Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to Ronald D. Moore and the Sci-Fi channel. I seem to have forgotten to mention that all Star Trek things belong to Paramount Studios. The name of the planet is my idea.
Chapter 18: No, no they can't take that away from me
Bill stood next to Laura on Galactica's CIC as they moved toward the new planet. Dee, Helo, and Zack each appeared to have a Starfleet officer trailing them. Though that was not exactly the case, the Starfleet officers kept scanning the equipment, running diagnostic programs.
"I can't believe something this old is still running," Bill heard a young blonde woman with one dot on her collar mutter.
Laura seemed to have heard the comment as well, sighing. Bill leaned his head toward her. "I resent that. Just because something's old doesn't mean it's ready for the scrap yard."
Something in what he had said caused her to smirk. "I think she was referring to the ship, not you, Bill."
"I still don't like this. It feels awkward. They're supposed to be helping us because we're shorthanded, and so far all they've done is analyze the ship," he whispered.
"There's one where Gaeta used to sit," she pointed out.
Alright so at least one of them is working. He looked over his shoulder, then turned back to her. "I need to speak with you privately."
She nodded. "Of course."
"Zack, you're in charge for the moment," he told his sort-of-son as he and Laura walked over to the control room.
"What's up?" she asked him.
He ran a hand through his hair. "I've been thinking about my eventual replacement. I don't want these Federation people running my ship, let alone the fleet. They can help out if they want, but it's not right to have them in any positions of power over us, considering that we're still a separate group of people from them."
"I agree, but where does that leave you?" Laura reminded.
Bill sighed, glancing past the glass window, watching the busy organization. "It leaves me with Zack and Helo…," he trailed off, an idea forming in his mind. "Yes, it'll leave me with Zack and Helo. Zack doesn't want the whole fleet, but maybe he doesn't have to be in charge of that much. He and Helo could split fleet duties."
"It's a start. For me, eventually they have to have an election in order to keep it a democracy," Laura remarked.
"That one's easy. We'll make sure the candidates are Colonials with our peoples' best interests in mind," he commented.
Laura rolled her eyes. "Easy? We've still got twelve colonies with special interests. There's nothing easy about it."
"I suppose we'll just have to sort this all out in time," he added, heading back into CIC.
Galactica circled the planet before people left in Raptors. Bill pulled Helo and Zack aside. "You wanted to see us, sir?" Helo asked.
Bill nodded. "I know who I want to take over for me eventually."
"Sir, not that I'm not grateful for how Starfleet's helped us, but I'm not sure if they're the right choice," Zack interjected.
"And just how do you know what I'm going to say, Captain?" Adama probed. Then he continued. "I don't think that the Federation should have that much power over us. I'm suggesting that the job to run the fleet should be split between you two."
Zack began to protest. "But sir, we-"
"Will do just fine, I'm sure. I'm not retiring tomorrow, so both of you will be trained when I am ready to retire," Bill added as they stared at him for another moment, perplexed. The admiral smirked before saying, "Dismissed."
As the Raptor landed on the planet, Bill noticed that several trees encompassed the landscape. Laura held Charlotte as Hannah walked ahead of her, carrying the diaper bag. Bill followed as they left the Raptor. He stopped when he reached a few trees, placing a hand on the puzzle bark. "This is a real pine tree!"
Laura laughed. "Of course it is. Did you think they'd use holo-emitters?"
"I just didn't realize the extent of this 'teraforming' concept," he replied.
"I think Jake told me the full-grown trees are something new they've developed," Hannah chimed in.
Bill grinned. "You have no idea how long it's been since I've seen an actual pine tree."
Hannah crossed her arms, smirking at him. "Then you should've been looking at the pictures of this place that Mom's been trying to show you." They all laughed as they passed more trees.
He stopped as they came to the community. Laura looked back at him. "What's wrong?"
"I thought we'd be in tents for a while," Bill remarked.
Laura smiled. "The Federation's temporary structures are sturdy, weatherproof, and best of all they come with doors."
The structures before them were not metal, but what looked to Bill like some metal-plastic alloy. The door had a handle to manually slide open. Inside was a small kitchen with a replicator, counter, sink, and table with four chairs. Beyond it were two bedrooms and a bathroom.
"Mom, this place has a lot of room for something temporary," Hannah remarked while her mother set Charlotte in her infant seat.
