'This is Courage'
Mid-season one story. Inspired by 'Act of Contrition'.
Action/drama - some Lee/Kara but not main focus.
ZZZZZZZZZ"Frak! I'm hit!" Starbuck shouted.
"Put me through," Adama demanded, picking up the phone. Moments earlier, she'd reported three cylon raiders had jumped within range and she'd taken the rest of the CAP to intercept. That was, after all, what they were there for.
"Starbuck, Galactica. How bad is it?"
"Not bad, Galactica. I've still got control."
"Do you need help?"
"No, I think we can handle it sir."
"Be careful out there."
"Thank you Galactica, will do."
"What's going on?" Apollo stopped dead, sensing trouble as soon as he entered the CIC.
"Trouble." As always, Adama was a man of few words.
"Cylon raiders. Three of them." Tigh was, also as usual, more forthcoming.
Lee's heart began to race. He knew who was on CAP - he'd written up the schedule - and he wanted to be out there to help. "Do they need assistance?" he asked, ready to go and head for his Viper.
"Negative Apollo. Starbuck's got it under control."
Voices began to get louder over the comm and everyone could feel the panic level rise.
"Keep it steady Racetrack, that's it." Starbuck's voice came through , calm and slow, encouraging her proteges.
"I've got one right behind me!" Kat screamed.
"Evasive manoeuvre delta, just like we practiced," Starbuck said crisply. "I've got him." And as promised, a few seconds later he was dust. Adama and Lee both let out a small breath. It wasn't that they didn't trust Starbuck - quite the opposite - she was the one they all wanted out there when the cylons came calling. The problem was, this was Racetrack and Kat's first CAP; they hadn't even earned their wings yet. Things had been quiet of late, and Starbuck had suggested the students start handling real assignments - under strict supervision of course, either she or Apollo flew with them, and so far things had been uneventful.
"Should I shoot?"
"Ah! There's one right behind me!"
"Frak! I lost him!"
Panic rose another notch and Lee's heart jumped into his mouth. He didn't want to lose any more pilots, especially not now that they were all slowly becoming friends. And as for Starbuck ... his chest tightened at the thought of losing her. He never worried when he was up in the air with her - he always watched her back - but even though she was a fantastic pilot, he always worried when she was out there without him.
"Calm down girls, we can do this. You two, evasive maneouvres. Just keep out of their line of fire. Let me worry about taking them out."
Two raiders was no biggie to Starbuck. She'd taken on more than that solo before. But she was noticing that her controls were a bit more sluggish than what she was used to. Of course she wasn't about to report that - Galactica would send reinforcements and then Lee would get to have all the fun.
"Head towards Galactica - we need to draw them away from the rest of the fleet." And Starbuck watched as they turned as one, feeling a surge of pride. Her students were coming on nicely - now if only she could get them back home and kill these cylon bastards!
"He's on me! I've been targeted! I can't shake him!" Racetrack was full-out panicking now and Starbuck knew all the tactics they'd learned were out the window. Somehow she had to get her back to Galactica. Fast. Before she lost it and became an easy target.
She put on a burst of speed, grunting at the effort it took to turn her ship. The stick definitely wasn't responding well. She began to worry.
"You two, straight to Galactica, now!"
"But Starbuck..." Kat began.
"No buts. Follow orders!" she barked.
"Kat, alpha pattern. Racetrack, beta. I'll cover. Now!" she yelled as she put her Viper between the cylon ships and her students. The enemy began firing wildly, now having a target on a straight trajectory.
"What the hell is she doing?" Tigh demanded, watching the dradis screen.
"Putting herself between her people and the enemy," Adama said, and he nodded. "Well done Starbuck," he whispered, though they were no longer in contact.
"Battle landings people. Get aboard as fast as you can." And Starbuck turned to face the raiders, shooting purposefully as she flew directly at them.
"Frak! She's going to get herself killed!" Lee couldn't help his outburst. His heart was pounding painfully and he was dying to go out and help. But protocol dictated that you didn't go till your commanding officer told you to go, and his father seemed content to let Starbuck handle it her way.
One more cylon ship disappeared from the dradis and Adama let out an almost inaudible 'yes'. But Lee heard, and knew his father was just as worried about her as he was.
"I'm coming in too low - I'm not going to make it!" Racetrack's voice shook with terror. "Starbuck I can't do this!"
