**Disclaimer:  This is a work of fan fiction.  It is not intended to in
any way infringe on the copyrights held by Universal Studios regarding
the television series Battlestar Galactica. This piece is not to be used
for profit in any way, but intended for fan enjoyment.  Please respect
the author's wishes in this matter.

One Unique Night
By Alessandra Ronconi
August 30, 1998

     The warm wind of Caprica gently fondled the long brown hair of the
Colonial Warrior sitting alone on the beach. It was a quiet evening. Only
the moon and the stars lighted the boundless ocean of the planet.
     The viper pilot was comparing the present view with the usual one
from her cockpit. Not as wide as the space outside, but far enough from
the war tonight, she thought listening to the lapping of the waves
against the reefs. She was amused by the game of the faint rays of light
reflected by the changing water. 
     May all the cycles of the Colonies be so peaceful...  Her reflection
was suddenly interrupted by a burst of laughter behind the low dune.  She
smiled.  Even if she didn't recognize the voice, she knew it was from a
friend of hers.  She was not so distant from her friends that the music
of a sitar, voices, and laughter could be heard from the improvised
party.
     Some of the pilots of the Silver Spar Squadron had met in a
nightclub outside of Caprica City. It was too crowded and noisy for the
group from the Pegasus. They were spending their last furlon on their
home planet before a long and dangerous mission with the 5th Fleet. The
warriors were under the command of the legendary Cain. For their last
night at home they needed something more than a club full of other
warriors, where the din was so high that it was not possible to
understand a single word from a close partner in a dance.
     The beach was much better with a fire, a sitar, as much drink and
ambrosia as they like.  Good ambrosia, she judged sipping from the bottle
she had in her hand. The atmosphere was friendly and carefree. They
joked, sang, and drank. The war and the next mission were far away from
their thoughts.  The first couples had been discreetly making for the
pinewoods when she left searching for a place on her own. 
     We are acting like teenagers she smiled again.  Oh, if our
politicians could see the best pilots of the glorious Battlestar Pegasus
tonight...the men and women who hold in their hands the fates of the
Colonies...
     She took another sip of the sweet liquid from the bottle of
ambrosia. She was trying to avoid the question in the back of her mind
about how many of the warriors were going to return alive to Caprica
after the mission was completed.
     For this night, we are only young men and women like other
civilians. For tomorrow there will be plenty of time and opportunities to
be the professional warriors we are, she thought.
     Frack! She threw a smooth pebble in the sea with anger.  Why can't I
simply enjoy the company of my friends?  I really don't need these sad
reflections tonight.
     She was a brave warrior, a skillful viper pilot, showing her
level-headedness in every unforeseen circumstance. It was not her first
mission in a battle. She would be calm even if she knew this wasn't a
mission like the others she had taken part in. This time the whole 5th
Fleet was to be involved. Perhaps this was the first real occasion for
the Colonies to take the decisive victory against the hated Cylons.  The
legendary Commander Cain was leading the Fleet. Every member of the crew
were confident in the ingenious Commander. They were proud of serving
under his command.
     Cain, my father. That's the problem. A touch of melancholy crossed
her face with distant memories coming to her mind from the past. No, he
isn't the problem. I love being on the Pegasus with him. It's what I
dreamed since I was a baby ... 
     The voices of her friends were lower now. The night was darker and
the wind was only a slight breeze.
     The image of her house returned to her memory. Even if it was
painful she allowed herself to remember the old cycles with her family.
Old times.  Mommy died only one yahren and a half ago ... but it seems like
a lifetime ago. She choked back the tears welling up in her eyes, while
from the past the image of the small dining room was getting more real.
     The evening before the departure of her father for a mission would
be spent together at home. The three of them would have dinner.   It
could be called a custom for her family to share a dinner together
although Cain was seldom on Caprica. Yet, to the diligent eye of an
observer, there were little differences to be seen. There was the baggage
packed and ready in the wardrobe in the hall. There was also the ironed
uniform on the chair in the bedroom and the boots perfectly polished
beside the chair.  From the kitchen, the smell of her father's favorite
cake would be filling the house.
     She could easily see Cain watching the news at the video and
grumbling something about the stupid politicians. Then he would turn off
the video and suddenly embrace her mother who was setting the table for
dinner. 
