Chapter 53
Children of the Stars
The Planet
Day 23: Some sort of problem was found with the transport that was to take us to the planet's surface and we were delayed for almost two hours while repairs were made. The others who were scheduled to go down today gathered in the nearest break room. I sat at a small table with a physicist, an astronomer and a priest. I know that sounds like the beginning of a very bad joke, but their conversation was by far the most interesting one I have been privy to since I began this mission and I will be forever grateful for the accident of fate that delayed our departure.
Our astronomer, who was already deep in conversation with the priest when I sat down with my cup of tea, had just remarked that we are all made of stardust. 'Children of the stars' is what he said. I found his comment poetic in the extreme for an astronomer, however he was speaking literally. He said the atoms in our bodies came from the primordial remains of stars that had died billions of years ago when our universe was much younger than it is now. The physicist elaborated that in the heart of a star the elements of hydrogen and helium fuse to form heavier elements and that when a star goes nova and explodes, even heavier elements such as iron and nickel are formed. I couldn't follow everything these two men were saying since my knowledge of their science is limited, but according to them all life in the universe owes its beginnings to stars hence the poetic sound of his statement.
In that regard, said the astronomer, then all creatures are brothers for all of us, even the robots we brought with us, are made of these elemental atoms, the dust of long-dead stars.
Naturally our priest argued that all life in the universe was a gift from the gods, but could offer no scientific proof to substantiate his claims. In this humble man I saw the raw definition of the word 'faith', that ability to accept the written word of the scriptures as all the proof he needs. When asked for my opinion, I demurred and said I could see both sides of the argument but did not want to be asked to 'take a side'. As a physician I am a woman of science yet I am also a woman of faith. One of the reasons I undertook this journey was to challenge myself on both.
Unpublished Manuscript (Notes) by Aimee Singh, MD, PhD
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Laura carried her son down to the portico and out to the waiting limousine. Edgar opened the door and she put Braedon into the back seat. He happily crawled over and got into his car seat. Laura strapped him in and kissed his cheek.
"Edgar will take you to your dada."
"Go," Brae said. "Go, pwease."
Laura slid out and a smiling Edgar got in, settling the big diaper bag on the floor.
"Thank you," she said to him. "Tell John I'll see him later."
"I guess that means you plan to ride with us when we go to pick Braedon up this afternoon?"
"Yes. I need to talk to John about something and I need to do it face to face." Laura waved at her son. "Be good for your dada."
After the limo had pulled away, she turned and walked back into Marble House. She rode the elevator upstairs and put on her favorite blue silk blouse and a pair of gray slacks. She did her makeup carefully and brushed her hair down around her shoulders instead of pulling it back or putting it up like she usually did for work. She wanted a softer look today, less stiff, less formal. She wanted James McManus and the people of Caprica to see her as a woman and a wife and a mother as well as their elected leader.
She was downstairs in her office when he arrived with a cameraman. Billy escorted them in. She gestured to the two wing chairs that sat in front of the white marble fireplace on the wall opposite her desk.
"Please, come in and have a seat, Mr. McManus."
He looked around. "So this is the inner sanctum."
She smiled sweetly. "This is my office. I'm sure you've seen pictures of it."
Billy showed the cameraman where he could set up his tripod near their own camera that would also record the interview. Laura accepted the small clip-on microphone from him and fastened it to the neck of her blouse.
She offered McManus and his cameraman coffee or tea which they refused. She had anticipated the refusal since a drink during an interview was a distraction, but she wanted to set the tone of hospitality and generosity.
McManus handed her a piece of paper with the statement from his confidential source and asked her to verify whether or not it was true. It was very accurate as far as it went, but it made no mention of the fact that John, D'Anna and Bianca were now living in the old o-club on the base. It had to have come from someone in the military, but someone whose knowledge was either limited or who had omitted certain facts on purpose. She handed the paper back to him.
"Yes. Everything on that page is true."
"Why did you not mention this when you made the announcement about your husband's escape?"
"At the time I made the announcement about John's escape, I didn't have any facts about the others."
"And you have the facts now?"
"Some of them. John and the women are still being debriefed."
"Where are they?"
"I'm sure you'll understand that for security reasons, I can't divulge their exact location."
"Are they in custody?"
"Again for security reasons, I can't discuss their exact situation." He seemed to be trying to decide what to ask next so Laura continued. "Do you believe in the gods, Mr. McManus?"
He seemed taken aback. "What do my religious beliefs have to do with your husband's situation?"
Laura picked up the book version of the Sacred Scrolls from the small table that sat between their two chairs. She opened it to the first bookmark.
"I'd like to read something so please bear with me. It comes from the Book of Pythia, chapter 12, verse 22. Pythia said to the daughters of the temple, 'After the blaze at the dawn of the third age of mankind, a child shall be born of a non-believer and he will bring peace to the warring tribes.' There are also a number of lesser known prophetic books in the Scrolls. One of these is the Book of Sibyl. This is from chapter 3, verse 8. And a child shall be conceived of a non-believer who shall say to the people, 'Behold my son will soon be born. Lay down your arms for the days of peace are at hand.'" Laura closed the book. "Are you familiar with these verses, Mr. McManus?"
"I can't say that I am."
"There are several others, but I won't try your patience by reading all of them. Billy has prepared a list for you to take with you if you're interested. Let me read just one more. This comes from the sixth chapter of the Book of Xander in the monotheistic scriptures, verses 7 and 11. The days will come again when our people shall be persecuted for worshipping one God. And He shall hear their cries and send to them a peacemaker, a child of two races but one faith. And he shall be borne of the three and protected by the six. The emphasis on the three is mine."
Laura saw the light finally dawn in McManus's eyes. "Are you saying that the Cylon who is pregnant with your husband's child is carrying a baby prophesied by the scriptures? Seriously, Madame President?"
"I'm a woman of faith. I cannot disregard something that not only several of our own Oracles foresaw but was also foreseen by a revered prophet of the monotheists, especially since the Cylon in question is a Three. If you'd like a more detailed discussion of the verses I've just read, then perhaps you'd like to interview the priest of the temple I attend, the Temple of Athena on Third Street. Her name is Elosha. I spoke with her this morning. She'll be glad to talk to you. Or perhaps you could interview a professor of theology at the university. I understand you're close friends with one of them."
Laura could see that she had completely taken the wind out of James McManus's sails. He looked at the paper in his hand.
"How do you feel about the fact that a Cylon is pregnant with your husband's child?"
"Shouldn't your question rather be how do I feel that my husband was chosen by the gods to father a child who will bring peace to warring nations…to us and the Cylons?" Laura casually positioned her left hand so that her wedding ring was clearly visible. "If you're trying to get me to say anything disloyal about a man who was willing to sacrifice his life to destroy the Cylon basestar over our planet last November and who suffered terribly as their prisoner for many months, then you won't succeed."
"So you're going to play the good wife and stand by him."
"He's a good husband and very loving father to our children. There was a reason he survived that explosion. There was a reason he was forced to function as a breeder for the Cylons. Who am I to question the will of the gods?"
"I believe that your husband is a decorated Viper pilot from the First War. How does he feel about this so-called prophecy of peace that would unite humans and those he once fought?"
"There comes a time, Mr. McManus, when even warriors will be called upon to beat their swords into plows."
"Are you quoting him?"
"No. Those are my words."
"I'd like to interview him and find out his feelings."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. He's still being debriefed by the military. They would never consent to make him available to the press so you'll have to direct your questions to me."
"Have you seen him and talked to him?"
"Of course."
"Have you seen the Cylon and talked to her?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell us what you talked about?"
Laura smiled sweetly again. "Our conversation was personal and will remain private. I will tell you, though, that she is a very spiritual woman. Her belief in their God and the prophecy is absolute and unshakeable."
"Another woman of faith?"
"Yes. We do share that trait. Different faiths, but we both believe."
"Tell us about the doctor and the half-breed child your husband brought back with him."
"The woman is a pediatrician who was treating the humans in one of the settlements on the Cylon homeworld. The child was born to a human mother and Cylon father. Both are dead. Many of the Cylons believe that the baby is one of the protectors of the peacemaker, one of the six. There are Cylons on their homeworld just as there are humans here who don't want our races to find a peaceful solution to our differences. The child's life was in danger. That's all I can tell you. I can assure you that both of the women and the child are being very well treated and well cared for."
"How old is the baby?"
"Two months."
The disbelief was evident in his voice. "And you're saying that the Cylons on their homeworld felt threatened by a two-month-old child?"
"She won't be a baby forever, Mr. McManus. If you're a student of history, you'll recall that on Kobol many thousands of years ago, a Mithraic ruler once had every child one year-old and under slaughtered because one of his advisors had a dream that the ruler would be overthrown and killed by a baby born since their last harvest."
"So where do you go from here?"
"The sun will continue to rise in the east and life will go on. We will continue to make plans to go to Nereid and free the humans that the Cylons have enslaved. I'll continue to perform my duties as President and I'm sure you'll continue to report the news to the people of Caprica. None of us can foresee the future, Mr. McManus, unless, of course, we have the sight of an Oracle. I am not so blessed…or cursed… and neither, I think, are you."
He looked at the piece of paper again and then back at her. "I don't seem to have any more questions or let me rephrase. I don't have any more questions that I think you'll answer so I'll quit while I'm ahead. Thank you for granting me this interview."
Laura unclipped the small microphone. "Remember your promise. You sit on this story until tomorrow."
He finally smiled. "I'm the lead story on the Caprica Today show. It airs at nine in the morning."
She returned his smile. "I imagine your story will be the topic of discussion for a great many people tomorrow. Your ratings should go through the roof. All I ask is that you show this interview in its entirety or you show none of it. Remember we also have a copy. If you selectively edit it in any way, I'm sure one of your rivals will be glad to get the unedited version."
"If you miss the show, check the video on the web site of the Caprica Times. It will be the lead story there as well. I imagine by lunch tomorrow, it will have gone viral."
"I will. I have one last question for you. I'm not asking for a name, but will you tell me if your source is someone in the military?"
He finally answered, "My source is not someone in the military."
"You hesitated. Do you not verify your sources?"
"I do. Let me just say that there might be an indirect connection to the military."
"I thought so. We're not going to try to ferret anyone out. As long as what you print is factual and doesn't compromise our security or our ability to run the government, I will not interfere with your freedom to print it. But there is a line, Mr. McManus that deals with respect for me and my family and the office that I hold. I trust you not to cross it. What you are going to reveal tomorrow morning will no doubt put both my husband and the Cylon in the crosshairs of a lot of radicals on both sides of the issue, but the people have a right to know certain things and the fact that we don't intend to completely annihilate the Cylons is one of them. The fact that we want to create a blended settlement on Nereid is another."
"You seem very sure of that." He smiled. "I didn't think you could see the future."
"I may not be able to see it, but I do believe in it. John and I have a son who is not yet two years old. I don't want to send him off to war one day the way I will shortly send our daughter."
...
Kara stood in the bridal section of Maximillian's waiting for Maya to come out of the dressing room with the saleswoman who was helping her. She felt incredibly uncomfortable amidst the lace and tulle and satin and taffeta and silk and pearls and crystals that made up the dresses on display.
In an effort to stay off the dradis of the other saleswoman who was patrolling the area, she casually inched her way toward the section that held the bridesmaids' dresses and maneuvered behind a mannequin whose skirt was big enough to hide a Raptor. She already had a long dress she had worn in her father and Laura's wedding. It was wine-colored and strapless although it had a lace jacket that she had worn in the temple. She would be perfectly content wearing it again since she'd worn it exactly once in her life…but it was probably sure to bring the bride bad luck if her maid of honor wore the same dress she'd worn before. Kara had to admit that her knowledge about planning weddings was zero. She snickered. Lee was the planner and organizer. One day she'd tell him to plan the wedding and just let her know when and where to show up.
With her mind on the following Tuesday when she would start practicing strafing runs at the Argos Bombing Range three hundred miles north of the city, she absent-mindedly pushed hangers down the rack and looked at dresses without really seeing them.
Maya hadn't given her any ideas about color or style. Since Kara would be her only attendant, Maya said it didn't matter, to pick something she liked. She wished Maya would just say, get the blue one or get the lavendar one and thus relieve Kara of the responsibility. She temporarily stopped paying attention to her surroundings and the saleswoman zeroed in on her quicker than Major Jessups. She got a lock on Kara before she could take evasive action.
"Bride or bridesmaid?" The woman asked nicely.
She started to say, groom just to see what kind of reaction she got. Instead she said, "Maid of honor."
"For the beautiful young woman who is in dressing room number four?"
"Look, I'm not into the dress thing, but Maya is a friend and I want to get something she'll like."
The woman started firing questions at her faster than a kinetic energy weapon spewed bullets. "Is the wedding going to be large or small? Are there other attendants? Does the bride have a color scheme? Is there going to be a reception? Will the ceremony be traditional or contemporary? Indoor or outdoor?"
Kara fired back. "Small. She hasn't mentioned a color scheme. I'm her only attendant. I think it'll be a traditional ceremony in a temple. There'll be a reception afterwards…a small one…just dinner for a few friends."
"At a hotel or a country club?"
"The reception will be at a private residence." Kara wasn't about to mention Marble House.
"Let's see what our bride chooses. You're very pretty. It's never good for the maid of honor to outshine the bride."
Kara said. "I'd wear my dress uniform like the best man if I could."
The saleswoman looked at her like she'd just said she'd go naked to the wedding if she could.
"I'm sure we can find something you'll like."
"Maya is the one who needs to like it," Kara said. "Whatever she wants me to wear is fine with me."
They waited until Maya came out. The dress she had on wasn't the one that had first caught her attention, but Kara realized it was perfect for the kind of wedding Maya wanted. The full-length gown was ivory silk crepe with a cowl neck and cap sleeves, both of which were edged with lace. Although it was too long and would need to be hemmed, the dress fit Maya's slim body like it had been made for her. It had no train, exactly what Maya wanted. The saleswoman motioned to her and Maya turned around. The back was cut in a modest V with silk covered buttons instead of a zipper.
Maya smiled and asked, "What do you think? Is this me or what?"
"Wow," Kara said, while the two saleswomen beamed their approval.
Maya blushed. "Do you think Hunter will like it?"
"I think Lee will be picking Hunter's jaw off the floor."
"What should I wear on my head?"
Kara zoned out while Maya discussed veils and other options with the two saleswomen. She knew that one day she'd be where Maya now stood, but she wasn't ready to take that step yet. Instead she was mentally in her Viper aiming at a target on the ground. It took her back to the days she and Karl had played video games on Picon.
The saleswoman's voice broke her reverie. "What do you think about this?" When Kara turned around, her saleswoman was holding a dress. "Let's go try it on. It's one of the ones suggested by the designer for that bridal gown."
The saleswoman called the color peach parfait. It had a low neck and cap sleeves and slim skirt. The only problem is that it was a size too small. The woman could barely get it zipped. Kara's breasts bulged over the low neckline.
"Nope," Kara said. "It shows way too much of the girls plus I can't breathe."
"We can order one in the next size. It will take about three weeks to arrive."
"That's cutting it too close. The wedding is in four weeks. Let's keep looking."
Kara ended up with a dress of similar design in a color called watermelon. Maya loved it. They left both dresses to be hemmed. Maya said she'd pick them up the following Saturday.
Then came the best part for Kara. They met Lee and Hunter for lunch at the same restaurant they had visited with Bianca the week before. Lee was smiling. He winked at Kara.
"This is good practice. Hunter got measured for his tuxedo and we went ring shopping."
"Practice for what?" Kara asked…and then it hit her. "I'm slow today. I was thinking about Laura letting that jerk McManus interview her this morning. I can't wait to hear what he says about my dad. I might have to wait for him outside the Caprica Times building and punch out his lights."
"Kara, you can't…" Lee started.
She smiled and started looking at the menu. "Just kidding."
Lee sometimes marveled that Kara had made it through the Academy with only one incident that had resulted in demerits and a month of confinement to campus. Kara's short fuse was even shorter if somebody said something bad about her father.
"So is Maya going to move in with you and Lee after the wedding?" Kara asked Hunter in a joking tone of voice.
Maya answered her question. "We're not going to try to find a place since Hunter will be leaving a week or two after we get back from our honeymoon. I'm going to stay at Marble House and continue caring for Brae and Esmari. We won't make any changes until the war is over."
"If I come back, we'll talk about it then," Hunter said.
Maya said, "Please stop saying if. Please say when. We'll talk about it when you come back."
Hunter smiled.
But Kara noticed he didn't repeat the sentence. She'd always thought it was bad luck to talk about the end of a mission before you left for it. The most the pilots ever said to each other was good hunting. But Maya didn't know that. Maya had lost one man she loved to the Cylons during the Second War. Kara knew she couldn't even think about losing another.
Kara said, "Laura's going to talk to Hunter about her plans to make Nereid into one big human-cylon commune. Don't worry. She'll straighten him out."
Hunter was still smiling. "Like she's straightened you out?"
Kara grinned. "I'm hopeless and she knows it."
"Second that," Lee added which earned him a playful elbow in the ribs from Kara.
After lunch Maya and Hunter went back to the jewelry store to make a final decision on rings, and Lee and Kara drove to his apartment building. Kara had told Karl the day before that they'd drop by to visit after lunch. She saw Karl out at the airbase almost every day. She hadn't seen Sharon for several weeks.
Karl let them in. He had Hera in his arms. She was now nearly two months old, but she was still very small compared to Rachel who was the same age. Then Kara remembered that if Hera had come on her due date, she would be only a few weeks old. She still had some catching up to do.
Kara stuck her sunglasses in her shirt pocket and looked into Hera's dark eyes. "What does she weigh now?"
"When Sharon took her to the doctor on Thursday for her weekly checkup, she weighed six pounds six ounces. We take the monitor off while we're holding her, but we put it back on when she's sleeping. Dr. Junius said since she'd never had a problem with her breathing, we could probably leave it off now, but Sharon…"
Sharon walked into the living room from the kitchen. "I'm being an over-protective mother. Do you blame me?"
"Nope," Kara said. "How are you getting along?"
"My incision is healed. I feel great." She glanced at Karl and then smiled at Kara. Kara knew exactly what she meant. If they weren't being careful, Hera might get a brother or a sister.
Sharon said, "We're going to take Hera out in her stroller later this afternoon."
Lee said, "We're not going to stay long."
"I'm not trying to run you off," Sharon retorted.
"We know you aren't," Kara said. "I've got to get back because I told Laura I'd ride out to the airbase with her when she goes to pick up Brae. Laura wants to talk to my dad about something so she asked me to go along to babysit."
Karl said, "I saw your father yesterday afternoon. I was coming out of the gym at the base. He was on his way in with Major Parker. They were getting ready to work out. Your dad asked about Sharon and Hera. I asked him a little more about meeting my dad on Nereid. He couldn't tell me much because they'd only talked twice. I asked him about my dad's wife. All Major Gallagher said was that she'd been the first officer on a big transport ship. Her name is Kate. He said she probably saved my dad's life after he was released from the Cylon prison."
"Karl's already got his orders," Sharon said changing the subject. "He's been assigned to the Galactica for the mission. He and Dwight Saunders will be providing support and rescue for the Vipers and anybody else who needs it. They go on board in a month. I wish I could go with him."
"No way I'd want you on a battlestar," Karl said.
"What about when it's over?" Lee asked. "Would you consider going to Nereid then? Dad said there would have to be a peacekeeping force on the planet for a while."
"Why would we want to do that?" Karl asked.
Kara answered him. "Because Laura wants to create a place where humans and Cylons can all live in peace. I'm pretty sure Hunter and Maya will take his little girl and go there to live. My dad said that none of the Cylon women on the planet have had a baby that survived. The only babies like Hera have been born to human mothers and Cylon fathers. You'd be a hero to your sisters."
"Isn't the Three your dad brought back with him pregnant?"
"She's just over four months. I saw the sonogram. The baby only weighs half a pound. No way he'd survive if he was born now. I know your doctor is taking care of D'Anna, but she can only do so much. D'Anna's blood pressure is already high. The doctor is going to do some tests on Monday to try to find out why."
Sharon asked, "What's going to happen to D'Anna if the baby lives? Is she going to be allowed to go back? Will your father let her take the baby with her?"
Kara shrugged. "I don't know. That's not something we've talked about. Since he escaped, he's had this one-day-at-a-time attitude."
"What about you two?" Karl asked. "Are you going to stay on Nereid after the fighting?"
"We'll worry about the future when we're sure we're going to have one," Kara answered. She turned to Sharon. "Would you like to visit D'Anna…and take Hera to visit her?"
"Is that an official invitation?" Sharon asked.
"It could be. If you'd like to do it, I'll ask Laura. Leoben met D'Anna and talked to her. He left me a voice message a couple of days ago saying he'd like to see her again. They've moved her out of the brig into an apartment near my dad, but she's got to be lonely."
Sharon looked at Karl and then back at Kara. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll take Hera to meet her."
"I think they're going to let Natasi visit her. Laura wants Natasi's help. She thinks the fact that D'Anna is carrying the peacekeeper will make Natasi want to do it…her being so religious."
"Do you believe in the prophecy?" Sharon asked.
"Yes," Kara said at the same time Lee said, "No."
"Maya and Hunter are getting married in a month," Kara said, changing the subject again. "I went dress shopping with her today. I'm her maid of honor so I got another dress I'll only wear once. Elosha is going to do the honors for them just like she did for you."
Sharon smiled. "And when is she going to do the honors for you two?"
"Whenever Kara says yes," Lee said.
"I told him we'd talk about it after this thing on Nereid is settled. One wedding before we leave is enough."
Karl said, "So how's Zak doing? Is he still dating Maggie?"
Lee shook his head. "I'm not sure. I've asked the last couple of times I've seen him or talked to him. All he'll say is they're trying to work through some issues."
"Like what?" Sharon asked.
"I really don't know," Lee answered. "Zak used to talk to me about everything. Since he's come back from Sovana, he hasn't had much to say about his personal life."
Kara said, "In the locker room yesterday Showboat was bitching to Shark because she thought Maggie was acting too friendly with Crashdown in the ready room. I'm sure Crash was eating it up even though he and Showboat have been dating. He's always had a thing for Maggs. When Showboat realized I was listening, she shut up." Kara looked at Karl. "Have you heard anything?"
"Nobody mentions Maggie to me since she got in my face that time about Sharon."
"Maybe you should call Kendra," Kara said to Lee. "I'll bet she knows."
In the elevator after they left Kara said, "Your floor or the parking garage?"
"Your decision," he answered. "You're the one who has to get back."
She grinned and pushed eight.
Instead of feeling sleepy after they made love like she usually did, Kara felt restless. Lee was the one who fell asleep. Kara nestled in his arms thinking about what lay ahead for them, about how the combat on Nereid was going to be like the wars the Colonies had fought when the centurions had first been created long before she was born. The First War had been fought in space, but it had also been fought on the ground on some of the planets.
She tried to remember when she'd first learned about Cylon centurions and the old-style Raiders. She knew by the time she got the Viper pedal car because she routinely pretended to shoot them down. Her mother wouldn't talk about them except to tell her that they'd killed her own Marine father in the last year of the First War.
Now on Nereid she'd be killing Raiders in the air and centurions on the ground.
She leaned up and looked at the clock beside the bed. It was almost 15:15. She'd told Laura she would be back by 16:00. Quietly she got out of bed, went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Lee was awake when she walked out wrapped in a towel. She tossed it on the bed and began putting on her clothes.
"You're beautiful," he said.
She leaned over and kissed him. "Don't get up. I'll take a transport back to Marble House. I'll see you later tonight."
After she was gone, Lee lay in bed and thought about the last several days. He'd been crazy to think Kara would accept being left behind when the recon mission went to Nereid.
Something was clearly on her mind.
Rather than brood about it, he got up, took a shower and went into his kitchen where he had stacked the six boxes from Joseph Adama's law office. He had taken all of the handwritten journals and organized them by date. The journals filled almost two boxes. His grandfather had been a prolific writer, at times devoting pages to what Lee considered trivial information. Lee got very proficient at skimming his grandfather's neat but small handwriting.
In the last week he'd made his way through two journals that covered Joseph's move from Tauron to Caprica which was the point at which his grandfather had chosen to start chronicling his life and that of his family. He had meticulously dated every entry. He mentioned his brother Sam often. He even mentioned Sam's domestic partner Larry, but there was never a reference to their affiliation with the Ha'la'tha. Lee had learned about that from his mother.
What he had never told anyone was that before his mother's suicide attempt when he was sixteen and during one of her manic, drunken rages following a conversation with his grandmother Evelyn, his mother had told him that his precious grandfather had for years done business with Tauron's largest criminal organiztion, the Ha'la'tha, that Joseph's brother Sam Adama had been a Ha'la'tha enforcer and had killed so many men he'd lost track of the number. She had also told him that Sam had smuggled some old U-87 centurions to Tauron for use by the Ha'la'tha and had later sold some more to the radical monotheists on Gemenon.
Lee couldn't imagine how his law-abiding, straight-laced, patriotic father would feel about his own father and favorite uncle selling centurions to a criminal organization on Tauron and to religious terrorists on Gemenon.
Now he wondered if his mother had been right. Maybe it was all part of a drunken fantasy designed to disillusion Lee about a man he respected, a man who was more of a father to him than his own had ever been.
Lee skimmed a dozen routine pages that covered a period of a week. Then there was a two-sentence entry and nothing else for several weeks.
My beloved wife Shannon and my beautiful daughter Tamara, died today in a terror attack that destroyed a mag lev train. Soldiers of the One claimed responsibility.
Lee was shocked. Until that moment he'd had no idea that his grandmother Evelyn was Joseph's second wife. Even his mother at her drunkest had never talked about Joseph having a wife or daughter who had died in a terrorist act.
Lee booted his laptop and easily found several articles about the mag lev bombing over fifty years earlier. They all dealt with the terror group Soldiers of the One that had planned and executed the attack. He kept searching, though, and eventually found an old memorial that mentioned the deceased by name. There they were…Shannon Adama and daughter Tamara, survived by husband Joseph and son William 'Willie' Adama.
Lee took another look at the dates. Shannon Adama had died several years before his father had been born. There was only one possible answer. Willie and Bill weren't the same person. Joseph and Evelyn had followed an ancient Tuaron tradition and named their son after his deceased half-brother.
Lee turned the page. The next journal entry was another mind-blowing one for him. His grandfather had written,
Today I met the father of another young woman who died on the train. His name is Daniel Graystone and his daughter was named Zoe.
...
The Presidential limo sped up the I-6 toward the airbase. The driver kept only a short distance between the lead vehicle, which was filled with more security personnel. The same distance was kept by the trailing vehicle.
Behind the bullet-proof glass, the highways sounds were muted almost to the point of being silent. Kara thought about how different it was when she was riding her motorcycle. She felt every bump and heard the wind whistling around her helmet. On her motorcycle she felt almost the same way that she felt in her Viper. She had zoned out again when she realized that Laura was talking to her.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing's wrong. I was thinking about Viper training next week. After we've mopped up the Raiders, we'll be providing ground support for the Marines."
Laura took a deep breath. Kara talked so casually of her duties. It was almost as if she refused to acknowledge how fraught with danger they were.
"Did you and Maya have any luck this morning?"
"I'll let her tell you about the dress she found. I think it's perfect. I almost told her I'd wear the same dress I wore when you and Dad got married, but I didn't want to do something wrong. What do you call it? A social faux pas?"
"Maya probably wouldn't have cared. What color is the dress you picked out?"
"The saleslady called it watermelon. I call it dark pink."
"I'm sure it will look very good on you. You can wear pinks with your hair and eyes and skin tone."
"How did your interview with McManus go?" Kara asked.
"Exactly like I wanted it to go. I brought a copy to show your father. I'm not sure how he'll react."
"Sharon said she'd like to bring Hera and visit with D'Anna."
"I'll tell Romo to arrange it."
They rode in silence for a few minutes.
"Dad's started working out at the gym. Karl ran into him and Major Parker yesterday afternoon. I guess he's trying to get into shape for the mission."
"Are you sure you want to go with…" Laura started.
"Yes! Admiral Adama is right. Two ships double the chance that one of us will be able to make it back to the fleet with intel. My dad told me that the Cylons never knew when I jumped the Raider away from Nereid because I did it below the tree line and over a river. The spatial displacement didn't leave any permanent evidence in the water like it would have if I'd jumped that close to the ground. Dad said the crazy Cavil who came to the valley was obsessed with finding me and Narcho. He kept searching the forest over and over for us. If I'd jumped over land, eventually he'd have found the spot and recognized it."
"You're very clever."
"Not so much," Kara admitted. "It was one-tenth clever, nine-tenths panic at wanting to get out of there before the Cylons caught me. As soon as I cleared that waterfall, I jumped."
"You followed your instinct," Laura said. "We all do it every day with most of the decisions we make. Sometimes those decisions later turn out to be wrong, but hopefully more often than not, they turn out to be right."
"Have you forgiven my dad for what he did with D'Anna?"
"Yes."
"And you told him?"
"Yes."
"Then why is he still living at the airbase?"
Laura took a breath. "He made the decision in part to protect me from the consequences of his actions. I hope I've shifted the balance a bit in his favor with the interview I gave McManus this morning."
The car stopped and Edgar got out of the front. Laura and Kara waited until the rest of the security team had given him the okay before he opened the door. They went inside and climbed the stairs to the second floor. The two MPs outside Bianca's door came to attention the minute they recognized Laura. One of them opened the door and Kara understood why they were there.
Everyone was in Bianca's apartment including D'Anna who was holding Rachel. Laura stopped in the doorway and Kara almost bumped into her.
John was sitting on the floor with some of Brae's toys scattered around them. He and his son were building a fort from the plastic blocks that snapped together.
Brae ran over to Laura. "Mamma, look."
She picked him up and stepped into the room. Kara walked past her and stood near the doorway to the kitchen.
John got to his feet and made an effort to put everyone at ease. He smiled at his wife and then looked at his daughter. "Did you and Maya find dresses?"
"Yep."
There was an awkward silence. "Where's Dr. Cardenas?" Laura asked.
"Taking a nap," John said. "Rachel was fretful last night and kept her up a lot."
"I need to talk to you," Laura said to John. "Alone."
"I'll stay here with Brae," Kara said.
Braedon protested. "No. Go with dada."
"What if I push you in the stroller and we go see a Raptor? A real Raptor?"
Braedon wiggled to get down. "Go see Wapta."
Kara smiled. "It works every time. Come on."
Braedon let her pick him up.
"Edgar will insist that several of his men accompany you."
"That's fine," Kara said as she exited with her brother in her arms.
Laura looked at D'Anna. She was wearing a loose-fitting blue top and some dark slacks. "Hello, D'Anna. How are you feeling?"
"You can go talk to John. I don't mind. I'll take care of Rachel."
John walked across the hall and Laura followed him.
"I'm sorry that was awkward for you," he said when they were inside and the door was closed. "D'Anna's lonely. So is Bianca. They've been spending some time together. I'm gone most of the day."
"You don't need to explain anything to me. I don't mind as long as you and D'Anna are in separate apartments at night. Are you through with your debriefing?"
"Yes. I'm working with Brad and the group that's planning the recon mission. We've got to get to Nereid and assess the situation before we'll know how to proceed. We've got the landing planned for the valley. We've decided on supplies, but that's about as far as we can go until we know what happened after I left. The more time that passes, the greater the potential for change. Right now we're trying to come up with all possible scenarios and get a plan together for each."
"I wish you didn't have to go."
"I'll be back."
"You told me that the last time." Emotion washed over Laura. "I thought I'd lost you."
John took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Just about everything went wrong that night that could go wrong. I was the backup pilot. I was never supposed to fly that Raptor, but when Bill couldn't get in touch with his number one pick, I was it. Then the timer on the explosives didn't work so I had to go back to the basestar. I couldn't even detonate them from twenty feet away. Parker said Dr. Rafferty theorized that something inside the basestar was either jamming or absorbing the signal. Jumping that Raptor inside their launch bay right over the explosives was the only other choice I had to destroy that ship. Sometimes things just don't happen the way we plan."
"Maybe they do if you believe the prophecy about yours and D'Anna's child."
John didn't say anything. He couldn't figure out exactly what Laura was telling him.
She continued. "Kara tells me that you have a sonogram of your son. I'd like to see it."
John went into the bedroom, opened the top dresser drawer and took the sonogram from his book of scriptures.
Laura gazed at it, at the tiny being already recognizable as a baby. "May I borrow this?"
"Sure. Why?"
"I'm going to talk to Natasi tomorrow afternoon about her accompanying you and the recon team to Nereid. I'd like to show this to her."
"I know Admiral Adama has signed off on her going. Leoben too, if he will, but the men who are going on the mission don't want either one of them. They don't trust them. They're Cylons for God's sake. We can't spare the men to watch them all the time."
"I'm sure once you land in the valley there will be plenty of men to watch them. Besides, I won't agree to her going if I don't believe she sincerely wants to help us. Natasi is deeply religious. I think the fact that the mother of their peacemaker is now in our hands will sway her."
John glanced at the sonogram in her hands. "There's nothing on that picture that says future peacemaker. I doubt she'll believe you."
"She will when we allow her to visit D'Anna."
John didn't say anything. Laura and Bill probably thought they had a right to use D'Anna to further their agenda. It was pointless to voice his opinion since they would do it anyway.
"I gave James McManus an interview this morning," Laura continued. "I did it because someone leaked the information about D'Anna and her pregnancy. The only information he didn't have is where you are right now."
John felt anger wash over him. "That sleazy bastard. He's always opposed you. He was the one who made a big deal out of you being pregnant with Brae when we got married. He played the morality card over and over during your campaign at the same time he was running around on his wife. He's a liar and a hypocrite. You should have told him to go frak himself."
"That was my first inclination, but he would have published his information anyway along with his view that I was trying to hide the facts or cover them up. For our protection Billy also recorded the interview. I'd like for you to watch it. McManus is going to air it in the morning on the news show Caprica Today."
Laura removed the small USB drive from her pocket, turned on the television and plugged it in. They sat on the couch and watched. Billy had kept his camera running after McManus's cameraman stopped his. The recording ended when Laura made the remark about not wanting to send her son off to war one day.
John felt waves of strong emotion…anger chief among them. He didn't trust himself to speak. He stood up and walked to the kitchen doorway.
"Say something, please," Laura finally said.
"What in the hell did you hope to accomplish by that? You told him D'Anna and I would be in the crosshairs of radicals on both sides. Did you not stop to think you've put yourself there as well?"
"Everything I said is the truth," Laura answered defensively. "The words of the prophecy are in the scriptures. I believe them."
"That might have meant something a hundred years ago, but according to something I read last year, only half of the people now on Caprica have any religious affiliation or attend any kind of worship service. Frak, Laura. Don't you realize that at least half your constituents are going to look at you and say, 'Poor President Roslin. She's so desperate to make excuses for her husband that she's listening to seers and prophets.' They're going to think you've started losing it."
Laura felt tears sting her eyes. "I didn't think you would take it this way. You know I don't blame you for what happened with D'Anna. What do you think I should have done? Should I have simply acknowledged the truth of McManus's statement and then said, 'Oh, and by the way John and I are living apart.'"
"At least that would have gotten most of the women of Caprica on your side. I'm not the important one in this situation. Don't you understand that? You are. You're the leader they elected in a landslide last November. The minute you said you believe in the prophecy of a half-breed child being the peacemaker and that you don't intend to annihilate the Cylons, you probably lost the support of the majority of the planet."
Laura's lips were trembling. "I think you're wrong."
"I hope the hell I am for your sake."
"Why are you so angry at me?"
"I'm not angry at you. It's me. I'm the one who frakked everything up for you. You've still got time. Call McManus and tell him that I've asked you for a separation. Let me take the blame in this. Put some distance between us."
"No."
"If you won't call him, I will. He said he wanted to talk to me anyway."
"Oh, John, please, please don't do that. My interview will make headlines tomorrow. Everybody will talk about it for a few days. McManus will interview some professor of theology about the prophecy who will discuss all the other verses of scripture dealing with the peacemaker. Then something else will come along and grab the headlines. Another temple will be bombed in Sovana or a famous sports star will get arrested for using drugs or some film star will announce she's getting a divorce and my interview will be largely forgotten. The people of Caprica are extremely fickle. Nothing holds their attention for very long."
"You really believe that, don't you?"
"Yes."
"I love you too much to let you sacrifice the Presidency for me. You've worked too hard to get this far. I couldn't live with myself if I thought I'd brought it all crashing down for you."
Laura walked over to her husband. He was telling her the truth. The love was still there in his eyes, still so clear that she could see it. It was like looking through a window into his heart. Her tears spilled over and she hastily wiped them away. All her doubts about him vanished.
She reached up and touched his cheek. "Don't you understand that there is something going on right now that is more important than we are? There's a great deal that isn't clear to me yet, but we've each got a part to play. D'Anna has a part and so does the child."
"I wish I had your faith."
"Do you remember the first time you kissed me?" She asked softly.
"Do you think I could ever forget that?"
"We were on the sidewalk in front of my apartment building."
"And it had just started to snow. It was our fifth date and I'd almost given up that it was going to happen."
"But it did. And not long after that you took me to your cottage on the island and one night on a blanket under the stars we made Brae. Then before we even knew we were having a boy, Yolanda Brenn told you that one day our son would map the stars on the way to Earth. Right before she died, Yolanda told Kara that there would be another child for you and that it must live. My point is that both of your sons have a part in this, John. As does Rachel. The lives of all these children are in our hands right now. What we do next is very important. I think our role is to protect them and nurture them. Our children are destined for the stars, John, and one day we'll have to let them go, but until then, it's our duty to show them that our two races don't have to kill each other."
He captured her slender hand in his, brought her palm to his lips and kissed it. The gesture was his acknowledgement that she was right…at least about the children.
She looked up at him. Her look said it all. He put his other hand on her cheek, leaned down and kissed her, a slow, gentle soul-melting kiss just like their first one. She had just put her arms around his neck when they heard a commotion in the hall and the wailing of their son. Laura reached the door first.
Kara was flustered and nearly in tears. She had Braedon in her arms. Edgar was right behind Kara with a big first aid kit. Laura could see blood on her son's chin that had run down his neck and onto the front of his shirt.
"He fell out of his stroller," Kara said over Braedon's wails. Her voice was quivering. "I didn't know he could get out of it that fast. He did a face plant. He's got a cut on his chin but I think he's okay."
Brae reached for his mother and Laura took her son, rocking him back and forth in her arms, saying soothing words to him, knowing the blood now staining her favorite blue blouse would never come out and not caring at all. The only thing that mattered to her at the moment was her child.
"Take him into my apartment," John said. "I'll go get Bianca. She'll know if we should get him to an urgent care facility."
Bianca opened the door to her apartment before John knocked. He quickly explained what had happened and together they crossed the hall. Edgar handed her the first aid kit and followed her into John's apartment.
Not wanting to add to the confusion, Kara went into Bianca's apartment. D'Anna was still sitting on the couch holding a sleeping Rachel.
"What's wrong?"
Kara could hear Braedon screaming. Her father and Laura were probably holding him so that Dr. Cardenas could clean and examine the cut. Kara could no longer hold back her tears. "I frakked up and let my little brother fall out of his stroller. He cut his chin."
"Why are you crying? Did you get hurt, too?"
"You don't know much about humans, do you?"
"I don't understand why you're crying if you didn't get hurt."
"Because he was my responsibility. I was looking for a Raptor taking off so I could show him and I quit watching him. He tried to stand up and he fell. He got hurt on my watch."
She choked back another sob.
D'Anna seemed to partially comprehend. "You're afraid your father and Laura will be angry at you."
"They should be angry at me…but they won't be. They'll say it was an accident."
"Was it not an accident?"
"It's one that wouldn't have happened if I'd been paying attention to him like I should have been."
"My son won't do anything like that."
"Oh, give me a frakking break. There's about a million ways kids can get hurt, but it's one of the ways they learn. Brae's smart. I bet he won't try to stand up in his stroller again, but that doesn't mean he won't do something else that could get him hurt. He likes to climb on the furniture. Right after they moved into Marble House, Maya said she was picking up some toys in his bedroom. She turned her back for about a minute. She found him in the little kitchen. He'd pushed the stepping stool over to the counter and was already up on it. He was trying to get to some cookies that he'd seen Maya put on top of the refrigerator."
"We were all programmed not to do dangerous things that might harm us."
"It doesn't work that way with humans. We learn the old fashioned way. It's a frakking miracle Karl and I survived childhood considering some of the stupid things we did on our skateboards."
"Who is Karl?"
"My best friend. He's like a brother."
"Wasn't someone watching you?"
"No. My mother was a Marine. She went to work every day."
"What about John?"
"He wasn't around either. Karl and I were mostly on our own every day after school and in the summer. We did a lot of crazy stuff."
D'Anna smiled. "I'll watch my son all the time."
"You can't be too protective. That's not good either."
"I don't understand. Do I need to watch him or not?"
"Just listen to my dad. He knows what he's doing."
"Do you think he'll let Braedon and my son play together?"
"Sure. My friend Karl is married to the Eight who has a little girl, Hera. They want to come visit you."
"When?"
"As soon as Laura can work it out with security. Leoben wants to come back, too. And there's a Six. Her name is Natasi. They all want to visit you."
"I'd like that."
They sat in silence until Rachel began to stir and then to fret.
"What's wrong with her?" D'Anna asked.
"She's probably wet. She might be hungry, too. Do you know how to change her diaper?"
"I watched Bianca do it once. I've never done it myself."
"Come on," Kara said. "This is a good time to learn. Changing diapers is part of baby basic training."
They had just finished changing the diaper when John came to the door.
"How bad?" Kara asked.
John shook his head. "He's got some bruises and a cut on his chin. Bianca cleaned it and put two small butterflies and a bandage on it. She says he'll be fine."
"We heard him screaming. I thought she was doing major surgery or something."
John smiled. "He's got a set of lungs. I knew that as soon as he was born."
Kara felt the tears start again. "Is Laura mad at me?"
"No. Accidents happen…especially to hard-headed little boys. Laura said she and Maya have been telling him not to stand up in his stroller."
Kara brushed away a tear. "I'm so sorry."
He walked over and put his arms around her. "Don't beat yourself up over this, baby. You had your share of cuts and scrapes when you were his age. You survived."
D'Anna was watching them. "Why do you call her baby? She's not a baby."
John winked at Kara. "Because she'll always be my baby girl." He turned to D'Anna. "It's a term of endearment."
"Like a nickname?"
"Sort of," Kara said.
Rachel started to fret again and D'Anna picked her up.
"I'll go warm her bottle," John said.
