First off I want to apologies I had to finish college this term and it
took a lot of my time but I am back. Again I want to thank all of you who
have reviewed this story has taken and odd turn and I hope you will stay
with me for the ride. Also Special Thanks to Mady for all her hard work as
my Mega Battlebeta. You're the best
Chapter 2 Oddly Familiar
Tigh leaned heavily on the top of the desk. The sound of Lieutenant Thrace shutting the door behind her still echoed in the silence of the small room. He was rarely without a voice, but in this case he was baffled and totally unsure what to do. He had known the young man who stood before him since the day he was conceived. From the day he was born, Paul thought he was staring at a clone of his best friend. The baby bore none of the physical features of his father, this lad was blessed with the bright eyes and smile of his mother, still, all you had to do was watch him to know he was his father's son. No mater the situation, no matter the stress, his skills, mannerisms, strength and attitude was that of an Adama.
That's what made his next job so impossible. Mistakes such as the one he just made on patrol where not just not done, maybe by a rookie, but never by an Adama. Hell, he has been standing at attention for nearly ten minutes, and as tired as he looked, the man has not even wavered. Lee was with out a doubt one of the best officers to ever enter or exit the door of the Academy. He knows the rules, and more importantly, knows what will happen if those rules are broken.
"At ease, Captain," Tigh growled.
Tigh watched in total shock as , if on cue , the young man's eyes rolled back in his head and his body sank to the floor.
"LEE!" Tigh nearly hurdled the desk to catch the youth as he fell He watched as the captain struggled to hold on to consciousness and regain his feet. Tigh grabbed the chair and gently aided his officer into it.
"Frak," Apollo mumbled, momentarily placing his hands over his eyes. "I am sorry sir. I... I guess I am more tired than I thought."
"Just sit still, Captain, I'll call Life...
"NO! Please sir, it is not necessary." Apollo explained, "I am just very weary, it's lack of sleep,sir."
"Then you can sleep for the next couple of hours in Life Station. Damn it, son, I just watched all the color fade from your face as you crumpled to the floor. What the frak would you do, if you were in my position?"
Apollo knew that because the Colonel had not pushed the com button, that he had at least a fifty-fifty chance of staying out of Life Station. "I would take note that the officer in front of me was quite coherent, and then note that he has been on nearly every third patrol that has left the Galactica and still has managed to turn in a majority of his reports." Apollo managed a weary smile as he watched the frustrated Colonel appear to scrub the sweat from his forehead.
"Sir, there are too many people in Life Station already; the last thing they need is to have to watch me sleep."
"AARGGGGGH!" The Colonel slammed his hand across his desk. "Okay, fine, you are grounded for 48 hours."
"Tigh, we don't have enough...."
"FORTY EIGHT HOURS, CAPTAIN," he enforced. "Unless a Cylon Base Star crams itself up our ass, you are not to so much as climb into the pilot seat of the simulation module. Do you understand me, Captain?" Apollo started to acknowledge the Colonel but was quickly interrupted. "For sixteen hours you are confined to quarters. I don't want to see so much as your laundry out of quarters for those next sixteen hours. During that time there will be no computer access in your quarters. You can resume reports after you have gotten some rest. Until then, Lieutenant Thrace is in command, the Lords help us."
"After the first sixteen-hours?"
"After the first sixteen hours, if you are awake, I will restore your computer to you. You can do reports or you can begin to put your recruiting idea into play , if that is what you choose to do, but someone will shuttle you from ship to ship. I understand the need for more pilots, but it does NOT take precedence over the health of the ones we have.
"But..."
"Captain, you just collapsed in my office. If you were anyone else, I would have had you tied to a stretcher and escorted to Life Station. Don't push your luck."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, before you will be allowed to resume flight status, you will be subject to a full health scan. Do you understand me, son?"
"Aye , Sir." There was very little punch left in the Captain's replies. He wasn't sure if this was a win or a loss in the battle of wills, but he knew even if he was not getting everything his way, at least he had gotten out of spending the next couple of days in a drug induced coma. He and medical facilities have never really gotten along well. Right now he didn't care whether or not this was a win or a loss.
Sometimes debriefing seemed to last as long the patrols, even longer if the night was marred by a mistake in protocol. After the "official" meeting with Colonel Tigh, Kara was dismissed and nearly kicked out of the room so that he could hold a conversation. She had no doubt Lee was about to get his butt handed to him by that over-stuffed excuse for a Colonel, because of that non-secured line incident. A blind dog could see that Apollo was in need of rest. Damn, it took him nearly 10 minutes to climb out of his cockpit and another five to let go of the wing once his legs, wobbly, finally reached the floor. Kara and the flight crew were all set to call a Life Station Emergency. But he just waved off any assistance, complaining that his legs had fallen asleep.
