VII

Sixteen godsdamned times, Bill Adama groused. Sixteen times, they had run drills for the rescue attempt they were going to try, and sixteen times, it had been a clusterfrak. The Admiral was going to leave them out for a seventeenth drill, but two Vipers had collided, and he was forced to bring the birds back home.

Not long after the last birds touched down on their respective ship, Commander Lee Adama was on Galactica, to plead his case for scrapping this whole idea.

"This whole thing is fracking insane", he lamented, following his father into the Admiral's quarters. "We've got two ships at half strength. We got crews that haven't seen action in over eighteen months. And you're acting like the only problem is they're not working hard enough?"

Bill had been turned away from Lee when his son had said the last sentence. He snapped around, closing the distance with the younger Adama. "Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror lately?" He stared at his son.

That wasn't a question Lee had even been remotely expected. It brought him up short.

"You're weak; soft! Mentally and physically."

"This isn't about me", Lee shot back angrily.

Bill didn't let up. "You've had eighteen months to get your act together, and all you've been able to frakin' do is complain and whine about how hard it is."

The two men continued to stare unblinking at the other.

"Well guess what", Bill said harshly, "It's gonna get a lot harder, do you understand me?" His voice was implacable. "Now what I want you to turn around, and get your fat ass out of here. Get your people ready, or find someone who can! Dismissed!"

At that moment, Lee came close to slugging his father, but thought better of it. It wasn't the time for such things.

When he got back to Pegasus, he had told Dee what his dad had said to him, and much to Lee's surprise, she agreed with the Admiral. "I'm not talking about the weight, Lee." Lee had put on a good fifty pounds, and was clearly out of shape. "You've lost your edge, your confidence." She looked down briefly, then back up at her husband. "You've lost your war, Lee. And the truth is, you're a soldier who needs a war."

Lee stewed on the words of his father and his wife, and he didn't like what he was hearing, and when he looked in the mirror after taking a shower later on, he didn't like what he was seeing, either. They were right. He was soft, and that had to change.

Two Days Later

The day of reckoning had arrived for Kara Thrace, who was now Kara Roslin, although most of those on New Caprica, both Human and Cylon, had no inkling of that.

It was 0500. Laura gently woke Kara who was laying next to her in their bed.

"Honey", Laura said gently, dreading the day ahead. "Hey Kara, it's time to get up."

Kara groaned lazily, which made Laura chuckle, despite what was going to occur later. "Forget it, Roslin", Kara said gruffly. "I need more sleep."

"You have to get up, love", Laura said, her heart already breaking. "You have to be at the holding center in two hours."

Kara opened her eyes in a snap, remembering what day it was. "Gods, I had forgotten for a moment, Laura." She turned to look at her wife. "It wasn't some dream I was having, was it?"

Laura moved to put her face close to Kara's. "I wish it were, baby, but it's not. It's almost time. You need to get dressed. I'll wake Kacey up."

"No", Kara said suddenly, with more fear in her voice than she had wanted. "No", she repeated, with softer tones, "this is the last morning that I'll be able to wake her up. Please, let me?"

Laura nodded, a tear escaping her one eye. "Go wake your daughter up, Starbuck."

Kara sat up, and gave Laura a desperate, passionate kiss. "Just remember, she's our daughter now, Laura." The kiss deepened.

"I won't ever forget that, my love. Let's get her going."

A few minutes later, Kacey was awake, demanding food through still-sleepy eyes. Kara got the little girl dressed, while Laura made some eggs with bacon and toast, along with some apple juice. They were all seated at the table. It was eerily silent in their tent.

Kacey broke the silence, looking at Kara. "Momma, why are you sad?"

Kara glanced over at her spouse, then down to her daughter. "Well, momma's sad because I have to go away for a while."

"Why?"

"Because I have to, honey. I have to go with The Cylons for a while, but I will be back home, I promise."

"But where will I live?"

