BY YOUR COMMAND - Static ARCHIVE

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9

Caiari Moonfall. Day 5.
Morning.

Orion had four sunrises. Each of them taking place unsynchronized.

The first sunrise began dawning just after midnight.
It was the rise of the blue sun, its shimmer being what the legend had
refered to as dark light.

Oreia was the second to arise. At the twilight-time of unconsciousness,
Oreia was the one to awake the wind, to paint the world in violet mystery.

The third sunrise was the brightest. At six a.m. was the moment to keep
one's eyes closed. To let the warmth of a new morning enter the dreams and
your being. To feel all scents and sounds of earliness.
At six a.m. was the moment to believe in something that the fourth sunrise
would soon conceal.

Ora'a was the one you barely noticed. It never conquered the morning sky
like the three earlier suns. Its rise was not a change from the night. Ora'a
was the intesification of colours.

This, of course, was something that Apollo and Starbuck had no idea about
while walking in this enchating forest of snow-covered trees, ice-flowers
and crisp winter wind.

Having landed the Scorpion approximately centar and a half ago and with all
that hassle going on, neither Apollo nor Starbuck had had quite enough time
to take a look at the 'Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy'.
But if they had, they would've found out that the five planets forming the
domain of Du'yraan, the stuff mentioned in the compilations of P.F.Williard
which Apollo had started to read on the library ship in chapter 4 before
Aeon had interrupted him, were actually not planets at all but the four suns
mentioned above.
P.F. Williard had made many mistakes in his book. Thank sagan you don't have
to read that book right now.

Anyway.
The landing on the planet Orion had been a surprisingly painless procedure.

The sprinklers had succeeded in putting out most of the fire without any
trouble.
The awaken ones that were still alive and who had found found their way to
the launching bay had been few, and quite frankly, not very bothered by Aeon
and the others.
Once the ship was down, securely parked and the seatbelt lights having
blinked off, those awaken ones (apart from Cree and the Dimstar's gang) had
rushed off to their bright eternal future on the Orion, never to be seen
again.
Amongst them were Terence Stanton, Japhet Vincente and corporal Pimsy
Storke, to mention just a few.

Lomas and Astral had been picked up by a blue team shuttle as soon as the
Scorpion had landed.
Boomer had pointed out that his duty shift had definitely ended and climbed
into his viper to fly back to the Galactica for a big, enjoyable breakfast
and a hot turbowash.

Dimstar, Nicael and Oscar had been picked up by Giles' shuttle and taken to
doctor Wilker for an examination. A voluntary one, of course.
Not wanting to stay away from Lomas, Cree had gone to the Galactica to be
examined with Dimstar and the others.

Aeon had appeared into the doorway of the bridge soon after landing, wanting
to thank Apollo and the others for a successful ending to this idiotic story
and to say goodbye.
Yes, Aeon had wanted to tell them that he had come to a conclusion that he
now had no place amongst the colonials and that he would have to stay behind
on the planet Orion once the ships were ready to depart again.

Apollo's hair had risen towards the ceiling when he had heard Aeon's words.
There was no way in frack would he be able to let Aeon go.
Desperately he had been trying to come up with a normal, non-fishy reason
for Aeon to stay when he had gotten this ludicrous call from Adama…
* * *
"Your father is crazy!" Starbuck kicked a lump of snow. "That's the only
explanation why he has insisted on coming down to this damn place when he
very well knows what a disaster this could all turn out to be…I mean, the
awakers and all. What if those damn beings spot us…"

Apollo glanced at Adama, who was walking four metrons ahead of the rest of
them, anxious to find… well… whatever there was to find.
Starbuck was damn right, damn it. This was a huge mistake. Not only were
they taking a big chance with the awakers but if someone happened to die
while they were here…
Frack!

They had been walking for a centar or so, Starbuck, Apollo, Adama and Aeon.
All men mainly quiet, lost in their own thoughts, and definitely not wanting
to be there in the forest.
Not even Aeon, who had sort of unwillingly volunteered, saying that he would
have no other place to go anyway.

Apollo had been exhilarated about Aeon coming along, feeling guilty as hell
for feeling that way and hoping to sagans that Starbuck wasn't noticing…

The forest was beautiful. Snow glistening in the light of the fourth sun.
Occasional, distant birdsong accompanying the whisper of the wind.
Silver-coloured squirrels in their winter-fur rushing past, carrying cones,
soon disappearing up tree trunks.

Anywhere else it would've been a perfect winter's day.
Not on planet Orion.

Starbuck's toes were cold. He should've put on his boggit-fur boots and the
snow gear they had worn on planet Kalpa. Why for frack's sake weren't they
wearing the snow gear now. This was ridiculous! Ploughing through snow in
pilot uniforms and mere earflaps. Thank sagans it wasn't as cold here as it
had been on planet Kalba. The temperature on Orion was only a couple of
cekrans below zero. Very pleasant in fact, if one happened to like such
things.
Starbuck didn't.

It had started to snow. Suddenly there were fluffy flakes everywhere,
remaining on the hair and eyelashes.
Starbuck moved closer to Apollo and took a hold of his hand.
"Wanna make angels in the snow, dear." Starbuck grinned. Apollo's face
turned to a smile too as he glanced at the man beside him. Starbuck looked
funny with snowflakes on his lashes. "We can make those on the way back."
Apollo squeezed Starbuck's hand. "Right now I'd rather make snowballs in
case we run into something that we need to defend ourselves from."
Starbuck laughed.

"Look! What's that glow behind the trees?!" Adama turned while pointing
towards a clump of pine trees. "Look!"
There indeed was a glow.
The four men stopped.

"Looks like we've got company." Apollo furrowed his brows. "To me that looks
like a camp-fire."
"Who in heavens could possibly be crazy enough to go camping in this kind of
weather…" Starbuck rolled his eyes.
"Why don't we go and find out." Adama's face was unexpressionless and
commander-like but his eyes were shining excitedly. "It might be someone who
can tell us about the legend of the human race…"
"…Then again it might be something with an appetite for people like us."
Starbuck mumbled.
"I don't think I quite want to end my life in a barbecue…"
"Let's at least move a little closer so we can see something." Adama was
already on his way towards the pine trees.
Very reluctantly Apollo and the others went after him. Aeon was the last to
follow.

Quietly Adama crept as close to the trees as he dared. The glow from the
camp fire had made his face alive with moving shadows.

Careful not to make the snow rustle, Apollo crept to his father's side…

Indeed, there was a camp fire.
There was also an old man with a grey beard and a lizards tail, holding a
stick in his hands and there was something that looked like a sausage tucked
into the end of that stick.

The old man turned and waved.
"Hi ya fellas!" He grinned revealing a row of yellow teeth. "Why don't you
come and join me instead of squatting in the bushes. I sure could use some
company after all these centuries…"

Feeling ridiculous like busted children, Apollo and the others stood up
behind the pine trees and walked to the weird old man by the fire.

"It's been quite a while since I've seen anyone else but me." The old timer
beamed. "Here, take a sausage each and sit down. Tell me what brings to this
desolate place…"

* * *

After having landed on the Galactica, Dimstar, Nicael, Oscar and Cree were
taken to the life center where doctor Wilker and the android doctor Salik
had already been expecting them, disinfecting the means of medical
examination when the boys walked in.
Doctor Wilker turned.
"Welcome, gentlemen." He smiled. "Why don't you take off your tunics and
boots. You will shortly be given a little decom injection to rule out any
possibility of gamma infection…"

Oscar had noticed the android doctor Salik the moment they had stepped in
and was now staring at the guy, intrigued.
"Hey I didn't know you survived the fire." Oscar grinned. "You live around
here or…"
"What??" Wilker almost dropped one of the syringes he was disinfecting.
"Not you." Oscar frowned and pointed at Salik. "I saw him in the gathering.
Is he here to be examined too? He has a nice pair of…"
"Oh!" A sudden comprehending grin spread on Wilker's face as he realized
what Oscar was talking about.
"Salik was one of you!??!" Wilker's grin turned a little melancholically as
he started reminiscing the good old days. "Damn shame I didn't have a chance
to catch up with him. I still miss my that old daggit."
Oscar stared at Wilker.
"What do you mean you didn't have a chance to catch up with him? He's right
there beside you…"
Wilker laughed. "No, my dear boy. This gorgeous guy here is a drone. Built
from mainly dixterion-particles and sencaton. Pretty, isn't he…"
"What are you going to do with us doctor?" Nicael cut in, uninterested in
the drone fegercarb.
"I don't quite know."Wilker smiled at the bleached mop of hair. "I haven't
quite come across a situation like this before. Examining dead people that
are alive… But I'm hoping to find a cure of some kind and bring you back to
being alive without death... Now please, why don't you take off your tunics.
I'll be back in a centon…"
Dimstar watched Doctor Wilker walking to the door and disappearing from the
life center.
"Think about it guys! We might be able to become normal again!"
"Well, how about that." Nicael mumbled.
Cree wasn't listening to what the others were speaking. His eyes kept
lingering to Lomas who was sitting by Astral's bed in the next sector of the
sick bay, holding the blond man's hand and gently caressing it.

Astral had gotten a couple of 2nd degree burns, plus he had had to be put
through the DRD-system to clear the remaining smoke from his lungs.

Astral turned his eyes away from Cree and met Lomas' gaze.

"He's looking at you." Astral said softly.
Lomas didn't answer.

God it hurt Lomas seeing Astral lying there injured. He would've done
anything at all to be able to take Astral's place.
"How are you feeling, angel." Lomas lifted Astral hand to his lips and
kissed it.
"Kind of like after being barbecued." Astral grinned. "But I'll survive, I
think."
Lomas smiled.
He let go of Astral's hand and gently touched Astral's face, softly
caressing his cheek, all the while staring into those green jewel eyes.
"So much has happened…" Lomas whispered quietly.
Astral laughed.
"To put it mildly, yes."
Lomas smiled.
"…But the thing that makes my heart shine like a sun is that…"
Astral's eyes were on Lomas, waiting for the man to continue.
Lomas took Astral's hands again.
"… I have realized that I truly am cured." Lomas' eyes were now like two
stars. "When I saw Cree the first time two days ago, I thought that all the
fear and hatred were still a part of me, I was so devastated because I
believed that I would never be free from the dark rivers of my mind…"
Lomas squeezed Astral's hands harder.
"…God, you couldn't even begin to know how it was tearing me apart to be
slowly drowning in the darkness of perhaps never being able to share my
world with you…"
Lomas closed his eyes.
"I would have rather died."

Astral swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.
"Please stop saying such things."

"…But when I realized that it wasn't me who was created the world of visions
around myself to escape the things inside…That the things were in fact
real…"
Lomas' eyes were now open, gazing so intensely into Astral's that Astral had
to look away.
"I really have changed…" A beautiful smile lingered to Lomas' face. "I
really am free… I'm just like everyone else…"

Suddenly Lomas arose from the bedside and knealt beside Astral, still
holding the man's hands in his own.
Oh god! Astral's heart took a leap, fearing the worst.

"My angel…" Lomas' pale eyes were on Astral. "You are the only thing that I
am living for…"
Astral was wishing the ground beneath him would open up and swallow him.
Lomas was squeezing his hands so hard it hurt.
"…"Will you get sealed to me?"
Lomas paused, holding his breath. A total silence cascaded.

Astral felt his hair raising towards the ceiling, especially when he
realized the word that his lips were going to form.
Astral closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Yes." He whispered. "yes, I will get sealed to you Lomas. I will be yours
forever and ever…"
"Don't tell me you believe in that felgercarb…" The old man grinned, once
again revealing that row of ugly, yellow teeth.
He had just heard Adama's description about the legend of Orion and what
adventures the colonials had gone through since having entered the system
Du'yraan.
Starbuck hadn't been able to stop staring at the man's blank white eyes from
the moment they had sat down beside the fire.

"… Don't tell me you believe that shit about us being sagans and all…" The
man croaked with laughter.
"Us… You mean, You?…" Apollo was sure he had heard wrong.
"Sure." The old man smirked. "I'm one of those so-called awakers. I can't
believe you've actually swallowed all that felgercarb…"
Apollo stared at the man feeling unreal like Alice when having suddenly
wondered to wonderland.
"But… err… we actually experienced the things that were described in that
legend…"
"Oh sure." The man grinned. "It's not all total bulshit. But if you believe
that the legend actually holds any true meaning these days, you guys will be
in for a huge disappointment. The stuff is all out of date big time…"
"Hold on a centon…" Apollo was getting more and more confused. "How can it
be out-of-date-felgercarb if we have just witnessed people coming back from
death and you are sittin here in front of us, claiming to actually be one of
the awakers…"
"I hate that name." The old man frowned. "Why don't you call me Lutherus. It
sounds less pompous."
"Where did you get that lizard's tail, Lutherus?" Starbuck couldn't hide his
curiosity any longer. Apollo frowned and gave his blond, painfuly unthinking
lover a warning glare.
Starbuck ignored it.
"This old thing?" The man grinned at glanced at his tail. "Oh, it's such a
long story. I don't think you want to hear it. It all begins on a distant,
shiny planet called Earth…"

* * *

The chamber of Orion was now a silent, blackened reminder of the disaster
that had taken place in there a little earlier.
Burned out bodies were laying everywhere, the stench of death was starting
to slowly fade.

A figure of a man moved.
He moaned as he sat up, wiped the soot and dust off his clothes and then
sighed as he brought his hands to his face.
He had no face. It had been distroyed by the fire.
He had no hair, there wasn't even any skin left.

One of the man's eyesballs had exploded in the heat, there was merely a
socket left, the fundus torn and blankened.
Commander Akhael had turned out like a monster.
He didn't give a shit.

Stepping on fragile, burnt remains of what used to be people, Akhael walked
out of the chamber, his footsteps making a sound like walking on broken
glass.

The corridor outside looked equally as depressing.
Melted metal had solidified on the walls and the ceiling like thick liquid
had turned to ice.
The only difference was that outside, in the corridor, there were no bodies.
At least, not very many.

Not remaining there to enjoy the view, sire Akhael… or rather, what was left
of him… grabbed the handle of the fire exit, opened the door and started
heading down the hallway to the launching bay, not noticing that he was
being followed by just as equally burned sire Uri.

Uri had been circling the corridors for a while now, trying to find his way
out of the damn place or bump into someone who could tell him what the frack
had happened and point the way to the right direction.

Uri had began to believe he was the only one alive in the whole world until
he had spotted something that had vaguely looked like sire Akhael
disappearing through the fire exit doorway.

Glad to have spotted some company, Uri had hurried after him.

* * *

Adama had to use all this willpower not to dash to his feet and dive towards
the old man to take a hold of his collar and shake him.
Adama swallowed. "Excuse me, but… Did you say Earth?"
"Yep. That's the place." The old man – Lutherus grinned. "Nice planet. Such
a shame what happened to it…"
This time it was Apollo who had to remind himself to stay calm. "Err… So,
what happened?"
"As I said. It's a long story, you don't wanna hear it…"
Adama's face turned purple.
"…But on the other hand…" Lutherus smiled. "…What's the rush. We've got fire
and sausages, we've got good company… Yes. I might as well tell you how it
all began…"

* * *

"Commander!" Uri shouted startling sire Akhael.
The commander turned.

"Sire. What an intriguing surprise." Akhael smiled with the burned remains
of what used to be his lips. "Going my way perhaps?…"
"I'm going whatever way takes me out of this place." Uri reached Akhael's
side. "I'm sorry that I missed the gathering but something unexpected came
up."
Akhael eyed around the burned hallway and grinned sarcastically. "Yes.
Something certainly did."
"Not the fire." Uri hurried to correct. "I wasn't talking about that…"
"Whatever it was, it doesn't matter now." Akhael turned to go. "Besides, you
didn't miss a thing…"
"What are we going to do now?" Uri followed Akhael, having to hasten his
steps to catch up with the commander again. "Are we still proceeding with
the original plan?"
"And what was that?" Akhael was stroding forward without taking a moment to
glance at Uri.
"Well, the legend of course." Uri's eyes were surprised that Akhael didn't
realize that. "Isn't that why we're here?"
"I don't know about you…" Akhael finally turned and looked at Uri. "…But I'm
on my way to fulfill what I started."
"You're actually going to find the awakers?" Uri's voice rose an octave.
"Mind if I come with you? I've been looking forward to meeting those dudes
since the moment I died the first time."
"I don't care." Akhael replied absently. "Do whatever you want to."

Together, the two burned men headed down the hallway.
A mild smell of destructed human flesh lingered after them…

* * *

Apollo, Starbuck, Aeon and Adama stared dumbfounded at Lutherus as the old
man took his sausage off the stick, sniffed it and then figured it wasn't
quite done yet so he put it back and continued barbecueing it.
Lutherus looked up and met the disbelieving gaze oh the three men.
"I like my sausages hot." Lutherus smiled. "An old habit…"
"Really." Starbuck had made up his mind. The old man was crazy as mr
Loopyloo from Loonyland.
"Yes, old habits die hard…" Adama knew he had to appear polite even though
he sure as frack wasn't feeling that way. "…But why don't you begin your
story Lutherus. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we would very
much like to hear it…"
"Yes." Lutherus replied absently. "My story…"

He shifted his position, his eyes gazing at the fire, his mind travelling
way, way back to a galaxy far, far away…

A long, long time ago, a race was born. A human race.

No one knows how this race actually came to be, but the first place the race
has been documented on having been seen was a place called Earth. A planet
of most charming nature. A planet of peace and advanced technology.

Yes, all those uncountable, uncomprehendible time units ago, the human race
was the race that had the most advanced technology in the universe.
The humans had weapons that never killed anyone, they were able to broadcast
live theatre performances all over the universe, their satellites were made
of recycled garbage and that same garbage was also used over and over again
as food. Believe it or not, it actually tasted delicious!
The humans had the best rockets, the best turbocycles and the best space
ships in the world and they made voyages all over the universe to spread the
word of peace and love.
Then came the dinosaurs.
Those disgraceful animals that were originally born from the fish, developed
into ground-stalking carnivores and started terrorizing the humans.

Raping both men and women, eating their children, enslaving the young ones
and simply acting like the later-to-be roman emperors, who in fact happen to
be descendants of the ones who had been raped by those dinos, the dinosaurs'
aim was to wipe the human race completely off of the map.
Why? No one knows. There used to speculations that the dinosaurs were
jealous of the way the humans looked but

Anyway. In the middle of all that distruction, a few people succeeded in
escaping in ships and those people headed towards the unknown to find a new
place to live…"
"I'm getting very tired of hearing that." Starbuck mumbled.
Apollo kicked him in the shin.

"The dinosaurs weren't exactly lucky themselves…" Lutherus continued. "A
couple of meteors the size of the himalayas (Don't ask.) wiped those lizards
off the face of the Earth and for a little while, the planet was conquered
by snow and ice.
Then came the monkeys but that's another story and might be told some time
else. And then again it might not."

Lutherus took a little breather.
His eyes moved from Apollo to Starbuck, then lingered for a little while on
Aeon before finally moving to Adama.
Suddenly his eyes shot back to Aeon.

"Well, I'll be damned." The old man's brows arose. "It's you!"
"Who's who?" Adama missed the plot for a micron.
"The chosen one…" Apollo mumbled hastily. "I'll explain later…"
"Yes." Aeon smiled. "That part of the legend wasn't felgercarb."
"You sure are a sight for sore eyes, lad." Lutherus commented. "And all my
life I've thought that the picture of the chosen one was just some poor
man's fantasy…"
"Who painted the picture?" Starbuck asked, curious.
"No one." Aeon glanced at Starbuck. "It has always existed."
"This sure is a day for surprises." Lutherus' smile was wide. "Not only do I
find company after having spent a ridiculous amount of milleniums alone but
one of them actually turns out to be the chosen one…" Lutherus paused and
winked. "… Whatever that means…"
Lutherus continued gazing Aeon for a while without saying anything.
Then he took a deep breath, changed his sitting position for a more
comfortable one for to his tail was starting to get numb and continued with
the telling of with the story.

So, the humans were now refugees, searching for a place to call home.

Unpredictably soon after having left Earth, the humans arrived on a white
planet they had never before heard of, although having travelled all over
the universe.
That white planet was Orion.

* * *

"Wait for me!" Uri whined from a couple of metrons behind. "My toes are
freezing! I have snow in my boots! What are we doing in this damn forest
anyway? I thought you had a plan…"
"I do have a plan." Akhael didn't bother to slow down. "I'm planning to find
the awakers."
"How can you be sure you can recognize them?" Uri glared at the snow and the
trees around him. He hated this forest. "I mean, how do know what they look
like? They could be four-dimensional for sagan's sake and invisible to us,
or what did I hear about them being actually sagans! How can you see or talk
to a sagan…"
"Cut the crap Uri." Akhael was getting pissed.
"Why do want to see the awakers?" Uri determinedly kept ploughing through
the snow. "What do we need them for. We already are eternal…" Uri paused.
"…Aren't we?"
It was starting to snow harder.
Uri noticed that Akhael wasn't paying any attention to him any more so he
fell quiet.
The forest became the sound of windy whispers…

* * *

"By the way, you don't happen to have any whisky with you, do you."
Lutherus' eyes lingered from one man to another. "I kind of miss that
poison…"
"What?" Starbuck stared at mister Loopyloo.
"Whisky." Lutherus smiled. "It's sort of a drink that curls up your
toenails. We used to have quite a bit of that stuff back in the good old
days…"
"No, but we have ambrosa stocked somewhere on the Rising Star…" Starbuck
raised one eyebrow. "That's also the kind of stuff that curls up your
toenails if it's old enough."
"Sounds like wine." Lutherus grimaced. "I never quite got the taste of that
grapy thing. I'm more of a hard stuff kinda guy."
"Would you both please stop using that 'kind of' phrase." Adama frowned.
"And I don't mean to be impolite but my butt is kinda starting to freeze
here…"
"I'm sorry." Lutherus smiled apologetically. "I've been living on this
planet for so long I sort of took granted that your butts are as used to the
cold as mine."
"Please go on with the story." Apollo almost begged.
"Yes, yes. Of course." Lutherus remembered. "Where was I?"
"The humans landed on planet Orion." Starbuck reminded.
Oh yes indeed." Lutherus remembered. "This Orion planet sure was a funny
place."
"How?" Starbuck's head was beginning to ache again.
"You see… for quite some time before the humans arrived, the planet of
winter as Orion was then called, had been merely an infrequent stopping
point for outlaws and occasional miners trying their luck in searching for
gold.
Then, when the humans came, everything changed.
But not immediately, of course."

Not suspecting anything unusual about the place, the few humans that had
survived the dinosaurs settled on the planet and lived there peacefully for
a couple of dozen yahrens fairly isolated from the rest of the universe.

Having however lost all their assets when forced to flee from the dinosaurs,
the humans were soon beginning to discover that their lives were changing,
they were gradually sliding into the awaiting jaw of poverty.
Unable to built new starships due to lacking the needed material, the humans
watched helplessly as their old ships kept deteriorating to the point of
unusuability, their little houses starting to fall apart and food soon
becoming a constant worry since they now couldn't afford to buy it from any
other planet.

In the end, having even lost the few means of communication they had still
had left, the human communities became loners of the star world, completely
cut off from the rest of the universe.
To put it in layman terms: They fell in deep fegercarb.

Not having any other choice left if wanting to survive, the strong ones in
the families were forced to leave their loved ones behind and travel up
north to go and work in ancient, abandoned mines that later became known as
the mines of midland, in the hope that they might find gold.

They didn't. They found black silver instead. The most prescious metal in
the universe.

Once again things changed.
The incredible riches of Orion became known all over star systems and soon
travellers, gamblers, traders, hustlers, dekar dealers, pirates… you name
it… had found their way to that distant planet.

Ones to arrive were Kahikians. Green, scaly covered, greedy beings that
declaired a war with the humans, killing most of them.

That was the very point in time when the dark secret of the Orion was
discovered.
One could not die.

"The awakers." Starbuck whispered to Apollo. "I was wondering when he'd get
to that."
"Actually…" Lutherus' eyes turned to Starbuck. "The awakers have absolutely
nothing to do with that stuff. It's all the doings of the planet. The
awakers just… well… I'll get to that. There are a few things I have to tell
first so you'll understand those so-called awakers a little better."

Adama swifted to a better sitting position and urged Lutherus to go on with
the legend.
And so he did.

When the Kahikians realized they couldn't kill the humans, a gleam of sadism
arose into their eyes and they came up with an even better idea to use
people.

So… All humans were gathered together.
The ones having still been normally alive at this point were killed, awaited
to return and then clustered together with the previously returned ones to
be taken to the mines of midland and Avert'os.
This all happened eternities ago. I won't even try to describe the terms of
duration to you. You couldn't possibly understand.

"Why for frack's sake didn't those people revolt against those frogs,
whatever they were called. If I had been there I would've…"
"Be quiet Starbuck." Adama warned.
Lutherus smiled. "What you don't realize, Starbuck… You mind if I call you
by your name?"
"Err, No…"
"Great." Lutherus kept smiling. "So, Starbuck. What you seem to forget is
that these people that got killed in the domain of Du'yraan and came back
from death were not alike they had been before.
Death changes a man."
"Really?" Starbuck snorted.
"You see…" Lutherus ignored the snort. "…the existence on the other side is
pure chaos and once you are exposed to disorder of the way the entirety of
everything is, it leaves its mayhem in you.
If you come back, you cannot comprehend the world of this side any longer.
One is never supposed to return from the chaos of death…"
"I couldn't have said it more clearly myself." Starbuck rolled his eyes.
Apollo repressed a smile.
"So… and I'm returning back to the story now…" Lutherus pointed out "…those
people had by now changed. No one knew what they held in their minds but
what the kahikians realized was that those human had become controllable. A
true advantage as far as the kahikians were concerned."
"What about the white." Apollo asked. "What does it have to do with the
other side… Or does it have to do anything with it…"
Lutherus smiled. "The white is nothingness of content. The heart of all
chaos."
"Just what I thought." Starbuck rolled his eyes.
"What happened to those awaken humans?" Adama stared at Lutherus.
"They became slaves." Lutherus' eyes met Adama's. "Most of them were sent to
the mines, endless caves to acquire black silver."
"Poor geezers!" Starbuck sighed.
"But…" Lutherus' voice changed a little. Hardly noticeably. "…Before sending
the humans into the mines, the kahikians picked out the most stimulating
ones.
Meaning that if you happened to own a handsome face or a nice set of…
whatever, you didn't have to go and do hard labour in the mines with the
common people but you were taken to the luxurious habitats of kahikian
generals, captains or dekar dealers and, in addition to doing a little
cleaning here and there, you were expected to pleasure them in every way
they wanted you to…" Lutherus paused. He eyed the others and there was a
little unreadable smile on his face.
"I was one of the hand-picked ones."
"Uh huh." Starbuck stared at the old man with the grey bushy beard.
"Hey, I used to be quite a handsome fella!" Lutherus noticed Starbuck's
stare and grinned. "Don't forget I've lived for a thousand milleniums. You
don't actually think that you would look quite that charming after a dozen
of centuries, do you…"
"Well…" Starbuck grinned.
Apollo gave him yet another glare.
"So..." Lutherus fell back to remeniscing. His sausage had burned black ten
centons ago. He didn't notice. Or perhaps that was the way he liked it.

"Eighty yahrens went past. Eighty yahrens I served in the palace of lord
Sikh, the highest one. Such happy yahrens those were for me..." Lutherus
smiled melancholically. "…But then, things started going a little downhill.
The mines ran out of black silver. The Orion was gradually returning to
being a desolate outpost, and in no time all the traders, pirates and other
animals had gone.
The kahikians, us the handpicked ones and the rest of the living dead humans
had ended up alone together.

Not one kahikian had died yet, but one morning they all woke up and realized
they would actually end up exactly like the humans were now, shells of
unrationality. Lost souls.

Definately not wanting that to happen, the kahikians packed their bags, took
everything that was remaining of the incredible riches of the Orion, which
was not much, and left.
That gave us, the handpicked ones an opportunity…"

Adama too had forgotten about his sausage. It had dropped off the stick and
burned to ashes in the fire. "What kind of an opportunity?"
Lutherus smiled. "An opportunity to become sagans. Emperors of the universe.
Worshipped."

Apollo, Starbuck and Adama stared at the old man, waiting for him to
continue.

"As I told you, the kahikians had chosen a couple of nice looking blokes
from the crowds of humans, and those blokes had been treated more like
classy servants and sex toys than slaves.
Living in the middle of plenty, surrounded by everything one could ever
dream of in those nice palaces built of silthmar and gold, eating exquisite
buthana leaves and daa'ia roe, sleeping sinfully late in the mornings… We
kinda got used to all the extravaganza and didn't want to return to being
common amongst the common people who had been working in the mines. So we
became higher beings. We declared ourselves the ones with the ability of the
planet, The ability to bring the dead to life.
We continued enslaving the rest of the people because the greed and lust for
power was now running in our veins.
Milleniums went past and we kinda forgot that we actually were just living
dead humans, and so did the others too. The legend of the awakers was being
born. We were becoming a myth. Life was great.

Our ways became more and more cruel over those yahrens, we despised those
who were our slaves and came up with more and more inventive ideas to
exploit and torture them. And believe me…" Lutherus smirked. "We were
inventive!"

"But how did it all change?" Apollo stared at the man. "The legend describes
how a slave who was coded… what was it… X-552 realized that…"
"Oh, him." Lutherus snorted. "I was just getting to that…"
"Please go on." Adama urged.

Being cruel like we were…" Lutherus continued. "We wanted more and more
slaves to play with, so we let the awaken ones breed in controlled
invironment.
We controlled the number of offsprings, killed them to make them eternal,
and trained them to do more and more nasty things the older they got."

Lutherus sighed.

"Yahrens continued to fly past until… I think it was the seventh generation,
the point in time when we had already ran out of names to give people and
had started using codes… when X-552 had reached his adult age and
experienced his illumination."

"I have no idea how, but it seems that X-552 came to realize there was so
much more to life that what the humans were at that point experiencing. He
started spreading his knowledge and gathering secret groups to plan
escapade."

"We, the awakers, had no idea what was happening at first but when the word
of this rebellion started speading, we became furious and punished everyone
we got our hands on. It didn't help.
Despite of our actions, the rebel groups kept growing and those escape plans
were being made and then came the day when they succeeded.

A group of humans that had beaten the chaos of their mind, stole a couple of
the junky spacehips that the kahikians had left behind to rust, and fled
from the domain of Du'yraan."

