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Chapter Eight

The following morning, Thirteen had still not been apprehended. Adama ordered extra guards on the flight deck and reluctantly allowed CAP to resume. Vipers had refueled on other ships, and pilots that had been on leave subbed in, but since there were only four, the pilots were beyond exhausted. Kara had made a brief report and left.

She couldn't deal with her feelings from the previous evening. Had it been Lee seducing her or had Thirteen been in charge all along? She berated herself for getting into the situation in the first place and vowed not to let her emotions get in the way again. When she met Thirteen again, she'd be prepared.

Adama found Kara's behavior odd, but couldn't dwell on it.

"It wants to destroy the ship, but allow…"

Tigh finished the statement he'd heard a million times. "time to get off." He appeared as grumpy as possible and wiped at his face in an attempt to wake up.

Adama bit back a biting remark of his own. "So, a bomb. But where?"

Gaeta coughed, letting them know he had something to say. "If he truly wants to destroy the ship, it would have to be the engines. If he just wanted damage, there's lots of possibilities, but destruction would need to be a direct hit on the engines."

"We already have extra marines posted there." Tigh complained. "We can't keep this up forever. Besides, what could he have that could blow an engine."

Gaeta coughed again. "Um, I think he's built a bomb."

Adama stared at the lieutenant. "Why?"

"Well, when the reports came in on his locations, I had the various departments do inventory. I figured we needed to know what he was taking. It might help us track him or anticipate his next step."

Adama nodded. "Good thinking."

In Tigh's own way, it was a compliment that he didn't complain about Gaeta keeping them in the dark. "Have you found something?"

"We're missing munitions, blasting caps and…" He hesitated. "A timer."

Adama pursed his lips. "It is a bomb." He turned to Tigh. "You have command."

Tigh didn't need to ask where Adama was going.

BSG

Adama jogged through the corridors. Everything in him screamed the bomb was already set. For some reason, he decided he could find it. As he passed hatch after hatch, his subconscious mind click off the route, while his conscious mind tried to think like Lee. He knew his son's knowledge was Thirteen's key, but he also knew Lee would try to distort things if at all possible.

The marines snapped to attention when Adama thundered into the main engine room. He didn't bother to order them to ease, he shouted another command. "Search this place top to bottom for anything unusual. We're looking for a bomb."

Thirteen watched from the catwalk above. His eyes flew wide when Adama entered. The timing was unbelievable. He tucked himself into a small alcove and watched as the men went over every inch of the antechamber.

When the search was finished, Adama ordered the main hatch sealed from within and then the group moved into the inner chamber.

Thirteen climbed silently down the ladder. When his feet hit the deck, he scanned the room quickly to be sure he was alone and then slipped across to the far wall. 'Lee Adama' had inspected the engines and discovered the weakness in the control unit. It had received minor damage in one of the battles, but the repair had been quick, temporary and forgotten. 'Lee' had failed to note it in his report.

He slipped the bomb from the bag he'd slung over his shoulder and set it in place. Glancing around the room, he made for the ladder to retreat, grinning at his good fortune.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" Adama stood in the doorway, unarmed.

Thirteen turned to face the voice. "I'm done here. I'll be going."

Adama held the marines behind him back and stepped forward. "You don't have anything to tie me to. Don't you think I can stop you?"

Thirteen laughed. "Not on your best day, Adama. Not on your best day." He thought a moment. "I don't have a clue how you got that hit on Lee when you were sparring. I think he must have let you have it."

"No way. Remember, I play to win. I always have and my sons knew it. You said so yourself." He moved even further into the room, but Thirteen remained still. "So, are you going to make this easy on Lee and return peacefully to your cell?"

Thirteen laughed again. "Why? How will you make me? Your marines are behind you. I'll get to the hatch first."

"But my marines are here." Kara's voice called from the other hatch, supposedly sealed. "And more are stationed at the ends of the catwalk." Her words dripped with anger.

Thirteen paled as he glanced back and forth between Kara and Adama's confident glare. "Would you kill your son?"

Adama shook his head. "No…"

Kara cut him off. "But Lee wants us to stop you." She fired and caught Thirteen in the shoulder. No emotion was displayed on her face, "for all you've done."

