All of the Halcyon ships were making preparations for their arrival in the human fleet. That included the fifty-two Venture Fivestars which the Halcyons used for recreation and commerce. Gillian, commander of the Ulysses’ Air Group, proudly marched ahead of five perfect rows of pilots as she led them to the archive room for a briefing. The Ulysses was the Venture ship the Chancellor had assigned to serve Galactica. It was difficult for her to keep a smile of pride hidden from her face. Her compliment of fifty senior pilots immediately fanned out around the room and assumed a parade rest position while she moved forward to greet Sam.

He seemed frozen, deep in thought like he had been the past several times she had encountered him, and like those other times, he was staring at a projection, except this one was paused.

“Pardon me, Chancellor.”

Sam jumped as if she had startled him and pulled his hand out of the datastream at the same time, which effectively ended the projection. The lights came on, brightly filling the room, and Sam stared at the pilot with wide eyes.

“How much of that did you see?”

“You had it paused when I came in. I only noticed the woman and two infants when I got close.”

“Did you recognize her?”

Gillian shook her head. “I’ve never met a human before.”

Sam smiled. “All these years, even with the prophecy…I still didn’t understand,” he mumbled. “The problem is that I still don’t understand.” He returned his hand to the stream and the projection returned and played from the moment when the woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“You didn’t show this to me when you showed me Leoben’s birth,” Gillian said.

“I chose not to because I didn’t understand it.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“How she got there.”

Gillian frowned in her confusion, while the pilots behind her began whispering comments amongst themselves.

The projection disappeared less than a minute later, and Sam dismissed the distraction with a simple smile. “On to more important things... When you arrive on the Galactica, you will need to know several people and understand the importance they hold in the human fleet.” He thrust his hand into the datastream. A holographic image of Admiral Adama appeared in the center of the room.

“This is Admiral William Adama. He fought in the first Cylon war. He has a deep seated hatred for Cylons. You will have to earn his trust and respect. Don’t expect our acts of good will and charity to win him over immediately. His best friend is Commander Tigh. If we’re lucky, that friendship will be enough to put us in his good graces. From what I know, the true identities of the Halcyons among them is still a secret.

“Commander Tigh is the executive officer of Galactica. He is addressed as Colonel Tigh. Now, Commander Gaeta…” Holographs of both Halcyon men appeared beside Adama’s as he introduced them. “…is a tactical and navigation officer in the CIC. You will call him Lieutenant Gaeta.” Tyrol appeared beside the others. “Commander Tyrol is senior chief petty officer. He goes by Chief. You will be seeing a lot of him when you’re aboard Galactica.”

“What about Vittoria?” Gillian asked.

Sam smiled at the mention of his wife's Halcyon name. “Tory Foster is aide to President Laura Roslin. You will rarely see the president in public without her. President Roslin is concerned with the well-being of the civilians in the fleet. This is a woman who understands the meaning of the word suffering. She's had a long and hard battle with cancer. She has a history of standing up to the Admiral on the behalf of the people. And she's known for coming up with the fleet’s standard method of executing Cylons when she sent Leoben out of an airlock after several hours of intense interrogation.”

Echoes of disapproval filled the room.

“She does have one weakness for Cylons. She has a very deep love for three-year-old half-Cylon Hera Agathon, daughter of Galactica’s acting CAG Karl “Helo” Agathon and an Eight, a Raptor pilot named Sharon “Athena” Agathon. Sam played a holograph of the memory he had of Sharon holding Hera in the Andromache market when they had gone to pick up Kara. Sharon was so different from all the other Eights, but none of the pilots in the room could see that—they were enraged.

“Gillian?” Sam asked, offering her the chance to get her pilots under control before he stepped in.

“They have an Eight living in the fleet? She’s a Raptor pilot?” Gillian asked with an edge of anger.

Sam let out a heavy sigh, realizing now that his people were not ready for the subject of Sharon and Caprica. He turned back to the datastream and conjured up the image of Kara from a memory—a conversation that took place several months after the escape from New Caprica. She was sitting at the end of her bunk with a blanket wrapped around her. When the stress of the past and present would get to her, she’d call for him wherever he was, and he’d come to her, sleep with her and listen to whatever she had to say. Pain had a way of building up with Kara. He knew why Kara had chosen him over Lee. He knew how to give and expect nothing in return.

Sam played the memory. Kara sat there, her voice was loud, full of hatred: “I killed him over and over. Thirty-three times, Anders, and he still had the guts to come back for more. I made him suffer. I still remember the pained expressions he’d make. In this whole gods damn war, you know what I’ve enjoyed most? Watching that damn Cylon suffer.”

All of the other pilots began talking to each other loudly.

“Quiet!” Sam shouted.

“Who is she?” Gillian hissed, disgusted by Kara’s claim of enjoying Leoben’s suffering while at the same time recognizing her from Sam’s memory of Leoben’s birth.

“Isn’t there a story that the Elevens have been spreading around all of these years?” Sam asked.

