Chapter 18

"Sagittarrons first?" Commander Adama scowled darkly.

"That's what he said," Lee confirmed.

Kara stood by, off to the side, observing the conversation between the two Adama men. In spite of Lee's assurances to her that he was up to talking with Sergeant Hadrian, and subsequently the commander, on his own, Kara had stubbornly stuck with him. Even if he didn't need it, she knew that Lee could benefit from a little extra moral support right now. Besides, there was no way in hell she could have managed to just kick back for a nap at this point, even if she had been up for well over 24 hours.

"So Zarek is behind this after all," the commander said gruffly. "Tom Zarek," Adama thought darkly. The Sagittarron representative to the Quorum of Twelve with aspirations toward the Presidency. The terrorist who had once tried to hold the fleet hostage in the midst of a critical water crisis for the sole sake of creating anarchy in the fleet and forcing the military to make a martyr out of him. To think that it was Lee's intervention that saved Zarek's life at the conclusion of the hostage crisis! The bastard certainly had a warped way of showing his gratitude.

"That's a bit of a leap in logic," Lee said. "Stinger hasn't named anyone but Frosty yet. We don't know who recruited them. We don't really know that Zarek is even involved."

"Yes we do," Adama countered. "We just can't prove it yet. Yet! We need those pilots to name names!"

"Sergeant Hadrian is working on it," Lee told him. "But what about the fact that Frosty is a Cylon?"

"Maybe Zarek just got lucky when he recruited him," Adama speculated. "Or maybe the Cylon volunteered his services."

Kara suggested, "Maybe Zarek knew all along and recruited himself a Cylon deliberately."

Lee appeared doubtful. "Now you're accusing a member of the Quorum of high treason."

"And?" Kara asked.

Lee shook his head. "I don't trust Zarek either but... you don't really think that one of our elected leaders would knowingly conspire with a Cylon?"

Kara smirked and gave a casual shrug. "He tried to topple the government once by putting a gun to your head and he failed. I wouldn't put it past him to try it again, whatever it took."

Lee looked like he was about to argue, but then he stopped and shook his head. "You know what? I'm not even going to comment. My judgment about people has proven to be seriously flawed lately."

"Don't beat yourself up Lee," Kara told him. "None of us saw this coming from Frosty or Stinger. It's possible that Zarek doesn't have anything to do with it. Frosty might have just used Stinger's loyalty to his colony to manipulate him."

Commander Adama shook his head. "No. Zarek is dirty. We already have circumstantial evidence connecting him."

Lee looked at his father, surprised. "We do?"

"The girlfriend," Kara said, frowning in remembrance.

Lee looked toward Kara. "What girlfriend?"

"Stinger's girlfriend," Kara replied.

"He has one?"

"So they claimed," Kara said, rolling her eyes.

"What about her?" Lee continued looking back and forth between Kara and his father for an explanation.

Commander Adama told Lee, "Stinger allegedly called her on the Geminon Traveler not long after you were taken to sickbay. Ten minutes later, somebody sent a message from the Geminon Traveler to the Astral Queen saying that the 'job was completed.' The next morning, before word had gotten out to the rest of the fleet, Zarek tried to offer his condolences over your death."

Lee stared at his father, trying to let all of this new information sink in. "When were you planning to tell me this?"

"It wasn't much to go on Lee," the commander said. "Until now, it all really looked like it was of no consequence. But now that we know Stinger has been lying..."

"I think it's time we had a little chat with the girlfriend," Kara declared.

"The President was going to send someone over to do that," Adama said. "I'll call Colonial One and get a status on that."

"The President knows all about this too?" Lee asked, stunned.

Adama nodded. "She's the one who first put 2 and 2 together."

Lee shook his head in disbelief. Then he looked at Kara. "What was I just saying not long ago? Is there anyone who hasn't been lying to me?"

Kara thought Lee looked like he was the verge of going ballistic. "Lee listen... we just all really thought it was probably nothing."

"Well it shouldn't have been too hard to clue me in then, should it? Besides, it was obviously of interest enough that all of you knew about it!" he half-shouted. He turned angrily toward his father. "And you... you've had all of this information... and yet you still... you still wanted to convince me that I must be brain frakked?"

Lee threw up his hands and turned his back on both of them, storming angrily from the commander's quarters. Neither of them tried to stop him. Neither of them dared.

