WARNING: I don't like treating you readers like kids or indeed stealing thunder from my own fic, but it does get a bit dark in this chapter. So, you've been warned, if you're looking for fluffy fic, press the back button now. Abandon the light, all ye who venture forth….

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barely five minutes later the lights came back on. Kara pressed herself further into the corner, huddled up as tight as her bound arms and sore ribs would let her. She glanced towards Tigh, realised he was just starting to come round, his groan signalling his raising consciousness. She dreaded him opening his eyes and catching sight of her cowering in the corner but she couldn't bring herself to unwind even a fraction, the terror of the last few minutes still causing shock to shiver through her. Her tears had stopped but the evidence of them stood out plainly, tracks through the blood and grime.

She wasn't sure what she dreaded more, the return of Leobon or the disgust and disappointment she feared Saul would have when he saw her. She wasn't sure she could stand that after they'd come so far to be friends.

As it happened there was no time to find out what he would say as the door opened just as the Colonel caught sight of her. His eyes widened, glancing over her nakedness in a split second before coming to rest on her watery eyes, her poorly constructed veneer of indifference transparent to him. He could see the hurt and fear lingering there.

"My Gods Kara, what have they done to you." His voice no more than a whisper.

She dropped her eyes, unable to take his pity just as Leobon reached out and pulled her up with a fist full of hair, holding her upright and exposed in front of the Colonel.

"Play time Starbuck".

PRESENT TIME

Kara stopped abruptly, unable to go any further. The memory overwhelming her, the situation too fresh, the trauma still fresh on the surface.

Saul filled the silence, taking her hand, trying to bring her back to the present, to remind her they were out, that it was over.

"Kara, come back to me, come on Starbuck…." Her gaze slowly met his, silent tears spilling over onto her cheek. He wiped them away gently mindful of her bruised face. "That's enough now, you need some sleep."

Her lack of protest as he helped settle her down surprised Cottle, he'd never seen her so compliant, especially in sickbay. He was getting more and more concerned about her mental state, but he knew not to push right now. He simply moved back, letting them have some space. Tigh leant over and kissed her forehead as he stroked her hair off her face, the moment altogether too private, he left the room.

When Tigh joined him outside of the curtain minutes later they saw the Adama men peering in from outside. Cottle raised his hand to stop the questions but ushered them and Tigh into his office, or the curtained off area at the back of the tent he called his office. They were far enough away to talk without disturbing his one and only patient, but within distance to keep an eye on her.

Before anyone could speak he produced a bottle of stashed ambrosia from his desk drawer, found four glasses and poured four good measures. Gesturing to take one the men picked them up, except Saul whose gaze was firmly fixed on the curtain shielding Starbuck from view. His gaze interrupted as Cottle waved a glass in front of him. He took it, downed it in one, his gaze still not leaving that curtain.

"You OK Saul?" Bill laid his hand on his second's shoulder, his concern evident in his tone.

"I'm not the one you need to worry about Admiral."

Silence reigned until Lee couldn't take it anymore. "Doc, can I see her."

Cottle recognised the pleading tone in Lee's voice. Shaking his head he replied. "Not right now Commander, she needs her rest."

"Just one minute Doc…"

Saul cut in this time. "I think you should know what happened before you go see her Lee. She's gonna need a lot of help right now and you blazing in there being all overprotective isn't gonna help her."

Lee bristled. "With all due respect Colonel, I've been though this with her before, I know how to handle her when…"

"No, no you haven't, not like this." Saul stood, got in Lee's face, his finger pointing into his chest with every word. "You weren't there Captain, you didn't see what they did, you didn't see them…." He gathered himself, took a step back, calmed his tone "I just think you need to hear all of it first. And I don't want her to have to go through it all again right now. OK, can you understand that?".

Lee didn't recognise Tigh at that moment, couldn't understand when he and Starbuck had become close. But given the circumstances, he'd give him the benefit of the doubt, for now. "OK Colonel, can you tell us what happened then?".

Saul took his seat again, glancing once at her curtain, turning away as he prepared to reveal their shared pain to these closest of allies. He knew he had to do this, to spare her this pain again, but he knew it was going to rip him apart. But, it was the least he could do for her now, Gods knew he couldn't do anything before.

"You better sit down."

