~ Bright, Shiny Futures - Chapter Thirty-Nine ~

"You might well be onto something Kara," Adama mused as he looked at the plan. "Although I suspect that if we make a show of force for this country that its enemies are going to have even more desire to attack."

"I don't think that can be helped," Kara replied, eyes clouded. "They've been straddling the line between tolerance and war for a long time now. If your words had no effect on them then I think war is inevitable."

"So we're picking sides here," Roslin said, with a vague air of disapproval.

"Yes and no. We don't have much of a choice, as our people and ships are here, in this country. We have to make nice or you'll end up imprisoned again. I'm hopeful that our presence out there - the fact that we can stop nuclear missiles from hitting their targets, might just deter them from launching. We wouldn't be on anyone's side per se, just helping to keep the balance of power stable."

Adama nodded. "Wise. Have you got a flight strategy in mind?"

Kara nodded confidently. "Yes sir." She turned the page over and showed him. "Vipers and Raptors, just in case. I think we should ask Athena to be in charge. She knows the plan and is able to react quickly if the situation requires it." She glanced at Sharon who returned it, along with a quick smile.

"Good idea. How come I never made you XO?" He put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her.

"Gods forbid!" Kara exclaimed. "Can you imagine how bad things would have been? Besides, Tigh would have killed me if I'd taken over his position. He hated me."

Roslin smiled. "Hate is such a strong word."

"He was a man of strong emotions."

"True."

"No, this is enough for me. One last hurrah and then I'm happy to return to obscurity."

"Assuming it all works out and we can stay here safely," Helo added.

Kara met his eyes, warning him not to say anymore. "Assuming."

They talked for a few more minutes, Kara and Sharon discussing which pilots had been chosen and what they were to do.

Helo wandered to the window and drew the curtains open a fraction. The sun was still high though the hour was getting late. Pollution hung over the city like a thick brown blanket and he could almost feel it smothering him right through the window. Closer, neon lights on the street below shone unrelentingly, pulling his attention away from the horizon. His nose crinkled in disdain. This wasn't how he'd imagined Earth would be - clear blue skies and green grass he'd imagined his girls running and playing in.

"What are you thinking?" Roslin moved beside him, taking the curtain and pushing it a little wider.

"This isn't how I'd pictured Earth."

She laughed ruefully. "It's a lot more like Delphi, isn't it? Not quite the green pastures I'd imagined either. But it's a vast planet. I'm sure there are emptier places with less bustle and more nature."

Helo nodded, not quite knowing what to say. Keeping secrets was Kara's forte, not his. Less said the better was probably the way to go.

"I really hope this all doesn't go the way it looks like it's going to," she said softly.

"Me neither," he agreed, and it was heartfelt.

Adama's voice broke into their quiet conversation. "I guess it's my job to talk to the Vice President."

"Please," Kara said with a smile. "I think he likes you better than me."

Adama smiled. "I find that hard to believe."

Kara handed him the sheet of paper. "Good luck sir."

"So say we all," Helo and Sharon murmured in unison.

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

"Who the hell are you and what are you talking about?" Roberts' face was flushed an angry red and he was clearly nonplussed at the new turn of events in his case.

"My name is Michael Smith."

"The Michael Smith? Kara Thrace's missing husband?"

He nodded. "Yes I am."

"I thought you were dead," Sam said, meeting eyes with the man to try to read him.

" 'Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated'," Michael said, smiling just a little.

Roberts grabbed Michael's arm and held tightly. "We're moving this to an interrogation room. Come with me."

Sam stepped forward and grabbed the bars as they began to walk away. "Wait."

"Party of two Anders. You'll get your turn later."

Sam slumped back and let out a long breath. He might just be in a lot of trouble after all.

And so might Lee and Kara.

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

She lay on a concrete slab, her attackers standing over her. Each wielded a sword - the light glinted off them like sudden sunbeams through the clouds.

"Do you know why you are here?" one asked. The voice was ambiguous, neither male nor female and the thick black hooded cloak gave nothing away either.

Tory drew in a deep breath before answering. She feared, but knowledge allowed her bravery. "Yes," she said.

Another spoke. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"You will be rewarded for your sacrifice." The third one's voice was slightly lower in pitch. Perhaps male.

She nodded, afraid her voice would crack if she spoke. It was hard to be hopeful about an unknown future when facing certain death.

They raised their swords in unison, a trio of executioners.

"You are the most important one of all," one of them said. "Without you, they would all die."

