BSG Fic : Long Way Home (3/4)
Title : Long Way Home
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG
Summary : A series of four unrelated, AU ficlets, exploring possible ways for the Fleet to find Earth (with unfortunate results, most times). In other words, four ways the show won't deal with that particular storyline.
Spoilers : Everything aired so far is fair game.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Ronald D. Moore and Universal Television Studios to name but a few. No money is being made. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN. Many thanks to mick1997 for beta'ing this! As usual, I tinkered before posting; all remaining mistakes are mine.
Part Three
Two years after they've reached Earth, Lee and Kara have built themselves a home-not far from the ocean, close to the first settlement the humans established on the planet. The silence, only broken by the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, was such a welcome relief after all the fighting, the screaming and the explosions, that they didn't even argue about it.
New Caprica looked like what it was; a place where they settled because they were tired and didn't have the energy to push on at the time. The next best thing.
Earth…
Earth proved to be the real thing, at least for a while; their new chance at building a civilization, their new chance at living their lives happily.
Sometimes, Lee thinks about the darkest days of the war, about the night when Kara told him that neither of them would ever see Earth because they would be blown to pieces by a Cylon raider before they reached their goal, and he feels like it was all a bad dream that happened to someone else.
Then, he feels a twinge in his leg, where it was broken when his Viper crashed on the landing deck of the Galactica during the last Cylon attack, in Earth's solar system. It's usually enough to drive home the fact that it was real, that people-friends, family-died on their journey. And even more people were left behind, killed during the attacks on the Colonies or left to die (or worse) under Cylon occupation.
In the end, the last survivors of the Colonies finally managed to reach peace with the Cylons. The peace of the gun, sure-the negotiations took place while Cottle was trying to save Lee's leg, but he was told what happened once he got coherent enough to understand. The humans threatened to unleash the virus on the Cylons if they weren't left alone. The Cylons agreed that all things considered, maybe what little remained of humanity should be left in peace.
Lee suspects that the reason why the Cylons allowed the humans to stay on Earth without further interference is because they didn't find whatever they expected to find here. He knows his father shares his suspicions, as do Kara and Helo. They never talk about it; there's nothing they can do about it. Whatever the Cylons' reasons for leaving them alone, the important thing is that they are.
They have been at peace for two years now, and most of the civilians and the soldiers have welcomed the rest.
Of course, life on Earth is only a blessing because no one talks about the other reason why the Cylons left them alone and went back to colonial space.
The humans are a dying race.
They lost about a fourth of their remaining population to an epidemic during their first winter on Earth. Considering their numbers, the scientists claim that their gene pool isn't vast enough anymore to ensure the survival of their species. They can keep making babies anyway, but sooner or later, they'll die out.
There's no sign of the Thirteenth Tribe left on Earth.
There was some talk, in the beginning, of going farther away into space to try to find them, mingle with them, save what could still be saved. In the end, a popular vote decided against it. People were tired and not that interested in saving their civilization anymore.
There was no official surrender, no official concession that the Cylons won. The humans managed to keep Earth to themselves and they called it a victory but for all intents and purposes, they lost.
Arms wrap around his waist, derailing his thoughts, and he feels a breath on his neck. "Hey," he says.
"Do you just allow anyone to sneak up on you like that, Apollo?" Kara asks, laughter in her voice. Whatever happened to her while she was dead, she's a lot… happier, now. Lighter, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She claims she doesn't remember what happened to her, and Lee doesn't push. He got Kara back, that's all that matters. In many ways, it's better, safer, not to know-better not to dwell on why and how Kara came back after her bird exploded.
"No." He turns to face her, smiling down at her, drinking in the sight of her face.
"Have you talked to your father?" she asks.
He sighs and steps away from her, reluctant to break the embrace. "Yes." He sits down on the sand, sees her mirroring his movements from the corner of his eye. "He agreed."
Her hand instinctively moves to her belly and she catches the movement and stops mid-stride. "I know it's a lot to ask."
He shrugs, eyes lost over the ocean. There are several continents over the planet and they established settlements over all the ones that are habitable. He wonders if elsewhere on this planet, other people are planning on doing the same thing they are, eventually. Surely, not everyone is happy with the status quo. "Where you go, I go." He inches his head towards her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
She shakes her head. "We could stay. We don't even know for sure…"
"I don't care." He lies down on the warm sand, closing his eyes under the assault of the sun, savoring the warmth while he still can. "If there's a chance… We've got to try."
Many people wouldn't agree. In fact, many people would probably raise one hell of a fuss. They're flying under the Cylons' radar for now, but if they go out into space again, who knows what the Cylons will do?
