GALACTICA SDF:
			    COMMAND DECISION
			(or: ATHENA RAIDS AGAIN)
			      Davey Jones
			    homyak@erols.com
   
   Athena smiled, one hand nudging her sunglasses higher up on her nose, the 
other hand pushing the pram. The man beside her pointed to something indistinct 
inside a storefront, and she slowed in her easy stride to look. While she was 
distracted he quickly bent forward and snuck a kiss on the back of her neck, his 
fingers light as they brushed brunette hair back into place. She stammered and 
blushed, laughing with him as he took her hand and squeezed it. The errant 
breezes this spring afternoon blew strands of auburn across his face, and she 
pulled her hand from his to reach up and tuck them back into his hairband.
   The two glanced down in unison as a sound emerged from the depths of the 
carriage. The man smiled, boomed gentle laughter, and reached down to lift up 
their tiny, red-haired son. The man held him up in the sunslight, the baby 
gurgling and laughing at his father's touch, and Athena gave herself a little 
hug. She felt as though no one in existence could be as happy as she was this 
warm day, in love, with her husband and child. Her very own, special family. The 
young man shifted the baby to one arm, slid the other around her waist to draw 
her near, his eyes drawing closer to hers as she tilted her face up for his kiss-
-
   --"Whoops!" Athena heard about the same time something slammed into the back 
of her recliner. Startled from her reverie, feelings of anger and disappointment 
flooded up, brief thoughts of calm easily overwhelmed. She pushed to set her seat 
upright again; after a moment's resistance, it did so. She spun the chair to see 
Starbuck and Cassiopeia, the pilot in swimming trunks and the socialator-trained 
medtech almost as clothed, tangled on the deck, Starbuck laughingly fending off--
more unsuccessfully than not--Cassie's slender hands. The blonde woman laughed 
delightedly as Starbuck, miffed at being the attackee, turned the tables, drawing 
her close for a stolen kiss. At first Cassie struggled, Starbuck spluttering as 
her tickling took its toll, and then she settled down in his embrace, drawing his 
head down to hers.
   It was more than Athena felt like putting up with at the moment. Jerked 
ruthlessly from pleasant daydreams, sensitive, she spoke with a rare note of 
genuine anger in her voice. "Damn it, Starbuck, if you're going to go and wrestle 
with her, do it somewhere else. I'm trying to catch up on my work here, and I 
don't need your flaming nonsense distracting me."
   Starbuck disengaged from the tangle that was Cassie to look up at the girl. 
"Nyah," he said, "you're just mad 'cause you're a workaholic. 's your own damn 
fault, too." He broke off with a yell as Cassie, miffed at being ignored, 
fastened white teeth delicately on a tanned earlobe. Starbuck turned, fastening 
himself to her neck like some legendary demon, snuffling around as she laughed 
delightedly.
   Athena was not in the mood. She normally bore the playful gambolling of the 
crew with quiet patience, if not occasional amusement. Now, as lonely as she 
felt--and, she was forced to admit, glaring at the flushed and happy Cassie, a 
little jealous as well--she just couldn't bear anyone carrying on like that 
around her. "Starbuck, drag her off somewhere else. I'm not in the mood right 
now. I've--I've got a headache."
   "Oooh, the eternal line of the woman," Starbuck sniggered, then gasped, 
rearing back to look astonishedly at Cassie before pointedly removing her 
wandering hands.
   The slender woman kissed the pilot's smooth chest, then glanced roguishly up 
at the young officer. "What's the matter, Athena?" she asked, her tone toward her 
former rival not quite arch. "Afraid you'll learn something?" She gasped as 
Starbuck, recognizing the slow burn Athena was doing, hastily distracted her with 
more tickling. After another heartfelt kiss, Starbuck looked up.
   "Want to join the party, Athena? Always room for one mo*whuff*. Ow! That 
hurt," he protested, rubbing at his stomach where Cassie had poked him. He 
prepared to renew his attack, and Athena pressed on.
   "I mean it, Starbuck. Go away." Something in her tired, resigned tone got 
through to the pilot. During the last few sectars he had had ample opportunity to 
experience her mercurial moods, enough that he knew when she really was at the 
end of her rope.
   Starbuck sighed ruefully and shrugged. Cassie squealed as he wrestled her up 
and draped her across his shoulder, his arms around her legs. "Okay, then, Cass," 
he jibed with her, slapping her on the backside, "looks like it's just you and 
me."
   "As it should be," the woman replied smugly, then squealed. "Starbuck! You get 
your hand away from--"
   "Picky, picky, picky," the pilot sneered cheerfully. Athena glared in silence 
until the pool hatch slid shut behind the departing athletes, cutting off their 
cheerful argument. Then she sighed and turned back around in her seat.
   She pulled her short robe across her lap and stared unseeingly at the rippling 
surface of the pool a metron in front of her. This was normally a restful area, 
at least for an athletic room, especially when the Fleet's alert was down to 
standard and the pilots and support crews had spare time they could spend 
elsewhere. Quiet and empty and, so far this evening, peaceful. Normally when she 
was troubled, a good, hard swim could help her clear her mind and thoughts. If 
anyone else was present at the time she could let them know she wished to be left 
alone with a nod and shrug. She was well-known, this trainee Battlestar 
commander.
   She sighed again, stretched forth a slender hand and picked up her screen. She 
really had brought her work with her--she had difficulty focussing on it this 
evening. Her fingers tapped out familiar patterns; the small screen filled with 
text and diagrams.
   She took pride in the quality of her work. She knew well why she had been 
selected over a jahron ago to train for the post of future battlestar commander, 
and how few were as qualified as she, and how many fewer slots there had even 
been. And she knew well that, since the destruction of the Colonies, she would 
someday command this battlestar. It was a concept that filled her head with 
prideful thoughts and made her heart race with anticipation.
   Now as she looked at high-security data she only felt empty inside. The 
encounter just now with with her former beau and his lover had just underscored 
that particular insecurity.
   Her screen shone at her. She failed to see the figures. The orange of the text 
blurred into the red-auburn hair of a tiny, laughing child. The black background 
swam, became dark, featureless eyes, eyes soft with affection, warm with love for 
her. There was happiness, and the touch of strong arms. No cares. No worries.
   Athena started at the insistent meeping. A moment's confusion followed as she 
remembered that she was still sitting at the pool in an empty gymnasium, no 
danger anywhere in sight. She pawed frantically in her pocket for her beeper 
before glancing at her workstation, then exclaimed in wordless frustration and 
backkeyed, erasing the long single-letter string her errant fingers had just 
added to her command file. With an angry slap she turned her library com off, 
dumped it onto her towel beside her seat, and slouched low, arms folded across 
her chest, trying hard not to think of anything. She let the reflections dancing 
from the pool hypnotize her once more, seeking some anodyne to the pain that 
seemed to still her breathing.
   
   She started at the touch on her shoulder, glanced up, ready to snap at the 
intruder, whoever they might be. "Wha--oh. Artemis."
   "Hi," Artemis said, pulling another seat over and perching gracefully on its 
edge. Athena busily ignored her cousin, taking her board up and industriously 
finding her stopping place.
   "Can I help you?" she asked, trying hard to look busy. She glanced over at her 
friend. "I thought you were off duty now?"
   "I thought the same of you," Artemis said quietly.
   "Well, a future commander's work is never done," Athena assured her, tapping 
on her keypad. "I came in to get some catchup work done."
   "It looked like it a centon ago," Artemis agreed, smiling. Athena gave her a 
glare from beneath lowered eyebrows, returned to her work. "Athena."
   "Yes?" Athena asked, not looking up from her reports. "What is it? I'm kind of 
busy--"
   "Athena, I'm not the one you need to take this out on," Artemis said softly. 
Athena's fingers stopped for a michron, took up their rhythm. "I was over at the 
door when Starbuck and Cassie came thundering through." Athena's body stiffened. 
"I'm sorry. I saw them on their way in. If I'd been quicker, I could've told them 
to go somewhere else." One hand came up, waved away any thought of wrongdoing.
   "Don't worry about it," Athena assured her. "I've known Starbuck for a long 
time now--"
   "All of a jahron, yes."
   "--and I know what he's like. Believe me, there's no need to try shielding 
me from something that stopped bothering me a long time ago!"
   "Actually, I was talking about disturbing your work." Athena's ears burned. 
She felt Artemis' level gaze locked on her, refused to meet or acknowledge it.
   Artemis continued after long michrons. "Athena. Let's talk, hon. Something's 
troubling you, and has been for some time."
   Athena looked up, a happy smile on her face. "Who, me? What? Someone find 
something to bother me?" Artemis nodded, unsmiling. Athena looked away first. 
"Really, Artemis, there's nothing wrong, nothing bothering me. I'm just busy, 
that's all."
