Kestra walked away from the raptor briskly. She'd just gotten back from a week aboard
Pegasus with Lee. Ever since he'd professed his love for her again two months ago, she'd been spending more time up there with him. She still worried about his feelings for Starbuck, but it was impossible for her to deny his feelings for her, not when she could feel them growing stronger every time they were together. Not to mention her own feelings toward Lee. She admired him above every other person she'd met in the fleet. His sense of justice and right and wrong had been seemingly untouched by the horrors he'd been forced to live with. His convictions were so strong that she felt he had his own gravity that pulled her toward him. Not to mention the kindness with which he treated her individually. These things alone were enough to convince her to give him another chance. He hadn't really promised any type of commitment she could hold him to before, and this time he felt more serious about them. He took into account her mistrust and actively tried to belay her worries and fears. As she walked back through the city, she was so engrossed in thoughts of Lee that she didn't notice the president walking through the streets with his aide. Baltar was half heartedly listening to Felix while looking across the dismal landscape before him. Most every citizen he saw glared at him with hatred. Gaius frowned nervously as he shifted to put his guards more firmly between himself and the people. When he turned back to Felix however, his gaze was caught by a figure just past him. Felix spluttered mid-sentence as Gaius blew past him and walked up to a young woman across the street.
"Miss Riker, we meet again," Gaius said, offering his hand to the lady. Kestra's head shot up to meet Baltar's eyes.
"President Baltar," she said, startled, "hello." She tentatively took his hand and shook it.
"Oh please, it's Gaius. Would you care to walk with me?" he said charmingly. His smile was sickeningly sweet, and Kestra's immediate instinct was to run the other way. However, she did not want to appear suspicious to the president and there were other people around. She reluctantly nodded and Gaius offered her the crook of his arm. "We'll continue this later, Felix," he said dismissively to the man behind him as Kestra took his arm. Felix rolled his eyes as he stormed off away from the pair. "I apologize for Felix. He's unbearably uptight when it comes to these briefings," Gaius said with what he clearly thought was a charming smile.
"Briefings?" Kestra asked curiously.
"Yes, just some nonsense about the availability of food and labor to create a stable economy for the city," he said dismissively.
"That doesn't sound like nonsense," Kestra said, "as president, I would think that you'd be interested in the welfare and stability of your people." Baltar's smile remained pasted on his face as he let out a forced laugh.
"Of course I do, of course I care about the... the people, but there's not much I can do about it out here," he stuttered.
"You could see that there are people living in cramped quarters and forced to feed their children spoiled food to survive. You could see that the people building your city and making it run are forced to work long and hard hours in unsafe conditions. Anything you see and acknowledge you can change, Mr. President," she said. Gaius narrowed his eyes but nodded his head.
"Yes, right. Of course," he said dismissively. Baltar obviously wanted to end this topic of conversation, but Kestra decided that while she had the president's ear she was going to say her piece.
"The power of the president comes with the power to help your people," she said, "if you choose to use it." Gaius looked over her shoulder intently before turning his eyes back to her.
"You are a very insightful young woman. Do you always express your opinions so freely?" he asked.
"Usually," she said. Gaius chuckled.
"I had a feeling. So tell me, where did you learn to speak so articulately?" he asked, "ideas like those imply an education of some kind."
"My parents taught me the difference between right and wrong. It doesn't take a formal education to know that those in power should use that power to help those who have none," she said firmly. Gaius nodded.
"Where are your parents from, may I ask?"
"Caprica, that's where I grew up," she said confidently. Gaius narrowed his eyes and glanced past her again.
"Where on Caprica?"
"I grew up just north of Delphi."
"Ah Delphi, I see," he said as his eyes wandered across the streets, "and how did you escape the attack."
"Attack?" she asked quickly, betraying her nerves for the first time.
"The cylon attack of course. How did you get off the planet?" he asked. Kestra froze up.
"I… I was…"
"It's just that I'd never seen you until a few months ago, and I have to wonder if you've been aboard Galactica since the cylons attacked, why have I never seen you before."
"Well-"
"Yes, I know, it's a big ship. But Galactica is a military ship, and you are clearly not a military officer. You strike me as more of a politician. In addition to that, I've never seen a human with eyes like yours. No color at all. So I feel the need to ask again, where are you from?" Gaius had moved his hand to clamp tightly over Kestra's so she could not remove it from his arm without an obvious struggle. Where Gaius kept his smile painted across his face, Kestra's face now showed the terror that being this close to Baltar inspired in her. "Keep walking. It's alright," Gaius said sweetly when she slowed down. "You see, I'm rather smart, or at least that's what people tell me, and I notice things. Like how I've noticed that you spend an awful lot of time with Laura Roslin. I also noticed that there were rumors of an alien aboard Colonial One that magically disappeared during the election, and the frequent trips you make up to Galactica… What are you giving them?" Kestra tensed as Gaius spoke but continued walking. "Tell me." He tightened his grip and Kestra sucked in a sharp breath. She didn't want to tell Baltar about how Laura and Lee had hidden her. It would only strengthen his suspicions against them, and she definitely didn't want to tell him about her telepathy. She decided to start at the beginning.