Her lips trembled as her eyes slipped shut. She couldn't watch. The air moved against her skin for a split second before the swords impaled her chest.

Tory sat up, gasping for air and clutching at her chest. There was no blood. No swords. No gaping hole. She dragged in breath after breath, feeling her heart pound as though ready to explode.

You will be rewarded for your sacrifice.

Her mouth dropped open as realization dawned. She dragged hurried fingers through her matted curls and smoothed her wrinkled clothes, then headed downstairs.

* * * * * * * * * * * XXXXXX

Lee checked his watch. Six forty-five. They'd been on the road nearly an hour, and he was starting to get antsy.

"We should be there soon," the driver said, obviously noticing Lee's impatience in the rearview mirror. "Another five, maybe ten minutes."

"Thanks." He closed his eyes again and gave himself up to imagining the possibilities Kara might have in mind to thwart this threat they faced. He knew her well enough to know she'd have a plan and that if his father got wind of it they'd likely be executing it. For some reason, though he'd retired from being a pilot years ago, all of his musings had himself clad in his flightsuit safely ensconced in his Viper, with Kara by his side.

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

"Do you really think this is a good idea?"

Adama's gaze never wavered. "Yes I do. "You're a military man sir, you know that sometimes to deter an enemy from attacking you have to flex a little muscle, so to speak. Show them it's in their best interest not to attack."

"It sounds reasonable but you have to remember we're not necessarily dealing with reasonable people here."

"Which makes it even more imperative that we be abel to fend off an attack. I'm not suggesting we retaliate or start a worldwide war, just that we be prepared to defend ourselves if they decide to be stupid and go ahead."

The Vice President nodded. "It sounds like sage advice to me."

Adama shrugged and exhaled deeply. "We spent a lot of years fighting off an enemy that doesn't always make sense. I preferred to be prepared for any eventuality if possible. Having the upper hand was paramount to our survival. They had greater numbers and mindless soldiers who were programmed to fight to the death. We had to be smarter."

The Vice President held out his hand and Adama shook it. "I'll get word to the marines to let you through security and give you an escort. You take whomever you need and get Galactica up there to protect us."

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

Kara sensed the urgency in the air before the knock at the door set everything in motion.

"We're good to go," Adama said without preamble, easily taking back the mantle of authority and responsibility. "Helo, Athena - I need you to alert all the pilots in squadrons A and B. Reserves should be notified to be ready just in case. I'll get the CIC staff and the knuckledraggers. Kara, you come with me."

Kara nodded brusquely. "Sir." Her headed was beating a mile a minute. "Madam President ... Laura ... " She faltered. "Would you make sure the children get to Galactica safely?

Their eyes met and Kara knew the other woman understood the urgency. Roslin nodded.

"Chief's got them upstairs," she said quietly. "If it's okay," she stopped and looked at Adama for approval, "I'll come up with you and let them know."

Adama nodded and put a hand on Roslin's shoulder. "Take some marines."

Roslin nodded and he turned to Kara. "I'll meet you down in the lobby in ten minutes."

"Yes sir."

"Kara ... "

She turned to face Helo, whose eyes were blinking rapidly. She reached out and touched his arm. "I'll tell them," she whispered, knowing exactly what was in his heart.

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

"Mommy!" The children nearly knocked her over as she opened the door and stepped into the room.

She hugged them both fiercely. "I love you," she whispered, "but I have to go now. This is the time we were talking about earlier. I've got a job to do and I need you to go with this lady."

Roslin smiled. "You can call me Laura."

"We've seen you before," Zach said.

"You're our grandma," Sara added.

"Yes I am," Roslin said warmly. "And I'm going to keep you safe. All of you."

Kara disentangled the arms from her neck and stood up. "Kiera, Hera, your mom and dad are needed now too but they asked me to tell you they love you very much and they want you to go with President Roslin now. She's going to take you to Galactica and find a safe place for you during this tough time. You too Nicky," she added, seeing Tyrol put a loving hand on his son's shoulder.

"Come on children, it's time to go," Roslin said with a voice that had a completely different feel to the one Kara was used to. She marveled as the children responded immediately to it - even hers, and realized that among her other gifts, working with children was definitely something Roslin was gifted in. She had an ability with them that Kara hadn't seen in many people.

"Be safe," she said softly, resting her hand on each of their heads in turn as they passed her.

"Good luck Captain," Roslin said, giving her a quick hug. "I hope we'll see you soon."