   "That something," Artemis continued as though her friend had not spoken, "has 
been most obvious any time any of us, any of your friends, are with our 
sweethearts. Me and Marduq, Apollo and Serina, Zac and any of those new little 
pilots he's always drooling over--blazes, even that time you saw Omega and 
Dakota! And never mind when you see Starbuck with Cassie, or Miriam, or--" She 
noticed Athena's shoulders stiffen, passed over it for now. "Do you resent us 
showing affection in public?"
   "Well, it is against regulations," Athena began brightly, and trailed off as 
Artemis shrugged.
   "I don't think that's even potentially it," she asserted, smiling thinly at 
Athena's start. "I know you too well. If you were with someone, you wouldn't 
care who saw you." She stopped, seemed to think. "I'd believe you were angry--
about Starbuck and Cassie, I mean--if I thought you were even still interested in 
him. But I don't. I've seen you when you were angry, and when you were sulking. 
You're acting funny, but not like that."
   "Look, Artemis, I didn't invite you here for a conversation--"
   "You didn't invite me here period," Artemis assured her. Athena did another 
slow burn. "And if you're as preoccupied with your work as you claim to be, you 
don't go to the swimming pool or the disks court or the landing decks--" Athena 
started guiltily. "--yeah, I saw you there--you stay in your room and no one 
sees you. So that's not it."
   "Woman, I am fine. Read my lips." Athena dragged the words out in an 
elaborate parody of clarity. "I. Am. All. Right. I. Have. No. Problems. See?" She 
lifted an eyebrow in challenge.
   "And your little fits lately," Artemis continued, ignoring her friend as 
though she was not present, "have usually come after seeing any of us involved 
with someone else." She paused to fix an angry look on the flinching Athena. "And 
don't think I'm forgetting how you chewed Marduq out for holding my hand, 
either!" she snapped. Then she returned to normal. "It hasn't been irritation 
from overwork--Lords know how you do it, but Uncle Adama says you haven't been 
behind in sectons--and it hasn't been lack of sleep--I wake you often enough 
for your shift to know that--and it hasn't been because Apollo or Zac has 
pulled another stupid stunt." She shook her head, remembering. "Even after they 
programmed your command file to sing dirty songs, and after they replaced those 
nice woodland filters in your room with sea-smell ones--" She paused to shudder 
at the memory. "Ugh. But nothing. Not a thing. After that you just went on about 
your business, got your revenge after they stopped expecting it, and that was 
that. The last time you were overworked Omega pulled extra duty to help you 
out--yet here you are, next to the pool posed for pictures."
   "Artemis, if you're quite finished--"
   "Nothing military bothers you in the least," Artemis concluded grandly, 
nodding at Athena's sudden silence, "but affection does." She paused for effect. 
"I think I know why."
   Athena rolled her eyes and laughed, gathering her paraphernalia. "Artemis, I 
don't know what you and Marduq were drinking after you got off duty, but I think 
you're still on it. Go on back to him and sleep it off. If you need me to, I can 
take your shift. I've still got some work to do on one of my proj--"  Starting to 
stand up she broke off as Artemis' toe blocked her way. She gave her cousin a 
questioning look.
   "I believe," Artemis stated in the same tone she generally reserved for 
revealing facts of nature, "that my haughty, proud cousin Athena is in love 
again." Athena knew she was blushing and felt like a fool. She pushed her seat 
back, disengaged her friend's toes and faced the pool.
   "That," she retorted, using what she thought was her own law-of-gravity voice, 
"is the silliest thing I've heard you say yet." She laughed to throw Artemis' 
suspicions off track.
   Her laugh was soft, pained, and cut short. Artemis smiled hugely. She hooked 
her toe on the arm of Athena's chair and pulled. The other girl held her seat in 
position by brute force. Artemis shrugged and let Athena look at what she wished 
to.
   "If that's not it, then tell me what has been making you so flighty for 
the past sectar." Athena's shoulders moved up and down.
   "There's nothing to tell, Artemis," Athena said. "I think I'm just bored. 
Normal duty is nice, but I guess you're right when you say I'm a workaholic. And 
I can't get Colonel Tigh to give me any more assignments!" She took a painful 
breath, then forced a cheery note into her voice as she caught Artemis' eye. 
"Besides, I don't see any reason to put up with a couple of noisy teeners!" Her 
triumphant grin faded at Artemis' mask of impassivity.
   "Is he a civilian?" her cousin pressed. No reaction. "An officer? An NCO?" 
Athena's eyes gave her away. "Someone from the Nashite, or the Sh'ron 
Dolchon, or maybe the Helcha Taiya, or--" She sat back in satisfaction as 
Athena started guiltily.