Saul summarised what he'd already told Cottle, a very brief update, Lee and Bill's face becoming paler as he laid out the situation. After getting everyone on the same page he picked up where she'd left off, him tied down, her naked and in the hands of Leobon.

"She was terrified you know, I could see in her eyes that she knew what was coming, knew that she couldn't possibly stop them. She was standing there right in front of me, covered in blood, naked as the day she was born, looking at me, her eyes begging me to help her. And I couldn't frakking move." Cottle had poured him another two fingers, it disappeared as quick as the first, old habits died hard.

"You know he made her stand there stripped in front of me to try and humiliate her, but you know what, all I saw was her face. I wouldn't do that to her, she's young enough to be my daughter and he thought I'd look her over…..animals…she looked so small standing there….so..so.." he struggled to get his point across "she's a girl you know, underneath the flight suit, underneath her damn attitude, she really is just a girl, and she looked so small and fragile, standing there in front of him, just a kid".

He paused, running a battered hand across his tired eyes, his glance once again slipping to her curtain.

"They'd really worked her over you know, blood all over her, and there was this boot print over her ribs, a perfect print…" he pulled himself up, realising he was getting sidetracked, subconsciously trying to avoid carrying on.

"Anyway, you have to understand, the rest of it, I'll tell you so she doesn't have to. You get angry, you get angry with me. She's got enough going on and she's more scared of your reaction than you can imagine. This goes no further, anything I tell you stays here unless she says otherwise. You hear me."

Solemn nods from the other men, the tension palpable in the room, Saul's stern warning sending alarm bells ringing in each mans mind, they had seen her during the rescue, she looked hurt, but they could only dread what had really happened, they knew their worst fears were to be realised.

Saul picked up the story, fully aware he was going to break his friends hearts.

"This was the first time the blond cylon bitch came in, the one we knew as Shelley Godfrey, they called her Six. Kara told me of their history later on but it was obvious from the get go they had a history."

1.5 Months Ago

Saul was still in shock seeing a very naked, very scared Starbuck held up in front of his eyes. Next thing he knew Shelley Godfrey came into the cell, dressed in skin-tight black and a nasty grin spreading across her face as she took in Leobon and Kara. His eyes shot back to Kara's face which had impossibly gone another shade paler, her eyes closed just longer than a blink, a muffled "Frak me" through the gag as she saw who had come in.

Six stopped directly in front of Kara, blocking Saul's view of her so all he could see was the cylon haul off and throw a mean right hook across Kara's jaw followed swiftly by a vicious punch to her stomach.

"That's for the Farm, bitch"

Kara was desperately trying to suck in air, the gag restricting her intake, Leobon still gripping her shoulders, watching her with curiosity as she writhed in pain. He yanked her back upright clamping an arm across her collarbone, any retort she tried to get past the cloth in her mouth replaced by a muffled yelp when without any warning Six stepped into her personal space and thrust her hand between Kara's legs, invading her most private of places.

Kara's eyes screwed tight in pain and shock as the cylon lent in towards her.

"You're finally gonna fulfil your destiny Starbuck. Though I suggest you loosen up a little.." a twist of her wrist eliciting a cry from Kara "…or this is going to hurt."

Saul watched speechless, not believing he was seeing this most intimate of violations played out in front of him.

A tear squeezed out past her screwed shut eyes as Kara tried to move back and away from the cylon, but held in place by Leobon and impaled by Six she had nowhere to go, her cries of distress breaking Saul's heart, but delighting the sadistic Six.

"Look at me Starbuck".

No response, Kara lost in her misery.

Six gave another push of her wrist, her body weight behind this one and Saul watched as the force rocked Kara back into Leobon even as she opened her eyes, looking into the cruel gaze of her nemesis. Naked fear clear in her expression, all pretence at bravado gone, this violation a step too far.

The evil grin plastered across Six's face. "That's better. You're ours little girl, this.." another twist, another yelp of agony "…is ours. Your destiny awaits Kara, you should be so proud, you're the chosen carrier of the new generation. You will bear the child that starts the next evolution. No immaculate conception here though, we're gonna make this child the good old fashioned way, whether you like it or not."

She pulled her hand back, Kara sagged in relief, watching in disgust as Six wiped the blood from her hand on Kara's chest, all the while keeping her eyes on Kara.

"She's all yours Leobon."