Being useless junk as those spacehips were, the fugitives hardly made it to
the nearest planet.
We would've captured them right there and then if those fortunate bastards
hadn't succeeded in getting a lift right under our noses.
We were furious.

We contacted the mercenaries of Diphilion, the ones that had the reputation
of being the bloodthirstiest devils in the universe and once they came to
us, we killed them to make them as eternal as those humans were.

The mercenaries were of course consenting to the being reborn stuff. There
is no way we couldn't have been able to kill them otherwise.
The daggits were covered from head to toe with the most feared weapons in
the universe.

So, those mercenaries continued chasing the human refugees for centuries but
for a reason I just can't comprehend, they never succeeded in catching them.
The track of those slaves was completely lost until…
"…Until the humans were tracked to planet Kobol." Apollo ended the sentence
remembering what Aeon had told him. "…from there they escaped again, just in
the nick of time, most of them to end up in the twelve colonies that are so
familiar to us colonials, the thirteenth tribe continuing its journey,
trying to find its way back to Earth…"
"…Where it all had begun from in the first place." Lutherus grinned.
"Ironic, isn't it."
"Very." Apollo nodded. "But what about the time those people spent on planet
Kobol. I mean, according to our legend the first people that were born were
the lords of Kobol. We still celebrate the birthday of the first one…"
"As I've told you, all human life began on Earth." Lutherus' eyes were on
Apollo. "Once the refugees reached the place what you came to know as planet
Kobol, they thought that they were safe. They were willing to take a risk to
begin a new life."

Lutherus paused. He eyed his burnt sausage for a while, forrowed his brow
and then looked up at Apollo.
"Still not quite done. How's yours?"
"Errr… Fine thanks." Apollo mumbled.
"If you don't like your sausage you can have mine." Lutherus offered like a
gentleman. "In fact, we can all share out sausages. I haven't shared
anything for such a long time…"
"Please go on with the story…" Apollo pleaded.
"Okay." Lutherus frowned.
The old man's eyes lingered on the fire as he continued.

"So, As you know by now, the refugees that first landed on that planet Kobol
were ancient blokes, never been able to die on Orion…"
"Yes… So?"
"Now, however, things had changed. The circumstances had become different
and so a new generation was given birth to. A generation of mortals…"
"The lords of Kobol." Adama whispered.
"…And once the first generation of people born on the planet Kobol had
reached adult age, the original refugees committed mass suicide. Yes, all ot
them died."
Lutherus saw the look on the faces of the others.
"You must remember that it is only the sphere of Orion you cannot die in.
Once you get killed somewhere else, you're history…"
"Yes, of course." Adama nodded. "That's how we managed to get rid of most of
the fleet's awaken ones."
"…And, as I just said, the first generation of Kobol was not eternal. They
were normal human beings who became a legend to you. Those were the lords of
Kobol you speak of and it was their descendants that were the ones to escape
from planet Kobol when the mercenaries arrived."
A moment's silence, broken only by the rustling of the fire.
Lights were dancing on the faces of the five men.

"Hey, I just came to think of something." Starbuck's forefinger popped up to
signal he had a point to make.
"If our forefathers were so incredibly skilled both technically and in other
areas of life, how come we're not. I mean, our weapons definately do kill,
we cannot eat recycled satellites or spread world peace in a way that others
would find it alluring…"
"Those magnificent human skills rusted during all the uncountable time
units." Lutherus replied, still not taking his gaze off the fire. "Theories
became forgotten, formulas got lost, goals changed…"
"Ummm…You still haven't told us how you got that tail." Starbuck's eyes
lingered to the green, tube-like thing that was growing from the old man's
butt.
"Pretty isn't it." Lutherus smiled. "That's a reminder of my father. You
see, I'm one of descendants of the dinosaurs."
"Of course." Starbuck was beginning to be in desperate need of a fumarello.
Unfortunately he didn't have any left. "How stupid of me to ask…"
"My dinosaur father raped my human mother and I was born in the middle of
the civil war.
Did I mention that the war lasted for twenty-five yahrens. I was a brisk lad
with an adventurous nature when I fled from Earth with my mother and the
others."
"Didn't those ancient roman emperors you mentioned about have lizard tails?"
Starbuck pondered. "You said they were descendants of the dinosaurs…"
"They were much later decendants." Lutherus grinned. "The tail-gene had
already become a latent feature. They looked like normal human beings."
Apollo was thoughtful for a micron.
"Lutherus. The legend has it that both, the awakers and those bloodthirsty
mercenaries are still chasing us, aiming to re-enslave the humans…"
"Yes?" Lutherus' eyes turned to Apollo.
"…Well, now that I've been listening to your story and having heard that the
awakers are not sagans at all but merely power-hungry humans… Is there any
truth to that possibility that we might still being hunted?"
"Oh yes." Lutherus nodded emphatically. "Those mercenaries are still on your
tail and they will continue to be until someone finally kills them. They
won't be able to die if they are not killed."
"I guess we have to go and kill them then." Starbuck raised his eyebrows.
"What about the awakers? What about… You?" Apollo's eyes were still on the
old man.
"Oh, we've changed a long time ago." Lutherus grinned. "Most of us so-called
awakers have left the domain of Du'yraan to find a place where they can
finally die… In fact, I'm the last one left and I have no desire to enslave
you.
You see, our cruelty and hunger for power has sort of faded over the
milleniums. We have became old men with the old man's sense and knowledge.
We have realized that peace, love and equality are much more giving than any
hunger for something you will never quite achieve.
Once you start wanting, you will never stop. There is no such thing as
Enough…

Besides. We were never any awakers with special powers to begin with. In
time it became sort of laborous to keep up such a charade so we ended up
being satisfied just being ourselves.
In other words…" Lutherus smiled. "We kind of became…how can I put
it…comfortably numb. And I'm the only one left."

"But the legend came true." Aeon's spoke up, causing all eyes turning
towards him. "The chosen one was born. – Me. I did bring the humans back to
Du'yraan. The leader of the circle killed himself and returned from death…"
"Perhaps it only came true because you believed in it." Lutherus scrathed
his head. Starbuck could have sworn he saw a couple of fleas jumping out
from the mop that was the old man's hair.
"…Just like someone's fate only becomes reality because that person believes
so strongly in it and acts in a certain way…"
"Aeon." Apollo turned to look at the man of beauty. "When we met in the
library and you told me your story…"
"Yes?" Aeon's eyes lingered to Apollo.
"It's not the exact same story that we have heard from Lutherus." Apollo got
lost in Aeon's eyes and had to fight to remember what he was saying. "The
story you told me has divergents… Many divergents…"
"That's because what I was telling you was the legend." Aeon smiled softly.
"Something that I had only visions about in my head. Something I never
experienced.
Lutherus here, on the other hand, has lived through all of it. The things
that he is telling you are the facts, mine were merely the legend."
"But… What about that picture of you?" Apollo was still staring at Aeon,
enchanted.
Starbuck was beginning notice. The expression on the blond warrior's face
turned darker although he tried to fight the jealousy. Starbuck trusted
Apollo.
It still felt bad though.

"That picture…" It was Lutherus who replied, gazing into the fire. "…as well
as the plausibility of the legend of the chosen one and why you guys ended
up fulfilling it all…"

There was a little pause.
Lutherus lifted his eyes and met the gaze of the others.

"…All that, my friends, will always remain a mystery…"

* * *

Chapter 10

The fire was beginning to die out but it was till strong enough to create
shadows on the faces of the men sitting around it.
Nobody really wanted to break the silence that had fallen after Lutherus'
last words.

"Those suns look more like moons." Starbuck was staring up at the sky which
was beginning to darken and become filled with stars.

The day on the Orion was short, lasting merely three or four centars. (Five
in the summertime).
The first sun to set, which in fact was the fourth one to rise in the
morning, the intensifying sun, had already fallen to the horizon.
It was still light, but the landscape had become faded, like in photographs
where the reality is never quite as exquisite.

"Nobody move!"

"What the…" Adama dropped the stick he was holding and turned to take a look
behind from where the voice had come from.
The bushes wiggled and rustled furiously as Akhael's faceless head popped up
from behind them, and in the blink of an eye, the rest of the living dead
commander had dived to the side of the campfire, holding a X-magnated laser
shooter and pointing it towards the men sitting around the fire.
Something that reminded of sire Uri had remained peeking in the bushes.
Apollo frowned as he saw it.

"Good evening." Akhael always remembered his manners. "I'm a little cold
after hiking in the forest, so I hope you don't mind that I'm going to get
right to the point."
"By all means." Lutherus was intrigued. "So many visitors in so little time.
I must admit I'm quite surprised. I haven't seen anyone in a thousand
yahrens or so…"
"You must be one of us awaken ones." Akhael's brows popped up. "I thought
all of you escaped from the clutches of the awakers a long, looooong time
ago."
"Not all of them." Lutherus smiled. "Some of the common people got so used
to being slaves that they stayed behind."
"And you are one of the common people." Akhael decided.
"Heavens no!" Lutherus eyed this ugly thing in front of him. "I mean, yes,
sort of."

Slowly now, the gunpipe still pointing at each person, one at a time, Akhael
walked closer to the old man.
Uri was still hiding in the bushes.

"What do you mean sort of…" Akhael stared at Lutherus.
"Oh, please don't tell me I have to start the whole story all over again!"
Lutherus frowned. "I'll never get to eat my sausage…"
"What story?" Akhael had no time for stories. "I came here to look for the
awakers. You don't happen to know anything about their whereabouts, do you
old man."
"Lo and behold!" Akhael grinned. "I almost didn't notice…"
"What?" Akhael eyed Lutherus down his burned nose.
"You're one of us!" Akhael beamed. "You're an awaken one, aren't you. Boy, I
almost didn't notice."
"Yeah…" Akhael sneered. "So?"
"Welcome to Orion my son." Lutherus opened his arms. "What brings you to
this desolate planet…"
"How about the legend." Akhael's eyes (I mean, the one that was left) didn't
falter from Lutherus. "I came here to be powerful."
"Aaah, you're a greedy one, are you. Just like I used to be, eh?" Lutherus
found this quite amusing. "Perhaps you'd like to become one of us awakers."
"What?" Akhael lost the plot. "Us?"
"Sure. I'm one of those so-called higher beings but…" Lutherus groaned as he
climbed to his feet. The cold had stiffened his legs. "…now that all of my
friends are gone, it's gotten quite lonesome in this place, and…"
What?" Akhael watched as the old crazy man started walking closer.
"… I was kind of considering leaving this place behind and going somewhere
else to die."
Lutherus stopped in front of Akhael. Starbuck was watching with intriegue as
as Lutherus' tail curled gracefully around the old man's feet.
"Why do't you take my position as a high one, my son. You see, I've been a
little lazy these past milleniums and haven't paid many visits to the mines
to boss those common people around, which is…" Lutherus smiled rather sadly.
"…something that those people actually crave for."

Lutherus noticed this other burned dude climbing up from the bushes and
walking to the ugly, faceless one's.
Lutherus put his hand on Akhael's shoulder.

"You could become their emperor, my son." Lutherus declaired. "You and your
little friend here. You guys could actually fulfill your wildest desires and
become awakers. Yes. The last ones left. And it wouldn't be too hard to do
since you're already eternal in the sphere of Orion."
"You're kidding, right." Akhael couldn't believe his ears.
"Not at all."Lutherus patted Akhael's shoulder. "Why don't you just go to
the mines right now. You can become a king today. A sagan for all the slaves
of Orion."
"Damn!" Uri breathed. "Think about all the opportunities we could have…"
Akhael didn't need time to think. "Which way?"
"Over those hills and far away." Lutherus pointed towards east. "If you go
now you will make it before late dinner."
Akhael grinned with his lipless mouth.
"Captain, commander…" He turned and gave a little bow towards Apollo and
Adama. "May the force will be with you…"
Akhael turned to leave but then halted and turned to look back once more.
"…Always."

Akhael grabbed Uri by the sleeve and together those two burned men headed
towards the set of the three suns that were still to descend and lived
happily ever after.

Rumour has it that those two men got sealed after a millenium or who, but…

"I just had a communicator call from Tigh while you people were dreaming
about what might happen to sire Akhael."
Adama pressed the red button on his wrist-com to set the apparatus back to
battery saving status.
"He informed us that the repairing of the Galactica as well as other damaged
ships is well on its way and should be finished in two centars or so."

"Sounds good." Apollo wasn't really listening. His mind was lingering on the
crazy things Lutherus had told them today.

"If we leave now, it'll take a centar or so to get back and then we'll have
another centar to get everything ready for continuing the voyage."
"Yes. Let's leave now." Starbuck was more than ready to go. "Anyone want my
burnt sausage? There's still the ¾ th of it left that wasn't completely
destroyed by the camp fire…"
"Where are you heading, if you don't mind me asking." Lutherus was curious.
"It you're going the alpha angle 5 point 3 way, you could drop me off at
Dingeroon…"
"I'm sorry but there are very likely to be cylons patrolling that area."
Adama's smile was polite and apologetic, yet firm.
"And even though our laser generators will be soon fixed, I can't as the
fleet commander take unnecessary risks when it concerns my people…"
"Of course not." Lutherus nodded in complete undestanding. "You better take
the alpha 6 point 84 direction, it's the safest route under these
circumstances and I can as well dig my old Harley Davidson shuttle out of
the garage."
"By the way…" Adama just remembered something. "You told us that you came
from Earth…"
Yes." Lutherus waited to hear the point of this.
"Would you by any chance happen to remember the co-ordinates to that place…"
Adama held his breath.
"No." Lutherus shook his head, lifted the little rucksack onto his shoulder,
tossed some snow onto the remains of the campfire so the fire went out and
simply walked away, stopping only once by a huge pine tree to wave back and
then disappeared.
"Shit." Starbuck frowned.
"Don't worry." Apollo gave him a consolatory look. "We'll find Earth even
without the help of that guy."
"It's not that…" Starbuck stared at the spot in the forest where the old man
had vanished from view, then turned to look at Apollo. "We forgot to ask him
what we should do with the awaken ones that we still have left."
"We will leave them behind, here on the planet Orion." Adama was cleaning
his uniform trousers from snow.
"They don't want to stay." Apollo glanced at his father. "There are four men
who are being examined by doctor Wilker right now…"
"Apollo." Adama looked up at his son. "Those four people are alive in a way
they should not be. We don't know what they are like…"
"I know." Apollo insisted. "But…"
"If they do not with to stay on this planet…" Adama continued. "They will
have to be killed once we have left the system Du'yraan. I'm sorry…"
"Commander, why can't we just drop them off on the next planet or
something?" Starbuck's question made Adama turn. "…We don't even have to
stop. We can just give them an old shuttle and…"
"Yes. You're right." Adama's eyes lingered for a while on Starbuck. "We'll
give them a shuttle once we enter an area where it is safe for them to
leave. Now, why don't we get back to the Galactica before my butt freezes."
Adama enfolded his cape around his body and started towards the way they had
originally come from.
"This is not the warmest place in the universe…"

"I'll bet you a million bucks he's wearing lacy panties under those
trousers." Starbuck whispered as quietly as he could. "No wonder he's cold…"
"Starbuck! For sagan's sake!!" Apollo hissed through clenched teeth,
fighting not to laugh. "What am I going to do with you…"
The smirk that crept onto Starbuck's face made Apollo turn away, quickly
before he would indeed fail to look angry…

* * *

"You've lost weight." Dimstar eyed Nicael's even more anorectic figure
enviously.
"I know." Nicael smirked. "4 kilos since yesterday…"
"You lucky bastard." Dimstar grumbled and rolled over on his bed, turning
his back at Nicky.

For a little while the sick bay fell completely silent.
Then Oscar put down the Daffy the Daggit comic he was reading.

"I didn't quite get it guys…" Oscar's eyes lingered from the slit on the
back of Dimstar's pink sick-bay gown to Nicael and then back. "…Are we, or
are we not a band any more??"

Dimstar didn't answer.
He was lying on the bed with his eyes open, staring into the distance.

Dimstar just couldn't get over the fact that Charley had decided to quit
'Otherside'.

Charley had paid her so-called bandmates a little visit in the sick bay
earlier, and now Dimstar was wishing to sagans she hadn't. His day was
ruined.
Hell, his LIFE was ruined.
This was a goddamn betrayal! Bandmates didn't betray each other like this!!
There were certain unspoken rules about things like that!!
~~~
"What felgercarbing unspoken rules?" Charley had stared at Dimstar. "I don't
need your goddamn permission to quit, Dim!"
Dimstar had glared back at Charley, his eyes like two daggers, ready to
strike. "And when the hell did you decide this?"
"For sagan's sake Dim! I told you all about my plans right after the gig in
the Scorpio Sigma but you OBVIOUSLY weren't listening…"
"No you didn't." Dimstar's forefinger had popped up rather furiously to
amplify his point. "I very clearly remember how we talked about trying out
some salsa stuff on our next album! It was that very night!"
"You talked!" Charley had snarled. "It is always you who talks. We just try
our best not to hear what you say because your ideas are stupid!"
"Don't ever call me stupid." Dimstar had hissed through his clenched teeth.
"…And just so you know, I wouldn't want you in the band anyway. Your playing
sucks!"
"HAH! I can play bossanova a hundred times faster than you Dim." Charley had
smirked, knowing exactly which strings to pull to annoy Dimstar even more.

Dimstar had shot out of his bed like a laser beam, his hands reaching
towards Charley's neck, clutching it like a moonstruck boray.

It had required three officer guards and Nicael to pull those two apart.
~~~
"Damn you Charley." Dimstar mumbled to his pillow. "One day you're going to
regret this…"
"Guys…I want an answer…" Oscar's eyes were still lingering between Nicael
and Dimstar's back. "Are we still a band or not?"
"Leave me alone." Dimstar murmured, wallowing in self-pity. "Let me die in
privacy! My life is over!"
"Come on guys!" Oscar kept insisting. "Are we or are we not?"
"What?" Nicael turned to look at Oscar.
"A band anymore…"
"Shut up and leave my tortured soul to suffer alone!"
Both Oscar and Nicael ignored the whine that lingered from under Dimstar's
blanket .
"Why do you want to know right now?" Nicael raised one brow.
"Well…" Oscar hesitated a fraction of a moment before he continued. "…I kind
of like it here on the Galactica and… You know, if we don't go on with the
band I was thinking…"
"What?" Nicael was looking at Oscar, now indeed curious.
"…I could apply for a job in the military." Oscar concluded, prepairing to
be attacked by either Dimstar or Nicael. "I mean…that is if we no longer go
on with the band…"
"You're thinking of joining the military." Dimstar's head popped up from
under the blanket and turned to stare at Oscar.
"Well…Yeah…"
"Haven't you forgotten something." Dimstar raised one brow.
"What?" Oscar's toes were twitching nervously.
"You're dead." Dimstar snorted.
"Oh, I don't think anyone'll notice." Nicael decided to be on Oscar's side
on this. "And you don't have to put that in the application form Ozzie..."
"What about the hand thing Ozzie…" Dimstar sneered. "How do you expect them
to want you in the military when you have only one hand. Or have you
forgotten that…"
"I'm going to get an artificial one." Oscar pointed out emphatically.
"Doctor Wilker has already promised me one."
"An artificial hand…" Dimstar's face turned thoughtful. "Hold on here. Why
does that sound so familiar…"
"There's an old story about a farm-boy turning to a jedi and…"
"Oh, that." Dimstar remembered the story and was rather uninterested in it.
He paused to listen to something. "…Is it just me or is the ship moving
again."
"The ship's moving." Nicael knew. The soft hum of the motors had gotten a
fraction louder and there was this faint sensation of pressure that always
came with the altering of state. Most people always felt that pressure in
their ears.
"Does anyone have any chewing gum?" Dimstar grimaced. "A thing like this
pressure can easily be harmful for musician like me…"
The hiss of the doors opening made Dimstar forget about his ears and he
turned to look as doctor Wilker entered sick bay with colonel Tigh on his
tail.

Quickly Dimstar straightened his gown, wiped the k-biscuit crumbs off the
bed and ran his fingers through his messy hair.
Damn, what an unfavourable moment for a colonel to drop by.
Dimstar didn't have his make-up bag!!

"…And how are we doing here gentlemen?" A typical doctor-esque smile
lingered on Wilker's face as he kept approaching.
"Just fine." Dimstar smirked sarcastically. "This place is everything the
brochure said it would be…"
"This is colonel Tigh." Wilker informed. "He is here to give you a little
information about your situation…"
"Our situation?" Nicael raised his brows. "What's going on?"
"I know! They want us to do a gig here in the sick bay." Oscar realized. "Oh
I'm sorry colonel. The situation in the band is rather unstable right now.
You see, we just lost a member and…"
"No, we can't do any gigsI" Dimstar blunted out. "I don't have my make-up
bag with me. And my platforms were destroyed in the fire. I can't possibly…"
"And my artificial hand is not ready yet." Oscar smiled apologetically to
the colonel. "So I can't play much else than the bongo…"
"Gentlemen…." Tigh's tone of voice silenced the others. "I have just been
contacted by commander Adama, who informed me about our situation and asked
me to give you your options concerning…"
"I knew it." Nicael frowned. "The fleet is going to leave us here on Orion."
"You all have a choice." Tigh's eyes lingered from one man to the other.
"Yes, you can stay behind on the Orion if you wish…"
"What about the other options?" Nicael eyed the black man.
"If you do not wish to stay on Orion, we will give you a shuttle when the
situation is favourable and you can continue your lives on some new planet…"
"Or?…"
"Or you will have to die." Tigh hated to do this. He felt like a damn nazi.
(Believe it or not, there were actually nazis on Caprica and Aeries for a
short period in time a couple of milleniums ago.

According to the latest colonial research results, nazism is a brain desease
that some unfortunate human individuals are born with.
Nazism also causes alopecia and sexual fetishism for big shoes and
marshmellows.
('Professor G.I Joe, university of Caprica city')

"The fleet will exit system Du'yraan in a centar." Tigh continued. "We are
asking you to make your decisions in that time…"

"Shit!" Nicael stared at Tigh. "And I guess choosing to continue our lives
with the others in the fleet is completely out of the question because we
are… different."
"Yes. Unfortunately that is so." Tigh nodded, feeling even more like a
crawlon now than before. "I'm sorry…"
"Oh, what the heck." Nicael grinned. "I've always wanted to start a new life
on a distant planet. Now I have a chance to do it. I'm gonna go and start
packing…"
"Wait. I'm coming with you." Oscar climbed off of the bed. "You can help me
carry my things to the shuttle…"

Dimstar was staring at Tigh and Wilker. "Did I hear correctly? You're either
gonna kill us or leave us in the middle of nowhere with only a shuttle and a
couple of boxes of our personal stuff?…"
"well…"
"I want seventeen billion cubits in cash and a new pair of platforms."
Tigh met Dimstar's unfliching stare seemingly calm.
Why for frack's sake did he always have to get involved with things like
this.
They could have easily waited for the commanding shuttle to reach the
Galactica and Adama to do all this negotiation himself.
"We don't have seventeen billion cubits for chrissakes!!" Tigh frowned.
"Oh." Dimstar wallowed in his thoughts for a centon.Then he looked up at
Tigh, regaining that ice-cool negotiator's stare.
"What about the pair of platforms?"
There was a moment's silence as Tigh was trying to decide whether the lad
was actually serious or not. "I think that might be arranged…"
A wide grin spread on Dimstar's face.
"Great! It's a deal then!" Dimstar beamed. "Save me a seat in the shuttle…"

Tigh secretly let out the air he'd been holding.
Then he turned towards the boy who had been sitting alone on his bed all
this time, not having said a word.
Cree had hardly paid any notice to the things going around him.
He looked up and met Tigh's eyes.

"I choose to die." Cree smiled sadly.
His eyes lingered to Lomas and Astral in the next sector, then returned to
Tigh.
"I have nothing to live for any more…"

* * *

Boomer's hair was still a little wet as he paced down the corridor towards
the officers' club for a little dinner.

After having returned from the Scorpion, taken a shower and eaten breakfast,
Boomer had snoozed off and slept like a daggit until late afternoon when he
had finally woken up and realized there was no way in hell he would be able
to leave the quarters until having taken another shower.
He would have gotten arrested by the hair police.

Boomer's locks had been sticking up to every direction imaginable, forming a
hairstyle compaired to which even a boray would've looked like Athena.

Athena… Boomer missed that sweet girl.

Now making his way towards the officers' club, Boomer's mind kept lingering
on Athena and the way that her life had destructed.

Boomer had not paid one visit to Athena on the prison barge. Boomer knew he
couldn't have faced that woman and see the pain and disappointment
reflecting from her eyes.
Or worse, not see any disappointment and anger but only emptiness.
The same emptiness that Boomer felt inside.
Yes. He still felt it.

The emptiness had been there when Boomer had quit the military to do
stripping.
It had been there when Boomer had quit the stripping to do military.
It would always be there.
This time Boomer would grow to accept it.

Boomer glanced at the timepiece on his wrist.
Apollo's and Starbuck's shuttle was due to land in a couple of centons. From
experience Boomer knew that the first thing Starbuck would want to do was to
pay a visit to the officers' club for a large cup of grog and a nice
fumarello… probably two.
Boomer wanted to be there when Starbuck arrived.

No. He wasn't planning to share the painful secrets of his heart with
Starbuck or thinking of having any serious talks with the man about the
emptiness.
Boomer wasn't going to push Apollo aside, fall on his knees and ask Starbuck
to get sealed to him. Hell no. Boomer knew exactly where he stood.
There wasn't anything catastrophic being planned. Boomer merely wanted to be
there in officers' club just because Starbuck would be there too.
That made Boomer a little happier.

Someone was approaching Boomer in the hallway. Boomer could hear the
footsteps but wasn't bothered to look up and see who it was.
Not until that person grabbed a hold of him by the arm.

"Boomer…" Giles' amused grin lingered into Boomer's view. "So lost in your
thoughts that you forgot to watch where you were going…"
"Hi there buddy." Boomer smiled, then noticed Jolly behind Giles. "Jolly.
Aren't you supposed to be on duty at this centar…"
"I changed duty shifts with Barton. He owes me a couple." Jolly grinned. "Me
and Giles, we were just on our way to catch a shuttle to the Star. You wanna
join us?"
"Actually, I was just on my way to the offic…" Boomer suddenly paused. Jolly
and Giles were holding hands. Boomer's disbelieving eyes looked up.
"Jesus guys, I had no idea…"
"Oh, it all happened so quickly." Giles glanced at Jolly and Boomer noticed
how they shared a short, secretive smile.
"What… What about Kadeem?" Boomer tried to act casual and succeeded in doing
so exactly as subtly as a boray succeeds in keeping a smile on his face
while someone is hitting him in the head with a sledgehammer.
"We sort of drifted apart…" Giles sighed melancholically. Then the elegic
look disappeared.
"But don't feel sorry about it because…" Giles turned to look Jolly. "…if we
hadn't, I wouldn't have realized what a catch Jolly is…"

Jolly grinned and winked at Giles. Boomer could only stare.

"Kadeem was really into wearing women's clothes." Giles reminisced. "And he
got me into that too for a while…"
"Uh huh." Boomer was still staring at the two men.
"…But, then I realized that it wasn't really my thing." Giles smiled. "And I
told Kadeem that I didn't like seeing him in all those frills. I wanted him
to return to being what he used to. A man in men's clothing…"
"Really?..."
"But by then Kadeem was already too far gone." Giles eyes were distant as he
was looking into his memories. "He wasn't able to stop any more. And he
wanted more… Kadeem wanted to become a woman."
"Well, how about that!"
"…So he went to see doctor Wilker to find out if a sex change was
conceivable under these restricted circumstances… Living in space in rusty,
overpopulated ships, food being a problem and all..."
"What's food got to do with it?" Boomer murmured, completely stunned about
what he was hearing.
"…And when Wilker assured kadeem that an operation of that kind was very
much possible, Kadeem didn't hesitate. He had the operation on the same
night and came home a completely changed person…"

Giles sighed. Jolly put his hand on the man's shoulder and squeezed
encouragingly.

"I, of course, started having problems with Kadeem's new form." Giles
continued. "Kadeem was now all woman but I was still a normal homosexual man
with normal homosexual needs, so of course that was to become a huge
problem…"
"Of course…" Boomer couldn't stop staring at Giles.
"…And so we had a long, long talk and finally came to the decision to end
our relationship…" Giles sighed. Then a little smile lingered to his face.
"…Which turned out to be the right decision for all of us since Jolly was
just beginning to realize his homosexuality and once Jolly and I laid eyes
on each other on that very night I had broken up with Kadeem. You see, I
went to the officers' club to get loaded…" Giles was smiling radiently now.
"…And we just knew."
"Yes." Jolly added. "I couldn't help noticing the sexy corporal's uniform he
was wearing, and…"
"He's waring it all the time Jolly." Boomer just had to point out.
"…Yes, but this was the first time I noticed it was sexy." Jolly grinned.
"…And Giles told me afterwards that that had been the first time he had
realized that I was actually a man!"
"How flattering…"
"…And what a man he turned out to be!" Giles leaned forward to give Jolly a
kiss on the cheek, then looked back at Boomer with a grin.
"…And that's it. That's the story" Giles concluded. "We couldn't be happier.
Jolly is a plate of mushies and a bottle of the finest ambrosa. Finally a
man who looks like a man."
"…And wears men's clothes." Jolly grinned.
"Yep." Giles smiled. "An occasional bra or a pair of pantyhose every now and
then don't really matter."
"…Or a lacy black teddy on Sundays. That all doesn't really count." Jolly
put his hand around Giles shoulders.
"Exactly." Giles gave Jolly a grin. "Those are only a little treat after a
hard secton's duty, or an exhausting laser fight with the cylons."
"Yeah, and the high-heeled shoes with the red dress we stole from Cassiopeia
when she was in a coma." Jolly pointed out. "That's not really wearing
women's clothes. We only wear them because they look pretty."
"Yeah, it's not really wearing women's clothes…"
"Guys, I'm sorry, I have to… I promised to meet Starbuck and Apollo…."
Boomer couldn't take it any more. He just had to get away from those two.
"Oh sure." Giles put his hand on Boomer's shoulder. "Say hi to those two.
Tell them to take it easy once in awhile."
"I will…" Boomer was already going.

* * *

"This is captain Apollo requesting permission and co-ordinates to land on
the Galactica."
"All clear captain." Rigel's voice carried from the loudspeaker. "Permission
for immediate landing granted. Your position is…"
The co-ordinates followed.