"Well, at least part of you is getting some sleep," growled the Chief Petty Officer. His words were low enough that the Captain did not hear it, even if Kara did.
The relationship between the chief Tech and the CAG had not by any means been a smooth one. Ripper, the last CAG, had been his friend, one of the first fatalities of this all out war against the Cylons. Another wedge between the two came in the form of the Fleet Commander, Apollo's father. Like most officers, Tyrol held William Adama with the highest of respect and admiration; a feeling not shared by that of his son since the death of his little brother, Zak.
She waited outside the door for nearly 20 minutes before the hatchway reopened and the Captain emerged.
He looked no more haggard than when they went in the first time, still, she was going to make sure nothing else kept him from his bunk this time.
"Kara, I thought you were heading to bed. You still have another patrol in the morning," he growled.
"Yeah, I am, but first I am going to make sure you get back to your bunk. I am not letting you out of my sight until you're asleep."
"There's no need for that. It seems I'm grounded for the next forty-eight hours."
"Damn, that carrion faced ..."
"Belay that, Lieutenant."
"Sorry sir, it just doesn't seem fair."
"He grounded me because I nearly passed out in the office," Apollo explained. "It was all I could do to keep him from calling in the medics."
"I am confined to quarters for the next sixteen hours, barring something major happening," he mumbled. "The rest of my sentence can be used to put a plan of recruitment into effect." He said as he opened the doors to his quarters and stepped in, with Kara close on his heels.
"Well in that case, I take back part of what I was thinking about him," she acknowledged.
"Only part?"
"Yeah, I still reserve the right to think of him the way I always have."
Apollo winced. He doubted the relationship between the Colonel and the Lieutenant would ever be one without some kind of conflict, but he would hope a common goal would at least keep them from each other's throats. "You really need to lay off him, Starbuck; he's not a bad man."
"This coming from the guy who can't seem to give his own father the time of day."
"Why are you here again?" he growled, frustrated.
"I told you, I am not leaving until I know for a fact that you are asleep. I hate to tell you this, but I still believe you should be seen by Doc Salik or someone. I know you're under a lot of stress. Usually you are the one who pulls the rest of us through the chaos. I always thought the Adama family fed off stress like most people ate meat. The last time I saw you like this was when you used to have those crazy nightmares about your death. Do you remember? " She looked up and caught a glimpse of him staring in disbelief at her, and then he quickly looked away. "Oh, my God. It's happening again, isn't it? The nightmares are back, aren't they?"
"Kara, I am a little too old to be kept up by childish dreams. I have just been too busy to get enough sleep," he insisted. "I'm fine. You can leave and let me go to sleep."
"You promise to go straight bed?"
"What do you want? Do you want me to cross my heart? "
"Naw, that wouldn't work ... you have to have a heart to cross in the first place." He tossed the shirt he had been removing at her head. It missed.
"Ya know," she insisted, "if you had been well rested, that might have hit me."
"Out Starbuck!"
"Okay, see ya in the next sixteen hours or so," she smiled.
Starbuck stationed herself outside Apollo's door. No one, but no one, was going to get in, or out, without her noticing. And if anyone even thought of knocking on the door and disturbing her friend's sleep, she would consider shooting to kill. She set up two chairs in front of the doorway and propped herself up, getting comfortable. For at least the next eight hours, she was going to enforce Tigh's orders for Apollo to rest. Afterwards, she had patrol.
It was good that for the last couple of days the fleet had had no emergencies requiring lights or sirens and such, and if one came up tonight and woke the Captain, she could almost guarantee an end to the war.
Apollo had watched the door open and close behind her. He went into the bedroom, not even bothering to shower, and he threw himself half-dressed across the bed. The last thing he thought was how tired he didn't feel. That was only moments before he was plunged headlong into the darkness that reopened the doorway to his dreams and nightmares.
Falling, falling, the world spun out of control. Lights and darkness both burned in his mind as he found it almost impossible to breathe. Just as suddenly as the sensation came, it stopped. He found himself staring down at a rough body of water. He had always loved water. His mother said he was more fish than man and to this day she would never know why he chose to be a pilot. He did not recognize the body of water, nor did he ever remember being on a water transport like this. The ship seemed to be made of wood. It rocked and swayed with the large swells of water beneath it. Sails were flying from tall masts, as men scooted up the web of ropes that seemed to weave themselves up to the highest point. Lights crashed and thundered in the dark sky and waves began to wash above the deck. Men, including himself, were being tossed around like rag dolls, and oddly enough, it all seemed familiar. Suddenly, he noticed a wall of water that seemed to tower over the ship. He clasped on to the rail and hung for dear life as the world seemed to close in around him.
