¤

From the surface of the planet, more Cylon raiders poured out of a large fissure in the ground. They took up their positions, six of them in a ring surrounding a seventh. The raiders flew straight for the Galactica, right through the fighting squadrons of their fellow Cylons. The seven ships flew right into the Beta landing bay and landed!

Out of the ships came twenty Cylons and one human. Baltar stepped out of his raider, green robes swirling. He clasped his gloved hands together and smiled, "What is this, Adama? No security teams?" He chuckled confidently and turned to a Cylon standing next to him, "Tell the others to start landing on the other ships immediately," he smiled darkly, "It won't be long before the Galactica is ours!"

It did seem that his words were all too true. Cylon fighters swarmed around the crippled battlestar, blasting what was left of her defense systems. The arrival of three new Colonial Vipers did little to deter them; though Starbuck, Celeste, and Athena were a force to be reckoned with. They were destroying Cylon ships as quickly as the Cylons launched them. However, even a practiced optimist like Starbuck could tell that it wasn't enough. Neither he nor either of the women were going to admit it out loud.

"Celeste, on your six!" Athena cried.

Celeste glanced at her scanner. Sure enough, there was a raider on her tail. For only the eighth time in as many centons.

"Blast!" she exclaimed, swinging her viper into an evasive twist.

"I'm about to." Starbuck announced over the comm.

Ahead, Celeste saw Athena's viper under fire. Cylons were starting their trademark "pinwheel" maneuver around Athena. "Hurry, Starbuck, or we'll all be space dust!" Celeste yelled.

"Where are you guys?" Athena cried.

The Cylon trailing Celeste exploded in a cloud of flames. Celeste and Starbuck headed for Athena, both simultaneously breathing sighs of relief.

Athena eased back on the control stick and held it while her ship performed a graceful loop. The Cylons were momentarily distracted, but quickly regrouped. Laser fire strafed the vacuum of space around Athena's viper. She cried out as a laser bolt connected with her canopy.

"Easy, Athena, we're coming." Starbuck said reassuringly.

Athena's viper zigzagged as her voice replied, "I'd feel a whole lot better if you were already here!" She fired when she saw three raiders whirl into view ahead of her. By some stroke of luck, she hit two of them and the third was caught in the explosion.

"Kobal, Athena! What do you need us for?" Celeste half-joked.

Athena replied, "The rest of them!"

Celeste shook her head, "I hear you." She watched more raiders arriving fresh from the Cylon base on the nearby planet. As she passed the Galactica's Beta landing bay, she noticed something odd and disturbing.

"There are Cylons on the Galactica!" Celeste yelled over the comm.

Starbuck and Athena flew right behind her. "Oh no!" they said in tandem.

Celeste's viper looped back and started heading straight for the bay. A landing run.

"Celeste! Where the photon do you think you're going?" Starbuck yelled.

"Guys, we have to land!" Celeste exclaimed.

Athena replied incredulously, "We can't leave these few pilots to fend off all these Cylons!"

"If we don't do something fast we'll lose more than just the pilots," Celeste reasoned dismally, "The Galactica is the fleet's protection! If we lose that battlestar…" She trailed off, but her point was implied.

Starbuck sighed, "I don't think the other pilots will appreciate this."

Celeste smiled a little, "What about you Athena? You in?"

"Well," Athena hesitated, "Oh, I guess someone's got to make sure you two stay out of trouble."

"Great, we're going in."

Celeste, Starbuck, and Athena headed for the landing bay, blasting their path clear of Cylons as they went.

"Out of the frying pan and into the blaster fire," Starbuck remarked, eying the raiders parked on the Galactica.

Athena sighed, "Let's hope not. But be ready for anything."

The trio lined up with Beta bay.

Soon they would land.

¤

Zac, Boomer, and Apollo snuck through the Rising Star, blasters drawn. The sound of other blasters firing came from somewhere ahead. Quickening their pace, the men rounded the corner to discover the source of the sound.

Blaster bolts flew from a doorway. Flattened on either side of the doorway were Reese and Darit.

Apollo approached Reese, who was closer, "What's going on here?"

Reese's eyes were big, and his body language showed agitation, "We tried to secure the area, but these guys showed up and there were too many of them!"

"They've got hostages in there, so we can't fire on them!" Darit added.

Suddenly, the blaster fire stopped. The sound of grunts and people falling to the floor replaced it. Then there was silence for a few microns, followed by cheering.

The five men in the hallway cautiously peeked in.

Qasha stood in the center of the room, a pile of Peacemakers on the floor around her.

Zac and Boomer exchanged astonished glances.

Qasha gestured for the liberated ex-hostages to follow her as she exited the doorway. She didn't say a word to the men who were staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and awe, but her eyes twinkled.

"Wow, Qasha!" Zac finally exclaimed.

"What is everyone waiting for?" Qasha asked, looking the men over, "Lets retake this ship!"

"Yeah!" said Zac, Reese, and Darit.

"Where are these people going to go?" Boomer asked.

Reese cleared his throat; "Darit and I'll take them to a secure room and guard them."

Apollo nodded, "Okay. Zac? Boomer? Qasha? Let's go to the bridge."

"Good luck everyone," Darit said sincerely as he and Reese left with their charges.

The three warriors and the woman headed toward the front of the Rising Star.

¤

Celeste dashed cautiously down the Galactica's familiar hallways. They were slightly unfamiliar, however, because of the lack of other people dashing down them. Starbuck and Athena were the only other people nearby, as they dashed cautiously behind Celeste. The reason for all this caution lay behind them; the landing bay filled with Cylon Raiders.

Empty Cylon raiders.

"I don't understand," Athena called, "If they wanted to destroy the battlestar they'd have rammed it like they did with the Atlantia at Cimtar."

"They didn't want to destroy it. They wanted to capture it," Starbuck mused, "What I'd like to know is why."

They arrived at the bridge. Celeste caught a glimpse into the Galactica's command center and halted, nearly causing her companions to collide with her. Lightning fast, she flattened herself to the wall next to the bridge doorway, motioning to Athena and Starbuck to do the same.

"What?" Starbuck hissed to Celeste, "What did you see?"

Celeste gave him a grim look, "The reason why they didn't destroy the Galactica."

"What?" Athena frowned.

"Shh!" Celeste winced, "Baltar."

"Frack!" Starbuck whispered very very quietly.

"You said it," Celeste sighed.

Athena narrowed her eyes and nodded seriously, "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Starbuck watched anxiously as his sister's eyes began to sparkle in a dangerously determined way.

Celeste nearly grinned, "We take the Galactica back."

"And…you know how to do that, right?" Starbuck asked.

The sparkling eyes danced, "I've got a few ideas."

"Wait a senton," Athena grabbed Celeste's sleeve, "Don't we need to know what we're up against first?"

"We're up against a bridge full of mindless hunks of laser-bearing metal and an incredibly stupid maniac genius who has control of the most powerful ship in what's left of the human race, as well as legions of Cylon forces. We're outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of time before whatever dastardly plot he has is put into irreversible action." Celeste said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, good." Starbuck dryly replied, "as long as it's nothing impossible."

"It's not impossible, we do have the element of surprise," Athena pointed out.

"Yes, and we can do something about the outnumbered and outgunned part." Celeste replied thoughtfully.

"Even if we could find people and weapons to help us, going into a bridge full of Cylons would be like walking into the middle of a firing range!" Starbuck whispered, his voice rising in volume, "Sending anyone in there would be murder!"

"Shh, Starbuck!" Athena chided, "But I agree. We don't want a massacre on our hands."

"A massacre isn't what I had in mind." Celeste whispered, "At least not a human one. Come on." She started slinking down the hall.

Starbuck and Athena exchanged glances and started after her.

"What do you have in mind?" Athena pressed.

Celeste stopped in front of a room marked Security Frequency Monitoring and sighed, "Diversion. Trickery. Taking advantage of the fact that no one knows we're here."

She opened the door slowly and slipped inside, followed by her companions.

"One thing I don't get," Starbuck said once they were inside, "We've been on a ship the size of a city for more than half a centar and haven't seen anyone! I know not everyone went to the Rising Star. Some people had to stay behind to run the Galactica. So where are they?"

"That bothers me too," Athena said worriedly, "I hope they're okay."

Celeste sobered, "Chances are the bridge crew isn't. But maybe the others locked themselves into rooms in time. I don't remember seeing any bodies on the way here."

