Comments can be sent to the author at driley@mhhp.com

**Disclaimer:  This is a work of fan fiction.  It is not intended
to in any way infringe on the copyrights held by Universal
Studios regarding the television series Battlestar Galactica.
This piece is not to be used for profit in any way, but intended
for fan enjoyment.  Please respect the authors wishes in this
matter.

                      Battlestar Galactica
                         Buried Secrets
                             by Rae

  Secrets.  He hated them.  He hated what he felt they stood for,
but they were a part of the life that he chose and had to accept.
He had to live with it.  Especially if you were in his position...
in the military.
  Secrets were everywhere.  A part of life.  His family had their
little secrets, his friends told him theirs, his wife had hers,
and as much as he hated to admit it, he had his. . .  Some of
them new, some of them old, some of them very old.  A good many
of them were harmless, almost insignificant little secrets - the
kind everyone has, some of them could cause a few hurt feelings
and even arguments, most of them were a matter of military
intelligence and fleet security, but there were a few that he
knew, especially one that had to remain secret, no matter what
the costs.  He promised.  He had given his word so long ago.
  His father had instructed him since he was old enough to walk
and talk that if you gave your word, it was binding.  And he gave
his word to two very special people - people that died a long
time ago.  One was a man, just a boy really, but a boy who died
in his arms yahrens ago.  A boy that he had thought of as a
friend - a dear friend.  The older brother he wished he had.  Now
as he looked back, he wondered if he ever really knew him at all.
  The other was the dead man's fianc‚e - nothing more than a slip
of a girl actually.  She had such a warm, giving nature and an
understanding heart.  She was the mother of a tiny little girl,
who wasn't so tiny anymore.  The daughter had grown to be as
beautiful as her mother and had the determination of her father.
He remembered the last time he saw the daughter, just over a
secton ago.  She was as slender as a reed but was almost as tall
as he was, her long golden blond hair falling gently to her
waist, those dark violet eyes looking at him curiously.  Not
knowing who he was.  There was a time when he would have been a
intricate part of her life, but the situation had changed
dramatically.  And when he finally realized what he had thrown
away just so he could come to terms with his own memories of what
happened that night, it was too late.  Another regret for him to
live with.  Maybe seeing her was why he was remembering. . . . .
He had thought he had put it all behind him.
  It had all started out harmless enough.  A bunch of 16 to 17
yahren olds, just boys, on the beach on a summer's night, having
fun.  He had been the only one out of the age group, having just
had his 11th yahren birthday several sectons earlier.  There were
14 of them there that night, now only three remained, including
himself.  The holocaust killed the others, or maybe the cylons
did in early attacks.  He didn't know.  And in reality, he didn't
care.
  He had been terrified when it happened.  He didn't know what to
do, the child that he was.  After his friend had died, he ran. .
. .and he ran. . . . and he ran.  He quickly ran home and hid in
his bedroom.  Didn't admit even his sister, who had seen him run
in the house and tried seeking him out, concerned.  She was only
nine then.  They were always close since they were so close in
age.  The fact that he closed her out had concerned her, but he
couldn't tell her.  He couldn't tell anyone.  For several sectons
afterwards she did not let him out of her sight.  He had became
withdrawn, even though he had put on a good front for his family,
but his sister knew.  Just like she always did.  But she never
pried.
  His mother never figured it out that anything was wrong with
her child for she thought it was just an adolescent thing.
Something that 11 yahren old boys went through.  And she was very
busy at that time, dealing with matters of the state, dealing
with politicians, dealing with his father's absences because of
the war and raising three children, basically by herself.  His
father returned home several sectons later from another long
mission after everything was over.  He had noticed his son's
changed behavior and had inquired gently if there was anything
bothering him,  anything he wished to discuss with his father.
He then grudgingly accepted his first born child's  answer that
all was okay.  But he caught the curious glances his father gave
him from time to time.
  He had worried about his parents, for if they had ever found
out where he had been that night, what he had seen with his own
eyes, and how he kept it from them, they would have been very
disappointed in him.  He was the oldest - their pride and joy.  A
lot of their hopes and dreams had rested on his thin shoulders.
They had expected a lot of him, sometimes more from him than his
younger siblings.  And he had always strive to deliver because he
knew he had to - he had no other choice.  With so many other eyes
upon him because of who his parents were, because of his family.
This would have damaged both of his parents careers and their
standing.  At least that's what he thought then.  Now it could
possibly tarnish everything that he held dear.
  He could lose his close relationship with his father, the trust
that the man had in him.  The son had always shared things with
the father, his thoughts, his feelings, his dreams.  Now he could
lose that closeness, that warmth and it made his blood run cold.
How could he tell his father this tale.  Even though he, the son,
did not do the actual deed, he watched it.  Didn't say anything
to the others that were there.  He just stood there - stood by
and let it all happen.  Let the others be in control.  And then
he became part of the conspiracy. . . .the conspiracy of silence.
All because of a promise. . . .
  His thoughts turned to his friends - his best friend would be
upset and angry with him that he was never told.  He told his
best friend everything - they knew each other better than their
wives knew them.  They trusted each other without question,
responded to the other's needs before being asked.  Their bond
was questioned by many and scorned by others who didn't
understand it, because of his best friend's reputation, his
status and background.   They were opposites in looks and in
demeanor, but their hearts and souls beat as one.
  Even their wives didn't understand them sometimes, but both
women were thankful for the relationship because it brought the
men they loved back to them time and time again.  No one could
imagine the one man without the other.  Not even his own father,
who had never understood what drew them together in their youth,
and had even disapproved of the friendship of his son and the
nameless orphan.  But no one questioned his father now about the
two men's relationship for his father would be the first to
defend it and them.  Now he came to understand it, to see his
son's best friend in a different light, to see what the son saw
in his friend.  And now his father had come to love his son's
friend as another son.
  How would his other friends react?  How would his sister, who
had been his best friend when they were growing up and she had
been his.   No one knew him in a lot of ways but her, not even
his best friend or his wife, but that was to be expected.  They
were siblings, bound by blood and family ties.  They grew up
together, shared their lives together.  Shared their thoughts and
dreams in sheltered whispers under the large shade tree in their
back yard.  Would she stand by him?  Would his friends stand by
him or would they desert him?  He flew with these men and women,
he trusted them.  Some of them attended to the Academy on Caprica
with him.  They were what was left - the most experienced, the
most trusted of his father's warriors.  He shook his head.  Their
friendships would be tested soon.  The secret was unraveling. . .
.
  His thoughts turned finally to the woman he loved, the woman
who held his heart and soul in her slender hands.  Slender but
capable, strong hands - warriors hands.  And she had a warriors
heart and fighting spirit.  She had to for her father was one of
the greatest warriors that the colonies ever knew.  A strategist
extraordinaire.  A man he himself had admired, practically
worshiped, definitely idolized in his youth.  The love that he
and his wife shared was deep and strong.  A bond and an
attraction that had been formed tentatively from the time they
met even though they couldn't stand each other then.  But it had
grown and fortified itself.  It was one he learned never to
question, and never to take for granted.  If he lost her, he knew
that his life would be over.  But how did he tell her this?
  And he was going to have to tell soon.  The secret was coming
out in the open.  And someone knew the truth that was there that
night - they knew what had really happened.  Someone other than
the 12 that had originally walked away from that night.  The
other two that were alive wanted to forget that night too.  One
had been only 16 yahrens and had cowered behind a tree when it
was happening.  The other had also been 16 at the time and had
stood by him, trying to protect him, watching it all unfold.
  And there was another looking into the events of that night and
he thought he knew who that someone was.  The sister of the girl
that died that night.  The one who had the responsibility to
raise the daughter.  She had asked him if she could speak to him
and he had told her that he remembered nothing of that night.
He hoped she accepted that and didn't pursue it further.
  He looked up and saw his best friend pop his dark blond head
around the corner, interrupting his thoughts and secretly glad he
did.  He was not handling it well at all.  He needed a diversion
from his thoughts.  His friend smiled at him, that winning,
confident smile.
  "Coming, Apollo?"
  Apollo just gave a half smile to Starbuck and said quietly,
"Sure, I'm coming." And followed his friend.

                           **********

  She had searched through the fleets cryptic records and finally
found the men that she looked for.  Men she searched for and she
now found them here in the fleet.  They knew how she died or they
knew something about the night she died.   She had been so young,
her older sister. Just all of 17 yahrens.  So full of love and
life, so hopeful about the future.  But she was dead.  She looked
at the holopicture that she held in her hands.  One of the three
survivors knew what happened that night.  They could free her
from this prison that she felt that she was in.  And they could
give her sister's child answers to the questions she had.
  Mylinna looked at the picture and looked into the youthful
faces of the three boys.  Boys that were now men - men of
position, men of importance.  She had checked them out and she
knew each of them as well as they probably knew themselves.
  It was funny now.  When she first started on this quest to find
out what really happened to her sister, she hated these boys.
They were why Shareen never came home.  Her body was found the
next day, dead.  Found amongst the rocks down by Caprica's
western seashore.  By Caspian's Caves.  Severe trauma to the head
was listed as the cause.  The medical team felt that she had
fallen and hit her head on the rocks.  But Mylinna knew better -
that there was more to the story..  She had gone to meet him -
Ryan - by those rocks.  Her boyfriend, her lover. . . .and the
father of her child.
  When Mylinna had gone through her sisters effects, she had
found this holopic of Ryan and his friends.  She could remember
Shareen telling her about each of the boys, about her suspicions
and concerns about each one.  But there was one that Shareen
thought was very special.  She called him gentle and caring.
Sensitive.  A soft spoken, very shy boy of only 10 yahrens.  He
had celebrated his 11th birthday a short time before her sister's
death.  Shareen had told her that she worried some about Apollo
because he was such a quiet boy.  But Shareen also said that when
he would smile, it was a wonderful thing to see because he would
seem to just light up from it.  Ryan had thought so much of him
that he treated him like a little brother.  Where Ryan was, so
was Apollo and Shareen had never minded when the young boy was
around for she felt the same way as Ryan.  When Tatya was born,
Shareen had Apollo promise to help her and Ryan look out for
Tatya.  To be there for Tatya, protect her, care for her.  Apollo
had promised her solemnly that he would.
  And Mylinna liked to think that he had kept that promise and
looked out for them.  When Tatya had needed medical attention
after the holocaust, she had not been left to be treated by some
other civilian physicians and made to wait.  A Dr. Paye from the
Galactica had appeared and had taken them on to the battlestar,
treating her there.  When food was short and Tatya needed good
nutrition due to a chronic illness, it would appear.  She felt
they were being watched over by the same gentle dark-haired boy,
who was now a Captain in the Colonial Warriors.  Shareen would
have been so proud of Apollo.  Of what he had become.
  Mylinna did not want to hurt Apollo now or at any time.  He had
a very difficult and responsible position in the fleet now and he
had been nothing more than a child then, a little boy.  She had
seen him at Shareen's funeral, standing off to the side, way
back, away from the main set of mourners.  Hidden behind a tree
with Ramses at his side.  She had seen the raw pain and grief in
his eyes then.  And she had cried for Apollo, just as she had
cried and mourned Shareen and Ryan.  She knew then that she
couldn't reach out and comfort the child.  He would have ran from
her.  But she remembered vividly what she saw in his expressive
eyes.
  The other two men might know the answers, but they adamantly
refused to talk to her.  So she had no other choice but to try to
ask Apollo.  But when she tried, Apollo had sent her back a
message that he did not remember anything from that night that
could help her.  He had been young then and had not seen anything
until after it was over.  And he asked her to do one more thing -
to let it rest.
  Mylinna did not want to bring any of this up in the first
place.  It happened so long ago.  But she felt a driving need to
know.  Tatya had the right to know how and why her mother and
father died.  Why she was left with grandparents and an aunt.
And now she was old enough, curious enough to be asking
questions.  And it was getting harder to tell her such vague
answers.  It was going to come out in the open - one way or
another.
  Mylinna just hoped that they would all be able to live with the
answers.

                          ************

  Starbuck was worried.  Sheba knew that and was worried just as
much as Starbuck was.  Apollo had not been himself lately.  In
fact, for the past two sectons, it was like he was withdrawing
from them, backing away.  That had Sheba concerned.  She knew her
husband could be moody at times but he usually would talk to her
about it.  But Apollo was not talking really to anyone.  Not even
her.  Especially about whatever was disturbing his sleep.
  Sheba had thought it strange last night that Apollo asked her
if there was any reason that she would ever consider leaving him
for.  Sheba had turned to stare at him in amazement, then asked
him where that question came from.  He had just smiled that
special smile he reserved for her alone and said it was just a
rhetorical question.  He wanted to make sure that he never gave
her any reason to walk away from their marriage and their life
together.  She had smiled and told him that he was stuck the
moment that she tried to blow him out of the stars all those
yahrens ago.  She was not letting him go.  Apollo looked like he
was going to ask something else but changed his mind and held her
tightly close to him.  Then he kissed her and Sheba thought there
was something a little desperate to it.  But she had pushed that
thought aside and lost herself in their passion for each other
last night.
  Sheba reached out and touched Apollo's pillow as she laid there
thinking.  He had seemed all right this morning.  He said he had
a meeting he had to be at so he left a little early, but he
seemed like his normal self.  He seemed happy - happier than he
had been in a while.  She had pulled him back on the bed as he
had leaned over to kiss her goodbye.  When they had broken apart,
both had trouble catching their breath.  Apollo had whispered
softy in a low voice that maybe he should just skip this meeting
and duty all together this morning.  Sheba had looked down at him
laying on the bed, tempted to take him up on that suggestion.
But she replied that they had tonight to look forward to.
Unfortunately she had to be in the computer center today, taking
care of running some stats and updating programs for reports to
the commander.  Plus they had dinner plans tonight with Starbuck
and Cassie.
  Sheba looked over at her chronometer and got up out of bed.
She had to get dressed and report to the center in a centar.  But
Sheba thought over again how Apollo acted this morning as she
stepped into the turboshower.  Then she wondered if Starbuck was
being just a little paranoid.  Or just maybe he was right.  Sheba
shook her head.  Now Starbuck's got her confused and wondering. .
. and worrying.  He knew Apollo in ways that she didn't.  Sheba
knew that Apollo had no regrets about their marriage.  She loved
her husband passionately and he loved her the same in return.
They had only been married two hectares and their love seemed to
grow steadily in more ways every day.  She just wished she could
shake this feeling of unease.  Damn Starbuck anyway for starting
this!  But maybe he was right and she was missing something.
  Sheba tried to push those thoughts out of her head as she
finished her shower and got ready for duty.  She pulled her hair
back into a braid and then grabbed her flight jacket from the
chair.  As she put it on and looked at her reflection in the
mirror, she found herself looking down at the holopicture of her
and Apollo on their sealing day.  She felt the unease return.
Damn Starbuck.  This was going to bother her all day.  If he was
wrong, he was going to pay for this worry that he caused her.
  She did not even want to consider the consequences if he was
right. . . . .

