17 Years before cylon attack
William Adama age 47
Location: Tauron – Orion City Cemetery

He knelt down and his fingers brushed across the grooves engraved in the cold white marble.

Tobias Cain
My heart lies not here,
But rests forever in the sky.
H9/21305 – X11/21336

The sun was hot enough to scorch and the birds chirped faintly from their oak perch overhead, but William Adama didn't feel the burning heat on the back of his neck and uniform or hear the birds. "I said abort! Get back here!" What he felt was a dull ache in his chest that had nothing to do with his still healing injuries and what he heard were the echoes of the last moments of Tobias' life. "There is no victory without sacrifice."

"Dammit Tobias," he sighed. "You're too young to be—" He had to force down a rising knot of emotion. I had it. I was in command. It was my responsibility, not yours. Didn't you remember what I told you? Do as I say and not as I do.

William had been unable to make to the funeral that Tobias' family had had. Or rather, he had chosen not to go. The memorial onboard Cerberus had been heartbreaking enough. He knew that had he gone he wouldn't have been able to bear placing the folded Colonial flag into Tobias' mother's shaking hands or hear some priest speak about the better world of the afterlife and how the Lords of Kobol would watch over his lost pilots. Because no one was watching over my pilots except me and I let them down…

His thoughts wandered to the day over five years ago when he had graduated solo ops and began unit training. "Tobias 'Achilles' Cain at your service, sir." Five years was how long Major Farro had given half of them to live. They had kept each other alive through their training, through the S.F.M., through all of it and he hadn't lost a single one of them under his command. Notone. And they had celebrated the anniversary of their fifth year with rounds of drinks and badly sung songs. "Viper pilots flyin' high, Viper pilots never die…" They thought they had beaten Farro's odds.

Then eight months later the day came when they wouldn't be flying together anymore.

-xxx-

Tobias and Nia were dead.

"Today we are charged with the solemn duty of returning the souls of our own to the universe from which the Lords of Kobol brought them to us. Senior Lieutenant Tobias Cain and Lieutenant Nia Tikaru were pilots of the highest caliber who willingly gave their lives in service to Colonies. There can be no greater honor that we may bestow upon them than to strive always to uphold and protect the freedom and sovereignty of the Colonies. In this way, their sacrifice will not be in vain. So say we all."

Xander was the first to leave. The order had come down that he was to be mustered out of the Fleet.

"Didn't anyone tell that frakwit evaluating psychologist that Xander was like that before? Silence does not equal traumatic stress. This is complete bullshit."

A week later, Danny had been the next to empty out his duty locker.

"I've been transferred to Atlantia… they're basing me out of that dirtball, Aerelon."

A month after that Alexa had been next, but only after she unceremoniously tore her transfer orders in half and had to be taken off Cerberus by the Military Police to undergo court martial for insubordination.

"Frak Hyperion! I am not flying with that frakwit Marcus."

William had spent over two months recovering from his broken leg and departed last.

"I'm sorry Captain Adama, you have been declared unfit to endure the rigors of flying in the Special Operations Division. Your flight status for normal operations will be assessed pending reassignment."

Other pilots had already been moved into the vacated bunks in their old quarters, but when William cleaned out his locker, he was alone. His flight suit and helmet, fatigues and personal effects all fit neatly into his duffel bag. He took down the pictures of his wife and sons and comrades. The last thing he removed was his father's lighter from its spot on the top shelf. Someone had saved it from the floor of the rec room and replaced it in his locker for him. He had left it on that shelf throughout his recovery, buried under his flight suit, because the sight of it reminded him of his nagging doubt. If only it hadn't gotten left behind that day… If only.

-xxx-

"It's not over yet," said William while he pulled out a picture that he had had tucked in his uniform. "Xander's going to do some investigating for us, try and track down Zopyros' captain. We're going to stop that ship. Or die trying."

