Luana turned on her heel and started walking away from Starbuck. She knew they should stick together, but right now she was just too tempted to reach down, grab his laser and shoot him. She hated him. She wasn't quite sure how they had gone from potential lovers to enemies in the space of ten centons, but she had heard that with Starbuck anything was possible.

"Luana, wait!" he called. Common sense finally penetrated his brain and he knew they couldn't split up, especially, with both of them injured. She kept going with her back straight and her head held high. "That's a fracking order, Ensign!" he barked at her and saw with a small amount of satisfaction that she had stopped. She remained with her back to him, akimbo, foot tapping impatiently waiting for him. He pondered stressing the respect of your superior officers a little bit more with his next group of cadets as he dragged himself over to the river and quickly rinsed off the blood, urine and vomit that he continued to be sporting for the season. There was still an uncomfortable ache in his left flank and he really wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground and rest, but he knew their best chance lay in being reunited with their fellow warriors and, if possible, getting back to the Vipers before dawn.

Starbuck waded out of the river and back to his discarded clothes. He noted Luana had not changed her impatient stance. As he struggled back into his clothing—or at least his pants and boots, everything else was either disgusting or discarded—he shivered in the cool night air, recalling that his flight jacket was stowed in the pack. Of course, that was inconveniently located on Lu's back. He covered his shoulders with the damp blanket and caught up with her.

As soon as she heard him approach, Luana started walking in the direction she and Sheba took earlier that day. She heard him sigh, but she was danged if she was going to let him get another rise out of her and started trudging forward, impatient to find more tolerable company. She expected him to tell her he would lead the way, but he stayed quiet, apparently satisfied with her chosen direction. As she walked she again thought back to the course of events that started her thinking of Starbuck as more than a friend. She realized now that she had definitely given in to the same rumour mill about his legend as the rest of the female cadets. Ruefully, she remembered he was one Hades of a kisser and he did things to her senses that would probably be considered immoral if not illegal by the Ancient Empyrean Houses. After all, a young woman of her age was naturally curious about such things. Especially, a young woman from a world with no men. Starbuck was not only incredibly attractive, but she trusted him. She snorted to herself. Correction, she used to trust him. Now, wait a moment, girl. Just what did you want him to do? Toss Cassiopeia aside and settle down with you to have two kids, two Vipers and a daggit? She shuddered at that mental picture, especially when the daggit looked suspiciously like Muffit. What exactly was she looking for from Starbuck when she kissed him? The truth was she wasn't really sure. She just wanted her first passionate kiss from someone she was attracted to and could trust not to be talking about her in the barracks the next day. Well, after his follow-up act she could be assured of that at least. However, that kiss would probably have gone a lot further if he hadn't been suddenly stricken with . . . whatever the Hades that was. If she was honest with herself, she would have been an eager participant. That was the surprising part really, she was just looking to be kissed, but when clutch came to grab, their passion would have taken them beyond her wildest dreams.

Starbuck trudged after Luana, the chill in the air helping to keep his exhausted body alert. How the frack did he manage to screw up all the good things in his life? Quite the track record you have, Bucko. He shook his head as he tried to figure out what had happened to destroy his relationship with Luana. He should have followed his gut back on that mountain when it was warning him about Luana's snuggling. Well, at least then he would have had a clue when she started ogling him by the riverbank. At first, he had thought it was just Luana being . . .well, Lu. She had a way of flirting with him, which he had become comfortable with. It was just harmless flirting he had told himself several times. Hades, he was the master of harmless flirting, he could give as good as he could take. He suspected that she had very little sexual experience and the way she had looked away when he caught her watching him bathe confirmed that for him. She was just curious. He could live with that. However, when the innocent young woman met him as he waded in and offered him the blanket that was still warm with her body heat . . . frack, that was erotic. It had caught him completely off guard. He smiled at his recollection of inanely thanking her. Smooth talker. She had mentioned something about looking at his wounds, but he was still stuck on the erotic blanket exchange. Then she leaned in and whispered in his ear and he couldn't believe his body's response to that seemingly innocuous gesture. She kissed him. What in Hades was it about that kiss? He could still remember the light caress of her lips and thinking he should give her a gentle kiss, the way he had with Aurelia so long ago now at the Empyrean Ball. Then her hand entangled in his hair and she pressed herself against him and all Hades broke loose. It was like blasting out of a launch tube the way their passion had suddenly erupted. Just when he had thought he was happy in a somewhat long term, monogamous relationship with Cassie, this happens.

