The Hold, Battlestar Galactica, 2000 hours.
Starbuck lost track of how many drinks she had taken into her system. All she heard was the dull thud going through her head from the music and shouting from the crew as they enjoyed their moment off in the Starboard launch bay. The bay, which had once been a museum, was now made partly into a bar. IT was completed soon after the Galactica achieved orbit over New Kobol, and was meant as a get-away for the crew before they went back to work. There would be a six-month cycle for the crews to switch places with each other, and it would be done in such a way that new crew members from the population on New Kobol could be trained by the more experienced crew members. This way, everyone would know what to do in case the near impossible happened again; an attack by the rogue Cylons or an attack by the Ori powered Cain.
Starbuck looked around through her blurred vision at the people all around her, and then she looked to her right and noticed a shaggy haired man walking towards her. Blinking her eyes, Starbuck smirked at the glasses wearing, sweat covered, and soot covered Gaius Baltar. He had come to the bar to relax before heading back to testing with the Earth engineers and Callie. Noticing Starbuck, the scientist headed for her with his Head Six walking right next to him.
"She looks like hell," said the Head Six as she eyed Starbuck while Baltar sat on a seat next to her. The both of them looked at the Viper pilot and noted her dishevelled appearance; she was wearing her flight suit bottoms, while her top was hanging down from her waist… and all that was covering her upper body was the regulation Colonial undershirt. The Head Six rolled her eyes when she saw Baltar look the pilot over before whispering in his ear. Closing his eyes while ignoring what his Head Six was saying, Baltar opened them again to the loud noise of people shouting over one another, and music being played in the background.
But the Head Six was gone, at least for now.
With a smile Baltar sat next to Starbuck while ordering a drink from the same distillery that was designed by Chief Tyrol before he was taken away; one for himself, and another one for the already tipsy Starbuck. He noticed the smile on her lips, a smile that never went to her eyes while she was biting down on a toothpick. He saw her grab the glass once the bartender served the drink, and then dunk the liquid down her throat.
She then slammed the glass on the table and stood up as Baltar took a sip of his drink. Before he could finish drinking, Starbuck reached out and grabbed his left arm without a word. The scientist looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed, feigning innocence just as Starbuck leaned forward.
"Make me forget," she whispered into his ear before biting his earlobe. It was something that made Baltar flinch before the woman whispered again, "I want to forget everything."
Drinking everything down while Starbuck was biting down on his earlobe, and then slamming his glass on the table, Baltar felt Starbuck's hand tighten on his arm before he was pulled off his seat. Starbuck pulled him a short distance away into a hallway, and then pushed him into a storeroom. The woman locked the door behind her as she feverishly took off her trousers and shorts. She felt her body warming up as she thought about Anders, and the demonic Apollo while she pushed the scientist against the wall and then, with trembling hands, undid his belt.
"Make me forget, make me forget," were the only words that the pilot was whispering as Baltar turned the woman around, her back to the wall before he started to go wild. He powered through his grunts while the entire time Starbuck was repeating herself the same words. It was a few minutes later that Baltar lay panting on top on a silent Starbuck who was pressed against the wall. Wordlessly, she pushed the scientist away and then began putting on her shorts and trousers… as did Baltar. All the while Baltar was listening to his Head Six, who was standing in the corner and clapping at the man, asking him what he would do for an encore.
"Look at her," said the Head Six as Baltar took a quick glance at her, and then at Starbuck who was ambling towards the door, mumbling something he thought he would never hear; she thanked him for making her forget.. even if just for a little while. As the scientist stared at the back of Starbuck's head while she walked towards the door, Baltar couldn't help but listen to his Head Six telling him how pathetic Starbuck seemed, and that he could do much better than a 'drunk loose cannon'.
"Maybe," he whispered after Starbuck exited the storeroom. Baltar put on his belt, and then strolled towards the door while whispering that there was something wrong, "maybe something happened in the fleet? I know I'm basically persona-non-grata with some of the higher-ups, but… but maybe there's a way to know what's going on."
"What are you going to do?" asked the Head Six.
"Talk to her," smirked Baltar.
"I didn't know you really cared," Head Six said sarcastically as she placed her hand on her chest making Baltar rolled his eyes.