She sat by a computer console and began pressing buttons. A screen flickered, showing information on image reel archives. Celeste scanned the info and selected an entry. She nodded at the screen.

"Hey guys, give me a hand." Celeste ducked under the console and yanked out some wiring.

"Uh," Starbuck blinked, puzzled, "What do you want us to do?"

"If you could get the microphone turned off, and Athena could try to tune the frequency of that comm. system, that would be great." Celeste's muffled voice came from somewhere under the console.

Athena shrugged at Starbuck, "She seems to know what she's doing."

"Yeah, too bad we don't." Starbuck mumbled as they set to work.

Athena turned a knob as she alternately pressed numbered buttons corresponding to the Galactica's visual frequencies.

Starbuck sat down by the audio station looking a little lost. He experimentally tapped a few buttons, checked some instrument readings, and nodded confidently, "Piece of cake." Something on his panel sparked, and he stood up, waving the smoke off. Accurately guessing that the microphone system was no longer operating, he moved to watch what Athena was doing.

Athena watched her station screen switch between scenes of rooms in different parts of the ship. Suddenly she gasped, her finger hovering over the button she'd just pressed.

"There's a fire in Alpha bay!" she cried.

Celeste's face appeared. She grinned, "Perfect!"

"Perfect?" Athena yelled, "What's so perfect about it? Last time that happened we nearly lost the Galactica!"

"I know," Celeste nodded, "But it won't happen this time because that," She pointed to the screen showing a raging fire in the bay, "is last time."

Athena stared at the screen. The image did look familiar.

"So…what…" Starbuck began.

"Am I doing?" Celeste finished for him, "I'm fabricating a little command challenge for our friend on the bridge." She stood up, "This should open up a nice window of opportunity for the special forces, a.k.a. us, to get in there and retake control."

"Nice," Starbuck remarked, "Draw attention away from the real threat by making a fake one!"

"Exactly," Celeste nodded, "Athena, transmit that image!"

"With pleasure," Athena grinned, enthusiastically punching the proper buttons.

On the bridge, this was creating a stir. A Cylon happened to notice the fire on one of the screens and brought Baltar's attention to it, its voice failing to sound at all interested.

"THERE IS A FIRE ON ONE OF THE LANDING DECKS."

Baltar looked up from his place in the commander's chair, the look of evil satisfaction he'd been indulging in wiped off his face, "What? Which deck?"

"ALPHA DECK."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Baltar yelled at the Cylons, "Get down there and stop it!"

"BY YOUR COMMAND."

Baltar sat in the chair uneasily now, clearly worried that his plan wasn't going completely as planned, "Moronic machines are sabotaging their own leader!" he muttered, "I told them not to hit any of the major systems. But did they listen?" He scowled, "If they don't get that fire taken care of, Cylon helmets will roll!"

Starbuck, Athena, and Celeste watched from beside the door as a group of Cylon centurions walked past on their way to the fire. They waited until the Cylons were out of sight and they could no longer hear the metallic boots clanking on the deck floor. Then Starbuck whispered, "Now what?"

Celeste's grin was downright feral, "We go in." She peeked inside very quickly and ducked back out, "There are ten Cylons in there and one unarmed Baltar."

"We'll take the Cylons," Starbuck half joked, "You can take the Baltar."

"That's insulting," Celeste hissed back, completely joking.

Athena shook her head, "Will you two knock it off? We need a real plan here!"

Celeste frowned, "We don't really have time for a good one."

"What about we fire on as many as we can from out here, then run in there, guns blazing, and take Baltar captive?" Starbuck suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Celeste fidgeted.

"Sounds awfully dangerous," Athena sighed, "But I guess it's a plan."

Celeste nodded and quickly crept across the doorway to the other side.

She and Starbuck crouched, waiting, their nearly identical pairs of blue eyes locked in a look of complete understanding that passed between them. Simultaneously, they took deep breaths, nodded at each other, raised their guns, and fired into the bridge, trying not to hit any controls they might need later.

Athena held her breath, watching them and wishing she had a blaster, herself.

Starbuck ducked back out of the doorway, dodging a blast from the interior of the bridge. Celeste did the same as a volley of blasts followed the first one.

"Four down." Celeste announced.

Inside, they could hear Baltar yelling, presumably from a relatively safe hiding spot, "Get them you fools! Don't just stand there!"

Two Cylons obediently came out. Both were inertly blocking the doorway a micron later. Two more came out, this time firing incessantly. Athena cried out as she ducked to avoid the fire, Starbuck flattened next to her.

"Athena!" Starbuck finished the Cylons and turned to her.

Athena smiled urgently at him, "I'm okay, I just tripped."

Blinking concernedly at her, Starbuck nodded and rejoined his sister at the doorway. Celeste was firing away; she almost seemed to be enjoying herself. She couldn't help but grin when the last Cylon on the bridge stopped firing forever.

"Okay, Baltar, we've got you surrounded!" Starbuck yelled, "Surrender if you want to live!"

"You wouldn't kill me!" Baltar's voice stammered.

Celeste stepped through the doorway, despite Starbuck's attempt to stop her.

"Why not?" She asked coldly, "You killed me."

"No…" Baltar stared at her from his place behind a console, "You…you can't…how…aagh!" He gave up on words and pushed himself across the floor as far away from Celeste as he could get.

"I saw you die!" He exclaimed finally, as if telling her would make it true and make her go away.

One side of Celeste's mouth curved up, but her eyes remained hard, like blue steel, "I'm not going to deny what you saw it if that's what you want."

"That's…not what I want." Baltar said with false deference, "What I want…isn't as important as what you want! What…what is it you want? I'm sure we can come to an agreement…"

"As if you didn't know," Celeste scoffed, "Even you aren't that dense."

"What?" whimpered Baltar.

"I want revenge," Celeste paused for effect, unnecessary as far as Baltar was concerned, "for the human race."

"Um," gulped Baltar.

"And I want your golmonging Cylons out of our space!" Celeste waved her gun around, somehow managing to keep it pointed at Baltar.

Celeste called, "Guys, come fly this thing!"

Baltar inched backward, his hand brushing something; a metal object lying near a fallen Cylon. He suppressed an evil grin.

Athena and Starbuck came onto the bridge. Athena went right to her station, while Starbuck stayed off to the side, holding his gun on Baltar.

Baltar smiled confidently, but still somewhat shakily, "You aren't going to shoot me." He started to bring the object he'd found around in front of him.

"Wanna bet?" Starbuck fired, the object falling from Baltar's hands to the floor. It was a Cylon rifle.

At Celeste's questioning look, Starbuck held up a hand, "I just stunned him. Let's tie him up before he wakes up."

Celeste shook her head, "What is it with me? Every time I get near that man, my better judgment goes out the viewglass!"

"You have better judgment?" Starbuck teased innocently.

"Starbuck!"

Athena called from her console, "Not to break the mood here, but I can't fly this whole battlestar myself! I need some help!"

"Right after we stash Baltar," Starbuck promised, opening a closet door.

A bunch of bridge officers unexpectedly fell out. They landed in a blue and tan heap on the bridge deck.

Celeste raised her eyebrows. She looked across the room at Athena, "Help has arrived."

"Are they…"Athena asked.

Bending down to examine one, Starbuck shook his head in disbelief, "They weren't killed. I don't know why but they're still alive!"

"This senton gets weirder and weirder," Celeste remarked, "Okay, well, get them all untangled and let's wake them up. We've got a battlestar to fly!"

¤

Apollo, Zac, Boomer, and Qasha stepped over the unconscious Peacemakers that had been guarding the Rising Star's bridge. They looked around at the consoles and controls, checking to make sure the perimeter was secure.

"That was almost too easy," Apollo said skeptically.

Zac shrugged, "As Starbuck would say, why argue with luck? Especially if it's good."

"Still, I think we need to be careful in case more show up." Apollo replied.

Boomer nodded, "I agree." He looked around at the bridge, "Now, who knows how to fly this thing?"

"I could."

The men turned to look at Qasha. She stared back calmly, "It doesn't look too different from the Terran freighter I used to fly."

"By all means," Apollo gestured to the main helm console, "Go to it."

A gasp came from Zac's general direction.

"Guys…you're not going to believe this!" He was staring at a security scanner screen that alternately showed different levels of the ship. He paused it and motioned for Apollo and Boomer to come.

