Ron Moore reimagined Glen A. Larson's original idea; but then again, most people who would be reading this already know that. My use is in no way meant to challenge any established copyrights. This piece is not intended for any profit on the part of the writer, nor is it meant to detract from the commercial viability of the aforementioned or any other copyright. Any similarity to any events or persons, either real or fictional, is unintended.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

X – Separation Anxiety

"What?" Apollo snapped as soon as he saw Kingston standing in the doorway of the C.A.G.'s office.

"Have I been grounded?" the pilot asked.

"No," Apollo replied, turning his eyes back to his paperwork. It occurred to him that he had been staring at the same weapons inventory report for several minutes without having absorbed an iota of information.

"Sir?" Kingston asked.

"Dismissed," Apollo replied.

"Why have I been taken out of the C.A.P. rotation?"

"You have a hearing problem?" Apollo asked, standing from his seat. Kingston looked lost for words, so Apollo plunged ahead. "I told you you're not grounded and that you're dismissed. Why are you still here?"

"Sir?"

"I juggled the rotations," Apollo said, and last I heard that's no concern of yours. Or has the commander ordered that I'm to run all my changes by you?"

"No sir."

"Then you're dismissed," Apollo told him again. Kingston turned and left, and Apollo could tell that the pilot was double-timing it down the hall away from him. At least he reminded me that it's time for my C.A.P., Apollo admitted. He had become so absorbed in paperwork that he had completely lost track of time.

Apollo walked down the corridors toward the flight deck, longing for the chance to be behind the controls of his Viper again. It would save him from thinking about the pilots he had sent out.

I should have gone with them, he thought for the umpteenth time. What the hell was I thinking when I gave the command to Starbuck? Ares is her second, and Tigh is in command of the op. How could this not end badly?

When he reached the flight deck, Apollo was surprised to find his father waiting for him. "Can I have a minute, Captain?"

"Sure."

Adama gestured for him to follow toward a corner of the deck. "What are you doing, Lee?" he asked once he was certain that no one could listen in on them.

"Going on C.A.P.," Apollo answered.

"Unless I've read the schedule wrong, you pulled a double, took a shift off – apparently to do paperwork – and now you're going right back out there."

"Yes, sir."

"Get some sleep," Adama said. Apollo knew the tone well – his father was not making a suggestion, he was giving an order.

"I'm not tired."

"No, you're exhausted," Adama corrected. "I heard the way you chewed out Kingston earlier."

"What?" Apollo asked, dumbfounded that Kingston would have made a complaint about something so insignificant. "What did Kingston say?"

"I never said I heard about the way you chewed him out," Adama answered. "I said I heard it – I was on my way to check in on you."

"Check in on me?" Like I'm a child that needs to be taken care of?

"This is the first time you set up an operation and sent others to do the dirty work," Adama pointed out. "Not too long ago, I watched Starbuck practically climbing the walls in the C.I.C. while she was in the same position. I wanted to make sure you weren't having a hard time with it."

"I'm fine."

"I could tell," the commander replied with an unusual hint of sarcasm. "So could Kingston."

"I have to get to my Viper," Apollo muttered, moving to push past his father.

"I told you to get some rest."

"Was it an order?" Apollo challenged.

"Does it have to be?"

Apollo waited a beat before responding. "No," he finally said. "No, sir." He snapped his father a salute and walked over to Kingston, who was waiting next to his own Viper. I guess he was told to come down here and wait on stand-by.

"You're on," Apollo told him as he walked past.

"Yes, sir," Kingston answered with a quick salute, carefully avoiding any hint of eye contact.

Apollo was surprised to find his father waiting for him at the exit from the flight deck. He's not exactly spry anymore, and I wasn't exactly dawdling. How the hell does he do that?

"Feel free to drop by if you want to talk at all," Adama offered.

"I'm fine, really," Apollo assured him. "This isn't the first time I've planned an op I didn't go on," he added. "I did this a few times already, working out by the mining settlements beyond Picon. It doesn't bother me."