Starbuck, who was sitting on the co-pilot's seat next to Apollo turned to
look at the dark-haired man and grinned. "Home sweet home."
Apollo's eyes were on the huge battlestar ahead. He smiled absently.
"Thank heavens this Orion felgercarb is finally over." Starbuck was more
than relieved. "This has been the most annoying adventure we've ever been
involved in."
"I agree." Apollo was only partly listening to Rigel's co-ordinates or
Starbuck's chatting. "Only 35 centons left and we can kiss the damn Du'yraan
system goodbye!"

There was a sound of flushing and Adama appeared from the turboflush.

"Take a seat and buckle up, father." Apollo nodded towards an empty chair in
the passenger section. "I've already proceeded with the landing. We'll be
down in four centons."
"Officers' club, here we come." Starbuck smirked.
"Gentlemen, I'll need you on the bridge first." Adama's voice lingered from
the passenger area. "You need to do a report on…"
"Oh, can't that wait!" Starbuck frowned. "I haven't had a drink for centars.
Not to mention a fumarello…"
Adama smiled as he gave in.
"All right Starbuck. Just this once. But I'm expecting to see you both on
the bridge in 30-40 centons…"
"We'll be there." Starbuck smirked. "…And we'll bring you a doughnut, we
promise…"

They all laughed, mostly because of being releaved that the adventure was
over rather than from sheer amusement.
Apollo was pretending to be laughing along with the others but his eyes had
once again lingered to Aeon's reflection in the cockpit window.
Aeon, who was sitting in the passenger area, chatting this and that with
Adama, pretended not to notice.

* * *

The maker took a sip from his glass and eyed around the officers' club.
So many familiar faces were there, spending their free time or duty breaks
playing snooker, chattering, enjoying their drinks…
The officers' club was no doubt the Galactica's most popular place.

The maker's gaze lingered on those familiar faces as he was considering
about walking to one of them familiar people and…
Well well. Isn't that Boomer who just walked in. The maker raised his hand
and signalled the lieutenant to come over to his table.

Boomer waved and grinned to the maker, walked to the bar to buy a cup of
something and then made his way to the table where the maker was sitting.
"Quite a day." The maker smiled, stirring the warm liquid in his cup with a
spoon.
"Quite a yahren." Boomer took a chair and sat down.

The maker scrutinized Boomer as the man reached out for a cup of sugar, put
a spoonful or two into his cup, swirled, lifted the cup to his lips, tasted…
The maker could feel it. The urge…

"So. You're meeting someone here?" The maker asked lightly, his fingers
tapping the table, his eyes lingering around the officers' club
ever-so-casually.
"Yeah. Starbuck and Apollo." Boomer replied, taking another sip from his
cup. "They should be returning from patrol in a few centons."
"Yes…" The maker prolonged his word, smiling at Boomer for a long time.
Boomer kept thinking that the smile on the man's face was strange but he
didn't say anything. Just concentrated on enjoying the warmth of his drink.
For a moment those two men sat in silence.

"I tell you what." The maker finished the parbon pie he had been eating and
put the spoon back on the plate. "There's a bookshelf that I need to have
moved from the bedroom to the living room and I haven't really had a chance
to ask anyone for help yet due to all this rush…"
"No problem." Boomer looked up and gave an easy grin. "I'm your man. All
steel and muscles…"
The maker laughed.
"…But does it have to be now?" Boomer didn't want to leave the club.
Starbuck's shuttle might be landing sooner than scheduled or…
"Not necessarily but…" The maker couldn't come up with anything plausible.
Damn it! The bookshelf idea was idiotic. In fact, the whole timing was
idiotic. The fleet was still in the sphere of Orion and that would… Hmmm,
but if the maker could lure Boomer into his quarters now, her could lock the
guy up and wait for another half a centar to pass before proceeding with
the… urge…
"No, I guess it doesn't have to be now." The maker smiled pretentiously. "I
just thought that it would be nice to get it over with before my next duty
shift is to start, that's all…"
"Oh well." Boomer sighed with capitulation. "Why not. I can always catch up
with Starbuck and Apollo later. It's not that important…"
"Great!" This time the smile on the maker's face was indeed genuine. "Do you
want to finish you drink or…"
The maker's feverish eyes were on Boomer. Oh lords, the way the man's skin
was reflecting the light in the club. How delicate it looked, how
suffocatingly much the maker wanted to adore it physically, to cut it all
open, peel the skin off like prescious silk that veiled a worthless body
and…
Stop it you fool before you ruin everything!
The maker stood up and extended his hand to Boomer to urge the man to
follow.
The blood gushing in his veins made it hard… No, it made it impossible to
wait any longer.
Oh, how the maker desired to sink his trembling hands into the contents of
Boomer's stomach, into that warm box of treasures which little by little
revealed itself to the eyes of the one cutting the slit…The maker could
already feel himself pulling slowly off the the skin, the veil that had been
covering it… Stop! Stop you fool!…
"Shall we go?" The maker's eyes were on Boomer.

Boomer too one more sip from the cup and then let the man take a hold of him
by the hand and helping him up.

While following the man to the exit, Boomer let his eyes sweep over the club
once more to make sure that Starbuck hadn't by any chance sneaked in without
Boomer noticing.
No sign of Starbuck.
Boomer was ready to leave.

The man that was walking ahead of Boomer turned to say something but Boomer
wasn't really listening.
For a fleeting moment Boomer had a funny feeling that those always so
rational eyes revealed a glimpse of…
Cut the felgercarb, Boomer snorted to himself. What were you going to say
buddy… a glimpse of recklessness? Irrationality? …Insanity? That thought
made Boomer almost laugh out loud.

They reached the exit of the club.

The maker felt his hands sweating.
He wiped them quickly on his trousers, then turned once again to give Boomer
a casual smile.
The smile froze half-way.

Apollo was walking towards them, Starbuck on his tail, trying to keep up
with the man while trying light a fumarello with an apparently faulty
lighter.
Something struck violently through the maker's body. He couldn't tell if it
was the piercing sense of disappointment for losing the moment to play with
Boomer, or a shriek of devastating thrill of seeing Apollo there, so close…

The maker expressed his polite, casual hellos to both men, trying
desperately not to stare at Apollo for his eyes would undoubtedly reveal the
firestorm inside.

Boomer, for his part, tried desperately not to stare at Starbuck.

"Hi guys." Boomer smiled. "We were just on our way to…"
"I guess we can do it another time." The maker turned to give Boomer a
smile. "I know you had planned to spend some time with your mates so I won't
keep you."
"But…" Boomer's surprised eyes turned to the man. "…Now that Starbuck and
Apollo are here, we can all…"
"I really appreciate it..." The maker winked. "…But there's no rush. I'm
sure carrying a bookshelf around my quarters is not quite what Apollo and
Starbuck have in mind after a very tiresome adventure…"
Boomer grinned. "Yeah, I guess not." He glanced at Apollo. "Where's Aeon?
Didn't he come back with you?"
Apollo's heart jumped a little from hearing Aeon's name.

"Yes, he came back to the Galactica with us." Apollo smiled.
Words could not describe how relieved he had been when Aeon had told them
all that he had chosen to stay with the fleet.
No, no! There was nothing forbidden in the way Apollo felt. He considered
Aeon to be a friend and it was only natural to care for the people around
yourself, wasn't it...
And of course, being the dutiful captain and the commander's son that Apollo
was, it was his duty to make sure all people were safe in these difficult
circumstances and… Frack. Who was he kidding. Okay, there was a little
infatuation involved, but simply because of that old picture of the chosen
one having been Apollo's first crush and all but… Hell, this was all very
explainable. All very innocent. Starbuck was the man Apollo loved. Period.

"Well, where is he then?" Boomer looked around.
"Barton is taking Aeon to his new quarters." Apollo replied, not realizing
that his face had become slightly blushed.
"Aeon is planning to through the SCV-training to become a Galactica shuttle
pilot."
"What do you say guys…" Starbuck had finally gotten the lighter to work and
was now puffing his fumarello, a luxuriating smile on his face. "…if we
continued this conversation in the officers' club. I wouldn't mind having
something hot and liquid served in a cup..."
"I thought you'd never ask." Boomer grinned.
"You're more than welcome to join us..." Starbuck's eyes lingered to the man
standing next to Boomer.
"I'll see you officers around." The maker refused politely. "I just put
quite a duty shift behind me and I guess I really should get some rest."
"Great idea." Apollo smiled. "We need you to take good care of yourself.
You're indispensable in the fleet you know..."
"Yes." Starbuck grinned. "Where would we be without you!"
"Probably in the exact same situation as you are in right now." The maker
laughed, flattered. Apollo had always liked that low, pleasant laughter. How
unfortunate that it was so seldom heard.
"Take care of yourself." Starbuck winked.
"You too." The maker smiled back as the three men turned to leave.

For centons, the maker just stood there in silence, watching those men
walked down the corridor and disappeared back inside the officers' club.

He kept squeezing his hands into fists so hard that his fingernails dug onto
his palms, making them bleed…
The maker didn't even notice.

* * *

Chapter 11

Caiari Moonfall. Day 8.
It was over. All over.

What a beautiful morning. This was the happiest end ever.
Starbuck was singing in the turbowash while Apollo was making breakfast.
Hard-boiled tulipian buds, Starbuck's favourite, and plenty of black coffee.
There was a nice, red cloth on the table and a vaseful of real flowers,
stolen from the agroship.
Apollo was wearing his green morning gown and had his hair on a little
ponytail.

Apollo lifted his eyes and smiled warmly as Starbuck entered the kitchen,
wearing one towel around his waist and drying his hair with another.

The little zit that had been on Starbuck's chin for the past couple of days
had vanished. Everything was so perfect.

"This smells good." Starbuck sniffed the aroma of warm buds that was
lingering in the kitchen. "How did you know I love those things…"
"A wild guess." Apollo grinned. "In addition to the fact that you've told me
so a couple of thousand times."
They both laughed.

"This is such a great day." Starbuck beamed as he put aside the smaller
towel, took a chair and sat down to pour himself a cup of coffee. "One
couldn't possibly hope for a better ending to an annoying adventure."
Apollo smiled.

"I can't believe it's finally happening." Starbuck babbled. "I mean, really,
truly happening…"
"Believe it. It is." Apollo couldn't think of anything more cute than this
wet-haired Starbuck in front of him, eating breakfast with a bunch of
tulipian bud crumbs stuck on the corner of his mouth. "We are really getting
sealed in just two days."

Starbuck wiped the crumbs off with the back of his hand and grinned.

"Frack! We have so many things to do before that! We have to organize the
catering, make up our minds about who to invite and send the invitations,
convince Boomer that it's not going to ruin his reputation to jump out of
the cake, decide which one of us is going to wear the dress, buy the damn
dress…"
"Well, Isn't that just what we're going to do in a couple of centons."
Apollo smiled. "Finish our breakfast, get dressed and head out to the
textile ship for a fitting…"
"After that we can…"
"I'm scheduled to meet cadet Aeon in a three centars…" Apollo crammed the
rest of the bud into his mouth. "…As his navigation instructor."
"A cadet in two days…" Starbuck raised one brow. "I must say, that's pretty
amazing."
"Yes it is." Apollo nodded, trying not to think about anything. Those damn
feelings he had for Aeon had been getting worse and worse during these two
days. And now, having to cram in a small shuttle with that man, sit so close
to him, almost having to touch him every time there was a need to operate
the gearbox…
Thank sagans Apollo was getting sealed to Starbuck in only two days. A
relieved smile crept onto Apollo's face as he thought about it.
And, at the latest, during the two-secton honeymoon on the Rising Star,
those strange feelings for Aeon would become only a distant memory.

Starbuck poured the last drops of coffee into his throat and put the cup
back down on the table.
He gave Apollo a smile.

"Thanks for breakfast darling." Starbuck pushed back his chair and stood up.
"I'm off to get dressed so we can leave for the textile ship before the
midday-cycle rush begins…"
Starbuck walked to Apollo to give him a kiss.
"May I suggest you do the same unless you want to walk around the ships in
your morning gown." Starbuck grinned. "Not that there would be nothing wrong
with that. You would look beautiful even in cylon suit…"
"You've seen me in my cylon suit Bucky." Apollo smirked. "And if I recall
correctly, you were quite impressed by it."
Starbuck laughed as he remembered the leather outfit they had worn on their
little trip to Gamoray.
"Impressed…" Starbuck raised one eyebrow teasingly. "That must be the
understatement of the century!"
"Go and get dressed Starbuck." Apollo grinned. "Or we'll never be able to
leave these quarters…"

* * *

"What a piece of junk!" Dimstar stared at the rusting, small shuttle,
disgusted.
"Don't you have anything better to give us?! That thing won't carry us even
out of the launching tube!"
"This is the one we are going to give you." Adama was standing about three
metrons away from the shuttle, the Dimstar posse and Tigh, surrounded by the
members of the council of the twelve.

The fleet had reached the first suitable planet for the awaken ones to be
left on since the departure from system Du'yraan.
Even the Daa'r galaxy had been left behind approximately five centars ago.
This was a completely new world. A completely new beginning.

Dimstar had gotten those platform shoes he had so yearned for.
Nicael had written a letter of goodbye to his mother whom he had not seen
after the escapade from the destructed colonies, but who had been rumoured
to be alive and well and living on the Sagittarian.
Oscar had come to a big decision to cut his curly locks and change his image
into a more masculine direction.
Now, standing there beside the others, waiting for the boarding into the
shuttle to the unknown to begin, Oscar was hardly recognized by his former
bandmates.
Dimstar couldn't stop casting intensely disapproving glances at Oscar's dark
green fatigue trousers, cropped hair and completely makeupless face whom Dim
had never actually seen. Even the earrings were gone. Jesus!

"Where are all the people?" Dimstar eyed around the launching bay. "We're
leaving in a couple of centons and nobody's here yet!"
"Who are you expecting?" Tigh had to admit these blokes continued to
surprise the fracks out of him time after time.
"Well, our fans of course." Dimstar snorted a little touchily. How could
someone who had made it to being a colonel for sagan's sake couldn't
understand such a certainty. "Where are all the IFB reporters and
cameramen…"
"Umm… You need to board your shuttle now." Tigh didn't know what else to
say. "We need to get you cleared and launched in twelve centons or your
departure will have direct influences on the normal traffic and delay
schedules…"
"But…" Dimstar couldn't understand why the fans weren't there. "All those
people…"
"We'll say goodbye to them for you." Tigh forced himself to smile. "You
really need to go…"
Dimstar frowned.
"Oh, what an artist you people lose in me!" He sighed dramatically.
Tigh was almost expecting to see the lad raising the back of his hand onto
his forehead like a femme fatale.

Dimstar's affronted gaze swept once more over the almost empty bay area,
lingered a little on the participants of the council and Adama, moved to
colonel Tigh and his frozen smile, passed Nicael who was biting his nails
and stopped to Oscar and his horrendous appearance.

"You should put even a little glitter and eye-liner on your face if nothing
else." Dimstar
murmured. "You look like a walrus! No damn wonder we don't have any fans
here seeing us off…"
"Yes we do!" Oscar couldn't understand why Dim so miffed.
"We do?" Dimstar stared at Oz. "Where the hell are they then?"
"Right there!" Oscar pointed at the participants of the council. "I saw one
of them buy our album at the album release party…"
Sire Gondo turned bright red and felt all eyes turning towards him.
"Thanks pal!" Nicael grinned and waved his hand at the old man. Dimstar
settled for a polite, calmly apreciating nod.
"You want an autograph?" Oscar's eyes were on the old council member too. "I
think I have a pen somewhere…
Tigh turned to look at Adama for some support.
"Gentlemen." Adama lifted his hand and pointed at the timepiece on his
wrist. "Please…The shuttle…"
"Oh yeah. Right." Nicael got the hint. "Off we go then!…"
"Can I sit on the window seat please guys?" Oscar picked up his rucksack,
his eyes lingering from Nicael to Dimstar.
"There are a dozen seats on that ship." Nicael grinned. "I believe we can
find you one by the window."
"Who's going to fly the shuttle?" Dimstar suddenly realized none of them had
any navigation training.
"That's no problem." Oscar smiled. "I was once a member of the 'play and
understand'-group when I was twelve. I think I can fly that thing."
"You THINK you can fly!" Dimstar turned to give Oz a glare.
"Oh, I'm quite sure I can." Oscar assured. "Just give me a control stick and
a pair of eyeglasses…"
"WHAT?" Dimstar yelled. "You never told me you wear glasses!!"
"Well, what do you expect." Oscar frowned. "They didn't quite go with my
animal style!"
"You damn liar." Nicael murmured. "You never told me had any animal style…"
"Well of course I did!" Oscar snapped. "I was the drummer wasn't I…"
"Alright alright." Dimstar gestured for the boys to calm down. "Let's just
concentrate on flying the shuttle, okay. Oz, where are you glasses now. Put
them on and let's go!"
"I've lost them." Oscar sighed.
"WHAT!"
"I haven't seen them around for half a yahren or so." Oscar shrugged.
"Hold on a centon… Didn't you just say you needed your glasses to be able to
fly this shuttle?"
"That's right." Oscar nodded. "I wouldn't find the turbo button without
them."
"AAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!………"
"Shut up Dim! Um, Oz. You don't happen to have an extra pair, do you…"
"No."
"For the sake of all that is kobollian!"
"Here! You can borrow mine." Sire Ulis stepped out from the group of the
council members and handed over his glasses. They are –13 but I gues that
doesn't matter does it…"
"I guess not." Nicael sighed. "The stronger the better. Isn't that usually
the way it is?"
"Not when it comes to the smell of garlic it ain't…" Sire Ulis grimaced. "I
remember once…"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Dimstar took a dive towards sire Ulis
with his teeth clenched and his hands outstretched.
Nicael reached out and caught a hold of the back of Dimstar's tunic collar,
making the man almost choke.
"Can you please just leave!" Tigh couldn't take this any more.
"Yes! Yes! We're going!" Nicael was dragging the coughing and cursing
Dimstar towards the shuttle while Oscar had picked up all of their
rucksacks, tossed them on his shoulder and was now struggling to maintain on
his feet under all that weight.

"Are you with the band? A little voice lingered from somewhere between Tigh
legs making Tigh look down and find a little 12-yahren-old girl who was
holding a pen and a piece of paper, staring up at Tigh with an adoring look
on her face.
"Can I have your autograph?
"Finally!" Dimstar struggled off Nicael's grip and straightened his collar.
"This way lady!" Dimstar grinned charmingly. "Where do you want it?"
"Want what?" The little girl turned to look at Dimstar. This time the voice
wasn't little at all.
"The autogpraph." Dimstar sparkled. "Where do you want it?"
"Why would I want your autograph." The girl wondered.
Dimstar smiled. "Because I'm with the band."
"No you're not." The girl snorted. Then turned his adoring eyes back up at
Tigh.
"Please sir. Can I have your autograph…"

It took another 20 centons before Dimstar, Nicael and Oscar were finally
locked up in the shuttle and sent off to space to experience adventures of
their own.

Most of the council members had remained there, first waving goodbye,
watching the boys leave, then chattering and compairing experiences with
old-time caprican musicians.

Tigh had stormed out of the launching bay as soon as the tail-lights of the
shuttle had reached the end of the launching tube.
With an amused grin on his face, Adama had followed him.
There was still one thing left to do.

Cree had chosen to die.
It was Tigh's job to see to it that he would.

* * *

"Look at all this stuff!" Starbuck kept lifting up things, touching
everything. "Look at this! How did they ever manage to get the material for
this. This is old Aerian buffy-cotton for sagan's sake. This stuff hasn't
been around for ages…
"Obviously it has." Apollo wasn't looking. "They made a dress of it."
"Oh my god, look at those hats!" Starbuck raised one eyebrow. "Hey, why are
they selling viper helmets on this ship? Those babies have been Galactica
trademark protected since the destruction. I'll be damned if we bump into
G-suits…"
"Take a look to the left." Apollo grinned.
"I can't believe this!" Starbuck frowned as he saw the damn things. "What
are we doing in this sector Appy? I'm not planning to wear a sagan forsaken
G-suit to my sealing ceremony…"
"They sell that stuff everywhere on this ship." Apollo explained. "It's very
popular amongst the civilians…"
"The civilians are forbidden to wear that kind of stuff. It's military
registered…"
"They are not allowed to wear that stuff in public." Apollo corrected. "But
it seems that they like playing role games in the secrecy of their own
quarters…"
"But isn't that still violation of the trademark rights…"
"Those things are not exactly like the official ones." Apollo pointed at one
of the G-suits. "If you look carefully, you'll notice that the colour isn't
exactly CDC-beige but more like daggit brown…"
"Oh yeah." Starbuck noticed.
"And the insignias are complete felgercarb. Look! The third pyramid from the
bottom…"
"You're right…"
"…But let's forget about the military stuff for now, okay?" Apollo smiled.
"We still haven't decided which one of us will wear the dress."
"Let's wait until the fittings and see on which one it'll look better."
Starbuck grinned. "Although I'm quite sure wearing a dress would be very
flattering to my body shape…"
"What kind of shoes are you going to wear Starbuck if it's you who's gonna
put on that dress? You can't really wear those military boots…"
"I was thinking of getting sealed barefoot." Starbuck was fingering
something that looked like a skirt. "You know, like people used to do in the
4th millenium… Barefoot, flowers in the hair, all that stuff…"
"if you're gonna stick some hay in your hair Starbuck, you'll be standing at
the alter alone with the priest…"
"I thought Adama was going to perrom the sealing…"
"He is." Apollo noticed the salesperson. "Hey! Can we have some assistance
please!"
"Oh, sure." The salesperson turned with a smile. "You want to see some of
our new laser gun gloves? Real leather, twofolded fingertips, a possibility
to have your name carved on the…"
"Actually…" Apollo cut in politely. "We are here to see sealing dresses. We
had an appointment for a fitting at 12.00…"
Yes, of course. Captain Apollo." The salesperson beamed. "This was
gentlemen. I have the pre-requested dress models in the L-sector…"
"We'd also like to look at some toe rings…" Starbuck caught up with the
salesperson.
"Look at WHAT?" Apollo's disbelieving eyes lingered to Starbuck.
"Toe rings." Starbuck grinned. "If I'm getting sealed barefoot, I'd like
something nice on my toes…"
"You're kidding."
"Oh, and then I'd like to have my ears, my nose and my nipples pierced. I
saw a pair of safety pins back in the punk sector…"
Apollo caught up with Starbuck and took a hold of both of shoulders, making
him stop.
"You've gotta be kidding, right?"
Starbuck's grin spread from one ear to the other. "You don't like the
thought of seeing me covered in safety pins?"
"Are you coming gentlemen?" The salesperson turned.
"Yeah, we are." Starbuck was grinning, his eyes still on Apollo. "Calm down
Appy. I'm only teasing you…"
"Good." Apollo let out a sigh.
"…Except for the nipples part." Starbuck smirked, causing Apollo to grab a
glove from the nearest shelf and toss it at Starbuck.
Then, hand in hand those two insanely grinning men started towars the
salesperson who was tapping the floor with her foot.

"Were you gentlemen thinking of having a white or a pink sealing veil with
the dress. We have a collection of very pretty pink ones with little
butterflies sown onto them…"

* * *

Cree was still in the sick bay.
God it felt quiet now that Dimstar and the others had left.

Astral had been given permission to leave too since his condition was
rapidly improving. And Lomas… Well, there wasn't much reason for Lomas to
hang around the sick bay now, was there.
Cree sighed.

He knew very well they were coming soon, Tigh and whoever would be in charge
of the situation with the awaken ones.
For a little while Cree kept wondering how were they planning to do the
killing.
With a laser gun perhaps. Or poison…

Cree wasn't afraid of dying. There was nothing left for him now that Lomas
would be forever lost to Cree.
It would've taken a person blind as a bat not to have noticed the bond
between Lomas and Astral. Cree knew very well Lomas would never care for him
as much as he now cared for that…'angel'.

Cree pulled the blanket a little upwards. It had gotten colder in the sick
bay, or perhaps it was just Cree's imagination.
Maybe it was just colder in his heart.

Cree pondered for a micron what they all would say when hearing Cree's wish.
They definitely would be surprised by it. Probably they would try to talk
him out of it, explain things…
No. Not likely. Why would they?
Probably they would all stare at Cree, feeling sorry for him, trying to act
understandingly.
Lomas would probably…
No. Cree didn't want to think about how Lomas would react although he
already knew.
Lomas would be angry with Cree, strongly refusing to do what Cree had asked,
say hurting things…
Cree smiled sadly.
Yes. Lomas was very good at wounding Cree. With his words, with his acts.
Yet still Cree loved him so. More than all the stars and the suns and the
moons in the universe.
More than cute, cuddly daggits that curl up beside you when you turn the
lights off the room and go to sleep, more. More than gentle kisses that make
you close your eyes and believe in all tomorrows' tomorrows. So much more
than walking in the twilight, snow softly falling all around and remaining
on your eyelashes. (These are a few of my favourite things, la laa de da…)
Cree loved Lomas. That is why he…

A sound of door opening made Cree look up.

"Commander." Cree smiled. "Colonel. I've been waiting for you."

Tigh didn't know what to say. This would be a hell of a lot harder that
getting rid of Dimstar and the other morons. Tigh could barely keep the
formal look on his face.
He remained standing close to the doors while Adama walked to Cree.

"It's time." The forlorn expression on Adama's face was genuin, Cree knew.
He just had to look at that sad smile and there it was. The apology.

"I'm ready commander." Cree climbed off the bed and put on his boots, took
his jacket from the bedpost and turned to meet the commander's eyes.
"I have a request." Cree said quietly.

* * *

"This is too small." Starbuck stepped out of the fitting room looking rather
like the sealing cake than the blushing groom.

Apollo was standing in front of a huge mirror wearing one of the newest
models, a powder-blue dress with blue pearls sown here and there and a huge
bow tie attached to the back.

"This is horrible." Apollo kept grimacing. "Don't you have anything less…
modern."
"Oh, that's not modern sir. That's just part of newest collection we
received from the recycling ship…"
Starbuck walked to Apollo and halted beside him, staring at the reflections
of both of them in the mirror. "Why do I feel uncomfortable in this…"
"Do you want to see some of the darker shades or… In fact, I think we have
just what you gentlemen had in mind…"

The salesperson rushed to the backroom and came back carrying a yellow thing
that looked like jello, wobbling with every step.

"Here." The salesperson halted in front of Starbuck and Apollo, who were now
completely captured by the wobbly thing in her arms.
"How does this look like to you. It's one of the latest designs from the
'Monsieur' collection…"

Starbuck stared at the yellow masterpiece, then looked up at the
salesperson.
"Do you really think that is something we had in mind. Do we really look
like…"

Apollo took a hold of Starbuck by the hand, making him pause and turn his
attention to Apollo.
They shared a glance in complete unison, then Apollo's eyes lingered to the
salesperson.

"Ummm…We would like to look at some tuxedos please."

* * *

"The jeweller is this way!" A grinning Lomas was pulling Astral by the hand
and it was damn obvious that he would not take no for an answer.
Lomas was determined to buy Astral a proper, beautiful, unique,
expensive-as-frack engagement ring, no matter how much Astral tried to
convince Lomas that a simple thing with no carvings, no trimmings and no
unnecessary expenditure would be more than enough!

They had spent a centar and a half on the metal refinery ship already, Lomas
having insisted on buying Astral beautiful, ridiculously costy things and
Astral refusing to accept any of them.
* * *
Until two days ago, Lomas had not understood what happiness could be.
Now looking back it all seemed like he had been living only for this. All
his life waiting, hoping, prepairing himself for something that he had not
then understood, but boy did he now.
It was all so clear now that everything had been for Astral. Even the
smallest thing.

"Thank you." Lomas turned his head to give Astral a smile that would melt
the ice.
"For what?" Astral laughed. "You're the one that keeps giving me these
insane things…"
Lomas didn't answer. His smile, his eyes just lingered on Astral's beautiful
face for a while until he had to turn back to look where he was going.

The jeweller's sign was twinkling ahead, Lomas could spot it a few metrons
away.
He hastened his steps, pulling Astral by the hand.

Astral noticed the sign too. He stopped. "Not that one, Lomas. Please."
"Why?" Lomas turned, surprised.
"That guy…" Astral pointed at the figue of a man behind the counter. Lomas
narrowed his eyes but couldn't see more a dark blur through the shop window.
"He's my goddamn junior intructional period theological self-expression
teacher." Astral's eyes lingered to Lomas. "He murdered my mother.
"Jesus!" Lomas gasped.
"He chased my father for three yahrens…"
"I'm so sorry…"
"And he gave me a goddamn D for sagan's sake." Astral grimaced. "I never
want to see that daggit again! Come on, let's go back to the north-west
sector."

Astral took Lomas' hand and started leading him away from the teacher from
hell, towards the lobby where the elevators were located.

"Perhaps we should pay a little visit to the textile ship." Lomas pondered
aloud as they walked hand in hand.
He turned to look at Astral.

"Do you want to get sealed in a dress or…"
Astral smiled warmly. "I think we should both wear the kind of things we
would normally wear. I don't quite see myself in a dress."
Astral's eyes lingered on Lomas.
"…You neither."
They both grinned at the thought. Lomas' heart had curled up to a warm
bundle. He squeezed Astral's hand.
"I can't even begin to tell you how happy you made me when you said that
you'd get sealed to me."
"You made me happy by asking me to." Astral returned the squeeze.
"Shall we go back to the quarters?" Lomas smile widened a little. "There's a
shuttle scheduled in ten centons…"
Since the fire on the Scorpion, Lomas had moved in with Astral and was
therefore once again a resident of the much-loathed Piscean. Not that Lomas
cared about that now. That little room was now the most beautiful, the
happiest place in the universe.

The Scorpion was currently undergoing restorations and would not be opened
for public use until at least two sectars.