They came. Boomer's mouth dropped open, "I don't believe it!"

"They did it." Apollo almost smiled.

The screen showed a group of civilians tying up a bunch of Peacemakers. The civilians were led by none other than Reese. Zac let the screen cycle through the levels again. On each deck, the images were the same. Somehow, Reese and Darit had organized a ship wide revolt! And it was working!

"Look! Dad and Colonel Tigh are headed up here!" Zac pointed. Sure enough, the two commanding officers were headed out of a turbolift toward the bridge. And several of the Galactica's bridge crew was with them.

Only microns later, Tigh's head peeked into the bridge doorway. "Looks safe in here, Commander." He said, putting a gun back into a holster he wore. Commander Adama and the others followed him in. Apollo and Zac went to their father.

"Are you all right?" Zac asked.

Adama smiled at his youngest, "Yes, Zac, I'm fine." He too wore a holstered blaster, and his usually immaculate blue bridge uniform had become somewhat soiled during the action. He looked around the bridge, "We came here to regain control of the ship, but it looks as though it was already in good hands."

"It was too easy," Apollo shook his head, "Something doesn't feel right. They had this planned so well, and now all the sudden we are defeating them?"

"That does seem a bit convenient." Rigel said. Zac smiled at her, glad she was okay. Though her manner was completely businesslike, she managed a small, tight, yet sincere smile back at him.

"Now that you mention it," Tigh nodded thoughtfully.

Zac glanced distractedly toward the security screen, "It does feel as though someone flipped a switch."

"Precisely why we need to take advantage of this situation while we have it," Adama pointed out, "Any word yet from the Galactica?"

Rigel, now sitting at the comm. console, adjusted her headset and shook her head, "None yet, sir. Just automated reports…wait." Her eyes rose worriedly, "There's a distress call from a Galactica shuttle!"

"A distress call? All the shuttles had landed before the attack began!" Tigh cried.

Frowning, Rigel bit her lip, "Actually, it's not so much a distress call as a beacon. It keeps repeating."

"Put it on audio." Adama said softly, his voice strong.

The speakers crackled.

"Galactica shuttle Theta to whomever can assist! The Galactica has invaded by Baltar and the Cylons! We tried to stop them but he stunned us and had us put in shuttles or locked in rooms. No telling what he has planned, but someone has to do something before it's too late! Galactica shuttle Theta to whomever can assist! The Galactica has invaded by Baltar and the Cylons! We tried to…"

At a gesture from Adama, Rigel switched the comm. off.

Zac suddenly came alive, "Well, we've got to get over there!" He tossed his dark brown hair, attempting to move an unruly lock out of his excited eyes.

"Hold on, Little Brother," Apollo put a restraining hand on Zac's arm, "I agree that something needs to be done, but we can't just fly over there in the middle of that firefight out there," He gestured toward the forward viewscreen. It showed a view of Vipers and Raiders spinning around each other, each force struggling for the upper hand. As always, where the Colonial pilots had skill and cunning on their side, the Cylons had sheer numbers on theirs, and would never get fatigued.

It was not a fair fight.

Even more poignant was the nearby presence of the strangely quiet battlestar, hanging darkly against a bright, yet cold, backdrop of stars.

A Viper exploded, a piece of its shrapnel damaging another Viper.

A decision was made in Apollo's mind. "Bronze Spar had more than two Vipers on the Rising Star." He mumbled decidedly, "Boomer! You're with me."

"Apollo!" Zac and Adama said at the same time.

Adama looked Apollo in the eye, "Son, do you really think it's a good idea to put Boomer and yourself into the middle of that?"

"Of course not," Apollo said in a strained voice, "But someone's got to do something. And I feel like…it has to be me."

"I want to go with you!" Zac argued, "You could use my help, and I want to help you got those golmonging…" he glanced guiltily up at Adama's disapproving glance and switched his remark to, "I want to help save the fleet!"

"Zac," Apollo said softly, "You two are the only members of my family who I know are reasonably safe. I want you to stay that way."

Zac looked resentfully at the floor.

"But if something happens," Apollo continued, "I want the Rising Star and all her passengers to have the best possible protection. Who could I trust more for the job than my brother?"

Slowly, Zac raised his head and peered at Apollo through his floppy hair, "Do you mean that?"

"Every word," Apollo said sincerely.

Zac smiled a little and saluted, "You got it, Captain."

"Well, Boomer," Apollo turned to his longtime friend, "Guess we'd better go check out those Vipers."

As the two young men left the bridge, Boomer stopped, turned around, and declared, "We'll be seeing you."

At Apollo's sideward glance while they headed down the hall, Boomer shrugged, "Sorry, Captain. I couldn't resist."

¤

Starbuck turned to Celeste, "Your orders, Acting Commander?"

"What?" Celeste asked, a bit indignantly, "When did I become Acting Commander?"

"Well, I just figured since you were the only one of us who has ever had command experience…and Athena suggested it." Starbuck grinned sheepishly.

Celeste shook her head, "Well, I hope it doesn't go on my record that I abandoned my post."

"Why would it?" Athena asked warningly.

"Because," Celeste finished charging her gun from a computer terminal and holstered it, "I still have a mission to accomplish."

Athena blinked, "Celeste, we have the Galactica, for the moment anyway! What…" She opened her eyes wide, "You aren't thinking of rejoining that bloodbath out there are you?"

"No," Celeste shook her head, "I may be crazy, but I'm not suicidal. Hey, Starbuck, see if you can help out with that fight out there. This think has laser cannons, I know."

Starbuck nodded, "I'll start charging them up."

"Hmm," Celeste said thoughtfully, "I wonder if Apollo has the Rising Star yet. See if you can get them on the comm., Athena. But be sure to encode it so the Peacemakers can't understand it if they're still holding court on the Rising Star's bridge."

Athena nodded and began working on the comm.

"Oh," Celeste turned back to Athena, "And you're in charge, Acting Colonel Athena."

Athena's small smile was slightly laughing as she punched buttons and read her screen. She paused to give Celeste a more solemn look, "Good luck, Lieutenant. Take care of yourself."

"Wait! You still haven't told us what you're doing!" Starbuck cried from the weapons console.

Celeste raised her eyebrows, "Keeping a promise."

Then she was out the door and down the hall striding towards the turbolift.

"Keeping a promise…" Starbuck narrowed his eyes in thought.

Athena again looked up from her screen, "Starbuck?"

Starbuck's anxious eyes met Athena's calm ones.

The young woman smiled soothingly and not just slightly worriedly at Starbuck, "Don't worry about her. She'll be all right. She always is."

Starbuck looked away, "I wish she'd told us where she was going."

"Where do you think she's going?" Athena asked, "What promise did she make?"

Starbuck snapped his fingers, "Boxey! I'll bet she went looking for Boxey!"

"Then there's no need to worry," Athena said matter-of-factly, "She's an expert now at finding kids on ships and rescuing them."

"Ah, even still," Starbuck said, "I'd feel a lot better if she wasn't alone."

Athena gave him an authoritative glare, "Nu-uh, mister! You are staying right there. Acting Commander's orders. Remember? Besides, those pilots out there need you. Now get those cannons charged and ready!"

Starbuck sighed, but he was grinning in an amused way, "Yes, Sir."

Athena looked up one more time, "And don't call me 'sir'."

¤

Boomer and Apollo flew their Vipers toward the dark battlestar, trying to stay on the skirts of the main fight. They fired on Cylon fighters whenever they had a clear shot at it.

As they lined up with the Galactica's Alpha Bay, they noticed a group of Cylon centurions inside.

"It's worse than we thought, Boomer." Apollo gasped, "They've probably got the whole ship occupied!"

The Cylons saw the Vipers coming in. They raised their pulse rifles and fired at the ships, but their rifles were no match for a Viper's protective shielding.

"Do we risk firing at them in there?" Boomer asked.

"How good a shot are you?" Apollo said seriously.

Boomer sighed decidedly, "With your permission, Captain, I'd like to try."

Apollo's voice replied, "Good luck."

Very carefully, Boomer moved his Viper into alignment with the bay, then locked his targeting computer onto the Cylons. He pressed the firing button and deployed the landing gear at the same time.

The explosion was smaller than either pilot expected, and only resulted in a charred scar where the Cylons had been standing only moments before.

"They never saw it coming!" Boomer said incredulously.

"Good work," Apollo told his friend, "Now, let's go find out what's going on." And why I felt so strongly that I needed to be here.

