They strode down the corridors of the Rising Star trying to at least keep their backs straight to maintain some dignity in their state of undress.
"If the IFB finds me, I will never live this down. What time is it?" Starbuck muttered.
"You're the one wearing the chrono. Don't worry, we're taking the service lift," Boomer answered him as he steered them away from the main corridors of the luxury liner. Thankfully they only encountered a couple of maids, and no one else. Once in the room assigned to Apollo, they all sagged in unison.
"Your head pounding as much as mine?" Starbuck asked Boomer who just nodded and groaned his answer.
"What time is it?" Apollo asked remembering how even in his inebriated state, as they stripped him down Starbuck insisted they leave his chrono alone. He tried to not laugh too hard as Starbuck squinted and tried to read the numbers.
"Midmorning. We slept late. I need to go see Rene."
"Not until we clean you up. A turbo, some food, dress uniform, then we'll go find her together. I owe her an apology more than you do. It wasn't your fault. I knew the squadron had some pranks planned," Apollo said.
Before his friend could reach for a comm to order some breakfast to be sent up, the door chimed and Crius walked in, already washed up, sporting a fresh haircut.
"You're alive. So the rumors you died were exaggerated?"
"I'm alive. Just barely, but I won't be for long if I don't get these kisses off me. Tell me you at least respect me now that it's morning," Starbuck jibed.
"I still respect you. Breakfast is on the way. My tried and true hangover cure." Crius handed him the garment bag in his hands. "I got your dress uniform pressed, your boots shined and the gold clusters gleaming. I wouldn't let you down, Buckaroo." Crius grinned, laughing as Starbuck eyed him sceptically.
"So, it wasn't you pouring all those shots of engine cleaner down my throat?" Starbuck's remark earned him a hard slap on his bare back as he groaned.
"You can have the turbo first, Starbuck. Try to leave some warm water for me and Boomer," Apollo said reaching for his own luggage.
"I suggest you three hurry it up. The IFB is starting pictures in a centaur. Adama said something about an interview and you being an announcer for a junior triad game?" Crius added.
"Oh frak, I forgot. I need to talk to Rene. You went by there to get the uniform. How mad is she?"
Crius shook his head. "Don't know. Didn't see her. Talked with my wife. She said they all crashed and watched vids. Why, what did you do?"
"What didn't he do?" Boomer remarked.
Starbuck shot him an exasperated look before turning back to Crius. "I screwed up, let's leave it at that. Can you track her down while I get ready? I need to apologize, but first I need to erase the damage you did." He pointed to the large red mark just over his heart.
"Yeah, about that," Crius smirked, "Don't scrub too hard because that's not going anywhere. Reacts to water and trust me, it will burn."
"Are you fraking kidding me? This just gets better and better," he mumbled as he turned away from his supposed friends heading for the turbo. He took the time to hang up the garment bag, opening it to ensure it really did contain his dress uniform and not a clown suit as another prank. The door to the small room opened abruptly. He spun too fast and pain exploded in his head, a good reminder not to shout too loudly at whoever had barged in.
"Java," Apollo said handing him the mug.
"Is it really java or did the squadron lace it with laxatives?" Starbuck eyed the mug warily looking through the open doorway to Crius who was grinning.
Apollo activated the door to close before turning to him. "Hey, you know I wouldn't do that to you. I owe you for getting sealed without you. I know what they used and can at least keep it from branding you for life." Apollo opened a jar from the counter, smearing liberally some type of jelly on the marks on his chest before reaching in and turning on the water for him. "Get cleaned up. I'll keep breakfast warm for you."
Starbuck took a long turbo, trying to wake up and chase away the aching in his back. He looked down at the marks on his chest wishing he could get them off, but as he wiped away the jelly from one of them, it actually sparked like it was going to explode. He left them alone and worked on his hair before taking the time to utilize the mirror in the turbo to shave. He was out of the turbo and wrapped in a towel when Apollo barged in again, another cup of java in his hand and several pills.
"The infamous Starbuck's hangover cure, or so you always said, painkillers and stimulants. I think this will work better than the greasy breakfast Crius ordered." Starbuck felt his stomach turn just at the thought of food, let alone anything heavy or greasy. Starbuck downed the pills and the java before turning back to survey the damage in the mirror.
"Thanks for leaving the face alone," he grumbled.
"I owed it to you. I'll help you with the cape and the medals later. You never can get them to hang right. Could you hurry it up? We're running late. Adama messaged that he's waiting."
