The Old Soul

By Slea

Word Count: 15,446
Date: 2004
Series: Mini
Rating: T
Category: Character
Pairing/Focus: Lee
Warnings:
Summary:
Spoilers/Disclaimers:  I am and always will be a fan of the classic series, but whether it was respect of the show it self or simple curiosity I watched (and much to my horror...) enjoyed the 2003 miniseries. I have it on good authority (“Apollo” himself) that they are getting set to film the series. I am hoping that this gets a better run the original. So I am pleading with you to write Sci-Fi in support of the show. If you are a classic fan as I am I am asking you to watch it for its own merits. I do not own any of the Battlestar Galactica names or anything else I don’t write this for any profit other than my own happiness. Please accept this in the manor that it is written... The love of the show.

---

The Old Soul Chapter 1 The Cag

The CAG’s private quarters were dark, except for the comp monitor. Lee sat quietly in the dark staring at the screen as if any moment it would give up the answers to all the unanswerable questions in his life. He had spent the night writing reports and in a few minutes he would be heading out on his scheduled patrol. Sleep was becoming more and more unavailable. The only thing he was assured of was the “blasted” headache he acquired the day he rescued the President. It was a hell of a time to test a theory, especially one that didn’t work on paper. He couldn’t have been unconscious long but to be honest it might have been the longest nap he has experienced since the attack on Caprica.

The loud rapping on his door interrupted Lee’s concentration.

Slightly startled he hollered for the intruder to enter. The doorway open and suddenly the whole room was filled with a blinding light.

“Ahggg” he gasped quickly covering his eyes “shut the frakking door.” he hollered pushing his fists tightly to his eye sockets, considering at that moment the benefits of ripping his cursed eyes from them and tossing them across the room.

“Door’s shut” announced the intruder. Immediately recognizing the voice to be Lt. Starbuck he growled at her “What the hell do you want. Kara”

“First of all, ’ she smugly announced “it is kind of difficult to come through the door with out opening it. Secondly: I think I am up on my quota of ass chewing , so back off. and Lastly Captain Apollo... You look like felgacarp..”

Lee looked up from his hands still squinting from the pain in his skull. Kera was maybe the only one in the whole fleet who could get away with such a direct smirch of conduct between two officers. Unfortunately, she knew it. So, reprimand would have been a waste of energy. “Did you need something LT?”

Lt Kara Starbuck Trance was his hottest pilot and his best friend. She had every right to her “cocky” attitude when it came to her skills as a pilot. He just needed to find away to calm down her attitude with superior officers himself included, right now he would be content to use her skills and play interference between her and other officers.

“Just reporting for patrol. You coming?” she walked up to the desk, sat on the corner, and began nibbling from his “untouched” rations plate.

“You’re not scheduled for this patrol Starbuck.”

“Sorry sir, you’re stuck with me.” she informed him. “Wrongway” is out with the results of what appears to be Bad rations ““Tyssus “Wrong way” Magellan had a love of food although it did not always seem to feel the same way for him. He was tagged with his moniker when during Flight school he choked on his lunch, and began waving his arms and pounding the table trying to get someone’s attention when it finally worked ... all he could say was “Wrong way” Lucky for him and the fleet the person next to him caught on quickly and help him eject the lodged muchie from his throat. Unlucky for him, the story got around the school before he was out of the lunchroom and people could be seen all up and down the corridors flapping there hands like some kind of bird chirping ‘wrong way, wrong way.”

Captain Adama seemed to give the information more than it share of his attention and he rubbed his eyes, growling lowly under his breath. “Great, just frakken great. That’s one more to add to the list. Lights on” he muttered, keeping his eyes covered.

The lighting system on the Galactica was designed so that the eyes could adjust to them. They slowly faded up and down when turned on or off. They could also be adjusted to the color spectrum. Creating a more relaxed atmosphere

Kara stared at him in the light. her look was more of concern than sarcasm. “You still look like crap... Lee.”

“Cute” he replied “I’m up to my ass in paperwork. Two thirds of my division is sick or wounded. My father seems to think that we can locate the mythical Thirteenth colony. We are fighting a war against machines, with human characteristics, that we built. And if that is not enough I have Lieutenant who has no clue to the correct conduct when in the presents of a superior officer. “

She rolled her eyes, and then stared back at him. “Sorreeeeeeee....How about ...You still look like crap ... Sir. Is that better?”

Lee just smiled and pushed himself away from the desk. “Thank you, Lieutenant, for you that’s much better.” For a moment the room swayed as he attempted to stand up. Quickly, he caught himself and smiled, hoping his slight bobble went unnoticed, but it hadn’t. “Too long in the dark.” he explained

He grabbed his helmet from the desk and fallowed Starbuck to the launch bay. “Here’s hoping the night is either very busy or very quiet.” she whispered.

“Why is that.” he rebutted.

“If it’s busy: you will be too keyed up to realize you need rest. If its quiet maybe you will actually get some sleep.”

“I am not sleeping during a patrol Starbuck. I have had sleep so if you don’t mind give it rest.”

“Well, there is an upside I guess.” She mumbled

“Oh yeah? And what would that be.”

“No one will be opening any doorways filled with bright lights.” she hissed.

The patrol was gratefully uneventful but also horribly non-distracting. Starbuck watched as Lee struggled to remain in control of his senses as exhaustion had finally begun to win out. Every so often he would shake his head as if trying to shake something from his helmet. She was sure his on board computer would melt down, from over use as his continued to do his reports on during the flight. Finally he spoke, it was to no one in particular but he had forgotten his com was still open.

“We are going to have to change rotations.” he mumbled, his voice sounded distant.

“Sorry sir. What did you say?” she queried.

“We are going to have to.... “Communications were interrupted with a burst of static in his ears and an all too familiar voice over the com.

“Galactica to captain Apollo be advised you are on an open channel.”

The interruption came from Galactica control. The more embarrassing fact was it came from Commander Tigh, who, if Apollo had been anyone else, would have had the pilots wings for such a breech of security.”

“Roger, Galactica. Thank you.” Apollo grimaced.

Kara would have laughed if she were not so worried about Lee. He was over worked, overstressed, as well as under nourished, recalling the plate of untouched rations that had been left on his desk.

She awaited his signal to switch channels to a scrambled com.

“That was dumb.” He growled, “Next time warn me before I do something stupid.”

“Sorry Lee,” she whispered “it had been so quiet for so long that I had forgotten that we were on an open channel myself.”

“Not your fault, Kara. Shouldn’t have come down one you. “He started to apologize

“What were you saying about the rotations “she interrupted.

“I think we are going to have to go out and start recruiting pilots, Starbuck. As I figure it right now we are going to have to change rotations to Maximum shifts and minimum breaks, just to have the patrols covered. The squadrons are depleted to capacity and we have little or no back up.

Kara had known Lee for a long time his overly analytical mind as well as his inflated sense of responsibility to the ship and his crew meant that the first person to be subject to this new change would be him. He would not place anyone in a position he had not experienced first he was also the first to volunteer for every mission. It was almost like a death wish for him. Noone would go into battled unprepared. No one would die needlessly like his brother did. Not on his shift. Not if he could help it.

The worry for Lee’s physical state seem to set off flares in her mind. A distraction to the self-pitty and loathing that usually came with the thoughts of Lee’s younger brother Zac. After all, she was there when it happen. It was her guilt he tended to carry, her fault that Zac was dead. She was not going to make the same mistake twice she wasn’t going to let Lee, tax himself, in the name of duty. At least anymore that he already has.

“Uh, your not planning to start that maximum shift thing...now... are you?

“Why, you got a date?” he laughed,

“Yea. A date with my bunk.” Kara knew that she had more sleep than Lee had in the last few days, but she also knew that he would shrug off any references to his needs but if she made it sound like she was tired he would be more tolerant to the idea of heading back in. “Remember this is my second patrol, and some of us need our beauty sleep.”

“Well I guess this is your lucky day, I still have to confront the commander with this idea. So lets head back.” Patrol was over and he was extremely tired. “Maybe we can make it a double date. I think I could use a nap myself. Last one to debriefing is a rotten mushy.”

“Roger That.” she laughed as she pulled her viper into a tight one eighty. At least she knew Apollo had some idea of his limitation.