                           **********

  Apollo was not looking forward to this meeting.  He had a
feeling what it was about and that did not bode well with him.
He entered the suite of rooms that was reserved for council
members only and looked at the two men sitting there.  One man he
dealt with on a regular basis since he was now on the Council of
Twelve and the other he had not really seen in yahrens.
  Ramses sat in his chair, his jet black hair fell past his
shoulders, his beard neatly trimmed, looking every centimeter the
important member of the Council that he was.  His hazel eyes
watched as Apollo walked over and stood next to the table to face
him, the captain's handsome face one of guarded concern.  Ramses
then looked over at the other man, who had risen when the Captain
had arrived and now was standing hesitantly off to the side.
Bowman's pale silver gray eyes carefully watched Apollo, then
paced around the room as he ran his hands nervously through his
pale blond hair.  Ramses knew there was no love lost between
Bowman and Apollo, and Ramses himself had his suspicions about
the overtly hyperactive and cowardly man.  He watched as Bowman
looked back to Apollo, the coward's face looking unhappy that the
captain could be so calm when he felt their worlds were about to
collapse.
  Ramses turned his attention back to Apollo.  He hated to admit
it but he had always had a soft spot for the boy that Apollo was.
When he had seen Apollo again after the holocaust, he had been
impressed by the man that Apollo grew to be, but worried at the
unsmiling, obsessed, driven man that he had become.  Ramses had
secretly wondered if any of the traits that had endeared Apollo
to him and his friends as a child remained.  Slowly he had seen
some of those traits resurface.  On several occasions, when
Ramses had seen Apollo in the company of his friends, his family
or in the company of the lady that later became Apollo's wife,
Ramses had been pleased to see the boy that he had known surface.
The most recent occasion being Apollo's sealing day.  Ryan and
Shari would have been so happy if they had lived to see that day.
  But the strikingly handsome councilor's thoughts were rudely
interrupted.
  "What are you going to do about this?"  Bowman pointedly
demanded of Apollo.  Bowman visibly flinched when Apollo's
intense green eyes looked at him with contempt and impatience.
Ramses remained seated quietly watching the interaction, waiting
to see how the brash person that was now Apollo would react.  He
thought that Apollo had grown to be a strange mixture, cool and
level headed one micron and then a word or an action could bring
him to swift anger.
  But Ramses was pleasantly surprised at the control that Apollo
was exhibiting at this moment.  In a way Ramses expected it.  He
had seen Commander Adama in action many times and could see where
Apollo got his iron will, but he also knew that where Adama
seemed to have endless patience in dealing with politicians and
other annoying individuals, Apollo did not have that same
patience.  Apollo had grown and evolved into this person who
usually spoke his mind, damn the consequences.  But he also knew
there was a limit to how long Apollo could keep his control when
dealing with Bowman..
  "What am I going to do about what, Bowman?"  Apollo asked
evenly, but his body's language, the set of his jaw, the
intensity of his gaze, should have told Bowman to leave him
alone.  But Bowman was never know for his brilliance.
  "About this situation.  Its falling apart.  We could all be
ruined if it came to light."
  "We were boys, Bowman."  Ramses interjected calmly.  "We were
young boys.  Frightened and running scared by what happened.  Why
would that ruin us?  Do we have something to be guilty for?"
  Bowman's eyes took on a look of fleeting panic as he looked to
Ramses.  "Oh yeah.  None of us have ever spoken about that night.
Not amongst ourselves, not to our parents, not even to the
authorities.  Even after we grew up.  We all kept our mouths
shut.  All of us.  Some of us didn't even acknowledge the other's
presence if we ran into each other on the street.  But we have as
much to lose now as we did then, maybe more."
  "Why do you say that?"
  "Look at you.  You, Ramses, now on the Council of Twelve.  You
command the respect of many.  A very beautiful wife, two
children.  Power and position.  You might be able to withstand it
all.  Apollo, Captain of the Squadrons, son of the fleet
commander and president of the council of twelve.  A Caprican
blueblood born to privilege, old money and power.  You have as
much or more to lose than Ramses.  A beautiful new bride who's
father was legendary.  A son.  Family and friends.  How do you
think they would react if they knew what happened and what your
part was in it?"
  "I was 11 yahrens old, Bowman."  Apollo moved a couple of steps
towards Bowman.  "What are you trying to imply?  What was my part
in it?"
  Ramses sat a little straighter in his chair.  He knew that
Bowman was trying to bait Apollo, but why?  Maybe he was trying
to play on Apollo's emotions regarding that time.  It had been no
secret amongst the group that Ryan and Shari's deaths had
affected Apollo deeply.
  "Yeah, but Ryan died in your arms, Apollo.  Not mine.  You were
his shadow.  You knew things that none of the rest of us did.
You could never admit that Ryan was a self serving bastard. . . .
"
  Ramses sat straighter at that comment.  He knew what would
happen next and he was powerless to stop it.  And it did.  Apollo
snapped and stealthy advanced on Bowman as he backed up and
cowered against the wall.  Apollo stood toe to toe with Bowman,
his green eyes snapping in anger.  Even Ramses felt a shiver go
down his spine.
  "Don't you ever, ever say anything against Ryan!  He is not
here to say one word in his own defense.  And you are far from
being so perfect that you can pass judgement on a dead 17 yahren
old boy." Apollo said quietly, his voice taking on a deadly tone.
  The silence was deafening as the tension in the room seemed to
weigh heavy.  Ramses hated to do this to Apollo, but he could
handle him better than Bowman at this micron.
  "But did we all really know Ryan, Apollo?" Ramses said keeping
his voice calm and steady, even though he was smiling a little
inside.  So much for quiet little Apollo.  He had changed much in
the intervening yahrens.  But now Ramses couldn't dwell and
wonder about those changes.  He had to play devil's advocate to
find out the truth.  He had his own suspicions about that night.
. . .
  He knew Ryan, despite the question that he had raised to
Apollo.  He knew him very well.  They had been best friends on
Virgo, when Ryan's father had been stationed there.  Then when
Ramses father had been promoted to Caprica's representative from
Virgo, they had renewed that friendship.  Ramses had not been
surprised with Ryan's friendship with the child that Apollo was
and he could see some of Ryan's handiwork in the adult that
Apollo grew to be.  What he wondered now how far he could push
Apollo's temper.
  And from the withering look that Apollo gave him, it was not
far.  "Apollo, he was my best friend.  I trusted him.  You
trusted him.  Shari loved him."  Ramses added soothingly.  Then
the question he had to ask.  "Did you know about the baby?"
  Apollo's look softened as he replied quietly,  "Yes, I did.
They told me about the baby and I was very happy for them.  Ryan
came over to my house after she was born and took me to see her.
All three of us named her."  Ramses silently cringed inside.
Apollo didn't know. . .
  Bowman sneered.  "How quickly love grows cold.  Shari's dead
and Ryan killed her. . ."
  Apollo whirled around to face Bowman.  "Ryan did not kill her!"
  "Then what happened, Apollo?  Why is Shari dead?  Why is Ryan
dead?  Why did we run from there that night, so terrified about
what happened that we never told a living soul?  Never told the
authorities?"  asked Bowman, his eyes glinting with what Ramses
could only describe as hatred.  For Apollo or Ryan, Ramses wasn't
sure.  But he had never trusted Bowman.  And he guessed that he
was going to have to keep an careful eye on him.
  Apollo kept quiet, his face stoic as he listened to Bowman's
continued ramblings  "Why is someone out there trying to
resurrect their ghosts after all this time?  Everyone who knew
anything died during the holocaust, besides the three of us.
Ryan's family is dead and so is Shari's.  Who is trying to bring
it all up again?"
  "Maybe it's time to tell.  To tell the truth.  Let it be out in
the open.  After all it was an accident."  Apollo said calmly.
  "If we had done that all those yahrens ago Apollo, it would
have ruined us.  You would have never gone to the Academy, your
parents would have been ruined.  The same with all of us.  We
would have been ostracized."  said Bowman
  Apollo looked at Bowman, then walked several steps in his
direction, his stance relaxed as he rested a hand on his laser.
  "You know Bowman, the more I think about it, I wonder if that
really would have happened.  Oh yeah, those threats kept a
frightened 11 yahren old boy in line, but I grew up.  I see
things differently now.  Shari was a good person.  She was honest
and truthful.  Her death was an accident.  She fell on the rocks
and hit her head.  Ryan was so in love with Shari that in his
grief he slipped fell from the path he was walking on.  An
accident."
  "Is that what you believe, Apollo, or what you saw?" asked
Ramses, softly.
  Apollo stopped for a micron, taken aback by the question and
thought.  He then turned back to Ramses.  "I didn't see it
happen, no.  I'm not sure exactly what happened that night except
that two people I cared very much about died."
  "Then how do you know if Ryan fell or if someone didn't pushed
him?"
  "What are you trying to get at, Ramses?"  Apollo narrowed his
eyes as he looked at the man who seemed to Apollo to be too
curious about the happenings that night.  What was Ramses after?
  "I'm only asking what you saw.  You never talked about it.  You
buried the whole night like we buried them."
  "It was a night I wanted to forget.  And it took a long time.
When the authorities talked to me after they found Shari's body,
you told me I answered their questions the way I should have.
But I didn't know anything so I really didn't say anything."
  "What did you see?" pressed Bowman, his expression not
believing Apollo's explanation of what he saw.  "You were right
in the middle of it all, and your saying that you saw nothing?'
  "And where were you, Bowman?"  countered Ramses.  "Just where
were you when everything was happening?"
  Bowman turned and looked at the quiet councilman.  He knew
Ramses was fishing for something, but what?  He wasn't going to
fall for the wily Virgonian's tricks.
  "Why do you ask that, Ramses?  I could turn and ask you the
same question."
  Ramses stood and walked over to stand in front of Bowman.  "And
I would answer you without pausing.  I was chasing after Apollo,
trying to keep him away from the tragic scene of Shari's body.
You would agree of course that an impressionable young boy should
not have seen that sight?"
  Bowman shook his head, looking at Ramses, his tone
condescending.  "I wouldn't know, Ramses.  All I heard was that
Shari fell on the rocks and hit her head.  What the scene looked
like I have no idea.  Although I will agree that a young boy
should not have had to see the dead body of someone he cared
about.  It must have left a lasting impression on him."
  With that, Bowman turned and walked away from Ramses.  `Good
save, Bowman.  I thought I had you there,' though Ramses.
  Apollo watched the councilman curiously.  Ramses was baiting
Bowman a micron ago, but what for?  Did he suspect more went on
that night than Apollo could remember?  What could have went on?
Everything was an accident.  Tragic, yes, but still an accident.
What everyone was guilty of was the conspiracy of silence that
has gone on for so long.
  Apollo glanced at his chronometer and knew he had to get ready
to meet with Shadrack in about 20 centons.  But Apollo's
curiosity was peaked.  What did happen?  Apollo felt that all
they kept secret was the fact that everyone there that night kept
silent.  Apollo had ran from the scene that night.  He had held a
man that he cared for like a brother, watching him die in his
arms.  He had felt such pain that two people he loved had died
that he kept quiet, maybe hoping that his silence would make it
all easier to bear.
  Apollo had felt that his silence was necessary because his
knowledge of the accidents would have ruined his parents.  Or was
that the whole story?  Was there more that Apollo wasn't
remembering or was too afraid to face?  Apollo admonished
himself.  There was nothing more to remember.  He sometimes made
things out to be more sinister than what it really was.
  "Look Ramses, I have a meeting to get to."  Apollo said quietly
as he looked at Ryan's friend.  Apollo didn't understand the
mixture of trust and distrust he had for this man.  And he
couldn't understand what Ramses was looking for by baiting
Bowman, but Apollo knew that Ramses couldn't tolerate Bowman any
more than he could.  Maybe he was just trying to start something
with the cowardly man.  Apollo never had much stomach or patience
for cowardice.  Fear, yes, but pure cowardice, no.  And Apollo's
feeling was that Bowman reveled in his cowardice.
  Ramses looked at Apollo and nodded.  "I understand Apollo.  You
have a great deal of responsibility and I thank you for coming
here.  Although it seems to have been a waste of time."
  Apollo gave Ramses a parting curious look then nodded and
turned to leave.  Ramses' actions bothered him for the rest of
the day.