   And she realized it. She laughed, leaned back in her seat. "God, Artemis," she 
giggled, rubbing at her eyes, "when you get hold of an idea, you really don't 
want to let go of it, do you?" She laughed again. "Honestly, Artemis, there's 
nothing wrong with me. I just had a--"
   "Flight. Sergeant. Dannel," Artemis offered, not missing how Athena fell 
silent. The command lieutenant noticed that the command officer had noticed and 
went back to blustering.
   "Now you're really being silly," she said, smiling roguishly. "Dannel is one 
of the last men in the universe I'd fall for. Why, he and I--well, we're more 
opposite than similar. That's not the kind of man I'd be likely to even notice."
   "Well," Artemis smirked, "maybe you should list his bad points for me." Athena 
gaped at her. "Listen, I've already gotten used to one Sagitarran's bad habits; 
getting used to another one eventually shouldn't present any problems. Besides, 
if he rubs you wrong, I should have a ball with him. I've always liked 'bad' 
boys--" she mused, smiling at the sparks in Athena's eyes.
   "And that's almost as bad as throwing me at him," Athena protested. Artemis 
just smiled enigmatically. "That's stupid, it really is. You and Dan wouldn't 
last a day together."
   "Oh, Dan, is it?" Athena's composure took a hit. "Why not?"
   "Well--well--" Athena was lost already and Artemis knew it. She didn't twist 
the knife.
   "Listen, cousin, anyone who knows you knows something's going on. I'm probably 
not the only one who can figure it out, either," Artemis assured her.
   "Who else? I mean, figure what out?" Athena bluffed.
   "Who's the man's best friend?" Artemis shot back. Athena's expression became 
that of a plump bird staring down a ravenous predator. "Right. Zac. If I were you 
I'd start worrying less about how to tell this Dannel and more about what happens 
if he finds out from Zac instead of from you."
   Athena moaned and slid down in her seat. "Oh, Mother God. Not that."
   "Well, good," Artemis said happily. "We've finally moved out of denial and 
into anticipation." Athena fixed her with an angry stare. "Now we work on 
realization."
   "Realization of what?" Athena grumbled. "I think you're out of your mind, 
Artemis. I--"
   "Athena, you're the only one who can say for sure yea or nay," Artemis 
bulled over her, "but frankly, he rest of us can tell. And I can't even say I 
blame you, if you want the truth. Look at all the time you got to spend with him 
a couple of sectars ago. Then look at all the time Starbuck bothered to spend 
with you since this trip started."
   Athena gave bluster a last stab, rapidly running out of any sort of convincing 
arguments. "Artemis, this is a lot of nonsense. I don't know why you decided you 
had to bother me tonight, but I'll--" She started to rise again, stopped as 
Artemis' outstretched fingers touched her shoulder.
   "'Thena," the young woman said, her voice softer, more intimate than it had 
been thus far, "we're officers on the same bridge of the same ship. We're 
cousins. We're best friends. I know a lot of times things come up that you can't 
discuss with me, but that's official business. Something like this--" She fixed 
Athena with a quiet gaze. "I think you ought to be able to talk to me if anyone. 
Do you know anyone else who can keep a secret better than me?" Athena's head 
moved, a motion stopped short. "Remember what you told me about when you were 
six, and you and Rhenny went out into the woods at Valerium, and--"
   "Artemis!" Athena's blush counterpointed her panicky shriek.
   "Well? Has anyone else ever found out about that little incident? Can I keep 
a secret or what?" Artemis smiled cheerfully.
   "Well what about the time you and Apollo--" Athena began heatedly. Artemis 
held up a hand.
   "We're not talking about me, and besides, you know almost as much about Marduq 
as I do now," Artemis forestalled her cousin's protest. "We're talking about 
you, and your problem with men, and how it's affecting everyone else around 
here." Athena was still unsure, blushing furiously, looking as though she wished 
she could shrivel up in a corner somewhere. Artemis could tell; she continued 
with her original line of interrogation. "Does he have any idea?"
   Athena caved in. The loneliness of recent days welled up, a rising flood that 
pushed words ahead of itself. "No, I--he--" She gulped hard and shook her head.
   "Ah," Artemis said satisfiedly. "Now we're getting somewhere." Athena turned 
even redder and Artemis laughed, gently, without malice. "Come on, silly, look at 
me when you talk to me." Athena looked everywhere but at her cousin. Artemis 
rolled her eyes, continued.
   "So. You think you may be in love again, this time with Dannel. And he doesn't 
know it yet. How long have you felt this way? A secton? Two?"