That broke Kara's heart. "Well, you know momma and teacher Roslin got married, right?" Kacey nodded happily, as she had grown to love and trust Laura immensely. "Well, Laura is your other mom now, and you'll be living her with her. And she's gonna take good care of you while I'm gone, right?"

Kacey looked over at Laura. "You're my new mom?"

That brought tears to Laura's eyes, as she left her chair and knelt in front of what was now her child, and her responsibility. "Yes, I'm your new mom now. I love you very much, Kacey, and you and I are going to take care of each other while momma is gone."

"I love you too, mom". Kacey wrapper her arms around the redhead. "I like two momma's."

Both the women laughed hearing those words. But the pain that was tearing through them at the moment almost undid them. They had to remain strong for Kacey.

"No school today?"

Kara shook her head. "Nope, it's a weekend. You'll be going over to your friend Rachel's tent this morning, and spend some time with her. That'll be fun, right?"

"Racherl is fun, momma." As was the case with young children, they often mis-pronounced a name, but it made her all that more adorable.

"Rachel is a lot of fun", Kara said with a laugh, kissing her daughter. "When you're over the, Momma and Mom have to go visit The Cylons, then Mom will be back to take you home."

"OK, momma. Can I have more eggs?"

Laura snickered at that one. Laura made two more eggs for Kacey, and while the young girl was busy eating, she and Kara had moved off into their bedroom for a few moments. Arriving there, they wrapped each other in a fierce embrace.

"Gods, I don't want this to happen", Laura said desperately. "We're supposed to be on a Honeymoon, wearing no clothes, and fraking each others brains out." Despite their sadness, Kara laughed loudly at that one.

"I promise you, Mrs. Roslin", she said tenderly, "when I get back, we'll have a proper Honeymoon, and we'll spend a couple of weeks completely naked."

"Mmm", Laura said as lightly as she could, "that sounds like something special."

They became quiet, knowing the time was near. "Laura", Kara said, beginning to tremble, "I'm so fraking scared."

"I know you are, baby. So am I." She gave Kara multiple kisses on top of her head. "But we'll make it. Somehow, we'll make it. I love you so much it hurts."

"I love you forever, Laura." They went into another deep, passionate, desperate kiss, wishing they had the time to make love once more before the exchange.

But the time was up.

Kara and Laura had dropped off Kacey at her friends tent, Kara weeping openly when hugging and kissing her daughter for the last time, for goodness knew how long. She had regained her composure by the time she and Laura had left Kacey.

They walked together, openly holding hands, and would continue to do so until they neared the Cylon prison. They didn't want those frakers to know that they were married. But their fellow citizens saw them holding hands-the word had gotten out of the exchange of Starbuck for the medicine, and the sight of the two women with fingers entwined make people stop and stare, despite themselves, wondering what was going.

They reached Colonel Tigh's tent, where Tigh, Galen, and Tory Foster would escort them over to the prison. Kara noticed that Tigh looked as frail and ashen-faced as she could ever remember. He may be a son-of-a-bitch quite often, but she had never questioned his toughness.

Kara went up to the older man. "Colonel, like I said the other day, I understand the need for this. I don't like it, but we didn't have much choice."

"You know, Thrace", he said, reverting to habit, "the Old Man would have me drawn and quartered for doing this."

"He isn't here, and I don't think he'd blame you or anyone for this. The Old Man is coming back some day. Just be ready for when he arrives, you got that?"

Saul simply nodded. Kara smiled at her nemesis, gave him a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "Keep giving those frakers grief, Colonel."

Saul couldn't even respond to the show of affection, which would have made Kara laugh in another time and place. He regained his composure quickly. "It's time to head over there, Kara."

"Aye, Colonel", she said with military formality, reminding him, and the others that she was a soldier. As she began to move, she suddenly stopped. "Colonel, with your permission, may I borrow the tent for just a few moments?" She looked over at Laura. "I know Laura is going with us, but I need a private moment to say goodbye to my wife."

"I understand", he said, looking sadly at both of them, the others taking a few extra steps away from the tent, as the newlyweds entered the tent.

