Chapter 116 Abeyance Of Consensus

The meeting with Cavil had gone differently than Boomer had expected. To say she'd been surprised when her usually impatient mentor hadn't berated her for taking so long to answer his summons, especially given the temper he'd been in earlier, was an understatement. And when he had informed her that there would be a vote among their remaining models in two days and that she'd be expected to cast the ballot on behalf of the Eights, she'd been caught off guard again. From the overheard conversation before, Boomer had gotten the impression that a decision had already been made, and if it hadn't yet, why would Cavil suddenly include her? Sure, as the sole remaining Eight on any of their gathered basestars, it made a kind of sense, yet she still stung from the dismissing attitude of the group as they had excluded her just hours before when she'd dared voice a dissenting opinion. Why then were they going to bother soliciting her vote now?

Boomer had held her questions to herself though, and once Cavil had excused her, she'd wandered the halls of the Resurrection Ship trying to come to terms with all of the recent turmoil. It had taken her a while to notice that the only other models she saw were Ones, Fours and Fives. She had wondered earlier about the rebel models that had been onboard the Resurrection Ship before the rebellion. Now a dread filled her at their complete absence.

Approaching a Four where he stood near one of the datastream consoles, Boomer cleared her throat.

"Yes?" he asked as he lifted his hand from the pad.

"I don't see…" she stumbled, unsure how to broach the subject of their missing siblings. Clearing her throat again, "The others. The other Eights, the Twos and Sixes that were here. Where are they?" she finished in a rush.

The Four glanced around as if only just noticing their absence, too. But his answer belied him, "Most left. They obviously were aware of the rebel's plan and were ready. When it started, they took several of the Heavy Raiders and fled. The same occurred on each of the local basestars," he replied.

"You said most?"

"A few were captured, undoubtedly either too slow or encountering some misfortune that delayed them." He shook his head and Boomer could only assume that it was at what he considered a poorly executed plan. She had a different idea.

"What if they—those caught—had chosen to stay?" she suggested. "They didn't agree with what Natalie was doing, so they stayed."

"Unlikely."

"Why?"

His dark eyes narrowed on her and Boomer could see the disapproval in their depths.

"They didn't vote against their line," he said coldly and his gaze held the lash of contempt at her actions in doing so.

She flinched and shame heated her cheeks. It had been bad enough seeing that look in the eyes of those about the table when she had cast her vote that day. Not a surprise either when other Eights had literally turned their backs on her whenever she entered the same room since.

But this… And from one of those whose side she had taken?

The shame was abruptly doused when her head twitched up. Simon! He wasn't on the Resurrection Ship. He hadn't downloaded with the others. That could only mean…

"At least I voted my convictions," settling her hands on her hips, "unlike others." Boomer knew she'd made her point as the Four stiffened, but she went on. "Simon was right there on the basestar when the vote was cast. He had his chance but took the…" her words faltered then she pushed through, "…the coward's way out and chose his side after it mattered."

"And he will be boxed for that," said the Four and he spun away, obviously intending to end the conversation, but in no way was Boomer going to let him get off that easily. Not after his quick contempt of a moment ago.

Grasping his near elbow, "Box them? That's your answer for everything. Let's just box them all," she said, voice filled with derision at the others' apparent willingness to go for the simplest solution.

"And yours?" he demanded, turning back to face her.

She was surprised to see that the Four was actually angry, his model was well known for their detachment and yet this Four appeared furious.

"Talk," she quickly said. "We reason with them."

"There will be no—" he started to say, then abruptly broke off with an indrawn breath. When he continued, he'd regained his self-possession. "We will vote to call a truce. Then you will have your chance to reason with your sisters." Before she could say more, he twisted away and briskly strode from the room leaving her feeling vaguely uneasy.

Was it up to her to stop a civil war between the factions? The Four's words had hinted to as much, yet there had been an undercurrent to them that left her feeling like she'd missed something. Shrugging the frustration aside, she turned her attention to what he had said earlier. Several of her siblings had been captured. What did Cavil intend to do with them? Had they already been boxed or…

Her gaze shifted to the archway as she thought about who might be behind the locked door below. Frowning, she rejected the idea. Not that it wasn't possible, but Cavil's words from before strongly suggested that whomever was in the room had been his guests for weeks now, if not longer.

"One way to find out," she muttered outloud and headed off to see for herself.

