Chapter 11

We arrived almost directly in the middle of the fleet, Apollo's heavy raider was not far behind. I saw Galactica launching alert fighters. Expected with the arrival of a Cylon ship in the middle of the fleet. It was now that the lack of radio was beginning to get to me. I was unable to listen any instructions or know whether or not it was safe to land.

I assumed that Apollo had been able to make contact with the fleet since the alert Vipers were breaking off. I made a path for the port hanger bay of Galactica and settled the Viper in slowly. I touched down for a smooth as silk landing.

"That wasn't too bad for flying one of these for the first time since my days in officer school," I commented.

That remark got a bunch of stares of disbelief from everyone onboard the Raptor. I felt a little uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked not really understanding their disbelief.

The hatch on the Raptor opened up and we were greeted by the hanger bay crew who were shouting with joy that we had returned safely.

"Get a medical team down here," I ordered to nobody in particular. "We've got a body for autopsy."

I saw Anders looking around the hanger bay in amazement.

"Wow, it's amazing," Anders commented.

"You're telling me," I said. "Never though I'd be one of the ones left."

"This Raptor looks pretty banged up," Chief Tarol said looking it over. "How did you get back here in one piece?"

"Very carefully?" I suggested with a shrug.

The number of people swarming around was almost overwhelming. Suddenly I found myself grabbed aside by someone. I turned around to see Apollo.

"Good job back there," Apollo said. "You saved all those men's lives."

I looked back at Anders and his men who were overjoyed to be on Galactica. They were already mingling with the crew and discussing what they had done on Caprica. But I could sense something in Apollo's thoughts.

"You're jealous of Anders," I said.

Apollo glared at me angrily. "You've got to stop doing that." He said furiously.

"I can't help it," I apologized. "I haven't learned how to control it. But tell me, why are you jealous of Anders?"

"Can't read that thought can you? Well I guess it's because Starbuck fell in love with him while she was on Caprica, and I just can't stand the thought of her with another guy." Apollo replied truthfully.

"Well you can't keep pushing her away still expect her to hang around," I said. "Eventually she will move on."

Apollo then stared at me. It was a long and awkward moment. I began to doubt whether or not I should have given him that advice, but then he patted me on the shoulder.

"You're right," he said simply as he finally smiled.

With that he turned and walked away, to find Starbuck I suspected. I was about to check up on how Anders was when once again I was grabbed by someone and pulled aside. Before I knew who it was, they had me behind large tool box out of sight of everybody else. I finally saw who it was who had grabbed me.

"Cally, what are you doing?" I asked somewhat surprised.

She surprised me by grabbing me and passionately kissing me on the lips.

"What was that for?" I inquired still enjoying the taste of her lips.

"Just for being so awesome out there," Cally replied.

I felt my face grow hot as I started to blush.

"Does this mean you've reconsidered?" I asked.

"Consider me, available," Cally answered.

"I'm going to consider you taken," I stated cockily. "By me."

"I think I can get used to that cocky pilot attitude." Cally said.

"You'll have to," I said with a smirk. "That's how I get through every day."

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Admiral Adama asked for myself and Anders to be present for the autopsy. It was the first time that I had actually bothered to examine the body we had taken. She had been young, probably only eighteen years old at the most. She had curly brown hair that came down to just below her shoulders. I couldn't see her eyes because they were closed. Doctor Cottle and Doctor Baltar were beginning the procedure. I stood by and watched in some what discuss trying to discern what little I knew about biology in the two doctor's conversations. I found myself struggling to stay awake. I was tired but I couldn't sleep properly. I felt I was going to have to talk to Doctor Cottle about sedative, but then I remembered that last time they hadn't worked on me.

"You feeling okay?" Apollo asked me.

"Just feeling tired," I replied. "Lack of sleep is catching up to me."

"I know what that's like," Apollo said.

I clutched my head. I could hear everybody's surface thoughts and try as I might I was unable to tune them out, nor could I make any sense of them.

"Something wrong?" Apollo asked.

"It's everybody's thoughts," I whispered. "I can't tune them out. They're getting louder."

I tried to focus on one of the voices. I couldn't tell which was which. Suddenly the voices all faded except one. It was Doctor Baltar, he was focusing on his work on the autopsy and I could hear a bunch of medical terms that made no sense to me. But then I heard a voice, an actual voice. One that had not been in the room before.

"You're not going to tell them what that is are you Gaius?" a woman's voice asked.

I followed the sound of the voice and saw a woman standing about three feet behind Doctor Cottle. She hadn't been there before and she certainly didn't look like she belonged on the Galactica. She was dressed in a rather skimpy red dress that clearly was no military issue. Doctor Baltar was looking right at her but nobody else in the room seemed to know that she was there. I could hear Baltar running through the decisions in his head. I didn't quite understand them at all but I could tell something was odd.

"What have you found Baltar?" I asked deciding to force the issue; whoever this woman was in Baltar's head I certainly didn't trust her since she seemed worried about what this autopsy might reveal. There was also something familiar about the woman but I couldn't quite place it.

Both Baltar and the woman looked at me. I stared at Baltar for a few seconds and then shifted my glance to the woman.

"Or is she not going to let you?" I inquired with a slight raising of my eyebrows.

"How can he see me?" the woman asked Baltar not taking her eyes off of me.

"I don't know," Baltar replied to her and then caught himself, realizing that he might look like he was talking to himself. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What's this all about?" Adama asked somewhat angrily.

I was about to reply when Doctor Cottle looked at me. "Your nose is bleeding."

I reached up and felt it. My hand touched something wet; when I pulled it down I saw that it was indeed my own blood.

"Well that sucks," was all I could manage to say before I passed out.

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Well what a thrilling end to the chapter. So many questions to be answered. Will Baltar's secret be revealed and just what will happen to Beanpole? Find out, after the commercial break.

Buy Budweiser, the king of beers. Buy an iPod. Eat babies (okay I made that last one up).