“Yes, that Leoben chose to stay behind out of love for a human woman. The one who fulfills the prophecy that was uttered at his birth.”

“Tell me, are they not the same woman?” Sam thrust his hand into the datastream. The frozen holograph of the woman standing over Leoben as an infant appeared once more, and he turned to stare at Gillian. “Her name is Captain Kara Thrace.”

Gillian crossed her arms, not wanting to admit the truth.

“What you need to know about humans: they’re ruled by their emotions. Whereas very few things can elicit strong responses from us, but it seems that I have managed to discover all of them in this briefing. You will have to learn to deal with the Eight Sharon Agathon and the Six Caprica Baltar being accepted members of the human fleet. More than that, you will have to accept and forgive every human who has harmed Leoben.”

Gillian stared at him with narrow eyes. “Why?”

Sam shook his head, amazed at how human-like his people were. “Why?” he echoed back.

She glared at him in stubborn challenge. “Yes, Chancellor. I’m asking you to explain why.”

“It’s what Leoben would do. It’s what he’s done before over and over. That woman there…” He frowned at Gillian while he put a hand in the datastream, calling up one last memory. It was of Kara and Castor just before she accompanied him and Sharon back to Galactica.

They stood just inside the opening of the Gems and Minerals tent. Kara threw her arms around Castor’s neck, pressed her body against his, and kissed him full and slow. He responded with equal hunger. For the duration of the goodbye they touched each other like it was the end of the world. It was beautiful and wonderful to watch. They were a couple deeply in love, forced to say goodbye.

“He loves her. That’s why. These people are the only true home we’ll ever have. Accepting a couple of Cylons shouldn’t be difficult; those are orders. As for Leoben...”

“Chancellor,” Gillian said quickly in interruption. “Don’t even try. What you’ve given us...that last memory is enough.”

“So you’d forgive her for what she’s done?”

“I’d forgive her and only her, but there’s a fine line in regards to Leoben. It’s unkind of you to ask us to be what we’re not. I respectfully request that you omit further comments on the two Cylons from this briefing, but I assure you that my pilots will have no objection to anything you say about Captain Thrace.”

Sam glared at her and then finally nodded acceptance. “Very well. I’ll cover only what’s necessary.”

Kara woke with a sheet drawn over her face. She drew in slow, deep breaths holding both of her hands to her belly for a moment already knowing that the baby was okay. Blood was pumping through her veins again. Leda hadn’t explained anything, but Kara knew that shutting her body down had somehow saved her. Dr. Baltar would be able to answer her questions later. She quickly sat up when her thoughts shifted to Castor. He was out there, lost, living his nightmare and she was living hers: his heart had stopped beating.

The room seemed very cold because her body was still warming up. She held the sheet around her naked shoulders while she searched the room. A hospital gown was neatly folded on a small table. They would have dressed her in it if she had stayed alive. It was thin and did nothing to give warmth. The sweater she had worn had been dumped in a trash bucket along with several bloody rags. The blood was mostly dry, and they had cut it down the middle to take it off of her. She laughed softly in response to her current thread of thought. It would be the worst outfit she would ever wear. She spent five minutes searching for scissors to cut off the parts of the sleeves that had touched the poison. It was so warm and she hugged it closed around her while she thought about what she had to do. She needed to find Leoben.

She walked out into the infirmary and watched the fury of activity. They were overload with patients because of the explosions. Once she had died, they had given up and moved on. “Frak!” she whispered when she spotted Dr. Cottle. He saw her before she could duck back behind the curtain.

“Lords, girl! How many death certificates do I have to sign for you? I just told the Admiral and the President that you were dead.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“I can’t believe you put that filthy thing back on,” Cottle said irritably. “Take it off and go lie down again! We’ve replaced almost half of your blood supply with Cylon blood, so I expect you to act like it. Your body needs to rest after what it's been through.”

She shook her head and backed away. “I’m sorry, doc, but I have to leave. It’s very important that I get to the brig.”

“The Admiral has already taken care of the Cylon prisoner. Whatever you need to do can wait. Now, go lie down on that bed, Kara, or I’ll have the marines tie you to it.”

Kara cast a glance around the room. Several marines were helping to keep order and assist the medics. When Cottle called for their help, she turned and broke into a run. Cottle immediately responded with curses and orders for them to chase her down.

It felt good to run. The strange mix of blood pumped through her body. She felt a burst of excitement at the thought of seeing Leoben again. She wanted to let him know that she was safe. She wanted to look into his eyes and show him that she understood.

Sharon sat in the ECO seat of her grounded Raptor talking to the fleet over the wireless. It was easier to talk there than on the flight deck with the pilots of Colonial One sitting beside her. She was alone, and the people who were listening to her were faceless. The panic had been too much. The attack had made the people afraid, and without Galactica they had no hope. Her pleas and orders had done nothing. She was a pilot, not a diplomat. Her only other gift was that she was a mother. She pretended she was telling a story while lying on her side with Hera snuggled against her, and Helo stretched out behind her as he listened with his hand gently resting on her thigh.