"Yes you can," Starbuck answered firmly. "I'll come alongside you and guide you then I'll pull out at the last minute and come back for this bastard."
"I'm not sure I can..."
"Yes you can. Form up with me." And her tone brooked no argument. Starbuck forgot momentarily about the cylon as she concentrated on getting her young pilot back home, and he took full advantage of her position and fired.
"Frak! I'm hit again!" Starbuck shouted.
"We're not going to make it!" Racetrack was crying now.
"Yes we are, come on, don't quit on me now." Starbuck's intercom cut in and out, her ship's systems now on the fritz. "You're almost there, that's it..."
"You're not coming with me?" Racetrack sounded terrified.
"You can land alone. You've practiced."
"Please Starbuck?" she begged.
"I can't, I've got no controls. Just listen and I'll talk you through it."
Meanwhile, the cylon raider had come around for another pass, finding Starbuck's stopped ship too great a target to pass up.
"Starbuck! He's behind you!" Kat shouted.
"Kara!" Lee yelled, in spite of himself. "Oh god, no!"
And somehow Kat, the meek and now terrified junior pilot, flew behind the cylon and shot him out of the sky.
The bridge was filled with cheers as Dee reported all enemy ships destroyed.
"Come on home kids," Adama said, smiling as he watched the three ships heading for Galactica.
"That's it, come on ... pull up a little ... you're there!"
"Hangar bay reports Racetrack is home safely." Dee smiled as she spoke.
"Galactica, Kat. I'm headed home. Starbuck, you coming?"
"Uh..."
"Shit!" Lee swore. "Something's wrong." Lee knew his flight partner's tone of voice, and right now it was saying she was in trouble.
"Galactica, Starbuck. I'm having a little difficulty here. Have an emergency crew ready."
" I'm going out there after her." Lee swung into action.
"No, there's nothing you can do in a Viper."
"I'll take a Raptor. Tell her to eject and I'll pick her up."
"Starbuck, Galactica." Adama held up his hand for Lee to wait. "New plan. Bail and we'll come get you."
"Negative Galactica. I can do this." Lee could hear the nervousness in her voice. As could Adama.
"Are you sure?"
"We can't afford to lose another Viper. I'll bring her in. Just have help ready."
"I'm going down there." Lee's eyes were steely.
"Make sure she's alright." Adama laid a hand on his son's shoulder's briefly.
"I will." He nodded, and headed off at a run.
"Hangar bay reports Kat is home safely."
"Thank the gods." Adama burst out. "I'll be on the flight deck." Tigh nodded. He hadn't expected any less. Lee and the old man both had a weakness for Starbuck.
As Lee arrived on the flight deck, Kat and Racetrack were standing by their ships, nervously reliving the last few minutes. Lee put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Good work girls. Glad you're back safely." He gave each of them a squeeze.
"What about Starbuck? How can she land with no engines and no control?"
"Thrusters. It'll take a hell of a flying job to land it, but if anyone can, it's Starbuck." He smiled and put on a brave face. In reality, he was worried sick. Even Starbuck, best pilot in the fleet, would need an extreme amount of luck to make it in alive.
Lee walked closer to the landing area and stood near the emergency crew.
"Think she can pull it off?" The Chief said nervously as Starbuck's erratically jerking Viper came into sight.
"I hope so," Lee muttered, a prayer silently coming to his lips. Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer. Hold Kara in your hands and bring her home safely.
It had been a long, long while since he'd prayed. His faith had been seriously shaken when Zack had died, but the end of the world and subsequent struggle for life had left him feeling somewhat empty inside. "Come on Kara, you can do this," he encouraged softly. "Please, I can't lose you now."
They watched in horror as she veered off course and looked as though she was going to hit the hangar bay doors sideways. "No! No!" Lee cried out, face screwed up in pain. But she levelled off again and came forwards, flying like a raw beginner.
Starbuck had gone to comm silence in order to concentrate. She had next to no control at all and only mininmal positioning thrusters. It was a very difficult thing to hit each thruster just enough to make her move without putting herself into a wild roll. Then to use those small thrusts to steer as well? It took all of her training and skills to pull it off. And even then there was no guarantee. But she was determined to live, and to bring the Viper in without crashing. So she gave it everything she had.
Sweat poured down her face and her heart pounded furiously as she touched down and bounced back up. "Frak, frak, frak, fraki! Come on, you can do this," she said to herself, forgetting all of the CIC was listening. She touched down again and the landing gear snapped, sending her Viper into a spin as it slid along it's belly towards the wall.