Thirteen stared at her, stunned. It seemed like an eternity, but he lifted his healthy arm and stepped up a rung.

"I said he'd want us to stop you." She fired again, this time catching the cylon in the leg. He collapsed and fell to the deck.

Marines swarmed the injured, yet furious Cylon. Adama watched, saying nothing. He was absorbed watching the cylon's fury. It was the first time he couldn't tell the difference between Lee and Thirteen and it terrified him.

Kara tugged at his arm, bringing him back to the situation. He glanced at the marines, waiting for instructions. "Bring it to Life Station and the minute it's patched up I want it back in the cell." As an afterthought, he added. "And find that damn bomb."

The marines split up, most going with Thirteen. The rest went to track down and disarm the bomb. Adama and Kara were left alone. She whispered. "I'm sorry. I had to do it."

Adama squeezed her arm. "You had to do it. You were right. Lee would have done it."

Pain shimmered in her eyes in the form of unspent tears. "Then why does it hurt so much? I feel like I shot my best friend." She'd never tell him what had happened the previous night.

Adama chuckled. "Well, you shot his body… not the friend."

At first she was furious and her face contorted to hold it in, but seeing Adama's smiled, she softened and succumbed to soft laughter of her own.

BSG

Kara's prowess served Lee well. Neither injury was serious nor was it long before Thirteen was back in his cell. Adama stood outside, watching his son rest. Seeing the sleeping form, reminded him that Lee was still in there and none of this was his fault. His eyes scanned to the center of the cell, where the two marines had been killed. He had no idea how he'd convince his son to release that guilt when he was safe again. He shook off the worry. They had to free Lee first.

Thirteen's trip to life station revealed that the poison was now spread throughout his body. A simple blood test revealed the presence of the substance. Adama closed his eyes, wishing the simple act could make this nightmare go away.

When he opened his eyes, Thirteen was standing before him on the other side of the glass. Adama didn't flinch. He moved to the phone and picked it up. Thirteen did as well.

"You shot your son?" Thirteen asked, still chagrinned. "I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"You are not my son. You've trapped my son somewhere deep inside. You've misjudged me. It will be your undoing." Adama's tone was icy, but very clear.

Thirteen raised an eyebrow. "You seem confident."

"I love my son. He knows it. I also know he'd never want to live like this. All you have done is make it easier to push the button that opens the airlock and frees my son's soul. Don't second guess me again. Search Lee's memories. I promised him."

The threat was real, and Thirteen knew it. The two men stared at each other in a silent showdown. Thirteen finally interrupted the tension. "Lee doesn't believe you. He wanted desperately to believe what you said that day in the corridor outside CIC. You said you'd never leave him. Do you remember?"

Adama nodded. "I never say what I don't mean."

"And yet you'd destroy him? How is that not leaving him? Remember that Adama. If you kill me, you acknowledge there is no hope. Isn't that leaving? Which promise will you keep?"

Adama hung up and left.

BSG

When Adama didn't answer, Kara entered anyway.

"I don't recall giving you permission to enter." Adama growled from a darkened corner of the room.

"I'm worried about you." She said, dismissing any hint of military protocol. She needed to have Adama strong. It was the only thing keeping her going.

"I can take care of myself. Worry about Lee."

She moved to his side and knelt on the floor next to him. "I do worry about Lee. All the time, but now I'm trying to figure out how to help you too."

He finally looked her in the eye. "I'm fine." He truly meant it.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked.

He took a deep breath. "I've run through every piece of information and every encounter I've ever had with a cylon. There's got to be a way to defeat them and I know we've seen it and just don't know it. Every word, every interaction." He laughed. "I've even gone over everything Baltar's ever said."

Kara gasped. "That's some heavy thinking."

"They truly believe they're superior to us. Why would they want Lee's body then?"

Kara wasn't sure if he realized she was still present. She tried to lighten his mood. "Well, sir. I know you're his dad, and I'm his friend, but… It's a mighty fine body." She grinned at him, ignoring what had recently happened with that desirable body.