[ I I I I I ]

Flanked by her Centurion guards, Kara reluctantly followed Simon into a chamber with a group of figures grouped around a large table. They had their hands immersed into the liquid of the display's surface, but at her arrival, each withdrew them and turned to face her.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to read from their expressions why she had been brought here; a few were openly hostile while most appeared to be simply curious as they returned her gaze. As Eight shifted slightly, Kara's hands twitched at her side as she recognized Leoben watching from the dimmed shadows at the room's far side. He stepped forward from his spot just beyond his assembled siblings and inclined his head in silent greeting.

Kara returned his look with a practiced glare, unsettled at seeing him again after his recent absence. Since their last meeting she had expected… Well, she hadn't really been sure, but certainly had not thought the Cylon would completely avoid her. In her escorted trips to the basestar's version of the head, she'd passed multiple copies of the Two, but none were Leoben. There was a certain look in only his eyes that was missing from all of the others of his line.

"Kara Thrace," a voice said, and Kara shifted her attention to a black-suited Six that stood to her left.

This model wore her honey-colored hair long, to just below her shoulders. It made a sharp contrast to the other Six in the room and the ones she'd seen in the past. And as she gave the Cylon a purposefully insolent onceover, Kara guessed that it was a calculated appearance intended to separate her from her sisters. Now that she considered it, a power suit was more fitting than a cocktail dress given their current setting. A brief glance at the others confirmed that they, too, wore more casual attire. Not that anyone was going to mistake them for knuckledraggers.

"Or do you prefer Starbuck?" the Six asked, and Kara's gaze slid back to the speaker.

So the suit was going to do the talking? Guess the skinjobs really had mastered human society. The thought brought a tight smile to her lips as she angled to face the woman.

"Captain Thrace…to you," came her desultory reply, wanting to judge her adversary's reaction to her continued derision.

"Then Captain it is," came the woman's flat response and Kara was vaguely disappointed by her apparent indifference. The woman added, "I'd ask how you're feeling, but I can see that you're up, and to be honest, I don't really care."

Kara's smirk became more natural at the blatantly straightforward words. She could appreciate that after all of Leoben's twisted speeches. Returning the woman's studied look, she again wondered why she was here, what they thought she could do for them. For she was damned sure they weren't keeping her alive out of the goodness of their collective heart. She kept silent, though, holding on to the Cylon's gaze, determined not to speak first.

The Cylon gave a barely discernible shrug, obviously deciding that she either didn't have time or figured she wasn't going to win in a stand-off between them.

"I'm Natalie," she said. Her courtesy didn't extend to offering her hand to Kara. "Several of my siblings have convinced me that you are of more value to us alive and well." She paused as if to judge Kara's response. With an effort, she managed not to glance at either Simon or Leoben. There was little doubt as to whom the Six was referring. "Personally, I've my doubts."

Now it was Kara's turn to shrug. She wasn't about to offer the enemy any information, so didn't have much to barter—except maybe for whatever bluffs they might buy into. And the present company didn't really look to be the gambling sort. Kara briefly considered whether she should try to maintain a semblance of her earlier act for Simon's benefit, but then doubted she could pull it off with Leoben observing. He seemed too aware of her every mood to be easily so fooled and was more likely to skew her attempts. Besides, the skinjobs expected her to be Starbuck here. Best not to draw more attention her way than could be helped.

Movement in her peripheral vision pulled her head around as Leoben moved to stand by his sister.

"Catalyst. I've told you so," he said to his sibling, though his gaze never left Kara's.

"I don't se—" Natalie began, but broke off as Leoben's hand touched hers.

"Actions ripple outward. Intersecting and overlapping. Creating events that have happened before and would repeat themselves each cycle…until now. This time," his voice became reverent, "this now, it's changing. Flowing along newly created channels to an original end. A new first. And she," an inclination of his head towards Kara, "is at the center. Catalyst."

"You speak of new paths, brother." Natalie's concern sharpened her words. "What do you see that guarantees that this one won't destroy us all?"

"Faith," his simple answer, then he added, "God has shown Kara a way that requires faith without the sundering of all that she is. An extraordinary paradigm shift. A divergence in the cycle. So many courses are opening before us now."

"But I ask you again, to what end?"

Leoben's head twitched up and Kara could see a revelation widen his eyes.

"The Hybrid," he murmured, the words imbued with wonder. "Of course! Kara must speak to the Hybrid."

In his enthusiasm, Kara could see that Leoben's grip on the woman's elbow had painfully tightened as she caught Natalie's wince. She was surprised then that the Six didn't pull from his grasp or rebuke him. Her sufferance made Kara wonder what type of influence he held with the other skinjobs since it appeared that they were willing to seriously consider his ramblings—and Kara couldn't decide if that was a good thing for her…or not.

