Bright, Shiny Futures - Chapter Thirty-Eight

Kara looked around the room. A sea of mostly unfamiliar faced looked back at her. She glanced at Sharon.

"I think we need to make some introductions," she said. "Many of you don't know Starbuck since she disappeared before you were recruited."

"We may not know Starbuck personally," one of them said, "but sir, it's Starbuck. She's famous. No one's ever beaten her. We tell our kids about Apollo and Starbuck and their acts of heroism as bedtime stories."

Kara snorted. "Heroism my ass. We did what we had to do to survive. It's as simple as that. Just like you all will do what you have to now. You pull it off and humanity survives? You're a hero. You don't and we all die? No heroes left. The odds are fifty-fifty."

"Hopefully they'll be greater than that with you on board," a small woman Kara had never seen before broke in. "Will Apollo be joining us too?' she asked hopefully.

If only, Kara thought sadly. We may have had difficulty with the other stuff but we were a pretty damn good team out there. Still are, she added belatedly as she remembered their flight not so long ago.

"I wouldn't count on it," she said dryly.

"Back to the introductions," Sharon said quickly, perhaps sensing Kara's sadness and discomfort at discussing the situation. "This is Bluebird, Thor, Grace, Puffer, Snowstorm and of course you remember Hotdog."

Kara smiled as she looked at the tall dark pilot. "How could I forget? Good to see you again Costanza."

"Good to see you too Starbuck." He smiled widely, a new maturity about him. Well new to her anyway.

"I suppose we should get to the plan," she said, forcing her mind away from the reminisces that were trying to claim her attention, and forcing it to concentrate on the present. "You all know you're volunteering for a possibly suicidal mission here, right?"

"We're pilots Starbuck. We know the dangers," Hotdog answered.

"I know and believe me, I appreciate your willingness to put yourself in harm's way. I know you've seen a lot of combat - certainly a lot more than I have the last eight years, but this enemy is different. You're used to fighting Cylons. We're fighting humans now."

"I thought we were working together with them," Snowstorm objected.

"In theory, yes," Kara answered cagily. "But I wouldn't take it for granted that they'll be on our side."

"Do we have to take sides? I mean, if we're all human shouldn't we all be able to get along?"

"We are but it doesn't. This world is deeply divided. You're all so used to living with potential annihilation from an outside force that you've banded together despite your differences. I know, I was one of you for three years. We were few and we faced extinction so we worked together to survive. It's not like that here. There are cultural and religious differences galore. People have been waging war with their neighbours for hundreds of years and no one even knows how it all started anymore. The United States as a country may seem to be going along with us but Iraq is one of the trigger countries that could cause them to act in unexpected ways. If they attack ... " She left it hanging.

"Do you think they will?" Thor asked.

Kara nodded. "And when they do," she spoke softly, "this country will retaliate. And it will escalate till the world is destroyed."

"So what are we going to do? Can we prevent it from happening?"

She shook her head sadly. "We'd need a much bigger force, a better plan and time to get organized." She drew in a deep breath. "What we're going to do is evacuate all our people before Earth is destroyed."

"What about all the other people here?"

Kara felt her heart constrict. "We can't save them. We just don't have the space."

"We have some space now that more than half our people are gone," Bluebird volunteered, clearly uncomfortable with the prospect of leaving a habited planet to die.

"How do we decide who lives and who dies?" Kara asked. "Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? There are over eight billion people on this world. We can't just handpick twenty thousand or so and leave the rest. I know it sounds awful but really, the only thing we can do is take those we came here with."

"And you, I presume." Puffer finally joined the discussion.

"Of course Kara will come with us," Sharon said angrily, upset at the implication in his words. "She's one of us and is likely going to be the one who saves your ass. You'd do better to stand up and thank her for figuring out how to get us out of here." She looked around and met all their eyes in turn. "I don't want to hear any disparaging or sarcastic comments from any of you. You will follow any orders Starbuck gives you without question. Are we all clear here?"

They all nodded.

"So say we all," Hotdog said quietly.

"So say we all."

XXXXX

"I'm so glad to be home," Roslin said as she and Adama shut themselves into their hotel room. "Though I'm not exactly sure when I started thinking of this place as home."

"About the time you were dragged away and spent thirty-six hours doing a whirlwind tour of the planet." Adama's words were muffled as he pulled the shirt over his head.

She laughed, feeling the tension in her body drop several notches. Her shoulders were still knotted though and in need of a good massage.

As if he'd read her mind, Adama pulled up a chair and gently encouraged her to sit in it. He perched on the edge of the bed and placed strong warm hands on her shoulders.

"Ohh," she sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing back.

"Just what the doctor ordered, eh?" Adama murmured as he worked.

"Hmm. I miss Cottle."

"I never thought I'd hear anyone utter those words."

"Why not?"

"I didn't think anyone but me liked him."

"He had a certain charm ... "

" ' Crotchetiness plus lack of bedside manner, mixed with bactine.' "

She laughed hard. "People could say much the same about you, you know."

"I think it's more 'ambrosia mixed with crotchetiness' as far as I'm concerned. And thankfully I've never had to have any sort of bedside manner, except with you."

"Good thing."

"Take it easy now or I might just decide not to continue." He squeezed her shoulders playfully.

"My apologies, Admiral. I never meant to cast any aspersion on your character."

"Don't get cheeky with me Mrs Adama, or I might have to punish you." He leaned forward and nibbled her ear, making her squirm.

"What exactly shouldn't I say?" she asked, voice dangerously husky.

"Now you're just asking for trouble," he whispered.

"I just want to know so I can avoid saying it," she said innocently, a smile breaking out across her face.

"Liar."

"Tease." She leaned back and turned her head so their lips met. At that moment, the phone rang.

"Frak," she swore softly.

"Such a nasty word coming from such beautiful lips," he said, his lips tickling hers as he spoke.

"Shut up and answer the phone."

"Aye aye Madam President."

He caught it on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Kara! It's good to hear from you."

"Yes we're glad to be back."

"You are? Oh."

Roslin smiled at Adama's discomfiture.

"Yes we can." He sighed. "We'll be there in ten minutes."

"Let me guess, Kara's here and she wants to see us," Roslin guessed, standing and stretching languidly.

Adama pulled his shirt back on. "Right on."

"Figures. Are we ever going to get a moment alone again?" she grumbled.

"I certainly hope so." He walked over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "You ready?"

"No, but let's go."

Adama chuckled. "Have I ever told you how attractive you are when you're pouty?"

"Many times." She smiled. "And I never tire of hearing it."

XXXXX

Sam paced the length of his cell over and over as the detective in charge of his case (Roberts, he learned eventually) led a team of officers to recover Michael's body and the weapon he'd buried with it. There was nothing to incriminate Lee, he was sure of it. He'd taken a lot of pains to make sure if anyone got caught it was him. Hopefully they'd already let Lee go and he was on his way to rejoin Kara and the children.

Still, he couldn't help the feeling of intense sadness that consumed him. He knew he had to do this but it meant losing Tory, losing his family - for Galactica's pilots had become like brothers and sisters to him, losing Lee and losing Kara. Not that he hadn't lost and mourned her once before, but after finding her alive here he'd realized just how much of a void her loss in his life had caused. There was just something about Kara Thrace - even people who'd hated her couldn't deny the presence she'd been in their lives. How much more had he and Lee suffered, both of them having loved her the way they had.

The sound of approaching footsteps made his heart beat faster. Roberts came to a stop in front of Sam, putting his hands on the bars and holding till his knuckles turned white. "So where exactly is the body? It's not where you said it would be."

Sam flinched at the antagonism in the other man's voice. "It should be there," he said, wishing he sounded more confident.

"The dirt had definitely been dug up recently and we found the gun but there was no body." He cleared his throat. "However, we did find these clothes." He quirked his head at a uniformed officer standing close by. The man brought forth a garbage bag with some articles of men's clothing in it.

Sam peeked in the bag. "I think that's what Michael was wearing that night," he said. "I'm not certain though. I wasn't really paying attention."

Roberts shifted his weight. "So you're telling me you shot the man, buried him and the gun, and after you left he dug himself out but reburied his clothes and walked away naked."

Frak me, he resurrected, Sam thought. How the hell am I going to explain that? His mind raced, seeking a solution.

"The other explanation would be that you did actually kill him and he resurrected, just like Jesus Christ." Roberts snorted. "I don't believe in all that religious mumbo-jumbo and I know that people can't come back from the dead. Either my first explanation is correct, which is highly improbable to say the least, or you were lying to me before and there's another explanation." He stopped a moment and took a deep breath. "Not many people can fool a lie detector test but it has been done before. I want to know how you did it and what really happened."

The gloves were off now, he could see it in Roberts's eyes and his heart began to pound with fear. Another sound - more footsteps, drowned it out.

"He didn't kill me, if you want to know what really happened."

Even though he knew Michael had resurrected, seeing him here in person made Sam feel dizzy.

XXXXX

"I need to go to the Wyatt Sheraton hotel," Lee told the taxi driver. He settled back in the seat, wondering how long it would take. The police station was inside city limits and so was the hotel but he had no idea how vast the city really was from the brief glimpses he'd had of it. If it was similar to Delphi back on Caprica ... it could be a long, long ride.

The sun shone but pollution dimmed it's brilliance. Still, he had to shade his eyes as he looked out the window. Every size and shape of vehicle clogged the streets and the sidewalks were full to overflowing with people who were equally as varied.

A siren assault his ears, getting louder by the second as it drew closer. It was a fire truck - Lee ascertained that easily from the hoses and ladders perched atop the long, red body. It weaved in and out between the cars, finding spaces he wouldn't have even though big enough to walk through and using them.

