Sharon watched as Dr. Baltar with Ensign Henderson in tow, took the children off to get their vaccinations. She didn't like letting them go without one of their parents, but everyone had agreed to it…everyone except for her. With Helo and Starbuck on CAP rotation and Lee in CIC, there was no one left to go. It pulled at her heartstrings as Tamara began to cry.

"Shhh…honey. Mommy will be right here waiting for you when you get back. Dr. Baltar and the nice Ensign are going to take you on a Raptor flight over to the Rising Star. You like flying, don't you honey?"

The little girl brightened a bit at the news that she was going to get to fly a little. Just like Daddy does.

"Okay Mommy."

With a last little wave, she caught the last glimpse of them as the hatch closed. Sharon looked over at Boomer, who was smiling in sympathy.

"They'll be back soon, Sharon. Don't worry."

Sharon sat down on the bunk with her sister, beginning to count down the two hours it would take for them to return.

Ztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztzt

It was looking to be a routine day for CAP. Starbuck stifled a yawn as she made her next pass. She'd hoped that no one had heard her. No such luck.

"Hey Starbuck, will you be needing some stims on your next flight out?"

Helo thought he was so funny.

"Helo, you know where you can stick it. You try getting up in the middle of the night with a one-month old. And don't even start on me about your kid. Sharon took care of most of that, if you didn't remember…."

"Ha ha Starbuck. I guess Apollo needs to take some shifts from you or you'll be all strung out."

Apollo was in CIC, listening to the exchange with a grimace. He would never live this down.

"Hey, you two. Cut the chatter, will you? This is CAP, not auditions for a comedy club."

Kara laughed. He would never live it down from his fellow officers, and she knew it. Just two more passes to go and they would be relieved. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Helo once more.

"Galactica, we have inbound Cylon contacts…counting…seven. Can you confirm?"

Dee's voice came over the comm.

"Roger that Raptor 249. Wait for Dradis confirmation."

Gaeta was hurrying to his screen. Lee watched anxiously. It had been several days since their last contact, and he didn't want Kara to have to encounter any now.

"Galactica, Starbuck. I have visual on the seven. They're Cylon raiders. Launch the alert fighters."

Apollo nodded as Tigh came into the CIC. He picked up the communications link to alert the fleet. Starbuck was ready for a good fight.

"Kat, Jailbait, you're on me. The raiders will be here before the alert fighters can get to us. Let's go. Racetrack? You and Helo hold back and let us know if there are more coming."

"Roger that, Starbuck."

Commander Adama came into the CIC. He could immediately feel the tension his son was radiating.

"Apollo, sitrep."

"Yes, sir. Seven inbound Cylon raiders. Currently Starbuck, Kat and Jailbait are on an intercept course. Alert fighters will be launched in…two minutes."

The Commander tensed. He understood what Lee was feeling. The mother of his grandson was out there defending the fleet, and he now wondered if it was the right decision to allow her to return to flight status so soon.

Helo was watching impatiently from above. He knew that Captain Apollo would be worried, so he did his best to keep an eye on Kara Thrace.

"Starbuck…Helo. Five more inbound raiders heading your way. That makes a total of twelve."

In her Viper, Starbuck wasn't fazed in the least at the increasing enemy numbers.

"Woo-hoo! Make that total eight. I just nailed two, and Kat and Jailbait each have one. We still need help, though. Where the frak are the alert fighters?"

Dee's voice came over again.

"Lieutenant? Chief says that two are fouled in the tubes, but three have just gotten away. They're on an intercept course with your location."

"Roger that Galactica."

She didn't have time to talk. The other raiders had just joined them, and the space around her was getting thick. Starbuck was beginning to feel closed in, and needed to get out of this mess. She broke right, taking herself out of the immediate fight. But she didn't see the raider that pulled up from behind.

"Starbuck, look out!"

"Frak me."

Breaking back left, she went into the middle of the haze of Vipers and Cylon raiders. Starbuck was doing everything she could to shake the raider, but nothing was working.

The last thing she heard before darkness fell was the sound of someone screaming from afar.

ztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztztzt