Battlestar Galactica: Devotion

Chapter 3

III

Two Years Later, Colonial One

"You want me to do what?"

Kara Thrace looked at President Laura Roslin like she was insane.

"You heard me, Captain", Roslin said in that cool, reserved voice that intimidated so many people. Kara wasn't one who counted herself among those numbers. "If you don't, Admiral Cain is going to kill Commander Adama. It's that simple."

"I'm a soldier, ma'am, not an assassin", Kara objected. "Do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

Laura nodded. "We have circumstantial proof. Cain has sent Colonel Fisk over to Galactica, which in and of itself isn't out-of-the-ordinary, or so the Commander has informed me."

Kara nodded. "Lee's living proof of that", Kara reminded Laura. "If we we had a full fleet, there would be transfers constantly, and personnel visiting other ships for short durations. Cain re-ordered the command, which is her right, and that's why Lee is CAG over on Pegasus now."

"Fisk also came over with a group of Marines hand-picked by Cain", Laura said bluntly. "She ordered them over. Is that normal?"

"What the hell are you getting at?" She knew Cain was a hard-ass, but Kara didn't exactly mind that.

Laura let her in on Cain's dirty little secrets: shooting her XO in the head, in front of the CIC crew; leaving another civilian fleet behind after cannibalizing any parts and personnel to be used on Pegasus; her constant belittling Commander Adama; and lastly, the torture she had put the Cylon, Gina Invere through, after the two had been lovers. Laura even showed her photos of Invere that Gaius had taken clandestinely.

Kara stood frozen in place. Starbuck also remembered her role in shooting down the Olympic Carrier shortly after they fled into deep space, which might have killed over a thousand people. Yet that was because the Carrier was posing a threat to Galactica. If Cain really abandoned Civilians when she could have taken them with her...

"Those would be deemed crimes against Humanity, Madam President, and if found guilty, punishable by a sentence of death."

"Precisely", Laura Roslin said coldly. "Although her defense would be Gina Invere isn't Human, but a machine, and therefore no crime was committed." Even Kara, as much as she hated The Cylons, could see in the pictures of Gina the bruises, the dried blood, the terror on her face. "She is capable of anything, Starbuck", the President continued, "and after that near-shootout between the two ships, I'm convinced that I'm not over-reacting."

Kara thought for a long moment. If she went through with this, and failed, she would forfeit her own life. That didn't scare her, although she wasn't quite ready to die. She also know if she somehow survived and failed, she'd end up like Gina Invere. She also couldn't discount the thuggish treatment that Galactica personnel had endured under some of the Pegasus crew-Helo and Chief Tyrol could attest to that, as could Helo's Cylon girlfriend, Sharon.

Yet in the end, despite their contentious conversation that was taking place, Kara only needed one reason to do it-because Laura Roslin had asked her to. In the end, Kara knew she could never turn this strong woman down-for anything. Kara had grown to admire Roslin in so many ways, and had grown to develop deep feelings for the President. In the end, that's all that mattered.

"Very well, Madam President", Kara said, with no timidity or hesitation in her voice. "If I get the signal from the Commander, I will do as you ask."

"I hope it doesn't come to this, Kara", Laura said earnestly. "Believe me, I don't want to lose the Commander-or you, for that matter. I couldn't...handle such a loss."