Bianca and Laura came through the door just as they walked back into the living room.
"Rachel's hungry," D'Anna said.
Braedon had cried so much that he had the hiccups. Kara saw the bandage on his chin.
"We need to go," Laura said to Kara.
Kara nodded.
Bianca went into the kitchen and took over the bottle warming duties so John could walk downstairs with them. At the car he kissed his son on the head.
"I'll see you soon. Be a brave boy for your mother. Dada loves you."
Laura asked Kara to get the pacifier out of Brae's diaper bag. He never got it during the day now and they were working on weaning him off it at night, but this afternoon was an exception. After Laura got him strapped into his car seat, she stepped back out of the car for a moment. She and John wrapped their arms around each other.
"He'll be all right," John said. "He's a tough little boy."
Laura gently touched the scar over his eyebrow. "I know. He's your son. I'll see you soon."
John watched the three-car motorcade drive away and wondered how far his and Laura's kiss would have gone if their son hadn't gotten hurt.
Halfway back to the city, Braedon fell asleep. The pacifier slipped from his mouth and Laura gently took it.
"I'm sorry," Kara said again.
"Kara, please stop apologizing. My son is a hard-headed little boy. He knows he's not supposed to stand up in his stroller and he does it anyway. I don't blame you."
"I'm worried about D'Anna and my dad's kid. She doesn't know jack about babies. I mean nothing. She doesn't know much about humans, either."
"I knew almost nothing about babies when I found out I was pregnant with Brae." Laura smiled. "Why do you think I have a dozen books about raising children on my bookshelves?"
"It's weird," Kara mused. "Sharon didn't know anything either. Karl said she asked the doctor and their childbirth instructor a gazillion questions. I don't guess the creators included child rearing info in their programming."
"Maybe their creators had no plans for them to reproduce. Maybe that's why their female models have so much trouble with pregnancies. I wonder if we'll ever know anything about how they were made since their creators are now dead."
"Let's hope nothing happens to that centurion that's got Lucy Cain's avatar in it."
"Yes," Laura said as Kara's remark gave her another thought of how to appeal to Natasi. "Let's hope."
...
On Monday afternoon Laura chose to have that talk with Natasi in the kitchen of the safe apartment where she was being kept instead of the interview room where everything was recorded. She wanted it to seem social instead of official.
Romo Lampkin placed a purchased cup of coffee on the table in front of Natasi before he leaned back against the kitchen counter. The blend was her favorite.
"May I sit down?" Laura asked.
Natasi looked at her suspiciously and shrugged. "Why do you even ask? You can do as you please."
"Did you watch the show Caprica Today yesterday morning?" Lampkin asked.
"Yes, my guard insisted. Was that for my benefit or was it broadcast all over Caprica."
Laura smiled slightly. "Oh, I can assure you that it was broadcast. You only had to look at the news shows afterward to know that. It's all over the internet, too."
Natasi gave Laura one of her condescending smiles. "How do you think I could have seen anything on the internet?"
"The point is that most of Caprica is now aware that a Cylon is pregnant with a child prophesied in the scriptures."
"Why are you here? You can't think I had anything to do with it?"
Laura glanced at Romo and he took the sonogram from his jacket pocket. Laura handed it to Natasi.
"A little boy." She gave the Cylon time to study the picture.
Natasi finally looked up and Laura caught a glimpse of hunger in her eyes before it was gone. She had never before that moment considered that Natasi might want to have a child.
"Would you like to visit your sister?" Laura asked gently.
"I know better than to think you're offering me something for nothing. What do you want in return?"
Romo pulled out a chair and sat at the table. "We'd like for you to accompany a recon mission to your homeworld and help them in any way you can."
"So my betrayal of my people on this world wasn't enough for you. You want me to go back to my homeworld and betray them there as well."
Romo said, "President Roslin has a vision for your homeworld. She sees it as a place where Cylons and humans can live and work together in peace. She sees a coalition government. And because she's the President of the Colonies, she's in a position to make it happen. The Three who is pregnant with the peacemaker told Leoben about a park in the city where the mothers of the hybrid children gather. Rachel was named there in a ceremony with D'Anna and Sonja both present. Does the idea of a place like that not appeal to you? A park where hybrid and human children can play together…where perhaps one day your own child could play?"
Natasi sat for a long time and sipped her coffee. "I only visited the city once. When I left my homeworld, the city was still mostly a ruin. The park was overgrown. We never even tried to go in there. The centurions had just started to work on clearing the ruined buildings. Most of us lived in the original settlement."
"A great deal has been done in the city since then," Laura said.
"Put it all on the table," Natasi said. "What are you offering me in return for helping you?"
"Your freedom and a life with Gaius Baltar wherever you want to go. We'll even throw in a nice house and a good job for Gaius. A job for you also if you want to be a part of the coalition government."
Romo quickly added. "Or your own temple if you want to continue preaching like you were doing at the warehouse."
"How do I know that you're not lying? I might help you and find myself brought right back here and placed in custody."
"You have our word," Romo said.
"At some point we're going to have to trust each other," Laura added. "You might agree to help us and then betray the mission."
"What's going to happen to D'Anna and the child?"
"We intend to let her choose. I think she will want to return to your homeworld after her child is delivered here. As soon as it's deemed medically safe for her and the child to travel, she'll be allowed to return."
"Would you like some time to think about it?" Romo asked. "We aren't demanding an answer today, but the mission is in the advanced planning stages. We need to know whether or not to include you."
She smiled knowingly. "Because my presence will significantly alter the mission dynamic."
"Yes. There is a possibility that Leoben will decide to go also," Laura said. "I spoke with him several nights ago. He hasn't gotten back to me so I assume he's still considering my request."
"Who will be the mission commander?"
"My husband and a young man who accompanied Kara back from Nereid will co-command."
Natasi's smile grew broader. Her tone was slightly mocking. "You husband, also known as the father of our peacemaker?"
"The same," Laura kept her composure. "He has the most knowledge of the planet."
"And I would be under his control? Do you think he might give me my own little peacemaker?" Her tone was sly and mocking.
It was all Laura could do to keep her cool. "He would determine how best to utilize your help."
"Could Gaius go with us?"
"Not on this initial trip. Perhaps he can join you later. There's something else that you should know. D'Anna can verify it if you don't believe me. There's a centurion now with Natalie in Settlement Alpha that contains the avatar of Lucy Cain."
Natasi gasped. "I hoped she had escaped, but Cavil said he killed her...after he had killed the other creators. After we came to the Colonies, we all put our hands in the datastream. He was telling the truth."
"He did kill her physical body. I don't understand the technology involved. Perhaps you do, but prior to her death, Lucy downloaded an avatar of herself into a centurion and sent it to the city for safekeeping. My husband discovered the centurion and befriended it, if those words are the appropriate ones to use. That means there is still hope that you can retrieve the secrets of your creation."
"I'll do it," Natasi said suddenly as she picked up the sonogram. "When can I see my sister D'Anna?"
"I'll arrange it for tomorrow afternoon. You can see Sharon Agathon as well. She and her daughter will be there. I've extended the invitation to Leoben as well. If he shows up, it will be a Cylon family reunion."
Later as Laura entered the presidential limousine, Romo asked, "Are you sure the tech guys will have D'Anna's apartment wired to record by then?"