     "Are you going to hunt a Cylon baseship again, daddy?"  She could
hear her young self asking.  
     "Baby... don't bother your father.  You know he can't tell us where he
is going to be. He's a warrior, and it's his job." The firm voice of her
mother was still lively in her ear.
     "And most of all we don't want to frighten our dear mommy." Cain
winked at his beloved daughter. "When you're a Viper pilot in my
battlestar, you'll have admittance to all the secret battle plans." He
whispered. 
     "And mommy will have to cook your favorite cake the evening before
we leave." He promised.
     What a difference it was today ... before dying, mommy had had little
occasions to cook for the new pilot of the Pegasus on her furlons.  Now
Cain and his daughter were separated during an evening they would
normally have shared together at home.
     "A wonderful night like this is wasted with gloomy thoughts."  A man
said as he walked toward her. He had been looking at the female warrior
for some centons from near the dune. 
     She did not need to turn round to recognize the friendly voice of
her wingman.  "I was only thinking about the past..." she answered slowly,
still looking at the dark sea.
     The man glanced at her damp eyes, and felt a pang of grief in his
heart. "Guess your father and his partner are not the right topic to talk
about in a romantic place like the beach tonight." 
     "Always frank and straight to the point, aren't you, Bojay?" Her
fingers toyed nervously with the sand, still warm from the sun of the
morning.
     "I know you well, Sheba.   I also know when something is troubling
you.  And let me say..." He hesitated a moment. "I don't like seeing you
this way. You're... different...."
     "That's enough Captain." Shebe interrupted him. "Why don't we enjoy
the fresh air and the marine breeze with the smell of the seaweed. We'll
have plenty of time to breathe the recycled air of the Pegasus."
     "You're better with evasive maneuvers in your viper, Lieutenant," he
said sitting down next to her. "Don't try to escape the subject, Sheba. 
It's time to face it and to accept the situation."
     "I don't remember asking your opinion."  She took another sip of
ambrosia from the bottle that was almost empty. "And that I prefer facing
a Cylon basestar than that blond lady!"  Sheba added bitterly.
     "I don't believe it. Your father cares a lot about you and you the
same about him. Don't let this ruin your relationship."
     "It's done, my friend," Sheba sighed.  Perhaps it was a good idea
speaking to Bojay about the situation with her father and Cassiopeia.
     "You're not going to sleep at home tonight, are you?  I've noticed
that you've loaded your bag into the first shuttle for the Pegasus." 
Bojay tried to make the conversation easier.
     "Sleeping at home? Why?  And have breakfast tomorrow morning with
her and my father? Tell me Bojay, how can I sustain the sight of her
coming out my parents' bedroom?" She shuddered at the thought. "And then
should I prepare breakfast for the new Siress and kiss her before
leaving? Maybe even having to acknowledge her presence in my home like
she was my mother?"
     The man stayed silent and moved closer to her. He stretched his arm
around her shoulders trying to protect her from the coldness of the night
and the dampness of the sea. Wish I could help you, Sheba, but you have
to work this out on your own. It's not like how we pursue raiders in
space, Bojay thought.  He asked cautiously. "Are they going to be
sealed?" 
     "Yes, I think so.  Probably after we come back from Molokay."  Sheba
was surprised by her calm tone.  Speaking with Bojay really put things in
a different light and less tragic than thinking about it alone.
     "You may have to find a way of living with ... what's her name?"
     "Cassiopeia.  It's Cassiopeia."   She wondered if her friend had
truly forgotten the name, or was he trying to make her more willing to
talk? 
     "The universe is not big enough for me and that woman to live
together in the same house!"
     "Damn you Sheba.  You're acting like a headstrong and spoilt child!"
He burst out.
     She was astonished at Bojay's outburst. "Would you mind telling me
why this matter is so important to you?" she asked icily. "Did you happen
to fall in love with the socialator, too?" Sheba moved away from him.
     Not with her just you. The words remained at the back of his throat.
     Instead, Bojay explained. "Forgive me.  I don't care about her, but
I'm worried about you. I've watched you during the last sectons. You're
so sad, so...embittered."
     "I assure you my work will not suffer with this problem." She was
puzzled by Bojay's reaction. "I'm able to keep apart my personal affairs
from my abilities and efficiencies while flying."