Chapter 2

Oddly Familiar

Tigh leaned heavily on the top of the desk. The sound of Lieutenant Thrace shutting the door behind her still echoed in the silence of the small room. He was rarely without a voice, but in this case he was baffled and totally unsure what to do. He had known the young man who stood before him since the day he was conceived. From the day he was born, Paul thought he was staring at a clone of his best friend. The baby bore none of the physical features of his father, this lad was blessed with the bright eyes and smile of his mother, still, all you had to do was watch him to know he was his father’s son. No mater the situation, no matter the stress, his skills, mannerisms, strength and attitude was that of an Adama.

That’s what made his next job so impossible. Mistakes such as the one he just made on patrol where not just not done, maybe by a rookie, but never by an Adama. Hell, he has been standing at attention for nearly ten minutes, and as tired as he looked, the man has not even wavered. Lee was with out a doubt one of the best officers to ever enter or exit the door of the Academy. He knows the rules, and more importantly, knows what will happen if those rules are broken.

“At ease, Captain,” Tigh growled.

Tigh watched in total shock as , if on cue , the young man’s eyes rolled back in his head and his body sank to the floor.

“LEE!” Tigh nearly hurdled the desk to catch the youth as he fell He watched as the captain struggled to hold on to consciousness and regain his feet. Tigh grabbed the chair and gently aided his officer into it.

“Frak,” Apollo mumbled, momentarily placing his hands over his eyes. “I am sorry sir. I... I guess I am more tired than I thought.”

“Just sit still, Captain, I’ll call Life...

“NO! Please sir, it is not necessary.” Apollo explained, “I am just very weary, it’s lack of sleep,sir.”

“Then you can sleep for the next couple of hours in Life Station. Damn it, son, I just watched all the color fade from your face as you crumpled to the floor. What the frak would you do, if you were in my position?”

Apollo knew that because the Colonel had not pushed the com button, that he had at least a fifty-fifty chance of staying out of Life Station. “I would take note that the officer in front of me was quite coherent, and then note that he has been on nearly every third patrol that has left the Galactica and still has managed to turn in a majority of his reports.” Apollo managed a weary smile as he watched the frustrated Colonel appear to scrub the sweat from his forehead.

“Sir, there are too many people in Life Station already; the last thing they need is to have to watch me sleep.”

“AARGGGGGH!” The Colonel slammed his hand across his desk. “Okay, fine, you are grounded for 48 hours.”

“Tigh, we don’t have enough....”

“FORTY EIGHT HOURS, CAPTAIN,” he enforced. “Unless a Cylon Base Star crams itself up our ass, you are not to so much as climb into the pilot seat of the simulation module. Do you understand me, Captain?” Apollo started to acknowledge the Colonel but was quickly interrupted. “For sixteen hours you are confined to quarters. I don’t want to see so much as your laundry out of quarters for those next sixteen hours. During that time there will be no computer access in your quarters. You can resume reports after you have gotten some rest. Until then, Lieutenant Thrace is in command, the Lords help us.”

“After the first sixteen-hours?”

“After the first sixteen hours, if you are awake, I will restore your computer to you. You can do reports or you can begin to put your recruiting idea into play , if that is what you choose to do, but someone will shuttle you from ship to ship. I understand the need for more pilots, but it does NOT take precedence over the health of the ones we have.

“But...”

“Captain, you just collapsed in my office. If you were anyone else, I would have had you tied to a stretcher and escorted to Life Station. Don’t push your luck.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Also, before you will be allowed to resume flight status, you will be subject to a full health scan. Do you understand me, son?”

“Aye , Sir.” There was very little punch left in the Captain’s replies. He wasn’t sure if this was a win or a loss in the battle of wills, but he knew even if he was not getting everything his way, at least he had gotten out of spending the next couple of days in a drug induced coma. He and medical facilities have never really gotten along well. Right now he didn’t care whether or not this was a win or a loss.

Sometimes debriefing seemed to last as long the patrols, even longer if the night was marred by a mistake in protocol. After the “official” meeting with Colonel Tigh, Kara was dismissed and nearly kicked out of the room so that he could hold a conversation. She had no doubt Lee was about to get his butt handed to him by that over-stuffed excuse for a Colonel, because of that non-secured line incident. A blind dog could see that Apollo was in need of rest. Damn, it took him nearly 10 minutes to climb out of his cockpit and another five to let go of the wing once his legs, wobbly, finally reached the floor. Kara and the flight crew were all set to call a Life Station Emergency. But he just waved off any assistance, complaining that his legs had fallen asleep.

“Well, at least part of you is getting some sleep,” growled the Chief Petty Officer. His words were low enough that the Captain did not hear it, even if Kara did.

The relationship between the chief Tech and the CAG had not by any means been a smooth one. Ripper, the last CAG, had been his friend, one of the first fatalities of this all out war against the Cylons. Another wedge between the two came in the form of the Fleet Commander, Apollo’s father. Like most officers, Tyrol held William Adama with the highest of respect and admiration; a feeling not shared by that of his son since the death of his little brother, Zak.

She waited outside the door for nearly 20 minutes before the hatchway reopened and the Captain emerged.

He looked no more haggard than when they went in the first time, still, she was going to make sure nothing else kept him from his bunk this time.

“Kara, I thought you were heading to bed. You still have another patrol in the morning,” he growled.

“Yeah, I am, but first I am going to make sure you get back to your bunk. I am not letting you out of my sight until you’re asleep.”

“There’s no need for that. It seems I’m grounded for the next forty-eight hours.”

“Damn, that carrion faced ...”

“Belay that, Lieutenant.”

“Sorry sir, it just doesn’t seem fair.”

“He grounded me because I nearly passed out in the office,” Apollo explained. “It was all I could do to keep him from calling in the medics.”

“I am confined to quarters for the next sixteen hours, barring something major happening,” he mumbled. “The rest of my sentence can be used to put a plan of recruitment into effect.” He said as he opened the doors to his quarters and stepped in, with Kara close on his heels.

“Well in that case, I take back part of what I was thinking about him,” she acknowledged.

“Only part?”

“Yeah, I still reserve the right to think of him the way I always have.”

Apollo winced. He doubted the relationship between the Colonel and the Lieutenant would ever be one without some kind of conflict, but he would hope a common goal would at least keep them from each other’s throats. “You really need to lay off him, Starbuck; he’s not a bad man.”

“This coming from the guy who can’t seem to give his own father the time of day.”

“Why are you here again?” he growled, frustrated.

“I told you, I am not leaving until I know for a fact that you are asleep. I hate to tell you this, but I still believe you should be seen by Doc Salik or someone. I know you’re under a lot of stress. Usually you are the one who pulls the rest of us through the chaos. I always thought the Adama family fed off stress like most people ate meat. The last time I saw you like this was when you used to have those crazy nightmares about your death. Do you remember? ” She looked up and caught a glimpse of him staring in disbelief at her, and then he quickly looked away. “Oh, my God. It’s happening again, isn’t it? The nightmares are back, aren’t they?”

“Kara, I am a little too old to be kept up by childish dreams. I have just been too busy to get enough sleep,” he insisted. “I’m fine. You can leave and let me go to sleep.”

“You promise to go straight bed?”

“What do you want? Do you want me to cross my heart? ”

“Naw, that wouldn’t work ... you have to have a heart to cross in the first place.” He tossed the shirt he had been removing at her head. It missed.

“Ya know,” she insisted, “if you had been well rested, that might have hit me.”

“Out Starbuck!”

“Okay, see ya in the next sixteen hours or so,” she smiled.

Starbuck stationed herself outside Apollo’s door. No one, but no one, was going to get in, or out, without her noticing. And if anyone even thought of knocking on the door and disturbing her friend’s sleep, she would consider shooting to kill. She set up two chairs in front of the doorway and propped herself up, getting comfortable. For at least the next eight hours, she was going to enforce Tigh’s orders for Apollo to rest. Afterwards, she had patrol.

It was good that for the last couple of days the fleet had had no emergencies requiring lights or sirens and such, and if one came up tonight and woke the Captain, she could almost guarantee an end to the war.

Apollo had watched the door open and close behind her. He went into the bedroom, not even bothering to shower, and he threw himself half-dressed across the bed. The last thing he thought was how tired he didn’t feel. That was only moments before he was plunged headlong into the darkness that reopened the doorway to his dreams and nightmares.

Falling, falling, the world spun out of control. Lights and darkness both burned in his mind as he found it almost impossible to breathe. Just as suddenly as the sensation came, it stopped. He found himself staring down at a rough body of water. He had always loved water. His mother said he was more fish than man and to this day she would never know why he chose to be a pilot. He did not recognize the body of water, nor did he ever remember being on a water transport like this. The ship seemed to be made of wood. It rocked and swayed with the large swells of water beneath it. Sails were flying from tall masts, as men scooted up the web of ropes that seemed to weave themselves up to the highest point. Lights crashed and thundered in the dark sky and waves began to wash above the deck. Men, including himself, were being tossed around like rag dolls, and oddly enough, it all seemed familiar. Suddenly, he noticed a wall of water that seemed to tower over the ship. He clasped on to the rail and hung for dear life as the world seemed to close in around him.

