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Author: JPBryant
Characters: Sharon/Helo
Rating: Mature, for descriptions of violence, language and sexual situations.
Spoilers: Through 'A Measure of Salvation", everything after that is AU.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Helo is forced to take drastic measures to protect his family after a series of events aboard Galactica open his eyes to the reality he and Sharon face. Set after "A Measure of Salvation", it goes completely AU after that.
A/N: The sixth of seventeen chapters to the story, I'll be posting them as I finish them. Thanks to wintergreen126, jazmin22, and honibrownhateza for beta'ing this story.

Chapter 6

"The president landed a few minutes ago to discuss this," the admiral said, walking a few paces ahead of Sharon and Helo. "She's waiting for us in CIC."

Helo's feet couldn't feel the floor as he followed behind. The admiral's words were registering at only the upper levels of his conscience, and he found his mind unable to move past man's first words.

He says your daughter is alive.

He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head of the fog that clouded his thoughts, but to no avail. Looking over at Sharon, he couldn't read her expression, unsure if it was his impaired mental state that prevented him from doing so, or if the shock had left her without anything to read.

"Baltar believes the Cylons intend to kill him," the admiral continued, leading them down the long corridor that connected to CIC. "He's afraid for his life, and wants us to rescue him."

"Tell me again what he said about Hera," Sharon said, her voice absent of all emotion. "What exactly did he say?"

"I'll let you see for yourself," the admiral replied, pushing open the door to the CIC and walking with purpose toward the center of the room. Helo and Sharon followed closely behind, moving towards the small crowd that had gathered there. President Roslin stood by the center console alongside Lee, with Gaeta hovering behind them.

"Madame President," the admiral greeted.

"Admiral," the president replied.

The admiral looked over to Sharon as Gaeta stepped forward to the console and set a voluminous printout down on top of it.

"Baltar has requested that we make an attempt to rescue him from the Cylons. He has confirmed that he is helping the Cylons search for earth, and in this message he claims that the Cylons have found the next clue to finding it."

"What is this?" Helo asked, looking down at the massive printout. He saw the first page was covered from margin to margin in seemingly random characters. Reaching out to flip through the pages, he saw that the entire printout consisted of the same.

The admiral gestured to Sharon. Leaning across the console, Sharon pulled the printout over and studied the first page. After a moment she began to leaf through pages quickly, the contents holding her in rapt attention.

"This is what Baltar sent us," the admiral said. "He claims it contains detailed navigation and defense information regarding the Cylon fleet's location and movements."

Gaeta stepped over to Sharon, looking over her shoulder as she examined one page after another in rapid succession. "I've been able to pull out Baltar's messages. That was easy enough. The rest of it though, the information he says is in there...I can't find it. Honestly, I don't even know where to start."

"It's a data dump from a Basestar," Sharon replied without looking up from the pages. "Baltar didn't send this. A Cylon did."

"I can't make heads or tails of it," Gaeta said, watching in awe as Sharon flipped from one page to the next, pausing every few seconds to stare intently at a section of random numbers. "I've been looking for weeks, and I'm no further closer to being able to understand it than I was when we first got it."

Helo looked over at the admiral. "You've had this for weeks?"

The admiral and the president exchanged a brief glance before the old man spoke.

"We've been receiving communications from Baltar for roughly five weeks," the admiral replied.

"Five weeks?" Helo repeated in disbelief. "You've known for five weeks that..."

Five weeks.

Helo's voice trailed off as his mind made a connection, finding an answer to a question he had abandoned. It had been five weeks to the day; five weeks since Sharon had been attacked. Five weeks since he had been faced with questions he had no desire to answer. The president's aid had been there with the admiral, with a list of questions about his dead daughter.

Except his daughter wasn't dead.

"The questions," Helo said as the realization took hold. "You knew all along. You've known all this time that Hera was still alive."

"We don't know that Hera is alive," the admiral replied.

"Even after we found out what you did," Helo continued. "You still didn't tell us."

"The admiral is right, Captain," the president interjected. "Let's remember, this is Gaius Baltar we're talking about here. This man would do or so anything to try and save his own skin. For all we know, this could simply be a fabrication on his part to make him seem more valuable than he actually is."

"We have no way of confirming Baltar's claim," the admiral added, his eyes staring into the console. "I wasn't comfortable taking information to you that we had no way of validating. I didn't want to give you false hope."

"If, and that's a big if," the president continued, "your daughter is still alive, then we-"

"She's alive," Sharon said calmly, keeping her eyes on the printout as she flipped another page. Helo could see her jaw set tightly beneath her skin. "He's saying it specifically because only you knew the truth. She's alive."

The admiral and Roslin looked at one another once again. Though he tried, Helo was unable to interpret the unspoken words that passed between them.

"Why now?" Helo asked the admiral. "You've had this information for five weeks. You've hidden it from us this long, why share it with us now?"

"Because this is their last chance," Sharon answered before the admiral could speak, turning back to examine an earlier page.

The admiral studied Sharon for a moment, then nodded. "Baltar thinks that the Cylons are about to change course, and move away from the fleet. If we don't act now, we may never get another chance. We're hoping that Sharon can decipher the navigation information Baltar says is located in his message so that we can reach him."

"Wait," Helo said, holding up a hand, struggling to believe what he thought he was hearing. "Are you telling me that you're actually thinking about trying to retrieve him? Off a Basestar?"

"Baltar has already helped the Cylons discover the next clue to finding earth," the president said. "He's an asset that we cannot afford to leave in the Cylons hands."

"So you're going to rescue him?" Helo asked.

The president thought about the answer for a moment. "If possible."

"And my daughter?" Sharon asked, looking up from the report for the first time.

The two women's eyes met across the console. Helo watched Sharon, waiting for the flash of anger he knew lay beneath the surface of her cool exterior. But Sharon's eyes hid every trace of emotion.

"If possible," Roslin repeated.

"My Gods," Helo said, turning from the others and closing his eyes. It was all too much for him to digest. "Hera."

He looked over to Sharon to see her gaze was still fixed on the president, searching for something in the older woman's eyes and words.

"If this message contains what Baltar claims," the president continued, "then we have the opportunity to-"

"Nothing," Sharon said, pushing the printout to the center of the console and looking from person to person. "There's nothing in there. It's garbage data. Empty."

The table fell silent as Sharon spoke. The admiral stared down silently at the printout as Roslin stared steadily at Sharon. Gaeta reached over to grab the printout, looking between it and Sharon in confusion.

And all Helo could try to do was breathe, Sharon's words knocking the wind from him.

"Sharon?" Helo asked, desperately. "Are you sure?"

"That's not possible," the president said flatly.

Sharon's eyes moved between the admiral and the president.

"Nothing," she said again. "There's nothing there."

Before anyone could reply, Sharon stepped away from the console and headed for the door.

"Sharon, wait," Helo said, watching as she walked away, then moving to follow her. "Sharon, stop!"

She didn't stop, stepping out the door and disappearing from sight. Pushing past Gaeta, he chased after her, pulling the door open and quickly looking down the crowded corridor to find her.

"Sharon," Helo called when he spotted her, quickly moving to chase after her. She didn't stop or wait for him, walking with purpose away from him and down the corridor. "Sharon, stop!" he yelled again, weaving through the crowd. Finally close enough, he reached out to grab her shoulder, and spun her around to face him. Seeing the tears in her eyes, he instantly relaxed his grip. "Sharon?"

"Let's go, Helo," she said, grabbing his arm. "We still have time, let's go, Helo."

"Sharon," he said quietly, pulling her closer. "What did you see? What did it-"

"Everything," Sharon cried softly, looking deep into Helo's eyes. "Oh God, everything, Helo."

Helo glanced over his shoulder, scanning both directions of the corridor to see if anyone had followed him out of the CIC. Seeing that no one had, he moved his body to hide Sharon's eyes from anyone passing by. "Tell me, Sharon" he said quietly.

Sharon turned to face the wall and started to fall apart before his eyes. "Navigation points, defense codes, communication keys, everything." Pressing a hand to her forehead, she closed her eyes in despair. "Oh God, she's alive, Helo. She's alive."

Grasping her arm, he pulled her around till she faced him. "Why?" he asked in confusion. "Why did you tell them it said nothing? Our daughter is alive!"

"They're not going to save Baltar!" she cried. "They're going to kill him!"

"What?"

"Come on, Helo," she said, her voice pleading. "Baltar is leading my people to earth. The president will do anything to stop that from happening. Do you really think they're going to jump in, land some marines on a Basestar and try and save him? When they can just jump in and nuke it? Be done with Gaius Baltar forever?"

Helo shook his head. "The Cylons want to kill him. The president could just wait for them to do it."

"And if the Cylons don't?" Sharon replied. "He's already found the next marker, do you think the president will risk letting him live?"

He wanted to be able to tell her that the admiral would never lie to them, but he no longer believed it himself.

"Sharon-"

"Do you think Roslin would put one single human life in danger to save our daughter?" Sharon asked angrily. "Do you think she'll just give Hera to us even if she did?"

"Sharon, the president knows Hera is important. She won't just let the Cylons keep her."

"That's right" Sharon cried. "She doesn't care if Hera lives or dies, as long as my people don't have her!"

Helo tried desperately to find flaws in Sharon's logic, but came up empty. Closing his eyes, he felt his hope disintegrating inside him. Turning away from Sharon, he leaned against the wall and pressed his forehead against the cool metal. He couldn't argue against anything she was saying any more than he could abandon his daughter.

"So what, Sharon?" he asked, pressing himself off the wall and facing her. "We're leaving Hera behind? Is that what we're doing?"

Sharon's face crumpled at his words. "Helo-"

"Is that what you want to do?" he pressed on angrily.

"No!" she shouted, reaching out to grab him, her eyes burning with emotion. "We don't have a choice, Helo! They're going to kill our daughter, and they want me to help!"

Helo didn't try to escape Sharon's grasp, meeting her eyes and matching her intensity with his own.

"I will not leave her," he said, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "We will not leave our daughter behind."

She peered up into his eyes, searching them, silenced by the strength of his conviction. He watched as her expression softened, growing calm as she studied his face.

"Is there a way?" he asked quietly. "Tell me there's a way."

"I don't know, Helo," she said, closing her eyes.

He leaned in close and waited for her to look at him again. "We'll find one."

-----

"Sharon has looked over the message again," Helo said. "She's found the data Baltar said was encrypted there."

Sitting inside the admiral's office, only Sharon and Gaeta were absent from this second meeting. Clasping his hands together, the admiral digested Helo's news in silence, while the president watched Helo intently, giving away nothing as she waited for him to continue.

"How did she miss it the first time?" Lee asked.

"She had just found out our daughter was still alive," Helo replied, keeping his voice even. "It's the kind of news that makes it hard to think."

"What did she see?" the admiral asked, unconcerned with Lee's question.

"Everything," Helo replied, repeating Sharon's answer from earlier. "Navigation info, patrol schedules, defense codes. From what she can tell, it looks like the Cylon fleet is conducting a search of a star system about fifteen light years from our current location."

The president's eyebrows lifted a fraction. "What are they doing?"

"It's only raw data," Helo said. "There's no way to know."

The admiral looked over at Helo, measuring his words carefully before he spoke. "Sharon has not provided the navigation information to Mr. Gaeta."

"No, sir."

"Is there a problem?" the old man asked.

Helo placed his hands together in front of him on the table, debating how to answer the question.

"She's afraid, sir," Helo finally replied.

"Afraid?" Lee asked, but the president and admiral remained silent, seeming to understand without further explanation. "What is there to be afraid of?"

Helo turned to face Lee. "Hera's alive," he said bluntly. "That's more than Sharon and I could have ever hoped for. Sharon's afraid to put our daughter in the middle of a fire-fight." He turned to look back at the admiral and president. "The way she sees it, our daughter is as safe as she could ever be."

The president straightened up in her chair, and looked away, failing to hide her displeasure. Helo wasn't sure if it was him, Sharon, or Hera that she couldn't stand, but it made no difference

"Captain," the president began, slipping off her glasses and looking back at Helo. "You and your wife must realize that withholding this information from the fleet is an act of treason."

"My wife's only desire is to protect our child," Helo replied, trying to ignore the not-so-veiled threat. "I won't argue against her need to do that."

The president's voice became steel. "Treason, Captain Agathon. Do you understand what that means?"

Helo nodded. "Yes."

The president studied him carefully, then sighed deeply.

"I don't envy Sharon's situation," the president continued, offering a small smile. "And I understand her reluctance. But she will hand the data over. I don't need to tell you what the consequences will be if she refuses."

The hair on the back of Helo's neck stood on end, his pulse quickening as he tried to keep a cool exterior. The thought scared him more than any threat to his own being ever could, but it didn't change his reply.

"It's a small price to pay for keeping our daughter safe, Madame President."

"Safe?" Lee asked in shock. "She's living with the Cylons, and you're okay with that?"

"No, I'm not," Helo said, shaking his head. "But I won't question my wife's desire to protect Hera. Yesterday she thought our daughter was dead. Today she simply wants to keep her alive."

The rest of the occupants looked to one another in silence, each weighing Helo's words. The president lifted her glasses off the table and crossed her arms in front of her. Biting her lips, she glanced at the table, then back to Helo.

"Captain Agathon," she began, her tone losing the razor edge it held before. "What can we do to help alleviate your wife's fears?"

"We need your word," Helo answered without pause, looking from Roslin to the admiral. "We need your word that you'll do anything it takes to protect our daughter and bring her back to us."

The admiral didn't respond immediately, staring ahead as he pondered Helo's request. A moment later he shook his head sadly, and stared back down at the table. "I'm sorry, Captain," the admiral replied. "I won't lie to you, I can't make that commitment."

Helo nodded, joining the admiral in gazing at the table's surface.

"I understand, sir," Helo replied, having already prepared himself for the admiral's answer. "With your permission sir, I'd like to discuss this with Sharon. She's waiting for-"

"You have my word, Captain," the president said before he could finish. "And I don't give my word lightly. I'll do whatever must be done to bring her back safely."

"Madame President?" the admiral asked in surprise.

The president stood up from the table, then leaned over it, towering over everyone else. "I don't know why your daughter is important. All I know is that she is." The president looked squarely at Helo. "You and your wife have my word Captain. We will do whatever it takes to get Hera back."

-----

Helo sat in darkened ready room, watching the display on the large screen in front of him. Sharon's silhouette blocked out some of the image, and her skin and clothing were painted in the blue tinted light of the projection. The display on the screen changed, and now the long arm of a Cylon Basestar bisected her body into dark and light.

"It won't last long," she said, turning back to face the nearly empty room. Sitting beside Helo, Starbuck watched intently from her chair, while the admiral sat several seats further away. "But with the defense codes we've gotten from Baltar, I'll be able to flood the Cylon data stream for a few minutes before they realize what's happening. During that time, they'll be completely blind to what we're doing."

Lee's shadow joined Sharon's at the front of the room, his body standing out in relief just as hers did. He stared at the images that moved across the screen, studying some unknown detail in tight focus. Lee turned to look over at Sharon, the light from the projection moving over their features as they stared at one another.

"Can't we program Galactica's computers to do this?" Lee asked.

"Galactica's computers aren't fast enough, unless we network them," Sharon replied. "I don't think I need to explain the risks involved in that. By doing it this way, I'll be the only one exposed to a Cylon response."

Lee looked back to the screen. "How many marines will we need?"

"If everything goes right?" Sharon's eyes wandered over the images and information. "None. If everything goes right, we should be in and out without firing a shot. But two teams of marines should be enough to cover any contingencies. If we need more than that, we've already failed."

Stepping towards the wall, Lee placed his finger on the projected diagram of a Basestar. "This is where we're picking up Baltar?" he asked. "How will he know to be there?"

"I can piggy-back a reply on the same channel he sent his messages over," Sharon answered. "If Baltar and the Cylon helping him are looking anywhere for a response, they'll be looking there."

Helo looked over at Starbuck, then to the Admiral. Kara's eyes moved over the display as she analyzed the plan, while the admiral maintained the detached expression he had held all meeting.

"But you're not sure he'll see it," Lee stated. "I mean, it's possible he might not, right?"

Sharon stared back at the screen, her focus fading for a brief moment as she seemed to stare through the wall. "He'll see it," she replied. Lee waited for her to say more, but she offered nothing further.

Sitting up from his chair, the admiral pulled down on the hem of his jacket to straighten it, then looked over to Kara.

"What do you think, Starbuck?" he asked.

Kara tilted her head as she continued to stare at the screen, working through the details in her mind. "It's twitchy as hell, sir," she replied, her tone caught between concern and admiration. "If everything goes as planned, it'll be a thing of beauty. But I can't remember the last time everything went as planned."

Helo looked back to the admiral as the images continued to pass by on the screen. The old man's shadow joined Lee and Sharon's as he walked toward the front of the room.

"Go talk to your teams," the admiral said, turning away and heading for the door. "See what feedback we get."

"Yes, sir," Lee and Kara replied in unison.

Sharon and Helo remained silent, watching as the admiral walked away without another word.

-----

She held her breath, keeping her eyes closed as she pushed the cable deeper into her arm. A trickle of blood escaped from around the wire, leaving a trail of crimson as it slid down her skin and onto the gauze pad she had placed beneath her arm. Helo watched quietly, sitting beside her and resting a hand on her knee. He fought the urge to look away from the scene, away from this facet of the woman he loved.

Her eyes opened slowly and she took a slow, even breath.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.

She sat less than a meter away from him at the back of the Raptor. The wiring and hardware that would connect her to the ship was already in place, and in a few moments she would literally be able to fly the Raptor with her mind. For this mission, however, her mind would be handling much more demanding tasks.

"You don't have to stay, babe," she said, reaching out with her free hand to hold his. "It's okay, I'm almost done."

Three times now, she had asked him subtly to leave, and each time he had refused

"Take your time," he said, grabbing a gauze bandage and reaching over to dab away the small trickle of blood around the wire. "We're not in any rush."

Her eyes stayed on his a moment, and then with a small nod, she closed her eyes and took hold of the cable once again. Using her thumb and forefinger, she threaded the wire deeper into her flesh, another inch disappearing beneath her skin.

A small click echoed through the cabin, sending a chill down his spine and a wave of relief over her features.

"Done," she said, exhaling slowly and opening her eyes. A dozen centimeters of cable hung outside her arm, ending in a jack that would connect with the Raptor. She tried to reach down into the medical kit beside her without moving her arm, but he reached over and stopped her before she could.

"Let me," he said, kneeling down in front of her and pulling the medical tape from the kit. After wiping another drop of blood from her arm, he carefully taped the cable to her arm to secure it. It would stay there for two days, or until they had brought their daughter home.

She took his hand before he could pull it away, the sliver of metal in her arm reflecting the red and blue lights of the Raptor's interior.

"Does it hurt," she said, a small smile appearing on her lips as she mimicked his earlier question.

He smiled back, lifting his hand and running it through her hair. "You'd never tell me if I didn't ask."

She pulled him closer and kissed him softly. "Let's see if this works, babe," she whispered, then pointed to a fiber cable that ran from the under the ECO station. Standing up off the floor, he pulled the wire over and handed it to her, watching as she slid it into the interface in her arm.

"Captain?" a voice called from outside the Raptor, stealing his attention away from Sharon. Glancing out the hatch, he saw Tyrol standing just beyond the wing of the ship. Sharon's eyes followed his, landing on the chief briefly before returning to Helo.

"Helo," she said, reading his eyes and seeing the discomfort there. Nodding towards the hatch, she urged him forward. "Talk to him," she said gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

Staring down at the cable running out of his wife's arm, he didn't move immediately, delaying to give his mind time to prepare. The two men had spoken only once since their confrontation a few days before, a brief encounter without apology or kindness. Thirty seconds into the short meeting Tyrol had walked away, leaving only his unspoken promise that he wouldn't betray them.

"Chief," Helo replied finally, ducking out of the Raptor and onto the wing. The two men measured one another as Helo stepped down onto the deck, purposefully leaving several meters distance between himself and the chief.

Helo didn't know why the chief had kept silent about what had happened. And while he was sure there was no malice behind Tyrol keeping it secret, he was still wary. They needed less than forty-eight hours now, and the man in front of him could ruin it all.

"Can I help, you chief?" Helo asked after a few seconds passed in silence.

"The CAG sent me, Captain," Tyrol replied, his voice even as he gestured towards the Raptor. His eyes stayed on Helo, watching his face but avoiding his eyes. "He wanted me to see if you two needed any help."

Helo turned to look back into the ship. Sharon sat alone inside the ship, her eyes closed in thought. On the monitors above her he could see a torrent of information and data scrolling by, faster than any human mind could follow.

"No, that's okay," Helo said, turning back to face the chief. "We're just about done."

Looking up into the Raptor, the chief watched as Sharon sat motionless there. Nobody needed to tell Helo how alien a sight it was, with the silver cable running between her and the ship. And he knew what most people saw; one machine talking to another. But the chief's eyes were devoid of any apprehension or judgment.

"You guys holding up okay?" Tyrol asked, the sincerity of the question leaving Helo at a loss. "I mean…you guys alright?"

"Yeah," he said after a few moments.

"Okay," the chief nodded. "Just let me know if I can help."

Helo's brow furrowed at the unexpected turn of the conversation. He had been preparing for further conflict with this man, not this. Looking down to the deck, he searched for something to match the chief's olive branch.

"Chief, I want to explain-"

"Captain," Tyrol cut him off, raising a hand to stop him. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know that I'm behind you."

Helo shook his head, unsatisfied. "Chief, you know I wouldn't ever-"

"Don't," Tyrol interjected, stopping him again. "Don't say it, sir. I don't need you to explain it to me. I have a family too, Captain."

The chief opened his mouth to say more, then shut it quickly. Helo stood silently, waiting for the man to try again.

After a few seconds, Tyrol walked over and took a seat on the wing of the Raptor, ignoring the invisible barrier Helo had put up at the start of the conversation. Watching and waiting, Helo knelt to the deck to return to eye level with the man. The chief had clearly come in peace, and Helo would do nothing to threaten that.

"I know…I know all it takes is a single second to lose everything you care about," the chief said quietly, almost to himself. He shook his head as if to banish a thought, then looked over to Helo. "You know, some of us are fighting because...because that's all there is. I used to be one of those people, I guess. But I'm fighting for more than that now, just like you. So you don't need to explain anything to me, sir. Do you think if I was in your shoes I wouldn't do the same?"

Helo didn't need to think about the answer, hearing his own thoughts coming from the other man's lips. "I know you would, chief," he replied, locking eyes with the man.

"We're gonna get your daughter back."

Tyrol's words hit Helo like a truck.

There were only a handful of people that knew all the objectives of the mission, and the chief was not supposed be one of them. But the absolute confidence and conviction in the man's voice made Helo's pulse accelerate. And to hear the outcome so clearly predicted and declared sent a surge of energy through his body.

"I know," Helo replied. "I will get my daughter back."

-----

He was lost, and he welcomed it.

"Sharon," he whispered, expecting no reply.

Her long hair fell across his face, forcing his eyes shut in the darkness. The smell of her hair, the taste of her skin, the feel of her thighs sliding against him; each sensation fought for dominance in his mind.

There were no more plans to be made, no more decisions left to make; there was only time to kill, time for doubts and worries to slip into his mind. But sleep eluded them, and so they sought a different escape.

Her teeth scraped lightly on his neck, her rhythm never faltering as she bit down gently on his flesh. His hands moved slowly up her sides until she grabbed his wrists, pushing them down and pinning them against the bed. Her lips moved to cover his, kissing him deeply to cut off any objection he might raise, though he had none.

The small cable taped against her arm pressed into his skin, the cold metal bringing unwanted thoughts of the coming day. A moment later they vanished, as her tongue searched his and her tempo increased. She mewled softly into their kiss, her intensity and volume rising as her hips moved faster, his own rising off the bed to meet her.

He felt her toes curling and pressed into the sides of his legs as he spilled into her, her body stiffening above him. His voice joined hers in filling the room, until the only sound left was that of their lungs straining to recover from the exertion. Collapsing on top of him, she rested her cheek against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

The cool air evaporated the sweat from his body, the chill it created contrasting with the warmth of her body. He reached up to brush her hair away from her forehead, leaning up to kiss the top of her head as he did so. Neither made any effort to move, resting there for long minutes until Sharon broke the silence.

"Nothing has changed," she whispered.

Her eyes stared blankly through the darkness. He could hear the sadness and resignation in her voice, and the thoughts they had tried to chase away returned to his mind.

"I know," he replied.

Sliding off of him, she pulled the covers up over them and tucked her body against his. Her head rested on his shoulder and she draped his arm across his chest. Looking down at her, he saw her eyes were as alert as his.

"Try to sleep," he urged, doubting it was possible for either of them to do so. There were only hours left now.

She shook her head slightly, still staring ahead.

"I want to hold her," she whispered.

The whites of her eyes disappeared in the darkness as Sharon closed them. He pulled her closer, squeezing her reassuringly.

"You will," he said, turning his body to face her. "Tomorrow you will."

"I want to feel her in my arms, Helo," she continued. "I want to see her eyes. I want to smell her skin."

He had never heard her speak so plainly of her need, but he understood it. Not a night had passed since he had learned Hera was alive, that he didn't find himself staring at the ceiling, trying to imagine what his two-year old daughter looked like.

"Me too," he whispered back. "I hope she has your eyes."

"Do you think she'll remember me?"

The question surprised him, both with the honesty and absurdity of its nature. Hera had never even opened her eyes, never mind been old enough to remember a face or a voice. And then again, she was half her mother, and her mother had never forgotten anything in her entire life.

"Maybe," he answered, treading carefully. "It's gonna take time Sharon."

Her eyes stared absently through him, and he could see her mind working through the unknown and unasked. It was a part of Sharon he rarely saw, but most never witnessed at all.

"Is it fair?" she said quietly.

"Fair?" he repeated, unsure of what she asked. The word sounded foreign coming from Sharon.

She lowered a hand to her stomach, resting it gently there. Her eyes came into focus, meeting his as she spoke. "Putting one child in harm's way to save another."

He moved his hand to cover hers, his fingers threading through hers. Leaning in, he pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. He had no answer for her. He doubted an answer existed.

"I don't know," he whispered. "But Hera's little sister would understand. We would do the same for her."

He kissed her forehead softly and pulled her closer.

-----

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," she replied.

They walked onto the bustling flight deck, weaving through the chaos towards their Raptor. Everywhere he looked preparations for the operation were in full swing, with deck hands feeding rounds into Vipers and pilots completing their flight checks. Following Sharon across the hangar, he could feel the energy in the air, the unmistakable and unique tension that surrounded those who might be living the last hours of their lives.

"Good hunting, Captain," the chief said as he passed heading the other direction.

Helo nodded in reply.

Stepping up onto the wing of their Raptor ahead of him, Sharon wore black fatigues in place of her flight suit. He was dressed in the same black attire, foregoing the pressure suit along with his wife. Entering the ship, he dropped his flight bag to the floor as she took a seat at the ECO's station. He knelt beside her as she rolled back her sleeve, exposing the metal that ran from her arm. Reaching for the cable under the console, he grabbed it and handed it to her.

"You're in my chair," he said as she connected herself to the ship.

"I can do your job," she replied, waiting for him to smile before she cracked a grin herself.

Helo walked to the front of the cabin and fired up the ship's systems. As the monitors came to life one-by-one, he checked the ship's instruments a final time. Through the cockpit glass he could see the frenetic activity continuing on the deck. A pair of Vipers were towed towards the launch tubes in front of him, while the chief and his crew worked to prepare a third.

"Now this is just like old times," a voice called from behind him. He turned to see Starbuck step into the cabin, grinning as she looked between him and Sharon. "Helo and Sharon back in the saddle again. It's been a while."

"Starbuck," Sharon greeted without looking up.

Helo stood up from the pilots chair and headed towards the back of the cabin. "How are we looking, Starbuck?"

Kara grabbed the lip of the hatch above her and leaned forward. "You're looking at the new CAG."

"What?" Helo asked, confused.

"The admiral has recused himself from the op," Kara continued. "Lee's taken his place."

He and Sharon exchanged a worried glance, and then he looked back to Kara. "What happened?"

Kara shrugged slightly. "The president landed about an hour ago, right after that I got a call from the old man telling me about the change."

"No explanation?" he prompted.

"Nothing," Kara replied. "Just told me to try and bring everyone home alive."

Hearing Kara speak, Helo felt a growing unease.

"Alright," Kara said, appearing to detect the discomfort around her. "I just came to say good hunting."

Helo nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Kara. Good hunting."

He watched her step out of the Raptor and looked back to his wife. In her eyes he could see the some concern that he felt. Without a word, she looked back to the screens above her, continuing her pre-flight prep.

Returning to the front of the ship, he sat back down in the pilot's seat and strapped himself in.

Adjusting his headset, he tested the communication link with CIC, and Dee's familiar voice on the other end brought him a small measure of comfort. A moment later he heard Sharon speaking over the ship's private channel.

"Echo One," she said.

"Echo Two," he replied.

He looked over his shoulder to see Sharon strapping in, and opened the channel.

"Flight control, this is Helo and Athena, Raptor 109," he said over the headset. "Requesting permission for take-off."

Raptor 109, the board is empty, and you are cleared for take-off on deck zero-zero-one.

"Roger flight control," Helo replied, watching as a deck vehicle moved in to tow the Raptor into position. "We're getting lift now, and should be wheels up in two minutes."

Roger that Raptor 109.

When they were towed clear of the hangar, Helo took the controls and lifted the forty-ton Raptor off the deck. Gliding towards the end of runway, row after row of lights passed outside the window, until there was no light at all, only the blackness of space. The dim red interior illumination of the Raptor highlighted all his instruments, but left the bulk of the ship in darkness.

Letting the ship drift away from Galactica, he waited for the order to begin the operation. Random communication traffic passed through his headset, but the cabin was otherwise silent. He stabilized the pitch of the Raptor with a small tap of the controls, and a pneumatic hiss sounded through the ship.

Listening for the go ahead, his mind worked through the myriad of scenarios that could arise. No matter what, the operation would not take long; from beginning to end, it would last less then ten minutes. Ten minutes of chaos, and if it took any longer that, it meant they had failed.

And he knew without a doubt that these ten minutes would be the most important of his life. In ten minutes he would be bringing his daughter home, or he wouldn't be coming home at all.

"Helo," Sharon said.

"Yeah?" he replied.

When she didn't answer, he turned to look over his shoulder and found her eyes resting on him calmly.

"I would do it all again." she said. "I want you to know that."

Galactica to Helo, Raptor 109. We are clear to go on your mark.

He tried to smile for her. "I want to hear that again when we get back, okay?"

She didn't smile back, and his heart told him to go to her. But the moment was upon them.

"Roger that Galactica," Helo replied over the headset, turning back to the controls. He pressed the throttle forward, sending the Raptor towards the edge of the fleet. "Jumping on my mark in fifteen seconds," he said.

The ships of the fleet passed out of Helo's view as he oriented the Raptor for the jump. The FTL drive whined almost imperceptibly as it prepared to bend the space around the ship and deliver them instantly to their objective.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he centered himself, then began the countdown. "Jumping five, four, three, two, one...mark."

The unmistakable feeling of faster than light travel passed over him, time slowing down to less than a crawl for a fraction of a second, then hurtling forward to catch up. The star field in front of him collapsed into pure blackness for an instant, and in the next instant the blackness gave way to a new source of light.

The light from a nearby sun reflected off the gleaming Cylon basestar, its silver hull reflecting every color of the spectrum. Dozens of tiny specs of light circled around it, seeming to float without purpose in every direction. The behemoth drifted slowly through the ether, and for a moment Helo could do nothing but stare.

But his mind was jarred back to the task when the basestar suddenly changed its trajectory, spinning as it turned towards their Raptor. The motes surrounding the massive ship stopped their seemingly random motion, growing in size as they moved in unison towards the intruder.

"We've got their attention," he said, watching as the Cylons approached.

"Beginning data flood," Sharon announced.

Helo watched and waited as the approaching ships began to take shape, the microscopic outlines of the Raiders getting closer with each passing second. He tried to count their numbers as they closed in, tried to guess how far they were from firing range, knowing nothing he could do would stop them. Streams of tiny lights spread out from the basestar, the metallic bodies of the Raiders it launched catching the light for a moment before turning towards the lone Raptor.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Sharon's eyes were shut, her lids fluttering at the unseen effort. He turned back, and now it was no longer the reflected star light that marked the approach of the Raiders, but the ominous red eye of each ship. His hands flexed over the controls tightly, but he made no attempt to flee; there was nowhere to go even if he wanted to

"Sharon," he called out, but she made no reply.

A flash of light shot out from one of the approaching fighters, followed by another and another. The first tracer round flew beneath the Raptor, missing by a good hundred meters, but the second and third grew successively closer. When another flurry of flashes appeared in the distance, Helo's instincts took over, and he threw the ship into a wide barrel roll.

"Sharon!' he cried again, the screens in front him screaming as several Raiders gained a missile lock on the Raptor simultaneously. More rounds flew past the window as the Cylons drew a bead on the ship.

A loud, high-pitched tone filled the cabin as the ship's computer registered a missile launch. Helo reached over to drop a decoy, punching the button twice as a round from one of the Raiders glanced off the hull of the ship. He felt the Raptor tremble as it ejected the two countermeasures, and then pulled the controls up into a sharp climb to distance the ship from them. A dozen different sounds and alarms filled the cabin as the Cylons continued to pursue.

And then all of a sudden, he heard nothing but her voice coming over his headset.

"It's done," she said.

The ship was completely silent, the alarms and warning silenced completely. Helo watched as a missile sailed several hundred meters over them, leaving a trail of flame as it flew aimlessly away. Looking down at the DRADIS, he saw the Raiders continued to follow him, but failed to react when he changed the Raptors direction of travel. He pulled the ship back to even pitch, turning the ship out of their plane of pursuit, keeping on eye on the DRADIS as he did.

Turning the ship around, he was greeted by the sight of dozens of raiders tumbling slowly through the void. The red glow that had marked them before was eerily absent, only the reflection of their metallic wings revealing their presence in the darkness.

"It won't last long," Sharon said, her voice strained. "The hybrid is already trying to clear the bad data. She's closed the data stream."

Helo looked back to the basestar and watched as it pitched off its axis, crippled by Sharon's attack. Watching the massive ship yawing, Helo pushed the Raptor forward, closing ground on the disabled ship. He maneuvered around a pair of free-floating Raiders as he approached, turning back onto course as Galactica jumped in.

The battlestar filled the cockpit window, blocking his view of the basestar and nearly everything else.

"Whoa," he shouted, pulling back on the controls to stop the Raptor. Galactica was moving at full speed towards the Cylon capital ship, and had jumped in much closer than the plan had called for.

When his path was clear again, he brought the Raptor back to speed, chasing after Galactica as Dee's voice came over his headset.

Launch the Vipers.

Helo waited for the next order as continued to pursue Galactica, pushing the Raptor to full throttle as both ships headed straight for the basestar. A dozen Vipers launched from the side of the battlestar, quickly turning onto a parallel course with it.

"Launch the Raptors," he whispered to himself.

Vipers maintain defensive perimeter.

He felt his gut clench as the seconds passed without the order. His Raptor's speed finally matched and then exceeded that of Galactica, beginning to make up lost ground.

"Helo," Sharon started.

"I know," he cut her off, his hand gripping the throttle tightly as he pushed the ship to its limit.

Galactica, this is Starbuck. Vipers are in position. Spreading into escort formation.

Negative Starbuck, maintain defense perimeter.

Helo guided the Raptor under the belly of Galactica, and opened the channel. "Galactica, Helo. The path is clear. There's nothing but empty space between you and the objective."

Roger that, Helo.

He held is breath waiting for the order once again, and once again, it didn't come. Their Raptor shot out from under Galactica, taking the lead in the race towards the basestar. He watched as the Cylon ship lurched slightly, trying to reorient itself and failing. Behind him, he heard Sharon draw in a sharp breath.

"Helo," she said. "Galactica is calculating a firing solution."

"Galactica, Helo," he said, opening the channel again, trying to keep his emotions in check. "We're showing you as calculating a firing solution. Please advise."

It was Lee's voice that came over the wireless in reply.

Raptor 109, you're out of formation. Clear the objective area immediately.

Helo pitched the ship upwards, placing it directly between the two capital ships.

"Negative, Galactica," he answered, shaking his head. "Don't do this, Major."

Helo, you will immediately return to-

"My daughter is on that ship," Helo shouted. "I won't let you do this."

There was a long pause before Lee replied, and when he did, there was a sadness Helo had never heard before in the other man's voice.

I'm sorry, Helo. It's too late. I'm under direct orders from the president. Don't make this harder on me.

"Galactica has a firing solution," Sharon said quietly.

Helo kept his eyes focus on the basestar as they flew closer and closer. He could make out the small details of the ship now, and see the flotsam of Raiders that tumbled without purpose around the struggling ship. But his mind was consumed with the decision he had already made, a decision that he and Sharon had made the day they found out their daughter was alive.

They had prepared for the president's betrayal; Sharon had expected it. Looking over his shoulder, he found her waiting for him to speak. Looking over his shoulder, he found her waiting for him to speak.

"Do it," he said.

She nodded once, then closed her eyes.

"Disabling Galactica's fire-control center," she said, "Disabling Galactica's DRADIS."

Turning forward, Helo visually scanned the Basestar as he heard Kara's voice in his ear.

Galactica, Starbuck. What the hell is going on? Where are the Raptors?

Dee's voice sounded over the wireless once again.

Vipers clear main batteries. Repeat, Vipers clear main batteries.

Helo could see the landing bay now, nothing more than small black hole on the surface of the Cylon ship. He could see on his DRADIS that Galactica had turned to starboard, preparing to launch its first salvo against the crippled basestar. They had yet to realize they were as helpless as their target.

"Disabling Galactica's main batteries," Sharon continued. "Disabling ship-to-ship missile system."

Karl, get out of there! Do you think I won't cut you down if-

Helo ripped off his headset and threw it to the side before he could hear the end of Lee's sentence.

"Are they there, Sharon?" he called back.

"Yes," she replied. "They're waiting for us."

The basestar lurched once again as Helo guided the Raptor towards his objective, but this time the movement had purpose. Still pushing his ship at full speed, he watched as the capital ship slowly righted itself.

"Sharon..."

"We still have time," she insisted. "Two minutes before the hybrid regains complete control."

He forced his mind to shut out the thoughts of concern for his shipmates, forcing himself instead to focus on the next one hundred and twenty seconds of his life. He could save everyone if he just stayed focused.

The Raptor sliced into the basestar's hangar bay at near full speed, with Helo yanking back on the throttle as the blackness of space gave way to the cavernous flesh walls of the Cylon ship. He knew the twists and turns of the interior from nights of studying with Sharon, prepared for what they would face if his people forced their hand.

"There," Sharon said, her voice coming from just over his shoulder. He glanced back to see her out of her chair and standing beside him. She pointed to a spot on the port side, and following her hand, he saw a glint of metal standing out from the organic surroundings. Steering the ship closer, he could see it was the Heavy Raider, waiting exactly where it was supposed to be.

Helo could feel his heart racing as he guided the ship down, struggling to keep the adrenaline that flooded his body from overwhelming him. Hope and fear fought within him as the Raptor touched down just fifteen meters from the Cylon transport. Un-strapping himself from the chair, he watched as the ramp of the Raider lowered and two figures appeared at the hatch. Gaius Baltar walked slowly down the ramp, followed by a blonde Cylon.

But all he could see was the child she carried in her arms.

"Hera," he whispered.

Sharon ran back and hit the hatch release as he stood up, his eyes still fixed on the brown haired child. When the hatch opened, he turned and followed Sharon out, nearly leaping off the wing as he made his way towards the other ship.

He trailed behind Sharon, watching as she approached their daughter and then stopped short, unsure. When Sharon paused, the blonde covered the remaining distance herself.

"Hello, Sharon," the blond said, leaning forward to press Hera into her mother's arms. "She's been waiting for you."

Closing her eyes, Sharon reached out to take her daughter and then smiled the smile of her life. He stepped close and wrapped his arms around them both, squeezing as hard as he could without hurting them. Looking down, he saw his daughter was more beautiful then he could have ever imagined. Her brown, silky hair curled the way his mother's had, and her dark eyes were all Sharon.

His daughter lived. His daughter was in his arms.

Kissing Sharon and looking back to his daughter, he tried to tell them he loved them, but no words could get past the lump in his throat. He heard his wife let out a small sob as she smiled through her tears, and then realized he was crying himself. Hugging his family tightly, he buried his face in his daughter's hair, letting his tears fall freely.

Through it all, Hera remained calm, staring curiously at everything except her parents. He laughed at the realization, and pressed his lips to her cheek again, kissing her as she tried to pull away.

"Thank you," Sharon said, wiping away a tear and turning to face the other woman. He turned to look at the Cylon he assumed was Caprica, the Cylon with whom Sharon had planned everything.

Caprica nodded, smiling softly through the worry that clouded her features.

"This is all very lovely," Baltar said, stepping forward, a look of desperate agitation in his eyes. "But shouldn't we be leaving?"

Baltar's words reset the focus in Helo's mind, and he ran back to the Raptor. Jumping onto the wing, he ducked inside and grabbed the first of two silver crates. Lifting the heavy boxes by their handles, he made his way back out, and then up the ramp of the Heavy Raider, dropping them just inside.

"Are you sure?" Sharon asked, still holding Hera in her arms as he made his way back for the rest of the supplies.

"Yes," Caprica replied.

Helo made his way into the Raptor again and found Baltar already inside. Grabbing another two crates, he turned to leave when Baltar stopped him.

"How can you be sure the fleet is going to be there?" he asked, holding Helo's arm as he looked into his eyes.

"They'll be there," Helo replied as he pulled out of Baltar's grasp. "Sharon's programmed everything already, and Caprica can fly you out of here. Once you're out, just let the computer run the jump. They'll pick you up when they spot you on the DRADIS."

Leaving Baltar behind, he made his way back to the Cylon ship and set the crates inside before heading back for the last of the supplies. He couldn't help looking at Hera each time he passed, despite the clock ticking in the back of his mind. Reminding himself that he had the rest of his life to meet his child, he ran back to the Raptor and hauled out the last box. He carried it back to where Sharon stood with Caprica, and ran a hand over his daughter's hair.

"We need to go," he urged calmly. Sharon looked over at him, then back to Caprica.

"Do you love him?" Sharon pressed.

Caprica didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"It's not going to be easy," Sharon said quietly.

"I know," Caprica replied, the doubt in her eyes conflicting with confidence in her voice.

Sharon looked down at Hera, brushing her daughter's curly locks away from her eyes. Helo could see the debate raging in Sharon's mind, but his wife simply nodded, and looked back to Caprica.

"Good luck," Sharon said. "The ship is ready for you."

"Thank you."

The two women exchanged a long look, and then stepped towards their new lives.

"Ready?" Helo asked.

Sharon smiled and shifted Hera into her other arm. "We're ready. Let's go, Helo."

Walking up the ramp into the Heavy Raider, Sharon reluctantly handed Hera to him. He held her close as they walked to the front of the ship, savoring the feel of holding his daughter in his arms. His little girl again seemed interested in everything but him, and again he could care less. Sharon took a seat in the pilot's chair, strapping in as she closed the hatch and took the controls. He followed suit, wrapping the seat harness around both him and Hera, and a moment later, the ship lifted off.

The basestar twisted and turned as they made their way to the exit, challenging Sharon's flight skills. When the exit finally came into view, she punched the ship forward, sending them hurtling back into space.

"Open a channel, Sharon," Helo said as he saw Galactica lumbering away, still trying to calculate its jump back to the fleet. Sharon's hand reached across the alien console, and suddenly the cabin was filled with sound of Galactica's wireless channel.

"Just speak," she instructed.

"Galactica, this Helo and Athena," he said.

He never thought he would get to say those words. And he never thought he would be saying what followed.

"Galactica, this is Helo and Athena," he repeated. "Good luck and goodbye."

--- End Chapter 6 and Part 1 ---

If you've read and enjoyed the story up to this point, feedback is appreciated. :)