The Old Soul Chapter 1
The CAG
NOTE: I am, and always will be, a fan of the classic series, but whether it was respect of the show itself or simple curiosity, I watched (and much to my horror...) enjoyed the 2003 miniseries. I have it on good authority ("Apollo" himself) that they are getting set to film the series. I am hoping that this gets a better run than the original. So I am pleading with you to write Sci-Fi in support of the show. If you are a classic fan as I am, I am asking you to watch it for its own merits. I do not own any of the Battlestar Galactica names or anything else. I don't write this for any profit other than my own happiness. Please accept this in the manor that it is written... The love of the show. Thank you.******
The CAG's private quarters were dark, except for the comp monitor. Lee sat quietly in the dark staring at the screen as if any moment it would give up the answers to all the unanswerable questions in his life. He had spent the night writing reports and in a few minutes he would be heading out on his scheduled patrol. Sleep was becoming more and more unavailable. The only thing he was assured of was the "blasted" headache he acquired the day he rescued the President. It was a hell of a time to test a theory, especially one that didn't work on paper. He couldn't have been unconscious long but to be honest it might have been the longest nap he has experienced since the attack on Caprica.
The loud rapping on his door interrupted Lee's concentration.
Slightly startled, he hollered for the intruder to enter. The doorway open and suddenly the whole room was filled with a blinding light.
"Ahggg," he gasped, quickly covering his eyes. "Shut the frakking door," he hollered, pushing his fists tightly to his eye sockets, considering at that moment the benefits of ripping his cursed eyes from them and tossing them across the room.
"Door's shut," announced the intruder. Immediately recognizing the voice as belonging to Lt. Starbuck, he growled, "What the hell do you want, Kara?"
"First of all," she smugly announced. "It is kind of difficult to come through the door without opening it. Secondly, I think I am up on my quota of ass-chewing, so back off. And lastly, Captain Apollo... You look like feldercarb"
Lee looked up from his hands, still squinting from the pain in his skull. Kara was maybe the only one in the whole fleet who could get away with such a direct smirch of conduct between two officers. Unfortunately, she knew it. So, reprimand would have been a waste of energy. "Did you need something Lieutenant?"
Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was his hottest pilot and his best friend. She had every right to her "cocky" attitude when it came to her skills as a pilot. He just needed to find away to calm down her attitude with superior officers, him included. Right now he would be content to use her skills and play interference between her and other officers.
"Just reporting for patrol. You coming?" She walked up to the desk, sat on the corner, and began nibbling from his untouched rations plate.
"You're not scheduled for this patrol, Starbuck."
"Sorry sir, you're stuck with me," she informed him. "Wrongway" is out with the results of what appears to be bad rations" Tyssus "Wrongway" Magellan had a love of food, although it did not always seem to feel the same way for him. He was tagged with his moniker, when during Flight School he choked on his lunch, and began waving his arms and pounding the table trying to get someone's attention. When it finally worked ... all he could say was "Wrong way." Lucky for him and the fleet, the person next to him caught on quickly and helped him eject the lodged Mushy from his throat. Unlucky for him, the story got around the school before he was out of the lunchroom and people could be seen all up and down the corridors flapping their hands like some kind of bird, chirping, 'wrong way, wrong way."
Captain Adama seemed to give the information more than its share of his attention and he rubbed his eyes, growling lowly under his breath. "Great, just frakking great. That's one more to add to the list. Lights on," he muttered, keeping his eyes covered.
The lighting system on the Galactica was designed so that the eyes could adjust to them. They slowly faded up and down when turned on or off. They could also be adjusted to the color spectrum, creating a more tranquil atmosphere
Kara stared at him in the light. Her look was more of concern than sarcasm. "You still look like crap, Lee."
"Cute," he replied. "I'm up to my ass in paperwork. Two thirds of my division is sick or wounded. My father seems to think that we can locate the mythical Thirteenth colony. We are fighting a war against machines, with human characteristics, that we built. And if that is not enough I have a lieutenant who has no clue to the correct conduct when in the presence of a superior officer."
