Battlestar Galactica: Homeward Bound
                      by Eric Paddon

  (Two days after events recounted in "Battlestar Galactica:
                  The Mark Of Cain")

   "Commander?" Tolen's collected voice came through the intercom
in Cain's quarters.  For a long moment, Cain didn't feel like
responding to his executive officer.  When he finally decided to
go ahead, he stretched his arm out to the switch, slowly and
warily.
   "Yes Tolen?" his voice was less authoritive than it had been
at the briefing session two days earlier.
   "You requested a status report at 2200," Tolen said, "All
systems ready.  ETA to Colony Defensive Perimeter is seventy-two
centars."
   The Juggernaut slowly rubbed his temples, "Thank you, Tolen.
If there's no anticipated change in status until then, I suggest
that all pilots and key personnel take an extra two centars on
their next sleep cycle."
   "Yes sir.  And if I might suggest sir, I think you should take
some extra sleep in your next cycle too."
   "I'll take that under advisement, Colonel," Cain sighed as he
then flicked the switch off and resumed his slouched position in
the chair behind his desk.
   If only I could sleep, he thought.  For the last day he'd been
trying to get extra sleep in order to keep himself prepared for
what lay ahead, but he found that he was too racked with guilt to
let sleep overtake him.
   The Battlestar Pegasus, after more than four yahrens of
traversing the various star systems and waging a valiant crusade
against the might of the Cylon Empire, was finally homeward bound
for the colonies.  Not to receive honors and plaudits from an
adoring public, or to enjoy reunion with loved ones left behind,
but to embark on her final military crusade that would inevitably
end in her destruction.  The homes they had said goodbye to four
yahrens ago were all under Cylon occupation now, and the loved
ones were all dead as a result of the Cylon destruction of the
colonies that had taken place while the Pegasus was away.
   The Cylon occupation forces though, represented the last
holdout of Cylon strength in the galaxy.  In the last few weeks,
the Pegasus alone had been able to inflict a crippling blow to
the Empire with the destruction of the Cylon outer capital of
Gomorrah, and just days ago the destruction of the home planet
Cylon itself.  Once the installations in the colonies were taken
care of, the Cylon Empire would be reduced to a Fleet of ten
baseships with no Empire to run.  With no ability to construct
new baseships or new centurions.  It would be a blow that would
keep them occupied for conceivably thousands of yahrens, unable
to ever again harass the Battlestar Galactica and her Fleet of
220 ships searching for the planet Earth.  But once the baseship
fleet returned to deal with the menace of the Pegasus, it would
also mean the all-but-certain end for the Pegasus and her crew.
   It was not the inevitable appointment with death that was
troubling Cain at that particular moment.  That was something
he'd long ago come to terms with.  Nor was it any concern of
rumblings from his men.  Two days ago, he had put the matter
entirely in their hands, and they had unanimously declared that
they wanted to go home.
   What still troubled him, was how for several weeks, the
stunning success of the Pegasus against the Cylons had come as a
result of his slavish devotion to a mysterious woman called
Sapphira.  They had found her alone amidst the desolate wreckage
of a massive ship and taken her aboard the Pegasus.  And slowly
but surely, Cain found himself pulled completely under her spell.
He had placed the Pegasus entirely under her control and watched
with wonderment as she performed tasks that made the destruction
of Gomorrah and Cylon all too easy.  And he had also willingly
become her lover, expressing feelings of devotion that he had
never expressed to anyone else in his life before.
   To his horror, it had all been a gigantic trap.  Not the trap
of a known enemy like the Cylons, but the trap of a far greater,
and more evil enemy.  A trap engineered by a demonic outcast to
ensnare the souls of Cain and everyone else aboard the Pegasus
into her permanent bondage.  But only when Captain Skyler had
exposed Sapphira before Cain for what she really was, did her
plans go awry.  The sudden appearance of a rival outcast, Count
Iblis had led to a pitched battle between the two demons that
caused massive damage to the Pegasus and denied the battlestar of
the one weapon that had given them such an overwhelming advantage
against the Cylons at Gomorrah and the home planet.
   The image of seeing Sapphira as she really was continued to
haunt Cain.  The thought that he could have expressed such
devotion and even love to something so twisted and horribly evil
was the one part of the whole experience that he could not put
out of his mind, and which was causing him to not get any sleep
at all.  It was almost as if he feared that if he fell asleep, he
would be haunted by the sight of Sapphira's beautiful feminine
form lying next to him, whispering tender promises to him of
victory and seeing his only child Sheba again.  And then he'd see
that horrible sight of her beautiful face ripped away, exposing
the hideous creature that she really was.  It was a prospect he
didn't want to face.
   And then there was the one other thing above all that haunted
him even more than the image of what Sapphira was.  The words he
had uttered to her while under the throes of her control.
   "I love you Sapphira,"  he could still hear himself saying,
"Even more than I loved my wife."
   Those words were like a scar on his soul that would not go
away.  And as each passing centon brought the Pegasus closer to
the colonies, and closer to home, the hurt and guilt he felt over
that remark only seemed to intensify.
   The holographic images most dear to him rested on his desktop,
and behind the smiling visages of each of the people represented,
he could almost sense anger and disappointment if they ever knew
about what he had done.  From Cassiopeia.  From Sheba.  And most
of all, his late wife Bethany.
   Especially Bethany.
   Cain picked up her holographic image and gazed at it for what
seemed like centars to him.  One look was all anyone needed to
know that while Sheba may have inherited his instincts as a great
warrior, her physical appearance came entirely from Bethany.  The
same hair, the same eyes, the same face.  The resemblance was so
startling that there had been several occasions when people would
initially mistake Bethany and Sheba for twin sisters instead of
mother and daughter.
   "I'm sorry Mother," he whispered the term of affection that
went back to a yahren after Sheba was born, when Bethany had
once told him that she often felt like there were times she had
to act like a mother to him as well as their baby, "You were
always the one I ended up hurting the most."
   At that moment, the only things Cain could think of was how
many times he had never been there for her, and how he had done
her so many injustices.  How his obsessive lust for battle had
kept him away from home for more than two-thirds the length of
their thirty yahren marriage.  How on more than one occasion, he
had let isolated centons of loneliness during a long combat tour
cause him to forget his marital vows and find sexual relief with
female crewmembers or the first socialator who wandered into a
shore leave outpost, just as he had done so often in the yahrens
before his marriage.  Though his adulterous ventures were not
frequent, and ceased by the time he had risen to command rank,
he'd never felt ashamed of what he'd done to the point where he
would have countenanced confessing to Bethany and asking her for
forgiveness.  His mind had simply rationalized it as ordinary
battle fatigue, and if a quick evening with a socialator kept him
alert for the next combat engagement, then what was there to feel
guilty about?
   He hadn't been there when Bethany went through a difficult
pregnancy that resulted in her being unable to have children
again after Sheba was born.  He hadn't been there to share in any
of her triumphs as one of the finest stage actresses on Caprica.
And the cruelest cut of all.  He hadn't been there when she
needed him most.  When she was suddenly stricken with an
incurable disease called Gamma Syndrome, that resulted in
horrible suffering for more than a sectan before the release of
death finally came.
   And the more he thought about it, the more he could understand
why Sheba had initially hated Cassiopeia so much.  After all the
yahrens of not showing enough attention to his wife, Cain had
scarcely wept more than two sectars for her when he suddenly
found relief in the arms of another socialator.  Though he never
would have put Cassiopeia in the same category as all the
socialators he'd known in his younger days, he could now see why
it had seemed so selfish of him to seek someone like Cassiopeia
out.
   Yes, he thought sadly as he continued looking at Bethany's
image and brushed a tear away from his eye, his whole experience
with the twisted demon Sapphira had made him realize a lot.
   I wish it were thirty-five yahrens ago, he sighed.  When none
of those complications existed.  When everything was so clear and
full of promise....
   He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes trying to
summon a picture of what it had been like back then.  He was five
yahrens out of the Academy, and as a lieutenant had already
caught everyone's attention as the finest young warrior of his
generation.....


   "Lieutenant Cain, reporting sir!"
