Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2008-05-20 16:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | au, galactica, rated: adult, slash |
Fic: Nessun Dorma 3/3 BattleStar Galactica 2003
Title: Nessun Dorma
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.
Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble
Wordcount: 29259
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica
Pairing: Gaeta/Lee
Rating: Adult
Series: Daphne: Sacred Laurel
Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe
Summary: After an incident during his fourth year, Gaeta finds himself left without a posting and adrift among the colonies.
Author's Note: Gaeta never served on the Galactica.
______________________________________
The first explosion rocked the academy of sciences at ten in the morning local time. Shortly afterwards all hell broke loose. As marines poured over the campus, they shot first. Students and faculty alike were mowed down in the sudden chaos. A moment after the second blast, alarms across the campus echoed.
Riding high on an intercept course, twelve Vipers flew over head, their orders were to shoot down anything that tried to escape. They got their first taste of action a short time later. Rising from the ground, a civilian transport tried to make a run for it. Following orders, the lead pilot blew out the engines. Taking pity on the crew, he destroyed the craft rather than let them suffer a crash.
In the bio-labs, the few techs, professors, and associates involved in the project gathered their data. Downloading it in to a central memory archive, they threw the hard copies in to the lab's incinerator. Not a one thought they would survive the next hour, but their work had to make it out. Among their number, Felix quickly encrypted the data as it was uploaded to the mainframe.
As the last of the discs were inserted to the drives and the data processed, Dr. Atrius grabbed his assistant by the arm. Despite his advanced age, his grip was firm and steady. "You must ensure that it reaches Dr. Hemmo on Tauron! He is the only one who can make sure this reaches those who can do something about it. They have to know what we have discovered!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Freeing his arm from Dr. Atrius, Gaeta hit the last button to lock off the drive.
"Why not?" Hurt by Gaeta's actions, Dr. Atrius frowned. "You volunteered, don't back out now, son!"
"I can't because Dr. Hemmo is already dead." Before the old man could figure out what he was doing, Gaeta quickly unhooked the memory core from the upload drives. He snatched the three foot long, cylindrical drive from it's base and placed it in the carrying case. Taking it, he moved towards the door.
"Stop him!" Finally starting to realize something about this whole situation was wrong, Dr. Atrius signaled for the other people in the lab to intercept Gaeta.
Pulling a gun from the back of his belt, Gaeta shot the closest lab tech in the forehead. Backing towards the door, he clutched the case to him. As he crossed the threshold in to the environmental suit chamber, he hit the biohazard alarm. "You brought this on yourselves."
As one, they tried to rush the lab exit but the lab's security system slammed down the airlock door sealing them in. Yellow lights around the lab started to flash and a klaxon started. They banged on the door, begging to be let out, but already the temperature started to rise inside the lab. Suddenly large jets of flame engulfed the lab burning all inside it.
Rushing for the far side of the building, Gaeta heard the sounds of approaching marines. Putting on extra speed, he reached his office before they spotted him. He only had a small amount of time before they discovered him. Quickly shucking out of his clothes, he grabbed the gray duffle off his desk. He quickly pulled out the clothes and put them on.
Gaeta had finished snapping the helmet in place when the first marine burst in to the room. Picking up his case, he looked at the marine expectantly.
Snapping a salute at Gaeta, the marine scanned the office once more. "Ready to go, sir."
"Lead on." Carrying the case as if it were a heavy child, Gaeta ran after the marine. They rendezvoused with several more marines, including a captain, at the main junction. At the captain's questioning look, Gaeta nodded. "Taken care of, target acquired."
"Very good. Move out!" Removing the cap on the timer, the captain pressed the switch and tossed it behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And in a surprise revisit to old wounds, Rebels on Sagitteron decimated the academy of sciences in what is being labeled as a cleansing of the..." The reporter was silenced as Lee flipped off the screen.
Having been demoted back to lieutenant and suspended from active duty for six months due to his actions aboard the Argo, he had little to fill his days with. The revoking of his flight status during this time had cut down on his enthusiasm for the job and life in general. He had taken to just sitting around, pretty much ignoring the rest of the world. In fact, his only hobby was to see how tight his shorts were the next morning. Two months in to his exile, his pants no longer buttoned.
He considered it a good start.
When they could pry themselves away from one another, his brother and now girlfriend, Kara would visit him, on his quebit of course. It was disgusting to see how happy they were. Yet, despite himself, he couldn't begrudge them their happiness. As much as Kara could ever be happy, she liked to beat herself up over every little thing and it got on his nerves.
Lee was halfway through a good scratch of his balls when the doorbell on his apartment rang. Of course, it would have to be the front entrance through the locked display room. He was about to let it go when the knocking started and didn't stop. Groaning, Lee heaved his boxer bedecked bulk from the chair and walked to the door. Grabbing the key out of the lock box, he slipped in and unlocked the display room door.
When he was inside, he took a moment to admire the memorabilia, from the cylon cranial armor to the tapestry. The knocking started to get on his nerves and he scowled at the door. "I'm coming, keep your frakking pants on!"
"Lee, open the door!"
He recognized that voice. Moving through the displays, Lee reached the door and threw open the bolt. Opening the door, he looked expectantly at the other man. "What do you want?"