"You actually want to let a human near the central nervous system of our basestar?" Shaking her head, "No. Absolutely not," Natalie firmly said, her hand chopping down in further emphasis.

"She can be restrained," this argued by a second Six who moved around to face her sister. "What could she possible do to put the Hybrid at risk?"

As the platinum blonde that resembled the New Caprican Six spoke, Kara's breathing quickened and cold sweat broke out along her brow. She found herself unconsciously backing into the hard frame of the Centurion guard behind her. The discussion broke off as the Sixes turned identical faces her way.

Kara bit her lip, reflexively drawing on pain to focus herself. But as the feeling of vertigo increased, she knew that she was teetering on the edge of another flashback and this definitely wasn't the time!

She didn't see the concerned look on Simon's face or notice as he grabbed a Eight that stood near him and literally thrust her forward into Kara's line of sight.

"Captain, have you met Amy?" Hurriedly Simon introduced the startled Eight. "She assisted Doctor Cottle on New Caprica."

Blinking repeated, Kara fought to focus on the familiar figure. As she did, the sensation of falling receded and she took a shaky breath. "Boomer?" slipped out before Kara really took in Simon's introduction.

"No, I'm Amy," the Eight said with harsh edge in her voice.

"Right," studying the way the woman held herself, "too many frakkin' copies," Kara muttered as she sorted reality from the past.

"Amy and I worked with your doctor over several weeks. I found him…" at his pause, Kara's gaze shifted to Simon, watching him diplomatically seek a description for the gruff physician before settling on, "…enlightening."

Thinking of Cottle—and the many ways he might have 'enlightened' the two skinjobs—restored Kara's sense of balance, and she wished that she were in sickbay right now getting one of his infamous lectures. Shoving the desire aside, she reminded herself that if she ever expected the chance to earn another dressing down by the Doc, she'd have to do a better job of handling her reactions. Letting the Cylons see her weak like that was just asking for them to exploit it.

Ignoring Simon and purposefully bumping her shoulder into the Eight as she brushed past her, Kara narrowed her sights on the pair of Sixes and advanced on them.

"I don't give a flying frak about your precious Hybrid," she said, stopping within a pace of them. "Just give me a ship and I'll get the hell outta your way." She forced her gaze to stay steady as she looked between the platinum blonde and her suited sister.

"No, Kara," Leoben's expected protest came on cue. "The Hybrid can answer my sister's questions. Illuminate the path you've chosen for us."

It took all of her will to hold reality in place in the face of the pair before her, so Kara couldn't let her attention be drawn to respond. "Let me go," she demanded instead, focusing now on the woman in black. She seemed to be the decision-maker here. At first she thought that the skinjob would just as soon be rid of Kara in whatever fashion caused her the least bother, but something in Natalie's gaze echoed Leoben's fanaticism and it was as unwelcome from this source as it was from the Two.

"Starb… Captain," the blonder of the pair corrected herself, and Kara side-eyed her without turning from Natalie. "My brother has a point. You seem to hold a special place in God's plan. For us to trust you, we must understand the role you play."

Her words triggered Kara's ready rage, and she stepped forward and thrust out with both palms, striking the unnamed Six in the chest and following as she staggered back.

"Your frakkin' Cylon God has nothing to do with it!" she yelled into the skinjob's face.

Metal hands clasped her arms from behind and pulled her away from the stunned Six. The feel of the Centurion's claws was enough to take the edge off her anger, but she still held the blonde's gaze with a fierce look, wanting the Cylon to know that Kara didn't give a damned about their understanding…or their god.

"And you want to let this…this highly unstable human near our Hybrid?" she heard from over her shoulder, Natalie's scornful words directed at Leoben where he stood just to the side of her line of sight.

"She must," came Leoben's confident response.

Kara couldn't care less if she met this Hybrid thing they considered so valuable. She already knew all she needed of her destiny. What she really needed was a way off this frakking basestar and back to her downed Raptor. The sooner the better since it was already going to be a bitch to find the Fleet. Reminding herself that if she got airlocked, there would be no one to take the coordinates back to Galactica, Kara willed her muscles to relax in the tight grip of the Centurion.

"Your anger serves no purpose here, Kara," said Leoben as he moved around to face her, yet careful to maintain his distance. She wished it was because he feared her, but no, she was sure he was just providing her space in an obvious attempt to not provoke another physical outburst.