"Commander, can you hear me?" Billy Keikeya asked, leaning toward the speaker phone on the President's desk.

"Yes, I can," the commander replied over the speaker. "Go ahead. You've talked to this... Ms. Holt?"

"I spoke with her yesterday Commander," Billy replied. "I was going to forward you the notes from my interview, but then the whole emergency with the Tantalus occurred... and then of course the Cylons showed up this morning... so..."

"What did she tell you Mr. Keikeya?" the commander interrupted, trying to move the conversation forward.

Billy cleared his throat. "Well, first off... she said that she had no idea who Ensign Louis Karo is, which really isn't surprising once you've met her. The implication that she was Stinger's girlfriend... it's uh... well... she's old enough to be his mother for one thing. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure that some people manage relationships just fine when they're..."

"What else did she say?" Adama's voice was sounding more irritated.

Laura smiled at her nervous secretary. "Relax Billy," she whispered. "He can't bite over the phone."

Billy tried to compose himself. He took a deep breath. It was difficult to imagine how Adama did it, but somehow the commander still succeeded in being intimidating even when he wasn't even on the same ship. "Ms. Holt said that uh... a short while prior to 01:00 hours... she wasn't exactly sure of the time... a call came in from Galactica for the crew-lead of the work detail from the Astral Queen. She was overseeing the crew on behalf of the Geminon Traveler. They had been working on the problem in the bilge for more than four hours and they were almost finished, so they didn't want to interrupt what they were doing for a phone call. Ms. Holt took a message and agreed to pass it on. She said the caller identified himself only as 'Stinger' and she had no idea who that was."

"What was the message?" Commander Adama's voice sounded eerily grim.

"This shouldn't be considered as an exact quote Commander," Billy told him, qualifying his statements. "She was just recalling it from the best of her memory. She said that 'Stinger' asked her to tell the crew-lead that Apollo was dead and that it looked like suicide. She also said that the crew lead was to be told to pass along that information to the appropriate parties."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Billy waited for a response and was about to inquire if the commander had heard him when the President waved him off. Taking his cue from the President, Billy held his tongue and waited.

"We'll need her to make an official statement," Commander Adama finally said. "Our Master-At-Arms, Sergeant Hadrian, will see to it. Mr. Keikeya?"

"Yes Commander?"

"Are you satisfied that Ms. Holt was being honest with you about her part in this and she did nothing more than pass along a phone message?"

"I uh, I believed her to be sincere Commander," Billy replied. "I do believe that the call coming from Galactica was intended for the crew-lead from the Astral Queen, and not for Ms. Holt. But that's just my opinion. I'm sure the Master-At-Arms would be a better judge of whether..."

"You understand," Commander Adama interrupted, "that this information, and all of the content of your interview with Ms. Holt are to remain strictly confidential while this investigation is under way?"

"Yes," Billy confirmed. "I understand completely."

"You are not to speak about it with anyone... not even a member of my crew. Is that clear?"

The implied reference to Dualla was indeed clear to Billy. "Yes Commander. Perfectly clear." Billy looked over toward the President, seeking some sign of sympathy, but he only saw her grinning in broad amusement.

"Madame President, are you still there?" Commander Adama asked.

Laura sat forward closer to the phone. "Yes Commander."

"I realize you have considerable concerns with regard to a potential murder conspiracy involving a member of the Quorum of Twelve, but I believe it would be highly counterproductive, if not plainly foolish, for us to be investigating this matter separately."

"I don't dispute that Commander," the President replied. "A single investigation is definitely preferable, and I have full confidence in your people. However... I must insist upon being fully informed of any new developments since we may be facing a potential constitutional crisis."

"Agreed," Commander Adama declared.

"This is going to get very ugly," the President stated. "It's unprecedented in the history of the Articles of Colonization. No seated member of the Quorum has ever been charged with a capital crime."

"I don't believe that a convicted terrorist has ever been elected to the Quorum before," Adama replied.

"Well, Gods willing, he won't remain on the Quorum for long," Laura declared. "How is Captain Apollo?"

"Fully returned to duty," Adama said simply.

"Isn't that a little early?" Laura inquired.

"Not according to his doctors."

Laura smiled. "Well that's good to hear."

