7375.310: Battlestar Galactica launch bay. Major Bojay and Lieutenant Troy were on the flight deck while the tech crews were prepping the Vipers for launch. They looked over at the group of people by the lift, and then at each other. "I don't remember it being this bad when I took my first flight" Troy said.
Bojay just looked at him, "Funny, as I recall it was worse.".
They just smiled at each other, and shared a small laugh. The other group of people were walking over to them, and Troy and Bojay came to attention. "Commander Apollo, Major Sheba, Major Starbuck. To which Lord of Kobol do we owe this honor." Bojay said with just a hint of a smile on his face. Sheba just looked at him for a micron, then jabbed his arm. This brought a round of chuckles from everyone there. Commander Apollo looked at the two viper pilots for a moment, then turned around and looked at the two young warriors standing behind him.
"Hera, I want you and Dalton to listen carefully to Major Bojay and Lt. Troy while on this flight.".
The taller of the two women looked at him, "Of course Commander, we wouldn't want to mess up on our first flight.".
Major Bojay in a serious voice "Uh, Commander, the warriors need to pre-flight their vipers now."
Apollo walked over to the taller girl and gave her a hug "Be careful" he whispered and then he saw Starbuck hugging the other girl.
As the girls walked toward their Vipers, followed by Bojay, Starbuck gently grabbed Troy's arm " Keep your scanners peeled Troy. And don't let Dalton give you any feldergarb out there."
Troy just smiled, "Don't worry Starbuck, I won't.".
Troy then sprinted after the others. The three of them stood there for a centon and Apollo just shook his head, "Were we ever that bad Starbuck?".
"According to your father and Col. Tigh, we were worse." This caused the three of them to laugh again.
"Well we had better get to the bridge, if we want to follow them on the scanners Apollo.",
" Now Major Starbuck, if I didn't know you so well, I would think you were worried." Sheba said with as straight a face as she could.
"Well Sheba, Hera and Dalton have always been a little on the, uh, shall we say wild side.". Apollo looked at him "And with their lineages are any of us really surprised.".
Sheba looked at Apollo for a micron, "Come on you two old war daggits, lets watch are girls take off on their first flight.", and the three of them headed for the lift.
The 4 pilots finished their pre-flight checks, and climbed up into their Vipers. The crew chief then gave Maj. Bojay a thumbs up and the pilots closed their canopies. They each went through the start up cycles for their ships, and Maj. Bojay listened as each pilot checked in with him. "Galactica command, this is Alpha flight reporting, were are ready for launch.".
"Roger Alpha flight, this is Galactica command, transferring all controls to Vipers, you may launch when ready",
" Roger Galactica command, Alpha flight launching". Bojay pressed the Turbo button on his flight stick and rocketed down the launch tube, he never seemed to tire of this part of any mission. A few microns later, he was flying in space, and he glanced over his shoulder to see the other three vipers coming out of the launch tubes.
"OK people listen up, this is supposed to be a simple patrol of the system, but keep your eyes open and watch your scanners. Just because we haven't seen any cylons in the last 4 yahren, doesn't mean that they gave up on following us."
"Troy, you and Dalton are to scan for a jump corridor, Hera, your on my wing. We get to scan the asteroids for any usable materials. Any questions?".
"Yes sir, what do we do if we run into any cylons?" Dalton asked semi-mockingly.
"Well Ensign , you could always fly in a straight line and be the bait, while Troy shoots them for you." Hera quipped. This brought a chuckle from Troy and Bojay,
"Enough ladies, you have your assignments, see you back on the Galactica Troy.",
"See you there Major. Inputting coordinates in flight comp, Dalton do you copy?",
"Yes Lt. I copy, receiving coordinates now. Nav points set".
"Dalton break right on my mark, 3, 2, 1, mark" Troy and Dalton's vipers peeled away to the right and they hit their turbos.
On the Galactica bridge, the 3 nervous officers watched on the scanners as the flight of vipers launched. As he sat there, Apollo felt a moment of grief, when he thought of how his father must have felt watching him on his first real patrol. He remembered asking his father if the nervousness ever went away, when he was on the bridge during Troy's first patrol. Adama looked at him and had said. "No Apollo, it never really goes away. But after a yahren or two, you get used to it, like an old friend.".
Just then the door to the bridge opened and a man in quorum robes came in. He walked up to the raised command section of the bridge, and the man looked at Apollo, "I'm sorry I missed the launch Apollo, but Sire Belloch kept trying to argue for more resources.",
" That's all right President Tigh, I'm just glad it's you who has to deal with him instead of me.".
A micron later, the door opened again and a woman in a medical uniform joined them on the command section. She put her arm around Starbuck's shoulders, "So how did she do on her launch?".
"Just fine Cassiopeia." Sheba said, "Just like her father.".
Cassie looked at Starbuck for a micron, and then whispered in his ear, "If you don't let go of the chair soon, your knuckles may never relax." It was then that Starbuck realized how tightly he was gripping the arms of the chair he was sitting in.
Dalton was flying next to Troy, and was watching her scanner. "Troy",
"Yeah Dalton".
"Was you father as worried on your first patrol as my father was today?".
He smiled at that remark, "I think so Dalton, but he had my grandfather and Sheba there with him to help him through it. Don't worry, Starbuck's got a lot of friends to help him through it.".
"I know Troy, but sometimes I think my parents would have been happier if I had become a Med-Tech like my mother.".
"Your wrong Dalton, you had the highest scores in the academy, and your father knows that this is what you want to do. Even your mother was smiling when you graduated.".
" Yeah your right Troy, I guess I shouldn't worry about these things, but I do. Well at least I don't have it as bad as Hera.".
