The Galactican Renaissance:  Routines

"It has been nearly five sectons since we fled the
system where we released Baltar without any sign of
Cylon pursuit," Adama said as he watched his words
appear on the monitor while he made the log.  "Long
range patrols were doubled, but with each passing
sectarie, we grow more confident that we managed to
elude the Cylons once more.  I have recommended to
Colonel Tigh that we put our warriors back on a
regular patrol schedule with only the sectors between
us and the last known coordinates of the Basestars
maintaining a doubled patrol.

"As the fear of being discovered by Cylons passes,
talk is once again centering on searching for the
ships of light.  With regular broadcasts on the IFB,
Tollen and the Illuminati have become a driving force
behind the movement.  The diverse opinions concerning
the Illuminati and our quest to find Earth has caused
major rifts throughout the Fleet.  The ever present
argument has even set the Council of Twelve at odds
and I'm at a loss at how to quell it.

"In truth, part of me would like to go find those
beings again, but I know to search the stars would be
pointless.  They were from another dimension, another
time and I have a feeling that we haven't seen the
last of those travelers no matter what course we take.


"The Book of the Word speaks of several visitations
from the Guardian Lights.  Although the specifics were
lost through the passage of time, we do know that each
visitation brought about great change.  The war
between good and evil ceaselessly plays out through
human existence and I have to wonder if those
celestial beings, those.angels, have come to us to
prepare us for a new battle ahead.

"Given our current status, we have stopped the Fleet
within orbiting range of a habitable planet to give
our maintenance crews time to make repairs on various
ships.  Our long journey has tested the limits of many
of the vessels in the Fleet, but our bounty of Cylon
parts has given us hope that all ships can be saved.

"We are also taking the opportunity to restock our
supplies.  Several of the planets in the system
contain ores and minerals that we can utilize in the
Fleet.  On the one habitable planet, a crew is
clearing away some of the trees to replenish our
dwindling paper supply while another is gathering
fresh seed and vegetation.

"Since this system appears to be uninhabited, I have
approved visitation to the nearest planet by our
civilian population.  Relaxation in the virtual
paradise has lifted the spirits of all of our
personnel.  Large tents and crude structures have been
erected to provide shelter as well as nourishment.
The passengers have dubbed the planet Eden and I must
say it's a well chosen name.  It has a mild climate
with limited wildlife, but an abundance of
fruit-bearing plants and trees.  We have found some
ruins on the planet and have a team of specialists
collecting any information they can about the people
who once lived there.

"Dr. Salik has been keeping me updated on the new
passengers we have in the Fleet.  The children born
with an addiction to the agro pod food are faring well
after Dr. Salik created a new formula for the infants
that is saturated with the agro food.  Many of the
children deteriorated until it was discovered that
only the children no longer being breast fed by their
mothers were failing.  The usual infant formula simply
wasn't providing the nutrition that the children
needed to survive.  In a few centars, Dr. Salik will
be bringing all of the children together to see how
they interact."

Adama sighed as he looked at the flashing cursor on
his report.  "For the first time, there is a sense of
normalcy in the Fleet.  Men and women are getting
sealed.  Children are being born.  New inventions are
being implemented.  Schools have been organized and
staffed with trained personnel."  He shook his head.
"So why do I have a sense of foreboding?"

~~~

"Well that was fun," Starbuck said as he stretched
then rubbed the back of his neck.  He had just
finished a training flight with one of the new cadets
and had been tossed around ceaselessly.

Apollo chuckled and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"Don't worry buddy.  That was the last one."

"Thank the Lords for that," Boomer inserted.  "I can't
remember the last time I logged this much flight
time."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that for awhile,"
Apollo assured him.  "Now we've got to figure out
which cadets are qualified to join one of the
squadrons.  I'm going to need recommendations from all
of you."

"I've already got my list ready," Sheba returned.
"Several of the people I flew with had promise, but I
think that they can do with a little more simulator
time."

"That's good because I'm going to need your help
restructuring the squadrons.  Blue Squadron is
supposed to be the Commander's flag squadron, but we
have a number of cadets still in the squad."

"Since Silver Spar has joined us, it's not going to be
an easy task to select the best," Boomer warned.  "A
list of criteria would probably be the best way to go,
but checking it again every pilot's file will take
awhile."

"I think we have the right team for the job," Apollo
returned as he looked at the other three.

Starbuck groaned.  "So much for some R&R on the
planet."

"Captain Apollo report to Galactica Bridge," Rigel's
voice ordered over the telecom.  "Captain Apollo to
Galactica Bridge."

"Do I hear a reprieve?" Starbuck said hopefully as he
put a hand to his ear to better hear the announcement.

Apollo chuckled.  "You're not that lucky," he
returned.  "The Commander told me that he would be
calling to discuss the impending promotions as soon as
he could make time available.  So that means I need
your flight reports now."

"Oh frack," Starbuck groaned again.

~~~

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Commander," the short,
spindly man said as he walked into Adama's office to
find the Commander sitting behind his desk.  "I'm
actually a little surprised that they let me come in
here."  He glanced around nervously as Adama rose to
greet him.  "I'm.uh.Delos' father."

"Ah yes.  Eamon, isn't it?"

His eyes betrayed his surprise.  "Yes sir," he
returned and shook the Commander's arm.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Adama said solemnly.

Eamon nodded.  "Thank you.  It's.uh.actually Delos
that I wanted to see you about."  He brought up a
small package wrapped in crumpled brown paper and held
it between both of his hands.  "My son.was working on
this just before he died."  He stared at the package
as the memory of Delos hunched over his notes had him
struggling to force the lump out of his throat.  "It
had gotten misplaced in his things," he explained.
"We have so little space, my youngest son and I that
we simply packed up Delos' belongings.  It wasn't
until recently that I sorted through them and found
this."  He slowly handed it over to Adama's care.  "I
can't really make sense of it, but there's a note on
the first page about you."

Adama pulled back the brown paper to see the message
that he was referring to.  Adama must read had been
underlined three times in Delos' own hand.  He quickly
flipped through a few of the pages and was surprised
by the designs.  "These look like navigation charts."
The handwriting was shaky, but the star charts were
detailed with notes off to the side.

"Yeah," Eamon returned uneasily.  "Delos was into all
sorts of things before."  He scratched the back of his
head and cleared his throat.  "Anyway, I really don't
have room for much and I thought that you might be
interested in seeing it."  His brows drew together as
his eyes started to shimmer.

"Delos was a brilliant man," Adama said softly.  "I'd
be honored to look at any of his work although I'm not
sure I'll understand much of it either."

Eamon chuckled nervously then nodded.  "Yeah, he
talked over my head most nights.  I.uh.also want
to.thank you."  He cleared his throat once more.  "I
heard that you let Delos fly in one of your Vipers."
He stopped and bowed his head.  Once he was sure that
he could control his emotions, he looked back up at
Adama.  "That was something that he has wanted to do
since he was old enough to say Viper."

He could feel his heart going out to this man who had
lost his son.  Adama knew all too well what that felt
like.  "Brie, the warrior that took him out told me
that Delos' last words were to thank her for giving
him the flight of his life."

Eamon squeezed his eyes shut as several tears escaped.
 He had been beside himself when he heard of his son's
death on the Galactica, but it had given him some
comfort to know that Delos had been given the
opportunity to fly.

"Would you like a drink?" Adama offered belatedly.

Eamon hurriedly dried his cheeks with the palm of his
hand.  "No, no thank you."  He sniffed.  "I never
touch the stuff."

Adama smiled warmly as he continued to collect
himself.  "How is your youngest son fairing?  Is he
old enough to attend instructional sessions?"

"Old enough, but we have no way of getting him to any
of the sessions," Eamon admitted.  "We're living in
one of the converted storage facilities with a couple
of other families and I do what I can to instruct him
on the basics."

Adama frowned.  "Doesn't the shuttle come to your ship
for the students?"

"Oh yes sir."  He shifted uncomfortably.  "It just
that, since we are lacking buildings in need of
repair, my son and I have to scrounge what we can.
Gav runs errands while I do what maintenance I can for
whatever people can afford.  It's usually not much."

Adama's mind raced as he made a mental note to find a
way to ensure all the children in the Fleet were
receiving a proper education.  "You wouldn't happen to
know anything about turbo lifts, would you?"

Eamon looked at him in confusion.  "Yeah, actually I
use to help with the installation of lifts back in the
Colonies."

"Would you be interested in a post here on the
Galactica?" he offered spontaneously.

"At this point, Commander, I'll take anything I can
get."

