Kestra and Laura stood at the back of the crowd. Gaius Baltar had started his speech about working together toward a better tomorrow, but Laura clearly wasn't interested in listening.
"Why did we come to this?" Kestra asked under her breath.
"Because no matter how much I hate Gaius Baltar," Laura replied softly, "I have respect for the office of the president and for the work that it will take for us to make this planet a home."
"Home?" Kestra asked, "that's the first time you've admitted that we may be here long term." Laura rolled her eyes and kept her eyes fixed forward.
"I'm not saying I'm comfortable with Baltar's decision, but we're here now. As long as we're not in immediate peril we may as well enjoy it," she said. People started clapping, and the pair joined in halfheartedly. They began to walk away as the crowd dispersed. People were chatting and the bar was already overrun, mostly with pilots from the Galactica.
"How optimistic of you," Kestra commented as the pair wandered through the celebration. Kestra looked over to the bar and saw Starbuck, Anders, and the Tighs all laughing and drinking. Laura caught the look and smirked.
"You planning on buddying up to Captain Thrace at the bar?" she asked. Kestra slapped her arm lightly.
"Even if I liked drinking I wouldn't do it with Captain Thrace," she said.
"I've always liked her spirit and her confidence," Laura commented thoughtfully.
"I don't doubt her bravery," Kestra said, "just her common sense and morality." Laura shrugged in acquiescence. "I'm also not entirely partial, because I know Lee still has a thing for her." Laura nodded with a smile now.
"Yes, I can see how that would make you mistrust her," Laura said.
"If Lee wants to be with Starbuck he's free to do so," Kestra said with feigned indifference, "I just worry that if Lee decides to stay with me, Starbuck has no respect for others' boundaries or feelings… I worry that she'll always see Lee as hers even if he chose me."
"Knowing Kara," Laura said slowly, "I can't say I'd be surprised. She's very impulsive. I can't say that we're close friends, but I've always admired her loyalty." Kestra nodded.
"Speaking of close friends," she said with a smirk as she looked over Laura's shoulder, "I think somebody is watching you." Laura's head whipped around to see Bill Adama standing across from her. He offered her a small smile which she returned before turning back to Kestra. "Go on," Kestra said encouragingly.
"Come with me," Laura said. Kestra shook her head.
"I know that you are friends, but I don't think I could survive a conversation with Admiral Adama. He's so boring," Kestra said with a laugh. Laura's eyes widened in shock.
"He is not boring," she scolded her friend, "I think he's very interesting."
"Then you go talk to him, I'll find someone else to entertain me. Don't worry," Kestra said. Laura rolled her eyes, but obeyed as she turned toward Bill. Kestra watched Laura and Bill greet each other fondly and smiled. Shortly after Laura and Bill started talking Felix Gaeta walked up to them. Kestra let out a relieved laugh as she thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't gotten sucked into a conversation with Adama and Gaeta. She turned and meandered toward the bar. Anders caught sight of her as she passed.
"Hey, it's my rookie pyramid player," he called, "how've you been Kestra?" Kestra smiled at him and walked over to the bar.
"I've been good. How about you?" she said. She didn't hear much of his answer, because she was distracted by the harsh looks she received from Starbuck and Colonel Tigh. Kestra shifted uncomfortably under their gazes and tried to pay attention to Sam.
"But there's an open bar, so I can't complain," he finished whatever he had been saying. Kestra forced an amused smile at his joke. "Hey, Kara," he said, turning to Starbuck, "this is Kestra. I taught her to play pyramid a couple weeks ago. She's pretty good. Might give you a run for your money." Kara nodded stoically.
"I heard they let you out with the rest of us, but I never thought the old man would be so soft," Tigh grumbled through his whiskey. Anders' brow furrowed, but before he could respond Kara jumped into the conversation.
"It's not the old man's doing. Lee's the one that let it out," she snapped. Tigh's brow rose in amusement, though it could have been ire, one couldn't be sure just looking at him.
"What's going on here?" Sam interrupted, confused. Kara gave him a patronizing look.
"She's not human, Sam," she said. Sam's eyes shot to Kestra in shock.
"She's a cylon?" he asked incredulously.
"No," Kestra said emphatically. She glared at Starbuck and Tigh. "I am human. Your friends here just refuse to accept life outside their meager understanding." Tigh and Starbuck didn't react, but Sam was getting more irritated by the second.
"Kara, will you please explain to me what is going on?" he asked angrily. Kara finally focused all her attention on Sam as she explained.
"We found this… thing," she gestured to Kestra, "on Kobol, and it convinced the Admiral and the President that it's not a cylon. But it's not human." She glared at Kestra when she finished.
