Consequence
Of Alliance
-Chapter 4-
Almost as soon as Starbuck left, Tigh had returned for his second stint of duty, determined to convince Adama to follow the orders he himself had issued and take his own well-deserved furlon. When he saw the look on the Commander's face, though, he knew there was no hope. Whatever had happened, it was serious, that much was obvious. More than that, it was personal.
"Adama?" Tigh addressed his friend, making sure to get his attention. "What's wrong? What's happened?"
He didn't reply.
"Adama?"
"Tigh," the Commander asked wearily, an almost distracted air to his voice. "Do you think I made a mistake making an alliance with Baltar?"
The executive officer was surprised by the question. What had that to do with anything? Unless. . .
"Father?" Athena's voice, a mixture of emotions, called out suddenly. "The shuttle."
Adama moved towards his daughter's console anxious for news on Apollo's progress. He prayed to the Lords of Kobol and to God himself for Sheba's safe return from the peril he had unconsciously placed her in. He didn't think Apollo would be able to cope if he lost her too. Lost her to a madman at the fault of his own father. He couldn't let it happen. He *wouldn't* let it happen.
Adama watched the shuttle as it headed steadily towards the prison barge. It wouldn't be long before he had to contact Baltar and give him his decision. In his mind, there was only one option.
"Omega, I want a Viper prepared for launch. Have it ready to depart in half a centar," he ordered calmly. "Athena, when Baltar contacts us again, put it through to my quarters. That's where I'll be."
He turned and strode off leaving a stunned Tigh to watch the two bridge officers quietly prepare to follow his orders, knowing what his next course of action would most likely be.
"Athena? Omega? What-?" Tigh began, totally confused; yet fearing the worst.
Neither answered.
Athena knew there was no point trying to reason with her father when he was like this, nor her brother for that matter, as Adama's expression was that of Apollo's earlier one; sheer determination. The Commander would surrender himself to Baltar, and for his son's sake, he would save Sheba. But he could tell no one for fear that somehow it would get back to the Council of Twelve, who would surely forbid him to go, unable to see the reasoning of his sacrifice.
Athena shook her head. She couldn't find the words to tell Tigh the truth; only her father could do that.
Omega, too, was unable to speak. His Commander's decision was not for him to question, only to secretly admire and respect. Silent and watchful at his station as always, the bridge officer had been witness to Apollo's behaviour and it was obvious to him of the Captain's unspoken feelings. It was also apparent that Adama had known of these feelings a long while ago, and now, given the circumstances surrounding his son's previous love, had decided to take action to prevent it happening again.
He watched the *Galactica's* executive officer stare after Adama then, after getting no response from Athena, look to him for answers. Answers he, and obviously Athena too, felt incapable of giving.
Frustrated with the pair's inability to communicate, Tigh took off in the direction of his superior officer's quarters.
*~*
The shuttle's journey was a silent one. In the co-pilot's seat, Apollo sat, lost in the innermost reaches of his deepest thoughts, as he planned his next course of action.
Similarly, Starbuck, who was seated in the pilot's position, mulled over the possible consequences of the next few centars. He could see the anger burning brightly behind his best friend's eyes, not to mention the unspoken fear.
Cassiopeia laid her hand on his arm, reassuring him that she was there. Starbuck might cover up his true feelings with jokes and bravado, but she could see Apollo's pain being reflected in his eyes, and it tore at her heart as much as the Captain's did. As a socialator, she'd been witness to many people's pain in the past but hardly ever anything like this, and never anything that touched her personally.
Since her arrival on the *Galactica* and the ensuing Gamoray commando mission, Sheba and Cassiopeia had managed to do away with the animosity between them, even become friends, and now, with what she'd learned as the pair had watched Apollo depart with Starbuck in that raider and subsequently in her conversation with him, Cassiopeia was more than worried with what could happen next.
With Apollo's feelings to consider and Starbuck's readiness to help both him and Sheba, not to mention her own personal involvement, it would be difficult to remain professional throughout this mission. Yet, Cassiopeia, ever optimistic, was confident that they would succeed somehow.
