Chapter 5

Apollo eased the raptor out of its FTL jump and looked at the shining blue and green planet below him. The view caused an unexpected stab of longing for Caprica and home: it certainly looked like one of the old colonies. Fortunately, he was getting a view of the planet uninterrupted by any Cylon base star or raiders.

"What do you see, Helo?"

"Uhh, nothing as yet, sir. Wait….picking up life signs near the location of the old city, sir. That must be them. No indication of Cylon presence."

"That's good. Let's just do a bit more recognisance before we land."

As the skies above the planet seemed clear, they took the raptor down into the atmosphere. They landed near the ruins of the old temple; Apollo couldn't think of it as anything other than the Caprica City opera house. Almost immediately they found the camp set up by the survivors around their downed raptor.

"Don't take this the wrong way sir, but I've never been more glad to see you," Chief Tyrol addressed himself to the Captain.

"No offence taken, chief. I'm very glad to have found you too. Not sure my viper would be the same without your tender loving care! Although this raptor of your looks like Crash lived up to his name and did a bit of a number on it. Is it salvageable?"

"I think I can repair it enough to get back to Galactica, sir. The biggest problem is the windshield."

"Well Helo's getting ready to make a transmission back to Galactica. Give him a list of the things you need and we'll get them sent with the civvy ship."

"Civvies are coming here?"

"Yes, the president and the priest, Elosha, want to look at the ruins," Apollo replied guardedly. He didn't want too much discussion about the arrow and the search for the way to earth.

"With all due respect sir, not sure that's a good idea. We've already got Dr Baltar here, running around the place, acting crazy."

"What, crazier than usual?" Apollo asked with a wry grin.

"No I suppose not. I was just hoping to get back to the ship as quickly as possible, not wait for some civvy site-seeing tour. The Cylon raiders all bugged out after the base star was destroyed, but they could be back at any time. How did the commander manage to get it blown up, by the way?"

This question reminded Lee that the chief knew nothing about Sharon being a Cylon, the fact that she'd shot the commander and that another version of her had had a relationship with Helo. This was definitely something he did not want to get into right now; better to leave the poor man in ignorance until they got back to Galactica. He'd let Tigh or his dad deal with this one. He made a mental note to also brief Helo to keep his mouth shut as he put a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Now that's a long story, Chief and definitely one for another day." He wanted to turn the Chief's mind to something else. "I'm with you on getting back to the ship asap. We'll just let the civvies do their thing whilst the repairs to the raptor are carried out. Is its FTL drive still working?" This was a successful tactic as the chief launched into an intricate description of the FTL system on a raptor.

−−

A small transport ship appeared sometime later. Out of it came the president, naturally followed by the ever diligent Billy, Elosha and, much to the chief's joy, a couple of his deck crew carrying all the spare parts that were needed. Finally, to Crash's more hidden joy, Ensign Davis, who had been chosen to pilot the shuttle, and who immediately began to fuss over the lieutenant's various cuts and bruises.

"Well Captain Apollo, it's good to see you and good be on the ground again," the president said as she walked across to him. This was the first time that they had seen each other since the incident on Colonial One. He still held her responsible for Kara's desertion, but wasn't going to hold that one bad decision against all the good things that she had done since she had been thrust into the role as their leader.

"It's good to see you too, Madame President. I expect this view is much better than the one from the Galactica's brig!"

"Yes, well it was an interesting experience and, as a teacher, I'm all for learning from new experiences! I haven't thanked you for what you did that day; you've had more pressing matters on your mind. I'm so glad your father is going to be OK."

He looked at her sceptically.

"No, I meant it, I really am glad, Captain. The fleet needs him; I need him. He may not always get it right dealing with a civilian government, but I somehow feel safer knowing he's there in command of the Galactica. I also feel better knowing that you're there with him." He nodded in acceptance of what he recognised as a somewhat veiled apology and the recognition that his loyalties must lie in his position as Galactica's CAG, not as her advisor.

They walked together in relatively companionable silence, following Elosha as she headed towards the ruined temple.

As she walked the priest took a good look around her, taking in her surroundings. A look of surprise on her face, she turned back to speak urgently with Roslin.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing Madame President?"