Commander Adama made no comment to that statement. "I'm heading over to the Tantalus," he told the President. "The last of the passengers are being transferred back right now and I want to make sure we've addressed all their concerns."

"Sounds like a good plan," the President said, grinning. "In fact it almost sounds like you might be considering running for office. There should be a vacancy opening up soon."

"Is that an offer or a threat?"

Billy started back in his chair. "Was that a joke?" he mouthed to the President.

"Anyway," Adama said, "I'll be checking in with Sergeant Hadrian when I return from the Tantalus. If there is anything new, I will inform you immediately."

"Thank you Commander."

"Thank you Madame President." The line clicked off.

Laura looked over at Billy with a mocking smile. "Now Billy... why were you so nervous about talking to the Commander?" Billy just grinned sheepishly. "Not so easy is it?" she teased him.

Billy cleared his throat. "No, it's not. But you seem to be getting better at it."

She laughed and shook her head. "That's what I thought back on Colonial Day. Two days later he threw me in the brig."

The commander's inspection of the repairs on the Tantalus took well over an hour. It wasn't that he didn't trust the quality of the workmanship by his people, but the crew of the Tantalus needed almost constant reassurances that the systems were not only currently functioning, but were also completely reliable. Chief Tyrol had in fact, not only overseen the repair of the damaged systems, he had directed his crews to install additional redundancies in the failover mechanisms that would ensure the backup systems would never fail to engage again.

William Adama also took a little extra time to visit with some of the people who had been temporarily displaced by the emergency evacuation, reassuring them that the Tantalus was completely safe to occupy again. Most of the citizens he encountered expressed their deep gratitude for the life-saving efficiency of the Galactica's crew. A few, however, still preferred to gripe about the sparse accommodations they had been forced to live in for almost 2 days while on board Galactica. One man even went so far as to complain about the fact that some "escaped medical patient" was the best that Galactica could provide to look after them. William knew immediately that this was the belligerent who had given the crew such a hard time until Lee had shamed him into shutting up. Glaring at the man, William growled, "My son has put his life on the line literally hundreds of times since the Holocaust to protect your sorry ass! If he's not good enough for you... maybe we'll leave you behind with the next jump and you can fend off the Cylons all by yourself you ungrateful little shit!"

By the time William's tirade was done, the man had shrunken backwards and was looking truly frightened. William knew he had an imposing voice when he chose to use it and he'd been told that his glare could melt a glacier. For just a moment he regretted not dealing with the man more diplomatically, then he discarded that notion. In spite of the President's joke, William had no intention of running for election, and the twit had deserved it. After all that Lee had done for the fleet, it just infuriated William to hear some ignorant dolt talking about his son in such a dismissive, condescending manner. That dork owed Lee a lot more than respect and gratitude; he owed Lee his life.

Still fuming, William wound his way through the hallways, intending to head back to the docked Raptor and return to Galactica. He clenched his hands. He grumbled low under his breath, "To think that it's because of votes... from people like that... that my son nearly died..."

"Commander Adama?"

William stopped and pressed the wireless earpiece a little closer into his ear before responding into his mike. "Yes Chief?"

"If you're available Commander, could you come down to boarding level 2? We have some new visitors here... and they brought the press."

William squeezed his eyes shut. He really didn't feel up to sucking up for the cameras right now. "Who are these visitors Chief?" he asked grudgingly.

"It's Tom Zarek, Commander," Chief Tyrol replied. "And he's brought a work crew with him from the Astral Queen. They want to inspect the repairs for themselves." Tyrol's tone of voice made it quite obvious that he was offended by the mere implication that the repairs were in need of inspection.

At the mention of Tom Zarek's name, William began to see red. "I'll be right there."

It must have been by intervention of the Gods that William was able to enter the boarding area on level 2 without instantly embarking upon cold-blooded murder. His blood absolutely boiled at the sight of Tom Zarek holding an "impromptu" press conference, wherein he publicly questioned the Galactica's refusal to accept the assistance of maintenance crews offered by the Astral Queen in order to resolve the crisis on the Tantalus in a timelier manner. William really wasn't sure what prevented him from attacking Zarek right on the spot, but somehow a calmer voice penetrated the fury in his brain.

"No," William thought. "Zarek will not go down in history as a martyr. He's a terrorist. A murderer. And soon, everyone will know it."