She was brought out of her reverie as Starbuck managed to smile back at her, and take her hand in his own, trying to convince her that he was fine and it was Sheba they should be worried about. Still, her concern touched a deeper part of him; that same vulnerable part she'd managed to brush upon before the attack on the base star.
He sighed. Their conversation at the awards ceremony that next day was one that would stay with him forever, of that he was certain. The gentleness in her voice, the understanding, the new strength that their relationship had found when they admitted how much they had come to really love each other. In some ways, they weren't all that unlike Apollo and Sheba, and yet, in other ways, they were so much different.
For a long time now, Starbuck had privately thought that Apollo and Sheba had been made for each other. Commander's son and Commander's daughter; two people who, unlike everyone else, could truly understand each other's positions and what expectations others had for them.Adama might not have been quite as legendary as Cain, but what was expected of their children was the same. It might have been more difficult for Sheba seeing as Apollo had siblings but, as the eldest, more attention was on him.
Both had lost a great deal that was dear to them and ever since they'd met, Starbuck had noticed that when Sheba wasn't aware he was there, or she was busy with something, Apollo's gaze would drift in her direction, silently taking her in from afar. The connection was born almost immediately, especially when Sheba returned his unseen gaze with one of her own. It had almost been shattered by Count Iblis's arrival, but the conclusion to that chain of events had shown him a different side of his best friend.
Now, with what he'd already seen, Starbuck knew that nothing Apollo did on this mission in order to ensure Sheba's safety would surprise him. In fact, he had a fair idea of what the Captain was probably planning. . .
*~*
Apollo had been friends with Starbuck for so long that the Lieutenant had indeed guessed what his line of thinking had been. Like his father before him, Apollo had told himself there was only one option. He was a far more valuable hostage than Sheba; Baltar could have him instead. He would trade himself for his love and pray to the Lords of Kobol that this would be one agreement the Great Traitor did not betray.
"There it is," Starbuck said quietly, breaking into his thoughts.
Up ahead, looming in the darkness of space, was the prison barge.
*~*
Sheba watched angrily as Baltar stared at her from his position in the pilot's seat of the shuttle; as he had been staring at her for what seemed like the last half centar, since he had moved her into a sitting position from her sprawl on the cold metal floor. So far he had said nothing since his sarcastic welcome as she regained consciousness, but she sensed more words would not be long in coming.
She watched him stand suddenly and come towards her, making her see just what damage he had done during their fight.
The insides of the shuttle spun as he neared her, putting her on the verge of blacking out again. Unconsciously, she moved back against the wall as he came closer, silently vowing not to give him any clues to her hampered condition.
"I am sorry, my dear," Baltar said earnestly as he touched her cheek. "That I had to do this but, you see," he explained. "Adama has to pay."
He spoke as if to a child, softly, trying to make her understand; dangerously, trying to make her think it was he who had been wronged. She moved her face away from his cold fingers; his unwholesome touch. Baltar really didn't think he had a hope in Hades of convincing her he was the victim here, did he?
Evidently he did. Baltar moved back from her as if hurt, then, without warning, brought his hand back across her face in a hard fist. "Insolence does not become you, Lieutenant," the traitor said shaking his head.
She didn't reply.
"Although, I must admit," he added. "It *is* good to see you again."
Still, she remained silent, refusing to acknowledge anything he said, not to mention the incident he referred to. Understandably, that particular mission was not one of her favourites.
"You know," he continued, seeing her failure to react. "It really is a great pity your father is not with us." He paused. "You would be so much more valuable."
Sheba looked at him warily as he smirked triumphantly. That got her! "As it is, after Adama agrees to my demands, you are expendable."
The full force of his words struck her like a battlestar being destroyed. She should have known there would be no deal, not from Baltar. Once the Commander agreed to give in to the traitor, her life would be over. She would never see Apollo, would never see her friends, would never see her father, ever again.
"No," she whispered, a tear beginning to form in her eye. This wasn't fair!