"…And we could stop on the Rising Star and have some aquarian take-away…"
"Sounds great." Astral smiled.
"Corporal Lomas?" A man in a lieutenant's uniform and wearing an insignia of
the Galactica took a hold of Lomas' shoulder from behind and made them stop
and turn.
"It's Civilian Lomas nowadays." Lomas smirked.
"You are needed on the Galactic, sir." The lieutenant spoke.
"Why?" Lomas stared at the man eyes wide. "I have nothing to do with the
military any more!"
"I have no information on the matter." The lieutenant replied, impatient to
go. "Please, follow me. I have a military shuttle waiting which'll take you
directly to the sick bay areas…"

* * *

"Now this is more like it." Starbuck beamed at the strikingly handsome man
in the mirror.
"Okay, I admit it. I guess I'm not really a dress person after all. I just
kept thinking that it would have been kinda nice to have the whole package
for once. I mean, you being a traditional kind of guy and all…"
"Hey, I never mentioned anything about any traditional stuff." Apollo
hurried to point out.
"I would've been very happy with quick, simple sealing without any
trimmings. It was you who insisted in the last episode on a proper ceremony
with dresses and stuff."
"Calm down buddy." Starbuck smirked. "I was only kidding you, I know I did.
And I do. I still do want the trimmings. The cake and the gifts, the dress
and stuff…"
Starbuck turned back to look at the reflection in the mirror.
"Yeah, I guess I'd still die for the dress thing. It's just that…"
Starbuck's eyes lingered from the mirror to the pile of clothes on the
counter. "…I had no idea that all of them would turn out to look like
something to eat!"
Apollo laughed.
"…Hey, what do you say we go to the Rising Star after this and treat
ouselves with a romantic dinner with fine ambrosa…" Starbuck grinned.
"…You're paying of course."
"You turd." Apollo slapped Starbuck's behind, making the other man giggle.
"Come on, take off the tuxedo. We have a shuttle to catch."
"So we ARE going to the Rising Star…" Starbuck pulled open the bow on the
shirt collar, eyeing Apollo
"I'm sorry Starbuck. I can't." Apollo concentrated on bundling his tux into
the bag the salesperson had given him. "I'm scheduled to give Aeon
navigation instructing…"
"Frack." Starbuck frowned truly disappointed. "I forgot.
"I'm sorry." Apollo said so quietly Starbuck didn't hear it.
"Hey, be careful with that tux or you'll wrinkle it." Starbuck realized what
Apollo was doing. "Don't expect me to do any ironing for you..."
Apollo laughed, though a little unnaturally. "What I wrinkle, I iron. I
promise."

30 centons to meeting Aeon in the launching bay X-area. Apollo tried to not
think about it but it was all that he could think about.

"It won't take long." Apollo promised. "I'll be back in a centar or so and
then we can finish writing those invitation cards, okay?"
"Sure." Starbuck grinned. "Don't wear yourself out darling. I have some
plans for us when you get back."
"Don't try to distract me Starbuck." Apollo laughed. "I have to be a tough
teacher and an esteemed captain in half a centar." I have to be a trustworty
fiance and an immune, impotent monk in half a centar. "But I'll hurry back,
I promise."
A smile remained on Apollo's face as his gaze lingered on Starbuck.
"I love you Bucky…"

* * *

Cree was the first one to notice Lomas.
The sight of that man who was so special, yet so unreachable to him made
Cree want to look away, but he didn't.
He watched as Lomas and Astral approached the usually restricted operation
area where Cree and the others had been waiting.
"Thank you for coming Lomas." Doctor Wilker who was now present in the sick
bay in addition to Tigh, commander Adama and Cree, smiled pleasantly and
started towards Lomas to greet him.
"What is this about?" Lomas' eyes lingered from man to man, until they
stopped on Cree.
"Hi buddy. How're ya doin'?"

Astral had remained a little behind, not really knowing whether this thing
would concern him too or not.

"You have no idea why you were brought here?" Wilker's eyes were on Lomas,
who shook his head.
"Nope."
All men fell quiet for a centon. Then Cree walked to Lomas.
Lomas' eyes watched him approaching.

Still not really being able to look Lomas straight in the eyes, Cree reached
out and kissed Lomas on the lips. Softly, like the breeze.
Lomas could feel saltyness. Had Cree been crying? Lomas tried to see signs
of tears but there were none. Cree was smiling.

"I have to die." He started speaking, quietly as if being in pain but there
was no hesitation in Cree's voice.
"You know what I am and there is no way I will ever be able to stay with
you…"

Lomas knew and it hurt like hell.

Although Cree had been an annoying little thing most of the time he had been
alive, always having clung onto Lomas, driving him crazy, Lomas had cared
for Cree in a weird way. He still did. Even now though Cree was…whatever he
was, an awaken one… it was so painful to let him go again…

"I know." Lomas whispered. He touched Cree's cheek softly.

Cree's eyes were on the pale waterponds as he extended his hands towards
Lomas, a blade resting on his upturned palms.
Lomas stared at that blade, cold chills starting to run down his spine.
He looked up at Cree, his lips moving a little but no words coming out.

"I'm ready to die, Lomas." Cree smiled, a little sadly. "But I want you to
kill me."

Astral gasped.
Wilker, Tigh and Adama said nothing, just tried not to watch, not to witness
that beautiful boy offering his life away.
Wanting to give Lomas the very last thing there was to give.

"Have you gone completely insane!" Lomas was horrified, staring at Cree.
"There's no way in frack that I'm going to be responsible for taking your
life!! For sagan's sake!! You need to get your head examined!…"
"I knew you'd react this way." Cree smiled. "And I love you for that. But…"
"You're crazy!" Lomas was disgusted.
"…You have no choice Lomas." Cree concluded, his eyes not faltering. "I have
a detonator under my cape. If you refuse to kill me, I will blow up this
room and you will all die."
"Idiot!" Lomas snorted. "But you know what! I don't give a shit! Just… blow
away." Lomas waved his hand. "I'm not afraid to die."
"You forgot something." Cree said wearily, and right at that very moment
Lomas had laid his eyes on Astral. And he paled.
"You may not care about yourself, Lomas." Cree's eyes lingered to Astral
too, then back to Lomas. "But you don't want him to die…"
"Cree…" Lomas' hands trembled. "I'm asking you… Please, I can't kill you. I
can't hurt you…"
"You always hurt me Lomas." Cree smiled sadly. "But this time the pain would
be sweet."
Lomas' eyes turned back to the blade on Cree's palms, staring at it for a
long time.

Slowly, like in a slow-motion nightmare, Lomas reached out and took the
blade. It felt cold against his skin. Cold like death. He looked up at Cree
in the eyes.
And he pushed the blade into Cree's stomach.

Blood starting to shower on his hands, red and warm, splashing onto his
face, running down his arms, first dripping then gushing to the floor,
creating an ocean of demise…

Cree's eyes were wide and surprised. God, how the eyes of the person always
turn surprised at the very moment of death, Lomas couldn't look at them.
He felt his insides turning upside down and coldness starting to reach all
over. Coldness that would never again leave. Lomas' heart was screaming from
pain.

Cree pressed Lomas hands on the wound where the blade was still sticking out
from, and he smiled, his face turning pale, the lips losing all colour…
"I love you Lomas." The boy whispered.

Slowly, as his legs started losing all their strenth, Cree fell to Lomas'
arms, sliding to the floor where he remained unmoving, his eyes were open,
staring into something that no one in the room could see.
Lomas didn't even know he was crying. He couldn't feel the tears.
Kneeling there beside Cree, he bend down and kissed the boy's forehead.

Never before having prayed, Lomas spoke to the sagans in silence, in his
heart.
His eyes were closed, his silent words pained and fragile.
For a moment, Lomas was somewhere else. In a place where there was only
darkness.

Someone placed a hand of his shoulder and Lomas opened his eyes to see who
it was.

"It will be all right." Adama's face was compassionate.
The old commander had kneeled beside Lomas to give him comfort as if there
could ever exist such thing.
"Yes." Lomas didn't smile, he didn't say anything else, but he knew. It
would be all right.

Letting Adama help him up from the floor, Lomas' gaze searched for Astral in
the room.
He couldn't spot the angel anywhere. The hand of darkness was reaching back
again, ready to clutch Lomas' heart…
"I'm sorry." Astral's soft voice came from close behind.

Lomas turned and immediately pulled Astral into an embrace so tight that
Astral could barely breath.

"Everything will be all right." Lomas smiled.
He was squeezing Astral's body against his own, not ever wanting to let go.
"Yes..." Astral whispered, eyes closed.

Politely Tigh, Wilker and Adama looked away, starting to chat about whatever
felgercarb came to their minds first.
Nobody was watching at Astral when he opened his eyes.
Nobody saw the fleeting glimpse of white before it disappeared.

Perhaps it was just the lights in the room…

* * *

Chapter 12

"Hrrmph!" Tigh cleared his throat trying to signal to those two loverboys
that there were still others in the room.
Lomas slowly let go off Astral, amused by Tigh's descretion.
"Thank you." Lomas whispered to his angel, still staring into those green
diamond eyes.

He felt a funny sensation that they were paler than before. Less intense.
That thought made Lomas almost burst out laughing. Cree's death had
obviously affected him more than he had realized.
"Everything will be all right." Astral was smiling at Lomas, holding onto
his hands.
"I know." This was one of the things that Lomas so much loved in Astral.
Unselfishness.

God, those eyes seemed even paler than before. Lomas wanted to pinch himself
to make these stupid illusions go away.

"Are you ready to leave this place?" Astral asked Lomas gently, knowing very
well how much killing Cree must have torn his heart. "We can go to the
quarters…"
"Astral…" Lomas stared at those eyes. "There's something…"
"No there is not." Asral smiled, this time a little more coolly "It's
nothing. Let's just leave this place."

"Thank you Lomas for helping us out." Adama's voice was lingering from
somewhere far far away, weak and funny, like if it hadn't been in this
universe at all. Lomas felt his heart turning colder. He couldn't stop
staring at those eyes.
"Is everything all right?" Tigh asked from somewhere beyond distant
galaxies.

"You are one of them, aren't you." Lomas heard a painful, jingling sound and
he knew it was his heart shattering. "You died in that fire…"

Astral didn't answer right away, just stared at Lomas with those now
snow-coloured eyes. How cold they made Lomas feel.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lomas was tired now. No strength left to
understand. "Nothing couldn't have changed how much I love you… It still
hasn't changed."
"Don't you see…" Astral's beautiful face lingered further and further away
until it was merely a diaphanous star in the horizon of emptiness. Lomas
was sure he was going crazy.
"They wouldn't have… they won't let me stay with you." The diaphanous
sparkle formed words that were so hard to construe. "They will kill me, just
like you killed Cree."

"No…" Lomas wanted to cover his ears and drift away. Far away.

"I'm different now. Unwanted, unbelonging…" Astral swallowed to get rid of
the pain in the throat but it didn't go away.
"I won't let them take you away from me." Lomas reached out for the faraway
angel through the veil of tears. "You and me will be together, always. If I
had to die with you, I will…"

The door of the sick bay opened with a hiss and two or three guards entered,
walking straight to Tigh. Astral's eyes followed them.

"I don't want to die..." Astral hardly said those words aloud. He watched
how those guards excanged descreet whispers with Tigh, cast a descreet
glance at Astral before turning and starting towards his direction.
Astral's lips started forming silent words…

Lomas' turned his head slowly and his eyes met the approaching guards.
For a moment time stood completely still. There were no sounds, no
movements.

Lomas grabbed Astral by the arm and pulled him into a run.
Together those two men dashed past the guards, towards the exit, hearing the
sounds of laser shots from behind.
Everything was seeming to be happening in slow-motion, like in a dream. All
sounds seemed octaves lower, like coming from a broken cassette player.

Lomas dived to the door and pressed the button. The goddamn door didn't
open.

Cursing out load Lomas turned to look behind.
The guards were still approaching, their weapons drawn but no lasers were
fired at that very moment.
Tigh was holding a remote control, pointing it at the door.

Lomas knew very well what that thing was and frowned. There was no way they
would get the door open now that Tigh could control the lock.

Feverishly Lomas eyed around the sick bay, still holding onto Astral's hand.

There were no windows, no other exits apart from three other doors, which
led to two smaller offices and an autopsy room.
That wasn't much help.

Lomas noticed a small hatch on the wall quite close to the exit.
The garbage tunnel!!

They could jump into that tunnel and it would take them to the bay area,
where the sanitation ship's trash pallets landed twice a day to gather the
garbage.
Lomas pondered hard for a hundreth part of a micron…

No. The garbage tunnel was out of the question. Lomas didn't want to get his
hair dirty.

One of the guards was now within reaching distance.
He had such a stupid action movie grimace on his face and was shouting
orders to the two other guys that were directly behind him.
Lomas stared at the guards, his head now completely blank from ideas.
For sagan's sake they were trapped…

Suddenly the guard with the action movie grimace stumbled on a blanket that
either Dimstar or Nicael had left on the floor and fell flat on his face.
The guards that were running right on his tail, were obviously too close to
be able to stop in time, stumbled on him and fell to the floor, cursing out
loud.

Tigh let out an agonized sigh.
And he forgot about his remote control for a moment.

Not hesitating even for a micron Lomas slapped his hand on the blue button
and the door started opening, s l o w l y. Sagan it seemed to take forever.

Lomas grabbed the edge of the door, trying to force it sideways more
quickly. Astral's eyes were on the guards now groaning and climbing up from
the floor.

Tigh looked up and noticed what was going on with the door. He damn quickly
pressed the lock up again but it was too late.
Lomas grabbed Aeon by the hand they dived through the gap in the doorway.
Just before it closed.

Lomas turned and gave the lock button a strike of a lifetime.
It broke just as the door was starting to open again and the door halted.

Tigh's frowning mumbles carried from the other side.
Grinning, feeling once again free and invincible, Lomas placed his hand on
Astral's shoulder, pleading the man to turn.

There was so much fear, worry and desperation on Astral's face, but a
glimpse of relief too. Relief, confusion and gratitude.
Lomas pulled Astral closer, very close, holding the man's both hands in his
own.

"I don't care what you say you are." Lomas gazed into the pale green eyes
that differed so much from the bright diamons they normally were.
"I don't care whether you have died and come back or whatever felgercarb has
happened to you during these past days…"

Lomas smiled. He leaned forward to kiss Astral's lips. A soft, lingering
kiss.

"I don't care where your path takes me." Lomas mumbled to Astral's ear. "I
love you. I will follow you to the enge of the world."

A little smile lingered on Astral's face.
He closed his eyes.

"We'll steal a shuttle and find a place of our own." Lomas placed a gentle
kiss on Astral's forehead. "A planet where we can…"
"Lomas…" Astral whispered, still keeping his eyes closed. "You don't
understand. I don't want to leave the fleet. It would be the same thing for
me as dying. I can't…"
"Shhh…" Lomas pressed his face against Astral's. "It will all work out.
We'll find a place to hide…"
They both knew it would be impossible.
For a little moment they both believed in it.

"Come." Lomas took Astral's hand. "We need to get away from here before Tigh
and the others manage to get the door open."
Together they started down the corridor.

* * *

Aeon was already there, Apollo could see the man from far away.
Quickly, he straightened his jacket, ran his fingers through his hair and
created a formal smile on his face.
It turned out everything but formal.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late." Apollo's hands were trembling and he had to
keep them behind his back as he approached Aeon.
"I and Starbuck, we were on the textile ship shopping for tuxedos and I
missed the earlier shuttle…"
"Don't worry about that." Aeon smiled warmly. "It doesn't matter in the
least."
"Shall we proceed?" Apollo cursed himself for being so fracking nervous.
"Sure." Aeon nodded. Apollo had to force his eyes away from the man's face.
"We have an ARX-system shuttle to our use and the launch controlling unit is
informed about our centar of training. They are prepaired to get us into
space as soon as we're ready."
"Sounds good." Aeon was walking too close to Apollo. It made Apollo's hands
sweat. It made his heart beat three times as fast. Apollo was sure he was
going to have a heart attack any micron.
They stepped into the shuttle.

The air was a little stuffy and too warm. Apollo wished he could take off
his jacket, wipe the perspire off his forehead, run like hell away from
Aeon…

"It's hot in here, isn't it." Apollo panted, just to say something,
anything. Break the silence.
"Yeah…" Aeon walked to the pilot seat and sat down, eyeing the control board
already concentrating on prepairing the shuttle for take off.
Apollo watched him.
"So…How many times have you flown this thing?"
Aeon turned. "The ARX? Only twice before. Cadet Martin never gave me a
chance with anything else than a C-wing."
"The ARX is not that different." Apollo smiled. "It only has more buttons
and switches to make you more confused, that's all."
Aeon laughed softly. "Yeah, plus four more thrusters, five-level
exhilarator, 40 percent more interior space, 25 percent increase in
amplitude…" Aeon fell silent for a while. His eyes were lingering on Apollo.
When he spoke again, his voice was lower than before. Less formal. It
suddenly frightened the felgercarbs out of Apollo.

"Do you know why I applied for a new navigation instructor?" Aeon asked,
scrutinizing Apollo's face.
Apollo shook his head, not trusting his voice.
"And I didn't just ask any new instructor…" Aeon's continued softly, that
softness in his voice making Apollo dizzy. "…I asked for you."

All blood disappearing from Apollo's head. The world took a leap sidewards,
forcing Apollo to grab a hold of anything that was nearby to keep his
balance.

"Why??"
"I think it's obvious." Aeon smiled. He was still sitting on the pilot seat
but his dark eyes seemed to be so close to Apollo he couldn't breath.
"Obvious?…" Apollo croaked. The floor was swaying nauseatingly.
"Yes." Aeon arose from the chair and walked to one of the shuttle windows,
remaining standing there with his back turned to Apollo.
"There is something I need to talk to you about."
"There is…?" Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Apollo held his breath. Was
Aeon going to confess he had feelings towards Apollo… And if he did, how in
the names of heavens would Apollo ever be able to refuse those feelings when
he was feeling the same way, but still, at the same time loving Starbuck
more than life itself…
"You've been watching me." Aeon said expressionlessly. He wasn't looking at
Apollo.
"Err…" Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh… Frack!
Aeon turned. "You shouldn't have such feelings towards me. We are not meant
to be together."
"I know." Apollo mouthed, for he couldn't find his voice. He couldn't turn
his eyes away from Aeon. He was embarrassed as hell.
"Your life is with Starbuck." Aeon continued softly, meeting Apollo's gaze.
"Yes..." A glimpse of warmth swept over Apollo's face as he thought about
Starbuck. It was a glimpse of love, but there were black shadows of anxiety
behind it.
"Yes. I love Starbuck with all my heart. I'd never do anything to hurt him.
I'd rather die… But…"
"…But you can't stop feeling the way you do towards me." Aeon concluded with
a trace of sadness in his soft voice.
"I'm… I'm completely enticed by you." Apollo couldn't understand. "Every
time I'm near you, every time I think of you…"
"I know." Aeon smiled sadly.
"…It's so painful it's destroying me, yet it burns so sweetly. I feel like
I'm flying too close to the sun…"
Aeon gazed at Apollo without saying anything for a while. The light of the
launching bay outside was coming in through the shuttle window and creating
shimmer in Aeon's hair, yet the face of fairy-tales remained in shadows.

After centons of silence, Aeon started towards the other man, walking so
softly his footsteps made hardly any sound against the metal floor.

"I cannot take those feelings away Apollo. "Aeon was walking closer and
closer. "You must deny them, you have to be strong."
"For heaven's sake don't you think I've been trying." Apollo replied with a
choked voice. "I'm being torn to pieces…"
Aeon was now in front of Apollo, his eyes so dark, so devouring… "I do not
feel the same way towards you Apollo. I am not in love with you."
"I'm not in love with you either." Apollo replied, almost angrily. "My
whole being belongs to Starbuck."
Aeon didn't answer, just gazed at Apollo sympathecally.
"But the way you make me feel…" Apollo struggled back a choked sob. "If
there is hell, I'm being burned by it's flames. I have no control over
this…"

Aeon had no idea what to say. He put his hand hesitatingly on Apollo's
shoulder.

"I so much wish there was something I could do…" Aeon whispered. "…but there
isn't. I can't take away your emotions for you."
"I know." Apollo smiled through pain. The smile turned to a little grin
"It's damn hard to be human!"
Aeon gave a little laugh. He reached out and pulled Apollo into a hug, not
letting go until Apollo ceased to struggle back.

Together, in complete silence, those two men with shadows in their hearts,
held each other close, for a fleeting moment trying to ignore the pain of
having emotions.

It's just like Apollo said: Sometimes it's bloody damn hard to be human, but
as God once told Adam in the beginning of everything: It's hard to be human,
indeed. But it's a hell of a lot harder to be a one-legged rabbit in a pink
leather coat.
* * *
Centons passed until Aeon finally let Apollo go.
Still, the men didn't move away from each other's closeness. They kept
standing there, face to face, knowing exactly what the other one was
thinking, yet trying to make sense of the tumult of thoughts of their own.

"Perhaps we should get this shuttle launched before they send someone down
here to check out what's going on." Apollo finally spoke.
"You're right." Aeon smiled. He touched Apollo's shoulder once more before
turning away and walking to the pilot's seat.

* * *

"I think we've lost them." Astral looked back. The corridor from the beta
sector was empty.
"But it's still not safe to stop." Lomas kept urging Astral forward. "They
may have called for help, we musn't rely on our luck…"
Lomas turned his head to give Astral a beautiful smile.
"I'm not taking any chances when it comes to you. I'm getting you… us… to a
safe hiding place, no matter what it takes."
"I know." Astral smiled.
They both knew in their hearts that their struggle for safety was pointless.
They would never succeed in escaping.
Neither of them said it aloud.

"I think I have a plan." Lomas spoke without looking at Astral now. They
were approaching a door at the end of the corridor, hoping to slip through
it to the next sector without anyone noticing. (DUH!)
"You do?" Astral's eyes was on Lomas' back since Lomas was walking ahead of
him.
"Yes." Lomas mumbled. "I think I know someone who can help us…"
"No one will help us." Astral wasn't quite that optimistic. "You keep
forgetting what I am. No one wants me amongst the people of the fleet…"
Lomas didn't answer. Instead, he signalled Astral to be completely silent.

He pushed open the door in front of him, just a little, and let his eyes
sweep over the next corridor through that tiny gap.
The corridor was empty. It seemed safe to proceed.
"Come, angel." Lomas turned to give Astral a quick, encouraging smile and
took his hand. "You must believe in me. I really think there is a way…"

Quietly, they sneaked into the next corridor, following their hopeless
dream…

* * *

"This is cadet Aeon asking permission to launch shuttle ARX-2."
"Finally!" Rigel's curious voice came from the speakers. "We were beginning
to wonder what you guys were up to! You've been in that shuttle for ages
without contacting the bridge control…"
"Oh, we were just going through some basic details with cadet Aeon." Apollo
answered to the communicator microphone before Aeon did, casting a
conspirator's glance on the beautiful man. "But we are ready to proceed with
the instructional session now…"
"Good." Rigel's voice replied. "You will be third in launching order. We
have a regular flight to the Aerian due next, then a charter flight for the
Canaris to the Aquarian. After that, it's your turn captain."
"Cadet." Apollo replied to the microphone with a grin.
"Excuse me?"
"From this point on, cadet Aeon will be in charge of this flight." Apollo's
eyes wondered once again to the man beside him.
"Yes sir." Rigel tried to suppress her amusement. "Cadet Aeon, are you ready
for the co-ordinates?"
"Yes ma'am." Aeon replied, buckling up his seatbelt and placing his
forefinger playfully on the turbo button. He glanced at Apollo. "Hold onto
your seat captain. Here we go!"
"My life is in your hands, buddy." Apollo grinned. "You better not make a
miscalculation in the delta process or my career is ruined!"

Aeon started prepairing for the take off. Apollo kept watching him.
They both pretended not to notice.

Centons seemed to go slowly as frack.
Apollo kept tapping his fingers against the control board, feeling damn
uneasy sitting beside Aeon in that small shuttle.

"The area outside the Galactica is now clear." Rigel's voice finally
informed. "You may launch when ready."
"Copy that." Aeon switched up the balancer and the sequencer neutralizer
(Yes, two tacos and a burrito) and glanced at the sigma readings to make
sure that the air-conditioning worked.
"Ready captain?" Aeon glanced at Apollo.
The other man nodded.

Apollo and Aeon leaned back in their seats and jolted with the vehicle as it
shot forward.
The launching tube seemed to last forever like it always did. Then it
suddenly ended and there was nothing else but stars outside the windshield.
Diamonds of light, seeming to be so close one could reach out and touch
them.
Alone, billions of them. Alone in darkness.

Once again Apollo's eyes lingered secretly back to Aeon.
Quickly he forced his gaze away.

* * *

Starbuck was lying on the bunk, his hands behind his head, staring at the
visions of his imagination on the ceiling.

Starbuck wasn't blind. He knew very well their was something going on with
Apollo and Aeon. Not anything physical, Starbuck trusted Apollo. It was
something emotional. Something that Apollo tried so hard to fight against.
Sagan it hurt! It was killing Starbuck but he would never say a word about
it to Apollo. There was no need to. Starbuck knew in his heart that Apollo
truly loved him. He saw it in Apollo's eyes every time they looked at each
other, heard it in his voice every time Apollo spoke to him, felt it in
Apollo's touch every time he reached out for Starbuck…

There was a knock on the door, startling Starbuck.

He arose to a sitting position on his bed and glanced at his timepiece. It
wasn't even nearly time for Apollo to return yet.

Reluctantly Starbuck crawled to the side of the bed and climbed off it, put
on his jacket and then walked to the door.

There are no words to describe the expression on Starbuck's face when he
opened it and saw the person who was standing there with such a charming
smile on his face.

"I need your help." Lomas cut straight to the point. "We need to hide in
your room for a while."
"What?" Starbuck almost laughed out loud.
"Please." Lomas wasn't in the mood for stupid questions. He gently pushed
Astral's back to direct him into the room past Starbuck.
"Hey, hold on a centon! Starbuck freaked out, rushing to block Lomas' and
Astral's way.
"You must be mistaken by the address! This is not the Rising Star…"
"If we wanted to go to Rising Star, Bucky…" Lomas stared at Starbuck's face.
"We wouldn't be running around the corridors of the Galactica, now would
we."
"How do I know what goes on in your weird little head." Starbuck was leaning
his hand against the doorpost to block the way to the room.
"This is a bad idea." Astral turned to say quietly to Lomas. "Let's just
leave…"
"No." Lomas was determined. "I don't ask much of you Starbuck…"
"Hell you don't." Starbuck grimaced. "First you want to steal my fiance,
then you decide we are brothers and that I was guilty for Baltar to abuse
you when you were a child.
Later you try to force me to kill Baltar and when I don't consent, you freak
out and try to kill me instead. Then you decide to impersonate me on the
Piscean and succeed in completely ruining my reputation, and finally you
start a riot in a court room just to give me prematurely green hair…"
"Green?" Lomas raised one eyebrow.
"Grey. Sorry, I really meant to say grey."Starbuck frowned. "You are making
me confused here!"
"Starbuck…" Lomas' face was serious. "Please help us."
The desperate tone in Lomas' voice made Starbuck pause. He scrutinized the
faces of those two men before him. Worried faces, no arrogance at all.
"What's going on?"

It didn't take long for Lomas to explain.
After that Starbuck knew he was going to regret having opened the door to
Lomas and Astral to let them into the quarters for as long as he would live.

* * *

"You are doing great." Apollo smiled politely at Aeon who was directing the
shuttle to what was called 'orbit 6'. (Just some technical felgercarb
meaning that the area around the fleet was numbered according to what was
the object's position in the scanner circle blah blah blah…)
"There was a minor mistake during the leveling of phi-beta turbulence, but
otherwise you must have been born with a shuttle control stick in your
hand."
Aeon laughed and Apollo blushed as vivid images of some other sticks started
running through his head
Something, a beam of unexpected light made both of the men turn.

"What is it?" Aeon asked, suddenly worried.
"I don't know but it looks like the headlights of an vehicle coming towards
us." Apollo narrowed his eyes. The thing was defenately approaching. The
lights were becoming brighter.
"Look at the scanner! Does it give any information about the object…"
"It shows nothing more than a blinking, approaching blob." Aeon answered.
"The info-board gives me no data. The thing is either too far away or it's
code-scrambled…"
Apollo frowned. "The thing is Obviously not too far away since I can see it
with my own eyes. It must be shielded from letting out data."
"An ARX like this one?" Aeon glanced at Apollo. "Could it possibly be a
colonial shuttle?"
Apollo stared at the lights. They were now so bright he had to shield his
eyes with his hand.
"I can't make out the form of that thing, but…" Apollo paused. "Wait…"

Outlines were beginning to form, but although the object seemed to be moving
towards them with a terrible speed, its lights suddenly turned dimmer, like
if someone had just come to think of switching the headlights from
long-distance to close-distance.
It reminded Apollo of his great great grandfather who was a truck driver…

The outlines of that vehicle had now become clearer.
Aeon turned to look at Apollo, amazed.

"It looks just like a C-wing!" Aeon gasped. "But it can't be…"
"Frack! It's coming straight at us!" Apollo yelled. "Turn! TURN!!"
"What…"
Apollo grabbed a hold of the control stick and started pulling it towards
himself with all his strength.
Slowly, despairingly slowly the shuttle began to turn.
"God damn it!…"

The other vehicle shot past their shuttle, missing them by millimetrons
only.
There was a terrible jolt and a shrieking noise as something got caught on
the wing of the other ship and got torn off.
It was a bitch trying to hold the shuttle now. It swerved off the
co-ordinated orbit and lost its balance. Apollo hit his head against the
side window.

"Frack!!" Apollo held his head and turned to stare at the tail lights of the
lunatic ship. "Did you see that? It made no attemp at all to try to avoid
us!"

Aeon was fighting with the control, he had no time to reply.

Apollo looked at his hand and was surprised to see blood on its palm.
Quickly he touched his head again and realized he was bleeding.
"I need to go and get the first aid box. Can you bring back the balance of
this thing? I have to get up…"
"If you take off your seat belt you'll crash onto the ceiling like a
tomato." Aeon screamed. "Don't you dare do that to me…"
Apollo burst out laughing. Aeon turned to look at Apollo like he had lost
his mind.

"What??"
"Nothing…" Apollo wiped his eyes. "It's just that… Why for sagan's sake do I
always get into these things…"
Aeon wasn't listening. He had noticed something in the rearviewmirror.
Quickly he turned to look out the rear window, suddenly turning pale as
ashes.