Chapter 3

Lee awoke suddenly. He felt cold and wet and a bit scared as he struggled to get his bearings. He was in his quarters, the room was filled with light, and Kara stood over him with an empty tankard.

“Lee....Lee...”

Finally, the strange fuzziness seemed to be replaced with total awareness He was laying in a wet bed. Lee realized that the not all the water that clung to him was sweat. Kara had dumped a cup of what he was hoping was only cold water on him.

“What the frak did you ...?”

“Lee... I couldn’t wake you. You scared the sh....”

“Geesh, Kara, just couple of hours ago you practically pushed me into bed. Now you wake me up with cold water!!! Have you lost your mind?”

“Forty-nine...”

“Forty-nine what?!”

“Forty-nine hours, Lee. You have been a sleep for forty-nine hours. You should have reported to Dr. Salik eight minutes ago.”

“Oh, jeeshhhhhhhhhhhhh,” he growled as he swung his feet out of his bed. He was soaked from head to toe; everything, including his sheets, clung to his body. “So why the water? Couldn’t you wake me the normal way, like everyone else does? Knock on the door, shake my shoulder or scream in my ears...” He stepped into the lavatory, leaving a trail of wet linen in his wake.

“I tried, damn it! I tried everything!” she continued to yell across the room, slamming the empty tankard against the desk. “I have never been so scared in my life! You were not responding to anything I did. If the water didn’t work, I swear I would have called Life Station.”

“That is exactly what you should have done in the first place, Lieutenant.”

Both Kara and Lee froze in place. Kara slowly turned around to find not only the Commander glaring at her, but Doctor Salik and three medics, as well. “Oh frak.”

Lee wandered out with nothing more than a towel around his waist. He held his tee shirt balled in his fist and his arms crossed his chest as he leaned against the bathroom doorframe. You could feel the tension go up in the room as if the Commander had been leading a Cylon raiding party. There was no doubt by his actions that Lee considered the temporary truce they had managed the last couple of days at an end.

“You are dismissed, Starbuck,” the Commander said calmly.

Kara stared at Apollo, then at Adama and then back at Apollo, who nodded his head towards the door.

“Sure, why not,” she mumbled to no one in particular. “Ya know, I think now would be a great time for a drink. Hell, I have the cup.”

They waited until Starbuck exited the office before anyone even moved. As soon as the door slid shut, one of the medics rolled in a cart carrying a medical bag, the other, a machine that really had no purpose in his room as far as Lee could tell.

“Eight minutes late for a med eval is not good enough reason to turn my quarters into the officers’ lounge, Commander,” he hissed sarcastically. “You think I could get dressed and we can resume this at Life Station, where it is supposed to be?”

“Sit down, Lee,” Adama barked. “They are already here. There is no reason to waste any more of their time. That’s an order!”

Lee flung his shirt across the room and dropped himself into the large chair that sat in the corner of the room. The three medics all turned to the doctor looking like frightened cats awaiting permission to bolt out the front door; they were either newbies or they had encountered an angry Adama before; two of them were more than they got paid to face.

The doctor took a small handheld computer from one of his medics, who began processing information into a med comp. He walked over to the Captain and waved it around the young man’s head and chest.

“Captain,” the doctor began, “The Colonel informed us of your episode in his office. How long have you been experiencing trouble sleeping?”

“Oh, I don’t know... about the same time...OUR WORLD WAS BLOWN TO HELL!” Lee screamed, pushing himself out of the chair.

“Lee, control yourself.”

Lee glared at his father and the three medics who huddled in the doorway of the outer office, not sure at this time if even that was safely out of range. He rolled his eyes at the sight then turned back to the doctor, who stood where he had left him by the empty chair. “I am sorry for my outburst, Doctor, forgive me. I, like most of the officers, have not had much time for sleep since the attack.”

“No, Captain.” Salik smiled, obviously used to officers and their tantrums. “You are right, it really was not a very smart question.” The doctor walked over to the doorway to hand the medic the equipment and dismissed the medics, who quickly shot through the outer door.

“Then if you’re done...”

“No, I am far from done, but I will ask you a few more questions and be on my way.”

“...And none of this could have waited until I got dressed because... “

“Captain, I have been your father’s doctor for more years than I care to admit. I know the mindworks of an Adama. If I stepped out of here without all the information I needed on the grounds you would come by my offices, I would never see you until the time you are carried in injured or unconscious. Unlike most officers, it seems the Adamas have unusually strong shoulders that must, for some reason, maintain the weight of the whole damned fleet,” the doctor ranted, exchanging glares with both Adama men. “Now, you just slept more than forty-eight hours straight and yet your body is still showing signs of exhaustion. Your scan showed that you are currently experiencing an elevated blood pressure, and more than likely, one hell of a headache. You have a remarkably low nutrients count and you are slightly dehydrated, which means you are not eating properly and you have not been consuming your water rations. That, of course, is partially because you have been comatose for the last two days but...” he continued, as he walked out to the outer offices and retrieved the plate of dried food that sat on Apollo’s desk and showed it to his audience. “I am thinking that that is not entirely the case. So if you plan on ever getting back in a Viper, I will ask you the rest of these questions.” Apollo remained quiet. The doctor again turned on the hand held computer and began his questioning.

Now correct me if I am wrong. You were injured during the attack on the President’s shuttle?”

“No.”

“Let me reword that...You were rendered unconscious while on the President’s shuttle?”

“Yes.”

“And then there was the unique landing in the last confrontation with the Cylons. Did you lose consciousness there?”

“No...”

‘Understand Captain, I don’t have any medical records on you. I cannot send for them so, I can only rely on you. I am starting from scratch. I need you to be totally honest with these questions.”

“Doctor, I was flung backward into a landing bay, unconsciousness would have been a blessing. I was dizzy, nauseous and angry, but I assure you, I was awake the whole time.”

“Do you suffer from headaches?”

“Don’t you?”

“Lee!”

“Yes, I have headaches, and yes on a rare occasion they can be severe headaches,“he admitted. “I don’t have them often. They have been checked out and to date there has been nothing other than stress to explain them. The first time I remember having one was in War College. That one I thought was going to kill me. I went to the infirmary, had it checked out. Nothing showed on the any of the scans. I was told that I needed to try getting some sleep instead of studying all night long. That was the worst that I can remember. Maybe the one just before my last flight came close, but I am betting the one I am getting now will pass them both.”

“Seems bull-headedness is not the only trait in the Adama bloodline.” Salik looked over to the older Adama and smiled. “Are you allergic to any meds that you know of?”

“Alcordazine, Medvin and a few antibiotics that I can’t remember the names of,” Lee admitted.

“Captain, you are in a very high profile position. It requires a lot of you, mentally and physically. Right now your own antibodies are working overtime to keep you healthy and it would not be a good thing for you to fall sick, considering that we are not sure what our med supplies are and your reaction to them might be. So I am going to prescribe that you get two more days of down time.”

“NO WAY! I already have a skeleton crew working over time,” the younger Adama objected. “I am not going to sit in my room while everyone else works. Forget it.”

“Lee, be reasonable,” that remark got the Commander incredulous looks from both his son and his doctor. “There is plenty that needs to be done onboard Galactica until you’re cleared for duty.”

“Why is this even a issue? I was tired - I slept - I am fine.”

“No, you were over-exhausted- you passed out- for two days- you awoke only after someone threw cold water on you and your body is still working overtime to heal- you are not fine,” Salik rebutted. “If you want to work, it will be done like so: no more than eight hours. Ground duties only. NO FLYING, unless it is by shuttle, and then you will have someone else pilot. You will eat at least three meals per day and drink all of your water rations. Then, after two days, you will come see me. If I see an improvement, I will reinstate you, but not one moment before.”

Frustrated, Lee flopped back down in the chair and pressed his forehead into his hands, as if he squeezed hard enough he could make everything implode and all would be well with the world. “So, what you’re telling me is that I have died and this is Hell.”

“Don’t even joke about that, son.”

“If that is all, I guess I will finish my shower, change my bedding and go back to bed. Good night, gentlemen.”