Baltar paid no attention to her, instead dreaming of his final defeat of the *Galactica's* vaunted Commander. He had been close before; the pulsar on Arcta, the battle where the Pegasus had unexpectedly appeared, the subsequent suicide runs he had ordered only three days later. Yes, he had been close before, but this time, he would finish the job. Unless. . .
Out of his reverie, he stepped back to look down at his hostage.
"Your Captain Apollo might present a problem, though," Baltar thought aloud as he came to a sudden realization. "A big problem."
At the mention of Apollo, Sheba's heart beat faster, her tears instantly forgotten. What was the traitor talking about? The dark-haired Captain was on the *Galactica*, he couldn't-
Then it hit her.
"Apollo's coming?" she whispered unbelievingly, her spirits rising from the depths of despair to the peaks of joy, as she realized she could almost sense his approach. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Of course, he would come for her! She silently thanked the Lords of Kobol for her deliverance and prayed that Apollo would hurry.
"Tell me," Baltar said suddenly, kneeling down so he was face to face with her. "Are you and the Commander's son. . . involved?"
Sheba glared at him, the pain evident in her eyes.
"Answer me!" he cried angrily, bringing his hand back across her face again. A few drops of blood ran from her nose.
"No," she spat, putting every ounce of hate into her words. "We're not involved."
He looked at her curiously, then he dismissed it. It didn't really matter, Apollo had been affected deeply by the sight of the unconscious Sheba; if he came to interfere, he would soon back off when Baltar threatened her.
"No matter," he smirked, and stood up, not in the least bit fooled. "I think you would still be ample insurance if the good Captain comes to call."
Sheba looked up, fear gripping her soul, at the thought of the danger her love was walking right into. A tear escaped her eye and trickled down her bloody cheek. *Forgive me, Apollo.*
*~*
Adama eased himself into the chair and steepled his head on his fingers, regarding the door with a watchful eye. He was sure that any moment now, Tigh would burst in wanting to know just what in Hades was going on. As he had every right to.
The Commander sighed. As Adama's executive, Tigh had been a professional and able officer, but, through all the troubles, all the conflicts, he had been a close and loyal friend as well, and to keep something like this from him was something the Commander would never consider, but he hadn't wanted to deal with his inevitable protests in front of the rest of the bridge crew. It had to be done in private, where he could explain everything and leave nothing out.
The door chimed, interrupting his train of thought.
"Come in, Tigh," Adama called wearily. Where did he start?
The door slid open to reveal, not Tigh, but Siress Tinia.
"Why, Tinia," Adama rose from his chair. "I'm sorry, I was expecting Colonel Tigh. Won't you sit down?" He gestured to the chair on the opposite side of his desk. He didn't really have time for this but the troubled expression on her face concerned him.
"Adama," she began worriedly. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, I-"
The Commander's comm system beeped as Omega's voice interrupted the Siress.
"Commander? The Viper you requested? It's ready to go."
"Thank you, Omega," Adama said as he walked away from his guest, making his way towards the desk.
"Um, sir? Colonel Tigh's on his way to see you. I thought you might want to know."
Adama smiled to himself. "Of course."
A moment passed as the bridge officer fidgeted on the other end. "Good luck, sir," he said quietly as he readied himself to break the communication.
"Thank you again, Omega," the
Commander replied, as he watched Tinia's startled reaction.
As soon as he broke contact, she was on him.
"Adama, what's going on?" she asked, confused. "Why do you need a Viper?" Something told her this was no trip to the Rising Star; this, she was certain, was serious.
He eyed Tinia, debating whether or not to trust her. Before he could give her an answer, Tigh burst through the door, not bothering to announce his presence.
"Adama!" he exclaimed.
"Colonel Tigh! Do you think it is acceptable behaviour to barge into someone's room unannounced?" Tinia's voice called out angrily.
"What?" he asked, noticing the Council member for the first time.
"I said-"
"Enough!" Adama exclaimed. "Sit down, Tigh. Tinia, I think you-"
"I want to know what's going on, Adama," she cut him off sharply. "And I'm not going without an answer."
