'When my soul gets weary, and I don't see things so clearly ...'
ooooooooooooooo"Get your pilots ready Captain. We go in two hours. Lieutenant, I'll need you here with me." Adama braced himself for the explosion. Kara didn't disappoint.
"WHAT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "You can't keep me here when there's a critical op happening!"
"Let's take this to the ready room," Adama said firmly, aware of all the eyes in CIC watching them. "Lieutenant, Captain - you're with me. Colonel, CIC is yours."
"Yes sir," Tigh said seriously, wincing inside. He felt bad for Bill. This wasn't going to be pretty. It never was when someone had to make Starbuck follow rules she didn't want to follow.
"I'm sorry Starbuck. After what happened this morning, I can't allow you out there."
"But I'm perfectly fine now," she argued. She turned to Lee. "Lee, please ..." she implored him.
"I'm sorry Kara, but I'm with my dad on this one." She crossed her arms and sighed angrily. "You scared the life out of me earlier," he continued softly, laying a hand on her shoulder gently. "I don't want that to happen again."
"It won't," she said confidently.
"You don't know that," Adama said. "We can't risk it until the doc clears you."
"But I feel fine - perfectly normal."
"If I send you out there now, not only will you be in danger, but Lee will be more focused on watching you than completing the mission. Things could go very wrong very quickly. Right now we have the element of surprise on our side. We only have one chance to do this. I need to be sure everyone out there is one hundred percent."
"But sir ..."
"Kara ..." Adama began, but whatever he was going to say had to remain unsaid as the loudspeakers interrupted.
"Lieutenant Thrace and Commander Adama, report to Lifestation immediately. Lieutenant Thrace and Commander Adama."
Kara sighed as they turned to leave the room.
"I'm going with you," Lee said firmly.
"You're needed elsewhere Lee," his father said gently.
"I need to come - it's an urgent call, that means something's wrong." Lee's face was the picture of concern.
"You have pilots that need briefing and planes that need to be readied. I need you there Lee. Your personal feelings have to be put aside." He put a hand on Lee's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
His hand moved to Kara's back, giving her strength and comfort as they headed towards Lifestation.
Lee stared after them sadly, whispering a quick prayer to the gods he wasn't sure he believed in. Then he quickly left via the other door, forcing his mind to focus on the task ahead.
TzTzTzTzTzTzTzTzTzT
"So doc, what's the matter?" Kara asked, blunt as always. Adama smiled. The girl had guts, there was no question about that. She faced things head on, and didn't flinch from the truth. It was one of the things Adama admired most about her.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" True Doc Cottle- nonexistent bedside manner.
Kara opened her mouth, an angry, sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue, but Adama beat her to it. "Get to the point Doc. I don't have time for games. I've got an op beginning shortly and I need to be in CIC."
"Well, hold onto your horses folks," Adama reached for Kara's hand and held it, bracing for the inevitable bad news. "Lieutenant Thrace is pregnant."
"WHAT!" they both exclaimed in unison.
"How could this have happened?" Kara asked, absolutely flabbergasted. She sat heavily down onto the treatment bed behind her.
Cottle cocked an eyebrow. "Surely I shouldn't have to explain that. You're old enough to know about the birds and the bees by now."
Kara threw him a dirty look. "You know what I mean. I haven't missed an injection. How could this have happened?" She was clearly distressed.
Cottle shrugged. "Nothing is one hundred percent, you know that. You must fall into the small percentage of women for whom this contraceptive doesn't work."
Throughout all of this Adama stood as if turnred to stone. A slow smile began to spread across his face. "You're having a baby?" he said softly, turning to face Kara. "You're having a baby?" he repeated incredulously.
"It appears so," she said dryly, face pale.
"Finally, I'm going to be a grandfather." His smile widened and a row of crooked teeth flashed at her. "I couldn't be happier." He cupped her cheek tenderly and stroked it with his thumb, then turned back to Cottle. "When is the baby due?"
"Hard to tell. She appears to be about five weeks."
"She? I'm right here you know," Kara said testily.
"What does that mean? In our day they measured in months."
"In months? Eight more to go. Counting in weeks is more accurate. Forty weeks altogether - thirty five more to go."
"So does this explain the blackouts?"
"Definitely. Common side effect of being pregnant."
"I guess that means I'm grounded now?" Kara asked, sighing loudly.
"For the time being," Cottle said guardedly. "Vipers are off limits for the long haul. When the blackouts stop, you should be able to fly Raptors. For a while anyway." He smirked, picturing Starbuck with a stomach as big as a house.
"Yippee," she said unenthusiastically.