The picture was a copy of the one Tobias had taken on their last day of unit training. He set it on the grass in front of Tobias' headstone and pinned it to the ground with a set of senior pilot wings. Adama had already done the same at Nia's grave on Scorpia earlier that day. He got to his feet, offered a last salute, and left to catch a transport to Caprica.

Now that he was recovered enough to travel, he had a meeting with the President of the Colonies. He dared not be late. Then he could finally go home, hug his sons, kiss his wife and be thankful that he was alive.

-xxx-

"Please, Captain Adama, have a seat." President Kearney stood up from behind his paper strewn desk, at least William hoped there was a desk beneath all the clutter, and gestured toward the chair on his right.

"Actually, if you don't mind sir, I haven't been on my feet without help in the last couple months so I'd prefer to stand." The president nodded his approval, shook William's hand and chose to lean back against the front of his desk instead of return to the modest leather chair that matched well with the rest of his notably austere office.

Kearney had cropped gray hair and he had a way about him that suggested he didn't belong in a suit, but in a Colonial uniform. However, as the mess on his desk and lack of insignia silently attested, the president was not former military. He was instead someone who had wanted to serve, but had been unable to. Adama still remembered Kearney having to defend his patriotism in the presidential debates last year, but a congenital heart condition was certainly a better reason for not serving than some of the others William had heard.

"Admiral Edington briefed me on the Leonis incident and I was sorry to hear about what happened to your team." Kearney looked back over his shoulder to locate something on his desk. After shuffling a few things out of the way, he had retrieved a black, velvet covered box. "I know that promotions and commendations aren't any comfort, but I wanted to give this to you personally." He held out the box for William. "Congratulations Major Adama."

"Thank you mister President." William took the box and opened it. A set of gold major's pins stared up at him. A shame they came at such a high cost.

"Besides a Commendation of Valor if there's anything I can do for you don't hesitate to ask," continued Kearney. "Being President allows me to get away with being generous."

William suddenly felt like perhaps he needed that chair after all. His mind was happy to supply him with plenty of things that he wanted, but there was one promise he had made years ago that he had yet to keep.

"I have a friend in the Merchant Fleet," said William with marked reluctance. What's the price going to be for this favor? "He's a former captain, Saul Tigh. I've been hoping to get him reinstated for a few years now…" Kearney didn't hesitate.

"Not a problem." The president went around the side of his desk and unburied his intercom. "Miss Lawrence, could you please contact the Merchant Fleet registry and find a Saul Tigh, he's to be reinstated to Colonial Fleet at his former rank of captain, compliments of Major Adama. Thank you." Kearney looked up from the intercom. "Anything else Major?"

"No, sir. Thank you sir." Kearney smiled.

"One last thing before you go, Major Adama. I would say it's a fair assumption to make that you're a man who's very loyal to his friends." He paused to adjust his tie. "I'm going to let you in on a little information that might help you and your friends on a mission that I'm sure is already being planned." Kearney's smile had faded and his chiseled jaw clenched periodically. "The public has been told that the cause of the incident on Troy is unknown, but it was Zopyros. I lost friends on Troy and you've lost friends to Zopyros too so you'll understand my sentiment. The Division wants to conduct an op to capture that ship and I have no choice, but to let them, politics. But I don't want it just captured, I want it torn to pieces Major and I want her captain's head."

There was the price of the president's favor, but it was one William was more than willing to pay.

"I'd be happy to see to it, sir."

"Good. I imagine you're eager to get home and see your family so I won't delay you any longer." Kearney's smile had returned and he reached out to shake William's hand. "Good luck Major."

"Thank you sir." William saluted Kearney before he left the President's Office. He walked through the heavy black doors and glanced down at the box in his hand with his major's pins. He didn't even look up when he accidentally bumped into someone in the narrow hallway on his way back to reception area. He felt like he had sold a piece of his soul, but he had already crossed the point of no return as far as Zopyros was concerned. At least he was one step closer to making good on his words to Saul. "Gimme a couple of years. I'll have some pull. You watch me. I'll have my own battlestar one day."

AN: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope you all come back for the next couple of parts. I'm very excited for what's coming.