   "At ease," there was an edge of distaste in the voice of
Commander Summner, the Pegasus's commanding officer for more than
thirty-five yahrens, as he looked at the rigid, attentive form of
the young warrior who had distinguished himself so many times
since he'd been assigned to the venerable battlestar, five
yahrens earlier.  In that time, Summner had come to admire Cain
as the best warrior he'd ever seen in more than sixty yahrens of
active duty in the military, but on this occasion, he was
anything but pleased.
   "Lieutenant," the commander rose from his chair, "Do you know
why I summoned you?"
   "No sir," Cain remained at attention.  Although he had a brash
streak within him when it came to his assessment of superior
officers that he held a dislike for, Summner was a definite
exception.  One of the reasons why he'd stayed with the Pegasus
from the very beginning was because he admired Summner's tenacity
for battle, and disdain for following the letter of tactical
warfare guide.  Unlike other commanders he knew, Summner just
allowed a warrior's instincts to carry the day to victory, and
the end results always bore that judgment out, as far as Cain was
concerned.  Because of that, Cain literally idolized his
commander and loved him like a father.
   "You ought to know why," Summner looked him in the eye, "Your
squadron is scheduled for a six sectar furlong.  But according to
the reports I'm getting from Captain Janos and Colonel Arius, you
plan on staying with the Pegasus for the next combat tour."
   "Well sir, I've been studying the situation in the Tarsus
Nebulae, and----"
   "I don't want to hear it," the Pegasus commander firmly cut
in, "Cain, I don't want to hear one word about your past flight
experience in the Tarsus Nebulae, and I don't want to hear one
word about how indispensable you think you are.  Silver Spar
Squadron is taking a six sectar furlong, and Green Squadron is
returning for this combat engagement.  And when Silver Spar takes
a furlong, that means all of you, not just the ones deemed less
important in your eyes."
   Cain stiffened slightly in disappointment.
   "Sir," the young lieutenant kept his tone respectful, "I
appreciate that point, but I wouldn't know what to do with myself
for the next six sectars.  One night of liberty in a spaceport I
can handle.  A six sectar furlong is another matter."
   "Try to enjoy the things in life that matter more than being a
combat flyer," Summner said, "There's a lot of stuff going on in
Caprica City.  Take your girlfriend out and have some fun."
   "I don't have a girlfriend, sir."
   "Then find one," a pointed edge entered the commander's voice,
"Do anything you like, but just live it up for the next six
sectars.  You've been on continuous combat duty for the last
three yahrens, and no matter how good I think you are, you're
going to burn yourself out if you don't get away from this for a
while.  And if that were to happen to my best warrior in a
critical mission, the results would be disastrous."
   Cain lowered his head slightly, which caused Summner to get to
his feet, come over to him and place a hand on his shoulder.
   "Listen Cain," a paternal edge entered his voice, "I think the
universe of your abilities.  I really think you have a chance to
keep rising through the ranks so fast, that you could end up with
a command of your own in literally no time at all.  You might
even be the one who ends up taking over this old girl when I
finally retire."
   The young lieutenant's head perked up slightly.
   "But take it from someone older and wiser than you," Summner
continued, "If none of us took the time to relax and get away
from the war for a while, we'd all be burnt out automatons that
the Cylons would march right through without a fight until they
reached the gates of the Caprican Presidium.  By taking this
furlong, you'll be making yourself a better combat tactician in
the long-run."
   Cain smiled slightly and seemed more at ease, "I guess when
it's put to me in those terms, how could I possibly refuse?"
   "Good," the commander patted him on the back, "Now pack your
bag and get on the Caprica Skybus as soon as it rendezvous with
us in two centars.  Because if you're still here, you won't spend
the next six sectars flying a viper, it'll be turboflush cleaning
detail the whole time."


   Several centars later, Cain was sitting in a cramped skybus
bound for the Caprica City aerodrome.  The Pegasus was the last
of five battlestars that the passenger transport had picked up
Caprican warriors from, and as a result, the young lieutenant
found himself hoping that the trip would be over soon.  The
deafening whoops of anxious warriors waiting to savor a six
sectar furlong was not the kind of atmosphere he liked.
   "Cain?" he heard a voice call out above the raucous din.
   Cain craned his head toward the other side of the skybus and
was pleasantly surprised to see an old, familiar face.
   "Adama!" Cain exclaimed, "What are you doing on this rickety
spacetrap?"
   The dark-haired lieutenant who had attended the Academy with
Cain, and become one of his closer friends, eased himself out of
his seat, toward where Cain was seated.  After a centon's delay
in convincing the warrior next to Cain to change seats, Adama
settled down next to his old friend and clapped his hand on
Cain's shoulder.
   "It's so good to see you," Adama said, "How long has it been?
Three yahrens?"
   "I think so," Cain nodded and smiled, "Not since before I was
assigned to the Pegasus."
   "And I've heard all about your exploits," Adama smiled back,
"Soldier's Review did some very interesting profiles of you after
your little triumph at the Battle of Tirania became known.
You're already a hero of the first order on Caprica."
   "Well, I'd like to be modest and say that the Review
exaggerated things about my ability in the interests of hype, but
I'd be lying if I said they did."
   "You haven't changed a bit," Adama gave him a fraternal tap,
"Still the same, proud, ego-centric Juggernaut who put all of his
Academy classmates to shame."
   "And doing the same thing on the Pegasus," Cain said, "Right
now, I'm only deputy leader of our Silver Spar group, but it's
only a matter of time before Summner gives me a squadron command
of my own.  Anyway, what about you?  Still serving on the
Cerberus with old Odysseus?"
   "Not anymore," Adama said, "I was transferred to the Ricon a
yahren ago."
   "The Ricon?" Cain snorted in disgust, "You mean you have to
suffer working for that snitrod Kronus?"
   Adama hesitated for an instant before replying.  Cain had been
through an unpleasant experience with Commander Kronus while he
was still an Academy cadet, and he'd never forgotten how it
resulted in Cain getting suspended for two semesters from the
Academy, which had delayed his commission and formally placed his
as junior to Adama and all others of equal rank to him.
   "Kronus isn't the easiest person to work for," Adama chose his
words carefully, "But I'm getting some good points on the
administrative side of command responsibilities from him.  As a
matter of fact, as soon as I'm back from my furlong, he plans on
promoting me to captain and making me his chief aide."
   "I can't say I envy you," Cain said, "But then again, you
always seemed to have a bigger interest in things other than
combat flying.  Becoming a commander's chief aide is more the
mark of someone who wants to be a politician some day."
   "I prefer to think that my interests in politics and combat
tactics is equal," Adama said, "It might come in handy in the
long-term."
   "You still have dreams of being on the Council some day?" Cain
looked at him wryly, "Good luck with it.  I'll just settle for a
command of my own and leave politics to the lesser lights of
humanity.  Present company excepted of course."
   "Of course," Adama returned it.
   "On your way back to Caprica then?"
   "Yes," the dark-haired warrior settled back in his chair, "For
a long overdue reunion with my wife."
   Cain raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you'd become sealed."
   "Oh yes," his friend smiled contentedly, "For more than two-
and-a-half yahrens now."
   "My congratulations.  Anyone I know?"
   "I don't think so.  Her name's Ila.  She's a drama and music
instructor at the Caprican Fine Arts Institute."
   The brown-haired lieutenant nodded, "When it comes to high
culture, I'm still a fundamental illiterate.  But I'm sure she's
a fine woman, if she was able to snare you."
   "She is," Adama nodded, "As a matter of fact Cain, why don't
you get a chance to meet her and have dinner at our house
tonight?  If you don't have any other plans, I know she'd love
meeting you."
   "Thanks Adama, I appreciate that," Cain said, "I don't have a
single thing planned for my furlong, except maybe seeing if I can
use the Academy war games simulator."
   "Always thinking of combat tactics," Adama chuckled, "Cain, I
think by the time Ila and I get through with you, you're going to
learn what it means to really have fun on a furlong."


