Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2008-05-28 19:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | au, galactica, rated: adult, slash |
Fic: Deliver Me 1/? BattleStar Galactica 2003
Deliver Me
By: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own BattleStar Galactica.
Rating: Adult.
Genre: Slash - Lee Apollo/Leoben
Summary: Apollo is debriefed by the Cylons, but things aren't going as he expected.
Warning: Violence, Character Death.
Spoiler/Timeline: Season 2
________________________________________
In front of him it continued. Large explosions racked the first base star as it came under heavy fire from both battlestars. In the distance he could see it all unfold. The war between humanity and their children. The total destruction of one and the other for survival.
Closing his eyes, Lee wanted no part of it. Taking a deep breath, he ignored the pleas coming over the comm line from Duala, begging him to respond.
"I'm sorry." And he was. Sorry he couldn't do it any more. Sorry it was too much for him.
Decision made, he released the hole in his pressure suit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He awoke.
Opening his eyes, Lee Adama forced himself not to gag on the stale air in his lungs. Exhaling sharply, he took a deep breath. He was forced to release it just as quickly when his lungs began to ache. Turning to see where he was, he tried to calm his racing heart. It hurt, like they had just jumped it to start.
Expecting to see a rescue team, he was horrified to find himself surrounded. Every where he looked were more of them, copies of the originals, each different yet the same. He was the lone human in a sea of enemies, the cylons were every where.
The gel in his tank sloshed when he tried to back out of it. His training said never to let the enemy at his back. Warm hands on his bare shoulders forced him to spin wildly to avoid contact with them. It was all wrong!
They weren't supposed to do that. The cylons were machines, they weren't supposed to look that way, like him. They weren't supposed to look human.
Their happy faces quickly turned to alarm as he drew up his knees and wrapped his wet arms around his naked body. Keeping his wide eyes on them, he shivered. They were all around him. There was no escape. He was going to die.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting in his chair, Lee was once again at the center of the white chamber. They kept him here when he wasn't placed in his cell. Every day it was the same thing, he would awaken in his cell, they would feed him on a single tray, no utensils. After that, he would be brought to this chamber, strapped in the chair and interrogated. Half way through, they would break for meal, then continue until dinner. After that, he would be brought back to his cell for the night. A standard interrogation/prisoner cycle.
That was where the similarities ended.
"Tell me again, Lee, how does this make you feel?" Pressing the button the remote in his hand, Leoben watched Apollo for any change. From the moment the screen started to replay the battle, his gaze grew in intensity.
Apollo tried to avoid looking at the screen. It was the last few moments he could remember before letting go, letting the air flow free from his suit. Had he believed in the underworld, he would believe this was Tartarus. Each day he was forced to rewatch as the two battlestars destroyed the cylon fleet. Each day it was the same questions.
"It is okay to be honest with me, Lee, I won't feel any less of you." Leoben made special note of Apollo's flinch as the resurrection ship was destroyed. Turning off the screen, he set the remote down on the stand in front of it. "The others are concerned that you can not come to terms with what happened."
"It was my fault. You know that, this is part of my punishment." Swallowing, he tried not to show any emotions. They were expecting him to break, after three weeks, he still hadn't cracked. He was going to make them kill him before he came close to losing control.
"Why should we punish you, Lee?" There was a pause in his movements as he considered his next movements carefully. Stepping in close to the chair, Leoben cocked his head to the side. "Do you think you have done something wrong, that you deserved to be punished?"
"You know what I did was wrong! That's why I'm here!" He strained against the side of the chair, trying to end the internal agony. Apollo wouldn't explain the sense of intense self loathing he felt every time he watched the battle play out. There were better things to focus on than feelings of remorse. A warm hand settled against his sweat slicked forehead causing him to jerk and open his eyes.
Staring down upon the young man, Leoben's face only revealed compassion. "Is that why you believe you are here?"
"I killed them." Apollo turned away, unable to meet the cylon's gaze without flinching. "It's my fault."
"Whatever your sins, Lee, God has forgiven you." When Apollo continued to ignore him, he sighed. There was nothing more he could do for him that time couldn't fix. "You are still loved." His hand slid down from the young man's forehead to gently stroke his cheek. Fingers tracing over the jaw line, he squeezed the soft flesh.
A buzzer off behind the screen signaled the time for evening meal.
A final brush of his fingers across Apollo's face and Leoben turned for the door. It opened as he approached. "Time to head back to your room. Your meal awaits you within."
For a while, Lee only sat there. He knew they wouldn't press him on the matter, he wasn't going any where. Staring off in to space, he continued to avoid any direct thoughts about his life. There was little to ponder in this existence.
Three weeks since the battle between the Pegasus, Galactica, and the cylon fleet. Three weeks since he was forced to eject from the Laura. Three weeks since he had discovered the hole in his suit. Three weeks since he had just let go.
He was supposed to be dead. He had every intention of dying out there for what he had done, what he had become. They had taken that from him, the cylons. He deserved to die and they wouldn't let him.
Why wouldn't they let him die?
Laying his head down upon the arm rest, Lee blinked back the tears forming in his eyes. He was so tired of it all. The running, the fighting, the endless struggle to maintain some form of life he could live with. It was too much for him, he didn't want to continue.
Eventually, they would come for him. They weren't about to let him starve himself to death. This was his punishment for being captured. He would spend the rest of his life being forced to live each day, one to the next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Outside the white room, three cylons watched the man inside.
Leoben leaned against the glass, eyes studying the broken figure in the chair. His fingers traced the outside of the port in thought. "He blames himself for what happened, I think he always will."
"As well he should." Arms crossed, Six leaned back in to the far corner of the observation room. Her red jacket bunched in the sides giving her a larger appearance. "He is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths! No matter what you said, God does not easily forgive such a sin!"
"God, or you, Six?" Moving so the light from the white room shining through the mirror could expose his face, the cylon sneered at the Model Six.