                           ***********

  A over a secton later, Mylinna wished that it had not come down
to this.
  As she sat quietly on the shuttle waiting for the passengers to
be able to disembark, she thought over the past 10 days.  She
felt fear and that fear was more for Tatya than for herself.  The
`accidents' she had been having lately were becoming more and
more serious.  The consequences were becoming apparent.  But who
was causing them was not.  That answer eluded her.
  After the last accident, which came too close to Tatya for
Mylinna's own comfort, she decided that she had to confront
Apollo.  That he would be the only one that would tell her what
she needed to know.  But when she confronted him, he had told
her, angrily almost, that he knew nothing.  He saw nothing and he
knew nothing.  He was sorry but he wanted to be left alone.
  Yesterday, Mylinna had taken a chance and spoken to Commander
Adama.  She had been surprised how accessible the fleet commander
was.  She figured it would have taken a lot longer and been a lot
harder to be able to speak to him, but had been pleased when she
got her appointment to see him today.  She had pondered and
rehearsed all night as to what she was going to say to this man.
He was more than the commander, he was Apollo's father.  But she
needed him to help her - to get Apollo to open up.  To speak to
her.  And to maybe help her find the person that was causing her
to have these accidents before something serious happened.
  As Mylinna disembarked from the shuttle, she was met by a woman
and a man.  They were a striking pair.  Both dressed in the
uniform of warriors, Mylinna didn't know what she should say to
them or what not to say.  So she waited for them to say something
first.
  The woman did.  "Mylinna?"
  Mylinna nodded.  "Yes?"
  "I am Lieutenant Sheba and this is Lieutenant Starbuck.  We are
going to be escorting you to the Commander's quarters."  Mylinna
noted how warmly both people smiled at her and she immediately
relaxed.  Maybe this was going to be easier than she thought.
  She followed the pair through the Galactica's corridors to the
Commander's quarters.  As she met face to face with the man that
she had seen many times on Caprican Broadcasting and on the IFB,
Mylinna was surprised how tall and regal Commander Adama was.  He
had a presence that had to be experienced in person to receive
the full effect of.  She fully expected the two warriors to
leave, and was surprised when they stayed.  Mylinna looked at
Adama curiously and he smiled.
  "I have asked these two officers to stay since you said that
this matter involved my son.  Lt. Starbuck is my son's best
friend.  Lt. Sheba is Apollo's wife."
  Mylinna looked at the two in a totally different light now that
she knew who they were.  She just hoped that Apollo would be able
to tell her what she needed to know and help her.  Mylinna sat
down on the chair in front of the commander's desk, happy to be
seated before her nerves took over and she started shaking.  She
was not sure where to begin.  And she was unsure how much the
Commander knew of that time.  Or how he was going to react to her
dredging the whole time up again.
  Adama sensed her nervousness and was curious himself.  He had
sat quietly after her call yesterday, trying to figure out what
this woman had to do with Apollo.  Or just maybe it could have
been Zac, who had only been gone for five yahrens.  But as much
as he tried, Adama couldn't remember ever hearing about or
meeting a young woman named Mylinna from either Apollo or Zac.
So the possibility of her having a past relationship with either
of his sons' flew from his thoughts.  So what could this young
woman have to do with Apollo?  Adama sat down behind his desk and
leaned back in his chair.
  "How can I help you?"
  "Maybe it would be better if I explained a few things first,
Commander.  I am searching for some answers to questions that I
have about the death of my sister on Caprica over 15 yahrens
ago."
  Adama looked over at Sheba and Starbuck then looked back at
Mylinna.
  "How does this involve Apollo?"
  Mylinna looked at him curiously for a micron, then looked at
the two people sitting on the couch on the far wall.  Both of
their expressions mirrored Adama's.  She then looked back to
Adama.
  "You mean you don't know?"
  "Know what?" asked Starbuck curiously.
  "Oh lord.  This is going to be harder than I thought."  She
said quietly, shaking her head in disbelief.  "I. . . . .I would
have never came here if I had known this.  I honestly thought you
knew.  I swear."
  "Young woman, what are you talking about?"  Adama asked, his
heart starting to beat a little faster.
  Mylinna took a deep breath and said quietly.  "My sister and
her boyfriend died on Caprica under mysterious circumstances.  I
know three people that know the answers I seek are within this
fleet.  The two others have refused to talk to me.  Refused to
even meet with me."
  Adama shook his head.  "But you're still not telling me how
Apollo is involved in this."
  Mylinna saw no way to avoid this, except to just say it.
"Apollo was there.  He was one of the people who saw what truly
happened."
  Adama stared at her, his eyes wide in disbelief and shock.
Starbuck and Sheba's expressions mirrored Adama's
  "You're mistaken."  Adama said, his voice hushed.
  Mylinna looked at the Commander, then reached in the bag that
she had at her side, pulling out some papers and handing them to
Adama who took them mutely.
  "These are copies of statements taken from several individuals
by Caprican Security.  The one on the top, Commander, is the
statement taken from a child named Apollo, age 11 yahrens.
Parental information was not given.  The child was accompanied by
the son of Second Ambassador Geoff of Virgo.  The interviewer
assumed that Apollo was the younger son of the Second Ambassador
and did not press him for any information due to the mental state
of the boy."
  Mylinna fell silent as she watched the usually assured Adama
read over the papers in his hand   Then he raised his head and
stared at her as he said quietly.  "Starbuck, go find Apollo and
bring him here now.  I don't care how you get him here, just do
it."  Starbuck nodded and practically ran from the room.  "Sheba,
please stay right where you are.  And Mylinna, when Apollo gets
here, I want the whole story.  And I want to hear everything.  I
know nothing about this and I cannot see my son keeping something
like this from me."
  The doors suddenly opened and Starbuck entered, with Apollo
behind him.
  "I got lucky, Commander."
  "Father, what. . . ."  Apollo's voice trailed off when he saw
Mylinna sitting in his father's office.
  "Apollo,"  Adama said, his voice firm as he spoke to his son,
noting the expression that swiftly crossed Apollo's face, then
was hidden behind a stoic facade.  The tone that Adama used was
one that Apollo knew well from his childhood and it broached no
argument.  "This young woman tells me that over 15 yahrens ago,
on Caprica, you witnessed the deaths of two people.  One of them
was her sister.  Is this true?"
  Apollo looked at Mylinna, not answering his father, his
expression unreadable.  "I thought everything was said already."
  Mylinna looked at him, pointedly.  "You told me nothing.  My
back is against the wall.  I have to have answers.  This was the
only option I had left open to me.  No one is speaking.  Not the
two others, not you.  How was I suppose to know that your father
knew nothing of what happened."
  Adama stood and looked incredulously at his son.  "So its all
true?  You witnessed the deaths of two people?"
  "I didn't see anything."  Apollo looked at his father.
"Everything was over with before I really knew what was
happening.  There is nothing to tell."
  "Why didn't I know?  Why didn't your mother tell me about this?
Why didn't you?  Didn't either of you think this was important
enough to tell me?"
  "Mother didn't know.  And there was nothing to tell.  You came
home over two sectons later and it was all over.  You can't tell
what you don't know."  Apollo said harshly as he looked straight
at Mylinna.
  "Well now I want to know."  Adama was angry now.  He could not
believe that his son never told him about this.  Not a word.
Adama just couldn't believe this.   He thought that he had such
an open relationship with his oldest son, in fact with all three
of his children.  He had worked towards and cultivated that
relationship as Apollo had grown older.  Adama thought that
Apollo trusted him.  Maybe he was wrong.  How many other secrets
had Apollo kept from him over the yahrens?  Adama felt a profound
sense of loss at this micron.
  As he looked at his oldest child, he could see anger in his
son's features.  Apollo did not expect this young woman to do
this.  And he was being irritatingly stubborn which Adama was not
going to stand for.  Apollo wouldn't look at his father, so Adama
said quietly.  "Now I am going to listen to this young woman tell
me what my son can not or will not.  I'm not sure which it is nor
am I sure why, but I plan to know.  And then you will answer my
questions, Apollo.  You may not answer hers, but you will answer
mine.  Understood?"
  Apollo looked at his father and nodded slightly.  As Adama
walked around Apollo, he quickly stole a glance at Sheba and
Starbuck,  who sat in shocked silence on the sofa watching Apollo
with a mixture of emotions.  `They are as much in the dark about
this as I am,' thought Adama.  He walked over and stood in front
of Mylinna, leaning back against his desk.
  "Please begin Mylinna,"  requested Adama.
  Mylinna  looked at Apollo and then back to Adama as she spoke
quietly.
  "I want to stress to you Commander, that I never wanted anyone
else to be involved in this.  I wanted to keep it quiet, to
myself.  My sister Shareen and her boyfriend Ryan had a daughter,
Tatya who was just a hectare old when they died.  My parents
raised her until the holocaust happened and they died.  Then I
took over the responsibility for her.  Tatya has nearly reached
adulthood and is a happy adolescent.  She accepts that her
parents died in an accident.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I want
to believe that it was an accident, but I have to be sure.  So I
started digging, quietly.  I just had too many questions were
unanswered in my mind.  In my search, I found out that three
people were left alive from that night."
  Mylinna got up and walked over to Apollo, then stood in front
of him.  "One of them was you, Apollo.  Yours was a name that I
knew very well.  My sister talked about you all the time until
her death.  I honestly don't think you realize just how very
important you were in their lives, both Shareen's and Ryan's."
  Mylinna saw the anger still in his expressive green eyes, but
she also saw pain and grief.  She now could see how important
Shareen and Ryan were to the impressionable 11 yahren old boy
that he was once upon a time.  "You have to believe me, Apollo
that I never intended to disrupt your life.  In fact, when I
contacted your father, I never had any idea that you had never
told him about that night.  I got the impression from Shareen
that you were close to your father.  But maybe she was wrong and
if I had known I would have left you alone.  But recently, I have
been having a number of unexplained. . . . accidents.  The last
one almost seriously injured Tatya."  Apollo looked at her with
concern, his eyes narrowed slightly.  "Someone does not want me
finding out anything about that night.  They don't want me to
know the truth!." Apollo looked down at the floor and did not
look up again.  Adama knew that was a bad sign.
  "You're saying that Apollo knew Shareen and Ryan very well."
Adama said, trying to make sure he was understanding this
situation.
  Mylinna turned from Apollo and nodded.  "If you doubt me, I
have this."  She walked over to where Adama stood and handed him
the holopic.  "I found it is Shareen's effects after she died.
Do you recognize anyone in that picture?"
  Adama took the item from her and looked at it closely.  It was
a group photo that looked like it was taken on the seashore.
There in front of the two teenagers in question stood a familiar
face.  A tall, thin boy with dark hair, shyly smiling for the
picture.  Ryan had his arm draped over Apollo's shoulder and down
the front of Adama's son, hugging the boy back against him.
Shari had a hand resting on Apollo's shoulder.  Adama looked at
Apollo, who remained silent.  Starbuck and Sheba both came over
to look at the picture and Adama pointed to the child that was
his son many yahrens ago.
  Starbuck looked at the picture and then at Apollo.  "How old
were you then?"
  "If its the picture I think it is, I was 10."  Apollo said
quietly.  "It was taken at a party for Shari and Ryan.  They were
planning to be sealed.  Ryan had been accepted at the Caprican
University and his mother was going to help them out as much as
she could.  Everything was going great for them."
  Mylinna looked at Apollo in surprise.  "They were going to get
sealed?  I was never told that by my sister."
  Apollo shrugged his shoulders.  "They wanted to keep it quiet
for some reason.  They never told me why and I never asked."
  "Apollo," Mylinna stood and looked at him imploringly.  "I have
to know what happened that night.  Why was everyone there and
what happened that caused a tragedy?  I have to know.  Two people
died that night and someone knows something."
  Apollo kept his face stoic, but Adama, Starbuck and Sheba
watched him carefully.  Everything that they heard so far was
very disturbing for this was so out of character for Apollo.
  "Apollo, answer this young woman.  No, answer me.  I want to
know what went on that night."
  Apollo looked at his father, then sighed.
  "We always met by Caspian's Caves not that far from our house.
It was pretty much a deserted place in the evenings."
  Adama gave Apollo a look of parental concern.
  "There was a good reason for that.  The pathways on the side of
the cliffs above the caves were dangerous.  No railings, no
safety measures of any kind.  And the caves themselves were a
mass of tunnels that even the most experienced guide could get
lost in.  Why in the name of heaven were all of you there that
night, Apollo?  What was the reason?"
  "I'm not really sure why everyone was there.  All I know that
Ryan didn't want me there that night, especially that night."
Apollo looked at his father.  "He told me that it was for my own
protection.  Shari came after me later and said that I could come
next time.  She told me that Ryan was only protecting me, they
were both protecting me.  Everyone there was 16 and 17 yahren
old.  I just figured that they were up to something that they
didn't want a kid at."
  Mylinna nodded.  "Well, I know that Ryan was very protective
when it came to you.  One night Shari was in a very pensive mood
and she said that if anyone ever harmed you in any way, that Ryan
would have hurt them in return."
  Adama shook his head, surprised at these revelations and he
knew nothing about these two people who seemed to have been very
important to his son at one time.  "Apollo, why did I never meet
this Ryan?"  Adama asked quietly of his son.
  "I had met Ryan about four hectares previously and you were
gone practically that whole summer.  You didn't come home till
almost two sectons after they died."  Apollo replied after a
micron.
  Adama thought over Apollo's simple statement and nodded, then
said, "I am guessing that you, being your typical self, ignored
Ryan's wishes and went anyway."
  "Yeah.  Well there was another reason, besides the fact that I
was a little curious by what was going on.  Mother had decided
that she wanted to spend the day with me before you returned.  I
had promised to meet Ryan and Shari that day and spend it with
them.  So I went down to the beach to tell them.  But Shari and
Ryan were acting strange that night.  Ryan acted upset when he
saw me.  Told me I had to go home."
  Adama looked at Apollo and said quietly, "Why?  What was
happening there that night?"
  "I'm not sure.  Then I was leaving when I heard Shari call my
name and I remember looking at her.  She had this funny look on
her face."  Apollo shook his head.  "I`m not sure of everything
that happened next.  I remember seeing Ryan climbing the rocks up
the hillside.   Then I heard Shari scream.  I ran as fast as I
could over to the rocks by the cave."
  Apollo stopped.  Starbuck walked over to Apollo and then asked
quietly, "What did you find?"
  "I remember blood on the rocks and Shari was laying there.  I
tried to get her up, but she was dead.  Someone grabbed my arm
and said something, started pulling me away.  Then I heard Ryan
scream Shari's name, then he screamed mine.  I looked up and Ryan
was falling.  After that I remember running. as fast as I could
back home.  A couple of days later, Caprican security came and
asked me some questions.  I don't even remember what they asked
me, but whatever I said satisfied them and they left.  Ramses
told me that I answered everything just the way I should have."
  Adama looked thoughtful.  "Ramses?  Ramses of Virgo who is on
the council with me?"
  Apollo nodded.  Mylinna stood and sighed.
  "Are you sure of everything Apollo?  I mean to have people die
is traumatic.  But to have it happen to an 11 yahren old boy is
something different all together."
  "If I knew anything, I would tell you.  But that's all I
remember."  Apollo looked at the faces of Starbuck, of Sheba and
of his father.  He could see the disappointment in their eyes.
He had failed.  He'd lost everything.  Apollo felt a crushing
weight of guilt come over him.  He tried pulling himself together
and then said quietly.  "Now if you all are done with this
inquisition, I have a patrol to fly."
  With that Apollo left the room and didn't look back.