Chapter 2 Oddly Familiar
Tigh leaned heavily on the top of the desk. The sound of Lieutenant Thrace shutting the door behind her still echoed in the silence of the small room. He was rarely without a voice, but in this case he was baffled and totally unsure what to do. He had known the young man who stood before him since the day he was conceived. From the day he was born, Paul thought he was staring at a clone of his best friend. The baby bore none of the physical features of his father, this lad was blessed with the bright eyes and smile of his mother, still, all you had to do was watch him to know he was his father's son. No mater the situation, no matter the stress, his skills, mannerisms, strength and attitude was that of an Adama.
That's what made his next job so impossible. Mistakes such as the one he just made on patrol where not just not done, maybe by a rookie, but never by an Adama. Hell, he has been standing at attention for nearly ten minutes, and as tired as he looked, the man has not even wavered. Lee was with out a doubt one of the best officers to ever enter or exit the door of the Academy. He knows the rules, and more importantly, knows what will happen if those rules are broken.
"At ease, Captain," Tigh growled.
Tigh watched in total shock as , if on cue , the young man's eyes rolled back in his head and his body sank to the floor.
"LEE!" Tigh nearly hurdled the desk to catch the youth as he fell He watched as the captain struggled to hold on to consciousness and regain his feet. Tigh grabbed the chair and gently aided his officer into it.
"Frak," Apollo mumbled, momentarily placing his hands over his eyes. "I am sorry sir. I... I guess I am more tired than I thought."
"Just sit still, Captain, I'll call Life...
"NO! Please sir, it is not necessary." Apollo explained, "I am just very weary, it's lack of sleep,sir."
"Then you can sleep for the next couple of hours in Life Station. Damn it, son, I just watched all the color fade from your face as you crumpled to the floor. What the frak would you do, if you were in my position?"
Apollo knew that because the Colonel had not pushed the com button, that he had at least a fifty-fifty chance of staying out of Life Station. "I would take note that the officer in front of me was quite coherent, and then note that he has been on nearly every third patrol that has left the Galactica and still has managed to turn in a majority of his reports." Apollo managed a weary smile as he watched the frustrated Colonel appear to scrub the sweat from his forehead.
"Sir, there are too many people in Life Station already; the last thing they need is to have to watch me sleep."
"AARGGGGGH!" The Colonel slammed his hand across his desk. "Okay, fine, you are grounded for 48 hours."
"Tigh, we don't have enough...."
"FORTY EIGHT HOURS, CAPTAIN," he enforced. "Unless a Cylon Base Star crams itself up our ass, you are not to so much as climb into the pilot seat of the simulation module. Do you understand me, Captain?" Apollo started to acknowledge the Colonel but was quickly interrupted. "For sixteen hours you are confined to quarters. I don't want to see so much as your laundry out of quarters for those next sixteen hours. During that time there will be no computer access in your quarters. You can resume reports after you have gotten some rest. Until then, Lieutenant Thrace is in command, the Lords help us."
"After the first sixteen-hours?"
"After the first sixteen hours, if you are awake, I will restore your computer to you. You can do reports or you can begin to put your recruiting idea into play , if that is what you choose to do, but someone will shuttle you from ship to ship. I understand the need for more pilots, but it does NOT take precedence over the health of the ones we have.
"But..."
"Captain, you just collapsed in my office. If you were anyone else, I would have had you tied to a stretcher and escorted to Life Station. Don't push your luck."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, before you will be allowed to resume flight status, you will be subject to a full health scan. Do you understand me, son?"
"Aye , Sir." There was very little punch left in the Captain's replies. He wasn't sure if this was a win or a loss in the battle of wills, but he knew even if he was not getting everything his way, at least he had gotten out of spending the next couple of days in a drug induced coma. He and medical facilities have never really gotten along well. Right now he didn't care whether or not this was a win or a loss.
Sometimes debriefing seemed to last as long the patrols, even longer if the night was marred by a mistake in protocol. After the "official" meeting with Colonel Tigh, Kara was dismissed and nearly kicked out of the room so that he could hold a conversation. She had no doubt Lee was about to get his butt handed to him by that over-stuffed excuse for a Colonel, because of that non-secured line incident. A blind dog could see that Apollo was in need of rest. Damn, it took him nearly 10 minutes to climb out of his cockpit and another five to let go of the wing once his legs, wobbly, finally reached the floor. Kara and the flight crew were all set to call a Life Station Emergency. But he just waved off any assistance, complaining that his legs had fallen asleep.
