Somewhere Beyond the Heavens Part 9
*
Buck made final preparations for takeoff as his comrades stood by; all were in a solemn state. Twiki had already climbed into the rear navigator's seat of his longtime friends' Starfighter. Another longtime friend, Devlin, the helmsman of the Searcher, had flown the fighter to Galactica. As Buck finished his pre-flight check of his ships' undercarriage, Wilma broke formation with the others and ran into his arms.
"Buck, don't go! This is suicide", Wilma cried.
"Hey, hey---where's this coming from?" whispered Buck as he wiped a tear from Wilma's face.
"It's---It's coming from the a woman who loves you!" exclaimed Wilma, her head buried in Buck's chest, unable to face the man she had secretly loved for so long.
Hawk and Admiral Asimov exchanged a look of shock that would dissipate into a pleased understanding. They both knew that Wilma and Buck were in love. Everyone on Searcher knew, with the exception of Wilma and Buck.
During this awkwardly private moment being played out in the Landing bay, Apollo held tight to Sheba, the beautiful daughter of the living legend, as she wiped a way a tear of her own.
Athena turned to her new husband, Croft, and kissed him gently on the lips. The scene moved even Boomer and Dietra, clasping hands for the first time in their flirtatious relationship. Off to the side, all by herself, stood Cassiopeia. She had seen enough. She would return to her quarters and cry herself to sleep, as she so often did.
"I love you too", said Buck as he gently guided Wilma's face towards his.
They kissed passionately.
"Way to go daddy-oh!!!" chirped Twiki from inside the fighter.
"I have to go now, Wilma", Buck said, pushing the Colonel gently away. "I'll be back, I promise."
Buck turned to climb up the ladder to his cockpit, but found his path blocked by Commander Adama.
"Are you sure about this, young man?" asked the Commander.
"Yes, Commander. I know Ardalla better than anyone. If I can't convince her to join forces with us, then no one can", answered Buck.
*
Moments later, Bucks' Starfighter rocketed down the launch bay of Galactica and into the void of space.
"Chicago-Chicago-You're my kind of town, Chicago---"
"Beeda beeda beeda. Buck, how the heck can you sing at a time like this?" asked Twiki.
"Sorry, Twiki. Singing calms my nerves. Besides-"
"What is it, Buck?"
"Whoooooheee! Scanners have just detected our bogey. Looks like the bulk of Draco's fleet is headed this way!" said a startled Buck.
"Buck, are you sure about this?"
"C'mon, Twiki, You know the princess can't resist me. It's going to be a piece of cake!" laughed Buck nervously.
Sometime later.
"Me and my big mouth", quipped Buck as Draconian guards fitted him with appropriate armor for the arena. "Princess! How many times do we have to go through with this little charade?"
"I assure you, Captain Rogers, this is the last time", the Princess replied. Her voice echoed through the chamber as she sat behind the double- sided mirror shield.
Starbuck and Baltar sat beside her as her personal guests for these proceedings. Meanwhile, a disapproving Kane sat directly behind his princess. Kane should have been thrilled at this moment, the moment of his greatest foes death. Instead, he found himself staring at the new object of his princess's desire-Starbuck.
"Here's your drink, bub", said Ardalla's newest waiter, Twiki.
"Name's Starbuck, little fella."
"Ardalla!" shouted Buck. "We don't have time for this! We're both in grave danger if we don't join forces!"
"So you keep saying", said the Princess lazily.
"What is he babbling about?" Baltar whispered to Starbuck. Starbuck shook his head that he didn't know.
"Princess", said Starbuck, "Is this really necessary? What is this man guilty of that he should be made to fight to the death?"
"He betrayed me, my love", she answered with a kiss to Starbuck's cheek.
"Oh."
"Let the fight begin!" shouted Killer Kane.
Slowly, a hatch on the far side of the chamber began to rise.
"I've beaten Tiger man before, Princess. I can beat him again!" yelled Buck.
Ardalla's response bellowed from the speakers and Buck's confusion riddled his face.
"You're not fighting Tiger-man this time, Captain!" she said. "He met an unfortunate end at the hands of your new opponent!"
"New opponent?" whispered Buck.
The Princess's words still reverberated around the chamber as Buck's new foe was revealed.
"Dear god!" exclaimed Buck. "What the hell is that?"
Nador, the son of Maga, entered the arena. He stood in at 6 foot 6 inches and weighed over 300 pounds. His robes and headdress made him even more awe inspiring and intimidating.
"It looks like a Neanderthal man!" shouted Twiki.
"Ok, Captain Caveman", joked Buck. "Let's see what ya' got."
Buck was quite familiar with the weapons hanging from one wall of the arena and quickly grabbed his favorite, a long staff with razor sharp blades on both ends. The Nomen followed Buck's lead, quickly grabbing a giant axe from the weapons display.