He seemed to dwell on that for a moment, debating in his mind, his next move. He didn't have time for this, he could only hope she could be trusted. If not. . .
"Adama, please?" Tigh asked.
"Baltar has captured one of the warriors I sent to the prison barge," he began soberly, aiming his words more at Tinia than Tigh. "He is holding her hostage on board a shuttle in the prison barge's launch bay. He has agreed to release her in exchange for me. He will contact me in approximately ten centons to discuss the terms of my surrender."
"Adama, you- you can't go," Tinia exclaimed. "The Council, the reason I came to see you, they have voted Sire Antipas to President. He has them all, save Councillor Anton and myself, supporting him. At this very centon, he is plotting your downfall."
"I have to go," he stated.
So far, Tigh had said nothing, stunned into silence. He looked up suddenly and caught Adama's eye. "She's right, Commander. We need you; you can't just give yourself up to Baltar."
"The warrior," Adama replied. "The woman he has, it's Sheba."
"Sheba?" The name would mean nothing to Tinia, but now Tigh understood all too well. "Does Apollo. . .?" He couldn't finish the question.
The Commander nodded slowly. "He and Starbuck took off in a shuttle about half a centar ago. Since then, nothing."
Tigh sighed. He wasn't surprised, though whether Apollo was going as a friend, or possibly as something more, he couldn't be sure. But this wasn't the time to worry about that.
"If Apollo and Starbuck are going, then why do you have to?" Tinia interjected, not understanding the significance of Sheba, but recognising the names of the other two warriors. "If you don't do something, Adama, then Antipas will be in full control. He'll have the power to do just about anything he wants with the other Council members supporting him." Seeing she wasn't persuading him, she added: "He could even stop the journey to Earth. Convince everyone to settle down on some nearby planet."
"Not everyone," Adama answered quietly. He knew she was right and now he was torn, but. . . "I have to go," he repeated. "As a decoy. If I don't agree to Baltar's terms, he will undoubtedly kill Sheba."
Tigh could see his friend's quandary. To go and attempt to save Sheba's life; to risk sacrificing the journey to Earth. Or to stay and defend his place on the Council, and so condemn her to death. What could he do? A life was more important than politics but then, there could be more than one life at stake if Antipas gained control.
"If he kills her, he will have nothing left to bargain with," Tinia replied.
"It wouldn't matter. Assuming I refused to surrender, killing her would be enough for him if he thought it would cause me pain." He walked behind his guests and stared out of the small window, far across the stars. "And it would," he whispered. Not to mention Apollo.
Tigh and Tinia exchanged a helpless look. Both could see there was more to this than he was telling them, but neither one could think of anything else to dissuade him with. The thought of the journey to Earth, the thought he had cherished since the day of the destruction, the suggestion he could sacrifice that had not been strong enough. As it was not as a Commander he was acting, it was as a father, to both his son and Cain's daughter. The promise he had made at her bedside after the Pegasus disappeared, the promise to include her in his family, had to be honoured. Could he really live with himself knowing he had sentenced her to death? There could only be one answer to such a question, and Adama knew he was making the right choice.
"I'm coming with you, Adama."
"No, Tigh. I need you on the bridge." The Commander turned to face his other guest. "Tinia, I need you to try and convince the other Council members not to follow Antipas so blindly. His thirst for power and glory is dangerous; he cannot be allowed to gain control."
"Anton and I tried our best during the meeting. Everything we said, every argument we raised, he managed to veto almost instantly."
"Well talk to them outside of Council meetings, when he is not able to argue his case. Warn the other members, tell them of his lust for power. Do not be silent, Tinia."
"I'll. . . I'll do my best," she stammered, awed by the eloquence of his words and surprised with the amount of trust he had placed in her. "I'll do my best."
"Adama? Do you want us to stay, while your speaking to Baltar, I mean?" Tigh asked.
"No," he shook his head solemnly as his gaze continued to linger on the stars. "No. It's better if I face him alone."
*The Lords be with you, Adama,* Tinia thought, as they left. *The Lords be with you.*