Starbuck just grunted as he went to work on brushing out whatever hairy beast had taken up residence in his mouth, noting that Apollo didn't wait for him to vacate the turbo before stepping in to wash up. Yahrens of communal living had made the two used to such intrusions on their privacy, but it was in stark contrast to who was usually barging into the turbo in the past few sectons, a pretty blonde that would take the time to kiss him and call him handsome even when bleary eyed and half awake.
"So how big are the quarters on the Zakar?" he asked his friend who simply replied that they were running late and could talk later. Starbuck got dressed, working on the cape and medals on his own, but Apollo was right. He never could seem to get everything in the right place. "I think I get why Cain just went with the epaulets. Hey, you have your own ship now. You could do away with these archaic capes. Pretty sure we could put all the extra fabric to some sort of good use."
Apollo stepped out of the turbo toweling off before reaching for his own uniform. "Oh, I don't know, I kind of like the capes. I get to pretend I'm an epic hero from the stories of old Caprica or someone from Kobol."
"You would. You're stuck in the past." Starbuck fumbled with the gold cluster, his hands not quite able to manage the intricacies of the clasp.
"Here let me," Apollo said taking the medal from his hand. "They still a little numb? How's the tingling?"
He found himself shrugging, a bad habit from the Rats rubbing off on him.
"You sure it's a good idea for you to be back on flight status? What if you have to deal with your ship's electronics or anything else that might require a light touch?" Apollo asked, repositioning the clasps for the cape.
"That's what we have technicians for and I've been assured I won't see a cockpit for at least three cycles. I earned a honeymoon."
"That you did." Apollo kept his eyes on the task of positioning the medals while he spoke. "I read Dixon's report. He has some concerns about how you're dealing with what happened on Caprica."
"Huh," Starbuck grunted, feeling his irritation prickle at his nerves as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "He told me that would be confidential."
"Perks of being in command. I get to read confidential things. He claims you'll deal with it in time, but not to expect you to say anything about it if it becomes a problem. Sounded like he got to know you pretty well in a short conversation." Apollo pinned down the breast plate so it didn't move, a secret that Apollo claimed he learned from his father, before stepping back. "There. You look somewhat presentable. Now you owe me. If it becomes a problem, you come talk to me, understood? You may be getting sealed, again, but I am still your friend."
"Understood," Starbuck said letting his momentary pulse of anger fade away. "I'm fine, really."
"Of course you are. You've got it locked down so tight I couldn't even get you to talk about it when you were drunk swaying your feet. You may look the hero in this cape, but you don't have to be all the time. You know that right? You can trust me."
"I don't know. You're in command now, and you never were for this sealing." Starbuck jibed before instantly regretting it as a look of annoyance followed by concern passed over Apollo's features. His friend stepped back further.
"I know." Apollo looked away and Starbuck could swear he looked ashamed for a moment before he turned back. "I was concerned about the speed of events and her age. You have to remember, I knew her before and then I got to know who she's become. I was worried she was taking advantage of you and you like to play the epic hero of old as well. Makes you a bit blind when it comes to being conned. Remember Chameleon?"
It was Starbuck's turn to look away, remembering how his friend had tried to warn him that the old gambler might be using him. Lady luck had a strange sense of humor as evidenced by the twist of fate that the conman really was his father. "Yeah, I remember. You're not subtle in voicing your opinions."
"Not when it comes to my friend's well-being. I was just looking out for you, but then Athena reminded me of my own sealing."
"The one you had without me." Starbuck couldn't hold back the sting of betrayal in his words.
"The one I had because of you. I would have waited but…" Apollo hesitated.
"But didn't want me to mess up your perfect holo pic with my dishevelled dress uniform?" Starbuck tried to lighten the mood that had become far more serious than he could handle with a hangover.
"I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead," Apollo proceeded ignoring his attempt at a joke. "And Serina argued for our sealing right then and there by using your logic. She Starbucked me when she said that she just wanted every moment we had left before she lost me, that we shouldn't wait for a tomorrow that may never come. She was right. I'm sorry I forgot that. You deserve every moment you have left to be with the ones you love even if it is reckless and foolhardy."
"Those are the best kinds of moments," Starbuck said reaching out a hand to his friend's shoulder. "You left the face alone, so I forgive you. Come on, we're running late." He turned towards the door, finding it hard to deal with the moment.
"One more thing."
Starbuck sighed and turned back towards his friend. "Look, we have a busy day and…"
"I read Dixon's report on Rene as well. She's not okay."
Starbuck nodded as he flipped through a hundred smart remarks, settling for a less caustic approach. "I know. It's why your father got Dixon involved and you wrestled her into Dante's office against her will. But then again, are any of us okay? Our worlds were destroyed right before our eyes and we lost a whole war in a day. I think it might be asking too much for us to be emotionally stable after all that."