"You have no idea what it is like to lose so many of yourself. The pain of their screams, the final deaths at the hands of those butchers before it was over!" Standing from the wall, she uncrossed her arms and balled her hands. "God will not forgive him this, and neither will I!"
"He already has." Leoben drew their attention back to Lee. "How else do you explain his presence here among us? He would have had to cover too great a distance, his soul would not have survived the journey on his own."
"Perhaps he is right." A small smile crossed her features. "He is here to be punished."
"Then it is up to God, not you, to decide his fate." He ignored the angry tantrum the Model Six put on as she stomped from the room. His own gloved hand reached out to run along Leoben's skin, under his ear. "Take care of him, he will need you for a while yet. The others are busy planning a retaliatory strike and I must make sure we are ready."
A radiant smile graced his face for the other cylon. "He's in good hands, Two, God's hands."
Retracting his hand, the cylon nodded once before leaving the observation room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee knew he was on a ship. He had felt the FTL drive engage once while they thought he was sleeping. They were careful to wait until he was asleep to move the ship, he wasn't quite sure why. The very fact that he had uncovered this information was enough to make it have meaning. Since that moment a week ago, he had been trying to turn this to his advantage.
That was as far as he had gotten.
There was nothing he could do with the knowledge, it was almost worthless. If it wasn't for the fact it helped to center him, Lee would have willfully forgotten it. Besides, it really didn't matter, he had an interrogation to attend.
In the four weeks since his capture by the cylons, Lee had: railed against being captured, tried to fight his way free, demanded to be released, pleaded to be released, accepted there was no escape to Galactica, pleaded to be killed, sunk in to depression enough to will himself to death, and finally, accepted that he was truly alone, all in that order. Now, he was moving on to just surviving this. For the first time since the attack, he was honestly facing the future and it didn't seem so bad any more.
Lee covered his eyes as the flesh colored wall drew back to reveal the brilliance of the corridor beyond. It was the one place that light level was above serene ambiance. By now, he knew exactly when they were going to be coming for him. They being Leoben.
"What kept you?" Moving for the door, he reached out his hand expecting the jumpsuit they usually provided for him. When nothing touched his palm, he raised the hand over his eyes to look at Leoben in confusion. Then he wished he hadn't.
Standing there naked as the man in front of him, Leoben smiled at Lee. "Feeling better, Lee?"
"I would feel a lot better if I had my clothes." He glared at the cylon expectantly. The full body scan he got for this effort made him cover himself self consciously.
"We feel it is time you learned to accept your fellow people as we are meant to exist." He moved aside for Lee to pass him in to the corridor. When Lee refused to budge, he stepped closer to the man. Leoben reached out to slide a hand down Lee's arm until he clutched the hand free from its crotch prison. Leading him by the hand, he dragged a reluctant Lee out of his cell.
He tried to resist the obviously mad cylon's tug, but Leoben was considerably stronger. Walking with one hand cupping himself proved difficult, so, with extreme reluctance, he let go. The immediate smile he got from Leoben made him want to deck the cylon.
"In time you will come to shed your previously ingrained inhibitions, Lee." Leading the pinking man behind him, Leoben journeyed along the now familiar path to the white room. Pausing at the entrance, he once again turned to gaze at Lee's body. "You will learn what it means to be one of us."
"What?" He couldn't believe it. This was it, the evidence that the cylons had indeed completely flipped their lids. "I'm not a cylon!"
"This is going to take a lot of sacrifice and hard work." Inside the white room, Six crossed her arms over her breasts, sighing in distaste that they were unfettered. "However, I still don't see why we have to give up our clothes. I like my clothes. There was no need for me to..."
Holding up his hand silenced her tirade. Leoben gestured for Lee to proceed him. "Clothes are not part of who we are. Our nakedness brings us closer to our true nature, closer to god. This is our natural state, to begin his reassociation with us, we must all make the sacrifice of our vanity."
"So let me get this straight, not only do you want me to believe I am one of you, you also want me to participate in a Cylon Bonding Ceremony?" Staring at them both in complete amazement, Lee walked in to the room. "You are both completely out of your frakking minds."
"And you." Six moved quickly to Lee's side. Dragging him forcefully, she slammed him down in to the chair and strapped him in. "Are a murderer."
Lee winced at her rough treatment of his body. The seat was cold and his balls were making themselves scarce. So far he was already ready to go back to the old style. 'Bring on the needles,' he wished.
Leoben frowned at the actions of his fellow model, but didn't comment. He didn't expect her to forgive the loss of so many so easily, but if her attitude didn't start to improve soon, something would have to be done. They weren't going to fall prey to their emotions like the baser beings that had created them. "Remove his bonds, he isn't going any where today."
Six, who was just about to wrap the belt around his waist so tight it would probably cut circulation off to his lower body, glared over her shoulder at Leoben. "He is a danger to us!"
"No, he isn't." Leoben observed Lee for a while, causing the man to squirm a little. After he had got a rise out of him, the cylon began to circle around the chair. His intentions were made clear the moment his arms came up behind Lee and slid down his chest. Clasping them together, Leoben pressed his cheek to Lee's. "Does this bother you?"
"No." His further shifting belied his words. The warm arms slid further down his chest, pausing over his heart.
Fingering the hair on Lee's chest, Leoben rubbed his stubble covered cheek against Lee's. "How about this? I want you to tell me to stop the moment you become uncomfortable." He pressed on further, using one hand to cup the muscular pec on the left side of Lee's chest. Running his fingers slowly over the skin, he squeezed.
Lee forced himself not to show his discomfort. The fact those fingers held him so intimately was something he was just going to have to live with. Taking a deep breath, he wasn't prepared for the press of moist lips to his throat, and he nearly choked from the resulting gasp. He raised his head to avoid contact with Leoben, but it only seemed to encourage the cylon to proceed further up his jaw line.
At the corner of Lee's jaw bone, Leoben ran his tongue over the sweat slicked skin, causing the man to suddenly grip the arms of his chair. Instead of continuing further, Leoben nuzzled against Lee's cheek. He pressed one last kiss to the skin above Lee's own stubble before letting go completely.