“Actually, there is one more thing.” Adama went out of Lee’s office and returned with a man Apollo had never seen before, and yet seemed strangely familiar. He was a dark-haired man with dark eyes that seemed to burn, like molten lava. He was dressed in robes and wearing a circlet that seemed to be woven through the locks of curls that adorned his head. It reminded Lee of someone out of an old book.

It was then that reality hit. “...a priest? He’s a frakking Gemmon Priest! What do you need a priest for... an exorcism?”

“I apologize for the attire sir, my name is Michael,” the young priest said. Though in appearance he looked not much older than Apollo, he seemed so much more mature than anyone in the room. He extended his hand, which could have been a snake for all the Captain cared. He finally gave up and continued, “I was not on duty when the Commander requested my presence, immediately, ‘to come as I was’, as it were. I am a shuttle pilot, sir. I will also act as your secretary. I am also trained as a medic and have been know to play a mean game of pyramids.” The officer smiled then, adding, “but if you should be in need of an exorcism or two, I do have the authority for that, as well.”

“A babysitter.” Lee flung his arms in the air.

Adama tried his best to sound more like a commander than a father. “He’s a Colonial officer and I expect him to be treated as such. Michael is my shuttle pilot and has been a fine assistant. If you are still planning to work though the next two days, you will need help. There is none better in the fleet. We cannot afford the Commander of the Air Group to fall ill because of his damned pride.”

The color in Lee’s face went from sheet white to fire red in what seemed like seconds but his voice was nearly a whisper and slowly rose as he got out of the chair again. “... A babysitter? I know you haven’t been around much, FATHER, but I have been out of diapers for quite some time. I am a big boy now.” About this time Apollo’s face was a red as the Pison moon. “I am a frakkin’ military Captain! I earned it. I don’t need a babysitter, I don’t need a pilot or a secretary and I don’t need more sleep. What I need is a little faith from my superiors and that can’t be gotten though a priest. So, Michael, if you will excuse me, I am going to get my shower and then I am going to go find replacement pilots. I am sorry my father has disturbed your sleep for no reason. Please return to bed or wherever you came from. As for you, Doctor... I am not my father. I will be where I say, I will be on time, sooner if it gets my ass off your sick list. So if there is nothing else, please leave.”

He waited as both Michael and the doctor turned to the Commander. With a nod of his head, both men stepped out of the room. Apollo then turned to his father. “As for you... If I knew for certain I was talking to my father and not my Commander, I would have swung first and asked questions later. Either way, I would like to think that you had enough faith in me to do my job. ”

“Don’t be absurd, Lee. I have faith in you above anyone else in this fleet. I know what you’re capable of. If you were not the best man for the job, you would not have had it. You were not chosen for the position because of your relationship to me. Unfortunately, you had barely gotten your Captain’s bars when this insanity broke out. You have not had time to be more than an elite pilot, yet alone a War Officer,” Adama informed him. “I don’t give a damn what they call it, War College does not teach you how to survive the realities of war. Death is not an every day occurrence. Unlike the simulations, you don’t get a second chance to defeat the bad guy that just blew you out of the sky.”

Adama turned to face Apollo, he found him listening closer than he had ever listened before. He didn’t know if it was the father or the Commander that had his attention, but he wasn’t giving up this one chance to say the things he didn’t tell his youngest. “I love you and I trust you. But in less than a cycle of one month’s time, I have seen more death and destruction than I have seen in all my life, in all my career, and this is not my first war. Damn, son you have had the world literally tossed on your shoulders. You are not a god. You are human. I will grant you, up to this point you have done well, but you cannot do it alone. I cannot do it alone.”

Adama stopped suddenly and looked away, out the portal, into the massive star field. “I will not do it alone. I thought I lost you once and my world shattered but I had to go on. I had to get our people to safety, but after I was sure they were safe I could have died and not given a damn about anyone or anything. I will not apologize for caring about you, son. There are a billion stars in the sky and yet I have only one light left in my heart. As a father, I should lock you away somewhere in the depths of this old ship, as far from harm’s way as possible, but you are a warrior; such actions, even if they were possible, would still kill you, maybe slower, but you would still die none the less.”

Adama turned again and faced his son, who stood quietly, seemingly lost for words. “I am both your father and your Commander. There is nothing you can do to change that. But you are no longer my little boy and there is nothing I can do to change the past, now. As your Commander, I can see that you are trained to be the best warrior you can be, and as your father, I can try and see that the world is not too heavy for you to bear. Both ideas would seem a waste of my time, because as a Commander I know you are already a fine officer and a well-trained warrior all this you have done by yourself. And as a father, I could not be prouder of the man you have become without me.

I know I failed miserably as a father, but I am still a damn good Commander, and currently, the only one you have. So, I will put it to you like this: One, one of the first things you should have learned in becoming an officer is how to delegate authority. Do so! Michael knows all the paperwork. You are currently under restriction that cannot even be lifted by me. Two, too many people create chaos; you are not allowed to pilot any vehicle. Michael is also a damn good shuttle pilot. Three, everything I or the doctor have said will go out the window the minute something big happens and like always, food will be the last thing on your mind. Michael is great as scheduling and he is very difficult to say no or lie to, so he will see that you get your meals and drink your rations. And four, I am still your commander, and it is an order. So if there is nothing else to discuss, I will be expecting the rest of your reports on my desk by tomorrow. If, after the two days you should decide Michael’s assistance has been a help, it will be up to him as to whether he stays with you or comes back to me.”

“And what are you going to do for an assistant slash pilot in the meantime?”

“Oh, I have my choice of a whole ragtag fleet of men and women. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find someone to fit the bill” Adama paused a moment to see if anything he was saying was sinking in. “Give the man a chance, Apollo. Don’t judge him by the robes and circlet. Treat him as any other officer, but more importantly, treat him as you would want to be treated, especially in a hostile environment.”

“Now who sounds like a priest?”

Both men turned around to find Michael standing in the doorway. He no longer wore the robes, but a military uniform that bore two medals and a pilot’s insignia, with the call sign TALON sewn to his jacket.

“Is the circlet part of the uniform, Ensign?”

“Aye, sir. It is more to the point, part of me.”

“Michael is an empath. Without the circlet, he would eventually begin to feel everyone’s emotions: pain, suffering, and dreams. That would eventually kill him.” Adama acknowledged, “There was special compensation granted at the time he joined the service. Now, if we are done here, I think I will leave you two get better acquainted and I will go in search of someone else who can make a decent cup of coffee. Good luck, Michael.”

Michael snapped a quick salute and with a nod of acknowledgement and Adama left the room, leaving both Lee and Michael staring at one another.

“So, now what?” Lee asked.

“Well, sir, you might finish your shower. I have already had the computer systems reinstated to your office and Lieutenant Thrace has given me her notes from the past couple of days. I can work on them. I have also taken the opportunity to send for your meal. It should be here by the time you get dressed. Now, if you will excuse me, sir. I will be in your office, should you need me for anything.”

Apollo shook his head. Then suddenly plastered on a fake smile he announced. “Welcome to purgatory.”

Michael tilted his head then smiled. With a smart salute he turned and exited the room, not even waiting for a reply.

“Alone again,” the Captain growled. He wanted to do more. He felt let down by everyone including his own anger. “I have an assistant.” He rolled his eyes at the thought. Finally giving in to the urge to scream, he let out with a howl that would have shattered the windows if he were not in a soundproof, shatterproof room of a spacecraft. He pulled the towel from his waist, tossed it across the room and walked into the bathroom to finish the shower he started what seemed like hours ago.

Old Soul Chapter 4

Message in a Bottle

The next two days seemed to have dragged on forever. Michael was an amiable shadow, but a shadow nonetheless. He arranged for off duty pilots to begin recruiting shifts among the fleet. He saw to the schedule and managed to catch up all the paperwork Lee had fallen behind on. But at the end of his shift, Apollo was once again allowed no farther than the Officers’ Club or his own room. That was when Michael’s babysitting started and Lee’s frustration flared.

“Don’t you have a life?” he growled, as Michael walked into his office with two plates of rations.

“Sir, as you aptly put it, I am a priest. As such, I am not really allowed a ‘life’.”

“Can’t be too strict, they let you in the military.”

“No, not really, I sort of placed myself in the military. My brethren did not approve of my decision and tried to get my commission voided. I was lucky that the board that heard their complaints only had one Gemmon, but that was counter-balanced by one Adama.”

“So my father got you the job.” Apollo grimaced.

“No,” the ensign countered. “I got me the job. The Commander just helped me keep it.” He explained, “I was of age, and despite my religion, felt I should have the same right as any other human to be of service in the protection of the worlds.”

