Kestra walked through Dogsville passing out rations and gathering requests for extra supplies. As finished her first round of the makeshift town, she ran into Karl Agathon.
"Hello," she said politely, "I don't think we've ever been properly introduced but I'm Kestra." She stuck out her hand and Helo shook it with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, I'm-"
"Helo, yes I know," Kestra interrupted, "I've heard a lot about you." Helo ducked his head and ran a hand through his hair.
"Nothing too bad I hope," he said with a smirk. Kestra laughed lightly.
"No, most people have a lot of respect for you, and even if others don't I do," she replied. Helo raised a brow inquisitively. "I know what you did for the cylons… killing them," she said in a softer voice, "and I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I think it was admirable." Helo's face displayed his shock plainly both at her knowledge of the incident and her reaction to it.
"Thank-thank you," he stuttered. Kestra smiled.
"I'm guessing that's not the reaction you've been getting," she said pointedly.
"Not even close. Even Sharon was angry with what I did," he said. Kestra raised her eyebrows but nodded in understanding.
"I get it. She's got a vendetta against the cylons too. Whether or not she'd really be ok with the extinction of her race, I can see why she wouldn't want you to put her position here in jeopardy by helping them." Helo nodded and ran his hand through his hair again.
"That sounds exactly like what she said," he said with a chuckle, "no matter what I do I'm in hot water with somebody. I'm always 'the guy that married a cylon'. People either hate me or right me off as a defender of lost causes."
"Is that how you ended up here? Defending the lost causes?" Kestra asked. Helo shook his head.
"This is my punishment for my stunt with the cylons," he said, "although officially they never caught the guy who did it. What about you? You here to seek out the lost causes?" Kestra smiled.
"I'm here to help people. I'm not a favorite of the Admiral, so trying to fit in on a military ship is hard without a purpose. I just want to help those who can't help themselves."
"How can the Admiral dislike you? You're his daughter-in-law?"
"Yes, and he believes I manipulated his son into marriage. I am an uncertainty he is unwilling to risk trusting," she said sarcastically.
"Well, I'd be willing to trust you to show me around here a bit since you seem to know what you're doing. If you don't mind," Helo said.
"Of course," Kestra said with a grin. She led Helo down the aisles of partitions, showing him where the different colonists had gathered how they'd organized themselves. "Getting supplies has been difficult, because there's never been a single person in charge of it. The personnel change day to day, so people's requests are often left unmet. I know you're not thrilled about it, but I'm glad you're down here for their sakes." Helo nodded in understanding. They finished a round of the hangar and Helo led Kestra into his office.
"I'd really appreciate it if you continued to help out down here," he said to her as he looked around the dingy room, "you have a good understanding of what the living conditions are like and the trust of the people. I could really use that."
"I don't have anywhere better to be. I'd be happy to help," Kestra replied. Helo smiled.
"Well I appreciate it," Helo said, "I've gotta start organizing these inventory reports so that I can actually get something done down here." Helo sat at the desk and Kestra nodded as she turned to leave. She stopped in the doorway and turned around.
"May I ask," she asked tentatively, "why?" Helo cocked his head inquisitively. "Why did you risk it? You said so yourself that even Sharon was against it. You knew you'd be punished, and I assume you'd have expected the punishment to be greater than this." Kestra gestured around the little office with a shrug. Helo dropped the papers he was holding and leaned back in his chair.
"I guess I just couldn't stand by while we killed an entire civilization," Helo said.
"But it was your home they attacked too, was it not? They tried to do the same thing to your people," Kestra said.
"Hey, I thought you said you were on my side?" Helo argued defensively. Kestra laughed softly.
"I am, Helo, but you're the first human I've met who feels that they deserve life. I'm curious. What makes you different? Even Lee, who I've found to be one of the more moralistic members of your race, was ready to commit genocide at the drop of a hat," Kestra explained, "I wanted to hear it from you instead of relying on my own assumptions." Helo sat in thought for a moment, seriously considering Kestra's question.
"I guess it's because of Sharon," he said finally, "when I learned Sharon was a cylon I didn't believe it, because until that moment cylons had been robots, incapable of thinking or feeling. But Sharon wasn't like that. She was compassionate and resourceful, and she loved me. I realized that if Sharon could be that much like us, they all could. They're not just toasters. They're actually… alive." Kestra smiled.
"That was beautifully put," she said warmly, "my assumptions couldn't have done you justice."
"Really?" Helo said with a smirk.
"Yes," Kestra said, "your love for Sharon it's… quite obvious and very moving. I can see how you two were able to overcome the differences of your species'. It's impressive."
"Well you did the same thing, didn't you?" Helo asked. Kestra scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes it baffles me how Lee can accept me and still have so much hatred for the cylons. I know there is a history of violence between your two peoples, but if he is able to look beyond humanity for me, why can't he do it for them?"
"Humans are good at holding grudges," Helo said ruefully.
"Don't I know it," Kestra said, "then again, most life in the universe is."
"IS there really that much alien life out there?" Helo asked, intrigued.
"Billions of species," Kestra said, her eyes lighting up, "so many that we haven't even encountered them all. My father was an explorer for most of his life. He charted unknown space and made contact with hundreds of new species. My parents' could discover more space in a month than we have in the entire time we've been searching for Earth." Helo smiled at Kestra's infectious excitement.
"That's incredible. Do you think they could find us out here?" he asked. Kestra's face fell.
"I doubt it," she said dully, "the wormhole I came here through was uncharted. We're so far out of Federation space that, even if they were still out there, they'd never find us."
"Your parents are…"
"They're not dead. Or at least, not to my knowledge," Kestra clarified, "but they stopped travelling years ago when I was still a child." Kestra's mind wandered out of the little office and back to a forest and a clear, blue lake. "Will and Deanna are dead, Kestra."
"Are you alright?" Helo asked, bringing Kestra back into the present. She shook her head to drive the dream back into the recesses of her memory, but the lingering dread in the pit of her stomach did not recede.
"Yes, I just… it's hard not knowing," she said. Helo nodded.
"I imagine this must all be very difficult for you. Having to adapt to an entirely new culture, and not being able to get back to the one you knew," he said. Kestra nodded.
"It is," she said with a small smile, "it's nice to hear someone else say it for once." Helo smiled.
"Well you've already been such a big help to me, if there's anything I can do for you, even if you just need to talk about home or something, please allow me to help," he said. Kestra smiled gratefully.
"I've barely done anything," she said, and held up her hand when Helo began to protest, "but thank you for the offer. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome."
"Now, I'd better let you get on with your paperwork. I'll go let the refugees know who they can start fielding their requests to," Kestra said with a smirk. Helo smiled and nodded.
"I'll brace for impact."