Two years is a long time, though. Some of the most vocal opponents to leaving the safety of the planet have stopped making their voices heard. Maybe they haven't changed their minds yet, but they probably wouldn't be so intransigent anymore. Not that they're going to be asked for their opinion.
Lee hears a rustle of fabric, pictures Kara lying down next to him, mirroring his position before whispering, "I'll miss this."
So will I, he thinks, but that's not true. He can live without a planet, without peace and without having an ocean nearby. He can't live without Kara. Not knowing what happened to her, missing the birth of their child, is simply not an option.
Besides…
Some part of him, the one that spent his adult life in the military, in battlestars, surrounded by Marines and other pilots, living to serve, misses space.
He can't fight anymore, not the way he used to (Cottle made it clear that he would never be able to fly again. Some days, even walking can be a problem when he gets tired), but hopefully, he can still make himself useful on a battlestar.
He can't fight anymore but he can still be a good husband, and a good father, and a good son, and if that means living in space for the rest of his life, looking for a colony that may not even exist anymore, so be it.
It's not that he has grown restless on the planet. It's more that he can already feel that in a year or so, he'll be bored out of his skull and itching for a fight, for something to do.
"I love you," she says.
"I love you too," he replies.
They never fail to say these words now. Just in case.
*
"Are you both sure you want to do this?" his father asks the next time they meet.
Lee nods. It's not like they haven't had this discussion countless times already, but he understands his father's need to ask. It's likely they're embarking on a one-way trip, leaving behind an almost-assured peaceful life raising a family, all in the vague hope that they'll be able to find a way to ensure the future of their whole civilization, and not just that of a few generations.
In a cave, near the settlement, Racetrack and Hotdog found some drawings-a map of constellations.
Maybe it's nothing.
Maybe it's something.
They'll need to check it out to know for sure.
"It's not the first time we've had to do something like this," he points out. "We had even less to go on, right after the attacks."
Yet, we reached Earth.
"You're right."
Are you sure you want to come with us? Lee wants to ask. But why would his father stay behind? Laura is dead, as is Tigh-the only two people, aside from Lee, who were close to him. Besides, the old man has always lived in space. On a planet, he's feeling useless. He's hiding it well, but Lee has seen the way he looks at the sky when he thinks no one can see him.
Like Lee, his father is itching for something else to do.
They fought for peace for so long, and now that they have it, they're not content with it and here they are, ready to go out and risk their lives again on a nearly hopeless cause.
His father wants to die commanding a battlestar, not living a retiree's life on a planet, among a people that's allowing itself to die. Everything in his nature is telling him that he needs to move on, that as long as he's standing still, he's dying.
Lee understands that.
He feels the same way.
"So, we're leaving tomorrow, then?" Lee asks.
Kara and his father nod, as do most of the people in the room-officers from the Pegasus and the Galactica, civilians who expressed their displeasure at the way things are.
His heart starts beating faster at the thought of finally doing something-anything but living here, in this paradise.
He'll be glad to be a soldier again, even if he can't fly.
Maybe Dee was right after all. Maybe he is more like his father than he likes to admit (just not in the ways she thought he was).
*
"It'll be good to be back up there," his father says, later that night. They're sitting on the deserted beach, under the light of the stars and the planet's moon.
"Yes."
"You don't sound so convinced," his father says softly.
"I am, though." Lee shrugs. "I'm just not sure how useful I'll be. Considering."
Considering he can't pilot, can't go out with the grunts, can barely run to save his life.
Damn Cylons anyway. If only they hadn't hit his Viper in that battle…
"I need an XO," his father says. "And you've always had a great tactical mind."
Lee stays silent for a while, hearing the implied apology in his father's words. Once upon a time, the only person his father trusted enough to be his XO was his best friend. "Are you sure we can work together that closely without murdering each other?" he asks, only half joking.
His father chuckles. "Why not? We've barely fought at all in the last year."
One step forward, two steps back has always been an apt description of their relationship, but Lee finds himself nodding in agreement. "Okay," he says. "Just don't expect me to always agree with you."
"And don't expect me not to kick your ass on a regular basis," his father replies, and that settles it.
*
They leave in the dead of the night, silently creeping to the shuttles. The Galactica is orbiting the planet's moon, waiting for them. They left notes behind, explaining why they left, promising to come back if they could, and if they found the Thirteenth Tribe.
They're a handful of people, manning a gigantic battlestar. The civilians among them are mostly pregnant women who want their children to have a future, and civilian pilots who miss space. Almost none of them have any experience with fighting.
All they have are a few vague clues.