Gaeta didn't give him a second chance to say anything as he wrapped his arms around Lee. Pressing his lips to Lee's, he forced the other man to back up. Using his heel, Gaeta slammed the door shut behind them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Facing the closet door, Gaeta slid his hand slowly up and down the arm that pinned him to the bed. The comfortable warmth of his lover flush against his back made him want to lay there forever. Through the window at their heads, he could hear the din of ships moving through the city. Occasionally, a ship would pass between the sun over head and them blocking it out. The sun was barely coming through the window so he knew it was mid afternoon.
He wanted to sleep, knew he should get some, but all he could focus on were the screams of those people in the lab. He had never killed so many people before. It should never have happened, it wouldn't have if they had only paid attention. Felix couldn't figure out why people were so driven to do what they knew was wrong.
As if sensing Felix's thoughts, Lee tightened his grip around the man, pushing his crotch against Gaeta's rear. "You are keeping me awake."
"Sorry." Bringing Lee's hand up to his lips, he kissed each finger. "Forgive me?"
"May be tomorrow." Yawning, Lee stretched a little before returning to Felix's body. "Today we sleep. Now quit thinking."
Felix made a sound of amusement, sighing with pleasure as Lee rubbed his stomach. Letting the drowsiness take him, he found it hard to keep his eyes open. "Can I stay with you forever?"
"Only if you shut up and go to sleep." Already half there, Lee drifted off and started to snore softly.
Pressing back in to Lee's body, bringing as much of the other man on top of him as possible, Gaeta finally gave in to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~
Buttoning up his recently altered uniform, Lee watched Gaeta sitting at his kitchen table. Having been called back to active duty due to uprisings on Sagitteron, he worried about Gaeta. Lee adorned his uniform by adding the leather insignia band while he glanced over at his brother. "You'll watch over him for me?"
"Yeah, sure." Having been watching Gaeta sit there for the past hour doing nothing, Zak was confused about the whole thing. He'd only seen this sorta behavior in his father and a few others. They all had one thing in common. "What happened to make him like that?"
"You know why I was called back to service, right?" It wasn't really a question, because he didn't care for an answer. Zak knew why and he was aware of that. Fixing his uniform, he tugged down on the jacket to straighten it out. "He was there."
"That's impossible, they said no one made it out alive." For some reason, Zak felt it necessary to keep his tone low. When he had nearly shouted, he winced. "How did he survive?"
"That's the question, isn't it." Cinching the leather belt about his waist, Lee raised his eyebrows. "I'd been searching for him the past three months and all that time he was working on a degree there. He won't talk about it, so don't try to engage him."
"Sounds like someone else I know. Gee, I wonder who that could be?" Punching his brother in the shoulder, Zak shoved him towards the door. "I'll keep an eye on your little lady, Lee, just don't expect me to be all touchy feely."
Side stepping his brother's attempts to get him out, Lee walked slowly in to the kitchen. Coming up behind Gaeta, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. This was the last time he would see the man for a while, he knew. The last three days together had been exactly what he needed. He hadn't known it before, but he needed someone to depend upon him.
Lee brushed a hand through Gaeta's curls, feeling content when Gaeta leaned his head back against him. "I'll try to contact you the first chance I get."
Nodding against Lee's belly, Gaeta wrapped his arms around the other man. He was already starting to feel the numbness slip over him again that he had lived with for the past six months. Six months since his career had been cut short. Felix could hardly believe it. Looking up at Lee, he wanted to whisper that he cared for him. It wouldn't come.
Lee bent down to press a kiss to Gaeta's lips before stepping back. Sniffing, he turned and headed for the door. He sent a look to his brother expressing his feelings. "Keep this under your hat, I don't want anyone to know about this. If people find out, I will know."
Saluting his older brother sarcastically, Zak grinned.
Choosing to let it go, Lee returned the salute and walked out.
As he heard the door close, Gaeta went back to staring out the bay window over the city.
Zak stood there a minute watching Gaeta. He felt uncomfortable now that he knew who is brother was sleeping with. Rubbing his hands together, he came in to the kitchen. "So, you going to be fine?" When Gaeta didn't answer, Zak smirked. "Okay, well, I got to get back to the base. My instructor only let me have the morning off because of family. So, uh, I guess I'll be checking on you tonight, or something."
Silence was the only response he got.
Rushing for the door, Zak felt relief start to come over him. He was almost home free. He just had to get to the other side of the door and he would be!
"You suck."
"That would be Lee, I prefer women. Bye!" Rushing through the door, Zak slammed it shut and ran for the elevator.
~~~~~~~~~~
Standing at attention, uniform perfectly fitted in all the right places, he was the epitome of the colonial military. There were flaws in his appearance, though. He wasn't the tall, muscle bound man they depicted. His skin wasn't technically the right pigmentation. He never smiled on que. And his hair was shaggy.
Despite all that, Felix Gaeta was a true Colonial Officer. He had served his fleet with honor and distinction. There wasn't a reason things shouldn't go his way.
Glancing up from the file, Admiral Etrinni closed it and leaned on the table. "Mr. Gaeta, what exactly does all this mean? You speak of half discovered truths and a conspiracy, but nothing concrete. Where are these people?"
"Dead, sir, as ordered." He couldn't believe it. The son of a bitch was reneging on his deal. Visibly ruffled, Gaeta stared at the admiral. "You yourself ordered me to make sure no one with the project survived!"