The captains had begun to question; they demanded to speak to Tory. Sharon had finally told all of them to open the relays of the wireless to ship wide transmissions. She told the story of the Cylons who were on their way to help them. Occasionally a captain would stop her to ask a question. The people of the fleet listened and waited for her to answer.

Sharon kept talking and making promises even though she wasn’t sure how much longer Tory would be. She knew it would be better if the people knew about the final five when the ships arrived. Awkward transitions would be avoided, and the people would be willing to help without asking questions. They would already have answers.

The people of the fleet had always been curious about the five Cylon models they hadn’t seen on New Caprica. “The final five are sending a fleet to help us right now. They had to keep their distance because of the other Cylons, but they’ll be here soon,” Sharon concluded.

“You aren’t one of the final five, Athena,” the captain of the Boreas pointed out. “How do you know that?”

“They’ve had copies living among us in the fleet, helping us from the beginning. You already know their faces. I’ve been telling you that Tory Foster was busy.” Sharon laughed for a second. “I was telling you the truth. I shot her over two hours ago. By now she has downloaded into a new body aboard one of their ships. She said she’d bring help. You’ve seen how hard she’s worked to help the president. She’ll help us join up with Galactica and the rest of the fleet.”

“Gods, I don’t believe this!” Racetrack called out from another Raptor. “Do you know who the other four are?”

“Yes, Chief Tyrol, Lt. Gaeta, and Tigh.” Sharon pulled the earpiece out of her ear when all of the captains and pilots responded at the same time. Cylons would be boarding all of their ships soon so she didn’t feel guilty about giving away the secret.

She waited, knowing what their next question would be. She had flown Sam out to the Prometheus to pick up Kara, and he’d told her the story of his friendship with Leoben and the story of Castor. It was the one story Sam had held back at their Cylon party when they’d all shared their secrets. Sam was a very different Cylon.

“Sharon? Come on, Sharon. Who is the fifth Cylon? Sharon!” Racetrack was still trying to get her attention when the others had given up.

“Their leader is Samuel T. Anders.”

Racetrack’s choked laughter echoed over the wireless. “Anders? That has to be a frakin’ joke, Athena. Ship thieving nugget one day and Cylon leader the next? I don’t buy it.”

The console in front of Sharon beeped and fifteen ships, twelve Basestars and three Fivestars, appeared on the DRADIS screen. They formed a perfect circle around the fleet. She switched channels and sent a signal out like she had promised Tory.

“Athena?” she heard Tory’s voice ask.

“Tory! You saved me from having to drag my story on any longer. I told them about all of you. I hope it helps. It helped them stay calm for the past forty-five minutes at least.”

“Hi, Sharon, I’m here too,” Sam said.

“Did you die or are you just…”

“I actually died,” he said. “My Viper blew up, and I gave our fleet the coordinates of Galactica.” He paused to chuckle, and then continued: “Hey Sharon, I may never get a chance to say this again, but thanks for killing my wife.”

Sharon broke out laughing. All of the strain she had been feeling for the past several hours faded away with it. “You have no idea how good it is to hear from both of you. The captains are all waiting for your instructions, and all of our Raptors and shuttle craft are grounded, but standing by. Oh Sam, I hope your people know that they will be called Lt. Gaeta, Tigh, and Chief Tyrol etcetera.”

“Yeah, they know," Sam responded with an equal volume of laughter. "Tory and I are heading to Colonial One to see you so stay put.”

Kara stopped suddenly when she saw Tigh standing outside of the brig with six marines. Cottle had called for back up. “Hold it right there, Starbuck,” Tigh commanded.

She was taken by surprise when she backed into the body of a marine. Two others moved to help restrain her when she tried to get away. “Tell them to let me go, colonel. Please!” She broke free for a moment, but they caught her again.

“You almost bled to death, Kara. You shouldn’t be running or fighting right now. Hell, you shouldn’t even be awake!”

“I need to get in there!” Kara shouted back.

“You need to go back to the infirmary, and that is right where I’m taking you. I don’t want to hear any excuses.”

“No! Wait...where’s Sam?” Sam knew the truth about Leoben. He would be able to help.

“He’s dead,” Tigh replied.

She glared at him. “That’s a frakin' lie and you know it! Tell them to let me go, colonel. I will fight dirty if I have to. No one here knows that you’re a—”

Tigh grabbed her jaw. “I suggest you don’t,” he threatened. “That thing is getting what it deserves. That should be enough to give you peace.”

Kara panicked when she understood what he meant. They were torturing Leoben on her behalf! “Gods, you think I want him dead? Leoben! Leoben!” she screamed towards the door. “Did you kill him? Colonel, you don’t understand! Gods, no...Leoben!” she shrieked frantically.

Adama entered the hall followed by President Roslin. “What’s going on out here!” He was surprised to see Kara fighting against several marines who were holding her off the ground in their arms to restrain her. He had spent the past twenty minutes believing she was dead.