He briefly returned the smile, but then his face hardened. "Thirteen fraks with our minds like the Leoben model does. I remember every word Leoben said to me on Ragnar. He said it was funny what a man learns to live with." He fell into silence.

"He's just frakking with you. Remember what you told me? Don't let him get into your head." She added softly, "although that's probably hard when the voice and face belong to your son." She straightened her back. "But it's still good advice."

"It's like Leoben. It also twists lies with the truth. Any mistake I ever made with my son, it's exploiting."

"You know Lee doesn't hold those things against you." She demanded.

He looked at her, but she knew he didn't believe her. "Yes, he does. Deep down, he always will."

They lapsed into silence. Adama's mind drifted back to Leoben. He closed his eyes. Kara wondered if he would fall asleep. It looked as though he needed it.

The storm. It's the storm isn't it? It puts out... something. Something
you 'discovered' has an affect on Cylon technology? That's it, isn't it? This is a refuge. A last ditch place to hide in case of Cylon attack. Right?

Adama's eyes sprang open and he grabbed at the arms of his chair to bring his thoughts together. "Ragnar!"

BSG

The standard group assembled at the conference table. Baltar was frantically refuting the idea. "It would take months of research to isolate what it was about the cloud that caused the problem. We don't even know for sure if it would have killed the Cylon."

Roslin hated to agree. "He's right. We can't risk sending a research team back. We have no idea of how long it would take or if we'd even be able to duplicate the conditions."

Tigh could see the fierce look of determination on Adama's face. "It's a good call, but it just won't work."

Cottle had been silent. "There no guarantee it would work, but it's the best we've got. Too bad we can't just send him back and make him stay there." He chortled. "We know he'd be safe from the Cylons there."

Adama pushed back from the table and rose to his feet. He looked at Tigh. "Prepare a raptor, triple long range rations."

Tigh said nothing.

Adama turned to Cottle. "I'll need several sedatives and any other equipment needed to test his blood."

He then addressed the shocked group. "I'm not letting the Cylons have my son. I know you don't believe it, but I do. I know the storm at Ragnar will cure Lee. I'm taking him."

Roslin placed both hands flat on the table and pushed herself up. "You can't do this. You are in command of the fleet. Humanity depends on you. I'm ordering you to stop this plan."

He glared at her and his face went hard. "I don't give a frak about my command. I resign. And as for humanity, what would it say about humanity if it allows a man to stand around and watch his son die when he could have stopped it? That's not a humanity I'm willing to defend." He didn't wait for further argument. He left the room and its stunned occupants.

BSG

Kara heard about Adama's plan and went to him directly. "You can't do this."

He growled at her as he packed a small bag. "You won't stop me either." Zipping the case shut, he glared at her. "I would have thought you, of all people, would support me."

"Always" she whispered. She swallowed hard and spoke more firmly. "I believe in the idea, but you can't be the one to go."

Adama knew exactly what she was going to suggest. "I suppose you think you're the one to go?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm the only one who can go."

Adama sank onto his rack. He knew he wouldn't be able to avoid her arguments. He had no problem telling her no, but he always had to listen first. He thought about the irony of the situation. He often told Lee no, before he ever thought of listening. He considered Kara family, but when it came to decisions, he couldn't treat them the same. Lee would always be a biological part of him. His first instinct would always be to protect his son. How many times had he been forced to listen to Lee outline a plan that would put his son's precious life in danger? Since the cylon attack, his military side would listen and approve in dire situations. In all other circumstances, the paternal side would overcompensate. "This should be good."

"Your place is here." She demanded, hands on hips, assured of her victory, yet pacing. "You can't just up and leave." She stopped. "Look, I know you'd like nothing more than to ultimately prove your love to Lee, but this isn't how you do it."

Adama's anger soared at the personal turn the conversation had taken. Deep down it might be the truth, but it wasn't one he need to hear from anyone. He rose to his feet and began to object.

Kara boldly strode up to him and pushed him back down. "I'm not done." She stepped away and then turned back on him. "We have no idea how long it will take to kill the Cylon inside Lee. It could be months. You can't be gone that long. It's too big a risk. You can't leave Tigh in charge of the fleet that long and you know it." She ended the statement with her finger pointing directly at him.