"Did I? I don't recall ever giving such an order." Etrinni sat back, a half amused smirk on his face. Everything was going according to plan. "What exactly did this supposed deal entail?"
"Yes, I would like to know the circumstances of these allegations." Beside the old man, Admiral Cain caught the Etrinni's stiffening posture. There was no love loss between them. Getting herself appointed to this board was yet another stab at his career. She wanted him out.
Straightening up, Gaeta again fixed his gaze above the heads of the admiralty. He might have a shot if Cain was on his side. "Admiral Etrinni gave me orders in writing that I was to officially resign my commission as a member of the colonial military. Unofficially, I would be an agent of fleet intelligence, a branch of the defense ministry. In exchange for carrying out his orders, in six months time, I would be given a promotion and assignment."
A slow smile spread across Cain's face. "Where exactly are these orders, Lieutenant?"
"Safely hidden, but I have a copy on my person, if you will permit me." At her nod, Gaeta unbuttoned the top of his uniform. Reaching inside above his heart, he pulled out the sheet of paper. It was a black and white copy, but the signature was plainly visible. Walking to the board's table, he handed it to Cain.
"You may return to attention." Cain examined the paper, delight clearly in her expression. After rereading it three times, she glanced over at Etrinni. "Well, it seems he was correct. These are official, even down the personal seal."
"Give me that!" Taking it from Cain, Etrinni examined it with dismay. "These have to be fake. I would never make such a mistake."
"Can we please get back to the matter at hand?" Admiral Metahart glared at the bickering admirals with derision. "What we are discussing is a matter of vital importance to the security of the Twelve Colonies. Now, Lieutenant Gaeta, in your time among these people, did you observe any physical proof of the research being done there as eluded to in the drive you retrieved?"
"Yes, ma'am, I did." At his words, several of the eight admirals on the board grew angry.
"Then in the end, our actions were justified. Dr. Shenkar's work must be eradicated where it is found!" As the center of the panel, Metahart was the senior admiral, thus the presiding officer. Her voice was clearly enunciated from her anger, ringing in the ears of all there. "When we opened Pandora's box fifty years ago, we got the cylons! If we allowed men and women who are too foolish to act without thinking of the ramifications free rein, who knows what other plague they would unleash upon humanity. No, it is better those few should die than we all suffer the consequence."
"What of me?" Since his mission was complete, Gaeta felt he was owed something. He had kept his part of the bargain.
Considering him for a minute, Metahart set her gavel down. "While we appreciate your efforts and the extraordinary circumstances of your position, there is frankly no way we can honor this deal. You did resign from the public view, to reinstate you without justification would result in too many questions."
"No." He tried to plead with her, but saw she wasn't empathizing with him.
She ignored his reaction, these were difficult times and sacrifices had to be made. "Your value to us in these matters is incalculable. Since you have been incognito for so long, I believe a short rest is necessary before your next assignment. Should you choose to resign, your signed non disclosure agreement would prevent you from ever revealing any of these proceedings upon penalty of treason and death. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." He had lost it after all. There wasn't even the promise of a position in the fleet waiting for him now.
"Very well. In six weeks time, you will report to Colonial Base Athens for a meeting with Admiral Cain under the guise of retrieving some belongings. She will be your new handler and all assignments will come personally from her." Raising her gavel, Metahart banged it down. "Dismissed!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Putting his key in the door, Gaeta turned it and the handle to let himself in. As he entered, the strong whiff of roses and lilacs came to his nose. Only one person he knew of wore that scent. "What do you want?"
Glancing up from her glass, Caroline looked down the long hall to see Gaeta entering the apartment. Frowning, she set the glass down. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here, what's your excuse?" Closing the door, he set the key on the hook next to the door. Having been there a week, he had memorized where Lee kept things. He didn't bother to look at her, too afraid he would do something he would regret.
"I was concerned for my son. Obviously I had reason since it's apparent he has taken up with a bad crowd again." Rising from the table, she tried to walk in to the hallway to meet him, but Gaeta shut the hall door in her face.
Locking the hall door, Gaeta walked in to the bedroom he shared with Lee when he was home. Taking off his trench coat, he removed his uniform. The entire thing was thrown in the trash can next to the vanity while he heard the lock on the hall door shake.
Caroline was trying to pick the lock.
Opening the nightstand's drawer, Gaeta picked up the gun Lee kept in it. Carrying it and the clip separately to the door, he glared at the door. "Stop what you are doing and leave or I will shoot you through the door."
"You wouldn't! This is still my house..." She was silenced when he slammed the clip in the gun. Dropping the knife, she backed away from the door. "You wouldn't!"
"Bitch, I'm frakking crazy, didn't they tell you? How about I show you how good a marksman I am by opening this door without even touching the lock? Hmm, doesn't that sound like fun?" Gaeta was on the verge of blowing it by cackling. He had to place a hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter as he heard her heels clacking on the floor as she bolted.
With a sigh, he tossed the pellet gun on to the bed. There might be hell to pay over this when Lee got back. It all depended upon how much time the man had to deal with the situation before he did. Walking over to the nightstand, Gaeta picked up the handset and dialed out the number for Athens Base.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee didn't know how to take the message. Having been off ship when Gaeta's comm came through over the wireless, they had been forced to write it down. His initial reaction was to get angry at his mother and Gaeta both. Then, when he actually pictured it in his mind, he started to laugh. Folding the message up, he stuck it in his flight suit.
