Disclaimer: See Chapter One

A/N: I've really obsessed over assumptions and guesses I've had to make while writing this story – it really began to interfere with my creativity. I've realized that, while the details are important, I'm not getting paid to do this, I'm doing it because I'm obsessed with a great TV show. The point is, I'm trying to be less anal retentive so I can post/share more of my stories(there's a lot more than two!).

Ammonite you're awesome! Thanks for the resources and the patience!

Thanks for the reviews AproditeRoslin and laurie31!

This is a series of scenes set between events in the mini-series – I didn't see the point in filling in details you all already know.

Alas Rotas

Chapter Two: Resistencia

Funeral of Zak Adama

He wouldn't have noticed her if it hadn't been for her great, long legs, but there she was standing among the headstones some distance away. Saul didn't direct too much attention to her, after all it was his best friend's son's funeral. As the service ended and all but the closest family began to disperse, he glanced over again to where the woman had been standing. She'd moved in closer and was now standing only a few feet away. He couldn't resist – he had to know who this woman was. He approached her and she lifted her head, revealing her face from beneath the large brim of her hat.

"Hello, Saul."

He immediately regretted checking out her legs.

"Cassandra – what are you doing here?"

It was definitely Cassandra – a grown-up, gorgeous Cassandra – her face a beautiful echo of Zak's.

"It's good to see you too."

She said shortly raising an eyebrow.

"He doesn't need this right now – did Charlotte send you?"

"My mother's been dead for three years – what's wrong with you?"

She was confused now, her sunny demeanor had changed. What did she expect from him?

"What's wrong with me? What do you think you're doing showing up like this? And at his son's funeral."

Cassandra's face saddened.

"Why are you doing this? I haven't seen him in ten years – I didn't even know about Zak until I got in town – I just want my father back."

"Yeah, well he doesn't want you back – Charlotte running off with you was the best thing that could have happened. He moved on. He's been better off without you and your mother mucking up his life."

Saul snapped the words at her and each one seemed to land a blow on Cassandra. Tears began streaming down her face but she didn't speak. There was something in her eyes, a dangerous light – she knew he was lying and he could see anger burning through her tears. She was torn between slapping him and punching him, but decided to do neither and walked away.

Two Years Later Colonial Heavy 713, docking with the Battlestar Galactica

A pretty, blonde-haired woman sat reading a file spread across her neatly crossed legs. She couldn't have been more than twenty years old but was dressed professionally and had the demeanor of someone twice her age. She seemed sad, like it'd been a long time since a smile had graced her serious face. The captain's voice addressing the nearly empty cabin made the woman look up thoughtfully for a moment.

"Attention passengers, we are now docked with Galactica, prepare to disembark shortly."

The woman tucked the file she'd been reading into a briefcase that'd been occupying the seat beside her. She unbuckled and stood up flattening the skirt of her soft gray suit. She was the only passenger to do so, as Galactica was only her destination.

Commander Adama had fiercely resisted Command putting a civilian on his ship. Maybe it was why that bothered him – she was a historian and was designing the museum that was soon to be placed in Galactica's starboard flight pod – they were decommissioning his ship. Now he waited on the hangar deck to greet a Miss. Clark – a courtesy he'd been ordered to perform personally. Now he watched as a tall, light-haired woman stepped off the civilian transport. She was dressed neatly and her hair was pulled into a tight bun. She was easily his height, her small heels adding very little. Her face was serious as she approached him and offered her hand.

"You must be Commander Adama – good to meet you."

"Welcome to Galactica Miss.Clark"

He took her hand and shook it – something about her face was familiar, he paused and peered into her brown eyes momentarily before dismissing the thought.

"I must say, I was resistant to your coming here."

"So was I Commander – but I promise, you'll hardly know I'm here."

She answered shortly, as if she wanted the conversation to end.

"If you'll come this way I'll show you to guest quarters -"

"Thats ok, I know the way and I'm sure you have better things to do than play tour guide."