She rolled her eyes, and then stared back at him. "Sorreeeeeeee....How about ...You still look like crap ... Sir. Is that better?"
Lee just smiled and pushed himself away from the desk. "Thank you, Lieutenant. For you, that's much better." For a moment the room swayed as he attempted to stand up. Quickly, he caught himself and smiled, hoping his slight bobble went unnoticed, but it hadn't. "Too long in the dark," he explained
He grabbed his helmet from the desk and followed Starbuck to the launch bay. "Here's hoping the night is either very busy or very quiet," she whispered.
"Why is that?" he rebutted.
"If it's busy: you will be too keyed up to realize you need rest. If it's quiet, maybe you will actually get some sleep."
"I am not sleeping during a patrol, Starbuck. I have had sleep, so if you don't mind, give it rest."
"Well, there is an upside, I guess," she mumbled.
"Oh yeah? And what would that be"
"No one will be opening any doorways filled with bright lights," she hissed.
The patrol was gratefully uneventful but also horribly non-distracting. Starbuck watched as Lee struggled to remain in control of his senses as exhaustion had finally begun to win out. Every so often he would shake his head as if trying to shake something from his helmet. She was sure his onboard computer would melt down from overuse as his continued to do his reports on it during the flight.
Finally, he spoke. It was to no one in particular, but he'd forgotten that his com was still open.
"We are going to have to change rotations," he mumbled, his voice sounding distant.
"Sorry, sir. What did you say?" she queried.
"We are going to have to..." Communications were interrupted with a burst of static in his ears and an all too familiar voice over the com.
"Galactica to captain Apollo. Be advised you are on an open channel."
The interruption came from Galactica control. The more embarrassing fact was it came from Commander Tigh, who, if Apollo had been anyone else, would have had the pilot's wings for such a breech of security.
"Roger, Galactica. Thank you." Apollo grimaced.
Kara would have laughed if she were not so worried about Lee. He was overworked, overstressed, as well as under nourished, recalling the plate of untouched rations that had been left on his desk.
She awaited his signal to switch channels to a scrambled com.
"That was dumb." He growled, "Next time warn me before I do something stupid."
"Sorry Lee," she whispered. "It had been so quiet for so long that I had forgotten that we were on an open channel myself."
"Not your fault, Kara. Shouldn't have come down on you," he started to apologize
"What were you saying about the rotations?" she interrupted.
"I think we are going to have to go out and start recruiting pilots, Starbuck. As I figure it right now we are going to have to change rotations to maximum shifts and minimum breaks, just to have the patrols covered. The squadrons are depleted and we have little or no back up.
Kara had known Lee for a long time. His overly analytical mind as well, comma as his inflated sense of responsibility to the ship and his crew meant that the first person to be subject to this new change would be him. He would not place anyone in a position he had not experienced first. He was also the first to volunteer for every mission. It was almost like a death wish for him. No one would go into battle unprepared. No one would die needlessly, like his brother did. Not on his shift. Not if he could help it.
The worry for Lee's physical state seemed to set off flares in her mind. A distraction to the self-pity and loathing that usually came with the thoughts of Lee's younger brother Zak. After all, she was there when it happened. It was her guilt he tended to carry, her fault that Zak was dead. She was not going to make the same mistake twice. She wasn't going to let Lee tax himself in the name of duty. At least anymore that he already has.
"Uh, you're not planning to start that maximum shift thing...now... are you?"
"Why, you got a date?" he laughed.
"Yeah. A date with my bunk." Kara knew that she had more sleep than Lee had in the last few days, but she also knew that he would shrug off any references to his needs. But if she made it sound like she was tired, he would be more tolerant to the idea of heading back in. "Remember, this is my second patrol, and some of us need our beauty sleep."
"Well I guess this is your lucky day, I still have to confront the commander with this idea. So lets head back." Patrol was over and he was extremely tired. "Maybe we can make it a double date. I think I could use a nap myself. Last one to debriefing is a rotten mushy."
"Roger that," she laughed as she pulled her viper into a tight one-eighty. At least she knew Apollo had some idea of his limitation.