William also knew that as soon as the press had noticed his arrival, they would expect him to respond to Tom Zarek's criticisms. He steeled himself and found himself thinking, "How would Lee respond to all this?"

Raising his voice to a volume that he knew would not go unnoticed, but keeping his tone remarkably calm, he announced, "Perhaps if Mr. Zarek has questions about the Galactica's handling of the situation, he might consider addressing them to an informed source rather than wasting everyone's time with idle speculation."

Instantly the cameras and microphones of the press turned away from Tom Zarek and were focused upon Commander Adama. Now that he had their undivided attention, William continued, "While I am sure that everyone appreciates the willingness of Mr. Zarek to volunteer his prisoners... there is an old, wise saying that no kitchen was ever built for two cooks. Now anyone with limited culinary abilities, like myself, who has ever tried to lend a hand to their spouse before the big dinner party... and ended up being more of a hindrance than a help... well, you should all know how true that saying really is." Somehow William actually managed to plaster a congenial smile onto his face as he spoke, and there were several appreciative laughs from the reporters.

"Willing hands are one thing," William said. "Skilled hands are another. And a cohesive skilled team of hands is yet another entirely. With the crisis that occurred here, we were not dealing with a simple clog in the bilge. Completing these repairs in a timely and effective manner required expertise and teamwork. Chief Tyrol," William pointed out his Chief to the reporters, "is in fact, the finest mechanic and crew chief in all that is left of the human race... and I'd have said that even before the Holocaust."

Chief Tyrol blinked and tried not to blush as several cameras flashed in his direction. He gave a brief wave of acknowledgment, then tried to shrink into the background.

The commander went on. "Chief Tyrol knows his stuff, and equally important is the fact that he knows his people. He knows everything they can do and how well they can do it. He doesn't have to ask. He doesn't have to wonder. He knows. He... is the cook. Now I've got a pair of willing hands too. But if I had turned up here, with power failing and life support systems out... I'd have been about as much help to the Chief as I was to my wife back in the kitchen." Another round of appreciative laughs circulated through the press.

Commander Adama declared, "The best thing for me to do... the best thing for Mr. Zarek to do... was just to get out of the way and let the Chief do his job. Now the fact that you are all standing here breathing... is pretty much proof positive that he did his job... and he did it damn well. In fact, this ship is in better shape and is even safer now than it was before the accident. If Mr. Zarek doubts this is true and wants to offer his mechanical expertise in reviewing the Chief's work... have at it. I have absolutely no doubt what the outcome will be and that you good folks will discover that Mr. Zarek has in fact wasted your valuable time here today." With that, William turned his eyes from the reporters and settled them squarely upon Tom Zarek.

Taking their cue from the commander, the press all turned back toward Tom Zarek for his response. He met their anticipation with a congenial smile. "Well I certainly wouldn't say that this was a waste of anyone's time if it afforded us the honor of finally meeting Chief Tyrol. I assure you Chief; I never intended any insult to the fine work of you and your team. I am, rather, pleased to get this opportunity to thank you in person for all of your fine efforts. Let's give them a hand everyone!" Zarek then led the crowd of reporters in a round of applause for the Chief and his crew.

"Now, Chief," Zarek said, "would you mind giving these fine folks of the press a tour of the damaged areas and perhaps even explain these safety improvements that the commander spoke of?"

The Chief eyed the reporters uncomfortably. "Um..." he glanced toward the commander who nodded to him encouragingly. "Well... sure. I'm not really used to public speaking, but I guess I can show you all what we did. This way." He turned and started leading the small crowd out of the boarding area.

Tom Zarek hung back from the crowd and approached Commander Adama. He tipped his head. "Nicely played," Zarek told him. "You've been learning from the President?"

"From my son," the commander said, his genial mask fading rapidly.

"Of course," Zarek smiled. "And may I say that it is such a relief to hear that he has recovered."

William's eyes slid to the side toward the backs of the retreating group of reporters. No one was looking in their direction any more. His hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Zarek's collar, and he turned, hauling the man around a corner farther out of sight. He shoved Zarek hard against the wall. "Don't even think to toy with me you mother-frakking son-of-a-bitch!" William hissed.

Zarek coughed from the brief compression of his collar against his throat. "What are you talking about?"

William growled, "So help me Zarek... the only reason that you are breathing right now is because Lee is too!"