"I want to get back into the inner circle," said Baltar as he looked back at the Head Six, and then at the closed door, "and I think I may have found a way to get back in. There's something wrong… I can tell that much from Kara. And like you said, she's a pathetic mess now, maybe I can get her to talk."
"You're going to pump her for information?" asked the Head Six with a smirk.
"If I have to," said Baltar before leaving the storeroom. He then rushed to Starbuck, held on to her shoulder and circled around until they were face to face. Baltar saw that there was no reaction on her part to him, and all she said was that she wanted him to move aside. Baltar gently told Starbuck that he could see that there was something wrong and that he was available if he wanted to talk. Stepping back as Starbuck nodded her head before trudging off, Baltar smiled before telling her to come by his quarters in three hours, "and we'll talk."
The Beta Site, 2200 hours.
Colonel Saul Tigh, the former Executive Officer of the Battlestar Galactica, was sitting out in the quad under the pinpricks of stars in the clear night sky over the Beta Site. He felt a breeze brush past him while he used his fingernails to scratch marks on the wooden table. He still couldn't believe the entire situation he found himself, and his wife, as well as three other personnel from the Galactica. There was a part of the Colonel telling him that he was in denial, that the Earthers had shown him and the others evidence of what they were; that the nanites in their bloodstream proved beyond a doubt that they were Cylons.
'To the Earthers, we're supposed to be unique Cylons,' huffed the Colonel while staring at the small scratches he was making as he thought about the meeting on Lozan, and what Triana had told him and the other four, 'it's not possible, it's a trick. It has to be a trick. I am Colonel Tigh of the Colonial Fleet, I am not a Cylon… I am not like Boomer. I am human.'
The Colonel shook his head at how easily Tori and Chief Tyrol seemed to accept what they were told by Triana and the Earthers. He was also dismayed at how Ellen, his wife, seemed to be slowly accepting that fact as well. She had even gone so far as to look after the hybrid baby that the Colonel didn't believe should have existed in the first. He was so adamant about the baby being a machine, that he refused to see her. But he did see the look of longing in Ellen's eyes after she returned from the suite where Helo, Triana, Sharon, and the baby was being held right after she was born. He saw the looks of pride in the eyes of the Chief and Tori when they returned after seeing the baby and he didn't know what to feel. All he knew was that he didn't want to see the baby; he felt that seeing the baby would mean he acknowledged the fact that he was a Cylon.
His pride got the better of him, and while he did congratulate Helo when he came out to wave the Colonel into the room, the Executive Officer still refused to see the baby. And even now, he hadn't seen the baby except when she was covered in a blanket crying, or sleeping, or eating in Sharon's arms from a distance. In the Mess Hall, he would sit with Anders while the others would be cooing over the Baby… he was surprised that even the Earth military personnel, especially Colonel Pierce, was accepting of the baby.
He was surprised to hear from Ellen, in his quarters, that several of the Earth officers and scientists had brought clothes and gifts for the mother and the baby. Ellen told him that even though she didn't have the memories of when they were on Furling Earth, there was something pulling her towards Triana… something that told her she was telling the truth. However, the Colonel never said anything to counter his wife; being in the Beta site was the first time he had seen her truly happy, and he didn't want to take that away.
But he was committed to denying that he was a Cylon; that was something he told himself that would never change.
Back in the present, the Colonel looked up at the two moons in the sky and wished he was back on the Galactica. He knew that he belonged in the Fleet; and with the Ori, and Cain still out there... he knew his place was by Commander Adama's side. But he also knew that he would never see them again… he would never see the Commander, Roslin, Apollo, or any of the many people he respected. He may not have liked all of them, especially Starbuck, but he did respect them... and not seeing them again was causing a sting to travel through his heart.
Unknown to the Colonel, however, the Stargate in the main building activated. The unstable vortex settled into the event horizon before a message came through from one of the many buffer planets. With the message reading that Roslin and Commander Adama were coming on an unofficial visit, approved by Homeworld Security, to see Hope. The technician on duty authenticated the code that was sent from the buffer planet, and then once it was confirmed, he called for Colonel Pierce before having the two of them brought through the Stargate. The man then stood up from behind his desk as three S.F's with weapons across their chests ran into the room, followed by Colonel Pierce who had been working in his office. The man straightened his BDU's as the event horizon rippled, just before Roslin and Commander Adama walked in through the Stargate. He saw the surprised looks on both their faces and smiled, he thought back to his first time having gone through the Stargate and suspected that their reaction was going to be the same as his own.