     "That's not what I meant.  I know your professional aptitude.  I'm
not speaking as your Captain." He didn't look at her. "I was under the
impression we were friends." It was so grievous looking at the
unhappiness in her eyes.
     Sheba lowered her face as she listened again to the silence of the
beach. The unreality of the peaceful scenery was so distant from the
bustle in her heart and mind. She was not accustomed to being so upset.
Usually she could handle every plight as she was in control of the
situation.
     Sheba answered her friend. "That's my weak spot, my father." How
much I love him, she thought.  After a little while she said. "Sorry,
Bojay, but those cycles were very hard for me. I had to meet her every
morning at home, and see how daddy is happy with her... without my mother."
     "I know but life goes on, Sheba."  Perhaps she was letting down her
defenses.
     "Let me finish please ... You can't imagine how much I've waited for
the ending of this furlon.  It's a liberation to come back to duty on the
Pegasus, far away from Caprica and Cassiopeia. I hope to have time to
speak with my father during this mission, and to understand why she's so
important to him. But I don't think he'll convince me." She didn't add
that she was hoping with all her heart that the during the long time of
their mission would burn out the two lovers.
     "No one likes to be lonely, and even Cain needs a partner." Bojay
did his best to help his wingman. There were other words and phrases he
wanted to say to Sheba, but the night was too short.
     "But he has me." She could not stop her tongue from saying this.
     Bojay smiled. This was "his" pugnacious Sheba. "But you're his
daughter, not a wife. Perhaps he thinks there will be the time that
you'll leave him for a family of your own..."
     The women sighed heavily, why was it so difficult. "You're right
again, even if I think nothing and nobody could ever make me leave my
father, never. He's the center of my life."
     Her self-confidence was the part of her Bojay liked most ever since
the first cycle when the young Ensign Sheba came aboard the Pegasus. The
pilots were uneasy at her presence. She was Commander Cain's daughter.
She had the strong, stubborn temper of her father. Within a few sectars,
they realized that she did not seek favors. Sheba worked hard. She
deserved all their respect as a shrewd viper pilot.
     The respect he had for her came before they were assigned as
wingmates. Then, cycle by cycle, flying and fighting against the Cylons,
they faced the dangers of the battles. They shared the boredom of the
long patrols and learned to trust each other. They depended on their
understanding of each other for their lives, and finally, they became
friends. Bojay was one of the few confidants Sheba had on the battlestar.

     Before he realized it, they became increasingly closer. When he was
promoted to the rank of Captain of Silver Spar Squadron and Sheba
promoted to Lieutenant, it was a natural choice to make her his deputy. 
She had an innate feel for the command, and she was an excellent
collaborator.
     Very often, it might appear to others that she appeared to be the
strike leader, not Bojay. She seemed to lead the squadron, especially
during the attacks. Anyone else but Bojay would have reprimanded Sheba
for insubordination.  Instead, this was their strength. They were an
excellent team, because they knew every decision and every move the other
would do. Therefore, it was not important who was giving the orders, as
they became the same person in battle. In this way, they saved many of
their colleagues' lives.
     Until some sectons before, if someone had asked Bojay whom his
wingman was then he would have answered.  My best friend, Sheba.
     Bojay could not express what changed.  It just happened.  One cycle,
he found himself looking at her deep brown eyes, thinking about her
bright smile.  It was the cycle when her patrol was struck in an ambush
and he was on rest. He was so distraught that he had to admit to himself
that he was in love with Sheba. His feelings were more than friendly.
     She had told him that Cain was the center of her life. Winning her
love would be an impossible challenge. Bojay had never talked about his
feelings with anyone. Usually, he would have asked Sheba's opinion.
     Nothing and nobody.  These were her words.
     So he was craving for the unattainable woman, but he still missed
his closest friend and would hide his emotions from her.
     "You're quiet." Sheba interrupted his thoughts.
     He turned toward his wingman and saw her shining eyes smiling at
him. Or was that what Bojay wanted to see?
     "I was only thinking," he replied under his breath.
     It was late, and now the only noise came from the group of pilots.
The still of the night was broken only by their words.
     "Oh, my philosopher..." Sheba joked softly.
     The tide was growing and flooding the foreshore. The water filled a
little hollow, a solitary footprint. The wave wet seaweed withered by the
sun, and brought it back to the sea.
     "As leaves spread by the wind ... as petals sparkle on the water ... as
marks light on the sand ... as words written in our hearts..." she whispered,
looking at the fizzy foam getting closer.
     Bojay didn't understand her words. "What?"
     "Nothing, only an ancient poem." About a young warrior sacrificed
for the salvation of his town, Sheba added to herself. I chose to be a
warrior, she thought. And I knew exactly what the risks were. So what is
wrong tonight? It is not only the family memories I am thinking about.
She did not allow herself to remember the time when her mother recited
the ancient text for her husband and her daughter.
     "Are you afraid of the mission?" He asked. He was not interested in
poetry. And it was not Sheba's habit to express her literary side,
although Bojay knew she liked reading in her spare time.
     Sheba was not surprised by the question. They were always honest
with each other. "To tell the truth, I have a strange foreboding." She
answered. "I'm not feeling the usual excitement about the next battle. I
don't feel the adrenaline running in my veins."
     If he had learned something about Sheba, it was to trust her
instinct. Undoubtedly, her intuition showed she was Cain's daughter.
However, Sheba was behaving strangely recently. "Maybe you are just
tired, or you feel the pressure which is on your father."
     "Yea.. maybe.. our stupid politicians think it would be easy to
rescue the 5th Fleet and give a death blow to those damned tinheads... "
Sheba drew her hand through her long hair. "But it will not be a pleasant
walk..."
     "That sounds like Cain's stiff tone!"  Bojaychuckled at her words.
"Do you want your swagger stick, Commander?" He kidded.
     "Bojay! I'm not joking!"
     "Sorry, but you're incredible when you speak like your father. You
know, I had enough briefings with him to recognize his influence..." Then
he thought, it's a nice sight to hear his words from your fresh lips.
"Don't worry Sheba, I have a good wingman. I would go to hell with him."
He winked. "Besides, the legendary Cain is our Commander, and we are the
best battlestar of the Colonies."
     Sheba smiled. "Guess our friends from the Galactica would have some
objection to your last statement."
     "Only a friendly rivalry," Bojay said. " By the way, where is the
Galactica now?"
     "She left Caprica just before the Pegasus arrived. Some mission to
do with the tylium mine near the Hasari system."
     "I know. Unfortunately, we weren't lucky with Carillon. There was a
big expectation about the resources of that planet, but I heard that the
reports weren't good."
     "And only the Lords of Kobol know how much we need tylium resources
to defeat the Cylons.  It was one of the main concerns of my father about
the next mission. There aren't tylium mines near Molokay, and we'll be
far away from the Colonies to receive frequent refueling," Sheba asserted
gravely.
     Apprehension crossed his mind, but Sheba was worried enough without
his anxieties adding to hers. Instead, Bojay said proudly, "So we leave
the Galactica to the obscure work in the rear, and we'll have all the
glory of the front line."
     "It's not so certain that it'll be an easy job."
     "None of our missions are.  You are well informed about the
Galactica." He noted.
     "I spent a lot of time with Aurora during my furlon."
     "Aurora?"
     "My schoolmate. Her boyfriend is a Blue Squadron pilot, a Lieutenant
I think. So I get sort of first hand news."
     "The Blue Squadron? I know their Captain. He was one of my mates
when I was assigned to the Galactica, some yarhens ago. We were still
Ensigns, ... it's a lot of time ..... He's the son of Commander Adama. A
good pilot, I think." 
     "If he's Adama's son and a Captain, then knowing Adama, he would be
a brave and skillful warrior. The Galactica's Commander doesn't like
nepotism, surely," Sheba sighed.  "I know very well how difficult it is
to be the son of a Commander. There are the suspicions and the envy, and
so on.  Everyone in a situation like mine deserves all my respect, most
of all if he has achieved the rank of Captain of the famous Blue
Squadron," she pointed out.
     Bojay smiled observing that Sheba had not made any distinction
between being a Commander's son or daughter. She grew up, trying to be
the son that Cain had waited for a long time. Sometimes Bojay had
wondered if Sheba in her mind thought about herself as a female or as a
male warrior.
     "A little too much tied up with regulations, I suspect.