"I resigned. I don't know who would replace me." He argued feebly. They both knew it would be Tigh and he also knew Tigh had absolutely no interest in command.

Kara's eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "Funny." She continued. "I can do this. I'm the only one who can."

"We need fighter pilots, a CAG, more… especially since…"

They both knew he meant Lee. "You can train new pilots. They can work extra shifts. What good are pilots if there isn't a competent leader to guide them?" She dropped to her knees in front of the man she loved like a father, resting her hands on his knees. "I know you want to go and I wish there was some way you could, but you can't. It's too risky. We need you here."

"It's risky to go. We don't know what we'll find on Ragnar. The Cylons might have destroyed it or they might have found a way to stay. We could die there." Adama mused, still avoiding the truth of the decision.

Kara squeezed his knees, getting him to focus on her. "Then it's decided, because that simply can't happen."

"What?" he asked.

"We can't lose both Adamas. We need the bloodline." She ended with a smile.

"I have to do this for him." Adama whispered.

"It's because of him that you can't do this." She redirected. "He's got so much to deal with already when he gets back. If something happened while you were gone," she breathed deeply. "It would have all been for nothing. You know him. He'd never let it go. He'd feel responsible and do something dumb."

It was all out in the open. Adama couldn't hide his true feelings. "I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."

"You don't trust me?" She teased. "I'm the only other one on this ship who will do what's necessary for him. You know that, right?"

He nodded. "I know. But if I don't go, he'll say I left him."

She shook her head. "No, he won't. I'll make sure he knows." She paused. "I will save him."

He pulled her chin up. "You always do, but I can't let you do this. I have to."

Kara fumed. "FRAK!" She rose to her feet. "STUBBORN DAMN ADAMA BLOOD! AAAARRRGGGHHH!" She stormed out of Adama's quarters.

Adama couldn't help but smile at the passionate woman.

BSG

Adama had requested the raptor right away, but the reality of the situation meant he needed several days of training and planning. Although no one actually encouraged him in the endeavor, they jumped at the opportunity to help or answer his questions. Tyrol had come up with ingenious storage systems for the supplies they would need, including extra fuel. Gaeta took great pains to ensure the planned FTL jumps back to Ragnar would be safe. He mapped out a route that avoided known cylon occupied zones.

Tigh pretended to ignore the conversation going on at Gaeta's station. He didn't condone Adama's actions. He didn't care about the reasons. He just knew it was wrong. He'd long since stopped arguing. It hadn't done anything but anger the two men. He'd finally had enough. He charged over to the other two men. "We can't wait for you. If we have to jump, we'll do it."

Adama nodded. Gaeta said nothing, not wanting to come between his two commanding officers.

Tigh continued. "And because you might get captured, we're going to have to jump right after you leave. And we can't tell you the next plot, either."

Adama spoke softly and calmly. "I know that too."

"SO HOW THE HELL WILL YOU GET BACK IF YOU DON'T GET KILLED?" Tigh roared.

Adama sensed a fight. He wasn't willing to engage his XO in CIC. "I'm not worried about that right now." He nodded to Gaeta. "Thanks." He risked a glance at Tigh and added. "You have the deck."

Adama left CIC with Tigh at his heels. As soon as they were in Adama's office, Tigh fired. "Not worried? Since when don't you plan something five steps ahead?"

Adama smiled and chuckled. "Is that a compliment?"

Tigh scowled. "This isn't funny. Let's say this harebrained scheme of yours works. How will you find us?" He quickly added. "Assuming there's still an 'us' to find?"

Adama sighed. "It's the risk I'll have to take. We'll find you, Saul. We will." Seeing the picture of he and his sons on the corner of his desk, he added. "It's no scheme either. We're talking about Lee's life."

Tigh felt the implied reprimand. He replied softly. "I know… and I want you to succeed. I do. But don't forget, we're talking about your life too."

Adama smiled at his old friend and offered his hand. Tigh took it firmly. A second later, the two battle hardened soldiers embraced.