                            ********

  Apollo stood by his viper, as he leaned against the cool metal
of his craft and sighed.  He was tired and all he wanted to do
was sleep.  As if sleep would help him escape from what was now
out in the open.  Now his father knew along with Starbuck and
Sheba.  He wished he could have talked to them more about that
night but he knew in his heart that he had disappointed them.  He
had watched their faces while he was there with Mylinna
recounting what happened all those yahrens ago.  It had not been
easy.  He carried around a lot of guilt about that night -
wondering if he had obeyed Ryan and stayed away, would they still
have been alive, even to this day?  He felt so alone at that
micron.  The one thing he told Ryan he never wanted to be.
  Apollo sighed again in resignation.  He knew that people's
attitudes would change if he told.  He had been warned by the
others about the consequences if he ever spoke of that night.
And Shari had made Apollo promise that he would never speak of
what happened.  As if Apollo would.  For a long time he had
carried around the guilt that if he had listened to Ryan, if he
had not gone over to the caves to talk to him, that they would
both been alive, possibly been part of the fleet.  They would
have still been in his life.
  People had always treated him so differently when they found
out who his parents were and he hated that.  When he had met Ryan
that day in the park by Apollo's home, he hadn't cared that
Apollo's father was a battlestar commander or that he was a
member of the Council of Twelve.  Ryan had jokingly said that
maybe he should bow in Apollo's presence.  Apollo had laughed at
that.  Being with Ryan had made him feel special, wanted.  Ryan
understood being the oldest, the expectations.  They had talked
about things - life, growing up. . . girls.  Apollo wished he
could remember everything that happened that night.  He wished he
could answer Mylinna's questions, but Apollo couldn't even answer
his own.
  There were times Apollo wished he could have been born to other
parents - parents who were normal, like Boomer's family.  Apollo
had always loved his parents but he always had to live up to
other people's expectations of him when all he wanted was to be
himself.  With his sister and brother, he could be.  With his
cousins he could be.  And with Starbuck.
  Apollo smiled as he remembered some of his adventures with
Starbuck.  He remembered when they entered the Academy together
after graduating from secondary instruction, how much Apollo
wanted to be like Starbuck, but couldn't.  But as he did during
their time at CCSI, Starbuck had dragged Apollo out of the dorms
at the academy for many of their late night adventures.  If his
father only knew.
  He was always himself with Sheba.  She understood what it was
like, being the child of a battlestar commander.  Especially
since she had a living legend for a father.  Plus she was a woman
and an only child.  Her expectations were different, but in some
ways the same.  She still had to prove herself to people.  Apollo
smiled to himself as he remembered how she jokingly said that at
least she knew what she was getting into when she married Apollo.
She was the daughter of Cain,  but now she was the wife of
Apollo, and the daughter-in-law of Adama.  A lot to live up to
she had said, but as long as Apollo loved her, she could handle
anything.
  Handle anything. . .  Not this.  He had seen the looks on their
faces - his wife, his father, his best friend.  The dismay, the
disappointment_.Ryan always told Apollo to be himself.  At the
Academy and even after he made Captain on the Galactica, Apollo
always felt he had to hide himself.  Starbuck was his counter
balance in his life.  As he and his siblings grew older, it
seemed to him that Athena did not understand her brother
anymore..  Zac had been the same way.  But that changed with Zac
after he was assigned to the Galactica.  They had become closer
than ever.  Apollo always felt it was because Zac was a pilot
where Athena was stationed on the bridge.
  `Be yourself, Apollo.  Just be yourself and let people see you
as we do.'  Apollo shook his head.  Shari and Ryan. . . dead.
Why couldn't he remember what happened.  He remembered looking at
Shari when she cried out his name.  And he saw her face...  Why
couldn't he remember?
  Apollo sighed again and turned to walk out of the bay.  He
never made it to the door.

                           ***********

  Ramses knew that there was trouble when he walked into the
Council's chamber and there sitting at his rightful position at
the head of the table was Commander Adama, his eyes were a steely
blue.  Ramses felt like he was looking at two blocks of ice as he
looked into those eyes.  Ramses could see where Apollo had
inherited his ability to maintain a stoic facade in the face of
opposition.  He had tried questioning the dark skinned warrior
who had given him no choice but to comply with the warrior's
`request', but Ramses had gotten nothing except stone cold
silence out of him.
  Ramses recognized Lieutenant Starbuck standing at Adama's side.
The warrior's usually congenial demeanor was replaced with a look
that matched his commander's.  Ramses quickly looked around the
room and saw no one else.  As he turned to face Adama, a
realization washed over him.  Where was Apollo?  A chilling
thought came over Ramses.  Something had happened to Apollo.
That was the only thing that he could think of.  It explained the
looks he was getting, the way the other warrior had treated him
on his way here.  Something had happened.  Ramses felt a sense of
defeat - he had failed Ryan in the end.
  "You wanted to see me, Commander?"  Ramses asked, his voice
controlled.
  Adama was silent for a centon, studying the young councilor in
a new light.  With his new knowledge.
  "It has been both a very interesting and a very trying day.
Councilor."  Adama said, his tone condescending with anger mixed
in.  "I had an interesting meeting with a young woman named
Mylinna.  Does that name sound familiar to you?"
  "In this position I do meet a lot of people, Commander.  I
cannot be sure of everyone's name, even though I try."
  Adama sat quietly, staring at Ramses as though he was
committing things about him to memory.  Ramses found it a little
unnerving, but remained outwardly unfazed.  Then Adama said in a
hard tone, "You seem to be acquainted with my son, Apollo."
  "I have met your son numerous times over the yahrens we have
been in space." Ramses replied evenly.
  "You have know him longer than that.  You met Apollo a long
time ago.  When he was a child."
  Ramses remained silent.  His silence angered Adama more.
  "Mylinna is the sister of Shareen, or as Apollo called her,
Shari."  Adama said looking intently at the young councilor.
"Shari died over 15 yahrens ago on Caprica."
  "Yes, Commander.  I knew Shari.  And she did die on Caprica
many yahrens ago.  But what does that have to do with me.  And
now?"
  Ramses could see the dislike that borderlined on hatred that
was in Starbuck's eyes and on his features.  Ramses felt that
knot in his stomach again.  The same one he had the night Ryan
died.  The knot he had every time he looked at the grief stricken
face of Apollo in the sectons after.
  "What happened that night?  What could a bunch of teenagers
have done to cause what happened then and what is happening now?"
  "Commander, I do not know what you are talking about.  What is
happening now?  Shari died accidentally.  So did my best friend
Ryan.  Both died that night and it was an accident.  Now what is
this meeting about?  You asked me, or rather demanded my presence
here to discuss something that happened well over 15 yahrens ago?
Something that Caprican Security classified as a tragic
accident?"
  Ramses stood looking at Adama, then to the two other warriors.
Something was definitely wrong.  Why wasn't Apollo here?  Ramses
kept his outward demeanor calm.  He couldn't voice his suspicions
yet.  He had to prove them beyond a shadow of a doubt.  Adama's
interference was going to make it just a little harder.
  Adama's fist hit the table.  "Yes, your damn right I want to
talk about what happened over 15 yahrens ago.  I want to know
what happened that night that an 11 yahren old boy could not
bring himself to tell either his mother or I about that night.  I
want to know what happened and I want to know the whole story now
because I strongly believe that what happened then is linked to
the attempt made today on my son's life."
  Ramses sat still and his eyes widened in disbelief.
  "Someone tried to kill Apollo?"
  "I found him unconscious in the landing bay about six centars
ago."  replied Boomer.
  "Someone hit him over the head.  Dr. Salik said that just a
fraction more to the left and Apollo would have died."  Starbuck
replied coldly.
  "Did he see who did it?"
  "We haven't got to talk to him yet, Councilor.  He's still
unconscious.  They don't know when he'll wake up."  Starbuck
paused.  "Or if he ever will."
  "You are the only one who can tell us anything, Councilor.  You
are the only one left."
  "What do you mean I'm the only one left?  If Apollo told you
about me than he also told you about Bowman.  He is over on the
Hyperion and can answer questions also."
  "Bowman?"  Boomer asked.  "Dr. Bowman of the hydroponics ship?"
Ramses nodded.  "Councilor, Dr. Bowman died in a shuttle accident
almost 10 centars ago."
  "No." replied Ramses, shocked.  "No, this can't be happening."
  Maybe he was wrong.  If Bowman was dead, who attacked Apollo?
His theory was being blown to bits.  If it wasn't Bowman. . . .
no, it had to be.  It was the only logical choice.  What in the
name of all that was holy was happening here?
  "What went on that night, Councilor?"  Adama demanded.  "Why is
my son lying unconscious in the life center?"
  "Commander, I wish I really knew.  I'm not sure.  I thought I
had it all figured out.  Everything.  Now I'm back to square
one."
  "What was your involvement in the events that took place that
night?  Did you see what happened?"  Adama demanded.
  Ramses sat up straight and looked at Adama intently.  "No
Commander.  I unfortunately didn't see what happened that night."
  "Why?"
  "I was too busy, Commander, trying to keep my hands on your
son.  To get him away from everything."  Ramses said pointedly.
"Trying to keep him safe."
  "Why did you need to keep him safe?"  asked Boomer.  "You were
all friends."
  "No, Lieutenant.  We had all ceased to be friends a while
before that night.  I was only friends with Ryan and Shari."
Ramses paused, then said quietly.  "And a slight 11 yahren old
boy named Apollo.  Only Apollo wasn't suppose to be there that
night.  Ryan had told him not to come."
  "Why?"  asked Starbuck.  "What were you hiding from him that he
was told not to go?"
  Ramses looked at the blond-haired man.   He had heard about the
unique friendship between Apollo and this man.  Ramses knew he
was going to have to tread lightly around him
  "Nothing was being hidden from Apollo, and there were very good
reasons that Ryan wanted him away from everyone that night.
Reasons that I can't discuss with you."
  "Why not?"  Starbuck's voice raised.  Adama placed a
restraining hand on his arm.
  Ramses rose and stood in front of Starbuck, anger beginning to
show on his features.  "Because I gave my word to my best friend
that I would never tell what happened that night.  Just as I gave
my word to watch over a boy who was too busy trying to live up to
everyone else's expectations, that he was too afraid to be
himself."
  Adama came out of his chair, his eyes blazing at the young man
in front of him.  Ramses knew he had gone too far, but he was
feeling anger, mostly directed at himself for not watching over
Apollo as he should have.
  "You don't know my son, Councilor.  You are out of line."
  "Your wrong, Commander.  I know Apollo probably better that you
could ever guess.  I was there in the shadows for a long time.
He would come to meet me on the beach or at the park. I worked
very hard to earn his trust and finally, Apollo began to confide
in me as he did Ryan. He would talk to me about things that he
felt he couldn't talk to you about, Commander or really anyone
else.  Then one day, Apollo didn't come around anymore.  I
wondered why but never found out.  Then I was sent back to Virgo
to attend the university, but I still checked on him.  I was
there when he graduated from the Academy.  Then I lost track of
him again."
  "Then came the holocaust and about three hectares later, I saw
Apollo again.  Only I didn't know this Apollo.  The holocaust had
affected us all, but Apollo was changed so dramatically.  The
bright-eye boy had evolved into someone I wasn't sure of anymore.
Ryan would have been beside himself to see Apollo like that.
Shari would have been heartbroken.  I tried to talk to him again.
But he would have nothing to do with me.  And I don't know why.
But over time, I could see him slowly turning back into the
Apollo I knew.  The last time I saw him was when he got sealed,
almost two hectares ago.  And he was the Apollo I knew again.
Living by his own rules again."
  Ramses paused and then sighed quietly.  "Now this."
  The intercom broke through the silence.  Adama reached over and
pressed the switch.  "Yes?"
  "Commander, they need you in life center."
  Adama looked at Starbuck and Boomer.  "I'm on my way."  Adama
signed off and looked at Ramses.  "We are not done."
  Ramses stood there as Adama quickly left with Starbuck and
Boomer at his heels.  He then sighed and looked up.  "Ryan. . .
Shari. . . . watch over Apollo.  I have to find out what is
happening. Before someone succeeds in killing him."

