I don't own any part of Miami Vice or Battlestar Galactica, other than the DVDs, and I don't make any money or profit from this and no infringment of copyrights is intended.


The Enforcement Agent

Chapter 3

"Ma'am?" Billy approached her hesitantly. As her assistant, Billy Keikeya had virtually unlimited access to the president, but he disliked intruding when she appeared to be deep in thought, andthe gods knew Laura Roslin certainly had more than enough to occupy her thoughts these days. The president turned away from the blackness outside her porthole.

"Yes, what is it, Billy?" Laura straightened in her seat, pulling her sweater closer about her.

"You asked me to find someone with experience who could help with young children?"

"Yes, I did." Laura waited patiently for him to continue. Billy was still nervous around her, but had come a long way in a very short period of time. Too, she just did not have the energyto draw him out.

"I found someone."

"Very good. Thank you."

"She was studying to be a teacher," Billy added.

"Well, even better, then." Laura smiled, trying to overcome the sense of exhaustion she always seemed to feel. Damn the cancer.

"But, she didn't finish her degree," he continued.

Roslin gave him a tolerant look and then another smile. "I don't think we can be too picky about the details at this point, do you, Billy?"

"Uh, no, ma'am." His face reddened. "I'll contact the captain of the ship she's on and arrange a meeting."

"Thank you. Please see to it personally." She heard Billy move quietly away and Laura Roslin again turned to the window, lost in a myriad of losses and grief.


The transport, with a final whine from its engines and a faint shudder, touched down in the Galactica's cavernous bay. Giana Solner unclenched her hands and wiped them on her dirty skirt. More than anything, she hated flying.

Born on Caprica, she grew up in a small farming village, the youngest daughter of three. Her father had grown apples and other fruits to sell and had fed his family from a huge garden. Giana loved life on the farm, but she loved school and learning even more. For the young, extremely shy girl, books opened up new worlds.

After finishing high school, she yearned to see more of the exciting places she'd read about. Her oldest sister, married and living on a station above the planet, had invited her to visit for a week and Giana had jumped at the chance.

Until the Cylon attack, thatoffworld visit had been the longest and worst week of her life. As soon as the transport to the station had fired its engines, Giana knew she was in trouble and that the situation wouldn't get better any time soon. She spent the entire two hour and seven minute flight with her eyes squeezed shut, fingernails dug deep in the seat's upholstery. The worst part was the knowledge she would have to go through it all again to get home.

Once there, things improved, slightly. The space station was large enough that if you didn't look out the view ports, you could almost pretend you were simply inside one of the huge Caprican City complexes. It's motion was evident, not nearly as bad as the transport's, but it was still disorienting and she had walked the hallways with one hand on the walls to steady herself, much to her sister's amusement.

Lora assured her the discomfort would pass after a day or two. It didn't, and Giana spent the rest of the week alternately vowing to never get further from the ground than the top of a ladder and dreading the trip home.

The new experience was not pleasant in the least, and there was little about the visit that she could recall fondly. She found she did not like being around the large groups of people that thronged the station, and the noise and activity was not what Giana was accustomed to. Being surrounded by metal and plastic felt alien to her. Without sunlight to warm her skin, she always felt cold. Moreover, the station had an unpleasant odor to it despite the scented antiseptics pumped into the air system.

During her week on the station, there was a hull rupture scare along with the base enduring two cycles on emergency power. It was more than enough excitement and adventure for Giana. She longed for Redbank and it's hushed shady lanes and sun-drenched fields.

Once back on Caprica, she immediately returned to the quiet village and enrolled in the local community college, thankful to be away from crowds and grateful to have her feet firmly on the soil. She had resolved then and there to never leave Caprica again and to avoid the big city and anything that might bring disorder to her simple life.

With a slight whoosh, the hatch opened and light flooded the transport's compartment.

"Welcome to the Galactica, Miss Solner. I'm Lt. Gaeta, your escort."