“Let me go!” Kara made another effort to free herself. The marines were caught off guard, and she vaulted herself out of their arms onto the floor of the deck. She paused for a moment as she regained her balance before running towards the door. Adama and Tigh stepped in her way, but at the last moment Adama moved aside.

“What the hell, Bill!” Tigh growled.

Adama took hold of his friend’s arm. “We would have had to fight her if I hadn’t let her by.”

“I’m curious to know what information Leoben has that Kara believes is worth killing herself over,” Laura said as she stepped between the two men.

Kara was kicking at the locked door and trying to see into the cell through the bars when they entered. “Someone open this damn thing now! Open it, Admiral!”

“Calm down, Kara.” Adama grabbed her by the arms and shook her gently. “I won’t let you go in there! You’re my daughter. I’m responsible for your life. You don’t need to see what’s in there.”

Kara pulled away. “You don’t have the right to shield me from anything. I have a husband, and I am nothing to you unless you open that door.”

“Castor is dead, Kara,” Adama said softly. “Lee told me. He was aboard the Prometheus when—”

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Kara shrieked as she forced her eyes close. “Open it,” she finally said with a calm voice as she tapped her knuckles against the cell door.

Laura shook her head in objection, but Tigh shrugged in defeat when Adama glanced in their direction. “Open the door if it will make her happy, Bill,” he muttered.

Kara held a death grip on the doorframe when she stepped inside. Leoben was stretched out on his stomach, lying in a pool of red blood. Kara quickly pivoted on her heels and pressed an open palm against Adama’s chest.

“Oh gods...tell me he’s alive. Say it!” she begged. “I need you to tell me he’s still alive.”

“He’s alive,” Adama replied.

Kara made her way across the bloody floor to where Leoben lay while Laura and Tigh entered and stood on either side of Adama. Kara felt the same calm she had felt when she had been with Leda. She lowered herself down to the dark red puddle and searched his body with her hands to assess the damage, afraid to turn him over. They had ripped off his clothing, and his skin was torn and marked from the brutal torture. He was limp and seemed lifeless when she turned him over. Both arms were fractured with shards of bone protruding through the skin.

“Open your eyes and look at me, Leoben,” she commanded.

There was no change.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she crouched down and rested her ear against his chest to listen for a heartbeat. He drew in a shallow breath when she touched him, but that was all.

Adama shook his head and quickly crossed the room to Kara while the others followed, but it was Laura who knelt down beside the younger woman.

“Kara,” she said softly as she touched Kara’s arm.

Kara shrugged away and glared at the woman. “Leave us alo—”

“There’s no reason for you to be here,” Laura interrupted sternly. “Any Cylon is subject…”

“Kara,” Leoben mumbled unexpectedly.

Kara breathed out a sigh of laughter. “Oh, Leoben!”

“I’m tired, Kara. You know how to end it. The pain...pain...pain...” he muttered deliriously with his eyes still closed, waiting for the death he thought she would give him.

“Everything you have left,” Kara said to Leoben as she held her hand to his cheek, “I need you to give it to me. Do this because you love me.” She bent her head and let her lips brush against his mouth. Just as she had hoped, the gesture caused him to reach for her.

“What’s going on, Kara?” Laura gasped and took hold of the younger woman’s arm after Leoben grabbed hold of it.

“Back away!” Kara reached out with the other and gave Laura a forceful shove.

“Kara,” Adama growled in anger as he helped Laura to her feet.

“Give her some space, you two,” Tigh said.

Kara lay on the floor left of Leoben, crossed his right arm over his body, and pushed aside the fabric of her sweater, pressing his fingers against the warm skin above her heart. “I need you to follow me. Follow my heartbeat and you’ll be safe.”

His eyes opened for the first time. “Where are you taking me?”

“I’m bringing you before the thrown of God,” she replied. Castor and Leda had brought her into the shadow world between life and death, but this time it was her role to be the guide.

A moment later, Kara went limp and rolled onto her back with her fingers still holding Leoben’s hand.

“Bill, I don’t believe this,” Laura gasped as she clapped a trembling hand over her mouth.

“I have no frakin’ clue what’s going on, but it is enough to make me sick,” Tigh growled. “What the hell did they do to her mind when she was on that ship? Did you tell her that her husband is dead?”

“I told her and she acted like she didn’t hear me, but she’ll give us answers. We just need to wait,” Adama replied.

Tigh shook his head doubtfully. “Answers that make sense?” He knelt down and checked Kara’s pulse. “She’s dead, Bill!”

Kara pulled Leoben to his feet and held him close to her. She could see the familiar features of his face, but everything around them was gray.

“Where are we?” Leoben asked.

“I deliver your soul to the goddess Mnemosyne. Memory. Nothing is lost in her presence. Come with me.” Kara pulled him by the hand and walked until they stopped at the edge of a road that ran parallel to a nearby river.

“Castor grew up here!” Leoben uttered in surprise.