Boomer's Viper landed ahead of him, briefly reminding Apollo of Celeste's first time landing a real Viper on a real Battlestar.

"Captain, look out!" Boomer shouted, too late.

Apollo's Viper lurched sideways as it was nicked by stray fire from the nearby daggit fight. Another laser bolt connected with one of the stabilizer jets. The Viper kept heading for the landing bay, but was now at a crazy angle that refused to be corrected no matter what Apollo did.

Ahead, Apollo saw Boomer getting out of his Viper while watching Apollo's ship heading awkwardly towards him.

"Boomer! Clear the bay!" Apollo ordered, trying to at least slow the aircraft down and minimize the impact of the landing.

He saw Boomer in the turbolift, a concerned look on the lieutenant's face as he lifted out of sight.

Apollo braced for impact.

And woke up.

It wasn't real. None of it. The Cylons, the Rising Star, the Galactica…all just a night-vision.

Wait a micron. If all that was a dream, where am I now?

The darkness around Apollo began to resolve itself into shapes. Bright shapes. Familiar shapes, as though from a distant memory. Apollo blinked, trying to bring the shapes into focus. Then he blinked again for an entirely different reason. Disbelief.

A figure was coming toward him, floating across the shining floor as though walking on air. It was a beautiful woman, clothed in a shimmering, form-fitting silver-blue outfit that only accentuated her graceful stride with its sweeping, swirling skirt. She wore a matching shroud covering her head, but as she came closer, Apollo could see green eyes sparkling brighter than any part of her dress. His heart leaped into his throat as though instinctively unsure why a missing part of itself had suddenly materialized.

The woman removed the shroud and gently tossed her auburn hair. The tossing was not so much a movement in itself as a continuation of the shroud removal. She smiled a smile that Apollo had known he'd never see again as long as he lived.

So maybe he wasn't alive, because he couldn't be, if she was standing in front of him.

Serina.

"Hello, Apollo," She said calmly, with that charming, lovely accent of hers. She stood apart from him, though from the look on her face it wasn't easy. Love radiated from her very being; love and a deep, bittersweet sadness. Apollo's heart ached for her. Ached to take her in his arms and comfort that sadness from her pretty face. His heart ached, but his head still couldn't believe it.

"S…Serina?" Apollo gasped, "How…how can this be…" He looked around, finally recognizing his surroundings as one of the Ships of Light, like the one where he'd met John. He remembered the Cylon battle and his careening Viper, and the worried look on Boomer's face.

"I'm dead?" he asked.

"No," Serina shook her head slowly, looking down, "Merely waylaid. You are very much alive and will stay that way if I have anything to say about it." She sighed, "The only problem is that we can't interact with each other in the physical realm, since we aren't both on the same plane of existence." She lifted her eyes to meet his, her long eyelashes unveiling the twin pools of green, "It is good to see you again, up close, Apollo."

Apollo was having trouble getting his mouth to form words, "Serina…I've missed you so much…all these yahrens…" He stepped closer to her and tried to take her hand, though he knew it was impossible.

"I know," Serina kept looking up at him, "I've watched you all this time. All this time wishing we could be together again…except for what it would mean." She regarded him solemnly, "The fleet still needs you. Your family still needs you. It's selfish of me…"

"You're my family, too." Apollo pointed out.

Serina smiled slightly, "But I don't need you like the others do, as hard as it is for me to say that. I am safe now, nothing can harm me. I now can only watch as you all struggle for survival, knowing there's little I can do to help." She looked away and sighed, "But you know me, I can't just sit on the sidelines. Not when so much is at stake." Once again, her eyes connected with Apollo's, "So I brought you here. It was the only thing they'd let me do; bring you here and talk to you."

Apollo gazed into the clear eyes of his late wife. She seemed so alive, so real, just as she did when he last saw her, if not more so. But she wasn't alive. She was just a continuation of the spirit of Serina. A reflection of the woman he'd known.

Still, whatever it was that she had to tell him must be important.

"What did you want to talk about?" Apollo asked.

Serina gazed unblinkingly up at him, "You are still mourning for me. Your heart won't let go of the sadness. It hurts me to see you hurting so much, especially when you could be so happy."

"Happy?" Apollo asked, "How can I be happy when the love of my life is dead? Somehow, it doesn't feel right to be happy without you."

Serina's eyes looked like they'd very much like to water, "Don't you understand that's all I want? For you to be happy?"

Apollo found his eyes watering on Serina's behalf, "I can't just pretend nothing happened, Serina. I can't just forget you!"

A sad look came to Serina's face, "I'm not asking you to." She said softly, "I'm asking you to replace the hurt with something else. Make room in your heart for someone else. You may find that she needs you as much as you need her."

"Are you talking about Celeste?" Apollo asked, "Celeste's a good friend…"

"That you've been pushing away." Serina interrupted, "Because you're afraid. You're afraid of falling in love with her. You're afraid of losing her, too. And I can't say I blame you for worrying about her. But the truth is…" Serina took a breath. Technically, she didn't need to do this. However, there are times when no matter what level of existence you are on, you just have to inhale deeply.

"The truth is, I'm not supposed to be telling you this." Serina's voice was a near-whisper, "It's against the rules for us to disclose future events to you. But I think you ought to know…"

"What?" Apollo encouraged gently.

"Well," Serina began, "It's just that…whether or not you ever tell her how you really feel about her, you run the risk of losing her. And she deserves to know before…she should know. And you should admit it to yourself. It could be the difference between life and death."

Alarmed, Apollo tensed, "Why? What's going to happen?"

Serina stared at him sadly.

"Serina…" Apollo pleaded, "Tell me. What happens to Celeste in the future?"

"I can't tell you!" Serina cried. In life, at this point, tears would have been spilling down her cheeks, "All I can tell you is that you have to decide on your own what to do and when. The only advice I can give you is for you to let yourself be happy again. It's just that I know…I know so much depends on hard decisions. And I can see the results of those decisions. And you…you don't deserve any more heartbreak!"

"Does…she die?" Apollo asked haltingly.

"What?" Serina asked.

"Celeste." Apollo replied, "Does she die because of a decision I make?"

"So many outcomes!" Serina cried, "So many, many! So much heartbreak and sadness. But there's always hope. There are always possibilities."

Serina and the glowing Ship of Light began fading out, "So many…but it's too good to end…and not like that…it can't end…"

"Serina! Don't go!" Apollo cried, "Come back! No!"

"He's coming to!" said a voice.

"Thank Kobal!" said another voice.

Apollo opened his eyes to see the Galactica sickbay, once again losing Serina, but gaining a lot of other familiar faces.

"What?" he sat up, "What happened?"

"You landed your viper sideways." Starbuck said, "I think you were trying to pull a Celeste on us."

"Thank goodness you're all right!" Athena cried.

"Celeste…" Apollo mumbled. He looked around at the faces. Starbuck, Athena, Cassiopeia, and Boomer, "Celeste! Where's Celeste?"

¤

Where am I? Celeste thought in the darkness. Wherever she was, it was hot and dark. Every once in a while, a small spark flew like an ominous shooting star in the shadows. From all around was the sound of machinery: grinding, metallic groaning, as if it had been in continual use for many hundreds of yahrens. Which, it had.

Suddenly, a light flared up about ten feet in front of Celeste, startling and momentarily blinding her. The light seemed to be accompanied by a harshly blowing wind, somewhat like a Viper engine. It also was hot like a viper engine. However, it most disconcertingly was silent, quite unlike a Viper engine.

The light diminished somewhat, leaving an unfortunately familiar humanoid standing illuminated from below.

"Baltar!" Celeste blinked, "You're supposed to be in a closet!"

Baltar leered at her, "Correction, I am supposed to be in the Galactica's brig. Your friends moved me there shortly after you left so suddenly."

Celeste gave him a disbelieving glare.

"Funny how this doesn't look like the Galactica's brig. They must have redecorated," she said dryly.

Baltar's twisted expression seemed even darker than usual. The maniacal look was gone from his eyes; replaced by a sinister evil of indescribable depth. Gone was the cowardice usually simmering so near the surface of Baltar's seedy exterior. The difference in the man set off alarms in Celeste's head.

"Actually," Celeste frowned cockily, "This looks more like an engine maintenance access way than any kind of brig."

"Quick deduction," Baltar's voice oozed.