"I can't believe it. It's coming back."
"What?" Apollo stared at Aeon.
"The damn thing is coming back!!" Aeon shrieked and started pushing the
control stick inwards to put the shuttle into a dive.
Nothing happened. The damn shuttle kept trundling forward like a horse
carriage. "I hate this thing."
"SHIT!" Apollo looked back and then he too grabbed the stick.
Clenching their teeth, the two men fought to save themselves from the
rapidly closing ship.
It was useless. The shuttle had obviously decided that this would be the
perfect moment to take a nice little stroll in the starlight. Apollo kicked
the control board.
"Are you crazy?!" Aeon screamed.
The mysterious ship shot over Apollo's and Aeon's shuttle like a rocket,.
Apollo turned to look at Aeon, completely shocked.

"Did you see the code on that thing?"
"No. I was too busy being scared for my life than waving to those crazy
bastards." Aeon wiped his hair off his forhead and frowned. Apollo couldn't
help it. He laughed.
"Not again." Aeon frowned. "What is it now?"
"Nothing really." Apollo tried to stop laughing. "It's just that… under
these circumstances, you're behaving exactly like Starbuck!!"
"Maybe that explains why you have such a crush on me." Aeon raised one
eyebrow.
"Yes, that must be it." Apollo smirked. "I must be doomed."

Neither of the men could remain serious now. The sound of crazy,
uncontrollable laughter echoed inside the shuttle.

Oh shit!" Aeon happened to glance out of the window but he still couldn't
stop laughing.
"It's coming back." He hooted, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "The
damn thing is coming…"
Aeon bent over for he was laughing so hard it hurt his stomach. "It coming
straight towards us…Again!…"
"Why doesn't it just shoot us." Apollo was wiping his eyes too. "The
creature inside that thing doesn't seem to be very bright, does it."
"Look! It changed its direction! It's going straight into a nose dive!…"
Aeon pointed at the vehicle. "What the heck is wrong with that pilot!" He
turned to look at Apollo. "What if there is no pilot…"
"Somehow that wouldn't surprise me one bit." Apollo ginned, staring at the
crazy vehicle as it started swirling downwards, then gaining control again
and settling into a slide.
Suddenly Apollo's grin faded.
"Look at the code, Aeon." Apollo panted. "Look at it…"
"It's a…" Aeon narrowed his eyes, then he saw it and his jaw dropped. "It's
a Galactica shuttle!"
"A C-wing." Apollo's disbelieving eyes were on the swaying ship. "But…
that's impossible! There is no need for regular flights to make it this far
into space and the bridge hasn't informed us of any other vehicle supposing
to be in orbit six…"
"Shall I contact the bridge?" Aeon asked, puzzled about this.
"Try to establish connection with the shuttle itself first." Apollo
answered. "Try to find out who the frack is flying that ship… If there is a
pilot…"
"What if we find out that it's not human but a hostile creature, an enemy
who has stolen the shuttle…"
"Then we get the hell away from here."
"Why don't we shoot it." Aeon glanced at Apollo.
"We're in a shuttle for sagan's sake, not in a viper. This thing has no
laser generators."
"Oh well, that explains why the other vehicle hasn't tried to fire at us
yet…"
"This makes no sense at all. Why would someone steal a shuttle without laser
generators instead of fully-equipped viper and come down here to exterminate
us by trying to bump into our shuttle…"
"You have a point there." Aeon grinned. "I'll try to contact the pilot.
Perhaps it's someone from the Galactica who is in trouble."
Apollo was too stunned to do more than give Aeon a nod. Aeon switched on the
microphone.
"This is cadet Aeon from shuttle GA-ARX77 trying to contact GA-CW5. Can you
hear me?…"

No answer, just a hissing sound. Aeon glanced at Apollo.
"Try again." Apollo nodded.

"This is cadet Aeon from shuttle GA-ARX77 trying to contact GA-CW5. Can you
hear me? Are you okay in there?"
Nothing.
"We better get away from here." Apollo's face was serious.
"You're right." Aeon's eyes were on the C-wing. "And quickly too since that
damn thing is once again coming straight at us."
"What?" Apollo turned. "Oh jesus!"
Pushing the control stick inwards as hard as he could, Aeon managed to drop
the nose of their shuttle and slide it into a dive, just in time to avoid
the C-wing as it hurtled past.
Apollo noticed that one of its side wings visibly damaged.

"That thing is in trouble!" Apollo turned to Aeon. "It's not trying to
destroy us! You better try to contact the pilot once more. Just in case…"

Aeon switched on the mic. "GA-CW5, can you hear me. This is cadet…"
"YO, THIS IS CAPTAIN DIMSTAR SPEAKING! WE HAVE A MINOR NAVIGATIONAL PROBLEM
BUT WE CAN HANDLE IT. OVER."
Aeon grimaced. He could almost feel his hair flowing at the back. "Please do
not shout captain! I'm receiving you loud and clear…"
"SORRY MATE. OVER."
"And please stop saying over…"
Apollo stared at Aeon, furrowing his brows. "Dimstar… Why does that name
sound so familiar…"
"YOU GUYS FROM AROUND HERE OR WHAT? OV… SORRY MATE."
"Dimstar…" Aeon thought for a microns. "It must be one of the awaken guys
that were sent off to some planet…"
"Yes, of course." Apollo remembered. He leaned forward to speak to the
microphone. "You said you have a navigational problem. What kind of a
navigational problem?"
"OUR PILOT…"
"Please don't shout." Aeon grimaced.
"Sorry. Our problem is that our damn pilot can't fly this damn ship!"
"Liar! I can too! I just can't see a damn thing without eyeglasses!"
"You ARE wearing eyeglasses Oscar! One of those old distinguished wrinklies
gave you his glasses!"
"These are not MY sunglasses! I can't see shit with these…"
"Why don't you take them off then you imbecil!!"
"Because…" Oscar's voice became impatient. "If I take these off I can't see
a damn thing!"
"But…" Dimstar's voice frowned. "… Oh Oscar! You are an IDIOT!"
"You better watch out who you're calling an idiot Dim!!…" A sound of a chair
falling over or something.
"Jesus! Get your hands back on the control stick!!…"

Apollo and Aeon watched as the C-wing shuttle took a steep leap upwards and
then turned upside down.

"Excuse me gentlemen but…" Apollo glanced at Aeon. "Weren't you supposed to
have followed the directions given by colonel Tigh and made your way to
planet Dini, visible in your radar between angles 4,8 and 5,1…"
"We couldn't find it."
"Do you ALL need eyeglasses?!!"
"No." Someone laughed. It was probably Nicael. "It's my fault. I'm just
totally terrible in orienteering…"
"Why couldn't someone else interpret the data?" Apollo rolled his eyes.
"Like Dimstar for example!!"
"No, he couldn't have." Nicael patiently explained this simple obviousness.
"He's the captain! I'm the navigating officer! It's my job to read the
data."

Apollo couldn't believe this.
Blankly he watched the C-wing shuttle flying upside down.
There were still audible sounds of struggle in the background, coming from
the speakers.

"Are you guys O.K in there?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Nicael grinned. "Just a little nauseous..."
Aeon rolled his eyes to Apollo.
"We are returning to the Galactica now." Apollo spoke to the mic. "We'll
send you some help as soon as we get there. A shuttle to trail you to planet
Dini or something. Don't worry, we'll come up with an idea. Can you manage
not to kill yourselves until then…"
"Sure!" Nicael grinned. "We are eternal. We can't die."
"That was back in Du'yraan you fool" Dimstar's murmurs came from the
background somewhere. He sounded like he was being strangled by Oscar. "We
are not immortal any more…"
"Is anyone flying your ship at the moment?"
"No…"
"By the lords of Kobol!" Apollo let out a sigh of desperation.
Aeon shook his head.

Apollo took a deep breath and leaned back to speak the microphone.

"Okay guys. We are heading back to the Galactica now. Will one of you please
grab the control stick of your vehicle and fly little circles until we can
get someone out here to help you! Can you manage that?"
"Sure mate." Nicael gave Apollo an easy-going answer. Apollo could almost
see the thumbs-up sign. "I'm on my way to grab the stick right now."
"Good." Apollo smiled. "Try to take care of yourselves…"
"Don't be too long!" Dimstar shouted just before Apollo switched off the
communicator…

* * *

Chapter 13

Starbuck watched Lomas and Astral sitting on the couch, hand in hand,
neither of them talking. Astral kept fidgeting nervously.
Nobody had said anything for a while.

"This is a completely insane idea." Starbuck finally frowned. "There is no
way you can do this… Errr, excuse me but, what is it that you guys were
actually planning to do?"

Neither Lomas nor Astral answered. They didn't know the answer.

"You can't hide anywhere in the fleet." Starbuck continued. "There are
surveillance cameras everywhere. It's too damn cold to stay down in the
storage areas. You can't go to any of the kitchens to steal food, there's
always someone on duty there. You guys'll starve to death…"
"That is why we need you Starbuck." Lomas said quietly.
"Hey, don't drag me into this." Starbuck hurried to point out. "I'm only
letting you stay in this room until Apollo comes back. And there's no way in
frack that I'm going to be your secret caterer… Hell I don't even know why
I'm helping you now. I must have gone completely crazy!!"
"Shut up Starbuck." Lomas grew tired of listening to that babble.
Silence fell into the room.

Starbuck arose from the chair and walked to the bedroom to avoid having to
look at Lomas' face.
"You don't happen to have anything to drink?" Lomas' voice lingered after
him.
"There's water in the turboflush." Starbuck shouted back, annoyed and angry
at himself for… What? Hell, he didn't even know.

For a little time Starbuck played with the thought of not having helped
Lomas and Astral.
It didn't make hims feel any less irritated. What the frack did he want from
himself.

A knock on the door distracted Bucky's thoughts.
More people lining up to be rescued by saint Starbuck perhaps!?

Lomas head appeared from the living room.
"Are you going to get that?"
"I don't know." Starbuck snorted. "I only have one bed and food for two…"
Lomas gave Starbuck a glare. Starbuck ignored it.

The knocking continued. Astral appeared by Lomas' side, taking a hold of him
by the arm.
They all heard Tigh's voice.
"Starbuck? Are you in there?"

Astral was now pale as snow and so were his eyes. Starbuck had to look away
from those eyes, they made him shudder.
Somehow they seemed whiter than those of the man with the sausages.

"He'll go away if we're quiet." Astral said, his voice trembling.
Starbuck forced his eyes linger from Astral to Lomas and back. "This is
insanity! I'm going to open the door."
"Please, no!" Astral pleaded. His squeeze on Lomas' arm tightened.
Lomas' usually so kissable lips had turned into a thin straight line as he
was now staring at the man who could either save them or destroy it all.

"I'm begging you Starbuck." Lomas voice was hardly audible. "And you should
know how much I hate to do that…"
Starbuck didn't say anything.
"…I'm not doing this for myself. I don't care what happens to me…"
Lomas eyes lingered away from Lomas to Astral. Starbuck noticed how the look
on Lomas' face turned softer.
"…But if something happened to…"
Lomas eyes closed. He took a deep breath.
"…I'm begging you Starbuck. Please don't open the door."

Starbuck's eyes lingered on Lomas for a long time.
Then he turned away and left the bedroom..

Lomas dashed after Starbuck like a daggit and grabbed his arm, making him
turn.
Their eyes met but no one said a word.

Starbuck didn't take his gaze off Lomas as he forced his arm free and left
the man standing there, pain in those waterpond eyes.
The room was still bathing in total silence.

Lomas watched how Starbuck walked to the couch and sat down.
He reached for the military magazine on the glass table, opened it casually
and pretended to be reading the felgercarb it contained.

After a little while they all heard how Tigh's footsteps carried away from
the door.
Starbuck still didn't stop reading…

* * *

"What a lesson in navigation!" Aeon laughed as he and Apollo were walking
towards the elevators that led away from the bay area.

They had landed approximately ten centons ago and immediately contacted the
bridge to inform the control unit about the situation with Dimstar.
The operations controller on duty had instantly ordered a rescue patrol to
be launched.
Apollo and Aeon were now free to leave the bay.

"A turbowash and a big plateful of fresh mushies have never felt quite as
inviting as right now." Aeon kept babbling.
They crammed into the elevator with a bunch of bay technicians leaving the
bay for a coffee break. The smell of solium and tenium lingered in the air.
People were forced to lean against each other due to shortage of space.

Through the uniform, Apollo was feeling Aeon's lean, firm body pressing
against his own…

Level 4 and a cling. Apollo stepped out of the elevator, turning back to
look at Aeon before the doors began to close.
He couldn't find words although there was so much he wanted to say. Apollo
just stood there, feeling ridiculous.
Aeon stared back, his eyes revealing that he sensed what Apollo was feeling.
Apollo couldn't stop thinking he saw something else in those dark eyes too.
Something that…
The elevator doors closed.

A moment of desolation.

Then, slowly, a smile started forming on Apollo's face. A happy smile.
Apollo realized he was on his way home to Starbuck…

* * *

Lomas couldn't turn his eyes away from the back of Starbuck's neck.
Those footsteps outside in the corridor had disappeared centons ago but
Starbuck still didn't move.

There was a stupid page-size picture of a 5th millenium caprican bulldozer
on the left hand side and cooking instructions for a secton-to-last tulipian
casserole to take with you if you needed to go on a patrol in that bulldozer
on the right.
Lomas knew very well that Starbuck wasn't paying any attention to what was
on those pages. He was waiting for Lomas and Astral to leave.

Lomas turned to Astral. "Come. Get everything you had with you. We're going.

Astral didn't ask. He disappeared into the bedroom, took the cape he had
just placed on the back of a chair and came back, walking to Lomas' side.
Lomas' eyes were still on Starbuck's back.

"Are we going?" Astral asked softly, his eyes on Lomas.
"Yes." Lomas prolonged his answer, concentrating on Starbuck, hesitating to
walk over to the man.
Yet he did. Leaving Astral to watch, Lomas walked to Starbuck, ripped away
the magazine and placed it on the glass table.
Lomas took Starbuck's hands.

Not saying anything, Starbuck obeyed the plead in those waterpond eyes and
arose from the couch, not taking his gaze off Lomas.

Two men, brothers yet both carrying coldness in their hearts, were now
standing face to face.
How alike they looked now, the same height, their bodies built alike, lean
and moving with delightful natural grace…
Lomas was the one to pull Starbuck into the embrace but Starbuck did not
resist.
For a little moment in time, they were really brothers.

"Thank you." Lomas whispered.
He let go of Starbuck without looking at being able to look at him any more
and walked to the door.

Astral saw how Starbuck turned and watched Lomas go.
He gave Starbuck a quick thankful smile but he didn't think the man noticed,
then turned and hurried after Lomas, who had already disappeared into the
corridor.

Slowly, the door started closing by itself.
Starbuck suddenly realized he was smiling.

* * *

Aeon turned the key in the key hole and opened the door to let himself in.
The room was dark. It was always dark.
This time Aeon didn't even feel like turning on the lights.

After having closed the door and blocked out the stream of light that had
shone from the corridor, Astral was left alone with his thoughts of Apollo.

Making his way to the side of the bed in darkness, Aeon took off his boots
and jacket, leaving them on the floor. Not caring.
The blanket on the bad felt cold, a little damp. Aeon sat down.

He had lied.

Lied, when having told Apollo that he didn't feel the same way. Lied, when
having said that he wasn't in love with Apollo.
God how much strength he had needed at that very moment.

Aeon extended his hand and turned on the pale bedside lamp.
His eyes lingered to a pale, tired-looking but trikingly beautiful person in
the mirror, on the other side of the room.
"Hey pal." Aeon was too tired to smile. He stared into those dark eyes that
kept staring back, unflinchingly.
Aeon arose from the bedside and started walking closer to the person. Closer
and closer, until they were standing face to face.
Aeon lifted his hand and pressed his palm against the palm of that other
man.
"For a person who started out as a villain of the story you've certainly
turned out annoyingly decent."
The being in the mirror grinned, then turned to look sarcastic. Yet he
posessed something immaculate that Aeon didn't have.
For a little moment Aeon really hated that person.

Aeon turned away and walked to the kitchen.
He switched on the light in that small room, opened the cupboard and
searched for a cup.

There was nothing more than a bottle of water in the fridge. Aeon took it,
opened the cork and pore himself a cupful.
How cold the liquid felt against his lips, in his mouth, in his troat…
It couldn't quench the fire in his heart.

It had all began because of Apollo.

Apollo was the reason why Aeon had revealed the secrets of Orion, destroyed
the ones that had followed him, disobeyed the destiny that gods had given
him, (Whatever that old man with sausages had told them by the campfire,
Aeon didn't want to believe a thing. He really was the chosen one. No matter
what the truth was. Aeon wanted to be special…), followed Apollo back to the
Galactica although he should have stayed behind on the Orion, going through
a military training to become a cadet so he could be able to live on the
Galactica… And then turning Apollo away when he had been so close to touch…

"Damn you!" Aeon cursed himself. He could never have Apollo. That man
belonged to someone else and Aeon would never intervene between Apollo and
Starbuck.
And then there was this other reason…

Aeon's eyes lingered to the box on the dresser.

* * *

Sagan it was hot in these corridors, the air conditioning must have had
broken down again.
Apollo took off his jacket and loosened the collar of his tunic.

For a little moment a feeling that he wasn't alone in the corridor overcame
Apollo.
He turned to look back but there was no one. Funny, Apollo could swear he
had sensed someone's presence.

Apollo let his eyes linger on the empty corridor and listened.
There were no sounds, nothing to suggest that there was another living soul
anywhere near, yet the feeling didn't go away.
"I'm going nuts." Apollo mumbled. "I must have spent too much time here in
space. Soon I'm going to start believing that I'm being chased by little
green men…"

Shrugging the idiotic thoughts off his mind, Apollo continued down the
hallway.

The maker grinned in the shadows, having listened to Apollo talking to
himself.
How delightful people were when they thought no one was watching.

Without making any noice, the maker proceeded after Apollo. Invisible in the
shadows, hiding behind corridor corners, waiting for the moment to continue…

God how fantastically knife-edging it felt to secretly follow someone.
To watch, observe. To Fantasize.
Feeling so damn invinsible when the object was completely unaware of being
stalked.
Risking it all by taking this crazy chance of being noticed any micron…
The maker had waited long enough. The desire had grown too strong, it
couldn't be held back any more. It was finally time to play with Apollo.

The maker fought back delighted laughter, thinking about Apollo lying there,
helpless, his legs and arms tied to the bedposts, his mouth gagged…

Oh, how many times the maker had visualized how he would walk around the
helpless Apollo, letting the fever grow, watching the man.
The way Apollo's frightened, furious but despaired eyes would follow all the
movements the maker would make.
Not being able to resist when the maker would finally kneal beside the bed,
tear off Apollo's uniform with a blade the size of the Galactica, little by
little revealing that tanned skin that was always so damn hidden during the
time of duty…

Then, when the blade had made it's first cut on the skin, the maker would
reach out and touch the drop of blood that would appear to the surface.
Touch it softly with his forefinger, watch the fingertip turning red, then
slowly bringing the drop of blood on the fingertip to his lips and taste it…

The maker licked his lips. He felt an erection coming up.

Little by little he would give in to the growing urge until there would be
no more holding back.
The blade would sink hard, mercilessly into Apollo's chest, deeper until… Oh
the smell of the hidden.
The maker would reach for the heart. Bring it up from it's secret hideaway
and lift it into the air while it still was beating, fighting to live…

The maker lost Apollo from view. Frack! The man must have taken a turn while
the maker had been unprepaired…
Blood gushing in his head, the maker shot down the hallway like a laser, not
realizing his feet were making a sound of running.
He managed to stop just before the corner and lean forward to take a look.
Apollo was there. Having stopped to listen, looking puzzled.

Quickly the maker pulled back and pressed his body against the coldness of
the wall, slowly letting it relax. No sound now…

The maker heard a rattling noise of keys being dug out of the pocket.
He looked around and realized their were outside Apollo's and Starbuck's
quarters. Shit, he had totally lost track of space being so lost in those
fantasies…
Somewhere, an old grandfather's timepiece started chiming.

The maker frowned, realizing it was too late to proceed now. Starbuck might
be home any micron.
Besides, the maker wasn't planning to play in Apollo's quarters. In there he
would have to hurry, to be on his guard. The maker didn't want to hurry. Not
with Apollo…

The maker inched his head a little forward so he could watch Apollo opening
the door with his keys and…
Apollo realized the door was already open.
He pushed the it wider open and stepped into the quarters.

"Starbuck. What are you doing there, standing in the middle of the room,
grinning in that weird way." Apollo's stunned voice lingered to the hallway.
The maker could hear it loud and clear.
"Why is this door open for sagan's sake?…"
"I have a brother." Starbuck smirked, his eyes slowly turning to Apollo, who
was closing the door behind him.
"Yeah…" Apollo's raised one eyebrow. "I know…"
"No, I mean…" Starbuck's smirk turned to a smile of realization. "I have a
brother!"
"What's going on Starbuck." Apollo eyed his lover suspiciously.
Starbuck grinned. "Nothing much. Lomas just popped by a little while ago and
I kind of realized that although I can't stand that daggit…"
Starbuck shrugged and turned, starting towards the kitchen to get a drink.
He glanced back at Apollo.
"…Want something?"
"No." Apollo stared after Starbuck. "What do you mean Lomas dropped by. I
don't quite believe he brought you a birthday present and suddenly you guys
turn out to be best of friends…"
"My birthday isn't until…" Starbuck paused for a micron. "In fact, I don't
know when my birthday is."
They both laughed.
"No, Lomas didn't drop by to bribe me." Starbuck grinned amused. "He came
here to demand that I should save his buddy who had turned out to be an
awaken one, from the hands of evil Tigh…"
"What??"
"And I did." Starbuck hummed.
"WHAT??"
"I realized I don't hate Lomas." There was sound like water running as
Starbuck poured himself a drink. "Yeah, I dislike him a hell of a lot, I
feel sorry for him, I'm ashamed of his stupid stunts, I can't stand the way
he leaves the toilet seat up…"
Starbuck turned, sipping from his cup. His eyes were on Apollo.
"I don't hate him at all." Starbuck smiled. "And I didn't give him or his
buddy Astral into Tigh's hands."
"Is Astral an awaken one?" Apollo raised his eyebrow.
"That's what Lomas said." Starbuck poured the rest of the drink into his
troat and put the cup into the sink. "But enough of Lomas!" Starbuck
grinned. "Why don't you come here and give your hubby-to-be a little kiss."
"Oh Starbuck." Apollo smirked. "When we're sealed you're gonna have to stop
bossing me about…"
Apollo walked to Starbuck and for a little while the stars outside held a
million promises.

"Starbuck…"
"Yes darling?" Starbuck was grinning happily.
"We have to talk…"

Apollo disengaged from the embrace.

"I can't hold this back any longer." Apollo's eyes found Starbuck's.
"Hold back what?" Starbuck raised one eyebrow. "If you tell me you've got
herpes I'm gonna kick you…"
Apollo swallowed. "it's about Aeon…"
A little sad smile formed on Starbuck's face. "You don't have to tell me. I
already know."

"What?" Apollo had to take a moment to completely understand Starbuck's
words.
"You do?…"
"Yes." Starbuck replied quietly. "I do."

"Oh sagan, Starbuck." Apollo was suddenly frightened. "I love you, please
don't doubt that…"
Starbuck took both of Apollo's hands. "I know."
"I never want to hurt you Starbuck. You are everything I live for…"

"Please don't speak." Starbuck's face was close to Apollo's, their lips
almost touching now.

"I can't stop myself for having feelings for Aeon." Apollo whispered,
pleading. "But that's all. I only have feelings for him. You're the one and
only person that I…"
"Shhhh." Starbuck silenced Apollo with an intense kiss on the mouth. "I
understand…"
"I don't deserve you." Apollo rested his head on Starbuck's shoulder and
closed his eyes.
His heart was so warm it must had been glowing in the dark.
"I know." Starbuck smirked.

Apollo slapped him on the buttocks.

* * *

Aeon's eyes were still lingering on the violet-coloured box. It was like it
kept calling out for him. Forming secret words that only Aeon could hear.

He walked to the dresser and picked the box up, holding it on his palm
against the light from the bedside lamp.
Little dark lines started forming right under the glass-like surface,
curling like gauzy little snakes with vicious eyes.

Slowly, not really wanting to do so, Aeon lifted up the lid and looked
inside.
It was still there. It was always there. The light in the room reflecting
from it's smooth surface.

Aeon put his hand into the box and picked it up, the small mirror with
carvings on its handle.
He lifted it higher, to the level of his face and looked into it.
The face stared back.

There was never any expression on the face, it was just blankly horrible.
Rubbery skin, no lines, no wrinkles, nothing. Just mask-like emptiness.
Those eyes had no life. Staring back at Aeon, seeing him yet giving away no
glimpse of understanding. No reason at all.
The face had no lips, just a hole where the mouth should've been. No teeth,
no tongue.
No words.
Black, long hair, most of it having fallen off in clumps. Bare, hairless
spots of skin all over, covered in strange scabs and scars.
No ears, just two small holes on both sides of the head.

Aeon stared at the face for a long time before putting the mirror back to
the box and closing the lid.
He brought his hand to his own face and ran his fingers over his eyes, his
nose, his lips…
He felt it. It was all there underneath. The face in the mirror.
It was the dark side of him.

Aeon closed his eyes.
He remembered so very well how he had been only four when he had found the
little mirror in one of his father's drawers.

In the days to come, father had never consented to tell him where the thing
had come from, but one night he had taken Aeon onto his lap and revealed a
secret that so many people were unaware of.