Simple awe and disbelief.
The Colonel stepped forward as the wormhole disengaged while the President and Commander Adama, in his uniform, walked down the stairs to the floor. Colonel Pierce noticed the small translation device on the President's collar and internally thought that it was Dr. Burke who must have given the translator for them to use while in the Beta Site.
"President Laura Roslin, I presume?" asked the Colonel as he shook her hand, and then went onto the Commander. The Colonel shook the man's hand as well, and as he did, the Colonel noticed that the Commander was both surprised and very tense. It was as if there was something crushing down on him, and he was trying his best to be calm.
"Colonel Pierce," Roslin said, "we came here to see the baby and offer our congratulations to Sharon."
"And.. and I would like to see Colonel Tigh," said the Commander as Colonel Pierce nodded his head. He then asked them to follow him, which they did before they walked through one hallway after another. The President had some questions to ask about the base itself, as did the Commander, however Colonel Pierce apologised before saying that he couldn't reveal what exactly went on in the majority of the base. He did say that Triana was preparing a program to unblock the memories of the Final Five, but she and the others were being housed in another part of the base. He added that they could go anywhere they wanted to, except for the classified areas which needed a security key.
"It is best to be safe," said the President.
"They haven't been much of a bother," said the colonel as Roslin and the Commander looked at him, "Colonel Tigh and Ensign Anders unusually keep to themselves... I guess they're still struggling with finding that they are Cylons. But everyone else seems to have accepted it. Tyrol's been helping Triana with the program, while Tori, Ellen, and the D'Anna model that we have here are happy to help with sorting through and examining the artefacts we've been receiving from Furling Earth."
"And Sharon?" asked the President as they walked out of the building, and into the night air. The two Colonials looked up and noticed the two moons in the sky, just as Colonel Pierce tapped on the Commander's shoulder and nodded his head to the left… towards a sullen Colonel Tigh who was sitting alone while scratching his fingernail on a table.
"I… I will see you soon, Laura," whispered the Commander as the President nodded her head, while Colonel Pierce added that the both of them would be in the Mess Hall. He told the both of them that it was about time for Sharon to eat since she should have finished her work at the Artifact Lab. The Commander nodded his head before trudging towards the Colonel Tigh while Colonel Pierce and President Roslin, who took one more look at the Commander, strolled off towards another building to the right.
"Saul," said the Commander when he was a few steps away. The familiar, gruff voice made Colonel Tigh turn sharply around before he got up and straightened his body.
"Sir!" exclaimed the surprised Colonel as the Commander walked up to him. The humanoid Cylon could see that there was something wrong with the Commander, that he looked as if he was exhausted; as if there was something crushing down on him. The Colonel knew he had seen this part of the Commander twice; on the day Zach died, and the next was for just an instant when he.. and everyone in the CIC… thought that Apollo died during the first night of the initial Cylon attack on the Colonies. The Colonel wondered what happened, and his first thought was that Starbuck did something stupid. However, just after the Commander said 'at ease', Colonel Tigh noticed the man's voice crack a little. Colonel Tigh raised a hand and hesitantly placed it on the Commander's shoulder. He saw Adama's face twist in anguish for a few seconds, and it was something that made Colonel Tigh worried that something could have happened to Apollo once again.
And he was right.
Colonel Tigh listened in stunned silence as the Commander told him while covering his eyes with one hand, what happened to Apollo. That during an archaeological expedition to Kobol, there was an incident. The Colonel's jaw dropped when the Commander said that the supernatural existed, that vampires… ancient Vampires had attacked the initial teams that were sent to the planet. The Colonel pulled his friend in for a hug with tears in his eyes as he listened to the Commander saying that only one team survived, and just barely.
"My gods," whispered the Colonel as he learnt that the Earther, Cylons, and Colonials had sent combined teams in the interest of scientific exploration. That those separated into four groups, and all but one group was wiped out. Save for Gaeta who was severely traumatised. The Commander said, in a broken voice as he stepped back, the Colonel's hands on his shoulders, that Starbuck's team only lost all their Earth officers except for the leader of the team.