                           **********

  Apollo awoke to a splitting headache.  His head pounded and the
action of even trying to open his eyes hurt.  But he was laying
on something soft and comfortable and he felt a warm hand in his.
He slowly turned his head and opened his eyes slightly to see
Sheba sitting next to him, her head resting on the bed he was in.
Apollo looked around slightly and recognized his and Sheba's
quarters.  How did he get here?
  He heard breathing on the other side of him.  Apollo turned his
head very slowly and found Starbuck asleep on the other side of
him, sitting in a chair against the wall.  His hand rested on his
laser as if he was waiting for something.
  "You've finally decided to join us." a soft voice said gently.
Apollo turned his head back and looked over to find Cassie
standing over him, a concerned look on her face as she placed a
gentle cool hand on his forehead.  Apollo's confusion grew.
  "Wha. . . what happened?  How did I get here?"  Apollo
whispered.
  "Boomer found you in the landing bay out cold on the deck
floor.  Someone had hit you pretty hard.  You've been out for
about 16 centars.  We brought you here under your father's
orders."
  Apollo's head throbbed as he felt even more confused.  "Why
here?  Why not life center?"
  "Because we have more control of who comes in and out of here,
buddy."  Starbuck said softly as he sat on the side of the bed
and looked at his best friend.  Apollo still looked too pale to
him, his dark hair made darker by the deathly pale pallor of his
skin.
  Starbuck had been frightened when he received the message that
Apollo had been found unconscious on the floor of Alpha bay.  The
conversation with Ramses unnerved Starbuck even more, along with
the second call from life center.  Apollo had opened his eyes for
a centon, then lost consciousness again.  The commander had
ordered Apollo taken to his own quarters after Salik and Cassie
had assured him that Apollo would be fine, but had a severe
concussion.  But Salik had also told them that if Apollo had been
hit just a fraction more to the left, he would have died from the
blow.  Someone wanted to kill Apollo, but who? And why?  Starbuck
couldn't see any reason for all of this.  How could the deaths of
two people all those yahrens ago have anything to do with here
and now?  Starbuck shook his head.  Now it was three people.  Dr.
Bowman had been killed earlier when the shuttle he was piloting
was blown to bits while he was transporting back to his vessel.
Starbuck shuttered at the thought that it was very nearly four.
  Sheba held on to Apollo's hand tightly, thanking the lords that
whoever did this didn't succeed in their intent.  But now she had
another concern, a concern that had been voiced by all as they
had waited for word on Apollo's condition.  Who was behind this?
She was determined to protect Apollo, but she had no idea who the
enemy was.
  Apollo felt very confused.  He felt like he had just gone
through a magnetic storm that scrambled his mind.  He was
desperately trying to make sense of everything.  "Why do you have
to control who comes and goes?  What is going on?"
  "Apollo, someone tried to kill you."  Sheba said, her tone
tight.  "Someone hit you and left you on the floor of Alpha Bay
to die."  Sheba could only hope that she was getting through to
him.  Salik warned her about some disorientation_.
  Apollo looked at her, confused.  The last thing he remembered
was walking to the landing bay doors.  "What is happening?  Why
is this all happening?"
  Starbuck got up and looked at Apollo.  "I wish I knew.  But the
whole episode sounds like an Aquarian tragedy if it wasn't for
the fact that two people are dead.  I just wonder if any of this
has anything to do with the accident today."
  "What accident?"  Apollo sat up and fought off the wave of
dizziness he felt.
  "A man named Dr. Bowman from the Hyperion was killed in a
shuttle accident yesterday.  About four centars before Boomer
found you in the landing bay.  Ramses told us that he was another
one of the boys that was there that day."
  "Bowman's dead?"  Apollo shook his head, ignoring the pain.  "I
just don't understand any of this at all.  Why all this interest
in something that happened so long ago.  Caprican Security
classified it as an accident."  Apollo wished he could forget
about it again.  Why did Mylinna have to dredge all of this up
again?  He had buried it.  He had learned to live with it.  Why?
  Starbuck knew that something was going on and fervently wished
his friend would tell him everything.  He thought Apollo trusted
him.  "And you don't remember anything other than what you told
us?"  Starbuck asked.
  Apollo looked up at Starbuck, suspiciously.  "What?  Don't you
believe me about what happened?"
  "I just asked. . . "
  Apollo interrupted him.  "It's the way that you said it,
Starbuck."
  Sheba sat on the bed and looked at Apollo, determined to stop
Apollo before this escalated into a full scale argument.  "He
just asked a simple question, Apollo.  If I had asked it, would
you be jumping all over me about it?  Maybe its not clear to you
that someone tried to kill you and they nearly succeeded.  You
nearly died in that launch bay yesterday.  Salik said just
another fraction to the left and we would be burying you instead
of talking with you now.  Salik and Cassie didn't even know if
you would ever wake up again.  So as the people who have a vested
interest in you, who love and care for you, maybe we feel that we
have a right to want to know everything.   Mylinna and Tatya are
having unexplained accidents, you're attacked in the bay, this
Dr. Bowman is killed in a shuttle accident.  The only person left
unscathed by all this is Ramses."
  "Ramses?  You all suspect Ramses?"  Apollo looked from Sheba to
Starbuck and then over to Cassie who stood behind Sheba.  "That's
crazy.  Ramses would not do anything to harm Tatya or myself.
And he'd definitely not waste his time terminating Bowman because
the man was not worth the time or effort it would have taken.
And Mylinna?  She's too much like Shari.  Ramses would have never
in any way hurt Shari."
  "So who's left, Apollo?"  asked Starbuck, his mind racing.
Nothing about this was making sense.  "Ramses is the only other
person besides you that is left alive from that night."
  "But are we sure about that?"  asked Cassie as Apollo, Sheba
and Starbuck looked at her.  "How can we be sure that someone
from that night is not in the fleet under an assumed name?
Remember Starbuck, when Karibdis killed Ortega and you were
accused?"
  "How could I forget?"  Starbuck said, impatiently to his wife.
"But how does that have anything to do with this?"
  "Remember, Karibdis was in the fleet under an assumed name.  So
were two others that Apollo suspected of killing Ortega.  How
many more are there?  We can't be sure.  A lot of people were
admitted without any records and their word was taken on who they
were."
  Apollo looked at Starbuck.  "She's right.  A lot of people were
taken at their word on who they were.  There was a lot of chaos
that night.  Everyone was just put on ships to escape before the
cylons returned."
  "So if we decided to hunt for people within this fleet, we
can't even trust our own records?"
Sheba asked.
  Starbuck shook his head.  "Probably not.  I would say that most
of the population was honest about their identities.  But we have
that small percentage of people who for whatever reason made up
an identity."
  "Apollo, what happened to the others from that night?" Sheba
asked.  "Do you know?"
  Apollo looked at Sheba and then at Starbuck.  "Out of the 12
people that were there that night, we can subtract three, with
myself, Ramses and Bowman.  That leaves nine people."
  "What do you know of the nine remaining?"  asked Sheba.
  "Dylan died in an encounter on Canceria.  His body was
positively identified.  Lucian and Maddock enlisted in the
Colonial Service.  I saw them both before the holocaust.  Both
were lieutenants assigned to the Atlantia.  I am almost positive
they died during the battle."
  "That leaves six." Said Starbuck.
  "Tyler was killed in a shuttle transport accident at the
Taurian University."  Apollo paused as he thought.  "Hassim died
trying to climb Mount Mussimina on Scorpia.  His brother Kassim
killed himself a yahren later."
  "That leaves three."  Said Cassie.  "What about them?"
  Apollo look at her.  "I don't know.  I've never seen them in
the fleet or ran across their names in personnel records.  But to
be honest, I never really searched for them."
  "So you remember their names?"  asked Cassie.
  Apollo nodded.  "Gregor was from Piscia.  And Kelvin was from
Leo.  I'm not sure about the third person.  He came with Maddock,
so I really didn't know him that well."
  "Would Ramses?"  asked Starbuck.
  Apollo nodded.  "Probably."
  "Fine then.  I'm going to get Boomer and we'll check fleet
records to see if we can find any of these people.  I'll also pay
a visit to Ramses regarding the identity of the other boy that
night.  We'll be back here in a couple of centars.  You stay
put."  Starbuck pointed to Apollo who nodded slightly.
  "I'm going to contact Salik and I'll be back."  said Cassie.
  Starbuck and Cassie left the room.  Apollo looked at Sheba, who
was regarding him quietly.
  "What are you thinking?"
  "About this whole situation.  And I guess I'm trying to control
the fear that I'm feeling right now."
  "Fear?  What for?"
  "I almost lost you today and I thought for a time there that my
life was over."  Sheba looked at Apollo intently.  "I stood there
in life center, trying to listen to Salik and found myself
wishing it was me on that table instead of you.  I fought the
urge to find the person who did this and make them suffer.  I
felt like my thoughts were jumbled and racing at the same time."
  Apollo sighed and clasped Sheba's hand tightly in his.  "I
guess you're pretty upset with me?"
  Sheba looked puzzled.  "For what?"
  "For not telling you any of this.  For keeping this from you."
  "Apollo, I love you more than anything else.  There are a lot
of things that have happened in your past that I am not going to
know.  Just like there are things in my past that you don't know.
I can understand your father's feelings because he feels that you
didn't trust him to confide in him at some point about this.  You
are his son.  It would be like Boxey hiding something like this
from us and we find out about it yahrens later.  We would be hurt
that we were not told anything about it.  He is our son and both
you and I feel that he can talk to us about anything."
  Apollo nodded.  "It was difficult not to tell my father, but I
made a promise to Shari to never tell what happened that night to
anyone.  Then I made a promise to Ryan_.."  Apollo's voice
drifted off, then he sighed, looking down at their clasped hands
then back up to his wife's face.  "It was difficult to keep
quiet.  But I was not in the best shape after that night."
  Sheba nodded.  "I read the report filed by Caprican Security.
It stated that you were `emotionally distraught' over the deaths
of Shareen and Ryan.  And after our conversation with Ramses, I
can understand why."
  Apollo smiled mirthlessly and looked down again at their hands.
"I was pretty upset to say the least.  I loved Ryan and Shari.
They meant a great deal to me.  And in an instant, they were
gone.  Their deaths meaningless.  A young baby was an orphan."
  "They cared for you, Apollo.  So they would have done what they
had to do to protect you.  Just as I would.  Because I love you."
  "Still?"  The word was out of his mouth before he could stop
it.
  Sheba looked deeply into Apollo's green eyes.  "I love you.
Never doubt that.  We have something together that neither one of
us has understood since we met.  We fought it and each other.
Then we accepted it, ran from it, then came to terms with it.  We
have handled at lot of things together.  We will handle this."
  Apollo smiled.  "I love you, Sheba."
  Sheba smiled in return.  "You better."  She said teasingly.
"Because it's too late for you to change your mind now.  You
already took your sealing vows, so you're stuck with me."
  Apollo smiled as he gathered his wife close to him.  "I
wouldn't have it any other way."  He said softly.

