Old Soldiers
by KNS
Disclaimer: Two words: not mine. Please don't sue.
Old soldiers never die; they simply fade away.
-- Douglas MacArthur
Sometimes in the winter, he went to visit her. She lived in the desert now – something about having had enough cold after all those years in space. He couldn't stand the blood-boiling sun, so he went in the winter.
Sometimes in the summer, she went to visit him. He lived in the mountains now – something about having had enough empty desolation after all those years in space. She couldn't stand the ten-foot snowdrifts, so she goes in the summer.
Spring and fall were neutral seasons. They met on common ground after mutual consent – or long distance arguing. Ten years post-retirement and there still wasn't much consent between them. Location was never too important – a handy fact during the years when there was nowhere to go.
Now they were sitting beside each other, watching the sun rise or set on the distant horizon. The colors were spectacular: brilliant orange, soft blue, a true yellow-white blond that was the same shade of her hair when she was young. In their youth they were wild gods, but Apollo and Starbuck were only Lee and Kara now, and watching the sun was ample entertainment for mortals.
Leaning back in his chair, Lee swirled the ice around in his glass and said, "Remember that stuff Tyrol mixed up after the good stuff ran out?"
Kara casually took the cigar out of her mouth and blew smoke rings in the air. "Hell, yes, I remember. Swear it was made out of fuel and deck cleaner. Tigh loved it."
"That's because alcohol was one of the basic food groups, to him," Lee replied, and they both laughed.
After awhile Kara poured them both another drink and asked, "How's your girl?"
Lee nodded. "Good, very good. Her son's about to have his first child. She's hoping it's a girl – but she's not ready to be called 'grandma' quite yet."
"Grandma, nothing. You'll be a great-grandfather," Kara snorted.
"And proud of it." He watched a small flock of crimson birds fly across the painted sky. "You fly much anymore?"
Kara shrugged. "Now and then. Makes the knuckle-draggers nervous – they always whine that I bring their precious scorpions in too hot. They'd never believe what we used to do in vipers." She glanced over at him. "You?"
He shook his head. "Not so much. The new ships are all buttons and electronics, nothing like our old vipers were. Guess I'm just an old fashioned guy at heart – too much techno-babble makes me crazy."
"Copy that." She sipped from her ambrosia. "You ever think about Cain?"
"Crazy Admiral Cain? That was a long time ago."
"Her death anniversary was a few days ago." Looking into her half- empty glass, she added, "You got promoted through the system, but it took a crazy admiral to make me CAG. I think about her sometimes. I think she went crazy when the initial cylon attack came – not funny crazy, insane crazy. And I think she knew that, and kept going anyway as best she could. She made a lot of mistakes, but I think she knew that, too." Turning her eyes full on him, she asked, "Do you think we made a lot of mistakes?"
He let out a long sigh. "A lot? No. A few, sure." He met her eyes. "Some more serious than others."
She smiled. "Sometimes I think I'm going crazy, like Cain. I forget where I am – is this Earth or Caprica? Did we escape the cylons or make peace with them? Sometimes I wake up thinking that I'm late for a meeting with the President and the Old Man."
"Does it really matter?" he returned, laughing a little. "I get confused now and then, but the important things – those, I always remember. You and Dad, my mother and daughter, Roslin and Zak – Earth, Caprica, yesterday, tomorrow, what does it matter? This is now: the sun and sky and stars when we want them." He clinked his glass against hers. "And me and you."
"Me and you," she echoed, and finished her drink. "Hey, want to go over to the base, take a pair of vipers out?"
He laughed. "You know what happened the last time we did that. They wanted to revoke our flight status for life!"
"Yeah, well, some things never change," Kara said dryly. She stood up and offered him her hand.
"Guess not," he agreed, and took her hand.
--End--