For a few moments, they simply stared at each other. The whirlwind of events over the last few months had changed their lives in ways they could never have imagined. Had someone told either of them six months ago that they would be lovers...and married? They would have laughed at such a thing.

But it was their reality now. And reality was getting ready to run roughshod over them.

Their breathing was stilted, their chests heaving with the crashing emotions of the moment.

"Kara." Laura started to talk, and stopped, her hands coming to her face. "Gods, honey, I can't do this." She burst into tears, Kara rushing to her, and wrapping her arms around her wife. "I can't let you go."

Kara rocked the taller woman back and forth, even as her own tears overwhelmed them. "We have to do this, Laura. We don't have a choice now. Be strong for me."

They cried for several minutes, with both regaining their composure much faster than they thought would be possible. As they broke the embrace momentarily, they gazed into each others' eyes: Laura looking into golden, hazel eyes, Kara looking into fiery green eyes. At the same moment, they came together in the most passionate and desperate kiss of their short, torrid love affair. They held it for endless minutes, desperately devouring each others lips and tongues, eyes closed, trying to freeze the moment in time.

"I love you, Kara Roslin", Laura said with a voice filled with desolation. "I love you more than my own life."

Kara brought Laura's lips back to her. "I adore you, Laura Roslin. I've never loved someone like I love you. I always will."

After another five minutes or so, they realized they had to break it off.

Kara reached up tenderly to touch Laura's cheek. "I'm counting on you to take care of yourself and our daughter, Laura. Just...please...keep my love for you close to your heart?"

"I will, baby", Laura said, embracing her younger wife again, tears threatening to break out once more. "When you're in there..." She almost couldn't say it. "When you're in that prison, remember how much-how desperately-I love you?"

"You know I will, Laura. It'll keep me alive." Kara wiped at her eyes, and straightened up, Laura doing the same. They shared one last, sweet kiss, then Starbuck looked at her wife.

"It's time to go."

They emerged from the tent, heads held high, now ready to face the moment. They didn't hold hands from that moment onward, even though they desperately wanted to.

Cylon Detention Center

D'Anna didn't mind that Kara Thrace was a few minutes late in arriving. She knew the Humans wouldn't dare back out of this deal. She would have her prized prisoner soon enough.

She was still royally pissed at Leoben, and his secretive stunt of putting Kara in that fantasy house, that he told no one else about. Not that D'Anna didn't like playing mind games with their captives, but when Leoben had come to her, telling her of Kara's escape, and what had been going on with her, D'Anna had read him the riot act.

Mostly she was pissed because she was the titular leader of New Caprica. Gaius Baltar may be the elected President, but he was a mere puppet for what The Cylons wanted. D'Anna, being the only one of her model currently in existence, had used that fact to gain power over the others, even over the Cavil's that roamed New Caprica in small numbers. The One's didn't like that, but the fact was, with the exception of the Twos, no one else really wanted to follow a Cavil.

Yet the outbreak of the epidemic had given D'Anna a chance to hold the always-dangerous Starbuck in hack. She wasn't completely oblivious to the danger of the epidemic to the Human population, and she had grown to the point where she did want them to co-exist, with The Cylons as the clear masters. She certainly didn't want the Human population wiped out. But it didn't stop her from gaining something in return.

And what's more, if the situation arose, she would be more than willing to dangle Starbuck as a negotiating tool for something else she might want. Oh, there was no doubt, she thought, that Starbuck would not enjoy her stay in prison. Perhaps they could break her spirit and her will to fight. The Leoben who had kept her in that house had been shipped off to other parts, and the ones that remained wouldn't be as...gentle...with her, if it became necessary.

As she was lost in her thoughts, she saw two Centurions flanking a group of Humans, making their way toward the gates of the prison-gates that had been upgraded and reinforced since Starbuck had made her escape. That would not happen again.