He relaxed back into his seat and allowed his eyes to wander out the side window again as the strident sound melted off into the distance. I hope Sam will be okay, he thought, drifting back to the crisis closer to his heart. Please let him be okay, he prayed, closing his eyes and imagining the figures he'd seen several times in Kara's locker many years ago. She'd hidden her idols from most people and had only prayed in private but Lee knew she was an intensely religious person and had caught her putting them back in their secretive spot on several occasions. He hadn't mocked her for her beliefs, but neither had he shared them. It seemed like a good idea now to appeal to any higher power he could on Sam's behalf. He owed his friend that much.

He wondered if Kara had made it to Galactica yet, though it had only been nine hours since she'd been freed and he'd been taken away from them. She'd changed a good deal in the years they'd been apart and he hoped there was still enough Starbuck in her to get her through. If anyone can do it, she can, his subconscious whispered. She's always had a knack for being able to se situations clearly and make a plan that works, no matter how crazy they might sound.

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind so he could be receptive to whatever cues came his way. Good as she was, Kara was in a situation unlike any she'd ever been in and she was likely going to need help. His help. And damned if he wasn't going to be there for her when she needed it.

XXXXX

Helo finally disentangled himself from the clutches of his wife and daughters and turned to face Kara.

"So what's the plan?" he asked.

Kara flushed. "You heard about that?"

He pulled a typical disapproving best friend look. "The Vice President nearly had a coronary right there on the plane. I think you shortened his life by a few years."

Her eyes clouded over though her cheeks grew pinker. "Unless he gets off this planet, his days are numbered anyway."

"You haven't got a plan to stop it?" The pleading look in his eyes was almost too much to bear.

She swallowed over the lump in her throat. "No." She shook her head. "I couldn't see any way to stop it, so the plan is to retreat."

"Retreat?"

Kara's cheeks were flaming now. "It is one of the maneuvers of war you know."

"I'm well aware of that, I'm just surprised you would be the one proposing it," he said.

"I guess old age has taught me there are some fights you just can't win and that it's better to stay alive than to die trying to prove a point."

He gave a low whistle. "You really have changed Kara."

She huffed but there was a small trace of a smile in her eyes. "Shut up Agathon."

He smiled and saluted. "Yes ma'am. The plan?"

Kara described Plan A in detail as Sharon took their girls back up to Tyrol's room to join the other children.

Helo stared down at the page for a moment and his brows drew closer together. Kara's stomach fluttered as she sensed his opposition.

"It's a good plan," he said.

"It is?" She must have sounded surprised because he looked up immediately.

"Yes it is. I'm not surprised, you were always a good tactician."

"I'm sensing there's a 'but' here somewhere."

"But ... where's the rest? This is too easy, too straightforward. It's a good plan but it's not a Kara Thrace plan."

She smiled. "You know me too well Karl."

"I know you never do anything the easy way. That's one thing about you that I'm fairly certain hasn't changed." He smiled warmly.

"You're right." She pulled out the page with Plan B on it. "Here's the backup plan. I anticipate we'll have to use both."

Helo studied it carefully and his face drew into a definite frown. "You're going to go behind their backs to save our people," he said softly. "You know they're going to stop you once they find out."

"Not if they don't know."

"You're not going to tell them?"

Kara shook her head. "Only you, me and Sharon know about Plan B. The others aren't going to."

"That's not fair."

"I know."

An unpleasant silence hung between them.

"So you're only planning to save the fleet and you're willing to let everyone on this planet die."

"I don't see how we can stop it," she objected. "I'd love to save them all but we can't. We don't belong here - I don't believe we ever did. Look what our coming has done to them? We need to find our own place where we can ensure our survival - the survival of the remaining humans, Cylons and the new hybrid race we're creating. Maybe we don't deserve to live any more than the Earthpeople do but we've got a destiny to protect our children. They're the future. We have to make sure they survive."

"Or it all ends," Sharon added as she quietly opened the door and slipped into the room. "I don't like letting them all die, but either we let them die and we escape or we all perish together. And we can't let that happen."

Helo considered it a moment. "Okay, so how are we going to get the pilots to execute this plan if they don't know what it is?"

"Last minute change once they're in the air."

He nodded. "Are we going to let anyone else in on Plan B?"

"Only Lee ... assuming he makes it." Kara gulped.

"Not Adama and Roslin?" Helo was clearly astonished.

Kara shook her head. "I'd rather as few people knew as possible so nothing gets out. Besides, if we have to account for our actions later ... " She made a so-so gesture with her head, "at least they've got deniability. It's important no one lose faith in them as our leaders."

A knock at the door sprung them into action, Kara carefully hiding Plan B's page before Sharon opened it to reveal the people they'd just been talking about.

Kara walked gladly into Adama's oustretched arms. "It's good to see you back sir. I'm sorry you weren't successful in Iraq."

"Me too." He gave her an extra warm squeeze and pulled back. "Now tell us about this plan of yours."

TBC