Cassie. Oh, Cassie was going to kill him when she found out. Starbuck knew he had to tell her and suffer the consequences. She had put up with a lot of felger from him already and this would be one more black mark against him. He wondered how she would take it. There was a time when she would have laughed it off, almost expected it of him, but those days were gone. They had matured in their relationship after all, and she had the right to expect more of him. Well, maybe it was just Cassie who had matured. Starbuck wondered if he actually had the genetic predisposition to mature in a relationship. Was that it? Did he do these things on purpose to get out of commitment? Sheba had said that to him once. She could see right through his pathetic self-pity and 'it's really not my fault' declarations. How was he going to handle this when they connected with Sheba and the others? Apollo would kill him too; especially after his vow that Luana was just a friend and a kid! Well, looking on the bright side, if Apollo, Sheba and Lia decided to kill him, he wouldn't have to face Cassiopeia at all.

----------

Lia stayed alert as she possibly could curled up against Apollo looking out the entrance of the cave. Lia and Sheba flanked Apollo on either side with their only survival blanket pulled up over all of them. It was actually kind of cozy in a strange sort of way. Sheba had told them that it was even colder than the previous night when her and Luana had spent their hours huddled beside one another in a pit. They had all shared some nourishment and then started trying to rest as much as possible, which was difficult when you were acutely aware of an ever-present altar that was probably used for human sacrifices. Sheba had taken the first watch and now it was Lia's turn. She had thought she would see Starbuck's flare by now and was beginning to get worried. The only encouraging factor was that Sheba thought the creatures slept at night and thus far, there had been no signs of them.

Suddenly, a welcoming bright red filled the sky. She just about jumped for joy and certainly startled Apollo and Sheba from their slumber. They blinked their eyes. Even Apollo could see the flashes of light they had been awaiting anxiously all evening. "Okay, I'll be back soon." Lia said to them as she grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder.

"Lia, slow down." Apollo warned her. "I know we haven't seen any signs of the creatures, but just stay alert and don't take any chances." He had been torn when Lia had insisted on making this trip. Sheba had far more experience, but Sheba was exhausted. Even the lieutenant admitted that Lia was the best warrior for the job.

"Don't worry, Apollo, I'll be careful. I always am. Just ask Starbuck . . . soon." She told him as she grinned and headed down the hill to find her sister.

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Starbuck watched Luana fire the flare. They had come as far as the meadow that they had been attacked in and Luana was having some difficulty following the trail to the cave. He knew she was tired and sore, otherwise her keen eyes would have no trouble finding the trail of one heavily limping man escorted by two women. Now they were simply waiting in silence for their contact to show up. It should be any centon if they were really as close as Lia had said. They had barely said anything to one another on their brief walk from the river. Well, other than him telling her to fire a flare and that he had prearranged with Sheba to be on the lookout for their sign. His back and abdomen were beginning to spasm painfully again and he wished he could send her ahead so he could be alone in his humiliation and agony. It would be his luck that she would get apprehended by a party of creatures that had stayed up late for an illicit card game. He tried to take slow, deep breaths and he slid his way down the trunk of a tree as his legs started to give out under him. The pain seemed to be higher up this time and he thankfully realized he didn't have an overwhelming need to urinate. It's the little things in life, Bucko, that make you happy.

Luana put the flare gun back in the pack and looked out anxiously awaiting her sister. She knew Lia would be the one to come. Sheba would be dead on her feet and Apollo was injured. Starbuck had filled her in on some of the events that had befallen them as they had made their way to the river. Of course, that was before the kiss and all the horrible things they had said to each other. She was reasonably sure that she had only spoken two words to him since then. "Yes, sir." She knew that would drive him crazy. She looked back at him then and was startled to see him curled up in a ball kneeling at the base of a tree. Frack! She ran over to him and was again uncertain what she should be doing to help. She pulled the hypospray out, but then second guessed herself as she remembered the last doses of pain killer did nothing to help while he was suffering and had then just about killed him afterwards.

Starbuck was sucking his breath in between his teeth in an effort to avert the rising nausea. He tried to think of a suitable mantra to get him through this. Don't wet your pants-in. Don't wet your pants-out. Maybe he was paying more attention than he thought to his brief session of hatha therapy. He became aware of a gentle hand smoothing his hair back from his face and he lifted his head from his knees to stare into Luana's gentle, dark eyes. His own eyes misted up when he saw her tears spilling down her cheeks. He closed his eyes again as another spasm racked his body feeling as though it would rip him apart. He felt her hands gently cupping his face as she lowered her forehead to his while muttering words that were meant to be soothing. Frack, he wasn't going to have to worry about whether Apollo or Cassie would kill him, this pain was going to beat them to it!

"Luana! What happened?" Lia shouted on the run. She had been startled to see Luana kneeling down in front of Starbuck, almost like a lover, they were so close. It had only taken a micron for her to realize something was very wrong.