Kara watched the birds flying above the water for a moment and then turned to him. “You hate what you are, and he always hated that he wasn’t you. I can’t believe it took me so long to see the truth: It’s always been you, Leoben. I understand his fear now. He was afraid of being lost—of never finding you. You were born a Cylon. You can’t change that. It will always be a part of you even if you choose to run from it.

Kara motioned to the ground in front of her. “This is the world you crave, but it is not the one you belong to. You asked me to bring your soul to God so you could live as a human, but Castor’s human body is dead. This Cylon body is the only one that remains.” She laid both of her hands on his chest. “This is the one that must live.”

“No, Kara,” he growled while stepping backwards, but stopped and frowned as he stared at the necklace she wore. It was his reminder that one day he would leave the Cylon world forever.

Kara reached up and held her hands to the sides of his face. “The final five wouldn’t have been able to escape from the other Cylons if you hadn’t stayed behind. You once told me that we are all god. We all have the power to create and destroy. You hate who you are because you only see the destruction you’ve caused.”

She turned away from him and the view changed. Halcyon ships were scattered around the Colonial One giving aid to the damaged ships in the fleet. Everything seemed well coordinated as if both sides were working together. “You created what we’re seeing right now. They have hope because they have a future.”

He pulled her close and shook his head. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way, Kara.”

She held him tenderly. He had lost something he had wanted his whole life and was now grieving his loss of the Castor identity. His soul was guilty if it was in a Cylon body, but he would be forgiven and accepted if he was human. “You will remain in pain while a part of you is lost,” she said softly. “I love you. I need you with me.”

He gave a quick nod. “Help me, Kara.”

She stepped back. “This is the rite of passing. Nothing is lost, there’s only change. I need you to let go and trust that I’ll hold onto you.”

The wonder of memory was that it was a thread that could not be broken once it was tied. It had been easy to touch Leda even from so far across time. Kara moved beyond the stillness and reached out, capturing the lost part of Leoben’s soul. Her fetal son tied her to Castor and the new blood in her body connected her to Leoben. She drew both pieces into her heart where they became a single soul, and then, before she could be destroyed by the intensity of his full consciousness, Leoben drew it away from her.

Kara was the first to breathe. She hugged Leoben when the room was completely in focus again, and whispered, “Come back to me.” She kissed his lips and forced a breath of air into his mouth, tasting his sweat and his blood. His body would heal now that his mind was at peace. She smiled when she felt him kiss her back. There was no divide in his touch, no Castor or Leoben. He was simply the one she was holding.

“I love you, Leoben.”

He laid his head in her lap. “You have no idea what this feels like.”

She smiled. “Are you very dizzy and maybe a little nauseous?”

“Yeah.”

She grinned. “Oh, I have an idea.”

He laughed. “I think I’ll stay down here for awhile.” The world was different. It felt like he had lived his entire life starving and sleepless. Touching the world around him felt amazing. The most beautiful thing was being held in Kara’s arms.

“Kara, will you tell us what the hell is going on? You were bleeding to death an hour ago and now you're running around like a mad woman,” Tigh said when he noticed they were awake again.

Leoben suddenly forced himself to sit up with fierce determination and touched her belly with an open palm. “The baby, Kara! I forgot.”

Kara laughed. “Our son is fine, although I have a few questions for Dr. Baltar.”

Laura turned her face against Adama’s arm. “Gods, my dream! He really is the father! I’m going to be sick.”

“You’re Castor?” Adama asked. “Castor was a Cylon? We had a Cylon in the fleet all this time!”

Leoben closed his eyes when he thought of the strain it would take to answer the question. Kara lowered his head to the floor and got up. She hugged the sweater and gown around her while she stood before Adama, Tigh, and Laura.

“We’ve been on the run for almost four years, and we keep losing people. We were never going to make it to Earth on our own. This war is too big for us. New Caprica was only the beginning. The Cylons have learned how we live, how we work, and how we fight. Admiral, colonel, you both know the first principle in the art of war is to know your enemy. They know everything about us, but we still know nothing about them.”

Kara glanced back at Leoben. “I have forgiven him of his crimes. I suggest you do the same. You know nothing about who Leoben is and what he’s capable of doing. It is to our advantage that the Cylons are equally unaware. For that reason they’re terrified. It’s the first tactical advantage we've had since the beginning of this war.”

“Why didn’t he tell us he was your husband, Kara?” Adama asked.

“Probably because he failed at convincing you of the simple and believable things. Did he tell you he loved me?” She glanced down behind her to the bloody floor. “It looks like you haven’t believed anything he's said.”

“But what about Castor?” Adama asked as he grabbed her arms.

She jerked away from him. “Oh no, your questions can wait. I’ll write a nice long brief explaining everything. It’ll be easier for me that way. He’s my priority right now.” She knelt down for a moment dragging her fingertips through the thick coat of blood on the floor. “Now, I need a room where we can be left in peace, and I need help carrying him there.”

Tigh left the room to make arrangements for them. Kara remained kneeling with her arms crossed in front of her. She was cold again, and she felt like she had taken a bottle of stims. She was intensely aware of everything around her. Every slight movement of Leoben’s body or any change in his breathing caught her attention.