"What's that supposed to mean Dalton?",
"Well think about it Troy, all the family history that she has to live up to. She's your sister, and Commander Athena's niece and Apollo and Sheba's daughter, not to mention that she's Commander Adama's and Commander Cain's granddaughter. And I thought I had it bad, being Starbuck's daughter."
The two of them started laughing at that last remark, just then Troy's scanner started beeping. "Looks like we found the next jump corridor point. Setting scanner for maximum scan of the area.", after a few centons, the scan was done. "Alright Dalton, changing course back to the Galactica.",
"Affirmative Troy, wanna race?" she said with an impish grin on her face as she hit her turbos .
Bojay was watching his scanner as they where traversing the asteroid field. He was also watching the Viper just off his right wing "Relax Hera, your doing fine.".
"Thanks Bojay, is it that obvious how nervous I am?".
"Maybe just a little Hera, but your handling that viper like an old pro. Our scans are finished here, setting course for the last section of this system.".
"Bojay",
"Yeah Hera".
" Do you think we will ever find Earth?". "Well I don't know Hera, but your grandfathers always thought so.",
"Bojay did you just say Grandfathers?".
"Yes I did Hera, even Commander Cain finally realized that we needed to find Earth if we ever wanted to truly beat off the cylons. I'm just glad that you got to meet him before he passed on 6 yahren ago.".
Hera thought to herself for a centon, "But it seemed to me that he and Adama were always arguing about everything, all the time.".
"No Hera, not everything, they both wanted the same thing, for humans to be free from the cylons. They just had different ideas on how to achieve that goal.".
Hera's scanner began beeping, "Looks like a good supply of Tylium in these asteroids Bojay, and other minerals that the forge ship can use.",
"Confirmed Hera, setting course back to the Galactica.".
On the bridge of the Galactica, Col. Omega looked at Apollo, "Commander, a signal coming through on alpha channel.",
"OK Omega I'll take it here.",
"Yes sir.". Apollo watched the monitor as the screen soon showed his sister Athena's face. "So big brother, how did they do?",
"Not bad Athena, not bad at all.". Apollo then saw his old friend Col. Boomer standing behind Athena, "So Apollo, have you had to peel Starbuck off the bulkheads yet?",
Starbuck answered before Apollo could say anything "No Boomer, but I think that I might need a sleep agent, if I ever want to sleep again.".
That caused them all to laugh, and helped to break the tension they were all feeling. Just then Omega spoke up, "Commander",
"Yes Omega?",
"Alpha flight is returning to Galactica, they should be back in 5 centons.",
"Thank you Omega.".
"Well Starbuck it looks like we didn't need to worry at all. It seems that our girls did just fine.".
Apollo was about to end the transmission when, with a smile, Athena told him "Congratulate that niece of mine Apollo, and tell her and Dalton that I've sent them a surprise. Pegasus out." and the screen went blank before Apollo could ask her what surprise. The group watched as the 4 vipers made their final approaches and landings. As they entered Decon, the girls began chatting about their mission like two kids still in secondary school. Troy and Bojay just looked at each other and started to laugh.
After Decon the 4 of them reported to the bridge to report on their patrol, with Bojay and Troy giving the reports. Hera and Dalton just stood there silently at attention and listened to their commanding officers. Apollo then asked seriously, " So Major, do you believe these two Ensigns should be put on permanent flight status?",
"Yes Commander I do, both of them are excellent pilots, and their families can be proud of them.".
"Thank you Major, that will be all pilots, dismissed.".
The 4 pilots were about to leave the bridge when Cassiopeia and Sheba just looked at Apollo, "Oh you warriors." Cassiopeia quipped and she walked over and gave her daughter a hug, followed by Sheba giving Hera a hug. Tigh was next to congratulate the girls, followed by Bojay and Troy. Finally the girls were standing in front of their fathers.
Hera spoke then, "Commander, would it be a breach of protocol if a Junior officer were to hug a superior officer?". They all started to laugh, and soon both Apollo and Starbuck were hugging their daughters.
Tigh was the first to speak, "Excuse me Commander Apollo, I'm pulling rank on you. Ladies, you have one last tradition to follow.". He took both girls by the arm, and started to leave the bridge, "We'll be in the rejuvenation center, if you old warriors care to join us. We have a wetting down to perform."
The others started to follow them, Apollo looked at the smiling Omega, "You have the bridge Omega.", "Yes sir.".
When they arrived at the rejuvenation center, Apollo discovered Athena's surprise. She had sent Major Jolly over from the Pegasus with 4 bottles of 100 yahren old Ambrosia. This and the grog led to a very enjoyable celebration. After a centar, Apollo and Sheba, Starbuck and Cassie, and President Tigh all said their goodbye's. This was the girls night, and they might as well let them enjoy it. As they were about to leave, Dalton asked them were they were going. Tigh looked at her, "Dalton this is yours and Hera's party, and for it to really get started, you don't need the old folks hanging around. So your parents and I will be leaving. Now go and have a good time, that's an order.",
"Yes sir, we will sir.".
The next morning, Hera and Dalton were assigned to Blue squadron , just as their fathers had been those many yahren ago. Major Starbuck looked at Apollo behind his desk, "Are you sure about this Apollo?".
"Of course I am Starbuck. With you in charge of Red squadron, and Sheba in charge of Silver Spar squadron, the girls can only get a fair shot in Blue squadron.".
"I guess your right Apollo, besides Troy can keep an eye on them.".
"No Starbuck, I am not going to have Troy spy on the girls for us.".
"Who said anything about spying Apollo, what I meant was, he has always looked after them as a big brother and he can keep doing that in Blue squadron.".
"That's what I thought you meant Starbuck. Now get out of my office Major I've got things to do.".