Chapter 6

If anyone from the fleet had been watching the scene on the beach they would have imagined themselves to be back on one of the beautiful beaches on Geminon that one was occasionally lucky enough to find with barely a sole on them. The people on the beach would have been clearly recognisable as a military family on vacation: the dog tags around their necks gave it away instantly. If that wasn't enough, her military issue underwear made a functional if not very stylish bikini and that outfit, along with his butt-hugging shorts, did nothing to hide the sheer athletic fitness of their bodies as they ran through the waves. But there was nothing of military discipline in the way she shrieked as he playfully splashed her and the infant in her arms, or in the way he kissed her when he eventually caught her in his embrace.

−

When they had arrived on the planet early that morning Lee had said that he wanted to show Kara something special. As the base military commander he had managed to acquire use of one of their few land vehicles for the day and had driven out from alpha base. After about thirty minutes or so they had reached the coast.

"I've wanted to show you this place since I first saw it. You remember that little fishing village we used to go to when we got R&R from the academy?"

"The one with the great pub?" Trust Kara to remember that!

"Yeah. Well I found this place when we were surveying and it kinda reminded me of that place; without the village or the pub of course."

They pulled up on the edge of the beach of a small cove, protected on one side by cliffs and on the other by rolling hills. There was a perfect expanse of beach lapped by gentle waves from the bright blue sea. Lee was right; it was just like that little haven on Picon that they had on occasion escaped to during their time at college. It was certainly a place that held happy memories for her and there weren't that many of those.

"What do you think?"

"Not bad, Adama; not bad at all."

"I thought we could put a house over there." He pointed to the edge of the cove, where a number of trees would protect a dwelling from the worst of the wind. She had to laugh at how far his analytical mind had already planned their life on New Kobol.

"You've really thought about this a lot haven't you?"

"I told you that I thought about you all the time when we were apart. When I came here it just seemed to me that it was the perfect place for us to make our home."

"And exactly what role was I playing in these fantasies of yours? I hope you're not expecting me to behave like the ideal little women in this idyllic scenario; keeping your house, tied to the kitchen, bare-foot and pregnant!"

"I know my limits Kara. There's brave and then there's just plain stupid. I think attempting to treat you like that would fall in to the latter category. Besides, if I remember rightly your cooking's awful." She threw a pillow at him. "Hey, you know the answer to that problem: do it yourself."

"Well I have done, sort of." He held up a box of food he'd managed to put together. "This is a full service day out: picturesque location, blanket and cushions for madame to relax on and a picnic!"

−

Kara escaped Lee's splashing and ran out of the waves and up the beach, laughing. She flopped down on the blanket that they had spread on the sand. Lee sat down beside her and smoothed a few stray hairs behind her ears with a tender hand.

"Happy Kara?" he asked, smiling.

"Mmm yeah, this was definitely one of you're better ideas," she said as she started to plaster Alex in yet more of the sun tan lotion someone had found for her at the bottom of a locker, a remnant of a long forgotten vacation from another life.

"I have my moments. So what do you think? Was I right or was I right? Isn't this the perfect place for us to have our home?"

"I can't believe that you've already decided that we're settling on the planet. What about our jobs?"

"I haven't decided anything Kara; you know that I wouldn't take that sort of decision without talking it through with you. I can't just abandon being Galactica's CAG any more than you can abandon your job. But whatever we do, we'll need a base on the planet. For Alex' sake."

She knew that he was right, and this place was ideal, but she didn't want to think about settling down into family life just at the moment. Although they were technically already a family it just didn't seem that way on Galactica. As much as she had changed and grown up since she had married Lee, she didn't think that she was ready to settle down to being a wife and mother full time just yet. Lee sensed her pensiveness and decided to give her a little space.

"Come on then buddy, let's go and build sand castles." He picked up his son and moved towards the edge of the water. She watched them happily scooping sand into an old can and turning it out to make castles. Actually, Lee seemed to be doing all the building; Alex was just happy scooping sand into his mouth. His expression of disgust as he tasted it was laughable. He seemed to be taking in his first experience of a planet with remarkable ease, but then, she supposed, every day must be full of new experiences when you were that young.