Before Lee could sigh in relief, the cylon had circled round to stand in front of him. Lee felt his gaze drawn down the other's body. The sweat glistening, highlighting the masculine features of his tormentor. When he reached the trail of hair that started at the belly button, he tried to fight his gaze, but lost and continued lower. Despite his best efforts, he not only looked, but he stared at the half aroused cock. The unconscious lick of his lips sent a signal to the cylon.
As Leoben knelt in front of Lee, his hands stretched out and ran up the inner part of the man's thighs. His eyes never once left Lee's face, always watching for any subtle hints. He grinned when their eyes met. Lowering his face, he leaned over and pressed his lips to the skin below Lee's navel.
Staring in rapt fascination, Lee pushed his hips forward until he realized what his actions meant. Restraining himself, he forced his body to straighten up in the chair. He composed his face in to a neutral expression and stared down at the mischievous looking cylon. "What do you want to know?"
Lowering his gaze to Lee's groin, he shrugged. Seeing that the man was willing his own erection away, Leoben sighed. If that was the way the man wanted to play, there was always tomorrow to see how far things could go. "Why do you no longer ask to be released or to be killed?"
"I've accepted that I won't be getting off this ship, no matter what I ask." Apollo hoped his congenial tone would disguise the fact he was close to wrapping his legs around the cylon's neck. What he did after that was another question.
"So, you realize you are on a ship, I guess you've been having trouble sleeping. It's not surprising..." Leoben was cut off when Lee's legs shot out around him. Instead of closing around him like their owner had intended, they flailed.
The last thing Lee saw was Leoben's angered gaze at the cylon choking the life out of him from behind.
Six gave another vicious twist until she was satisfied Lee was out. "You are growing careless, he almost had you there."
"I was aware of his intentions. Did it occur to you that I wanted him to?" Standing up, Leoben pulled Lee in to his arms.
She gave a careless shrug of one shoulder before heading for the door to stand beside her fellow model. They shared a look before walking off down the bright corridor.
Holding the limp man close, Leoben looked down upon his unconscious face. He brought up one hand under Lee's arm to wipe a stray hair off his forehead. After a moment of consideration, he pressed a kiss to Lee's chin. Moving further up the unconscious man's face with each kiss until he reached the ear, he whispered, "never without your permission." Then laid one last gentle kiss on his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Closing the pressure door on his quarters, Admiral Adama took a deep breath to ease the pressure that had been building on his chest since he woke that morning. He lowered his head a moment to clear his thoughts. It was a ritual he had performed every day for the past four weeks. Life aboard the Galactica had gone down hill since then and it had only gotten worse today.
Shaking off the malaise that threatened to bring him down, he moved to his desk. There were reports he needed to review before signing off on them and having Duala file them in the ship's logs. As he sat down, he glanced over to the edge of his desk where Lee sat. He stared at his son for a minute before glancing down at the first report.
It was one by Kara, her final mission report for the Prometheus incident. That was something he wasn't particularly proud of, but the President and he had agreed it was the best course of action. A precedent had to be set for those who sought to control the fleet. Black mail, murder, and stealing weren't going to be tolerated.
He noted Starbuck's use of colorful language to express her displeasure at being the key figure in bringing down the black market with amusement. She hadn't wanted to accept the mission, but she was the one person he could trust above all others to do it. The fact she had been the one ultimately responsible for their end fate was a considerable burden upon his conscious.
Closing the report on the first public executions in the fleet since the fall of the twelve colonies made him glance over to Lee. "We make the decisions for the good of Humanity, for our continued survival." He hadn't expected a response. "The supplies we captured will be distributed in the fleet where they are needed. While I don't condone how they went about it, a system of barter and trade was a good idea. The president agreed with Starbuck that we should encourage an open market for these things; it was too easy for people to be taken advantage of before."
Adama reached across his desk for the decanter sitting next to Lee. Grabbing the bottle, he poured a glass of the golden liquid in to his coffee cup. He raised the mug to Lee in salute. "You should be proud of that president of yours, it takes real guts to stand by your convictions when the public is against them." After a short pause, he grinned at his son. "I must admit that I've grown fond of her myself."
The air in the room seemed to be sucked out in the next thought. Staring at his glass solemnly, Adama began to contemplate the future. "When we almost lost her so shortly after..." The Admiral cleared his throat in discomfort. "The fleet nearly fell in to chaos, Lee. With the death of Cain at the hands of that cylon, and then Roslin ill, it all fell upon me to make them feel secure. I'm ashamed to say I let my feelings reign and I lapsed in my judgement. If not for Kara's assistance... But that is neither here or there."
About to take a drink from the glass, he paused, studied it, then set it down instead. He frowned at the glass, eyes glittering in the lights of his quarters. "I..." Releasing his breath in a deep exhale, Bill Adama gripped the edge of his desk. He quickly glanced up at Lee's half smiling face. In an instant, he slapped the picture off his desk.
Reaching behind him, he turned off the lights around his desk and went to bed.
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In his dreams he hadn't been captured by the cylons.
Lee walked along the decks of the Galactica, trying to make each step echo enough to make this all real. He knew it was a dream, that he wasn't walking here. Even if the lights dimmed a little when he didn't try focusing enough, that was okay, he was here at least. This was the closest to home in his dreams that he could achieve.
He could sense sadness in the way the people around him moved. They were mourning the loss of someone important to them. He wondered if it was him these dream people felt bad about or those he left behind. It didn't matter either way, it was just an illusion.
As he passed by a deck hand from the Pegasus he had met only once, he ran a hand through her hair. He wasn't at all surprised to find his fingers didn't even make an impact as they touched. Though, he could feel her hair in his hands, it was only a shadow of the true texture. Lee hadn't quite gotten good enough in his imagination to make his dreams feel real.