"What response would you like to send, sir?" Glancing up at Lee expectantly, she tried not to grow flushed. He made special things happen in her stomach.
"Send this to my mother on Caprica, route it through Athens base." Picturing it clearly in his mind, he clenched his fists on the communication's console. "Dear Mother. I have asked you to stay out of my apartment unless you called ahead first and I gave you the go ahead. He did not have a real gun, mother, it was my old pellet gun. You remember the one I keep in my night stand to deter Zak from stealing my condoms." At the snickers around him, Lee had to bite his lips to keep from smiling. "I would suggest that you stay away from him in the future as he might prove less hospitable. I also ask that you keep this between us as I am sure no one wishes to hear about our family business. With love, your son, Lee. P.S. Once again, you moved out ten years ago, I took over the lease. I don't know why I must remind you of this."
Smiling at him, the comm officer finished typing the message and hit the send. "Sent!" She simply adored him, even if he was being rude to his mother. She was certain she could train it out of him if he only let her.
"Good, now send this one to the original sender, care of the original carrier frequency." He waited for her to type in the signal requirements. When she looked up at him expectantly, he continued on. "Dear Daphne."
The CIC suddenly seemed way too quiet for a BattleStar.
Glaring at the people around him, Lee cleared his throat. "It has come to my attention that you are being an ass to my mother. While, I understand your need to flaunt your perfectly taut gluteus maximus, I must insist that you keep it covered around her. If she bothers you once more, think of our last night together. Remember how I pushed you over the kitchen table, tugging your pants down around your ankles. The tender caress of my palms across your thighs, slowly rubbing up them inch by aching inch. Feel my heated breath on your skin as I pant, drawing out each excruciating moment of it.
"Then, remember how I slammed my hand across your ass, asking who your commanding officer was. If you ever threaten my mother with a pellet gun again, you will never get to stand at attention and give me the one pecker salute." Grinning sweetly at the murderous look the comm officer was giving him, Lee enjoyed the moment. "Your Big, Hairy CO, Captain Apollo."
The comm officer debated deleting the message rather than sending it, but the decision was taken from her as Lee reached over and hit the key sequence. In shock, she began to sputter. "What? You sent that? They are going to think I sent that! Do you know what kind of perverts relay those messages? Or what they will think about me?"
"No, but I am sure your reputation will remain unscathed. Now, I have one final message to send." Leaning over the console, he made sure she understood that he didn't give a damn what she thought so long as she did her job. "This one is to a resident at Athens base."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Gaeta was in the shower when he heard the door bell. He finished washing his hair before stepping out. Whoever it was could either leave the package or wait for his convenience. After he had dried off, Gaeta padded to the rear entrance, ready to deal with whoever it was. Much to his relief, there was only a small black box at the door. It was marked with a red relief of winged Eros in flight.
Frowning, Gaeta picked up the box as if it might explode. Bringing it inside, he closed the door behind him. As he shook the box to see if it might go off, he frowned. There was something heavy inside, but he couldn't tell what it was. He set it on the kitchen table intending to leave it until later but the box started to vibrate.
Much to his horror, the vibrating box inched its way off the table. As it hit the floor, the vibrating mechanism rolled across the kitchen floor and a bill of sales fluttered to land at his feet. Picking it up, he felt his skin heat up. "Throbbin Robbin: Apollo Swallow Series."
"I'm going to kill him."
~~~~~~~~~
Slinking his way to his bunk, Lee felt like he was dragging the universe and his ass behind him. All he wanted to do was roll over and go to sleep. After sixteen hours of dealing with food riots and crowd control as head of a marine detachment, he was too exhausted to care if he smelled. Just as he reached his bunk, much to his annoyance, there was a black package sitting on it. Picking it up, he heard something moving inside it that sounded like puzzle pieces.
Setting it back down, he pried open the packing tape and lifted off the lid. Suddenly his day got a lot brighter. Scattered among the shattered vibrator parts were pictures of Gaeta obviously taken in the mirror. Doing an impromptu strip tease for the mirror, Gaeta ended up in Lee's briefs with the pellet gun stuffed down the front.
Making sure no one had seen, he pulled out the pictures and put the lid back on the box. The box went in to the trash and the pictures were locked in the bottom of his footlocker.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Zak Adama was working on putting back together a Viper. After crashing it for the second time, Kara had decided he would have more respect for the bird if he had to rebuild the damn thing. So far, he was just ready to throw in the towel. There was no point in trying to fix the damn thing, the entire rear support was cracked and she would never fly again. Still, she had insisted he put it back together.
He was halfway through the second compressor for the drive manifold, when he thought he saw someone he recognized heading towards the hangar. Setting down his tools, he wiped his hands off on his overalls. If Gaeta was here, then may be something was wrong. Usually, if the guy had a message to send, he would go through his own channels.
Moving towards the hangar, he was about to enter it when Boomer and Helo exited laughing about something. Distracted by the arrival of his friends, he grinned. "What's so funny, guys?"
Catching her breath, Boomer leaned on Helo for support. She shook her head and waved at Zak. "You don't wanna know."
