Battlestar Galactica 2003 is a copyright of the Sci Fi Channel. Battlestar Galactica is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Ron Moore re-imagined Glen A. Larson's original idea; but then again, most people who would be reading this already know that. My use is in no way intended to challenge or infringe upon any established copyrights. This piece is not intended for any profit on the part of the writer, nor is it meant to detract from the commercial viability of the aforementioned or any other copyright. Any similarity to any events or persons, either real or fictional, is unintended.

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III – New Challenges

"He can't delay forever," Ellen Tigh said.

Tom Zarek only glared at her in response, clearly offended that she even saw the need to point that out.

"Eventually a vote will happen, Tom."

"And by then, Baltar will have had time to secure his position," Zarek retorted. "First he wants to finish the census; that's about three weeks right there. Then we have to compile all of the data; that'll take at least another three weeks, probably more, since we have neither a trained staff nor a computer system designed to compile the information quickly and easily. Then comes voter registration; we'll need to give people at least a week, and probably two, to do that. If we want to hurry things along, I guess we could allow people to register to run for office at the same time they register to vote, but we'll have to keep that registration open for at least two weeks."

"So you're already looking at well over a month before campaigning can start," Ellen muttered.

"Not exactly," Zarek replied. "Baltar may be inexperienced, but he's also smart. He's first going to point out that we'll need some type of review to determine what posts need to be filled; then we'll have to address registration rules."

"What do you mean?"

"Certain offices will, of course, be dissolved due to a lack of necessity," Zarek explained. "We know that each Colony will retain its representative to the Quorum of Twelve, but beyond that there's a lot of uncertainty. Each of the colonies also had a governor, someone who sat as the executive for each colony's bureaucracy; does each colony really need that anymore, or has the population been reduced to the point that each representative of the Quorum of Twelve can manage those responsibilities? Does each Colony still have its own parliament? What if the census shows a large number of Delphi citizens are still alive? Do they get to elect a new mayor to look out for their own interests? Should we maybe change our thinking on all of this and say each ship gets a representative to a newly formed, all-inclusive parliament, some sort of people's council? If we do that, then does each ship only get one representative, or should larger ships with more people be allowed more representatives? If we create a new parliament like that, what will its powers and responsibilities be?"

"Okay, I get it," Ellen interrupted. "There's a lot to think about, a lot to discuss."

"And innumerable ways to stall an election by debating what the elections will be for," Zarek said. "And like I said, we'll also eventually end up debating election rules. Some posts required a person to collect a certain number of signatures from registered voters before running for office. We may not be able to require that anymore; and if we do, we may need to change the number required."

"And then once this is all decided, we'll need time for campaigning."

"Of course," Zarek spat. "We can't have an election without candidates having an opportunity to introduce themselves to the voters, to explain what's important to them and what they stand for. He could drag this out for months, maybe even close to a year."

"But the people will want an election, Tom. President Roslin promised them that."

"And now President Roslin is dead, and the people are scared. They want security and familiarity. For the time being, they'll accept Baltar."

"For the time being," Ellen said with a smile.

"We've already begun our move by connecting my name to the prophecies of the Condemned Man. Now all we need is to wait a little bit for the shock of Roslin's death to wear off."

"Then people will be able to think more about the prophecies," Ellen surmised. "They'll start to clamor for you to take over, elections or not."

"Of course they will," Zarek said smoothly. "The people need a leader, and their religion has prophesied exactly who that leader will be."

"You."

"Yes, me. And now we just have to figure out a way to strike when the iron is hot, to prevent Baltar from delaying long enough for people to start questioning the wisdom of allowing millennia-old prophecies to guide their decisions."

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"So I assume this is about the wedding," the admiral said to Billy as he poured two cups of coffee. "Cream or sugar?"

"Just a little sugar," Billy said. "And no, this is actually about something else."

"Really?" Adama asked. If this had been just a few weeks earlier, Billy's visit would have heralded a message from the president. Now, the admiral didn't know what it meant. Unless he's gone to work for Baltar, Adama decided, thinking that likely.

"I'd like to enlist," Billy said.

"What?" Adama asked. That definitely took him by surprise. Billy had always proven himself intelligent, hard working, and resourceful, but Adama had never thought of him as a soldier.

