WHTMT - chapter 11

ooooooooooooooooo

"Get your act together or get the frak off my ship!" Lee raged, eyes flashing fire at the pilot who'd damaged his viper in the latest training exercises.

"Yes sir," the pilot said, paling, saluting briefly before almost running out of the ready room.

The other pilots looked at Lee with fear in their eyes. Their commander, normally such an easygoing guy, had been riding their asses hard for the past couple of weeks, and they weren't happy about it.

"Sir," one of them ventured. "It wasn't Spike's fault that his ship ..."

"Doesn't matter whose fault it was or wasn't, that sort of thing can't be allowed to happen," Lee barked coldly. "We're planning a very difficult and demanding op now, and when you're out there facing the cylons, there's no room for error. None whatsoever, or you'll be dead. And so will all the colonists on New Kobol - we're their last chance for survival." He took a deep breath. "I want no mistakes. Understood?"

"Understood," they chorused, pulling their things together as they sensed the briefing coming to an end.

Lee stood staring down at the podium for a few minutes after the room had emptied. He exhaled softly, eyes downcast. He knew he was being hard on them, but hell, wasn't that his job as a commander? To get people to do their jobs properly? Actually no, that's the job of the XO, but your XO is so unqualified to do that ...

"Don't you think you were a little too hard on them?" Dee's voice softly interrupted his thoughts.

Yes, and this is exactly why you have to do it - she won't! Lee's gaze came up to rest on her sweetly pretty face. Nope, definitely not XO material.

"No. They needed a reality check. This plan is exceptionally risky and anyone who isn't one hundred percent out there will be dead in two seconds. Or less," he said firmly. "We don't have the luxury of a CAG to discipline them so I have to do it."

"But don't you think that being positive and helpful would motivate them more?" she asked helpfully.

"This is exactly why you were only a comms officer. You know nothing about how to lead," Lee said disdainfully.

Dee flinched as if struck. Lee had been rather testy lately, and she'd heard some not-so-pleasant comments made about him, but he had yet to be nasty to her. Until now. She drew herself up proudly. "Then why am I the XO here? Can you tell me that?" she demanded.

"Beats the frak out of me," Lee said nastily.

"Maybe I should resign then," she said, holding back the tears with an effort.

"Maybe that would be best. Except that we have no one to replace you. No, I think you're stuck here with me, whether you like it or not. Just don't question my authority, okay?"

"Yes sir," she snapped before turning and leaving the room quickly.

Lee sighed heavily, realizing he hadn't handled the situation very well. Oh well, she's command now, she has to learn it isn't all hearts and roses. Sometimes people's feelings get hurt, sometimes people die, and you just have to live with it whether you like it or not. I wonder if this means our relationship is over too, he thought. Quite frankly, the thought didn't really phase him. It wasn't really a relationship and hadn't been for some time. Truth was, it was more like the relationship he'd had with Shevon, the prostitute. Only he didn't have to pay Dee to have sex with him.

Right now he really didn't care about anything other than getting his plan properly executed and getting those people off that cylon-infested rock. He knew with every passing day that it was less and less likely he'd find her alive, but he had to keep hoping. He had nothing else.

ooooooooooooooooooo

The fight was becoming wearing on Kara. She'd promised Sam she wouldn't put herself in danger, and she'd kept that promise, but she'd been the coordinator, overseer of all the resistance activity and she'd been run ragged in the weeks since Sam's death. Couple that with the fact that they were no longer getting food shipments from the hydroponic ship previously in orbit, and the fact that the cold season was upon them again so their harvest was over with no food likely for many months to come, and Kara was not only tired, she was cold and hungry. But even with others giving her part of their rations, she wasn't getting enough to eat. The baby was beginning to take everything she had and more, and everyone was noticing how thin and tired she was looking, aside from the small swell of her belly, showing that at least one of the two of them was doing well.

"You should get some rest Kara," Roslin said, laying a gentle hand on her arm. In the weeks following Sam's death, Roslin had become somewhat of a protector for Kara. Almost like she felt it was her duty to watch over her now that Sam couldn't anymore.

"I can't," Kara protested. "I've got work to do - reports to read, plans to make. People are counting on me."

"Your baby is counting on you," Roslin reminded her gently. "And Sam is counting on you to take good care of his son or daughter." At Kara's sorrowful look she continued. "You know he's out there somewhere, looking down and watching over you. He can't give you shit if you don't take care of yourself, but I can. I know the kind of person you are Kara, and when Sam died I made a promise to myself to take care of you and not let you self destruct."

Kara looked at her incredulously. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Because I care about you. I see a lot of myself in you. I too was once reckless, willing to die for my beliefs. I believed I was right and everyone else was wrong. I believed I was untouchable - that nothing could hurt me."

"So why did you change? You're not like that anymore."

"Age. I know it sounds corny, but with age does come wisdom. I've realized that my perceptions of life are just that - mine. There are many others I don't see and who's to say which of us is right, if any at all?" Roslin smiled. "I've learned tolerance, diplomacy and patience with age. You will too, assuming you live long enough." Kara gave her a sideways smile. "I've made it my job to make sure you survive. Now go - take a nap!"

"Yes ma'am!" Kara laughed, giving her a quick hug. "Just don't let me sleep too long. I have things to do."