   They had arrived at the Caprica City spacedrome, and after
Adama had shared a tender moment of reunion with his wife, Cain
found himself introduced to Ila.  She was a vivaciously
attractive blonde woman, the same age as Adama and six inches
shorter than his imposing six foot height.  Instantly, Cain could
see a woman of great dignity and nobility, totally unlike any of
the women he was used to spending lonely nights with in various
holiday ports throughout the nearby star systems that the Pegasus
would occasionally put into, in between assignments.  Ila was the
kind of woman totally unapproachable from his standpoint.
   As Adama had predicted, Ila was all too happy to welcome Cain
into their fashionable downtown Caprica City apartment for
dinner.  When the two warriors arrived, they found that Ila had
already seen to it that a sumptuous feast of the finest Colonial
delicacies was waiting for them.  Ila had anticipated that after
more than a yahren of battlestar cuisine, her husband would be
prepared to gorge himself, and because of that, there was more
than enough to go around despite Cain's unanticipated presence.
   For a centar, the two warriors enjoyed rare roasted Caprican
meat, garnished with crisply cooked Piscean vegetables and
dominated most of the conversation among themselves, trading
stories about the battles they'd been through.
   Finally, Adama's sense of dignity got the better of him and he
cast an embarrassed glance at his wife, "Ila, I'm sorry.  This
must be boring you stiff."
   "Not at all," his wife had her hands folded under her chin and
smiled, "It's a lot more fascinating than how the battles get
reported on the BNC."
   "Your husband's right," Cain said, noting once again that such
a thought about lack of sensitivity never would have occurred to
him first, "I haven't learned enough about what you do, Ila.
Adama tells me that you're involved in the arts?"
   "Yes," Ila nodded and relaxed back in her chair, as she
wondered how long she could possibly hold the attention of a man
like Cain on a subject like this, "Professor of Drama and Music
at the Caprican Fine Arts Institute.  I try to give encouragement
to aspiring composers and playwrights."
   "Done any writing yourself?"
   "A little, but nothing significant," she said, "I've had one
play of my own performed in those little regional theaters during
the warm season, but nothing good enough to get the attention of
a high-level backer like Sire Uri."
   "Uri?" Cain rubbed his chin, "Isn't he the one who financed
all the art galleries and theaters that have opened in the last
ten yahrens?"
   "The same," Ila nodded, "You know him?"
   "Only the name," Cain admitted, "Not that I'm a great patron
of the arts, but it's difficult to walk through the entertainment
district without seeing his name plastered over all the
buildings.  Always struck me as a bit egocentric for someone who
doesn't do any performing, composing or writing himself."
   "Possibly," Ila nodded, "He's waged a pretty successful
campaign with the press to get all the credit for the so-called
Caprican Renaissance that they say we're going through now.  And
to be fair, he has done a lot, but some of his projects leave a
lot to be desired.  Like the play I have to go to tomorrow
night."
   "Let me guess," Adama said, "A personal project of some
protege of his, and starring a young woman of limited acting
ability, whom Uri admires for reasons other than her lack of
performing skills."
   "You're almost right," his wife said, "This is the comeback
attempt of a fallen star in Caprican playwriting circles.  Galen.
Had some major successes twenty yahrens ago, but that was during
the pre-Renaissance period when there were no other playwrights
comparable to the level of talent we have today.  Uri decided to
give him a try, but only because Galen is so desperate for
another crack at the big-time that he accepted the one condition
that no other playwright would ever agree to.  That's letting
Uri's 'young protege' Danela have a leading part."
   "I see," Cain nodded, "So why do you have to see it?"
   Ila smiled, "Professional survival.  Uri also is the
Institute's leading benefactor, and those of us who have not yet
received tenure in our teaching positions can ill-afford rubbing
him the wrong way.  He carries too much clout with the
Headmaster."
   "Kind of like some battlestar commanders I know," Cain shot a
wry glance at Adama, who smiled back in understanding at his
friend's reference to Commander Kronus.
   "The only thing I feel bad about, is what might happen to a
good friend of mine," Ila went on, "She's got the other female
lead in the play.  It's her first real break, and she earned it.
But if this play is destined to be the critical flop that I'm
sure it will be, it could ruin her career before it has a chance
to get started."
   "Your old primary-school chum, Bethany?" Adama smiled.
   "Yes," Ila sighed with regret, "My old partner from primary-
school pageants.  Working next to her convinced me that any
future I had in the arts had to be behind the scenes.  For five
yahrens, she's been working in those second-rate regional
theaters and this is the first Caprica City production she's been
in."
   "If the critics are as intelligent as they presume to be,"
Adama said, "the shortcomings in the play won't blind them to her
brilliance."
   "I hope so," Ila sighed, "I hope so."
   "You seem more nervous about it than she must be," her husband
said, "I'll go with you tomorrow to give you some moral support."
   "Thanks," his wife said with gratitude and then looked at
Cain, "You're welcome to join us too, Cain, but I'm sure you've
got other plans."
   "Actually I don't," the brown-haired lieutenant said, "And as
anxious as I am to see the Commandant about using the Academy War
Games Simulator, your kind hospitality tonight with this
magnificent dinner makes it impossible for me to refuse your
invitation."
   "It'll be a formal affair," Ila said, somewhat surprised, "All
warriors have to wear dress uniforms."
   "My favorite kind," Cain settled back in his chair and smiled,
"It'll give me a chance to show off all my decorations to the
public for the first time."


   True to his word, Cain showed up at Adama's apartment the next
night, looking resplendent in the tan dress uniform and matching
cape.  Even though Adama was wearing an identical dress uniform,
the dark-haired lieutenant knew right away that his friend cut a
more dashing figure in his, especially with the three levels of
campaign ribbons across the left side of his chest and the four
distinguished service medals and ribbons neatly aligned in the
row above.  By contrast, Adama had only one row of ribbons on his
uniform, and one distinguished service ribbon.
   Right away, Adama found himself thinking back to his Academy
days with Cain, and how his friend's evenings invariably ended in
one of two ways.  Either hunched over the War Games Simulator
scoring a major victory, or on the arm of a young woman.  He
suspected that his friend was half-hoping for the latter result
to happen on this occasion, especially since the entertainment
district was often a haven for the kind of woman Cain had little
trouble conquering.
   As they rode in their hired skylimousine to the theater, Adama
found his suspicions confirmed when Cain leaned forward in his
seat and said, "By the way Adama, when this thing is over, I'll
take an airtaxi myself back to my apartment.  I plan on stopping
by some old Academy haunts of mine that aren't too far from the
theater."
   "I know what you mean," Adama smiled thinly, as he mentally
recited the names of all the bars and casinos that comprised the
so-called Red Light section of the Entertainment District that
he'd always known Cain to frequent during their student days.
   A small cluster of reporters representing the society sections
of Caprican newspapers and television were already gathered
outside the theater, waiting to see who would be attending the
gala premiere of a play that Sire Uri had been doing much to
publicize for some time.  As soon as they saw the warrior who had
been heavily profiled for the last two yahrens emerge from the
hired skylimousine with Adama and Ila, they instantly took notice
and began to congregate around him.  Cain was more than willing
to accommodate them.  For the next ten centons, the man who would
one day become known simply as the Juggernaut, regaled them with
tales of his combat exploits that held their attention so much
that when Sire Uri's limousine arrived ten centons later, they
completely ignored the producer's arrival (much to the corpulent
sire's annoyance and anger).
   Adama, Ila and Cain had reserved seats in the front row of the
theater, just five feet away from the stage.  Cain idly leafed
through the program that had been presented to him, trying to get
a handle on what he'd be seeing unfold before him.
   "Two Sisters," he read the title aloud, "What's it about?"
   Ila visibly winced, "A silly melodrama about two sisters, and
how one of them, who's beautiful and glamorous and wealthy
manages to seduce the husband of her older, less glamorous
sister, and the subsequent ramifications in the lives of both.
I've read the thing, and if it were presented to me by one of my
students, I'd have flunked it in a micron."
   Cain looked over the cast list, "Your friend Bethany plays the
older sister?"
   "Naturally," Ila smiled, "You don't think that Uri would have
his 'protege' play any part other than the glamorous one, would
you?"
   "I guess not," Cain chuckled, "I guess not."
