Chapter 4

Vice president Baltar lay back in his bunk in the temporary shelter on New Kobol, a smile of utter contentment on his face. Anybody looking at him would imagine that he was having a particularly good dream. What Six was doing to him at the moment was particularly good, but as far as he was concerned it wasn't a dream. The smile changed from one of just contentment to a look of deep pleasure and he couldn't help a small groan escaping.

"Ahhh, yes!"

"Sorry Dr Baltar? I didn't realise that you were awake. Is there something you need?" Baltar's eyes snapped open to find captain Kelly staring down at him.

"Umm, yes. I just remembered that we need to er, er take some sort of long wave communication device tomorrow."

"It's already in the pack, sir."

"That's umm, good, great. Er, well done captain," he said in what he hoped was a dismissive type of voice. Six had now shimmied back up his body and had started nibbling his ear and he really wanted her to go back to what she had been doing.

"Really Gaius, you're becoming so talented at covering these little moments. I'm almost tempted to see just how far we could go without the good Captain here noticing." Baltar just coughed and gave her a pointed look. The captain moved away at last and Six started to kiss the exposed parts of his chest above his tanks. He looked down at her.

"You know he still hasn't spoken to me; God hasn't spoken to me. You told me that he'd speak to me and let me know that I'd chosen the right planet. I need to know that she's here; I want to finally meet her."

"It's all part of the plan, Gaius; you just have to be patient. All will become clear to you soon. But I know that God is very pleased with you, Gaius. So pleased, in fact, that you deserve a reward." She smiled that particularly evil smile and her hands were once again moving to the fastening of his pants.

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Adama looked out at the sleek lines of Colonial One as his shuttle pulled along side and into their landing bay. When politicians requested joint meetings with the government and the military, he usually sent along Saul, even occasionally Lee; anything so that he didn't have to sit through the interminable petty gripes of what he regarded as a group of pretty tin pot legislators. But when Tom Zarek requested such a meeting no one was going to do that one but him.

Zarek entered the conference room looking urbane and well groomed. He and Roslin greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek and a false display of camaraderie. He turned to the admiral, a wide smile on his face as he held out his hand.

"This is indeed an honour, admiral. I didn't think you deigned to attend such meetings." Adama looked pointedly at the hand and back at Zarek's face, without a single move to take the proffered hand shake.

"You said that you had something important to discuss. I'm here. So let's get on with it."

Zarek just ignored the snub and shrugged his shoulders, still looking at Adama with a malevolent little smile.

"You asked for this meeting, Tom. What can we do for you?" Laura asked.

"I want to know why nobody from the Astral Queen has yet been allowed down on to New Kobol."

"There are many ships in the fleet where people have yet to get a visit, Tom. This is going to take time." Roslin told him, placatingly.

"But they're all on the list. The inhabitants of the Astral Queen aren't even on the schedule."

"The last time I looked at the colonial penal code it didn't say anything about pleasure trips for convicted criminals." Adama knew that he was baiting Zarek, but he wanted to see what if anything got a rise out of him.

"As I've pointed out before, most of the inhabitants of the Astral Queen were on their way to parole hearings. Many would by now have completed their original sentences. Several have built up sufficient parole credits to achieve their freedom by working for the good of the fleet, or isn't your son's word good for them admiral?" He stared challengingly at Adama. Adama knew that he was being goaded in return, but couldn't resist a little dig of his own.

"My son's word is always good, Zarek and you know it. Everything he promised has been delivered, even the elections: it wasn't his fault that you lost."

"Touché, admiral." He made a saluting gesture to his opponent. Turning to Laura, he said, "here's the bottom line, Madame President. Either the inhabitants of the Astral Queen get their visit scheduled or they are withdrawing all support of maintenance and other activities that they perform throughout the fleet."

Laura pursed her lips. She knew how much the fleet was relying on those crews of prisoners just to keep flying. Most of the ships in the fleet hadn't been designed for this duration of space flight and needed constant fixes to keep them going.

"Alright Tom. We will schedule the visit for those prisoners who have either completed their sentence or achieved sufficient parole credits to be given their freedom. The others cannot be allowed to leave the Astral Queen." He inclined his head towards her.

"That's fair, Madame President. I look forward to hearing from your staff as to when the visit will take place, but I would advise that it be as soon as possible or they may not trust you to deliver. Even I only have so much sway with them to prevent them doing something we might all regret if they feel a promise has not been delivered."

With this thinly veiled threat he stood up. He took Laura's hand and said with feigned concern "You look like you could do with a rejuvenating visit to the planet yourself Laura." She chose to ignore this comment, but wondered whether his sources were so good that he knew of her renewed treatment. He raised her hand to his lips briefly then turned to Adama, not even bothering extending his hand this time.

"Admiral, a pleasure, as always."

"I must say that I'm surprised that you're so keen on visiting the planet when you were the only one of the council who voted against it."

"I trust your judgement on such matters, Admiral. If you didn't like the idea there must have been a good reason."

Adama didn't reply, just gave him a look that said "that's just so much bullshit". Zarek smiled in return and signalled to his minders to accompany him as he left the room.

As soon as the door was shut, Laura flopped down in her chair.

"Urggg! That man always makes me feel naked." Adama raised an eyebrow at her. "Not in that way, Bill."

"Yes, he certainly is one cunning son of a bitch and he's got us by the balls on this one. I wonder what he's really up to."

"We're going to have to do what he wants, though, and let's just get it over with as quickly as possible."

"Yes, the sooner the better. The day after tomorrow was supposed to be a rest day for the crew on the planet, but I think it would be best if we did it then. I don't want that unholy lot from the Astral Queen mixing with any other people. We'll take the whole ship down and just let those allowed the visit off. The security will be easier than transferring them to a transport. I'll send an extra squad of marines."

"You'll speak to the major about it?" She missed the fact that she couldn't call him 'Captain Apollo' any more: 'Major Apollo' just didn't have the same ring to it!

"No, I think it best if Lee is kept away: the history between him, Zarek and some of the prisoners could lead to trouble. We should let him have the day off still and get them in and out without him there. I'll put colonel Tigh in charge. He can oversee the whole trip from start to end."

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