And hope.
end
Part Four
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG
Summary : A series of four unrelated, AU ficlets, exploring possible ways for the Fleet to find Earth (with unfortunate results, most times). In other words, four ways the show won't deal with that particular storyline.
Spoilers : Everything aired so far is fair game.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Ronald D. Moore and Universal Television Studios to name but a few. No money is being made. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN. Many thanks to mick1997 for beta'ing this! As usual, I tinkered before posting; all remaining mistakes are mine.
Part Three
Two years after they've reached Earth, Lee and Kara have built themselves a home-not far from the ocean, close to the first settlement the humans established on the planet. The silence, only broken by the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, was such a welcome relief after all the fighting, the screaming and the explosions, that they didn't even argue about it.
New Caprica looked like what it was; a place where they settled because they were tired and didn't have the energy to push on at the time. The next best thing.
Earth…
Earth proved to be the real thing, at least for a while; their new chance at building a civilization, their new chance at living their lives happily.
Sometimes, Lee thinks about the darkest days of the war, about the night when Kara told him that neither of them would ever see Earth because they would be blown to pieces by a Cylon raider before they reached their goal, and he feels like it was all a bad dream that happened to someone else.
Then, he feels a twinge in his leg, where it was broken when his Viper crashed on the landing deck of the Galactica during the last Cylon attack, in Earth's solar system. It's usually enough to drive home the fact that it was real, that people-friends, family-died on their journey. And even more people were left behind, killed during the attacks on the Colonies or left to die (or worse) under Cylon occupation.
In the end, the last survivors of the Colonies finally managed to reach peace with the Cylons. The peace of the gun, sure-the negotiations took place while Cottle was trying to save Lee's leg, but he was told what happened once he got coherent enough to understand. The humans threatened to unleash the virus on the Cylons if they weren't left alone. The Cylons agreed that all things considered, maybe what little remained of humanity should be left in peace.
Lee suspects that the reason why the Cylons allowed the humans to stay on Earth without further interference is because they didn't find whatever they expected to find here. He knows his father shares his suspicions, as do Kara and Helo. They never talk about it; there's nothing they can do about it. Whatever the Cylons' reasons for leaving them alone, the important thing is that they are.
They have been at peace for two years now, and most of the civilians and the soldiers have welcomed the rest.
Of course, life on Earth is only a blessing because no one talks about the other reason why the Cylons left them alone and went back to colonial space.
The humans are a dying race.
They lost about a fourth of their remaining population to an epidemic during their first winter on Earth. Considering their numbers, the scientists claim that their gene pool isn't vast enough anymore to ensure the survival of their species. They can keep making babies anyway, but sooner or later, they'll die out.
There's no sign of the Thirteenth Tribe left on Earth.
There was some talk, in the beginning, of going farther away into space to try to find them, mingle with them, save what could still be saved. In the end, a popular vote decided against it. People were tired and not that interested in saving their civilization anymore.
There was no official surrender, no official concession that the Cylons won. The humans managed to keep Earth to themselves and they called it a victory but for all intents and purposes, they lost.
Arms wrap around his waist, derailing his thoughts, and he feels a breath on his neck. "Hey," he says.
"Do you just allow anyone to sneak up on you like that, Apollo?" Kara asks, laughter in her voice. Whatever happened to her while she was dead, she's a lot… happier, now. Lighter, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She claims she doesn't remember what happened to her, and Lee doesn't push. He got Kara back, that's all that matters. In many ways, it's better, safer, not to know-better not to dwell on why and how Kara came back after her bird exploded.
"No." He turns to face her, smiling down at her, drinking in the sight of her face.
"Have you talked to your father?" she asks.
He sighs and steps away from her, reluctant to break the embrace. "Yes." He sits down on the sand, sees her mirroring his movements from the corner of his eye. "He agreed."
Her hand instinctively moves to her belly and she catches the movement and stops mid-stride. "I know it's a lot to ask."
He shrugs, eyes lost over the ocean. There are several continents over the planet and they established settlements over all the ones that are habitable. He wonders if elsewhere on this planet, other people are planning on doing the same thing they are, eventually. Surely, not everyone is happy with the status quo. "Where you go, I go." He inches his head towards her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
She shakes her head. "We could stay. We don't even know for sure…"
"I don't care." He lies down on the warm sand, closing his eyes under the assault of the sun, savoring the warmth while he still can. "If there's a chance… We've got to try."
Many people wouldn't agree. In fact, many people would probably raise one hell of a fuss. They're flying under the Cylons' radar for now, but if they go out into space again, who knows what the Cylons will do?