   Athena bit her lip, shook her head. "N-no. No. Longer than that, but ... not 
really until just lately ... it's just ... oh, dammitall, Artemis, I don't know!" 
Artemis let her cousin find her own lead. "There are times, when I meet Zac and 
he's there too ... I just dream of saying something to him, or touching him ... 
just getting his attention somehow. And there are other times ... well, there are 
times when I could cheerfully wring his neck and Zac's too!" She sighed. "But 
most of the time ... well ... I don't know." She looked around aimlessly. "I just 
can't seem to get him out of my head."
   "Is this the first time you've felt this way?" Artemis asked softly. Athena 
shook her head, then nodded, then laughed.
   "I don't know. It feels like it. I thought I felt this way about a couple of 
boys in school, and a few times at the Academy, I guess, and then when I met 
Starbuck ..." She stopped, sighed again. "But it wasn't like this. I just don't 
understand. When Apollo first introduced Starbuck to me ... and then here ... he 
could be so sweet. I thought I loved him, but ... I don't. Especially not now. 
But not ever, I guess ... not if that's what this is."
   "I'm not saying that's what this is," Artemis cautioned her. "But it sounds 
encouraging. At least you're over Starbuck."
   Athena laughed bitterly. "I've been over him for a while." She drew her 
knees up, hugged herself hard. "But I realized how nice it felt to have someone 
special there when you need them, or want to be with them." Her lips touched her 
knees. "I miss it."
   "And you just want someone to fill that gap?" Artemis observed. "Anyone will 
do?"
   "Artemis!" Athena's head came up with a snap. "No! That's not what I meant!"
   "How well do you know Dannel, anyway?" Artemis questioned her. "You sure he's 
everything you're looking for?"
   "I know him better than I ended up knowing Starbuck, that's for sure," 
Athena defended her choice darkly. Her gaze turned outward. "He was the one who 
came for me when the Starkiller Twins kidnapped us to Torgola."
   "Don't forget Zac," Artemis offered cheerfully. "He helped."
   Athena paid her no attention. "He was the one who saved me in Torgola..." She 
laid her head on her knees, looked away, focussing on infinity. "When that awful 
thing came for me ... he was there ...
   "And then, when Baltar and his basestar captured our ship, he saved my life 
again. Did you know that?" Artemis' nod went unseen. "He stood there and 
protected me from the Cylons. He glowed when their beams hit him, so bright it 
hurt. And he was hurt already. Probo had stabbed him trying to get us back. But 
he saved me when I thought we were going to die. And he protected me when we had 
to get back up from the bottom to the hangars and steal a ship." She sighed 
deeply. "He never left me alone. He could've, but he never did. I think he would 
have died protecting me.
   "And he was a gentleman, too. Starbuck would've tried to take advantage of 
the situation, being alone with me," Athena said darkly. "But he didn't. And I 
was so scared ..."
   "Scared that he might hurt you?" Artemis asked. "Even when he was wounded?"
   Athena shook her head. "Everything. I was scared at first that I would die 
there, away from father, from you and everyone. And then when we were hidden I 
thought he might die, and I'd be there all alone. I never prayed so hard for 
anyone." She sighed. "Mother God bless him, he held himself together, and he 
held me so I wouldn't be alone. And then I was scared that he might ... want to 
... want me. I never wanted anyone to know how terrified I was when I was 
there, of that, of all of it, but I think he did. And he never told anyone." She 
sighed again. "I think I might have let him, if he'd wanted to."
   "Athena!"
   "I was scared! And he was there to take care of me! And ... and I liked it," 
her voice trembled. "And that scares me."
   "Well, needing someone that strongly's always scary the first time around," 
Artemis offered wisely.
   "Yes," Athena agreed quietly.
   "So. Athena the Ice Maiden is in love." Athena's head shot up, meeting 
Artemis' easy smile. "Don't be silly, 'Thena. This isn't something you're 
supposed to be embarassed about!" Athena blushed. "There you go again. Why are 
you so embarrassed? You're an officer! Officers don't get embarrassed!" Athena 
shook her head. "Look at me. Do I look like I get embarrassed about being 
involved with Marduq?"
   "Not really," Athena snickered in spite of herself, "the way you two carry 
on."
   "There you have it," Artemis retorted smugly. "And he doesn't even suspect? 
Eeesh, that makes it worse."
   "What?" Athena looked puzzled. "Why?"