Bill stepped back outside for a moment to inspect the perimeter of their dwelling. The rectangle seemed sturdy. He looked beyond it to the other dwellings. Makes me think of building blocks, he mused. Past the rectangle city were actual buildings. Laura did mention that they finished the main government building, as well as the hospital.
He felt Laura slide her hand into the crook of his right arm. "What are you looking for?"
Sighing heavily, he faced her. "This is taking a lot of time and effort from the Federation, helping us settle. I just wonder what they'll want in exchange for it. I can see membership, but do you think they'll want more than that? Are they going to hold all this over our heads in exchange for something?"
She rested a hand on his chest. "Bill, they know we haven't got much. They're humanitarians and want to help. Yes, membership into the Federation will probably be part of this, but I don't think there's much more to it than that."
It's been too long since we've trusted anyone. "How can you be-"
"You're always at war, whether you're fighting an ideology, an enemy, or yourself. It's one thing I've noticed in both of you. Stop trying to fight a war when there isn't one. Maybe, just this once, we can find out what peace is like, and live like people," Laura reasoned.
He pulled her into a hug. "Maybe you're right."
She chuckled softly. "I'm always right. It's nice to know you've finally noticed."
As she moved back, he noticed her teasing smirk. "That one we'll have to negotiate."
"Perhaps, after I make us lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm famished and I know that Hannah will be hungry," Laura mentioned, heading inside the rectangular temporary structure.
"You cook?" he inquired.
She faced him, placing her hands on her hips. "Why is it that you always think I can't cook? I had the same conversation with my husband on New Caprica."
Bill brought his hands up in defense. "You just don't seem like the type."
Laura snorted, shaking her head as she touched the replicator selection, looking for vegetables. "Then tell me, sir, what is the type?"
Why do I always get myself in trouble? Wait, at least she's smiling. How do I talk my way out of this one? "That wasn't quite… what I mean is… well you… seem too busy to be bothered with cooking."
She moved directly in front of him. "If that was your idea of a save…"
There was something about the spark in her green eyes, or maybe it was her hair, or just her in general. Whatever it was, only one thing came to mind. "No, but this is," he said before reaching for her shoulders and kissing her soundly.
Hannah had been unpacking a few of Charlotte's things in one of the bedrooms. Hearing voices, she had picked up the baby to see what was going on. "Are you guys fighting again? If you are…" she trailed off, seeing them. "If that doesn't beat all. Come on Char, let's go find a book for you," Hannah remarked, discreetly stepping out of the kitchen area with her sister.
Bill and Laura separated after Hannah had left. "Are you going to do that every time you're speechless?" Laura teased him.
He chuckled. "Maybe. I don't know what came over me."
"I know exactly what came over me, but I've got to make lunch," she remarked, turning back to the replicator.
He leaned close to her, whispering in her ear, "You're still a tease."
She turned her head to kiss him on the cheek. "And you're still a flirt."
Later after they had eaten, Bill and Laura looked over their schedules for the next few days. "You and I are needed at tomorrow's Quorum meeting," she mentioned.
"I should replicate myself one of those racktajino things that Colonel Kira introduced me to. Those things will keep you awake for days," he commented.
Laura chuckled softly. "Normally I'd agree with you, but this meeting should be one of the more interesting ones. "
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"We have to decide whether the colonies remain as they are or go back to being twelve separate groups, and that's just one of the topics on the agenda," she explained.
Bill looked over at Hannah. "What are you going to do during the meeting?"
The girl shrugged. "I'll probably finish Dark Day and keep an eye on Charlotte in the lobby. There is a lobby, Mom, right?"
"Yes. According to the plans that were sent to me, there's a bathroom right next to it too," Laura responded.
In the morning Laura, Bill, Hannah, and Charlotte stood outside of their dwelling. Laura kept looking at her watch. "It looks like a long walk from here. What are we waiting for?" Bill questioned.
"Public transportation," Laura answered.
He raised an eyebrow. "You mean there's a bus here?"
She laughed and shook her head. "No. They'll beam us over at exactly 0900 hours."
"Great, we get to be vaporized again," Bill grumbled.
Hannah giggled. "You do know that you said that out loud, don't you?"
"Yes," he said just before shimmering blue specks appeared around them.