The man offered a hand in assistance and she took it, unsure of her legs. At the bottom of the short ramp, Giana stood still, eyes shut, waiting for the queasy feeling to shift to lightheadedness.

To her relief, she felt nothing but solid floor beneath her.

"Are we moving?" she asked, opening her eyes.

The young man smiled, amused. "Yes, ma'am. But, we're cruising slowly to give several smaller ships a chance to recharge batteries, so our speed is only eight hundred twenty-two times the speed of sound."

"Oh." Giana looked around the huge hanger. "It doesn't feel like it."

"The Galactica's very large and her gravity field is smooth- no gaps like you find on the smaller commercial ships," he explained. "You might feel a slight sensation when the ship banks hard, but not much."

"I see." She took a tentative step away from the railing.

After a few more steps, she felt much better. In fact, she felt almost normal for the first time since the Cylon attack.

When the attacks had begun, she had been in a park several miles from her village, near a residential area favored by the wealthy of Caprica City who wished to live near the large lake bordering it. While only a passable artist, Giana enjoyed spending time alone with her sketchbook and pencils, drawing and daydreaming whileenjoying the gifts of nature the gods had given them. The day had been a beautiful one.

Her sisters and their families were at the farmhouse, preparing for a party to celebrate her father and mother's thirty-second wedding anniversary. She should have been there helping, but the day was too pleasant to spend indoors so she had stolen a couple hours for herself to enjoy the last weekend before classes commenced.

It was her final year, and she was looking forward to graduating the following spring and teaching in her own classroom. She had come from an interview at the Regional Education Administration building with the personnel director and the principal of the small school in the village. Giana was pleased; she had been offered a part-time position as an assistant to the first grade teacher, two days a week, as her schedule allowed. The money would help pay off students loans as well as give her classroom experience.

Few wanted to teach in what was considered an isolated and backward community, but to her, it was idyllic. All she needed was to meet a good man, marry, and have several children. To that end, criteria for a husband were simple. He had to be gainfully employed, of good character, and a man who appreciated calm and predictability. Excitement was not something Giana yearned for. She would, she knew, most likely marry one of the local farmers' sons and was quite content at the thought…so long as she loved him.

With a flash, the afternoon calm had been shattered as multiple blasts lit the sky with a brightness she'd never seen. Giana had run as fast as she could to the hilltop giving her a view of the valley, and then stood staring in disbelief and shock. For miles, there was exploded earth. Frantically, she scanned the area for where her father's farm had been and found it, its position now only recognizable by the curve of the river it had abutted. There was nothing left of any of the other farms, nothing left of the valley or village. Her family was gone- everything that had made up her whole world was gone.

In shock, Giana had walked aimlessly until meeting up with other survivors. The group had wandered the area, always moving away from the fires and flashes until someone spotted the small airship. It was that very airship, a Raptor from the Galactica, which had saved her and brought her to the fleet. By lottery, five people were chosen. She had been one of the fortunate.

On the flight away from Caprica, images and echoes of her family had filled her thoughts as she sat in a corner of the small craft, numb with grief and disbelief. The following days, with their endless jumps and conflicts, had been one unending nightmare that continued to spill over into her dreams and waking moments.

She had been on the Galactica briefly at their return, but remembered little of it. Scared and exhausted, Giana recalled only the group's being hurriedly transferred to a ship where she was assigned to cramped quarters with three other women.

While thankful to be alive, she found the past weeks, with absolutely nothing to do but think of what had occurred and worry over what might yet come, to be nearly unbearable. News and rumors of Cylon attacks tore through the ship and the ensuing difficulties with water, fuel, and food gave her little hope they would survive. It was as if they were waiting for the end to come to them- as if they were waiting to die. There were moments when she would have welcomed death.

Yesterday, when told she was needed to assist in taking care of several children, she was overjoyed and had accepted the job immediately. Caring for five children sounded wonderfully normal. In this position, surely nothing more exciting than the occasional spilled water or temper tantrum could happen and it would give her a chance to fill her mind with the needs of others.