“But your robes, the circlet, aren’t they symbols of...”

“High Priest?” the ensign interrupted. “Yes. Do you know what a high priest is? He is a bottle...that is all...nothing more than a bottle; he is a bottle that holds the memories of all the high priests before him.” Apollo could hear a tinge of anger in Michael’s voice. “The Gemmon sect was originally intended to be a way of life, not a religion. Somewhere down the road, the concept got scrambled. You don’t really believe the brotherhood meant for the followers to only have sexual relationships once every seven years, do you? Power can be a truly dangerous thing.”

“You sound bitter.”

“Part of me is. When a High Priest is preparing to die, the Gemmon priests, who are psychics of different levels, set out to find a gifted child to become the High Priest. Most were chosen from those who were children of the priests; it was just another way to maintain the control of the power. My mother was Caprican. She did not follow the ways of the Gemmon, nor did she give up her child willingly. I was taken from my mother’s womb. She never knew me and I never knew her.”

“There are laws to protect people from things like that,” Lee objected.

“Sometimes justice is blind to that which she chooses not to face,” Michael countered.

“So if you no longer choose to be a priest, why is it you still wear the robes?”

“There are both pasts and futures I cannot ignore. The people need their symbols of faith now more than ever. I have a chance to make the religion what it was originally intended. Oddly enough, I would not have survived the first attack had I remained at the temple. Just as you would not have survived had you been on board your Battlestar, instead of here, the one place in all the worlds you truly did not want to be.”

The fire of molten brown and gold seemed to blaze in Michael’s eyes more brightly than Apollo had ever seen before.

“...and before you ask, no, I haven’t tried to read your mind,” the young priest added. “The jewel prevents that. Psychic abilities are not always necessary to see what one feels. Unlike most of the priests of my sect, I cannot freely delve into the thoughts of another or shut everyone else’s emotions out. I can focus on one or two people for short periods, but eventually others begin to push though, until I feel as if I will explode. It is the use of that ability that allows them to transfer the memories; it is how the first High Priest links to the child in order to feed the memories into him. More often than not, the priest would die during the transfer. This gave fuel to the notion that the not only were the memories passed on, but the soul, as well. Since my birth, I have held the memories of every priest since the time of Prenoch, the first Gemmon priest.

“I have all these memories cramped up inside me with those of all the other souls stolen from their loved ones. Such is the way of man and that is why I must wear the circlet, and more importantly, the stone that is the cork that holds all those memories inside me. Don’t get me wrong; I will not explode if I take the circlet off. I have been without it for as many as five hours; I can relive things that no other would believe. During that time I can remember things I am not old enough to know of in such detail, and that gives many people the security they search for within their religion. I have been training myself to control these memories, to open the portals that lead to my past lives, but it is difficult. After a while, my other gift interferes and I begin absorbing the sensations around me like a magnet attracts steel. The pain becomes so great that I cannot see.”

Apollo could see the thought of the pain radiate from this young officer. Yet he seemed to accept it with all the maturity of one who had lived many lifetimes.

“So what is to happen if you don’t survive the holocausts? You’re in the military now. Who will you transfer your memories to?” Talon shrugged his shoulders. “I never really thought about it. Truthfully, I don’t believe there is any real need to transfer them any further.”

“I guess not.” Apollo agreed “So, why did you join? I mean, the chances of you actually having any career seems slim, but I can honestly say I would not have expected to find a Gemmon high priest slash pilot... even on board an old tub like the Galactica.”

Michael’s eyebrows arched a bit. A slight smile crossed his face. “I like to think it was just another part of my destiny. I have always wanted to be an explorer, and can you think of a better way to explore than to join the military? The pilot part was pretty much a plus. When your father backed me up, he told the council he had no problem with me being part of his crew; that if I could hack the academy, I could fly with him anytime. So you might say I took his words to heart; I enlisted in the flight program.”

“Yeah, I know about taking his words to heart. Be careful - that has been known to be a major mistake.”

“Are you talking about your brother, or yourself?” Michael asked.

Lee eyes flashed fire, but quickly cooled as he began to rub his temples. “I.... am... I am talking too much.”

“Or not enough. Captain, I know you are just tolerating me, but I am willing to listen.”

“No. No, thank you,” he laughed. “I am not willing to confess my sins yet.”

“There are really very few people who don’t know about the strained relationship between you and your father, Apollo.” Apollo’s glare was more than familiar. “Your father never talks about it, either. Prideful bunch you Adamas. He does talk about you more than you would think, but it has always been about how well you’ve done. How much you have done. But the funeral, no, he will not talk about it either, except on occasion when Starbuck is around. I have a feeling that it is the only reason he hasn’t lost his composure.”

“I really... really don’t care,” Apollo growled.

Michael sighed. “I hate to be the one to tell you this but...”

“Look, we are working it out... leave it be,” Apollo interrupted.

“As I was about to say,” the ensign went on anyway, “I hate to be the one to tell you this but...it is late and you have an early day planned. Dr. Wilker wanted to see you in the Sci-lab, we have an inspection on the Tanker Orlon, and if you plan on being free of me anytime soon, you will need to make your appointment with Doctor Salik well rested...Sir.”

“O.....kay, as soon as I get my foot out of my mouth, I will apologize.”

“No need, sir. I understand what it is like to feel like everyone else has control of my life. For years, I felt as if I were a fish in a tiny glass bowl with thousands of eyes staring down at me like stars.”

“Then why did you join the military? Surely, you did not believe you would be any less exposed?”

“I guess it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense jumping from one fish bowl to another,” Michael admitted. “But at least here, I have a choice and a freedom I could never have had there. You might say I saw an opportunity and snatched it.”

“Is that how you got your call sign? Because you’re like a bird of prey; once you find something, you don’t give up until it is in your clutches.”

“No,” Michael laughed. He ran his fingers though his dark curly hair and lifted the circlet from his head then handed it over to Apollo. Apollo received it carefully, as if he were holding an explosive device rather than a piece of jewelry. The circlet was beautifully crafted silver, with what appeared to be other types of metal woven around it. One metal piece came to sturdy extension that dropped slightly and held the beautiful green jewel that had seem to take on a different, even brighter luster while Apollo held it. Michael took notice of the change but said nothing. Apollo continued to look over the construction it was beautiful if not unique, and the most curious part of the design was the small extension that held the stone in place. It spread into three smaller extensions and looked very much like the claw of a large bird.

“Ah. Well that explains a lot.” Apollo smiled as he handed over the jeweled crown. Again, I am sorry if I have been a pain in the butt.”

“Be at peace, Captain,” The young priest laughed. “If the Lords will it, I may yet have the chance to return the favor.”

Old Soul Chapter 5

Friends Forever

Apollo wasn’t one to take meds, required or not... He had a simple enough theory; he was allergic to a good many of the more useful meds, and finding out you are allergic to any others, by accident, could be fatal, so he tended avoiding taking anything. And the best way to avoid that was avoid doctors. Still, he had to get off of Salik’s sick list and to do that he needed sleep. He laughed at the doctor when she gave him the sleeping pills after all this whole mess started out by him sleeping too long. However, he also knew he would not get any rest if he just attempted to sleep on his own. The dreams were back and no matter how coy he played it with Starbuck, he was scared. It is not an easy feeling, the sensation that happens just moments before you die, or feeling when your body begins to shake so hard that you’re certain it will begin to rip apart, only to awake and find you have slept the night away, but feel as if you have not slept in months. Even he knew he could not continue this way much longer. So he took the drug and hoped it would allow him enough rest to make it through tomorrow’s exam.

He swallowed the pill and the water, set the bottle of medication back into his top drawer and then lay down on the bed. He threw the blanket over him and rolled over on to his side. If he were at home, he thought, this would be the moment his mother would come in and kiss him, almost delicately, on the forehead and say a prayer over him. She had done that just 3 months earlier when he visited her and Eddy, her husband to be. “You are my boys,” she would say, “and I don’t care how old you get, you will always be my little boys. Always remember I love you” She would then walk around to Zak’s bunk. The thought of still having to share a room with him, even after they became adults, was just too funny at some times and too hard at others. Anyway, his mom would pick up Zak’s old, battered pillow and quietly straighten the covers out over it. He wondered if she was, in her own way, still doing it. The idea alone seem to bring a needed comfort to him and for the first time in a while he felt himself fall into a restful, almost peaceful, sleep

Michael sunk quietly to his bunk. He could not believe what he had seen. When he had handed Apollo his circlet, the jewel had begun to glow. Suddenly it made sense, at least to him, but how was he going to convince anyone else? Captain Lee Adama was an Old Soul and somehow he has opened a portal to another time. More importantly is that it was still opened, which meant he didn’t know he had done it. If he was traveling unaware and the portal closed with him on the other side, he would be unable to reopen the portal and more than likely die. The first thing he needed to do was find out what was on the other side of the portal. He removed the circlet once again and concentrated on finding the soul of Captain Adama. It was not hard. It appeared that the captain took his meds and was crashed out on his bed. There was a bright aura around him, one that most souls possessed. He knew by the brightness, though, that he had been right. Lee Adama was indeed an Old Soul.