"I don't know Elosha, just looks like an over grown ruin to me."

"Yes, but the plants. They look very like kamala plants, only different, larger."

The president really examined the landscape they were walking through for the first time; what Elosha said was true. Just one type of large plant seemed to be growing in the meadow around the temple, its growth an antithesis of the destruction around it.

"Do you think this could be the plant from which what we know as kamala originated? Perhaps the source of its properties?"

"It's distinctly possible and at this stage Madame President, I shouldn't think there is any harm in you trying."

Lee looked at Laura sharply at Elosha's comment. He realised that he had forgotten about her illness in the pressures of the last weeks. Looking at her now he noticed for the first time how thin she had become and how the strain of fighting a very private battle against a deadly disease was etched onto her face.

"I'll have someone dig one of the plants up. We should get Dr Baltar to take it back and analyse its properties."

"Thank you, Captain." Laura quickly dismissed talk of something she'd really rather forget about at the moment. "Now what I really came to see was this temple."

They walked inside the ruins and started to explore.

"What exactly are we looking for?" asked Apollo, ever practical.

"I really have no idea. I just know that there is something important here."

Suddenly Billy started rushing around, pulling debris away from the centre of the main chamber.

"Er..what are you doing Billy?"

"Don't you see it, Madame President? It's a star chart, a representation of a solar system. This represents the sun," he pointed to a large, raised stone circle in the middle of the area, "and these are the planets in its orbit." He had uncovered three other circles, one a series of multiple rings.

"By the Gods, I think you're right Billy. Are there any more?"

They all began to frantically pull away at the accumulated rubble, weeds and undergrowth. Eventually the area was cleared and they could identify at least nine planets revolving around the sun.

"Do you think one of these is earth?" Apollo asked, awe-struck at what they had found. He had been sceptical about this whole re-enactment of the scripture thing, but now he started to get caught up with the excitement of the others.

"Yes I do. The question is which one?"

"I have it," said Elosha. She pulled the arrow of Apollo from her robe and bent down to examine the main 'sun' stone. Running her fingers around the edge she found an aperture. She positioned the arrow over this hole and pushed it in; sure enough it fitted perfectly.

They stood back: the arrow of Apollo was pointing directly to the third planet in the system.

The two raptors and the transport slowly rose out of the atmosphere of Kobol, in preparation for the jump back to Galactica, but what they found there made some of the occupants gasp in fear. The skies that had been so clear when they had arrived were now filled with a Cylon base star. Another jumped in as they watched the first disgorge any number of raiders.

"Oh holy shit. How long till we can all jump, Helo?" Apollo swore profoundly under his breath. The excitement of finding the solar map in the temple had made him drop is guard, even though it was apparent that the Cylons were only just arriving.

"It'll be at least 2 minutes sir."

"This will be all over by then." He radioed the other ships, "you two keep back and let me handle this. Just jump as soon as you can."

He swung the raptor around to place it between the raiders and the other ships and started dodging the fire from the nearest raiders. What he wouldn't give for a squadron of vipers right now, in fact he'd settle for the firepower of just one, which would certainly be better than none at all; they really had to do something about arming the raptors. All he could do was evasive manoeuvres to draw the raiders away from the others and hope he could last until they could jump. He was also acutely aware that he had passengers. The vice president was whimpering in fear at the back of the ship, clinging onto Cally in what he thought was a quite unnecessary fashion. Another raider jumped in, seemingly from nowhere. It was much closer than the others and headed straight for the raptor. He thought that his luck had run out.

Then suddenly an unexpected voice came over the radio.

"Need a little assistance, Apollo? I was really busy polishing up my MVP awards, but then I thought, what the heck, the CAG has probably gotten himself into a spot of bother again; I might as well help out, you know, give my Cylon toy a bit of a run out!"

"Starbuck," Apollo shouted in relief, "I hate to say it but I can't remember the last time I was so frakking pleased that you disobeyed orders."

"I think that would be since the last time I saved your sorry ass… sir!"

"Yeah, well never mind that now, just get on with it. It's good just to see a raider with your name on it."

He watched as her raider waltzed away, taking out any number of its supposed comrades in its path.