They found themselves in an off-white and gray lobby with square-ish furniture. Laura handed the baby to Hannah as the girl looked around the room. "Boy, I sure hope they decorate soon. This place doesn't even have a fake plant."
"I think they get points just for putting the building up so quickly," Bill remarked.
Hannah shrugged. "Of course I could always give Charlotte finger paint…"
Laura rolled her eyes. "Young lady-"
"Kidding, Mom," Hannah stated.
As other people beamed in, Laura and Bill followed them into what appeared to be a board room, with black chairs and a long gray table. "How'd they get so much furniture over here?" he whispered.
"They replicated the parts and assembled them," Laura told him.
Bill fiddled with his newly replicated wedding ring, standing off to the side as the Quorum members took their seats. Laura motioned for him to sit in the empty seat to her right as she sat at the head of the table. I should've asked her how she ran meetings. I have no clue if I'm expected to do anything here.
As if hearing his question, she turned toward him. "I'll do most of the talking. Everyone thinks you're still recovering and you're not expected to do much."
"Thank you," he whispered back.
She stood, facing the delegates. "Welcome to this first meeting in our new home in the Darius star system, Alexan II. You have the agenda in front of you. Is there anything anyone wishes to say before we begin?"
The Picon delegate with the mustache stood. "Madame President, Admiral, my constituents have asked me about when they might visit Earth. We have had the invitation extended out to us, but I'd like to hear a timetable."
"Mr. Acacius, as you are well aware, such things need to be done in an orderly fashion. There are over 60,000 of us and we can't all go to Earth at the same time. They need to be informed beforehand to trips we would make. I recommend that groups of no more than 5,000 visit Earth at the same time. Groups within that 5,000 will need to be organized so that everyone is accounted for. If you would like to be in charge of planning the excursion, than be my guest. Any questions?" Laura asked at the end of her oration. Being met with only silence, she looked over at Adama. "Bill?" He shook his head. "Well then, on to the next topic."
The rest of the meeting followed the same procedure, with Laura leading it. As the group moved down the list, eventually the subject of Federation membership rose. "Madame President, though I cannot dispute that these people have been helpful, I do have to question if we can handle something of that magnitude at the moment," the blonde Sagittarian delegate expressed.
Laura looked over at the blonde woman. "Ms. Larson, you have an interesting point. Do you mind clarifying why it would be an issue?"
"Ma'am, we've got internal problems to deal with right now. I think we should hold off on voting for or against membership until we've settled the issue of what's to be done with our original twelve colonies," Larson pointed out.
"Fair enough," the president acquiesced. Then she took a deep breath before posing the inevitable question. "Should we go back to our original Twelve Colonies then, or something else?"
A young delegate that Bill did not recognize stood at the question. From the way Laura raised an eyebrow, he could tell that she did not recall this new delegate either. She looks like she's about Lee's age, Bill mused as the woman adjusted the bun she had coiled her brown hair into. "I know most of you don't know who I am. My name is Candice Howard and I'm the alternate Leonese delegate in Brandon Folson's absence. He's feeling a bit under the weather-"
"Just get on with it. We'd like to leave this meeting before dinner," the Virgon delegate grumbled.
Candice glanced down nervously at her hands before turning her gaze toward the president. "Madame President, though we all come from different colonies, we have been one people since this journey began. We have united for survival and come out better because of it. People will either cling to their cultural groups, or to their friends of the last four years. Who are we to tell them where to live? Let them move about the area for themselves and make their homes. We can provide cultural centers to preserve our original cultures so that the past is not forgotten, but we cannot ignore that in the last four years we have become one people."
The other Quorum members began to argue. However, the noise level did not escalate to the point where Laura had to shout. "I agree," she stated, causing an instant silence.
The delegate from Picon loosened his tie. "But Madame President, our constituents-"
"Can vote on the issue in the next election," Laura concluded. "This meeting is adjourned."
The delegates filed out of the room, talking among themselves. Laura and Bill lingered behind. "Something tells me you've found a nominee for your replacement," he commented with a smirk.
"Perhaps I have," Laura responded. She smiled when they left the room as his hand made its way to rest on the small of her back.
(A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've been terribly busy)
(My thanks to Idellis65, Ceridwyn2, McGonagallFan, carolann, and Mamabella for reviewing :D)