"Major Parker assured me they would."
"Does she know what they're doing?"
"D'Anna has been spending her days with Bianca. Major Parker told her that there was an electrical problem. She thinks the men are electricians."
"That wouldn't fool Natasi."
"No," Laura smiled. "But D'Anna is very naïve. I'm sure she believes it."
"Does it bother you using her that way?"
"I try to keep the big picture in mind, the reason we're doing all of this."
Romo lowered his voice which made his accent more pronounced. "Have you ever thought about visiting their homeworld…after the fighting is over, of course?"
Laura hesitated and then told him the truth. "Yes. I've thought about it a great deal."
...
The sun had not yet cleared the horizon when Lee and Kara headed for the airbase on Tuesday morning. He had picked her up at the back gate of Marble House ten minutes earlier. If it had not been for the traffic report on the radio, there would have been complete silence in the car. Other than a brief greeting and a quick kiss which tasted of toothpaste for both, neither had spoken.
They reached the exit to the I-6 before Lee broke the silence. "Are you on auto-pilot or is something wrong?"
"Mostly auto-pilot," she replied. "When I'm riding my motorcycle I'm mostly oblivious to everything but the traffic around me. Some of these drivers are certifiable nut jobs. I have to stay alert for anything some idiot might do."
"I agree," Lee said.
"I talked to my dad late last night. D'Anna had her lab tests. He said the results weren't encouraging. Something about the protein levels in her urine. They're elevated which means instead of a diagnosis of gestational hypertension, Dr. Delos is now saying that Bianca was right. D'Anna has something called pre-eclampsia. I don't understand everything, but that's a lot more serious."
"You mean she might lose the baby?"
"All I could get dad to say was that while D'Anna was getting dressed after the exam, Dr. Delos took him aside and told him that D'Anna needs to be monitored very closely. If her blood pressure keeps rising, the only way to save her life would be to…to take the baby."
"Is D'Anna aware of that?"
"Dad said he'd asked Dr. Delos not to mention it just yet. While they were still back on Nereid, Bianca told D'Anna that it might come to that and D'Anna said, No way. Not going to happen. Not ever. She said her child would be born whatever the cost to her."
They rode in silence for a while. Lee finally said, "Evelyn wasn't my grandfather Joseph's first wife. He was married to a woman named Shannon. They had a daughter named Tamara and a son named William that they called Willie."
Kara said. "I guess you've started reading those journals."
"I finally got enough nerve to ask my Dad about it. All he would tell me is that Willie died before he was born. He acted like that's all he knew, but I think he knows more than he's saying. Not only that, Shannon and Tamara died when a mag lev train was blown up by the terrorist group Soldiers of the One. Not long after that Joseph met Daniel Graystone. His daughter Zoe had died in the same explosion."
"The Graystones were the main creators of the skinjobs."
"I know…based on what your father said. I've started reading everything I can find on the Graystones. He was a scientist and an inventor. His wife Amanda was a reconstructive surgeon, what most people call a plastic surgeon. She would have been able to obtain synthetic skin and stem cells to grow organs and all kinds of stuff. While she was at the university, she worked for a big biotech firm. She had all kinds of contacts in the biomedical field. It's all beginning to fall into place for me."
"How does your grandfather fit in?"
"I don't know, yet, but I'm going to try to find out. I think that's why my dad seems so reluctant to talk about that part of my grandfather's life. He's afraid if he digs too deep…" Lee couldn't bring himself to say it.
Kara finished the sentence for him. "He's afraid he'll find out that his own father somehow aided in the creation of the AI race that destroyed nine-tenths of the human race."
They reached the exit for the airbase. Kara brightened. "So how did you get on today's roster to fly up to Argos and shoot up some old tanks and stuff with us?"
Lee smiled. "Sometimes it pays to be the son of the king. After I asked Dad about Willie and he changed the subject, I told him I'd really like to start my ground training early this week…like today. He called Colonel Spencer and asked him to shuffle the roster."
Kara punched him playfully on the arm. "So the crown prince finally asked his father for a favor after all these years of wanting to do everything on his own."
"I was going to have to do this anyway. I just asked to change the days."
"You should know better than to go up against me," she smirked. "You're going to lose."
"Bombing practice is not a contest."
"Yes it is because we get scored for closest to target. You know I'll win. I went on-line last night and played a couple of games. I haven't lost my touch."
Lee slowed down and stopped when he reached the gate. They showed their IDs and were allowed through. Lee didn't answer until he had parked the car. "It's not about you beating me. It's about both of us beating the enemy."
"You're right. If you'll notice, I never put those little Raider decals on my old Mark II for the ones I killed when we fought them before. I took some heat about that since most of the rest of the pilots plastered those dead-Raider decals on their Vipers. Even Narcho. I told him I didn't want to weigh my Viper down with all the paper it would take, but that wasn't really it."
"What was it?"
"I'm not sure. It just didn't feel right. I know we're supposed to get all pumped up when we kill an enemy, but…I don't know. It just didn't feel right so I didn't do it."
"Maybe it's because of Sadie and knowing the Raiders are partially organic," Lee said as they walked down the hall toward the locker rooms.
"Maybe…any maybe I realized that none of those Raiders would have gone back and pasted little Vipers on their sides for those of us they killed like Pike and Seelix."
"They're not that smart."
"I know, but…I don't know, Lee. It felt petty to me…bragging that you'd killed something."
"That something was an enemy that was trying its damndest to kill you. Have you never seen that picture of your father beside his old Mark II? The whole side of his ship was covered with decals of the old Raiders."
"I've seen it. So how come you didn't put the decals on your Viper?"
"Because my Viper wound up on the bottom of the ocean."
"Look, just forget it. Maybe I've been hanging around Laura too much. Maybe this peacemaker thing is on my mind."
"That's not going to affect you when we're on Nereid or over Nereid, is it?"
They were almost to the locker rooms. Kara grabbed his arm and angrily spun him around.
"I can't believe you just said that. When we go to Nereid, I'll do whatever I have to do, just like I did the last time we fought. I'm just not going to go strutting around like a peacock afterward telling everybody to look at how many I killed."
"Okay, okay. Calm down."
She managed a grin. "Just see if I don't beat the socks off you today."
The men's locker room door opened and Saunders and Karl walked out clad in their flight suits.
"You two Viper jocks better get moving," Saunders said. "You're going to be late to the ready room and you know how Colonel Spencer feels about coming in late."
"Like Jessups feels about a certain pilot coming in hot," Karl joked.
"Eat my tylium exhaust," Kara joked and went through the door.
When the two Raptor pilots were halfway down the hall, Lee pushed the door to the women's locker room open a foot and called after Kara, "I love you anyway." Then he hurried into the men's lockers to change.
Lyla Elway was zipping up her flight suit. "Who was that?"
Kara shrugged and tried to keep a straight face. "Some pilot who's been stalking me. No matter how many times I frak him, he keeps coming back."
Maggie, who had recognized Lee's voice, started laughing. "Only you could come up with a line like that, Starbuck. How did the mighty Apollo get assigned to the run today?"
"Luck of the draw, I guess," Kara said. "My scores will be the ones everybody will want to beat."
Lyla had finally caught on. "Even the admiral's son?" She asked as she grabbed her helmet and headed for the door.
Kara grinned. "Especially him."
TBC…
