Lee took a deep breath before stepping into the pilots' briefing room on Pegasus. Today was the day.

He was pleased to see all the seats filled. There were even people leaning up against the wall. That was proof that his crew had done all they could back on the Twelve Colonies.

"Attention on deck!"

Everyone jumped to their feet and stood at attention, and Lee gave them a small smile. Being recognized as the voice of authority on this ship was nice and all, but sometimes he wished he could go to a briefing, slip into a seat in the back row, and just daydream. That wasn't the reality, though. It had been over two years of standing in the front, giving the briefings and dealing with pilots mouthing off.

Lee cleared his throat as he reached the podium. "I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for being a part of this. A lot of you are new additions to the Fleet, which means that what you're doing comes from a sense of moral rightness and not duty. The people on New Caprica are our people. They deserve to be with us once more. The plan is simple. We hit them as hard as we can as many times as we can, and we don't stop until we've won. Keep the maneuvers tight and your wingman at your side, and the Cylons won't know what hit them."

Lee took a look around the room and felt his heart saddened at the youthful faces staring back at him, so full of hope and life. They weren't all going to make it through this. "Most of you know how important this mission is for me personally. Some of you even know the reason why. I have family done there. I have people I trained to fight, trained to win. They're fighting as we speak. The Fleet needs them back home. I need them back home." Lee cleared his throat, realizing he had gotten slightly off track from the inspirational speech. "I am honored to be leading all of you into battle. Know that I have faith in you and the gods are on our side."

"Now that that's out of the way," Lee continued, "I want each and everyone of you to look your ships over before you launch. We are going to be going at a rapid fire pace in the beginning. Do not go into the fight without your wingman. They are what will keep you alive."

A small laugh came from the back. "Is there something wrong?"

Showboat stood up and smiled. "I'm sorry, sir, but weren't you known for jumping into battle before your wingman launched?"

Lee smirked. Showboat was one of the few Pegasus pilots who managed to fit in when the two battlestars merged personnel. Lee had developed an affection for her. She reminded him of a devil-may-care blond Viper pilot he used to know. "Well, Captain, my wingman was the best."

Showboat laughed. "The best at doing insane moves that could get both you killed!"

"The best at doing what had to be done to keep your collective asses alive," Lee corrected. He gestured for Showboat to sit down, which she did with only a small roll of her eyes. He turned back to the group as a whole. "My wingman and I had a connection, people. That's something that takes years to develop. Therefore, you do not have it. If you want to come back alive, don't do anything stupid. Stick to the plan, only shoot at the toasters, and above all else, focus from the moment you're launched to five minutes after you land. Good hunting."

Lee gave a nod, and the pilots started filtering out of the briefing room. His eyes caught on a few of his pilots from Galactica. "Constanza and Edmonson, hang back a second."

He watched the two pilots finish their conversation and then they took a seat in the front row. They had changed a lot over the past four months. Hot Dog was more battle worn. The exhaustion was evident in his eyes and on his face. He wasn't the impulsive nugget whom Kara had once teased. Racetrack still had the fresh look in her eye, though Lee had no idea how that could still be. His gaze drifted to the nasty scar running along her cheek. There had been an accident with her Raptor when they were evacuating Aquaria. In the end, the scar only added to Racetrack's hard edge.

Lee sighed and unbuttoned the collar of his jacket. He leaned against the podium. "I'm counting on you two to keep my pilots alive out there."

Hot Dog and Racetrack gave a quick nod. The Commander didn't have to elaborate. They knew that they were included in the handful of people Lee Adama trusted with his life. They had earned that distinction the hard way, working months by his side and never faltering.

Lee looked over at Hot Dog. "Watch their backs. A lot of the people in the air will be flying in combat for the first time. They think they know what they're doing, but the guns start firing and they'll blank. Try to keep them alive. Keep them focused."

He took a deep breath and turned to the woman at Hot Dog's side. "When this whole thing goes down, I need you to do something for me, Meg. There is only one person we cannot leave behind on that planet."

Racetrack smirked. "We know, sir. It's quite clear that it's either Starbuck or bust."

Lee's stern face didn't flinch even though he could feel his whole body tense. "No, it's not Kara we need. We cannot afford to leave Laura Roslin behind if we still want to have a chance to survive long enough to find Earth. I need you to monitor the passenger ships. Find out when and where Laura Roslin boarded. Then I need you to pick her up and get her to Galactica."

"Not Pegasus?"

"I love my ship, but she's not where I think the former President needs to be."

Racetrack nodded. "Understood, sir. Is there anything else?"

