what you're thinking and that's also true, but listen to me-"
He spun on his heel and left whatever reasons she might have had behind. He didn't want to hear them.
For the first time, he could completely understand what his son had felt when Leoben told him about Kacey and he couldn't help but wonder why any god would see fit as to choose these people to fulfill prophecy.
&
The marine led Sam Anders into the command building and took a position by the door; it was pretty much what the former guerilla leader expected; desks, charts, a few weapons and Lee Adama.
When the Chief had come to him a half-hour ago asking him to help them put together a defense position for some temple while the Chief looked for some mystical sign-post to Earth or blew it up he thought for just a moment that his ex-wife was down here but he knew Apollo was down here and he was pretty sure he knew the other man well enough that he wouldn't have him and Starbuck down here at the same time, for military reasons and personal ones as well.
He didn't know if anyone on Galactica realized it, but the happenings on the military ship often served as the only form of entertainment for the rest of the Fleet. Some of the shit that had gone on over there sounded a lot like the soaps that Sue-Shaun loved so much. Especially the half-rumors/half-speculation about the little girl Kara brought back from New Caprica.
He found it strangely fitting that the kid that broke up his marriage was Lee Adama's daughter. It gave him a sense of symmetry. Perhaps that was why he seemed to listen intently for any speculation about Kacey, most of them variations on the theme that Lee had apparently knocked up one of the Sixes before the Attacks, though a few were a bit more far fetched.
Lee seemed completely unaware of his presence so he leaned casually against one of the desks until the officer finally deigned to recognize his presence. Seconds ticked by silently until the pilot's voice broke the silence, "I wanted to personally thank you, Mr. Anders. For doing this. We don't have too many options at this point but we can't let the-"
Sam chuckled, "Cut the crap Lee, the civvies are just as dead as the Fleet if the bulletheads decided to come in shooting so we've got as much reason as you to fight."
The shorter man seemed to deflate for just a moment before resuming his previous stiff-backed posture, "I suppose that's true enough."
The once-and-again guerilla fighter kicked off the desk, trying to figure out how to talk to Lee, "It must be… difficult, y'know, being away from Kara and Kacey, especially when we might not get back to the Fleet."
Lee looked at him quizzically for a long time before he said, "How do you know about Kacey?"
He laughed outright this time, "C'mon Apollo, you can't honestly think we don't pay attention to every frakking thing that goes on over on Galactica, can you? You guys have been some of the biggest drama since 'Picon Defense Force' on DelphiNet."
Lee's face went from curiosity to confusion to incredulity in about three seconds. The officer then let out a bemused chuckle, "Frakking figures." He sagged against the wall and said, "It's… probably even more complicated than you know. But I'll do you a favor and tell you, you can sell it to the wireless too for all I care. My ex-wife strong-armed Kara into not telling me for months. Said she'd get Kara thrown off Galactica somehow… it doesn't matter. What matters is that it was a Leoben that finally told me. I've… Well, I just can't deal with Kara right now."
Sam had expected a lot of things when he walked in here and saw Apollo; him gloating, detached professionalism, maybe even an apology for taking his wife away. What he didn't expect was this. "So you just cut them out of your life, is that it?"
Lee shook his head, "No, Kacey deserves a hell of a lot more than that from me. She deserves a family; a father, I may be frakked up, but I'm trying to be there for her."
The pyramid player stepped forward and spoke quietly, "And Kara? What does she deserve?"
The viper pilot was silent for a long time, he seemed to be mulling that over, almost arguing with himself. Finally he locked eyes with Anders and said, "That's the question, isn't it?"
Another silence followed, but this time both seemed to suddenly remember who they were talking to. Lee cleared his throat and said, "Get your people ready Sam, we'll head to the Temple shortly to set up the perimeter." Sam managed a nod before Lee left him alone.