"And that makes me worth less somehow? Because you humans are clearly superior to other life, out here running for your lives from your own creations," Kestra seethed. She seemed to have momentarily stumped her companions. Kara recovered first.
"Humans have each other, and that is all we need. You have no one," came her retort. Kestra rolled her eyes.
"And Laura wonders why I don't like you," Kestra muttered.
"You don't like me, because I'm the only thing keeping Lee from abandoning all his common sense and trusting you," Kara argued, "it just burns you to know you can't have him all to yourself." Kestra laughed.
"Lee can do whatever he likes. Don't worry, there are many things about you I don't like without bringing Lee into the conversation. Perhaps that's why you feel the need to make it about him, to distract us from your hardheadedness and blatant disregard for life," Kestra argued.
"I'm not going to listen to a morality lecture from a frackin toaster," Kara yelled. Heads turned at Kara's outburst. Kestra ducked her head and tried to calm herself.
"Even you know I'm not a cylon, Captain Thrace," Kestra said softly, "but I think it's time I left."
"Yeah, I think it is," Kara said angrily as Kestra walked away. Kestra walked across the celebration trying to avoid running into the people that were milling around. She caught Laura looking at her with concern from her place beside Bill Adama. Laura put a hand on Bill's arm and started walking toward Kesra, but Kestra shook her head. Laura stopped in her tracks but continued to look questioningly at Kestra. She shook her head again and turned to walk in the other direction. Kestra quickened her pace as she walked away from the center of the crowd. Just as she was about to clear the gathering, she ran into someone.
"I'm terribly sorry," a man's voice said, "I must not have been looking where I was going." Kestra looked up to see a young man with shoulder length brown hair and glasses. She recognized him immediately not only from Laura's description but also from the ceremony that had taken place only moments earlier.
"President Baltar," she said stiffly, "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going either." Baltar was staring at her with an intensity that made her rather uncomfortable. She shifted her eyes to look for an excuse to leave the man's presence. Baltar seemed to snap out of whatever daze was keeping his gaze fixed on Kestra.
"Ah yes," he said with a charming smile, "well, I guess we're both to blame. Sorry, I don't think I caught your name." Kestra hesitated as she debated telling him her name. She didn't know if he had any knowledge of her imprisonment, and even if he did, whether or not he would recognize her name.
"Kestra Riker," she said tentatively. If Baltar recognized her, he didn't give any indication of it. He stuck out his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you, Kestra," he said, "I know you already know who I am, but, Gaius Baltar. You can call me Gaius." His eyes ran up and down her body, and Kestra pulled her hand out of his grasp rather quickly. Baltar's eyes suddenly darted just over Kestra's shoulder, and she turned her head to see what he was looking at. There were many people behind her but none stood out or caught her eye. She turned back to Baltar, and he was still looking past her. "Where are you from, Kestra?" he asked. After his question he finally focused his eyes back on her. "Pardon me, that must have seemed rather rude. I just can't recall ever seeing you before today." His gaze had turned slightly suspicious, and Kestra wondered if she had done something to give herself away.
"Oh, well I was staying aboard Galactica, but the last few months I've been with former President Roslin on Colonial One," Kestra answered as vaguely as she dared.
"I've spent a great deal of time on both those ships. It's a wonder I've never seen you before," Baltar remarked with forced congeniality.
"Galactica's a big ship," Kestra replied. Baltar nodded thoughtfully, but didn't respond. Instead he continued to stare intensely into her eyes.
"You're eyes, they're so… black," he remarked in a low voice, "remarkable."
"Kestra!" a voice called from behind. Kestra turned quickly and saw, to her relief, Lee was approaching them. "I see you've met our esteemed new president. Mr. Baltar," Lee greeted as he came up and put an arm around Kestra's waist, an action that was not missed by Baltar.
"Commander Adama, how lovely to see you. Are you enjoying the celebration?" Baltar asked conversationally.
"I am now," he said turning to Kestra, "I've been looking everywhere for you. You don't mind if I steal her for a bit, do you Mister President?" Lee turned back to Baltar. Gaius blinked a couple of times before stuttering his answer.
"Uh, yes… I mean, no, not at all. Lovely to meet you," he said before turning and hurrying away. Lee pulled Kestra in the opposite direction and laughed.
"My hero," Kestra said as she leaned into Lee's side, "I was getting ready to make a run for it." Lee laughed again.
"Not a fan of our new leader?" he asked jokingly. Kestra rolled her eyes.
"You've seen the amount of time I spend with Laura. What else did you expect?" she asked with a smirk.
"I expect you to meet a man before passing judgement on him," Lee said, "I know you, and I know you're not basing your entire assessment of his character on Laura Roslin's say so."