Zarek brought up both hands between himself and the fuming battlestar commander. "If this all about that hostage situation, let me assure you..."

"Let me assure you," Adama said between gritted teeth, "that if anything... anything happens to Lee again... I will kill you. I don't care if I can prove your involvement or not. I will kill you!"

"My involvement?" Zarek asked. "What makes you think I would want any harm to come to your son?"

"He opposes you," Adama said. "He'll oppose your presidential campaign and people will listen to him."

"I don't doubt that," Zarek replied. "But he's hardly my only critic. And even so... that doesn't mean I want him dead. Quite the contrary in fact."

Zarek straightened himself up and faced the commander defiantly. "I do have plans where your son is concerned Commander, but not the way you think. You know what? I'm going to go ahead and tell you. When I win the Presidency, one of my very first acts will be to remove you... and Colonel Tigh... from command. I intend to give your job to your son. I don't want him dead, Commander. I want him promoted!"

After a few moments of surprised silence, William laughed out loud. "You don't have any idea just how stupid a move that would be Zarek! If you think that Lee would become your willing pawn, you're insane. Lee is young, but he is no fool and the fact is that he's even tougher than me!"

Zarek didn't back down. "I don't want a wimp in charge of our military," he declared. "I just want someone who can be trusted! Your son is the one and only officer who has proved himself worthy of the people's trust and truly dedicated to his sworn oath of service. That's why I want him in charge. You, on the other hand, can not be trusted. You are dangerous."

"Yes I am," William said menacingly. He leaned in close to Zarek and spoke so that his breath hissed onto Zarek's face. "I am dangerous. And don't you forget it!" He fixed Zarek in place with a deathly glare for a few more seconds, then walked away.

Zarek stood in place, leaning against the wall for a full minute after Commander Adama had left. He grimaced as his hands actually began to get the shakes. He took several deep breaths, trying to compose himself. After all, there could be cameras waiting nearby. He straightened his collar, picked up his head a little higher, and stepped out from around the corner.

He caught up with the crowd of reporters who were still following Chief Tyrol through the Tantalus. They were examining a section in the walls where the hull had nearly breached, but where now there was not so much as a seam in the paneling. He nodded and smiled to the reporters on the fringe of the crowd until he was able to catch the eye of one of his men who had come aboard with him from the Astral Queen. He beckoned the man to follow him. They stepped casually to the side and around a corner, out of sight.

"What's up boss?" the large man inquired.

"That's what I want you to find out Grimes," Zarek said. "I think this recent situation with Captain Apollo is taking an unfortunate and unexpected turn."

"What do you mean?" Grimes asked.

"I just had a little run-in with Zeus," Zarek said. "And I think that suspicion is somehow turning toward me. I can't have that Grimes."

"Why would they suspect you?"

"I don't care," Zarek said. With an intense look at Grimes, he said, "Whatever is going on over on Galactica, this can not - - come back - - on me. Do you understand?"

Grimes nodded. "Yes Sir."

As soon as Colonel Tigh gave his permission for Commander Adama to re-board Galactica, the commander was met with a round of applause from the deck crew. William wasn't sure what to make of it all, and Tigh offered nothing but a chuckle and headed off on his way. Lee stepped up then, still dressed in his flight suit after flying another extended CAP during the transfer of the passengers back to the Tantalus. Lee gave his father a seriously amused grin.

"That was quite a broadcast," Lee told the commander.

Adama winced. "That went out live?"

Lee chuckled. "You thought it wouldn't? You should know by now that Zarek loves performing live. I think the deck crew is planning a parade for Tyrol when he gets back."

Adama shook his head wearily. Lee walked with him toward the ladder leading to the catwalk above the hanger deck. "How much of it was broadcast?"

"Your part? All of it. They only cut away to the commentators after the Chief's little tour started getting boring. I almost wish I could have seen Zarek's face."

"And I wish I hadn't." He and Lee walked along the catwalk for several paces before stopping at a point with a broad view of the crews below. It was apparent to William that Lee was trying to work his way around to saying something, so he stopped and waited.

Lee cleared his throat. "Commander, I uh... I overreacted earlier. I was just so worked up over Stinger that just about anything would have set me off. I'm sorry that I blew up like that. But..."

"But what?" Adama asked patiently.

Lee tapped his hand a few times on the catwalk railing. "I just don't understand why you can't be honest with me. Why were you trying to play with my head that way?"