She decided to go for a walk to explore the bay that Lee had brought them to. She owed it to him to really work out in her head if she wanted to live in this place. Reaching the top of the beach, she stopped to take in the view of the countryside rolling away from the beach; it really was spectacular. She could understand why Lee was so keen on setting up home at this spot. Whilst she was scanning the hills visible against the horizon, her eye was suddenly caught by a flash in the distance, as if the sun light had caught something reflective. Was that possible? This planet was completely uninhabited, wasn't it? May be she had imagined it, just a trick of the light. But there it was again, she thought, as another flash caught her eye. Kara walked to their vehicle and dug out a pair of binoculars out of the back. She trained it on the ridge of hills in the distance from where the flash had come. What she saw there made her turn and sprint down the beach at top speed. She swooped down and grabbed her son. He started to scream at being taken away from bashing sand castles but she ignored him and started back up the beach at a run.

"Quick Lee, get all the stuff. We have to go," she yelled over her shoulder at him.

"Kara?….What?…What in the name of the Gods has gotten into you?"

"Cylons."

"Cylons? Is this some sort of joke 'cos I don't get it?"

"I never joke about the toasters, Lee." She chucked him the glasses. "See for yourself if you don't believe me. On the far ridge." Lee put the glasses to his eyes.

"Frak me, you're right. Where the hell did they come from?"

"I have no idea and I'm not about to stick around to ask them about their travel itinerary. We have to get back to the base."

"Looks like they're heading that way. I hope we can beat them to it."

He grabbed their stuff and started to run up the beach behind his wife. Once they reached their vehicle he grabbed the radio to call the base.

"Weird; nothing but static. May be we're in an aerial dip or something."

"Let's not worry about that right now. Let's just get going." She shouted at him as she strapped a still screaming Alex in the back.

Lee powered up the engines and they shot back over the bumpy terrain in the direction they had come.

−

Tom Zarek reflected that his plan to take over the fleet couldn't have gone any better. Once Evans had taken out those first two marines the rest had been easy. The weapons concealed inside of the shuttle from Galactica, provided by the oh so eager Mrs. Tigh, had quickly been retrieved. The other marines had been easily overcome, never suspecting that the guys seemingly just enjoying the sun would suddenly turn and overpower them at a slight signal from him. Seeing colonel Tigh humbled had been particularly satisfying: he looked forward with even more pleasure to seeing the same thing with admiral Adama.

The overall plan seemed to be playing out very well, judging by the number of blips on the dradis console indicating ships approaching the planet. He would soon be the ultimate power for what was left of the human race.

A disturbance outside made him turn, a frown marring his face. Had they missed someone? His people were no doubt apprehending the unfortunate person right now. The noise continued and seemed to get closer, and suddenly one of his men came screaming into the shelter.

"Boss, boss, there's something out there and it's coming this way!"

"Something? Can you be a bit more specific?"

"I don't know what they are. I saw them coming down the hill behind the base. They're like eight foot tall metal things and their hands turn into guns."

"Really, Jones, did you find a stash of ambrosia?"

"No honest boss, I really saw them."

"Cylons, they're Cylons," said a voice behind him.

Zarek turned to the sergeant of the marines who was attempting to stand, despite his bound hands and feet.

"What you describe is the new model Cylon centurion. Believe me; I've seen them up close and personal. They're killing machines. If there are Cylons out there then you need to let us go if we're to have any chance of taking them out."

Zarek thought for a few moments. This smelt like a trap to him. Maybe Adama had more troops on the planet than he knew about. May be they had rigged up some holo or something to try and convince them that the Cylons had found the planet.

"I'm not that easy to fool sergeant."

"Sir, this isn't any kind of trap, I can assure you."

Zarek hesitated again. He wanted to see for himself before he would even consider ordering the marines to be freed.

"Show me, Jones."

He moved over to the edge of the shelter and stuck his face outside. He saw a flash of silver, and then the gun fire and the screaming started.