   The lights then dimmed and the play started.  It only took
five centons for Cain to realize that Ila's assessment of the
play as cheap soap opera melodrama was exactly on the mark.  The
premise was silly and the dialogue clunky.  Danela, the 'young
protege' of Sire Uri, briefly caught Cain's interest when she
made her entrance.  Danela was a strikingly attractive blonde
girl in her early twenties, and had a provocative sexual aura
that Cain was familiar with from all the one-night stands he'd
enjoyed in the last three yahrens at various spaceports.
Definitely the kind of girl he could have falling at his feet in
a micron's time, once he got the chance to turn on his patented
charm act, that many a socialator and barmaid throughout the star
systems had fallen for.  Ever since his Academy days, he'd found
that the same kind of egocentric braggadocio that served him well
as a combat flyer could also have the right effect on the right
kind of woman.
   Once Danela opened her mouth, and the audience heard a high-
pitched squeak emanate, Cain right away knew that she had no
talent as an actress.  The rest of the audience knew it too, and
were soon letting out small bursts of unintentional laughter
whenever she spoke some of the play's heavy-handed dialogue.  If
they'd been able to look up into Sire Uri's private box, they
would have instantly seen the producer visibly squirm.
   Cain had barely finished assessing Danela, when Ila's friend
Bethany made her entrance as the older sister.  Cain was half-
expecting her to be made-up looking dowdy and frumpy, but he was
pleasantly surprised to see a woman who looked attractive from a
wholesome, rather than provocative perspective.  She had light
brown hair, radiant brown eyes and a face that seemed almost
angelic to Cain.  As soon as he saw her smile for the first time,
that angelic impression was only heightened in his mind.
   She's different, he said to himself.  She's definitely a woman
of class.
   The unapproachable kind, he then reminded himself, as he
settled back in his seat.  I couldn't do a thing with someone
like her.
   But as the play progressed, Cain found his attention on
Bethany increasing.  He was no drama expert, but he could already
tell that she was giving a performance that definitely elevated
the material above its subpar quality.  She was bringing
nobility, dignity and pathos to the part of the older sister that
made Cain feel genuine sympathy for her character.  And when she
delivered a powerful monologue, standing alone on the stage, as
she recalled the trials of her life and her determination to
survive despite the setbacks, Cain found to his amazement that
his eyes were tearing up.
   For sagan's sake, he thought to himself.  This is silly.  It's
only a damned play.
   Maybe so, he reflected further.  But she has remarkable
talent.  I've got to meet her, and let her know that.
   He then remembered something Ila had said earlier in the
evening about where she and Adama would be going after the play.
Something about a reception at the Pyramid Towers Hotel two
blocks away, where all the major people involved in the play
would be celebrating the premiere night.  Sire Uri would be
there, and so would the playwright Galen.  If Ila was such a good
friend of Bethany, then it was inconceivable to think that she
wouldn't be there too.
   Already, the plans he'd made for himself when he'd set out
that evening, were fast becoming forgotten as he continued to
watch Bethany's captivating performance unfold before him.
   When the play finally ended after two centars that seemed
interminable to those who already knew that they had just
witnessed a commercial disaster, Cain was pleased to see that the
loudest applause from the audience came when Bethany took her
curtain call.  Along with Ila and Adama, he reserved his only
applause for her as well.
   As the crowd began to file out toward the exits, Ila gathered
her things and let out a sigh of relief, "Thank the Lords of
Kobol that's over."
   "Cain, thank you for coming," Adama said as he shook his
friend's hand, "Get in touch with us whenever it's convenient.
You're always welcome in our house."
   "What?" Cain frowned slightly in befuddlement as soon as Adama
shook his hand, "You're saying goodbye now?"
   Adama frowned back, "You said you planned on leaving, after--"
   "Oh," he flushed slightly, "Well, I was thinking that maybe it
would be rude of me to cut out on the two of you so fast.  If I
wanted to go along to this reception that's planned, would that
be all right?"
   "I don't see why it wouldn't," Ila was surprised as she
wrapped her elegant silken scarf around the neck of her blue
formal gown, "If you want to come, you're most welcome."
   "Thank you," Cain sounded relieved, "Thank you, I appreciate
that."
   "You're welcome, Cain," Adama found it difficult to conceal
the surprise he felt.  There was something in Cain's tone he'd
never heard in his friend before in all the yahrens he'd known
him.  He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but whatever it
was, it was definitely out of character for Cain.


   Thirty centons later, they were in the Main Reception Room of
the Pyramid Towers Hotel, long regarded as the most elegant in
all of Caprica City.  Approximately fifty people had shown-up for
what was supposed to be a festive, opening night party, but right
away, Ila and Adama could sense that the overall mood in the room
was anything but festive.
   "Good evening, Sire Uri," Ila said brightly as soon as she saw
the slouched form of the producer standing off to one side.  The
corpulent sire was holding a full glass of Skorpian bourbon, and
his expression was anything but happy.
   "Ah yes," Uri said as he sipped his glass, "Professor Ila of
the Institute?"
   "Correct," Ila nodded, "I don't believe you've met my husband,
Lieutenant Adama of the Battlestar Ricon."
   "Sire Uri," Adama politely bowed.  The corpulent sire didn't
bother to shake hands, further indicating his downcast mood, "My
wife's spoken highly of your efforts on behalf of the arts."
   "Well, consider it a civic duty of mine that has its rewards
and sometimes its....failures," Uri took another sip of his
drink, and it already seemed apparent to Adama and Ila that it
would not be the last one the sire would indulge in that night.
   Adama decided to change the subject, "Ah Sire Uri, may I
present a friend of mine you've probably read about.  Lieutenant
Cain of the Battlestar Pegasus."
   But as soon as Adama turned around to indicate his friend,
both he and Ila were surprised to see that Cain was still
lingering in the doorway of the Reception Hall entrance, his eyes
darting about the whole of the room as though he were trying to
find something.
   "Cain," Adama called and motioned his friend to come over,
"Could you please come over here for a centon?"
   "What?" Cain's head jerked toward them, "Sorry Adama?"
   "I said could you please come over here for a centon?" Adama
gently repeated, as he wondered just what was causing his friend
to act so odd.
   The brown-haired lieutenant quickly shuffled over to where the
three people were standing.
   "Lieutenant Cain, Sire Uri," Adama said again.
   "A pleasure to meet you," there was a rushed quality to Cain's
words as he hastily shook hands with the corpulent sire.
   "Ah yes," Uri looked him over, "Weren't you the one the
reporters were paying such close attention to, outside the
theater?"
   "I ah, suppose so, sir."
   "Then I'm glad you're here," a mirthless smile came across the
producer's face, "You might be able to deflect them from me again
if more of them show up here."
   "Ah, Sire Uri," Ila took him by the arm, "I was wondering if
you and I could talk about the proposed contribution for the
Institutes building fund for the next year..."
   As soon as she had led him away to another part of the room to
continue her conversation with Uri, Adama turned to Cain and gave
his friend a thoroughly puzzled look.
   "Are you all right?" he gently inquired.
   "I'm fine," Cain said hastily, "Perfectly fine."
   "You don't....seem like yourself."
   "It's nothing," Cain's attempts at reassurance did little to
impress his friend, "Nothing at all."
   "Okay," Adama kept his tone cautious, "Care for a drink at the
bar?"
   "I'd love one," Cain said.  At the moment, Cain felt his body
quivering inside to the point where he felt he could definitely
use one.
   They made their way over to the other side of the room where a
uniformed steward was mixing and serving drinks.  Adama took a
glass of Caprican white ambrosia, while Cain took a more stiff
drink in the form of Sagitarian brandy.
   "So," Adama decided to start a new conversation, "Did you
think the play was as bad as everyone else seemed to think?"
   "Very," Cain took a sip and began to toy with his glass,
gently rocking it back and forth in his right hand, "But I have
to say this.  Your wife's friend Bethany was fantastic."
   "She was certainly the only bright spot," Adama admitted, "I
think she's going to be the only one who ends up prospering from
this whole thing."
   "I hope so," there was a note of concern in Cain's voice that
again struck Adama as odd, "I really hope so."
   Cain then looked Adama in the eye, "You think she'll show up
here?"
   A glimmer of understanding finally dawned in the back of
Adama's head.