"That wasn't my intention Son," he said. "I just wanted to protect you."

"Protect me from what? The truth? I don't need that kind of protection."

William held up his hand with his thumb and index finger parted by a very small space. "Lee, I came this close to losing you." He dropped his hand and a painful memory played itself out across his face. "When it became apparent that you would soon be ready to return to duty, it suddenly dawned on me... that I had to be ready too. As your commander, I had to make myself ready to give an order, without hesitation, that could send you to your death, if necessary. I thought I knew just how much time I had to make myself ready... but then it snuck up on me. You were given the all-clear two days early... and I wasn't ready. The fact is that I'm still not. If I were to be truly honest, I think I've realized that I will never be ready to see you at risk again. And if I could think up some justifiable means of locking you away somewhere safe, where nothing could happen to you, I would do it... right now... even if it made you hate me."

Lee's eyes were moist by the time his father finished speaking. He swallowed hard. "I understand that Dad," Lee said quietly. "But I really need to know that there is somebody I can trust. Yet no matter where I look... even if it's at you or Kara... I just come up empty. I really don't know who I can count on any more."

It felt like a knife twisting in William's gut to hear his son saying that he no longer trusted him. He took off his glasses and rubbed at his own moist eyes. When Lee was recovering from the poison that nearly killed him, William had had so many intentions of setting things right between them at last. Instead, it was apparent that William had only succeeded in reinforcing that old barrier wall standing between them.

"Here's a newsflash Son," William said. "I don't always make the right choices. But I can't apologize for wanting you to be safe."

Lee didn't sound at all angry when he told his father, "Through my entire childhood, you defined 'manhood' to me as 'being a Viper pilot.' You never stopped drumming into my head that I needed to be independent from you and Mom and stand on my own two feet. You can't just take all that back now."

Adama looked sadly into his son's eyes. "No, I can't."

After a few more seconds, Lee broke eye contact with his father. "I gotta go," he said quietly. "I'm still trying to make heads or tails out of Kara's illegible scrawl."

Adama slipped his glasses back on. "Try not to be too hard on her," he requested. "This ordeal has been very rough on her."

Lee gave a brief laugh. "Here's a newsflash Dad. It's been rough on me too. At least Kara had you for support. I haven't had anybody."

Lee heard someone approaching him from behind. The footsteps were steady at first, then slowed to a stop, but the person said nothing. A single foot just tapped the floor in place. Lee knew it was Kara. Nobody else would just stop and tap their foot behind him without saying something. She knew he'd heard her and she was waiting for him to drop what he was doing and turn around to give her his undivided attention, but Lee was still in a touchy mood and he didn't want to play games. Besides, it was her fault that he'd spent the last 5 hours shuffling through papers trying to figure out how the heck the squadron had been managed over the last several weeks and he'd just barely gotten a hold on everything. A comprehensive schedule was finally put together and he wanted to get it posted to the whiteboard where the other pilots could see it.

Kara tried clearing her throat a little to see if Lee would react and at least acknowledge her, but he didn't. His eyes remained firmly fixed on the clipboard in his hands. He looked up directly from the clipboard to the whiteboard on the wall without so much as a passing glance in her direction. He just picked up a pen and started filling in the cleaned up space on the whiteboard.

After a couple of minutes of being ignored, Kara ran out of patience. She typically enjoyed engaging him in a battle of wills, but whenever the game involved waiting, Lee always won. "So... you are still mad at me because I didn't tell you about Stinger's imaginary girlfriend."

Lee shook his head ever so slightly. "Yes," he said. "I'm still mad at you for lying to me and telling me there was no evidence of a plot to kill me."

"Lee... the evidence was so slim at that point... I really didn't think there was a reason to take it seriously."

"Right," Lee scoffed softly. "My near-death wasn't a good enough reason for you. But you knew I would take it seriously, so you hid it from me."

"No," she replied evenly. "I didn't tell you because I was still in the cowardly avoidance stage."

Lee kept his back turned from her and somehow managed to continue writing and talking at the same time. "It was right here in this room Kara. After the cowardly avoidance was over, you looked me straight in the eye and told me there was no evidence against Frosty or Stinger, so the suspicion still fell on me. Remember that?"

"Well, yeah," Kara admitted in a sheepish tone.