Well, that was fine by her. The further the better, she thought.

"Release her," he said to the guard and Kara felt her arms freed. She started to rub at where the metal fingers had been clamped around her elbows, sure that she'd have bruises to show, when she noticed the concerned scrutiny in Leoben's gaze. Dropping her hands to her side, Kara turned away, hating the emotions he stirred when he looked at her that way.

"If you insist," Natalie's tone clipped, "then she wears restraints."

The chamber was silent as the Cylons turned their gaze to Kara.

Probably sure I'm gonna kick up a fuss.

And she really wanted to, her stomach tightening at the idea of being shackled again. Then her attention shifted to Leoben, and Kara recognized the fervor in his expression. He wasn't going to let this go. Knowing that he'd keep pressing for her to meet his precious Hybrid, she reluctantly decided it'd be a wiser course to cooperate—or at least appear to.

Lifting her arms in front of her, Kara extend her wrists…and smiled brightly. It gave her a moment of satisfaction at the surprised and perplexed looks the skinjobs gave each other.

Then, "Behind her back," Natalie said, her gaze arrogant as it locked with Kara's. In that moment, Kara understood that the Cylon had never believed that she actually presented a danger to the Hybrid. This was the skinjob's way of slapping her down.

Kara considered her options. She might be able to cause some damage before she was taken down, but it wouldn't be much. Another time that might have been enough for her, but now she had to keep her focus on one thing: returning to Galactica with the way to Earth. Nothing else mattered.

Holding her grin in place, Kara moved her arms behind and waited for the feel of metal about her wrists. She loathed the thought of having her hands cuffed, and it was a struggle to keep her expression from giving away how vulnerable it made her feel. Maybe it was acceptable to show weakness to a friend, but she was in enemy hands now and knew how they'd exploit any sign of it on her part.

Knowing how tells gave away the game, she kept her body relaxed and met Natalie's hard look. As the taller woman's lips thinned, Kara knew that she'd at least beaten the skinjob at this round. Before she could make the mistake of pushing the woman further, she saw Leoben pull his sister's attention.

"This is not the way," he protested. "You and Caprica showed me that my manner of handling her was against God's ways, sister. Is this your way?" He swept a wave indicating Kara where she stood waiting with her hands held clasped behind her.

At his words, the honey-colored head twitched and Kara saw shame widen the woman's eyes and then she gave a negative shake of her head in answer. Another meaningful look passed between them before Natalie shifted her gaze back to where Kara watched, perplexed at their exchange.

"Look, I'm not unsympathetic to what happened to you on New Caprica," Natalie said, surprising Kara by both her words…and the apparent sincerity in her voice. Though, Kara's surprise quickly shifted to anger that this skinjob thought she understood anything about what had been done to her on that planet.

"Frak you," she growled. "What happened? You mean when I was tortured and raped?" Now her hands were fists at her side. "Not unsympathetic. Really?" Her words steeped in derision as she continued, "And are you not unsympathetic about the billions of people that you slaughtered? How about them, huh?" As she saw Leoben about to interrupt, she thrust a palm out stopping his protest. She gave a rough laugh as she swept the group with a scornful look, then added, "At least Caprica understood guilt. She didn—"

Natalie abruptly cut into her diatribe, "You know Caprica Six? She's alive?" the woman asked in a rising voice.

Kara ground her teeth. The Cylon obviously didn't give a damn about its race's crimes. All it cared about was its precious 'sister'. Well, it could just go frak itself if it expected her to tell it anything.

"My sister, the humans haven't killed her? Hurt her?" Natalie moved closer with each question as Kara held coldly silent. Then, "Answer me!" she demanded harshly, nearly nose-to-nose now.

Seeing how upset the skinjob was, Kara's smirk turned nasty and she shrugged nonchalantly.

Hands abruptly closed about her throat and Kara lost her focus, forgot her mission, consumed instead by the need to not yield to the figure that was choking her. And as her vision darkened, another's face overlaid the one before her, the familiar hard lines of her mother's expression filled her mind with resolve.

Go ahead. Do it! DO IT!

But, even as she mentally screamed the words, the pressure on her neck disappeared and she stumbled back. A hand on her back steadied her as Kara gasped for air. Blinking in confusion, the past still skewing her reality, she fought to ground herself back into the present.

The shadowed walls and red lines of conduits steadied around her.

A basestar.