"Just keep safe. I need you two to help me with the fallout from the mission." Lee held up his hand and saluted the two pilots who quickly threw a salute back. "Now why don't you two use your time before the mission wisely?"

"You want us to check over our birds, sir?" Hot Dog confirmed.

Lee smirked. "I meant, together. Spend your time wisely together." The two pilots glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, and Lee couldn't help but laugh. "Nothing gets past me on my ship," he called over his shoulder. "Especially when it concerns two of my top pilots!"

The journey through the corridors was rather tiresome for Lee. Every person he passed wanted to wish him good hunting for the mission ahead of them. Lee desperately wanted to yell that they were starting to jinx him with their well wishing, but that really wasn't behavior becoming of a battlestar commander.

Eventually, he made it to his quarters and breathed a sigh of relief as the hatch shut behind him. Everyone had the right to spend this little bit of downtime how they wanted after the ships were checked out and the mission confirmed. People like Racetrack and Hot Dog needed to be with those they loved so they would remember why they were fighting. Then there were people like Hoshi who would spend the time checking and rechecking the flight plans and mission parameters just to be sure every single mistake was ironed out before it was go time. There would be people hurriedly fraking just to get a little relief from the tension like Showboat and whatever able-bodied specialist she could get her hands on. On the other hand, there were people like Helo. Lee had personally signed off on Helo's request for a Raptor. He still might not understand the relationship his newly-assigned tactical officer had with Sharon, but Lee knew enough to give him this small gift. People like Helo were happy to spend the downtime just being in the presence of the people they love.

Lee unbuttoned his jacket and set it on his desk. He let himself take another deep breath as the weight of what was to come began to cloud his mind.

"You know, I used to wonder if the whole mandatory double tanks thing was something the Colonial Military came up with when they saw the way you looked in them."

And then there were men like Lee who spent their downtime talking to invisible Viper pilots.

"I seriously wonder if you have any idea the effect your body has on people. You used to just parade it up and down the bunkroom like it was nothing."

She was laying in his bed, a sheet tucked tight around her body. Lee's eyes dragged over every inch of her skin, and somehow he knew that she was not wearing a stitch of clothing.

Kara's eyebrow shot up. "Like what you see, Commander?"

Lee nodded.

"You know this whole conversation thing works a lot better when the other person joins in," she pointed out. Her hand patted the bed next to her. "Come play with me for a little bit, Lee."

Lee shook his head. "I'm fraked up, Kara, but I'm not that bad. You're a figment of my imagination. I can't touch you."

"You never know until you try."

"I don't want to try," Lee smirked. "Because if I do try and I can touch you, I'm going to have to turn myself into Ishay so she can have me committed."

Kara smiled. "You're right. That would make you pretty insane." She straightened up to lean her back against the headboard. "So, tell me what's on your mind, Lee."

"Usual pre-op jitters." Lee took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'm wondering if maybe I'm completely insane for trying this."

"The plan's a good one," Kara insisted.

'That's because you gave it to me."

"If you think about it, that's not entirely accurate." Kara reached out as if she was going to touch his shoulder, but her hand paused mid-air and came back to her side. "Sorry, I forgot the no touching rule."

Lee nodded, and the room returned to silence. A lot of times this was how his encounters with Kara went. He didn't need her by his side to help him talk things through. He just needed the comfort. Usually she appeared when he was doing something as simple as paperwork. She would just pop up out of nowhere, take a seat on the couch or bed, and watch him work. Sometimes they didn't even say a word for hours.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Every time I've come to you before, I've been in some form of the clothes I had on Galactica. It was always either the double tanks or the Buccaneers jacket or my zip sweatshirt. Today's different, though." Kara's fingers played with the hem of the sheet tucked around her body. "Why the change?"

"This is how I needed to see you."

Kara shook her head. "You are such a man sometimes."

Lee smiled. "That's only partially it."

"What's the other part?"

"This was how you looked the last time I saw you."

"When you came down to visit me on New Caprica," Kara said with a small nod. "I remember."

They fell into silence again for a few minutes. Lee listened to the gentle pounding of footsteps as people passed the hatchway to his quarters. There were hundreds of people at work right now to make sure this mission succeeded, and Lee was sitting here talking to his imaginary friend. Life after the attacks was truly turning out to be most bizarre.

"You do realize that I won't look like this anymore." Kara's voice came out so soft that Lee barely heard it. "I'm going to be different."

"You'll still be Kara," Lee insisted.

"It's been almost a year since you saw me, Lee. A lot can happen in a year."

"You'll still be Kara," he repeated.

Kara stared at him for a moment before smiling. "I guess you're right. No matter what, you and I never really seem to change."