The theological beliefs of souls go back as far as written history. The Scrolls of Kobol told of two basic types of souls. The Innocent, or New Soul, that had no past life, and the more common, Old Soul. Of the Old Souls, there were three sub-types; the most common was called a Sleeper, a soul that was never aware of its past lives. The second was a Watcher, who could envision past lives, but to the mind this vision is no more than a dream, like watching a movie on a monitor or fish in a glass bowl; they can see their story unfold but do not feel anything more than that of an exciting movie or a bad dream. Lastly there were the Travelers, the rarest of Old Souls. They travel though the portals of time and space in an expanse so real that you can feel the winds that softly blow against a golden meadow and smell the blossoms of the flowers. Once you cross over, you lose yourself to the world you have entered, your past life takes control, and your soul forgets itself. If not for the tether that holds one’s soul to its own mortality, a soul can get lost and wonder aimlessly, despite the desire of becoming whole again. In most cases, a body is only capable of holding on to one soul for any length of time and the joining of a second soul can cause confusion, unconscious pain, seizures and sometimes insanity for the occupied body. It is a rare case. Even more rare are souls that have joined with its past mortal soul and lived to tell about it. It is said that the Lords of Kobol were so blessed, but not everyone who had experienced the intertwining of souls were “gods.” Far from it. In most cases, the soul would find itself trapped, and when the body of the past died, the soul’s tethered body would die as well because its mortal body thought it was experiencing all the sensations that the past life body experienced.

Michael had experienced traveling many times. It was, for him, a vacation of the pain of this world, but never had he tried to join to his past life soul. As odd as it sounded, there were too many other memories locked up inside him to allow him to forget himself. He had never told anyone of this gift, it had been his secret, and before the destruction of the Colonies he had spent a lot of time exploring his past, and even the past of some of those whose memories lay within him. He knew he could never tell anyone, he learned well from those other memories that dwelled within him. Had anyone from the Gemmon sect discovered this gift, he would have been locked away forever, enshrouded in jeweled robes, considered more than a priest, and then upon his death, proclaimed a god. He was no god; he wasn’t even a good priest. He was just a gifted student and very soon now it would cost him his life.

He easily found the open portal that encircled Lee’s spirit. Michael’s mind pushed through the captain and into the portal to what was shockingly, a very familiar site. ‘Dear, God,’ he thought to himself as he watched a man who looked very much like the captain sleep. His hair was long and the color was different, but it was very much the captain, asleep in a swinging cot of some kind. And more interesting to Michael was the man who slept next to Adama’s look alike. It was a man he was very familiar with. A face he knew well, for it was, indeed, his own.

“Michael?”

The ensign’s spirit jumped at the sound of his name and turned to face the haggard spirit of Captain Adama.

“Sir, you should be asleep,” he whispered, looking back at the soul whose boyish features seemed to sparkle in the mist that enveloped the outskirts of the portal. The young Adama looked down at his sleeping body and then back at Michael.

“It would appear I am asleep and this is but a dream.”

“Yes, I suppose it does appear that way.”

“Michael, what is happening to me?” he asked, then pointed to the portal. “And who are they? What is this and why does it pull at me?”

“This is the cause of your nightmares, Captain,” he answered. “That is the reality of a past life that we once shared.”

“I...it calls...t...to me.” Michael could see the weariness in Apollo’s spirit. He assumed it was the medication that kept him from being able to cross though the portal. “B... but ..I am... am so tired.”

“Then sleep, Captain,” he whispered as he placed his hand gently on his forehead. The spirit seemed to fade into the mist as the mist, too, began to dissolve. “There is no need for any more dreams this day. I will watch over you, my friend.” Then, as Apollo seemed to finally acquire a deeper, more peaceful sleep, Michael turned and stared back into the still opened portal of memories. Memories of a life long past and yet might just be the key to the Colonies’ future. Lee Adama’s future.

He watched as the body of a friend long since dead to him stirred in its tormented sleep, and if by instinct, he reached out and whispered, “It’s alright, Archie. It’s Okay. I am here.” The young sailor quieted as Michael, too, began to fade.

Michael awoke with a start; he looked at the chronometer, and then quickly placed the circlet back on his head. His brain was pounding, as if it was trying desperately to get out. What had just happened had never happened to him before. Somehow he had managed to stay without his circlet for most of the night but it was costing him dearly. He closed his eyes and prayed to the Lords to watch over the captain while he slept. This would be a new day. He knew he had to go talk to the Commander but right now he did not have the energy to walk to the door. With the edge of unconsciousness quickly closing in on him, he knew that this conversation would have to wait. This was fine by him because he didn’t have a clue as to how to even approach the subject. Finally, laying his head gently back on his own pillow, he gave in to the darkness.

Chapter 6

Old Secrets

Michael awoke slowly. Damn, his head hurt. He looked up to find a quirk of a smile plastered on a man's face hovering over him. "Archie?" he whispered.

"Lords, I hope not." Lee smiled. "I was kidded enough as child because of the name Lee."

"Sir?" Michael struggled to get up. "What…Why..."

"I got a little worried when you didn't show up with breakfast. I damn near panicked when I didn't see my shadow all the way through my med exam, which you will be happy to hear I passed."

"Sorry, sir. I had a hard time sleeping last night," Michael whispered.

"Don't let that get around you might end up with a shadow of your own," Lee smirked.

"So, you are free," Michael commented, changing the subject. "Then I should visit your father, uh, the commander, and give him a full report, so I might return to my usual duties." Michael got up, was slightly wobbly. "I am sure you will be glad to get rid of me," Michael added with a smile.

"Actually, you were starting to grow on me," Lee said with a shrug.

"...like a fungus," Michael finished.

"I want to thank you for all you did while I was...out of service." Lee extended his hand, which Michael firmly grasped.

"The honor was mine." He smiled, and then releasing his hand, he snapped a smart salute.

Lee returned the salute and then left the room.

Michael quickly collapsed back onto his bunk, pressing his forearm over his eyes. "Lords of Kobol, hear my plea. Please let me stay long enough to save him, and open his father's eyes and heart to what needs to be done."

Lee walked into the flight ready room where he found Kara and Justin, a young rookie who had survived from the Columbia, sitting at the table talking over a cup of simulated coffee and looking over a computerized star chart of the Fleet position.

"Gone a few days and everyone forgets SOP's for officers entering a room."

I don't know what these dots are, but I can't seem to get rid of them… Justin, a tall lanky kid they called "Cardboard" because of his slim build and dark coloring, nearly knocked himself out on the drafas port attempting to straighten up and salute.

Apollo quickly returned the salute and made sure the rook was okay before dismissing him. "You got the rest of the shift off, Cardboard, go by and check the new schedule and then get some rest."

"I take it you have been cleared for duty, Captain?" Starbuck asked smugly

"No, Lieutenant," he returned, "I decided to take a page out of your book and do what I wanted when I wanted."

Justin just stared at the two of them, not sure if he was really dismissed or this was some kind of game. "Sirs?"

Starbuck laughed, "It's okay, Cardboard, Apollo here couldn't break a rule with a battering ram."

Justin then saluted both his superiors and left the room.

"A battering ram?" Apollo queried, his eyebrows arching curiously.

"Hey, the truth is the truth."

"And you would know the truth… How?"

"First thing they taught us in the academy… In order to fight or avoid your enemy you first must know them."

"Ah... to avoid the truth you have to know the ... got it. "

She just smiled innocently. "I take it you're ready to fly."

"Oh yes," he laughed.

At this moment in time even he would not fully understand how much he wanted to be up in that bird.

"Then lets go," she returned.

They left the room and headed to the launch bay. Starbuck quickly caught him up on the flight area and star chart that had already been loaded into the flight nav computers on the vipers.

Lee's Mark VII was on the launch pad. A member of his flight crew managed to stop him long enough to welcome him back, as he placed the lock collar around the neck of his flight suit. They both climbed into their respective vipers and closed the hatches.