"Lia! Thank the Lords!" Luana looked around, but didn't let go of the lieutenant. She felt like whooping for joy she was so relieved at her sister's arrival. Lia had spent some time with Rhiamon, the Empyrean healer, and she would be able to help Starbuck . . . she hoped. "It just started suddenly. He has pain in his back and stomach. It happened once before and when I gave him a couple shots of painkiller it didn't help at all. Just knocked him into next secton when the pain let up."

Lia kneeled down on Starbuck's other side. He was still sucking each breath in through his teeth, his body tense with pain and effort. She wondered where his flight jacket had gone to and put a hand on his chilled skin pulling the blanket tighter around him. What was she supposed to do if she couldn't give him a painkiller? She shook her head, wondering where the pain was coming from. This was hardly the time to do a proper examination. Her eyes looked over her sister. Luana looked awful. Sheba had warned her of her sister's shoulder wound and surprisingly Luana didn't seem to be the least bit affected by it right now. Lia noticed the tears on her sister's face and reflected that Luana had been feeling as helpless as Lia presently did. Finally, Starbuck's body began to relax and his breathing slowed.

"What's going on, Starbuck?" Lia asked him.

Starbuck opened his eyes to gaze in surprise at Lia. How long had she been there? Frack, so much for keeping his little problem to himself. He felt totally drained and all he could mutter was, "I'm fine now".

"What is it with you and Apollo and your fracking 'I'm fine's'? Do you have some kind of stupid code whereby you only admit to being injured if you're missing a limb and have arterial blood spurting out of your stump?" she asked him incredulously. Men were so bizarre.

He smiled at that. Lia wasn't far from the truth in her assessment. 'Fine' meant he could continue. He knew he would need a few centons, but like the last attack, he would be back on his feet soon. Starbuck looked over at Luana who was still scant centimetrons from his face. She watched him with concern as she continued to stroke his hair. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of her touch unconsciously tilting his head towards her hand.

Lia looked from Luana to Starbuck wondering what was going on. If she was more like Luana, she would just ask. Unfortunately, she had been raised to conduct herself with discretion and tact. It was a pain in the astrum sometimes. "Starbuck, where is the pain?"

"My back . . . mostly."

"Where else?" Lia asked.

"From my gut right on through to my legs." He looked up at Luana again. She must think I'm dying or something. Not a sign of her previous anger.

"Any injuries?"

Luana replied, "He was hit hard by a club to his lower back. Took off some skin and caused some bruising, but that's all." She noticed Starbuck look away. "That's right, I almost forgot. The last time . . . he sort of . . . well . . ." Starbuck flashed her a warning look.

"What Luana? Tell me." Lia demanded.

Luana had a hard time looking Starbuck in the eye. She knew how humiliated he was by this, but it could be important. "He . . . lost control of his bladder." There, that wasn't so hard, was it?

"Was there any blood?" Lia asked.

"I . . . uh . . . don't know." Luana told her. "Starbuck?"

"Yeah," he responded reluctantly. He couldn't believe he was discussing his incontinence with Lia and Luana. How degrading.

"There was? Why didn't you say something?" Luana demanded. Starbuck raised his eyes to hers and his look said more than any words could. Of course, he didn't say anything. They had just finished hurting one another with malignant words that they both wished they could take back.

Lia noticed the exchange once again. "Starbuck, you know more about this stuff than I do. Did you ever have a friend with these symptoms?" She decided now was not the time to let him in on Sheba's revealing little story.

Starbuck looked at her suspiciously. She was on to him. "It may be my kidney," he replied.

"Frack, your kidney is bleeding! Isn't that dangerous?" Luana asked.

"Fortunately, I have two." He said matter-of-factly as he rested his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. He was just about ready to remove his kidney by himself. He wondered what the logistics would involve. Apollo would know. After all, he was the captain.

Lia put her hand to his forehead. He was warm, but that could be the aftermath of his kidney attack. He looked done in. "Where's your jacket?"

Luana looked at her guiltily. She was well aware it was in her pack, but had been so angry with the lieutenant that she'd decided if he didn't ask nicely, he would just have to make do with the blanket. Now she realized the blanket was damp from his repeated dunking in the river. Why the frack did she have to be so porcine-headed? The bigger problem was he was just as stubborn as she was. "I'll get it," she said as she pulled his jacket out. The jacket felt crusty and stiff and she wondered what it was covered with. No wonder he had stowed it.

"Starbuck, we need to get moving. Let's get you into your jacket." Lia told him. He said nothing in response.

"Starbuck!" Luana shook him roughly wondering what was wrong this time and his eyelids flickered open in surprise.

"Easy, Luana," Lia told her sister. "He fell asleep. That's all." Luana had just about reached her limit. Lia obviously didn't know all the details, but between being injured, apprehended by the creatures, dragged all over the countryside, and whatever had happened between Lu and Starbuck, well, she couldn't take much more.