"Ready for the jump sir."

"Thank the Lords, Helo. Let's get out of here people. Starbuck that means you too."

"Already on it sir."

Lee pressed the buttons and the raptor shot into its FTL jump back to Galactica. He was finally able to relax slightly. He realised that he was almost beyond tired. This mission, culminating as it had with a near fatal run in with the Cylons, had come on the back of many days with virtually no sleep spent at his father's bedside. He closed his eyes briefly and rested his head back against the headrest. A loud cough in his ear made him look around into the eyes of Gaius Baltar. He was the last person Lee wanted to speak to at the moment and it must have shown in his face.

"I know very well why you're looking at me like that Captain and quite frankly I don't think that I deserve such censure." He paused, placed his hands together and then rested the tips of his fingers under his chin before continuing. "When I cut in for that dance at the Colonial Day party I wasn't aware that you had any prior claim on Lieutenant Thrace."

"I hadn't, still don't," Lee mumbled in reply, a sour look on his face. He had no idea why Baltar had chosen this, of all moments to have this discussion. He had noticed the overly studied move with the hands and couldn't help but think that this guy was just such a jerk. He again wondered what Starbuck had ever seen in him.

"Well you could have fooled me. It wasn't me she wanted, but you. She made that all too painfully clear to me!"

"So you didn't sleep with her?" Lee couldn't resist asking.

"Well, no, I did sort of sleep with her, but she certainly didn't sleep with me."

"huh?" This made no sense to Lee at all.

"That's all I'm saying. You're an intelligent man. I'm sure you can work the rest out for yourself without me having to humiliate myself further. If you can't, why don't you ask the lieutenant to explain it to you?"

Baltar moved away to the back of the ship feeling extremely virtuous that he had done his bit towards improving military relations and leaving Lee staring off thoughtfully into space.

When they landed back on Galactica, they were met with jubilation. The return of the lost raptor crew was indeed something to celebrate. Kara leapt out of her raider and stood smirking at Apollo as he climbed wearily out of the raptor. He came to stand in front of her, a look of resigned exasperation combined with reluctant admiration on his face.

"Lords, but you have your moments, Kara. You're the most annoying, insubordinate, stubborn, frakked up pilot it's ever been my misfortune to work with. But there is still no one else I'd rather have beside me in a fight, either in a viper or a raider." She gave him her trademark grin.

"I love you too Lee! I take it that I'm not grounded anymore?"

"I don't think I've got the strength to try," he replied.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. It wasn't an intimate gesture, but a sign of thanks from one pilot to another. It wasn't what Kara wanted but she thought perhaps that it was a start.

"Thanks, Kara," he said in a weary voice

"You're welcome, Lee. Course you know I only did it because if you didn't come back they might make me do your job; still not a big enough dipstick for it!" He gave her that 'don't push it' look of his.

"Talking of my job, I'd better go and fix the rosters if you're going to be back in them."

"Hey, Mr Workaholic, why don't you stay for the party?"

"No, thanks. One thing I'm sure you'd be much better at are the "meet and greet" parts of my job; go and join the fun. Besides, I need to check on my dad, make sure he hasn't been overdoing it while I've not been around to watch him."

She let him go and stood, hands on hips, watching his departing back. She thought back to other times when they had returned from successful missions. They would hug and laugh, sometimes even kiss, but that seemed to have gone. She wondered how they had managed to frak up their relationship so badly. Actually, she knew why; it was pretty much her fault. But then Lee was such an anal, stiff-arsed, emotionally-stunted frakking idiot, she should have known how he would behave when it came to addressing the growing feelings between them; put up emotional shutters and back off. She knew this, but she couldn't understand it. He was so unlike Zac. With Zac what you saw was what you got. He had been so easy to understand and to love: she couldn't understand Lee at all, but she seemed compelled to try. She wanted to be the one to take away that seemingly permanent frown he was wearing at the moment, but she just had no idea how to go about it. She sighed and turned back to the party getting into full swing in the hanger bay. She would just have to leave him be for the time being, to work through whatever demons were driving him by himself. She trusted the Gods that he would get through it and would come back to her eventually; she just hoped that it wouldn't take too long.