The horizon of New Picon lit up with explosions, and Lee turned to Kara, "I guess the third time isn't the charm."
They had been fighting so long that it felt like second nature to wake up to the sound of explosions all around. Kara felt her husband stir beside her, and within seconds, they were scrambling for their clothes.
As soon as her pants were zipped, she dropped to her knees and started sweeping her arm under the bed. She hit a familiar metal box and yanked it out with all her strength. The dust caught in her throat, but she only gave herself the luxury of coughing once. There wasn't time.
Blinking her now stinging eyes, she recalled the dust that clogged up everything on New Kobol. It had been the Fleet's second attempt to make a new start sixteen months after the tragedy on New Caprica. That planet had torn them in two during the occupation and through all the damages when Pegasus and Galactica returned. The wounds had just healed when they came up on the desert planet.
The plan had been just to pick up any available supplies and move on. No one was stupid enough to suggest they stay, no matter how nice the planet looked. Burdens were meant to be carried; otherwise they wouldn't be burdens. It would have worked if it wasn't for the dust.
Pegasus's engines became clogged along with half the ships in the Fleet within seconds of entering the atmosphere. It was quickly apparent that they're weren't going anywhere until the Chief came up with a way to flush the engines and prevent re-clogging. They settled in and after a few months, people did start wondering if maybe this was it. The Cylons didn't show up even though there was nothing keeping them away. They weren't masked by a nebula this time.
A lot of mistakes… stupid, foolish choices… had been made on New Kobol, and it took years to repair that damage. Kara knew that firsthand. Although she was one of loudest protesters settling down on the planet, she was also one of the ones who made the worst mistakes. The Fleet almost didn't make it out of this one alive because of her.
A large bang pulled her away from the memories. She wasn't on New Kobol anymore. Those mistakes had been long forgiven. She took the dogtags being held out to her and smiled as the familiar weight settled around her neck. It had been a long time.
Kara flipped the latch on the dusty box and almost giggled as it snapped off completely. She guessed they could have picked a less-used box for this, but it was too late to go back now. This one was sturdy, secure enough to last decades without harm. Its insides looked barely touched.
The weight of the gun in her hand was as familiar as the tags around her neck, and Kara bit back a smile. She slid the weapon into the waistband of her pants before reaching down to grab another to join it.
The final two guns in the case weren't loaded which meant they hadn't been when he handed them to her to be packed this box five months earlier. Her husband was a more trusting man than she was. Kara snapped in clips and then tossed them into his waiting hands.
"Reminds you of the old days, right?" she teased.
He gave her an annoyed look and shook his head. "Things were a lot different when it was you, me, and the resistance running from those Cylons." He paused before pointing out. "Every single one of these fraking 'lay down your burdens' planets is different."
"At least we were ready this time." Kara could already hear the sounds of the Fleet ships being powered up. The evacuation was in progress.
"Barolay, Sharon, and Helo are probably waiting for us in the square."
Kara nodded and grabbed her old jacket, the one she had worn for so many cold months on New Caprica. The weight felt familiar, though not quite as comforting as the guns. She was pretty sure that said something important about the way she chose to live her life, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.
Together they jogged across the tent and through the flaps. Outside was a surprisingly quiet chaos. Everyone knew the jobs that needed to be done by this point.
The horizon of New Picon lit up with explosions, and Lee turned to Kara, "I guess the third time isn't the charm."
Kara rolled her eyes. If he honestly thought she believed the prospect of fighting the Cylons again didn't excite him, then he was an idiot. Lee was a man who needed a war, which in the end was why their marriage worked. He needed a handful like her in his life. "Let's go be heroes."
