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Even though the A shaped corridors of Galactica were busy with chatter, traffic and cheers stilling lingering over the recent escape from the cylons, anyone passing through could hear the determined sharp clicking of President Laura Roslin's high heels. She was headed directly from the hanger deck to the CIC. Those who passed her in the hallway scattered out of her way, a panicked open mouth the closest thing to talking they could manage. Roslin didn't hide her anger well, for everyone on Galactica knew she was way beyond furious with the Admiral.
The steady click of her shoes and the swish of her hair across her back increased the powerful rage she felt burning inside. Once Sharon and Helo returned to Galactica it didn't take Roslin long to figure out what had happened, especially when she heard their ecstatic excitement over the wireless. To think that Adama condoned the action was beyond her belief. She walked faster down the hallway her entourage following behind her.
Apollo stood as solid as a blockade just in front of the steps to the CIC. Roslin considered pushing him out of the way but with other officers watching they might think she wasn't open to hearing opinions of the military. Frankly, right now she wasn't.
"Madame President," Lee said once Roslin stopped.
She got up into his personal space and sent him a look of steely disapproval.
"If you don't mind, Commander, I have somewhere to be," she said sharply.
Apollo looked around her at the two bodyguards standing on each side almost daring them to push him aside.
"May I have a word in private?" he asked, giving her a look that said he wouldn't take no for an answer.
The whole thing was completely absurd. Roslin averted her gaze to the wall, pursed her lips together to keep from losing her temper and then forced a smile.
"Very well," she said in an unfriendly tone.
Apollo turned and she followed him up the stairs and into a deserted storage room, her high heels clicking all the way up the stairs. She nodded to the guards and they waited outside. Apollo closed the door softly and instead of speaking paced back and forth rubbing his hands together. His actions were doing nothing to abate Roslin's growing anger. He was only adding impatience to her terrible mood.
"If you have something to say…" she started for him.
He stopped pacing and turned to look up at her.
"He was only doing what he thought was right. He didn't mean to put the fleet in danger. You've done the same thing," Lee explained defending his father's actions with a stern jaw.
Roslin rolled her eyes and without answering pushed passed Lee reaching for the door. He caught her by the arm in a tight, nearly painful grip.
"You are going to stay here and let me finish," Lee demanded.
"Since when does a Commander give orders to the President?" she questioned with hostility.
Lee lowered his head and let go of her arm. He looked just like a little boy when she scolded him. With a sigh Roslin decided to do as he said. Perhaps he needed to say whatever it was for his own good, not hers.
"Go on," Roslin said, trying to keep the impatience from leaking into her voice.
"Now that you're here I'm not sure how to…" Lee tailed off.
Roslin folded her arms across her chest hoping the cold action would hurry him into speaking.
"I don't know what has been said between the two of you, but it needs to be said. My father cares about you and I want you to know that if it could happen, I wouldn't object to inviting you into our family," Lee said his voice steady but his face pale.
He swallowed hard.
Roslin took a step away from him and unfolded her arms. For the moment she was speechless. This was certainly not what she had expected from Lee Adama. Basically, he had just proposed to her on behalf of his father. Strange...and very, very good. She couldn't quite manage a smile so she put her hands on her hips and regarded him with confusion.
"I didn't mean to upset you," Apollo began, obviously reading her reaction completely wrong, "But ever since I found out about…President Adar, we haven't spoken. We used to be a lot closer and it's my fault we're not. The truth is, my mother was nothing like you…I wish she had been."
Roslin watched Lee's face turn even paler, perhaps a shade of green that made him look like he was going to be sick. The impatience drifted away from her. She was still furious with his father but her heart softened towards Lee.
"You didn't upset me," she began, "I've missed you as my military advisor."
Lee's sheepish grin overtook his expression of green fear.
"Please go easy on him. He is an old man," Lee said.
Roslin returned the smile but there was no chance in hell she was going to take his advice. She moved toward the door as Lee opened it for her.
"Thank you for the invitation," she said with a smile as she walked passed him.
She didn't turn around to see his reaction but she could almost feel the smile spreading across his face. How lovely and strange would it be to have Apollo for a stepson? Two sons and a husband gained in the space of a year? Roslin smiled then shuttered. It was a dream; a tired, sad dream that would never, never come true.
When she reached the door of the CIC she stood in front of it simmering. Lee stopped behind her and waited for her to enter. There were times when Laura came out a little in her meetings with the Admiral and the crew but this time she left Laura outside the door. President Roslin stepped into the CIC armed and ready for a fierce battle of wills.
Gaeta, Tigh, Thrace, Tyrol, Dualla and Adama all stood over the command center in the CIC, the expression on each of their faces tired and somber. Roslin approached with Lee not far behind her. Adama brought his eyes up to meet hers but she turned away.
"Madame President," Gaeta greeted.
Roslin received interesting looks from Starbuck and Tigh but ignored them. They had business to discuss now. Starbuck took the hint and leaned over the command station, waving her hand over a large map indicating their position within the fleet of stations. The white light from the command center brightened her chin and darkened her corn husk hair.
"By our estimations we should be out of the station space in 21 days," Kara said.
For some reason the words struck Roslin like a punch in the stomach. She was momentarily winded by them. Why? Why was 21 days so unnerving to her? No one else seemed to notice her panic. She was grateful Billy wasn't here. He would have noticed.
"We will be coming upon the half way point in a few days," Gaeta began, "and the second path indicated on the map."
Roslin lifted her head quickly and glanced from Gaeta to Adama. His steely cool eyes knowingly studied her reaction.
"We have to make a decision," Tyrol said turning his head to look at Roslin. "Taking the entire fleet to the end of the second path is dangerous. The contestant travel is putting strain on the ships."
"The fleet stays on the path out," Adama finally stated, leaving no room for question or argument.
"We could take a small party on the second path, to see what's—" Kara began but Adama cut her off sharply.
"The fleet stays together."
There it was. The Adama law. No one in the CIC dared to question it, not even the Admiral's own son. Roslin's anger boiled up from the pit of her stomach.
"What if this second path leads us to Earth?" she asked boldly.
All eyes focused on her but to her everyone disappeared except the man standing across the table.
"I'm not willing to risk the human race on a 'what if,'" Adama said.
Roslin turned her head to the side, collected herself, and met his words with low tones of her own.
"Admiral, may I have a word in private?" she asked, though she knew it sounded like an order.
She wanted it to sound like an order. In her heart she knew her strange dreams meant something and that this planet was too important to pass by.
Adama nodded and walked off to a small secluded space near the back of the CIC away from the ears of those around the table. Roslin spoke to him in hushed tones, though the softness of her voice hid the loud anger racing through her.
"Bill, let me be frank. I think you are a fool for letting the cylon and her husband go after their child. You nearly destroyed us all and you betrayed my trust. But now, right now that isn't the issue. I am going to over look all of it in order to tell you this planet holds the key to finding Earth. I don't know how I know, I just know. We can present a united front to the fleet or you can force another military coup. Either way, I am going."
Adama's expression was unreadable, but by the downward turn of his lips he didn't like what she had just said. He stood next to her in silence for so long she thought he was going to leave without saying anything.
"If you coerce any one of my crew into joining you, don't doubt I will force a coup. This mission is strictly volunteer. If you get yourself killed…" he warned and trailed off.
He turned toward the command center and Roslin followed him. With head held high he addressed the senior staff.
"The President has had a vision about this planet, induced by Chamalla," he began, and she unsuccessfully stifled the gasp that escaped her lips.
How dare he share that information?!
"She believes it will lead us to Earth. Anyone who wishes to join her on this dreamer's errand may do so. The rest of the fleet will remain on our current trajectory. You'll have to catch up with us," he finished, turning his body toward Roslin but not looking her in the eyes.
"Count me in," Starbuck said without missing a beat.
Roslin nodded in appreciation at the girl. For someone so lost Kara Thrace never doubted Roslin when it came to religion. Somehow, that fact comforted her.
"No way you're going without me," Tyrol said.
Roslin forced herself not to look to closely at the protective loyal expression on his face for fear of losing control of her emotions.
"Me too," Apollo added. His words drew a harsh glare from his father.
"No. I need you here," Adama told his son. Clearly, Apollo was not happy with the statement.
"That's not fair. Just because you don't—" Lee began but Dualla put her hands on his arms and whispered calming words to him. He shook off her grasp and marched out of the CIC making a big show of his anger.
"I'll go," Dualla said in the silence after he was gone.
Her voice was small but Adama nodded to her. Kara didn't seem altogether pleased with the arrangements but she said nothing. Roslin was a little surprised by the quick support of so many people. There was a part of her mind questioning her own actions, wondering if maybe Adama was right and the Gods, the visions, the prophesy was just an elaborate hoax. After all, someone had drugged her.
News of Roslin's departure spread through the fleet like a raging fire of gossip out of control. Critics tore Roslin apart for giving into religious nonsense, her approval in the polls spiked on the Geminion Traveler, and Tom Zarek kept his opinions to himself as he usually did. In a somewhat surprising twist, Samuel Anders offered to be a member of the planet bound party which Roslin and the others accepted. Hotdog volunteered to be Kara's co-pilot and it seemed the group was complete and ready to depart.
A few days before they were scheduled to leave Tory entered Roslin's office and told her she had two visitors. Once Roslin gave her approval Tory nodded and only showed them in after two security guards entered the room. Helo and the petite actress Bianca Marks then followed. Roslin wasn't sure she had ever seen a more unusual pair.
The president stood and leaned across her desk. The last time she had seen Helo his wife had given her a black eye. It was not an experience Roslin wanted to repeat.
"We want to join you on the mission to the planet," Helo said, standing at attention and treating Roslin with the utmost respect.
The request was odd, and Roslin's natural instinct was to question the motives of both of them.
"Perhaps you may have a stake in this Lt. Agathon, but I don't see why you would want to go," Roslin said to Marks.
Marks stepped forward and cast a warm gaze over Roslin's shoulder.
"In your dream, you saw a dead tree with something inside," Marks said.
Roslin snapped off her glasses and continued to hover over her desk.
"Who told you that? Adama?" she questioned quickly.
"I've seen the tree. I wish to go there," the actress answered.
Roslin studied Marks with hard eyes. This woman was certainly not another Elosha. Still, there was no way Marks could have known about the tree. Roslin flipped her hair back out of her eyes.
"And you," Roslin turned to Helo.
He stood even straighter, if that were possible.
"Bianca requested I go and Sharon agreed," he answered.
Roslin had to bite her tongue from asking Helo if he always did everything his wife asked him to. Did the boy have no mind of his own? Sometimes Roslin wondered. Still, he had never done anything to lead Roslin to believe he was dangerous. Her instincts were telling her to allow these two to come along. Since she had gone this far on her gut feeling so she saw no reason to stop now. Adama refused to speak to her long ago which meant she had already lost the one thing that mattered.
"Alright, fine. Meet us on Galactica's hanger deck at 0800 tomorrow," Roslin said.
She prayed she hadn't sentenced all of them to death.
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Day 19
Kara Thrace was shocked and appalled that the Admiral didn't come down to the hanger deck to wish them luck. He sent Tigh. Kara didn't even get to see Apollo, for he was to mad at his father to show up. He must have said goodbye to his wife earlier. Their departure, thus, was anticlimactic save one curiosity that caused Kara to lift an eyebrow. Tory Foster, the President's high strung assistant, ventured to the hanger deck to offer her good luck wishes to her employer and Kara's husband.
Not three days ago Anders came to Kara requesting a divorce. Everything was beginning to make sense to Kara in the most bitter of ways. Kara reminded herself she had a job to do. She had to fly the raptor to the planet and make sure nothing happened to the President. Everything else could wait. Keeping Roslin safe had been Adama's personal request. Only a few hours ago she stood in his office.
"You better bring her back alive," the Admiral ordered, "and yourself too."
Kara grinned a half smile and told Adama he better come to the hanger deck to tell his…whatever, to be careful and come back in one piece. He didn't come. Men were such wimps. No Apollo, no Adama, and an overly quite Anders. It all nearly made Kara sick to her stomach.
There was also a strange goodbye between Tyrol, his family, and Roslin. Kara lifted an eyebrow at that too. Something was up but she was too busy making last minute adjustments to the controls inside the raptor to dwell on the goodbyes going on outside.
Adama allowed the group two Raptors. Starbuck and Hotdog flew the first one, joined by Tyrol and Roslin in the back. Helo and Dualla flew the second with Bianca Marks and Anders. Kara was glad Anders hadn't picked her raptor to fly in. The journey along the second path took them nearly a day to complete, and if Anders had been in her ship the uncomfortable silence would have made her more irritable than she already was.
Even with Tyrol and Roslin in the back there were still plenty of uncomfortable silences. At one point they did strike up a conversation about Tyrol's parents which Kara found odd. In fact, the conversation made her moody and she snapped at Hotdog a few times. Roslin had never asked her about her parents. Realizing she was a little bit jealous only made Starbuck even more on edge. When they hit some turbulence Starbuck was glad for the distraction.
"I don't believe it," Hotdog said, as Kara was looking down at the control panel and flipping switches.
The last thing she wanted was to send her passengers into a fit of motion sickness. Starbuck lifted her eyes to see what Hotdog was talking about. A large planet filled the window of the Raptor. Before she could say anything she felt Roslin hovering above her chair, leaning forward to see the planet.
"Is it Earth?" Roslin questioned.
Kara swallowed hard. Excitement took over her senses. What if they had just found the Promised Land? The readouts filled the computer screen. Starbucks excitement vanished.
"I doubt it. I'm reading volcanic activity covering the entire planet," she said.
If the President was disappointed she didn't show it.
"Let's get a closer look," Hotdog suggested and then informed the second Raptor of their plans.
Upon closer inspection the planet was just as Starbuck thought. A huge rock with lots of lava flows. The air was breathable which was a bit surprising, but finding a place to land would be a trick.
"Any suggestions on where we go from here?" Kara asked in general.
If Roslin really did have a vision about the planet then Kara hoped she could offer some advice. Silence filled the Raptor. Obviously Roslin's visions didn't include detailed directions.
"Hotdog," Helo said through the com, "Ms. Marks says to land in sector 76.8."
Hotdog exchanged a looked with Starbuck, who craned her head around to read Roslin's expression.
"That sounds as good as anywhere," Roslin shrugged.
Starbuck did not take comfort in Roslin's lack of intelligence into the matter. This whole frakking trip was her idea and she had no idea what they were doing? Not good at all.
"Alright Helo, we'll see you down there," Starbuck said.
With a tilt of her head Starbuck took the Raptor down.