Nevertheless, not one of my favorite colleagues," he added about their
subject.
     "In my opinion, that was probably down to different ways of running
a battlestar. Adama and my father have quite opposite points of view on
the war and how to fight battles, but they are close friends. Eventually,
they have the same goal." To talk about their job was relaxing, Sheba
thought. It gave her the feeling that she could at least handle the
situation again.
     "Of course! Your father mentions Adama every time he tells us
stories about his old times as a Viper pilot. They were wingmen, weren't
they?" he asked.
     "Yes, they were," Sheba answered. "And I suggest you don't even
refer to his * old * times in front of him, or next time you'll find
yourself behind a desk, with Cain leading the Squadron in your place,"
she added with an allusive smile.
     "I know, I know, he's still a great Viper pilot!" Bojay knew very
well that as much as possible Cain liked to fly with his daughter. It did
not happen very often, considering that space wasn't the best place for
the safety of the Commander. Yet, when had Cain ever cared for
precautionary measures or procedures at all?
     They were concentrating so hard, that they had forgotten everything
around them.
     The beach was deserted. The wind whistled among the branches of the
trees. Caprica City was far away. The faint light of the buildings merged
with the distant stars. In fact, the pilots of the Pegasus had chosen an
isolated place. Well aware that their next mission would take them away
from their homes for a long time. They had spent their furlon with their
families. Now Sheba's friends had chosen to spend the last night on
Caprica in a place where no video would give war news. Where no relative
would warn them about hidden dangers and no civilian would approach the
warriors to speak about the latest battles. 
     At the beach, away from the sumptuous sea houses of the ruling class
and the crowded clubs, they had found a peaceful world.  Even if it was
just for a night, they were only men and women unmindful of all the
responsibilities of providing the safety for the Twelve Colonies.
     How many of us will be alive for the next furlon? The question was
in the back of her mind. Again, Sheba sighed. Then she stretched down on
the wet sand, her hands behind her head. She closed her eyes. She did not
need to look at the sky to see perfectly the shining embroidery of stars
and planets. Sheba had looked at the limpid sky of Caprica countless
times, dreaming about the cycle when she would have watched the same
scenery from the cockpit of her Viper.
     Thinking about her Viper, Sheba felt again the safe feeling that was
usual every time she climbed into the cockpit. At least, she had the
chance to fight and face the enemy.
     "Sheba? Are you okay?"  Bojay asked.
     "Yeah, my friend, I think I'm fine. Or I will be really fine when
I'll be on the Pegasus again." She had never realized until that moment
that the Pegasus was her real home, especially since the Gemonese woman
had started to live in her house.
     "It's not good for a nice girl like you to want to return to the
Pegasus so early."
     Sheba glanced at her friend.  She was surprised by the way he was
acting.  It was not strange that Bojay guessed right about what was going
on in her mind, but he was making unusual hints. If she didn't know him
so well, Sheba would have said that those were shy attempts to flirt.
"Tell me what is good, then.  A life like my friend Aurora's?  Waiting
for the return of a warrior who when on duty risks his life at every
move, and when he's off duty loses all his pay at the gambling tables and
runs behind every skirt he sees?"
     "Nice boyfriend your friend has. No wonder she found him on the
Galactica," Bojay chuckled.  "I remember someone like this boy among my
old friends on Adama's battlestar ... That was not what I meant, Sheba.
You shouldn't only think of your job and your father. You need a life in
addition to these.  Also, realize all men are not the same."
     "First, flying a Viper is more than a job, it is a way of life.
Second, I love my father."
     "I wouldn't blame you for that," Bojay interrupted his wingman.
     "Finally, I don't want to discuss with you or anyone else what men
are like. I live on a battlestar full of men. So I think I had enough
examples of the male race," Sheba stated resolutely.
     "That's the problem, Sheba. You're the Commander's daughter," he
said.
     "Oh, thanks Bojay, I'd forgotten that little detail!"  Her tone was
bitter. "No one lets me forget that I'm Cain's daughter, on the Pegasus
or off it.  The cycle I find a man who isn't scared by my father I'll let
you know. It seems those two are mutually exclusive."  Sheba turned and
looked to Bojay, the sound of her voice more kind.  "However, I have some
very good friends and I have you. You're not only my best friend, but
you're like a brother to me. I consider you a part of my family."