   "Ah yes," he nodded in a reassuring manner, "Yes, she should.
After all, she knows that Ila's going to be here, and they go
back a long ways."
   The dark-haired lieutenant then looked back to the other side
of the Hall, "As a matter of fact, there she is now.  Ila's
already caught up with her."
   Cain's eyes darted over and he felt his body tense up when he
saw her.  The attractive woman who had held his attention for
more than two centars on the stage looked even more stunningly
radiant, now that she'd changed from the simple costumes of her
character into a sleeveless, full-length white gown that left the
right shoulder exposed on top.  Her light brown hair was swept up
and piled high in an elegant, coiled style that lent an almost
regal aura to her appearance
   Right away, Cain was feeling something inside him that didn't
match any of the emotions he'd felt around other women he'd tried
to impress himself on before.  With those women, it had only been
a physical lust and the desire to know them for just one quick
evening of fun and a brief respite to get himself ready for the
next combat mission.  But this was the first woman he could ever
recall seeing who had moved him to a different kind of desire.
He certainly felt a physical attraction to Bethany, but at the
same time he could also feel an equal desire to just talk to her,
and get to know more about her as a person.  And if he was
successful, he knew he wanted it to be for more than just one
evening.
   The only thing going through his mind was how the routine he
always employed on other women was something he had no intention
of trying on her.  If he wanted to make an impression, as he
dearly wanted to do, another approach was needed.
   The only problem with that, he realized to his horror, was
that he had absolutely no idea what kind of approach that had to
be.  This was uncharted territory for Cain.  A moment in his life
that he'd never prepared himself for.
   What the frack do I do? he thought.
   No answers were coming to him.  Only the realization that he
was starting to sweat profusely underneath his dress uniform.
   "Come on," Adama's gentle voice broke his concentration,
"Let's go over and I'm sure Ila will introduce you to her."
   Cain took another sip of his drink and clutched it tightly in
his hand as he started to follow Adama to the other side of the
room.


   As soon as Ila saw her old friend, she wasted little time in
ending her conversation with Sire Uri and making her way over to
Bethany.
   "Ila!" Bethany's eyes lit up when she saw her, and the two
shared a friendly hug, "Good to see you!"
   "Wouldn't have missed it for the world," Ila smiled,
"Congratulations Bethany.  You were magnificent."
   "Well, I gave it the best shot I could," she sighed, "I knew
from the start, the material wasn't exactly going to carry my
performance along so I had to reach for all the extra things I
learned in eight yahrens of acting school and regional theater."
   "Don't forget four yahrens of primary school pageants," Ila
needled.
   "How could I forget?" Bethany smiled back, "The best
inspiration I ever had.  Anyway, where's that warrior husband of
yours?  The last time we talked, you said he was going to make it
back in time for the opening."
   "Well here he comes right now," Ila looked over and saw her
husband approaching with a nervous-looking Cain trailing.
   "Hello Bethany," Adama smiled warmly and shook hands with her,
"I don't think I've seen you since the day Ila and I got sealed.
Congratulations."
   "Thanks," she smiled, "I appreciate that."
   "Oh Bethany, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine from
the Academy," Adama motioned to Cain, "Bethany, Lieutenant Cain."
   Cain felt the nervous tension raging inside him so much, that
he wondered if his legs would give out from under him any micron.
   "Lieutenant," Bethany bowed her head slightly and smiled
warmly.
   "Yes, ah, I ah..."  Cain awkwardly cleared his throat and
couldn't understand why he wasn't getting an articulate syllable
out, "I just wanted to..."  he then extended his right hand to
shake hers, and then realized that he'd forgotten he was still
holding his glass of brandy.  Instinctively, he tried to shift
the glass to his left hand.  But his palms had been sweating so
much from nervous tension, that the glass promptly slipped out of
his hand, spilling its near-full contents right on to the front
of Bethany's white gown before tumbling to the ground and
shattering on the exposed portion of her right foot.


   The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Cain's
bachelor apartment on the outskirts of Caprica City, which he
shared with a member of Green Squadron who had just gone back to
duty aboard the Pegasus.  Lying on the bed, Cain scarcely
noticed.  After seeing an embarrassed Ila lead a shocked Bethany
out to clean herself up, he had made a horrified, hasty exit from
the reception and gone straight home, spending the entire night
brooding about what had happened.  Too embarrassed to even think
of trying to sleep.
   Why? he kept asking over and over.  Why did it have to come
out like that?
   Several times, he'd heard the chime of his telecom sound,
knowing that it was probably Adama calling to try and cheer him
up.  He didn't bother answering it.  The last thing he wanted to
do was talk to anyone about what had happened.
   Damn you Commander, he suddenly started to curse at Summner
for no better reason, you just had to make me take a six sectar
furlong?  So I could make a fool of myself in front of a woman
like Bethany?
   As the glow of morning intensified into the brightness of
midday, Cain finally forced himself to get up, finally remove his
dress uniform, and take a long shower in his turbowash.
   When he emerged ten centons later, he heard his telecom
chiming again.  Feeling more refreshed after his shower, he
reluctantly decided to answer it.
   "Yes?" his tone was flat, as he waited for the sound of
Adama's voice.
   "Lieutenant Cain?" right away, he knew this wasn't Adama.
This was a high-pitched squeaky male voice.
   "Yes, this is Cain," he frowned.
   "It's about time you answered your telecom," the voice
snapped, "Unless you've been out causing more public relations
disasters elsewhere."
   "Look who---" Cain started angrily.
   "This is Colonel Hengist, Caprica City District Commander,"
the voice said sternly, "In case you've forgotten Lieutenant, all
warriors on furlong in the Caprican western hemisphere are
answerable to my authority when their commanding officers are
absent."
   "Yes, I'm well-aware of that, sir," Cain's voice dropped to an
obedient tone as he wiped a towel over his forehead, "Do you need
me to report to District Headquarters for any reason?"
   "Do you understand why I'm calling, Lieutenant?" the squeaky
voice of Hengist rose.
   "Not really sir," he kept his tone deferential.
   "Well in case you didn't know it Lieutenant, your little
escapade at the Pyramid Towers last night is on the front page of
the entertainment section of every Caprica City news journal.
Needless to say, this is not the sort of thing we expect from a
warrior we've done a great deal to build-up as a military hero."
   What do you mean 'we've' and what do you mean 'build-up', Cain
thought with disgust.  Even though he'd never met Hengist before,
he knew right away that he was the kind of officer in the
military he despised the most.  A deskbound bureaucrat who'd
probably never seen a micron of combat since Academy training.
   Still, he had no desire to make things worse, so he kept his
voice level, "Sir, I apologize for any embarrassment I've caused
the Service.  It won't happen again."
   "It better not," Hengist snapped, "Because if it does
Lieutenant, your next assignment won't be on the Pegasus, but as
maintenance officer on a sanitation ship!"
   And I'll bet you know what that's like, you pathetic snitrod,
Cain said to himself as heard the click indicating that the
District Commander had terminated the call.
   Cain's embarrassment was rapidly replaced by a boiling sense
of anger.  Hearing himself talked down to by someone like Hengist
struck him as a far greater indignity than what he'd gone through
the previous night.  Theoretically, that embarrassment could be
smoothed over.  But only if he took some prompt initiative.
   A renewed sense of determination went through the Juggernaut
as he took out his regulation warrior's uniform and began to
quickly dress.


   A centar later, Cain was standing in front of the rear
entrance door to the theater.  He could still feel a lot of
nervous tension inside him, but this time he was determined not
to fail no matter what, and that determination was the only thing
preventing him from being a quivering wreck once again.
   He calmly straightened himself and then gave a firm rap on the
door.  A centon passed before it opened and the middle-aged stage
doorman peered out at him, "Can I help you?"
   "I need to see Bethany," Cain said calmly, "Is she here?"
   "Yeah, she's on the backstage.  Who are you anyway?"
   "I'm the one who acted like an equinian ass last night," Cain
said, "I came to apologize to her."
   The doorman's eyes widened, "Oh yeah, Lieutenant Cain.  Hey, I
read all about you in the Review.  Couldn't believe it when they
said it was you, last night."