"You lied," he said.

After a short guilty pause Kara said, "What I told you was that I didn't know what to think. But... if you're that ticked off about it... you could always steal the Raider, desert the fleet, go hunt up some ancient artifact on Caprica, and blame it all on me."

Lee burst out laughing before he could stop himself. "That's not even funny," he groaned in protest, fighting to compose himself.

Kara swallowed back a smug grin. "Lee, I wasn't lying to you. I just really didn't think there was anything to tell you. I mean it. If I'd thought there was anything to it at all, I would have told you. I was wrong about it, okay? I screwed up, but that shouldn't surprise you. I promise you; I wasn't trying to deceive you."

Lee finally looked over his shoulder and his posture relaxed a little. He nodded. "I overreacted," he reluctantly admitted. "I was just so wracked up over Stinger that I was spoiling for a fight. I guess I still am."

Kara offered him a lopsided grin. "I thought you were going to throttle him right there in the mess."

"I thought about it," Lee said grimly.

"What stopped you?"

"I want to find out who the frak 'they' are."

Kara nodded. "Good point. Hadrian getting any names yet?"

Lee frowned. "Last I heard, Stinger hadn't said a single word since he talked to me. Frosty has completely clammed up too." He turned his attention back toward the whiteboard.

Kara read the board over his shoulder. "Hmm. Nice and neat. Textbook perfect even."

"That's why it works," Lee snickered. "People can read it now. Of course it took me five hours to decipher your notes and figure out what flight assignments you've been giving people."

"It wasn't that bad," Kara protested.

Lee smirked. "For the last ten days Costanza has been officially listed on the rosters as 'Hot God'."

"No way," Kara declared. Lee handed her the clipboard. She looked over her own notes and chuckled. "Oh. That's funny! I'll kill you if you tell him of course. But you know you could have just asked me..."

The ship's general alarm blared in the room. "Secure all quarters! Secure all quarters! Set condition 1!"

"Frak," Kara groaned. "Again? Is Gaeta plotting a course straight for Cylon Central?"

Lee shook his head. "It's not an attack. The call was just to secure quarters, not assume action stations. Something's happened on board the ship!"

Lee hustled into the CIC and his eyes immediately scanned the DRADIS screens. As he'd thought, there were no enemy contacts being reported. His eyes met with PO Dualla at her console and she pointed in the direction of the damage control station. Lee looked to his right where Dee had indicated and spotted the commander, the XO, and Chief Tyrol gathered in front of the fire alert monitor. He walked up to join them and observed the activities already in progress.

The chief was on the station's phone, receiving and relaying information between the commander and the fire crews that were on the scene. Lee noted the red lights on the monitor that indicated a fire in the starboard flight pod on the unused museum deck. That puzzled Lee. What was in that area that could catch fire? The monitors were also indicating that the heat of the flames was very intense, which on board a battlestar would typically mean a fuel-induced fire of some kind. That really made no sense. The starboard pod was converted to a museum well over a year ago, and all fuel lines and tanks had been removed. That was one of the primary obstacles to restoring the pod back to its original function. The unlikely nature of a fire breaking out there made Lee feel very uneasy.

The chief pressed the phone to his ear, listening intently. He frowned slightly. "Automatic suppressors aren't working Commander," Tyrol reported. "Some are even spreading the flames across the deck. We're definitely dealing with a liquid fuel source for the fire. We're going to have to switch to using boraton foam."

Lee grimaced as his father nodded his understanding to the chief. No one said the word out loud, but everyone present knew damn well they were dealing with a case of "arson." Lee thought grimly, "So we still have an enemy among us. Gods, give us a break!"

Commander Adama asked the chief, "How close is the fire to the power conduits?"

Chief Tyrol relayed the question then waited a few seconds for the response. "They say it's closing to within 5 meters Sir."

Adama shook his head. "That's too close. Tell the fire crews they'll need to use the lights on their suits and shut down power circuits to the entire pod."

As the chief complied with his orders, Colonel Tigh commented, "We won't be able to retract the pod if we have to make a jump."

The commander's expression didn't change. "No choice. If the fire spreads into active power conduits, it could affect systems all over the ship and set off new fires. We'll have to risk it and isolate the pod for now."