     Bojay was silent, considering her last words. From bad to worse, he
thought. Yet, he had known this from long ago. In fact, only some sectons
before, Bojay would have said he felt the same. "I'm honored you consider
me a part of your family. I care for you a lot, too." These weren't
exactly the right words he wanted to say, but the smile Sheba gave him
was the best remedy for his disappointment.
     Feeling the tension leaving her body, Sheba closed her eyes again,
listening to the sound of the waves, breathing the bracing smell of the
sea. She was conscious of how the sand molded to her body. The warmth of
the sun was now dispersing causing a pleasant sensation of freshness
surrounding her in a mellow embrace.
     A sudden gust from the ocean sprinkled her face with fizzy water.
     Instinctively, Bojay drew his hand near her face. After a moment of
hesitation, his fingers softly pulled away the sand grains from her
eyelashes. They glided amongst her brown hair, and with a gentle kiss, he
wiped the tiny salt drops on her lips, aware only of the fragrance of her
skin.
     Sheba was so surprised by his movement, she hadn't the chance to
react. Most of all, she was astonished by the fact that she appreciated
the kiss. Maybe it is the ambrosia, she thought.  We've drunk too much
tonight, and this pretty place is influencing us.
     Before she could say something, Bojay placed his forefinger on her
lips, to silence her. "Only to show you I would not only be a brother to
you," he whispered. "I don't expect anything from you, just take it as a
friendly kiss."
     "It was not so friendly!" Sheba objected strongly, when behind the
dune some low notes from a sitar broke the silence of the night.  The
beach was coming to life.  They heard an ancient tune marked by rhythm,
and the faint voices of their friends blending in a harmonious chorus.
     * How long will you go on lounging? When will you show a bold
spirit, young men? Do you not fear the scorn of neighbors round about, in
your excessive idleness? You think you are sitting at peace, when war
grips the whole universe ... *
     "Time to go, Bojay."  Sheba stood up quickly without looking at her
friend. Whatever happened this night would remain unsettled. 
     Bojay followed his wingman.  "We have only 15 centons to join the
Aerodrome, the shuttle will leave within 30 centons."  He tried to hide
his emotions behind a professional tone.
     And before daybreak we'll be on the Pegasus, she thought. They would
miss the first lights of morning on Caprica. For the next sectars, the
only light would be the artificial illumination of the Pegasus. Sheba
didn't turn to see the moonlight. Don't be sentimental, Sheba, she told
herself. You will see this place again when you return from the mission.
She smiled at the thought of the challenge that Bojay had issued when he
kissed her. Well, at least we are going to play the game on my field, the
Pegasus, Sheba observed thinking about the unexpected change in their
relationship. She was not angry with him. She was amused by the
situation, even if she was hoping that it was only the ambrosia, the
place, and the night. Besides, what was wrong with a single kiss in a
quiet night on the beach for a young girl?  There would be time to warn
her friend about similar further attempts. 
     * ... Go close and get the enemy, hand to hand, with a wound of your
great lance or your sword.  Set foot to foot, push shield on shield,
tangle crest in crest, helmet on helmet, breast on breast, and fight your
man, gripping hilt of sword or long spear...*
     "Seems they are ready," Bojay noticed stopping just near the group.
     "Yeah, buddy, we all are eager for victory, ready for Molokay."
There wasn't bitterness in her voice. Sheba listened to the words of the
ancient war hymn. They were words of life and fear, youth and death,
fight and survival. All the feelings she was avoiding that night. All the
situations she would have to face in the next cycles, with the pilots and
the Pegasus.
     * ... Now destiny has come upon us.  Yet, let us not perish without
effort and without glory, but after accomplishing some great deed for
future men to hear of.  With spirit let us fight for this land and for
our children: let us die and no longer hesitate to give our lives ...*
     Sheba looked at the peaceful Caprica City as she glanced at her best
friend, thinking about this strange night. Maybe everything would be all
right, after all.

*****

     On a rocky planet far away from the Colonies, two representatives of
the enemies in the war were bargaining for the price of the Pegasus, the
5th Fleet, and the whole race of humankind. One of them was a human
traitor, known to his race as Count Baltar.