"What she means is the less you know, the better for all." Cackling, Helo let go of Boomer and started away from the hangar. When she didn't immediately follow, Helo dragged her behind him.
Jumping in to action, Zak moved to block their path. "Hold up! Did a man named Felix Gaeta just enter the hangar?"
Sobering enough to focus upon the question, Boomer shook her head no. "He didn't say his name, just came in, said hello and Cain went off. She told us to get out with the implication she was going to rip him a new one. The look on his face, oh that look!" Clutching at Helo as he made an impression for Zak, she slapped his arm. "Cut that out, Cain might think you're on the menu!"
Giggling, Helo dragged the near hysterically laughing Boomer away.
Zak watched them until they disappeared across the tarmac in to the barracks. Turning, he walked back to the hangar. He couldn't see anything through the dust clogged windows and decided to chance cracking open the door. He opened the door, trying to see if he could hear anything but frowned when all that greeted him was the wind.
Pushing the door all the way in, he entered the hangar, looking about for any sign of Cain or Gaeta. Much to his surprise, he could see no one around the large Raptors. He stalked along the row of four Raptors, searching for someone but found even they were empty. Pausing, he counted the Raptors again. There should have been five of them.
~~~~~~~~~
"I told you I quit!" Staring at Admiral Cain, Gaeta fought to keep his voice steady. The woman's abject refusal to accept anyone telling her no was driving him to rage. "There is nothing you can say or do that will change my mind, Admiral."
Cain said nothing. There was nothing for her to say. In her quarters, she was the supreme being and nothing was above her command. The fact he didn't get that yet was something to be changed. "The details of your mission are as follows. You will infiltrate Doctor Baltar's social circle and set yourself up as a Doctor of Human Genetics..."
"Even if I did accept the mission, it would be impossible. I have already met Gaius Baltar." As she stopped talking, he grinned at her. "He already knows who I am." If he had hoped that would deter her, Gaeta was mistaken.
"Excellent, that will make this mission easier." She enjoyed the way his body shuddered under his control. If she had known how passionate he was eight months ago, she would have chosen him over the current incompetent ass she had for a tactical officer. There were very few things about her life she would have changed, he should be honored. Then again, she would never admit she made a mistake to him. "You will contact Baltar and insert yourself in to his life. I want a report on him in two weeks."
"What is the purpose of this mission?" From what he knew of Baltar, the man was a minor threat, but not in Felix's field. Baltar was a program designer, if he was allowed to continue his field of study, cylon like robots would result. Felix knew enough to work on a Battlestar, but not design one's computer core. There had to be others.
"He is being considered for a consultant's position with the Defense Ministry. We have reason to believe he may not be the best candidate." Handing him a folder, she grabbed a glass off her table. She drank from it, watching him study the folder, debating to open it or not. After two minutes, she hid her smile behind the glass as he looked inside.
Gaeta did a quick scan of the bio, nothing of remarkable interest in there beyond the list of awards and conquests. No name on the list stuck out to him. "This list is incomplete."
"We thought not. Dr. Baltar is a veritable Satyr." She grinned at his snort. Oh yes, he would have made a fine officer. "One of the duties is to flesh that out. His contacts, if he proves himself a traitor, will no doubt be worth investigating as well."
"Some, yes, but most, not hardly." There was no need to remind her about his last mission. "I already know most of his useful contacts. In fact, I have kept in regular contact with them." Despite the visible lack of change in her posture, he knew she was paying closer attention. "All right, I will take the mission."
"There was never any doubt, Mr. Gaeta." Setting down her glass, she refilled it and poured him one. Some times you just had to take a step back and let them lead themselves.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The fighting had been fierce, people fell on both sides, but at the end of the day, more rioters were on the ground than marines. Lee had tried to minimize the losses by ordering disabling, not killing shots, but had pulled the trigger that ended lives more than once himself. There was so much blood on the ground in places that not even the constant rains could wash it away. So much senseless bloodshed over something as trivial as work farms.
It was a simple matter, the work farms produced a third of the colonial food supplies. The colonial government controlled most of them, the Sagitterons wanted all of them. They laid claim that since it was their planet they should control the food harvests. At one time, he had agreed with them, but not after today.
Looking at the bodies of his men in comparison to those of the rioters he felt no sympathy for them. They had chosen to turn against the government for no better reason than for more money. Their leaders had lied to them, saying the colonial government was deliberately keeping them out of it so they could keep control of them. By keeping them out, they could keep the prices low, thus keeping them all poor. They who controlled the food, controlled the colonies.
Frak them!
Shouldering his riffle, Lee spit upon the body of a dead rioter. He didn't know who had killed her, it didn't matter. She had tried to kill them, she got what she deserved. They all did.
~~~~~~~~~~
Waiting for the door to open, Gaeta adjusted his collar. It was a small thing, wearing a tie, but it felt like he was choking. There were more pleasant clothes to wear, but Cain had suggested his suit might go over better with her. Just as he was about to rip the damn thing off, the door opened with a very rumpled looking Gaius Baltar staring at him.
"Yes?" His tone was impatient, Baltar being distracted by something behind him.
"Hello, Dr. Baltar, I don't know if you remember me, but I am Felix Adama." Sticking out his hand, Gaeta didn't expect the man to shake it. He was pleasantly surprised when he was proven wrong.
