Some time later, her mind resurfaced.

Stars. Pretty Stars. Boom. Silver Boom. Silver Boom Galactica. Viper? Yes, Viper. Silver Boom Galactica Viper. Still doesn't make sense.

Start over.

Vipers. Cylons. Dark. Light. Light! Too bright! Can't breathe! Go back to dark! Voices…people! Bright!

"She's coming out of it! Her eyes flickered!" someone far away cried.

Celeste blinked as her eyes adjusted. She began to move everything at once to sit up. Then she stopped when a wave of pain and stiffness enveloped her. Celeste lay back down and closed her eyes.

"Felgercarb." Celeste said. Then her eyes flew open. "Apollo! Where's Captain Apollo? I've got to tell him something…"

"Just relax. You've had a rough senton. I'm sure Captain Apollo will be glad to come see you as soon as you're ready." A pretty blonde med-tech stood over Celeste's bed, talking soothingly to the woman pilot.

Celeste sighed, "How long do I have to lay here?"

"Until you're better," the med-tech said, a little less soothingly.

"And…'bout how long will that be?" Celeste groaned.

The blonde med-tech sighed. "You warriors are all alike. You won't give yourselves time to heal!" She shook her head, "At least a secton. You did a pretty good job of getting yourself banged up." The blonde wiped her eyes.

"So I feel." Celeste winced. Then she squinted at the blonde, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." The med-tech turned away, "What do you mean?"

"Come on, I know those tears aren't for me. And med-techs don't just cry for no reason." Celeste said sarcastically. She softened, "What's the matter?"

The blonde sniffed, "I just…just…well…my pilot didn't…come home today."

"Oh," Celeste looked down, "that's a tough one. It's always hard to lose someone."

"Yes," The med-tech said softly, "It is."

"My friend Apollo lost one of his best friends." Celeste said, staring out a viewglass near her bed.

"I know," said the blonde woman, "Starbuck was my pilot."

"Really?" Celeste was slightly surprised, "Wow. I'm so sorry. I've never lost a boyfriend. Of course, it's hard to lose something you've never had. I lost a family, though."

The blonde tried to stop the flood of tears, "I feel so terrible! I'm crying, and you're the one who got rammed by a Cylon!"

"Aw, don't worry about it. I understand." Celeste said comfortingly, "Believe me…I understand"

"My name's Cassiopeia," the med-tech said.

Celeste smiled kindly, "I'm ..."

"Celeste?" Apollo walked in, concern all over his face. Cassiopeia quietly slipped out.

"Hey, Captain, what'd you think of that landing?" Celeste grinned teasingly.

Apollo tried to smile, for her sake, "A little sloppy. It could use work."

"I'll bet you're wondering if I ever actually land Vipers during combat." Celeste joked, then she grew serious, "the Viper…?"

"A total loss. They're not even sure they can use it for salvage."

The reality of what had happened slammed into Celeste like the Cylon had slammed into her Viper.

"Wow," she said.

"Yeah." Apollo sat down on a chair next to Celeste's bed, "So, how are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit in the head with a battlestar."

"You did."

"Well, that explains it."

"You sound like Starbuck." Apollo said without thinking. Celeste suddenly found her blanket very intriguing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" she started.

"No, it's ok. I'm sorry…" Apollo interrupted her. She glanced up.

Apollo looked deeply into Celeste's blue eyes. Celeste looked deeply back. She could tell he was hurting. If only he knew…would he believe her?

She'd have to try. He was her only chance. Their only chance.

"Captain? Did Boomer give you a message?" she asked.

"Somewhat. He said it was hard to hear you because there was too much static on the comm."

Celeste looked at him seriously, "I need to tell you something. You've got to promise me that, no matter how crazy it sounds, you'll hear me out, okay?"

She had Apollo's interest.

"Okay," he agreed.

Celeste took a deep breath, wincing when it found her cracked ribs.

"They're alive," Celeste's voice was almost a whisper. Her eyes were closed. "all of them!"

"All of who?" Apollo asked cautiously.

"All of the fighter pilots who were shot down in the past ten yahrens."

Apollo's eyes grew even sadder than before. He stood up slowly.

"Apollo! It's true! I saw them…on a Cylon basestar..."

Apollo stopped. He sighed, "That's impossible, Celeste. They're gone."

"No! I thought so too! Until I was shot down myself!" Celeste's voice was pleading and full of conviction. She fully believed what she was saying. Apollo faced her again, "What?" he said.

"Remember when I told you that I disappeared shortly after graduating from the Academy? My ship was destroyed, but I was transported somehow to a Cylon basestar. That's how I found it out. The Cylons are turning our warriors against us, Captain! They're brainwashing them…giving them Cylon capabilities and taking away their humanity! They started to change me, but I escaped." Celeste took a shaking breath. She was awakening memories that had been deeply buried for yahrens…for good reason. They haunted her.

"Why are you telling me this?" Apollo's eyes were distant.

"Because," Celeste looked down, "you believed me when I told you about my life. You helped me start a new life. You're…different, Captain. Different from all the other people I've met. You care. And I felt that I could trust you." Celeste blinked back a tear, "I had to tell someone! Ever since my…experience…I've sworn I'd return someday and free those warriors who couldn't escape."

Apollo was silent for several microns.

"What makes you think they're still…human?"

"The process takes at least ten yahrens to be complete." Celeste answered tiredly. She had told Apollo. Now it was up to him. She had done what she could.

Apollo stood up, "I'd like to believe you, Celeste." He shook his head, "You can't imagine how much I want to…but I can't. There's just no proof."

"I'm the proof!" Celeste cried in one final attempt. She could feel her one chance…their one chance…slipping away, "Apollo, you've seen me fight! Do you really think they teach those maneuvers at the Academy?"

Apollo, still shaking his head, walked out of the room, "I wish it could be true."

Tears came to Celeste's eyes. All those people. They had no hope now. Good warriors, all of them. They had dedicated their lives to protecting the Colonies from the Cylons. Celeste's Ithaca squadron…Starbuck…and even Apollo's brother! They had given their lives. She wouldn't let them die that way. Not Celeste. There had to be something she could do!

The woman warrior's eyes darkened to a determined gleam.

Celeste began scheming.

Sentons passed. Aside from scheming, Celeste spent the time being bored. She couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't even play Pyramid. All she could do was stare out a viewglass as med-techs made a fuss over her. They thought she was some kind of hero. Celeste didn't feel like a hero.

She stared at the stars as they went by. The woman marveled at the stars. Too long, she had been stuck on Vaga with its starless, endless nights. Celeste loved the stars. They seemed infinite. They somehow represented hope. Hope, that there might be a place, somewhere in all that infinity, where she could belong. Somewhere where she wasn't an outsider.

Somewhere to call "home".

Someday, I'll have a family, Celeste thought.