He walked out without waiting for any additional comments from his father, though he was quickly grilling himself about his attitude. Okay, everyone seems a little tense around me, so maybe I am being a little grouchy, he admitted silently. But it's only because everyone seems to be walking on eggshells every time they talk to me, like they expect me to be on edge or something. If people would just act normally, I wouldn't be so frakking on edge!

Apollo reached his rack and lay down, reclining on his back and closing his eyes. It did not take long to realize he was not going to fall asleep anytime soon. He glanced at his watch – 14:00 – and did some math in his head. Fifty-one hours until they should reach the target. He wondered what Starbuck was up to and whether Tigh had thrown her in the brig yet. He wondered if Tigh was sober, if Kat was safely away from the stims, and if Ares was safely away from Kat. Then he wondered again what Starbuck was up to.

I should have gone with them. What the hell was I thinking when I gave the command to Starbuck? "She'll be fine," he muttered to himself. "Nothing's gonna go wrong, and everyone will come back safely." There's no reason to worry about her so much.

-------------------------------------------------

"The president isn't expecting a call from you," Billy Keikeya said as he answered Tom Zarek's call.

"Sorry Billy, but this is important," Zarek replied, irritated at the delay.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Zarek?" Billy asked.

"I need to speak with the president," Zarek said.

"She's indisposed."

"Is that so," Zarek replied. It was not a question, and his tone clearly indicated he was suspicious and displeased. "Look, I need to speak with the president," Zarek explained. "I don't have time to waste speaking with you."

"Could you tell me what this is about?" Billy asked.

You've got to be kidding, Zarek thought angrily. "No," he answered curtly. "I'm a member of the Quorum of Twelve, and I need to speak with the president. I expect her to take my call."

"Would you like to leave a message?" Billy asked. It was an audio-only transmission, but Zarek could hear the smirk in the boy's voice.

"A message," Zarek repeated, pondering various ways of eviscerating the president's assistant. "Are you serious?"

"If it's not really important, you could try contacting the president again later," Billy suggested. Zarek was surprised Keikeya didn't giggle like a teenager making a crank call.

"You can stop your insolence right now," Zarek spat. "You're speaking to a member of the Quorum of Twelve, and even if your boss doesn't think much of me, I expect her interns to demonstrate at least a modicum of respect, whether you have to fake it or not."

"I'm sorry," Billy said immediately. "You're right, of course."

Damn straight, Zarek seethed silently. "Now as I was saying, I need to speak to the president."

"I'm very sorry Mr. Zarek, but like I said, the president is indisposed." At least this time he sounded sincerely respectful.

"There are rumors that she's taken ill," Zarek replied. He did not bother to mention that he was the one who had started those rumors.

"Well, President Roslin does have cancer," Billy pointed out.

"You know what I mean," Zarek growled. "I'm talking about the Trojan Flu. That's why she hasn't met with any reporters for the past two days."

"Well, she has been feeling under the weather lately," Billy admitted. "And her weakened condition does make her vulnerable. But that was the whole reason for moving her to Galactica and giving her convenient access to Dr. Cottle and his sick bay; she can receive the best possible treatment "

"I already understand her reasoning," Zarek said impatiently. "I was in the room when she announced her plans. But another part of the plan was to have her speak with reporters at least every other day, to give the people progress reports and let them know if Adama's pilots have found anything useful."

"Yes, and she regrets not being able to make her speeches, but at this point I'm afraid she's overworked herself trying to get the fleet organized to meet the challenge of the flu." Zarek heard a hint of uncertainty and realized that Billy Keikeya was trying to cover for a president who was far sicker than she was letting on.

"Overworked herself?" Zarek asked. "She's hasn't gotten sick, has she? You can trust me, Billy… as a member of the Quorum of Twelve, it's my duty to assist the president if she needs anything."