Right. She was on a Cylon basestar…not pressed up against the wall in the dingy family apartment she had once called home. Not, at the age of fourteen, finally facing down her mother, daring her to go ahead and kill her, saying that if she was so frakkin' worthless then to just do it! That had been the last time her mother had ever tried to physically harm her, but Socrata Thrace hadn't lacked in other ways to cause lasting damage to her daughter.

Yet Kara wasn't fourteen anymore—and she certainly wasn't on Caprica and under her mother's thumb. She could now see Leoben a few paces away holding the black-suited Cylon in a restraining hug while the other skinjobs shifted near, hesitant with indecision and stunned at the sudden confrontation.

"Easy there." Kara flinched as she recognized Simon's voice near her ear and turned to face the new threat, fists already half raised. "Easy, Captain," he said, tone meant to be soothing, but instead, just reminding Kara of his manner on New Caprica. Her eyes flitted around the room, looking for avenues of escape and potential targets.

"Kara." Then firmer, "Kara!" She spun towards Leoben. "It's over. Stand down." Something in his tone reminded her of the Admiral and she took a deep breath, her chaotic thoughts settling into a semblance of order. Shutting her eyes, not wanting them to see her frustration—and fear—at losing control again, she concentrated on bringing her breathing back to normal.

"Kara?" Leoben's worried inquiry snapped her eyes opened.

As she glared at the Two, "Frak you," she bit out. And when her response seemed to reassure him, irritated, she sharply added, "We done here?"

"Not nearly so," he replied, releasing Natalie. "Forgive my sister. Her concern for Caprica led her to react capriciously. After hearing what happened to your other prisoners, you can understand her…agitation."

"Yeah, I was pretty agitated, too, after New Caprica. So can't say I'm in a particularly forgiving mood."

Natalie took a half pace to the side, putting some space between herself and Leoben. With hands turned palms up, "Will you at least tell me if she's alive. If she's well?" she asked, her manner entreating now, free from the disdain of before.

Crossing her arms, Kara said, "Give me a ship. Let me go…and I'll tell you," At the droop of the other woman's shoulders, Kara read her answer and turned to Leoben. "So, we gonna go see this frakkin' Hybrid you've got such a hard-on for or not?"

Without looking, she could feel the disapproval her crude remark invoked in those about her. Leoben's expression appeared more disappointed than angry, not that she cared what he thought. He glanced past her and must have gotten the answer he'd desired, because his eyes lit up again and he waved Kara to follow as he left the chamber.

In their wake, she could just barely hear the tread of other footsteps beneath the hiss-clank of the Centurions marching behind her, but she didn't turn to see who had decided to tag along on their little field trip. It was enough to get out of there, and besides, the more of the basestar she could scope out, the better the chance for escape later. With that in mind, Kara surreptitiously took note of the side corridors and chambers as they passed, adding to the map she'd been forming in her mind.

They descended a level and it looked much like the others. With the sameness of each section, Kara became less sure she'd be able to make her way out without a guide, but that was a problem to tackle if she ever got that far. At the moment she focused on a voice that grew louder as they approached a narrow archway guarded by a Centurion.

Entering the chamber on Leoben's heels, Kara saw that the room itself wasn't much bigger than her own, but it was definitely brighter and she squinted a bit in the radiant light as she got her first look at the Hybrid. Considering Leoben's endless talk about the thing, Kara wasn't very impressed. From what she could see of the form submerged in a tub of glowy goo, it looked like any other naked woman in a swim cap.

She felt vaguely disappointed as she moved to the edge of the tank.

Maybe there's tentacles under the slime?

Any amusement the thought invoked fell away as she took in the blank eyes and expressionless face. And as the voice droned on, its lifeless tone certainly seemed fitting now that she'd seen its owner.

"Coolant level in unit 5B down three percent. Replenishing. Maintain systematic purge of all transient lines. Redirecting relays 26 through 45 along alternate paths. Stars beckon welcome across centuries. Conduits stable. Hope soaring to slaughter all their best against our hulls. End of line. Reset."

For just the briefest of moments, as Kara approached the still figure, she thought its opaque gaze settled on her before it restarted its rambling.

"Adjusting compression load on infrastructure struts in subsection delta. Saturation levels optimum across all currents. Then shall the maidens rejoices at the dance. Integrity of node 7 compromised, repressuring. But you are a spark of God's fire." Kara's attention sharpened. "Flow restricted port channels alpha and beta. The children of the one that straddles the stream of here and there, now and then, will find their own country. Cycling completed. Rebalance tachyon containment. End of line."