That very night little Aeon had learned that as every person had a dark side
in them mentally, they had it physically too. That is the reason why no
human being was perfect. Their appearance was a mixture of the good side and
the dark side.
~~~
"Uh huh." Little Aeon had stared at papa, trying hard to keep up with papa's
story.
Father had smiled and tried to explain it a little more simply.

"You see son, if those people had found a mirror alike you have and looked
into it, they would only see what they usually see. Nothing in their
appearance is hidden. They are indeed faulty…"

Aeon had become even more confused but remained politely quiet, meeting
papa's gaze as the older man was looking thoughtfully into little Aeon's
eyes.

"That is where you are different my son. Your dark side is hidden. You are
perfect, just like the adult picture of you that we've always had. Purely
beautiful…"
Little Aeon remembered the picture. He thought it was funny.
"…And that is the reason why you now see complete ugliness when you look
into that special mirror. It shows solely the dark side of you, the side
that isn't visible with eyes…"

Aeon hadn't understood father's explanation until he had become an adult and
by then it was too late.
Little Aeon had grown up seeing the purely dark side of him in that mirror
and become convinced that he was a monster.

Although he saw the blinding beauty in himself everywhere he looked, he
didn't believe in it. That monster in the mirror was stronger. It was the
way Aeon really looked…

He had become more and more isolated over the yahrens.
Rather than playing with other kids in the playground, Aeon always played
alone, not wanting to make friends for he couldn't bring himself to believe
that anyone would want to be friends with a monster like he was.

Aeon was so withdrawn during junior instructional period that when he
blossomed into an even more mesmerizing young man in his teenage yahrens, he
was so painfully oblivious to all the attention he was getting.
To Aeon it was a certainty that no one could ever love a monster like him,
for ugliness was still the only thing he saw in himself.

As an adult, Aeon realized the truth.
He finally understood what father had tried to plained to him on that
particular day.

It had taken all that time for Aeon to internalize that the beautiful side
and the dark side were separate in him unlike in all others but they were
still one.
Those two sides made Aeon.
He was both the beauty and the horror.

Yet Aeon couldn't let anyone get close to him and be fooled by the beauty
when the monster was hiding underneath.
Aeon kept believing in what he had thought all those yahrens. No one would
ever be cabable of loving such darkness, therefore no one would ever be
cabable of loving Aeon.

Not even Apollo.

Aeon turned off the bedside lamp and sat down.
For a moment he saw nothing in the dark room. If he could only remain in
such darkness forever…

* * *

It was stuffy and claustrophobic in the damn cleaning closet.
Astral would have been ready to take the risk and catch a shuttle away from
the Galactica. Any shuttle, but Lomas had not consented.
The passengers were always checked before boarding. The bay-guards on duty
were surely informed about Astral's escape and advised to keep their eyes
open.

They both were realizing how impossible their plans were but it had been
Astral who had spoken out his fear first.
After that, there was no turning back to comfortable denial.
They were forced to start making new plans.

Hey, hang on a centon, what the frack am I saying. (Yes, this is God again.)
That is total felgercarb. There's nothing to plan. There are no choices.
It would break Astral's heart to be forced to leave the fleet and it would
damn well break Lomas' heart to see Astral having to give up something he
wanted so much.

Dying was of course out of the question so all they had left was to find a
place to hide.
Lomas kept lying to Astral and himself that they would surely come up with a
plan once they had a little time to think.
Sure.
Now being crammed in this damn closet, Lomas mind wasn't working any faster
or any more clearly than before and Astral was getting hungry and tired, not
to mention losing his hope.

"We'll wait until it becomes a little more quiet." Lomas whispered. "Things
allways calm down when sleep cycle begins. Then we'll sneak down to the
launching bay and…"

The door of the closet was suddenly pulled wide open.

Half blinded by the light from the corridor, Lomas and Astral found
themselves staring at the doughy face of a sanitation worker who must have
been looking just as surprised as they were.

"What the frack are you guys doing in there?" The doughy face turned from
surprised to bloody curious. "Don't you know this is a cleaning closet!"

"We were…" Lomas was feverishly trying to come up with something.
"…Having sex." Astral grabbed Lomas by the arm to silence him and completed
the sentence.
Lomas's head turned to look at Astral quite surprised.

Oh, sorry." The doughy face apologized, beginning to close the door but then
halting as he remembered something.
"Do you mind if I get my vacuum cleaner from behind your back…"
"No, of course not." Lomas replied without letting his polite facial
expression fail him.
"Be my guest…"

Panting, the sanitation worker crammed his doughy body into the closet with
Lomas and Astral, trying to reach for the vacuum cleaner and the sterilizing
cloth.

"This is not working out." He groaned. "You guys will have to come out from
there while I get my stuff. Do you have your clothes on?"
Lomas rolled his eyes. "Yes. Okay, hold on. We're coming out…"

Lomas and Astral couldn't move an inch past the sanitation worker.

"Could you, errr, move back a little until we can…"
"Oh sure." The doughy face replied, starting to back out from the closet,
his butt reaching the light in the corridor first.
Lomas and Astral followed right after him, swaying and stumbling.
Lomas freezed as he saw Astral's eyes in the light. They had once again
turned pale, this time completely white.
"What's wrong with your eyes mate?" The sanitation worker stared at Astral
shamelessly curious. "I could call you a doctor with my com-unit if you need
one…"

Lomas let out a silent sigh. Why, oh why couldn't things just be easy for a
change.

"No need to pal." He smiled. "My friend's an albino and this just happens to
be one of his more albino-esque days, that's all…"
"Oh, right." Ths doughy face grinned. He was still gazing at Astral. "I hope
you don't mind me asking but… Is that painful? I have a cousin who…"

Lomas noticed something.
He grabbed Astral's arm and pulled him into a run, leaving the doughy face
staring after them completely confused.

"What is it?" Astral kept panting while trying to keep up with Lomas.
"I saw Tigh." Lomas turned to take a look back and almost stumbled on his
own feet.

The old colonel had noticed them and was waving his arms and apparently
shouting something. Lomas couldn't make out the words but he didn't have to.

"Keep running!" He panted to Astral. "They are sending guards after us!"
"Where are we going??" Astral was more and more out of breath. "There is no
place to hide on the Galactica…"
"We'll find something." Lomas kept going. "Here! This way… If we get to the
crossing to the G-section before they do we can break the lock of the
H-stabilizer and jam the doors…"
"You really think that would help…"
"I bloody well hope so…"

Lomas had predicted right. They both noticed the five or six guards that
were rushing after them.
The distance between Lomas and Astral and those guards was become shorter
and shorter.

"Oh shit! We can't shake them off!" Astral panted. "We are in trouble!"
"Then stop wasting your energy on talking felgercarb and run damn it!" Lomas
too was losing his optimism but he'd rather wait for hell to freeze over
than let it show. "We can get to the crossing if we try…"

Shots were fired and pieces of metal catapulted as the lasers hit the walls.
Suddenly there seemed to be bits of metal everywhere, grazing past Lomas or
Astral, tearing little wounds on their arms and faces.

"I can see the crossing!" Lomas suddenly yelled, spotting the outlines of a
narrow metallic bridge in the distance. Determinedly pulling Astral with
him, Lomas kept stumbling forward, for the first time in centons feeling
hopeful…

Astral cried out from pain as a laser shot hit his leg. He fell to the floor
no matter how hard Lomas was trying to hold him up, drag him forward…
"I can't!" Astral screamed. Lomas hurriedly glanced up and saw the guards
closing the distance. Desperately he squeezed onto Astral's arm, trying so
hard to get him up. "Please!!!! Try!!!"
Another shot was fired, it's deafening sound drowning Lomas' screams.

The shot hit Astral in the chest, making him grimace and curl up on the
floor, pressing both of his hands on the bleeding wound. The floor started
rapidly turning red.

A howl of desperation filled the corridor as Lomas' limp body fell to
Astral's side.

Still convulsively clutching onto Astral's arm, trying so hard to pull the
angel into safety, Lomas watched everything he had ever lived for sliding
through his fingers.

No! NO! Lomas couldn't let this happen! He stumbled to his trembling feet
and, using all the little strength he had left, picked Astral up.
The world turned colourless for a passing moment. Lomas fought to remain
conscious as all the blood disappeared from his head, making him so damn
weak.
Lomas could hardly hold Astral, but he had no choice. With spots of lights
dancing in front of his eyes, making him nauseous, Lomas started his
desperate, wobbly run for escape.

Astral sighed with pain. He struggled his eyes open to look at Lomas.
"It's so cold…"
"Shhhh!" Lomas couldn't get words out because of the immense lump of pain in
his troat.
He kept going forward although he was starting to run out of all the little
strength he had had left.
Lomas' arms were shaking, his legs weren't obeing at all but threatening to
give in to the terrible weight they were carrying.
"I don't want to die…"
Lomas saw tears in Astral's eyes. He tried not to look, for those tears were
tearing up what was left of his heart.
"You're not going to die! Stop saying such foolish things…"
"Please Lomas. I don't want to die! I don't want to die…" Astral was sobbing
achingly.
"Stop! Please! Lomas cried. "I'm almost there!! I'm taking you to safety…"

Lomas' legs failed him just as he stepped on the bridge.
He fell and dropped Astral, who almost lost consciousness because of that
sudden, immense, tearing pain that he felt when he hit the groud.

The bridge was slippery as frack. Lomas tried to grab a hold of Astral who
had started slipping towards the edge of the bridge, towards the gaping
mouth of nothingness.
He wasn't quick enough. He missed.

Letting out a shriek of horror, Lomas shot onto his knees and dived towards
Astral who had only just managed to grasp a hold of the handrail before he
would have fallen to the emptiness below.

The forklift trucks far below in the huge ceilingless storage area looked
like tiny ants.
People were so small they couldn't be seen at all.
Lights from windows all around the Galactica shone like little stars. It
could've been such a beautiful sight. Now they were hundreds of little
teeth, waiting for Astral to drop in.

Lomas caught a hold of Astral's wrist and tried to pull the man up. It was
such a ridiculously useless stunt that if Astral hadn't been in so much pain
he would've burst out laughing.

Astral glanced down at the little forklifts, then up at Lomas who was
totally frantic.
Screaming and red-faced, cleching his teeth together and holding on to
Astral who was dangling above nothingness, his grasp on the handrail
slipping and slipping as the pain was growing harder to bear…

"Help me someone for sagan's sake!" Lomas howled to the guards who were
standing at the beginning of the bridge, completely frozen, staring at Lomas
and Astral like a bunch of retards.

Lomas didn't understand why those guards did nothing to help, but how could
he have.
To him, Astral was alive, the only thing worth fighting for in the whole
universe.
To those guards Astral was a military assignment. An object that was ordered
to be determinated. (Shit! Humans are just like cylons!). Those guards
weren't allowed to help even if their hearts were telling them to.

Lomas glared at the guards with fire of hatred in his eyes. Then he saw
Tigh, standing behind those officers.
"I'm begging you…" Lomas' pleading eyes lingered on the colonel.
For a moment there was no anger nor hatred there, only fragility. For a
moment there was a little boy in those pale eyes. A boy that once was
willing to believe in the good in people before he was destroyed by his
father.

"I'm sorry Lomas." Tigh said quietly.
He turned to give the horrible command to the guards, hating his colonal's
job from the bottom of his heart at that very moment.
"Permission to shoot the object granted."

Lomas coulfdnot believe his ears. He stared at Tigh, his mouth opening for a
silent scream of horror.
The guards lifted their weapons at aimed at Astral.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO……" Lomas let out a shriek of despair, seeing helplessly how
the laser beams hit the body of Astral.
More blood burst out, most of it splattering on Lomas' face and tunic.
Astral howled out in pain and his grasp on the handrail slipped.
Lomas held convulsively onto Astral's wrists although Astral's weight was
now dragging him closer to the edge of the bridge. "NOOOOO! GOD, NOOO!!!"

Lomas had never felt such pain. He felt like those laser shots had hit him
instead of the angel. His strength was bleading out of his body like
Astral's blood. His grasp on Astral's wrists began to weaken…

The edge was lingering closer and closer as Lomas was becoming powerless
against the slipperiness and the weight of the man dangling in the
emptiness.

"Please help him…" Lomas cried, his grasp now slipping no matter how
desperately he tried to fight back.
The guards stared at what was happening with so much guilt but none of them
wanted to disobey colonel Tigh's orders.
Tigh had turned to look away…

Astral's dazed eyes opened and struggled to focus on Lomas.

Lomas met that look of hopelessness through tears.
"It's going to be all right my love." Lomas croaked. "You'll be safe… I'll…"

"Please don't let me die." Astral whispered with his choked, weak voice.
His eyes were gazing into Lomas' with despondence Lomas had never seen in
them before. Those eyes were losing the battle for life.
"Please Astral, please hang on…" Lomas kept sobbing.

Astral's eyes were beginning to close, his focus becoming hazier and hazier
for he was now lingering withing the border of consciousness and
unconsciousness
"I won't let you go!" Lomas sobbed, desparately trying to cling onto
Astral's slipping wrists while holding on to something metallic on the
bridge with his bent ankle. It hurt like frack.
"Please, don't give up…"

Astral's head fell to the side and his eyes closed. He stopped fighting and
became completely limp, heavier.
Lomas screamed like hell just as he lost the grasp on Astral's wrists and
watched with undescribable horror as the angel plunged into the emptiness
right there before his eyes. Hurled into his death, taking an eternity
before crashing into the bottom like porcelain…

For a little moment Lomas was completely paralized. He just lay there with
his eyes open, seeing nothing.

Suddenly he took a convulsive hold of the handrail and started pulling his
numb body towards the edge of the bridge.
Lomas couldn't move his legs, he couldn't scream or cry, no voice came out.
He couldn't see anything else than the edge.
Surrounded by total silence of despair, Lomas kept dragging himself towards
the only escapade he now knew.
His suicide.

Someone grabbed a strong hold of him.

Lomas fought like a lunatic to free himslelf from those hands that tried to
save him, tried to keep him from being saved.
He kept kicking like a wild animal, biting and scratching the two guards
that were dragging him away from the edge, towards the beginning of the
bridge where Tigh was standing, a forlorn look in his brown eyes.

"I can't let you kill yourself Lomas." Tigh said quietly.

"Why?" Lomas screamed. "Why for sagan's sake???? You don't care about me!!"
"I care for the people of the fleet." Tigh's voice had become even more
quiet. "No one commits suicide on my duty shift."
"You old fool!" Lomas spat at Tigh. "All you are doing now is destroying
me!! Why…"

Lomas felt a little pinch and shocked he turned to look at one of the guards
who was holding a little syringe in his hands.
That was the last thing Lomas saw before slipping into unawareness…

* * *

Chapter 14

Someone was humming. An eerie melody that had no sense at all. It kept going
on and on until Lomas was sure he would go insane.
He didn't realize he was doing the humming himself.

The room looked hardly bigger than the cleaning closet. Lomas eyed around to
try to spot Astral but perhaps it was too dark. He couldn't.

There were ghosts in the room.
Lomas didn't care.

Swaying back and forth, Lomas kept listening to that hum. Up and down it
went, from insane cheerfulness to quiet sorrow.

The humming paused as Lomas looked around the room and noticed a door.
Quickly, like a cat Lomas climbed off the bed where he had been sitting legs
crossed, went to the door and tried it.
Just as he had thought, it was locked. Then why the hell did it open.

When Lomas had woken up from being sedated, he had known they had taken him
back to the Sagittarian.
They were just trying to fool him by placing him in a room that didn't look
anything like what they normally were.
Lomas wasn't that easily fooled. He knew they were watching him with those
surveillance cameras.

Why had the humming stopped? Lomas turned back at the door to let his gaze
sweep around the room to find the reason for this quietude. He couldn't come
up with any.

Lomas shrugged and stepped into the hallway. Damn it was brightly lit and
looked nothing like the Sagittarian.
Where the frack was he. If Lomas hadn't known better he would've thought
this was the Galactica. But…

What the hell would he be doing on the Galactica?? The last thing Lomas
remembered was…
Hang on a centon… Lomas had no idea where he had been.
Perhaps he should ask the ghosts. Or Astral…

Lomas looked around the hallway but Astral still wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Now, where the heck did that man go. Just a centon ago they were hiding in a
cleaning closet…
The expression on Lomas' face brightened and his forefinger popped up. Well
of course. That's where they had just been. The closet. Perhaps the
sanitation worker saw which direction Astral went.
Lomas eyed around. The sanitation worker wasn't there. This was indeed
strange. Where the hell did everyone go?!
"Lomas!"
The corridor was strangely uneven. It was a hell of a tough job to walk on
it without falling over. Someone must have made idiotic reparations on the
ship while Lomas had been in the cleaning closet.
"Lomas!!"
Where did that irritating noise come from. Lomas heard someone keep calling
his name like an annoying mosquito that wouldn't leave him alone.
He slapped himself on the head near his left ear where the noise seemed to
come from.
"Lomas! Wake up!!"
What do you mean wake up, Lomas frowned. Since when were mosquitos able to
speak. And since when had there been mosquitoes in space. Someone kick that
thing out of here so I can concentrate on walking along this stupidly uneven
corridor to find someone…
There was something horrible outside… outside… What? Lomas couldn't quite
understand.
Something awful was awaiting somewhere beyond. It couldn't be seen yet but
if Lomas would take one more step he would know it… Lomas opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Doctor Wilker's warm smile was lingering somewhere in
the haze. "You've been sleeping for quite a while. I was beginning to think
you'd need to be put in the recovery room for alphamagnetic enlivenment…"

Lomas stared at the face that was becoming clearer by the micron, trying to
fight back to remain in the daze.

"The dosage that was given to you was quite an exaggeration." Wilker's eyes
were on Lomas. "One should be rather careful with sedatives…"

Lomas didn't want to remember. That horrible something was approaching, it
was coming…

"…But those guards were apparently unaware of the instructions." Wilker
smiled. "I'm sorry you had to be sedated Lomas but as Tigh told me, there
seemed to be no other choice."

The bridge… The gaping mouth of emptiness… Lomas felt the first chills of
horror. No, he had to close his eyes and go back. Lomas struggled so
desperately to go back to the weird corridor…
'I don't want to die Lomas. Please don't let me die.'

"No…" Cold sweat all over Lomas' body, making him shiver. Pain behind the
eyes…
"If you want to, you can stay here a little longer and rest." Wilker kept on
babbling.

Lomas wanted the man to shut the frack up. The pain in his head was getting
worse.
The bridge… The laser shots…
"How's he doing doctor?"
Lomas knew that voice.
He winced as a lightning of pain shot through him, completely paralyzing him
for a micron.

"He's still a little dizzy colonel. I think it would be best if he stayed
here for another centar or so…"
"Has he shown any signs of self-destructive behaviour?"
Slowly, Lomas turned his eyes towards the voice of death…
"Not since he woke up…"
"Good. If he does you have my approval to give him a little dosage of
serotonin…"

"Tigh." Lomas said simply, so much rage in his stare.

"You must understand that I couldn't let you kill yourself." Tigh's eyes
lingered to Lomas. "I know how much you suffered seeing Astral fall…"
"You don't even begin to know." Lomas hissed through clenched teeth. His
voice was hardly audible.
"Astral wasn't alive the way we are." Tigh tried to explain although he knew
it was pointless. "He couldn't have stayed amongst us for we have no idea
what those awaken ones really are like…"
"Astral was more alive that I had ever been." Lomas voice was becoming lower
and lower as the rage kept growing. "Much more alive than what you will be."
"Are you threatening me Lomas." Tigh's expression turned alert.
"No." Lomas smiled. "I'm just telling you about the things that my crystal
ball keeps showing me."
"What?" Tigh raised one eyebrow.
"The future, my dear. The future…"

Lomas shot out of the bed before Tigh had even time to blink and reached
towards the colonel's laser pistol…
The goddamn holster was empty.
Lomas cursed out loud and Tigh realized his moment.
He attacked.
Like a greased lightning Tigh pulled out the secret gun was always carrying
inside his trousers with the silk panties and aimed it at Lomas.
Lomas didn't even hesitate.

Like a Bruce Lee he kicked the gun away from Tigh's hand before the man
could fire and dived after the weapon like a daggit after mushies.
Doctor Wilker was quicker.

Wilky picked up the gun and pointed it at Lomas, not understanding why Tigh
was now screaming at him red-faced.

Lomas started running towards the sick bay exit (Why do I have a feeling
this has happened before), and didn't give a frack what Wilker was shouting
at him.
Tigh flew to Wilker and being so furious that he couldn't get any words out
he kept pointing at the gun.
Wilker looked down at it and realized he had been holding it backwards.

Quickly Wilker corrected the position of the gun but frack! Lomas had
already dashed out the door! It was too late!

Tigh grabbed his communicator and started speaking furiously into it to
alert guards to the sick bay area.
Wilker was just standing there, his arms hanging limp on the sides.
How could he had done such a stupidity. He had gone through basic training
with weapons like every other man on the Galactica and still…
Wilker sighed. He was definitely in need of a cup of coffee.

* * *

"What a horrible thing..." Apollo mumbled to Starbuck, absently since he was
shaving in front of the turbowashroom mirror.
"What?" Starbuck's voice lingered from the bedroom where he was sitting on
the floor, shaving his legs.
"The thing about Astral." Apollo murmured. "How terrible it must be to
Lomas. I really do hope he is strong enough to handle Astral's death. It
would be such a tragedy if he fell back to his old ways now that he really
seems to have changed for the better."
"Yeah…" Starbuck replied thoughtfully."…Although I must admit never thought
a change like that could be possible… Why don't you ever shave your legs
Apollo?"
"Because…"
There was a knock.
Apollo cursed out loud, put down his shaving gear and went to open the door
to a very angry-looking Adama.

"I expected to see you on the bridge fifteen centons ago captain."
"We overslept." Apollo grinned apologetically knowing very well that they
hadn't. Apollo just hadn't been that anxious to get to duty.
"I'm sorry. I'll be there in a couple of centons."
Adama gave his lazy son a disapproving look. "I hope you know that this is
no way for a commader-to-be to act…"
"Have you ever considered the possibility that perhaps I don't want to
become the commander." Apollo took the chance.
After that Aeon-talk with Starbuck last night, Apollo felt like he might
finally be ready to deal with the stuff with Adama.
The look that appeared onto the old commander's face made him realize that
he shouldn't have.

"We'll talk about that later captain." Adama's lips were a thin, straight
line. "I'm expecting to see you on the bridge in five centons."

The old man turned and left, leaving Apollo lingering in the doorway for a
while, mumbling quiet swear words and fighting to swallow his anger.
Apollo closed the door and went back to the turbowashroom to continue with
the shaving, only to find Starbuck sitting on the turboflush.
"Oh no!" Apollo frowned. "Not now!"
"Don't worry Appy." Starbuck grinned. "It's not what it looks like. I just
finished shaving my legs and decided to come in here to keep you company. We
have a lot to talk about the sealing. It's tomorrow for sagan's sake."
The blond pilot was beaming. Apollo could see that Starbuck was truly happy.
Apollo was too.

"By the way…" Apollo's smile turned away from Starbuck and he started
spreading more shaving cream onto his face, then taking the blade. "I called
the Comptel ship earlier this morning and they promised to organize us the
video camera. You'll have to go and pick it up before 14.00. They promised
us a little discount…"
"Great." Starbuck grinned. "I want every little detail of the sealing
ceremony immortalized on tape. Did you ask Giles about acting as the
cameraman?"
"Yep!" Apollo was now concentrating on the shaving, keeping his unflinching
stare in the mirror. "And Jolly promised to help with the catering."
"Fantastic!" Starbuck's face was shining. "What about Boomer…?"
"Hey it's your job to ask him about the cake thing." Apollo tried not to
grin, keeping his chin steady. "Other than that, yes, he's got the rings and
a tuxedo and promised not to do any stripping before the priest has left the
building…"
Starbuck laughed.
Apollo did too, then he paused shaving and scrutinized his face in the
mirror. "You think I should grow a beard?"
"Hell no!" Starbuck freaked out.
"Even a goatee?…"
"Do you really want to be mistaken for Santa Kobol…" The buzz of Starbuck's
communicator interrupted their relaxing morning chat.
"Yeah?" Starbuck pressed the button. "What's up?"

Starbuck listened with one eyebrow raised. Apollo could hear Jolly's voice
all the way from the toilet seat area to the mirror.
"What is it?" Appy's eyes were on Starbuck.

"Have you tried…" Starbuck tried to cut in with Jolly rambling. He rolled
his eyes to Apollo who grinned.
"Okay. Don't worry about it. Wear what you want as long as you show up."
Starbuck ended the call. He looked up at Apollo. "Jolly doesn't fit into his
tuxedo and he can't find a suitable size anywhere on the textile ship…"
"What do you mean he doesn't fit into his tux." Apollo stared at Starbuck.
"He's lost at least 5 cegons in the past few weaks…"
"That's what he's so freaked out about." Starbuck sighed. "He says that all
the tuxedos the size that he's used to are too big! They don't fit like they
did before…"
"Sometimes I wonder if there are any normal people left on the whole damn
fleet." Apollo didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "Did you know that
Kadeem had a sex change and Giles left him because the guy became too much
the opposite sex."
"Yeah, Boomer said something about that." Starbuck arose from the toilet
seat. "I guess I better get dressed and head to the Rising Star to make the
final arrangements…"
Starbuck leaned towards Apollo and the two men kissed. A long, sweet kiss
that made Starbuck's toe nails curl up. "…And you better get to the bridge
before Adama sends a squadron of officers to pick you up!"
"You're right darling." Apollo smiled softly to Starbuck and stroked his
cheek. "I'll see you in a couple of centars."
"I love you." Starbuck beamed. "Don't work too hard. Remember that Boomer
has something planned for us tonight. And so have I…"
"Yes." Apollo remembered very well and smirked. "Our last night as single
guys. How could I forget."
"You know what's really great about being the same sex…"
"What?" Apollo had his ideas but didn't say anything.
"We don't have to attend separate bachelor parties." Starbuck grinned. "No
baby showers or other felgercarb. We can actually party together…"
"My my. Why didn't I come to think about that myself." Apollo smirked. He
gave Starbuck one more kiss before the man left the turbowashroom to get
dressed.

Apollo turned back to the mirror grinning like a lunatic to continue with
the shaving.

* * *

The corridors were full of voices. Whispers of the evil.

Astral's eyes were everywhere. Watching as he ran, blaming him for letting
go until he couldn't stand the sight of those eyes any more.
Lomas stopped running and let his limp body fall to the floor and leant his
back against the wall and closing his eyes.

He felt the hands. The ghosts were back, reaching out for him, yearning to
pull him down to the bottomless cave of madness.
Lomas didn't need those ghosts. He was already there.

* * *

Adama was pacing around the bridge, annoyed with Apollo still not having
shown up.
The words Apollo had spoken kept lingering in his head.

Adama knew his son was right, he shouldn't be so damn stubborn.
If Apollo didn't want to be trained for commanding duties then… But… Damn!
Adama had to admit it to himself. From the moment little Apollo was born
Adama had had this dream.
Father and son, standing side by side on the command bridge of the biggest
battlestar in the colonies…
"Commander…" Someone interrupted Adama's thoughts. He turned.
"yes officer."
Lieutenant Daffy hesitated. This wouldn't be an easy thing to tell. "It's
about your daughter, sir…"
Adama eyed the red-haired, freckle-faced man before him. Athena was a
subject that Adama never allowed his crew to talk about. As far as he was
concerned, Athena was no longer his daughter. "What is it?"
"Officer Athena has committed suicide by hanging herself in her cell, sir."
Adama felt all blood disappearing from his head. He needed to take support
from the back a chair that happened to be nearby. The bridge disappeared for
a centon, then came back with sounds so loud that they were tearing Adama's
ears.
"When did this happen?"
"The body was discovered ten centons ago, sir.."
"Thank you lieutenant." Adama had to sit down on the chair. Lt Daffy saluted
the commander and left the priority area, feeling like a rat.

Omega took off his earphones and walked to Adama's side, placing his hand on
the commander's shoulder.
How old and weary Adama suddenly looked.

"I'm sorry." Omega said quietly and squeezed the old man's shoulder. "It
there is anything I can do…"
"Thank you Omega." Adama tried to smile but failed. "Would you please get
Tigh for me…"
"Of course." Omega immediately started towards the exit of the bridge. "What
about captain Apollo and…"
"Yes, of course… Please." Adama was too tired to think. He buried his face
into his palms and let out his silent sorrow.

Omega hurried out the door, shocked and forlorn about Athena. He had to find
Apollo as soon as possible…
Boomer noticed Aeon in the officers' club, sitting alone at a table watching
people come and go with an indifferent look in the brown eyes, sipping what
seemed to be coffee.
There was the IFB morning paper spread before him but Aeon wasn't seemingly
paying any attention to the news.
Boomer pondered whether it would be okay to go to Aeon's table to say hi.
They weren't exactly more than distant aquintances, having destroyed the
Scorpion together…
Boomer's lips curled up to a little grin.
Yeah, he guessed it might be all right to go to Aeon and chat a little.

Boomer started towards the beautiful man's table, then stopped.

Aeon stood up, picked up his stuff and headed towards the tray where all the
dirty dishes were supposed to be placed.
Yes, the officers' club was on its way to modern times, having established
self-service centars during breakfast cycle.

Aeon didn't notice Boomer when he walked out.
Seemingly totally lost in his thoughts the beautiful man walked accross the
officers' lounge and chose the corridor that led to the delta sector.
Boomer's eyes followed him until he had disappeared into that corridor.

God the man was breathtaking!
It wasn't fair that someone could look like that when others had to struggle
with their weight problems, zits and bad-hair-days.

Boomer sighed.
He walked to the bar, bought a cup of coffee and a doughnut and dropped his
butt on one of the nearest chairs.
There was a morning paper on the table and Boomer opened it. He eyed through
the headlines casually, reading a couple of smaller articles.

According to the paper, nothing much had taken place in the fleet in the
past twenty-four centars.
The Sports Council was planning to open an ice rink in the supernova sector
of the Rising Star, The forthcoming IFB elections had received feedback from
the comptel communist association, a mutated Y9K virus had been causing
minor problems in the public amusement arcade on the Virgon… Nothing
special.
Boomer put the paper away and took a bite of his doughnut, scattering sugar
all over his uniform.

When dusting off that sugar, Boomer noticed that someone appeared beside his
table, took a chair to sat down.
He looked up and met the smiling face of Sheba.

"How're ya doin' Boomie." Sheba grinned. "Haven't seen you for a while now
that I've done part-time duty shifts only…"
"Oh my god!" Boomer stared at Sheba's extremely short, one could say
'cropped' hair.
"Looks great doesn't it." Sheba beamed. "I wanted something completely
different and refreshing for a change so I gave Rigel a pair of scissors and
closed my eyes. This is the result."

Boomer couldn't take his eyes off the spikes of hair. It was such an
unexpected look on Sheba that Boomer was completely astonished.

"It's… it's… Actually, it looks magnificent." Boomer realized
"You should have done that when ages ago! I can't believe how good you look
with that short hair."
"Thanks Boomie." Shega grinned. "I'm trying to convince Rigel to cut her
hair too but she keeps saying that she'd rather cut one of her arms or legs
off."
"How are you and Rigel doing?"
"Just great." Sheba smiled. "In fact, We were thinking of having a baby…"
"Isn't that a little difficult since…"
"No no, we are thinking about artificial fertilizing." Sheba hurried to
explain. "Plus, we have considered about the possibility of one of us