When she came into view, D'Anna had to give Kara some credit: she was staring at D'Anna, not blinking, showing no fear of what might await her. That had always impressed D'Anna. She may not like Starbuck, but she respected her, and admired her courage and her skill as a pilot, and as a soldier. She was not to be trifled with.

I'm not to be trifled with either, Ms. Thrace, D'Anna thought sternly to herself.

Laura and Saul took the lead , with the two Centurions flanking them, as they approached the gate. In this setting, they were the senior leaders of the Human population. Even D'Anna was under no illusion that they didn't consider Gaius Baltar one of their own, or in any way their leader.

The double set of gates opened, D'Anna and a Number Two stepping forward. Obviously, they couldn't tell if it was Boomer or not, and it didn't matter-they all looked the same.

"President Roslin", D'Anna said formally, "Colonel Tigh, thank you for keeping up your end of the bargain. I hope the first set of supplies is beginning to tamp down this Epidemic?"

"It's too early to tell", Laura said, putting her presidential face firmly in place, giving nothing to the Cylon woman. "I'm sure by the end of the week, Dr. Cottle will be making a progress report to you and to the President." She wouldn't utter Gaius' name, not here.

"I look forward to it. You may not believe this, Laura", D'Anna said seriously, "but I don't want this Epidemic to get worse. There's been enough suffering for everyone. My hope is that we can all come out of this in better shape than we were before."

"Except for Starbuck", Tigh reminded her coldly.

"Starbuck is our concern now, Colonel, not yours. Personally, I'm glad we have her, as she's too much of a troublemaker to be left unsupervised. She's as dangerous as anyone on New Caprica."

Laura took two steps forward, putting herself nearly in D'Anna's personal space. Two more Centurions behind the Cylon woman started to move forward. D'Anna raised her hand, and they instantly stopped.

Laura hadn't even blinked. "I'll give you fair warning, Ms. Biers", Laura said coldly. "Starbuck isn't going to be your prisoner forever. You have my word on that. And when she is returned to her people, if she's suffered any permanent physical or psychological damage, I'll hold you personally responsible. And you have my word on that as well."

D'Anna didn't flinch, either. "This isn't the time or place for such threats, Madam President." Her tone was just as cold as Laura's had been.

"That was no threat, D'Anna", Laura finished. "Just a statement of fact."

Before D'Anna could reply, Laura turned and headed back toward where her wife was standing. Their eyes met, both of them desperately wishing they could embrace and kiss once more. But they knew that would cause more trouble for both of them.

She did stop to talk to Kara, very briefly.

"Remember, Kara, how much I love you."

"I will, Laura." She and Laura switched places, so Kara was facing away from D'Anna. "I love you with all my heart. Take care of our daughter?" Kara was close to losing it again, but found the strength to get through it.

"I will, Kara", Laura said with a sad nod.

Tigh moved over to Kara. "It's time, Starbuck."

Kara looked at the Colonel and nodded. She wanted to look back at Laura one last time, but she was afraid it would reveal too much to the Cylons. With Tigh at her side, she moved toward D'Anna.

The Two that was with D'Anna stepped forward, handcuffs visible. D'Anna turned and halted her. "Those won't be necessary, sister", she said quietly. "Please go and make sure Starbuck's cell is ready for her."

The "Sharon", looked annoyed at the order, and glanced frostily at Kara before turning away, but she obeyed.

D'Anna turned back to face Starbuck. "Welcome back, Captain", D'Anna said with a false pleasantness. "I hope you enjoyed your freedom?"

"I'll enjoy it again, soon enough, skin job."

The contempt in her voice shook D'Anna slightly, not quite hiding it form her features.

"Maybe that's true, but you're our guest for now. You can make this as easy or as difficult as you want. That's up to you."

"I was born difficult, I thought you knew that, D'Anna?"

D'Anna thought about responding, but instead she raised her hands. The two Centurions that had flanked D'Anna now moved to flank Starbuck. "Take the prisoner to her cell." Her eyes had never left Kara's. "You and I will talk later."