"Oh shit!" she swore as she saw the wall come up closer and closer. She tried to brake but that was busted too, so she resorted to praying. "Please don't let me die now! Not like this!" she whispered to the gods.
The emergency team went into action as Starbuck's Viper crashed into the wall and burst into flames. Suddenly there was screaming everywhere as panic erupted.
"Get her out of there!" Lee shouted, running towards the burning ship.
"Lee, no!" Adama screamed, watching his son race towards the flames.
Starbuck tried not to panic as she saw flames erupt everywhere and her cockpit filled with smoke. The latter wouldn't be a problem yet, as she had the O2 in her helmet to breathe. But slowly burning to death wasn't how she'd figured on going out. Being blown out of the sky by the cylons - that was more her style.
Two of the emergency crew were on top of the Viper trying to break the canopy open. Those controls, like everything else, had frozen, and the only way out was to smash it.
"Hurry!" Lee screamed as fresh flames broke out. Four more people with flame retardants arrived and attacked the fire, nearly putting it out.
The canopy smashed finally, and one of the rescue crew climbed over to unharness Starbuck and pull her out. She stumbled out of the cockpit and jumped off the Viper, collapsing into a heap on the flight deck.
Lee picked her up and raced over to where his father was standing, just out of the danger zone, and laid her down gently, helping her out of her helmet. Lee smiled at her and pushed her sweaty hair off her forehead.
"Thanks," she smiled back weakly, and Lee's hand lingered on the side of her face for a moment before he took it away.
"You gave us quite a scare there," Adama said, smiling down at her.
"Gave myself a scare too," she said shakily.
"Thank the gods you're okay."
"Where are Racetrack and Kat?"
"They're fine. You did good Starbuck. You brought our girls home."
Kara struggled to her feet, looking around the bay till her eyes found them, walking towards her. They both looked absolutely terrified, and had tear streaks down their faces.
"Starbuck are you okay?" Kat asked, voice shaky with fear.
"Never been better," she smiled. Then she pulled her wings off her flightsuit and pinned them onto Kat's. "I think you earned these today." She reached over to Lee's uniform and put her hand on his wings. "May I?" she asked him. He smiled and nodded, and she removed them and pinned them to Racetrack's flightsuit.
Both women looked astonished, but Adama and Lee both saluted them, and Starbuck followed suit. They saluted back, tears in their eyes.
"Good work today everyone. Starbuck, take your new pilots for some rec time. Captain, supervise the Viper repairs." Lee nodded. "I'd like a full report in an hour."
Starbuck put an arm around each of the women's shoulders. "Let's hit the showers."
Lee leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You certainly could use one."
She turned and winked, whispering," Want to join me?"
"SOME of us have work to do." He smiled at her. Her mouth opened in surprise and shock, before she gave him a trademark Starbuck glare.
"You are SO dead later."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Later that evening, Apollo and Starbuck walked into the bunkroom, finding Kat sitting on her bunk fingering her new wings. There were tears in her eyes.
"What's the matter Kat?" Lee asked, a concerned tone in his voice.
"I don't deserve these."
"Yes you do."
"No I don't," she argued. "I'm a coward. I was scared to death out there today."
"You think I wasn't?" Kara asked.
"Well it sure didn't seem like it."
"Just because I didn't sound scared didn't mean I wasn't."
"How could you do it though? I was so scared I could hardly fly straight, and you didn't even have any control and yet you still landed okay."
"I'm sure the Chief and his crew would argue the 'okay' with you," Starbuck smiled.
"Does it ever get easier?"
Lee and Kara looked at each other for a moment before she answered. "You never stop being scared, but you get used to dealing with your fear so you can get the job done. I read a quote years ago that I've never forgotten:
'Fear in a fearful situation is normal.
Absence of fear is not.
Keeping one's nerve in spite of fear - this is courage.'
And you were truly courageous today Kat. Thank you for staying out there and watching my back even though you were scared."
Kat's tears spilled down her cheeks and she flew off the bed and hugged Kara hard. Lee smiled as Kara put her arms around Kat and hugged back, something she didn't easily do.
It seemed both of them found a new reserve of courage today.
THE END
ZZZZZZZZ
Thank you to Dick Francis for the quote which began this whole story.