The CAG
NOTE: I am, and always will be, a fan of the classic series, but whether it was respect of the show itself or simple curiosity, I watched (and much to my horror...) enjoyed the 2003 miniseries. I have it on good authority ("Apollo" himself) that they are getting set to film the series. I am hoping that this gets a better run than the original. So I am pleading with you to write Sci-Fi in support of the show. If you are a classic fan as I am, I am asking you to watch it for its own merits. I do not own any of the Battlestar Galactica names or anything else. I don't write this for any profit other than my own happiness. Please accept this in the manor that it is written... The love of the show. Thank you.******
The CAG's private quarters were dark, except for the comp monitor. Lee sat quietly in the dark staring at the screen as if any moment it would give up the answers to all the unanswerable questions in his life. He had spent the night writing reports and in a few minutes he would be heading out on his scheduled patrol. Sleep was becoming more and more unavailable. The only thing he was assured of was the "blasted" headache he acquired the day he rescued the President. It was a hell of a time to test a theory, especially one that didn't work on paper. He couldn't have been unconscious long but to be honest it might have been the longest nap he has experienced since the attack on Caprica.
The loud rapping on his door interrupted Lee's concentration.
Slightly startled, he hollered for the intruder to enter. The doorway open and suddenly the whole room was filled with a blinding light.
"Ahggg," he gasped, quickly covering his eyes. "Shut the frakking door," he hollered, pushing his fists tightly to his eye sockets, considering at that moment the benefits of ripping his cursed eyes from them and tossing them across the room.
"Door's shut," announced the intruder. Immediately recognizing the voice as belonging to Lt. Starbuck, he growled, "What the hell do you want, Kara?"
"First of all," she smugly announced. "It is kind of difficult to come through the door without opening it. Secondly, I think I am up on my quota of ass-chewing, so back off. And lastly, Captain Apollo... You look like feldercarb"
Lee looked up from his hands, still squinting from the pain in his skull. Kara was maybe the only one in the whole fleet who could get away with such a direct smirch of conduct between two officers. Unfortunately, she knew it. So, reprimand would have been a waste of energy. "Did you need something Lieutenant?"
Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was his hottest pilot and his best friend. She had every right to her "cocky" attitude when it came to her skills as a pilot. He just needed to find away to calm down her attitude with superior officers, him included. Right now he would be content to use her skills and play interference between her and other officers.
"Just reporting for patrol. You coming?" She walked up to the desk, sat on the corner, and began nibbling from his untouched rations plate.
"You're not scheduled for this patrol, Starbuck."
"Sorry sir, you're stuck with me," she informed him. "Wrongway" is out with the results of what appears to be bad rations" Tyssus "Wrongway" Magellan had a love of food, although it did not always seem to feel the same way for him. He was tagged with his moniker, when during Flight School he choked on his lunch, and began waving his arms and pounding the table trying to get someone's attention. When it finally worked ... all he could say was "Wrong way." Lucky for him and the fleet, the person next to him caught on quickly and helped him eject the lodged Mushy from his throat. Unlucky for him, the story got around the school before he was out of the lunchroom and people could be seen all up and down the corridors flapping their hands like some kind of bird, chirping, 'wrong way, wrong way."
Captain Adama seemed to give the information more than its share of his attention and he rubbed his eyes, growling lowly under his breath. "Great, just frakking great. That's one more to add to the list. Lights on," he muttered, keeping his eyes covered.
The lighting system on the Galactica was designed so that the eyes could adjust to them. They slowly faded up and down when turned on or off. They could also be adjusted to the color spectrum, creating a more tranquil atmosphere
Kara stared at him in the light. Her look was more of concern than sarcasm. "You still look like crap, Lee."
"Cute," he replied. "I'm up to my ass in paperwork. Two thirds of my division is sick or wounded. My father seems to think that we can locate the mythical Thirteenth colony. We are fighting a war against machines, with human characteristics, that we built. And if that is not enough I have a lieutenant who has no clue to the correct conduct when in the presence of a superior officer."
