New Episode…...only taken a few years!

Flight Bay

Battlestar Galactica

The F302 had barely stopped rolling before Kara Thrace had vaulted from the cockpit, jumping the gantry to the metallic decking, standard Starbuck grin on her face. There they stood. Gods only knew how long it had been, so wrapped up in her "new" life with the SGC she'd been. But there, slack jawed and varying expressions on their faces, they all stood. The old man, face going into a small smile. Greg, jaw on the hanger floor, eyes wide. Tyrol and Callie, shock and awe on both smiling faces. Lee. Grinning, crying. He stood before the group, arms wide.

"It was raining dad, so I brought the cat in!"

He turned and grabbed her again.

"Woah Lee! Easy!"

She hugged back though, almost as ferociously as he had. The Admiral slowly walked over turning to see the President come into the hanger and stop short as she saw, first Cam Mitchell standing by his fighter then, against all odds, Starbuck.

"Captain Thrace?...Major?"

Lee and Kara disentangled and turned. Bill Adama could hold on no longer. He grabbed his almost daughter and hugged her. The tears began on both sides then. Holding her at arms length for a moment, Adama senior then hugged her again, laughing. Laughing for the first time in an age.

Kickstart stood there, mouth flapping like a fish gasping for air, his helmet in one hand. Kara?! Godsfrakking STARBUCK! He turned and looked at Callie, her eyes red and streaming but her face split by a huge grin.

"Wha…"

She grabbed him and hugged him. He hugged back and looked back to the scene before him. Kara looked up and saw him then, sweat plastering his hair to his head and grinned again. He disengaged from Callie's bear hug and stood before the bundle of laughing, crying people.

"So…..your back then?"

He deadpanned, stood a moment longer then broke, as Lee had, and grabbed her in his own bearhug. Kara returned it. Greg was always the brother she'd never had and to see him here, a Captain, alive, she almost broke again.

"Yeah, I'm back….."

She mumbled into his shoulder. Greg held her out at arms length, crying, and grinned down at her as Lee put his arm around her and punched him in the shoulder.

"I knew it Greg….I frakkin knew it!"

He grasped Lees arm and nodded before putting his own protective arm around her other soulder.

Viper 6231

Samuel Anders was out of his depth. Raiders, Heavy Raiders and new huge fighters wheeled and dove about him, the wireless screamed at him, noise, noise, chaos. Out of the melee a single Raider flew out right in his face.

"Fire for fraks sake Anders, FIRE!"

The voice yelled in his helmet. He tensed on the controllers trigger and nothing happened.

"Frak!"

At that moment something clicked in his head. He couldn't quite grasp it, a moment felt. A voice far away. The Raider stopped almost in his lap, executed a perfect about turn and raced away. Around him other Raiders did likewise. A huge flash to his portside and a basestar blew.

"They're buggin out!"

Galactica

Galen Tyrol, mind swimming with new found Cylonism Was that a real frakkin word? Sidled up to the huge grey fighter. He ran a gloved hand over the wing, a smile creasing his face. Partly at seeing Starbuck again but also at the marvel that sat on the deck before him.

"Ain't she a beauty?"

The voice came from the tall man in a green flight suit who'd flown in with Thrace. The accent was Caprican but he looked like he was Tauron. Tyrol, drinking in the lines of this alien ship, nodded. Turning he stuck out a hand, all thoughts of Cylons banished for now.

"She sure is. Galen Tyrol, Chief of the deck."

Cam Mitchell, recognising the name from the debrief he'd had on Starbuck, shook the outstretched hand.

"Cameron Mitchell, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force. But don't let that bother ya too much."

Tyrol straightened and swung up a salute. Cam grinned and waved back in his usual carefree style.

"Sure we can let you get in amongst it Chief."

This elicited a grin from both men. Cam nodded to the Chief and turned to where Kara was filling in, shorthand, where she'd been and what she'd been up to.

Bill Adama, the President and the retinue that had gathered on the hangar deck stood all exhibiting the same look, that of a goldfish with eyes wide, mouths flapping. Starbuck, holding onto Kickstart and Apollo as though they were life preservers, breathlessly tried to recount her story.

"So here we are! Its me, really me! And I brought some friends!"

Greg ruffled her hair and kissed the top of her head, revelling in the fact that, inexplicably, his friend had returned from the dead. Kara gave the assembled group her trademark grin, her nose scrunching up. The elder Adama, tears dripping on his uniform stood back and took in the sight. He could barely believe it. Kara, back from the dead. The full debrief was going to be interesting.

Snake Two

Major Redmond snap rolled the big fighter on its side to avoid a missile from an enemy vessel, a heavy raider, eyes wide as he watched it zip past his canopy.

"Jesus Christ Hobbie! This is getting hairy!"

His backseater, Captain Lisa Hobbes, laughed and keyed her LIDAR, it showed the Cylons were starting to retreat.

"Yeah but we're pushin them back boss. I'm showing multiple jumps out of the system."

As he looked outside at the rapidly decreasing melee Redmond could see the Raiders, Baseships all jumping away, large flashes as jump points opened and closed. He stared as Colonial Vipers chased stragglers down then turned on their tails and slowed to face the newcomers.

"This is going to get interesting Hobbie, call the Hammond."

Slowing his fighter he keyed the inter-flight channel.

"Snakes, Snake Two. Lets form up people. The Cylons have turned tail, lets meet our new friends."

The surviving 302s disengaged and formed up in sections. Now there were two battle lines facing each other, tentatively sizing each other up.

"Boss, Hammond Niner sends a well done, they're inbound. Orders are to hold here."

Nodding Redmond stabilized the 302 and looked out. A viper was closing on him. Soot streaked and pockmarked Seen a helluva lot of action it wobbled and stopped relative to the USAF craft. A crackle in his headset and then a voice.

"Unidentified fighter, this is Viper 9754 of the Battlestar Galactica. What are your intentions?"

Redmond paused a moment. Yeah? What the hell are our intentions?

As this standoff continued the Hammond appeared between the fighters and a voice came up on the comm.

"All fighters form up on the Hammond"

A moment passed, then on Guard…..

"Red and Blue Squadrons, Galactica. Escort our visitors in"

It was happening…..