Finding herself lost after the third turn in the busy hallways, Giana hurried along, careful to stay at Lt. Gaeta's side. After descending several decks, they stopped at a doorway that looked exactly like every other doorway they had passed.

"We are pressed for time, so I'm taking you here first, but afterwards I'll show you to where you can freshen up before meeting the children."

The lieutenant's words held no trace of disapproval, but Giana knew she looked a mess. Washing was difficult as water was rationed and supplies were limited. Their infrequent and inadequate bathing opportunities were not enough to ever get truly clean or remove the filthy residuethat seemed to cover everything due to the damaged air duct system. She had managed to shampoo her hair only once and feared she would have to cut her hair to get all the knots out.

Making matters worse, the skirt and jacket she'd purchased to wear to the interview the day of the attack was now stained and ripped, and she had no other clothes. Blinking back tears of humiliation, she tried not to think of the condition of her shoes.

"Commander Adama, President Roslin, and Lt. Castillo are in a meeting, but they asked that you be brought by to meet them as soon as you arrived."

"The President of the Colonies?" Giana's eyes widened. "Commander Adama?"

"Yes. They wish to see you." Gaeta yanked the door's lever and pushed it open. He waited for a moment to allow her to enter. She didn't move.

"Would you rather I go in first?" he asked. Giana nodded and squeaked something he took for a 'yes.' He smiled. "Sure. Follow me."

At the sound of the hatchway opening, the three people at the small, round table covered with papers looked up- a beautiful woman, a stern man in uniform, and a man dressed completely in black.

"Madam President, Commander Adama, Lt. Castillo….this is Miss Giana Solner." Lt. Gaeta motioned to his side. Seeing a frown cross Adama's face, he glanced around and found nothing but empty space beside him; his charge was still standing in the hallway on the other side of the hatch.

Embarrassed, he hurried to the doorway, motioning for her to come in. Giana hesitated and he held out his hand in encouragement. Suddenly aware everyone was staring at her she took a deep breath and tried to step over the hatchway, but stumbled. Lt. Gaeta quickly grabbed her arm.

"It's OK. These doors take some getting used to," he whispered, hauling her to her feet. She looked ready to faint, and Gaeta tried to cheer her with a joke. "Don't worry, President Roslin and Commander Adama rarely bite."

The President and Commander Adama!

This, Giana decided, was worse than any flight on a transport.


Laura Roslin slipped off her glasses, set down the papers, and turned her attention to Miss Solner. Dressed in a dirty, almost ragged suit, which was obviously the only clothing the young woman had, Giana Solner looked little more than a child to Laura.

She was thin and dark circles rimmed her eyes. Loose about her shoulders, her brownish-blonde hair was in desperate need of a good brushing- and shampoo- and she wore pumps that were missing their heels had been repaired with silver duct tape.

Grief washed over the president for the young woman who had nothing more than the tattered clothes on her back. She sighed to herself. There was so much to do…so many that needed help.

Across the table, Adama and Castillo came to their feet. Two of the few remaining men with manners, Laura thought. Little did they know they made the girl more nervous by standing than had they simply stayed seated.

Attempting to put her at ease, Laura Roslin stood and smiled, hoping Giana did not faint or turn around and run. She seemed just as likely to do either.

Suddenly, the girl took a step back and looked as if she favored the idea of running. Laura quickly crossed the room to her side and linked her arm through Giana's. "Welcome, Miss Solner. I'm Laura Roslin and I would like to introduce Commander William Adama and Lt. Martin Castillo. Won't you please join us?"

With a gentle tug, the girl moved forward- one step.

"Miss Solner, welcome to the Galactica," Adama said kindly. Laura silently blessed the man.

"Thank you," Giana managed to whisper, her eyes downcast.

