Chapter 4- tale of past events

Bill walked onto the bridge and nodded at Saul Tigh to come over to him. His XO did so ,a puzzled frown upon his face. "I'd like to get this analyzed ", Bill remarked as he handed Saul the disc. The XO looked it over, "just looks like a standard data disc Bill, is there something special about it", Saul asked as he looked at his commanders tense posture. "It was in Lee's back", Adama answered. Saul Tighs eyebrows lifted in amazement and he hurriedly placed the disc into one of the consoles. Bill drew close and they both waited, "ah dammit", Saul remarked as he looked at the nonsensical data on the screen. "It's encrypted ", Bill stated. "Yes and the system is asking for a password to access the information", Tigh told him. Bill shook his head, "somehow I thought it couldn't be that simple", he mumbled. "Well surely you could ask Lee. If the disc was in his back then he must know the code", Tigh pointed out. "Only if he knew it was there and that doesn't seem likely", Bill replied. Tigh was silent a minute carefully choosing his own words. "Are you sure he didn't know", he finally asked. "He hasn't exactly been cooperative about letting us know about his surgery or having that disc removed". Bill bit his lip and actually glared at his XO. "If he did know why stall", Bill retorted. "I think the delays were initially because he thought the Atlantia had notified me about the surgery. My question now seems why wasn't I notified and what has this disc got to do with it.' Bill mused.

"Has Lee told you what happened yet", Tigh asked intensely. "No, I got a bit sidetracked focusing on getting that disc out of his back. But you can be sure I am going to ask him", Bill remarked firmly.

Starbuck stormed into med bay intent on having a little chat with Lee. Doctor Cottle intercepted her quickly. "I'd like to see Captain Adama", Kara asked from between gritted teeth. Doc Cottle shook his head, "the Commander has requested that the Captain has no visitors", Cottle replied firmly. Kara began to get slightly concerned, "is he alright", she asked tentatively. Cottle nodded. "Then why can't I see him", Kara demanded. "Orders", Cottle replied firmly stalking away from her.

Kara pretended to walk away then turned and hurriedly lunged for the curtained off bed directly in front of her. Grabbing the curtains Starbuck pulled them back growling, "right flyboy, you and I are going to have words". She heard Cottle chuckle and wondered what he found so damn funny. Seconds later as she stared at the empty bed in front of her, she figured it was because he knew Lee wasn't there all along.

He groaned slightly moving around on the bed beneath him and noting that it didn't feel quite as hard as it had just a while ago. Forcing his eyes open he looked up at the ceiling and was startled. Rapidly turning his head, he soon discovered the reason for the more comfortable bed, he was in his fathers state room. "How are you feeling Lee", his father was beside him an instant later looking at him in concern.

"A little sore, but the pain has gone. I guess Doc Cottle got what ever it was out of my back", Lee remarked. Bill stared at him noting he didn't sound like he knew what the fragment had been. "It was a data disc Lee", he told his son casually watching the reaction. "It was a what", Lee spluttered in a stunned voice. Bill squeezed his shoulder, "an encrypted data disc needing a password to unscramble its information", Bill repeated. Lee looked even more confused, "what password is that", he asked.

Bill sighed, "I was kind of hoping you could tell me", he gently replied.

Lee shook his head, "I don't know", he whispered, his voice still stunned.

Bill nodded, "alright then if I assume that disc was placed into your back when you underwent surgery, I'd have to ask myself why."

Lee was quiet while he pondered the question, "I don't' know", he repeated with a slight air of panic. "It's alright Lee I believe you", Bill quickly reassured. "But that disc must have come from the Atlantia and someone put it in your back for a reason. We need to figure out what that reason was. "Now was anything unusual happening on board the Atlantia", Bill asked.

Lee thought for awhile his head down toward the bed, seconds later he lifted his head and regarded his father. "there was this mission that I flew", he stated. "At the time it was classified but I suppose that's a mute point now."

Bill nodded, 'tell me about it", he requested

Lee closed his eyes as he collected his thoughts and threw his mind back into the past.

He was sitting in the bunk room with a few of the other pilots, drinking and playing cards. "Hey Apollo do you always play this badly or do you just save it for us", teased Marcus Gresham aka "ripper". Lee rolled his eyes in response reflecting that his current hand was just as bad as his previous one had been. "Personally I quite like his losing streak", Alyce Martin remarked with a wink in Lee's direction, "it's a pity we aren't playing strip pyramid". Lee tried not to blush but didn't quite managed it, 'ohh look at the red face", ripper teased. "Lee threw some smelly socks at his friend. "Yuck Apollo", ripper complained. "Come on you two the game is waiting", Marty Harmon aka 'twister' complained patting his rather large pile of chips.

"Money bags can wait", interjected a rather familiar new voice. The pilots all jumped up as their CAG Major Robert Small entered the room. "I want you ripper, twister, goofball and Apollo to report to my office right away."

Lee hurriedly tried to think of any infraction that the Major could have found out about as he followed his CAG out of the room.

"Sit down gentlemen", Major Small requested pointing at the chairs behind his desk.

Looking at each other rather nervously the four pilots sunk into the chairs.

Major Small actually cracked a smile at their tense postures, 'relax gentlemen you aren't in trouble', he assured them. Lee like his friends had instantly relaxed but he remained curious as to why the CAG had summoned them. "Now gentlemen I have a very special assignment for you four." Over the next couple of weeks you will all be working together on a special project. During this time you won't bunk with the other pilots but in a separate private bunkroom. Your vipers will also be housed in a separate bay. You will work together for approximately six weeks during which time I will evaluate all your flying and choose only one pilot to continue with the final phase of the mission. "From this moment on you will not discuss this mission with any other pilot or personnel, to do so would constitute an act of treason", the CAG told them seriously.

Lee noticed his three fellow pilots exchanging glances obviously wondering what this was all about. But none of them had spoken up yet. So of course he asked, "what is this mission about sir." Major Small regarded him for a few seconds, "it's need to know Apollo and at the moment you don't need to know. You just do as you are told." Lee swallowed nervously at the majors intense look then nodded and said, "yes sir". "Good well gentlemen your belongings and vipers are already in the process of being moved so I'd go and suit up and meet me in the special hangar deck."

Lee raced to follow his CAGs orders suiting up then launching in his viper.

For the next couple of weeks he and the rest of the pilots would fly out of the hangar bay and perform certain flight movements then return. Nothing was ever explained about why they needed to perform the maneuvers.

In the beginning of the forth week Lee was summoned to the CAGs office. "Captain Adama you will have to suspend your services to our mission ", the major told him. "Why, what have I done", Lee asked nervously. Major Small smiled, "nothing Apollo , in fact it was probably fairly certain that you would have been the pilot I chose to continue with the final phase of the mission. But I'm afraid you have been ordered to attend the Galacticas decommissioning ceremony." Lee felt anger beginning to rise, "you mean the ceremony honouring my father, sir. Well I don't want to go", he insisted.

Major Smalls mouth hardened, "it was an order Captain", he reminded his pilot.

Lee looked down, "can't I tell them to shove the order up their…" Captain", Major Small interjected, "that is enough, you will follow orders or risk a Court martial ".

Lee closed his eyes. The Major reached out and squeezed his shoulder, "just go do your job and then come back to us. It can't be all that bad", he stated

Lee grimaced, "oh yes, it could sir", he stated. "But I guess I have no choice", he groused. "No you don't captain, now go pack ", Major Small ordered. Lee saluted then departed. He returned to the bunk room to pack up his things then went looking for his three friends. He found them on the hangar deck and told them about his orders to report to the Galactica .

"Tough Apollo", Ripper remarked but he didn't sound all that sincere and Lee guessed it was because he'd be the CAGs next choice for the special solo mission.

"Yeah", Lee remarked. He walked away from them then toward his viper where it sat at the far end of the hangar. "Well I guess it's just you and me now", he told his plane.

He was about to depart when there was a loud noise, a blinding flash, then nothing.

Lee jolted himself out of the reflection and looked at his father. "That was the last thing I remembered until I woke up in intensive care about 2 days later", Lee stated.

Bill frowned noting Lee still hadn't specifically mentioned what had happened.

He was about to ask when his son spoke. "I was told when I awoke that my three friends were dead", Lee said softly his voice shaking slightly.

Bill Adama reached out to touch his son's hand, "what happened", he asked.

Lee closed his eyes, "apparently something on that hangar deck exploded killing my three friends, destroying their vipers and seriously injuring me", he replied.

Bill sat stunned as he heard that. There had never been any type of announcement about an accident on Atlantia. An explosion would have been big news, he was sure of that. So that pointed to some sort of cover up. Three pilots had died over this and he'd nearly lost his only remaining son. Bill suddenly felt almost sick. "So you don't have any idea what that mission was about", he asked.

Lee shook his head. "I'm guessing maybe it's on that disc", he told his father.

"You are probably right but without the password we cannot access the files. "So we have no way of finding out what really happened.", Adama groused. Lee was quiet for awhile his look far away. "I guess it doesn't matter now Atlantia and its crew are dead", he finally stated. Bill reached out and grabbed him softly pulling him closer, "Lee don't you get it", he stated firmly, "this has never been about what happened to Atlantia, it's always been about what happened to you."