"Of course I remember you." Baltar did a complete turn around in his demeanor. Focusing completely on Gaeta, he leaned against his door and smiled for the man. "It's hard to forget someone with such an interesting take on Human reproduction techniques."
"Do you mind if I come in? I have traveled a long way to see you." In anticipation of being told yes or no, he began to scan around Gaius to see what he could.
"Yes! Yes, do come in." Moving back, he turned so he could watch Gaeta enter the house. It wasn't until he noticed the movement of Gaeta's ass in his pants that he remembered there was already someone there. "Natasi! Dear! There is someone here to see us."
Gaeta took in the slight disarray of the house, clothing and files scattered every where. It was nothing he hadn't expected from a scientist making ready for a business proposal. He had come across more than one chaos in his time at school and academy. What he hadn't saw, but now was viewing, was a woman in a bath robe and red heels.
Inclining his head at her, he kept his eyes on her. There was something about her that set him immediately on edge. He couldn't explain what it was, but he wanted to keep her as far away as possible. Holding out his hand to her, he forced a grin on his face. "My name is Felix Adama, nice to meet you."
Stopping in front of Gaius' couch, Six grinned in complete fascination at Felix. Cocking her head to the side, she peered at him under a tuft of hair. "Natasi Ulani." Shaking his hand, she traced her thumb over the back of his hand. "Adama, that's quite a famous name. Are you any relation to the great war hero?"
"Not a bit." Taking back his hand, he slowly drew it to his side so he could quickly wipe it off without suspicion. For a moment, they stood two feet apart staring at each other, sizing the other up.
Feeling the tension, Gaius clapped his hands together. "Well, if you two will give me a moment, I will freshen up and then we can visit." At their simultaneous nods, he backed out of the living room and nearly ran to his bedroom.
Sitting back confidently on the couch, Six artfully arranged herself and the bathrobe. "Please, sit. Let's discuss why you are here."
"Who do you represent?" Already on edge, her words made him yearn to strike her. Something about the way she carried herself, the way she watched him was dangerous. If he didn't kill her first, she would kill him.
"Archimedes Retron, they are a subsidiary of the Hyak Group." She smiled again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to draw his attention to her breasts, but found he wouldn't look away from her face. "How long have you been sleeping with men, Mr. Adama?"
"Eight months." Glancing up at the doorway to Gaius' bedroom as it opened, he tried for a pleasant expression. "You will have to tell me how you do it, Doctor. I have never met someone quite as interesting as Ms. Ulani."
"She is a rare find, that is for certain." Coming around the couch, Gaius sat down and grabbed her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed each finger. "You are most exquisite, my dear, so perfect."
"Yes, it's almost like she was manufactured." Gaeta felt a thrill shoot down his spine at the glare she sent his way.
"How long have you worked for the military, Mr. Adama?" Six had hoped her question would reveal something, but was disappointed when he chuckled.
"I am no longer employed by them." Glancing out the windows, Gaeta took in the lake waters, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding land. "You have a beautiful home, Dr. Baltar."
"Yes, well, it suits me." Finally taking in the atmosphere between his guests, Gaius decided to get on with the visit. "What brings you here, Mr. Adama?"
"A curtesy visit. I'm afraid I have some bad news." He had both their attentions and Gaeta began to monitor them for reactions. These next few moments would be critical. "As you may know, I spent a few weeks on Sagitteron before the fall of the Academy of Sciences. I got to know some of the staff and was preparing to earn a degree there when it came under attack. Until now, I wasn't sure as to their fates. Dr. Atrius' remains were found this morning when Colonial Marines liberated the campus. His entire staff and he were burned alive in their laboratory by the emergency biohazard protocols."
During his speech, Gaius had gone pale. He couldn't believe it. "Are you certain?"
"My contact found their university identification bracelets still attached to the bodies." Gaeta let quiet settle between them as Gaius digested the news. His reaction told Gaeta a lot about Baltar, but very little about Natasi.
Gaius looked close to panic. He knew there was nothing to implicate him in the Doctor's work, but still, even being associated was enough to damn him. "Do they know we were involved?"
"No. I was there under an assumed name." Well, an assumed name of an assumed name. Not like Gaius knew this, of course. Gaeta had no intention of telling him either. "In the last two weeks before the uprising, he gave me access to his work. I didn't get to see it all, but what he had done fascinated me. It's a shame I couldn't save more of it."
"Destroy it!" Leaning forward on the couch, Gaius looked at Gaeta imploringly. "You have to destroy whatever it is you took. They must not find out about it, my involvement, your existence, nothing!"
"Don't worry, Doctor, your secret is safe with me." And the Colonial Military Security Council. He hadn't known Gaius was involved with the project, but it was a nice bit to add.
"I don't care to take that chance. Destroy the damned research!" Gaius threw off Natasi's hand as she tried to stroke his back in comfort. This didn't require her involvement. She had already heard too much.
"Very well." Sighing as if disappointed, Gaeta looked down. "Before I do, I need to know who else might have known we were involved? I mean, aside from Atrius and Dr. Olera, who else worked on Dr. Shenkar's theories?"
"Um... Let me think here." Rubbing his forehead, Gaius shook it. There were too many names, he couldn't remember them all. Not all of them were involved and knew, but they all were a part of it. "Dr. Hemmo, he built the machines based upon... my designs. He's the last one who knows about me. Oh great, he's going to get me killed. That fat bastard is going to ruin me!"