Apollo just nodded, seeming to ignore all the words as he asked, "Have you given her the coordinates to earth?"
Starbuck sighed heavily as he leaned against the counter shaking his head. "No, I haven't. I can't decide if it's a good idea, but I don't think it matters. Pretty sure she already knows."
"What makes you say that? Has she said anything?"
Starbuck scanned the eagerness in Apollo's eyes. He was worse than Adama with his mysticism as Apollo had faith wrapped up with the science and astrophysics offered by Peryton.
"Just a hunch," he answered hardly believing it himself that he was going to default on the side of the mystery of the Lords. "If she doesn't know it, she'll search for it and she has a way around passwords and security. She's not asking me anymore or digging for information, so I'm pretty sure she knows what she wants to know. If we let her near a viper, well…" Starbuck left unsaid what he thought would happen.
Apollo nodded, agreeing to the unspoken assessment. "We need her to be okay before that happens."
"Been working on it."
"And how are you going to fix her when you're dealing with the same thing?"
Starbuck nodded looking away, seeing where his friend was headed on his trajectory. "I'm fine."
"Good. I need you to be before we move the Copper Squadron to the Zakar because I know they won't be fine, not at first. I need them to be…better…for the proposal I am going to make to my father and the Council of Twelve."
Starbuck turned back to scan his friend again. Apollo often came up with plans more hare-brained and daring than his own, like infiltrating a Basestar with just one raider. "Go on, I'm listening."
Apollo's evil grin confirmed Starbuck's suspicions. "The Zakar will be fully operational soon, and with the new mines and their defensive capabilities, plus with the support of the other ships we have gained, the fleet doesn't need the Zakar. I think we can afford to do a little scouting ahead or to look for more survivors of our worlds behind us."
"Form our own fleet?"
"Something like that, yes. Cain and Dante both had a good point. Military ships are capable of far faster speeds than the old civilian vessels. Look at the distance Dante was able to achieve in just one yahren, and that was with battle damage. With maximum propulsion and weapons fully charged we could get twice as far."
Starbuck shook his head again. "I can't believe I have to say this to you of all people, but at what cost? He left a lot of people to die."
Apollo held up his hand forestalling Starbuck's criticisms. "I am not suggesting we leave anyone behind, only that we scout ahead or search behind and we can go a lot further using Rene's abilities."
"Oh." Starbuck was stunned speechless for a moment at the thought of the possibilities and the realization of what Apollo had been trying the other day with the guns from the Galactica and the device Rene used. "So just the Zakar?"
"For now, until we understand more of what she can do and what lies out there waiting for us. But…" Apollo locked eyes with him, "It needs to be a group effort for the right reasons. I need her to be emotionally stable and ready. I need this to not become …" It was Apollo's turn to leave unstated what could happen.
"Understood," Starbuck answered not wanting to delve too deep into all the ways this could go wrong. It wouldn't. He'd make sure it didn't. "I can do that, or at least try. If she'll let me," he added wondering again at just what exactly he had said when he confronted her the night before. He nodded again, saying mostly to himself, "Understood. I need to go fix this. You and your father are right, there's a lot riding on this sealing."
Apollo reached out a hand halting him.
"No, Starbuck, I didn't tell you all this to add more pressure. That wasn't my point. It was to let you know you have my support and anything you need. I wanted you to be able to let Rene know that she has control of her life and her abilities. The Zakar can act alone with willing volunteers. I want Rene to not feel pressured or like she has to carry the weight of the whole fleet on her shoulders. She can have all the time she needs to adjust to her new life and a decent command, and when she is ready, she can have free reign over how we move forward. That's what I'm trying to say."
"Oh." He found himself nodding several times, left astonished once again by the future full of possibilities that lay before them. The Lords were smiling on them for once.
Before he had a chance to voice his appreciation, Boomer was pounding on the door. "Guys, save me some hot water!"
Apollo turned to key open the door and Boomer entered grumbling, "We're running late. The IFB is looking for you."
"We can talk later," Apollo said putting his arm around Starbuck's shoulders. "Your public awaits."
Jason and Cain were in the room, both wearing new clothes that closely resembled cadet uniforms and shorter hair. They were devouring the meal Crius had ordered up which was probably for the best as the fowl ovum looked disgusting, but Starbuck did reach for the fried porcine slices.
"Hey Stupid," Jason greeted him while Cain grinned around a mouthful of waffles.
"Yeah that's me. How mad is she?" Starbuck asked.
Jason and Cain shared an evil look before Jason replied, "Mad? Why would Rene be mad?"
