Rene waited uncomfortably for the tanker and shuttle to land, far too conscious of Starbuck beside her. He kept looking to her, flashing her a smile that Rene was sure he must have thought was comforting and apologetic. Instead she found it all too familiar and fake. She was just about to tell him to wipe it off his face or she would, when the Commander and Captain Apollo joined them.

Commander Adama was the first to greet the Captain of the tanker. Apollo also greeted the Zakar captain, then set the hangar crew to work offloading the tylium and supplies. Rene was anxious to speak with Crius alone, but she knew that wouldn't be possible in the hangar bay of the Galactica. Added to that was the fact that every single viper pilot and crewman of the tanker that came along were Dante's lackeys. She knew she should have expected that, but the reality of the information drove home how Dante was going to handle this situation. He was going to keep the Galactica and the fleet his little secret for now, a need to know basis for him and his inner circle. Rene was truly on her own and could expect no back up from the dozen or so people that would come and go with supplies for the Galactica.

It made Rene nearly sick to watch Boomer and Starbuck step forward to greet some of the Zakar pilots and crew, obviously knowing a few from the days before the destruction. They were greeting them as friends and comrades, not knowing that they were shaking hands with the enemy. These old buddies weren't planning on joining the fleet. Rene was pretty sure they were probably plotting its demise. The supplies they had brought were sparse, barely enough fuel and food for a secton.

Rene hung back and waited for her opportunity to speak with Crius. He saw that everyone was hard at work be for he turned from his duties and approached Starbuck and Boomer. Rene took this as her only chance to find out any news.

As Crius approach, Boomer clasped the pilot's hand, pulling him into an embrace. "Crius! I haven't seen you since you were a fresh cadet."

"It's been a while." The pilot pulled back from the embrace, and reached for Starbuck's hand. "Hasn't been quite so long since last we met. The chancery on Piscera. I believe you cleaned out the elite pyramid players room?"

"Oh yes, I forgot about that. Ahhh, the good times of my glory years."

"Yeah, good times before they kicked you out for cheating. Good to see you. I knew you'd make it."

"Yeah, me and my lucky streaks." Starbuck said clapping Crius on the back. "We should talk old times. How about an ambrosia in the officer's club while we wait for the tylium to unload?"

"Wish I could, but I need to get back. My wife is due to have our first child any day now. Knowing my luck, it will be today."

"Sealed? And kids! That is amazing."

"Yeah, well a lot has happened in the last three yahrens.."

"Yes it has."

Before Starbuck could add anything more, Crius bypassed Starbuck, placing himself directly in front of Rene. He addressed her as if they were alone.

"Made some new friends I see?"

Rene was silent as Starbuck answered for her, "Yeah, we've been looking out for her, just like I promised her brother."

Crius cast Rene an angry look. "Yeah, she and her sister can be trouble."

"Sister?" Starbuck looked to Rene.

Crius explained for Starbuck's benefit. "We have a different version of family on Dilmun I suppose. I sealed with a gutter snipe, and they hang together. Thick as thieves." He cut his eyes towards Rene, as he said in measured words. "You told my wife, but you couldn't tell me?"

"I…I wasn't sure what to do, and by the time I did…"

Crius cut her off. "Didn't know what to do? How long did you know? A cycle or two?"

Rene looked to Starbuck and Boomer, before looking away.

"I didn't know what to do, or what was going on. I had to wait. It wasn't safe."

"Wait? For how long? A secton? Or a sectar?" Crius asked.

Rene looked to Starbuck briefly again, as if to warn Crius that others were listening. Then she looked away offering an uncomfortable silence as an answer.

They all stood for a few moments in that uncomfortable silence, then Starbuck watched Crius do what Starbuck had wanted to do on more than one occasion in response to Rene's silence. Crius reached out and shoved Rene's shoulder. She just stepped back from the contact, but remained silent.

Crius reached out and shoved her again, "I'm thinking it is more like a sectar because that's how long you've been too quiet. And here I thought it was for a surprise natal party." Crius's jaw was set tight. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he looked to Starbuck and Boomer, then back to Rene.

Rene didn't deny the information, "I wasn't sure who I could trust, or where the Galactica was headed. You know how rumors fly and…" She shrugged; realizing anything she said would be too much or too little.

Starbuck shared a look with Boomer. If Rene had truly known for that long, why wait to make contact? It didn't make sense, and that talk they were going to have later was going to be one hell of a debriefing now.

"You didn't think you could trust me? Come on! You can do better than that. You told my wife! Thick as thieves. What, were you just going to steal away in the night?" Crius went to shove Rene again, but she backed away before he made contact.

"NO! I didn't tell her until a secton ago, and I assumed she would tell you. I don't know why she didn't other than the fact that you are a Colonial, and we're just street trash!" Rene uttered the words, taking a step towards Crius.

"So what is the plan?" Crius whispered.