"There's no need to panic, Dr. Hemmo is dead." Gaeta stood up. He placed a comforting hand on Gaius' shoulder. "Is there anyone else, anyone who might know what to do with Shenkar's work? Do you know what to do with it?"
"No, and no one else either. I never involved myself with it. Too complicated, too many variables. There's countless ways genetic tampering could go wrong. No, I stuck with designing the machines." Snickering, Gaius rubbed his hands over his face. "I designed the machines and now I'm going to hang for it."
"Thank you, Dr. Baltar, you've been very helpful. I'll show myself out." Giving Natasi one final look, Gaeta left the shaking man and walked out. His cover might have just been blown, but he didn't care. He had what he needed, what they did with it was up to them.
Sitting up beside Gaius, Six raised her hand under his chin to make him look at her. "Congratulations, Gaius."
"What?" Shivering, Gaius leaned in to her touch. His eyes were red with unshed tears. "What is going on?"
"You've just cleared the last hurdle to the consultantscy position." Squeezing his leg with her other hand, she smiled for him. "He was your final test."
"I don't understand. Are you saying he works for the Military? That would mean he lied to me." It was almost a foreign concept, someone lying to him. He did plenty of it, but other people like Gaeta seemed incapable of it.
"I don't think he did. You don't have to be employed by them to work for them." Letting him rest his forehead on her shoulder, she stroked his hair. "He's become very good at non answers and half truths." What she had heard intrigued her. She would have to look up this Dr. Shenkar and study his work. If it proved interesting enough, she would also look up Felix Adama.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Temporary lodgings aboard the BattleStar Pegasus were like a blessing to Lee. He didn't know what lottery he had won, but getting picked for the bed aboard an actual, honest to Zeus battlestar, was the most wonderful thing in the world. Most of the people his rank and lower were stuck on the surface for the foreseeable future. Seemingly stuck in rainy season, Sagitteron was a mudhole.
His gear flaking off mud like a snake shedding skin, he trudged through the decks to his new bunk. It was among the flight crew, so he knew exactly where he was heading. He ignored the looks they gave him as he passed. He knew he stunk like a peat bog, he'd been living near it for the past week. A few of the rebels had fled in to it and it was his job to flush them out.
All he could think about was getting a hot shower, putting on clean clothes, and laying back on the nice warm bunk and sleeping for a week. When he reached the pilots' bunk, he jerked the door open. Lee was surprised by the silence that greeted him. From experience, he knew they were some of the noisiest places on a ship.
Entering the cabin, he saw his bunk at the far end, bottom. What he saw on it took his breath away. Dropping his gear, Lee stared at Gaeta in surprise. "How?"
Raising the blankets, Gaeta patted the mattress beside him. "The Admiral owed me a favor. Let's not waste time asking questions we don't need the answers to. The others will be gone for another hour and then we'll have an audience."
Jerking open his uniform, Lee grinned. "Let'em watch."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Breathing in the scent of his lover, Gaeta felt peace descend upon him. Lee had fallen asleep on top of him and Gaeta hadn't felt the need to move him. As long as he took slow, even breaths, Lee's weight wasn't an issue. The problem was Lee's underwear were half on the pillow. Ordinarily this would be a good thing, but Lee hadn't washed in a week and any eroticism involved went out the window with the smell.
Using careful body movements so as not to disturb Lee, Gaeta freed his right hand. Slowly, he knocked the underwear on to the floor. The air free, he could take in the scent where he wanted it from, Lee's hair. Bending his neck forward so he could inhale, he placed a kiss gently upon Lee's head.
The man was his world now. He hadn't realized how much he had come to rely upon Lee being there. Their time together was brief, less than a week total. Yet, every day he wrote to Lee. Most of the time, Lee was in the field and couldn't receive his messages, but it mattered little. He could barely remember a time when Lee wasn't a consideration in his decisions.
Hearing the door open, Gaeta glanced over to see three of the pilots entering. He put a finger to his lips to keep them silent. Stroking Lee's back, he sighed when Lee shifted off of him. Automatically responding to Lee's movements, Gaeta slipped between him and the wall. Gaeta felt his own drowsiness take hold the moment Lee slipped in behind him, throwing an arm over his waist and leg between his.
Quiet snickering behind him was ignored. It didn't matter. He was back in Lee's arms and he was content.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Breathing heavily with regret, Lee watched the Raptor take off back to the Pegasus. His clothes were freshly laundered and his uniform pristine. That would soon be taken care of by the rain and mud. Walking to his unit, he glared at the smirking Lieutenants. "What?"
"I hear Daphne Adama made an appearance." Laughing at Lee's heated glare, Lieutenant Erikson returned Lee's one finger salute. "So, is it true, did he melt the Coldest Bitch in the Fleet's heart enough for her to grant him a favor?"
"Lieutenant, I will pretend you aren't talking about an Admiral like that and you will kindly pretend you know nothing of my sex life." The whooping and jeers from the gathered men and women earned them a stiff captain. Turning his back on them, he continued on to the command tent. The Admiral in charge of the operation would be there.
Glancing up when the tent flap was raised, Admiral Helion smirked at Lee. "It's nice of you to take the time out from your recreations to join us, Captain."