   "Never mind that," a note of impatience entered his voice,
"Just tell her I need to see her."
   "Sure thing," the doorman disappeared back inside, and for the
next five centons, Cain found himself nervously tapping his foot
against the sidewalk, waiting for him to return.
   Finally, the doorman reemerged, "You're in luck, Lieutenant.
Come right in."
   "Thank the Lords," Cain whispered aloud in relief as he
followed him in.  The doorman led him through the dimly lit
backstage corridors and finally out onto the cavernous backstage
region located behind the set designs that faced the audience.
   Bethany was sitting in a chair in front of a make-up table at
the far side of the stage.  She was wearing a simple brown dress
and robe that while conservative, still enhanced her femininity.
Her right boot was off and she was massaging the spot on her foot
that Cain knew right away was where the glass had landed and
caused a medium-sized cut.
   Cain felt his stomach knot up again.  He had mentally prepared
his first words for more than a centar, and now they weren't
coming out again.
   To his relief, the doorman spoke up first, "Lieutenant Cain,
miss," he said and then walked away.
   Bethany looked up and when she saw Cain standing there, she
smiled warmly at him, "Good afternoon, Lieutenant."
   Cain sucked in his breath, "Good afternoon." his words weren't
as strong as he'd hoped, but at least he wasn't a stammering
idiot, "I ah, are you feeling all right?"
   "This?" she kept smiling as she finished rubbing her foot,
"This wasn't much.  I finally took the bandage off a centar ago.
Still a little tender, but no big deal."
   "Look Bethany, I ah," Cain took a step forward and found
himself taking another breath, "I can't begin to tell you how
sorry I am for what happened last night.  I ah, I only wanted to
tell you how much I enjoyed you in the play, and that I thought
you were absolutely magnificent."
   "Thank you," she was looking him over with interest, "You're
very kind."
   "Well, I," Cain awkwardly looked away and tried to figure out
where he was going next, "I um...felt you really deserved it.  I
mean, I don't know what the critics had to say, but...."
   "They were relatively charitable on the whole," Bethany put a
hand under her chin and seemed fascinated by him, "The play of
course, received the trashing it so richly deserves for it's
silly plot, but they were gentler on me."
   He managed to look back at her, "How gentle?"
   She let out light, hearty laugh, "The Caprica Times says, and
I quote, 'Amidst the disaster of this turgid affair, there is a
very credible performance by Bethany as the older sister.  One
hopes that stronger material is found for her in the future so
that the full extent of her acting potential can be really
appreciated.'"
   "That's an understatement," Cain said, "You were brilliant."
   Bethany shrugged as she put her boot back on and zipped it up,
"I can just be secure in the knowledge that I did my best, and
that some people felt it was a good effort."
   "Yeah, well," he drew himself up, "That was all I was anxious
to tell you last night, and in my haste, I got all silly and
clumsy, and...the last thing I wanted to do was humiliate you."
   "It could have happened to anyone," her voice grew gentle and
reassuring, "I'm not angry at you, Cain.  My white gown may be
shot to Hades forever thanks to your brandy, but it was only
rented for the occasion anyway, and the bill goes to Sire Uri.
Don't let it bother you anymore."
   "It's...not an easy thing to put out of my mind."
   "Why?" her tone stayed gentle, "Because it's so unlike you?"
   Cain frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"
   "I know all about you," Bethany said, "Even before Adama and
Ila filled me in last night.  I read the Soldier's Review too.
And I know that last night, wasn't anything one would expect of
the proud, boastful warrior reputed to have such an easy way with
young women."
   Cain didn't say anything and began to look down at the floor.
   "I think that's why I couldn't possibly be mad at you,"
Bethany's voice grew softer and more gentle, "I almost consider
it a compliment that you acted like a klutz for the first time in
your life, just because of your determination to meet me."
   She then got to her feet and walked up to him.  When Cain
didn't look up from the floor, she placed her hand under his chin
and tilted it up so that he was now looking her in the eye.
   "You do want to know me better, do you?" her voice became a
lilting whisper.
   Cain found the strength to slowly nod his head, "Yes."
   "Good," she smiled, "Now quit blushing like a little boy who
just caught stealing a mushie, and take me across the street to
the Piscean restaurant for an early dinner.  Let's start afresh
and have a real conversation."
   For the first time, Cain managed to relax, "Okay," he said,
"I'd love that very much."
   "Then let's go," she said as she locked her arm into his and
they walked out.


   As they settled down to their sumptuous meal, Cain was fast
discovering to his relief that the tension he'd felt was
dissipating with each passing moment that he talked with Bethany.
   "I always had a thing for acting, ever since I was a child,"
Bethany said, "I spent too many centars in front of my video-com
watching all kinds of productions.  I'd start to mimic the actors
on the screen, and when I finally started reciting whole passages
of dialogue, I then realized that this was what I wanted to do
for a living."
   "Ila mentioned that the two of you did school pageants
together."
   "We did," she chuckled, "Silly kids stuff.  Holiday
celebrations and those kinds of things.  It made me learn how to
be comfortable in front of an audience.  Once you've conquered
your fear of performing in front of people at an early age, it's
a lot easier to concentrate on the finer points of performing."
   "What'd your family think of your career choice?"
   "My mother mildly disapproved, but didn't stand in my way,"
she said, "She lives on Aquarias now.  I haven't spoken to her
for yahrens.  My father died when I was twelve."
   "I'm sorry," Cain said.
   "It wasn't too traumatic," she shrugged, "We always knew it
might happen.  He was a warrior."
   "Really?"
   "Yes," Bethany nodded, "He was a bridge officer on the
Pacifica.  He got killed during a suicide attack at the Battle of
Antioch."
   "They taught a whole class on that battle at the Academy,"
Cain said, "That wasn't one of our finer moments."
   "I know.  But at least my father did his job.  I've always had
a lot of respect for his profession." she smiled faintly, "That's
why I make it my business to read the Soldier's Review and learn
all about people like you."
   "Ever think for a micron that you could have been a warrior
yourself?" he matched her smile.
   "No," Bethany said, "Although it wouldn't have been as much of
a struggle."
   "Wouldn't have been much of a struggle?" Cain lifted an
eyebrow.
   "Not from my perspective.  Leaving aside the obvious
difference that warriors face the prospect of having to die for
the Colonial nation, I think they still have it easy when it
comes to letting people fulfill their potential."
   "Really," Cain put a hand under his chin in amused
fascination, "Actresses have it tougher than warriors?"
   "I think so," she said, "Look at it this way.  We both belong
to professions where you attend a specialized institute for four
yahrens.  At these institutions of learning, they train you
vigorously in all the fine points of what it takes to be the best
in the trade.  And inevitably, there are students who display
more natural talent and ability than the others.  Like you, for
instance."
   "Okay," Cain was fascinated with her thinking, "But when does
it get easier for us?"
   "At graduation time, naturally," Bethany took a sip of
ambrosia, "On the day you are handed your commission as an Ensign
in the Colonial Service, you automatically know you'll be getting
an assignment in the place you're best qualified for.  In your
line of work, the best combat flyer who graduates from the
Academy will get an assignment to a battlestar squadron.  With
us, the most naturally gifted actor can graduate from the
Institute and still end up making his or her living flying a
downtown skytaxi ten yahrens later without ever having a real
chance to do what he's best at."
   "That's never happened to you, has it?" he asked wryly.
   "Not yet, thank the Lords of Kobol," she said, "But spending
the last eight yahrens since I graduated doing regional theater
in the warm seasons is only a few steps above that.  Just enough
to keep me from working part-time as a barmaid, but not what I'd
been hoping for.  And you also have to confront the fact that not
only are there only so few good acting jobs to go around, you
also face the obstacle of having to deal with no-talent
'proteges' of all the important people in the business getting
special treatment ahead of you."
   "Like Danela?"
   Bethany smiled coyly, "No names please.  Especially since I
have to keep working with her for however long Sire Uri's ego
dictates that this lousy play stays open."
   "Okay," Cain leaned back in his chair, "I see your point.  But
that kind of dirty politics can also come up in the military.
That's what got me suspended for two semesters from the Academy."