"And Lee?" asked the Colonel as he looked into the Commander's eyes as tears fell down his cheeks. It was then that the Colonel heard about Apollo's death, and turning into a vampire. That he had tried to kill Racetrack and Roslin before being taken down. The Colonel look on in disbelief as the Commander talked about Apollo being held a prisoner in the basement of one of the towers in a secured room.
"But he's dead, Saul," said the Commander as he closed his eyes and shook his head, "he's dead."
"I'm sorry," was the only thing that the Colonel could say. The only thing that seemed appropriate given what he had just heard; the undead were real… that Apollo lost his soul and was a demon that sucks blood of the living. Just like the horror movies he used to watch with Ellen, or like those ridiculous shows on television. The Colonel still couldn't believe it; but as he stared at the look of anguish on the Commander's face, Colonel Tigh knew that his friend wasn't lying.
"They… the Earthers… some of the Earthers including that red-haired woman, she… she…"
"You mean the one who looks like the one you saw way back when in the museum?" asked the Colonel.
"She said that… that it was possible to restore a soul," said the Commander as the Colonel opened his eyes wide, "her friends said that they had done it before, that… that the person they did it to was a vampire. The same vampire who briefed us after the Kobol expedition returned."
"By the gods!" exclaimed Colonel Tigh, "Bill, you surely can't believe that… I mean yes, I find it hard to believe in a vampire, and…"
"He showed us his fangs, his yellow eyes, Saul," muttered the Commander, "those unholy, yellow eyes. We buried the bodies that the Earthers brought back.. the people believe it was an accident, but only a few of us know the truth. But.. but I don't know what to do if they say that they tried… but the Earthers can't restore Apollo's soul. How can I watch… he's already dead, Saul. There's a demon in his skin, my son's skin… if this doesn't work, how can… damn the gods, I still see him as my son. How.. how can I watch my son be killed? Again?"
"Sit down, Bill," said the Colonel gently as he motioned towards the table, "let's calm down, and you can tell me everything from the beginning. Maybe.. maybe there's… let's just take a seat and talk."
While the Commander and Colonel Tigh were taking a seat across from each other, Roslin was sitting across from a very surprised Sharon who was having her dinner. She still remembered the President walking in while she was eating with the sleeping Hope in a small stroller that was donated by one of the scientists who used it for his own daughter when she was a baby five years ago. Sharon was about to bite into a steak when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to the President standing next to Colonel Pierce in the near empty Mess Hall. Once the Colonel had asked the both of them to contact him if they needed anything, he walked away to give the two of them some privacy.
After Sharon grabbed some food for the President, who was at the table looking down at the sleeping baby with a smile on her face, they sat together. The first thing that the humanoid Sharon said was that she was surprised to see Roslin, and asked if everything was alright back on New Kobol.
"I'm actually here with Commander Adama too, but he's talking with Colonel Tigh," said the redhead as she stole glances at the baby while biting into the food. She then turned to Sharon and told her that there were some things that occurred on an archaeological expedition to Kobol… and that the Commander needed to get away from everyone for a little while. The President told Sharon that she suggested the Beta site so that he could talk to the Colonel, "and I was surprised he even agreed with it. I asked Colonel Finn if we could come here to see you and the Colonel, and we were approved almost immediately."
"Madam President," asked Sharon with worry on her face, "what… what happened? I mean, what happened on Kobol?"
"Did you know that… that before I joined Adar's mayoral campaign," muttered Roslin as she looked at the sleeping Hope who was lying under a blue blanket, "I.. I lost my sister and my father to a drunk driver."
"I'm sorry," said a confused Sharon as Roslin looked at Hope.
"My older sister was pregnant," said the President as she looked back at Sharon, "and.. we were having a baby shower and… and on the way home after that, they were killed while driving home. We've known a lot of death, Sharon… rarely have we... I mean…"
"There's a new life right there," said Sharon as she brushed her fingers on the stroller and looked at Hope before turning towards the President once again. She leaned forward and held the woman's hand before gently asking if everything was alright. The President took in a deep breath before telling her the truth about what happened on Kobol; it was something Sharon listened to with her eyes wide open in shock at the mention of vampires on Kobol; followed by the briefing on New Kobol about demons, witches, and magic. She told the stunned Sharon about all the people that lived through the nightmare, before she told Sharon about Gaeta surviving and the fact that Apollo was turned into a vampire.