They stayed together till Roslin procured a team of six marines to escort them, then Kara and Tyrol quickly found their way to the lobby as Roslin headed off to gather the rest of the children from the fleet.

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

A large group of people, many of them Kara recognized, were gathered there when they arrived. Adama's eyes found them and while he didn't smile, a definite warmth entered them when he caught sight of them.

"Okay everyone," he called out, trying to quiet the chatter. "I know you're happy to be here on Earth and have no desire to go back out there and fight, but I'm sure you've all heard the news and know the crisis we're facing. Our job is to go out there and be a presence, to show them that war is not the answer. You all know your jobs and I expect you to perform them to the best of your abilities. We've shown even the toughest enemy that we can't be beat if we work together. We can do this people, and if we do, we make it a better world for all of us to share."

"So say we all," Helo said quietly. Kara peeked at him and noticed his eyes were damp.

"So say we all," she repeated, loud enough for the whole room to hear.

The room thundered as several hundred people took up the cry. "So say we all! So say we all!"

As Adama divided them into groups for transport, a hand touched his arm. "I can see why you survived and why your people would be willing to follow you to the ends of the universe."

"Admiral Adama, The President of the United States of America," The Vice President said, smiling as he introduced them formally.

The two men shook hands. "We've met before," Adama said, "but it was under less pleasant circumstances, hard to believe though that is."

"Indeed," President Monroe said, smiling back at him. "Hopefully we can put aside all of that and work together now."

"That is my wish as well," Adama replied, and the handshake ended.

"I leave you in the my second-in-command's capable hands then," Monroe said, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "I'm needed elsewhere, rather urgently it seems," he added, as the cell phone in his pocket began to ring. "Good luck Admiral."

"And to you."

Good hunting. You don't say good luck, you say good hunting. The memory was over a decade old but it came to Kara as though it had only been yesterday. The adrenaline began coursing through her veins and the itch to crawl into her Viper was making it hard for her to stand still. Helo must have either had a similar feeling or sensed how she felt because he placed an arm over her shoulder and squeezed. "Soon," he said softly, all but unheard in the din.

"Starbuck, you're with the next transport."

Kara nodded as she stepped forward. Adama counted twelve people to join her and within minutes they were on their way.

* * * * * * * * * * XXXXX

Tory knocked on the door marked 'security' and forced herself to take a deep breath. She was already sick with worry about Sam so it wasn't going to be hard to look upset.

"Yes ma'am, can I help you?"

"I've had the most awful thing happen," she burst out, "and I don't know who to ask for help."

"We're hotel security ma'am. Unless it has to do with that, you'd best contact the front desk."

"You should do that anyway," the other guard said, turning around to look at her. "Hotel guests aren't supposed to ... "

"Oh please help me!" she begged, turning on the waterworks and allowing a few tears to trickle down her cheeks. "There was a man, he came to my room pretending to be with room service ... " She covered her face and her body hitched as she sobbed.

The first guard put his arms around her and backed up into the room so the door swung shut behind her. "It's okay now," he said. "We won't let him come near you again."

"It was awful," she sobbed, keeping her face hidden in his chest. "He pushed me back into my room and then he ... "

"Bastard," the man said, almost under his breath. "Do you know him? Would you recognize him again?"

"I ... I don't know," she said, feeling a twinge of guilt for deceiving such an obviously kind man.

"We'll play back some footage of the hallway outside your room and you can point him out," she second man said, typing furiously on his computer. "Which room are you in?"

"Three fourteen." She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and pushed her hair behind her ears. "Thank you so much for helping me."

"It's no trouble," the man at the computer said.

"Anything to help a lady in distress." The man beside her smiled, then bent over the desk and pointed at the screen.

"I'm sorry," Tory whispered.

"I beg your pardon?"

The man never even got a chance to turn around. Five seconds later they were both laid out on the floor and Tory wasn't sure if they were alive or not. She flexed her hand once ... twice ... surprisingly it didn't hurt. It should have, considering the dent she'd made in the first man's skull. It should have hurt like hell. If she'd had any doubts up to this point about her Cylon-ness, she would have lost them now. I'm stronger than I look, she thought as she tied them up just in case. Good, that will probably come in useful.

She had no idea how to disable the computer, having had little to do with them in her life. Her eyes lit on a cup of liquid on the desk - coffee perhaps? - and she grabbed it and poured it on the keyboard, hearing a satisfying crackle as she left the room.

Phase one complete, she thought. Now for the hard part.

~ TBC ~