"Apollo?" Kara whispered. "You did get your clearance for flight, right?"

Apollo just smiled innocently. Signaling the launch officer, his viper slid into the launch tube. He went through the pre-launch SOP and signaled the all ready; all clear.

His ship ejected from the launch pad.

A gentle knock at the door pulled the commander from his stack of paperwork. "Enter," he announced, almost glad for the distraction. Michael entered the room; the light smile across this face was barely noticeable against his unusually pale skin. A quick salute to satisfy the formalities, he motioned to the chair across from the desk. "Michael."

Michael came in and set his own stack of reports onto the commander's desk. "Captain Adama has been cleared for duty, sir," he announced.

"That is good to hear, I am sure he is itching to get back out on patrol," the commander mumbled. "I would be willing to wager he is right now changing the schedule to place himself on the next patrol of this ship."

"You'd lose sir." Michael weakly smiled, adding, "He changed the schedule before he even went to his appointment and is currently on patrol with Lt. Thrace."

Adama leaned back in his chair. A hint of memory passed his eyes.

"You miss flying, don't you, sir."

"Almost as much as I would miss breathing."

Moments of silence seemed to pique Adama's curiosity and plummet Michael's courage. Finally, it was the commander who broke the quiet.

"Something troubles you, Michael," the elder announced. "Is everything alright?"

"Sir, I understand you're busy, but there is something I need to speak with you about… I ... I am not sure how to… approach this."

"Michael, you have been my secretary for the past two years.

I think that by now you would have gotten over your fear of my status."

"I like to think of it as a healthy respect, sir...not fear," he rebutted with a grin that quickly faded. "We have often spoken of the Gemmon sect, its workings and how I came to be… what I am." He paused just long enough to suck in his next breath. "I am not the only Gemmon High Priest you have encountered."

"Ensign," the commander interrupted, "If this is leading where I think it is leading, I can not …no, will not, discuss it."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't believe I have the time or the power to debate this. Actually, I would like to speak to you as Apollo's father, not as the commander."

The commander stood from his chair, staring back at the man who had just made a rather strange request. "I will not discuss this with you at all."

"I need to talk to the man who has traveled through time and space," Michael insisted, now talking faster than he dared think possible. "The man, who before his sons were born, was more than a mere warrior, he was an Old Soul; a traveler."

"Michael I don't know what you think you know, but I suggest you forget it."

"I have, for more than thirty-eight years, but now it is a matter of life and death."

"Thirty eight years? You are not thirty yourself."

Michael pointed at his circlet. "I hold the memories of the one who taught you to fly in a whole different way."

"Dainor," Adama whispered, recalling the words of his old mentor. "He was only a kid when I participated in that experiment. There was only one of the hundreds of candidates in that military experiment that crossed over and lived to tell or not tell about it as it were. Dainor died only two years after the experiment. As with most of the latter Gemmon High Priests, he did not live to see his teenaged years. Until me, few ever reached the age of ten. I have seen more years than that of most my brethren. Since the time of the first Cylon war."

"That would explain why the Gemmon were dead set against allowing you to become a military officer, but it does not explain why you are dead set on destroying the career by ignoring me."

It did not take a genius to know that the ensign had crossed a line very few lived to tell about; still there was not any reason to stop now.

"The point here is that I, too, am a traveler, as I know you are a traveler. What I need to know, is do you or Lee know that he is a traveler, too? "

"My son…what does this have to do with Lee?" Adama watched as all the color drained from his young ensign, his eyes closing slowly and seeming to struggle for his next breath

"If he doesn't know, then I believe that his recent illness was not medical or even physical, but spiritual born. Somehow, your son has opened a portal that has not closed behind him," Michael explained.

"And just what makes you believe this, Michael?" the commander inquired with just the slightest edge of authority in his voice.

Michael gingerly removed his circlet from his head and held it out to the Commander.

Adama just stared at the headdress as if it might bite him. "What are you doing?"

"Commander, I don't really have time to play games. I need you to hold the circlet. Please," the ensign requested.

He took the circlet and looked at it closely. There was nothing unusual about it.

"Now, sir. Please open a portal. It can be any portal to your past."

"I have not …"

"It is not something you forget and we both know you can do it," he explained, watching the commander, as he still looked hesitant. "Please sir, you don't have to travel through, just open it."

Commander Adama sprang from his chair as if he had been bitten. "Michael, I am too busy to be playing games…"

"Sir, this is not a game. This is a matter of life and death," Michael growled in return. "Lee's life or death."

Adama sat down as if hit in the stomach, then placing his hands, still clutching the bauble, on his lap, he let his mind clear. It wasn't easy. His first experience with travel of this kind had nearly killed him and now he had just been told it might be killing his son. It was an unpleasant thought that kept slamming back into his mind. Finally, ignoring the sweat dripping from his brow, he passed the point of calm and easily opened a portal. A mist bloomed around him as the vision became stronger. A shadow stepped out of the mist near the portal. It was Michael.

"Commander, look at the circlet."

He looked down to the circlet that still sat in his hand. The jewel took on a glow, as if it was absorbing energy.

"Now, commander, please close the portal."

When the portal closed, the crystal returned to its normal luster.

"Again I ask, what does this have to do with my son's life?"

The commander handed the circlet back to Michael, who placed it back on his head. The boy looked a little paler than he did just moments before, if that was possible.

"I did not know the jewel held that power before yesterday, when Apollo asked me about my call sign and I handed him the circlet. The crystal began to shine, much like it did for you…before you closed the portal. I tested it to be sure I was not wrong in my assumption. He is drawn to that portal every time he closes his eyes."

"How can you know that?"

"Because we have shared a past life. In fact, it is the past life to the portal he has opened." Michael looked down at his feet and continued, "In that other life he was my best friend."

"So then teach him to close the portal."

"I cannot; there is not enough time."

"What do you mean?"

Michael looked up from the floor; a half-hearted smile passed his lips. "It will take too long, and neither Apollo nor I have that kind of time."

Adama felt as if someone snatched his stomach and ripped it from his gut.

"I am dying."

Chapter 7

Just Not Good

The first flight of the cycle after a “jump” in space was usually the longest. The vipers would make exploration patrol of the system, shifts lasting ten to twelve hours each, depending on what they found during the run. This flight might even take longer, for the Galactica noticed strange, unnatural solar activity around the sun and they would have to do some investigation of the disturbance, which included running some quick tests for the sci-geeks onboard the Galactica before they could ever complete their regular patrol. It was obvious this flight was going t be longer than normal. It took the first 20 minutes of the flight for Lee to convince his wing mate that he was cleared for flight, and that only came after Colonel Tigh came onto the com and welcomed him back to duty.

After Starbuck was sure that the he wasn’t going to get her tossed into hack for aiding and abetting his escape from sickbay, she began to regale him with her nightmare stint as CAG... nearly six hours of growls and gripes that did not stop except for when she attempted to inhale. He managed to get in a groan or a “well” and even an occasional “but” still those were not enough to slow her down. She did stop long enough to help him with the scientific test. Although they maintained a distance actually two planets from the solar system’s sun, the occasional magnetic pulse-like activity actually shut down their vipers twice before they got out of range. The flares and strange movements of the magnificent yellow star were a sight to see.

As soon as they were out of danger, Starbuck’s ranting began again and so did his headache. He was almost certain his head would explode before they got back to the Galactica.

Later, Apollo wasn’t sure if Starbuck had run out of steam or he was just no longer listening to her, but he seemed to feel a great amount of the pressure ease in the silence then he felt nothing...

They were already on their return arc back to the Galactica, the second patrol had already launched and was making the smaller patrols that made up the rest of the rest of the day’s normal runs.

There were several minutes of dead air when Kara notice that Lee was resting his head back on the head rest and his eyes were tightly closed.

“Lee?” she whispered, grateful that she was still on the inner ship com and not the open channel. “LEE! Wake up.”

“I am awake,” he replied quietly

“Then why have your eyes been closed that last ten minutes?”

“They haven’t been,” he continued, still keeping his eyes clinched shut.

“You may be right, I’ve only been keeping watch for ten minutes. The headache is back, isn’t it?” she asked.

“I’m fine, Starbuck, really, I am just ...thinking...” he calmly whispered.

“Yeah, right, just thinking. Just thinking on how to give me a frakkin’ heart attack.”

He let out a small laugh and slowly opened his eyes to a squint. “See, eyes open.”