"Excellent.  We have been having problems with the
turbo lifts in the Gamma section for several sectons.
I'll be sure to alert Omega so that he can find you
and your son some quarters."

"Quarters?" he repeated unwilling to let himself
believe.

"I'm afraid they won't be first class accommodations,
but I think that there may be a two bedroom
available."

"A what?" he returned breathlessly.  His eyes darted
as he tried to imagine the look on his son's face at
having his own room.

"Oh!  The instructors on the Galactica are quite good.
 I'm sure that Gav won't have any trouble catching up
once you get situated.  Our warriors have been pulling
double duty as maintenance workers so they will no
doubt welcome the reprieve."  Adama put his hand on
Eamon's shoulder and smiled at his blank expression.
"Why don't you go tell your son to start packing while
I have Omega make the arrangements?"

~~~

"Colonel," Apollo said in greeting as he walked onto
the bridge and glanced around.  "I was expecting to
see my father."

Tigh held up his finger for Apollo to hold for a
centon.  "Omega.  The Commander and I will be in his
office until further notice.  Contact us there if
anything arises."

"Yes sir," Omega returned.

Tigh walked down the short flight of stairs then
gestured for Apollo to lead the way to Adama's office
just off of the bridge.  "Commander," Tigh said to
alert him of their presence as he followed Apollo into
the room.

Adama looked up then quickly saved the data he was
working on.  "Ah, good.  Have you finished testing the
new cadets?" he asked Apollo as he stood from behind
his desk.

"Only just," Apollo returned.  "I already have some of
the recommendations worked up, but we're not quite
finished with the reports."

Adama took the data pad his son handed him and gave it
a passing glance before depositing it on his desk.
"Are there any promising cadets?"

"One or two," he returned elusively.  "I think that
we'll finally have enough to fill the ranks of all
three squadrons."

Adama's brows shot up.  "That's wonderful," he said.
"That will be the most we've had on board since we met
up with the Pegasus."

"I have high hopes for the current cadet classes as
well," Apollo returned.  "In fact, I'm willing to say
that we will have a full complement of squadrons
within the next yahren."

Tigh gave half a smile.  "I'd love to see the
Galactica fully operational again."

"The Engineering frigate is assembling a complete
Viper in just under a sectar and they hope to improve
that up by a secton once new equipment is installed,"
Adama told them as he made a few mental calculations.
"That will give us a surplus."

"Perhaps we should step up the work on the new
Gunstar," Tigh suggested.  "At the current rate, we'll
have a full compliment of warriors and ships a yahren
before it's complete."

Adama nodded.  "See what the Engineering ships need by
way of personnel to speed up production," he ordered.

"A Gunstar?" Apollo repeated as his heart rate
increased.  "You mean the design that you and
Commander Cain came up with?"  He had never been more
proud of his father than the day that Adama's own
personal design for a smaller, more maneuverable
battle cruiser went into production in the Colonies.

"It was more Commander Cain's innovation than my own,"
Adama corrected him.  "Since there is no way that we
can possibly build a complete Battlestar while on our
journey, a Gunstar was the next logical choice.  We've
recently started construction of it on the Engineering
vessels.  They are assembling the ship in sections
then they will bring it to the Galactica landing bay
to fully assemble it.  The landing bay is the only
place large enough in the Fleet to hold a Gunstar."

Apollo's eyes danced as he envisioned the
possibilities.  A Gunstar was less than half the size
of a full Battlestar, but it was fully armed and the
maneuverability was unmatched even by Cylon Raiders.
"It's the beginning of a real Fleet," he said softly.

"Which is why promotions are so important now," Adama
said to change the direction of the conversation.
"Colonel Tigh and I are finding ourselves overwhelmed
with the centars that are needed to, not only run the
bridge, but to coordinate a myriad of projects.  As
the Fleet is faced with new challenges, we need
someone that we can trust to share in the
responsibility.  There needs to be a third person
commanding the Galactica.  Are you interested in the
job?"

Apollo's chin dropped slightly as he stared at Adama
in disbelief.  "When you said you wanted to talk about
promotions, I had no idea that you were talking about
mine."

Adama chuckled as he gave his son a pat on the
shoulder.  "You've earned it Apollo."

The captain's gaze went from Adama to Tigh and then
back again.  "If it's all right with you, Commander, I
decline."  Adama and Tigh exchanged a shocked
expression.  "Father, I know that you have always
hoped that I would follow in your footsteps, but I'm
simply not a buritician.  I know that I've been
groomed to command a Battlestar since I was seven, but
after seeing what you have had to contend with," he
shook his head.  "I'm a warrior.  Diplomacy is
practically a foreign concept.  Could you imagine me
taking orders from the Council?"

Adama chuckled as he recalled some of the volatile
comments Apollo had made after a few encounters with
the Council.  "You've got a point there," he returned
then smiled sadly.  "Are you sure that you don't want
to take some time to consider?" he pressed.

"With all due respect, sir, I'd like a shot at
commanding that Gunstar," Apollo stated simply.
"Besides, maybe one day when I get tired of protecting
the galaxy I'll run for a seat on the Council."

Tigh and Adama laughed softly at the thought.  Apollo
would be an obstinate force in the Council.  "You'd
get my vote," Tigh told him with certainty.

Adama held his hands out briefly then dropped them to
his sides.  "That still leaves us with an open
position on the Galactica Bridge," he stated then
looked back at Apollo.  "Do you have any
recommendations?"

"Only one," Apollo returned.