"Beeda beeda. I can't watch", said Twiki as he turned away and into Starbucks' arms.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Buck made final preparations for takeoff as his comrades stood by; all were in a solemn state. Twiki had already climbed into the rear navigator's seat of his longtime friends' Starfighter. Another longtime friend, Devlin, the helmsman of the Searcher, had flown the fighter to Galactica. As Buck finished his pre-flight check of his ships' undercarriage, Wilma broke formation with the others and ran into his arms.
"Buck, don't go! This is suicide", Wilma cried.
"Hey, hey---where's this coming from?" whispered Buck as he wiped a tear from Wilma's face.
"It's---It's coming from the a woman who loves you!" exclaimed Wilma, her head buried in Buck's chest, unable to face the man she had secretly loved for so long.
Hawk and Admiral Asimov exchanged a look of shock that would dissipate into a pleased understanding. They both knew that Wilma and Buck were in love. Everyone on Searcher knew, with the exception of Wilma and Buck.
During this awkwardly private moment being played out in the Landing bay, Apollo held tight to Sheba, the beautiful daughter of the living legend, as she wiped a way a tear of her own.
Athena turned to her new husband, Croft, and kissed him gently on the lips. The scene moved even Boomer and Dietra, clasping hands for the first time in their flirtatious relationship. Off to the side, all by herself, stood Cassiopeia. She had seen enough. She would return to her quarters and cry herself to sleep, as she so often did.
"I love you too", said Buck as he gently guided Wilma's face towards his.
They kissed passionately.
"Way to go daddy-oh!!!" chirped Twiki from inside the fighter.
"I have to go now, Wilma", Buck said, pushing the Colonel gently away. "I'll be back, I promise."
Buck turned to climb up the ladder to his cockpit, but found his path blocked by Commander Adama.
"Are you sure about this, young man?" asked the Commander.
"Yes, Commander. I know Ardalla better than anyone. If I can't convince her to join forces with us, then no one can", answered Buck.
*
Moments later, Bucks' Starfighter rocketed down the launch bay of Galactica and into the void of space.
"Chicago-Chicago-You're my kind of town, Chicago---"
"Beeda beeda beeda. Buck, how the heck can you sing at a time like this?" asked Twiki.
"Sorry, Twiki. Singing calms my nerves. Besides-"
"What is it, Buck?"
"Whoooooheee! Scanners have just detected our bogey. Looks like the bulk of Draco's fleet is headed this way!" said a startled Buck.
"Buck, are you sure about this?"
"C'mon, Twiki, You know the princess can't resist me. It's going to be a piece of cake!" laughed Buck nervously.
Sometime later.
"Me and my big mouth", quipped Buck as Draconian guards fitted him with appropriate armor for the arena. "Princess! How many times do we have to go through with this little charade?"
"I assure you, Captain Rogers, this is the last time", the Princess replied. Her voice echoed through the chamber as she sat behind the double- sided mirror shield.
Starbuck and Baltar sat beside her as her personal guests for these proceedings. Meanwhile, a disapproving Kane sat directly behind his princess. Kane should have been thrilled at this moment, the moment of his greatest foes death. Instead, he found himself staring at the new object of his princess's desire-Starbuck.
"Here's your drink, bub", said Ardalla's newest waiter, Twiki.
"Name's Starbuck, little fella."
"Ardalla!" shouted Buck. "We don't have time for this! We're both in grave danger if we don't join forces!"
"So you keep saying", said the Princess lazily.
"What is he babbling about?" Baltar whispered to Starbuck. Starbuck shook his head that he didn't know.
"Princess", said Starbuck, "Is this really necessary? What is this man guilty of that he should be made to fight to the death?"
"He betrayed me, my love", she answered with a kiss to Starbuck's cheek.
"Oh."
"Let the fight begin!" shouted Killer Kane.
Slowly, a hatch on the far side of the chamber began to rise.
"I've beaten Tiger man before, Princess. I can beat him again!" yelled Buck.
Ardalla's response bellowed from the speakers and Buck's confusion riddled his face.
"You're not fighting Tiger-man this time, Captain!" she said. "He met an unfortunate end at the hands of your new opponent!"
"New opponent?" whispered Buck.
The Princess's words still reverberated around the chamber as Buck's new foe was revealed.
"Dear god!" exclaimed Buck. "What the hell is that?"
Nador, the son of Maga, entered the arena. He stood in at 6 foot 6 inches and weighed over 300 pounds. His robes and headdress made him even more awe inspiring and intimidating.
"It looks like a Neanderthal man!" shouted Twiki.
"Ok, Captain Caveman", joked Buck. "Let's see what ya' got."
Buck was quite familiar with the weapons hanging from one wall of the arena and quickly grabbed his favorite, a long staff with razor sharp blades on both ends. The Nomen followed Buck's lead, quickly grabbing a giant axe from the weapons display.
"Beeda beeda. I can't watch", said Twiki as he turned away and into Starbucks' arms.
TO BE CONTINUED