"I wouldn't know what to do if we did." Lee stood up and walked over to his desk. "I needed to finish with my last minute checks."

Without another word, they shifted into the complete silence they were accustomed to. It continued on for well over two hours. Occasionally, Lee would look up to make sure she was still there. Every time he did, he was rewarded with a small wink.

Just as Lee was finishing his last paper, there was a loud knock on the hatch. "It's time," he whispered, pushing his chair back.

"Promise me something?"

Lee turned to see Kara laying with her head on his pillow. She looked like she was about to fall asleep. "Anything."

"Promise me you'll talk about the last time we spoke. Promise me you'll explain what you were going to do instead of just ignoring it. It's important that I know."

"I promise," Lee said just as the hatch opened.

"Sorry for interrupting, Commander, but-" Lee watched Helo pause and look around the room in confusion. "Okay. I swear to the gods, I just heard you talking to someone in here."

Lee looked over at the bed he had made just that morning and shook his head. "You know I have the habit of talking to myself when I'm stressed."

"True."

"So I take it now that you're back, it's time for us to get to CIC?"

"I figured I'd walk you down there and give you a feel for how Galactica's doing."

Lee grabbed his jacket off the desk and slid it on. The second they stepped into the corridor, Helo started telling him about the speech his father gave to the pilots on Galactica and how he insisted that each and every pilot check out their own ship before launching. Lee smiled to himself. Like father, like son.

The report continued until they were about halfway to the CIC. Then they shifted into a comfortable silence as they both focused on the heavy task ahead of them.

Helo paused outside the CIC doors, and Lee followed suit. "Is something the matter, Lieutenant?" Lee asked.

"I hear her voice sometimes," Helo said, staring through the glass window at the hustle and bustle of the CIC. "When I'm not concentrating, it just sort of whispers in my ear, tells me when I'm fraking things up and when I'm being a complete ass. It's odd how comforting it can be."

Lee didn't have to ask who Helo was referring to. Most of his conversations these days revolved around Kara. It was safe to assume this one was no different. "She's the one that gave me this plan we're executing."

Helo laughed. "It always sounded like something that would come from Kara's head."

Lee gave a quick nod as Hoshi looked up from his comms and saluted. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

They took the first step into the CIC together, and it was quiet for just a second before commands started being yelled. Lee wanted a quick count on how many birds were ready to be launched. He wanted to know if any of his pilots had succumbed to nerves during the small downtime. Helo got on the line with Dee and started coordinating the time tables for when the jump would be made.

The preparations were all a blur in the end because before Lee knew it, they were jumping and the confirmation of ship launches were being thrown at him left and right. Between Galactica and Pegasus, they had about five minutes to take down the base stars. Half the Vipers ran interference for the launched Raiders. The other half helped guide the Raptors to within comm range.

Together, the first wave was just paving the way. Because after the critical five minutes, the freighters would be jumping into the atmosphere. All Vipers and Raptors would protect them as they made their way down to the surface to pick up survivors. Lee hoped to the gods he wasn't wrong in thinking they'd have help already down there waiting. There had to be a resistance movement of some sort. Otherwise, the whole mission was for nothing.

Pegasus vibrated with the impact of the Cylon defense weapons. The outer armor seemed to hold up as her gun turrets focused on taking on two of the base stars.

It took them well over four and a half minutes, but Pegasus took down her two targets.

"Status," Lee yelled over the buzz of the CIC.

Helo turned in his chair. "Galactica reports minimal damage. They've taken out the third basestar and appear to have the majority of their fighters still in play."

"And our fighters?"

"We lost Swifty, Panther, and Sunset."

Lee nodded. They were all new pilots. He had expected this. "The Raptors?"

"All still accounted for according to Racetrack's last report."

Lee smiled. It was nice to know that Meg had taken him seriously when he told her to watch out for everyone. "All right, everyone. Brace yourself for Stage Two. I want those freighters protected as if they carried the last hope of humanity in their cargo holds." Lee found himself wondering if maybe they did.

Lee recognized the shift the second the freighters jumped into the air above New Caprica. All Raiders disengaged in their dogfights to focus on the newly arrived ships. "Lay down a layer of protective fire," Lee instructed. Hoshi immediately began relaying the order. The ship shuddered as it once again began firing.

Minutes blurred into one another as the focus stayed on landing the freighters in one piece. Lee did his best to keep his mind on the job of commanding, but every once in a while, he catch a glimpse of Kara in the corner of his eye. He was glad she was here.

"Commander, sir, there's an incoming call from Racetrack. She's on the surface."