"I am grateful for your assistance, Miss Solner," Castillo said quietly, pulling out the chair beside him.

Giana lifted her gaze to the dark eyes of Martin Castillo…and could not speak.


An hour later found the lieutenant walking through the ship's maze of corridors with his new helper at his side. Giana's eyes widened as an alarm rang out in a nearby passageway, and a dozen staff dressed in silver protective suits rushed by. Other than moving aside to allow the response team room to pass, the crew in the crowded hallway ignored the event.

Martin Castillo looked at the woman beside him with concern. Jumping at every noise and movement, he doubted if Giana Solner was up to the position; the children seemed less frightened than she did. He did not have time to coddle her.

Busypiloting and seeing that the Lancer was in flying condition, Captain Ahmal was rarely involved with the children, so care of the children had fallen entirely to Castillo. Hesitant at first to leave them while on the Galactica, the lieutenant had quickly found that the young troops enjoyed the diversion of little children and were very careful with them. Their offers to tend to the boys and girls had helped him greatly in the past two days.

"Have you worked with children before, Miss Solner?" Castillo asked,as they walked to the quarters where his charges were being watched by several of the Galactica's pilots. He kept his tone light; perhaps she was simply nervous...or maybe it was he who scared her. It had happened before with women.

"Yes, I have," she answered barely loud enough for him to hear.

She offered nothing more and Castillo tried to think of something else to say. Smalltalk was not one of his strengths; he would just as soon be silent rather than speak simply for the sake of talking. But, Giana Solner looked no more at ease now than she did when she first walked into the meeting room an hour ago, and he disliked seeing fear in her eyes. He did not want her to be afraid of him.

"Well, I can't say I have," he replied dryly.

Giana stole a quick look at him. "How have you managed?"

He shrugged. "As best as possible. It helped that the children were glad to be away from Alram. I don't think they even realize what's occurred with the Cylons."

"Let it stay that way," she sighed. "They are better off not knowing."

"You lost your family?" he asked softly, even though he was certain of the answer. Most people had at least some relatives to lose…unlike him.

"Yes. My family was at the farm- everyone in the valley...was gone. I…I was away from my home that day." She was silent for a moment, then seemed to gather her courage. "And you?"

Castillo shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, I have no immediate family. I was away for nearly three years, by myself, so…" So there had been no one he was involved with, either. His job had made personal relationships difficult and unwise.

She did not answer and he did not feel like forcing conversation or revealing more of himself, so he quietly studied her as they entered Officer's territory, where they had been given a room. Skinny, with long, thick hair, Giana Solner was nearly as tall as he. He couldn't tell if her skin tone was the result of ancestry or a life spent out in the sun, but her complexion was a little dark…or at least it appeared so. Maybe she simply needed a good wash.

Castillo understood. It was not until they docked at the Galactica had any of them been able to shower. Water was precious and there was little to use for unnecessary bathing. For his meeting with Roslin and Adama three days ago, he had used up an entire gallon trying to get the accumulated grime off his face and hands, and the stink of sweat and dried blood off his body.

When offered use of the self- recycling facilities of the Galactica, he'd jumped at it. Taking the three boys with them, he and Ahmal had spent a blissful half hour under two adjoining showers, scouring themselves and the boys clean from one end to the other…then scrubbing down once more. The chance to bathe so thoroughly might not come again for quite some time.

He'd had no trouble finding female crewmembers willing to take the two girls in hand. At least half a dozen led the pair away. Four hours later, the girls returned in clean clothes, with ribbons in their hair, polish on their fingernails, and flavored balm on their pink, smiling lips. Since then, the children had rarely been without the company of Galactica staff.

There were spare rooms on the Galactica since a fair portion of the ship's crew had departed for other assignments prior to the decommissioning ceremony. The remaining crew was not a skeletal one, but was still far short of the full complement ordinarily found on a battlestar.

