Battlestar Galactica: Devotion

Chapter 1

I

Lieutenant Kara Thrace was resting uncomfortably in Sickbay, after her ordeal that had nearly left her dead. After taking on a wing of eight Raiders, almost by herself-she still had to have a talk with Hot Dog, that damned Nugget, who disobeyed her orders, although thank the gods for that, she thought sardonically. The rookie helped save my ass.

That had been the best part of her week.

She and the last Raider had dueled until they collided, both ships crash-landing on a nearby planet. Her knee broken, the planet nearly inhospitable, Starbuck was certain her number was up. Yet somehow, she had found the downed Raider, and had taught herself to fly the machine/life form, smelly as it was, back to Galactica. Lee had almost shot he out of the sky, but she had taped her Call Sign on the Raider, and now she was home.

She didn't like being on the shelf.

Both Lee and the Old Man had visited her since her return. The Commander had made a rapprochement with her, after he learned that Kara had passed his late son Zak through flight training even though he didn't belong in a cockpit. They had parted on bad terms before the crash. Her almost-miraculous return had mended things to a large extent.

She was dozing off when she heard Cottle's voice outside her curtained cubical, the other voice not quite recognized. Still being shot up with pain killers, she wasn't quite all there. When the owner of the voice stepped through the curtain, she put two and two together.

"Madam President?"

"Hello, Lieutenant", Laura Roslin said with a smile. "Welcome home, young lady."

"Thank you, sir", Starbuck said, still surprised at the Presidential visit. "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see how our wayward pilot is doing." A broad smile crossed the President's face, Kara instinctively smiling back. I didn't realize she had such a great smile, Kara mused. Hell, I didn't know she could smile. "You've had quite an adventurous few days, haven't you?"

Kara snorted a laugh. "Yeah, well, between you and me, I don't need such adventures. The normal, run-of-the-mill ones are enough for me, thank you very much."

Laura Roslin laughed at the remark. "Things are never boring around here, you're right about that." They both chuckled. "How are you feeling, Kara?"

There was genuine concern in Laura's voice, which warmed Starbuck. There was just something about this woman...

They had not interacted often, but every time they did, Kara became more impressed. She was the only one in The Fleet who didn't cower around the Commander, or around Tigh, for that matter. Maybe she didn't become President in a normal way, but so far, Kara was impressed by her assertiveness, and the respect she had commanded.

"I'm pretty wired up on pain killers right now, so I'm feeling pretty good", she said with a goofy grin, which Laura was sure was caused by the pain killers. "But even with them, the knee hurts like hell. I'll be out of commission for a while."

"I have no doubt you'll be back driving us and The Cylons crazy in no time, Lieutenant."

Kara rolled her eyes and laughed. "I think I'll take that as a compliment, Madam President."

"It was one, I assure you, Starbuck", Roslin said with her own giggle.

To say that Laura Roslin had been just as impressed the few times she had talked to, and had observed Kara Thrace, was an understatement. Yes, the younger woman was undisciplined and too cocky most times, but she did back it up when flying. But for all of Kara's bombast, Laura could sense, below the surface, a very unsure Human Being, who, from all she had been told, had gone through a terrible childhood. Kara acted tough-and she was, as far as it went-but underneath, she was a giving, caring person, who was just looking for some acceptance in a world that had never accepted her.