She didn't hesitate in her reply, "You know the plan."

Crius's sudden laugh took Starbuck by surprise.

"We were drunk!" Crius's laugh turned bitter.

Rene said quietly, "That doesn't mean it's not a good plan."

Crius abruptly stopped laughing. He took a few steps away and then turned back, "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I am. We can do this. He doesn't even have a skeleton crew on her anymore. She's not as damaged as he wants us to believe she is. Phase one is in progress, phase two will only take a bit of work, and phase three won't take as long as we thought. Jake says he can get the engines running. This will work." She said earnestly.

"Jake's in the brig." Crius cut in.

Starbuck saw Rene close her eyes and mutter a curse under her breath. When she opened her eyes, Starbuck noticed they glistened with fear.

"Where are …" she hesitated, and Crius answered her unasked question.

"My place, don't worry, and I'd keep that information to yourself for a while. I don't think they'd understand." He indicated with nod of his head to Starbuck and Boomer.

"I know." She nodded. "What happened?"

"Well the word is, you're dead and they locked Jake up because he was drunk. Don't worry; no one is buying it…the drunk part anyway. As far as your demise, you went out and didn't come back. But Jake went from landing to the brig, so the details of the story are not matching up. I'm not sure what happened out there, or here, but he's in the brig indefinitely. And Ari is off the duty roster and playing the part of Dante's personal aide."

Rene looked away, digesting the information.

"You were going to just leave weren't you? Just keep all this to yourself and fly away, weren't you?"

Rene's head snapped back at his words. "I wouldn't do that. You know that. I could have, but I didn't. I won't."

Crius reached out again, only this time when he didn't shove Rene, but gripped her tunic, twisting it in his fist pulling her to him until they were nose to nose. "Don't frack with me. I have too much to lose."

"I have more to lose than you do, you know that!" she hissed at him.

"Alright…calm down…the plan. The drunken plan." Crius whispered tightening his grip, "So I take Phase two and spring Jake for phase three, alright?"

Rene calmed instantly, removing her hand from his. "Phase four will work, and I'll worry about the back up plan. No one goes down for this but me, got it?"

"So we need get those engines to fire? Jake can do that?"

"Yeah, he can."

"And you think He'll just let us walk away? Just like that?"

"If we follow the plan, he won't have a choice."

Crius thought for a moment, looking to Starbuck, then back to Rene. "If this doesn't work, he'll kill you. Best you don't come home."

"That's why it can only be me. And he won't kill me. He likes me too much."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Crius said as he slowly untwisted his hand from her tunic, smoothing the material as he spoke. "Did you know about all this, the six or more sectars ago when we made up this plan, that they were coming?"

Rene's response was so low as to be almost inaudible. "No."

"No? Come on Rene, you've got all our lives in your hands, so give me some trust here."

Rene looked to Starbuck and Boomer, who were hanging on every word, then pointedly looked to Crius. "It won't sound right. I'll just sound weird, okay?"

"We are basing our futures on a drunken plan and you don't want to sound weird?"

Crius looked over to Boomer and Starbuck, acknowledging that he had their full attention, before turning back to Rene and continuing. "Late one night, you randomly decide to take over scanner duty and we find Kobol, and you don't think that's weird? The next time you go near a long range scanner, you find this quadrant, and you don't think that's looking a little odd? You creep me out kid how you wind up with this kind of intel, but I'll take your kind of weird any day."

Rene nodded, looked to Starbuck, and decided he would just have to deal with what she had to say. "I had a dream."

Crius nodded his head, as if the explanation made perfect sense. "We are risking our lives based on a dream and plan made up while we were drunk." He turned away, scanning the bay and the progress of the shipment transfer. He said to no one in particular, "My loyalty is being tested."

Rene replied quickly, "Watch the left shoulder."

Crius turned back to answer, "Then I suggest you roll to the right."

"Roll to the right?" Starbuck thought to himself, alarm bells were ringing in his head. Crius had already placed one hand too many on Rene. He wanted to stop whatever was about to go down. He stepped between between Crius and Rene. He held out his hand, offering it to Crius.

"Stay with us. Don't go home. Just stay here. Defect. Put in for an immediate transfer, whatever you want to call it, but don't go back. Stay here where no one will test your loyalty. You can put us to the test."

Crius's eyes were riveted on Starbuck's extended hand, as if Starbuck were offering him a golden chalice of the gods. Rene cursed under her breath.

"Frak , he can't. He has to go back."

Crius didn't move as he considered the offer.

"Frackin' Colonials," Rene muttered. She began to walk away in disgust.

"Halt Lieutenant!" Crius's voice rooted Rene's boots to the deck.

Crius drew in a shuddering breath before he took Starbuck's hand and pulled Starbuck to him. "That's the plan, but I have to go back, for now." Crius leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wouldn't hurt her, but if you do, I'll kill you."