“No...no... that is not open. I have seen open and that is not it. I am calling the Commander. We are ending the patrol now.”

“NO! Kara, look... Maybe I overextended myself, this being my first patrol back and all. I promise I am fine. Lets just finish these last couple of hours and then I will call it a day, go back to my room and sleep.”

“I don’t like this Lee. You’re still sick.”

“I swear I passed the exams, Starbuck. Really, it’s just my body hasn’t adjusted from all the sleep that I was getting.” He almost sounded like he was winning.

“Okay, okay. Look, we should be back onboard the Galactica in about three hours. We will finish this patrol, and you can rest your eyes between now and then, but so help me if you show any signs of something being wrong I am going to “bring the cat home” all over again. Do you understand me?”

Apollo considered reminding her of his rank, but then it never did Colonel Tigh or any other officer much good. It would more than likely only serve to encourage her tirade, so he agreed.

The next three hours seemed to take forever and every five minutes Kara would ask if he was okay. For Lee’s part, he was fine enough to say he was fine. He was awake, granted for the most part with his eyes shut, and he was even responding to the Galactica’s check up calls with out missing a beat. If he could only get his head to let up on the pounding, he wouldn’t feel like he was lying to himself. By the time they landed, he wasn’t feeling tired but he wasn’t feeling very good, either.

Commander Adama looked at his assistant with confused and almost frightened eyes.

“I, I, um, I don’t know what to say,” he whispered. “When, how...uh.”

He had never really thought of it but Michael came into his life not long before his youngest had died. He had actually grown very fond of the young man and although he could never replace Zac in his heart, Michael seemed to at least keep that part of him busy so he didn’t hurt quite as much.

“Commander, we both knew this day would come. Hell, I have outlived over two thirds of those who came before me.”

“Have you been to Life Station? Are you sure?”

“I am sure, and there really is no need for Life Station. There is nothing anyone can do,” he assured the commander.

“I don’t care, I want you to report there immediately.”

“Sir, there is no time. Captain Adama is unaware of what is happening to him.”

“You are so sure that his illness and the working of the stone was not some kind of coincidence.”

“I would stake my life on it, but right now that is not much of a bet.” He laughed half heartedly, adding, “...Yes sir, I am sure.”

The Commander reached over his desk, picked up the phone and dialed the numbers that extended to the XO’s line. He was fairly sure that his patrol would be back by now and Tigh confirmed it. “Apollo and Starbuck have returned and been debriefed. The Patrol was complete and except for some minor equipment problems caused by the strange phenomenon, “uneventful,” to quote Captain Apollo. Other than the fact that the sun is creating some kind of electromagnetic flux and the science officers believe that the solar system will be destroyed in the next hundred years or so, it’s a nice little system. It has three habitable planets and one habitable moon on the lee side of the fifth planet.”

Will felt unsure about his next words but something in him knew he had to ask. “Paul, how did he uh, look ...act?”

“Tired,” he answered, almost a bit too quickly. “I thought this patrol would be a bit much for him so soon after being released from medical leave but then if I have learned anything in my many years under your command, it would be: Choose your battles. I don’t know why I bother to argue the point with any Adama, it’s always been a losing battle.”

“You do it because it’s your job, and you are good at it.”

It didn’t take a psychologist to realize that there was more bothering the commander than the CAG’s first day back to work. “Is there a problem? He had clearance from Life Station for duty.”

The pause was almost excruciatingly loud.

“No, no, uh at least I don’t think so. I will get back with you a little later. I want to go talk to Lee and then I will be up there right afterwards and break you for the night. Thanks.”

Paul paused, staring at the now dead phone line. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He felt the same gnawing at his gut while in debriefing with Starbuck and Apollo, and he could feel it now.

Chapter Eight

Between Life and Death

Tigh moved across the bridge as he continued to monitor the draedus console. This system's sun was truly a beautiful sight but he knew from experience that some of the most beautiful things in life are also the most deadly. Almost as if drawn to this very thought, a solar flare was expelled from its heated mass and spewed towards the screen. Suddenly, the ship's power began to flux. Some of the smaller ships in the Galactica's shadow lost power completely and began to drift uncontrolled towards other ships. Tigh turned to Duella and requested her to call all ranking officers to report to the bridge as the ship was put on alert. Action Stations were set at Condition One.

Commander Adama quickstepped into the active bridge and made his way over to where Tigh was awaiting him. "Report," he whispered calmly, looking around him.

"A pulse of energy from the system's sun seems to have caused power outages throughout the fleet. We have at least three ships drifting aimlessly right now, unable to get their systems back up," he growled.

He noticed Adama looking around the bridge, but more importantly, he noticed that the CAG had not reported to his station. "Have you seen Captain Adama?" Tigh asked as he noticed a strange look pass from the Commander to his Gemmon assistant, who immediately shot back out the hatch of the bridge.

"No," Adama admitted.

"Damn," Tigh grumbled.

"He looked kind of pale and tired, but he assured me that he felt okay and was heading back to his quarters," he continued.

"I knew I should have sent him to sickbay."

"Colonel, can you handle this situation? Get those ships up and prepare us for a new jump, preferably before the sun erupts again."

Tigh just nodded.

"Good. Call Life Station and have someone meet me at the CAG's quarters," Adama ordered.

With those words he was out of the room moving like a man possessed down the long corridors.

Good to his word, Lee had headed straight to his quarters after debriefing. Fact was, if he had had to salute one more person he would have gone nuts. He wanted, no, needed, to get out of the general population. He needed to get to bed. And he hated to admit it, but if this headache didn't end soon he would need to take himself off duty again and head for Sickbay.

He could barely manipulate the corridors. His vision was beginning to swim before his eyes. He thought he heard two of the deck crew say something about him being drunk. He supposed it would look that way to others, as his steps were becoming more like staggers and the cool walls were probably the only things holding him upright.

Conversations were becoming unexplainably loud and hollow. It was as if others were speaking some alien tongue through a cardboard tube. He was in trouble. By the time he reached his room, Lee felt light headed; waves of nausea battered him like small boat in a gale. He staggered to his desk, knocking over most of the papers that lay across it.

"Damn," he mumbled, trying desperately to wipe the blur from in front of his eyes.

It didn't help.

Suddenly the lights began to flicker on and off. The ship was being battered by a solar storm, its electromagnetic tendency wreaking havoc with the Galactica's power. He thought he heard the call to prepare to quarters, but he was not sure. He was just so tired. Suddenly he felt as if his world was being warped out of shape.

He felt as if his mind was being pulled out of his body. The blur became a familiar haze and the haze kept pulling him further away from his body. His ears began ringing with the clanging of metal against metal, and then he became stunned by a horrible pain in his chest. He took a couple steps to his bedroom door and fell heavily against it. Ghostlike figures began to appear within the haze. Some of the men looked familiar, others did not, but nothing seemed real. There was a fight but he couldn't move to help. The smell of salt water and smoke engulfed him just moments before everything went black.

Adama reached the office at the same time as Dr. Salik and two of her med techs. The door was open and they walked in to find Michael kneeling on the floor next to Lee's unconscious form. Lee was turned on his side and blood was spilling out of his mouth. Michael's circlet was off his head and lying in the Captain's open, lifeless hand. Adama stood frozen as the doctor and her medical staff pushed the young officer away and began working on the unconscious Captain in front of them.

The Commander quickly picked up the circlet after one of the med techs tossed it out of his way, and he handed it back to his assistant, who looked as frightened as he felt. Time seemed to move in slow motion and neither man seemed to have the capacity of speech as they watched the doctor work. No words were even spoken until after they watched the gurney with Apollo hurry from the room. Almost as if his tongue was finally released from some spell, Michael felt the words he was certain the Commander would not want to hear spill from his mouth.

"The Portal has shut, Commander. He is trapped on the other side," the ensign whispered, as if someone had sapped the last ounce of energy from his body. Michael went limp.

Doctor Salik had remained behind to ask the Commander a couple of questions. She had been about to interrupt their conversation when Michael collapsed into the Commander's arms.

"Dear Lords," she murmured as she rushed over to his side. "Damn, someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?"

As the ship's doctor, and as the Commander's personal doctor, Kayla Salik was privy to Michael's medical history, or more importantly, the history of the many Priests before him. Adama lifted the slight youth in his arms and motioned for Kayla to follow. "He had just told me that it is his time."

She looked skeptically at the Commander. "That is impossible; he just had a full exam not two weeks before the holocaust. There was nothing wrong with him."

The Commander continued down the corridor with the young officer in his arms. "Some things are just beyond our understanding."