"No," Billy said quickly. Too quickly, Zarek decided. "She's just tired; she needs to rest," Keikeya added. "She needs to stop planning new…"

"New what?" Zarek asked eagerly. He knew the tone in Keikeya's voice – the boy had slipped up and given away something he shouldn't have.

"Nothing," Billy said unconvincingly.

"President Roslin is far more than the head of our government," Zarek pointed out. "She's a symbol of stability, a reminder of the once-powerful Colonial Government. And she's also become a holy figure to some. There are those who think she's the leader prophesied by Pythia," Zarek reminded Billy. "While that may bring comfort, the people know the prophecies well enough to realize that if she is the leader, she's going to die before we reach Earth. If she's sick now, the people might panic."

"I understand that," Billy said. "Really, I do. The president is just--"

"--Indisposed, yes, I heard you the first two times," Zarek interrupted. "But if she had new plans, and if she spoke to anyone about those plans… Well, people might start to get suspicious about her health. We don't want people to lose hope. Right, Billy?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you tell me what she was planning?" Zarek suggested. "I know President Roslin and I have had our differences, and I know you and she share information you don't want people outside to know. I understand that, and I would never ask you to betray her confidence." Zarek was amazed at how sincere even he thought he sounded. "The president and I will continue to disagree on things – you and I both know that – but this is a crisis, and right now we have to do what's best for the people of the fleet. We can deal with our differences later, okay?"

"Okay."

"So what is it that the president was planning?"

"She had been making plans with the commander to allow her to take a shuttle to visit every one of the ships in the fleet," Billy explained.

"That would take days," Zarek answered, impressed that Roslin would have undertaken such an ambitious plan. Then again, it's just like her, he decided. She'd get herself out there to be seen by all the people, looking compassionate as she kissed babies and made promises about how Adama's lost cause will set everything right. If Adama would allow civilian inter-ship traffic, it's the kind of thing I might have done, myself.

"She doesn't care how long it would take," Billy said.

"She just realizes the people need to see their leaders right now," Zarek guessed.

"They will see their leaders," Billy said confidently. "She'll be fine."

"Billy, she has cancer," Zarek countered. "I've seen people dying from cancer – the good days and bad days, times when they're ready to take on the world, and times they can't even sit up in bed. I can help you."

"We don't need help," Billy objected. "President Roslin is perfectly able t--"

"I'll make the rounds," Zarek said. "I'll let people know that President Roslin will be out to join me as soon as her duties will allow," he promised, hoping that Billy would believe him. "Vice-president Baltar is busy working with the medical staff; everyone knows and accepts that. The president has the burden of dealing with a fleet-wide medical emergency; people will understand that she cannot get out to meet them. As a former vice-presidential candidate, I have a certain visibility within the fleet. I can use that to go out and assure the people that the situation is well in hand."

"Okay," Billy relented. Zarek smiled, even as he was glad he would not be in the room when Roslin heard what Billy had done. The people aren't completely stupid – they'll see me walking amongst them, the very image of health, unwilling to let a few germs stand between me and my responsibility of serving the welfare of the people, all while frail President Roslin wrings her hands in her hospital bed.

"I'll contact Commander Adama and discuss receiving flight plans," Zarek said. "I would appreciate it if you could advise him of what we've decided."

"Umm…"

"Billy, the people are counting on you for this," Zarek said quickly, making certain he did not allow Billy a moment's thought that might give rise to doubt.

"Okay," Billy agreed.

"Great," Zarek said, disconnecting the line as he already considered his itinerary through the fleet. I should probably start at the Aeolus, where I can pick up Deaq. He did a good job getting that Sybil to start spreading the Word of Zarek. Maybe I can get him busy on a little project I have planned for Cloud Nine…

Across the fleet, sitting comfortably in his quarters aboard the Galactica, Billy Keikeya smiled broadly. He could hardly wait to see the look on President Roslin's face when he explained to her how easily he got the great Tom Zarek to fall for their plan. Visiting every ship in the fleet, he thought with a smile. Like he said – it'll take days. And all that time, Tom Zarek will be too busy prematurely dancing on the president's grave to take a moment to ask where she is.