   "You?  Suspended?" she set her glass down, "How did that
happen?"
   "Because I put my natural talent to use at the wrong time,
according to Commander Kronus," he said with less bitterness than
he ordinarily injected when he told the story to other people,
"It was part of what we call the Baptism of Fire ritual.  That's
when a cadet is given his first combat mission, by being assigned
to fly one mission with a battlestar squadron."
   "I'm familiar with that," she nodded.
   "In my case, I got assigned to the Ricon.  We were supposed to
take care of some Cylons that were harassing civilian transport
ships.  As it turned out, it only took me five microns to realize
that the commander of our squadron was an unimaginative dunce.
My instincts told me that the Cylons were hiding in back of the
tenth moon orbiting Sagitara, but our commander wouldn't listen
to what I had to say.  Well I decided to take matters into my own
hands, and starting talking him down, until finally the rest of
the squadron began to see things my way, and I organized us into
a run on the Sagitarian moon.  Sure enough, that's where they
were.  And because we got the jump on them, we wiped them out in
a micron's time with no losses."
   "And you got into trouble for that?" her brown eyes widened.
   "I wouldn't have, if it had been a decent commander like
Summner or Odysseus," Cain said, "Kronus however, is of the old
fuddy-duddy school of thinking that believes fidelity to
regulations is more important than getting the job done at any
cost.  To his stuffy way of thinking, a cadet speaking up and
challenging the authority of a squadron leader is such an
unpardonable sin, that it must be punished even though it ended
up saving lives.  Because of that, he used his influence with the
Academy Commandant to get me suspended for two semesters, so I
could be 'taught a lesson about the importance of the chain of
command.'  Now, every warrior I entered the Academy with, is
technically my senior and has the right to give me orders if
we're ever equal in rank."
   "I stand partially corrected then," Bethany said, "We both
seem to have more in common than I realized."
   "Our professions, or you and me?" he smiled.
   "What do you think?" she smiled back and took another sip of
ambrosia.  The look in her eye instantly told Cain that she meant
both, but was putting an emphasis on the latter.
   After several more centons of conversing, Cain felt
comfortable enough to probe a little further, "I ah, take it I'm
not the first lucky man who's had a dinner date with you?"
   "No," the coy expression returned to her face, "Just like I
know I'm not the first lucky woman you've had dinner with."
   "Okay, okay," he chuckled and lowered his head sheepishly, "I
should know better than to ask that.  It's none of my business."
   "Except for the fact that I am not, and never have been
attached to any of my former dates."
   "That surprises me," he said, "You're a beautiful woman,
Bethany."
   "You're making the faulty, male-centered assumption that none
of them wanted to become attached," Bethany smiled, "A few did.
I've just never had the time to be interested.  Trying to claw my
way to the top in this business has come first for the last eight
yahrens.  Just like I know you've been too busy clawing your way
through the ranks with your devotion to combat to be interested
in any attachments to your former dates."
   Cain shook his head in amazement, "You're the first person
I've ever met who can see right through me in an instant."
   "Maybe it's because we seem to think so much alike," she
folded her hands, "We both have pride in our own natural talent
at what we do.  We both want to be the best at our trade.  We've
both had to work against people blocking our roads to success.  I
wouldn't be surprised if it turned out we have other things in
common."
   "For instance?" he leaned forward.
   "You have the look of someone who enjoys watching a triad
match."
   "You're right," he admitted, "I love the competition of a team
of great warriors battling it out for a full centar with no rest.
That's like experiencing hand-to-hand combat in the old days."
   "I love watching them too.  And not just because the warriors
look cute in those uniforms," she smirked, "It just so happens
that there's an afternoon match at the Maximus Arena tomorrow
that I'd love to see."
   Cain smiled and found himself reaching out and taking her
hand, "My dear Bethany, it would be an honor."


   True to his word, Cain took her to the triad match the next
day.  And then he went back and saw her perform in the play
again.  That was followed in the next sectan by four more dinner
dates, another triad match, and two more viewings of the play.
   On none of those dates, did Cain or Bethany make any kind of
move aimed at seduction of the other.  They both seemed to sense
that they had something special enough just by being together,
and spending long centars conversing and talking with each other.
That carrying it too far would cheapen the entire experience
they'd been sharing up to that point.
   As if they wanted to emphasize that silent understanding
between them, every one of their dates always ended with no more
than a quick hug or a light kiss on the cheek.
   Another sectan went by.  By then, Sire Uri had finally chosen
to cut his financial losses and close the play.  On the day after
the last performance, Cain took Bethany to show her the Colonial
Military Academy.  The large cluster of buildings that housed
classrooms, dormitory complexes, and athletic and training
centers were all done in a quaint, old-style architecture that
blended in perfectly with the rustic surroundings.  The Academy
itself was located well outside the Caprica City municipal limits
in a lush green valley lined with trees that was totally devoid
of any other residential and commercial development.
   "It's so peaceful here," Bethany commented as Cain led her
around the main Parade Grounds, pointing out the various
buildings that dotted the landscape.
   "We're very fortunate the Academy's in recess and all the
cadets are away for a sectan."
   "That's not what I meant," she said, "I meant this whole
location.  So removed from all the activity of Caprica City."
   "They did that deliberately when they chose this site, four
hundred yahrens ago," Cain stated, "The old Academy was located
two blocks from the Presidium and District Headquarters, because
they thought it was more expedient to keep them centrally
located.  Unfortunately, as Caprica City became more developed,
they soon realized that not only were the facilities becoming
rapidly inadequate, but all the cadets were having too much easy
access to a lot of distractions in the city.  Not a good
situation when the war was entering a new, more difficult phase."
   "So they moved out to the country, and kept the cadets
isolated," Bethany noted, "Smart thinking."
   "Definitely," Cain nodded, "Being here forces you to
concentrate on the responsibilities a warrior has.  It makes you
more aware of the terrible job that has to be done protecting our
people before you go out and do it."
   Bethany stopped walking and looked at him with a bemused
expression, "I really didn't expect you to use a word like that."
   "Like what?"
   "'Terrible'," she said, "I thought you loved combat flying,
and combat tactics."
   "I do," Cain responded, "That doesn't mean I love the war.  At
least, I hope it doesn't mean that.  I just take pride in the
fact that I'm probably the best person there is when it comes to
getting the terrible jobs done."
   She continued to look him over thoughtfully, "What if there
wasn't a war, Cain?  Then what would you do with your life?"
   "No war?" he seemed amused by the question, "That's a concept
that seems alien to just about anyone.  It's been a thousand
yahrens since anyone knew what it was like for our civilization
to be at peace.  I can't say I've ever pondered that question."
   "Try pondering it now," Bethany prodded, "I'm curious.  If the
war were to end tomorrow, then what would you do with your life?"
   Cain shrugged, "Probably stay in the Service."
   "Doing what?  The kind of work someone like that Colonel
Hengist does now?  You wouldn't last half-a-micron in something
like that."
   "I don't think if the war were ever won, that it would mean
we'd lower our defenses for eternity," he said as they resumed
walking along the Parade Grounds, "I'm not a Utopian thinker,
Bethany.  If the Cylon Empire fell, there'd probably be another
new enemy to take its place someday, and we'd have to be prepared
to face that enemy."
   "You wouldn't last in that kind of a military either, Cain,"
Bethany didn't let up, "I think I know you well-enough by now to
realize that it isn't just your knowledge of combat tactics that
you take pride in.  It's the thrill you get from the success of a
combat mission.  The constant activity of battle.  Heading a
viper squadron or commanding a battlestar in a peacetime military
would be no different than having a job like Hengist's to you."
   Cain stopped walking and looked at her again, "Maybe you've
got a point, Bethany," he said, "Maybe I don't know what I'd do
with my life if there was no more war.  But then again, do you
know what you'd do, if you couldn't act on a stage anymore?  I've
seen the way you throw yourself into a part, and it's with the
same passion that I admit I feel in a combat situation.  Not
because I'm bloodthirsty, or insensitive to the human tragedy of
people dying in this war, but because this is the thing I excel
at better than anything else I'm capable of doing."
   "I understand," Bethany said gently, "Believe me, I do."