"I'd like to enlist, and I was wondering what kind of position I could get," Billy explained.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was a semester away from getting my degree," Billy answered. "In fact, working with the Secretary of Education was going to earn me the last of my credits, so I guess one could argue that I've earned my degree, even if there's no one to hand me the piece of parchment. University graduates had an opportunity to enlist as officers, and I was wondering if I would have the same chance."

"An officer…"

"I know you need people all over your ship, even all over the fleet," Billy said quickly. "I know you might even prefer to have marines… some kind of infantry… I don't know. But I could serve, and--"

"And you don't want a position that you'd consider beneath you," Adama finished.

"That's not what I--"

"Yes it is," Adama said with a soft smile. "You worked beside the president long enough to get a touch of elitism."

"Admiral, I really--"

"I don't mean to offend you," Adama assured the young man. He smiled thinly, remembering when he had first enlisted, and how he had gone over the paperwork several times to make certain he would not only receive a commission, but that he would be assigned exactly where he had been told he would. Billy's just doing the same thing, and now I get to see it from the older officer's point of view.

"Admiral, I just want to join up. I want to serve."

"Does Dee know?"

"We've discussed it," Billy answered in a tone that clearly said that the topic had been addressed, but no consensus had been reached. So Dee isn't exactly thrilled with this decision.

"Is this just so that you and Dee can be closer?"

"No."

"Then if I could ask why you want to join," Adama prompted. "You seemed to be building a good career for yourself. I don't see why you'd want to give that up and enlist."

"I was working with President Roslin when she was Secretary of Education," Billy explained. "I know it sounds crazy, given that it was less than a year ago and I'm still so young, but I was really full of wide-eyed idealism, the way that only young people can be."

"And you've grown up a lot since then," Adama said, noting that Billy's explanation actually didn't sound crazy at all.

"But as long as I was with President Roslin, I felt like I was making a difference, like whatever I did at her behest was for the greater good."

"She had that effect on people."

"And now that she's gone… I don't know," Billy said. "Not long after she died, Tom Zarek offered me a job."

"Did he," Adama said, noting that he didn't sound any more surprised than he actually was.

"And I considered it," Billy admitted. "I thought it over, I slept on it, and I almost accepted. I mean, I always sort of saw the method behind his madness, I think… I don't condone what he did, but I think I understand it. I also figured that there were people who always said bad things about President Roslin, but I knew they were all lies. I thought that maybe some of the things I heard about Zarek were the same thing, that maybe once you got past the BS, that there maybe a good man there."

"And?"

"And he's a convicted murderer and terrorist," Billy said with a shrug. "At the end of the day, there's no getting around that; he might be a man of conscience, but a conscience that allows a man to murder to make his point is not a conscience I want filtering orders that might come my way. I decided that maybe I was already getting like Marshall Bagot and some of the others."

"How do you mean?"

"I'm sure they were all idealistic when they were my age," Billy explained, surprising Adama with his maturity and insight. "But somewhere along the way, they got used to compromising, to making deals. President Roslin never did that. She did what she believed."

"She was in a unique situation," Adama pointed out.

"Maybe so, but she stuck to doing what she believed was right. Tom Zarek isn't going to do that. Neither is President Baltar – I can see that in him already. He's not going to be a good president."

"He offered you a job, too?"

"Yeah," Billy admitted. "Didn't have to think it over this time, though. I want to make a difference; I want to serve the rest of the survivors. I owe President Roslin at least that much. I don't trust Baltar and the others."

"And you trust the military?" Adama asked, amused that someone so close to a civilian president – especially one who had been in Laura's position – would ever feel that way.

"No, I don't trust the military," Billy replied. "But I trust you, just like President Roslin did."

"Okay," Adama said, satisfied that Billy's reasons for enlisting were as good – or even better, he decided – than most he had ever heard. "You're right about what you said; if the attack hadn't happened, your education would have qualified you for a commission as an officer. So if you really want to do this, I'll start you as an Ensign."

"Thank you," Billy responded, absolutely glowing.

"Thank you, sir," Adama corrected with an indulgent, fatherly smile.