Lee brow furrowed. The Raptors were only supposed to land in an emergency. "Racetrack, report."

"There's a large number of Centurions down here. Half the Raptors have entered the atmosphere to help hold them at bay until the freighters are full."

"What about the human ones?"

"They're around, too. It seems they're not too happy with the way our Raptors are killing them just as quickly as the tin cans."

"Good work," Lee said.

"One more thing, sir."

Lee could hear the smile in Meg's voice and braced himself for what he knew was going to come next. "Go ahead."

"Mission accomplished, Lee. She's on board."

Lee breathed out a sigh of relief. "All right. That means you're to get yourself to Galactica now, Racetrack. Thank you."

"Red Devil is down on the surface. I'll have him keep you updated."

Lee cut off the comm and turned to see Helo giving him an odd look. He shook his head slightly and saw Helo nod. Kara hadn't been found yet.

The battle waged on. Pegasus was pulled away from covering the freighters multiple times as a new Cylon basestar would enter the system. As the more heavily armed and therefore greater protected ship, it was Lee's job to keep the toasters' big guns out of the fight. He never knew it was possible to destroy so many basestars and still be functional, but he was grateful. Pegasus was a good ship.

"Sir, Hot Dog has relayed a message for you from Galactica."

"Proceed," Lee said, nodding at Hoshi.

"He wants you to know that he didn't see Captain Thrace out there at all."

Lee swore under his breath. "Fine. How many freighters have yet to jump?"

"Just two, sir."

"Have they reported in at all?"

"They're the ones assigned to Galactica so I assume their reports have been going there. I can try-" Hoshi cut himself off, and his hand instinctively came up to the ear his headset was placed on. "Sir, call from Galactica Actual."

Lee picked up the handset immediately. "This is Pegasus Actual."

"This fight's over for you. You need to get out of here, Commander."

Lee wished he could say the voice of his father was reassuring at a time like this, but it wasn't. Not when Lee knew exactly what he was going to say.

"We can't stay, son, no matter how much you want to. The ships are all filled up. She's not coming."

Lee wasn't sure if he had heard his father right. There was no way William Adama was suggesting they give up hope on the one woman who never stopped defying the odds. "Excuse me?"

"We both know Kara's not on any of those freighters."

"How can you know that?" Lee hissed through clenched teeth.

"She would have gotten word to us immediately. She would have let us know."

Lee's eyes drifted up to the dradis. Another basestar had jumped into the system and was two minutes away from firing range. "I can't leave without her, Dad."

"You don't have a choice. We can't risk humanity just to stay for one Viper pilot."

"She's a lot more than a Viper pilot," Lee growled.

"We are not having this conversation right now, Commander. We have to leave, but we will come back. We will keep coming back until every last colonial citizen is free. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Lee said. The weight of what he was about to do was already pulling at his heart.

"Good."

The line cut off, and Lee let himself listen to the buzz for a second before setting the handset down. "Helo, recall the fighters. We're jumping out of the system."

Lee stood in his place behind the main consul until the FTL engaged, and the whole ship jerked as it jumped away from New Caprica. Only then did he let himself look over at Helo. He could see the hope in his XO's eyes, and it made the next thing he had to do that much more painful. Lee walked over to where Helo sat, confirming the damage done, and rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "She wasn't on those ships, Helo." He let his words sink in before continuing, "I'm going to be in my quarters. Let me know when a comprehensive report is ready. I want to know how long it will be before we can execute another attack."

Helo gave a small nod, but Lee knew he was already becoming distracted. That was the thing about bad news. It always found a way to keep you from doing your job. "Have Hoshi and Stevens help you," Lee added as an after thought.

Confident that his presence was no longer required, Lee stepped out of the CIC and began the long walk to his quarters. His mind was running on empty right now, and he found himself wishing Kara hadn't disappeared halfway through the mission. He really needed her calming presence right now considering she wasn't going to be coming to him in the flesh.

Lee stepped into his quarters and realized he didn't even have the strength to turn on the lights. Moving by instinct alone, he poured himself a tall glass of ambrosia and sat down on the couch. This was the last thing he needed to be doing right now, but he couldn't help it. He needed to numb the pain before it really took hold.

He would never know if it was the effects of the ambrosia or the fatigue after the mission or his own preoccupied thoughts. Either way, Lee didn't see the attack coming until it was too late. Something smashed the back of his head, and he lost the small grip he had on consciousness.

A man moved out from the shadows and smiled down at where Lee's body was slumped on the floor.

"I'd like to see humanity do that again without you, dear Apollo."

Leoben smiled to himself before moving to lift the Commander's body onto his shoulders.