Chapter 2

Lee awoke with the familiar warmth of Kara's body pressed next to his. He looked down at the mop of blonde hair on his chest and smiled at the way she lay, mouth half open and snoring delicately. It was always funny to him that his father had been to so much trouble to get them a bed big enough for two, when Kara always seemed to sleep so close to him that a single rack would have done. He began to try and edge out of the bed, but his movements woke her. As she came awake she stretched like a cat against him. She looked up and big brown eyes met bright blue ones in an intense stare. As what needed to be done later in the day intruded into his mind, his thoughts must have shown on his face.

"Lee Adama, if you say so much as one word about me not coming back from this mission, I'm going to have to hurt you!"

"All right, I'll just say good hunting, Lieutenant." He looked suggestively at the way their naked bodies were wrapped together, "and if we're in the same position tomorrow morning I promise you can hurt me in any way you like."

"Now that's a challenge I can't resist!" She laughed, but he decided it was time for reality to break in to their morning.

"Time to be up and at 'em Lieutenant," he said as he pushed her out of bed and smacked her backside.

"Yes sir!" she saluted him, standing incongruously naked in the middle of their quarters, before making her way to the tiny bathroom.

They went about their usual morning routine with every appearance of normality. Kara's veneer of bravado only slipped the once, just as she finished dressing Alex. She held her son tightly to her, not wanting to let him go. Lee knew not to say anything and just put an arm around her shoulders.

−

The pre-flight briefing was conducted in the briefing room with all the Galactica's key officers and the president present.

"You know what needs to be done Starbuck? This mission is of supreme importance to the survival of the fleet, but I don't want any heroics. Just get us some information about the scale of this thing and what's on the other side. If you get in there and you can't see a way through it or it affects the plane too much just turn around and come out again." The admiral stared intently at her, his expression serious.

"Yes, sir. I understand, sir."

"How long do you think you'll need?"

"Well that rather depends on what I find, doesn't it sir? A viper's fuel supply last about 8 hours with full thrusters, but I can extend it out to 24 hours by running on normal engines. The oxygen supply lasts 48 hours and I can take a couple of extra bottles. "

"All right, Starbuck, we're going to wait at these co-ordinates for 48 hours. I don't want to stay here any longer than that. We've been free of the Cylons for so long that I can't risk them finding us. After that we're going to have to move and then jump to a different system."

"Understood, sir"

"Good luck, Lieutenant."

She shook hands with the admiral but gave him a look. He knew that she wanted to talk to him alone. There were handshakes all around; the president even hugged her. With an almost imperceptible flick of his head Adama indicated for her to follow him back to his quarters.

"Sir..," she started tentatively once they were in private. He just looked at her and she started again. "Dad, I fully intend to complete the mission, but if…..if I don't….you will look after them for me, won't you?"

"You know that I will Kara, but it's not like you to talk like this." He pulled her in to a hug.

"I know. Its frakking Lee making me all jittery. He seems convinced that I won't be coming back."

"Don't worry about Lee. I'll deal with him. You just concentrate on the mission and we'll see you in a few hours." He placed a kiss on her forehead and then let her go.

−

Kara was on her mettle as she did a full pre-flight inspection of her viper, accompanied by the chief. She wanted the viper to be in tip top condition, or as tip top as a thirty year old ship that was patched together with re-cycled parts could be.

"Has all that crap been cleaned out of the portside thruster exhaust port?"

"Yes sir, I saw to it myself."

"What about the gimbal?"

"That too, and the dodgy valve in the starboard engine, and the loose thruster pedal. I've seen to it all myself. She's as good as she's gonna get."

"Thanks chief." She smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You know that I trust you implicitly, but I have to ask."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Lieutenant." He went on, "we've also taken out all the non-essential electrics; there's no point in leaving them in to go wrong, and we've found a few old parts and gadgets amongst the museum stuff that might help. Nothing to help with navigation though; I can't come up with anything that might help you to see where you're going or guide you back. Even your basic compass will be screwed by the magnetic fields in the storm."

"What, we haven't got a piece of string that long?" She replied with a smirk. She had been thinking about how to deal with this problem too.

"Chief, do you remember the Picon nursery story about the children that find their way out of the haunted forest by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs? Well, what I need is some breadcrumbs!"

"I'll see what I can do Lieutenant," he said, obviously wanting to rise to the challenge she had set him.

−

Her check finished, she went back to her quarters to get into her flight gear. Lee was ostensibly working on some paperwork, but judging by the screwed up sheets of paper scattered about his desk he wasn't getting too much done. She went over and put her arms around his very stiff shoulders and hugged him. She forced his chair away from the desk and sat on his lap.

"I don't want you to come down to the deck. Let's just do our good bye thing here and be done with it."

"You heard what he said, didn't you Kara? No heroics."

"Yes I did. Look Lee, I've got too much of a good thing going on here to risk not getting back." She bent her head and kissed him deeply. "Just keep that bed warm for me CAG; I'm going to be back before you know it and I'll expect you to live up to your promise and let me treat you in any way that I want."

After a few minutes more in his embrace she pulled herself away and went to her son's cot. He had obviously just woken up from his nap and stretched his arms up to her. She picked him up and hugged him close, closing her eyes and drinking in his familiar baby smell. She kissed him and put him back down. He started to cry, the sound tearing at her heart strings but she knew that she had to get away or she would never go. With a last brief, fierce hug and a whispered 'I love you' for her husband, she ran out of the room.

−

By the time she reached the deck all trace of tears was gone and she was the true professional.

"Everything ready to go, chief?"

"Yes, lieutenant, and I think I've found your breadcrumbs," he said holding up some small, sparkling silver balls. "We use these in Galactica's water tanks. They're designed to float on the top of the water, so they should float in the zero gravity of the field. They're reflective so that we can see the water level through the observation hatch. They've got no electrical parts so they shouldn't be affected by the storm. I've only got half a dozen of them but I'll put them in the missile pods so that you can launch them whenever you want."

"Chief, you're brilliant!" He just gave her a half smile in return "Er…see you around then." She climbed into the viper and manoeuvred it to the launch tube.

In CIC, Lee stood next to his father, watching the screens as she blasted out of the ship.

"Galactica, Starbuck. Here goes nothing!" She punched the thrusters and the viper shot in to the storm field. Her signal immediately disappeared off the screens, but Lee had positioned a raptor to try and monitor her progress.

"Galactica, Crashdown. I have visual confirmation that she's inside, but we can't get anything on Dradis."

Having watched the departure, Lee walked out of CIC without saying a word. His father turned to the XO.

"Keep him busy" he ordered.