He stared at his fingers in thought. For a moment they wavered and all that remained was air. Then they solidified as his resolve to make this world real grew. This was his time, his dream, he wasn't going to give in and let it just fade away.
And that was when he woke up.
Eyes blinking, he tried to distinguish the shapeless blobs in front of him in to people. This was hardly the first time he had been in such a position. Each time he drifted in to the dreams, they had taken more effort to bring him back. He sincerely hoped that one time they either failed or just got angry enough to shoot him instead of wasting the effort. Finally, he was able to recognize his constant tormenters, all three of them.
Sitting up on the folds of warm, flesh colored material that made up his bunk in the cell, Lee glared at the three cylons in front of him. One was a female he had only met once in his old life. At the time, she was trying to convince them that the then Dr. Gaius Baltar was responcible for the destruction of the colonies. May be if he ever felt up to it, he would ask just how the hell she got off the ship. His current theory: she jumped out an air lock and ended up being resurrected.
His second interrogator was the same one as always, God Boy. He really served to piss Lee off about the whole 'God forgives you' bullshit. Lee didn't need their system glitch's divine forgiveness for being captured. His father was a different matter all together.
The third one was also tied to his father, only she had nearly killed him. Or a version of her. Seems the one Galactica had had in custody was still in processing due to so many cylons dying in the attack and flooding their resurrection tanks. He should really feel something about that, but alas, he couldn't care less.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He narrowed his eyes against the warm glare engulfing the figures from his doorway. The shock that all four of them were naked had worn off yesterday during the nude interrogation. Funny, he couldn't remember what had happened, just that being naked no longer felt like much of a worry.
Moving forward, Leoben settled on the bed next to Lee. He gently reached out and took Lee's hand in his own, settling his other on the man's leg in familiarity. Their fingers laced together without either of them realizing the action. "You are aware that we have been traveling when you are at rest. We discussed the matter yesterday, though I am unsure of how much you remember." At his words, he sent a glare to Six, who ignored him. "Our destination is within one FTL jump and it was decided you should be made aware of this."
"Oh thank you, I feel so special now." Lee winced at the squeeze of his hand. The next moment his attention was distracted by the hand slowly rising higher up his inner thigh. If the cylon was going to squeeze something, he'd much rather it be his hand. "Forgive me, I mean, where are we going?"
If he was aware of his own actions, Leoben gave no hint. Staring the young man directly in the eyes, he gave him the brightest smile possible. "You are going home, the place we all came from."
A sinking feeling filled Lee.
"Caprica."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flanked by the three cylons, Lee was escorted down the white corridor to a large door. The door opened and they stepped in to a dark room. It took a moment for Lee's eyes to adjust, but as soon as they did, he wished he was still blind. They were in another long corridor, only this one was lined on either side by centurions.
Lee's glance darted nervously back and forth to the single eyed drones. He felt only slightly less afraid by the fact they weren't moving. They could still lift their hands at any moment and blow him to hell. There were no illusions in his mind about his circumstances. He was their prisoner and that was all there was too it.
At the end of the darkened corridor lay another door. This one smaller than before. It was just large enough for the tallest of them to walk through. Lee wasn't that one, obviously. Following the leading blonde, he stepped over the threshold in to the large chamber beyond followed by Leoben and the Sharon.
Six headed for a growth of the same red material that made up the ship across the large chamber.
Lee searched about him for something familiar, only finding seemingly faceless cylons along the tiered walls of the room. Each one was sprawled on a circular, diagonal platform. What he could see of the platforms behind their bodies were red lights that moved much the same as the eye of the centurions and cylon fighter. It was to one of these platforms the others were guiding him. He knew nothing good could come from one of these and tried to fight them off.
As he turned to go, several of them awakened on their platforms. Sliding off them, a group of Sixes moved to block his exit, similar stern looks on their faces. Leoben was at his side in the next instant, guiding him by an arm around his waist. "You're not sticking me on one of those things!"
"This is nothing unusual, Lee. We will all be doing this." Forcing the man to walk towards the platform the original Six had already readied, Leoben squeezed his fingers in to the warm skin along Lee's hip. It was supposed to be comforting, the man seeming to need the contact, but he always failed to be. That was a matter for another time, right now, he had to get the man there. "You are simply going to sleep for the final jump."
Lee dug his heels in to the warm deck below him with enough strength to force the cylon to stop. When he had forced the cylon to look at him, Lee spoke through a clenched jaw. "What is the difference now? Why can't I sleep it out in my cell?"
"Do not be ridiculous, the fact that we have let you remain apart for so long was an indulgence for your special circumstances." Having entered the chamber, another Leoben crossed to a section of unfilled platforms. He stared at Lee as he climbed on to his platform and laid back. "We are not in the habit of traveling like the humans. That some of us were awakened during FTL transit is completely unacceptable."
"Time to rejoin the rest and end this disturbance in our routine." Laying back on her own platform, the Sharon closed her eyes. "The rebellion on Caprica has grown out of hand, the more time we waste on coddling you the more of us that die."
Lee could only stare in shock. What they were implying made him sick just to think about. He wasn't going to think about it, not for one second. That's why, when Leoben forced him to move to one of the platforms, he didn't resist this time.
He allowed them to turn him so that the backs of his legs were pressed against the platform. A hand on either shoulder eased him back until he was laying at an angle. Lee could feel the hum of the platform beneath him, the warmth soaking in to his skin. His wide eyes took in the sight of several cylons mirroring his position on their own platforms.
Turning his head to the side, he caught Leoben's attention. "What is going on here?"
The cylon stroked a hand down the side of Lee's face, feeling satisfaction that he succeeded in comforting the man this time by the way Lee moved in to his touch. "We are about to undertake a final FTL jump to Caprica. Ordinary human transports would need another six jumps, but with our technology it can be accomplished in one. These jumps are trying on our models, that is why we rest during them. Now, sleep and let it handle what it was designed to do."