becoming impregnated by a well-formed, intelligent man. Rigel's already
making a list."
"Really?" Boomer stared at Sheba, speechless.
"You're on that list Boomie." Sheba continued with a grin. "We might use one
or two of our friends for getting a predictably fine result…"
"You're kidding!" Boomer dropped his doughnut and his uniform was once again
covered in sugar.
"Nope." Sheba beamed. "Doctor Wilker has volunteered too but I'm not really
willing to grab that choice for Wilkie has latent infantile atopic
dermatitis…"
Boomer pretended not to find his doughnut so he wouldn't have to look at
Sheba. "Err, which one of you is going to be the one to…"
"We haven't decided yet." Sheba smiled. "Depends on the sperm donator I
guess…"
Sheba glanced at her timepiece.
"Shit, Boomie. It seems that I have to get going for I promised Jolly to
help him organize a tupperware party…"
"But…ummm, We have Apollo's and Starbuck's bachelor party tonight! Jolly's
supposed to be there…"
"Don't worry Boomie. "Sheba pushed her chair back and stoop up. "I won't
keep him that long. You guys have fun tonight, eh!"
"Absolutely." Boomer smiled back. He watched Sheba leaving the officers'
club.
Boomer couldn't even remember when was the last time he had felt this
lonely.
He finished his coffee, wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

Surrounded by chatter and all those sounds of togetherness, Boomer walked
out the club.

 

* * *

Apollo was whistling to himself as he walked along the corridors towards the
apha sector and the bridge.
What a wonderful day, what a wonderful night ahead, what a wonderful thing
he and Starbuck were getting sealed…
He noticed Omega approaching.

"Apollo!" The bridge operations controller spotted the captain, raised his
voice from far away and waved his hand.
"Hey there!" Apollo greeted the man with a grin that soon froze. The man was
looking noticeably worried and pale. Something was seemingly wrong.
"Thank sagan I found you so quickly captain." Omega wasn't smiling. "I was
just on my way to your quarters…"
"What is it??"
"Athena is dead." Omega spurted out, then realizing that he could've done
that so much more delicately.
Apollo paled as he stared at the man. "How?"
"She hanged herself in her cell…"

A complete silence fell into the corridor.
For a moment a sad, ironic smile was lingering on Apollo's face. He wasn't
in the least surprised, only immensely sad.

"I knew it would lead to this." He sighed, seeing the image of Athena's
beautiful face in before his eyes. "And I think she knew it too…"
Omega didn't know what to do so he pulled Apollo into a hug. "I'm so sorry.
I know it must hurt…"
Again a moment when neither of the men spoke.
Apollo surrendered to Omega's embrace, trying to find at least some comfort
in it.
"Have you noticed…" Apollo whispered.
He paused.
They disengaged from the embrace. Omega's eyes lingered on Apollo, awaiting…
"We are losing them all." Apollo smiled so sadly. "One by one they all go
away. Athena, Cassiopeia, Bojay, doctor Salik… I'm beginning to be afraid…"
Apollo took a deep breath.
"…Where will this lead? What will happen next? How much more do we have to
suffer…"
"I wish I could answer those questions." Omega replied with a sunken heart.
"If I could, I'd probably be declaired sagan and be shamelessly rich."
Apollo couldn't resist a vague smile. That comment had sounded so familiar.
Why in heaves did everybody have to turn out to have Starbuck-esque
qualities at one point of another…"
"What?" Omega didn't understand.
"Nothing." Apollo's little smile faded. "Why don't we get to the bridge. I
know my father needs me right now."
"I promised Adama that I'd get Tigh too." Omega hesitated.
"I'll come with you." Apollo replied, already going. "Tigh's and Adama's
quarters are on the way, and I think it might be easier for Tigh to hear it
from me than… No offence!" Apollo glanced back at Omega.
"None taken." The older man smiled. "I understand."
"I'm afraid Tigh might take Athena's death a little hard. After all, those
two were lovers at one point in time…"
"They were??" This was news to Omega. He tried not to seem surprised for it
was none of his business, but… "Frack!"
"That's what I thought when I found out." Apollo sighed. He turned to look
at Omega who had had stopped, although the man didn't realize it. "You
coming?"
"Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry." Omega found his walking ability and rushed
after Apollo. "Do you mind if we drop by my quarters on our way to Tigh's.
There's something I need to get…"
"No problem." Apollo was already approaching the end of the corridor, ready
to turn left. "Let's just do it quickly, okay."
"Of course." Omega hastened his steps to catch up with Apollo. "It'll only
take a centon…"

The men didn't talk much on the way to the Delta sector where Omega's, as
well as most of the other bridge officers' quarters were.

Apollo's mind was on Athena and the sealing ceremony, and Omega's,
well…Whatever he was thinking was not revealed to us by the time this
episode went into print.

The Phi-quarters of the Delta sector were comfortable but not exquisite.
Mostly they consisted of two rooms and a kitchenette. Some complexes might
have had bigger turbowashrooms and extra beds for family visits than most
other quarters on the Galactica, (which sometimes caused bad blood between
neighbours) but other than that, this was not the posh-est area of the ship.
The most wanted quarters were on the alpha sector where commander Adama
lived. Those were the military suites.

Apollo's and Starbuck's quarters were very much alike civilian ones which
was quite unusual on a battlestar, but the reason for that lay simply on
Serina's demanding personality.

Those formerly very militaristic quarters had been redecorated in record
time during the few sectons of Apollo's and Serina's sealed-life and then,
when Serina died, Apollo didn't really care about where he lived, so he had
remained in those quarters.

When the relationship with Starbuck came to the point where moving in
together was the only option (That had happened quite early after the
Shadows of the Heart episode…I think…), it was natural to Starbuck to move
into Apollo's place for it was MUCH bigger than the bachelor pad where
Starbuck usually crammed himself in when not on duty.

Boomer was currently living in one of those pads after having quit the
stripping and moved back to the galactica.
Giles' and Kadeem's pad was just down the corridor, but now that Kadeem had
become a woman and moved out, Boomer was expecting Jolly to move in any day
now…

"Here we are." Omega stopped in front of a very normal looking grey metal
door and turned to give Apollo a smile. "My humble kingdom."
"Its funny..." Apollo was watching Omega inserting his keys into the lock
and turning them until there was a little click. "I've never been in your
quarters before although we live on the same ship…"
"Yes." Omega smiled. "It is funny.
"I've never even thought about it before." Apollo realized. "I mean, I see
you on the bridge or around the Galactica a hundred times a day do this
never occurred to me…"
"Well, let's make this a memorable occasion then." Omega grinned.
He pushed the door wide open and stepped aside to let Apollo in.
Ville's face was the first one Apollo saw.

* * *

Lomas had no idea for how long he had been sitting there on the floor. He
didn't even quite know where he was.
Such immense sorrow. Such devastating grief.

Lomas closed his eyes for a micron and when he opened them it was all clear.
Lomas knew exactly what there was to do now.

Taking support against the wall, Lomas arose from the floor.

He looked around to make up his mind which would be the right direction to
peroceed.
Strange, how everything now looked so colourless and blank when only
yesterday the world had been full of life, full of things to live for.

It took Lomas ten centons to reach the crossing to section G.
No one had paid any attention to the man as he had proceeded through the
corridors. Perhaps Lomas was looking just as faded as everything around him.

He stopped for a moment and stared at the narrow, metallic bridge. How small
and meaningless it looked against the gaping mouth of nothingness.
How ignorant it seemed to all the blood it was covered with.
The blood that only Lomas saw.

He stepped onto the bridge and walked to the handrail to look down. Such a
long, long way to the bottom.
'It's going to be all right my love. You'll be safe. I won't let you fall!'
Lomas gazed down at those forklift trucks buzzing around like little ants,
carrying on with their work, oblivious to being watched.
Yes, I will get sealed to you Lomas. I will be yours for ever after."
It hurt. It hurt like hell. Lomas couldn't cry.
'i'm one of them, Lomas. I died in that fire.'
Those forklift trucks became black butterflies, small black flowers that
grow in the sky.
'They will kill me. Just like you killed Cree.'
'No! I won't let you die!I won't let them take you away from me!"
Lomas leaned closer against the handrail. Those small black flowers opened
their petals for him…
'Please, Lomas. Please don't let me die…"
'It's going to be all right. I won't let you fall."
'It's so cold…"
Lomas could hear those whispers now, calling for him to let go. He loosened
his grip on the handrail…
'It's so cold…'
'Permission to shoot the object granted."
Higher and higher those black petals were reaching. Brighter and more
beautiful became the lights surrounding the emptiness.
Lomas saw Astral's face far, far away in the distance. It made the pain go
away. Lomas was smiling as he took a step closer to the edge, ready to let
go.
'Hey, don't drag me into this insanity!'
Another face appeared next to Astral's…
'There's no way i'm going to start acting as your caterer!'
'I'm begging you Starbuck. Not for me but for Astral…'
'No, you can't stay in the room!'
The other face lingered closer and closer. Lomas suddenly squeezed a
stronger hold of the handrail. He stared at the face approaching…
'I'm going to open the door…'
'Please! You're going to kill him.
'There's water in the turboflush.'
Closer and closer, veiling the butterflies and the petals. Veiling Astral's
face…
And Lomas knew. It was not yet time.
He would have to take care of Starbuck first.

* * *

There were faces on the walls, all round the room. Some of them unmistakably
rotting... And the smell… The ghastly smell…
Apollo turned towards Omega like a laser. "What the hell is this?!?"
"Like it?" Omega had followed Apollo inside and closed the door behind him,
not having forgotten to lock it of course.
The man was pointing a laser gun at Apollo.
Apollo cursed long and hard for having left his weapon at home but how the
frack could've he known that the always so calm and collected bridge
operations controller would this time turn out to be a crazy serial killer.

"That…" Omega was smiling as his eyes lingered admiringly on what he
sometimes playfully liked to refer to as his collage. "…is just a little
collection of mine. Some of those are actually real for real! Can you guess
which ones?"
"Collection…" Apollo panted. "COLLECTION!…You can't be ser…"
Suddenly he paused, noticing to his horror that one of those faces on the
wall was his own. Apollo saw Boomer and Starbuck, Adama and Tigh, Giles,
Jolly, Micky Moonshine… And Ville. Rotting.
"What did you do to him?!" Apollo cried out.
"What does it matter?" Omega asked, curious. "Isn't it the result that
counts?"

A moment's silence as Apollo couldn't believe what he was looking at.
Omega's eyes were on Apollo, observing…

"Why?" Apollo turned and whispered with despair. It was the only thing left
to ask.
"To complete my collection of course." Omega grinned. "As some guy once
said: 'I have a dream'. Well my dream is to replace all the artificial faces
with real ones. And you my dear Apollo, you are the centerpiece of it all,
the crown jewel of my collection…"

Omega felt the urge starting to awake. His skin was tingling, the blood in
his veins soon burning…

"I've been patient." Omega's voice had turned somehow hoarse. "I've waited
for the right moment, and I don't think I can wait any longer…"
"What about Tigh." Apollo couldn't understand this sudden, absurd turn.
"What about Athena?…"
"Oh I don't give a frack about Tigh." Omega tossed his hand impatiently.
"And Athena then…Well, that truly is unfortunate. I do miss that girl…"
Omega paused like he had just come to think of something. There was a funny
twinkle in his eyes. "Guess what!"
"What?" Apollo asked, completely blankly.
"I'm the one who has been writing those anonymous dirty letters to Athena
for ten yahrens now." Omega grinned at the look on Apollo's face.
"Yeah, I only had to lay eyes on her once when she was in junior
instructional period and I knew…"
Apollo hit Omega before the man could even lift his hand to protect himself.
He fell to the floor, a drop of blood appearing on his lower lip.

"What did you do that for?" The older man frowned.
"No one talks about my dead sister like that." Apollo prepaired to strike
again as soon as Omega would make one false move.
What Apollo of course didn't know was that Omega had taken a special
military course in 'fast actions' when younger and was now fully trained in
bluffing. He didn't even see Omega getting up the floor and diving towards
Apollo to knock him defenseless.

This time it was Apollo who fell to the floor, twisting his wrist and not
being able to fight back when Omega jumped on him again to tie him up.
Using immensely strong sellotape, Omega locked Apollo's wrists together
behind his back and then put at least eighteen rounds of tape around his
ankles to prevent Apollo from being able to use his legs.
To top it all Omega shoved a white sock into Apollo's mouth and sealed it
shut with sellotape.

The older man stood up to admire his work.
Apollo's extremely furous eyes were on the bastard but there was no way he
could get a sound out of his mouth. The sock was choking him.

Omega took a hold of Apollo by under his arms and dragged him to the other
side of the room.
There he paused to gather some strength and then bent down to lift Apollo
onto the bed.
One… two…three… HOP! Apollo soon felt the softness of the matress
underneath.
Omega straightened his back, let out a deep breath and wiped his forhead.
He eyed Apollo lying there on the bed completely helpless and such a
fabulous sensation of excitement overcame him. Omega could hardly wait for
tonight…

"If you behave nicely I might remove that gag when I get back." Omega
smiled. "I have so many wonderful plans for us…"
Apollo's enraged eyes stared at Omega.
"…Unfortunately I have to get back to the bridge now." Omega apologized.
"But you understand, don't you captain Apollo."
Omega grinned.
"Yes. We both know how ridiculous these Galactican duty-centars can be.
Perhaps I should talk to the commander about them. What do you say?…"
Apollo's eyes were flaming with anger.
"Oh, how stupid of me." Omega slapped his forehead. "Of course you don't say
anything. You can't speak with that sock in your mouth."
Omega laughed.
He bent over to pick up his insignia that had falled off during the
struggle, detached it back onto his chest,straightened his uniform and
grinned.
"I will go now. Please don't underestimate me by trying to plan your escape.
It won't be possible."
"mjhmmmnhph" Apollo was struggling on the bed, talking furiously, watching
as Omega walked to the door, paused and then turned to face the room once
more.
His eyes were lingering on Apollo.
"Oh, by the way…" Omega grinned. "Please, call me the maker. It gives me a
hard-on."

He turned off the lights and stepped out of the room, leaving Apollo alone,
helpless and angry as frack in the darkness.

* * *

Chapter 15

Starbuck finished his breakfast and stopped reading the morning paper. It
was almost midday.
Time to stop loitering about and get to the comptel ship to pick up the
video camera.

Starbuck shoved the dirty dishes into the sink and walked to the living room
to fetch his jacket. He gave a quick glance in the mirror and ran his
fingers through his hair before leaving the quarters, checking his pockets
that he had the cubits with him.

The lauching bay was a busy place at this time of day and the shuttle to the
comptel ship was almost full, IFB workers hurrying to the ship to start
their shifts, customers planning on a nice centar or two doing a little
shopping before it was time to return their duties or go home to make dinner
for their families.

The comptel ship was the place to buy all the soliumelectronic equipment for
home use such as toaster slicers, IFB receivers, stereos and radios, hair
curlers, radiation counters, video cameras, communicators and recyclable
diet pills.
Then there were of course the stores that specialized in the stuff used with
the previously mentioned soliumelectronic things such as records, magnetic
pins and the home answering service.

The comptel ship was also the center of all inter fleet broadcasting, having
3 digital channels at its use plus 7 analogic possibilities that were naver
taken into consideration.
Daily soap operas, news broadcasts, films, documentaries… they were all
aired from or via the comptel ship.

In addition to the army, the IFB and the comptel ship were one of the
largest employers in the fleet, employing approximately 3/10 of the whole
population.
* * *
Starbuck followed the slowly moving line of people into the lifts and
suffered from a lot of toe-stepping until he reached the seventh floor.

He pushed his way out of the elevator and stopped to scrutinize the Comptel
information board.
At first it all looked like a lot of felgercarb but after a couple of
centons Starbuck could interpret the signs to a degree to be able to find
his way to the Degma sector.

The waiting rooms of the Comp-Cam Co were indeed nicely decorated. Starbuck
wouldn't have minded spending a few centons more in that place but the
manager opened the door almost immediately Starbuck had stepped in.
A fine looking man in his early fourties, Starbuck noted. Hell, that Garcini
suit must have cost a lot of cubits!

"Starbuck I presume." The manager smiled charmingly. "Please, come to my
office. We have everything prepaired for you."
"Great." Starbuck eyes lingered on the paintings on the walls.
"I know you must be surprised that we deal with the reservations in the
company offices instead of our stores…" The manager smiled. "But it's just
the way our company operates. We like to make our customers feel important."

The older man in the Garcini suit paused to search his drawers to find the
paper that was ready to be signed. He looked up at Starbuck apologetically.

"Please excuse me…" He grinned. "I don't really work for the Comp-Cam, just
using their premises for my own enterprise and helping them out once in
awhile for the goodness of my heart. I haven't quite gotten the hang of all
this yet…"
"No problem".Starbuck smiled politely.
"Oh, there it is." The manager beamed. "Now, may I have you sign on the
bottom row please sir…"
Stabuck signed.
"Thank you sir." The older man put the piece of paper back into the drawer,
pushed his chair back and walked to the shelves containing all kinds of
equipment.
"We have the camera right here. I hope you have a memorable ceremony and…
Congratulations!"
"Thank you." Starbuck smiled and took the box where the camera was. The two
men shook hands.
"Oh, as you go, sir…" The man smiled at Starbuck who was already walking
towards the exit.
"Could you please ask the gentleman in the waiting room to come into my
office…"
"Sure." Starbuck grinned before opening the door and walking out
He eyed around the waiting room and noticed a lad in his late twenties or
early thirties with blond, cropped hair and huge earrings, strolling
aimlessly here and there looking bored.
"The guy wants to see you." Starbuck nodded and pointed over his shoulder.
The lad raised his eyes and started towards the office door Starbuck had
left open.

"Mr. Kent…" The manager smiled and watched the boy walking in. "Why don't
you take a seat…"
"Thanks." The lad sat down opposite the older man, blowing a bubble with
this chewing gum and bursting it.
"So, errr, Kent. What do you say we get right to the point…" The manager
dragged his chair closer to the desk, eyeing the lad pleasantly.
"Fine by me." Kent eyed the manager, then the paintings on the wall, chewing
his gum.
"…So, you are saying that you music is non-psychedelic?" The manager
started. "Would you…"
"Psychedelia is felgercarb!" Kent frowned. "It's so completely out! Why
would I make music that has no future…"
"What kind of music do you make then?" The older man's manouvres were
impeccable and businesslike. "Would you mind giving me a little
discription…"
"My music is on the PULSE!" Kent got so excited his earrings started
jingling. "That means mod-ish, alternative, melancholy tunes with a
well-hidden hint of anarchy…"
"Really." The older man pressed his palms together and smiled pleasantly.
"About this anarchy thing…
"So are you going to start managed my affairs or not?" Kent cut in, his
challenging gaze on the older, distinguished looking man. "I haven't got all
day. I've got a band rehearsal later."
"I'm thinking about it…" The manager was swaying in his chair, his eyes on
Kent. "It depends on whether you are willing to work hard for you possible
success…"
"You bet!" Kent grinned. "I've already signed autographs in advance on
couple of hundreds of pieces of paper. Good thinking eh?"

The older man's eyes lingered on Kent for a long time.
Yes, he wanted to stay in the managing business rather than selling and
renting video cameras on the Comptel ship, and now that he had lost his
previous act he needed another one. But…
The manager frowned in his mind.
He sure as hell didn't want another Dimstar! He had to consider his options
carefully…

"Okay." Harry Clifford said finally, still eyeing Kent. "From this point on
we have a management deal. I have some papers here for you to sign…"
"Great." Kent stared at Harry Clifford's eyes amazed. He could swear they
were turning paler…
! …
Naaah! It must be the ambrosa…

Kent accepted the pen Harry Clifford was handing over to him and took the
first step towards his fabulous future…

* * *

"Sheba, you'll never guess what has happened!" Rigel rushed to the door
immediately when she heard the key turning in the lock. There was such a
huge, madly excited grin on her face that for a little moment Sheba thought
she had entered the wrong quarters.
"What is it?"
"I found the perfect father for our child." Rigel rejoiced, getting Sheba
excited too, impatient to hear the name of the man..
There was a small pause as Rigel's grinning eyes were lingering on Sheba,
prolonging the suspense of the moment until Sheba couldn't take it any more.
"WHO??" She jumped on Rigel, wanting to shake the woman. Rigel laughed.
"Calm down or I won't tell you anything."
"Are you pregnant already?" Sheba's eyes lingered on Rigel's belly.
"Of course not!" Rigel snorted. "Do you want to hear the name of the father
to be or not…"
"YES!" Sheba flamed, gazing at Rigel with impatient intensity, making Rigel
want to tease her even more but she didn't.
"Okay. He's the most beautiful person in the entire fleet." Rigel started.
"He's got no criminal record, his behaviour is always impeccable and as far
as I know, there's nothing wrong with his intelligence either. But the most
important thing is his beauty. How can we possibly go wrong with a father
like that…"
"WHO IS IT?!" Sheba's face was turning red.
"Aeon." Rigel smirked. "There's just one problem…"
"What??"
"He refuses to help us." Rigel smiled. Sheba stared at her, disappointed.
"Frack. That's it then…"
"No, not really…" Rigel's smile was slowly turning into a wide grin. Sheba
couldn't understand what there was to grin about.
"Are you planning on trying to change the man's mind." She speculated. "I
don't think…"
"He says there is no way he will reconsider." Rigel replied. "He was very
definitive in not wanting to donate any sperm. In fact, he went almost crazy
when I asked, and he refused to tell us why…"
"Well, I guess that choice is definitely out of the question then." Sheba
sighed. "That leaves us with…"
"Hold on darling." Rigel's grin was wider than ever. "I didn't say Aeon was
no longer an option…"
"Then, what are you saying?" Sheba's suspicions arose. "Oh no, please don't
tell me you…"
"We doped him…"
"WHAT!"
Rigel's grin was from one ear to another. "Doctor Wilker gave him a little
sedative shot…"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"Nope." Rigel beamed. "And when Aeon was unconscious, doctor Wilker stole
some of his sperm using a surgeon's syringe. It didn't even leave a mark. We
have a nice set of sperm cells waiting for us in the life center freezer…"
"Frack!" Sheba grinned.
"They'll last active for about a centar so one of them has to be fertilized
in less time than that…"
"What are we waiting for then! Sheba took the jacket she had just thrown on
the back of the couch and started towards the door. "Let's get to the life
center…"
Something popped into Sheba's mind and she turned.
"We have to decide which one of us is going to be the bearer…"
"No we don't." Rigel smiled. "I had a conversation with Wilker about this
and he told me that there is an alternative that we both can be the mom…"
"How?" Sheba didn't quite believe this.
"We both donate an ovum which, using dostor Wilker's modern technology, can
be turned into one complex and fertilized with one sperm cell…"
"Really?"
"Then the fertilized complex will be placed in doctor Wilker's artificial,
drone womb which has the ability to process the development of a human baby
in 2600 point 7 times alpha speed…"
"Oh my god…" Sheba raised one eyebrow.
"…Which means that we can have a baby in a centar without neither of us
having to carry it around for nine months or go through the horrors of
giving birth to it…"
Rigel smiled.
"…And it will really be OUR baby. Developed from the both of us!…"
"This is so unbelievable." Sheba exulted. "But what if Aeon finds out that
it's his…"
"He won't." Rigel was sure of it. "And if he does, well, there's nothing he
can do about it then. The baby already exists…"
"…And it will be the most beautiful baby in the whole universe." Sheba took
Rigel's hand. "Come. I can't hardly wait…"

Damn it! The tape was much too tightly tied for Apollo to be able to move an
inch and every time he tried, it carved into his skin, hurting like hell.
Perhaps it would be wiser to stop struggling and concentrate on the
brainwork.

Apollo had no idea how to escape from this felgercarbish situation.
The smell of the rotting faces was sickening and the sight of the artificial
ones made Apollo otherwise nauseous.

Apollo eyed around the room, trying to ignore the faces. There was nothing
on the walls that suggested they would be any help in getting Apollo free.
On the east wall there was a window but Apollo guessed it would be kind of
hopeless to expect someone to be out ther repairing the screws of the outer
side of the Galactica in his G-suit and just happening to glance through the
window into Omega's quarters.
Frack. Where were all the technicians when you most needed them.

Just like Ville had, Apollo too spotted hatches leading to the ventilation
pipes but how in the names of sagans would he be ever able to reach them
lying on the bed, completely tied up.
Apollo sighed.
Damn it, there had to be a way. He just couldn't think of any.

Apollo had no idea for how long Omega's duty shift would last but he
suspected that he might have at least another two centars until that crazy
daggit came back.
Apollo's mind lingered to Athena and there was a sting in his heart. Quickly
Apollo forced any thought of his sister out of his mind or he couldn't have
been able to concentrate on his own situation.
Apollo closed his eyes and tried to think.

He had left his laser gun in the quarters, as well as his communicator and
steel-toed army boots.
He hadn't considered it important at all to take along his multipurpose
knife set or the emergency whistle. Apollo frowned.
OBVIOUSLY he had left his brains in the quarters too. How else could it be
explained that he, a colonial hero and a wet dream for all men aboard, had
been kidnapped in the middle of the day-cycle on a fully-manned battlestar!

Apollo let his eyes linger around the room once more.
There had to be a way…

* * *

"Starbuck, I'm glad I caught you!" Boomer's voice panted from the
communicator. "I've been trying to reach you for half a centar! Where have
you been?!"
"Oh, my communicator must have been turned off." Starbuck was sitting in the
shuttle, on his way back to the Galactica. "So, what's on your mind buddy."
"I got a call from Sheba half a centar ago. Don't ask me what's going on but
she wants… No, she INSISTS that we get our butts to the life center like
YESTERDAY! She says she's got news that are going to blow our minds…"
"She didn't give you any clue what it might be about." Starbuck asked. "I
really don't have much time…"
"Don't worry about the bachelor party." Boomer grinned. There was no way
Starbuck would've ever guessed Boomer's excitement to be completely fake.
Underneath all that cheerfulness, Boomer was devastated about the fact that
Starbuck was getting sealed.
"It's all organized. We just have to wait for Apollo's duty shift to end."
"Great." Starbuck felt tingles in his stomach. Tonight was going to be
great. The rest of his life was going to be great… "So what's this thing
about Sheba?"
"As I said, she didn't tell me but I think I have an idea…"
"What?" Starbuck was curious.
"No, I'm not going to tell you about it now." Boomer smirked. "Just meet me
in the landing bay in… What time does your shuttle land?"
"In five centons."
"Good. I'll meet you in the bay in five centons." Boomer ended the call.

Starbuck's gaze lingered on the stars outside, his mind wondering what his
friends had gotten themselves into this time…

* * *

Having been trapped in this extremely uncomfortable position, Apollo's limbs
were becoming numb. He would have to act now or soon he wouldn't be able to.

Slowly, trying not to think about the pain that struck through his body
every time he tried to move, Apollo started inching his way towards the edge
of the bed.
God it was difficult to do with hands tied at the back, legs tied together
and an old sock in the mouth, choking him with every movement. Oh, but
Apollo wouldn't have made it to being a captain being a quitter.
Determinedly he kept on fighting, clenching his teeth together, believing in
himself…

The edge of the bed was getting nearer and nearer. If Apollo only could
swing his legs over the edge first and place his feet on the floor while
taking support on the bedside with the back of his knees (HUH?), he might be
able to coil his upper body off the bed and if lucky, end up on a standing
position. And if not, well...

A little more…
Apollo grimaced. The tape had already made the skin on his wrists bleed. The
edge of the bed seemed to be parsecs away and it didn't really make things
easier that Apollo couldn't even see where he was going. The blanket on the
bed had gotten stuck on Apollo's head and the more he moved, the tighter the
blanket stuck.
The worst thing was that it smelled like salami…

Perhaps this was a very bad idea indeed.
Apollo realized he could be moving around on the bed in circles, the whole
time remaining in the middle of it with no hope of getting to the edge…
He was just about to quit the inching and concentrate on removing the
blanket from over his face instead when the bed suddenly vanished and Apollo
thudded onto the floor, grimacing as his tail bone was the one to his the
ground first.
Someone was guffawing in the doorway.

"I told you it would be foolish to try to escape." Omega wiped the tears of
laughter from his eyes.
"Now, see what you've done to yourself and my bed, you naughty little boy.
Now I have to make my bed all over again…
"mmmmmpfhhh…"
"Stop mmmpfhhh-ing!" Omega walked to Apollo and removed the blanket from his
face.
Apollo stared up at Omega, coughing like mad for the sock now almost down
his throat and looking like a troll since his hair was so electric it kept
sticking right up.
Omega laughed.
Apollo sure as hell didn't.

"If you promise to behave reasonably." Omega's amused eyes were on Appy. "I
will remove the gag."
Apollo corrected the expression on his face from murderously enraged to
normally angry and hoped that he now looked reasonable enough.
Omega was smiling at him.
"I think we're going to have a lot of fun tonight…"

* * *

"So, ladies." Starbuck grinned as he and Boomer stepped through the doorway.
"What is all this excitement about?"
"Patience Bucky." Sheba turned towards the two men. "Fussing about won't get
you anywhere."
"Officers." Wilker turned too, smiling his greetings at Boomer and Starbuck
as they were approaching. "You came just in time…"
"It's just about to happen." Rigel grinned, her eyes shining.
"What is?" Starbuck's eyes lingered from one person to another.
"Look." Sheba pointed at the weirdest thing Starbuck had ever seen in his
life. "What the hell is that?"
"It's a drone womb." Sheba explained. "It's something that doctor Wilker
built…"
"Congratulations." Starbuck glanced at Wilker, one eyebrow arched.
"Look closer Starbuck." Sheba urged, excited. "Look what's inside…"

Starbuck and Boomer leaned closer to the drone womb, Boomer already having a
pretty good idea what this was all about, Starbuck ready to draw back like a
laser if something suspicious arose.
The two men narrowed their eyes to see through the liquid inside the strange
cone. There was something floating in that liquid. Something that moved…
Boomer gasped.
"A baby!"
"How did that happen!?!" Starbuck looked up, disgusted.
"Miracles of modern technology." Doctor Wilker was beaming like the proud
father. "I extracted ovals from both Sheba and Rigel, turned them into one
complex and inseminated it with the sperm of the donator…"
"Which… Oh my god. Don't tell me it's you." Starbuck stared at Wilker.
"No, no." Wilker patted Starbuck's shoulder. "We have sperm from a very
special person…"
Starbuck turned completely pale. "Oh no…"
"NO!" Sheba laughed. It's not you! It's…"
"Apollo…" Starbuck was even whiter.
"Cut the felgercarb Starbuck and listen." Rigel got impatient. "We didn't
take sperm from any of you guys. We found this extremely perfect being…"
"It's Aeon." Sheba revealed before Rigel did. "He just doesn't know it
himself and we hope to keep it that way."
"Oh please..." Boomer rolled his eyes.

Wilker leaned closer to the drone womb to take yet another look at the
situation with the baby. It seemed to be becoming ripe any micron now. There
were some new things developing…

Wilker looked up. "It's a boy."
Cheers in the room.
"He's going to be the most beautiful thing ever seen." Rigel danced around.
"With a donator like Aeon…"
"He's going to be perfect." Sheba rejoiced.
"What are you going to call him?" Boomer's eyes lingered on the womb.
"We don't know yet." This was the first time Rigel came to think about that.
"Probably Rigel Junior."
"Hell no!" Sheba's hackles shot up. "He's going to be Sheba Sharia…"
"It's a boy Sheba!" Starbuck cleared his throat.
"That's why it's going to be Rigel Junior." Rigel eyed Sheba victoriously.
"No one can tell whether Rigel's a girl's name or a boy's…"
"May I suggest something." Wilker forefinger was pointing up. "Doctor
Salik's second name was Esmeraldo. I was always jealous of that name…
"Why don't you just call him Starbuck the Second and get it over with…"
