Read Online 01 - Battlestar Galactica by Jeffrey A. Carver - (ebook by Undead) - Free Book Online
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man. She didn’t know what to
feel. Here was the handsome, chiseled-featured, cocksure, all-star pilot who
would have been her brother-in-law, if it were not for… Let’s not go there
now, shall we? There was something about him that always got her going. It
was probably a good thing they didn’t see each other often.
Sighing, resting her hands on her hips, she approached the bars. “Captain
Adama, sir,” she said finally. “Sorry I wasn’t there to greet you with the rest
of the squadron.” A mischievous grin tried to find its way to her face, but she
held it off. “Did they kiss your ass to your satisfaction?” Her poker face
finally broke, and she felt as if they were picking up a conversation right
where they had left it yesterday, instead of—who knew how long it had been.
Lee rewarded her gibe with a pained half-smile. He looked up at the ceiling.
“So… what’s the charge this time?”
She laughed to herself and shook her head. “Striking a superior asshole,” she
said, grinning openly now.
“Ah!” He rocked back with a chuckle. “I’ll bet you’ve been waiting all day to
say that one.”
She thought a moment, nodding. “Most of the afternoon.” She laughed and drew
closer, leaning on the bars. “So, how long has it been?”
“Two years.”
“Two years!” She shook her head. “We must be getting old. It seems like the
funeral was just a couple of months ago.” Her voice started to crack, and she
could feel herself starting to tear up.
Lee nodded, longer than necessary. He was obviously holding in his own
emotions. “Yah,” he said at last.
Pull it together now. She drew a breath. “Your old man’s doing fine. We
don’t talk about it much—maybe two, three times a year.” She peered at him,
trying to gauge his reaction. Guarded, very guarded. Old Lee wasn’t letting
anything out. “He still struggles with it, though.”
Lee looked away. “I haven’t seen him.”
Damn. I knew it. “Why not?”
Long pause. No answer. She let out a sigh of exasperation.
“Kara. Don’t even start.”
“How long are you going to do this?” Exasperation giving way to annoyance.
He pulled back uncomfortably. “I’m not doing anything.”
Oh frak. How long is this going to go on? “He lost his son, Lee.”
“And who’s responsible for that?”
Kara winced in pain at the memories that brought up. Let’s not go
there, either. She shook her head in disbelief. “Same old Lee.” She tried to
find words. “You haven’t changed, either.”
He flared with anger. “Zak was my brother.”
“And what was he to me? Nothing?” Only the man I was going to
marry.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know what—”
“You know what, you should go,” she interrupted. She thought a moment longer. “I’m getting an urge to hit another superior
asshole.”
Lee looked startled, but only momentarily. He nodded, and almost smiled.
She’d gotten under his skin, at least temporarily. He looked as if he was trying
to think of something to say. But then he simply turned and did as she’d asked.
She watched in silence, alone behind the bars, as he left the compartment. And
she sat on the bunk, in silence, and thought about all the things that had gone
before. Things she could never forget—but didn’t really want to remember.
The funeral. And before that, the smoke, the wreckage of the Viper…
The death. Of the man… and of her hopes for the future.
CHAPTER
10
The House of Gaius Baltar, South of Caprica City
In the still of the early morning, the one known as Natasi sat in a chair by
the window, with the sun and the water at her back. She noticed neither the
water nor the sun. She saw only the bed on the other side of the room. “Gaius,”
she said softly.
Across the bedroom, there was no response.
“Gaius.”
This time she got a reaction. Gaius Baltar’s head appeared from under the
comforter. A moment later, the head of a very beautiful, and
feel. Here was the handsome, chiseled-featured, cocksure, all-star pilot who
would have been her brother-in-law, if it were not for… Let’s not go there
now, shall we? There was something about him that always got her going. It
was probably a good thing they didn’t see each other often.
Sighing, resting her hands on her hips, she approached the bars. “Captain
Adama, sir,” she said finally. “Sorry I wasn’t there to greet you with the rest
of the squadron.” A mischievous grin tried to find its way to her face, but she
held it off. “Did they kiss your ass to your satisfaction?” Her poker face
finally broke, and she felt as if they were picking up a conversation right
where they had left it yesterday, instead of—who knew how long it had been.
Lee rewarded her gibe with a pained half-smile. He looked up at the ceiling.
“So… what’s the charge this time?”
She laughed to herself and shook her head. “Striking a superior asshole,” she
said, grinning openly now.
“Ah!” He rocked back with a chuckle. “I’ll bet you’ve been waiting all day to
say that one.”
She thought a moment, nodding. “Most of the afternoon.” She laughed and drew
closer, leaning on the bars. “So, how long has it been?”
“Two years.”
“Two years!” She shook her head. “We must be getting old. It seems like the
funeral was just a couple of months ago.” Her voice started to crack, and she
could feel herself starting to tear up.
Lee nodded, longer than necessary. He was obviously holding in his own
emotions. “Yah,” he said at last.
Pull it together now. She drew a breath. “Your old man’s doing fine. We
don’t talk about it much—maybe two, three times a year.” She peered at him,
trying to gauge his reaction. Guarded, very guarded. Old Lee wasn’t letting
anything out. “He still struggles with it, though.”
Lee looked away. “I haven’t seen him.”
Damn. I knew it. “Why not?”
Long pause. No answer. She let out a sigh of exasperation.
“Kara. Don’t even start.”
“How long are you going to do this?” Exasperation giving way to annoyance.
He pulled back uncomfortably. “I’m not doing anything.”
Oh frak. How long is this going to go on? “He lost his son, Lee.”
“And who’s responsible for that?”
Kara winced in pain at the memories that brought up. Let’s not go
there, either. She shook her head in disbelief. “Same old Lee.” She tried to
find words. “You haven’t changed, either.”
He flared with anger. “Zak was my brother.”
“And what was he to me? Nothing?” Only the man I was going to
marry.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know what—”
“You know what, you should go,” she interrupted. She thought a moment longer. “I’m getting an urge to hit another superior
asshole.”
Lee looked startled, but only momentarily. He nodded, and almost smiled.
She’d gotten under his skin, at least temporarily. He looked as if he was trying
to think of something to say. But then he simply turned and did as she’d asked.
She watched in silence, alone behind the bars, as he left the compartment. And
she sat on the bunk, in silence, and thought about all the things that had gone
before. Things she could never forget—but didn’t really want to remember.
The funeral. And before that, the smoke, the wreckage of the Viper…
The death. Of the man… and of her hopes for the future.
CHAPTER
10
The House of Gaius Baltar, South of Caprica City
In the still of the early morning, the one known as Natasi sat in a chair by
the window, with the sun and the water at her back. She noticed neither the
water nor the sun. She saw only the bed on the other side of the room. “Gaius,”
she said softly.
Across the bedroom, there was no response.
“Gaius.”
This time she got a reaction. Gaius Baltar’s head appeared from under the
comforter. A moment later, the head of a very beautiful, and
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