"No," she said a little more seriously, "but he does make me very uncomfortable. I don't like the way he looks at me." Lee's brows furrowed.
"Looks at you how?" he asked quickly. Kestra shook her head and ran a calming hand up and down his arm.
"It's not like that, Lee. I can't really explain it. It felt like he was looking through me. There were moments where he seemed so intensely focused, and then it seemed as though I wasn't even there. I didn't like either one," she said. Lee nodded.
"That sounds like him. I've never had a conversation with the man where he wasn't distracted by something behind me. He's supposed to be a genius, so I guess I've always just written it off as eccentricity," Lee said.
"It makes me uneasy," Kestra said, "it doesn't feel like an eccentricity… I don't know. It's probably nothing."
"With Baltar, it's never nothing. That man is always working some angle for himself behind the scenes. Luckily for us, we are not in the political circle which should make it easy for us to avoid him," Lee said.
"Sounds perfect," she said. Lee led her through the crowd.
"You want to say hi to the crew?" he said, gesturing to the bar. Kara had amassed a small crowd of pilots from Galactica now, and they were drinking like there was no tomorrow. Kestra stiffened.
"No, actually I'd rather not," she said quickly. Lee laughed it off.
"Come on, Kestra, they're my friends," he said as he led her toward the bar.
"No, Lee," she said, pulling away from him, "I said I don't want to." She had stopped in the middle of the crowd and people were parting around the two of them as they faced off.
"Kestra, you can't just avoid people forever. You're a part of this fleet now,and you'll have to make some friends beyond me and Laura Roslin," he said exasperatedly. Kestra's eyes widened.
"I don't have a problem with the fleet or your friends, Lee," she said, "they have a problem with me."
"Who has a problem with you?" Lee asked impatiently. Kestra shook her head.
"You know what, Lee?" she said with finality, "enjoy the groundbreaking. Go hang out with your friends." with that she turned and stormed off.
"Kestra," Lee called after her in irritation, but she didn't glance back once. Lee sighed and meandered his way through the celebration, deciding to skip the bar. For now.
Kestra sat in the weeds watching the moon reflect off the lake. She had spent the entire evening out here after fighting with Lee. They didn't fight often, but when they did, it usually had something to do with her relationships in the fleet. He didn't like that she spent so much time with Laura, and didn't care for the pilots he called his friends. Of all Lee's friends, the one Kestra liked the most was Dee, and she avoided Kestra for obvious reasons. Kestra didn't particularly like the group of cocky viper pilots, and least of all was her opinion of Kara Thrace. She was arrogant, selfish, and reckless, and Kestra couldn't understand how anyone could trust her. The only positive quality Kestra had seen in Kara was her fierce loyalty to the Adamas, which hadn't done Kestra any favors. Kara saw Kestra as a threat to them, especially Lee. Kestra knew she couldn't stop Lee from trusting Kara, or loving her, but she knew Lee to be a fiercely moral man. She couldn't believe that he threw all his sensibility out the window at Starbuck's beck and call. That's why she had to leave the celebration. She knew as soon as Lee was around Kara, she wouldn't like the man she saw. Kestra preferred to see Lee on his own, when he wasn't under the influence of Starbuck. She grew tired of sitting and began to wander the woods around the lake. She had been doing this for months since they had been on New Caprica, but this evening she wanted to go beyond her usual path. Having grown up in the forests of Nepenthe, Kestra had no problem knowing where she was, even in the dim light of the evening. She danced along the treeline, until she heard a voice across a clearing to her right.
"My name is Lee Adama, and I love Kara Thrace!" it screamed into the night. Kestra froze on the spot as silence engulfed her once more. She looked out across the plain and saw two tiny figures silhouetted by the moonlight. "I love Kara Thrace, and I don't care who frakking knows," came another shout from across the field. Kestra was suddenly acutely aware of the chill in the air as the cold air burned her lungs. How could Lee have used her like this? Although, he never actually made her any promises. Did he? Still, she'd given him an out, but he didn't take it. He said he loved her. Lee said that he loved Kestra, and that Starbuck wasn't what he was looking for. He said that to her face. He'd promised hadn't he? And now he was professing his love to Kara in a field in the middle of the night. What was she supposed to do now?
"Lee Adama!" His shouts interrupted her thoughts. There was a tense silence, and Kestra listened for the end of his statement.
"Kara Thrace loves Lee Adama," Kara yelled in a quieter voice than Lee's. Kestra couldn't tell whether she wanted to run to confront them or run away to suffer in silence. She chose running away. Kestra ran through the forest until she was so tired she couldn't move any more. She dropped to the ground and was asleep within seconds. She spent the night under a tree in the mountains while Lee spent his night in a field in the arms of Kara Thrace.