                            *********
                                
  Adama leaned back in his chair and sighed to himself, rubbing
his face with his hands trying to relieve the nervous tension he
felt.  Athena looked up at her father from the papers she was
reading.  She could see the deep concern for Apollo on his face
and knew how he felt.  Athena had been curious when her father
had quietly asked her to come to his quarters.  She had seen the
worry in his face and some other emotion that she had been unable
to distinguish at that micron.
  Athena had let her father guide her to the couch in his
quarters and she had sat down with him there.  She had felt a
torrent of emotions as her father had handed her some papers and
asked her to read them, but not say anything until she had read
them all.  At that time her father would try to answer her
questions and maybe she could answer some of his.  So with
trepidation, she started to read an official document regarding
the death of a 17 yahren old girl on Caprica.  And another report
about a 17 yahren old boy and his fall to his death on the same
beach.
  Her heart stopped when she ran across a name in the report that
was all too familiar.  Her eyes had widened and she had looked up
at her father, a look of stunned amazement on her face.  Her
father had looked at her sadly and nodded, as she turned her
attention back to the papers.  She read the official report from
the Caprican Security Force and she felt her heart sink as she
noted her brother's age at the time of the incident.  Athena
noted the words "emotionally distraught" - words used to describe
the condition of her older brother several days after the
incident.
  Athena tried to think back to that time.  She had to have been
about nine that summer.  She tried to think of any time then that
her brother had seemed different to her, but then he had changed
that summer - evolving into someone different that the brother
she knew and loved.  He would still sit with her underneath the
tree in their back yard, the place that they felt was their
private place to talk.  He still did things with her that summer,
but he became quieter, more reclusive.  Apollo would go off and
play the keyboard by himself, or sit quietly in his room.  But
most of the time he was gone and Athena didn't always know where
he went.  Or with whom.
  That summer was an unusual summer.  It was one that stood out
in her mind.  Their mother was very busy that summer with
political matters.  People were coming and going out of their
home.  Apollo seemed to get. . . . lost was the only word she
could think of.  He seemed to fade back into the background that
summer.  She knew that sometimes their mother, in a hurry, would
tell Apollo she would talk to him later.  But later sometimes
never came. Athena had noticed that every time their mother gave
attention to her or Zac that Apollo wasn't really included.  So
her brother would leave for centars on end.  She never found out
where he went even though she asked him several times.  Then . .
. that night . . . . . .
  The night he came running home, in tears and ran straight to
his room.  The night that he changed the most.  He always wanted
to know where she or Zac went.  He became very protective.
Apollo had always been protective of her and Zac, but that summer
he had changed.  That night. . . .
  Adama noticed a change in Athena as she sat there looking over
the papers, then staring away as though she was trying to
remember that summer.  Adama knew that the siblings were close,
but Apollo and Athena had always shared a different bond than
they had shared with Zac.
  "Athena?"  Adama looked at her, his eyes expectant.
  "I think I remember this night."  Athena said quietly.
  Adama leaned forward, expectantly.  "What do you remember?"
  "Apollo had gone out that night.  I don't know where.  He was
acting strange that summer.  Into his shell more that summer.
Mother was busy and Apollo would watch Zac and I sometimes."
Athena shook her head.  "It was a difficult summer that yahren.
Mother was busier that she had ever been with meetings and more
meetings.  Reviewing certain issues before the Caprician Council.
And Apollo seemed to get. . . .pushed to the side.  He did what
he was told, but. . . . I don't know.  Things were different."
Athena looked at her father.
  "How different?"
  "Mother seemed different.  She suddenly didn't have the
patience that we were use to.  I remember her yelling at Apollo
for something that I did.  Apollo didn't even try to say anything
in his defense.  He just stood there.  I tried to tell Mother it
was my fault, but she said it was also Apollo's responsibility.
Later when Apollo came home she apologized for her actions.
Telling him that even though she was under so much stress, there
was no excuse to take it out on him.  But Apollo pretty much
remained quiet."  Athena shook her head and looked at her father
intently.  "She just wasn't herself during that time."
  "What about that night?"
  "This night happened just before you came home.  Mother had
gone to a meeting that she really didn't want to attend.  Aunt
Alycia was there to watch us.  Apollo had left, but later came
running back into the house.  He ran into his room and locked the
door.  Father, he looked absolutely terrified and he had been
crying.  I tried to talk to him, but he told me to go away.
Later he wouldn't talk about it and if I asked, he ignored me.
But I know that he became really protective of Zac and I.  And
after you came home, he seemed relieved for some reason."
  Adama looked at his daughter, his face a mixture of emotions.
He wished he had known.  He wished someone had told him.  Adama
was remembering that time more and more.  He too had been
concerned about the change in Apollo that summer, but had agreed
in part with Ila that maybe it was just a phase pre-adolescent
boys went through.  Now he was seeing the changes in his son for
the true meaning it had.
  "Father, this is the real reason, isn't it?"  Athena stood and
walked over to her father.  "This is why Apollo was attacked in
the landing bay."
  Adama sighed and nodded at Athena.
  "What are we going to do about it?  Whoever this is almost
succeeded in killing Apollo!"
  "Athena, I am trying to figure all of this out from what
limited information I have."  Adama looked into the worried eyes
of his only daughter and knew how she was feeling at that micron.
The worry, the fear.  "Your brother's memories of that night are
not very illuminating.  But as Salik told me, that can be
expected, especially dealing with a small boy."
  "Then it's up to us to protect him and find out what happened.
Who is doing this."
  "Athena, right now your brother is in his quarters with Sheba
and Cassie at his side.  The person who is doing all of this
would have to be very foolish to try to get through Sheba."
  Athena smiled.  "They would have to have a death wish."
  "If I assign protection to Apollo, he will just shrug it off.
So what more can I do?"
  The entry buzzer interrupted the conversation.  Starbuck and
Boomer entered the Commander's quarters.
  "We think we may have another suspect."  Starbuck said, his
tone deadly serious.
  "Who?"
  "I asked Apollo about who was there that night.  If he was sure
that everyone who was there is either dead or accounted for in
the fleet."
  "And?"  Athena asked, looking at her former lover.
  "Apollo told me that of the 12 that survived that night, we
basically needed to account for nine.  Of the nine, one was
killed in a mountain climbing accident.  That we confirmed.  His
brother committed suicide.  Confirmed.  Two were lieutenants
aboard the Atlantia and were supposedly killed during the
holocaust."
  Boomer interjected.  "I looked up their records.  Dedicated to
the Colonial Service, both of them.  Commendations and awards
listed on their records were impressive.  There is no reason to
suspect that they might be hiding in the fleet under assumed
names."
  Starbuck continued.  "So of the five that remain, another was
killed in an accident while attending the Taurian University.
Positively identified.  Another died on Canceria during a cylon
sneak attack.  He was positively identified."
  "That leaves three." Said Athena.
  "Now here's where it gets interesting.  Of the three, and these
are people Apollo didn't really know that well so Boomer and I
did some digging, we found that Gregor of Piscia was the aide to
Mikchev of Piscia and that as far as anyone knows, he did not
survive the holocaust.  But it is not known if he may have made
it and may be hiding in the fleet under an assumed name.  But
here's something that neither Apollo or Ramses knew.  Kelvin of
Leo is incarcerated on the Prison Barge presently."
  "On what charge?" asked Adama, surprised at this news himself.
  "Attempted termination."
  "Oh lords."
  "And,"  Boomer interjected.  "there is another person that
Apollo didn't know.  He doesn't remember his name.  And when we
talked to him several centons ago, he really couldn't tell us
what he looked like."
  "A mystery man?"  Athena asked, her thoughts concentrating more
on her brother at that micron then about what was being said.
But now she listened fully.
  "Have you talked to Ramses about this?"  asked Adama.
  Starbuck nodded.  "We just left him.  Ramses isn't sure who he
was either.  He came with another of the boys a few times, but
never really talked to anyone.  All he could remember was that
the boy was from Caprica, and that he had blond hair and blue
eyes, he thinks."
  "Well, this seems to be a new turn on events.  Starbuck, I want
you and Boomer to bring Kelvin over here to the Galactica. I
would be very interested in talking to him about that night."
Adama said, looking at the concerned expression on Athena's
features.  He turned his attention to his daughter.  "Athena?"
  Athena looked at her father, her expression worried.  "Are you
going to tell Apollo about this?"
  "You think I shouldn't?"
  Athena sighed and shook her head.  "I don't know, Father.  Part
of me feels that he has the right to know.  The larger part of me
wants to take him and hide him away, protect him from this
situation."
  "And you think I don't?  And what about Sheba?  Starbuck and
Boomer?"  Adama looked at his daughter thoughtfully.  "Athena, I
understand what you're feeling right now.  We would all like to
protect people we love from situations that are painful."  Adama
looked at Boomer and Starbuck, then back to Athena.  "We have to
tell him.  I just hope that this doesn't make the situation worse
than it already is."

                           ***********

  The Sadira was an old Cancerian freighter, home to over 590
survivors of the colonial holocaust.  Privacy was a dreamed about
commodity on every ship in the fleet.  Only those that could
afford it lived with some semblance of privacy.  The people on
this ship, like many others in the fleet, made do with what they
had, coveting the small luxuries that they could find and afford.
Others prayed to their gods for divine intervention.  Then there
were some that paid for that hope of divine intervention from
hexlars.
  Hexlars were a dying race aboard the fleet, with the mixing of
so many different colonial bloodlines now that there were no more
colonies, no more separation.  Hexlars were a bloodline that
traced back to the 5th Lord of Kobol.  The Lord that was known as
the `Dark Lord" for his abilities were slightly different than
his brothers, and his direct bloodline fought to keep the purity
of that line, for they knew that any mixing of their line with
any of the other tribes meant the loss of what they felt were
some very special abilities.
  The Capricans were thought by many of the surrounding colonies
to have the wisest, most intuitive people - natural leaders.
Gemonese were the most beautiful people of the colonies, besides
the most superstitious.  The most honor-bound race were the
nomadic tribes of Scorpia.  But the most bewitching race was the
Hexlars of Canceria.  Before interstellar travel was possible
between the colonies, Hexlars traveled all over Canceria, selling
potions and spells to the people.  Reading the future in their
cards and herbal leaves.  It was said they could talk a dying man
out of his last breath.  A popular myth about them was that they
could change their shape and become a tree in a meadow or a bird
flying in the sky.  Even a totally different person all together.
  And it was that one that the lone figure walking down the down
the darkened corridor of the Sadira believed with every fiber of
his being.  The figure had seen it with his own eyes.  Had
experienced it first hand.  One minute she was a blond-haired ,
blue eyed woman, the next a vibrant dark-haired, sultry violet
eyes woman.  And still the next, an old man sitting in the bazaar
begging for spare cubits.
  And the cloaked figure was not a foolish man.  He knew when to
keep silent as to what he knew.  Like now.  Things were beginning
to get out of hand and he knew he had to get things back under
control or everything that he had done would fall apart.  The
figure wrapped the threadbare dark cloak about him as he walked
to an isolated section of the ship.  The `accidents' were suppose
to scare the woman Mylinna off, but she chose foolishly to ignore
the warnings.    So they had gone for the young girl.  When that
happened, the woman stopped her search.  Or so they thought.
  But she hadn't stopped.  Instead, to their surprise, she had
intensified her search and found the others who still lived that
were there that night.  But when they told her nothing, Mylinna
made the mistake of going to the fleet commander, who had
listened to her.  And that created another problem, considering
that Commander Adama's son was one of the people there that
night.  Everyone had been assured over and over that Apollo had
remembered nothing of that night.  That he never told a living
soul about the events of that night.  Not even Ramses who was a
whole different problem unto himself.
  So in reality no one really knew about exactly what Apollo knew
or didn't know.  What his memories were because of his silence.
But he was Ryan's shadow and he was Shari's friend.  And they
knew he saw it all.  The cloaked figure knew that the final
member of their group was suppose to have finished the job on
Apollo, but the attempt failed.  He still lived.  Damalis was not
going to be pleased about this turn of events.  At least they
took care of one problem.  Bowman was dead.  He couldn't betray
them now.
  As the figure shuffled his way to the darkened section of the
ship ahead of him, he wished he could have seen the expression on
Bowman's face when he was confronted by Damalis.  It would have
been a sight to see.  The fool thought that he, Apollo and Ramses
were the only survivors.  If Ryan had only gone along with the
plan like he was suppose to.  If only Bowman could have kept his
hormones in check.  If only the boy had died all those yahrens
ago, everything would be just fine.  He hated incompetence.
  The door silently slid open to admit the hidden figure into the
dimly lit room.  As he entered, he hoped that Damalis would have
a plan to be rid of the problems that were still alive.  He
smiled a crooked smiled to himself.  Of course she would.  She
took care of Shari.  She handled all the details of Bowman's
death.  Next they would have to eliminate Apollo.  And he knew
that then the troublesome Mylinna would end her quest for
answers, because Ramses would be tried and imprisoned for the
deaths of Bowman and Apollo.  It would then be assumed by all
that he was the one behind the deaths of Ryan and Shari, since he
killed the other surviving witnesses.  Adama would be too grief
stricken with the death of his son to search much further for
answers.  He would accept that Ramses was the only logical answer
and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.  They would
be free and clear.
  "Well?" a musical voice drifted  through the room.
  "Congratulations are in order.  Your plan worked brilliantly
and Bowman is dead."  Then cloaked figure said quietly.  "But
unfortunately Apollo still lives."
  The tone of her voice changed.  Displeasure was evident and he
felt a chill run down his back.  "This is not good.  He was
suppose to have been taken care of.  What went wrong.?"
  "My son failed in his duty to me and I have dealt with him
accordingly."  The figure's eyes glittered as he spoke with
dislike bordering on hatred.  Now it was her turn to shiver
involuntarily.  She wasn't sure to whom his hatred was directed.
She was just glad it wasn't her.  "The scuttlebutt is that Apollo
was attacked in the landing bay and left for dead.  The only
thing in our favor is that there were no witnesses so no one has
any idea who did it."  The cloaked figure said quietly.  "We are
going to have to try again and soon.  This time we'll do the job
ourselves."
  "But Adama will be on alert.  No matter what you believe, the
caprican is not a fool.  He knows that there will be another
attempt on his son's life, since the first failed.   If  Mylinna
had not gone to him, maybe we could have had a clear shot at
Apollo.  But now. . . ."  Her voice drifted off, pausing, then
spoke again thoughtfully.  "There may be a way."
  "Remember we have to be able to pin Apollo's death on Ramses."
The cloaked figure said matter-of-factly.
  "That's simple.  Suspicion has already been cast.  Bowman is
dead.  Apollo was attacked by a mystery person and left for dead,
but Ramses is totally unscathed.  Then there are the `accidents'
that have been happening to Mylinna and the girl.  Suspicion is
there.  Apollo's death will finish Ramses and he will loose any
allies that he has."  The voice was silent for a micron then
continued.  "Adama will push for Ramses conviction as will
Apollo's widow and sister.  His friends will make sure that the
evidence is there for a conviction.  Ramses does not stand a
chance."
  "Is there any way that you can guarantee it?"
  There was a pause.  "You question this course of action?"  She
raised a perfectly arched eyebrow in question, even though the
action was unseen by him.  .
  "Apollo seems like a feline who has nine lives.  He was suppose
to have died with Ryan and Shari.  Those fools let him escape
from them.  One small boy outsmarted a bunch of teenagers?"
  The woman's voice changed and contained a hint of something
bordering on defensiveness.  "He would have been dead if Bowman
had moved quicker.  The netzpaz was too afraid of Ramses to grab
him then.  I almost had my hands on him myself at Shari's body,
but Ramses got in the way."
  "Can't you do anything to slow down Ramses?  He has been an
aggravation from the beginning."
  "His loyalty was and still is to Ryan."  The woman's voice
turned cold.  "A virgonian takes a promise as an oath.  A pledge.
Ramses made a promise to Ryan to protect Apollo then, and he
still does now.  Plus he has his own personal pledge to bring
Ryan and Shari's killers to justice."
  The cloaked figured smiled deep in his hood that covered his
face as the woman stepped out into the dim light.  He was always
pleased by Damalis's beauty and by her other outstanding
attributes.  She lived up to her heritage as a hexlar, for she
was as beautiful and as cunning as any member of her race.
Damalis smiled an content smile as she spoke.
  "Bowman had a bit of a loose tongue before he died.  He
maintained with his dying breath that Apollo still remembers
nothing of that night, beside insignificant bits and pieces.  But
he did say that Ramses was pushing Apollo to remember more but so
far had not.  He was also baiting Bowman, but he said that he
kept cool around him and said nothing.  Ramses has always
suspected Bowman of killing Ryan and that insolent girl that
night.  Now his theories and suspicions have been tossed to the
Taurian winds."
  The cloaked figure slowly walked over and sat down in the chair
that faced the velvety starfield and sighed.
  "Such a waste she was.  Such a waste."  The figure shook his
head.  "If she had only listened to me, she might still be alive.
So might Ryan.  Shari would have been able to convince him since
he would not listen to anyone else."
  Damalis looked at the cloaked man, a slight puzzled look on her
face.  "That was something I never understood.  Even though you
denied it, you acted as thought you were as infatuated with her
as Bowman was.  She loved only Ryan and that baby."  Damalis's
expression became foreboding as a look of displeasure crossed her
face, her voice carried a cutting edge to it.  She had always
hated Shareen.  HE was too taken with the blond girl when she was
alive.  Damalis felt that if Shari had lived, he would have tried
to replace her with Shari, and Damalis would never let that
happen.  The hexlar had worked too hard to loose everything to
that impertinent girl.   "And of course she loved that boy."
  The man replied angrily.  "That boy was the reason she had to
die!  Was the reason they both had to die!  If they had just done
what they were suppose to do, but no, they couldn't do that.
Ryan had come to care about him.  Of course, Ryan was raised by
fools who believed in truth and honesty and look what that got
them.  All they both had to do was follow instructions.  That
boy!"  The cloaked figure brought his fist down on the arm of the
chair as he continued.  Damalis jumped slightly, started at this
reaction.  "Why did Ryan have to stab me in the back with his
deceit?  And why did she?  Apollo was no blood of theirs.  They
never knew him until four hectares before their deaths.  I even
tried to reason with Shari, but she turned on me.  If she had
done as she was told, she would have had anything her heart
desired."
  "What she desired was Ryan."  Damalis replied, choosing her
words carefully.  "You should have been more cautious.  You were
willing to sacrifice it all in a gamble that didn't pay off
because of the both of them.  We tried to convince Shari.  Her
emotionalism should have been brought into the equation and it
wasn't.  She was too soft, too emotional.  Too loyal to Ryan.  I
warned you at that time that she could not be counted on.  Even
though you held all the cards.  You warned her repeatedly that if
she failed, she would spend the rest of her life in a prison
colony and lose her child in the process.  But she had a
conscious, just like Ryan.  And she cared too much for that boy."
  The cloaked man turned to her.  "Why?  Why was Apollo so
important to her?  And to Ryan?  I offered them everything.
Why?"  He turned away, looking out onto the starfield.
  "The dead can't answer your questions, so quit asking them.
You have asked the same ones since they died.  You are dwelling
on the past when the present needs to be attended to.  And if we
don't move fast, Apollo may still remember."  The black-haired
woman stepped into the dim light that surrounded him and stared
at the cloaked figure, wishing he would quit this regression.  It
served no purpose.
  "You're a hexlar, Damalis.   You can talk to the dead."  The
figure said softly.
  Damalis looked at him with a thought dawning to her.  "One
would almost think that you were in love with Shareen, old man.
After all these yahrens of professing to love me."
  The cloaked man sharply turned his head towards her, his voice
dripped with sarcasm and anger.  "You were 15 yahrens old,
Damalis, when I first bedded you and I was definitely not the
first.  You could not fool me into believing I was.  And I have
never said that I loved you.  You have always loved my money,
power and position more than you ever cared for me.  I was never
blinded by your beauty or your willingness to pleasure me.  I
never even believed your youthful professions of love for me.
You are and will always be a hexlar."
  "You say that as if it was some sort of crime."
  "A man in my position couldn't be seen with you.  Shareen was a
female more befitting my position."  He turned his head back to
stare at the starfield as he threw out at her,  "I would have
still kept you."
  Damalis laughed, then turned on him as her jealousy took over.
"What position?  Are you forgetting something?   It's gone!  As
gone as the colonies.  It was gone from the night that boy eluded
us and it was too late to try another attempt on him.  Ramses was
always close by.  Just as he is now.  And we would have had to
get past Adama to get to Apollo.  That was one person I was not
going to clash with head on then or now."  She looked at the
figure in disgust.  "Now we have to do something quick.  We have
no choice.  And I can tell you now old man, I am not going to
spend the rest of my life on the prison barge."
  "Damalis, is that panic that I hear in your voice?"  The man
chuckled as he turned to look at her, a plan formulating in his
mind.  "Have no fear, my Damalis.  We shall take care of what
needs to be done."  The figure slowly rose from his chair.  "It's
time you used your considerable charms on Apollo.  I know that
you can bring him under control with very little difficulty and I
know that you will be able to get him here undetected.  So let us
finish this problem so that we can move on."
  Damalis looked at the scarred and disfigured face that stared
at her from under the hood, his gray eyes glinting with a secret
madness that she had always suspected was there within him but
had never been able to prove.  She had wondered if the incident
that disfigured him was a retaliation from a higher source.  When
it had happened, she had wondered about an old gemon belief that
there was a consequence for every action that you did in this
life.  He had lost so much - his standing on his home world, his
position, his fortune, his family.  Before his injuries, he was
so handsome, so charming.  Now he lived for revenge, for his
hatred.  To take from those what was taken from him.  Maybe she
could change him,  Maybe she should convince him to quit now and
they could begin anew.
  Damalis mentally shook her head, trying to clear it of such
thoughts.  Those kind of thoughts made it sound like she cared
about him.  She didn't for she was a hexlar.  Hexlars didn't
become attached to `Giegia's.'  "I don't know what you have in
mind, but you have more confidence than I do.  Apollo has grown
and evolved into a man who does not trust others easily.  He has
a very tight group of friends who are now on the watch since the
attack on him.  Getting close to him will be difficult."
  "But not impossible.  You are a hexlar, Damalis.   You have
something in your bag of tricks that will work on him.  Use it.
I want to be done with this problem once and for all."  The man
started his way out of the room.
  Damalis watched him as he left her quarters.  "As you wish.  It
will be done."