~~~
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Status: RO

Apollo rubbed at his eyes with his fingertips.  "I
feel like my eyes are crossing," he said to Sheba and
Starbuck as they sat around a large table in a small
work room.  Papers were scattered everywhere as they
went through each and every warrior's file with a long
list of criteria to restructure the squadrons.

Sheba stretched as she leaned back in her chair.
"We're not even half way through."

"We haven't even started to discuss who's going to be
leading the squadrons," Apollo added.  "Personally, I
don't think a list of criteria is sufficient to
evaluate how well a person leads."

"Don't look at me," Starbuck said when he caught
Apollo's eye.  "A warrior in Blue Squadron is enough
prestige for me.  I'd rather let someone else call the
shots."

Sheba shook her head when Apollo looked in her
direction.  "I'm happy where I am too."

Apollo looked at her curiously.  "Silver Spar use to
be your squadron before joining the Galactica.
Wouldn't you like to take over as squad leader?"

"Bojay has been doing a great job commanding Silver
Spar.  I think it's time we made his position
official," she said.  "Of course there is always
Boomer.  He may want the Red Leader slot."

"Where is Boomer anyway?" Starbuck asked as he shot a
glance to the door.  "Shouldn't he be invited to this
little party?"

Apollo smiled as he looked back down at the file in
front of him.  "He was, ah, called to the bridge," he
said elusively.

Starbuck and Sheba exchanged a glance then both turned
to Apollo.  "You know something," Starbuck stated.

When Apollo's smile broadened, Sheba leaned her elbows
on the table.  "What's going on?" she asked, but
Apollo kept on working.

"I think I'll let Boomer tell ya," he returned before
adding a couple of notes to his list.  As if on cue,
Boomer walked into the room and stopped just inside
the door.  He put his hands on his hips as the door
slid shut behind him and simply stared at them.

Starbuck shot a glance at Apollo who looked like he
was about to launch out of his chair waiting for
Boomer to speak then he looked back at his statuesque
friend.  "What's going on Boomer?" he asked as the
microns crept by.

"I just got asked to join the command crew of the
Galactica," Boomer told them, still in disbelief.

"What?" Sheba said in shock.  It had come as a
complete surprise to her, but she could tell by
Apollo's reaction that he had been expecting the
announcement.

Apollo laughed and stood to shake Boomer's arm.
"Congratulations buddy," he said as he clasped
Boomer's shoulder with his free hand.  Sheba and
Starbuck followed closely behind with their
congratulations as they gathered around him.

"I still can't believe it," Boomer told them.

"I'll sure miss you covering my back," Starbuck told
him, "but it will be nice to have a friend in high
places."

Sheba chuckled.  "Are you going to take the position?"

Boomer held his hands wide then clasped them together
in a fist.  "I'd be crazy not to," he returned.  "I
had always planned to apply to the command crew
eventually, but I never expected to be asked to join."

Apollo laughed as he gave Boomer another pat on the
shoulder.  "You're the perfect man for the job."

Boomer reached out to shake Apollo's arm once more.
"The Commander told me that you recommended me."  He
paused as he looked into Apollo's eyes.  "Thanks."

"You deserve it," Apollo returned softly.