“I’m so sorry, Kara,” Adama said.

“There is nothing to forgive.” Kara looked up and smiled at him. He looked past her to Leoben who was asleep. "Every moment of pain I caused him, he always forgave me.”

Tigh entered the room with several medics a few minutes later. “You don’t have to go to sickbay,” he said quickly when he saw disapproval on Kara’s face. “I have a private room and they can help him there.”

She grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. “They can leave medical supplies with me, but we'll be fine alone. I don’t want to be challenged by anyone anymore.”

“You have my word then,” Tigh said, “But I don’t understand. He held you captive on New Caprica, Kara. We all saw what that did to you.”

Kara gave him an impulsive hug. “I’ll tell you the most beautiful story you’ll ever hear, but I can’t tell it to you right now, colonel.” Her pain from being Leoben’s prisoner was nothing compared to the terror Leda had lived through.

Admiral Adama watched Kara until she left the room. She was peaceful, so different from when she had entered screaming and crying. It was as if knowing Leoben was alive was enough to give her peace. He had waited for her to express anger or show that she felt pain, but she had given no intense reaction to what they had done to Leoben.

“Excuse me, Admiral. There’s a call for you from Gaeta.”

Adama took the phone from the marine and looked at Tigh and Laura’s worried faces. “What is it, lieutenant?”

“Athena just appeared on DRADIS,” Gaeta reported. “Tory is with her. They said that they need to speak with you when they land. Hotdog and Helo are escorting them in.”

“Did they say anything about the fleet?”

“No, but Tory said not to panic while you’re making your way to the hanger deck.”

“Thank you. We’re on our way.” Adama hung up the phone and held his arm out to Laura. “Do you think you can make it for another round? Tory and Athena will be landing in a few minutes.”

“It’ll be good to see Tory again. She’s usually the one holding my arm.

Tigh looked back through the open door of the cell and shook his head. “We sure handled that well.”

Leoben watched Kara with amusement. She was almost done making a neat row of stitches in his right thigh. She was so damn good at everything. The medics had been reduced to litter bearers. She had held him up against her while they had taken a shower, then the medics had brought him back to the room Tigh had arranged for them. Now he was naked and sitting up in bed while he watched Kara tend to his injuries.

“You know you’re good at that.”

She glanced up at him. “I watched when you did it for me.” She didn’t want any of them touching him even if they were trying to help. The thread pulled against his skin when she cut it, and his muscle tightened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she whispered.

He laughed and leaned forward to look at her work. “I’ll just pretend we’re having rough sex.” He grabbed her and pulled her to him before she could begin re-threading the hooked needle. “You don’t need to be doing this. My body will heal. I don’t feel any of it, Kara.”

She pushed away. “You can’t be serous, Leoben! I don’t care if you're a Cylon. You’ve been tortured. Tortured! You look like it! Should I get a mirror? Your eyes are bloodshot, your body is torn up and swollen from being beaten, you have fractured arms and broken ribs, all of your skin is red or purple, and there are many more places that need stitches. You’ve also given me a large portion of your blood supply. Does any of that register with you?”

He caught her wrist in a surprisingly strong grip and pinched her arm with two of his fingers. The sting was brief and the mark quickly faded from her skin. “That is what this feels like compared to the pain I've been living with my whole life. Lay here with me, and let me hold you. Just be my wife, Kara. Please.”

Kara lay back onto the bed pulling Leoben’s head down to her chest. He fell asleep quickly. She could feel his heartbeat under her hands as they rested on the uneven skin of his back. The world around her was still except for the steady rhythm of his heart. She smiled feeling as though she had been waiting to hold him like that her whole life. Familiar words crept into her mind while she drifted off to sleep.

…With every breath I breathe out the day
With every delicious sip I drink away the night
Stroking my hair to the beat of his heart
Watching a boy turn into a man.

Helo pulled Sharon into a tight hug the moment she stepped off the Raptor, and Tory headed towards Laura.

“How are they, Tory?”

“We’ve lost forty-two people, Madam President. Three of our ships have been completely abandoned, but everything is okay now. The fleet will be jumping back here soon.”

Sharon stopped beside them with Helo holding her hand.

“So, you both came here to do recon to see if it's safe for them to return,” Adama said.

“No.” Tory glanced at Sharon before she continued. “I am one of the final five Cylons, Admiral. My people are helping the separated part of the fleet right now. Fifteen of their ships were close enough to give immediate aide, but the others are on their way here. I came to warn you that our ships would be jumping here with the fleet. Although, three of our ships will stay behind to salvage the disabled ships we were forced to abandon.”

“Tory, you can’t be serious. After all of this time!” Laura gasped.

Tory gave a fleeting glance at Tigh before responding. “I only learned the truth of what I was when the fleet jumped into the Ionian nebula. Sharon killed me two hours ago so I could let our ships know that we needed help. My memories returned when I downloaded. A war is about to break out. We’ve lived among you because we have the same enemy.”