"Thank you, sir." Lee saluted him, feeling a little irritation at the man. It was one thing to be teased by his subordinates, they were young, it was expected. The admiral was a man his father's age, it was beyond embarrassing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He felt weary. After months of going from one place to the next, never having time for rest, Gaeta was close to breaking. He needed to be free of it all, he needed time to himself. Waiting for the admiral to render her verdict was not helping his nerves any.
Scanning over the folder in front of her, Cain had to admit he was thorough. Everything she had asked for and more was in there, right down to a psychological profile based upon his reactions to stress and imminent death. "I wasn't aware your skills included psychology."
"I was trained to be an officer. Knowing the minds of those who I serve with is essential to the success of that job." Gaeta didn't understand why she above all others was unaware of this.
"Still, that isn't a required course for the standard tactical trainee." Unless they had changed things since she went through the academy. She hardly doubted it, but if this was the result, it was worth looking in to. Closing the folder, she put it on her desk. "Excellent. Report to the starboard hangar, a Raptor is waiting to take you back to Caprica. I will contact you again when we have your next mission."
"You will not be contacting me again." Walking to the hatch, he threw it open and stepped out. He slammed it shut behind him.
Teeth grinding, Cain spun her chair to reach the comm button. Slamming her fist in to it, she leaned in close so they could hear her clearly. "Do it!" There would be no helping them if they failed her this time. No one told her no.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The first thing Gaeta became aware of was that he was cold. His clothes were missing, he deduced by the breeze he could feel against his body. It was a constant breeze, yet gentle. His hair swayed in the wind, brushing his ears and forehead. Opening his eyes, he saw a moon over head so bright it lit up the night sky in a faded red.
In the light, he could see a beech for miles on either side of him. Ahead of him the ocean lay seemingly endless in its vastness. Beyond what he could see there was darkness. In no direction could he see any sign of civilization.
"It's beautiful, isn't it."
Spinning around, Gaeta came face to face with Natasi. She stood at arm's distance, as nude as he. He could detect no sexual interest in her body language and was silently grateful. Even here, wherever he was, she set his nerves on edge. The woman was unnatural, each movement hesitant as if she was remembering how a woman was supposed to move. He took a step back as she came towards him.
Instead of moving to intercept him, she stepped off to the side. "No human has ever landed upon these shores. God has kept it in trust for his chosen children." With each step, she left no trace in the sand.
Glancing down at his own feet, Gaeta noticed they weren't really touching the sand either. Strangely enough, despite the lack of contact, he could feel each particle of sand under him. Taking a test step, he tried to see if he could scatter sand. It didn't work, but he did move.
"At first, I couldn't understand what fascinated me so much about you. There were a million reasons to despise you on sight simply for your race, yet you intrigued me." Frowning, she held out her hand for him. When he made no effort to accept it, she took his hand in hers. "God has plans for all his children, but not all of them are for the better. We few are fortunate to bare witness to his greatness, Gaeta."
"How do you know my name?" He tried to take his hand back from her, but her grip was solid and unyielding. Panic blossomed in his chest. "What are you doing?"
Suddenly, she looked up at the sky. A serenity settled over her features at what she saw.
Curiosity winning out over fear, Gaeta followed her gaze. At first he couldn't make out what he was seeing, there were too many of them. Then, as the moonlight glinted off their sides, he knew.
Leaning in close to him, she whispered in his ear. "The count down has begun, Humanity's days are numbered."
The words were out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. "By your command."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was halfway drunk and well on his way to getting fully there. Three months was how long since Felix had disappeared without a trace, his duffle still in the closet with his clothes and papers. Two months since he had been given a week's leave and found out about him. One month since Zak had taken a nose dive through the atmosphere, blowing himself to hell in a Viper.
Unable to continue, Lee had simply refused to answer any of his communiques, letters, summons, even knocks at his door. Every time he saw someone he knew at the midnight liquor market down the block, he would simply walk out and find another store. He had been placed on administrative leave until he worked these problems out. Didn't seem like he wanted to ever do that, so his leave might as well be early retirement.
Upending his bottle, he tried to suck the life out of it, but was thwarted when he found the bottle was already empty. Tossing it away, he swayed in his seat. Even the liquor bottles were conspiring with fate against him. There had to be another bottle within arm's reach. He began feeling around for it. It took him a minute to realize he wasn't making the thumping sound, but that it was coming from his rear door.
Thinking he could pursued whoever it was to go get him another bottle, Lee stumbled to the door. He wanted to be drunk, but was too drunk to walk to the store. Throwing the extra latches he had placed on the door after his mother refused stay away, he slid aside to open the door. When he opened it, he saw no one in the hall. If his senses weren't so deadened by the alcohol, he would have screamed louder when a wet hand clutched his leg.
As it was, Lee fell over back wards trying to get away from the hand. Trying to focus his blurry vision, he thought he recognized who it was. Tentatively, he crawled over to Gaeta, taking in his appearance. Bleeding from his eyes and ears, Gaeta was a ghastly sight that made his stomach roll in fear. "What happened?"
On the floor, clutching the door jam for support, Gaeta reached out to Lee. The words he was saying were barely audible.
Frowning, Lee came in closer. "I can't understand you." He was grabbed by the front of his shirt, pulled in close so Gaeta could whisper in his ear.
"They're coming!"
THE END....................................