She didn't give him a chance to ask how she knew, before walking briskly away. He let her go a few steps before catching up and falling instep beside her.

"Miss?"

"Commander."

She was, indeed, headed for the guest quarters. They walked in silence as he'd been unable to come up with an appropriate follow up other than 'Who the hell do you think you are?' and he wasn't sure that'd go over so well. The sound of her heels clicking on the metal deck was now drowning in the bustle of activity in the corridors. Many of the crew they passed glanced away from their work when they saw their Commander walking alongside the pretty civilian – although most of their eyes were focused on her. They reached her cabin and stepped inside.

"The deck crews will bring your bags up."

He said shortly before exiting the room without reply from her. The events that had just unfolded puzzled him – he grown accustomed to intimidating the civilian visitors to his ship – even taken pride in it. He didn't seem to phase this woman – a fact that wounded his ego.

One year later – the morning before Galactica's decommissioning ceremony

"What you do is nothing short of amazing Miss.Clark."

Laura Roslin, Secretary of Education, stood admiring the former flight pod - turned museum. Her aide, Billy Keikeya and the public relations man, Aron Doral, stood watching just inside the entrance. Clark smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Madam Secretary, but it is my job and I'm not quite done with it."

"Really, I was under the impression that the museum was completed."

Roslin turned to look at Clark who looked much younger than her personality and job implied.

"The museum itself is done but Commander Adama refused to let me put in any of the new computers or rather he wouldn't let me network the ships existing computers so the new ones would work properly."

Clark was obviously irritated, but remained composed.

"I'll talk to him."

"Thank you, I'm sure whoever they get to finish up will appreciate that."

"I thought this was your project."

"Pardon me for saying so, but I've been on this ship for a year, I'm ready to go home and once you meet the Commander you will be too."

Roslin chuckled and returned Clark's smile

"It was a pleasure to see you again Madam Secretary, but if you'll excuse me, I have some packing to do."

"It was nice to see you too Miss. Clark – oh, and thanks for the warning."

Clark returned her grin

"I think you can handle him."

Roslin was left in the enormous flight pod, wondering just how well she could handle Galactica's notoriously gruff Commander.

Colonial Heavy 798 en route to Caprica

Roslin was surprised to see the tall Miss. Clark board the transport. Roslin caught her eye and motioned for her to take the seat across from her. She and the historian were actually well acquainted, in fact she'd recommended her for the job. Cassandra Clark was the youngest teacher on Caprica, she'd started teaching two years ago at the age of eighteen. She tested as a genius and rapidly accelerated through school, graduating college at the age of seventeen. She was extremely mature and exceptionally modest despite the fact that she was smarter than most of the people she worked with.

"Thanks Laura, I was afraid I was going to have to sit with the press corps – I've managed to evade them this long."

"This may not be the safest place for you then."

The women exchanged grins.

"I'm afraid I wasn't very successful in convincing Commander Adama to change his mind about the network, Cass."

Cassandra waved her hand.

"Don't worry about it, they'll eventually retire Adama too, then we'll get our computers."

"I get the impression you're not very fond of the Commander."

"I just found him hard to work with."

"I've always found the military difficult to work with."

Laura gave Cassandra a friendly smile before a comfortable silence settled over the two tired women. Laura discreetly watched the younger woman – there was very little she knew about Cassandra personally. She was the adopted daughter of former Saggitaron Quorum member Thomas Clark who'd become her only parent after his wife Charlotte's death when Cassandra was fifteen. She loved history and was a gifted musician. She also wasn't a natural blonde – Laura had known her since she was sixteen and knew her to be naturally brown-haired and blue-eyed. Laura brushed the thought aside – she was still young – gods know how many times she'd changed her own look when she was Cassandra's age. Although they'd had engaging conversation, Laura couldn't help but think that there was some part of her that she went to great lengths to conceal.