Adama remembered the words Leoben had said. "You are caught in the middle of a war where your people are pawns." “Who is we?” he finally asked.

“You already know all of our faces, but I’ll let the others reveal their identities,” Tory replied.

“Admiral, you need to inform the CAP and the other ships as soon as possible,” Sharon reminded.

“Madam president, make a list of all the needs in the fleet,” Tory said. “We want to move quickly and repair the damage. Our doctors and engineers will be ready to respond as soon as our ships get here.”

“I’ll take care of that for you, Bill,” Tigh said.

“Tory, a Cylon?” Laura said to herself.

Tory gently grabbed hold of both of her arms. “Please, I am nothing.” She looked up at Adama. “I don’t want either of you having heart attacks from shock. The other four will be more of a surprise for both of you. They are people you know and trust.”

“People? You mean Cylons,” Adama said.

Tory shook her head. “If we can’t be people to you, please know us as Halcyons. A long time ago a Gemenese oracle looked into the future and saw our fate. In time you will come to understand how bitter our hatred is for Cylons.”

“Shouldn’t we head back to the CIC?” Laura asked.

Tory shook her head. “Our Chancellor will want to come aboard and meet with you.”

“Why don’t you both sit and rest,” Helo suggested with a smile as he motioned to a bench set against a hanger wall. “Sharon and I will bring you both something to eat while you wait for her cousins to arrive.”

“Did you know Tory was a Cylon before today?” Laura asked Sharon.

“Halcyon?” Sharon asked in correction. “Yes, but I haven’t known long. Kara told me.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Adama whispered to Laura. They sat down, and he held his arm around her while they watched the activity in the bay. By the change in motion, he could tell Tigh had already relayed the news that they would be having company.

No one in the CIC was surprised when the fleet of familiar and foreign ships showed up unexpectedly on DRADIS. Cheering broke out for a moment before Tigh silenced them.

“The full fleet is reporting in minus the Salpica, the Thera Sita, and the Harrak. I also have a count of twelve unknown ships,” Dee said with a smile. “Most of them look like Basestars.”

“That’s what Sharon said we should expect,” Tigh commented.

“We’re receiving a transmission over the wireless, sir.”

“Put it through.” Tigh waited for her to look up and nod, then said, “This is Galactica actual.”

“Greetings. This is Sub-Commander Jensen of the Halcyon Navigator Euanthe. My people are here to offer assistance to your fleet.”

“We’re very glad to have it,” Tigh said. Hearing the voice was the strangest thing in the world. He felt like he was talking to himself. He turned his head to glare at Gaeta who was expressing too much amusement over the situation. “Tory requested damage reports. Should I relay those to you?”

“Yes. We would like permission for our Chancellor to come aboard Galactica to meet with Admiral Adama.”

“Permission granted. Have him proceed to the aft Starboard landing bay.” Tigh turned to Gaeta when the transmission ended. “Lieutenant, I’ll need your help. Come with me. Lt. Dualla, take over the watch.”

“Sir?” she asked in complete shock.

“Assist them in whatever way they need. Direct the flow of traffic in the fleet. You have command.”

Tigh turned and walked away. Dee had been XO of the Pegasus during the occupation of New Caprica. She was capable of leading. Dee’s indirect attack of Kara was small compared to what the Admiral and the president had done to Leoben. Kara had forgiven all of them immediately. Tigh thought of Gaius Baltar who was out in the fleet hiding on the Prometheus. What would be left of the human race if none of them were forgiven of their crimes?

Admiral Adama had intended to sit and wait until the strange Halcyon ship had taxied all the way into the bay, but the deckhands and pilots crowded the deck blocking the view, and he and Laura were forced to move to stand beside Tigh and Gaeta to see it better.

It was bigger than a Viper, but clearly built for complex combat flying. The nose and wings formed a wide right triangle that angled downward, and the metal of the hull was a dark silvery-blue. The cockpit was big enough for two people to fit inside.

“That is the most beautiful ship I’ve ever seen,” Tyrol laughed. The people around him echoed agreement. They were used to the terrifying black Raiders with bright red laser eyes.

“Do you think this one has blood and guts like the Raiders do?” Tigh asked him.

Tyrol pointed to a place under the wing as more of the ship came into view when it stopped. “I don't know, but it has a name. Meridian.”

Cally tugged on Tyrol’s arm. “You have to tell them before these people swarm Galactica. The Admiral is going to freak out!”

“I’m going to wait for Sam to break the ice.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that will work out great,” she mumbled sarcastically.

Sam stepped down from the back side of the ship and held his breath when he saw the crowd of people waiting for him. Tory hadn’t told them.

“Thank the gods!” Laura laughed. Everyone turned to stare at her in shock. She shrugged her shoulders as she continued to smile. “Now I don’t have to tell Tory that Sam was killed.” She moved closer to Sam when she remembered that all of the copies were different people. “Wait, are you Sam?”

“Yes.”

Tory walked over to Sam just as Kellen exited the ship.