"The socialator," Cain tossed out reaching for a fried porcine strip.
"Oh yeah, that," Jason parried back. "So Stupid, did you cheat on my mom?"
Starbuck wanted to toss back that she wasn't his mom, not really seeing as she was just five or six yahrens older than Jason, but he bit back the words answering instead, "No I didn't. It wasn't my idea and all the gal did was dance. So how mad is Rene?"
Jason just grinned as he stuffed more food in his mouth. It was Cain that took some pity on him.
"I don't think she's mad. She spent half the night in turbo and the other half on the couch watching vids not saying much."
"Frak," he muttered to himself knowing silence from Rene meant she was worse than angry, she was constructing more barricades to keep herself safe.
"Oh, and Gage stopped by," Jason added.
"Colonel Gage? Why? What's wrong?" Starbuck hadn't seen much of Gage since the dinner in Adama's chambers that ended with Rene melting down and Gage wrestling her into therapy.
"Nothing, I think. He didn't come in. They talked for a long time in the corridor. All I know is that Cain is out as protector today." Jason replied.
"What? Why? Where is she?" He was done with the pranks and shenanigans. He knew the only way to solve this was to face it head on, the sooner the better.
He made it out the door as Apollo called to his retreating back to wait for him, but Adama was coming down the corridor, an IFB commentator with him. Starbuck was snared and he put on his public face, trying to be cheerful, but he was pulled away from his objective as they were joined by Jason, Cain, Crius, Apollo and Boomer. He was led off to the triad courts where he gave the promised interview in the commentator's area, answering questions mostly about triad and his career. He pulled Jason and Cain into the conversation, remembering what Max had said about Rene and her recruiting of teens from the Orphan ship. Cain had squared his shoulders and looked the epitome of an Academy Cadet as he confidently answered the questions about how he had become part of the family. Both Starbuck and Cain were taken aback when the announcer summarized the kid's words.
"And that is how you became Starbuck's son, or will be after today's ceremony?"
Cain blushed and sputtered as Starbuck tried to blink away whatever had landed in his eye. It was Jason who answered for them, "Yes sir. He's been acting like a father to all of us."
The commentator turned back to Starbuck asking a question that had to be one provided to the IFB by Adama, "So what do you think it takes in today's fleet to become a good father?"
"Paperwork," he answered with the first words that came to his mind.
The reporter chuckled and asked, "Seriously Lieutenant, with your busy work schedule and duties, what have you found to be the biggest obstacle to parenthood?"
"In all honesty, the paperwork. It doesn't require a lot to be a parent. I learned in my own days in an orphanage that anyone has the capability to take in an orphan and we don't require much, just someone willing to be patient and to be there." He looked to Adama who was waiting off to the side. He nodded in approval.
"Yes, it reads here in the fleet records that you and your betrothed have that in common, time spent in the Caprican care as war orphans, her mother having died when she was two yahrens old from an accident and seven yahrens later, her father unable to cope after the loss of his wife having taken his own life. Would you say that's why you have both taken the time to reach out to the Orphan ship on numerous occasions, you know what it's like to be an orphan?"
"What?" Starbuck was confused by the information supplied by the commentator. It didn't match what Rene had told him. "I'm sorry, her father died in battle."
The commentator looked off to the side to Adama before looking down to the data pad in his hand. "No actually fleet records indicate that shortly after Rene's older brother died in a training accident at the Academy her father took his own life. There was a suicide note left behind detailing how he had suffered and felt it was best for everyone. Tragic I know, not a choice anyone should make. As you say, it doesn't take much to be a good parent, just time and patience, and let's not forget the paperwork." The reporter chuckled and nodded at him encouraging Starbuck to go forward with the real intent of the interview.
"Can I see that?" he asked instead and the reporter handed off the data pad as he directed a question back to Jason and Cain about what it must be like preparing to enter the new fleet academy. Starbuck read the file that was on the pad, Rene's own file from the Caprican Orphanage system. It read clearly that her mother had died in an accident in their home, a broken neck from falling down stairs, and her father's death certificate attached as well, cause of death listed as suicide. Starbuck keyed up the certificate reading the exact details. The man had slit his own throat in bed, a note left behind. In the record it stated that it was Rene that had found the body.
None of the information matched what Rene had revealed to him, but he didn't deny the veracity of the official report. Rene had not spoken often about her childhood, even less about her time before entering the care of the Caprican state. She was known for twisting tales to hide facts she didn't want to face. But he was left wondering why. What would matter about the details contained in her record?