"If that's all?" Adama looked at Cottle questioningly. He gave a curt nod. "We have work to do."
TzTzTzTzTzTzTzTzTzTzT
As they reached the door to CIC, Kara made as if to continue on down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Adama asked her.
"To tell Lee," she answered, giving him a queer look.
"Not yet," he said quietly. "I need him focused on the job ahead. You drop something like this in his lap and I don't know what will happen."
Kara nodded and followed him in, mind troubled.
The op got underway as planned, and everyone was on pins and needles. Kara's intel had showed that there was indeed a basestar apparently hiding behind a nearby moon. Kara had managed to fly the Blackbird close enough to get a fix on things and had been able to come back undetected, giving them the advantage of a surprise attack.
Lee had determined that Galactica should remain to protect the fleet in case the cylon raiders managed to get past the Viper squadrons. Every pilot had been pressed into service and three squadrons were on the attack, led by Lee in the Blackbird, while one squadron remained to assist Galactica. It had immensely heavy firepower, but wasn't terribly maneouverable so the Vipers were needed to get between the fleet ships if necessary. There was no doubt Kara would be sorely missed.
Adama paced the CIC, waiting for the signal from Apollo that the attack had begun. Radio silence had to be maintained until then, lest the cylons intercept their transmissions. Suddenly the speakers in CIC crackled to life.
"Apollo to all squadrons - attack pattern delta, execute now."
Kara let out a long breath and closed her eyes to pray silently. Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer. Watch over the souls of your sons and daughters. Help them be victorious over their enemies and bring them home safely.
"Apollo, Kat. Incoming raiders - dozens of them!" she yelled.
"You know what to do people."
And then, silence. Kara imagined she could see the explosions as the squadrons tore up as many cylons as they could. Her heart pounded right along with them as her adrenaline response kicked in. Adama touched her shoulder briefly.
"I know. It's hard staying back isn't it?" Kara nodded, eyes full of fear. "Much more terrifying to sit back and listen to those you care about head into danger."
"I don't get scared out there," she admitted.
"I know. I never used to either. You just grit your teeth and get the job done. Here we just wait."
"Patience was never one of my virtues."
"I know, trust me, I know." Adama smiled briefly.
"Sir, dradis contact. Multiple raiders headed this way," Gaeta said.
"Launch the alert fighters," Tigh responded immediately.
CIC was relatively silent for a few moments as battle ensued, then suddenly Lee's voice came over the comm.
"Operation supernova underway," he said, using the code he devised to tell them he was about to fly near the basestar and drop the nukes. This was the critical moment for him. Once the nukes were away, he had to jump immediately before the cylons zeroed in on his location and blew him to smithereens.
Adama reached for Kara's hand and closed his over it, giving and receiving support.
This is it, she thought. The fate of my baby's father lies in your hands. Please bring him home safely!
"Dradis contact ... it's the Blackbird sir. Right where it's supposed to be at the prearranged coordinates." Relief was evident in Gaeta's voice. Adama squeezed Kara's hand but didn't smile. Lee may have made it out safely but there was still much at stake here.
"Galactica, Apollo. First part of the mission complete. Now we just wait for the big boom." Kara smiled, eyes blurry with tears. She could hear the relief in his voice as well. Now came the tough part for him. He'd put Kat in charge of the air group once his part in the mission was done, and now he had to sit back and listen to the rest of the op unfold. Never an easy task for one used to action.
The battle raged on and in the middle of it, Kat's voice suddenly raised above the others.
"Holy frak! Look at it go! Fantastic shot Apollo, you've done it! You've destroyed the basestar!"
There was much cheering, both in CIC and over the comm. Adama picked up the phone.
"Put me through to Kat." Dee nodded
"Kat, Galactica actual. Good work. Finish 'em off and come on home."
"Aye sir. Kat out."
"Put me through to Apollo." A pause, then Dee nodded again. "Apollo, Galactica actual. Well done Apollo. Come on home." There was no mistaking the pride in his voice.
"Yes sir. Apollo out."
Adama put down the phone. "Let's go," he said to Kara, reaching for her hand.
Her heart pounded as she stood in the hangar bay watching Lee land the Blackbird, light as a feather. He really is a better pilot than I am, she admitted to herself for the first time.
As he climbed out of the cockpit and down the stairs, his eyes searched for her. She was there, waiting, as he threw himself into her arms. They embraced long and hard.
"Thank the gods you're okay," she whispered.
"What about you? Are you okay?" His eyes were full of concern.
Kara took a deep breath and gave him a tentative smile. "Apparently I'm pregnant."
oooooooooooooooooo
'Faith will see us through...'
(The Way that You Love Me - Rik Emmett)