Epilogue – One Year Later

Captain Karl "Helo" Agathon stood in front of the "Memorial Wall," a bulkhead that was adorned with pictures and other mementos of loved ones now gone because of the exodus from the Twelve Colonies. A small smile was perched on his lips as he stared at the wall. Sidling up beside him was Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace and Helo's wife and fellow officer, Lieutenant Sharon "Athena" Agathon.

"Hey Karl, what's up?" Kara said with her customary wide grin as she approached.

He was seemingly startled out of his thoughts when he heard her. "Oh hi Kara. Hey hon. I was just passing by and the wall caught my attention."

"Karl, you okay?" Sharon asked with concern for her husband. "You look pretty down, not that I blame you. I always get like that when I come by here."

Karl nodded slowly and put his hands into his pockets. "Yeah I'm good. Just saw somebody that I hadn't thought about in awhile. He was one of my best friends Sharon."

Sharon looked where her husband looked and she finally understood. The picture was taken a year ago, shortly before the destruction of the Colonies and probably the last time anybody was truly happy. Her expression became mournful as she looked on. "I remember this picture. I know you miss him, I miss him too."

It was Kara's turn to find out what everybody was looking at. She saw a picture of Karl and a young, black man with close-cropped hair sitting in the Officer's Club with mugs of ambrosia in their hands. The two of them were drunkenly mugging for the camera with wide smiles. "Oh my Gods, Eddington! I'd almost forgotten all about him. Wow, it seems so long ago. I remember that he had the biggest crush on me!" Kara said wistfully.

"Actually, crush doesn't describe it Kara, he was madly in love with you, ever since the academy." Karl replied, turning to Kara.

She was actually taken aback at Helo's words. "I...I didn't know. Why didn't he say anything?"

"He was scared, scared of being shot down by you. You were the only one he wanted."

Kara felt a pit opening up in her stomach. "Oh" was all she could say.

Karl laid a hand on her shoulder sensing her discomfort. "Look Kara, this isn't a guilt trip I'm trying to lay on you. Not that you have anything to be guilty of, just figured that you should know. I think Miles would've liked that you knew how he felt about you."

"Helo, we've got to pick Hera up from the sitter. But I can do it if you want to stay a little longer?" Sharon said.

He shook his head and leaned forward, kissing his wife. "No, no I'm done here. Let's go pick up our daughter. Kara, you coming?"

"No, no I think I'm gonna stay a little longer. I'll catch you guys later. Give Hera my love will you?"

Karl and Sharon nodded and walked off, arms latched onto each other. Kara watched the two of them walk off together, envying not for the first time, how happy one of her dearest friends, Karl Agathon was with his wife. Despite the fact that Sharon was a Cylon, she'd proven her trustworthiness and love for Karl and the crew of the Galactica a thousand times over. She smiled as they disappeared from view and then turned her attention back to the wall.

Picking up the picture of Miles Eddington and Helo, she stared at it and started crying. "Though you and I weren't close, you were nothing but nice to me Miles, I do remember that much about you. You were a good guy, one of the best ones." She sniffled and smiled. "Maybe in another life...who knows right? I'm so sorry that I wasn't as nice to you."

She wiped her tears away and put the picture back on the wall. "Rest in peace Miles Eddington. You and everyone else on the wall have earned it." She saluted the wall and headed down the corridor. She knew who her and Helo would be drinking a toast to later on that night.

The End