He handed the data pad back to the commentator and didn't have time to pull apart the tangled web of truth from lies as the game had begun and his job was to be the announcer for the game. He did a decent job of it, with a little help from Jason feeding him information about the players and past games. It seemed the junior league had just as strong a following as the upper division that he, Apollo and Boomer played in, maybe even stronger as evidenced by the cheers, loud chanting and singing from the stands.
"Each ship has their own youth sports club," the commentator provided for him and the audience as well as information on how a parent could sign their child up for the activities that would help in their children's education and health. "Each court is lit with UV lighting, so children can at least feel what the sun was like in our worlds as they exercise their growing bodies."
Starbuck tried to pay attention and keep up, but the chanting of the crowd, the bright lights from the court, his own pounding head and thoughts whirling in his mind made it hard to track the game. He completely gave up when he spotted Rene and Jake across the gallery, arriving with the kids who she handed off to Crius, Nik and Max.
"Jason, take over." Starbuck got up, pulling Jason into his seat as he waved to get Rene's attention. He felt elated when he was able to catch her eye and she nodded waiting for him to wade across the gallery of fans, many stopping him to shake his hand and speak with him as he tried to hurry. He was out of breath by the time he made it to her.
The first words out of his mouth before she could speak were "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. I was drunk and I was out of my head. I didn't know they were going to do that and…"
Rene held up her hand cutting him off as Crius chuckled.
"Slow down, hot shot. We have a hundred eyes on us and I have places I have to be." She almost had to shout to be heard over the crowd as another goal was made.
"Come on, let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand dragging her towards the exit.
They made it to the quiet of the corridor where he couldn't help himself as he pulled her into his arms. She went stiff in surprise before melting just a little. He held on tight as he whispered to her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."
He felt her sigh deeply and shake her head. "Starbuck, I…
"No. Don't say anything, just listen. I was drunk and I don't know half of what I said, just that it was bad and I'm sorry. I love you and…"
A loud clearing of a throat interrupted him. He pulled back to see the IFB reporter Zara waiting on Rene. Starbuck looked down into Rene's face for some sign that he'd been forgiven. She was almost unreadable, only a small flash of irritation in her eyes before her walls came up to block out any emotion she might show. She leaned in whispering to him, "Your drunken performance is the least of my concerns today."
She looked over her shoulder as Zara scolded, "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."
"My good luck will override that stupid tradition," Starbuck said pulling Rene a step further away from the reporter. "You can give us a centon."
Rene allowed him to pull her a few more steps down the corridor before she began to protest, "Starbuck, I have to go. I have to get ready and…"
"Please forgive me." He found himself begging and wanting to curse as well. It was an old pattern for him, one he knew well, frak up and beg for redemption. "No," he vowed, "I promised this would be different."
"It's okay, handsome. You weren't in charge last night. Just tell me this, did I win the bet?" She smiled at him, and it looked a bit too much like her evil grin of victory.
"What bet? I don't know what…"
She cut him off, whispering low, "The socialator? Did she have kids?"
It came back to him, buying the woman a drink, listening to her as she talked and the large tip he gave her. He shook his head ruefully. "Yeah you did. She has two. Showed me holos and I didn't have any to show back. That's all I want from today, you and maybe a picture of the kids I can show people."
Rene smiled softly. "You got it, flyboy."
She leaned up to kiss him, not pulling away until Zara cleared her throat again in a loud, "Ahem!"
"You better be there when I get down that aisle, and sober!" Rene said in mock anger lightly slapping his arm.
"Yes, my pretty lady,
" he said, feeling a thousand times lighter as she shook her head but was smiling, a grin that even seemed to reach her guarded eyes. Rene leaned up to kiss him again before she turned away to join the IFB.
The kiss wasn't much, but it was enough to remind him that at the end of this day he'd have several days alone with Rene in the honeymoon suite. He braced himself for the whirlwind of events, only to find out that after the triad games, there wasn't much planned. His day for the most part consisted of waiting.
Boomer tried to keep him distracted as Apollo was called off to handle some of the guests that were arriving and meeting with his father to discuss affairs of the fleet.
"Feels like waiting for a mission," he commented to his friend over an ambrosia in the astral lounge as he wondered what Rene was doing at that moment.
"So, marriage is a lot like a battle? Good to know. Maybe I'll hold off on asking Dietra to seal." Boomer smirked at him.
"Well, not the being wedded part, maybe the being bedded part. Definitely the kids' part. I should go help with them." He tried to get up to leave, but Boomer waved him back down.
"I have one job today. That's to get you to the chapel on time. You don't get out of my sight, understood?"
Starbuck sighed. "Understood." He settled in to wait checking his chrono. Just two more centaurs to go.