WHTMT - chapter 14

oooooooooooooooo

She didn't hear the explosions. Nor the screams. Whatever they'd given her had put her out completely and she didn't wake till much later. When she finally began to reach for consciousness, it was like thinking through a thick, heavy comforter. Her brain felt fuzzy and disconnected - much the way it did when she was seriously hungover, but drinking had never affected the rest of her body so. She wasn't even sure she had a body - her brain was sending messages to her limbs to move but nothing was happening.

"Take it easy now," she heard vaguely, though the voice sounded very far away. She could feel fingers on her wrists and then ankles, removing the straps that had bound her. But even so, she couldn't move. Couldn't even open her eyes to see who her saviour was - it felt like they were made of lead.

"You will feel better soon, I promise," the voice said softly, genuine care and sympathy evident from it's tone. "In the meantime, you'll be safe here."

"My baby ...?" Kara rasped, barely able to open her mouth. The person rested a gentle hand on her stomach then withdrew it.

"They didn't hurt it."

Kara opened her mouth to speak again but gave up with the amount of effort it took. Her head lolled to one side.

"Rest now. Soon it'll wear off and you can go."

Kara heard footsteps, the sound getting more distant with each passing one. Her saviour was leaving her. She felt a stab of panic wash over her as she realized she was alone and more vulnerable than she'd ever been in her entire life. Then the baby kicked within her and the fear was instantly replaced with a rush of joy at the knowledge that it was okay.

oooooooooooooooooo

"So uh ... dad ... is there any reason, I mean other than the fact that Galactica is your baby, why we're sacrificing the beast instead?"

"I was wondering when you were going to ask that."

"So ..." Lee prompted.

"I'll admit there's a fair amount of personal reasoning in my decision," Adama admitted, "but the biggest reason is this: Once the civilian ships are safely away, Galactica will jump, taking all it's vipers, leaving Pegasus behind and undefended, supposedly having trouble with it's FTL drive. The cylons will pounce on it, glad of the chance to destroy one of our critical ships which they know will be manned by hundreds of people. Pegasus has modern enough technology though, that we can link all the ships systems and set it on autopilot so we don't have to have anyone aboard. If we were to use Galactica instead, we'd have to keep people on her and we'd lose them. I'm not willing to lose any more people. If we have to sacrifice one of them, at least let it be one where the least casualties will be."

Lee nodded appreciatively. That hadn't occurred to him. He'd figured there had to be some tactical advantage to using his ship, but he just hadn't been able to figure out what it was.

"Well, she's stripped and ready to go - we just need to evacuate the crew."

"We'll need a contingent in CIC to man the FTL systems till we get there. Then a couple of raptors will bring them to Galactica - don't worry," he added at Lee's concerned look, "they'll be well guarded with our best pilots."

Lee nodded. "I'll stay ... so will most of the regulars in CIC."

"No, you won't," Adama objected.

Lee's hackles began to rise, He hated it when his father told him what to do - effectively treating him like a kid.

"I'm perfectly capable of handling it. I'm in Command. I should be the one risking my life for my ship," he objected angrily.

"I'm not disputing that ..."

"Then what? You're afraid to put me in danger because I'm your son? You can't let personal ..."

Adama help up his hand firmly. "Enough."

Lee sniffed but he refrained from expressing his opinion. It always frustrated him when his father won an argument, seemingly just because he was his father. Of course seniority was the more probable reason but sometimes Lee lost sight of that fact.

"The reason I won't let you stay is because I need you out there." Adama pointed out the porthole to the inky darkness outside the ship. "We don't have enough qualified pilots and I need you leading the viper squadron."

"I get to fly?" Lee said, an almost forgotten note of hope in his voice.

"Three basestars. Hundreds of raiders. One squadron of vipers. I'm going to need my best out there to protect those raptors. And you're it."

Lee felt tears come to his eyes. It had been so long since he'd been in the cockpit and he'd missed it sorely, but more importantly, to hear his father affirm him so openly. That was something he'd rarely done throughout Lee's life - he could probably count on one hand how many times he remembered his father giving praise in such a way.

"You can count on me," he said, struggling to keep his voice level.

"I've never doubted that." There was definite pride in Adama's voice.

"So who are you going to put in charge of Pegasus then?"

"Your XO."

"Dee?" He couldn't keep the disbelief from his voice.

"You think she's not qualified?" Adama asked, fishing for the truth in the special way he had, making people feel uncomfortable till they 'fessed up.