Lee hurried over to a phone at a nearby console. "This is the CAG," he said. "Activate standby alert pilots. Prep for launch but hold in the tubes until further notice." When he hung up the phone he saw his father watching him. "Sir, if we can't retract the pod to jump... this could be a precursor to an attack." The commander nodded his assent to Lee's order but made no comment.

Tigh added quietly, "It's got to be a precursor. Otherwise what's the point? There's nothing worth damaging on that deck."

Commander Adama tweaked one eyebrow slightly. "Then why wasn't the fire started at the conduits, guaranteeing that we wouldn't be able to retract?"

Tigh shrugged. "Or why not target a truly critical area of the ship?"

Lee offered an answer to that. "The museum deck is deserted. There's no security there."

Colonel Tigh grumbled. "That deck wasn't deserted earlier. We had nearly 400 visitors camped down there, and some of them weren't too happy about it. You think maybe one of them left a calling card?"

Adama shook his head. "I doubt it. The passengers from the Tantalus were all accounted for and no one was left in there alone. No, this happened well after all the passengers returned to their ship."

"All right," Tigh conceded to the commander's logic. "But then why?"

"A diversion?" Lee suggested.

Tigh nodded his agreement. "We should call Action Stations," he advised.

The commander considered the option but shook his head. "Not yet, but inform all internal security to stay on their toes. If anyone sneezes without a handkerchief, I want to know about it."

Tigh grimaced in amusement. "Lovely thought, but all right." He moved off to a nearby phone to relay the commander's orders.

Lee stood beside his father and watched the monitor board, listening in as the chief continued to direct operations with his teams. After several more minutes, the chief gave his senior officers a thumbs-up.

"We've just about got it Commander," Tyrol reported. "No damage to the conduits and no injuries."

"Good," the commander said. "That's good."

20 minutes after the alert had first been sounded to the ship, the fire was declared fully extinguished. "It's gonna be a helluva mess to clean up with all that foam, but we got it," the chief said grinning from ear to ear.

Lee shifted his attention, and from where he was standing he listened in briefly to the other stations in the CIC. Everything appeared to be perfectly normal. There were no other reports of any suspicious activity. "I shouldn't gripe," Lee thought. "But it just doesn't make sense."

"Restore power to the pod Chief," Commander Adama ordered. "Then get down there and find out what was burning on that deck." Within another minute, all power circuits were restored and all indicator lights went green across the board.

The commander turned to his XO. "Retract the pods to verify," Adama said.

"Yes Sir."

They all watched the system monitors as both flight pods were retracted into FTL-secure position. Lee almost expected something to happen at any moment, but the systems functioned normally. The commander looked somewhat puzzled when the retraction was confirmed successful. He nodded and then gave the order, "Extend the pods and stand down from alert."

Lee wished he could feel relieved that the crisis was over, but somehow he still felt uneasy. He stepped over and picked up a phone. "This is the CAG. Stand down the non-alert Vipers."

Colonel Tigh looked even more perplexed than Lee felt. "So what the hell was that all about? Have we just got some nutso pyro on board? Maybe we really do need to have the whole crew screened by that shrink... except me, of course. "

"We could start with Ellen then," the commander suggested with a very slight grin.

The colonel didn't look very amused. His only reply was, "Don't go there Bill."

The commander didn't pursue the subject further, but the look on his face left little doubt about his feelings concerning Saul Tigh's controlling, boozing, and infamously unfaithful wife. Lee also held his tongue, but he agreed with his father that if anyone on the ship was in dire need of psychiatric intervention it was probably Ellen Tigh... or the unfortunate husband that she somehow kept pinned under her thumb. Why Saul tolerated that woman was something that Lee could not understand.

Frowning in irritation at the looks he was receiving from both Adamas, Colonel Tigh grabbed for the ringing phone at the central CIC console. "This is the XO." He then extended the handset toward the commander. "The Master-At-Arms for you, Commander."

Commander Adama took the phone. "This is the Commander. Go ahead Sergeant."

Deliberately turning his attention from the XO's glowering face toward his father, Lee watched the commander's expression suddenly change to a deep scowl. Something tightened in Lee's gut. The fire was a diversion. He felt sure of it.

"I'll be right down," Adama said grimly and hung up the phone.

"What happened?" Lee and Colonel Tigh inquired simultaneously.

Very darkly, William Adama replied, "Frosty and Stinger are dead."

Coming Next - The conclusion.