   "Look at all the time you're wasting, 'Thena," Artemis pointed out. She 
elaborated at her friend's puzzled look. "Why haven't you gone and said something 
to him, talked to him?"
   Athena's blush darkened. "I can't," she complained, tracing designs on her 
chair with a toe.
   "Why not?" Artemis protested. "Athena, from what I gather, about the only 
friends the man has aboard are the other pilots, and those mostly have other 
friends and other things to occupy their spare time. Think of how divine a 
solution you could be to his problem."
   "His problem?"
   "What he does when his friends leave him by himself!" Artemis leaned forward 
earnestly. "Spend some time with him, get to know him--"
   "I think I already do know him," Athena protested.
   "--better, see if you really do love him, or could, see if he might feel 
that way about you."
   "Is that how you met Marduq?" Athena asked hesitantly. To her surprise 
Artemis' own cheeks turned red.
   "Never mind about me and Marduq," the girl replied hastily. "I'll tell you 
about that some other time."
   "Why not now?"
   "Because we're solving your problem, okay? Now: why don't you just go and 
impose yourself on him?"
   Athena laughed, still deeper red than usual. "I can't."
   "Oh?"
   Athena shook her head hard, sending strands of brown and gold into her eyes. 
She reached up, self-consciously swept them back. "I couldn't," she mumbled. 
"Tell him something like that, I mean."
   "Why not?" Artemis allowed a little tone of exasperation to color her voice. 
"Athena, you spend most of your spare time--and a fair bit of duty time, too, 
according to Omega--"
   "What would Omega have to do with--"
   "He has to work with you," Artemis snapped, and continued past the 
interruption. "You're always moping around and daydreaming and snapping at your 
friends. You could be spending time with him instead. Go talk to him. Go play a 
game with him. Go for a walk with him. Get on the Fleet Shuttle and ride the 
circuit with him." She smirked. "When you get to the end of the circuit there's 
usually not anyone else on board." She laughed at Athena's blush. "And you 
dated Starbuck. You if anyone ought to know all about creating Controlled 
Situations, right?"
   "I suppose so," Athena mumbled, looked away. Artemis bit off her laughter, 
stared hard at her friend.
   "You do know what a Controlled Situation is, don't you?" Artemis asked her 
carefully. Athena stayed quiet, her lip trembling. Artemis sat up straighter in 
genuine surprise. Shyness she'd been unwilling to believe in her cousin, but 
willing to accept if need be. Stubbornness? That had been much higher on her 
list. That she had been wrong in her speculations had been a thought that died 
young. But down-and-out inexperience? Athena? "Oh, Mother God. And here I've 
been going on about how you and Starbuck and--"
   "Well, I'm sorry, all right?" Athena snapped back, her voice cracking. "I'll 
be sure to run right out and get some experience as quick as I can, okay? Will 
that make Dan happy? Will that make you happy?" Artemis leaned over and 
hugged her cousin. Athena resisted stiffly for a moment, then returned the 
embrace. "Artemis, I'm just not sure what to do. I've never had to make the 
first move or anything, and I don't know what to do." She sniffled, her head 
pillowed against her cousin's shoulder. "It was always the boys who came to me, 
in school and at the academy. When Apollo brought his friends home to meet me, 
there was never any problem. Some of them it was hard to get rid of," she 
laughed.
   "You don't think dropping hints would get him to come to you?" Artemis mused.
   "Drop hints how?"
   "Zac? No, forget that," Artemis hastily negated that thought. "Apollo? He's 
his commander."
   "No. Artemis, I'm an officer," Athena protested. "He's just a Flight 
Sergeant, and I think that's mostly because he flies without taking up a fighter. 
He'd never make a move toward me."
   "Well, I'm sorry, hon, but that means the disk's in your quad again." She 
ruffled Athena's hair affectionately, pushed her back so that they could face 
each other, and laughed at Athena's expression. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm 
here to help."
   "Thank you. That's so reassuring." Athena rubbed her eyes.
   "Don't mention it," Artemis laughed. "It'll be worth it just to not have you 
snapping at us any more for being affectionate."
   Athena pushed her away, reached for her gear. "Well, I think I'd rather just 
stay out of everyone's way--" Artemis reached out and shoved the girl back into 
her chair.
   "Uh-uh. Nothing doing, hon. I've found the problem; now I have to solve it. 
I'll have you primed and operating again or I'm not worthy of the dela Rafael 
name." Artemis could tell by the look on Athena's face that she did not like the 
sound of that. "Listen, my shy, lovesick cousin, I'm going to get you through 
this. Trust me. Now: your first problem is in getting word to Dannel about 
liking him, right?" Athena examined the statement for traps, nodded hesitantly 
when she found none. "And you can't go to him first because you outrank him, 
right?" Athena nodded again. "So you're adamant that you can't tell him?"