"Well I ... I mean ... I guess ... I Just don't ... normally she's okay but in wartime? No, I don't. I'm not sure she has what it takes to command under pressure."

Adama nodded. "At least you're honest. It won't take much skill though. Ten people at most and all she has to do is supervise the jump, then get everyone to their raptors."

"Still, I don't think ..." Lee began.

"We can't let personal feelings get in the way," Adama reminded him gently, knowing that while Lee loved Kara, he also cared for Dee and didn't want to see her get hurt.

Lee sighed. "I know."

"She knew what she was getting into when she accepted the promotion. I made the responsibilities very clear."

"If that's the way it has to be," Lee added quietly, almost thinking out loud.

"It is."

ooooooooooooooooooooo

"Do you suppose she made it out?"

"I'm sure she did," Roslin replied to a tearful Cally, busily feeding her baby. "It seems to be what she's good at - putting herself in a dangerous situation and then finding a way out of it." Roslin smiled, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Kara hadn't shown up at the rendezvous point and everyone in the settlement had seen and felt the explosion that had destroyed Colonial One, leaving pieces no bigger than a cubit. A few of the rebels had gone under cover of darkness but they'd found no sign of her ... or her body parts.

"I'm sure she's had to find another place to hide. She'll be with us soon." Roslin patted Cally's shoulder, feeling a sudden pang of sorrow as she saw Matthew sucking happily at his mother's breast. She'd never really wanted children - preferred the single, solitary life where she had no long-term attachments, but for some reason, seeing Cally with her baby was causing wishful feelings to wash over her. Stop it Laura, she told herself. You're forty - eight years old for crying out loud, and you don't even have a man! If it weren't for Isis, you'd be long dead already. Just be thankful you're still alive!

Roslin walked over to where a few of the resistance were gathered and joined them. They looked up, questioning expressions on all their faces. They'd taken to her being in charge after Kara left with no problems.

"I want her found," she hissed, almost under her breath. "We need her."

"But things are going well ..." One of them said, voicing what some of them were thinking.

"We can get the job done without her," Roslin said, turning steel grey eyes on him, "but she's the morale booster. People are beginning to think she didn't make it, and they're losing faith that we can win, even though we've already struck a tremendous blow against the enemy. Anyone who doesn't have an immediate job - form a search party."

Tyrol, who'd walked into the huddle for the last couple of sentences, nodded his head fiercely. "We'll find her," he said firmly.

Roslin nodded gracefully, and even without uttering a word everyone knew she was dismissing them. She still had that presidential, if almost regal air about her that people responded to in a positive way. It had never been spoken aloud, but many people were secretly hoping she would resume the office of President once Baltar was either killed or proven to be one of the enemy. It wasn't like everyone on the surface didn't know he was, it was just convincing those who'd stayed shipside. Baltar was a slimy weasel, adept at sneaking out of trouble and somehow making people believe it was never his fault to begin with.

Roslin stood in the corner of the tent, watching as the Chief rallied people and divided them up into search groups. He really had come into his own - far from the downtrodden deck chief she'd come to know on Galactica. Here, he'd had the opportunity to take on more of a leadership role, making decisions, and had proven that he didn't just have a way with engine parts. People respected him and listened to him - he had that charisma that caused those around him to follow his lead. Much like Kara, she thought. If we don't find her, gods forbid, he'll make a much better leader for this group than I. She smiled as everyone peeled away, eager to get to their assignments.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

The next time Kara reached consciousness she was much more alert. She'd fallen unconscious again shortly after her saviour had left, but now she was feeling stronger and almost ready to move. Her eyes opened to see the mainly unfamiliar sight of the cylon ship. She recognized a few things from when she'd been brought in but much of it was alien to her. She sat up gingerly, flexing her muscles to make sure they all responded. They did, thankfully. She didn't feel one hundred percent quite yet, but a whole lot better than she had the last time she'd woken. She caressed her stomach lovingly then hopped off the table, determined to find out where she was and how to get back to base.

oooooooooooooooooooo

"Apollo to Galactica, all vipers ready," Lee said, adjusting his helmet one final time. He'd been looking forward to this moment since his father had told him he'd be leading the squadron, but now that it was here, he was a little nervous. It had been nearly six months since he'd flown, and though it was something you never forgot how to do, he was a little afraid he'd lost his edge - that which had made him and Starbuck an almost unstoppable pair. Gods, I wish she was here with me, he thought, with a pang of sorrow. But at least now they were hopefully going to get rid of the immediate cylon threat and get their asses back to New Kobol to rescue her ... and anyone else who'd survived.

