"Anders is sick. He has pneumonia," Kara said into the radio. Lee sighed. He knew that he had the meds Anders needed, but he couldn't risk leaving his pilots without meds if they needed them. However, he also wanted to mend the break between himself and Starbuck, and this could be the first step of having that conversation with her.
"I'll see what I can do," Lee said, "but listen, Starbuck, I wanted to talk to you."
"Lee, I know you're mad at me, but Sam had nothing to do with that. He could die," Kara said desperately.
"Kara, I said I'd get the meds. What I wanted to say… I'm not mad at you Kara," he said, "I get it. You love Sam, and I wish you both the best. I just miss my friend." There was silence on the other end. He could hear Kara's breathing. "Can you forgive me?" he asked. Kara inhaled a sharp breath on the other side of the line.
"Lee… I'm sorry… I," Kara stuttered as her voice grew thick with tears. Lee did his best to hold back his own tears.
"No, no Kara, I'm sorry. I was drunk. I wasn't thinking. You've always… you've always been there for me, and I didn't want to lose you. But… Anders is a good man, and he loves you. I just hope I haven't ruined… everything," Lee rambled.
"Nothing could ever come between us, Lee. Not even my husband," Kara choked out. Lee laughed through the tears that had finally fallen.
"If anything's going to ruin our friendship it's my own stupidity. I was being selfish," he said, then after a pause, "so… are we good?" Kara let out a short laugh.
"Yeah… yeah we're good, Lee," she said, "Lee… I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Lee laughed.
"Commander," Dee shouted from across the table.
"Hold on, Starbuck," Lee said into the phone, "What is it Lieutenant?"
"We're picking up something on DRADIS," she said.
"DRADIS, how can you see anything in that soup?" Lee said as he dropped the phone and focused all his attention on the screen.
"There it is," Dee said as the unknown icon popped back up on the view screen. Lee squinted his eyes to get a better look.
"What? What is it?"
"Oh my gods, it's the cylon fleet. They found us," Dee said, as ships began to pop up all over the screen.
"Everyone to action stations. Get me the Admiral," Lee ordered as his blood ran cold. His thoughts ran rampant as he watched the cylon ships grow closer on the screen. They didn't have enough men. Both battlestars were undermanned, and there was no way they could mount any successful attack on the cylons. Their only option was to flee, otherwise they would all die and the human race would be extinct. Lee scrambled to get to the comms and heard his father's voice on the other end.
"Lee," Adama said.
"Admiral there's too many of them. We have to get out of here, sir," Lee said quickly. Lee's thoughts immediately went out to the supply raptor that was due to return soon. He couldn't leave without her.
"We can't just leave all those people behind," Bill insisted. Lee's brow furrowed.
"There's nothing we can do. It's taken us forever just to get to action stations over here. We're in no shape for a fight."
"They'll be wiped out."
"We don't have a choice. We need to get out of here right now," Lee insisted. The other end of the line went silent, and Lee turned to his own officers.
"Spool up the FTL," he commanded, "has the supply raptor returned?"
"Yes Commander," a lieutenant replied from across the CIC. Lee breathed a sigh of relief as his attention was regained by his father.
"Begin jump prep. We're leaving, but we'll be back. Begin your prep," the Admiral ordered. Lee nodded to his officers.
"Jump."
"Jump in five, four, three, two, one," an officer counted down. Lee looked at DRADIS as they jumped away and watched as the fleet began to reappear. He grabbed the receiver again.
"Admiral?" he asked. There was silence.
"I expect you aboard Galactica in an hour, Commander," the Admiral ordered angrily.
"Yes sir," Lee responded quickly as he put down the receiver, "Lieutenant Dualla, you have the con." Dee nodded as he left the CIC. Lee rushed as he walked down the corridors toward the hangar bay. He knew his raptor wouldn't be ready to take off any time soon, but he had to see that the supply raptor had made it back safely with his own eyes. When he got to the bay, he saw the raptor was empty and the pilot was standing a few meters away filling out paperwork.
"Ensign?" he asked as he approached the pilot, "where is your passenger?" The ensign looked terrified when he met Lee's eyes, and Lee's blood ran cold.
"Commander… sir, she said to tell you that she is staying on New Caprica for a few more days…" The pilot tapered off nervously as Lee's gaze shot back to the empty raptor.
"She's still on the planet," Lee said softly. His breath was constricted in his chest. He'd just abandoned the love of his life and the majority of the human race to die at the hands of the cylons.
