ny blonde-haired
woman thought that Amadika was putting on a ruse to
throw Charis off the track besides make the lusting
scorpian want her more.  Nothing could be further from
the truth!
     Amadika felt a shutter go down her body as Givon, who
must have sensed her watching him, looked up straight
at her.  A half smile came to his lips and a predatory
gleam came to his eyes.  He must have thought that it
was alluring or sensual to her, but it only repulsed
her filling her with intense disgust for the
overbearing man.  Amadika stood up and turned her
attention back to Caleb, who stood there, watching the
crowd, slowly eating the food that she had brought
him.  The differences between the two men were like
night and day.  Caleb struck Amadika as being a man of
many different layers.  If she would peel away one,
then she would find something about him that he did
not want known to the rest of the world.  She knew
that he was intelligent and well educated, that he had
a sense of humor that sh(Author's note:  This story takes place about 6 months after the episode
"Hand of God.")

The Gaziantep Escape
by Rae


	It had been too quiet for too long.  And that bothered the
Commander of the last colonial battlestar more than he could put into
words.  
	No Cylons, no encounters with other hostile forces.  Nothing but
peace and quiet.  Well, almost.  The white-haired commander thought to
himself that he would rather deal with the hostile forces that laid out
there in the deepest reaches of space rather than the ones that he had
to deal with here in the confines of the fleet itself.  The overly
pompous, preening group of individual that called themselves the Council
of the Twelve had been hounding Adama for several sectars about a
variety of political agendas but most pressing was the not-so-new plan
of the council to bring the fleet back under civilian control.  This was
something they had done several times in the past, only to relinquish
control back to Adama when they felt afraid oe found very unique.  A
sensitivity and a kindness that made her wonder just
why he was here, plotting to injure, possibly kill
many innocent people.
     "Is everything set and ready?"  Caleb asked as he
finished off another one of the pastries on his plate.

     Amadika blinked in surprise at being caught staring
at him, lost in her thoughts.  She quickly recovered
her composure and looked impassive.
     "Everything is set."  She glanced at her chronometer,
then back to Caleb, who was eating another pastry.
"Another 45 centons and the show will begin."
     Caleb looked over the railing at Givon, who had
turned his attention back to Beval.
     "Our fearless leader looks calm, cool and collected.
Not much like he is concerned about anything but the
temperature of his ambrosia."
     Amadika decided to venture into a questioning mode
with Caleb, hoping that the handsome man would answer
her honestly since he was not near any of the others
of the group, none of which she trusted.
     r threatened by something
that the fleet encountered.  
	It was beginning to feel to Adama that he was locked into a
never ending tug-of-war with the council, who would never give up their
fight for things to be the way they were before the destruction of their
worlds.  Contrary to popular belief, Adama would like nothing more than
to relinquish one more heavy and pressing burden from his shoulders, but
with the constant threat of annihilation from the Cylons and other
unknown forces that laid ahead of him, he felt that he should not end
martial law and give full control of the fleet back to the council.
	Commander Adama sighed as he put his head back against the rest
of the shuttle seat and closed his eyes.  Unfortunately for Adama at the
micron the Council had brought to the table another item which disturbed
Adama's troubled mind as of late.  The council wanted to end the
journey.  They felt that the people were tired of this possibly endless
journey, with there being no tangible proof that "Do you think this plan has any chance of success?"
Amadika looked straight into the now cautious eyes of
Caleb, who seemed for a micron surprised at her
question, but also leery of answering it honestly.  "I
want the truth, Caleb.  I have my own doubts.  There
are too many factors that can come into play here."
     Caleb sighed.  "Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one
who is a little shaky about this plan,"  he replied
tentatively, trying to feel out just what this woman
was up to.  He was very unsure if he should be so bold
to discuss his disagreement with the plan that Givon
had devised, but he was letting his feelings for this
woman before him rule his head.  And even though Caleb
knew that could be a dangerous move, he still had to
be sure. He guessed that he would have to pay the
consequences if he was wrong about her.
     Amadika could hear the caution in his voice as he
answered her question.  She knew that everything that
was going to happen within the next 45 centons was
going to Earth was a reality
besides in myths and stories of half drunken space explorers.  The
Council felt strongly that the people were very tired, even discontent
with the journey to find the descendents of their sister tribe.  That
the people overwhelmingly wanted to settle on one of the habitable
planets that they passed.  Adama was well aware of the fact that the
next system the fleet was preparing to travel through would be a very
tempting one indeed.  The Council may well decided to end their journey
to settle on one of the habitable planets.  The seemingly hospitable
system ahead of them consisted of 7 planets with 5 of them scanning as
compatible for human existence.   
	As President of the Council, plus Military and Fleet Commander,
Adama had tried to make them see reason over the course of the past
several sectars but they were past listening to him.  Several newly
elected members to the council were making their wishes known and
pushing the older members into something that Adama felt was have to depend on trust being formed between
her and Caleb.  She felt in her gut that this plan was
doomed and the loss of life that could happen was
staggering to her.  Unacceptable.  She did not get
into this organization to kill people.  She got into
it for her own reasons. Reasons that she could not
reveal to anyone, not even the man that stood before
her.  Even though she felt she knew where he stood
regarding things that Givon has done or said, there
were some things that were just too dangerous and
chancy to reveal to anyone.  It was the name of the
game.
     "He's playing with fire, Caleb.  He's taking a big
chance with the lives of these people."  Amadika moved
over to stand close to Caleb. "There's a chance that
this ship could be destroyed.  Are you ready to die
for this cause?  Is it worth your life?"
     Caleb's eyes widened slightly.  "Aren't you just
exaggerating a bit?"  He looked around when he
realized just how loud he was talking. Seeing that no
one was paying any attenot right
for the fleet.  They had only been in space for nearly two yahrens.  It
was like the council thought that Earth would be easy to find.  That
they would find it in just sectars, not the yahrens as Adama felt
strongly it would take.  
	The coordinates that they were following were the ones that
Apollo, Sheba and Starbuck revealed after their encounter with Count
Ibis, something the council was not enlightened to.  Adama knew in his
heart that these coordinates were not ones given to the trio by the
diabolic individual that they all knew as Count Iblis, but Adama could
give not give any tangible information on where Apollo, Sheba and
Starbuck had acquired the information from.  And for reasons that he did
not wish to discuss, Adama did not push for more enlightening
information from the three.  Those reasons included the fact that Dr.
Paye had found that Apollo had suffered some sort of traumatic duress,
cause unknown coupled with the account that Starbuck and Sheba both
remember Apollontion, he lowered his voice as
he spoke.  "The charges that are being set are not
strong enough to do that kind of damage to his ship.
Just cripple it."
     "Take a look around Caleb.  Just what kind of shape
this vessel is in.  It really wouldn't take much to
finish it off.  A large charge, a small charge.  A
charge large enough to disable the engines could
possibly set of another chain of events that could
lead to this ship blowing up.  What if there is a
small leak in the engines that no one has discovered
yet?  What if the people that are setting the charges
uses too much explosive?  Are you catching my drift
here?"
     Caleb hesitantly nodded.  He was.  He himself had
thought of the possible scenarios of things that could
go wrong.  He just didn't like the fact that Amadika
was voicing them out loud.  But she was right.  These
vessels were in bad shape.  There was no time in their
escape from the cylons to check every ship for space
worthiness.  They had to pack and run, cut their
 dying at the hand of Count Iblis.  Whatever had happened
out there, Adama was thankful that he still had his son, alive and well.

	The information that the three revealed gave no indication how
long it would take to reach this planet.  Only that the coordinates were
Quadrant Alpha, nineteen million sectars by epsilon vector 22 on a
circular reckoning course of 000.9.  And it was in a system with 9
planets and 1 sun.  No information was imparted to him about the
civilization, their technology or any other information that Adama felt
he needed.  But with this information, he at least they had a direction
to go in instead of wandering aimlessly in space, hoping that they might
stumble upon the world that the stories spoke of.  Adama had his faith
to guide him and keep him counsel,  but the Council of the Twelve was
another matter entirely.  
	Adama had noted though that one of the new members of the
Council, a young man by the name of Ramses seemed to not be in the same
train of thought as werelosses and get the hell out of the colonies before the
cylons returned with their extermination squads to
finish off the humans that survived the first attack.
So they grabbed what they could, what had survived
intact.  The survivors put into space the lowest of
the low in some cases.  Ships that had not been
pressed into services for some yahrens.  Some were not
even built for long range space travel.  They were
meant only to hop from colony to colony.  Inter
colonial transport.
"So what do we do, Amadika?  What in the name of kobol
do we do?  Warn someone?  Thwart Givon?  You know that
we will be the ones to pay the high price if we do
that."
     "Are you willing to let these people possibly die?
Are our lives worth 2, 3 or 4 of theirs?  Maybe even
more?  People live on this ship, Caleb.  There are
children on this ship, living in the decks below and
above this area.  Elderly men and women.  We are not
just talking of the people in at this celebration.  We
are talking of many, many more his constituents.  The young man seemed to
listen to the arguments made by Achmed of Scorpia and Gherin of
Sagittaria.   Tabrina of Aquaria kept her own counsel during the debate
presented by the two men, but did ask some pointed questions which
seemed to ruffle Gherin, but not Achmed, who answered her with what
Adama deemed as over confidence.  Ramses also posed some probing
questions regarding the colonization question to the two men, which they
seemed to answer well enough to please the other members of the council,
but their answers did not seem to appease Ramses' concerns.  He kept
that dubious look on his features even after the meeting was adjourned.
Adama hoped that meant that another member was on the side of continuing
the journey, even if he might disagree about finding Earth.
	Adama grew very weary of the political games that he had to deal
with out of men and women who sometimes acted as though they were no
older than Boxey.  There were times when Adama felt that he would rather
d if something goes
wrong."
     "So what do you suggest we do, Amadika?"  Givon
disposed of his empty plate and turned to the woman in
front of him.  "Just what do you suggest we do?  Tell
the Commander?  Walk up to his table and say, 'excuse
me Commander Adama, but do you know that this ship has
explosives on it that are to detonate in less than 80
centons?'  Come on Amadika.  And if we go to the
blackshirts, or to the colonial warriors, how are we
going to explain what we know and how we know it
without incriminating ourselves?  I don't want to
spend the rest of my life on the prison barge."
     "Well, we are headed there anyway if we get caught.
Right now its just a plan and no one knows that we are
involved.  We are safe.  But we won't be for long."
Amadika pointed out to Caleb.  "Either we are going to
get taken down for terrorism, or we are going to go
down for multiple termination.  OR we could die
ourselves if something goes wrong.  Which of the three
choices do *you* like, Caleb?eal with a group of eight-yahren olds compared to the so-called mature,
educated adults that made up the council.  Tinia, Ramses and several
others were all that seemed to support Adama in his desire to continue
on in the quest.  The remainder just wanted to have back the creature
comforts that they had in the colonies.  When Tabrina tried pointing out
to them the hard work that was needed to create a home for their people
on any world, the over-pompous fools just nodded their heads in
agreement, claiming they knew what they had to do.  That fact made Adama
the angriest.  These group of lazy self centered men and women expected
others to do their labors for they while they sat back and enjoyed the
fruits of those labors.  And that Adama thought was deplorable.  
	"Father, is everything alright?"  
	Athena's soft voice broke through Adama's thoughts.  He opened
his eyes and looked at the concerned expression on his only daughter's
face.  He admonished himself for letting his thoughts show clearly  No matter how this
turns out, we are going to the prison barge.  Or
burial in space."
     Caleb made a face of displeasure.  "Neither of them
are really too appealing."
     "You know what I can't figure out, Caleb"
     "What?"
     "Why a man like you is involved with a group like
this?"
     Caleb smiled in amusement.  "I had just been thinking
the same thing about you."
     "If we live through this, I hope you'll tell me the
story."
     "It's not that interesting."
     "You might just be surprised what I find
interesting."
     Caleb wanted to pursue the line that the conversation
was now following, but he knew there was not much
time.  35 centons.  That was all the time they had.
     "All right.  We agree that we both feel something is
going to go wrong.  What do you suggest we do to stop
it?"  Amadika looked thoughtful.  "The only thing that
I can think of is to go down and disarm the charges.
No attention is drawn to us and we stop a potentially
disastrous outcome."
     on
his face that Athena could pick up on it.  Adama stole a glance over to
Apollo who was sitting with his back to his father and sister,
conversing with his friends.  At least Apollo did not notice.  Adama
smiled lovingly at his concerned daughter as he reached out and wrapped
her small hand between both of his.   
	"Everything's fine Athena.  Just fine."  Adama replied
reassuringly as he continued to hold her hand.  Athena returned her
father's smile with one of her own.  
	"It was just the look on your face.  So stern.  Usually I see
that expression when something is troubling you."  Athena then broke out
into a slight smile full of mirth.  "Or when Apollo, Zac or I did
something wrong that you were going to punish us for."
	Adama smiled indulgently at her.  "I will admit, you three were
a handful at times.  Especially when you would fight amongst yourselves.
Either you and Apollo against Zac or your brothers fighting with you.
There were times I wondered if your mother should have been no "You know, Givon will have our heads for this."
     "First he has to figure out that it was us and not
the bumbling of the idiots that he sent to set the
charges.  I think the blame is going to be put on the
shoulders of the those three because it is the easiest
way to find blame.  Givon is not going to be looking
for any complex answers to the failure.  He is going
to want the simplest so he can take out his
retribution on them."
     Caleb smiled.  "I like the way your mind works."
     "Are you in?"  Amadika asked with a twinkle in her
eye.
     Caleb nodded his agreement as he sent a silent prayer
of divine intervention to the powers above.   "I'm
in."  then he muttered quietly under his breath,  "I
just hope that we both live to talk about what we're
doing tomorrow."

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


     Athena stopped suddenly behind a cluster of people
who had decided that they were not going to move one
iota but just stay standing right where they were,
blocking the path that Athena waminated
for sainthood for putting up with the three of you or if she had finally
lost her mind from all the bickering and the noise that you three could
create."
	Athena just chuckled.  "There were times I bet you were very
glad to return to the Galactica and to the people under your command who
would listen and do what you told them without question."
	"Instead of being with the three people who it seemed would
never listen to a word I said.  I would have gotten a better response at
times by talking to the tree outside the front entry way than to any of
you.  At least it felt like that when you were teenagers.  When you were
younger, it seemed like it was a lot easier to deal with all of you."
Adama chuckled at the memories long gone of his children when they were
young, and then when they seemed to change overnight into people Adama
wasn't sure he knew.  Or even wanted to know.  
	"But you missed us when you were gone."  Athena gazed at her
father, a man that she loved dearly and admired mors taking to her
family's table.  With her hand firmly grasping
Ranen's, she stood there impatiently looking at the
five people sitting at the table that was really not
that far away, but could have been light yahrens at
that micron.  As she looked at her father, the
euphoria that she had felt just centons before
dissipated quickly and trepidation started working its
way into her heart.  Nervousness came next as she felt
her hands suddenly started to feel damp.  Her heart
started bearing a little faster as she watched Apollo
turn towards Sheba and whisper something to her.
Athena looked then at Starbuck as he poured Cassie a
glass of ambrosia, and she felt her nervousness
increase.
     'Why am I so nervous?' Athena thought to herself as
she tried to get control of her feelings at that
micron.  'I've brought men home to meet my family
before.  Many times before for that matter so why
should this time be any different?'
     She knew the reasons why -- because she had not had a
relationshipe than any other man
she knew.  The look on her face was a mixture of a smile, but a slight
misty look of regret for all the times they had been apart.  
	Adama felt himself go a little misty at the thoughts of how much
he had missed his wife and children when he had to report for duty.
"Yes, Athena.  I missed all of you very much."  Adama felt a lump in his
throat as he knew he had to turn this conversation around.  "But I do
admit that I was glad for the escape when you and Apollo would start
your mutual screaming matches at each other.  And poor Zac would
practically lose his skin when he would try to come between you two and
make peace."
	Athena put on the best 'put out' look that she could muster.
"Apollo and I never screamed at each other.  We just loudly discussed
things."  Adama gave his daughter a sly knowing look.  Athena's
expression was one of total innocence, but under her father's knowing
look she finally sighed her acquiescence, giving her father a smile in
return.  "Okay.  We s with any man since her breakup with
Starbuck.  Because of how she reacted to the ending of
that relationship and that because of the intensity of
her reaction, her father and brother were a little
more protective.  A little more cautious about their
acceptance of any man in Athena's life.  She knew that
her brother had strong opinions about any man who
expressed and interest in her.  She had been so
devastated by the ending of a relationship which she
had mistakenly thought would last forever.  That she
would be sealed to this man someday.  And the fact
that Starbuck was still in her life since he  was and
still is Apollo's best friend made the ending of their
romance even harder for her to accept and get over.
She knew that Apollo had been torn - not knowing how
to approach his sister since he was still friends with
her former lover plus understanding Starbuck's side of
the matter.   The hardest fact for Athena to accept
had been the fact that Starbuck had another lady in
his life -- Casscreamed at each other.  But we eventually would
make peace."
	Adama just laughed and sat back in his seat, as he slipped back
in his own thoughts and remembrances of the trying but also good times
in his children's lives.  Each one of them had been a handful in their
own individual way.  Of the three, Apollo had been the most
argumentative, the most stubborn.  The one who tried to test the
boundaries of his father's patience every micron of the day.  As a child
he had been an explosive bundle of energy, but he had also been quiet
and so easy going,.  Then one day, when Adama had returned from a eight
sectar mission, it seemed that his oldest child had changed on him
within a blink of an eye.  Adama almost swore that someone has spirited
away his small, sometimes quiet, thoughtful son and left in his place a
very tall to the point of almost gangly, unbelievably slender,
dark-haired, green eyed 13 yahren old with a large chip on his shoulder
and the attitude to match.  One who felt that HE was riie -- and so soon after the
deterioration of their affair.
     Athena regretted her actions now as she looked back.
She knew that Starbuck felt that their breakup was his
entire fault, just as she was berating herself that
the ending was all her fault.  Now she was finally
coming to terms that they were BOTH at fault.  That it
takes two to make a relationship and two to break one.
 It was hard for Athena to accept the fact that she
was to blame, but now she had to come to terms with
the fact that in reality they were both at fault, not
just one of them.
     Ranen had helped her come to terms with that.  And in
fact, he had encouraged Athena to extend the hand of
friendship to a man who was her friend long before he
became the man that she fell in love with 4 yahrens
ago.
     "A cubit for your thoughts."  The deep quiet voice
whispered in her ear.  Athena smiled and turned to
face Ranen, her eyes bright and shining as she looked
up at the handsome lieutenant.
     "I don't think my thought and that his
parents had _never, ever_ been teenagers.  It was inconceivable to him
that they had ever wanted to have fun, run with friends, and generally
have a good time.  Adama had found his patience sorely tested on many,
many occasions with his headstrong son.  
	Athena tried his patience in a different way.  One secton, she
was such a sweet, loving girl, the next she was moody, argumentative
with her brothers (usually screaming at the top of her lungs about her
privacy), and constantly testing her mother's seemingly endless
patience.  Adama could not believe the day he had been awakened his
first morning home on leave by the angry yelling of Apollo and Zac at
the door of the lavatory.  He had arisen to find out that Athena was in
there and had been in there, with the door locked for over 90 centons.  
	When she finally emerged another 10 centons later, Adama felt
like he had been punched in the stomach.  Before him was his little
girl, or rather the young girl who USE to be his littleghts are worth a cubit right
now."  Athena smiled at Ranen.
     Ranen smiled at her, his eyes glittered at they gazed
upon her face.  "They are to me.  In fact they are
worth a lot more than just a cubit."  Ranen looked
deeply into Athena's blue eyes, puzzled by what he saw
there.  "Is everything all right?  Something wrong?"
     Athena shook her head as she turned to face Ranen,
her hand still tightly clasped in his.  "No, nothings
wrong.  I'm just excited, and a little nervous that
you're going to be meeting my father and my brother."
     Ranen smiled indulgently at Athena.  "You seem to
forget, I already know both of them.  Of course not on
a personal basis, but your father is the fleet
commander and the commander of the Galactica.  There
is not a person in this fleet who does not 'know' your
father.  And your brother is my superior officer.
Captain of the Squadrons and I have had many dealings
with him over the yahrens."
     "Well, now you're going to have dealings with them on
a v girl, her long
dark hair perfectly curled, makeup on her face making her look older
than her nearly 13 yahrens, her deep blue eyes seeming larger, more
expressive than they had ever been before.  Adama had taken a long look
at her, not realizing that he was staring until Athena had looked at him
strangely.  Where had his little girl gone?  When had she started to
mature and develop into a young woman almost over night?  His fatherly
patience had been put to the ultimate test that sectar.  It seemed to
him that if Athena was not on vid-comm with her young girl friends, then
she was tying up the vid-comm talking with boys.  At that time, Adama
had been unsure who was worse - Apollo or Athena.  He had just been
thankful at the time that Zac was still a young boy with the curiosity
and energy of a young boy. .  
	Zac had always been the easy going, fun loving child.  The
prankster.  So when suddenly he seemed to change and begin his trek into
the strange unique world of adolescence, Adama had beenery different level - a personal one.  That is very
different than what you see on the bridge or in the
squadrons."  Athena's tone turned serious because she
wanted this man that she cared a great deal for to
understand what she was saying to him.  She wanted her
father and brother to like him.  To accept him.  But
she knew them very well plus she knew how
overprotective they were of her.  The only thing she
could hope for was that Cassie and Sheba would come to
her assistance.
     "And you don't think I can handle that?  Impress them
with my sincerity?  My charm and my wit?"  Ranen tried
to tease Athena, but no smile came to her face.
     The group in front of her and Ranen finally moved on,
so the people behind the couple began to push forward.
 Athena knew that she was not going to be able to
prepare Ranen for meeting her family, so she tried to
give him some clues.
     "Remember, they are not easily impressed.  Charm and
wit will not turn them around to your side."
     Ranen made a worn down
considerably by his two older children.  Apollo was already at the
Academy and was going through even more changes, the ones that military
training brought out of every cadet that passed through the thresh hold.
Athena was in her last years of secondary school, getting ready to
graduate while trying to make up her mind if she would rather attend the
Caprican University, rather than accept her commission at the Caprican
Military Academy in addition to her dreaming of life, love and being the
sole object of the attentions of one Cadet Starbuck.  
	Suddenly it seemed to Adama, Zac had discovered that he had it
made when he crossed the boundary that separated the young boy he had
been from the dark void that harbored the strange new wonderful world of
adolescence.  And Zac totally reveled in the fact that he got to do many
things that his two older siblings had either never been permitted to do
or had to fight for the permission to do.  Apollo and Athena always made
sure Zac knew THEY pa face and shook his head as he began
followed behind Athena.  He could not believe that the
Commander and the Captain were going to be as
difficult as Athena was making them out.  He could see
them being overprotective.  She is the only
daughter/sister, but he really felt that Athena was
going just a little overboard with her concerns.
Maybe she was just nervous about him meeting her
family, feeling that he might be intimidated by them,
but what he felt was totally the opposite.
     He *wanted* to meet the two most important men in
Athena's life.  He wanted to meet them and they to
meet him.  To have an understanding.  'Put your best
foot forward,' as his grandmother use to say.  Ranen
found Athena different than all the other women he had
dated over the yahrens.  There was just something
about her that had attracted him from the start.  His
wingman Janius had laughed and said that it was her
obvious beauty, and if you really wanted to get
technical, her family connections.  Ranen had waveved the way first for him.  And Zac relished the
fact that he never had to fight for what he wanted.  He would just ask
and run out the door when his parents would casually reply, 'Go ahead.'
	Adama just sat there in the shuttle and longingly smiled at the
memories of his children's growing up yahrens.  Now with all that they
had been through in the past several yahrens, his offspring's childhood
yahrens seemed like they happened so long ago.  But it really wasn't.
Looking now at the present made Adama feel slightly more than a little
melancholy.  It made him wish things were different.  That Ila and Zac
were with them.  That they were a whole family again.  Adama just leaned
back and wondered if his thoughts were taking such a turn because it was
time for Samhain, a festival that celebrated the beginning of the three
secton holiday season.  A celebration with strong ties to home and
family life.
	Back on Caprica, the weather would be starting to turn colder
with the beginning of the Geamhradh d
his hand as if to brush aside his wingman's caustic
comments.  The one thing that Ranen wished he could
wipe away thought was his friend's long clear memory.
Janius had been friends with Ranen since the Academy
on Scorpia.  They had become roommates in their second
yahren, and after some growing pains, they had become
stead-fast friends.
     Ranen just wanted to forget his youthful past with
women and how deplorably he had acted towards many.
There was one though, in particular, that he had never
forgotten and he had wished for the opportunity to
sincerely apologize to her for the stupid things he
had done.  She had been a young woman whom he had met
when she came to the Scorpian Academy from the
Caprican Academy for advanced tactical training.
Young and beautiful, naive and innocent.  Ranen had
been a different person back then but now, as he
reflected back upon that time, he wished he had done
things differently for the feelings that he found
later that he had for that young woman weror winter season.  Foghara or
harvest time was coming to a swift end and the days on Caprica were
turning cold.  During the celebration of Samhain, the uniquely
ornamental decorations would come out and the city would become a
festive place.  Holiday parties, shopping for presents, attending
religious services and special religious events.  Adama remembered how
Ila always loved the season and reveled in the decorating, the shopping,
the parties and the holiday baking.  All of it culminated on the final
day of the celebration.  The day of Candlemass.  The day when families
thank the Lords for the blessings they bestowed upon their people.
	Now Adama had been asked to preside over the celebration of the
beginning of Samhain.  It was an honor not bestowed lightly.  Adama had
been going to turn down the honor because of the present troubles with
the council and factions of the fleet but Apollo and Athena had been
appalled that their father was even considering declining.  They had
practically badgee a poor
consolation in deed.  He had wondered about her over
the yahrens, unsure of what his feelings were for her,
but knowing that he had to set things right with her
some day.
      Ranen's thoughts were interrupted by their
arrival at the Commander's table.  As he came face to
face with the infamous commander. Ranen wondered what
he was going to say to him.  Hopefully his own nerves
that he felt slowly beginning to come to the surface
starting with his knees beginning to knock, would keep
themselves to a minimum.  Ranen wanted to make a
favorable first impression on the man.  After all,
Ranen was trying to begin a relationship with his
daughter.  A woman who had set Ranen on fire from the
first moment he saw her walking across the flight
deck.  A woman who affected him in ways that had only
happened once before, and that was a long time ago, in
another life.
"Father," Athena began as Adama looked up, his eyebrow
raised at the sight of the young man beside his
daughter.  "This is Lt. red Adama till he finally conceded to their pleas.  And
tonight was the night that began Samhain.  Tonight was a night of food,
drink and celebration.  Tomorrow night was the celebration for the
children.  Boomer had promised to bring Boxey over to the Gaziantep
early tomorrow evening so that he could participate in the children's
party, and they could all spend time together as a 'family.'  Adama had
looked pointedly at Boomer when he had said the word 'family' to the
young warrior, making sure that Boomer knew that he was expected to be
there also, with Lt. Dietra accompanying him if he wished.  
	Athena watched her father intently as he sat back with his eyes
closed and took in the smile that was on his face.  She had so hoped
that he would enjoy himself this evening.  It had been a very long time
since her father had done anything for his own enjoyment which included
being away from the Galactica and the responsibility that he had carried
for what seemed to Athena to be forever.  She plannedRanen and I have invited him
to join us tonight for the festival."
Apollo looked at his sister curiously and then to the
man at her side.  Lt. Ranen.  Apollo could not quite
place him in the warrior contingent, but he knew that
his designation was as a viper pilot, so that brought
him under Apollo's command.  Apollo thought that maybe
he had met him before, but he was unsure where or
when.  He would remember, Apollo was sure of that.
But what bothered Apollo most at that centon was the
stare he had noticed that Sheba was giving the
handsome man at his sister's side.  The expression on
her face was one that Apollo was not sure he cared to
analyze because he was worried about what he might
discover.  The expression was not one of female
interest in a handsome man.  No.  It was evident that
Sheba was very surprised, almost shocked, to see
Ranen, but why?  Did she know him?  And the more
important question in Apollo's mind at the micron --
if she did know him, how well?
Apollo tried to shake o on making sure
that nothing intruded on their time together as a family, including the
problems of the fleet or of the council.  She wanted everything to be
just right when she sprung her surprise on her father and brother
tonight.  As Athena glance over to where Apollo and Sheba were sitting,
she was glad that Sheba had not mentioned to Apollo anything about her
plans for tonight.  And at least with Sheba there, Apollo might not jump
into his usual over-protective, older brother mode.
	Athena turned her attention back to her father  and smiled
happily as she said, .."You are going to have 3 whole days in mine and
Apollo's company, besides the company of Sheba, Starbuck, and Cassie.  I
know what a drain it will be on you to be in Starbuck's company and
whatever he dreams up to get into."  Athena teased, her eyes sparkling.

	"I think I can bear to be with all of you for three days as your
father without turning into your Commander.  I also think I can even
handle Starbuck and whatever in the ff the torrent of thoughts that
were beginning to enter his mind, whirling around.
What he should be concerned with was here and now.
The woman that he was with this evening.  The same
woman that he had very strong and deep feelings for
-- feelings that he had planned to act on tonight.
But Apollo's mind was filled with questions that he
was unsure of the answers - questions that Apollo had
the feeling were concerning the past.  When the
colonies were still in existence.  When life was so
different than it was now.  Apollo looked over at
Sheba again, noticing that she had composed herself as
she turned her attention to the plate of food in front
of her.  Her face looked tense and Apollo reached over
to touch  her hand that she had placed on her lap.  He
was surprised to find her fingers cold and clammy, so
he wrapped her hand in his.
This bothered him a great deal.  Apollo continued to
watch Sheba as she picked at the food on her plate,
not seeming the least bit interested in what was
befo12 worlds he can dream up to get
into.  Colonel Tigh is not supposed to disturb me unless the situation
is desperate.  The fleet is in his very capable hands for the next three
days."
	"Well he must have agreed with Apollo and I that you needed some
time to yourself and time with us."
	"He practically tied me up and put me in this shuttle at laser
point when I suggested at the last micron that maybe I shouldn't go with
the way that the council has been acting lately."
	"Well you need a rest and enjoy yourself.  Have some fun.  And
you need to spend some time with us, especially at this time of the
yahren.  Samhain and Candlemass is a time for family.  And you have a
large one, blood and extended.  Tonight it's just the six of us.
Tomorrow Boomer and Dietra will bring Boxey over for the children's
party.  And the third day is a family day with the religious service of
Samhain in the morning and a celebration the rest of the day."
	"Just one thing Athena," Adama motioned to his clothes that he
re her.  She seemed distracted and very tense with
her hand still gripping Apollo's.  The dark haired
captain turned his attention back to his sister and
the man that she brought to their gathering.  He took
a hard look at the man that seemed to be close to
Apollo's own age, wondering about him all the more.
Something about him was greatly disturbing Sheba.
But what?  Who was he to her?  The more questions that
came to Apollo's mind, the more everything bothered
him and the bigger the knot got in his stomach.  He
was more than a little afraid now about the answers to
those questions.
Sheba kept her attention on the food that now held no
interest to her.  Her appetite which was healthy when
she came to this celebration had evaporated and now
the cold knot of tension filled her stomach.  She kept
her head down in a vain attempt to block out the
person that she saw standing there before Adama, with
Athena at his side.  A person she had thought...no
HOPED had died during the destruction.  A manwas wearing.  "Why the edict of no uniforms?"
	"Because we are going to act like a normal family with no
military overtones.  This is a holiday -- a celebration.  You never wore
your command uniform to the celebrations when we were growing up.  Even
though the colonies are gone now and circumstances have changed, you can
still wear something else besides that uniform, father."  Athena started
laughing.  "You think it was hard getting you into civilian clothes, you
should have seen Sheba, Cassie and I trying to get Apollo and Starbuck
into civilian clothes.  Now that was something to see."
	Adama looked back over to where Apollo, Sheba, Starbuck and
Cassie were sitting, all dressed in civilian attire, laughing at
something that struck the four as very amusing.  It never ceased to
amaze him at how different Apollo acted when he was not in uniform
compared to when  he was.  Gone was the military Captain, and in his
place was this warm, fun loving person that Adama knew as his son.
Sheba leaned ove that she
had not seen or heard from in over 12 yahrens.  Ranen.

Shock numbed her mind when she looked up and had seen
his face before her.  A face that she had prayed that
she would never see again in this lifetime.  But here
he was, very much alive and within the fleet.  And
still a warrior.  Sheba wondered how she could have
missed seeing him or hearing his name amongst the
warrior contingent aboard the Galactica.  She knew a
lot of the pilots, but somehow he had avoided her
detection even though she had no idea at thaat micron
what she would have done if she had known he was here.
 Dread was filling her mind as she wondered what his
reaction would be to seeing her again, here amongst
the family of Commander Adama.  She knew that everyone
back in the colonies had thought that the Pegasus had
been destroyed with the rest of the fifth fleet at
Molechey, but here she was and here he was.  Two
people who should never have been together in the
first place.  Anywhere.
But he was here and thr and whispered something to Apollo, to which he got a
grin on his face and looked at Starbuck.  Whatever it was, Starbuck was
going to be at the receiving end of something.  Adama just chuckled to
himself at the thought.  
	"How hard was it?"  Adama inquired.  "It looks like you 3
succeeded in your mission."
	"Oh I gave up."  Athena admitted freely.  "I just let Sheba and
Cassie handle them.  Apollo is in civilian clothes under the threat from
Sheba that if he did not put them on willing, then she would put them on
him herself.  And she meant every word she said too.  Fortunately for
him, Apollo knew that she meant every word of her threat and was not
afraid to carry it out.  So he gave in.  Now Starbuck, on the other
hand, would have enjoyed that threat from Cassie just a bit too much, so
she just took all of his uniforms and had Boomer swipe Starbuck's last
uniform while he was in the turboshowers.  Boomer left Starbuck only a
set of civilian clothes so he had no other choice in the matter. ere was nothing that she could
do about it so she would just have to accept it and
deal with it.  But she didn't want to deal with Ranen.
 She had left all of that behind her when she had
walked away from the situation.  Sheba stole a glance
at Athena's smiling hopeful face and she felt her
heart sink.  This was the happiest that Sheba had ever
seen Apollo's sister in the yahren that they had known
each other.  Athena practically glowed with the inner
happiness that she was feeling, and while Sheba began
to feel guilt about her feelings of hatred towards
Ranen, she was beginning to worry more for her friend.
 Athena had been depressed and introverted for so long
that it was like a breath of fresh air to see the
young woman like this.  Apollo had commented several
times to Sheba that he wished Athena would get over
her feelings regarding Starbuck and get on with her
life.  That there were many other men out there that
would love a chance with his younger sister.
But Sheba knew the obstacles  Either
wear them or go naked.  Apollo, Sheba, Cassie, Boomer and I did have a
bet going on as to which way Starbuck would go."
	"Well, I'm glad he made the right decision, given his two
choices."  Adama sat back, relaxing as he gazed over at the 4 young
people across from him.  After about 5 centons, he decided to turn his
attention to the interactions between his son and Cain's daughter.
Adama had seen the sparks fly between them when those two met and Adama
felt then that it was more than just antagonism driving their sometimes
very heated confrontations.  Something that they seemed not to notice,
but Adama had seen those kind of sparks before.  It was the same spark
that happened between himself and his wife when they met for the first
time.  But where Adama and Ila had given into that spark, Apollo was
running from it.  At least he had been but now it seemed the tide was
changing to another direction.  
	Adama knew that Apollo still grieved for Serina, but in recent
sectars, he could not that the interested young
men faced even though she knew that Apollo was not
seeing his sister's point of view.  Sheba had first
hand experience at being a Commander's daughter.  Many
a suitor had ran the other direction when confronted
with the visage of Commander Cain.  Even though
Commander Adama was different in style than Cain,
Sheba still knew that when it came to his offspring,
that she would rather face a raging wild animal than
their  venerable commander.  And Athena was his only
daughter.  Even though Adama was protective of his
son, there was still the fact that Apollo was his son.
 He could take care of himself where fathers seemed to
have a belief that their daughters needed their
father's protection from everything that may hurt them
physically or emotionally.
Sheba fought a war within herself.  Should she say
something to the Commander about the man before them?
Should she say something to Apollo?  But then she
would have to explain to Apollo how she knew what she
knew aboutremember Apollo mentioning Serina once.  It had
also not escaped Adama'a notice that the last time he had been in
Apollo's quarters that Serina and Apollo's sealing holopic was not in
its usual place on his son's desk but now delegated to the bookcase in
Apollo's quarters, along with other family holopics that his son kept.
Plus it had not escaped Adama's notice that Apollo spent an increasing
amount of  time in to company of Starbuck, Cassie and Sheba, or in just
Sheba's company, instead of alone in his quarters or with Boxey.  Maybe
finally, Adama's fervent hope was coming true -- Apollo was finally
willing to open himself up for another relationship.  One thing about
it, Adama knew his son had met his match with Sheba.  She was a lot like
her father, but the astute commander could also see in Sheba her
mother's determination to get what she wanted. 
	Adama smiled broadly as he thought of his old friend and what
his reaction would be to the tenuously forming relationship that was
developing b Ranen.  With the Commander, Sheba knew that
she would just have to highlight her relationship with
Ranen, where Apollo would demand details. Especially
concerning her animosity towards Ranen.  Honestly
though, Sheba dreaded dredging up the whole affair all
over again.  She would have to explain one of the most
painful and embarrassing times of her life.  Sheba
knew what would happen next - she would have to deal
with Apollo's reactions, one of which would be anger
over the whole thing.
She looked at Ranen again, careful to make certain
that he did not see her staring at him but she had
little to concern herself in that department.  Ranen
was looking nervously at Commander Adama and was
totally focused on the man in front of him.  Looking
intent on making a good impression, Sheba took in that
he actually looked as though he seriously wanted to
make a good impression.  She noted the fact that he
had Athena's hand clasped tightly in his.  Sheba
thought if she looked hard enough she would see etween Adama's son and Cain's daughter.  Adama knew that
Cain would just love this situation especially after his run ins with
Apollo concerning Gamoray.  That the swaggering commander would not pass
up an opportunity like this to extract his so-called 'revenge' on
Apollo.  Adama chuckled at his thoughts of Cain and what his friend
would attempt to pull on his son if the Pegasus was still out there and
met up with the fleet again.  Adama had seen his old friend in action
many times before, but Cain did not know Apollo.  It would definitely be
something to see and Adama hoped fervently that what was developing
between Apollo and Sheba would come to fruition.  For both their sakes.
	Adama could see for himself how much Sheba cared for Apollo,
even though she was trying to carefully conceal those feelings due to
Apollo's seeming reluctance to reciprocate.  Adama suspected thought
that Apollo has been dealing with his feelings for Sheba for a long time

and was now probably ready to open himself uplittle
beads of perspiration on his upper lip indicating his
nervousness.  All of this surprised Sheba a great deal
for the Ranen she remembered was confident to the
point of being almost cocky.  Always cool in any
situation, Sheba could not remember ever seeing him
sweat, even when he was introduced to her father.
Most men would consider passing out but Ranen looked
Cain right in the eye and never flinched.  That had
impressed her father a great deal as it had her.
But what had she known back then?  How could she have
foreseen the way things turned out between the two of
them?  She had been young and naive in many respects
regarding men and relationships.  Now she was working
on building a relationship with Apollo and was happy
with how far they had progressed in the sectars since
she confronted him in the raider.  True, she was
normally a patient person but with Apollo she was
willing to have patience and work on the relationship
between them slowly.  Her mother had always told her
that  to those feelings that he
had fought with for all this time and was now acting on them.  Maybe,
just maybe, Adama mused, he would have the pleasure of presiding over
the sealing of his son a second time.  Possibly to the young woman at
his side.  Only time would tell.  
	Adama sat watching the shuttles begin its approach to the
Gaziantep.  He decided at that moment to push the thoughts of the
council and every thing else from his mind, focusing instead on his
family and the enjoyment of the celebration that laid ahead.  This might
be an interesting and pleasurable holiday time at that.
	Adama never suspected that it was going to be a holiday that he
would not soon to forget.  

*********
	"It is not going to work.  It is definitely NOT going work and
you are just plain crazy to think that it will."  The golden
blonde-haired man ran his hand through his shoulder length hair and then
looked back at the group of 4 others sitting to one side of the room.
The two women sat there quietly, watchinif you want something to last, then you took your
time with it and built whatever it was the right way.
Another thing that her mother had always told her was
to forgive and forget.  Sheba sighed as she turned her
attention back to her plate.  For Athena's sake Sheba
would be cordial to Ranen, but if she saw anything
that would hurt her friend, Sheba would be the one to
spill all that she knew about him to Apollo.
Curiosity killed the feline, but Starbuck swore that
his curiosity was about the get the better of him and
if he died because of it, oh well.  The man that stood
before him with his hand firmly clasped in Athena's
was someone who had raised Starbuck's curiosity.  Not
just because he was in the company of a woman that
Starbuck had loved and wanted to seal with at one
time.  No.  His curiosity about the man in front of
him was from what he had heard about the man amongst
the pilots.  Starbuck was not always one to sit by and
listen to idle gossip, especially the stuff that
circulatedg and waiting for the
dark-haired man's response to the accusation.  They both knew as well as
anyone else in the room that Givon hated to be questioned regarding any
decision, any plan that he came up with.  He just expected them to obey
his will and carry out his orders to the letter.  
	But Caleb was questioning him on this plan of action and to
Givon that was a big insult to his personal code of honor.  'Damn
Scorpian!' though Caleb angrily as he cautiously watched the dark man's
face for some reaction to Caleb's vocalized opinion.  Caleb's
frustration with Givon was evident in his crystal blue eyes and in the
guarded expression on his features.  He wished he understood the man
better, but in the yahren that he had been with this group, he found
that he knew Givon no better now than when he first met him after Givon
had made an impassioned speech to a crowd on the Apotholise.  But this
latest plan of his bordered on purely madness.  What did he hope to
accomplish with this plan?  Commander  around a battlestar.  He had always laughed
 when he would hear a man complain about how women
were busy gossiping about one person or another.
Starbuck considered men, especially the male pilots,
of being the worse gossips on the ship.
Starbuck never really cared about what they said about
him.  Usually it was fueled by their jealousy of his
skill with either a viper or the ladies.  He never
really listened to the scuttlebutt about Apollo
because he figured that was fueled by the fact that
Apollo was in command of the squadrons plus he was the
Commander's son.  His friend had proven himself time
and again, so usually the gossip was from the newer
pilots that knew nothing about the man they were
serving under.  But Starbuck knew who this man before
them was before Athena had introduced him to them.
Ranen.  Lieutenant.  Viper pilot with some skill since
he had survived this long.  Formerly of the Atlantia.
His wingmate was Janius, the biggest jerk that
Starbuck had ever met in his career, nAdama was not known as a man who
gave in to demands no matter who they were issued by - whether it be the
Council of Twelve or some fanatical group that wanted something for
themselves.  
	Caleb joined this group nearly a yahren ago because he believed
that Givon was really into listening to the needs of the people and
dedicated to making their lives better in the long run.  But in time,
Caleb discovered the hard way that Givon wasn't the least bit
interesting in what the people wanted, desired or needed, but what Givon
wanted, desired and needed.  The dark-haired, olive skinned Scorpian was
the last decendent of a long line of rulers from the Ishtaria desert
region and he believed that he should be given respect and tribute that
befitted his former station.  Caleb was just beginning to believe that
all Givon really was, was just a selfish bastard interested in his own
pleasure..  But unfortunately, Caleb thought that the others in the
group fully believed in Givon and were willing to follow hiext to a few
others that Starbuck could name off the top of his
head.
     What bothered Starbuck about Ranen was some of the
rumors that he had heard about the man.  Nothing that
could be proven, just scuttle from the pilots for
right now.  Starbuck looked over at Athena's happy
face, which he found was something that he was happy
to see.  Her blue eyes alight with happiness and if
this man was the reason for that look that was on her
face once again, then Starbuck was thankful to Ranen.
But the rumors, and his own questions about the man.
Starbuck was going to double check with Jolly and
Giles when he got back to the Galactica about the
scuttle regarding Ranen.  To make absolutely sure that
Starbuck had the information right before he did or
said anything to the lieutenant.  All he needed was
for Athena to find another reason to be angry with
him.  Sticking his nose into her business was one sure
way of raising her ire.  He had worked too hard on
rebuilding his friendship with his formerm and do his
bidding, no matter what the outcome or the consequences.
	And Caleb himself wished that he knew for his own peace of mind
just what was this man's strange but still very compelling appeal?  What
was it that people were willing to give their lives for him?  Caleb was
positive could see what that appeal was for Amadika and Charis -- purely
sexual attraction.  Givon was a very attractive man.  The only problem
was that he knew it and made each woman a conquest.  Charis had been
Givon's lover for the past yahren.  A lovely young woman by the name of
Laoise had been her predecessor, but Givon had cast her out because she
had fallen out of favor with him.  Givon claimed that she had betrayed
him and the group, but for some reason Caleb suspected more than what
Givon was telling or hinting at.  He knew of Givon's violent temper.
Caleb also knew that Laoise had been a young woman with strong opinions,
who would vocalize those opinions at times without thought to the
consequences for her ac girlfriend
and definitely was not planning on ruining it now.
Starbuck knew he had to now put on the show of his
life, by keeping his questions and curiosities about
the good lieutenant to himself.  Starbuck watched
carefully as the Commander stood and looked at Ranen,
his own questions about the young man and Athena
reflected on his face but just for a micron.  If
Starbuck did not know the Commander as well as he did,
he would never have seen it.  Starbuck knew Ranen
didn't for the man looked like he was ready to jump
out of his skin as he shuffled for a micron, then
stood straighter as he looked at his Commander.
Starbuck was hoping that the Commander would chew the
little insecta up, but he knew better.  Adama's
greatest strength was in the fact that he could stand
there and size up a person by just looking at them,
observing them.  His eyes were his greatest asset for
it gave him the ability to stop most people in their
tracks with just a look.
"Lieutenant," Adama was surprised to seetions.  Perhaps she had spoken out one time too
many for Givon's comfort.
	Caleb cast an eye to the other woman sitting there beside
Charis.  Amadika.  For all of Givon's attempts to make the her another
one of his conquests, the dark skinned woman did not seem the least bit
interested in Givon, but Caleb felt that it was just a matter of time.
The taurian woman was very beautiful to even Caleb's eye and he had
thought that from the first time he met her over 4 sectars ago  She had
joined them while they were working on a project on the Celestra.  Givon
had been impressed with her knowledge and skill with electronics and had
convinced her that she was wasting her talents on a ship that was on a
fool's mission.  Caleb had wondered if she was disillusioned with the
quest the fleet was on, or if there was more to her than met the eye.
She was very silent and closed mouth about herself and her past so that
left Caleb wondering all the more about her.  And it made her even more
attractive to his own this young
man in the company of his daughter.  Athena had been
in a shell of her own making since the destruction and
the ending of her relationship with Starbuck.  Now
here she was in the company of a young man.  Well,
maybe there was definite hope that Athena was going to
spread her wings again and venture into another
relationship.   Adama only wished for his daughter's
happiness and had prayed fervently that Athena would
come out of her self-imposed exile from relationships
to try again. From the glow gracing his  daughter's
beautiful face, so much like his Ila's, it  looked as
though his prayers were about to be answered.

(To be continued...


     `Where in the name of all that's holy IS HE?!?!?!'
Her dark eyes continued to scan the increasingly
exuberant crowd.  He was late, so very late.  She had
to get back or she was going to definitely be missed.
That could cause complications that they did not need
right now.  She had worked too hard to get where she
was, and she was not  self.  Then a soft deep voice broke Caleb's
thoughts.   
	"What makes you think that we will not succeed with Givon's
plan, Caleb?"  Beval asked quietly, his soft voice broke through the
tension between the two men.  Beval was not blinded by Givon's so-called
vision, nor was he blind to the scorpian's need for people to postulate
before him and give tribute that he felt he deserved.  But what Caleb
did not understand was just why Beval believed in Givon as strongly as
he did.  Caleb knew that Beval saw the dark-haired scorpian for what he
truly was, but that still did not stop the dark skinned Cancerian from
joining this group over a yahren ago, just before Caleb joined.  And it
did not stop or hinder in any way his strange devotion to Givon.
	Bevel knew of Caleb's scrutiny of him as he sat there waiting
for a response from Givon.  Unbeknownst to Caleb or anyone else in the
group, Beval himself had his own reasons for joining this strange
hodge-podge of people.  He desired to walk through fielgoing to have it ruined by
someone who could not be at a meeting point on time!
The aggravation that she felt was beginning to show on
her face, because of the strange look that she was
getting from the couple in front of her.
"Hey, sweetheart," said the man, his voice slurred
from too much drink and celebration.  "Your boyfriend
stand you up?"
"Leave her alone, Mika." said the woman beside him in
her lightly accented voice, her annoyance with her
companion showed clearly on her dark skinned face.
"You have had *too* much to drink tonight, which
causes you to have loose lips and a big mouth.  This
lady does not need to listen to you and your insolent
drunken comments."
"Honey, it's a holiday!  It's a time to celebrate!
What in the name of hades have we had to celebrate
lately, Lani?" the man she called Mika replied
jovially, as he placed his arm around his companion's
waist.
"How about being alive!"  Lani replied irritated.  She
turned her attention to the woman.  "I'm sorry if he's
bothds of green grass
again.  To smell the freshness of a spring breeze as he awoke to a new
day.  He had survived the Cylons and their deceptions when the rest of
his family had not.  Try as he might, Beval could not understand why the
Gods had blessed him -- singled him out for survival.  He should have
died on Canceria under the weight of the same columns that had taken the
lives of his father, brother and 2 uncles.  He should have died in the
temple while given tribute to Kahl, the god of deliverance.  But he was
here, amongst the group of other survivors.  But he did not plan to
stay.  And Givon's ideas had fit into Beval's ideas perfectly for the
moment.  
	Caleb turned and looked at the dark-skinned cancerian, wishing
that someone in this room believed as he did -- that Givon was leading
them on a fool's errand.  
	"What makes you think that it will succeed?"  countered Caleb as
he walked over to stand in front of Beval.  The Cancerian gave Caleb a
look that boarded on insolence and that irering you.  Not enough food and too much wine at
this party."
"It's okay" she assured the woman called Lani as she
tried to keep her voice upbeat to match the tone of
this party.  This was all she needed!  Where in the
hades was he?  This lateness problem of his was
getting ridiculous now!  She looked at her chronometer
again and felt the apprehension fill the pit of her
stomach like a hard knot that refused to move.
"I just want to have a good time tonight, Lani."
Mika's voice raised as Lani shushed him, her annoyance
with him was growing and slowly turning to anger each
time he opened his mouth.  He dropped his voice to a
mock whisper.  "Here, does this make you happy?  All I
want is for us to have a holiday like we use to have
on Caprica?  Is that too much to ask for?"
"No, Mika, but you were never a drunk and now you are
turning into one.  This is a party and a celebration.
We use to have good times at the parties we attended
in Caprica City, but lately, all you have wanted to do
is drritated Caleb more than he
could say.  "What makes you think that Commander Adama is going to be
concerned about a single ship that has to stop for repairs because of an
explosion or some sort or a malfunction?  It happens all the time.
These ships are in questionable shape at best.  What we have is in this
fleet is whatever could be found that could fly and make good our escape
before the Cylons returned to kill all of us."
	Given moved his head from side to side as he walked over to
stand beside Caleb.  "You were not listening to what I said.  I said
that the first ship to have an 'accident' would be only that -- the
first ship.  If he does not agree to our demands, which are the demands
of many of the people in the fleet and not just ours, then we will
sabotage another, and another and another until the Caprican enslaver
agrees to release us from our prisons."
	Caleb just rolled his eyes and sighed showing his disbelief of
Givon's claims.  "Adama is not a fool.  He will send his warriors to
ink, and I for one am sick and tired of it."
"Well, I'm sorry.  What more can I do?"  Mika held her
even more tightly to him as she tried to shrug off his
arm and push away.
"Quit drinking.  Go back to being the man you were
before the holocaust."
Mika paused for a moment, his expression and deameanor
changed from that of a drunk, to that of a sober man.
"We have lived through hell and beyond.  How can I go
back to being the same man I was on Caprica after
everything we have gone through?"
"Erika!"  The woman turned her attention away from the
disagreeable couple in front of her, turning to the
sound of the familiar voice, she saw her contact
trying to push through the crowd.
"Looks like you have been found."  Lani tried to smile
brightly, but was clearly disturbed by what Mika had
said.  "Happy holidays to you."
"Same to you."  Erika smiled, hoping some warmth was
there in her voice.  Right now, there was she was
sadly lacking in the holiday spirit that everyone else
seemed to have an ab
investigate what happened to cause the ship to break down and to assist
in repairs."
	"Not a fool?  What do you call a man who is looking for a myth?
A star legend?  There is not a single shred of tangible proof that this
planet exist except in story and legend.." replied Givon sarcastically.
	"Perhaps you could call him a man of faith," replied Amadika in
her soft, lightly accented voice.  "Those men are rare indeed."
	"A man of faith"  Givon scoffed.  "He is no better than a slave
driver.  Delegating us to live in these worthless pieces of junk,
aimlessly wandering through the stars in search of a planet that does
not exist.  We get scraps to eat while the people that serve under him
on that battlestar eat the best foods and have plenty of food so that
their stomachs are full at night.  They have plenty to drink, are not
confined to quarters that are cramped and substandard with no hope of
any privacy.  They have no fear that the battlestar will suddenly stop
running to drift aimlessly amongundance of.  She watched as Lani
dragged Mika with her into the crushing crowd, then
started to turn in the direction that her contact was
arriving from.
"Thank the Lords I found you."  The tall man broke
through the throng to reach her, reaching out and
grabbing her arm to finish turning her towards him.
This crowd was more than even he expected for this
holiday celebration and it didn`t help that the
shuttle he came here on was standing room only.  The
thought crossed his mind fleetingly about the load
capacity of this old derelict, but the anger snapping
in the dark eyes of the woman before him tossed the
thought right out of his mind.
"Where have you been?  You're late!" Erika said
angrily as she looked at the tall, dark blond haired
man that stopped before her.
"Have you seen this crowd???  Have you no idea how
difficult it was to even get on a transport to get
over here?"  The man's voice grew strident as he tried
to keep his voice down.
"Do you realize how many people may die if yost the stars."
	"It is our protection, Givon.  And so are those people who serve
aboard her.  The risk their lives for us every single day." replied
Caleb, his tone showing his frustration with Givon.
	"Who's side are you on, Caleb?"  Givon advanced on the blonde
man, his dark eyes glittering dangerously.  "I thought you wanted to
live on a planet.  Have a life that was worth living.  Not be delegated
to the darkness of these floating derelicts in the vastness of space.
You want to find a woman to love, seal with her and raise children on a
planet with sunshine, plenty of food to eat and water to drink.  Green
grass that they can play in.  Solid ground under their feet."  Givon's
eyes narrowed as they took in Caleb's worried expression.  "Or have you
changed your mind now?"
	"No, I have not changed my mind."  Caleb replied quickly.  "I
just don't think we should have to resort to violence to achieve our
goals.  And especially now, at this time of the yahren."
	"That is what is so perfect aboutu don't
get this information out?!  I'm not clear on just how
much time we have, but I am going to guess that it
isn't much.  A couple of centons at the most!"
"A couple of centons?"  the man's expression
registered shock.  "Your message said this was urgent
but not that time was of the essence.  Even though it
would not have changed how long it took me to get
here, they might have been able to send someone else
to make contact with you.  Someone that was here!"
The man turned, trying to quickly compose his racing
thoughts.  This was not good, not good at all.  He
wished that Erika had just giving him a clue,
something, anything to indicate that this was going to
be a race against time, but she didn't.  Now their
backs were against the wall and he could not see any
way out.  Now with all these people here, almost
packing into the small confines of this rust-bucket.
He tried to look over the crowd that was pushing
against him, then turned his attention back to Erika,
his expression composed it.  The celebrations for
Samhain and Candlemass that will be going on the Ganzantep, and because
of the number of people that will be in attendance for the celebrations,
it is something that would be totally unexpected.  The fact of the sheer
number of people that will be there at one time from all over the fleet
will make it even more tragic and make it more urgent for the Commander
to give us what we demand."
	Caleb didn't want to believe what he was hearing.  "You're
willing to create havoc on a ship full of people celebrating a religious
holiday season?  Givon, do you realize the possible implications and
ramifications of doing something like that?  It is not something that
Adama is going to close his eyes and ignore in the face of your
demands."
	Givon just gave Caleb a sly smile as he slaundered away from
determined blonde haired man.  "Oh, I think he will not be in a position
to negotiate too much.  Caleb, do you happen to remember what colony
celebrated Samhain and Candlemass?"
	Cal.  Nothing on his features
showed the panic he felt inside.  There would be time
to give into the panic later, now was a time for
decisive action.  "What have you found out?"
"Our source inside communicated that the leader was
planning on disabling this ship, taking it over and
holding the people here to celebrate the holiday
hostage."
He couldn`t stop the incredulous look that crossed his
features.  "Is he nuts or just plain insane?!  There
is no way that he is going to get his demands met!
Commander Adama."  the man started to say in
disbelief.
".is here!"  Erika pronounced with a flourish.
The man's expression turned to shock.  "WHAT?!?"
"You heard me!  Commander Adama is here.  He is the
guest of honor and just gave the opening prayer of the
festival."  Erika took a breath and continued, her
tone rushed.   "Also here is his son and daughter."
"Oh my Lord!"  the man felt even more shocked than he
felt just a few microns before.  This was beyond
belief.  It was a well known fact that Adeb thought carefully at the question posed to him.  He knew
that there was some detail that Caleb had not thought of with that
question.  And that bothered him.  Caleb was a stickler for detail.  Now
Givon had the upper hand in this debate and that concerned Caleb.  
	"Caprica."
	"And what planet is our esteemed commander from?"
	The realization of what Givon was thinking hit Caleb.
"Caprica."  Another thought crossed Caleb's mind quickly.  "If you have
some thought that Adama is going to be at that celebration because it is
a holiday from his home world, then you have another thing coming.  It
is a well known fact that Adama rarely, very rarely leaves the Galactica
for any social event."
	"Ah, but it has come to my attention that Commander Adama has
been invited to preside over the Samhain celebration.  And,"  Givon
raised his hand to stop the comment that Caleb was starting to say.  "he
has accepted the invitation.  He will be attending the full three days
of the celebration.  He will be theama almost
never left the Galactica.  He was a man dedicated to
his duty to the survival and protection of his people.
 Erika's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Yeah, they hit the big one this time.  All this time,
everyone thought that Givon was just an overly
spoiled, pampered, power hungry nut.  Well, he hit the
jackpot this time.  Commander Adama and his children
are here.  Captain Apollo and Lt. Athena.  Also here
is Lt. Starbuck and his companion.  And for just a bit
of topping on the cake, Lt. Sheba, who happens to be
the daughter of the legendary Commander Cain and
various other high ranking members of the Caprican
power hierarchy are here."
The tall man seemed to come out of his shock.  "What's
his plan?"
Erika felt frustration sweep over her.  Banyon did
everything in his power to irritate her and make her
life miserable.  Why they were teamed up together was
beyond her, but the Powers That Be of the agency
seemed to think that the two of them would be able to
complement each re, along with his son and daughter
if my source is accurate.  So Adama will have all the more reason to
negotiate with us.  If not to save his own skin, then to save the lives
of his son and daughter."
	"Givon, it is a well known fact that Adama will not negotiate
with anyone involved in terroristic tactics.  Even if it is to save his
life, or the lives of any member of his family."  Amadika stated firmly
as she looked steadily at Givon.  She wondered if he was too taken by
his own plan to see the flaws in his thinking.  Amadika was not a
foolish woman and hated taking unnecessary risk to achieve a goal.  And
right now, Givon's plan depended on the Commander being willing to
negotiate because of a danger to his life or the lives of his loved
ones.  And there was no guarantee that he would.
	"Oh, he will negotiate with us.  Besides himself and his family,
there will be at least 380 other people at this celebration.  Maybe
more.  If he will not do it for himself or his family, he will do it to
other.  The skills that one lacked,
the other had in abundance, but Erika was at the point
that she just wished Banyon would do his job and get
help here and fast.
She took a deep breath, counted silently to 10, then
said in a strident voice.  "Just what I said.  Disable
the ship, make his demands and hope the Commander is
in the mood to negotiate.  If he's not, the Council of
Twelve will all too willingly, and we all know overall
what a bunch of twits they are."
"You've been listening to the boss too long.  He calls
them `The Council of Twits'."
"He's not too far off the mark.  Look, Banyon, you
have to get a message to our superiors.  Then we need
to find Givon and his crew.  They're here somewhere. "
"Like looking for a needle in a haystack."  Banyon's
gaze scanned the surging crowd.
"Well, it's a needle we are going to have to find and
fast.  This could be a recipe for disaster.  This ship
is old, very old and one mistake, one miscalculation
could bring everything down around us.  A lospare the lives of those people.  Those so-called 'innocents.'"  Givon
replied confidently.  As he turned and faced the others, Amadika
shuttered involuntarily at the look that was in the Scorpian's eyes.
Not quite madness, but something that she would estimate was very close
to it.  Now Amadika wondered to herself how far she would go to do what
she had to do.  To fulfill everything she needed to accomplish with this
group.  
	"I just hope that you are right."  Beval slowly stood up to his
full height as Givon took a step back from the tall, muscular man.  "I
am not in the mind to start threatening innocent women and children to
attain a goal.  Your plan is viable if the explosive charge is contained
to the engines and causes damage that is repairable.  And if there is no
real danger to those in the upper levels."
	"I am not a mercenary, Beval.  I do not make war on women and
children.  That has never been the way of my people.  No, but the threat
will be enough to ensure that Adama gives us wt of
people could die."  Erika looked intently at Banyon.
"I will not let another holocaust happen again.  I
will not let other innocent people die without trying
to stop it."
Banyon stared at her intently.  In the few yahrens he
had known and worked with this woman, she had always
seemed so driven to save the survivors, to make sure
they made it to live another day.  But, she
seemed.different right at this micron.  He couldn't
put his finger on it, but there was *something* not
right.  A thought flashed in his mind.
"You expect something to go wrong.  You are expecting
a disaster."
Erika showed her distaste for the leader with her next
words.  "This is Givon.  He is the most dangerous kind
of a fool.  One who thinks that everything he does
will go exactly as he plans.  This ship is old, older
than the Galactica.  She desperately needs refitted,
repairs, and upgrading and none of it will she receive
anytime soon.  A simple explosion in this old ship
could easily get out of hand and cause hat we desire.  Aster and
Tagma have guaranteed me that the explosion will be contained to the
engine room.  I have already selected the people that will secure the
area where the celebration is taking place to keep our hostages
contained.  Everything is planned out.  All we have to do is deal with
the Commander after the plan is in action."
	Beval nodded his head slowly in agreement with the plan that he
heard.  Everything seemed to be under control and to him the plan seemed
to be a viable one.  He looked over at Amadika who was just sitting
there staring straight at Givon with a mixture of emotions on her face
that he could not decipher.  Caleb just remained disbelieving of
anything that Givon said and his expression clearly showed his thoughts.
Beval wondered about him and his strong arguments against what they were
planning to do.  Part of Beval wondered why he was even with the group
if he did not want to do anything to further them getting out of the
fleet and living on a planet.  
	Thea disaster and
we have no place to run to.  People will most
certainly die if this plan goes through.  It is widely
known that Givon is not known to be picky about his
followers nor does he check out their skills or lack
thereof, so yes, I expect a disaster."
Banyon nodded his agreement with her assessment.
"I'll make the report." Banyon replied sternly.  "I'll
also make sure that search teams are sent to the
engine rooms and any other possible target, then I
will be back to help you find Givon."
Erika nodded, then turned to quickly disappear into
the crowd.

***********

     The lightheartedness of the music and the happy sound
of the people's laughter and lighthearted gayety made
Claryise feel as though she had died and gone to
heaven.  The food smelled and tasted like nothing that
she could ever remember in the over 7 yahrens of her
life.  Definitely not at all like the small amount of
rations that her oldest sister Lourdes had to stretch
to feed them in the small cramped space thatn Beval turned his attention to the quietest member of the
group.  Charis just sat there, her face unreadable as she listened to
the discussion, but not contributing to it in any way.  Her eyes
followed Givon's movements and then roved over Caleb with not a hint of
emotion in them.  Beval promised himself that he was going to keep an
eye on her.  Something was not right with that woman.  He did not trust
her.  She was like the high-bred sun cat on Canceria that lived in the
high mountains.  It watched it's prey quietly, silently, then without
any warning, would strike for the kill.  Even in captivity, you could
not trust the sun cat.  Beval planned to be on his guard with her.  
	Givon seemed to be pleased with the reaction that he was getting
from the people assembled and felt strongly that he had successfully
countered any of the annoying Caleb's arguments against Givon's plan.
It was a good plan.  A viable plan.  He would have Adama where he wanted
him, submissive to his will and at Givon's m they
called their quarters.  Her mouth savored the flavors
of the rich, spicy meats and cheeses, creamy puddings
and fresh breads, sweet fruits and vegetables that she
had not tasted in so long.  Claryise even forgot how
she had always stubbornly refused to eat those
vegetables for her parents as she had reached up and
snuck some more of the food off the heavily laden
tables.
As she stuffed the rich, strongly seasoned cheese into
her mouth, she thought to herself, `So this was what
it was like to celebrate the Samhain.'  It was
everything that Natisha said it was.  This was what it
was like to be an adult and get to attend the party
where all you do is laugh and eat.  No wonder her
older sister had look forward to tonight with excited
anticipation, the likes Claryise had not seen in
Lourdes for a long time.  As the young girl sat hidden
under the table greedily consuming her bounty, her
thoughts drifted to the past, when her parents were
alive.  To her life back on Scorpia, before the cylercy.  The white haired
commander would listen to what he had to say and then Adama, in turn
would give him what he wanted.  The power, the authority would be with
Givon and against Adama and that pleased Givon more than he could say.
He would show his followers and the spirits of his ancestors that he was
a true leader of his people.  That his own father's words of Givon's
cowardice would be proven as the lie that it was.  
	Givon smiled as he looked at each person's expression, then
said, "Any other questions?"  He smiled even broader at the silence that
greeted his question.  "Then let us begin our flight to freedom and the
strongest person will be the victor of the spoils."

********
        It was a time of celebration and spending time with family and
friends.  And it just happened to be Apollo's favorite time of the yahren.
The Samhain which culminated on the final day called Candlemass.  Even
though its basis was totally religious, the people of Caprica who followed
the teachings of tons
came and changed everything.
It was funny, she thought to herself.  She could
barely remember her parents and that bothered her more
than she thought possible.  Even though Claryise still
had her two sisters, plus her grandparents who lived
on another ship apart from them, the memories of her
parents was something that Claryise wished that she
could hold on to, or at least hold on to better than
she was right now.  She was often jealous of the fact
that both of her sisters had clear memories of their
parents while Claryise's memories were foggy and
somewhat distant, although she could remember her
mother more clearly than she could remember her
father.  She didn't understand that either since her
mother was around less than their father was.  At
least she could remember her mother's face where all
her memories of her father, such as his face and the
sound of his voice, were almost gone from her mind.
All Claryise could remember of her father was that he
was very tall and had really darhe Koboliana and many more who did not follow the
teachings had made the 3 sectar time into a celebration.  For those who
were deeply religious, it was a time of religious study and renewal.  A
celebration of faith.  A time of thankfulness of the blessing of life.  But
for those who were not religious, the holiday meant a time of celebration,
of family gatherings, brightly decorated homes and businesses. parties and
presents.  It had never fail to surprise Apollo how attendance at the
religious services at the Koboliana Chapels rose dramatically during the
holiday season, then dropped off slowly back to its normal levels after the
celebration of the New Yahren.

        When he was growing up on Caprica, his mother would always be
baking some special treat for the season and preparing feasts with special
holiday confections for gatherings with their family and close friends.
Apollo remembered when he was small, shopping with his mother for the
special decorations that she would put on display ek hair and.something
else.  Claryise thought for a micron as she sat there
stuffing another piece of dark cheese into her mouth.
Ah.his laughter.  She could remember his laughter and
how he seemed to always be laughing, making jokes and
teasing her along with her sisters and brothers until
they would shout at him in frustration.  The sound of
his laughter would make her feel all happy and mushie
inside.  She could remember how his eyes would almost
seem to light up with that laughter.  And.his love of
animals.  He was a trainer of Scorpian Equines, some
of the most beautiful equines in all the 12 colonies,
and her father loved those animals so much.  In truth,
he loved all animals and would tend to them if she or
her siblings would bring an injured animal home to
him, just as he would let them care for a homeless or
unwanted animal until they could find a caring home
for it.
But her mother, her beautiful mother was the person
that Claryise remembered the most about, but for the
life of hervery yahren.  She would
buy special keepsake decorations for each of them, telling them that when
they married and had children, then she would give them the special
decorations that were theirs for their own family's special holiday
displays.  There were the ornaments that he and his siblings would make
every year;  special ones that they would give to both sets of grandparents
and to the many aunts and uncles on both sides of the family.  Plus the
ones that the three of them would create with love and care for their
parents.  It was just a very special time of the yaharen.  With a special
love and closeness that Apollo found himself desperately missing.

        When his father had told him and his sister of the special honor
that was being bestowed upon him, Apollo and Athena both were excited and
pleased.  But then Adama told him that he was considering turning the
request down because of all the problems that Adama had to deal with at the
present time.  Apollo and Athena were both upset wi could not understand why that was so.
Where her father was around the farm all the time, he
was mainly occupied in training his purebred scorpian
equines for the people who paid him at lot of money to
do just that.  Her mother, on the other hand was not
really around Claryise and her brothers and sisters
all that much.  She always seemed to be working,
either around the house, or out in the barn or at her
job in town.  When she wasn't working, her mother
seemed just too tired to even read them a story, but
for whatever reason, her mother was the one parent
that Claryise could remember most about.  Maybe she
remembered her more clearly because her mother never
could spend the time with Claryise that she wanted.
Lourdes talked about their parents all the time.
Where Lourdes and Tyrene looked more like their
father, Lourdes' told Claryise often about how much
she looked like their mother.  The same reddish brown
hair, the same smile, but Lourdes also said that her
eyes were exactly like theirth his decision and let
their father know of their mutual displeasure in no uncertain terms.
Finally, he had given in to their pleas and accepted the honor of presiding
over the Samhain festivities.  Apollo had invited Starbuck and Boomer to
join them since he knew that his father felt that they were practically
members of his family.  Since both were Caprican, they knew the
significance of Samhain season and Candlemass.  And Apollo knew both were
touched by the invitation.  

        Apollo made sure that both his friends understood that Cassie and
Dietra were also more than welcome to join then at the celebrations.
Apollo wasn't sure how Cassie or Dietra would feel about a caprican
holiday, seeing that neither of the two women were not from Caprica.  But
Cassie had been excited and Dietra had heard of the celebration, but had
never had the chance to ever attend.  Both women were excitedly looking
forward to it.

        That left Sheba.  When Apollo had invited her to join them, Apollo
cou father's.  That same
clear green with some flecks of blue thrown in for
good measure, but Lourdes told her that the blue in
her eyes never showed until she would get angry or
upset.  Claryise stuffed another piece of cheese into
her mouth chewing slowly as she thought about her
parents.  They seemed happy to her, but were they?
With her mother always gone and her father with his
horses, they seemed to be apart more than they were
together.
Claryise tried to think about the times her parents
were together with her siblings, but the memories were
fleeting.  She wanted to keep a hold of everything
that she could, wondering if the time would come where
she wouldn't remember her parents at all.  Claryise
never wanted that to happen because she loved her
parents, no matter what.  She loved them and she knew
that they loved her.  Her mother would tell her when
she came in to tuck Claryise in for the night how much
she loved her and to have sweet dreams.  Claryise
stuck another piece of cheese inld see that she had been touched by his invitation, and maybe a bit
unsure how to take the invitation from him.  Apollo knew that each planet
had celebrated this time differently and had different traditions.  Sheba
had been raised on Gemon with it's traditions instead of the traditions of
her mother's home world.  But to Apollo, his invitation for Sheba to
accompany him touched something else inside of him.  Something that he was
not quite sure if he was ready to admit or deal with.  But her acceptance
was very important to him.  After he had taken her hand and asked her if
she would come, she had agreed.  Apollo had been very happy when she
accepted.  

        As it worked out, Boomer and Dietra each had patrols for the
Opening events to be held on the Gaziantep tonight, but they would be
joining the others the next morning and were willing to bring Boxey with
them for the rest of the festivities.  Boxey had been so excited as he had
watched his father dress for the evening.  He understood wto her mouth as she
brushed away with the back of her hand the tears that
escaped and rolled down her cheek.  She was not a
crybaby, but she just couldn't help it.  Every time
she thought of her family, she cried.  She even cried
over her younger brother Buryl, who thought that
teasing and tormenting Claryise was the best thing in
the 12 worlds.  She had felt that she hated him and
had told him so, in fact shouted it at him, only
centons before the attack came.
Claryise angrily brushed the sudden rush of tears
falling down her cheeks away with her hand, then
stuffed another piece of cheese into her mouth.  She
hated feeling like this, and she wanted it to go away.
 Maybe that's why wanted to come here so badly.  Maybe
she wanted to forget the sadness that she felt when
she thought of her family that was gone.  She wanted
to be strong, especially for her sister Lourdes.
Her sister didn't know that Claryise heard her crying
at night and that the sound of her crying made
Claryise cry too.  Thhy he could not
join them tonight, but looked forward with barely contained excitement to
tomorrow's festivities.  Especially since the day was centered around
children.  And Apollo had to smile at the pride Boxey displayed that his
grandfather was going to preside over the opening festivities.  

        Now in the company of his loved ones, Apollo was letting his ever
vigilant guard down and that was something he rarely did.  But now, in the
comforting presence of friends and family, dressed in his civilian finery
for the occasion, he dropped his guard and his persona of Captain in favor
of a relaxed, teasing demeanor that was the Apollo that he showed to so
few.  And something else Apollo realized with a start as he sat there
listening to the light, teasing bantering between Cassie, Sheba and
Starbuck, was that he had not thought of Serina once during the past
sectar.  Not even in passing.  And he felt a little perplexed by that
realization.  And it bothered him a little.  

        It wasat's why Claryise would not show
any signs of sadness or grief in front of her oldest
sister.  She felt that was the only way to protect
Lourdes from feeling any more pain, crying any tears
over her.  She knew her sister worried more than she
let on -- food was scarce, water was rationed, and
their quarters are small and cramped, but her
grandmother told them repeatedly that they were lucky
they were alive.  They were lucky that they gathered
what possessions survived the attack.
Claryise even grabbed her little feline and hid her in
her possessions to get her aboard the ship.  No one
outside of her, Tyrene, Lourdes and their grandparents
knew she was there.  Kitya didn't eat that much and
she didn't drink that much.  Claryise shared her
rations with her pet, as did her sisters.  They had a
place for Kitya to go to the bathroom and had
fashioned a feline box so that Kitya had a place to
stay hidden when the girls left their quarters, so
Claryise felt that everything was fine.  But she knew
 something that he was noticing with more regularity -- that
his thoughts were not on Serina and his memories of her.  Instead they were
being filled with his position on the Galactica, his family, his son, his
friends and enjoying life more every single day.  And that surprised him as
well as drew his thoughts into a puzzling direction.  

        Was it finally happening?  Was it as his father, his sister and his
friends had forecasted after Serina's death, when he had been so overcome
with his grief that he rebuffed their attempts to comfort?  That she would
become just a memory to him some day?  A treasured memory, but a memory
just the same.  Apollo realized that the pain of her loss had diminished
more and more as time had passed.  In fact now that he thought about it,
his thoughts were straying more and more each day to the woman beside him.
As Apollo quietly stole a glance at Sheba, whose hand was grasped firmly in
his own, he realized that even though he had tried thinking and feeling

that others would not feel that way.  She had heard
things, things she didn't like, so she kept the secret
of her feline close to her heart.  Not even her best
friend Natisha knew.
Someone bumping the table that she was hiding under
brought Claryise's thoughts back to the party.  She
hoped that Lourdes was having a good time here as she
parted the tablecloth and looked out at the feet that
seemed to be everywhere.  Well, there was no way that
she was going to get out of here and make her way to
any of the other tables, so she sat back and stuffed
another piece of cheese in her mouth.

**********

     Eyes darted across the crowded room taking in all the
people partaking of the abundance of food and drink.
Such a waste, he thought.  Such a terrible waste.
These people, these refugees acting as though nothing
in all of the twelve worlds was wrong.  They acted
like they were still living on Caprica.  In the safety
and security of the colonies.  That there was an
abundance of everything liabout her as he would any of his friends, he knew that his feelings for her
were more than just friendship  -  how he thought of Starbuck, Boomer, and
even Cassie.  

        Instead he found that his thoughts, actions and feelings towards
her were taking a decidedly different turn.  A turn that he did not want
them to take, but found that they were going in that direction more and
more.  Apollo had known when he left on that mission to destroy that
basestar, that he was feeling too comfortable to Sheba.  Too close.  He had
not felt that way since Serina.  And his thoughts about her were taking a
very decidedly different turn - a turn that six sectars ago he would have
fought against.  Now though, the more that he thought about this turn in
his emotions regarding Sheba, his feelings, he found that he really wasn't
interested in putting up a fight with himself anymore.  That he found Sheba
compelling.  Perplexing at times.  

        Apollo had observed lately the many moods and facets of Shebake there was before.  Such
fools.
     He shook his head as he walked amongst the party
goers, frustration and annoyance both being felt at
the heart of his being.  How long had it been?  Over a
yahren.   Nearly two?  Not that long since the end of
the life they all knew, not long at all.  Memories of
the life that they lost flooded his mind as he looked
at the people before him.  Looking for familiar faces
that he knew he would not find.  They were dead.  All
dead.  His friends.  His family.  His beloved Letitia.
 His 2 sons, Dylan and Micha.  His little daughter
Layla.  All dead.  All lost to him.  His farm on
Caprica.  The life that he had built on the
foundations of his ancestors.  All destroyed as though
it had never been.
But it had been.  It had existed.  He had worked so
hard to help build that farm on a more stable business
foundation, to secure it's continued existence for his
children and his grandchildren just as his grandfather
and father had done.  His shoulders sagged slight's
personality.  She could be very funny, even when she messed up a punch line
to someone else's joke.  And she loved to tease Apollo.  Torment him to the
point that he couldn't stop laughing with her, or was so flustered by her
teasing he couldn't think of a good retort so Apollo would just stutter as
he tried desperately to think of a good come back.  Her pensive mood where
Apollo would do just about anything to make her smile at him.  Her loyalty
to her friends, the love that she willingly shared.  But he also called her
confusing, irritating, stubborn, plus argumentative just to name some more.  


        But Apollo also found that he looked forward to their verbal
sparring matches, sometimes just to see how angry he could really get her.
He looked forward to sitting with her in the Officer's Club, even if
Starbuck and Boomer were with him.  He found that he truly listened to what
she had to say.  Asked her opinion on things more easily and readily than
he had in the past.  He discovered ly
making him seem older than he really was as he made
his way through the crowded throng of partygoers.  Now
it was all gone.  His future was a shambles, what
dismal future he had left.
     His family was gone.  His reason for living was gone.
 Hatred burned in him like a fire in the pit of his
stomach.  He hated this holiday.  He hated it with a
passion.  It was a crock.  A farce.
     He stopped and looked around the crowded room, the
hatred continued welling up in him.  All of this to
celebrate a God...a creator that deserted them.  Left
them to an existence that they were living now.  This
was not life.  This was not any way for them to live.

     His mind thought about death.  What was it like?  He
reached in his pocket and felt the small but effective
plyant square of explosives.  Maybe, just maybe, if he
was lucky, he would soon find out.

*********


********

     The dark haired man slowly walked over to his viewing
portal, stroking his mustache and beard thoughtfully
athat she was really nothing like the
first impression he had of her.  That most of that was a defense  --  a
defense at being Commander Cain's daughter.  A defense that he knew very
well himself.  

        Apollo sat back as he watched with a smile of bemusement as Cassie
point out something that Starbuck did not want to hear.  And true to form,
Starbuck was having none of it.  Sheba was beside Apollo, laughing as she
knew as well has Apollo himself did that Starbuck had been caught somehow
and was not going to give in gracefully.  No, he was going down fighting.
Apollo watched how her dark eyes seemed to light up with mirth and
happiness as she egged Starbuck on.  When they had first met, Apollo had
thought that she was one of the most obstinate, stubborn, and most
irritating woman that he had ever met in his life.  He felt such a dislike
for her, but it was tempered with this intense attraction for her that he
fought stubbornly against.  She affected him in ways that he had not felt
since Ss he looked over the report that arrived just a few
microns ago.  It was disturbing, very, very
disturbing.  How had they come to this?  To hear about
this proposed settlement idea on the floor of the
Council's chambers was one thing, especially out of
preening fools such as Achmed and Guerin, but to find
out that this idea, plan, fool's dream, whatever, was
not just confined to some idealistic, simple-minded
elected fools was another.  This was sheer insanity!
These men and women were in need of commitment!  They
were dangerous to society, what little society was
left.  There was not a way in the 12 worlds that this
fleet could survive a resettlement at this micron.
Ramses shook his head slowly from side to side as he
read the report further.  Did they completely loose
all sense of reality?  That Count Iblis stirred up
more dissention amongst the survivors than anyone was
fully aware of.  That demi-god planted a small seed of
an idea, which was finding a planet to live on, NOT
finding Earterina and he had sworn not to feel that way for any woman again.
But he kept losing the battle where Sheba was concerned.  She was just too
much like him, so devoted to her father.  Nothing he or anyone else could
say would sway her from her stance of total support for Cain and his ideas
at Gamoray.  Not even if they were foolish and not in the best interest of
the civilians that they were protecting.  

        But in reality, the more Apollo thought about it, was he so
different from Sheba?  And it slowly dawned on him that if all things were
considered, that he was _not_ that much different from Sheba.  Apollo was
solidly by his father's side, believing fully in his father's ideals and
his dreams.  And Apollo would fight anyone who said anything against his
own father.  Slandered him, or disagreed with Adama's dreams.  And back at
Gamoray, that was exactly what it was.  Two commanders, with different
styles of command and different ways of getting things done, clashing over
the direction nech, along with questioning Commander
Adama's ability to lead the fleet in some addle
brained fools head and now they were paying the price
as these seeds were taking root.  Hades, they were
past taking root, they were growing out of control.
Did these people not realize that there was more to
resettlement than just finding a planet whose
environment was comparable to the colonies?
To settle *anywhere* the Fleet would have to find the
*perfect* system to settle in.  Even if they found the
perfect place tomorrow, there was at least 2 yahrens
of study and research that would have to be done
before all people of the fleet were settled on a new
home planet.  There would have to be lengthy studies
of air, water, planetary atmospheric conditions and
patterns.  Let's not forget, the human race has needs
that have to be met - food, natural resources,
seasonal cycles, weather pattern, animal and plant
life would have to be studied and studied again.
There would be so much to do, just thinking about itessary to achieve the objective.  Because Adama received
his commission before Cain, his word was final.  And Cain was not going to
listen.  

        That set the stage for the Commander's daughter and the Commander's
son to clash headlong into each other, both staunchly supporting a father
that they adored, idolized, and totally believed in.  It was funny to think
that Cain was Apollo's boyhood idol.  Apollo had studied everything about
the zealous, overly confident commander -  his tactical strategies at the
Battle of Alomar, the Varcona skirmishes with the cylons, the encounters
with the Akranian Starships.  Apollo had collected, studied and memorized
everything he could regarding Cain, his career and his battles tactics and
strategies.  He could remember seeing Cain from a distance a different
military social events that Apollo had been required to attend.  But the
young Apollo seemed to always escape from the adult functions to run
outdoors, doing things kids always seemed to do, never ta
almost boggled Ramses' mind.  What were these
misguided fools thinking of???  Were they even
thinking?  Obviously not!
     Ramses knew that Achmed and Guerin had literally lost
the reasonable and rational portion of their minds
since those two were amongst several of the elected
Council who fell deeply under Count Iblis' spell.
Achmed was the son of a high ranking official on the
Taurquire region of Scorpia.  He was use to having
someone else clean up after him, prepare and take care
of everything for him, while he did just as he
pleased.  Guerin, however was another story.  His
family were farmers and ranchers on Sagittaria.  He
knew what it was to put in a hard days work to be able
to eat and have a home.  Ramses was in the dark as to
where Guerin was coming from with this resettlement
idea.  He only wished he had had more time after the
Council meeting to talk with Guerin alone, away from
Achmed, to get his true insight on this idea and where
he was coming from.  Was he just under Achking the time to
meet the man he admired.  Missed opportunities.  There were times when
Apollo wondered if he had taken the time to meet Cain, would he have met
Sheba then too?  And how would his life have changed if he had taken the
opportunities that he passed by and met her then instead of when he did?  

        Apollo pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he sat there
struggling with feelings that he was not quite sure he was ready to deal
with concerning the woman beside him.  He had continually fought his
emotions regarding how he felt about her until Apollo realized recently
that he should just give up the fight.  Give in to what he was feeling.
When Sheba fell under the spell of Count Iblis, and he willingly gave his
life to save her own, Apollo had denied what he felt for her even then,
hiding behind the guise of close friendship.  Starbuck would just give him
looks that only Starbuck would dare give to Apollo. Or make comments that
had Apollo biting his tongue so that the crass remed's
influence or was this truly something he believed in?
Still, even to broach this delicate, if not explosive
subject to the Council at this time was sheer
insanity.  Commander Adama had to be commended for
keeping his temper in check with the Council.  Even if
his quest for their sister tribe was not an option, if
they were wandering without any real direction, the
direction that would need to be taken would be that
the survivors would need to find a new place to
settle.  To re-group.  To grow.  Ramses felt the
beginnings of a headache make itself known by the
twinges of pain he felt in his temples.  He knew that
re-settlement was a future goal, whether it be on
Earth or on another planet they encounter in their
travels.  What did the Council, and for that matter,
the population think?  That they were going to wander
around aimlessly in space for yahrens to come?
     But, in truth, Ramses had to admit that he had heard
the rumblings regarding re-settlement for quite a
while, even as tort he wanted to say
would not slip past his lips.  But Starbuck knew what his friend was
thinking and would just smirk because he _knew_, then move on.  

        Finally, Apollo started spending more time in Sheba's company.
Looking forward to evenings out with her in the company of Cassie and
Starbuck, or just private times alone together, talking with her.  Sharing
with her things that Apollo didn't feel that Starbuck or Boomer would
understand.  Such as being his father's child and the legacy that he had to
live up to.  Understand how he was always under the microscope with others
who were waiting for him to make a slip, a mistake, an error that they
could use against him or his father.  That no matter how much he wanted to
break out and be himself, no matter how much he wanted to deck someone who
made a derogatory comment against his father, Apollo had to always let
whatever had angered him slide without retaliation or retribution.  Sheba
understood these things.  She had lived her life far back as since their adventure at
Carillon.  Find a planet or for that matter several
planets, rebuild what the people had in the colonies,
build weapons that can be used against the Cylons,
then strike!  Bring the Cylon Empire to its knees!
Ramses had admitted aloud that he disagreed with that
rhetoric, but what can you tell people who were raised
and lived their whole lives during wartime?  People
who have never known peace and what fortunes it can
bring?  All they have ever known is war, war and more
war.  A thousand yahrens is a hell of a long time to
fight a war with a bunch of machines.  That is all the
Cylons are -- a bunch of sophisticated machines.
There are no more *real* cylons -- they didn't last
the war's duration.
If Ramses alone had to draw a conclusion as to who was
at the forefront of this movement for re-settlement,
he would have had to point his own finger at Achmed
for one, but also at Shek Hassan of Scorpia, who
happened to be Achmed's great-grandfather.
Thankfully,in the same house of
glass.  Even with Cain gone, his fate unknown, Sheba still had to prove
herself time and time again to people on the Galactica.  And live up to her
father's legend.  Just as Apollo had to live in his father's shadow.

"Two cubits for your thoughts." a soft voice intruded.  Apollo looked over
in surprise as Sheba sat there quietly watching him.  Apollo glanced over
across the aisle at Starbuck and Cassie, both were talking quietly to each
other, and preparing to land on the Gaziantep.  Apollo turned to look back
at his father and sister only to discover that they were also sitting
quietly, his father's eyes closed as he leaned his head back against the
headrest of the shuttle seat and Athena looked as though she was in deep
contemplation about something.  Apollo turned his attention back to Sheba.

        "Is anything wrong, Apollo?" 
        Apollo shook his head.  "No, nothing's wrong.  Just lost in my
thoughts."

        "Anything you want to talk about?" 
        "N the great-grandson could assess a dire
situation more quickly than his great-grandfather or
neither would have survived the holocaust, even though
Achmed detesting leaving his home world, feeling that
they would have stayed and fought for their homes, for
their freedom.  But when he saw the Cylons marching
through his village, murdering any humans that
survived the initial attack, he grabbed his
grandfather, what remained of his family along with
whatever they could find to bring with them, running
to the evacuation site.  As Achmed had told the tale
to Ramses, he realized then there was no hope, nothing
left of the sophisticated and highly technical
defenses of each colony, nor was there anything left
of even the mighty battlestars that defended their
homes.  The cylons had effectively destroyed them
along with everything else.  So he left, vowing then
to return to reclaim what was theirs.  Ramses had to
give Achmed credit, at least he had listened to the
call to leave.
Unfortunately, Acothing important.  Just thinking about some things." 
        "Well," Sheba replied as she disentangled her hand from his and
fastened her restraint in preparation to land on the Gaziantep.
"Hopefully, those thoughts were not pertaining to duty or to the Galactica
in any way, shape or form.  You are suppose to be resting, relaxing and
celebrating.  You promised me food, good ambrosia and dancing tonight and I
am looking forward to it so you'd better deliver."  Sheba tried to be
upbeat and flippant, keeping her feelings out of what she said.  She wished
she could add that she was looking forward to the pleasure of his company
while sharing this Caprican holiday.  

        Apollo gave Sheba a smile that nearly knocked the normally
confident woman off her stride, then he turned to fasten his seat
restraint.  She was trying to keep this trip light and not too serious but
Apollo's actions this whole flight over to the Gaziantep was making it very
difficult for her to do.  Here she had been working hmed's great grandfather was raised
on the belief that since he was royalty, he should
rule and everyone should bow down to him and his
decisions.  Ramses knew that the Shek was a man who
felt that he should have been elected to the Council
of Twelve and made it's President.  It was well known
around the Council table that the elderly Shek felt
strongly that there was no one with the ability to
lead the people except himself.  Shek Hassan felt that
he was meant to rule all of the survivors of all the
colonies, since he was the senior member of the Yassin
line.  Ramses just felt the old Shek was very narrow
minded.  It seemed that it was convenient for him to
forget that Commander Adama was descended from a very
old and respected bloodline, as well as several other
members of the Council.
     As Ramses read the report further, he was not the bit
surprised by the information contained in this next
section.  The second part of the report was from an
operative who had penetrated inside a very determinedly trying to
keep her emotions under a tight rein considering the fact she knew that
Apollo wanted nothing to do with a 'relationship' at that micron.  

        The way Apollo termed it over two sectars ago, they were 'very
close friends.'  Of course as Cassie pointed out to her many times the past
several sectars, just how many "close friends" held hands as they did,
preferred each others company alone and away from other people, went to the
Rising Star for private dinners.  Cassie had laughingly told Sheba one time
that for as close as Starbuck and Apollo are, if Apollo ever took Starbuck
over to the Rising Star for a private dinner, that Cassie would have to
seriously re-evaluate her relationship with Starbuck.  Sheba had just
smiled, wishing she could put some stock in Cassie's observations.  But
Sheba had been disappointed before in relationships.  

        Even though Sheba was not really content with the slow pace of her
growing relationship with Apollo, but she was willing small but
radical re-settlement movement.  This individual's
report was regarding a potentially dangerous situation
that could be devastating to the fleet if it was not
stopped.  Rameses sighed as he read the name of the
leader of the group.  Why was he not surprised?  The
leader was none other than Givon. a Scorpian tribal
prince who just happened to be the nephew to Shek
Hassan.  This was just unbelievable.  No, no, that
wasn`t quite accurate.  He should have expected it,
given what he knew about Givon.
The tired councilor groaned inwardly as he placed the
report on the table beside him, then looked out his
view port at the stars passing by.  Why did he have a
suspicion that it could be Givon.  Who else?  Ramses
knew Givon, not well, but he had met him back on
Scorpia when he was then the first in line for his
father's title and the power that came with it.
Ramses had socialized in the same social circle as
Givon beside attended several diplomatic functions
with his parents where the Scoto do whatever it
took to make Apollo comfortable with her.  She knew how much he had loved
his wife and how much he grieved for her, almost acting obsessed with her
memory.  She thought of the changes that had occurred over the past 6
sectars between them -- since the confrontation between the two of them on
the cylon fighter.  When she accused him of having a death wish.  When she
told him how she felt.  And when she kissed him.  

        Sheba let her mind drift back over the memories of that time.
Sheba had waited quietly in the wings when Apollo returned from that
mission, waiting for him in the Celestial Dome, crying and praying for his
safe return.  She had ran to the landing bay from the bridge then watched
as Cassie greeted Starbuck in a fashion Sheba wished fervently she could
have done with Apollo.  As Adama had passed her to greet his son, Sheba had
slipped away into the shadows for the first time in her life, afraid that
she had totally ruined any future she had with Apollo by herrpian leadership was
also in attendance.  Even then, Ramses had heard
rumors, not proven to be true, but rumors and
rumblings still the same about Givon and his quest -
to be Shek!  He did not want to be the heir to his
father's lands, he wanted to unseat his uncle and have
it all.
     Ramses' gaze moved to the multitude of stars passing
outside of his portal.  At least he never coveted his
father's position, serving on the Marrousea District
High Tribunal.  From a colonial diplomat to a Chief
Overseer of the Virgonian Tribunal.  Ramses never
wanted the stress and burdens his father carried with
his career in the diplomatic corps, then to the
courts, but now as a member of the Council of Twelve,
Ramses himself had the stress and burden in abundance.

     Ramses knew what he needed to do, knew the order that
he needed to give.  He still needed more information
about the overall situation.  This report was 24
centars old.  Hopefully, the situation was not as
critical as the operative was  actions in the
raider.  Afraid she had ruined their friendship even.  But to her surprise,
Apollo had searched for her all over the Galactica where finally he had
found her in the observation dome.  Alone, looking at the stars.  They had
sat there quietly for what seemed to be an eternity, then he had taken her
hand in his and held it, not saying a word.  Sheba finally looked at him,
unsure of what to say.  Unsure what any of what was happening meant and
afraid to ruin the moment by jumping to conclusions and doing something
impulsive.  He had finally spoke, agreeing with her observations.  

        But then he had asked her for patience with him.  That he was
confused about what he felt for her and unsure if he was ready for another
relationship.  Especially one with a warrior.  He asked her for patience
and when he was ready, he would let her know.  Sheba was not known for
patience, but for this man, she felt that she would have the patience that
would marvel the tales of the infinite patiesuggesting.  Ramses
could only pray that the decision he was about to make
was the right one.

*****
nce of the Twelve Lords of
Kobol.   

        Surprisingly, Starbuck of all people had also cautioned her to give
Apollo time and space.  Let him move forward at his own pace and he would
eventually open himself up to her.  She was grateful for the fact that
Starbuck, whose friendship with Apollo and protectiveness of him was part
of Galactica legend, believed in her enough to impart those words of advice
to her.  She hugged Starbuck in thanks for being there for both Apollo and
her.  But what next had struck them both as humorous was Apollo had rounded
the corner as Sheba and Starbuck had hugged each other.  The Captain had
just stood there with a funny look on his face, which had quickly
disappeared, but Starbuck had smiled at that look, almost pleased with
himself.  Starbuck had then whispered to her, "Just listen to ole Uncle
Starbuck.  I won't steer you wrong."

        Sheba leaned back in her seat as the shuttle completed its final
approach to the ship, her eyes closed as she tried to