-------------------------------------------------

"Thanks for coming by, Captain Kelly," Ellen purred as she opened the door and settled her gaze on the officer in front of her. "I wasn't sure you'd accept my invitation." She had caught up with Kelly when he was just finishing up a double-shift in the C.I.C. The LSO – and acting XO – had been thoroughly worn out by that point, which suited Ellen Tigh just fine. She had long felt that men were more open to suggestion when they were tired.

"I can't stay long," Kelly replied. "What did you want to talk about, ma'am?"

"Why don't you come in and have a drink?" Ellen asked, ignoring the captain's formal demeanor. She had never spoken with Kelly before, and had only really seen him from afar a few times, but he had always seemed more gruff than prim and proper. Having him behave so much differently than she had expected was keeping her uncomfortably off balance.

"Like I said, I can't stay long. I'd hate to get comfortable just in time to have to leave."

He's wary, Ellen decided. He's wondering why I invited him here, wondering if maybe something I might say or do could impact his career. "You have time for at least one drink, don't you?"

"I'm going down for a shift on the flight deck when I leave here, ma'am," Kelly explained. "I couldn't drink before duty, no matter how much I'd enjoy the company. That just wouldn't be right."

"I see," Ellen said, stifling a disappointed sigh as she continued to search for a way to start wrapping Kelly around her little finger. "It's just that Saul and I had had been discussing things on the ship, and your name came up in the conversation."

"It did?"

"Yes," Ellen assured him, satisfied that she found a way to get at the captain. Every soldier wants the approval of his superiors. This one is no different. "We were discussing the changes in the command structure here on Galactica."

"Ma'am?"

"Please, come on in for just a moment," Ellen suggested. "Galactica's walls have ears, and I'm sure this is not a conversation you want people hearing about."

"Probably not," Kelly agreed, stepping hesitantly into Ellen's cabin.

"Like I said, the command structure on Galactica is bound to change now that the Myrmidon is a military vessel," Ellen said, pouring a drink for her guest whether he wanted one or not.

"I hadn't considered that, ma'am."

"You must keep very busy," Ellen said, walking up and placing the glass in his hand.

"I'm pretty much in charge of the flight deck," Kelly replied with no hint of conceit.

"And you'll likely have a lot more in the near future," Ellen pointed out.

"I don't follow."

"Well, Bill – I'm sorry, Commander Adama – is going to have to put an experienced officer in charge of the Myrmidon," Ellen explained, not missing the flicker of surprise behind Kelly's eyes when she referred to the old man by his first name. "My husband is in command now, and it's likely to stay that way. That means the Galactica will need a new XO." The almost imperceptible flicker from a moment earlier suddenly grew into a bright flame of interest, and Ellen knew she had definitely hit her mark."

"Did the commander mention me, ma'am?"

"Your name has come up," Ellen said. "Saul and I have discussed the void that will be created if he is reassigned. He likes bouncing his thoughts off me sometimes, you see."

"And what did the colonel say? If you don't my asking…"

"Oh, not at all," Ellen cooed, glancing at the captain's glass. He took the non-verbal suggestion and gulped down half the drink all at once. "The colonel thinks you'd make a wonderful XO. That's why you're here, actually; he wanted me to run the idea past you – unofficially, of course – because I know both the commander and the colonel so well." Ellen knew it was unlikely the captain would believe her story if he ever stopped to give it any thought, but one look at his eager, exhausted eyes let her know that he was far more interested in indulging her sweet lies than he was in returning to the harsh reality that existed on the other side of the door to her quarters. It was a sentiment she had seen on many men's faces.

"Yes, ma'am." He emptied the glass with another gulp.

"Can I refill that for you, captain?"

"Umm… maybe just one more glass would be okay, ma'am."

"On the condition that you stop calling me ma'am. Call me Ellen, okay?"

"Okay."

"And relax," she added. "I don't bite, captain. Not unless you want me to."

To be continued…………………………