Eyes narrowed, Celeste continued to glare. Her eyes had already adjusted to the lack of light. She dropped her eyelids sarcastically, "And you're obviously not Baltar."

"Baltar" grinned again, this time even more evilly than before, "Clever girl."

"So the question that all this leads to," Celeste crossed her arms, "Is who are you and why have you brought me here?"

The man-being's eyes shone with the light of a million Vipers burning, "My name is not of consequence. I have brought you here because you are searching for something, and I can help you find it. I know all your deepest desires, and I can help you obtain them."

¤

"How are you feeling?" Cassiopeia asked Apollo, ignoring his question.

Apollo sighed, his face distraught, "I feel fine, but where is Celeste?"

Starbuck and Athena exchanged glances. Boomer cleared his throat. Cassiopeia smiled superficially and politely excused herself, moving to another patient.

Suspiciously, Apollo turned his questioning attention onto Athena, Boomer, and Starbuck before they could escape. He stood up from the bed, pleased to note only stiffness in his limbs, and put on his most authoritative captain face.

"Where's Celeste?" he repeated, allowing a hint of concern to enter his stern voice, "And no more excuses. I want a straight answer."

"That's just it, Captain." Boomer finally replied, "We don't have a straight answer. She seems to have vanished."

"What do you mean?" Apollo demanded, glaring at Starbuck, "You were supposed to keep an eye on her!"

"It's not his fault!" Athena cut in, "I was there, too. We tried to stop her, but you know how she gets!"

Apollo closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded, swallowing, "Do you have any idea where she went?"

Athena looked down, "She said she was going to 'keep a promise'."

"Boxey." Apollo whispered.

"That's what we figured, too." Starbuck replied, "But we've had people searching the Galactica top to bottom, and can't find either of them on board!"

"And no ships have launched since she disappeared," Boomer added, "As far as anyone can tell, she disappeared."

"They have to be somewhere." Apollo argued. He brightened, "Wait, Muffit has a homing device! If we find Muffit, he could lead us to Boxey, and maybe even Celeste!"

"We thought of that." Athena said sadly. She snapped her fingers. Whirring and whining, the robotic daggit clanked into the room. Even though Muffit was a robot, he seemed to be missing Boxey.

"He was locked in a utility closet," Athena explained, "We told him to find Boxey…"

"Which led us on a wild chase from one end of the battlestar to the other," Starbuck added.

Athena continued, "At the end of which, he barked, turned in a circle, and started whining. He hasn't stopped since."

"What's the matter, Muffy? Where's Boxey?" Apollo asked.

The daggit whined, wagged his tail at Apollo, and lay with his head on his paws. He looked the way Apollo felt.

"We could have the crew look again…" Starbuck's suggestion trailed off.

"No," Apollo shook his head, "If they're not on board, they're not on board. We'd be wasting everybody's time having them search again." He sighed, "They're probably busy with repairs right now anyway." He looked at his friends, "Starbuck, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, about you keeping an eye on Celeste."

"Ah, it's okay." Starbuck waved dismissively, "I can't blame you for reacting that way."

For all of Starbuck's nonchalance, Apollo could tell that the pilot was deeply concerned about his sister and Boxey. Celeste seemed a magnet for bizarre situations, and who knew what she'd gotten herself into this time.

"It's not your fault she disappeared, guys." Apollo told them, mainly aiming his remark at Starbuck, "We all know she's not an easy person to keep track of."

"Yeah." They agreed, looking at the floor.

At least they don't know what Serina told me. Apollo thought, It would only worry them more. It sure scares the felgercarb out of me.

Athena shifted her feet, "I've…got to get back to work. If you'll excuse me?" She tried to smile at the men and turned away to avoid sharing any troubled facial expressions with her brother. Smartly executing an about-face, she marched out of the Life Center.

Boomer sighed, "Well, I hear a drink at the Officer's lounge calling my name. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome."

"I'm in." Starbuck said emphatically, "That sister of mine drives a man to drink!"

"You'd have gone, Celeste or no Celeste." Boomer pointed out.

Starbuck considered this.

"True," he admitted. He turned to his captain, "Apollo, you coming?"

Apollo looked up from whatever private thoughts he'd been having, "Uh, yeah, sure."

He followed his friends out of the Life Center, still thinking.

There is always hope. There are always possibilities.

¤

In a dark engine access way, Celeste and a strange man-being stood facing each other.

Celeste nodded, "Ahh, and you just want to help me out of the goodness of your heart, is that it?" Her voice was sarcasm saturated, and yet to the untrained person, sounded completely serious.

"Naturally, I have my own personal reasons," the man-being said, "I did choose you from your entire race because I recognized in you the abilities and knowledge necessary to surpass your own race, your own reality! You do not even know the power you could wield! The power you already possess!"

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Celeste said firmly, "But I like my race and reality just fine the way they are, and I'm not interested in surpassing them."

"Of course not," the man-being smiled, if anything getting eviler by the micron, "Not yet. But once you see how much you can do…not just for yourself, but for the entire universe…I think you may change your mind." He gave her a knowing look, "This is your chance to make a difference, just like you've always wanted!"

Celeste theatrically rolled her eyes, "Puh-lease. Do you really think that whole 'I know what you've always wanted and I'm going to give it to you free of charge' thing will work on me?" She gave him a decisive glare, her eyes glowing darkly, "Whatever evil plot you've got going will have to exclude me!"

"Come on, Celeste." He moved toward her, "I have never given you reason not to trust me."

"Huh," Celeste gave him a disdainful look, "Sure sounds convincing coming from a guy who's taken the form of the traitor to my race."

"Oh, is that what's bothering you?" the being asked soothingly, "I can fix that easily."

"Baltar" faded and morphed into a rather handsome young man in a Galactica flight suit. At least, he would have been handsome had the look in his eyes not made you feel he would suddenly burst into flame and sprout horns.

"Does this make you feel more comfortable?" the being asked.

"I'd feel more comfortable on the Galactica with you no where in sight." Celeste said dryly.

The being smiled, "Now now. In time you'll come to understand and appreciate me. In the meanwhile, aren't you looking for someone?"

From behind the man, Boxey suddenly ran from the darkness. He dashed right into Celeste's arms.

"Miss Celeste!"

Celeste hugged him, then looked distrustfully at the being, "How do I know he's not an illusion, too?"

"I assure you, the child is quite real," the being replied, "My name as my word."

"I don't know your name." Celeste retorted.

The being smiled eerily again, "You may call me…Erebus."

Boxey snuggled into Celeste's jacket. Celeste hugged him closer, still glaring, "Well if you're really so charitable, Erebus, tell me how we can get back to the Galactica."

Erebus smiled slowly, "You can go back any time you like. Just say the word."

Celeste opened her mouth.

"…but I think I should mention," Erebus interrupted her, "that if you return now, you will have no chance to help your friends."

Celeste crossed her arms, "I'm sure not doing them any good gabbing here with you."

Feigning nonchalance, Erebus glanced around the darkness, "Well, no, and of course it's your decision. It's just that…I can see into the future as well as the distant past. I know all and see all. I know about the Cylon invasion force camouflaged just behind the planet that the fleet is in orbit around. I know about the spies who even now wait on each ship in the fleet, ready to spring their trap. I can see the outcome of you returning now. You will simply be killed with the rest of them."

Boxey gasped. Celeste glowered at Erebus.

"But quite heroically, of course." Erebus added, "Though in the grand scheme of things, how you die doesn't really matter, does it?"

"All right, Erebus. Are you done scaring the kid now?" Celeste demanded.

Erebus blinked at her, "I apologize. I did not mean to alarm you. I simply wanted you to be aware of what's at stake."

Celeste sighed, "What's my other choice?"

"You could stay here with me, and together we could use our powers for the greater good of the galaxy." Erebus said. Celeste noted a hint of victory in his voice.

"And if I decide not to 'use my powers'?" Celeste countered.

A flash of red shone in Erebus' eyes, but vanished so fast that only Celeste's quick eyes could detect it. He purred, "Then you might as well return to your race's Armageddon."

He wants a hostage. The idea suddenly materialized clearly in Celeste's mind. She had learned to trust this inner voice; it often gave her valuable insight into situations. For whatever reason, he wants a hostage. And you can bet it's not a good reason.

Celeste stared right at Erebus, her eyes matching his flame-for-flame. Where Erebus' eyes were dark, deep, and soulless; Celeste's were sparking and full of a determination that comes with a heart that has seen much of life, and still strives to protect it.