Crius stepped back, but kept a firm grip on Starbuck's. Starbuck wasn't sure if Crius was crushing his hand as a threat, or in desperation.

"Understood." Starbuck said, and met Crius's strong grip, but flashed Crius his most winning smile. Crius dropped his hand, and chuckled.

"You haven't changed Starbuck."

"Oh, I've changed some, but you'll have to come back to find out."

"Deal. But, duty calls." Crius turned away and came up on Rene from behind. He reached an arm around Rene's neck, pulling her to him. From Starbuck's viewpoint it looked like Crius had taken Rene into a friendly embrace and was whispering in her ear. It looked innocent enough, until Rene's hands reached up to pry Crius's arm from around her neck.

"Hey!" Starbuck said, but Crius ignored him, exerting more pressure on Rene's air passage.

"I won't let you down, so don't let me down," Crius said aloud. "You can't do this alone, kid."

Rene's lowered her arms, holding her hands out in surrender.

"Let her go!" Starbuck said, reaching to pull his blaster.

Crius abruptly dropped Rene to the deck. She sank to her hands and knees, trying to draw as much air into her lungs as possible.

"Get up, Lieutenant." Crius ordered.

Rene didn't get a chance to draw another breath as Crius grabbed the back of her collar hauling her to her feet. He then shoved her ahead of him. She lost her footing, fell to her side and slid forward a few feet before coming to a rest. She debated not getting back up. The deck felt good and suddenly she was very tired.

"Leave her alone!" Starbuck shouted, pulling his weapon, shoving his blaster into Crius's back, adjusting the setting to stun. "Touch her again, and so help me God, I will fire!"

Crius turned to face Starbuck, letting the blaster rest against his chest. In a voice so low Starbuck had to lean forward to hear as Crius whispered, "No, you won't,Starbuck. Listen up, I'm only going to say it once. My loyalty is being tested. I'm not going to hurt her."

Crius didn't wait for a reply, but turned back to the landing bay and the eyes of Zakar warriors who were upon him. He turned his attention back to Rene.

Rene struggled to get up, crawling a few feet for effect before she felt the familiar hand on her collar. She didn't bother trying to get her feet underneath her as she knew she wouldn't be on them for long.

"You haven't earned that uniform!" Crius shouted, and then pushed her away from him again. Rene made a point of rolling to the right, and tucking her hands in so as not to snap an arm or a wrist. It was a satisfying landing, with just enough of a skid to look like it hurt. She looked back to Starbuck and the uncertainty and confusion on his face. His blaster was dangling innocuously in his hand. She smiled a sympathetic smile. He really was sweet, coming to her defense, but he had no idea the damage he could cause with his chivalrous intentions. As much as she could explain it to him, she wasn't sure he would ever understand her status.

Rene realized her distraction could wind up really getting her hurt, and she scrambled to get up before Crius's boot had a chance to connect with her side. Once on her feet, she didn't look back, but ran to the shuttle to help unload.

"Crius!" Starbuck called, as he holstered his blaster, but Crius did not acknowledge him, striding towards the shuttle. Starbuck was unsure if he should follow. He scanned the landing bay briefly wondering why he was the only one to have stepped forward to prevent what was happening. Adama locked eyes with Starbuck and nodded towards the shuttle. The warrior didn't need to be told twice. He trotted over, grabbing a box near Rene and sticking close to her side. He tried to get close enough to ask her if she was okay, but she made a point of steering clear of him. In fact Starbuck noticed that the Zakar crewmen made a point of staying away from all of the Galactica staff, but that was fine by Starbuck. He was coming to truly detest these people. He wondered what conditions could make a decent guy like Crius feel the need to toss around a kid like Rene, just because she hadn't been to the academy. In fact, the Crius he had known wouldn't even join in the usual locker room talk about the ladies, claiming he was a gentleman, and didn't "kiss and tell". How does one go from having principles to tossing women around? Starbuck shivered, not really wanting to know the answer. He made a mental note to thank his Commander and his Strike Captain for doing such a great job of keeping them all civilized after the destruction.

By the time the cargo was unloaded, Starbuck was truly steamed. Crius had made no attempt to speak with him. He brushed by Starbuck to bid his farewell to the Commander with a crisp military salute. Adama was perfunctory in his reply, simply asking if they could expect more supplies. Crius's reply was noncommittal, "You'll have to speak with Dante, sir. I am just the pilot."

Adama nodded, "Just following orders, I understand." Adama reached out his hand in farewell, "If you wish to join us, you will be welcomed."

Starbuck watched Crius stiffen before he replied, "Thank you sir, but I have a commander and an assignment." Crius saluted, and Adama retracted his hand to return the salute. Crius turned an about face and marched to the shuttle. As he passed near Rene she came to and offered Crius a salute that he returned without breaking stride. The Zakar crewmen left without further incident.