“You frakin’ idiot, Galen!” Cally shouted as she punched his arm. “I told you to tell the Admiral!”

“You’re a Cylon, chief?” Seelix asked.

Hotdog pushed through the crowd. “Wait, wait, you knew about it Cally?”

“Gods, will you people just shut up and listen to Sam!” Cally growled.

Sam saluted and held the posture until Adama made his way to him and returned the gesture. Sam was wearing a dark burgundy uniform. The pins of rank on his collar were made of the same strange blue metal as the ship.

“I’d like your permission to resign from under your command, sir,” Sam said.

“Permission granted. Who are you, Sam?”

“My name is Samuel T. Anders. I’m Supreme Chancellor of the 240,000 people aboard the 262 ships in the Halcyon fleet. Right now they’re all making their way here to guard your fleet as we repair your ships. Dr. Kellen is our fleet’s senior ranking physician. I brought him with me so he could meet Dr. Cottle and learn what medical needs your people have.”

“How is it possible for you to hold command if you’ve been with us this whole time?” Adama asked.

“I was the first of the twelve Cylons that were created. As much as the creators wanted us to be the same we're all very different. I’m controlling over 1000 of my own copies while I am talking to you right now.” Sam grinned slightly. “I’m a machine so it’s effortless.”

Adama chuckled. “I always thought you were just a Pyramid player and a guerilla fighter. Are you able to do that because you’re the first copy or can any of the others do it too?”

Sam hesitated. He wasn’t sure if Kara had had a chance to tell them about Castor. “The second Cylon model was created the same way I was, but something went wrong in the process that caused the creators to change their methods and give the copies of each the following models different minds. I'll explain more later.”

“Which model?”

“Leoben.” Sam was expecting to get a mild negative reaction from everyone. The deck crew and pilots expressed slight anger and aggression, but Admiral Adama responded differently. Sam saw pain and fear in his eyes.

Adama stepped closer whispering, “What went wrong in the creation process, Sam?”

Sam moved back and searched the room. “Where’s Kara?”

“She’s sleeping. I want to know what happened,” Adama asked as he took hold of Sam’s arm.

Sam was shocked by the Admiral’s desperation. “The Cylons may have been created by man, but the machines that created the hybrids…” His sudden agitation caused him to hesitate. “This is not the place for me to tell you how Leoben was created or how Castor was almost destroyed. I need to see Kara!”

“Castor? Castor is dead, Sam,” Laura interjected.

“What?”

“He died on the Prometheus, but Leoben is here. The Cylons took Kara off of Galactica, and he brought her back.”

“You said Kara is sleeping. Is he sleeping in the same room with her?” Sam asked. Their hesitation gave him the answer he needed to know. Leoben had done everything they had agreed upon from the beginning, except he had planned to kill off all of his Cylon copies and let Kara integrate his soul in Castor’s body. After all they had done to keep Castor alive, it was ironic that he had died anyway. “I need to know how much of the Cylon fleet he was able to destroy. Please, I need to see them.”

Adama shook his head. “They need some time alone.” After another pause the Admiral finally confessed, “He’s hurt, Sam. ”

“Hurt? How badly?” Sam turned and looked at Kellen when Adama didn’t answer right away. “Do you have any of your things with you?”

“No. I thought I was just coming to consult with their medical staff.”

Sam looked back. “How bad is it, Admiral?”

“He’s alive. Kara wouldn’t let any of the medical staff near him, and she’s locked herself in the room.”

“Oh, Admiral,” Sam gasped. It only took a moment for him to fully comprehend and process his shock. Kara was protecting Leoben. “I need your help. I need to send Athena and her Raptor to our Navigator.”

“Of course, but why? What’s going on?”

“I’ve just issued a stand down order, but I need to send Tory, Tyrol, Gaeta, and Tigh to ratify it.”

Adama turned around. Tigh was already moving out of the crowd with Gaeta. “You’re a Cylon, Saul?”

Tigh chuckled. “The gods have a sense of humor, considering how much I hate the bastards. What do you need us to do, Sam?”

“I’ll explain everything when all of you get to the Euanthe. Go. All of you go now!” Sam was desperate, the disapproval of the pilots of the Ulysses was still fresh in his memory. He grabbed Kellen’s arm and held onto him. “Marcus,” he growled at the Ten.

“I’m fine,” Kellen assured.

“What’s wrong, Sam?” Adama asked. “I’m really worried now. You gave a stand down order. Would your fleet attack us?”

Sam waited as he watched the Raptor take off and leave the ship. He finally turned back and scanned the faces of the people in the crowd. They had not moved away and were straining to hear the conversation he was having with the Admiral and the president. Cally had moved to Laura’s side after Tyrol had left.

“We’re not Cylons, Admiral. We have a long and painful history that is unknown to you. My people worship that which gives them life and hope. I’m their leader, but Leoben is their god. I understand what you did to him, Admiral, but they won’t.”

Note: Transcribed the Mandala poem from the episodes Valley of Darkness and Maelstrom.