"I'd say this calls for a celebration," Starbuck
inserted.

"Absolutely," Sheba agreed as she hugged Boomer's arm.
 "I vote we adjourn for drinks in the Officer's Club."

"The first round's on me," Boomer insisted.

"Now that's my kind of commander," Starbuck said as he
plopped a fumarello into his mouth.

~~~

"How's it going?" Adama asked when he joined Dr. Salik
in the observation room of the Life Station.  All of
the children born recently with an addiction to agro
pod food had been brought together with their mothers
for the first time since their birth.

Salik's eyes were bright with barely restrained
excitement.  "I'm so glad that you could make it
Commander.  I don't think that a report could do this
justice."

"Look!  Look!" Athena said enthusiastically as she
pointed to several of the children sitting together to
bounce a ball back and forth.

"This is amazing," Cassiopia said wide-eyed.

Salik shook his head.  "These children have the
ability to crawl and accurately toss and catch sectars
ahead of normal developmental rate.  But not only
that, they have already developed a desire to
socialize."  He shook his head once more as he watched
the children.  "I'm telling you, Adama, I wouldn't be
surprised to find out that they were actually
communicating with each other."

"They're talking?" Adama asked in disbelief as he
gestured to the tiny tots in the next room.  "But
they're barely three sectons old!"

Salik tried and failed to squelch the smile edging up
the corners of his lips.  "They've already started
picking up common words that we understand, but
there's something more."  He stared in awe at the
children through the glass panel.  "Their babbling
seems to have some sort of order to it.  A centon ago,
I would swear that the largest of the children in that
group told one of the other children to get the ball
so they could play."

"It's so incredible," Cassiopia concurred as she
looked up at the Commander.  "I was watching the
children while one of them was babbling then,
suddenly, all of the children started laughing as if
he had told a joke or something."

Adama shook his head.  "All of this sounds too
phenomenal to believe," he admitted as he watched the
children playing more closely.

"We're recording everything," Dr. Salik informed him.

"I can't wait to go back and watch the footage,"
Cassiopia said.

Athena turned to the doctor at her side.  "Dr. Salik?
Would it be okay if I go in the room with the
children?" she asked.

Salik looked at her for a long moment.  Athena had
shown a dramatic change in her physiology because of
her consumption of the agro food.  Her test results
were similar to the tests he had run with the children
although to a much lesser degree.  He decided that it
would be interesting to see if the children responded
to her.  "I think that would be all right," he
returned and smiled when Athena jumped excitedly.  She
had been in the observation room with him and
Cassiopia since the children had been brought in.

Once Athena bounded out of the room, Salik rubbed his
fingers over his chin as he leaned toward Adama.
"This should be interesting," he said softly.

When Athena walked into the room with the children,
she stopped and smiled broadly as she watched them
play.  They were all so adorable she didn't know which
one to approach first.  "Hello babies," she finally
managed.

At her softly spoken words, all of the children in the
room turned to her.  Toys were forgotten and tots
being held by their mothers struggled to be put down.
Without a sound, all of the children crawled over to
Athena, sat at her feet and stared up at her in
wonder.

"I don't believe it," Cassiopia said in a hushed
voice.

Adama and Salik watched intently as Athena sat down on
the floor with the children and started to speak
softly to them.  All of the toddlers were enraptured
by her as she told a quaint fairy tale that she
remembered from her childhood.  The mothers in the
room looked around at each other in confusion.  The
children hadn't stopped babbling since they had been
brought into the room together, but now Athena's soft
voice was all that could be heard.

Adama's eyes narrowed as he studied Athena's face.  He
could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears and he
knew that she was thrilled with the response from the
children.  She had always loved being with and holding
babies even when she was a strapling herself.  When
Athena gave a surprised expression and put her hands
on either side of her face, many of the children did
the same.

"They're hanging on her every word," Salik said in
amazement.

~~~

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Status: RO

"To Captain Boomer!" Starbuck said and everyone raised
their mugs in salute.  There weren't many in the
Officer's Club at that time of the sectarie, but
everyone was happy to join in on the impromptu
celebration.

"When did you find out, Boomer?" Giles asked after
taking a sip of his ale.

"About three centars ago," Boomer returned.  "I just
stood there with my mouth hanging open like an alban's
cave."  He exaggerated the expression on his face and
everyone laughed.

