Number Thirteen

(Don't own anything!)

"Excuse me, sir?"

Captain Lee Adama turned to face a distressed-looking Lieutenant Gaeta.

"What can I do for you Lieutenant?"

"Sir, I was reviewing the transport logs for the week and I, uh, found something you should see."

He didn't move.

"And - what is it Mr. Gaeta?"

Gaeta handed him the paper he'd been holding. It was a passenger manifest from one of the dozens of civilian transports that'd come and gone from Galactica. He scanned the passenger list quickly wondering what Gaeta's problem was. His eyes locked when they reached the name third from the bottom. He griped the paper.

"Has Commander Adama seen this?"

He asked in a coarse whisper

"No, sir - I just found it."

Lee didn't respond but quickly exited the CIC and nearly broke into a run on his way to his father's quarters. He didn't knock when he found the hatch unlocked, but burst in.

President Laura Roslin huffed angrily and flashed a heated stare at the man sitting on the other end of the couch.

"Commander, it simply doesn't work that way!"

She shouted. Commander William Adama yanked his glasses off and was preparing to return the shout when the hatch to his quarters flung open and Lee practically jumped in clutching a paper.

"Dad, you gotta see this."

Lee said breathlessly, forgetting all protocol

"Excuse me, but what are you doing Captain."

Adama asked angrily, his temper still stoked from the argument with Roslin.

"I'm sorry, but this is important."

"What then."

Lee thrust the crumpled paper at him. Adama took it.

"What's this?"

He asked without looking at it.

"It's a passenger manifest from one of the shuttles from the Rising Star - look at the third name from the bottom."

Adama sighed irritably and replaced his glasses. He scanned the list and inhaled sharply. The third name from the bottom was - Caroline Adama - he stopped and read it again before looking back up at Lee.

"That's not possible."

"No, it's not."

Roslin's indignant voice broke the silence that had settled

"Mind telling me what's going on, gentlemen?"

Her voice still had an edge in it from the argument began by her and Adama before Lee interrupted. Both men turned to her, their faces gaunt.

"According to this, there's a passenger on the Rising Star named Caroline Adama."

Adama explained awkwardly. Roslin wrinkled her eyebrows.

"I was under the impression that she -"

"Died? She was on Caprica the day of the attack - I spoke with her before I left for Galactica."

Lee interrupted her, but he was forcing the words like he wanted to be wrong. Adama placed a hand on Lee's shoulder.

"Could this just be a coincidence?"

Roslin asked

"Maybe."

Adama replied gruffly. Roslin sighed.

"But you want to check it out anyway?"

The two men fell silent and she stared at them with a pointed expression.

"How many people have you met named 'Adama' besides us?"

Lee asked catching and holding her gaze with an equally sharp look. They all fell silent.

"Be discreet - the last thing we need is the military accused of harassing civilians - better yet, let me handle it."

It had taken Roslin several days to find the woman and get her aboard Galactica. Adama and Lee now waited for her in the Ward Room. Both men paced furiously. The sound of the hatch stopped them on opposite sides of the room. Roslin stepped through the hatch first followed by a slender red-head. Of course it wasn't her - both men knew that from the start but clung to a tiny shred of hope that it might be. She was pleasing to look at, piercing green eyes, pretty red hair that fell in curls to her shoulders and great legs. She was unusually tall for a woman and, even without heels, she'd have easily looked Lee in the eye. She looked like a model from a magazine but with more substance. She smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was - whoever that is - she must've been important to you."

Lee returned her smile weakly. Adama simply hardened his face and nodded. The red-head's expression became suddenly serious.

"The confusion really was necessary though."

"What are you talking about?"

Roslin asked, casting a sugary, fake smile. She responded by pushing Roslin into Adama, who caught her and stumbled. She closed the space between her and Lee in a few, fast strides, as she took her last step towards him she kicked her leg up and pinned him against the wall, his throat caught in the crook of her high-heel. He grabbed her leg, trying to throw her off, but her leg was like a beam, holding him to the wall.

"Don't move,"

She commanded Adama and Roslin, who'd regained their composure and were beginning to move to Lee's aid.

"in the time it took you to cross the room, or get those guards, I'd snap his neck with a single flick of my ankle."

Adama and Roslin froze where they stood.

"What do you want?"

Adama asked harshly.

"I want you to listen - violence seems to be the only way to get your attention."

She replied

"Is that why you were using Caroline's name?"

"Yes."

"I think you have the Commander's attention - now let Captain Adama go."

Roslin said forcefully

"I intend to, after I explain a few things."

Adama sighed angrily and took a step forward.

"Stay right there Commander -"

She said, stopping him once more.

"Who the hell are you?"

He growled at her. The red-head smiled.

"I'm Number Thirteen."

"What?"

"I am a Cylon, the thirteenth model."

"I thought there were only twelve models."

Roslin said glancing at Adama

"Well, you thought wrong -"

"What do you want?"

Roslin posed the question again cautiously after exchanging a glance with Adama. They knew that, if she was a Cylon, she could easily kill Lee and them before they could react - but why hadn't she?

"They made a mistake when they made me. I was too human. I began to sympathize - to gain a conscience. I objected and tried to stop the eradication of your race, but by the time the plans where made I was already a fugitive - I didn't put the pieces together in time and I'm sorry for that."

"And why should we believe that?"

Adama asked venomously

"I understand why you don't - maybe this will help"

She released Lee and flung him by his arm, choking to Adama.

"Know this Adama, I am one-of-a-kind - if I die, I'm dead and all I know goes with me. There are no more thirteens - no new body for me to wake up in. I know things that could help you - tactical information, technical information - I know what all the models look like and what their tactics are. I don't know where they're hiding in your fleet but I could help you find them."

"You would willingly share this information? Why?"

Roslin asked, the disbelief in her voice mirrored in the faces of Adama and his son.

"I'm not trying to preserve my life - I'll tell you what I know and walk out the nearest airlock if that's what you want - The Cylons are wrong, they had no right to attack your worlds, attempt annihilation of your species - I just want to help you."

They continued to stare at Thirteen suspiciously but all three noticed that there was, in fact, something different about her. She shifted her gaze slowly between Adama and Roslin.

"So,"

She began, lifting an eyebrow

"what's your next move?"