   "There's one part of your question, I can answer though," Cain
seemed to be gathering his inner strength for what he was about
to say next, "I may not know what I'd do from a professional
standpoint, but I know what I'd do with my spare time.  And
that's spend more of it with the people I love."
   Her expression didn't change as she looked at him in silence
for several microns.  When she finally spoke, her words were
cautious and carefully measured.
   "Who are the people you love?"
   Cain looked her in the eye, "Right now there's only one person
who fits into that category," he said, "That's you, Bethany.  I
love you."
   Bethany tried to keep the waves of emotion she was feeling go
through her in check, "Can you tell me why you love me, Cain?"
her voice was still level, "It's not that I don't appreciate what
you say, but...."
   "But because of my past reputation with other women?" Cain
finished the thought for her, "Is that it?"
   "Cain, it's not that I don't trust you," she tried to sound
reassuring, hoping desperately that she wouldn't say something
she'd later regret, "It's just that I have to hear you tell me in
your own words, why you feel this way about me."
   He let out a light chuckle and gazed skyward as if he were
looking for help from the Almighty, "Why," he said aloud, "Why do
I love you.  Well, that's a good question."
   "I have to know, Cain," her voice was gentle, but no less
emphatic, "Tell me, and then I'll be glad to tell you something
as well."
   Cain forced himself to look at her, trying not to shuffle his
feet or make any other kind of awkward gesture.
   "Bethany," he finally spoke in the most firm tone he could
manage, "I love you because you're not like any other woman I've
known, and because you have a mind that works just like mine in a
lot of ways.  You're the only woman I've ever met that I can
envision having a meaningful relationship with because I feel
totally comfortable thinking of you as an equal."
   As soon as he had finished, Bethany put her arms around him
and for the first time kissed him on the lips.
   "Thank you for saying that," her tone was contented, "That you
think of me as an equal.  Hearing you admit that vindicates
everything I've been thinking about you."
   "What have you been thinking?" he asked as he refused to let
go of her.
   She smiled brightly, "That there was more to you than just the
man everyone read about in Soldier's Review.  That underneath all
that egocentric braggadocio, you have a loving, sensitive side
too."
   "Only when I'm with you," he smiled back, "Only with you."
   "That's all that matters to me," Bethany said, "Because that
part of you is what I'm in love with, Cain.  And it's the only
side that I want to see when you're with me.  Be the other Cain
when you're flying your vipers and blasting the Cylons to
infinity, as long as you never keep this other side of you hidden
from me."
   "I won't," he said, "I swear by all the Lords of Kobol I
won't.  You're the only woman I've ever felt comfortable with
this way, and I don't ever want to lose you."
   "You never will," Bethany let out another contented sigh as
she rested her head on his shoulder, "You never will."....


   ....It only took another sectan for Cain to ask Bethany to
become his wife.  Her answer had been a quick and resounding yes.
Not wanting to waste any time, they were married days later in a
non-religious ceremony in the Caprica City Municipal Court
Building.  Adama and Ila were the only two witnesses to the
proceedings.  The rest of Cain's furlong became their honeymoon,
and for the both of them, it was a time of total happiness.
   Finally, Cain's furlong ended and he went back to duty aboard
the Pegasus, while Bethany started work in a new play that had
been offered to her as a result of the good notices she'd
received in the flop.  As it turned out, that particular play
would be a smash success that would win Bethany the first of
three major awards, and launch her on the beginning of a twenty-
yahren career as one of the first ladies of Caprican theater.
   And setting a precedent for things to come, it would be the
first event in their marriage that Cain would not be there to
take part in.
   Maybe that's where it all started to go wrong, Cain's mind
came back to the present as he continued to stare at her
holopicture.  That was the only time she truly came first in my
life.  Before I went back to battle for the first time.
   As he remembered the conversation on the Academy Parade
Grounds, he realized that he had only partially kept his word to
Bethany.  On those infrequent occasions when he was home, he did
let the other side of himself take charge, and Bethany always saw
a loving husband and father who was quick to show generosity and
attention to both her and their new daughter Sheba.  But when
Cain was away from home, the other, more dominant part of his
personality reigned totally unchallenged.  Since it was a part of
himself that he felt totally comfortable with, there was never
any reason in his mind to alter that, and allow just a little of
the sensitive side of his personality to temper the harsher
aspects of the Juggernaut.
   Because he hadn't done that, and had allowed himself to become
two separate, distinct personalities for home and battle, it was
small wonder that over the yahrens, no feelings of guilt over the
long absences away from home, and the ordeals that he had
undoubtedly put Bethany through, ever crossed his mind.  To Cain,
it had only become important to have the right personality for
when he was home, even if those times became more infrequent with
each passing yahren, as he rose through the ranks to become one
of the greatest commanders in all of Colonial military history.
He had treated her as an equal at home, just as he'd vowed.  But
he hadn't treated her as an equal in his heart when he was away.
   Being the Juggernaut had enabled him to become a Living
Legend.  And only now, as he found himself days away from what he
knew would be his last battle, bringing the Pegasus closer and
closer to the home he had stayed away from so often over the
yahrens, did he finally realize that it had come at a price that
might not have been worth paying.
   "Commander?"
   He was suddenly startled back to reality when he heard his
executive officer's voice come over the videocom, with no advance
warning of a chime preceding it.  He swivelled around in his
chair and saw Tolen standing on the bridge looking somewhat
concerned.
   "Yes, Tolen?" Cain abruptly set the picture down and tried to
resummon a command edge into his voice.
   "Sir, I'm sorry I startled you, but I had to check the monitor
to see if you'd started your sleep cycle.  You really shouldn't
be up now."
   Cain absently glanced at his chronometer.  It read 0100.
Three centars had passed since he'd promised the executive
officer that he'd be starting an extended sleep period.
   "I'm sorry Tolen," he said, "I don't blame you for checking on
me.  I'm getting to bed right now.  If there's no change in
status, ring my chime at 1000."
   "Yes sir," Tolen nodded, "The unmanned probe we left behind
after we destroyed Cylon just sent us some interesting telemetry.
It indicates that the basestar Fleet has arrived there."
   "They'll probably stay there only long enough to dig the
Imperious Leader out of his bunker," Cain rubbed his eyes, "At
the most, we should have almost a sectan to do our mission in the
Colonies.  You and Captain Skyler report to my quarters in the
morning to go over the main battle plan again."
   "We'll be there, sir," the executive officer said, "Good
night, Commander."
   "Good night, Tolen," Cain said as he shut off the monitor and
finally removed his uniform jacket.  He almost had to force
himself to take off the rest of his uniform and finally crawl
into bed.
   He managed to turn off the light, but still, sleep would not
come.  The memories and guilt were still haunting him.
   "Forgive me Bethany," he whispered aloud in the dark, "Forgive
me for what I did."
   As soon as he said it, he felt a drowsy sensation come over
him.  Before he had a chance to ponder why it was finally coming
to him, he finally drifted into the throes of sleep that had
eluded him for the last two days.
   The darkness of Cain's quarters had only been illuminated a
tiny fraction by the speckle of stars shining through the
porthole.  Had Cain been awake, he would have seen the
illumination grow brighter for a brief instant as one streak of
light went past the porthole in the blink of an eye.
   And then, a presence materialized in the room.  The presence
of a woman garbed totally in white.  She made her way across the
room to Cain's bed and for a long centon, looked down at his
sleeping form.
   "I forgive you," she said tenderly, and then injected a note
of gentle reproach, "Now stop brooding about the past, and about
that demon Sapphira.  The Juggernaut's needed for his greatest
mission.  One that's going to make it possible for the
Galactica's people, including our daughter, to one day reclaim
our civilization.  But only if you promise to do what you always
said you were the best at."
   She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair,
"Goodbye Cain.  My love will always be with you, both here and
beyond."
   And then, as Cain continued to sleep, her presence faded from
the room.  Another streak of light went past the porthole, and
then things returned to as they'd been before.
   When the Juggernaut awoke the next morning, he awoke to the
sensation of not understanding why he felt as he did, but only
aware that the burden of guilt had finally been lifted from his
shoulders.

The End