"They found me on Kobol, at the tomb of Athena," she said truthfully. Baltar raised an eyebrow and indicated for her to continue. "They thought I was a cylon so they captured me and brought me aboard Galactica as a prisoner."
"Well I know you're not a cylon," he said dismissively, "the question is what are you? Why were you on Kobol?" Kestra, however, had not heard his question. She was more interested in his previous statement.
"How do you know I'm not a cylon?" she asked. Gaius faltered and looked at her nervously for the first time.
"Well... your eyes for one. Cylons are supposed to mimic humans."
"Yes, but it could be a fluke. What makes you so sure I'm not a cylon?" she asked curiously.
"A cylon wouldn't aid the former president of the colonies," he reasoned.
"It would make sense to get the leader of the Twelve Colonies in my pocket, and there was no way for me to know she'd lose the election," Kestra reasoned. Gaius was clearly getting uncomfortable, and Kestra intended to keep the focus on him rather than her. Unfortunately Gaius had the same idea.
"I'm only pointing out that you don't act like the cylons we've found so far who blend in seamlessly with humans until they are activated. You one the other hand, stand out like a sore thumb. What are you?" Kestra glanced and noticed they were passing the school. She saw Maya through the open tent flap and looked pleadingly at the other woman. Gaius stepped forward slightly and blocked her view. "I have plenty of time to wait for an answer," he said, though he didn't sound like he cared to wait long. "What makes you worth protecting? Obviously Adama and Roslin will go to great lengths to keep you around."
"Laura Roslin is my friend," Kestra said bitingly. Gaius actually laughed at that.
"I find that hard to believe. Roslin ran out of friends when she went chasing after the Arrow of Athena and Earth. Now she has assets and I'm wondering what you have that makes you worth it for her," he said mockingly. Kestra smiled. This was one time she knew she had Baltar beat. She wasn't an asset. She was giving Laura nothing, and therefore had nothing to give Baltar. She didn't fear what secrets he would find, because they didn't exist. What she feared from him was only what he would do when he found out what she was. Scientists scared her.
"She knows something, Gaius." Suddenly, a blonde woman walked up behind Gaius and ran her hand through his hair. "She hasn't told you anything we didn't know," she said, her lips brushing against his ear. Kestra narrowed her eyes at the woman. It was one of the cylon models. Number Six. She hadn't seen many, but she could recognize her easily enough. The woman looked back at her with a smirk until she realized that Kestra was looking at her instead of Baltar. She took a step away, but Kestra's eyes followed her.
"Kestra!" Kestra whirled around at the sound of Laura's voice. "You're late. Where have you been?" Kestra turned back to Baltar sharply, but the Six was gone. She looked around for a moment and met Baltar's bewildered gaze.
"I was just speaking with the president, Laura. I'm sorry," she said, turning back to her.
"Well that's fine, I just hope the president doesn't mind if I take my teaching assistant back. We've got a full class today," Laura said looking pointedly at Baltar. He continued staring at Kestra, his mouth gaping open. "Mr. President?" Laura asked more loudly. Baltar shook his head and pasted a smile back on his face.
"Not at all, Laura. I have to be getting back to Colonial One anyway. It was lovely to see you again Kestra," he said as he kissed the back of Kestra's hand lightly. His eyes lingered on her as he backed away toward his ship. Kestra forced herself to look away and hoped that he would continue his exit. She released the breath she had been holding as Laura ran a hand down her arm.
"Are you okay?" Laura asked quickly.
"He knows, Laura. He knows I'm not human," Kestra whispered frantically. Laura's eyes widened as she looked around to make sure no one had heard.
"What do you mean?"
"He figured it out. He knows that you found me on Kobol and that I'm not human like you. He knows that I'm not cylon either."
"How?"
"I asked him that, and he got nervous," Kestra said meaningfully, "you said yourself that he was working with the cylons. He was so sure of it, and there was a woman with him. One of the cylons. She knows something," Laura's brows furrowed.
"The cylons couldn't possibly know about you. I'm sure they were bluffing. Did he threaten you at all?" she asked.
"No, he only wanted to know what I am and why you keep me around. He thinks I'm giving you information or something," Kestra replied. Laura nodded. "What if he tells people?"
"He won't," Laura assured her, "right now he has no proof, and he's probably too curious himself to let anybody else in on the secret. I think you're safe for now. Just try not to let him catch you alone like that again." Kestra nodded. Laura pulled her into a hug which she gratefully accepted. "Everything's going to be alright," Laura assured her, "come on, let's go." She pulled her back toward the school where she could hopefully forget her unsettling conversation with Gaius Baltar.