   "...yes..."
   "Okay." Artemis reached down, picked up Athena's phone. Her smile grew. "I'll 
do it for you!"
   "NO!"
   Artemis, holding the phone, pulled back to her own chair at Athena's panicky 
outburst. "Oh?" Athena shook her head vehemently, reached for the communicator. 
Artemis fended her off without visible effort. "Why not? That's a lesson you 
should've learned a long time ago, however much experience you may not have, 
'Thena: Men Are Idiots. They love to be told how special they are. They eat it 
up, they really do. Shoot, you know Starbuck--"
   "I can't," Athena mumbled.
   "Well, you keep saying that and you'll never get anything done, that's for 
sure." She flipped the com open. "But I suppose that's what cousins are for, 
after all. I'll do it for you." She flipped the little thing open, glanced at the 
face. "Oh, that's marvelous--he's already on speed dial."
   "Artemis!" Athena protested, sat down as her cousin held a threatening finger 
over the particular key in question. "You don't understand. I--I don't know if he 
thinks the same way about me."
   Artemis clucked sympathetically. "All right, then. That just harkens back to 
the lesson. Get his attention and start spending time with him. No, think 
positive--start spending his time for him! You know he's got spare time right 
now; we all do, thank the Lords. Start intruding on his."
   "But what if he has something planned for his off hours?" Athena questioned. 
Artemis laughed.
   "That," she said, "is the whole point. Start poking in. Ask him to teach you 
something. Offer to teach him something. Play a game." Artemis' eyes twinkled. 
"Challenge him to a drinking match, winner take loser." Athena's  cheeks 
pinkened. "Oh, baby, you have to try that sometime. It's fun!"
   "I'm sure," Athena replied icily.
   "All right, forget that last for a while." Artemis caught and held Athena's 
gaze. "But go to him. You don't have to go in and throw yourself at his feet or 
confess undying devotion or anything," quelling her friend's protest with a 
raised finger, "but see about taking over a chunk of his time. See if you can 
get him to like you. See if you think you can feel any more strongly toward him 
after some time with him."
   Athena nodded. "I think I will."
   Artemis smiled. "We'll see. Well, oh Future Commander Of The Last Battlestar, 
do you think you can handle something that complex?" Athena's uncertainty still 
showed. Artemis picked up the girl's reader. "Here. Lemme help." She tapped at 
the keys for a moment, set the plate down and picked the phone back up. Before 
Athena could stop her she hit the special key that Athena had long ago programmed 
with Dannel's personnel code. She waited a few michrons, then handed her cousin 
the phone and held up the reader. On it glowed a sentence in large letters: ask 
him what he's doing right now.
   Athena was dumbfounded. "Dan--?" she got out, asking her friend if she had 
actually been dialing.
   "Yes?" the man's voice said in her ear. Athena jumped, froze. "Hello?" 
There was a pause and a beep from his end as he identified his caller. "Athena? 
Is that you?" Athena nodded frantically to the phone, otherwise paralyzed, 
staring at it like some poisonous serpent. Artemis waved the reader at her again. 
"What's the matter? Is something wrong?"
   Artemis' waving hands magically restored Athena's voice. "Uh, guh, no. No. 
Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. How are you?" She winced almost as soon as 
she said it. Artemis grimaced, then waved her sign yet again.
   "Athena? Are you all right?"
   "Uh, uhm, yes. Yes, I'm fine. Listen ..." She swallowed audibly. "Are you 
doing anything right now?"
   "I'm doing homework," the man's voice complained. "I hate Colonial Basic, 
and I hate the Collected Works of do'Harris, and I hate everyone who thinks 
classics are a good way to learn to read." Athena was still blinking at this 
pronouncement when Artemis touched the page key. Another command flashed 
onscreen: ask him to help you with some of your stuff.
   Athena was so confused she went ahead and followed the instruction. "Do you 
think you might be able to help me with some of my work?" She shrank as the words 
flowed forth, but continued helplessly trying to salvage the situation. "I'm 
having a problem with some high-level material, and..." She trailed off lamely.
   No matter. She cringed anew at the disgusted sound from the earpiece, loud 
enough that Artemis blinked. "Zac, I know you're there. I already told you that 
trick won't work. So you can just dismantle whatever you have set up wherever you 
are this time--" Artemis held the screen with a third command on it: ask if you 
can help him with what he's doing.
