Three yahrens after the event narrated in One Unique Night, some sectars
after HoG

Trail of Tears.
By Ale

  The Viper was arriving at its highest speed for the battlestar landing
bay. There was heavy damaged, it couldn't steer its trajectory with the
usual accuracy.
  Sparks and steams flew in all directions as it touched the deck, to stop
its race against the emergency net. The emergency crew could not reach the
Viper in time when a sudden explosion tore the air, and voracious flames
enveloped the Viper. When the fire team put out the fire, it was too late
for the pilot, dead at a stone's throw from safety.

  Sheba woke up immediately with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She
looked around the barracks: the silence was broken only by the quiet breaths
of the sleeping female warriors. She then lowered her head on the pillow
again.
  It's okay, she thought.  It was just a bad dream.
  She checked the time, but it was early, three centars left to the end of
the sleep shift.
  She closed her eyes, and again the imagine of the Viper on fire broke the
darkness where indeed she was hoping to find some rest, in vain. She was
looking at it again, again, and again, feeling the relief when the Viper was
touching safely to the ground, and then screaming powerless in front of the
cruel flames.

  Some centons later, she was walking in the silent corridors of the
Battlestar, going to a quiet place where she could read in peace the last
book that Commander Adama has given to her. That was something she was
really missing from the Pegasus: the library of her father, and the
Commander's quarters. She had always tried to avoid all favoritism of being
the Commander's daughter but sometimes she liked stopping in his quarters
for a few centars to read something from his furnished library. Well, there
was a big difference between Cain's and Adama's libraries. While her father
had only military and historical texts, Adama indeed prefered religious and
literary books.
  The Galactica Commander has been very kind to offer me the chance to read
more about the Earth myth, and the religious significance of the faith of
the Lords of Kobol, thought Sheba. She was really interested in this kind of
subject, especially now that all their lives were entrusted in this strong
belief of Adama's. Besides, if she had known more about her faith, then the
encounter with Count Iblis and the Ship of Lights would have been different,
maybe… There had been a time when death and life, and particularly what
happen after the last heart beat, was a distant mystery. Back then she had
had to learn how to face it, and how to accompany a loved one until the last
gate. Was death like the dried grass that burned rapidly to ashes, or as
dark coals, which slowly looses the warmth of their red lights? She didn't
know what was behind that insurmountable gate, which so many of her friends
and her mother had passed. There was no return from this gate, even after
the encounter with the Ship of Lights where an indefinite feeling of hope
about the destiny of our souls had been impressed in her heart. Yet it
wasn't enough, her mind wasn't able to remember what had happened exactly in
the last encounter with Count Iblis and with the strange Lights. There was
something about Apollo, and an endless sorrow for what had occurred to him.
Yet, it was too painful to remember, and obviously, it was buried in the
deepness of her subconscious along with Starbuck's and Apollo's memory.
  Anyway, Adama had guessed the questions that were in her soul and he
gently showed her the difficult path of the faith of the Lords of Kobol.
This was something that her parents, being of two different religions,
hadn't explained to her in detail. She remembered the one and only time when
she had talked about the religious meaning of life and death with her
father. It was not after the demise of the woman they loved most in their
life, but it was another time, another place, far away from the home they
would not see any more.  When Cain told her that there was a time for
everyone to choose the truths for which to live or to die for, she answered
that she had made her choice with her oath for the Colonies. Yet, he
obviously had been trying to tell his daughter something else and she wasn't
ready to understand it at that point in her life. She had been too
concentrated in her desperate fight against the whole universe and the
cruelty of destiny.
  Sheba tried to avoid the grievous memories of that period, turning her
thoughts towards the present cycles, when, as Cain foresaw, she had felt the
need to make her choice. Unfortunately, he wasn't with her; but there was
Adama, the wise Adama.  Now she had discovered a new spiritual world, and it
was interesting listening to the old myths when Adama was narrating them to
Boxey, or discussing them with Apollo and Athena during their familiar
dinners.
  It was another reason to be very grateful to Adama: she has found herself
invited very often to their family meetings, and she has really appreciated
this. It was like having her family, even if she has lost her real family
during the last yahrens ... first her mother, and then her
father …  However, she was missing the quiet evenings on the Pegasus in
Cain's quarters with a background of good ancient music, the endless
discussions about old battles and new plans, and fighting alien races and
cylons with the strategical simulator. It was very different with Adama, yet
he was now a father to her.

  Lost in her reflections, she found herself in the corridor near the
briefing room, at the opposite direction from where she was going.  She was
turning back, when Apollo, Starbuck and Boomer appeared from the corner.
  "Hey Sheba! What are you doing here?" Starbuck spoke first.
  "SSShhh Bucko. We're still in the sleep shift!" Boomer replied immediately
to the blond warrior.
  "I could ask to you the same question." Sheba answered smiling to them
wondering what Starbuck's trick was behind this late walk. "Have you been
involved in another lucky Pyramid game, Apollo?"
  "Not exactly." The Captain answered, with a shining look that showed he
was glad to see Sheba. "We haven't lost cubits tonight, but we have lost a
pilot. We're looking for Bojay."
  "Bojay? What's the problem?" The name of her Pegasus friend caught the
Lieutenant's attention immediately.
  "We haven't see him since the last cycle, and he's supposed to be on duty
within one centar. Besides, he's been acting strangely in the last few
cycles and he disappears for centars without a trace ... he's very
nervous…." Boomer explained, very seriously.
  "I'm sure he'll be at his place, when the time is right. Besides, it's
probable that he wanted some privacy. You know, there isn't a lot of privacy
on this Battlestar…" Sheba replied. She didn't need to know what Boomer was
referring to, with his statement of he's acting strangely.
  "Yes, but it is strange anyway. We've tried his personal communicator, but
he doesn't answer, then Athena has made a quick check that told us he's on
the Galactica, but we don't know where." Apollo answered with a sigh. Every
time Bojay was involved, Apollo knew that there would be problems starting.
"And a pilot, a Captain," his tone pointed out, "Can't disappear in such
way. Think about what a red alert would mean right now…"
  "Apollo, I'm sure he's fine, and ready for every alert, if that's what
bothering you so much…" Sheba was getting irritated by Apollo's bitter tone,
but she was worried herself for a different reason than the dark-haired
Captain. "I think I know where to find him, if it's so important."
  "Really? It would be very helpful Sheba. We've looked for him everywhere
and there's no sign of him." Starbuck interrupted the two, knowing that they
shouldn't discuss Bojay. Definitely, Sheba and Apollo had different opinions
about the Pegasus Captain, but it was not a subject worthy of a discussion,
he thought.
  "Starbuck, I wasn't his wingman for almost five yahrens for nothing."
Sheba said not looking at Apollo. "Come on and follow me."
  Even if Apollo knew how closed Sheba was to the Pegasus Captain, he
couldn't understand the particular relationship between the two friends.
Once, she had explained that he was part of her family, like a brother to
her, but in the deep of his heart, Apollo knew that Sheba was something more
for Bojay.
  However, while they were on the turbolift, he tried to handle the
situation, and he asked: "So, why were you walking around tonight. Aren't
you on sleep shift too?"
  "Just looking for some privacy." She replied, with an allusive look.
  "Ok, ok, I don't want to argue with you Sheba, we all need our privacy,
but we have to answer too, when a superior officer is looking for us. So…"
  "Yes Apollo, so we have to find out what's happened to him. But trust me,
it's not his usual behavior." A worried expression filtered through her
eyes, but quickly disappear almost as soon as it appeared.
  Apollo noticed the sad flash of lighting in her brown eyes, but he
couldn't say anything, because the lift had arrived at the landing bay
level.
  "Sheba, we've just checked the landing bay and his Viper.  He isn't here."
Boomer said, looking around in the silent bay. Working around one of the
Vipers were only two technicians, the same that a few centons ago had
answered that they haven't seen Bojay.
  Indeed, the first imagine that came to Sheba's mind when she walked
outside the turbolift, was that of a Viper thrusting at highest speed in the
Battlestar heart and on fire. She closed her eyes to resume her control,
grateful that the three friends were behind her.
  "But I'm not looking in the landing bay." She directed her steps
resolutely toward the old weapons warehouse, a big room hidden between the
two landing bays of the Battlestar.
  She was typing the access code for the doorway, when Apollo stopped her.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't know this code."
  "No. But you want to find Bojay, don't you? So let me enter finish so we
can enter this room." She continued.
  "Besides, it's not so difficult to know this code, Apollo." Starbuck said
as he helped the woman.
  "You too Starbuck?" Apollo was surprised.
  "Well, it isn't so secret, and if you really want to secure this
warehouse, you must change all the doorway's access entry codes. Also a
child could guess it." Boomer exchanged a knowing look with the other two
Lieutenants. "It's an old model, and…"
  "I see Boomer, you're the technological expert. But I was thinking that
the Galactica warehouses were more secure than this." It wasn't his main
problem for now, Apollo thought.
  "Oh, Apollo, you needn't worry. There are a lot of things you don't know
about *your* battlestar." Sheba pointed out with an understanding smile.
"The weapons were moved away after the last fire to a more secure place, and
now the chief of the landing bay technicians wants this place for the Viper
spare parts…"
  "Whereas the chief of the mechanical techs demand the warehouse for some
engine components, which require a lot of space." Boomer continued the
explanation. "And Reese is also claiming that he needs some more space for
the Council guards equipment. Strange enough, Tigh hasn't yet
decided, because these people are more jealous than an old Aquarian maid…"
  "So while they are quarreling about it, the pilots of Blue Squadron have
decided to extend the space for their personal effects." Starbuck ended with
an innocent look that told Apollo he was the main individual responsible for
this decision.
  "And I can guess why I don't know anything about this very personal
decision…." The Captain commented, returning his best friend the same
innocent look.
  "Oh, you've got your personal quarters Apollo, with Boxey." The blond
pilot started defending himself. "And there's not enough lockers for all our
personal stuff and besides, do you want Reese to take advantage of the
situation? Captain, you really don't have the welfare of your pilots much at
heart!" Starbuck's grin was the last word about the matter, because finally
Sheba opened the door.
  "Boomer, you've to look at this when you've time, because the access code
isn't working very well." She noted, and the dark warrior nodded, stopping
at the entrance with Starbuck to have a look to the old electronic
mechanism.
  "I don't think it's a good place to find Bojay." Apollo commented,
observing the vast room. After the words of his friends, he was expecting to
see some boxes full of clothes, or uniforms and boots, but he didn't imagine
how many things the pilots were able to keep under the "personal effects"
category. The room would have been a haven for the black market of the Fleet
with not only civilian clothes from all the Twelve Worlds styles, but music
readers, books, also some old computers, and food (Apollo would have bet
that the food was a precious personal effect of Sergeant Jolly), not to
speak about pots, one limping table, and even two big paintings, in addition
to the heap of little unrecognizable effects in the metallic boxes. However,
Apollo was wondering how anyone would consider relaxing in such a chaotic
room, without lights, black traces of fire on the walls, and the wrapping
smell of the old, dusty things.

  Followed by the three of them, Sheba entered the room. At first sight the
room looked deserted, but behind a rusty panel she spotted the familiar
shadow she was looking for and in the dim light a silent Bojay was sitting
in a corner with his head lowered on his chest, a hand in his blond hair,
and a fixed stare on an indistinguishable piece of metal in his right hand.
  An old memory crossed Sheba's mind, but she tried to cancel the imagine of
a battlestar crew shocked and mourning.
 "Oh, the fabulous trio…." Bojay commented aware of their presence.  He did
not look at Sheba,
"Welcome to the show boys…" He said in a bitter tone, raising his hand in
their direction. "Finally, you've found me. I've been waiting company; so
who's all here? The Commander's son … yeah, it's always good to have high
family connections…" He noticed Starbuck and Boomer entering the room. "And
his friend, the best card-sharp in the fleet, and last but not
least…"
  Apollo intervened quickly to stop his incoherent monologue. "Stop it,
Captain. You seem drunk, and perhaps you need a cold shower!" He was
surprised by the direct verbal attack by Bojay. "You haven't answered the
call from the bridge officer, and we've been looking for you for two
centars."
  "Hmmm, what a nice thought guys. I haven't received any call on my
personal communicator, just to let you know, Strike Leader. I'm only looking
for a private place on this piece of felgercarb of a Battlestar…" Bojay's
glare was icy. He didn't seem to have any intention of moving from his
position.
  After a cycle of continuos duty, all the dark-haired Captain was waiting
for was some rest; indeed, he was wasting all his sleep centars to find
Bojay. After all, his reaction was really upsetting Apollo. "This felgercarb
of a Battlestar is the only one you have at the present time
if…"
  "That's enough from both of you." Sheba said firmly. She had been silent
until that moment, pushing back her own emotions, emotions that she
considered forgotten. Because the two Captains were going to quarrel, she
decided to stop their harsh dialogue. "Leave me alone with him.  You
are only making the situation worse." She almost ordered Apollo.
  "This isn't a good idea Sheba" Apollo objected. "He seems a little violent
tonight… and this could be a matter of insubordination…"
  She tried to be patient with him. "Apollo, maybe the call signal was
jammed by the Vipers lunch system here and he never received Athena's call.
And maybe he's a little upset tonight…"
  "Maybe? … A little upset?" Why was Sheba defending so strenuously her
friend? Apollo thought.
  "And I'm sure I can help him." Sheba ignored Apollo's sarcastic comment.
"If you would give me a few centons…" But she recognized Apollo's denial by
the incoming imperceptible inclination of his head, and before he could add
something else, her tone became bitter. "YOU can NOT have the whole
Battlestar under your control, Apollo. Haven't you heard what I've just
said? LEAVE ME ALONE WITH HIM!"
  "Come on Apollo…" Starbuck decided that was his time to improve the
situation, and he intervened between the two. "We were only looking for him,
now we've found Bojay, and we've seen he's fine. He hasn't deserted, yet, at
least. He's only in an awful mood…"
  "Why don't you join us outside the warehouse? Let them have some time to
talk alone."  Boomer said and exchanged meaningful looks with Starbuck, and
then he took Apollo by the arm and he gently led him toward the exit.
  Apollo had the impression that this night all his friends were against
him. "Ok, Sheba, we'll wait for you in the landing bay. But remember Bojay,
you're on duty within thirty centons." The confrontation with the Pegasus
pilot was only postponed.
  Sheba followed with a worried gaze as the three warriors left the room.
She sighed, thinking that she wasn't questioning Apollo's authority but was
trying to help Bojay.

  Then, she went quietly to Bojay's side, and she sat down next to him.
  After a long silence, he spoke first. "Sheba, I don't think…" Bojay was
feeling ashamed at the presence of his Pegasus wingman.
  "Don't worry my friend, don't worry…" She tried to avoid his blue eyes…
Now that she was near him, she recognized the piece of metal grasped in his
hand: the red and white Pegasus insignia.
  A sword in her heart would have been less painful than seeing that beloved
symbol. How can I help him, if I'm not able to help myself? She thought,
resting her head back, on the cold hull of the room, as if she could find
some strength from the contact with the old battlestar.
  In the darkness of the warehouse, they were alone, their hearts full of
contrasting feelings. Was it their pulse rates they were hearing, or was it
the storm of their emotions?
  Sheba closed her eyes, hoping to find the words to start a dialogue.
However, she couldn't find the words. In the presence of her friend, and the
sight of the Pegasus insignia, knocked down her last defenses, the imagines
and sounds, cries and screams, faces and dull eyes began to dance in her
mind. Explosions and flames, again, and the paralyzing feeling of
powerlessness.
  Bojay's intense sigh brought her back to reality. Yet, his words were very
distant for her. "I don't want to hurt you again, Sheba." He was saying.
"I'm only trying to escape from the past."
  She nervously passed a hand through her brown hair. "That's exactly what
we've been doing these last three yahrens, Bojay. Escaping. From the
Colonies; from the Cylons; from the past and from the present. From our fool
self-confidence and ourselves. From our feelings. From our
nightmares." She ended in a whisper, more to herself than to her friend.
Wasn't this what she was also doing this night, when she had found Apollo,
Starbuck and Boomer? She was running away too.
  "It has been a long time.  We don't talk alone like we used to do on our
battlestar." He observed.
  "Yeah." The memory wrung from her a weak smile. "And you're always
predictable. You've a special preference for weapons warehouse, haven't
you?"
  "Well, this is not like the one on the Pegasus. Cranes kept his one better
than this." Sheba noticed his use of the past tense, about the Pegasus chief
tech, the red-haired man who ran the Pegasus landing bays. Those bays were
like drawing rooms of the most luxury hotel on Caprica
City with everything impeccably in its place; but she knew how much work and
iron discipline he required of his men. His broad smile had been the last
good-bye before … she tried to not think about it.
  "We both know why I'm here. But, really, I don't want to take you back
with me through all this." He squeezed the little Pegasus shield in his
hand, until he felt the metallic points in his flesh. "I appreciate your
presence, but it's my problem, Sheba." He was trying not to think about it,
but it wasn't easy, especially now that she was at his side.
  "We're escaping again Bojay… You come here to this room while I walk
through the corridors of the Galatica. I'm acting as though nothing had
happened…" With her hand, she softly loosened his tight fingers on the
insignia, and she moved to look straight in his blue eyes. "But even if
we're on the Galactica, you've our heart in this hand." Tears welled up in
her eyes, knowing that for all that time, she had only tried to deny this
obviousness. However, the shadows of the past come forward despite the
blindness of our souls, she thought.
  Touching her cheek, he whispered with a sad smile. "Welcome back Ace. I've
really missed you." For the first time in the last sectons, Bojay recognized
again 'his' Sheba, his favorite wingman, the person who was with him on the
Pegasus. For some time, she had looked like she was
dodging all her old Pegasus friends, but he had always known that it was too
painful for her, and sooner or later, she would come back to their close
relationship.
  It had been a long time since she had heard the sound of the usual
nickname the Silver Spar pilots call the best of them, proud of their
cleverness. She knelt in front of Bojay, their fingers clasped around the
little red shield, in the dim light of the room, now Sheba was aware only of
the distant noises of the Vipers engines.
  She heard lasers shots, and familiar, friendly voices. They weren't
Galactica pilots.
  She lowered her face, she closed her eyes, and this time, reassured by
Bojay's closeness, she let herself remember, and she opened her memory to
the stream of emotions.
  She went back along her past, three yahrens before. And she came back to
Molocay.

****************

  "Taron! Look at your back! There're three raiders behind you!"
  The battle had started three centars before, and it was now in the full
fury of fire.
  "Frack! Where are you Leto? I need you, here and now!"
  Recalls and orders were heard all over the pilots comm-links.
  "Sorry Taron, just taking care of two unwelcome guests near our landing
bays. And they're not very nice!"
  Around the glorious battlestar, Vipers and Raiders were fighting with all
their force.
  "Quick Leto, I'm not able to evade them much longer."
  Centon after centon, it was clear that it was going to be a question of
life and death for the whole 5th Fleet.
  "Hang on, Taron. I'm on the way."
  Even if the 5th Fleet was not ready in battle formation at the micron of
the attack.
  "Hey thanks to whoever you're. I owe you a drink when we're back."
  A surprise attack, at the exact time when the Fleet entered the Molocay
System.
  "Move it, Ensign, there's still a lot to do out here. It's no time to
chat."
  Yet, it was a damned good plan, from the Cylon point of view.
  "So you're my savior. Thanks Lieutenant."
  The cylon plan was working better than they would have ever expected.
  "You'll offer me that drink later. Laertes and his group needs our help
now."
  Especially when one considered that the 5th Fleet Commander was the
legendary Cain.
  "Sheba, come with me, there's a heavvy attack against the engines
section."
  The Imperious Leader would have been very pleased about this victory.
  "I'm with you Bojay."
  If a robot machine without human emotions such as a Cylon could be
pleased, then in this matter it would be pleased.
  "Taron, Leto, follow us."
  Yet, the humans did not understand how close they were to total
destruction.
  "For Sagan's sake, where is the rest of the Fleet? There are at least two
basestars in this system."
  In addition, they were fiercely defending their lives.
  "Only two if we're lucky, Skyler."
  The Colonials were not able to count the wave of Raiders that launched
against them.
  "Paris! Watch out to the left!"
  This was their weak point.
  "I'll take the one on the right side."
  Humans cannot be replaced as fast as Centurions.
  "Neat shot Paris. Let's fool the other one."
  In addition, the cylons do not fear losing the energy that sustains their
existence, and therefore does not affect their combat ability.
  "Go ahead. I'll watch your back."
  While the Centurions do not fear to lose their active function.
  "Locked!"
  A blinking sensor immediately warned the command pilot.
  "Come on, tin machine, come on..."
  The electronical brain of the Centurions did not have the proper time to
give his orders to the two co-pilots.
  "And hit!"
  The explosion of the ship added its light to the sparks of the battle.
  "Neat shot, Lieutenant."
  And the red eye of each cylon ended its flashing movement.
  "Back to our wingmen, Paris."
  The command Centurion would have been amazed by the speed of the human
maneuvers.
  "Yes, they might get jealous, Sheba."
  In addition, that same Centurion would have registered the casual
circumstance of its end as one of the purposes it was assembled for.
  "Who? Bojay and Skyler? Naaah..."
  Anyway, there was not any loss of influence for the Cylon Empire to be
victorious.


  "Colonel Tolen to Strike Leader. Colonel Tolen to Strike Leader. Answer
Bojay!"
  "Colonel, I'm listening. What's happening? Where is the Phlegon with the
reinforcement?"
  "We haven't any communication from Commander Eos and his Battlestar,
Bojay, nor from the other ships. The orders are to protect the Pegasus, at
any price. This is an ambush."
  "Oh! Thanks, Colonel, we haven't understood that this was an ambush."
Paris stepped in the dialogue.
  "Paris, shut up! Colonel, couldn't we try to contact the Phlegon? It
couldn't be very far from us, and Bojay and I can go find her. The situation
isn't so bad now." In fact, Sheba thought, it was the first moment of
relative quiet after many centars. She had already sent some Vipers to the
Pegasus for a fast refueling.
  "No, Lieutenant, permission denied. There is another wave of Cylons coming
in on our long-range scanners. We need all the Vipers for the Pegasus right
now."
  "Frack, that was Laertes!" A near burst illuminates the battlefield.
"Sorry Colonel, but we see the next wave on our monitors now." Bojay turned
his attention to the scanner. He did not have the time to think of his dead
friend. And Laertes was not the only friend he had lost that
cycle.
  "You know what to do, Captain. Good luck boys." Tolen ended the
communication, before the Captain could ask details about the situation on
the Pegasus. Better the pilots out there not know about the condition she
was in, he reflected, at least not yet.
  "Silver Spar Squadron, close formation. Wait for my command." Even after
centars of fighting and with not many Vipers surviving, Bojay tried to face
the umpteenth wave of Raiders with some strategic tactics. Strategy and
bravery were the special peculiarities that made the Pegasus
the best battlestar of the Twelve Colonies. Tactics and daring with a little
touch of madness, Bojay corrected himself, something in common between Cain
and his crew, as well as the Silver Spar Squadron, the personal fighter
squadron of a legend.
  "Bojay, visual contact within two centons and thirty microns." Sheba's
professional tone showed to the others the best way to follow their Strike
Leader. No matter how tired, how hungry, how shaken up they were, they had
to fight again, not only for their lives but also for the life of the
Pegasus. "And don't you expect us to answer <By your command>, Hawk." She
grinned, to break the tension of the wait.
  "Not at all, Ace." He felt the comforting presence of his wingman. He had
lost count the many times she had saved his life in the last few centars, as
he had done with her, and as together they had done for their squadron.
"Sheba, Skyler and Paris, ready with me for the tetrakis
formation. The others in line behind us. Fire at will after my signal."
Bojay watched the Vipers taking their orderly position and slowing their
speed, for the moment. It wasn't the first time that cycle, but every time
the Vipers line was smaller.
   "One centon and ten. Gold Squadron ready on the left side of the
Pegasus."
Sheba glanced instinctively to the side where the fighters from the Phlegon
would had come, if they would come. She wondered what the Colonel had not
mention about the rest of the Fleet. And why she had not heard her father's
voice on the comm-link?
  "Guys, this is a hard wave, again. You heard the Colonel: Protect the
battlestar at any price. Let's show them who Silver Spar is." Bojay tensed
waiting for the right moment to give the order. Not a centon before, nor a
centon after, if you want it to work, he could hear Cain's explanation,
given quartons ago.
  "Target plain on monitor." They had repeated this maneuver so many times,
that it was almost mechanical for them, at this point. Anyway, Sheba watched
the Vipers at her back. She nodded to Skyler from the canopy; then, she
fixed her gaze toward the points the enemies fighters would arrived. She
felt the adrenaline rush through her body as the Cylons were approaching.
Like a hunter in the face of his quarry, she thought, remembering the few
times on the savannah of Scorpia, when her uncle and herself went hunting
phasianas. Well, who was the hunter and who was the quarry now was something
to be define, yet. Especially now that she had an unpleasant feeling of
being the lupus in the trap.
  "Wait once more... fire!" Immediately after the command of the Captain, a
lasers barrier erupted from the human line, to contrast of the Cylon
advance. "Paris, close to my right! Silver Spar, break formation!" Here we
are again, Bojay thought, let's play another game. A Viper exploded behind
him, but he did not have the chance to check which of his mates it was.
Although a great number of Raiders had been destroyed, they were always a
loss of Colonial Vipers.
  "Damned tinheads! They outnumber us twelve to one!" Obviously, Bojay
wasn't the only one to notice the bad odds. Moreover, Skyler, who had just
spoken, was the one who usually announced the bad news.
  "Is that a problem, Skyler?" Sheba asked, firing at another enemy. They
were very close to the Cylon line now.
  "Yes that is, Sheba!" Skyler did not have the time to add anything else,
while he returned the blow to the Raider that had just hit his right wing.
  "Skyler?" Paris asked checking the damage from his position. The four
Vipers were flying on a perfect parallel line, even if they were in the
chaos of the battle, able to keep their path, despite the other Vipers and
enemy craft.
  "It's nothing that I can't handle myself, thanks." Skyler answered, gently
adjusting the trajectory of his craft, to regain the synchrony with the
other three.
  "Good. Let's play our hand, then." Bojay said and thrust the power of his
turbos followed by the others.
  They had just reached their target: seven Raiders that were heading
straight for the Pegasus bridge. The four Vipers split into two groups,
Bojay ahead of Paris on the left flank, Sheba ahead of Skyler on the right
one. The Cylons had not yet detected their presence, because the warriors
were not in front of them nor behind them, but exactly at their side, with
the same speed.  They were apparently heading for the different sides of the
battlestar, indeed. In that position, the Cylons appeared to be at the
center of the imaginary square of the Vipers. It was only a micron, and
suddenly the enemies were trapped in what the Colonials called the "tetrakis
formation": Bojay and Sheba overtook the enemy group, and before it could
react, the two warriors turned back their fighters.
  "GO!" Sheba shouted.
  Then the four pilots diagonally crossed the space among the seven Raiders,
exchanging their positions: Bojay with Skyler and Sheba with Paris. From her
canopy, Sheba saw for a brief micron the red flashing eye of the Centurions
inside. She could feel though her body the acceleration of her Viper; she
would also say that she could feel her Viper wings skimming over Paris's
wings. Three Cylons ships exploded in collision, trying to evade the sudden
maneuver of the humans. Sheba smiled checking their positions on the
scanner: perfect, she thought, simply perfect. A few moments later, Paris
and Skyler, now ahead the others repeated the trick again, firing all the
power of their lasers. Usually, the surprise and the speed of the first move
were enough to break the enemy formation and to knock out some of the
Raiders in the following crash. Now during the second maneuver the vipers
have to slow their speed for more accurate firing, as the cylons have become
aware of the new viper flying tactics.
   Bojay gave a thumb up to his mates. The comm-link kept silent: the four
pilots did not need comments. Excitement, concentration, adrenaline, and
determination: they were all sharing the same emotions. They had just bet
their lives on the gambling table of Fate and they had won. At least for the
micron.


  From the Pegasus bridge, Commander Cain watched the four Vipers dressing
the ranks, and turning toward the heat of the battle, looking for their next
prey. Unfortunately, the Cylon numbers offered countless choices.
  They did not have the space and the time to carry out the tetrakis, Cain
observed, at least not in this situation. His gaze was fixed upon the Viper
of his daughter, Cain was proud of her, and her friends. They were the best
pilots from the Pegasus, and they were the very few friends of Sheba. The
newly promoted Lieutenant Paris, who was younger of the group, was a very
good pilot. Sheba considered him a very big grumbler but was sure that the
discipline of the Pegasus would correct this. The reserved Lieutenant Skyler
was a fellow classmate of Sheba's at the Caprican Academy. During those four
yahrens of training, he competed with Sheba for first placement in their
class.  This had led to a healthy rivalry of the respect and a great
friendship between the two warriors. Captain Bojay, Strike Leader of the
squadrons, was a fine warrior with a promising future. He was one of the few
who really shared Cain's philosophy about the war. He was also the best
friend of Cain's daughter. Cain had often wondered about Sheba and Bojay's
relationship, as well as the reason why Sheba seemed to have only male
friends. Very few male pilots, who were considered close friends. The deep
friendship between the four pilots was the main reason they were so damned
good in the tetrakis formation. This maneuver required them to keep a
perfect synchrony. They had achieved this through hard training because the
pilots as well as the Vipers were in complete synchrony. This was
particularly true about Sheba and Bojay as their instinct and souls were on
the same path.
  Yet, that was not enough for this cycle. After a last glance at Sheba's
familiar Viper, Cain turned his attention back to the damaged bridge of his
battlestar. He considered the battle outside in space again just as a
fighter of Gold Squadron ended its flight against the hull of the Pegasus.
He called his Executive Officer. "Tolen!"
  "Commander." The Colonel reached his position, and immediately he gave his
report. "We have lost eleven Vipers in the last thirty centons, the Bronte
is destroyed, and..."
  "Enough Tolen." Cain had already seen the explosion of the Pegasus supply
ship on the main scanner. "I'm aware of the status of the Fleet, and we
can't fight anymore, or the Pegasus will be lost too." He pointed to the
star map and continued. "Give the order to our pilots, and lead
the Pegasus toward the asteroid 35-Rho."
  Tolen was not surprised by the order. They had already discussed the
strategy a few centons before, and it was their last hope. There was no more
Fifth Fleet, and with two basestars approaching their position, the Pegasus
with heavy damage did not have a chance to survive if she stayed there.  As
Cain often said, the first move to gain victory was to choose the
battlefield. This cycle the advantage had been in favor of the hated Cylons,
as well as the victory. It was time to leave, and to choose another
battlefield.

  "Captain, from this position I've the Pyroeis and the Lampos on my
scanner. They're surrounded!" The young Ensign watched on the scanner the
green shapes of the cruisers that normally provided reinforcements to the
Pegasus. Since the klaxon had sounded, they had waited for them.  While the
battle became increasingly harder, the pilots understood that no
reinforcement would arrive. Finally the two cruisers were in their scanner
range and every surviving pilot was aware that he was going to witness their
destruction.  Behind them, the shape of two basestars was immediately
recognized and classified by the Viper warbook.
  "Deyanira, tell me the coordinates. Let's see what we can do." Sheba was
the nearest pilot to the position of the Ensign. While approaching the other
pilot, Sheba's scanner too showed the four ships.
  "We can't do anything, Sheba. Orders are to protect the Pegasus." Bojay
firmly said while shooting another Raider.
  "Bojay, we can't leave them alone. They're..." Sheba was interrupted by the
disappearance of the Lampos from the scanner.
  "NO!" Sheba heard the scream of the Ensign, and she remembered from the
personal file that Deyanira had an uncle on the Lampos, an engine-tech, she
thought. For a moment, she stopped her breath, seeing the face of one of her
neighbors from Caprica. The bridge officer, Eurynome, had been assigned to
the cruiser Lampos at the same time when Sheba had joined the Silver Spar
squadron. From time to time, she had spent some centars with the red-haired
woman in the Officers Club. Sometimes on Caprica, they would meet each other
early in the morning as they both started their cycle with a swim in the
sea, near their houses.
  The codes suddenly began to scroll up the monitor and brought back her
attention to the battle.  She heard Bojay's orders over the comm-links.
  "Ignore the scanner. Repeat; ignore the Pyroeis on the scanner.
Concentrate on the defense of the Pegasus, we can't do anything for them
now." Bojay hoped that the destruction of the Lampos, and the next loss of
the Pyroeis, wouldn't divert the attention of his men. He realized the
impact that the defeat of the two cruisers would have on their morale and he
knew he would not be able to cheer up any one in that micron. Looking at the
orders that the bridge was sending via codes to the monitors, he repeated.
"Concentrate on the Pegasus, all fighters concentrate on the Pegasus." Every
pilot, seeing the codes on their monitors, and listening to Bojay's words,
knew that they were at their final maneuver because the bridge was sending
its' orders in code, and not via comm-link, so as not be intercepted.
  The Captain switched the comm-link on the private channel. "Sheba, do you
see?"
  "Yeah Bojay, I don't..." There was a brief pause while she evaded another
Raider, and Bojay heard the sound of the laser. "I don't know what my father
has in mind, but he's the only one who can get us out of trouble." If we can
call this massacre a trouble, she thought.
  Bojay couldn't repress a sigh observing another one of his men blown out,
and then he answered, trying to reassure himself as well as his friend. "I'm
sure that we'll be fine, after all." His lasers missed the target near the
back of the Pegasus, and the Raider turns left, toward Sheba's direction.
"Do you remember Hattusas?" He pursued the enemy with a sharp turn, waiting
to see its shape locked by his targeting system.
  "It was one of our greatest victories." Sheba answered, smiling at the
memory of the battle where she had gained the pins of Lieutenant. "It's
mine." She said, referring to the Raider.
  Meanwhile, the Pegasus was heading toward the nearest asteroid, and one by
one, the Vipers were landing back on the battlestar, following the codified
orders of the bridge.
  "Go for it, Sheba." Bojay checked the situation of the landings, a bit
worried by the two basestars that were entering in the battlefield.
  Then, he heard a stifled cry in the comm-link.
  "Sheba? Sheba?"
  No answer.
  Frack, he murmured.
  In the silence, he heard the accelerated pulse of his heart.
  "Sheba?"

  The big battlestar was sliding silently in the darkness. On her hull, the
black wounds and deep burns were the marks of her suffering and her own crew
felt them with her. Whole sections had been left to the vacuum of space.
Only the engines for the basic living facilities were working.
Mechanic-techs were trying to fix the main engines. On the bridge, the
electronic specialists were working around and on the damaged computers.
Fire teams were checking the numerous points where centars before the fires
were burning. While the Viper techs were repairing what survived after a
cycle of fighting, a few pilots were standing ready in the launch bays in
case of attack. Fortunately, they had not seen Cylons in the last two
cycles.
  It was strange to think that two cycles had yet passed after the battle of
Molocay. Two cycles after the destruction of the Fifth Fleet. They didn't
even know if the Colonies were aware of the defeat.

  Defeat.

  Cain repeated the word several times in his mind. He was checking again
the damage reports, the scanners records and the tapes of the battle, but
with a sigh he put them aside. In front of him, the holopic of his family
was smiling at him. It lasted only a few microns. Alone, at the desk in his
quarters, for the first time in that last long sectar, he stopped the
Commander façade, to become only an ordinary man. A sharp pang wrung his
heart, as he touched the bright image of his beloved wife and daughter. How
he missed that beautiful smile, only the Lords of Kobol knew. Only the Lords
of Kobol knew how much he had loved the love of his life, the mother of his
only daughter. However, he thanked the heavens she was not at home awaiting
the return of her husband. Because that waiting would had been a long time.
Since I know well the Colonial bureaucracy, the news of the 5th Fleet
destruction would be public within a secton, he reflected. All of the twelve
Colonies had men and women on the 5th Fleet, and their losses would have
been mourned on every planet. He was grateful that not many people would
have been touched by his disappearance, only a few friends. On the contrary,
he smiled bitterly; I knew many people on the Council and in the highest
levels of the military that will be very pleased to get me out of their way.
I've always been ... a bit unpolitical for them. The smile disappeared. No,
I'm wrong. He observed another holopic, a blond woman who had brought back
the joy of living in his life. There would have been at least a gentle
spirit to bewail his apparent death. "Cassie..." he whispered, trying to avoid
the thought of the sorrow that would torment his lover's heart. I hadn't
lied to you, he spoke to himself, and I'm still alive, the man whom for
mysterious reasons you love. A man who was responsible for the lives of many
other
men. An officer who had not been able to defend them. He turned his gaze
from the charming young woman to the long list of the losses among his crew
and pilots.  No, he thought, first I'm a military man, and only after, I'm a
man. And I can't allow myself what I forbid to my crew: to mourn for our
dead and our fate.
  "Tolen!" he called with a resolute tone. It was time to act.

  Only the red alarm light was illuminating the corridors and the quarters
of the battlestar.
  After the escape from the battlefield, through an asteroids channel, the
Pegasus was on stand by for all her non-essential functions, hoping to not
be detected by the Cylon scanners. No engines, no electronical devices
except for the long-range scanners and the weapon system. At least, what was
still working in the weapons system? The escape through the asteroids
channel had been very dangerous, and some meteorites had hit the old
battlestar. However, the most difficult part of the escape had not been to
evade the meteorites, but the numerous black holes of the channel, which
could have attracted the ship at her first mistake. First of all the ability
of the bridge officers, Tolen and Ham, had lead the Pegasus safely out the
channel. All things considered, it had been better than facing the two
basestars. Moreover, the explosion of the main asteroid at the channel
entrance had been a lucky hit to cover their escape. Probably the enemy had
thought that the battlestar had notsurvived the blow.


  In the corridor outside of the Life Center, two pilots were waiting for
the turbolift, while the tech team was checking it for damage.
  "Damn you Sheba. You can't still be on duty." A worried Captain Bojay was
talking to his wingman.
  "No? And what can I do, Captain? Relax?" The Lieutenant replied coldly.
  "Sheba, I'm only worried about you, you're injured, and you need some
rest." He was trying to persuade her to go to the barracks and to sleep for
a few centars. However, she was a stubborn woman, and all his efforts seemed
useless. "Besides, you can't fly with that arm." Her Viper had been hit just
while they were covering the landings of the rest of the Squadron. As the
two superior officers, they were the last to land on their ship. It had
almost cost Sheba's life. Fortunately, even if after the emergency landing
her Viper was only useful for spare parts, she
seemed fine except for her wounded left arm.
  She sighed. "Don't tell me what I can or can't do. I know very well that I
can't fly my Viper with this arm, but the Pegasus needs every man and woman
right now, and I can do other things than fly a Viper." The firm look of her
eyes said that it was her last word. She turned her back and watched the
work of the techs.
  Yet, Bojay did not give up. "Sheba!" He followed her, and he grabbed her
good arm. "Listen to me, girl. How many centars have been since you last
slept?"
  Only an angry gaze was her answer.
  "Since the start of the battle, isn't it?" With a firm grip, he forced her
to look straight into his eyes. "And now tell me, why for Sagan's sake have
you refused to take the rest shifts?"
  "I don't need rest. I need work." Her behavior was irritating.
  "Lieutenant, don't play games with me. I can always command you to go to
your barracks, lady."
  "Then, command. But I won't obey it, Sir." Again, she turned her attention
to the techs, and she added without looking: "And frack, don't pull rank on
me, Bojay. I'm not in the mood."
  Again, Bojay did not stop. "If you want to release your anger on me,
you're welcome."
  "I'm not angry." she replied.
  "Shut up. I know what you're doing." He hated what he was saying, but it
was for Sheba's own good.  "And if you don't want to take some rest, I'll
order you not to go to the barracks, but instead to go to the Life Center
for a complete blood exam."
  Sheba gave a start. This was a real threat. She looked at her friend, and
she wondered if Bojay would really do what he said he would do. She noticed
his resolution. She decided that she couldn't risk disobedience, and most of
all the vapors text. "Ok. I'll take my rest after my father's speech to the
crew."
  "The turbolift is ready and operating, Ma'am." A tech interrupted.
  "Good, Nestor. Go to the Alpha Bay with your team, now. The Commander has
something to say to all of us." She ordered, and she led them toward the
turbolift.
  "Sheba." Bojay called her again, gently.
  She turned back. "Would you join me?" She said with nonchalance, entering
the turbolift.
  "Frakking girl!" He murmured softly. "You can have all the felgercarb you
want." He followed her.
  The red light inside the turbolift was not something new for them, but
their eyes were tired after three whole cycles of it. Moreover, it was an
unpleasant touch to the whole atmosphere.
  "Are they sure this stuff is working?" He asked, looking suspiciously at
the turbolift.
  "They said so. If not, we die." Sheba simply said. She entered and chose
the level.
  "It's not funny, Ace." He replied, entering. "And I've not survived the
worst battle of my life to die as an Aquarian sardine in a tin."
  Sheba did not answer, as she was busy reading the data about the next
fixings list.
  The Captain observed his silent friend; he recognized the sadness, the
anger, and the sorrow that was in all the personnel of the Pegasus. Anyway,
he knew that this was not the time to speak about it. He hoped that his
presence would be of some help to her, as her closeness was of help to him.
He knew why she was so upset, but he did not understand the need to use
those chemical medicines. "You know that a continuos use of the Skinpto is
dangerous for the nervous system." He stated in fact.
  "Yes, I know. However, it's allowed by the Colonial med-techs. It's not
plant vapor." She answered quietly.
  "Only in emergency situations, for long battles that last more than twelve
centars. And you've been taking it since the day of the battle."
  "It's in the Viper kit. You too took it at Molocay, and when we were in
the asteroids channel."
  "Yes, but only because I must, as you, be awake and ready for every
situation. Now that rest shift is allowed, you don't need it anymore." He
patiently explained. "And you can be accused of chemical vapors abuse, if
they find it."
  She sighed and lowered her head, leaning a hand on the wall of the
turbolift. "I'm sorry Bojay, I'm really sorry. I... I didn't know what..."
  "It's fine, it's all ok, Sheba." He put his hand on her shoulder. She
raised her face toward him. Yet, he noticed that the fire in her eyes was
still there, a fire of fury and of grief. You're like sand under the sun
which burst a little, but doesn't hurt... he remembered the words of a
Caprican song. I don't want to see you hurting, he thought, not you, my
dear. Their friendship did not need to say more, for the micron.
  The turbolift was at the level of the Alpha Bay, and they went out.
  Most of the crew was gathered there, where a fast service for the dead was
scheduled. After, the Pegasus crew was waiting for the Commander's address.
  Sheba and Bojay looked around to the many with bandages, crutches,
plasters, and stitches. However, more than the signs of the physical pain,
the lifeless eyes, the feeble voices, the tired looks were the clear marks
of the last awful cycles. And the silence. And that persisting red light.
  "For Sagan's sake" Bojay whispered. "It's like Hades."
  "We have been, we're, we're going in Hades, Hawk." Sheba replied. "Aren't
we?"

*************************

  Bojay and Sheba walked toward their squadron, who was dressing with the
others in front of a little platform. The flags of the Colonies and of the
Battlestar Pegasus were its only decorations.
  As they were approaching, the two friends tried to not notice the holes in
the ranks, especially in the pilots' squadrons. When they reached their
colleagues, Bojay made some little changes in the lines, with some blunt
orders. However, it was impossible to hide the numerous losses, but this was
not his intention. Just show some kind of order. Order, in all that mess. If
not for the Commander, then for their dead as they owe them at least a
decent funeral service. Away from their homes. Honor to their mates.

  Someone handed to him and Sheba their capes, to wear in place of the
flight jackets.

  She felt strange as she wore her cape. And it wasn't only the pain of her
wounded arm. Gently, without a word, Bojay helped her to take away the
jacket. The med-tech was right, she couldn't fly a Viper with her useless
arm, at least for some cycles, yet.  As she lowered her head, to make it
easier for him to put on the collar, her hair touched his face for a micron,
and she was suddenly aware of the scent of his skin. She resolutely stopped
her emotions: you're tired, she thought. However, while his arms encircled
her to settle the brown cape on her shoulders, she felt the impulse to hug
him tightly, to seek comfort in his embrace. You're near a collapse, girl,
hang on a while longer and you'll go sleep later, she warned herself. While
she tried to buckle the cape with her good hand, his hand gave her hand a
quick squeeze, and his eyes smiled understanding to her. She murmured a slow
thanks, returning the friendly gaze.
  Then, they took their place in the front line of the Silver Spar squadron,
side by side.

  The cape was weighing on her shoulders.
  Three cycles after Molocay, the Pegasus had stopped all the frantic
activities to honor its dead. Patrols, repairs, inspections, and checks
after the battle, no one had time to stop and think of what happened. They
were too busy trying to keep themselves alive, escaping and hiding from the
Cylons. Now it was the time for reflections. It was the time to honor the
dead. It was the time for mourning.
  All of this was weighing on her shoulders, not the cape.

  She glanced to the Captain at her right side. They were lucky to be there
again. She knew that behind her, Laertes wasn't at his place, and others
were missing with him. They were lucky enough to still be alive, her, Bojay,
Paris and Skyler. When had been the last time they were in full dress
uniform waiting for the Commander's address? Just before their leaving from
Caprica, when some high admiral of the headquarters had saluted the Pegasus
crew. She didn't remember his speech. Probably, it was some kind of appeal
given to the warriors about the privilege of serving the Colonies, duty,
ability and luck. Nothing to remember, though. What had been memorable, was
the last night they spent at Caprica, her, Bojay and their group. The beach,
the music, the sea, the moon, and... Let go, she checked herself in time, stop
it, maybe it's the Skinto effect. Surely, Bojay is right, I've over-indulged
with it...

  "Where are the coffins?" Paris's voice interrupted her thoughts from her
left side.
  "Coffins? The pilots die in the skies, buddy," Skyler whispered his
answer. "A neat job: a sparkle, and then space dust to space dust."
  "I know, I know, but I had the impression we also lost forty percent of
the crew, not only pilots," the Lieutenant insisted.
  "No coffins, Paris," Sheba intervened in the discussion, "Or do you want
all the Cylon Empire right on our tail?"
  "I know I shouldn't ask, but..." he paused for a micron while Colonel Tolen
passed in front of their rank and then he continued, "So, where in the heck
are the bodies?"
  "Cremation. Have you ever heard of cremation, Lieutenant?" Bojay asked
provocatively. "And the exact percentage of the Pegasus losses is forty nine
point seven, if you really want to know."
  "Yes, sir," answered the surprised Paris. Except for some regions of the
Aquarian and Piscera planets, cremation wasn't very popular among the
Colonies.
  "So, is this what I've smelt around the Omicron section before?" Skyler
was grateful he had not been assigned to help the med-squad that cycle.
  "Skyler..." Sheba turned her face disgusted. It was bad enough to think of
all those dead.
  "Guys, the Pegasus has only a small cremation room, just for those who are
of the Aquarian religion, for example. And it has had to work a lot in this
occasion..." From Bojay's tone, it seemed as if he didn't care. However, it
was only a façade. Sheba perfectly knew that even if he tried to look cold
and distant, he was feeling their same disconsolateness. Bojay had this
ability to hide his emotions very well, and in battle, for example, this icy
attitude had saved their lives plenty of times.
  "What a beautiful way to die..."
  "Shut up. The Commander is here," the Captain broke the conversation.

  "Attention!" The stern voice of Colonel Tolen ordered to all the crew on
the landing bay.
  Sheba tensed, and promptly took her right fist on her chest, in the
Colonial salute.
  Only silence was in the landing bay now.
  She felt a sudden pain as she pressed her fist hard near her left
shoulder, on the dressing of her wounds. She only clenched her fist more,
ignoring the stitch, which started from her chest to spread over her left
arm and soon over all the left side of her body. She concentrated her
attention on the blond man who was slowly climbing onto the platform.
  Energy and authority were spread by the resolute Commander figure. Anyway,
they couldn't mask to the loving eyes of his daughter the oppressive weight
burdening on his conscience. Sheba was the only one to notice his
imperceptible hesitation in front of the plaque with the long list of the
dead. When he stood before the crew, she recognized a deeper wrinkle on his
forehead, some more white hair among the familiar fair head, a light shadow
in his expression. Then, the determined blaze of his blue eyes wiped out all
her concerns.

  "Crew of the Pegasus, women and men of the Twelve Colonies," Commander
Cain nodded to Colonel Tolen, who gave the stand at ease order. The sound of
their boots echoed in the large bay.
  All their eyes were locked on him, and Cain started his speech, "We are
here today to honor our dead. Never in the history of this glorious
battleship so many people had been lost in one battle," he paused, with a
look that took in all the people in front of him. "Yet, never in the history
of the Colonies a whole fleet had been destroyed in one single cycle,"
another pause, as he wanted to see their reaction. "I've quietly thought of
it during all these last cycles," his tone became more moderate, "We have
been defeated." Soon his voice regained its firmness. "Yes. Defeated. Repeat
this word to yourselves, and keep it strongly in your minds," the tightness
in his sharp blue eyes were felt by everyone as the Commander was looking
straight in his soul. "Defeat," this time, Cain slowly syllabified the word.
"The sooner we come to terms with this thought, the sooner we'll be ready to
fight again," his voice was raising, now, as a thunder that was coming
nearer and nearer. "And to fight again means to win." No one was breathing,
no one was moving. No
one dared to think about what Cain's words meant for them.

  Tolen, the only one full aware of Cain's plans, held his breath: would
these men and women follow their Commander again? After yahrens with him, he
was ready to give his life for Cain. He hoped the last events would not
change the crew's mind.

  "I'm not foolish. I'm not denying the gravity of our situation. I make no
complaint of our defeat, I offer no apologies, I offer no excuses, and I
make no promises. In no way am I mitigating the sense of danger and
impending misfortunes, which still hang over us. Only the Lords of Kobol
know how many baseships are aligned from here to the Twelve planets waiting
for our return to the Colonies," his figure had a strange strength in the
red light  of the bay.  Just like an ancient hero brought up from Hades to
speak to them. "They are right: we desperately need fuel, weaponry and
food," Cain emphasized every word with the movement of his swagger stick in
air. "Yet, we won't search what we need back on our home planets. We fight
again, in the deep of the Cylon Empire, until we sink our sword in the heart
of the planet Cylon."
  Cain suddenly stopped and took a deep breath: he perfectly knew that is
crew had been expecting to return to their home planets. Yet, he was firmly
sure that it would have been a mistake, a deadly mistake. Now he had taken
their last hope. "Certainly, it is true that we are facing numerical odds;
but that is nothing new in our history. Very few wars have been won by mere
numbers alone. Yes, we are fighting alone. No one will come to help us; as
surely by now the Colonies have been persuaded of the annihilation of the
Pegasus and the 5th Fleet. I repeat: we will fight all alone. However,
always remember we are not fighting just for ourselves."

  Bojay briefly thought of his home planet, Gemini. He had no family left in
the Colonies. No one who was waiting for his return. All those for whom he
cared for were on the Pegasus. Maybe it was a worthy price: fighting for no
one, fighting for all of mankind. It would have been easier to die without
chains of love.

  Cain had swept away the only motivation that had helped them to survive in
the last three cycles; he now had to give them a reason to go on, to fight
on repeatedly. "We have before us many, many long sectars of struggle and of
suffering. You ask, what is our mission? I will say: It is to wage war,
planet by planet, star by star, quadrant by quadrant, with all our might and
with all the strength that the Lords can give us: to wage war against the
monstrous tyranny. That is our policy," he was patiently leading their minds
to the only conclusion; he was carefully leading their hearts to the only
decision. "You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory -
victory - at all costs, victory, in spite of all terror, victory, however
long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
Let that be realized; no survival for the Twelve Colonies; no survival for
all that the Colonies have stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse
of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. Our own
interests are nothing compared with the struggle for life and honor, for
right and freedom.  That which we have vowed ourselves with our Warrior's
Oath," his voice was thundering now, worming itself into their spirits,
knocking down their fears, breaking their perplexities, crumbling their
doubts. "Like the
writer says, <You meet with Triumph and Disaster; and treat those two
impostors just the same>."

  A weak smile crossed Sheba face: someone back on Caprica surely would have
been satisfied by Cain's disappearance. She had witnessed Cain's triumphs
many times during her young life. She knew how fading men's, better,
politicians' flattery was. It was time to face the
disaster. To be with her father was the only demand she had for her destiny.

  "This is the lesson: never surrender, never give up, never, never, never,
never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to
convictions of honor and freedom," he gave them new hopes, bringing back
their old beliefs. "Our task is not only to win the battle - but to win the
War. Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner
days. These are not dark days; these are great days - the greatest days our
battleship has ever lived; and we must all thank the Lords that we have been
allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making
these days memorable in the history of our race." He was certain Molocay
would have been remembered as one of the biggest routs in the Colonies
history. He was confident it would have been recorded also as the first step
toward the fall of the Cylon Empire. "Now one bond unites us all - to wage
war until victory is won, and never to surrender ourselves to servitude and
shame, whatever the cost and agony may be."

  Paris sensed the reassuring weight of the laser on his right leg. His
laser, his Viper, his mates. He didn't need to look at them to share his
feeling with his friends. They were still there. Together and alive. Nothing
else was required to survive longer. Or to die with glory.

  "There are vast numbers, not only in this battleship, but in every
Colonial unit, who will render faithful service in this war, but whose names
will never be known, whose deeds will never be recorded," Cain prepared the
last shot. "This is a War of the Unknown Warriors: pilots, technicians,
bridge crew, med-techs, engineers and all the others. Their
names are in our memories. Forever. Friends, colleagues, brothers, sisters,
and cousins. Parents. Wives and husbands. Girlfriends and fiancés. Sons and
daughters. You have just seen many of them dying in front of your eyes. In a
burst in space. Next to your station on the bridge. In the flames of the
fire. Trapped under the crushed hull. You have heard their cries on the
comm-link. You have listened to their requests for help. And you have felt
powerless in face of their deaths." He was describing his own sentiments,
the same he had felt at Molocay. "You'll hear them screaming again in your
nightmares. You'll assist other friends; other loved ones in their final
agony. Your own end will be reflected in their last looks, in their last
words. Yet, you, we'll go on. For them. In their spirits. Our victory will
be their revenge. Our fight will be the best homage to their bravery. They
sacrificed their blood. We have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and
sweat. Let's all strive without failing in faith or in duty, and the dark
curse of the enemy will be lifted from our age."

  Voices and faces passed through Skyler's mind. Dead and alive warriors,
who had served on the Pegasus with him, and in the yahrens before. The
shapes of the 5th Fleet ships. All the victims of the Ten Thousand Yahrens
War against the Cylons. Revenge. He had forgotten what or whom he was
avenging a long time ago.

  "Arm yourselves, and be men of valor. Be in readiness for the conflict.
For it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of
our nation and our altar," finally, Cain sighed.  "May the Lords of Kobol be
with us."

  The ancient war cry of the Pegasus erupted from the warriors' chests.
Inflamed with his words, they saluted the only man who could keep them alive
in the future.

  "To winged Pegasus the blood gave birth; noble aerial steed, may your
wings soon bear us straight to Victory. May your blood run in our veins..."
assisted by Colonel Tolen, the Commander approached an unadorned altar.
There, he performed ancient gestures, which the forefathers' rites
established for the dead in battle.
  An old song rose from the present warriors, its increasing rhythm stressed
by their excited pulse.

 *Laugh, laugh and laugh again.
  Now we are not afraid of war.
  Uniforms burned in the fires that evening,
  and the ambrosia hurt in the throat.
  Tabors' music until the dawn,
  the warrior danced all the night.
  He saw in the crowd that dark Lady,
  he knew she was looking for him and got scared.

  Save me, save me, great Sir,
  let me escape from my fears.
  She was breathing near me,
  and she looked wickedly at me.*

  A lonely Viper thrust his turbos. The white and yellow flash suddenly
brightened the bay, where only the red alarm light was functioning.

 *Give him an animal, the lightning's son,
  king's worthy, so he could escape.
  Give him the winged horse, the fastest steed.

  Hurry up my noble mount, I pray you, hurry up.
  Until the Elysian Fields I lead you.
  Don't stop your run, flies to safety like the wind.*

  Ending his offers, Cain gave the signal to the pilot. The song tone became
increasingly impetuous, almost covering the sound of the Viper turbos.

 *Rivers and lakes, then the violet dawn,
  white the countries that finally he touched.
  Yet, among the crowd there was that dark Lady;
  tired to flee he lowered his head.

  You were among the people in the capital,
  I know you looked wickedly at me.
  I fled with the winged horse,
  I fled far away, but I find you again.*

  As pushed by the warriors' words, the Viper launched in the darkness. The
Colonies and the Pegasus flags were slowly moved by the air shift.

 *You're wrong, warrior, you deceive yourself,
  I was not looking at you with malignity.
  It was only an amazed gaze.
  I was expecting you for today at the Elysian Fields,
  you were very distant three cycles ago;
  because of the tambors' music there,
  I was afraid you would have been late here.

  The Elysian Fields are not so much distant from us.
  Hurry up, winged horse, hurry up noble steed.
  I danced with you all the night,
  run like the wind, and we'll reach our aim.*

  In the vacuum silence, the pilot fired unusual bullets towards distant
blinking stars. Ashes of human beings. Fine sands scattered by the astral
winds. Atoms of life which returned to their early nucleus.

********************************************

"For Sagan's sake, Bojay, we're still alive," Sheba looked her friend
directly in the eyes. In the dim light of the Galactica warehouse, she
could easily recognize the sparkle of anger in their amiable blue color.
Anger, frustration, fury. Most of all grief for numerous lost friends.
"We're still alive for them, too."
"We can't forget them. Them, and the Pegasus," he replied turning round
the red shield with the Pegasus sign in his hands.
"How could I, Hawk?" This indirect accusation was very painful for her.
Most of all, it wasn't fair. However, she had passed through Bojay's
lunatic crisis before, and she knew not pay too much attention to every
word he was saying during their talks: the only times when he revealed
his passionate and impulsive side.
"I'm not saying you're forgetting. I know. But what about the others?
Belos,
Alayna and Candaule, for example?" Bojay asked while referring to the
personnel transferred to the Galactica just before the Pegasus attacked
the three baseships near Gomoray. "What about our Galactica … friends?"
There was a decisive note of contempt in his expression. "Maybe they
don't realized what we have experienced. Anyway, they lived through
Cimatar, and the Destruction of the Colonies. It would seemed that all of
us have their own nightmares to deal with." She was repeating to him all
the reassurances she had been telling herself in the last cycles.
"Try to talk to anyone of them and they tell of being the sole victims of
the Destruction. The only survivors of a disaster," the Pegasus Captain
was bestowing all of his disappointments on the Galactica crew.
"Cut the felgercarb, Bojay," she stopped him instantly. "Don't involve me
in the competition between the Pegasus and the Galactica. I've enough of
it during all the cycles," she sighed. "All the felgercarb about the
pilots and the others now on this damned battlestar." Bojay raised his
head surprised by the last statement. She ignored him, continuing, "Only
Mylar seems to have enough good sense in this matter. And I'm tired of
being the peacemaker between the two groups. I didn't want to be come
here anymore than the rest of you. I prayed, I begged my father to let me
stay with him. He wouldn't listen to me. And here I am. My life is enough
of a mess without the jealousy between the Galactica and the Pegasus
groups."
He remained silent for some microns, amazed by her outburst. He never
imagined how much Sheba was drained by the difficulties of the
integration between the Pegasus and the Galactica crew until that moment.
"Evidently, I have been wrong. As Captain of the new Silver Spar Squadron
on the Galactica, I try to be impartial, but…"
Sometimes, she really didn't understand all the problems of her Pegasus
mates: the Galactica wasn't so bad, and she had found great friends in
Blue Squadron. "… It's hard for you to take orders from another Captain,"
she finished for him.
Not to mention whom this Captain is, they thought at the same time. They
both knew this was the only subject to avoid: yes, they could speak
together about anything, anything but Apollo. This subject had proven
that even their close friendship had its weak side: the dark haired son
of Adama.
"I always wonder, if they had been transferred to the Pegasus, under the
same circumstances, would he have to answered to my orders without
question?" Bojay followed his thoughts. Maybe this time they wouldn't
argue about the Blue Squadron Captain.
Suddenly, she laughed, her precious heartily laugh.
"And now what?" he replied, puzzled.
"Bojay," she smiled widely at him, "the first time you met him you tried
to blow the Captain out of the skies. The second, you teased him because
he had _only_ shot down a Cylon patrol in a secton. And the third time
you faced him prepared to draw your laser and lead a mutiny against him,
his father and the fleet." She shook her head, and he noticed how gently
her long brown hair stroked her shoulders, "I've lost all hope of seeing
the two of you getting along, Bojay. I'm rather satisfied that you won't
kill each other during one of your discussions about tactics and
strategies. And I thank the Lords of Kobol every cycle because you two
have at least the good sense not to argue during patrols and missions…"
"I'm not into suicide, Sheba," He pointed out with an offended tone.
"I hope not," she gave him a twisted look, between serious and amused, a
look he wasn't able to decipher.
"And you were at my side in both the three occasions, Ace. Actually,
_you_ were the one who fired first against him. _You_ had been with me
teasing the Galactica warriors about their combat techniques in the
Officer Club, and _you_ too were ready to level your laser on him and his
friends, in the Pegasus launch bay, defending our fuel. Or did his charm
make you forget all this?" he returned her same twisted look.
"Oh, ho, at least you admit he has charm…" she ragged him.
"As much as a full Cylon tanker," he gave her one of his rare sincere
smiles. "Your have taste in men has been better, dear, when..." He
immediately stopped and bit his lips as he saw the sudden veil of sadness
on her face. Frack, Bojay, couldn't you think before speaking? He
thought. However, he knew that no matter how they tried, Molocay would
always come between them. Maybe this was the reason she had seemed to
withdraw from her Pegasus friends on the Galactica. He understood her
attempt to have new friends to forget the anguish of the last yahrens.
For her sake, he hoped she would succeed.
"Maybe, Bojay, maybe," she sighed deeply. It was so difficult to ignore
the past. She didn't want to forget it, only to go on with her life. It
seemed impossible. It was like swimming in a cold river. Sensing the icy
water on her skin, and the body freezing in a flash. The chilly grip on
the chest, lungs swelled with ice, throat that can't breathe. The frozen
water that sucks her into its depths. Light at the green tops of the
trees. Again the frozen whirlpool. Again the warm sun and the blue sky.
And the frost that blocks legs and arms. Hands and feet that can't move.
So was Molocay.
A firm grip on their lives. Sometimes they could see the light, but soon
to sink down into the nightmare again. She gently posed her hand on his
cheek, "We need to let them go. Memories and sorrows. The past. Let's try
to live here, until we come back for the Pegasus. We are alive, and we
have a mission to fulfill. It's enough, for now."
He took her warm hand in his, "Earth? Is this our mission? While Cain is
probably fighting alone against the whole Cylon Empire?" His look became
harder, as he fiercely said, "I don't believe in Earth."
"Bojay, please… we have to believe in something…" Why did every word seem
wrong to him tonight? She thought.
"I believe in my laser, I believe in my Viper…" This was typical of the
Pegasus Captain.
"Yet, you don't believe in the Commander, Adama." It was an
ascertainment, not a charge.
"He's a good Commander. However, he's different from Cain…" How many
times do we have to discuss this?
"Hawk, you're talking to Cain's daughter. You sound like I betrayed my
father. It isn't so. We have to reconsider our positions sometimes, and
this is the case." She needed all her patience with her friend tonight.
"Remember, he did the same at Gomoray, when he admitted he was wrong to
Adama. And he stopped us from mutiny…"
"I'm not talking of mutiny: I've served with Adama before, in my first
assignment. Anyway, on the Pegasus I found my life, my real life." He
chewed his lips, remembering how he found a purpose to live on the
Pegasus. "And Cain gave it to me."
She paused for a few microns, touched by his loyalty toward her father.
She knew it was more than loyalty, and he was telling the truth. Cain had
given him his life; literally, saving him when he was imprisoned by the
Cylons at Hattusas, and metaphorically, directing the rebellious Ensign
that was moved from the Galactica to the determined Captain that came
back from the Pegasus. "We have to find Earth, Bojay", she gently said,
fondling his blond hair as a mother who tries to calm her baby, "Then, if
we hadn't met up with my father, we'll come back to look for him."
"Is this what you dream of?" Now, it was his turn to be surprised.
"Yes, we'll find Earth. Then, whatever there is on that planet, could it
help us against the Cylon or not, I have sworn to be go back for him. And
you could come back with me, if you want." She avoided thinking of two
green eyes that were shouting in her heart against this decision. It was
too early, she protested silently, it's too early to entrust my future
and my life to him. She was dating Apollo now a few sectars, and she was
trying not to count too much on their relationship. It was so difficult.
She needed patience and steadfastness with him. Yet, she had learned a
long time ago to not become attached too much to someone else, woman or
man, friend or lover. Especially, if he was a Colonial Warrior.
Bojay guessed her hesitation from the shadows on her face. She wouldn't
admit her fear of losing the dark-haired Captain, while Bojay could
clearly see how deep her feelings were for Apollo. "Sure I'll go with
you," he simply answered, silencing his doubts. "I haven't ended my
counts with the tin-machines."
"Revenge!" her voice raised full of anger, "Is this the only think you
have in mind?" She wasn't angry with him, but with herself. In her
friend, she recognized the same thoughts that were torturing her. "Leave
the dead in peace, Bojay," she almost shouted.
"I can't," He replied quietly. "Can you?"
She breathed deeply to calm herself, "No, I can't." Then she posed her
hand on his shoulder, looking directly into his eyes, "However, we must
try.
Together."
"Yes, Ace," He looked one last time to the Pegasus insignia in his hand,
and he put it back in his flight jacket pocket.
"Wish we could put back our anguish so easily," she commented.
"Well, you know," he weakly smiled, "Nec spe, nec metu."
"Yes, Hawk. I've always been amazed at it. After hundreds of yahrens, the
old Kobolian motto for our battlestar seems written right for Cain and
us."
"You bet, Ace. For Cain and his personal Strike wing, the Silver Spar
Squadron," he said proudly. "Maybe it's the only way to go on," he gently
encircled her waist with his arm, repeating again, in his reassuring
tone,
"Neither hope nor fear."
"Nec spe, nec metu," Sheba murmured slowly, as the Pegasus Captain drew
her near in his friendly hug. "Neither hope, nor fear."

**************************************

Apollo was nervously pacing the landing bay just outside the Galactica
warehouse, wondering how much time Sheba needed to talk with Bojay. He
didn't like to waste all that time for the Pegasus Captain.
Starbuck was quietly smoking his fumarello, stealing a glance from time to
time to the warehouse door, where the two figures sometimes appeared among
the dim light.
Boomer, in his endless patience, was working on the door code; yet, he was
most of all watching that Apollo, totally absorbed in his thoughts, wouldn't
beat against some Viper wing during his fidgety walk up and down the landing
bay.
Meeting Boomer's gaze, Starbuck only shrugged his shoulders, with a hopeless
expression. The dark Lieutenant shook his head, turning his attention to the
electronic device: they were getting hardened to the disagreements between
Apollo and Bojay, or Apollo and Sheba. Well, they perfectly knew that Apollo
and Sheba were getting more and more closer, and most of the times their
discussions were only an unconscious way to hidden their feelings. While
Apollo and Bojay relation was a totally different matter.
In that micron, Sheba and Bojay finally came out the room. Apollo couldn't
avoid to notice the familiar way as Bojay's hand leaned on Sheba's
shoulders.
"By time!" He snapped, "Your duty shift starts within ten centons, Bojay."
"I know Apollo, I know." Evidently, Bojay seemed more relaxed than before.
"And if you notice, we are just in the launch bay, so I think I'm early."
Sheba looked puzzled at the two Captains for some microns. While they were
gagging the chance of another discussion, she rapidly decided to stop them.
It had been a long night, and the cycle was just at the beginning. There was
no need of quarrels between the two Captains in front of all the launch bay,
while many pilots were ready for the first patrol of the cycle. "So, Apollo,
as you see Bojay is fine. He didn't disappear as you thought. Now we have
only to check why his communicator doesn't work here, since he didn't hear
Athena's calls."
"Yeah, it seems so. Captain, I don't, I repeat _don't_ want to have to look
for you in all the battlestar another time. Next time you don't answer to
the bridge officer call, you'll be remitted to Colonel Tigh. Immediately. I
think your viper tech is waiting for you. Dismissed."
A rough and impolite way to end the matter, Sheba thought, anyway it seemed
that Bojay had no intention to reply.
"Okay Captain," Bojay answered, in his typical <I don't care> tone. "Boomer,
Starbuck, see you later. Sheba…"
"See you this evening, at the party," she smiled at her friend.
Starbuck and Boomer returned to breathe as they greeted him, "Later Bojay…"
The storm seemed over.
"I thought you were attending the party with me, Sheba." Maybe not. Another
storm was coming. Starbuck sighted, slightly shaking his head and looking at
Boomer.
"Stop it, Apollo. I'm not in the mood! I think I can see whoever I want at
the party, especially my friends, even if I'm going with you. Then, I could
go alone, if you have changed your mind."
"I didn't mean…"
"You didn't mean a lot of things tonight." She sighted, looking at her time
piece, "Or today, since it's time to go on duty."
Apollo knew from her harsh voice it was better to forget it, for the micron.
Maybe later she would have been more calm to discuss the all matter about
Bojay and his strange behavior that night. "Then…"
"Then, I'm leaving now. Boomer, see you at the shuttle within thirty
centons. We are supposed to escort the Commander to the Rising Star today,
if I remember correctly."
"Yes Sheba, I have some things to do before too."
"Are you going to the mess for breakfast?" Starbuck asked, grateful to
change subject at the conversation.
"No, I'm sorry Starbuck, I have no time for breakfast this morning." She
glanced uncertain at Apollo, then she throw a simple "Bye!", and she made
for the turbo-lift.
Starbuck was opening his mouth when "No comment!", Apollo stopped him. While
all seemed getting wrong in the last centars? The Captain thought. And it
was only the beginning of the cycle.
"I was only saying we better go to the mess if we want to eat something
before patrol," Starbuck said in a offended tone.
"Is eating all you can think of now, Starbuck? Try to come back on time for
the patrol. Boomer, see you for the end briefing of the cycle." He turned
his back, and he moved away, leaving Starbuck and Boomer alone.

"Is it such a big fault to look for a cup of kafe, since we haven't slept
this night?"
"No Bucko, but you never know when it's time to shut up with Apollo. Let's
go, I'd like to have that cup of kafe too. And with something more solid,
also."
"And so I'm the one wrong, as usual." The blond Lieutenant followed Boomer
mumbling. "And think that I have eight centars of patrol with Apollo this
cyle. May the Lords help me!"
Boomer laughed, "C'm on Bucko, I'm with Sheba all the cycle, and she isn't
in a better mood than Apollo. As you see, we have the same problem!"
Starbuck grinned at his dark friend, "This is something I want to see…"
"What?"
"He's getting jealous. Very jealous." The more he was thinking of it, the
more his smile was broadening.
Boomer hesitated a micron, "You bet he is. However, I don't think I want to
be involved in this matter. If I can…"
"You can't, Boom-Boom. We are yet involved. And think of it: we are having a
lot of fun!"
"We'll see. For the micron, I only hope that tonight party won't be another
occasion for a fight between Apollo and Bojay…"
"We have the all cycle ahead of us, before the party, Boomer. I can handle
Apollo, at least I think I can. Can you handle Sheba?"
"I hope so!"

**************************************

The music was filling up all the Officer Club. There was not a real band,
yet Giles was in charge at the music player: an high pile of music discs in
front of him, he was taking his task very seriously. And to his honor, no
one had still protested for his choices. At least, he tried to meet everyone
wishes; since the warriors came from all the colonies, he alternated the
different kind of characteristic dances from the Twelve Planets.
While Greenbean was taking care of the drinks, Jolly was persuading Boomer
to take a plate of some strange brown food from the buffet. "Let's go,
Boomer, it's a real rarity! Especially after the Destruction…"
"Jolly, I really thank you, but I don't eat anything that crawls on the
ground, even if it is the agroship ground!"
"I think Omega would be very disappointed if he sees that his guests aren't
enjoying the buffet. Especially the typical food of Aerian, his home planet.
You don't know how much it coasted him to have them from the agrotechs."
"I'm sure you would honor the Aerian food. I'm enjoying the buffet. I simply
don't like that plate, please Jolly…"
Cassie came near them "What don't you like, Boomer?"
Jolly smiled, "Escargots, Cassie. I'm sure a refined lady as you loves
them."
"I'm sorry Jolly, I don't know this food. But I can try it, if you say…"
"Jolly, better you call them in Caprican: snails. That they are, Cassie. And
I see nothing of refined in this plate." Boomer ended looking at Jolly.
"Hmmm, Jolly, put some of them on this plate. I'll share it with the others
at my table." Cassie smiled.
Another heart conquered, Boomer thought observing Jolly happy look at her.
Then, he followed her toward their table. "Are you sure do you want to taste
them?" He asked doubtfully.
"No. Yet, there is so much people in this Club that someone would like them,
I think."
"You could easily be an excellent diplomatic, Cassie! Speaking of which, how
things are going among our friends?"
"Thanks Boomer. Do you mean Apollo and Sheba? Well, Starbuck told me what
happened tonight, and that Apollo has been in an awful mood all the cycle.
However, they seem to enjoy the party right now."
"I tried to talk to Sheba while we were on the shuttle. However, she didn't
say too much. Even if tomorrow I'm going to help her to find and watch some
videos about the armistice talks and…"
"Molocay, I guess."
"Yes. How do you know?" The dark Lieutenant asked surprised.
Cassie sadly smiled, while she remembered for a micron the worst cycles of
her life, when she had thought she had missed forever the first man she had
sincerely loved. How was she supposed to forget that anniversary, even if
now she knew Cain was still alive? "Well, I've lost a dear friend at
Molocay. Or at least, I thought he died then."
Coming to his mind Cain and Cassie relation-ship, Boomer nodded. He couldn't
add anything, as they finally arrived at their table, where Starbuck, Sheba,
Apollo and Athena were talking about Omega, the guest of honor.

"His novayarhen and a promotion at the same time… He deserved this party!"
"Yes, Athena, and at the same time we deserved a break from our boring
duty…" The blond Lieutenant breathed out a smoke cloud from his fumarello.
"With all the due respect, Captain…"
"Starbuck, don't fool me. I know every chance is good for you to celebrate…"
Apollo replied, almost joking.
Sheba observed him carefully, as she had done all the evening. He didn't
seem angry with her. Anyway, he wasn't the usual gentle Apollo. Or more
likely she wasn't the usual relaxed Sheba. She perfectly knew she should
talk with him, and explain the reasons of her behavior during the last
secton. Anyway, she wasn't ready for it. How could she explain something
that she wasn't able to make clear even to herself?
"Sheba? Are you listening to us?"
"I'm sorry Athena, must be the high volume of the music. What are you
saying?"
"I was saying that the yellow lights of the dance-floor are lovely!" Athena
pointed to the crowd that was dancing in front of them.
"Yes, Jenny helped Greenbean to make them with Viper spare parts…" Boomer
observed.
"Funny. I have never thought of a Viper as something useful for a dance
floor…" Sheba heard Apollo saying, while she looked at those lights. She
missed Starbuck's comment about his excellent viper tech, as she only saw
vivid tongues of flames in the place of the lights. She shuddered. Again
that burning Viper crossed her mind. Again she felt these flames hurting her
face. And her arms. Piercing her heart.
"… I'm sure, Cassie, I'm not kidding…" She was hearing again Apollo's voice.
Though, it was feeling as she was in the wrong place, in the wrong time,
with the wrong people. She took a sip of ambrosa from her mug, hoping that
the sweet wine would help her to stay calm.
In that micron, Bojay came at their table. "Good evening, all!", he greeted
cheerily.
"So you made it," Sheba quietly smiled at him, grateful that her friend had
joined them at the party.
"Yes, and since you had been the one who persuaded me I couldn't avoid the
fun this evening, may I have the next dance?" Bojay addressed her one of his
best smile, as well as a beautiful shining look from his blue eyes.
Sheba silently considered how much he was drunken at the micron. She
wondered how much he was different from the mourning man of that early
cycle. Well, maybe I've been more convincing than what I thought, she
reflected. And he doesn't seem drunken, as I've seen him forgetting his
sorrow with the ambrosa too many times. "That's fine for me," she said, "We
were just talking about the lights of the dance-floor…" She glanced
hesitating at Apollo, not sure about his reaction.
"Please, go Sheba. I'm sure I wouldn't even know how to make the first step
with this gemonese music!"
Reassured by his calm exhortation, she took the hand that Bojay was
gallantly holding out.
"Enjoy!" Athena exclaimed. "I don't know how they could dance such a
complicated ball…", she commented while they were leaving.
"I've a feeling we are going to see a good example," Starbuck replied,
furtively looking at his dark haired friend. He was always uncertain about
his reaction to Bojay's presence, even if it was evident that both the
Captains were trying to ignore the last disagreement. "Bojay too is from
Gemon, as Cain, right?"
"Yes," Cassie answered, but everyone look was yet on the couple that was now
at the center of the dance-floor.

"It's a lot of time…" Bojay was murmuring at Sheba.
"Yes, it is…" She looked directly at his face, remembering a time when they
often spent their furlons on Caprica dancing all the night in the clubs near
the sea. They have lost the pleasure to dance exactly two yarhens ago…
"Do you think to remember how to do it?" he teased her, waiting for the
music to start.
"Don't challenge me, Hawk…" she put her hand on his shoulder, ready to be
seized by her waist. "Or you won't be able to lie down your bed, tonight."
"Let's see. But this is too easy," And he took away her hand, gently turning
her. "Back to back", he whispered, with a satisfied smile.
"This isn't fair!" She protested, now realizing what Bojay had in mind.
"Since you are wearing pants, and not a skirt, it's more than fair," he
grinned, referring to the simple and elegant suit she was wearing: dark
green pants and a long, mellow shirt of a little lighter green that
brightened her brown eyes. The reflexes of the changing velvet material
intensified the light games on her straight hair.
As she turned back against back, she saw the circle that had been formed
around them: Mylar, Belos, Ayana, Myrsos, Alkaios and Candaule: familiar
faces of friends from the Pegasus. The ones that had been transferred to the
Galactica with her and Bojay. "This is a trap." She accused playfully her
partner.
"I have no intention to deny it." Even if he couldn't see her face, Bojay
knew that she wasn't afraid of it as she wanted to seem.

Finally, the light sound of an arundo indicated that the music was
beginning. Sheba breathed deeply, and then gave way to the notes. To her
surprise, she found very easy to let her body following ancient steps,
movements that she believed to have forgotten. The rhythm increased, and a
xylophone added his voice to the slow melody. Her hands started to describe
circles and spirals, painting their invisible design on the impalpable air.
She perfectly felt that her partner hands were drawing the same signs trough
the gleaming light, as the opposite side of a mirror. Hands and arms, they
raised since they were upon their heads. Eyes closed, and their faces up
toward a non-existent sun that in the ancient times blessed the ancient
dance. They kept motionless for some micron, while only their fingers were
twined. Two bodies against each other, back to back, with only a weak
contact trough their fingers.
Then, the violin started his incitement, soon followed by the obsessive
drum. And she was aware only of their boots marking the tempo, along with
the rhythmical claps of the people around them. Mixed hands and arms; little
jumps and twirls; first split up, and then united; waving of heads and hips;
plaited wrists and solitary steps. Energy and elegance at the same time,
sweet and rude in accordance with the capricious violin, they danced alone
and they danced together, drawing near and soon after shrinking back, always
linked by the grip of one hand, always shared out by their movements; in the
game of lights and colors, in the play of speed and harmony. Lines and
flourishes, points and triangles, their feet flew slightly on the floor,
heel and tip following and confusing. Until they closed the circle of their
arms; and finally he took her in his firm embrace, leading her in the
precise spins on the dance-floor. Sounds, faces and shades melted together,
as they described the perfect rounds, unity of bodies and minds.
When the music stopped, they found themselves smiling at each other, heavily
breathing for the effort, the sad thoughts of the last centars forgotten.
Bojay enjoyed every micron of the sight of Sheba's sparkling eyes, of her
reddened cheeks, and her serene smile.
"Your hair is always untidy, Hawk," she joked, leaving his embrace.
"Really?" he adjusted his forelock, "Just because you don't want to confess
I'm so damned good…"
"Naahh,_we_ are so good," she winked at him. She felt lighter, as the spins
of the dance had shrugged all her worries off.
"My compliments, Captain," Alkaios, the former Pegasus bridge officer,
reached them, "I haven't see the salium after…"
"After Lieutenant Deyanira promotion", Sheba ended for him, remembering with
pleasure her friend on the Pegasus and from the Caprican Academy.
"Yes, that's right, and Deyphobos danced it with you two: never see a
perfect salium like that…"

*************

Apollo was carefully looking at the group of the Pegasus crew that was
around Sheba and Bojay. He didn't pay too much attention to Cassiopeia
explanation of the Gemonese dance they had just watched. Something related
to the ancient warriors class that had been very powerful in the Gemonese
society, since the colonization of the planet by the tribe from Kobol. He
missed her next words about the religious significance of the steps and
movements of the so called salium as he observed Sheba shining face. They
are her friends, he thought, no matter how we can try to let her feel
comfortable on the Galactica, there is a strict bond between them, something
I haven't yet understand, something I hope to understand… He observed Bojay
laughing at some joke she had just told to the presents.
- Am I jealous of Athena? Am I jealous of Starbuck and Boomer? She's your
sister, they're your best friends. So he's Bojay: my best friend, like a
brother to me. The only one I've ever had. You don't need to compete with
him.-
She had spoken in that way not a long time ago. And the Lords of Kobol knew
how much Apollo had tried to watch at Bojay through her same eyes. But I've
failed… he said to himself thinking of the argument between them on that
morning … everything I do seems wrong with her, especially if Bojay is
involved.
What was that fury that seethed his blood every time he saw the two so close
together? What was that heat that raised on him every time he felt excluded
from their relationship?
He counted the sectons from that cycle of the mission on the Cylon baseship,
since that kiss in the Cylon Raider, the very start of his relation with
Sheba. It had not been a long time ago. Sometimes all was easy and smooth:
going on patrol together, sharing meals on the Officials mess, spending time
at the O Club, playing with Boxey at the Rejuvenation Center. It was like
she had been always with him, at his side. No words were needed, no
explanations. Only a simple flow of love between them. However, there were
cycles when she acted strange, when Apollo could only see a shield around
her. When she looked tired and irritable. When every word, every gesture was
wrong and caused a discussion. As much she was sweet and cheerful a micron
before, as much she got nervous and angry a micron later. Angry … with whom?
Why? What was bothering her? He was sure it wasn't Serina's memory. At
least, it wasn't _only_ that. Since he came back from the suicide mission on
the Cylon baseship, they had agreed to face it fairly. To speak about his
dead wife openly. To move on together.
He perfectly knew it was difficult to stay with him: melancholy and shy, he
had his difficult moments. Anyway, at the same time, he knew that Sheba had
the precious ability to be with him when he needed her, to leave him alone
when he needed to be alone, to speak when words were a sweet medicine, to
keep silent when silence was a blessed gift.
Maybe he had not her same ability, as in the last cycles, he hadn't been
able to understand what was happening. Was it their relationship? Was she
regretting her first move on him? Has he disappointed her during these first
sectons of their love?
Many questions came to his mind, as he was still watching at Sheba
surrounded by her colleagues from the Pegasus. She had once said that it had
been difficult for her to have real friends on the battlestar where her
father was the Commander. However, from what Apollo was seeing, she had the
respect and the admiration of all the people around her. And Bojay's
adoration… He couldn't avoid to notice the meaningful look the Pegasus
Captain had for his wingmate.
He focused his attention on Sheba, on her bright smile, on the lovely way
she tilted her head while listening to Mylar, the Security Officer. The wave
of his intense feeling overwhelmed Apollo for a micron: he loved her. Clear
and simple like a Caprican night full of stars. And whatever was troubling
Sheba, he would have been there for her, with her.

Unaware of Apollo's look on her, Sheba talked gently with some of the people
that had been transferred to the Galactica from the Pegasus at Gomorray. She
thanked the Lords that, for once, all was going okay between the group of
the warriors of the two battlestars.
"Can't believe it," she joked with Mylar, "in the same room after more than
three centars, and nothing had happened…"
"And think that they are drinking a lot of ambrosa… I haven't yet heard an
altercation about Cain or Adama this evening. Must be a miracle…" The
Lieutenant replied satisfied. As a Security Officer, he had had plenty
occasions to deal with the complex integration between Galactica and Pegasus
warriors. Something that had been hard also for him. Like others, he had
missed so much on the Pegasus. He had lost so much at Molocay.
"Maybe we are only adjusting to the situation, now. Bad or good, we must
live here, and we have no choice…"Bojay said with nonchalance. Then
something caught his attention, and suddenly he seemed very excited "Look …
come with me, Sheba, look who is at the table with our friends…."
Dragged by an arm by her friend, she couldn't see through the crowd who was
the reason of Bojay excitement. She quickly greeted Mylar, and in a few
microns she found herself near the table of Apollo and the others.

She addressed him one of her best smiles, curious to hear his opinion about
the last dance with Bojay. Yet, she hadn't the time to exchange a word with
him, as finally she saw the person that Bojay was looking from distant. Her
heart gave a skip and she kept stunned for some microns. She couldn't trust
her eyes…
"Commander Croft!" It was more than evident Bojay's joy while he was
embracing warmly the tall warrior that was speaking with Starbuck and
Boomer. "What a surprise!"
"Captain Bojay and Lieutenant Sheba…" Croft returned the embrace to Bojay,
and he soon offered his hand to Sheba.
"Commander…" She seemed even no more able to speak, really touched to see
again a person she thought dead yahrens ago.
Fortunately, Apollo broke the stirred silence, "Do you know each other?"
"If we know?" The Pegasus Captain burst in laughs, "Think that more than
half a yahren of special training on the Piscera jungle means more than
_knowing_ each other…".
Again, that sudden sense of exclusion seized Apollo. How many things he
didn't know about her? How much has she shared with Bojay that he couldn't
understand?
"You're damned right, Bojay. How are you? And you, Sheba? I've heard you
were on the Galactica…"
Apollo glanced at Starbuck and Boomer. They were surprised as he was.
Especially because rarely they had seen Croft, the solitary and discreet
commander, expressing so openly his feelings, looking so … happy. Since his
readmission in the Colonial Warriors ranks, it was the first time they could
say he was really glad to speak with someone.
"No wonder you didn't look for us, Commander," All Apollo's attention was
for Sheba and what she was saying . "The same old bear!"
"You know, Sheba, sooner or later we must have met. And as you see, I had
been right." It seemed that the sad and hard mask, that usually Croft wore
with everyone, had been removed from him.
"You look fine," Bojay commented, "And I see your scar on the cheekbone is
still at its place."
Sheba cheeks immediately reddened at Bojay's remark, while Croft laughed,
"Your fiery wingmate knows how to leave her mark!"
"I'm still sorry for it," she replied fast, "However, remember that I warned
you, before. And sometimes also instructors have to listen to their cadets."
She ended with her irresistible smile.
"This is a story I must hear," Starbuck intervened amazed.
This was one of those moments when Apollo felt to have a completely unknown
Sheba in front of him. Almost a stranger. But how could he posses her past?
It wasn't possible. Most of all it wasn't fair. He wondered how many times
she had felt the same with him and his family and friends. Especially
considering the abrupt way she had been transferred to the Galactica, a
unfamiliar battlestar with totally different people as colleagues. There was
so much to discover about each other. Hopefully, they had a whole life to
explore their past; to share their present; to build their future. Together.
"You have to, Lieutenant. As I have to hear from the best team I've ever
trained all the story about Molocay and Gomorray." Croft's tone got serious.
"There will be time, Commander," All the presents noticed the dark shadow
that suddenly veiled Bojay's expression. "At least, we're at a party, now."
"I can only say we owe our lives to your training, Croft." Sheba thanked
from her heart, " We couldn't be here without your teachings.".
"You don't need to say it, Sheba," From his broken voice, Apollo would have
said that Croft looked very touched by her kind expression. "Wish things had
been different. For all of us. Yet, let me only ask a question, about
another dear friend. What about Fersen?"
That name froze their familiar behavior. Apollo saw Sheba turning awfully
pale. Bojay started himself, then, turning his attention to his friend, he
promptly took her arm, as she seemed fainting for a micron. Instead, she
slowly answered, "He didn't survived to Molocay."
Croft understood he had asked the wrong question, "I'm very sorry Sheba.
Really. I knew how much…"
"Thanks," she interrupted him, as she didn't want to hear more. She managed
to regain her self control, aware of Apollo's concerned gaze on her. Despite
of the pain at the center of her chest, she breathed deeply, to calm her
crazy heartbeat. "It's war. I've learned it from you." It wasn't an
accusation. Only a statement.
"Yeah. I know." The Commander exchanged with her a long look, which said
more than words.
Apollo was about to ask if she was fine, when he met Bojay's gaze, the
<don't dare to speak> one. While he was clearly worried for her, undoubtedly
the Pegasus Captain didn't want any further comment. Knowing better than
starting a new discussion with him, Apollo kept silent, still wondering
about the reason of Sheba's reaction. He carefully noted in his mind the
unusual name that had caused it. Fersen … Apollo gently took her hand in
his, just to let her know he was near her. Whatever had happened. Anyway, he
was confident that sooner or later, she would have opened her past to him.
No matter when, as long as she didn't suffer as she seemed. Fersen … For the
micron, a lot of questions had to be left without answers.
Sheba sensed Apollo kindly squeezing her hand. However, it was a distant
impression. All her being was fighting again with sparks and steams, flames
and fire of a damaged Viper that had exploded after its emergency landing
many times in her nightmares. Sleeping or awake, her eyes had often seen the
blinding blaze; her skin had often felt the unbearable heat; her body had
often experienced the frightful sensation of powerlessness. Over and again,
that Viper stopped its race in front of her. And she couldn't help. As
yarhens ago. On the Pegasus.

The shadows swallower observed his target from distant, hidden in the crowd
of the party. Here she was. Cain's daughter. The young, female Lieutenant
was talking with her friends, apparently peaceful. Unaware of hatred and
revenge that were waiting for her. Patience. The shadows swallower was
patient. Her agony would have been long and painful. As the suffering she
had caused time ago. Under his loose tunic, he caressed the sharp, cold
blade of his short simsir. The dead spirits would have been soothed after
the vengeance.

****************

To be continued...


[Just one note: <shadows swallower> is _my_ translation of the ancient
Egyptian word for assassin/killer. In Egyptian sounds like "the one who
swallows the shadows". But I'm not sure if in English it works...]