"Fine." Celeste growled, "If you can send the two of us back easily, you could send one of us back more easily." She turned to Boxey, "Can you do something for me?" Celeste asked the boy, "Can you go back to the Galactica and tell your dad not to worry about me?"

Boxey nodded, then almost smiled, "That's a big job. Dad'll want to worry really bad."

Celeste smiled at him sadly, "I know, but tell him I've got something important to do and that…" she glanced up at Erebus, "That I'll be back as soon as it's possible."

The boy looked up at Celeste with big round eyes, "You're not coming back?"

"I'm coming back!" Celeste said firmly, "Now…you have your orders."

Boxey nodded, "Okay…okay Miss Celeste." He sighed, a youthful wisdom shining in his eyes, "I'll miss you a lot."

Celeste bit her lip, "Take care, Boxey. I'll see you later." She turned to Erebus, "Okay, send him back."

Erebus shrugged, "If you insist, but he'd be safer here."

Boxey vanished.

Celeste stared at the spot where Boxey had been, "How do I know he's back?"

"Like this," Erebus held out a hand. A spot of light streamed through the darkness and grew until Celeste could see a scene playing in it. The familiar halls of the Galactica shimmered before her. Apollo was walking down the hall. As suddenly as he had vanished, Boxey appeared. Apollo rushed to him and squatted down. Though she couldn't hear what the captain was saying, Celeste could imagine that he was asking Boxey what happened, and if he was okay. Boxey looked up sadly at his father, and moved his lips quickly, no doubt rattling off what Celeste had told him to say. She watched Apollo's eyes close briefly, and his body language seemed to melt imperceptibly. He said something to Boxey, stood up, took his hand, and they walked out of the picture.

Good, thought Celeste, he's safe now.

"He would have been safe here with us," Erebus remarked, as though reading her mind, which he was, "Now the boy is in just as much danger as the others."

Celeste turned her intense gaze full blast upon Erebus, "Which is how much?" she demanded coldly.

Erebus' mouth twitched, "Agree to join me, and I'll tell you."

The young woman again took note of the hollow expression, false friendliness, and thinly-veiled unrestrained evil that the man-being displayed. She shook her head, "I won't agree to anything with someone I know nothing trustworthy about."

Erebus laughed an awkward, abrupt laugh. It sounded as though it had lain forgotten and unused for many yahrens. It seemed to have popped up unexpectedly from deep inside him and caught him by such surprise that he hadn't had time to dust it off before it exploded from his mouth.

"Of course," Erebus purred, "I would feel the same way in your position." He walked to a wall and looked at a hidden panel. It opened. He winked and a button depressed. The wall moved, revealing a very large viewglass. Suddenly, before them lay a cloud of shiny particles, floating in a nebula. Each one in turn caught the light from the golden nebula gases, sparkling and glowing like the celebrated sea plankton of Aquarius.

A feeling of deep despair and overwhelming tragedy came over Celeste. She realized it was somehow caused by the pattern of the sparkling, as though she had seen it before somewhere. Sometime. As though she had been there, seeing that very sparkling, at a time when it had meant something ominous and inevitable.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," Erebus said grandly, his voice dropping in pitch and his outfit morphing.

At once, the voice clicked in Celeste's brain. At once, she knew what she was looking at and who she was with. At once, the feeling of dread that had been flitting through her gut settled down and set up housekeeping. It was rubble from a future battle. The nebula was not a nebula at all, but gases from over two-hundred ships simultaneously destroyed. And Erebus…

"The Imperious Leader's voice." Celeste choked, "You're the one from history. The one who caused the destruction of the organic Cylons and the uprising of the machines."

"Yes," Erebus nodded smugly, "You figured it out. Hmm, much faster than I had anticipated." He gave Celeste a thoughtful look, "That's good. Very good indeed."

"Why?" Celeste demanded again, "What is it good for? What are you planning? Why do you want me?"

With a blank look, Erebus replied calmly, "Because though you are not aware of it yourself, I know the power you could wield. I've seen it. In the future."

Suddenly another "portal" appeared in the air. It showed Celeste…but not Celeste. Same girl, but her eyes shone with a black light and her eyebrows were set low in perpetual anger. The most remarkable difference however, was the alter-Celeste's surroundings. The other Celeste was leading a Cylon garrison through some trees. Familiar trees. From the nightmare.

Celeste backed away in horror.

"Well," Erebus said casually, "one of your futures. One of the few where you lived to grow old."

Saying nothing, Celeste seethed.

"One of the few," Erebus continued relentlessly, his voice growing more edgy "where you decided to join me. To play for the winning team."

"No!" Celeste shook her head, still eying the image of her evil alter-self, "It's a trick! I'd never join you! None of me would!"

"Really?" Erebus cooed, "Not even to save your friends?"

"How could betrayal," Celeste spat, "of everything and everyone I love and stand for 'save my friends'?"

"Watch." Erebus pointed to the "portal", which changed to a scene near the Galactica. Blue Squadron was putting up a valiant fight against invading Cylon fighters. But there were too many Cylons. The warriors didn't stand a chance.

"This will happen in about, oh…" Erebus pretended to check a timepiece, "20 centons."

"I've got to get back!" Celeste cried, watching the Cylons destroy viper after viper, then move to directly attacking the fleet and the Galactica.

Erebus rolled his eyes, "All right, but I've told you. You'd only be killed yourself."

"Better to die fighting than stay up here watching my family and my people die!" Celeste snapped angrily, her face already working on turning red.

"I don't think you fully understand the situation," Erebus sighed, "But you will. While I cannot force you to join me against your will, I can try to persuade you."

"What do you-ah!" Celeste doubled over as a wave of energy originating in Erebus' hand hit her in the gut. His eyes sparked evilly and hit her again.

"I tried asking nicely, Lt." Erebus frowned at her with mock regret, "But you forced me to my last resort. Then again, you always did have to do things the hard way, didn't you?" He knocked her legs out from under her. "And I can be quite persuasive."

She stood up again and glared at him. He fired more energy at her.

Moving quickly, Celeste leapt backward into the darkness, landing softly on a metal beam that supported the structure of whatever vessel they were on. She fired her blaster at him, but the blaster bolt went right through him as he shimmered from one form to another and back.

Erebus held his hand wider. A beam of energy blasted from it, this time engulfing the entire room. Unable to dodge this one, Celeste was hit by the blast and fell from her refuge, striking the ground only feet away from Erebus. A more powerful blast from him paralyzed her, sending her into spasms of pain. Erebus strode up to her and with one hand levitated her shaking body to his eye level. She still glared at him, her eyes defiant, refusing to acknowledge the pain and the defeat.

"Always the rebel, eh, Isis?" Erebus turned her onto her back. The lights came on in the dark room, revealing an object that Celeste hadn't noticed before.

The machine. Rebuilt.

Mental impulses to fight ran through the female pilot's nervous system, desperately trying to recruit any body functions they could. But Erebus only tightened his contactless grip. Celeste's eyes started to roll back in her head with the effort of staying conscious.

"Now, now, Lt." Erebus chided mockingly, "It may look like that dreadful torturous machine you had to endure for yahrens while you were captured, but I assure you, it is not. This is an upgrade. Now, the process of psychological change is greatly sped up! It only takes a few centares."

Erebus moved the immobile Celeste into the box attached to the machine, "Of course, in order to do that we had to make it exponentially more intense…but if you survive, you will prove the superiority of the organic mind. And you will also prove that my reason for bringing you here was justified. Destiny, my dear Lt, is inescapable."

Dulled with pain, Celeste's mind began to wish that it could lose consciousness as the man-being's words sunk in. Tears of desperation and effort slipped from Celeste's unmoving, unblinking eyes, the blue ice melting.

The lid to the box closed over her.

And suddenly, all of the atrocities of the Thousand Yahren war, and throughout history and all of time, were in the box with her. They were as if she were experiencing them firsthand, just like before, only much faster. As the disturbing images and feelings blitzed her mind, Celeste refused to give in to them. At the same time, she instinctively knew she couldn't last "a few centares" in this machine.

Erebus felt her despair and thrived on it.

¤

Staring out the viewglass at the brilliant starfield outside the Galactica, a man waited. He'd just received news that his estranged daughter had disappeared into the night without a trace. His dark eyes kept watching the sky for any sign of her, while his mind was busy dealing with regret.