Despite the fact that he was still disturbed by them referring to him as one of their own, Lee could feel himself understanding the sense the cylon's words made. They weren't human, they were manufactured, not born, they had flaws and limits that he didn't have. Still, he decided it was best to humor the crazy machines on this. Nodding in responce, he faced forwards and let his eyes close. To his amazement, he was falling asleep.
Leoben waited until Lee was unconscious before turning on the platform. When he did, Lee's body jumped then went limp. Sharing a look with his other self, he moved off to his own platform and readying himself for jump.
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Walking the decks of Galactica, Admiral Adama watched his people as they went through their routines. Each one was duty bound to keep the old girl up and running, making sure her every need was tended to. He could take comfort in this fact. It made the day bearable.
Beside him limped the Commander of the Pegasus, his cain making it easier for him to move. Commander Tigh was only one week in command and already he had been injured. Fisk being killed last week had left Tigh the senior officer in line for command, a fact both he and Bill had lamented. The attack on the battlestar by the stragglers of the cylon fleet had lead to the mounting of the entirety of the colonial armed forces in hunting them down. Which, in turn, lead to one committing a suicide run at the Pegasus in the end. "You know, Starbuck still swears it was the same one that she gutted before her running off to Caprica for that blasted arrow."
"According to the cylon, it very well could have been." Adama winced in sympathy as Tigh caught his bum leg on the deck grating and had to stop for the pain. "They don't believe in wasting a mind, no matter how insane."
"Frakking cylons, trust them to come up with a reusable suicidal machine." Gritting through the pain, Tigh sniffed. He forced his patched up body to move along the corridor towards the wardroom. They had a meeting to attend and he'd be damned before he let those civilians make comments about him being late.
Bill decided to distract his old friend. "How's the wife taking to the new promotion? I knew she wasn't happy being on the Galactica, I can only imagine what she must be like in the starch of the Pegasus."
"I wouldn't know. The moment she learned we were moving, she packed up and headed for Cloud Nine. I give her another week before I hunt her down and put an end to her revelry." What he didn't say was that he had it on the best authority she was shacked up with Zarek sympathizers at the moment. They had 'rescued' a large portion of the contraband from the Prometheus before the raid by Galactica and she was securing her portion of it for warning them. Of course, the fact that she had him as threat would ensure she got more than what they promised. Gods, he loved that woman, he could practically taste the cigars and ambrosia.
"That's good to hear." A short time later, both the Admiral and Commander were at the door to the wardroom, waiting for the marine to open it. Bill gestured for Tigh to go first. "After you."
"Don't mind if I do." Entering the room, Tigh scanned the gathered crowd of reporters and the political deligates with an air of distaste. He hated civilians who got it in their heads they were better than him because he wore a uniform.
Adama wasn't far behind. His sigh at the sight of so many reporters was hardly anything new. If their presence wasn't absolutely necessary, he would be in CIC along side Tigh. They had other things to do that were more important in his opinion. He looked up at the podium where the current president stood, her gaze only for him, and smiled. That woman made him ache.
After she broke their shared gaze first, he scanned the room for anyone one. He had doubts about someone being able to stand up against her, but had learned never to put something like this to chance. They were about to announce the nominations for the next president of the twelve colonies. So far, no one had come forward to run against her, but that didn't mean one of these people wouldn't. If need be, he had guards at the ready to ensure certain people didn't claim that right.
At the head of the wardroom, Laura raised her hands to draw the attention of the media. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention? Please, quiet down." She waited a polite minute to give them time to settle down before speaking again. "Thank you, as you have guessed, we are here to announce those who have put forth their bid to become president. As the current incumbent, let me be the first to say it. I, Laura Roslin, announce my intentions to run for reelection." She nodded and smiled at the half hearted applause.
More than a few of the people in the room had lost a lucrative share in the black market and held animosity towards her for it. She knew this wouldn't make her well liked among those who considered themselves important, but their votes only counted once. The decision to execute those caught was a tough one that she would have to face now that she made her bid public. On the one hand, she had supported passing laws to protect life even in the womb, and on the other she was taking it from those who already existed. That there was a distinction between the two didn't matter, they would paint her in red as a hypocrite because she pissed them off.
She glanced about the faces of the crowd, trying to gage where her opponent would come from. Laura knew they had chosen someone, someone of political clout. Zarek had been too smug from the moment of his arrival for her to think they were unprepared. When it came, she wasn't in the least bit surprised.
"I, um, would like to announce my intentions as well." Raising his hand, Baltar waved at the cameras. "While I supported many of Madam President's early decisions, her recent actions have proven to me that it is time for a change. You will, of course, forgive my bluntness, ma'am."
"Of course." Laura smiled at him, then shared a glance with Bill. Nodding once, she was glad they were on the same page. She hoped the slimy little bastard enjoyed his moment in the sun, it would be the last for a very long time.
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Coming to himself, Lee blinked drowsily. At first, he was lost to the sensations around him. He slowly began to drift off to sleep once more before someone jolted the surface beneath him. That made his eyes pop open and him to fully awaken. Staring at him from the foot of his platform were four cylons, one of which it took him a moment to recognize. D'Anna Biers. Wouldn't his father love that.
The Three stared at him with an amused expression. When he scowled at her, she cocked her head to the side. "An actual working Two, I had thought their model was lost in the war."
"There are a few who remain." Leoben, who was the one that had touched Lee's platform, stood at the foot of his platform, arms crossed. Not removing his attention from Lee, he continued to speak to the others. "We were on long range explorations. This lost soul was brought to us from the last human fleet."
"I'm not a cylon." But Lee's words fell upon deaf ears as they helped him climb off the platform. Standing on his own two feet, he jerked his arms from their lapse grip. "What now?" He could complain about the entire situation, but being halfway civil with them seemed to earn him less chance of pain.
Three ignored him in favor of turning back to Leoben, Six, and the Sharon. "We are needed on the surface." She turned on heel and walked towards the door.
Leoben stepped to the side, waiting for Lee to proceed him.