Lee looked at his father and was about to pull him close for a hug when the klaxons went off.

Bill raced to the comm. system, "Saul what's happening', he requested. "A whole lot of Cylons just jumped into range Bill better get up here fast."

Bill didn't say anything else to Lee turning and running fast out of the stateroom.

Lee waited a few minutes then ran after him. He guessed he probably wasn't supposed to fly but there was no way he was going to leave his squadron without its CAG.

His father could yell at him after it was all over.

Reaching the hangar bay Lee saw that all of the vipers bar one had already launched.

He made his way to his shiny mark two viper and climbed inside. "I thought you were grounded Captain, "Tyrol asked as he hurried over to Lee. "I haven't heard that", Lee stated truthfully. "It seems to me that the ship is in danger and every pilot is needed ,now get out of my frakking way", he yelled

Tyrol moved and Lee launched his viper ignoring the painful protest of the wound on his back.

He soon flew into the midst of a huge dog fight as vipers and Cylon fighters engaged. It was like a dark dance with vipers weaving and Cylons firing.

In front of him one viper exploded as the cylon found its mark. Lee didn't think twice about it he just went ofter that fighter guns blazing. He just blown it out of the sky when he heard an angry voice yell at him, "Lee what the frak", are you doing up here", Kara stormed. "That would be helping you out", Lee replied calmly as he engaged another enemy. "So the Commander gave you clearance", Kara queried. "Well, not exactly", Lee replied. He heard Kara sigh loudly, "then you are going to be in trouble from both of us", she told him. "Starbuck, shut up and shoot", Lee ordered. He saw her viper engaging another cylon and figured the conversation was over, at least for now.

Up on the bridge Bill was watching the fight on the screen. "Who's that in Lee's viper", Saul suddenly asked as he looked closer. Bill suddenly felt very hot, "if that is who I think it is", he grumped . "Nothing you can do about it Bill", Saul replied soothingly. "New dradis contact Commander", interrupted a voice from behind them. Saul and Bill studied the screen and went cold as they saw the large round shape of a Cylon basestar. "It's time to jump the ship", Bill stated seriously. "Advise the rest of the fleet and order the vipers to return."

Lee heard the order to make emergency combat landings and was about to turn and obey when he saw two cylon fighter chasing "bambi", one of his younger pilots who was named after some cartoon he'd never seen. He couldn't just leave the young pilot behind so he turned his ship and went to help.

Kara had registered Lee's ship beside her and then zoned it out as she focused on getting back to the galactica in one piece. So she was hardly even aware of her CAG turning and leaving the formation. Seconds later she hit the deck of the hangar bay.

"Sir we are ready to jump", Bill heard. "Are all our birds home", Adama asked.

"No sir , the officer replied, "there seem to be two outstanding. We are now getting dradis interference so we can not tell who it is."

"It doesn't matter Bill we are out of time", Saul Tigh warned.

Bill took a deep breath and silently sent a prayer to the remaining fighters, "Jump", he ordered.

Lee had just blown the two fighters chasing Bambi into little bits and was feeling very pleased with himself. "Come on lets get out of here", he told the young pilot.

They both turned and flew toward the Galactica.

That was when it happened, a blinding flash and Galactica jumped away.

Lee was left with one scared young pilot and a least 20 cylons fighters chasing them.

"We're dead aren't we Apollo", came the panicked voice of Bambi.

Lee really wanted to reassure the young pilot they'd be fine. But seconds later the viper beside him was hit and exploded leaving him alone weaving his own viper in mad desperation knowing that sooner or later he was going to die.

Bill saw an white faced shaking Kara enter the bridge. "I'm sorry Kara, I had know choice but to leave those two pilots", Bill remarked. Kara went even paler barely manging to ask, "you do know who they were, sir". "No there was too much interference", Bill replied regarding her soberly. She looked on the point of collapse like you'd look if you'd just lost your best friend. Suddenly Bill found a coldness spreading over him and he sunk down into a chair, "please Kara don't tell me it was…", his voice broke and he put his head into his hands."

Kara approached and knelt down beside him, "I'm sorry but Apollo was one of the pilots", she whispered as she clung to her Commander.

The bridge crew watched in sober silence as the two cried for their obviously dead comrade.

He flew like he'd never flown before but the incoming missile was relentless doggedly following his every move.

Lee guessed he was about to die and made himself think about the Galactica, and all his friends and his family on board. Seconds later there was a blinding flash.