A young officer walked past. He stopped and glanced at the man by the viewglass.

"Chameleon?" the officer said questioningly.

The older man turned, "Starbuck, good to see you. How're things going?"

Starbuck paused, "Pretty good, actually, We moved away from the planet, and the Cylons retreated. Shuttles are getting people home. The wounded are being treated," he shrugged, "Things are getting back to normal." He smiled, but Chameleon could see the sad glint in his eyes.

The ex-wagerer nodded, "It does seem that way, yes."

Both men stood for a while in awkward silence, both sensing that the other was troubled, but neither willing to ask what the other was troubled about. Starbuck and Chameleon simply stood together staring out the viewglass.

"So…" Chameleon tried breaking the quiet, "How is Captain Apollo?"

"Good," Starbuck nodded, staring a bit harder out the viewglass, "He found Boxey, so now at least his family is safe."

Chameleon winced at the young man's words. Of course. Starbuck was worried about his sister; the only family he knew he had was Celeste.

"She'll be back." Chameleon said with more confidence than he felt, "After all, the ability to get out of scrapes is genetic."

"Ah, if it's as genetic as getting into them, she's in real trouble!" Starbuck tried to joke.

"Nah," Chameleon scoffed, half-thinking out loud, "She's a fighter. She can make it. She's smart, tenacious, and quick. Takes after her mother…"

Starbuck turned to Chameleon in surprise, "What did you say?" He gave the older man an intense look, "You knew her…our mother?"

Chameleon stopped short and stuttered, "Well, I just meant…I mean I guess she could have…just as easily could have been her father…"

"Chameleon…" Starbuck glared deliberately.

"Oh, Starbuck, don't pay attention to the mutterings of an old man," Chameleon recovered his composure and smiled charmingly.

Starbuck narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but didn't press it further. Instead he uncharacteristically let his momentary excitement fade.

"You really miss her, don't you?" Chameleon asked.

Starbuck nodded, "Celeste is all the family I've got."

As an avid gambler, Chameleon was used to bluffing, sometimes for long periods of time. But this bluff was quite frankly wearing him down.

"That's not entirely true…" Chameleon said quietly.

"Well," Starbuck relented, "There's Apollo and his family, and of course Boomer and the guys…but there's just something about being blood-related, you know?" Starbuck contemplatively stared at one particular star, " And she and I, we have a connection. We understand each other better than ourselves."

"It's wonderful to have family…" Chameleon began again.

Starbuck nodded, "It's even better when they're your friends."

The older man looked solemnly at his unaware son; his one remaining heir for all he knew; and sighed. It was almost as though the lieutenant was calling his bluff.

Celeste's brother had grown silent again, thoughtfully watching the stars go by.

For Chameleon, the heartfelt silence was harder to bear than the words. He, too, understood how it felt to be alone. "Starbuck…" Chameleon hesitated, wondering at how unfamiliar his own son's name felt on his lips.

Starbuck turned, "Yeah?"

Something out the viewglass moved. A star, but definitely not a real star. It was going the wrong way! It was moving toward the fleet at an incredible speed.

"What's that?" Chameleon cried as the "star" took on a vaguely sinister shape.

Starbuck looked and gasped, "Holy flying felgercarb!"

"It looks Cylon!" Chameleon nodded, "Not that I'm an expert, but it sure doesn't look friendly!"

"It's a Cylon troop carrier!" Starbuck exclaimed disbelievingly.

Chameleon looked nervous, "I think 'holy flying felgercarb' was a more accurate description!"

The battlestar erupted in klaxon bells and red flashing lights.

¤

Boxey had just finished telling Apollo all about his adventure.

"You're sure you don't remember anything else?" Apollo asked his son, "You don't remember anything that would help us find this place?"

Boxey shook his head, one hand stroking Muffit, "No, but we've got to do something fast, Dad! It looked like that guy wanted to kill her or something!"

"From what you've just told me," Apollo nodded in an unsettled way, "I believe it."

Just then, the Galactica went on alert.

And not long after, Blue Squadron launched to intercept an attack force, along with every other squadron in the fleet. The ensuing battle was vicious. Fighters were everywhere, firing on and even ramming each other. Every last fighter was in the air, including the Lemonade. It was flown by Captain Apollo with Starbuck at the laser cannon controls.

"Hey, Captain, it's hard to hit them when they're so close!" Starbuck shouted over the comm.

"I'm sorry, but they're everywhere!" Apollo replied, "Just do your best up there. I'll try to keep us from getting hit."

"I copy that." Starbuck said, "I just wish they'd hold still. I really don't want to hit one of ours by accident!"

Apollo was silent.

"Captain?" Starbuck strained to see down into the primary cockpit, while destroying a Cylon ship that was on a ramming course straight for them, "Apollo? You all right down there?"

"I…don't know." Apollo's voice sounded distant and distracted.

"Need me to take over?" Starbuck's finger hovered over the systems control toggle switch.

Apollo's voice returned, sounding normal again, "No, you keep on gunning down Cylons. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Don't worry about me, Starbuck, just keep on doing what you do."

Apollo shook his head, trying to understand the illogical urge he'd just experienced.

Apollo, please don't ignore me.

Serina's voice was inside his head!

Please, so much depends on it!

What do you want me to do? Apollo thought back, escaping a Cylon strafing run and lining Starbuck up with more targets.

I already told you. Go back to the planet.

Apollo spun the Lemonade out of the path of some laser fire. That was you?

Yes, and you've got to hurry, too!

I can't go exploring right now, Serina! I can't leave in the middle of such a desperate fight, we're outnumbered enough as it is!

You must, Apollo, or all will be lost.

Serina…

Trust me!

Apollo flew right between two Cylons and kicked in the turbos for a micron, blowing the raiders back and causing them to collide explosively.

I do trust you. But I don't understand.

You don't have to, came Serina's reply, Just go, I'll help you whenever it's possible for me to do so. Please hurry, Apollo. So much depends on this…so much will be decided…the fate of the galaxy. And you have a chance to swing the balance in favor of the humans…but in a short while it will be too late…

Okay, okay, I'm going. I hope you know what you're doing.

I do. I knew you'd go. We have faith in you up here, and we're all rooting for you.

That's good to know.

And I love you Apollo. May the gods be with you today.

Apollo watchedStarbuck's lasers take out an enemy fighter in front of them, "Change in plan."

"Yeah?"

"We're going down to the planet."

"Way back there?" Starbuck cried, "Uh, all due respect, but now isn't the best time to go hunting for water!"

Apollo turned the Lemonade away from the fighting, "We're not hunting for water."

"What are we hunting for then?" Starbuck asked, firing off a few last shots into the mass of battling fighters.

Apollo sighed, "To be honest, I don't know. All I know is that I'm supposed to go there."

"Well, I'm with ya buddy." Starbuck replied, "I just hope you figure it out soon."

"So do I, Starbuck," Apollo set the vessel's course, "So do I."

The Lemonade landed in the canyon, within walking distance of the cave where the Cylons had their base.

"You brought your blaster, right?" Apollo asked.

Starbuck replied, "I don't leave home without it these days."

"Good," Apollo climbed out of his cockpit, "You may need it."

Starbuck joined him on the ground, "Any idea why?"

Apollo gazed around confusedly, "She hasn't told me yet."

"She?" Starbuck asked, "She who?"

"Serina," Apollo replied distractedly.

Starbuck's eyes widened, "Uh…Apollo…"

"Hmm?" Apollo looked up and noticed his friend's discomfort, "Oh, I'm sorry! You don't know about that. Do you remember when we encountered the ships of light?"

"Yeah, John and the rest."

"Well," Apollo explained, "Serina's with them now. She talked to me after my viper crashed, and then again when we were fighting out there."

Starbuck shook his head, "She always was good with timing." He started to put the pieces together, "So…Serina told you to come here, but she wouldn't tell you why?"

"All she kept saying was 'so much depends on it', on me coming here." Apollo frowned, "I can't shake the feeling that this all fits together somehow; the invasion, the Peacemakers, this planet, Celeste disappearing, and Serina, and now us landing here. There's so many unresolved questions. I feel like somehow, the answers are here."

"Now you're sounding like your father," Starbuck pointed out teasingly, "Celeste's got some competition for the job of commander."

Apollo blinked at Starbuck, "Celeste…when Boxey told me what happened to him he said that she'd been captured by a man he described as 'scary, powerful, and a liar'."