Not seeing as he had a choice, Lee walked up the path in the center of the large chamber towards the exit. He wasn't the only one, but most of the chamber's former occupants were already gone. At the door, he had to wait for two Sixes to walk through. Their twin expressions of hatred towards him made him swell a little with pride.
Inside the dark corridor, he found the centurions were missing as well. If the ship were ever attacked, this set up made one hell of a defense for the human form cylons. What surprised him when he came out to the brilliant corridor, there were others, all milling about waiting for something. His question of what was answered in the next moment as a set of large, rectangular doors at the end of the corridor opened.
As one the mass of cylons and Lee moved towards the hole. He glanced about him and smirked at their expressions. Most of them, it seemed, weren't even aware of their surroundings. Lee could be a bomb, he bet, and they wouldn't even bat an eye.
The deck beneath his feet turned from warm red material to cold, wet red material as he crossed the threshold in to what he could see now was a hangar for cylon transports. The heavily armored vehicles lined one side of the chamber which was shaped like the launch vehicles for Vipers. Groups of ten cylons marked off and moved towards their transports until it was Lee's turn.
He hesitated as the next group of cylons headed for their transport, making it his turn to go. The familiar hand on his bare lower back solidified his resolve and he walked towards the next transport in line. The back of the vessel was lowered, awaiting the arrival of the passengers. He climbed in and took a seat along the port side.
Leoben took the seat next to him and strapped them in. As he fastened the safety harness down Lee's chest, Leoben's hand stroked the skin of his abs. Their eyes met for a moment before Lee looked away uncomfortable. His finger tips slid lower, causing Lee to lean his head back against the bulkhead. A throat cleared across from them, making Leoben remove his hand, much to Lee's relief.
"We are ready to go," Three said to their pilot, a Sharon. Turning her attention back to Lee, her smile grew in to an almost grimace. "We are happy to have you back among us once more, Two. Your time among the humans must have left many residual... emotions. It will take time, but we are confidant you will acclimate to us once more."
Lee gave her a patronizing smile. "I'm sure I will." His head bounced off the side of the bulkhead when the ship suddenly launched from the base star.
"Of course, the others are concerned that while you are taking time to heal and adjust, we are losing valuable information on the human fleet. Care to enlighten us a little before we set down?" Her reaction was only to smile brighter to near fanatical at him. "Any information you can give us will be most appreciated."
"I'm not sure what you mean." Swallowing, Lee noticed he was the center of attention.
"What was the name of the vessel that aided the Galactica in murdering our fellow cylons? Who the commanding officer is, what the tactical capabilities of the fleet are? Those kinds of things." By now Three was almost leaning over in her seat, at least as far as the restraints would let her.
Before Lee could respond, Leoben's hand returned to Lee's body, comfortingly wrapping around his waist. "We understand this is difficult for you, your initial programming was deeply implanted. Had we not been needed on Caprica, we could have continued your rehabilitation in peace far from here."
"Hold on, we're getting a message from the base at Ephingenia, they're under attack and we are going in hot!" The Sharon gripped the controls and threw the engines in to full. Upon hitting the upper atmosphere, the transport shook, rattling the passengers.
The look Three sent Lee promised their conversation wasn't over.
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The moment the battle had begun, Samuel Anders knew it was a mistake. His two remaining team mates were on either side of him, guiding their part of the battle now that they had been forced to draw back and regroup. What was supposed to be a poorly defended space port was now turning in to their graves. By his estimation, a third of his initial force were dead and another twenty of the remaining were unable to continue the fight.
One good thing about having to retreat, they had been forced to leave behind the heavy things. Those heavy things consisted of twelve heavy bombs designed to cause entire city blocks to collapse when they impacted, four blue screamers used to take out cities from orbit, and one heavy set of plastic explosives. All bundled together, it would make a sweet parting gift for any cylon in his opinion.
Unfortunately, in his opinion, they were still too close to the blast radius for them to detonate the stock pile. If their rear flank fell before they could clear it, then he would detonate, hit the dirt, and pray it was painless. That's if they failed. He didn't plan on letting that happen. Pulling the firing pin on a grenade on his flack jacket, he tossed the bomb with everything his long career had given him in to the line of centurions blocking their path. The hellish explosion that followed was just what the doctor ordered and cleared their escape.
Another bad thing happened by his estimate. A fleet of cylon transports rained from above to land at the space port. That wasn't bad for him, though, it was bad for the cylons. "Retreat, Delta Tango!" Detonator in hand, he flew as fast as his feet would carry him.
All around him his fellow resistance fighters were moving. A few fell under the remaining centurion's fire at their backs, but they were moving too fast and far apart for them to get a good lock. They weaved through the trees of the forest that made up the southern border of the space port. Night time made their flight harder on them, but he hoped it also made it bad on their pursuers. Of course, that was soon taken care of when he flipped the detonator switch cover and pressed the plunger down.
The following explosion was far larger than he thought. The collapsing trees around him and the shock wave sent him down along with them. He was laughing hard by the time he hit the ground.
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"Oh frak!" Grabbing the controls, the Sharon pulled them back to her as far as they would go. The transport rocked from the rising shock wave, causing part of the internal power relay to explode down upon the passengers. "Come on, baby, you can do it!"
Lee's hand went out to grip the closest thing, Leoben's leg. Holding on tight, he tried to draw comfort from the contact. The ship continued to rock as it was buffeted by the continued explosions. The arm around his waist tightened until they were pressed firmly together. Another blast hit the transport and the back hatch buckled inwards revealing the intense heat outside the transport. As the closest to it, Lee was scalded quickly. He cried out in pain and turned in to Leoben's embrace instinctively.
Just as suddenly as it came the blasts were over. The loudest sounds were the cries of the engines and the roaring of air passing through the holes in the transport. Lee gasped and groaned at the rapid cooling against his red flesh. An arm came up around his head, pressing it to Leoben's chest.