   Athena figured that her life was over anyway and she had nothing left to lose. 
Throwing caution to the stars, she broke into Dan's tirade. "Dan?"
   A suspicious silence. "What?"
   Athena thought frantically, swallowed hard. "You said you were doing homework? 
Reading homework?"
   "Yes," Dan replied, his voice calmer. "I have to get my reading speed up or 
they'll take me off patrols. Why you people couldn't just adopt a civilized 
language like Klasazh'ni is beyond me. It would beat the blazes out of this. And 
reading a stupid Caprican book--hear that, Zac?--a stupid CAPRICAN bo--"
   "Zac's not here," Athena said absently, and continued, "What book are you 
having to read?" The words seemed to be coming easier.
   "Burn, Witch. It's on the list as a classic, but it's got so many references 
I don't understand that I'm not getting anywhere with it. What do you mean Zac's 
not there?"
   Athena's next words came out in a rush of enthusiasm. "I remember that book 
from school! Would you like me to come and help you with it, explain some of it 
to you?" Then she blushed, unseen by the man and earning her a disgusted look 
from her cousin. "I'm sorry. You're probably getting set to go to sleep or 
something."
   "No, unless this stupid book puts me to sleep. I was going to ask someone for 
help," he admitted, "but everyone's got something else to do. I think they know 
this book too," he concluded darkly.
   Athena laughed, her heart pounding. "All right, then. I'll come help you with 
it. Deal?" Artemis gave her a high sign; she acknowledged it with a crinkling of 
eyes. "I'll be right there."
   "Well...all right. I'm in my quarters. GShi37447. Thank you."
   "See you in a few centons. Bye." She thumbed the connection off and squealed 
in a thoroughly un-officerlike manner, squirming and pounding her toes on the 
deck. Artemis laughed so hard she rolled from her chair. "He said yes! He said 
yes! Artemis, he said--"
   "I know what he said," Artemis gasped, fixing her friend with a triumphant 
look. "See? Wasn't that easy?" Athena nodded, hard and fast. Artemis levered 
herself up, tapped her cousin on the chest with a finger. "You," she said, "had 
better get going. If you've got him cornered in his quarters, you don't want to 
waste any time!" she finished devilishly. Athena made a sound of protest, scooped 
her gear and clothes bag up untidily, looking as though words just would not 
come.
   Artemis smiled, a happy smile for her best friend. "Get moving. See if you can 
find out how to be his best friend. Who knows? You may come out of this with a 
husband and six kids!"
   Athena started to retort three times; no words came out any one of them. Her 
smile spread. She started forward. Artemis held her hands up in self defense. "No 
you don't, either! You can hug me later! Go hug him right now!" Athena nodded 
wordlessly to her friend, turned and ran out of the gym.
   Artemis watched until the door closed, for a moment enjoying the silence of 
the otherwise unoccupied gym. Then she stretched, groaned, and reclined in her 
seat, brushing her own brunette locks from her neck, closed her eyes. "Marduq?"
   "Yes?" the pilot's voice came from the far end of the gym.
   "You can come in, lover. She and I are finished for now." She heard the young 
man pad up to the pool. There was a momentary silence, and then she felt his lips 
brush her forehead. She smiled, reached back to scratch his leg.
   "'All men are idiots'?" Marduq asked quietly. "Artemis--"
   Artemis smiled, nodded. "Well," she hedged, "I had to boost her confidence 
somehow..."
   "Mn-hmn." She heard Marduq shift behind her. "Sagitarran Bad Habits?"
   "Now, now, lover--"
   "I can handle the first. Men like Starbuck are idiots. I don't even mind 
being grouped in with him, as long as the caretaker's enjoyable." His lips 
brushed her hair. "And you are. But don't go insulting Sagitarra. It's not 
polite. Leave the motherworld out of any future malignings. Make sure you 
remember it."
   "All right, all right..." Artemis nodded, only half paying attention. 
   "I mean it." His voice took on an exotic, whining accent. "Ve have vays of 
insuring your cooperation..." His voice trailed sinisterly off.
   The silence that followed was deafening. "Marduq--?" she murmered. More 
silence. Her eyes snapped open, glanced around.
   Marduq waited until she looked up at him behind her before he dumped the 
bucket of water on her.

			      *** *** *** *** ***
   <ende>
   
	       GALACTICA SDF: PAYING COURT 2/COMMAND DECISION
	    first appeared in GALACTICA 18 from Clean Slate Press