Two years is a long time, though. Some of the most vocal opponents to leaving the safety of the planet have stopped making their voices heard. Maybe they haven't changed their minds yet, but they probably wouldn't be so intransigent anymore. Not that they're going to be asked for their opinion.
Lee hears a rustle of fabric, pictures Kara lying down next to him, mirroring his position before whispering, "I'll miss this."
So will I, he thinks, but that's not true. He can live without a planet, without peace and without having an ocean nearby. He can't live without Kara. Not knowing what happened to her, missing the birth of their child, is simply not an option.
Besides…
Some part of him, the one that spent his adult life in the military, in battlestars, surrounded by Marines and other pilots, living to serve, misses space.
He can't fight anymore, not the way he used to (Cottle made it clear that he would never be able to fly again. Some days, even walking can be a problem when he gets tired), but hopefully, he can still make himself useful on a battlestar.
He can't fight anymore but he can still be a good husband, and a good father, and a good son, and if that means living in space for the rest of his life, looking for a colony that may not even exist anymore, so be it.
It's not that he has grown restless on the planet. It's more that he can already feel that in a year or so, he'll be bored out of his skull and itching for a fight, for something to do.
"I love you," she says.
"I love you too," he replies.
They never fail to say these words now. Just in case.
*
"Are you both sure you want to do this?" his father asks the next time they meet.
Lee nods. It's not like they haven't had this discussion countless times already, but he understands his father's need to ask. It's likely they're embarking on a one-way trip, leaving behind an almost-assured peaceful life raising a family, all in the vague hope that they'll be able to find a way to ensure the future of their whole civilization, and not just that of a few generations.
In a cave, near the settlement, Racetrack and Hotdog found some drawings-a map of constellations.
Maybe it's nothing.
Maybe it's something.
They'll need to check it out to know for sure.
"It's not the first time we've had to do something like this," he points out. "We had even less to go on, right after the attacks."
Yet, we reached Earth.
"You're right."
Are you sure you want to come with us? Lee wants to ask. But why would his father stay behind? Laura is dead, as is Tigh-the only two people, aside from Lee, who were close to him. Besides, the old man has always lived in space. On a planet, he's feeling useless. He's hiding it well, but Lee has seen the way he looks at the sky when he thinks no one can see him.
Like Lee, his father is itching for something else to do.
They fought for peace for so long, and now that they have it, they're not content with it and here they are, ready to go out and risk their lives again on a nearly hopeless cause.
His father wants to die commanding a battlestar, not living a retiree's life on a planet, among a people that's allowing itself to die. Everything in his nature is telling him that he needs to move on, that as long as he's standing still, he's dying.
Lee understands that.
He feels the same way.
"So, we're leaving tomorrow, then?" Lee asks.
Kara and his father nod, as do most of the people in the room-officers from the Pegasus and the Galactica, civilians who expressed their displeasure at the way things are.
His heart starts beating faster at the thought of finally doing something-anything but living here, in this paradise.
He'll be glad to be a soldier again, even if he can't fly.
Maybe Dee was right after all. Maybe he is more like his father than he likes to admit (just not in the ways she thought he was).
*
"It'll be good to be back up there," his father says, later that night. They're sitting on the deserted beach, under the light of the stars and the planet's moon.
"Yes."
"You don't sound so convinced," his father says softly.
"I am, though." Lee shrugs. "I'm just not sure how useful I'll be. Considering."
Considering he can't pilot, can't go out with the grunts, can barely run to save his life.
Damn Cylons anyway. If only they hadn't hit his Viper in that battle…
"I need an XO," his father says. "And you've always had a great tactical mind."
Lee stays silent for a while, hearing the implied apology in his father's words. Once upon a time, the only person his father trusted enough to be his XO was his best friend. "Are you sure we can work together that closely without murdering each other?" he asks, only half joking.
His father chuckles. "Why not? We've barely fought at all in the last year."
One step forward, two steps back has always been an apt description of their relationship, but Lee finds himself nodding in agreement. "Okay," he says. "Just don't expect me to always agree with you."
"And don't expect me not to kick your ass on a regular basis," his father replies, and that settles it.
*
They leave in the dead of the night, silently creeping to the shuttles. The Galactica is orbiting the planet's moon, waiting for them. They left notes behind, explaining why they left, promising to come back if they could, and if they found the Thirteenth Tribe.
They're a handful of people, manning a gigantic battlestar. The civilians among them are mostly pregnant women who want their children to have a future, and civilian pilots who miss space. Almost none of them have any experience with fighting.
All they have are a few vague clues.
And hope.
end
Part Four