With a shake of her head, "What the frak is this?" Kara asked with a wave towards the tank. "How am I suppose to talk to it?"

"You can't hurry her. You have to absorb her words," Leoben said and Kara restrained the urge to shift away as he moved to her side. "Allow them to caress your associative mind. Don't expect the fate of two great races to be delivered easily."

"What makes you think I'm here for your race?" she grimly asked.

"Cylon. Human. We are irretrievably linked." He lifted his hand as if to brush the hair from her face, but halted as Kara jerked back. She thought she saw pain in his eyes as he let his hand fall. He dropped his line of sight to Hybrid and his voice was composed as he said, "Kara, our people are destined to co-exist…or destroy each other. Each cycle has seen the later. I know that God has shown you a course to another outcome."

She opened her mouth to deny his words, but shook her head instead and, with pursed lips, returned her attention to the form in the tank.

"…sing with necessary precision. Centrifugal force reacts to the rotating frame of reference. The obstinate toy soldier becomes pliant. The city devours the land. The people devour the city. Track mode monitor malfunction traced. Increase fifty percent."

Rubbing at her temple, Kara blinked at the building headache as the words sluiced over her. "…sume the relaxation like the photons. Reload directory subsystem and restore. No ceremonies are necessary. Intruders swarm like flame. Like the whirlwind. All these things at once and many more. Core update complete. End of line. Reset."

Her tone curt, "This is frakked. I'm out of here," Kara said, turning to leave.

She nearly fell as something clamped about her ankle. Twisting around, she saw that one of the Hybrid's hands held her in place and she could feel the dampness from its grip soaking her sock-clad foot. As the need to stamp the hand from her leg rushed forward, it pushed before it another vision, one of maggots and death…and Kara swayed. Hands at her arms held her up as she fought to breath through the panic attack.

"Shhhh. Shhhh. You're safe, Kara," Leoben murmured from behind.

The voice—his voice—shredded the flashback as rage clawed it aside. Her elbow caught him across the bridge of the nose and he released her as he stumbled back, hands rising to stem the spurting blood. Kara moved to press her attack, but was pulled off balance as the grip on her ankle yanked her back. She fell, twisting to catch herself on her hands, instinctively protecting her bad knee.

"WAIT! STOP!" came Simon's shout, and Kara's gaze jerked toward the archway where the Centurions had paused, armament already raised in defense of the Hybrid. The intensity of their red regard was locked on her and Kara held herself motionless, sure that she was an exhale away from them opening fire. She saw the doctor take a cautious step toward the guards.

"There is no danger. Everything's fine now," he sought to assure them. Both swiveled heads to pin the humanoid model with their baleful 'stare'. "The Hybrid is not at risk. Please stand down." Another moment passed, then, with the hiss of hydraulics, they retracted the guns, folding them back into their forearms. Kara let her held breath out and gingerly rolled to a sitting position with her foot still imprisoned by the Hybrid's grip and half submerged in its tank.

"Frakkin' Toasters," she muttered, side-eyeing the metal pair for a response. As they remained rigid in their guardstance, she scrubbed sweating palms along her thighs and wondered how the hell she was going to get her leg free? At that moment the capped figure turned its head and met her startled eyes.

"Thus will it come to pass. The dying leader will know the truth of the Opera House. The missing two will give you the final three. With the composition restored, the symphony will be complete, its notes aligned and the stage set. You are the Harbinger of Death and Change, Kara Thrace. You will lead them all to their end… End of line."

Kara could swear there was a subtle smile in the Hybrid's expression as its gaze and hand released her. She hastily pulled her foot from the tub and scrabbled backwards from the edge.

"Motherfrakker," she whispered the curse, the words of the Hybrid making her shiver as much as the cold from her wet leg.

"Captain," Simon called to her, "we should go."

Still reeling from the emotional gale she'd endured since leaving her cell, Kara dazedly blinked about her until her eyes settled on Leoben where he had retreated into a corner. The hem of his striped shirt was red-stained where he held it bunched to his bleeding nose. Pushing to her feet, she met his shamed look and there was something in his eyes that made her wonder if he'd finally come to understand what he'd done to her. She doubted it, but at least the frakker didn't try to stop her as she followed Simon from the room.

Behind her, Kara could hear the monotone of the Hybrid's voice restart. But Kara realized with a shudder that it was repeating itself. She quickened her pace down the long hallway with its words lashing at her soul.

"End of line."

"End of line."

"End of…