"Shh, it's okay, the explosion is over." Pressing a kiss to Lee's head, Leoben was careful not to touch any of the burns of his charge. His own raw arm stayed wrapped around the skin it had protected from the blast heat.
In her own seat, Three had suffered far worse. Half her face missing, her body slumped in the restraints. The rocking of the ship caused her head to lull to the side and expose the burnt parts.
Lee allowed the comforting touches of the cylon, whom it was coming from no longer bothering him. His good arm circled Leoben to support himself. He tried to sit up in his restraints, but Leoben forced him to remain still against him. After the first try, Lee was too exhausted to try again and let it be.
In the cockpit, the Sharon could see the reflection of her damaged passengers and wiped at her eyes. "I promise you, they'll pay for that."
"They will." Six looked up from the burned body of her fellow model and nodded. Her face stricken, she stroked the dead Six's hair.
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"It has come to my attention that some of you have lost faith completely in this administration. You do not believe that we are equipped to protect you or to see that your needs can be met." Adjusting her glasses, Laura half heartedly smiled at the silence in the small cabin she used as her office on Colonial One. "I can honestly say to you that on certain things, you are absolutely right. We can not promise that you will not die tomorrow, no one can. Some of your needs are just too outrageous to even consider at this time, we can all sympathize, but there isn't a damn thing we can do about it. Space is a precious commodity aboard the fleet, something which some of us take for granted."
There was no response to her statements, the few reporters that had answered her summons were digesting the information. Most of the media staff were on Cloud 9, attending a conference hosted by Zarek in honor of her rival, Gaius Baltar. This didn't please her, but she wasn't entirely shocked either. People were tending their own selfish needs above seeking an honest dialog with the candidates. So be it.
"You want something tangible, proof that I can give you secure leadership, all I can offer is my record to date and hope that is enough. If you can still find fault with me even after reviewing all the data, then I will gladly hear your grievances. In fact, I issue a summons to all who wish to speak with me openly, honestly, and without hostility, to send a message to me that I will answer as quickly as I can." Taking off her glasses, she folded them neatly and set them on the podium. Looking up, she met the eyes of every reporter before speaking again. "Now, what are your questions?"
One of the only four reporters in the room stood up, her microphone out. To say how little the networks viewed this coverage, hers was only a recording device. "Madam President, it has been stated by Colonials that you have not and will not take serious the peace movement made so notorious in recent weeks. I am curious, is there action being taken against these people or are we still at risk from their terrorist acts?"
Pulling down on her suit jacket, Roslin gave what she knew to be a thoughtful expression. In reality, she had a patent explanation for this memorized. "We do take serious any threat our citizens pose against the common good of the colonial fleet. We can not know the political affiliation and thoughts of everyone in the fleet, other wise there would be no problem. I trust Admiral Adama and his forces to handle the situations as they arise until such time that people learn that killing each other over the cylons is not the solution."
"Madam President, what about the allegations that there is a living cylon aboard the Galactica? We hear that not only are they keeping one prisoner, but that it has, in fact, been impregnated by one of the crew." D'Anna smiled at the stern look Laura sent her. "What are the intentions of the Military and Government towards this cylon and her lover? Do you intend to let this pregnancy to go forward? Will the crewman be brought up on charges of sedition for sleeping with the enemy?"
"You know I can neither confirm or deny these allegations. If there are secrets being kept, they are being done so for a good reason. You will simply have to trust that we know what we are doing." And that set the timer off in her head, two more questions and then she would end this.
"Madam President..." The third reporter was cut off as D'Anna stepped in front of him.
"Excuse me, but I wasn't finished. Madam President, would the reason you are keeping such dangerous secrets be because you believe there are cylons still among the fleet?" That earned her a full on glare and made D'Anna twitch in amusement.
"That is a distinct possibility. If there were cylons still among us, then you wouldn't want such information to fall in their hands now, would you? However, I am not admitting that there are, just taking the precaution." Unbuttoning her suit jacket, she leaned on the podium to present a more forceful approach. "Make no mistake, what we do is for the good of us all, my main concern is the safety of humanity and continued welfare of our species. No matter what is said about me, know that my opponent is also involved in these decisions. I do not act alone, so do not believe for one second that he will be any more forth coming. Now, I have time for one more question and then we will move on to refreshments."
"I have a two part question, Madam President." Raising her hand, the woman beside D'Anna shoved the cylon reporter out of her way. "What are the chances that we will reach Earth, and if we do, will we be safe there from the cylons?"
Again, Laura paused, this time to really consider the question. "That is a good one, a fair question with a tough answer." Swallowing, she knew this would be one for the news in the morning, probably not even make the first segment, but still important. "The chances of us reaching Earth at this time are slim, but not impossible. With the help of the military, we have a general location of where Earth might be, but we are still a great deal way off. It is our hope, that once we reach Earth, that the cylons will be too far gone to find us. However, if they do, we are prepared to stand and fight." Giving the woman a hopeful look, she tried to convey strength to her.
"What if we find Earth, and the cylons are already there like with Kobol?" D'Anna couldn't have picked a better question if she had a million years to plan. Triumph settled on her so gracefully, she felt born to it. Or created, as the case may be.
"Then it's simple, we will kill them all."
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Slipping away from the crowd, Gaius found it a little easier to be alone now that Zarek was doing what he did best, grand standing for the press. He had caught sight of someone he wanted to talk to in the crowd. It was dangerous for her to be here and he wanted her to know how much it meant to him that she took the risk. Holding the wine fluke, his gaze darted about for any hint of her.
Finally catching sight of his target, he zeroed in on her through the flora and fauna that made up the main entrance of Cloud 9. He put out a hand to rest upon her shoulder, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "This entire experience is worth it just to have your presence here. Will you do me the favor of a moment of your company?"
"You know better than to sneak up on me, Gaius, I could snap your neck without a second thought." Gina shivered at the proximity of the man behind her. Turning so she could keep him in sight, she smiled at a passing couple. "Do not think I am here for you, this is an important meeting for my movement."
