Starbuck waited impatiently as Willem, the Security Officer on duty, took Oriana into a closed office and obtained her statement. The lieutenant finally sat down at the desk, the computer station beckoning to him.

As usual though, the system was looking for a password so he could log on. Even the security code he had swiped from the captain wasn't getting him past this one. Oh, and his usual ploy of checking around the keyboard for the required watchword didn't get him anywhere either. Ultimately, he started punching in words at random to pass the time.

"Try aegis."

Starbuck startled momentarily and then sniffed in amusement as he typed in the word. Sure enough, the system fired up obediently. "After last night, I thought about bringing you some flowers," he teased Reece who peered over his shoulder.

"Don't remind me." Reece returned, his face twisted in a grimace. "Besides, you didn't even leave me your comm link," he murmured on a lighter note.

"Playing hard to get." Starbuck returned with a grin as he listened to the security officer's answering snort. He entered the personnel file and looked up Oriana.

"Who is she?" Reece asked.

"The woman Borka and Kaden were groping. She's a sanitation tech here on the Galactica. She's giving Will a statement now. The question is what prompted the attack?"

"I thought you figured it was a sexual assault in progress." Reece mentioned, surprised by the lieutenant's honesty.

"Maybe not." Starbuck opined vaguely.

"Interesting. Actually I agree with you. I think they were looking for this." He held out a small case, not much larger than a chronometer and handed it to the lieutenant. "We took it off of Borka."

Starbuck turned it over in his hand, noting the scuff marks and the dent on one side. There were no identifying marks whatsoever. It wasn't the latest in technology, but still it was an effective little gadget for recording a conversation inconspicuously. He hit the buttons, but to no avail. It was dead.

"Did you get anything from it?" Starbuck asked, handing it back.

"No. Dr. Wilker figures it had an auto-erase function of some sort. It was totally wiped clean."

"Auto-erase? Sounds sophisticated. Wonder what a sanitation technician would be doing with it?" Starbuck looked up at the officer.

"Exactly." Reece nodded and straightened up.

Starbuck returned his attention to the screen reviewing the information.

Thirty-three yahrens old and only employed on the Galactica a sectar ago, Oriana had hailed from the Malocchio Freighter. An interesting coincidence to be sure, Starbuck noted. Her personal profile was impeccable and her previous designation had been 'charwoman' in the great house of Sire Regus.

"What is it with you and these Empyreans?" Reece asked, still looking down at the screen.

"I was cursed. Remember?" Starbuck returned as he tried to think of who might know Oriana. A personnel file rarely told a person's relevant history. Ah, maybe . . .

"Sounds like you still are to me." Reece rejoined.

"Hmm. Any chance you can find out what's happening in there?" He nodded towards the security office.

"Yeah. Hold on a micron." Reece disappeared into the security office, holding the door ajar while he disappeared inside to talk with his partner.

Starbuck smiled to himself and quickly accessed Borka's file. His personnel file was unremarkable, so he accessed his Security file. There were several notations which suggested they were still investigating the man's history. He realized that it would be a monumental task to identify every former criminal in the fleet and connect new personas with past. It actually made fighting Cylons look pretty damn straight forward.

By the looks of it, they suspected Borka was formerly employed in a large chancery on Skorpia. Starbuck had gambled at the Dragon's Eye at least a couple times while on leave. You could bet on anything there. They also featured several professional triads games per season, which were sold out long before the teams were announced.

He remembered the Dragon's Eye being in the spotlight on more than one occasion, when two well known athletes were accused of throwing their games . . . He winced slightly, not liking the similarity of that situation to his own. It was a bit of a stretch though. For all he knew, Borka could have been a dealer or a sanitation tech there as well.

His eyes flickered over to the still partially closed door of the security office. Kaden's turn.

They had nothing on the man at all. Again, some elusive inference of a career in sports facilities, but other than that, his life was an unknown. Not even a guess. No personal references. No professional references. Every person the man ever knew was tragically dead. Yeah, right.

"They're just finishing up, Starbuck."

Starbuck quickly closed the screen and returned to the personnel files he had been previously looking at, counting his lucky stars that Reece had found it amusing to lend him his password. "Did she tell him anything?"

"No. Not really. Just a story about having a few drinks too many and Borka taking her to the triad court for a little privacy. Then she claims that Kaden joined them and tried to turn it into a threesome. Then she screamed . . . enter you and the ensign."

"And the recording devise?"

"Says it's not hers. She claimed that she didn't even know what it was. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any evidence off it to repudiate her statement." Reece replied. "However, this does make their accusation against you groundless. I doubt it will go any further."

"She won't press charges against them though."

Reece shook his head. "I think she's afraid to. Willem told her we'd protect her, but she said it was all just a misunderstanding and she just wants to put it behind her."

"Mong."

"Yeah, her story stinks almost as bad as yours." Reece told him point blank.

Starbuck shrugged and stood up. "Some things are just irrelevant, Reece."

"It's my job to decide that, Starbuck." Reece returned briskly.

"And a fine job you do of it, officer." Starbuck smiled as he rose to leave.

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm not. Look, I appreciate what you did for me. And Luana."

"The felix is out of the bag anyway with your engagement and all. Why didn't you just tell us the truth?"

"I was just trying to protect the girl's reputation." He wasn't about to explain that he wasn't engaged yet again.

"Hades, she built her reputation long before you got into her pants."

Something inside of him snapped. Abruptly, he grabbed Reece by the jacket and slammed him up against the wall. "You . . . " He was about to insist that Reece take it back, but he realized how juvenile it sounded. Reece's eyes were wide with surprise at the intensity of the sudden attack and then the abrupt withdrawal as Starbuck loosened his grip and then let him go. Frack. What are you thinking? Assaulting Reece in the Colonial Security office! Idiot!

"What in Hades Hole is wrong with you?" Reece demanded angrily, straightening his tunic.

"Sorry." Starbuck muttered, brushing his hair out of his eyes and abruptly leaving the office. Damned Empyreans! What were they doing to him?