She rolled her eyes, and then stared back at him. "Sorreeeeeeee....How about ...You still look like crap ... Sir. Is that better?"
Lee just smiled and pushed himself away from the desk. "Thank you, Lieutenant. For you, that's much better." For a moment the room swayed as he attempted to stand up. Quickly, he caught himself and smiled, hoping his slight bobble went unnoticed, but it hadn't. "Too long in the dark," he explained
He grabbed his helmet from the desk and followed Starbuck to the launch bay. "Here's hoping the night is either very busy or very quiet," she whispered.
"Why is that?" he rebutted.
"If it's busy: you will be too keyed up to realize you need rest. If it's quiet, maybe you will actually get some sleep."
"I am not sleeping during a patrol, Starbuck. I have had sleep, so if you don't mind, give it rest."
"Well, there is an upside, I guess," she mumbled.
"Oh yeah? And what would that be"
"No one will be opening any doorways filled with bright lights," she hissed.
The patrol was gratefully uneventful but also horribly non-distracting. Starbuck watched as Lee struggled to remain in control of his senses as exhaustion had finally begun to win out. Every so often he would shake his head as if trying to shake something from his helmet. She was sure his onboard computer would melt down from overuse as his continued to do his reports on it during the flight.
Finally, he spoke. It was to no one in particular, but he'd forgotten that his com was still open.
"We are going to have to change rotations," he mumbled, his voice sounding distant.
"Sorry, sir. What did you say?" she queried.
"We are going to have to..." Communications were interrupted with a burst of static in his ears and an all too familiar voice over the com.
"Galactica to captain Apollo. Be advised you are on an open channel."
The interruption came from Galactica control. The more embarrassing fact was it came from Commander Tigh, who, if Apollo had been anyone else, would have had the pilot's wings for such a breech of security.
"Roger, Galactica. Thank you." Apollo grimaced.
Kara would have laughed if she were not so worried about Lee. He was overworked, overstressed, as well as under nourished, recalling the plate of untouched rations that had been left on his desk.
She awaited his signal to switch channels to a scrambled com.
"That was dumb." He growled, "Next time warn me before I do something stupid."
"Sorry Lee," she whispered. "It had been so quiet for so long that I had forgotten that we were on an open channel myself."
"Not your fault, Kara. Shouldn't have come down on you," he started to apologize
"What were you saying about the rotations?" she interrupted.
"I think we are going to have to go out and start recruiting pilots, Starbuck. As I figure it right now we are going to have to change rotations to maximum shifts and minimum breaks, just to have the patrols covered. The squadrons are depleted and we have little or no back up.
Kara had known Lee for a long time. His overly analytical mind as well, comma as his inflated sense of responsibility to the ship and his crew meant that the first person to be subject to this new change would be him. He would not place anyone in a position he had not experienced first. He was also the first to volunteer for every mission. It was almost like a death wish for him. No one would go into battle unprepared. No one would die needlessly, like his brother did. Not on his shift. Not if he could help it.
The worry for Lee's physical state seemed to set off flares in her mind. A distraction to the self-pity and loathing that usually came with the thoughts of Lee's younger brother Zak. After all, she was there when it happened. It was her guilt he tended to carry, her fault that Zak was dead. She was not going to make the same mistake twice. She wasn't going to let Lee tax himself in the name of duty. At least anymore that he already has.
"Uh, you're not planning to start that maximum shift thing...now... are you?"
"Why, you got a date?" he laughed.
"Yeah. A date with my bunk." Kara knew that she had more sleep than Lee had in the last few days, but she also knew that he would shrug off any references to his needs. But if she made it sound like she was tired, he would be more tolerant to the idea of heading back in. "Remember, this is my second patrol, and some of us need our beauty sleep."
"Well I guess this is your lucky day, I still have to confront the commander with this idea. So lets head back." Patrol was over and he was extremely tired. "Maybe we can make it a double date. I think I could use a nap myself. Last one to debriefing is a rotten mushy."
"Roger that," she laughed as she pulled her viper into a tight one-eighty. At least she knew Apollo had some idea of his limitation.