"I'm sorry. Sir. Thank you, sir."

Adama couldn't help but smile at Billy's sudden self-conscious awkwardness, which he developed only moments after a fairly long, candid exchange. "Come back in two days," Adama told him. "Consider this the last liberty you get until maybe I authorize a day or two for you and Dee after the wedding. Use that time to make sure you and Dee are both in agreement; if not, no one is going to hold it against you if you change your mind and go back to working for the government."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed," Adama replied gruffly. Billy did a poor job of turning on his heel to leave, forcing Adama to smile. Well, I was looking for someone to train as a new 3rd shift LSO, he reminded himself. Guess that's taken care of.

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It was worse than Apollo had imagined when Helo stopped by and warned him about rising tension in the officer's club. He could hear Hot Dog's voice clearly, shouting a string of profanities as Kat's laughter drowned out most everything else. When he arrived on the scene, he found Hot Dog out of his chair, glaring down at Starbuck and Ares, both of whom seemed rather surprised but wholly unimpressed by his attempt at intimidation.

"But I just drew one of these cards with the "K" on them," Hot Dog protested.

"They're kings," Ares told him.

"Whatever the frak they are, I just drew one."

"Mm-hmm," Starbuck nodded. "So you have to discard it."

"Last time I got one of them I got to draw another card," Hot Dog said.

"That was this morning, before we went on patrol," Starbuck pointed out.

"So?"

"A king or a two gives you another card, unless it's night," Ares explained.

"When a queen or a four gets you an extra card," Starbuck added. "But then you have to discard a king or a two."

"Correct, as always," Ares said, puffing away at a cigar.

"But then you'll have to discard another card after that," Starbuck said.

"Because it's night?"

"No, because then your turn will be over," Ares responded.

"This game is bullshit." Hot Dog threw up his arms and walked out, completely uninterested in hearing another word. Kat was laughing so hard she was crying, but Apollo noticed she seemed in no hurry to take Hot Dog's vacant seat.

"He had a shronk, anyway," Starbuck said, looking at Hot Dog's cards once he'd left the room.

"What's this?" Apollo asked.

"Playing cards, Lee," Starbuck said with a grin. "Pull up a chair."

"Hot Dog seemed… suspicious of your rules," Apollo said hesitantly.

"Hot Dog's made a few too many high-G rolls in his Viper," Starbuck grinned. "I think he may have suffered some brain damage. The rules are perfectly clear."

Starbuck's face was the very image of innocence, but Kat found it impossible to stifle another string of giggles. "I think I'll pass," Apollo said.

"Suit yourself," Starbuck said.

"I will," Apollo assured her. "I don't think I'm going to play cards – or any game, for that matter – against the two of you when the rules change according to the time of day."

"And sometimes by the day of the week," Ares put in.

"Right," Starbuck agreed.

"What the hell are those cards, anyway?" Apollo asked.

Ares lifted them off the tabletop and fanned them out in his hands. "Not entirely sure," he admitted, glancing at the rectangular cards with black and red markings. "I ran into a guy on a small freighter a few years ago. He had engine problems and we answered his distress beacon. He had a few decks of these cards I'd never seen before, and he showed me a few games. Kinda got hooked."

"A few games," Apollo repeated suspiciously. "Are they all like, umm… what the hell was it you were just playing?"

"Doesn't matter," Ares said with a smile. "No, the other few I know are totally different. I was just about to teach Starbuck another one if you want to stick around."

"No thanks," Lee said.

"Oh, come on, Lee," Starbuck said. "I mean, Apollo," she corrected awkwardly. He locked his eyes onto hers, and for just a fraction of a second he saw something in her eyes that he'd never seen before. She was surprised she called me Lee in front of the others, he decided, not knowing what to make of the revelation. She has to have done that at some point before now.

"Yeah, come on, Lee," Ares said, eerily mimicking Starbuck's tone.

"It's going to cost me money, isn't it?"

"Only if you lose," Ares responded.

"Maybe next time."

"Well, you know where to find us if you change your mind," Ares said as Apollo turned and left, surprised at how uncomfortable it made him feel to think about Starbuck and Ares enjoying a few games of cards together.

To be continued……………………………