                         **************

  Kelvin did not like this turn of events. He had been surprised
when the four warriors had arrived with orders to escort him to
the Galactica.  That the great savior of the human race,
Commander Adama wished to speak with a lowly street rat as
himself.  What about Kelvin had no idea.  He couldn't think of
one reason that the esteem commander would want to talk with him,
a criminal from the prison barge.
  Now Kelvin was even more on edge as he walked into the council
chambers.  There at the head of the table sat Commander Adama,
his stare seemed like he was trying to read down into Kelvin's
very soul, which was very unnerving.  Rumors ran riot through the
survivors about the silver-haired man.  Some said that he was a
god, a saint.  Others said that he was mad.  That he was leading
them on an endless quest for a planet that is the fabric of
bedtime stories and folklore.  A legend.  Kelvin hadn't decided
yet which the man was.  When he spoke though, Kelvin felt that
Earth was a real and viable planet for them.  A place that
existed not in story and legend.  It gave him hope.  And for a
man such as himself, that was something he desperately needed.
  Beside the Commander were two very lovely women, one with long
dark hair and blue eyes clad in the dark blue uniform of command
and the other with long reddish brown hair and dark eyes clad in
a warriors uniform.  The dark-haired one reminded him vividly of
Alena, but unfortunately for him, she was gone.  His brother told
him that she stayed on one of the planets that they passed.
Kelvin looked at both women with a mixture of remorse and regret.
Too bad he was in chains.  Both women looked like they could be
quite a challenge for him.  Both looked self-assured, in control,
but they would have to be for either to be in the military.
Especially the one dressed in a warrior's uniform.
  Both women gave him icy stares as they noted his interests in
them, but Kelvin ignored their stares, continuing to look them
over with interest,  He wasn't exactly unattractive.  Some nice
clothes.  Maybe some time in the turboshower.  The chains might
cause a small problem, but he could work that out.
  But as Kelvin's gaze drifted over to the other man that was
seated at the table to the left of Adama, he felt his body
stiffen as his mind recognized that man.  Ramses!  Even after all
these yahrens he recognized Ramses.  What in the name of Hades
was he doing here?  Kelvin felt a sinking feeling at the pit of
his stomach as he slowly sank into the chair that faced the two
men and two women.  The two warriors that escorted him here stood
on each side of his chair, both standing at rigid attention, but
both ready to stop him if he made one wrong move.
  Adama looked at the man sitting before him, trying to
understand how and why Apollo associated with someone like this
yahrens ago.  And he wasn't coming up with a clear answer.  Adama
looked to Starbuck and Boomer, standing on each side of Kelvin.
He could tell that they were keeping their emotions under rigid
control, standing at attention, their expressions stoic.  But
each kept a distrustful eye on the prisoner.
  As Adama stole a glance at Ramses, he could tell by the look on
the young councilor's face that his time of contemplation had
come to an end.  Ramses stood up and carefully walked around
Adama, Athena and Sheba to finally stand in front of Kelvin.
  "Hello Kelvin."  Ramses said quietly, looking down at a man he
had thought long dead like the others.
  "Ramses."  Kelvin nodded his head.  He looked to Adama and the
two women, then looked up at the two men who stood beside his
seat, then back to Ramses.  "What's all of this about?" he asked
innocently.
  "It was believed that you were dead."
  "A common misconception."  Kelvin said, wondering when the man
would finally get to the point.  He knew that Ramses would take
his time getting to that point.
  "Is anyone else alive beside you that I should know about?"
  Kelvin shrugged his shoulders.  Ramses must be impatient.
"Sounds like a pretty broad question, Ramses."
  Ramses interrupted him, his voice suddenly harsh as he leaned
down, placing each of his hands on the arms of the chair and
staring straight into Kelvin's eyes.  Ramses noted the surprise
that his actions had put across Kelvin's features.  "Don't play
games with me, Kelvin.  I am not in the mood and my patience is
running very thin.  I want some answers and I want them now or I
may turn you over to these people and let them have their way
with you."
  "Why?"  Kelvin inquired, fighting to keep his voice calm.  "Why
would these people want to do anything to me?  I don't know them.
I have never met them before."
  "You were there the night that Ryan and Shari died.  You were
there and you can't deny it."
  "So?  Why are they interested in something that happened 17 or
more yahrens ago?  It was found to be an accident."
  "Was it?"  Ramses asked, his patience was almost gone.
"Someone has killed Bowman.  And an attempt was recently made on
Apollo's life as well."
  "He still lives?"  Kelvin said quietly.
  Ramses eyes narrowed at that statement.  "Why do you ask that,
Kelvin?"
  "As far as I knew Ramses, Apollo could have died in the
holocaust.  A lot of people did.  I do remember hearing that the
son of Commander Adama's died during that time."
  "That was Apollo's younger brother."
  Kelvin looked at Ramses and said bluntly.  "So what do you want
with me?  If you think I killed Bowman and tried to kill Apollo,
then your crazy.  If you can't tell by my austere wardrobe, I'm
incarcerated on the Prison Barge.  They make it a little
difficult for their guest to come and go as they please."
  Ramses stood up and looked down at Kelvin, then turned and
walked over several feet before he turned back to Kelvin, saying
pointedly, "I found out that you were in the fleet just before
this meeting."
  "You're so informed.  I would think a man in your position
would be better informed.  Why would anyone care about whose
alive or dead from that night?  It happened a very long time
ago."
  Ramses decided to get right to the point.  "I want to know if
you know who Maddock brought with him that night."
  Kelvin looked slightly confused.  "Maddock didn't bring anyone
with him that night."
  Ramses looked over at Adama, then back to Kelvin.  "The blond
boy.  The one that never spoke to anyone."
  "He didn't come with Maddock.  He was a friend of Bowman's."
  Ramses was surprised.  "Bowman's?  I always saw him with
Maddock."
  "Maddock tolerated the guy.  He was too quiet for Maddock's
taste, too secretive.  Bowman started bringing that guy with him
to several parties that we had.  Quiet guy.  Never spoke to
anyone.  But I noticed he was real interested in the kid when he
was around."
  "Interested in Apollo?  Why?"
  "How should I know, Ramses.  He never spoke to me.  And why are
you asking about him anyway?  He only was around a couple of
times.  He wasn't included in anything."  Kelvin said
offhandedly.
  "We're checking on everyone who was there that night.  Someone
killed Shari and Ryan.  Someone killed Bowman and someone tried
to kill Apollo."
  "Its probably the same person that's killed everyone that was
there that night."
  "What do you mean by that?"  Adama spoke sharply to Kelvin as
his gaze narrowed on the prisoner.
  "Everyone else from that night has been terminated and it made
to look like an  accident.  The only way I knew was that Gregor
came over to my home on Leo about a yahren before the holocaust.
It seemed that Kassim's suicide was suspicious and the Scorpion
authorities were not convinced that it was a suicide.  Just like
there was an investigation into the death of Hassim.  He
supposedly died trying to climb Mt. Mussimina.  An expert
mountain climber dies from a fall because of a supposed
miscalculation of rock stability?  Hassim was not a novice nor
was he stupid.  The strange part was when the authorities double
checked his equipment, the found that it had been very carefully
tampered with."
  "What about the others?"  Ramses asked, the hairs on the back
of his neck were rising.  .
  "Tyler's death would have been considered an accident if it had
not been found out that he was already dead before the accident
even happened.  Dylan died before Gregor could get to him."
  "Lucian and Maddock died during the holocaust.  They were
assigned to the Atlantia."  Ramses said, looking at Kelvin.
  "So everybody thinks.  Gregor talked to them about a secton
before the cylon attack.  He warned them as he warned me.  I know
that Gregor was going to see you next to warn you and Apollo.
Well, rather he was going to let you warn Apollo since you still
had communications with him."
  "I never saw Gregor.   I knew nothing about all of this."
Ramses then looked at Kelvin suspiciously.  "Why are you telling
us all this?  You have never been one to volunteer information
before, unless it was for something you wanted."
  "Because I want to live.  The prison barge isn't exactly home
sweet home, but I'm alive and I have hope to get out of there
someday.  My sentence is over half completed."
  "Your sentence is for attempted termination"  said Sheba
quietly, as she carefully watched the man before her.  "That's a
lifetime sentence."
  "The woman involved was my girlfriend and she over exaggerated
the whole thing.  She was upset because of something else that
had happened, so she wanted to make me pay.  My case was reheard
in a civilian court and my sentence reduced.  I am a free man in
two yahrens.  And I plan to live when I get out.  No more running
scared."
  "You have no idea who's behind all of this?" asked Starbuck,
his voice contained the suspicion he felt and Kelvin was aware of
it.
  "Look, if I knew, I'd tell you.  People are dying and I don't
plan to be next.  If you want my opinion on it all, I always
thought that Bowman was in on the deaths of Shari and Ryan, but I
never had any proof.  He was very nervous that night and he acted
like he was afraid of everybody there.  Plus Bowman hated Ryan
and was in love with Shari.  If it wasn't for the fact that Shari
died that night with Ryan, I would say that Bowman was definitely
the killer.  Now, I don't know."
  "What happened that night?  Why did they die?"  asked Athena,
fighting the fear that she had felt from the time of Apollo's
attack.  Fear that had threatened to take over when she read the
reports in her father's quarters.  And now the fear that she had
successfully held at bay was rising again.  She had always
learned to live with her worry for her brothers just as they had
learned to live and deal with their worry for her.
  When Zac died, Athena had felt anger with Apollo for leaving
their younger brother behind.  But after she had come to grips
with her grief, she finally saw that there was no other
alternative.  Zac had also pushed at Apollo to go and warn the
fleet, an act of courage that Athena would never forget.  Plus
she had seen for herself the pain and guilt that her older
brother had felt for Zac's loss.  Now it looked to Athena that
she might lose Apollo too.  And as much as she had prepared
herself over the yahren for that possibility because of his
status as a warrior, nothing prepared her for any of this.
  Kelvin shook his head.  "I don't know.  I wish I did.  I was
surprised as everyone else when they died.  Even though I had my
differences with Ryan, he was still my friend.  He had principals
that he wasn't afraid to voice and big dreams that he was so
close to realizing.  I really wish I knew why he died.  And why
the others have been killed."
  "You swear that you don't know who that boy was?   Or anything
else that can help us?"  Ramses asked, trying to keep the defeat
he felt out of his voice.
  "No.  I've told you all I know, Ramses.  Now my own survival,
along with Apollo's survival and your own, is dependent on your
finding whoever is doing this and stopping them.  I would tell
you more if I could."
  Ramses turned questioningly to Adama who nodded.  Ramses then
turned back to Kelvin, the despair he now felt was evident in his
tone.  "You'll be returned to the Prison Barge, but you'll be
given protection.  I will inform Council Security to post two
guards to you at all times."
  Starbuck had to control himself to stifle the comment that
threatened to burst forth from him.  He glanced at Boomer, then
moved behind Kelvin's chair and whispered quietly to Boomer,
"Reese's blackshirts protect this guy?  Kelvin might as well kiss
his asterum goodbye."
  Boomer nodded his agreement.  "He has a better chance of
protection from Muffit.  At least he'd have a fighting chance to
stay alive."
  Kelvin nodded his thanks to Ramses as he got up and left the
council chambers.  Starbuck and Boomer looked to their Commander,
then followed.  Ramses didn't even glance at Adama as he started
out the door.
  "I'll be in my quarters, Commander, if you need me."
  Adama sat there quietly, deep in thought over what he had heard
here.  Athena stood quietly, immersed in her own thoughts, with
Sheba doing the same.  Finally after several centons of
overwhelming silence, Sheba placed a light hand on her father-in-
law's shoulder.
  "It seems like the more we dig into this, the more confusing
the whole thing is."  Sheba said quietly.  Adama and Athena
looked at her as Sheba sighed to herself, afraid to meet their
glances because she knew that she would find no more comfort
there than she felt herself.  Sheba felt Adama's hand rest gently
on hers in quiet reassurance.  "There was so much more going on
here than two teenagers befriending a child or their dying under
supposedly accidental circumstances."
  Adama nodded his agreement.   "Apollo was asked to stay away,
but he went anyway.  Ryan and Shari died in what Caprican
Security classified as an accident.  Then the rest of the people
that were there that night also began to slowly be eliminated.
All of them `accidentally.'"
  "Now we have a man dead that was also there that night in an
`accident.'  Apollo attacked and left to die.  But there was no
accidental surroundings for that attack like there was for the
shuttle accident.  Why?" asked Athena, as she looked at Sheba
then her father.
  "Maybe whoever is doing this is getting desperate, for some
reason.  Their beginning to make mistakes."  Suggested Sheba.
  "Mistakes that I hope will give us the information we need to
stop this now.  I wish I knew the whole story, but that seems to
be securely locked in Apollo's memory."  Adama said with finality
as he leaned back in his chair.  "And it doesn't look like he's
going to offer any insight now if he hasn't in all this time."