"Launch on my mark Apollo," the temporary comms officer told him. "We jump in ten ... nine ... eight ..."

Lee knew all the other pilots were just as nervous as he was. They'd done very little ship-to-ship combat since leaving the planet, and most of their best had already perished. Not only did he not have the 'A' string, he was down to about 'F' - practically green nuggets except for himself and Helo, who'd been pressed back into service as well. He wasn't a viper pilot strictly speaking, but he'd had some experience and much more in raptors which could only help.

"... one ... jump."

Lee felt his insides turn out and then back again in a split second.

"Mark!"

Lee launched and was followed by nine others in quick succession. As he emerged from the tube, he saw the basestars, also already launching their raiders.

"Galactica, Apollo. Enemy in sight. Engaging raiders."

"Apollo, Galactica. Tear up as many of them as you can. Await my signal for raptor launch from Pegasus."

"Will do Galactica. Come on everyone, let's go."

The fight was fast and furious and while many raiders were destroyed, a few of the fleet pilots were as well. Soon there were only seven left and Lee was beginning to pray that the raptors would launch soon so they could leave as quickly as possible before he lost anyone else. He was barking orders out one after the other, hoping that they'd understand at least some of the maneouvres he was trying to get them to do.

"Apollo, Galactica. Raptors launching from Pegasus. Copy."

"Copy that Galactica. We're on them." Thankfully, Lee turned his viper towards Pegasus to see the two ships emerge from it's hull.

"Hammer, Red - you're with me. Everyone else, surround the raptors and use yourselves as blockade between them and the raiders."

"Aye sir," came the multiple responses. They may not be good pilots yet, but they were at least well-trained enough to follow orders without question. Unlike Starbuck, she never follows orders - at least not mine anyway. On the other hand, if she'd listened to you, you'd be dead by now, his subconscious reminded him. And Lee was more determined than ever to get back to the planet to save her. She'd saved his ass multiple times - in fact he wouldn't have even made it past Ragnar station the day of the first attack if she hadn't done that horribly risky maneouver that had saved him and his ship. Never mind that she'd shot and nearly killed him - that had been an accident and he'd long forgiven her for that.

The cylons saw the new target and changed their focus. They attacked the raptors full force and it was all Lee could do to kill as many as possible. Their chance of survival was lessening as minute by minute he was losing people. Soon there were only three of them left - not enough to defend the raptors properly.

"We're hit!" he heard the pilot of raptor two yell through the comms and he saw it dip and swerve as it lost control.

"Galactica, Apollo. Patch me in to raptor two."

"Apollo, Galactica. You're through."

"Raptor two, swing starboard, I'll give you the engine power you need on the other side - we can make it to Galactica in less than a minute. Just hold tight." He nosed his ship gently against the raptor and used his thrusters to gently boost them the rest of the way there. Many shots were fired at them but fortunately none connected.

"We're hit!" raptor one's pilot shouted and Lee swore silently. Where was Starbuck when he needed her? He could only be in one place at a time, and no one else was qualified enough to invent a plan on the fly like she was.

"I'll be there in a minute raptor one," he yelled, praying raptor two would land safely.

"Thanks for your help Apollo, we're good now," raptor two's pilot said, and Lee thankfully peeled away and did a one eighty, firing his thrusters on full to reach raptor one.

Unfortunately it wasn't quite quick enough. The other two vipers had been destroyed and raptor one was defenceless. The cylons had no mercy and destroyed it instantly.

"Frak, frak, frak, frak!" Lee said angrily, tears forming in his eyes.

"Apollo, Galactica," he heard his father's voice say, urgency foremost. "We're ready to jump. Come on home."

"On my way Galactica," he said, trying to keep the tears out of his voice, as he turned around and coasted into Galactica's hangar bay. "Apollo in."

"Jump in ten ... nine ... eight ..."

Lee stopped his viper and powered down. The canopy hissed open as he pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He stood up, climbed out of the cockpit and walked down the stairs the tech had quickly pushed up against his viper. He strode quickly to raptor two and waited as the hatch opened and the crew stepped out. All six of them had equal expressions of relief on their faces.

Dualla wasn't one of them.

TBC