"The things will wait. Now go!"

Kara smiled as she headed into her tent, a different one that the one she'd shared with Sam. She wouldn't have been able to stay there after his death, even if he hadn't been murdered right there in their bed. As her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.

"Ohhh ... it hurts so much," she groaned, swiping her sweat-slicked hair out of her face.

"One more push ... maybe two. It's almost out," a female voice near her encouraged. "Come on Kara, you can do this."

"Tired ... don't wanna do this anymore. Can't ... I just ... ahhhh!" she cried out as another pain shot through her lower body.

"Push Kara, push now!"

She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath and pushed, giving a long groan.

"One more - I can see the head. Come on, don't give up now."

Kara felt a hand squeeze hers and she gleaned a trickle of strength to continue. She took a deep breath and got ready to push again. The pain was immense but actually it wasn't nearly as bad as the pain had been when she'd blown her knee down on the moon she'd nearly been stranded and died on.

Waves of pain came again, starting in her belly and barreling down her legs.

"Push Kara - one more time!"

She pushed and breathed, and pushed ... and kept pushing until she felt like she was going to explode. The pain subsided slightly and Kara opened her eyes.

"You've done it," said a soft voice beside her. "You've done it Kara - you have a beautiful baby girl." The voice sounded so familiar it gave Kara shivers. Her eyes met his deep blue ones, to find him smiling at her.

"Lee," she said weakly, smiling back up at him.

"She's beautiful." He stroked her forehead tenderly, brushing the stray locks out of her eyes. "You're amazing Kara." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Your daughter," the nurse said, placing a tiny wrapped bundle in Kara's arms. She had pale skin and a small fringe of white-blonde hair. Her eyes were open, and they were the bluest Kara had ever seen ... other than Lee's.

"Thanks for being with me and helping me through," she whispered.

Lee squeezed her shoulder lightly. "I'm always here for you, you know that."

Kara's eyes flew open and she looked around, confused for a moment. Then she regained her bearings and her hand slipped down to her belly, reassured by the growing bulge still there. She sat up and took a few deep breaths. Why Lee? she thought curiously. Why am I dreaming about Lee?

oooooooooooooooo

She wandered into the school tent a few minutes later, brow furrowed.

Roslin smiled at her. "How did you sleep?"

"Okay I guess." She blinked. "What time is it?"

"It's 0800 ... or just after."

"I slept all night?" Kara asked incredulously. "You were only supposed to let me have a quick nap."

"I checked on you a couple of times during the night but you were sound asleep. Obviously you needed the rest."

Kara sighed, nodding in agreement. Then she stiffened as a familiar form slipped into the tent almost unobtrusively.

"What are you doing here?" Kara hissed, automatically reaching for a weapon and cursing as she didn't find one.

"Please, I'm not here to hurt you," Sharon said, holding her arms out in a gesture of surrender.

"That's what you're all here for," Kara said vehemently.

"You have to listen to me. You need to be protected Kara - there are those who are opposing God's plan and they're bound and determined to kill you."

"They already killed Samuel," she said acidly. "You weren't here to protect him."

"He wasn't part of the prophecy. We did try - we saved him on Caprica and let him go because of you."

"Because of me? But how could you know ..."

"We found your dogtag on him and I knew he would only have it if he meant something special to you."

Kara crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, because you know me that well huh?"

"I was your friend Kara. I did know you that well once. I know you think I'm the enemy, but I'm not."

"Being a machine makes you the enemy."

"I would give anything, anything at all to be human," Sharon protested earnestly. "All I want is to go back to Galactica and be part of my family again."

"I'm not sure there's room for you. I believe there are already two of you there - a dead one, and a live one who's a prisoner of war," Kara said flatly.

"The Chief will understand - he'll take me back," Sharon said confidently.

Kara and Roslin looked uneasily at one another.

"I wouldn't count on that if I were you," Kara said. "The Chief is married now and has a son."

"With whom?" Sharon demanded.

"Cally."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

Kara shrugged. "These things happen."

Sharon took a deep breath. "Well, the main issue here is to keep you safe."

"I don't need protecting, I'm perfectly fine," Kara protested.

"But if you come with me, I can hide you ..."

"No!" Kara interrupted forcefully. "I have no intention of going into hiding. I have a responsibility to these people, and they will protect me," she said proudly.

"But you're the chosen one - the one to fulfill God's plan."

"Listen to me," Kara said in a low but deadly voice. "I am not part of your God's plan and I have no intentions of doing anything for you or your people. Make that clear to them - especially if it has anything to do with those farms on Caprica." She shuddered involuntarily. "I will not be kept as a prisoner to have cylon babies. I'll kill myself before I'll allow that to happen."

"But Kara ..."

"No! Get out! Leave us alone. We're doing fine without your help. We will survive, you can be assured of that."

Sharon backed away, shrugging. "Fine. But I can't guarantee your safety if you don't let me help you."

"I never asked you to," Kara replied bluntly.

Sharon nodded and left, and Kara heaved out a huge sigh. That exchange had drained what little energy she had.

"That doesn't sound like good news," Roslin said dryly.

"Yes it does," Kara argued. "The enemy never compromises unless they know you have the upper hand. We redouble our efforts."

TBC