"Well, at least part of you is getting some sleep," growled the Chief Petty Officer. His words were low enough that the Captain did not hear it, even if Kara did.
The relationship between the chief Tech and the CAG had not by any means been a smooth one. Ripper, the last CAG, had been his friend, one of the first fatalities of this all out war against the Cylons. Another wedge between the two came in the form of the Fleet Commander, Apollo's father. Like most officers, Tyrol held William Adama with the highest of respect and admiration; a feeling not shared by that of his son since the death of his little brother, Zak.
She waited outside the door for nearly 20 minutes before the hatchway reopened and the Captain emerged.
He looked no more haggard than when they went in the first time, still, she was going to make sure nothing else kept him from his bunk this time.
"Kara, I thought you were heading to bed. You still have another patrol in the morning," he growled.
"Yeah, I am, but first I am going to make sure you get back to your bunk. I am not letting you out of my sight until you're asleep."
"There's no need for that. It seems I'm grounded for the next forty-eight hours."
"Damn, that carrion faced ..."
"Belay that, Lieutenant."
"Sorry sir, it just doesn't seem fair."
"He grounded me because I nearly passed out in the office," Apollo explained. "It was all I could do to keep him from calling in the medics."
"I am confined to quarters for the next sixteen hours, barring something major happening," he mumbled. "The rest of my sentence can be used to put a plan of recruitment into effect." He said as he opened the doors to his quarters and stepped in, with Kara close on his heels.
"Well in that case, I take back part of what I was thinking about him," she acknowledged.
"Only part?"
"Yeah, I still reserve the right to think of him the way I always have."
Apollo winced. He doubted the relationship between the Colonel and the Lieutenant would ever be one without some kind of conflict, but he would hope a common goal would at least keep them from each other's throats. "You really need to lay off him, Starbuck; he's not a bad man."
"This coming from the guy who can't seem to give his own father the time of day."
"Why are you here again?" he growled, frustrated.
"I told you, I am not leaving until I know for a fact that you are asleep. I hate to tell you this, but I still believe you should be seen by Doc Salik or someone. I know you're under a lot of stress. Usually you are the one who pulls the rest of us through the chaos. I always thought the Adama family fed off stress like most people ate meat. The last time I saw you like this was when you used to have those crazy nightmares about your death. Do you remember? " She looked up and caught a glimpse of him staring in disbelief at her, and then he quickly looked away. "Oh, my God. It's happening again, isn't it? The nightmares are back, aren't they?"
"Kara, I am a little too old to be kept up by childish dreams. I have just been too busy to get enough sleep," he insisted. "I'm fine. You can leave and let me go to sleep."
"You promise to go straight bed?"
"What do you want? Do you want me to cross my heart? "
"Naw, that wouldn't work ... you have to have a heart to cross in the first place." He tossed the shirt he had been removing at her head. It missed.
"Ya know," she insisted, "if you had been well rested, that might have hit me."
"Out Starbuck!"
"Okay, see ya in the next sixteen hours or so," she smiled.
Starbuck stationed herself outside Apollo's door. No one, but no one, was going to get in, or out, without her noticing. And if anyone even thought of knocking on the door and disturbing her friend's sleep, she would consider shooting to kill. She set up two chairs in front of the doorway and propped herself up, getting comfortable. For at least the next eight hours, she was going to enforce Tigh's orders for Apollo to rest. Afterwards, she had patrol.
It was good that for the last couple of days the fleet had had no emergencies requiring lights or sirens and such, and if one came up tonight and woke the Captain, she could almost guarantee an end to the war.
Apollo had watched the door open and close behind her. He went into the bedroom, not even bothering to shower, and he threw himself half-dressed across the bed. The last thing he thought was how tired he didn't feel. That was only moments before he was plunged headlong into the darkness that reopened the doorway to his dreams and nightmares.
Falling, falling, the world spun out of control. Lights and darkness both burned in his mind as he found it almost impossible to breathe. Just as suddenly as the sensation came, it stopped. He found himself staring down at a rough body of water. He had always loved water. His mother said he was more fish than man and to this day she would never know why he chose to be a pilot. He did not recognize the body of water, nor did he ever remember being on a water transport like this. The ship seemed to be made of wood. It rocked and swayed with the large swells of water beneath it. Sails were flying from tall masts, as men scooted up the web of ropes that seemed to weave themselves up to the highest point. Lights crashed and thundered in the dark sky and waves began to wash above the deck. Men, including himself, were being tossed around like rag dolls, and oddly enough, it all seemed familiar. Suddenly, he noticed a wall of water that seemed to tower over the ship. He clasped on to the rail and hung for dear life as the world seemed to close in around him.