There were always crewmembers around wanting to share their off-hours with the boys and girls, however he worried about when the time came for him to leave the Galactica.Hisnew responsibilities would require himmove about thefleet frequently.With Miss Solner to accompany him and help now, he had decided to take the children when he traveled. They were his responsibility; he would not leave them.

Settling on a list of priorities, approved by Commander Adama, he had worked out a schedule of visits to each ship of the fleet to brief the captains on security precautions and discuss their needs and particular situations. Foremost was the need to monitor transport activity between the ships. No one wanted a Cylon to have free range of the fleet and they could not afford to have another incident like before. An explosion on the engineering compartment or cockpit of a ship would be disastrous.

Once his first visits had been made, he would have a better idea of what needed to be changed and could set about making new policies. Enforcing the changes, however, was another matter. Adama had assured him of the military's support, but Castillo knew the commander was not eager to have his men continue as security for the fleet. Where, then, would he find his staff?

There were a few men in the fleet with enforcement experience, albeit limited. Those with more training had volunteered to be the president's guard. Would they and the others agree to help him? How could he provide back up for them if they did? Would Laura Roslin consent to prison for those who did not follow policies- and what would they use for a detention? The Galactica's brig was not designed to hold anyone for more than the time it took to reach a base, so that left only the prison ship.

Castillo wanted nothing to do with the prison ship.

Roslin's plan to release the prisoners into the fleet was irresponsible and foolish. He wondered if President Roslin was aware of the crimes the prisoners had committed. It was not a low-security vessel; the ship was carrying dangerous criminals, not petty offenders, yet the president wanted them released! How, with limited authority and assistance, was he going to monitor and control those men once they disappeared among the scattered ships? There was no possible way he could.

It was going to be a nightmare!

Castillo swore fiercely under his breath and struck out, angrily hitting his fist against the bulkhead. Beside him, Giana flinched and backed away to the far wall, eyes huge in alarm. Castillo groaned. He had forgotten about the young woman at his side.

The girl was absolutely terrified. The dirt on her face was in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin and she looked as if she were going to burst into tears.

He had to say something- he had to explain before she took off running. "Look, it's all an absolute mess and I don't like it, yet-"

Giana fell back a step. "I know it's a mess, but I…I don't have anything better to wear." Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she swiped the heel of her hand across her face and sniffed. She looked down at her clothes, her voice catching as it rose higher and higher. "I'm sorry, but it's all I have. My shoes fell apart and I had to beg for tape to fix them and I don't have a comb because I lost my purse and there wasn't enough soap and water to wash and…"

Castillo stared at Giana, her words sinking in. Feeling every type of wretchedness, he crossed the hallway to her. "No, I didn't mean you. I wasn't talking about your clothes and shoes."

Calling more attention to her ragged attire did not help at all, and Giana cowered against the wall and started to cry in earnest.

"Miss Solner, I am very sorry you thought what I said had anything to do with you." Several crew members passed by, giving him foul looks. He stepped closer and touched her arm. "Giana, please, I was angry about my situation- what I must do. It had nothing to do with you."

Giana rubbed her dirty sleeve under her nose. "You weren't mad at me- about my clothes and…" She motioned in the general direction of her hair.

"Not at all," he said, relieved she had stopped crying and was now only snuffling loudly. Miss Solner still looked upset, so Castillo thoughtfully added a few more words of comfort. "You can't help the way you look."

Castillo swore again, this time at himself, as Giana covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

The gods, Castillo hoped, would strike him dead where he stood if he ever again tried to console a crying woman.

As gently as possible, he took Giana by the arm and dragged her down the hall to their quarters.


For those who are not familiar with the characters, Martin Castillo was the reticent, mysterious Vice section commander on Miami Vice and was played by Edward James Olmos...who now plays Commander Adama.There's another connection in the story, too.

I have a general idea where this is going, so will let this play about in my head and see if I can work out exactly how I want the story to proceed. It might be a while, though! Hope you enjoyed at least this part of it. (-: