He cleared his throat, "Bad?"
The young man nodded grimly, "Doctor Cottle is in with her, but she's been in and out of consciousness all day and I just don't see…"
Billy trailed off as Cottle entered the room with a grim expression. Billy and Bagot ducked into her room to leave Cottle with Cain and Adama. He walked over to them and shook his head, "She's stubborn as hell. I tried to transfer her over to Galactica or Pegasus to monitor her more closely and she said no. Then I tried to offer her morpha, same result."
Helena nodded with a stony expression of her own, "How long?"
Cottle looked back towards Roslin's personal cabin when a loud cough tore through the air, "A few days, maybe a couple of weeks on the outside." He scowled, "If she continues to refuse morpha, they won't be pretty either. She's in tremendous pain, but she refuses to be drugged, she wants to be lucid so she's even off the chamalla extract. The irony of course is that the pain is sending her for a ride anyway. I'd go in there and talk to her while she's still relatively lucid."
Adama dismissed him and the two officers stepped inside Roslin's cabin. The found her propped up in her bed. Her skin was gray and waxy, her eyes sunken and surrounded by black circles, and there was dried blood at the corners of her mouth. She already looked dead in Bill's opinion, "Admiral, Commander, thank you for coming." Her voice was painful to listen to, barely croaking from her throat. "I was just going over the timetable for the upcoming Presidential election with Billy and Marshall."
She turned to Bagot and Billy, "Marshall, I need to speak the Admiral and Commander alone. Please make the announcement to the press now." The Vice President nodded and quietly left the room, Billy reached over and squeezed her shoulder in a supportive gesture before he left.
She reached over and tried to pick up the glass of water on her nightstand. When they noticed her hand trembling with the effort, Helena stepped to her side and helped her take a drink. She gave the other woman a grateful expression then spoke, "I needed to speak with each of you about what's going to happen in the next few days. Right now, Marshall is gathering the press to announce the election in a little over three months. The next two weeks will be devoted to candidates announcing their campaigns.
"What I say next, never leaves this room." She looked at both of them for a long time, trying to make sure they understood the weight of this conversation before she continued. "Before I went off the chamalla, I had a vision."
Bill noticed Cain's eyebrow quirk microscopically out of the corner of his eye and if Laura noticed, she merely barreled on. "The Fleet will need both of you to work closely for the remainder of this journey," She turned to Helena and spoke more forcefully, "but the Gods require a new role from you Commander. I want you to run for President, I'll have Billy compose a written endorsement of your campaign, you will have Marshall's full support as your running mate, but I need you to do this."
Cain scowled, "With all due respect Madam President, are you out of your frakking mind?" She shook her head, "Everyone in this room, your aide, my 'running mate' as well as a good portion of Galactica's crew know everything I've done. Not to mention I have neither the aptitude nor desire to deal with politics, I'm a soldier. The first time a Quorum member stepped out of line I'd have them thrown in the brig." She stood and began to pace the room.
Undeterred, Roslin merely quipped. "I assure you Commander; the thought has crossed my mind during nearly every Quorum meeting." After her chuckle turned into a barely manageable coughing fit she continued in a more serious tone. "Helena, I need you to do this. I need someone who knows the scriptures and can help interpret the signs we'll be seeing. Your father and mother were Orthodox worshippers of Athena which meant you've read and memorized nearly every one of the Scrolls and especially Pythia."
Cain suddenly paused in her pacing, "That's not in my file, how did you know?" She crossed the room to Roslin's side and sat down, "Visions? Of serpents numbering twelve? Apollo's Arrow? The Lion's Head? All of it?" Roslin nodded each time and Cain's eyes filled with wonder, "You found Kobol and saw the path to the Temple of the Five? You're the dying leader." After digesting all that she learned, Cain finally sighed, "I need time."
Roslin reached out and squeezed the other woman's hand for a moment before she spoke. "I have one last request of the both of you."
Bill took his place at her side, "Name it."
She swallowed and said, "There cannot be a rescue mission to the Colonies, any attempt will tear the Fleet apart. If we allow a mission to Caprica, we'll have to send them to the other Colonies and more than likely get everyone killed in the end."
Bill scowled, "Lee will push. He'll push as hard as he can." She nodded, "You've seen the results?"
"No, but I can't in good conscience say the people of Caprica are more deserving of rescue than the other Colonies. That's why I said no in the beginning, we have to continue on to Earth. That's the Gods' Will."
&&&&&&&&&
The pilots of Pegasus were gathered in the ready room for a full briefing for the first time since Major Adama was briefing them on the strike on Resurrection. Daily briefings had been performed by squadron leaders since Apollo had become XO and been assigned to the Baltar trial and the flight wing hadn't been needed to gather to this extent. The room was packed, every seat filled while Showboat's group of nuggets was leaning against the wall where they could.
The XO had called the briefing last night and even scrubbed this mornings CAP so that everyone could be there. It was enough to pique Marcia Case's curiosity at least.
It was more than enough to start the rumor mill on Pegasus:
Some pilots wondered if it was another strike.
Some were hoping they'd finally learn why the Fleet was jumping further from the Colonies instead of preparing rescue operations.
A few of them, those distrustful of Galactica and their new XO, were fully expecting Lee to announce that he was taking command of the Pegasus himself.
Marcia agreed with the overwhelming majority of the pilots, however. They'd finally decided on a CAG.
Many had thought it would be her. Not only had she'd been Stinger's lead pilot, but in the limited time Lee had been on Pegasus he'd relied heavily on her. Their friendship rekindled in that time, she was never quite as close to Lee as Kara had been, even during their brief stint as a couple during Lee's senior year, but they were very close still.
However, she'd taken on the role of advanced flight instructor in the last few weeks. Teaching Starbuck's nuggets from Galactica advanced tactics and techniques was a daunting task and a full-time job, now that two thirds of the flight simulators had been sent to Galactica for basic flight purposes. It was also something was excelling at and she enjoyed. She might be the only pilot who didn't think she'd be the CAG anytime soon.
The hatch came open and she called the room to attention when the XO entered, a young woman on his heels wearing Captain's Bars and pilot's wings. She recognized her as a pilot from Galactica but couldn't recall her name.
The Major took his place at the podium and looked the group over before allowing them to take their seats. After a moment, he and Stinger locked eyes, their rivalry hadn't blown over in the six weeks Apollo had been on the Bucket, in fact it seemed to have intensified over time. Cole had bit his tongue when Lee had become the XO and continued his time as a back-seater and hadn't complained about his rank being busted but the mere mention of "Apollo," "Adama" or "XO" usually earned you quite the scowl from the former CAG.
After a moment Lee spoke, "Taylor, front and center." After just long enough of a pause to raise some eyebrows, Cole got to his feet and came to a stop in front of the XO. "A lot of things have been discussed by command. How we'll be training new pilots was first and foremost, it's been decided that Basic Flight will continue to be taught on Galactica. Upon completing basic flight, nuggets will be transferred to Pegasus for advanced flight. We've transferred several of the simulators over to the Bucket and have two junior instructors over there."
He turned to Taylor and continued, "That's where you come in. Commander Cain informed me that you were the senior-flight instructor at Scorpia before the attacks, we're calling on your expertise in that area once more." She could see enough of the older pilot's face to see his eyebrow rising slightly.
He was at least intrigued by what was happening, "I'm reinstating your flight instructor's qualifications and transferring you immediately to Galactica to take command of Basic Flight as well as reinstating you to the rank of Captain. Lieutenants Agathon and Clellan will answer to you. Lastly, the suspension of your viper and raptor pilot qualifications has been rescinded. Dismissed."
As Stinger left the Ready Room, she noticed he was standing a little straighter than before.
Adama continued, "There will be more transfers over the next few weeks as the Commander and the Admiral determine how best to integrate our two flight-wings. No one call dibs on any bunks just yet." He grinned and a chuckle murmured through the group. "Three days ago, a raptor scouting mission found a near-by asteroid field. These asteroids are essential big lumps of high yield iron, nickel and other heavy metals, enough to hopefully make squadrons of new vipers and raptors as well as enough replacement parts to get the fleet going full speed again.
"The Majahaul mining vessel is preparing to begin operations and we've been assigned protection duties. The rest of the Fleet will be jumping to a secured location while we stay with them. Mining operations will take at least six weeks, so I'm offering a forty-eight hour pass to Cloud Nine and the Rising Star for you starting at seventeen-hundred hours tomorrow." An excited noise buzzed between the pilots but the XO quickly reined them in again.
"Finally, there's the matter of our new CAG. I'd like to introduce you to Captain Louanne Katraine, she was a squadron leader on Galactica and she was hand picked by myself and Commander Cain to take the post." He turned to the olive-skinned young woman, "Captain."
As Apollo stepped away from the podium and left the Ready Room, Katraine stepped up to the podium and looked them all over, "As Major Adama said, my name is Captain Louanne Katraine, my call-sign's Kat," She gave them a smirk and a cocky grin, "You can call me CAG or 'God' in a pinch." She softened the remark with a wink and continued, "I'll be flying Blue Wing with Narcho on my wing…"
&&&&&&&&&
Lee entered CIC and relieved Hoshi as Cain was still on Colonial One. Upon seeing the XO on deck, several officers brought him department reports to go over. He looked them over and gave half an ear to the pilot chatter from Galactica's CAP. A slight grin tugged at his mouth as he heard Kara's mocking voice picking on Hot Dog and Sweetness.
Twenty minutes later he heard Hoshi clear their CAP for launch. Soon, Narcho and Kat's voices joined Kara's and Lee felt that increasingly familiar pang of envy and the want to be out there as well. He really missed flying, but mostly when he heard Kara on the pilot chatter.
He hadn't really been paying attention to much other than the report he was reading and the sound of Starbuck daring Hot Dog to a series of trick maneuvers and the strangely soothing sound of DRADIS sweeps.
His mind had wandered back upon countless CAPs flown while on Pegasus, Atlantia and Solaria. His fingers twitched with the muscle memory of maneuvers and ached to hold a stick again. In his mind's eye he was flying with Kara just a few inches off his wing, her voice silky as she dared him into trick after trick, they'd start with simple rolls and Split-S turns then move onto Starbursts and other advance moves.
Eventually his daydream took hold of him, coalescing into a vivid fantasy of flight with Kara; their ships slipping around each other through the ships of the Fleet in a dance of instinct and skill, always just inches away from death with adrenaline coursing through their bodies lighting fires within them and between them.
By the time they land on Pegasus, he'd practically be vibrating with need for her. He'd race down the ladder and fly through post-flight and grip her hand tightly, yanking her off the flight deck and to his quarters where he'd strip her flight-suit from her and…
"Major?"
The fantasy shattered and Lee bit down on disappointment at the sight of Hoshi's face, "Yes, Lieutenant?"
The young com officer spoke, "Sir, there's something on wireless I think you should hear."
After a few keystrokes, the speakers crackled to life, "We're on Colonial One awaiting an announcement from Commander Cain of the Pegasus. Speculation has run rampant through the Fleet since Vice President Bagot announced the timetable for the upcoming Election- Commander Cain is entering the briefing room, we now go to her."
Lee glanced around the room and noticed that every officer was listening to the wireless broadcast, they could hear murmuring and cameras clicking, then they heard the Commander's voice; "When I was seventeen, I applied for the Academy in the hopes of defending the Colonies and the Articles. There, I learned that 'duty,' 'patriotism' and 'honor' were more than just words and abstract concepts.
"They were ideals for people to strive for and make their own. Many years have passed for me but those things I've learned are still true. Duty to the Colonies has become duty to this Fleet, Patriotism to the Twelve Nations of man has become my love of what Humanity stands for and honor has become more important than ever. Not just for me, and the crew of Pegasus and Galactica, but for all of us. For those reasons and so many others, I announce my candidacy for the office of President of the Colonies." The shocked gasps that ran through the assembled Press on Colonial One were echoed in CIC.
Lee's pen fell out of his hand and clattered on the tac table, already forgotten. "Commander? Sekou Hamilton, will you retain command of Pegasus, during your campaign?"
"Yes, but I will not be using military resources for my campaign."
"Commander Cain, James McManus, what is your stance on the journey to Earth?"
"Under my Presidency, the journey to Earth will continue. Next."
"Karen Fallbrook, do you have a stance on the abortion debate?"
"I'm Pro-life, however until I've had a chance to more closely research the debate I-" Lee cut the connection.
He looked the crew over and allowed them a moment to digest and discuss the bombshell Cain had just dropped upon them before he spoke sternly, "Resume your duties."
He sighed and shook his head then picked up a receiver and pressed a hot key to address the crew. "Attention Pegasus, this is the XO. I imagine the press will be crawling all over this ship and crew for the next few weeks, asking for stories about the Commander and your opinions. I don't have to remind you that as members of the military, you are not allowed to discuss political matters with the press at any time. That is all."
He sighed and turned to Hoshi, "It was such a quiet afternoon too."
The younger man grinned slightly, "That it was, sir."