"Will you still be flying with us?" Jolly asked.

"Yeah, you're stuck with me for a little longer
Jolly," Boomer returned.  "I'm still on the patrol
roster, but I'll have a few added duties to get me
acquainted with the functions of bridge officers."

"Like what?" Greenbean asked.

"Well, to start off with, I'm responsible for putting
together the honor guard for the memorial column
dedication."  He looked over at Apollo.  "I thought
I'd use one or two of the new cadets to give them a
taste of what a formal ceremony entails."

Apollo nodded.  "That's a good idea.  We've almost
finished the list of cadets getting inducted into the
squadrons.  I'll make sure to get you a copy."

"You know, it may sound strange, but I actually missed
all of the pageantry that went along with a military
ceremony when we were on the Pegasus," Sheba said.
"There is something almost awe-inspiring about the
majesty."

"I just remember them being a lot longer than
necessary," Starbuck inserted then took a puff off of
his fumarello.

"They're going to get even longer with Boomer
presiding," Giles teased and received a few chuckles.
"So when's the formal ceremony?"

"Tomorrow," Apollo responded.  "Since the memorial
dedication is in a couple of sectaries, the Commander
felt that the promotions would be a nice prelude to
the ceremony."

"Did anyone see that memorial column coming on board?"
Jolly asked.  "It's huge."

"We've been out with the new cadets," Starbuck
returned with a shake of his head as Jolly went on to
describe what little he saw.

"Are you leaving so soon?" Boomer asked when Sheba set
her mug aside and stood.

She looked at him flirtatiously over her shoulder.  "I
have to get ready for a hot date," she told him
eliciting hoots and growls from her male companions as
she weaved her way between the chairs.  "Congrats
again Boomer," Sheba stopped just long enough to say
before tossing a wave to everyone and walking out.

Starbuck looked over at Apollo.  "Uh, don't you have
to get ready for a hot date as well?"

Apollo shook his head.  "The only plans I have for
this evening are with Boxey.  He made me promise that
I would be back to quarters in time for dinner."

"Then who's Sheba going out with?" he asked and
glanced around at the others in the room who shook
their heads as well.

~~~

Dr. Wilker shoved his fingers into his hair as he
stared at the screen.  "But how would I get the
transparency," he muttered to himself.  His hair was
standing on end as he went back to typing on the
keyboard.  "I'm going to have to change the color," he
said as he shook his head then froze.  "Or what about
a visual enhancer?" he asked himself.

He rolled his chair across the room and began typing
once more on a different computer.  He made a few
adjustments to a schematic that he was working on for
a new prototype Viper.  "That might work.  That might
work," he said as his excitement grew.  He hit enter
on the keyboard then held his hands wide as he waited
for the computer to make the necessary computations.
When the information came up on his screen, Wilker's
hands shot up into the air as he half way stood out of
the chair.  "Yes!"

Komma slowly walked in to see Dr. Wilker behaving
peculiarly.  His eyes darted around to the five
computer stations in the room, each with a different
schematic flashing on the screen.  For the last
several sectons, the doctor had spent the majority of
his time in the small room and Komma was starting to
worry that it was showing.  "Dr. Wilker?" he said
hesitantly.

"What is it?" Wilker returned as another thought
occurred to him.  "I wonder if that will work with the
cranial scan," he muttered as he sorted out the
details in his mind.

"They're waiting for your final inspection on the agro
ship," he told him as he watched the doctor plop back
into his chair and slide over to a different monitor.

"I'll be right there," Wilker returned without missing
a keystroke.

Komma waited, but the doctor continued to type.  "Can
I help you with anything?" he asked politely.

"Don't.touch.anything," Wilker replied sternly before
sliding over to another monitor to put in his notes.

Komma sighed heavily as he continued to wait.  He
looked a little closer at one of the monitors and saw
that Wilker was working on an enhanced piece of
medical equipment.  Another monitor showed amplified
calculations for long range scans while yet another
had the schematic of what looked like a Battlestar in
miniature.  His eyes narrowed as he walked closer to
the monitor.  As he reached out for the keyboard, Dr.
Wilker's face suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything?" he said as
he leaned in to block Komma's view of the screen.

The wide-eyed wild hair look gave Komma a start and he
backed away quickly.  "Yes sir.  I was just."  The
words completely left him as Wilker took several steps
toward him.  His unblinking stare bore right through
him and made Komma swallow hard.  "The..y're wa.iting
on y.." he breathed as he pointed toward the door
while continually backing away.

"Then get a move on," he ordered with the same leer in
his eyes.

"Yes sir," he said and bumped into the wall next to
the door before hustling through.

Once Komma was out of site, Wilker stopped and rubbed
a hand over his face.  "I've got to rig a lock for
that door."

~~~

Apollo pulled his light cotton shirt over his head as
he walked into the small sitting area in his quarters.
 He stopped abruptly when he saw the elaborate place
settings Boxey had put together while he had been
changing out of his uniform for the night.  "Wow
Boxey!  This looks great!" he said enthusiastically.
"What's the special occasion?" he asked as he rolled
up his sleeves, but a beep from their door had Apollo
looking at Boxey suspiciously.

"I'll get it!" Boxey insisted.  He could barely keep
from laughing when the door slid open and Sheba was
standing on the other side.

"Hi Boxey," Sheba said warmly, placing her hands on
her knees to be the more appropriate height for her
young escort.  "I'm ready for our date."

"Hey Sheba."  Boxey darted a glance back at his father
whose expression was not pleased.

"Your date?" Apollo prompted as he walked closer.

"Yes."  Sheba smiled as she stood.  "Boxey said that
he wanted to cook dinner for me tonight.  Didn't he
tell you?"

Apollo looked down at his son as he put his hands on
his hips.  "No.  He neglected to mention it."  His
eyebrows shot up.  "But you did say something about
studying for your cadet class with Gillian?"

"Oh yeah!  I completely forgot!" Boxey lied.  "I guess
you'll just have to have dinner with my dad instead.
See ya later!"

"Bo.Boxey."  Apollo made a quick grab for his son, but
he was out the door before Apollo could stop him.

Sheba covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a
laugh.  "Look Apollo.  If you don't."

"Stop," he ordered then waved her inside.  "It's okay.
 Come on in."  He shook his head as he walked over to
the small trays that were left on the tiny counter.
"It looks like we were both duped by the shortest con
man ever.  I might as well feed you in compensation."

Sheba chuckled as she slipped onto the narrow bench at
the table.  "The place setting is beautiful," she
remarked as she lightly ran her hand over the delicate
designs on the plates.

"They were Ser." Apollo began then abruptly cut
himself off and shot a glance over to Sheba.  "They're
a family heirloom," he corrected himself.

She smiled at his discretion.  "It's all right for you
to talk about Serina around me," she assured him.  "It
looks like we have similar tastes."

Apollo nearly dropped the small trays as he shot Sheba
another glance.  He shook his head and silently
laughed at himself for thinking Sheba had been
referring to him when she was obviously admiring the
dish she held in her hands.  "You'd better take
these," he told her as he handed over the trays.
"I'll see if I can find something other than fruit
juice to drink."

With the small number of storage compartments in the
tiny eating area, Apollo didn't have any trouble
locating his last bottle of ambrosa.  "It's not
exactly a good yahren, but it will get the job done."
He worked at removing the cork as he watched Sheba
peeking under the lids of the dinner trays.  "So what
did Boxey cook up for us?" he asked.

Sheba's eyes were glistening as she fought to hold
back her laughter.  She took the lids off of both
trays to display their bounty.  "Mushies."

Apollo's mouth dropped open as he looked at the
assortment of mushies on both trays.  "Well, I guess
we can safely assume that Boxey fixed dinner himself."

"I'd say that's a safe bet," she returned and finally
let out a quiet laugh.  "This is so sweet."

Apollo sighed as he considered the alternatives.  "We
can always go down to the mess hall," he suggested.

"Oh no," she immediately refused.  "I meant that it
was sweet of Boxey to go to so much trouble."

He looked at her uncertainly.  "So you're okay with
ambrosa and mushies for dinner?"

She smiled broadly.  "It's perfect."

They talked for over a centar about the promotions
list and the new cadets, about visiting the planet and
the continued refit of the Galactica.  Their
conversation remained safe while they enjoyed their
gourmet dinner.  Sheba smiled at the barely touched
food and nearly empty bottle as the conversations
lagged.

She had kept to her promise and hadn't pushed Apollo
in any way concerning a more intimate relationship
between them.  She could only imagine the shock he had
felt at seeing a living, breathing version of his dead
wife so she had given him all the space he needed, but
now she had to wonder if anything would ever develop
between them.  "Are you still concerned how Boxey
feels about us being together?" Sheba said softly.

Apollo's eyes darted over to hers and he smiled.  "No,
I think he made it pretty obvious tonight that he's
okay with it."  He had been trying to figure out a way
to bring up the possibility of a relationship between
them and she gave him the perfect opening.  "I have to
admit that I felt a bit jealous when you said you had
a date.  You know the guys have a pool going on who
your mystery date is."

Sheba giggled softly.  "I'm not surprised."

He stared at her for a long moment then looked back at
his ambrosa.  "Do you mind if I ask you a personal
question?" Apollo tested as he toyed with the rim of
his glass.

"No, I don't mind," she returned easily.

"What's the history between you and Bojay?"  When
Sheba's mouth dropped open in surprise, he quickly
held up his hand.  "I know I don't have any right to
ask you about your past relationships."

"But?" Sheba prompted.

Apollo scratched at his forehead as he tried to decide
how to explain.  "It's just that.."  He sighed
heavily.  "Bojay tends to be a little.territorial
around you."

"And?" she prodded.

Apollo shook his head.  "You're not going to make this
any easier on me, are you?"

"No I'm not," she returned and laughed softly.

He shook his head again, but wasn't able to erase the
smile from his face.  "You're a cruel woman, Sheba."

She folded her arms across her chest as she leaned
back against the thin cushions.  "Hey, I stuck my neck
out there once.  Now it's your turn."

He pursed his lips at her blatant challenge before
finally conceding.  "You're right," he admitted.  She
had opened herself up to him and he had put any
possible relationship between them on hold.  It was
only fair that he let her know where he stood.  "Fine.
 Here it is."  He put one arm on the seat behind her
as he looked her in the eye.  "I care about you a
great deal and I just want to make sure that there is
no one standing between us when I kiss you again."

Sheba's mouth dropped open and she timidly folded her
hands in her lap.  She hadn't been expecting such a
declaration and her heart flipped over.  It took her
several microns to collect herself enough to trust her
voice.  "Bojay and I had a very brief relationship a
very long time ago," she said softly as she slowly sat
up.  "It was awkward and uncomfortable and we both
decided that it would be best if we remain friends."
She searched his face as she leaned closer still.
"Bojay is like the brother I never had," she assured
him.  "He's protective of me because we're family just
like you're protective of Athena."

Apollo's eyes danced over her features.  He reached up
and lightly brushed his fingers across her cheek and
she leaned into his touch.  He opened his mouth to
speak, but lost the words as he stared into her liquid
eyes.  Apollo slipped his hand into her hair as he
held her gaze.  Finally, he leaned in to lightly brush
his lips against her.

A small sigh escaped her lips as his mouth teased
hers.  She felt as if her heart was going to explode
at the tender way he touched her.  Her eyes blinked
open and she looked back into his as she reached up to
lightly touch his face.  She felt like laughing and
crying at the same time.  "Apollo," she whispered then
smiled when he brushed his nose against hers
playfully.

Apollo chuckled nervously.  He was reveling in the
sensations coursing through him.  He never thought
that he could feel that way again.  The rush filled
him as he took Sheba's mouth in a more satisfying
kiss, but he was caught off guard by the yearning it
caused.  He pulled her closer and her fingers dug into
his hair.  She tasted of ambrosa and mushies and the
combination toyed with his senses.

"Oops!" Boxey said as he walked into the room.  He
froze for a moment then started to tiptoe past.  "I'll
just be in my room."

Apollo and Sheba looked back at each other and laughed
when Boxey discretely disappeared around the corner.

~~~

Athena moved restlessly in her narrow bed as the dream
progressed.  She could hear the whirling sounds from
the phantom lights as they darted past the Galactica.
She turned over in her bed as her brows drew together.
 The pleasant hum of the ships was replaced by the
whine of laser fire.  Everyone huddled together as
explosions reverberated around them.  "Time to die
Caprican."

Apollo's face kept flitting across her mind, but he
was so still.  Athena felt her heart sink as she gazed
on Apollo's form hovering in repose.  Sheba and
Starbuck comforted each other in a tight embrace.  A
blue mist hovered over everything as all three
warriors came together and Athena sighed at the
peaceful presence.