"I think the water just broke…" Wilker, who had been standing in front of
the drone womb was soaking wet. "The parturition seems to be about to
begin…"

Excited, chattering like lunatics they all gathered around the drone womb.

"Which one of us is going to deliver the baby." Sheba looked around.
"Don't look at me!" Starbuck backed horrified. "I'll throw up…"
"The baby doesn't need to be delivered." Wilker gestured with his hands to
calm everyone down. "The womb does it itself. The baby will pop out in just
a couple of centons…"
"Pop out?" Starbuck turned to look at Wilker. "Wouldn't it be advisable if
we all moved backwards a little…"
"It's not going to shoot out of the womb Starbuck." Wilker sighed
impatiently. "It's just going to… pop!"
Starbuck turned to look at the womb again. "Err, excuse me doctor but… Where
is the going to pop out from. This thing doesn't seem to have that...
thing…"
"There's a hole on the left hand side." Wilker explained. "You'll see it if
you take a close look…"
"No thanks." Starbuck smiled. "I think I'll go to the officers' club to wait
for this miracle to be over…"
"Too late!" Rigel screamed. "It's coming!!"

Doctor Wilker extended his hands, prepaired to catch the baby. Starbuck had
already moved to the other side of the life center. All the others stared at
the hole on the left side of the drone intensely… awaiting…

Nothing happened.

"What's taking it so long." Rigel frowned.
"I think it's stuck" Wilker replied thoughtfully. "It might need caesarian
operation…"
Wilker reached out and took a pair of surgeon's scissors from a nearby
table.

"Everybody step back." He instructed as he leaned over the drone womb to
make a careful cut on the soft, slimy surface and it suddenly opened up like
a flower.

Wilker rolled up his sleeves and put his hands into the drone womb to pick
up the baby.
He lifted it up to be admired by everyone in the room, even the really sick
people further away in the D-section of the life center.
Sheba and Rigel prepaired to lay their eyes on the most beautiful thing in
the universe.

"Oh my god…" Wilker whispered in shock as he lowered the baby so everyone
around it could see it's face.

Sheba turned pale as snow as she saw the thing. Rigel started fumbling for
something to take support on.
Horrified, Wilker looked up at Boomer who had fallen completely speechless.

The baby wasn't just ugly.
It was a monster.

* * *

Omega eyed Apollo for a long time before leaning forward and ripping off the
tape from covering his mouth.
Immediately Apollo spitted the sock out, coughing and cursing afterwards.
"Tastes like chicken." Omega smirked. Apollo gave him a glare and kept
coughing.

Omega drew his laser gun from under his jacket and pointed it at Apollo.

"I have some great plans for us tonight." The older man beamed. "That's why
I asked commander Adama if I could finish my duty shift a little earlier
today…"
Apollo's eyes were on Omega.
"…Not that I told him that I have nice plans." Omega grinned. "I came up
with a terrible headache for having worked too hard in the last few days.
Adama was very sympathetic."
"Sure he was." Apollo snorted.
"He was very very angry at you for not having shown up." Omega kept
smirking. "I told him that I searched all over for you but…"
"Why are you doing this?"
"…Before I returned to the bridge, I went to fetch Tigh who was indeed sad
to hear about Athena's'death…"
"Athena." Apollo whispered, not having meant to say anything, the name had
just lingered to his lips.
"…I left Adama and Tigh to comfort each other and here I am now." Omega
smiled. "Ready to play with you…"
"I'm thrilled." Apollo mumbled. "And what games do you have in mind… No, let
me guess. You're going to cut me into little pieces, peel my face off, gouge
my eyes out, dance hula-hula around my shattered body… all that damn
felgercarb the readers are getting so bored about."

Omega eyed Apollo, almost amused.

"That…" He smiled. "…I'll save for later. That's not want I meant by playing
with you. The cutting to pieces, peeling the face off, dancing hula-hula and
all the rest of that stuff is called fulfillment. When I talk about playing
I really mean that. Quite literally…"

Omega walked to a closet door and turned to grin at Apollo.

"Close your eyes…"
"What?"
"Close your eyes." Omega gestured with his laser gun. "I'll tell you when to
open them again…"

Apollo did as he was told. He heard a squeek as the closet door was opened
and then some jingling noises and a little groaning suggesting Omega was
lifting something heavy.

There was a loud thump as the… whatever it was… was placed on the floor.
Apollo couldn't wait any longer. He opened his eyes and saw a huge cardboard
box.
Omega was smiling.
"May I introduce to you my box of treasures." He beamed.

Apollo watched with curiosity as Omega opened the lid of the box, revealing…
Apollo couldn't believe this! The box was full of toys. All kinds of toys,
from plastic baby ones to complex building series and furry animals. Not to
mention…

"These are my favourite!" Omega picked up a handful of barbies and kens.
(Legendary toys, manufactured even before the dinosaurs.) "These are what
we're gonna play with."
"Oh no." Apollo forwned. "Don't you have any G.I. Joes…"
"They don't make those on the Galactica." Omega smiled. "Unfortunately."

Apollo was sure he was on sleep cycle.

"I'm going to untie you now." Omega started towards Apollo. "Don't start
getting any crazy ideas about escaping. I'll still be holding onto my laser
gun and I won't be afraid to shoot…"
"Who's gonna play with your toys if you shoot me…" Apollo felt Omega ripping
off the tape from his wrists.
"Shut up." Omega clenched his teeth. The tape was harder to remove than he
had thought.
Apollo winced.
"And it's no use trying to shout and scream either." Omega continued. "I
have triple de-tex walls installed. "No one will hear you…"
"I won't shout." Apollo mumbled, already considering screaming his lungs
out. "Just, keep that sock away from my mouth…

Omega finished ripping the tape off. He took a hold of Apollo by under his
arm and pulled him up.
"Here. We can sit on the bed as we play. Now, hold still as I go and fetch
the barbies and all the accessories. You'll be amazed by how much great
stuff I've got…"

Apollo watched Omega returning to the box. He noticed that Omega hadn't let
go of that laser gun for even a micron.
Apollo knew very well that as long as Omega had that gun he would have no
chance.

Damn it! Why the frack did they always have to get into these things…

* * *

The first thing he would have to do is find a gun.

Lomas kept avoiding all the busy lounges and corridors, knowing very well
that although he wasn't a criminal and being chased, someone might find a
way to prevent him from doing what was necessary… No…doing what was
compulsory. Lomas would have to kill Starbuck for Astral's sake. Starbuck
was the reason why the world had turned dark and empty.
'No, you can't stay in my quarters. You're insane…'
Lomas cleched his teeth together, seeing Starbuck face… the damn smirk… in
front of his eyes as he walked.
'There's water in the turboflush.'
That bastard…
Determinedly Lomas kept on walking towards Starbuck's quarters.
But first he would have to find a gun.

Lomas wasn't one bit worried about the aftermath. There was nothing to be
worried about. Everything right now was pain, Lomas would be happy to give
it all up. But not before he had gotten his revenge for Astral. Only after
that it would be time for him to follow the angel into heavens. To give up
everything meaningless and die the way Astral had died. Fall in amongst the
stars…

Where the heck would he get the gun. Lomas wouldn't exactly be welcomed into
the weapon storage rooms with open arms.
Lomas thought for a moment.

Perhaps he should knock down some ignorant passer-by and steal his… Hey,
hold on a centon…
Lomas stopped and took another look around, all of a sudden realizing he was
standing in front of the door to Starbuck's and Apollo's quarters.
Frack, he had been so lost in his thoughts that he had lost track of time
and space.
No time to knock down passers-by now. Then what? Lomas' mind was working
feverishly.

He would definitely need a gun. Killing Starbuck with bare hands wasn't
really an option. Lomas wouldn't have the strength, no matter how enraged he
was.

Hey, he could steal Starbuck's gun… Pretend to pay a brotherly visit, be in
need of comforting after losing such a dear friend…
Lomas knocked and waited. He knocked again…
Starbuck wasn't there.
Okay…
Then Lomas would have to wait.

Lomas looked up and down the hallway and noticed a big enough niche in the
wall.
He walked to it and withdrew into the shadows to wait for Starbuck's return.

* * *

Chapter 16

Apollo was sitting on the bed, opposite from Omega, glaring at the daggit
and planning his escapade every time Omega's eyes lingered away from him.

"Look! This one's a real beauty!" Omega was excited as hell. He picked up a
barbie with bright red hair and a black velvet evening gown and showed it to
Apollo. "I call her Denisa."
"Pretty." Apollo admitted. Omega was looking at him, smiling.
"Come on. Take your pick. Which one of these beauties do you wanna play
with?"

Apollo eyed the collection of dolls on the bed.
There were blondes, brunettes, black-haired ones, redheads, short-haired
ones, long-haired ones, ridiculously long-haired ones.
Evening gowns, Sealing gowns, leather outfits, denim outfits, shoes, boots,
hand bags, hair brushes…

Apollo's eyes lingered to the pink sports landram and the pale yellow star
fighters.
The capricorn looked like Muffit with a horn and was wearing a
fake-diamond-ornated blanket.

The daggit was nauseatingly furry, ridiculously big-eyed, and had its own
pink drinking cup and box.

The kens were the worst. Short-haired ones, long-haired ones, ridiculously
long-haired ones… Kens with moustaches, kens with goatees, chest hair and
hairless chests. Uniformed kens, naked kens…
Apollo looked up at Omega. "I'll take the barbie with the leather outfit."
"No. That's mine." Omega quickly grabbed it. "You can take the blonde one
with big tits."
"They all have big tits." Apollo eyed the barbies in front of him. "Just,
look at them for sagan's sake! No wonder most men turn gay!"
"What are you babbling about." Omega got impatient.
"Look at them!" Apollo picked up the doll nearest to him and eyed it. "These
women look just like aliens! No real human being is formed like this!!"
"Cut the crap Apollo and let's play…"
"Just imagine that this kind of form is usually the very first glimpse boys
get of a woman body. This… alien form!…"
"Apollo…"
"And already in kindergarten we were taught that most aliens are evil…"
"If you don't shut up now I'm going to shoot you." Omega picked up the laser
gun that had been placed on the bed next to him.
Okay, okay. I'm sorry…" Apollo mumbled. "Give me that blondie. I'll play
with it."
Good." Omega's smile was wide as he saw Apollo reaching out and picking up
'Bridget'.
"How do you play with these things?…" Apollo eyed the doll. Feeling totally
idiotic he placed it on the bed and pretended that it was walking in a
forest.
"What a nice day it is today." Apollo twittered. "I think I'll go and pick
some parbon berries…"
"NOT LIKE THAT!! NO ONE PLAYS LIKE THAT!!"
Apollo looked up at Omega, irritated. "Well, how do adult people play with
barbies then?"
"Just use your imagination!" Omega frowned. "Just like kids do!"
"I was using my imagination…"
"Felgercarb! No one plays games with barbies going to pick up parbon
berries."
"Not even children?"
"Especially not children!"
"This is crazy…"
"I'll tell you how we're gonna play." Omega was smiling again. He pointed at
the barbie Apollo was holding. "Let's make Bridget the bitch. A real witch
who everybody is jealous of because she has all the best clothes, all the
best accessories, the best looking ken…"

Omega's eyes lingered on the kens. He picked up the one with a new-romantic
hairstyle, leather trousers, make-up and a flouncy shirt.
"Here, you take 'Ultravox'…"
"That thing is not going out with my Bridget…"
"Okay. Let's play that Ultravox is a maniac rapist and stalks Bridget all
over the place…"
"Why don't you play with Ultravox then." Apollo sneered. "You two are so
alike…"
Omega reached out for the laser gun. "Watch your mouth or I'm gonna shoot
you."
Apollo glared at the older man. "Shoot me, huh? Well, why don't you get on
with it! You're going to kill me later anyway so why the hell not now!?"
"If I kill you now it won't be any fun!…"
"Hell, I don't even know why I'm consenting to staying in this room. Give me
one good reason why I don't get up and start walking to the door. You're
gonna kill me anyway so what's the difference…
"Because if you die now, you won't find out whether Ultravox gets lucky or
not…"
Apollo couldn't help it, he laughed. "Okay. Let's get the action going. I
play with Bridget and Ultravox, you're going to play with…?"
"I'll take Denisa and Ivan." Omega grinned and picked up a ken with long,
black hair and a hippy shirt. Then he hesitated as his eyes lingered to a
ken with blond hair and a wild grin. "In fact, I think I'll take Denisa,
Ivan and Luffe! They're gonna make a nice, tormented threesome…

>From the corner of his eye, Apollo noticed that the laser gun had once again
been placed on the bed beside Omega.
An idea starting to form in his head…

* * *

Rigel couldn't stop staring at the horrifying face of the newborn boy. Sheba
on the other hand couldn't take one more look or she would have freaked out.
How in the frack was this possible with Aeon as the father…
Intrigued by the sudden change in the atmosphere, Starbuck had been lured
back to the circle of people standing around the drone womb.
The thing he now saw in Wilker's arms had made him gasp. "What is that?"
Nobody bothered to answer.
"Sheeesh, it looks worse than the drone womb…"
"Shut up Starbuck." Boomer gave him a glare.
"Why does it look like that?" Rigel couldn't understand. "Oh Wilker. Don't
tell me you got the sperm samples mixed up…"

There was a little passing breeze in the air as the sick bay doors opened
and a figure of a man stepped in.
He walked to the circle of others and looked at the face of his son.
Aeon sighed.

"Why didn't you listen to me you fools! Didn't I make it very clear that I
didn't want any of my sperm taken…"

"Aeon!" Sheba turned, startled. The others looked up too.
"How… how did you find out about this…" Rigel's eyes were wide. "We didn't
tell anyone…"
"You left a mark on my..."
"Shhh!" Wilker hissed. "Don't say it. We've got under-aged children in the
room…" There was a little pause as Wilker came to think of something. "Hold
on a centon. We didn't leave any mark, I checked."
Aeon's eyes lingered slowly to Wilker. Starbuck had a hard time not
smirking.
"Really?" Aeon raised one eyebrow. "Well there was one when I woke up this
morning…"
"But I know I didn't leave a mark." Wilker insisted. "I can swear I didn't
leave a mark…"
"SHUT UP!" Rigel lost her nerves. "We have a situation here! No one is
interested in hearing about the mark on Aeon's…"
"Shhhhh!" Starbuck hissed, imitating Wilker, amused as frack. "We've got
under-aged children in the room…"
Rigel gave Starbuck a glare of a lifetime. "Okay. Who's gonna explain why
this baby boy turned out to look like one of the borays instead of a sweet
prince like his father…"
"I have no idea." Wilker shrugged. His questioning gaze lingered on the
others and stopped on Aeon. "Can you explain this?"
"Yes, I can." Aeon smiled darkly. Everyone leaned a little forward not to
miss a word of Aeon's upcoming story. "But I'm not going to. It doesn't
matter."
"Oh come on!" Starbuck frowned. "You can't leave it like this…"
"Of course I can." Aeon saw the pleading look in Starbuck's eyes. "Okay,
I'll give you the major details.
Starbuck smiled gratefully.
"My father once told me everyone has a dark side and a good side." Aeon
explained. "Not just mentally but physically too."
"I don't see mine." Starbuck grinned.
The others ignored him, waiting for Aeon to continue.

"With most people the good and the dark are mixed to make you imperfect.
When you look at yourself you see what you are." Aeon paused. "But in my
case…"
"You only have the good side." Starbuck eyed the man. "We must be brothers…"
Boomer poked Starbuck in the ribs to shut him up.
"No." Aeon smiled. "I have the ugliness in me, but it is hidden…"
"So that's it!" Sheba already knew what was to come. She had read her
biology at the academy. "Your hidden qualities might come out visible in the
next generations. Just like skin colour, or a sickness, or hair colour or
whatever…"
"Yes." Aeon smiled. "And in this case…"
"Your sibling turned out to be just the opposite of you." Wilker finished
the sentence. "The beauty is the hidden quality, the ugliness is the only
thing visible…"
"Poor kid." Starbuck sighed sympathetically.
"I have a mirror that shows me purely my dark side when I look in it." Aeon
said quietly, his eyes then lingering to the baby in Wilker's arms. "That
boy looks exactly like the reflection in that mirror…"
There was a moments silence.

"Okay. What are we going to do with him`" Rigel spoke first, referring to
the baby. "As sad as it sounds, it is an indisputable fact that with a face
like that, the boy will never be accepted into our communities. No matter
how advanced we claim to be, we are still narrow-minded and unaccepting
fools which we will always be, only because it's human. We are all born with
that despicable darkness in our minds."
"Do you have any idea how horrible you sound Rigel." Starbuck stared at the
woman. "Your words…"
"I'm not really talking about racism or that kind of stuff which is purely
idiocy…"
"I still can't believe what I'm hearing." Starbuck swallowed. "You are
claiming that us human beings are fiends…"
"But we are." Rigel smiled sadly. "Just think about what I'm saying. Look at
that boy. He will always be treated differently. He will unavoidably suffer
from being ugly…"
"Rigel is right." Sheba spoke. "Look around you. There will always be
requirements and demands on what you should be like. Even the smallest
things like your hair or your weight or…"
"I get the point." Starbuck mumbled, seeing those horrible things in himself
too no matter how much he would've wanted not to.
Boomer spoke up. "…Yes, It's true. We all... although most of us are trying
not to, we do demand ridiculous things from others…"
There was a pause. Boomer's expression was dark.
"…But the biggest demands, those most unachievable levels, those I set for
myself. And when I realize I can't possibly live up to those expectations,
no matter how much I keep telling myself it's stupid, I grow not to accept
me as I am…" Boomer's eyes lingered to the monstrous baby. "…And if I have
it hard, think about…"
"Yeah, think about how the baby'll have it…" Sheba cut in. "He's not just
going to have a hard time trying to accept himself, he'll be in hell!"
"Then again, maybe not." Starbuck was thinking aloud. "Maybe it'll grow up
to be extremely open-minded and…"
"I have a suggestion." Rigel's eyes were on the little boy. "This will sound
terrible but perhaps it'll turn out to be the best choice…"
"What?" Boomer looked at Rigel.
"The baby will be better off it…"
"NO!"
"We don't have to kill it. We can just send it into space in some kind of an
apparatus that contains oxygen…"
"A slow death." Starbuck stared at Rigel with one brow arched. "How kind of
you…"
"The baby might have a chance to be rescued by some beings that are better
than humans. His life might turn out happy…"

Silence again. Everyone knew that in the end there really would be no better
choice but no one wanted to say it aloud to make it real.
Not until Wilker did.

"I can make a space-proof cradle that can help the baby survive for at least
two sectons…"
"Rigel Junior is gonna starve to death…"
"No if I make that cradle womb-like so it can feed the baby…"
"Enough!" Starbuck had to have a break for a fumarello. "Do what you guys
see fit. I'm outta here…"
"Will you come to the launching bay with us to see the baby off?" Wilker
asked, looking at Starbuck.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Starbuck replied sarcastically on his
way to the sick bay exit. "Just give me a call on my communicator when
you're ready…"
"Ummm, if you don't mind I'll be on my way too…" Aeon smiled and nodded
politely before turning to follow Starbuck. "I have nothing more to do with
this…"
"You are not coming to see your son off?" Wilker was amazed.
"It's not my son." Aeon smiled coldly. "It's just a little sperm cell you
stole from me…"

All eyes followed Aeon leaving.
Rigel Junior puked on Wilker's white doctor's cape.

* * *

"You can't play at all!" Omega frowned. "You have no imagination and your
choices of outfits suck! Bridget wouldn't wear college shirts and trainers…"
"Shut up and concentrate on the playing." Apollo was totally caught in this
now. The idea of escaping was the furthest thing on his mind at that very
moment. "Okay, here comes Ultravox now, all covered in blood after helping
deliver the filly of the capricorn…"
"You've made Ultravox much too nice." Omega glared at the ken in Apollo's
hand. "He should be a serial rapist and…"
"Shut up!
"What an exhausting day." Ultravox wipes his forehead. "I wonder what
Bridget has been up to. Perhaps when I get home there'll be a bunch of
daggit puppies awaiting for me…"
Ultravox moves in little bounces to the napkin spread on the bed. "This is
the hallway!" Apollo pointed out.
"Bridget! Can you bring me a set of clean clothes please…"
"I can't take this! Omega was getting more and more furious. "If you're not
going to play properly I'll shoot you right now."
"Tell me what you want me to do!" Apollo glared up at Omega.
"Just… stop being a pussy and start bringing some action into your game!"
"Show me!"
Omega sighed consentingly. "Okay. Watch this: Luffe has just robbed the back
and is now eyeing the landrams, trying to decide which one of them he's
going to steal…"
"There's not much choice." Apollo pointed out. "There's only the pink
landram…"
"Shut the frack up. Okay… Here comes Ivan. He's just been out shopping and
spots Luffe with the big bag of money. Ivan has an idea…"
"There's no action in that!" Apollo raised one brow. Omega gave him a glare.
"Ivan pulls out his weapon and shoots Luffe, who doesn't die but in fact
turns out to be solium-man with a huge tanker…"
"I don't see any tanker amongst your toys…" Apollo paused as he saw the look
Omega gave him. "Okay, sorry. Go on…"
"Ivan ducks behind a wall and bumps into Ultravox who is wiping blood off
his hands after killing Helena…"
"Who's Helena?" Apollo eyed the dolls. Omega picks up a barbie with curly
hair and roller skates and hits it against the wall. "There, now she's
dead…"
"Do you have any weapons Ultravox?"
"No. I use my hands. They're strong enough."
"Can you sneak behind Luffe and knock him unconsious and then destroy his
tanker."
"Sure." Ultravox secretly bounces behind the pink landram…
"This is stupid!"
"Shut up!"
"What's going on here? This is the policeman. "I'm afraid I have to
confiscate all your weapons for causing disturbance in a public area…"
A ken with a mustache attacks the policeman. Policeman loses his head as it
drops on the bed.
"Can't we play something else." Apollo was bored now. "This is just like
'Die Hard'…"
"Hey, I like 'Die Hard'…" Omega forgot about the policeman's head and eyed
Apollo. "What do you want to play then? 'Muriel's sealing…"
"How about 'Priscilla, the queen of the desert…"
"My kens are not drag queens!…"
"Hey, I know!" Apollo's forefinger popped up. "Why don't we play ourselves.
I mean, Ultravox can be me and Luffe can be you…"
"That's boring…"
"'Xanadu' then…"
"Hell no!"
"Saturday night-cycle fever…"
"Only if I can be the fabulous dancer…"
"No way!" Apollo pouted.
"We're not gonna play that then."
"What about…" Apollo paused for a micron, suddenly realizing what they were
doing. His eyes lingered to the laser gun still placed next to Omega.

Catching omega completely off guard Apollo took a dive towards the gun,
reaching out for it, ready to grab it like a sandwich.
There was a little popping sound as the policeman's head dropped off the
bed.

Omega screamed like a wild animal.
He jumped on Apollo's back, grimicing and fighting like frack to keet Apollo
from getting to that gun.
Omega was weaker, Apollo succeeded in shoving the man off him and cought a
hold of the handle of the laser pistol.
In a blink of an eye Apollo rolled over and pointed the pipe of the pistol
straight at Omega's face.
Omega froze, his mind working like a knife. Angrily, he stared at the pipe
of the gun, his eyes occasionally lingering to Apollo.
That moment seemed to last for centars.

"Who's gonna be the fabulous dancer now, eh?" Apollo smirked.
"You daggit!" Omega clenched his teeth. "Okay. You can be Travolta… but just
as you know, I'm only doing this because you're pointing a gun at me…"
"What other choice do I have." Apollo raised one eyebrow. "You've had all
the best barbies so far, like Denisa and Luffe! You've only given me the
daggits…"
"Okay, I'm sorry!" Omega lifted his hands to make a peaceful gesture. "If
you want to play with Luffe…"
"No. I want Ultravox to be Travolta."
"Okay!" Omega raised his voice a little. "Didn't I just promise you that he
can!…"
"I'm going to put the gun down now." Apollo slowly lowered the pistol. "You
better not go changing your mind…"
"I won't. I promise…"
Omega's wal-com buzzed, startling both men.

Neither of the men made a move at first, just stared at each other. Then
Omega pointed his forefinger at Apollo warningly. "Don't you dare make a
sound…"

Omega crawled to the edge of the bed and picked up the receiver of the
wal-com that was detached to the wall right above the bedside table.

"Hello?" The tone of Omega's voice was slightly strained, the look in his
eyes alert.

Apollo could hear babbling. He tried to make out the words.

After five centons of that obscure babbling from the com-unit, Omega finally
put the receiver back down and looked at Apollo.
"It was a colleague of mine…"
"You don't have any colleagues." Apollo eyed Omega. "You're the only bridge
operations controller on the Galactica."
"It was a colleague from the Rising Star." Omega frowned. "Stop that
nit-picking. I just promised you that you can be Travolta and all you can do
is whine, whine, whine…"
"Hey, I'm not whining!" Apollo hurried to exclaim.
"I have to go to the Rising Star." Omega swung his legs over the side of the
bed to the floor and stood up. "There's a show I have to see."
"What show?" Apollo was disappointed as frack for having to quit the
playing. Then he realized he was still holding the laser gun. He lifted it
up and pointed it at Omega. "You're not going anywhere. We have a Saturday
night-cycle fever to finish…"
"Put that thing away before you shoot yourself in the leg." Omega frowned
and started towards the turboflush. "That game has to wait. I have other
things to do…"
"You didn't tell me what that show was…"
"It's a strip show." Omega replied absently. "What else can it be…"
"You're leaving me in the middle of our game to go and watch a STRIP SHOW…"
Apollo was gasping for air. "What about me? Are you going to hold me
prisoner in your quarters?…"
"That's right." Omega was putting on a clean tunic in the turbowashroom.
"What??"
"I haven't killed you yet. How can I let you go when I'm not fulfilled."
There was a grin in Omega's voice which lingered to the bed/livingroom. "And
I have yet your face to peel off…"

"What?" Apollo looked around the room, stunned as if he had just woken up
from a dream.
He noticed the dolls.
"Did we… Did we just play with barbies?"
"It was fun wasn't it." Omega grinned. Apollo could hear hairspray being
sprayed. "Perhaps we'll have some time to do it when I get back, before I
peel your face."

Apollo climbed off the bed and headed to the turbowashroom.
He had just enough time to see Omega turn his head and look at him appearing
in the doorway before he fired.

The laser beam struck Omega on the left side of the chest, and with a
brucewillis-esque grimace he grabbed a hold over that blood-spitting wound
just before his eyes rolled up revealing the white and his head dropped to
the side.

Omega was already dead even before he collapsed to the turbowashroom door.

* * *

This was the P-section of the launching bay and not usually in public use.
They were all there, Wilker, Rigel, Sheba, Boomer and Starbuck, prepairing
to say goodbye to the baby that would be the first one ever to be sent into
space because of its ugliness.

The thing that Omega had built for the voyage of the baby looked exactly
like the drone womb.
It was placed on the floor, filled with nutrient substances and oxygen.
Omega had explained that the thing wouldn't need any solium since it didn't
have any particular target to get to and it would nicely drift in space
without any fuel.
Besides it would be a nature friendly option too since it would contaminate
the universe at all.

"What about the babies waste materials?" Boomer had asked and found out from
Wilker that the drone cradle would contain an apparatus that would get rid
of it.
"Why don't we have such a thing on the Galactica?" Starbuck had asked, quite
surprised to hear that an apparatus like that existed.
"We do…" Omega had replied patiently. "…On the sanitation ship…"

So, there it was on the floor, the miraculous drone cradle, Rigel Junior
already placed inside. Ready to sail to its destination whatever that would
be.

Wilker closed the hatch of the cradle-thing and checked that it was indeed
locked.
He straightened his back and turned to look at the others.

"I guess there's no reason for putting this off any longer." Wilker's eyes
lingered from one person to another. "The sooner we set sail this vehicle,
the sooner it might find redemption."
"Not to mention that we all can retire to the officers' club to drink a
toast for the adventures of Rigel Junior." Starbuck grinned.
"The death of Rigel Junior more likely." Sheba mumbled. Her eyes lingered to
the cradle. "Okay guys. Let's launch it."
"By the way…" Rigel just came to think of something. "Who are we going to
pick as the next sperm donator then? I still want that baby…"
"We'll think about that later." Sheba replied, already thinking about it.
"How does Apollo sound…"
Starbuck paled with horror.
"Here we go!" Wilker stated. Cover your ears ladies and gentlemen…"
Starbuck closed his eyes. Wilker pressed the lauching button…

With a thunderous roam and an annoying squeaking sound, the drone cradle
shot into space, vanishing from the view of the bay P-sector almost
immediately.

Surrounded by the sounds of silence, Starbuck, Boomer and the other stared
into the direction where the cradle had gone, stared into their own private
thoughts…

"Well. That's it then." Rigel was still looking at the dark space outside,
feeling strangely melancholic even though she hadn't even known the baby.
"Off we go to the officers' club." Sheba's eyes were on the darkness too.
"Wilker's buying the drinks."
Wilker's head turned immediately. "Hang on a centon…"
"You got us into this…"
"No, I didn't." Wilker panted. "It was all because of Aeon's genes…"
"Which you stole!"
"You wanted me to!!!"
"No I didn't. It was Rigel!…"
"Calm down for sagan's sake." Starbuck rolled his eyes. He walked to Boomer
and took his arm. "Come on buddy. Let's get us a couple of nice drinks."

Without saying anything Boomer followed Starbuck out of the P-sector, along
metallic corridors, through people-swarming lounges…
It wasn't until the entrance to the officers' club was in sight that he
finally stopped thinking about the monstrous baby and that they had just
killed it.

"Do you think it'll survive?" Boomer mumbled, more to himself than to
Starbuck.
"Sure." Starbuck grinned as they were walking towards the bar. "I'm an
optimist."
"This didn't affect you much did it…"
"Not really." Starbuck glanced at Boomer. "Hey, it's not that I'm enjoying
sending people to their death, it's just that I'm not that fond of children.
You of all people should know that Boomer."
"Yeah…" Boomer smiled a little, remeniscing some of Starbuck's evergreen
speeches about the child generation. "Yeah, I've been kind of wondering
about that…"
Boomer looked at Starbuck
"How do you cope with Boxey. He's not really an adult is he…"
"Boxey's okay." Starbuck shrugged. "Besides, he hasn't been spending much
time in our quarters lately. He's been staying with some nice aunts and
uncles on the Aerian…"
"Oh yeah, I forgot." Boomer smirked darkly. "You finally succeeded in
talking Apollo over didn't you."
Starbuck smiled. "The Galactica is no place for children…"
"What do you think will happen to the kid?" Boomer's mind lingered back to
the baby who was now drifting his way through star systems. "Do you think
it'll die."
"I'd rather not think about it at all." Starbuck gestured to the waiter and
then turned his head to give Boomer a heads-up grin. "Come on. Let's not
talk about the little bugger. You have secret details of a bachelor party to
reveal…"
"You keep on dreaming buddy." Boomer frowned. "I'm not telling you
felgercarb…"

* * *

Someone was coming down the hallway, Lomas could hear footsteps.

He pressed his back tighter against the cold metallic surface of the wall
and, now completely covered in shadows, he stretched his neck, trying to see
who the approaching person was.
Lomas didn't see anyone. The hallway remained empty.

He waited. The footsteps were coming closer and closer but still no one
appeared into view.
Patience my friend, Lomas' mind instructed him. They are only footsteps…
And right then Lomas knew that they weren't.

The shadows had hands.
Disgracing him, moving all over his body, up towards the neck wanting to
suffocate him with their darkness. Lomas couldn't breathe.

The walls had voices.
Quiet whispers, thunderous screams. Sighs of hopelessness.

There was something behind those walls, trying to break though. Moving
softly, so secretly… Flowing forward with unequalled rage, reaching out for
him…

Lomas dashed to his feet and started running. Stumbling forward blindly,
desperately. Trying so hopelessly to escape those ghosts in his mind…

* * *

Apollo stared at Omega's lifeless body, lying there on the turbowashroom
door. Blood gathering into a little pond around him...

Apollo wanted to close his eyes and forget out what he was seeing but he
couldn't.
Instead he walked to the body and knealt down beside it, not giving a frack
about the blood that stained his clothes.

Omega…

Apollo reached out and closed the man's staring blind eyes. It was so hard
to see the blankness in them…
How many times had this man helped to save the fleet from uncountably many
devilish situations. A man who had always been there, his shoulder seeming
so strong to lean on, his knowledge of technology unbeatable.
Omega had always seemed to be the one to see so much further than anyone
else.
Now there was only blindness left.

What in heavens had made this kind, very special man so distorted inside,
Apollo couldn't understand. He never would.
Casting one final look on Omega, Apollo forced himself up on his feet.
He stood there with his eyes closed for a little, little while before
turning away and heading to the turbowashroom doorway.

In the living room Apollo stopped and let his eyes linger around the room,
on the toys that were spread on the bed.
For a passing moment Apollo felt an unresistable, almost devastating urge to
go and put Ultravox, Luffe and Bridget into his pocket…

He didn't.

Without looking back, Apollo walked out of Omega's quarters.