"My God," whispered Sharon as she leaned back in her seat, "Lee… Lee… is…. oh God."
"Commander Adama is devastated," said the President, "Kara is… I don't even know where she is… and Gaeta? Gaeta's not talking.. he's so traumatised that he's… he's taking a break from everything."
"The Earthers said that they may have a way to return Lee's soul," added the President much to Sharon's stunned silence. The humanoid Cylon shook her head before asking if that was even possible. It was then that Roslin looked at Hope, and said that she had to believe that anything was possible. She then turned towards Sharon and told her about Angel; one of the worst vampires in Earth's history who had his soul returned to him. Roslin then turned to Hope again, and said, "your baby is proof that anything is possible. I have to believe that Lee's soul can be returned. I know that Commander Adama isn't sure but… but I hope that after seeing Hope, after holding her in his arms… I mean if you allow us, then… then maybe he can be convinced that life can surprise us."
"Would you like to hold her, Madam President?" asked Sharon. Roslin nodded her head before watching Sharon get up and then circled the table to the stroller. She reached in, and then gently brought out Hope who was wrapped in her blue blanket. The two women watched the baby squirm for a little bit before she yawned and then went back to sleep. Sharon handed the baby to the President and then sat down next to the President.
"Life endures," whispered Roslin as she looked down at the baby, "just seeing her tells me that we can return Lee's soul to his body. That it could work… somehow, it could work."
It would be a few minutes later that the President heard a familiar voice from behind her. She turned around with the baby in her arms and saw Tory, Chief Tyrol, and Ellen walking into the Mess Hall. Tory was telling Tyrol that Anders was in the gym, and Ellen said that he must have been imagining things because she thought she saw someone like Commander Adama talking to her husband.
"That's because it was Commander Adama," said Sharon as she stood up, and the humanoid Cylons stopped talking when they finally saw President Roslin standing up off her seat with Hope in her arms.
"Madam President," said Chief Tyrol as he rushed forward and shook her hand, "it's… it's a surprise… I mean, it's good you see you."
"Good to see you too, Chief," said the President as he looked at the man in front of her, and then at the others. She then realised that she missed all of them, except for Ellen, who to Roslin, was a drunkard, before turning her sights on Tory. Roslin remembered the way she had acted back when they found out that Tory was a Cylon; and while she didn't have any regrets about the need for security by getting the Cylons off world, she still missed them. She never realised how much until now, until what happened on Kobol and to Apollo.
"Tory."
"Madam President," said Tory nodding her head.
"So that really was Bill?" asked Ellen as she pointed towards the door they had just entered.
"Yes," said the President as she looked at Tory, who looked away, and then at the others before wondering out loud about Anders, D'Anna, and Triana.
"D'Anna and Triana are working on the program," said Chief Tyrol, "they'll be going at it for another four hours before they sleep, and then it's my turn."
"This is really a surprise, Laura," said Ellen, "we.. we thought you and Bill would never come visit us, is everything alright?"
"There's something you need to know," said Roslin, "ummm.. can one of you get Sam? And Triana. She knows about Kobol history, I mean she studied it like we must have back in the Colonies. But I need to know something about her ancestors. Please?"
Chief Tyrol was the one who ran out of the door, and then a few minutes later returned with Triana, D'Anna, and Sam, who was surprised to see the President.
"Triana," said Roslin, "on Lozan, you said that you studied Kobol history in school."
"Yes," said Triana nodding her head.
"Can you tell me if any of your ancestors mentioned anything in your history about blood-demons?" asked the President.
"Blood demons?" asked Tory while the others looked on confused, with Roslin looking directly at the Furling. She heard Tyrol saying that the Scrolls did mention lower demons, but that could have been meant as a metaphor for something evil, but human. It was then that Triana spoke, softly at first, saying that her ancestors on Kobol had whispers among them of creatures that drank blood.
"But those are simply myths," said Triana, "myths of creatures that attacked humans on Kobol, there were legends of my people fighting some of these creatures, since they were stronger, in secret so that the humans weren't harmed. But those are all myths and legends. It's not true. It…"
"Something happened that all of you need to know," said Roslin, "and.. and just listen."
TBC.