"No, I suppose not." He switched tactics from seductive to cynical. "What is so special about my rally that cylon sympathizers would find it fascinating? Hmm?"
"Don't do this, Gaius, not here." Breaking away from him, she sent him a warning look.
"Do what, my dear, I have absolutely no clue what you are talking about." Sipping his drink, Baltar sneered in to his glass. This was always the way of the cylon woman, she ran hot and cold so fast it put him on edge. He hated being out side, it made things dangerous for him. "Don't worry your pretty little head, I would never dream of exposing you, Six."
"Don't be an ass, Gaius." Tugging on his collar, his personal Harpy slid her arms over Baltar's shoulders. "Leave her alone before you get in too deep."
"Oh, but I enjoy being in deep, you remember how much you loved it as well." He grimaced as her fingers tightened in his collar, choking him. "Do you mind, I have other important things to attend. These people are here for me, after all."
"Just remember, Gaius, she isn't the only one it would take a few words in the right ear to have sucked out an air lock. From what I hear, it won't take much more for your Madam President to order it these days." With that, Six was gone from him.
Clearing his throat, he felt a little tickle in his larynx. Finishing off his wine, he set off to find a steward to get another glass.
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Standing outside her cell, Admiral Adama watched Sharon sleep within. He stood conflicted on her situation. There were so many ways this could all come back and bite him in the ass if he made the wrong move. On the one hand, he believed that her mere existence in the fleet constituted a danger to them all, but on the other, she could be the only thing stopping the cylons from sending everything they had at them. It was a very dangerous situation to misjudge.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Coming out from the shadows to stand beside Adama, Helo crossed his arms over his chest. At the Admiral's questioning look, he shrugged and smiled. "Well, not her, not for you, but the idea of it all. Life begetting life. My child growing in the woman I love, it's very beautiful to me, sir. I imagine it was once much the same for you."
Adama watched him for a while before grunting in reply. Turning his attention once more to the cylon, he breathed deeply. "What she is, I can not say. I suppose, in an abstract, it is beautiful. But the mere thought of her existence sickens me more than anything else."
"I understand." Helo swallowed his discomfort at the situation to continue on. He needed to get this out there. "But, I don't really have a choice in this. I still find myself questioning what happened, what is happening, what will happen and frankly, sir, it scares the shit out of me."
"There is that too." Adama nodded. It just seemed like the best way to respond to the admission. He knew this conversation was not going to get any easier and let the silence rest between them.
"I have a question." He waited until Adama looked his way before speaking it. "What would you do, sir, if it was your child? What would you have done if it turned out one of your sons was a cylon?" Helo stepped back at the anger radiating from the Admiral. "Just a question, sir, nothing meant by it."
"I know that," Adama snapped. The mere thought caused many emotions to well up in him he wasn't yet prepared to deal with. Having so recently lost Lee, it just wasn't the right time. After five minutes had passed, he bit out through clenched teeth, "there is no answer to that, Lieutenant."
"Aye, sir." Helo breathed a sigh of relief as the situation passed.
When the tension became too much for him, Adama shifted and turned for the exit hatch. "Good night, Lieutenant."
"Good night, sir." Helo watched him go with regret. The old man had been his favored CO at one time. But that time had passed. Movement in the cell startled him. Walking over to the comm, he picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. "Sharon?"
Sharon put the receiver to her ear. "Don't you ever push him like that again, Helo." With that she let the receiver drop and walked back to her bench and lowered her bulk down carefully.
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The cry of birds awoke him. He was on the beach and he could swear he heard gulls in the distance, but that didn't make sense. There hadn't been any birds since the war. It took Anders a minute to realize it was the calls of his people. They were searching each other out, looking to regroup and find survivors.
He tried to call out to them, but a stabbing cramp in his side caused his breath to hitch. Rolling over, he cried out in pain and held the tender flesh. A large set of wood splinters were buried just beneath the skin of his left side. He knew it must have been when one of the trees exploded around him before blacking out.
Pulling out the knife in his boot, he set it against the skin and dragged it over the imbedded wood fiber. The piece of wood slid out in a thin push of blood. His breathing started to pick up in anticipation of the next cut and he had to force himself to calm before making the next cut. This one was deeper and the blade wasn't sharp enough to make it clean. The cut went deep and he knew it would require suturing.
Finally getting enough air in his lungs, he screamed over the next cut, but kept on until the flesh was parted enough to remove the wood splinter. Once he pried the flesh apart and the wood splinter from it, he stopped to rest and wipe the tears from his eyes. When he could focus clearly, he saw there were still three more splinters in his side.
He didn't want to do it, cutting hurt too much, but it had to be done. Anders had no idea how long he had been unconscious and infection could already be setting in. He had to get them out.
Bracing himself for the pain, he made the next three slices in quick succession. After they had been made, he grabbed the ends that were still poking out of his flesh and stripped them from the wound. It was sloppy and would expose more of the wound, but he wanted it done and over with. After the last was removed, he laid back against the stump beside him and vocally cried from the aching.
By the time the sobs had ceased in to whimpers, he heard his people coming his way. At least he hoped they were his people. If they were cylons, he would do them the favor and jam the damned bloody knife in his chest and get it over with. A calming hand on his shoulder made him look up in to the familiar eyes of his team mate, Dresden. "Paul, thank the gods. How many made it?"
"So far the count is fourty-two. Fourty-three with you." Patting his leader on the back, Paul leaned down to sit next to him. "Rest easy. If your screams didn't bring the cylons down on our heads, I'd say it's a safe bet they won't be coming. At least not for a while."
"He's right." Coming around the stump to stand in front of them, a woman with a large pistol in hand glanced about them. "The radiation from the blast will knock out dradis and their systems for at least two hundred clicks in every direction. If they come, it will be on foot and that will take days. Our best bet is to move South as soon as everyone is able."
Smirking at the woman, Anders glanced over at his friend. "You heard the woman. Go tell the others. We move in one hour, survivors or not."
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