"Sounds like a typical bad guy," Starbuck remarked, leaning on the Lemonade, "but nothing Celeste couldn't handle."

"I haven't finished," Apollo looked gravely at Starbuck, "he also told me that the man was trying to get Celeste to join him in some evil plot. From the sound of it, he wasn't forcing her to come with him. Almost like it had to be her choice."

Starbuck's heart sank.

Apollo continued, "and the man could shapeshift."

At that, Starbuck leapt up, "Iblis!"

"That's what I thought, too." Apollo's eyes betrayed his deep worry.

Starbuck's hand went to his blaster. He looked as if he wanted to take on an entire Cylon basestar single-handedly, "If I could get my hands on him…" Starbuck spoke through clenched teeth.

"You'd have to take whatever was left over from me," Apollo said angrily, "But he's not our main concern right now. Celeste is."

Shaking with anguish, Starbuck nodded miserably, "Apollo, we've got to find her!"

"I know," Apollo replied, "I get the feeling we were meant to search for her here.:

"Well let's go!" Starbuck said, a bit louder than he'd planned.

Apollo nodded, "Let's get some supplies first. We don't know what shape she'll be in when we find her."

"If we find her," Starbuck bitterly retorted, "if we're not too late already. For all we know she's been vaporized."

Walking to the back of the converted shuttle, Apollo opened the rear hatch and went inside, "We can't think that way. She's got to be alive or why would we be here? Finding her is the only thing that fits."

Starbuck sighed, "As usual, you're right."

"Hey," Apollo handed Starbuck a supply pack, "I understand, I'm worried too. But we've got to think optimistically." Apollo clapped a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, "And if anyone could survive Iblis, it's your sister."

Starbuck smiled a little, "Hopefully some of her luck's rubbed off on us. We're gonna need it."

"Who needs luck?" Apollo shrugged, "We've got Serina."

Starbuck wasn't sure he was comforted by the help from the voice of Apollo's late wife. A voice that only Apollo could hear, no less. But in the absence of any better ideas, even the crazy ideas make some sort of sense. At least it was something to go on.

As the two pilots walked toward the cave, Apollo's mind was filled with thoughts of Celeste. Was she all right? Was she hurt? Trapped? Lonely? Was she fighting? Escaping? Or sleeping in a cold cell? Was she lying unconscious on a floor? Was she blowing something up? Was she homesick? Was she thinking about him?"

You're just going to waltz in there looking like that? Serina interrupted his thoughts.

Do you have a better suggestion? Apollo asked her.

As a matter of fact…

Starbuck's and Apollo's uniforms suddenly turned white, as well as all their gear.

"Huh?" Starbuck stopped.

"Relax," Apollo smiled, "Remember? The white is protective. The Cylons can't harm us as long as the aura surrounds us."

Plus the aura hides you. I've made it so you'll appear invisible long enough to get in there undetected by the Cylons' scanners.

"And the Cylons won't be able to see us," Apollo told Starbuck, relaying Serina's information.

"Good," Starbuck replied, "because here we are."

Invisible or not, the two men walked as quietly as they could into the cave with their guns drawn. They hotwired the doors open and discretely strode into the Cylon base.

The Cylons glanced up from their workstations at the mysteriously open door, but seeing nothing immediately threatening to them, returned to their work. They had looked right at Apollo and Starbuck without so much as a monotone word.

Starbuck glanced upward in a silent "thank you" to Serina as the warriors both turned and headed down a corridor. Their disguises had passed the test.

As they hurried into a confusing labyrinth of dark hallways and junctions, Apollo kept his eye open for anything that could possibly be what he was supposed to be looking for. Any help here would be welcome, he thought.

But the Serina-voice stayed silent.

Not far down the corridor, a door was open. There were no Cylons anywhere to be seen, yet Cylons do not typically leave their doors open when they enter or exit a room. The two men approached the open door cautiously and peeked inside.

The interior of the room was dimly lit. At the far wall was a projection of a rubble field that made the whole room feel as though it was floating through an old battlefield. Besides some old cargo crates, the room appeared to be empty. Always on their guard, Apollo and Starbuck stepped inside. Starbuck was tense and alert, blaster at the ready.

Suddenly and without warning, the door closed fast behind them.

Starbuck and Apollo whirled to face…nobody.

Apollo gestured to Starbuck to put his gun away. Reluctantly, Starbuck obeyed.

They both nearly jumped out of their boots as a voice came from nowhere.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed," the disembodied voice said, "Not that I ever doubted your abilities, but even for you this is an accomplishment."

"I know that voice. I could never forget it." Starbuck mumbled furiously, "Iblis!"

The voice continued regardless of Starbuck's realization, "No matter now, of course. I wish to congratulate you in entering my world. The world of shadows. Neither light nor dark, but using both to gain all you ever wanted. Here lies the source of unstoppable power. And you will learn to master it."

"We're not interested in power, Iblis." Apollo gritted his teeth.

"Where's Celeste?" Starbuck yelled, "Come out here and show yourself, you coward!"

Apollo gave him a "Starbuck, calm down" glare from his ample inventory, trying to counteract the lieutenant's verge-of-losing-it "don't mess with me" expression.

Iblis' voice remained disembodied as he ignored the men and continued his speech, "Now you can start your dominion. You can complete the work I began long ago. You will restore order to chaos. Your name will be remembered for all time, attributed to power, magic, and cunning."

"Name?" Apollo asked suspiciously, "not names?"

Iblis again ignored him, "I have already made your name known throughout the universe in anticipation of this moment, even to the far reaches of space. Even to the world you know as Earth."

"I don't think he's listening to us," Starbuck said, somewhere between bitterness and resentment.

"I don't think he's talking to us." Apollo realized.

"There's no one else here!" Starbuck cried.

Apollo nodded, "I think it's a motion-sensitive recording. We probably tripped it when we came in here."

"Strange automatic recording," Starbuck remarked.

Apollo agreed.

Iblis' voice seemed more grandiose now, "Yes, even on Earth they worship and respect you. Through the millennia they shall never forget your name…Isis."

"Isis…" Apollo repeated, "Isis!" his eyes opened wide, "Starbuck, the day Celeste arrived on the Galactica, she told Boxey that Isis was what her old squadron called her!"

Starbuck's body didn't seem to know what to do with the pent-up energy or the information, so it experimentally combined the two. The result was an explosion of hand gestures and facial expressions in a sequence that is pointless to try to describe; only Starbuck has ever managed to pull it off successfully anyway.

"Isis! Celeste…that doesn't make sense! Why would Iblis be talking to Celeste at us? She's not even here!" Starbuck looked frantically around the room as if to make his point that the room was empty besides the two men.

Apollo's mental wheels were turning, "She was meant to be the one who tripped the sensor, not us! This is some kind of trap that was set for her."

Feeling overwhelmed, Starbuck sat down on a cargo box to think, "That still doesn't make sense. You told me that Boxey said she was with Iblis! Why would Iblis trap Celeste in a room so he could tell her how wonderful she was? Why wouldn't he just tell her to her face?" Then something dawned on Starbuck, "Come to think of it, why would Iblis tell Celeste she was wonderful at all? She's not exactly the epitome of evil. Unless…"

"No." Apollo cut him off, "People have to choose to join Iblis remember? Celeste would never do that."

But Starbuck remembered the darkness hiding deep in his sister's shining eyes, and the memory unsettled him, "He did bedazzle Sheba."

Apollo sighed, "Sheba was desperately searching for a father figure in her life. Iblis was able to use that to manipulate her."

"And Celeste doesn't have any weaknesses he could exploit?" Starbuck demanded sarcastically.

"You know not in the same way," Apollo said, his words certain, "Celeste is not Sheba."

You're right, Apollo, thought Starbuck, Celeste wouldn't claim to love you one day only to run off with some old space cruiser she met on an asteroid the next. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned Sheba. Starbuck shook his head, "Well, if this recording was meant for Celeste, where is she?"

Apollo looked down in thought. Then he froze, "Starbuck, stand up!"

"What? Why?" Starbuck stood quickly.

The captain rushed to the box Starbuck had been sitting on, "This box has ventilation tubing! Help me get it open!"

Together, the two pilots lifted the heavy lid and moved it aside. Oxygen-rich steam floated out and hung in the air around their feet.

They both gasped.

to be concluded…