                          ************

  "I just don't understand any of this."  Starbuck repeated for
about the tenth time since they entered the Commander's quarters.
He shook his head as he started pacing the floor in front of the
Commander's desk, looking at Adama intermittently.  "Ten people
have died, all of them looking like accidents, and come to find
out they were murdered.  But why?  None of it makes sense.  It's
like one of the large ice formations in the polar regions of
Aquaria.  We touched the tip and find a larger ice mass
underneath the water away from our sight."
  Boomer looked at Starbuck in mock concern, as he tried to deal
with his own feelings about the situation.  "Starbuck, you're
getting philosophical on us.  It's beginning to concern me."
  "I'd rather have that be the biggest of our concerns rather
than what's happening now."
  Apollo sat between Sheba and Athena, strangely quiet as he
listened to what they had found out from Kelvin.  Both women
exchanged concerned glances with the other as they carefully
watched Apollo's reaction to everything being said about the
situation, his face remaining stoic as he listened carefully.
Sheba reached out and grasped her husband's hand, trying to
reassure him somehow.  She was rewarded by the gentle squeeze he
gave her in return and the fact that he continued to hold her
hand firmly in his.
  "I do agree with Starbuck.  The more we search for the answers
to the questions, the more questions we seem to come up with."
said Boomer, as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his
elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands in front of him.
  This whole situation seemed like some strange dream that Boomer
wished he would wake up from.  He was concerned and worried about
Apollo, who had been too silent, too introverted since this all
began.  Boomer felt that he knew Apollo better, but instead of
the fighting spirit that he typically expected out of him, Boomer
watched his friend crawl more into a shell.  The fight seemed to
be gone and that fact alone worried him, in truth scared him more
than he would ever admit to anyone.  It was like Apollo was
admitting defeat, something Boomer never thought he would ever
live to see.  He was so use to Apollo taking command, taking
control in the face of adversity.  And Boomer wasn't sure what to
do to change that attitude around.
  Boomer shook his head, wishing he knew what to do. "It's just
like we're running a maze that someone else controls.  Only we
don't know who that someone is."
  "And we are not any closer to finding out who that unknown boy
was that night.  Ramses doesn't know him.  Kelvin doesn't know
him.  And Apollo, you have no idea who he was.  The one man that
knew is dead under questionable circumstances."  Adama said
thoughtfully.  "I can't see why all those people had to die.  Or
why someone wants to kill Apollo."
  Apollo finally spoke, his voice soft.  "There seems to be only
one way to find out."
  Adama looked at Apollo, curiously.  "What's that?"
  "Wilker can run a deep probe memory scan on me.  If the answers
are buried in my mind, that seems to be the only option left."
  "Apollo, we have already checked into that option.  You know
that.  Wilker and Salik agree that it would be too risky for you
at this time."
  "Why?  The answers are in my subconscious.  That is the only
way that I know of to get access to those answers."
  "But you have had a severe trauma.  Even that night was very
traumatic for you.  Salik and Wilker are not sure that you would
be able to handle the stress of the procedure.  Or the stress of
the memories."
  "But I have to find out the truth.  I have to find out what
truly happened that night.  Why don't I remember?"
  Cassie looked at Apollo.  "Apollo," Cassie said patiently.
"The mind finds many ways to deal with situations that it can't
handle.  You were only 11 yahrens old and you saw two people you
cared about die.  That's pretty hard for a child to deal with.
Your mind decided to protect you from those memories.  Now your
recovering from a concussion and presently under a lot of stress.
Even a normal memory scan is pretty risky to you right now."
  "Right now, Cassie, living is a pretty risky venture.  Someone
out there wants to kill me.  They have failed once.  The next
time they may succeed and we will still have no answers to our
questions.  We have no idea who is behind all of this.  The only
thing I see is someone is doing a great job in setting up Ramses
to take the blame for all these deaths."
  "You really believe he's innocent?"  Starbuck asked.  He was
concerned about Apollo's mental state himself.  Cassie had voiced
her concerns to him, but he felt that Apollo could handle just
about anything.  They had been in worse situations before and his
friend always seemed to be able to handle the stress that went
along with it.  But now Starbuck wasn't so sure anymore.
  Apollo nodded.  "Yes, I really believe he's innocent, but I
also have no idea who the guilty party is.  And I have to know."
Apollo looked at Cassie.  "I'll sign whatever needs to be signed,
but I want this scan done.  No matter what the consequences are."
  Adama sighed.  "I want more time to think about this."
  "Time seems to be something I might not have a lot of.  There's
no telling when this person will strike again."
  "Whoever it is would have to get past all of us."  Starbuck
said firmly.
  "None of you can be with me at all times."  Apollo argued
patiently.  "And whoever this is has a big advantage over us.
Since we have no clue as to his identity, he can take all the
time he needs, whether it be tomorrow or five yahrens from now. "
Apollo got up and walked over to stand beside his father.  As he
looked at the man that he loved and that he respected more than
anyone he ever knew, he could see the carefully masked worry in
his father's clear blue eyes.  "I have to know what it is that
I'm so afraid of.  What happened.  This time its not going to
fade away.  Its not going to disappear."
  "But in the quest for the truth, we cannot just rush in
blindly."
  "And what do I do if this person changes his focus out of
frustration at his inability to get to me because of all of you?
What if he turns his energies towards Boxey?  How about Sheba?
Or even to Athena?  Or you?  Any one of you?"  Apollo looked
around the room.  "I'm not going to live with that threat above
my head."
  Then Apollo knelt down beside his father, looking at him
intently, resting his hand on the arm of the chair his father sat
in.  "And if this person succeeds and does get to me somehow, we
will never know the truth.  And if everything that Kelvin said is
true, nine people have died because of what happened that night.
And I really want to know why."
  Adama didn't look at Apollo.  He didn't dare.  Not considering
the emotional battle he was waging within himself.  Finally, he
nodded and said, "I'll make the arrangements."
  Apollo nodded his agreement and his thanks.

                          ************

  The cloaked figure stood watching carefully in the shadows as
his quarry stood quietly waiting for the lift.  He agreed with
Damalis that this was a better course of action at this time.
Kill him in the open.  But it diminished his personal sense of
satisfaction and there was just a little more risk.  But if they
had followed his plan, he would get to feel vindicated.  Yes,
vindicated.
  As he stood quietly, his impatience grew.  Damalis would start
the distraction momentarily.  She had better.  He wanted this
over with.  She had taken great care in finding out that Apollo
was scheduled for a deep scan memory probe in a centar.  So now
was the time to strike.  Before they could do that.  Before
Apollo told all.  Before he was exposed.
  One shot was all he needed.  Just one.  The opportunity was
going to present itself very quickly now.  All Damalis had to do
was get those bothersome meddlers away from Apollo.  That was
all.  The figure checked the setting and the charge level on his
laser.  Everything was set.  The lift was never going to come.
All was set. Where was Damalis?  She had better not fail him.
She knew better.  They would not catch him - his escape was
assured.  He lifted the weapon, precisely pointing it straight at
Apollo.  One micron was all he need and it would all be over.
Just one.  It was time to strike.
  Now where was that diversion.

                            *********

  The explosion made a horrific sound that rumbled through the
corridor.  Starbuck and Boomer ran quickly down the corridor to
check out what had happened with weapons drawn.  Sheba pulled out
her laser automatically, walking slowly down the corridor about
65 feet with Athena and Adama behind her, all three unknowingly
leaving Apollo behind by the lift doors and exposed as he stood
alone.
  Adama didn't know what suddenly told him to turn around.  He
didn't know what told him that he had to save his son.  Later he
would remember the light scent of flowers that he smelled at that
micron.  But as he turned, remembering that Apollo was unarmed,
he started to moved hurriedly towards his child as a feeling of
imminent danger swept over him.  A warning.
  Suddenly the laser blast burst around Apollo with sparks of the
blasts falling all around him as Adama sprinted swiftly for a man
of his size, snatching Apollo from the laser fire around him.
Pushing him, shoving him down to the floor, away from the danger,
holding him to the wall, protectively covering Apollo with his
own body.   Adama felt his own heart beating wildly in his chest
as the sparks from the laser fire fell harmlessly around them.
He felt Apollo's rapid breathing and he thought he could feel the
swift thud of his son's heartbeat.
  As the laser fire ended, Adama heard Athena's cry and Sheba
screaming Apollo's and his names.  Shouts from Starbuck and
Boomer.  The running footsteps and the absence of laser fire
assured Adama that he could now raise his head and check if
Apollo was injured or not.  Adama quickly noted Apollo's wide
eyed expression of disbelief and the pale color of his face as he
looked at his father, who still held on to him, not ready to
release him.  At least not yet.
  "Apollo, are you all right?  Are you hurt anywhere?"  Adama
urgently asked as he looked Apollo over carefully, checking him
for any sign of injury.
  Apollo looked at his father and mutely nodded, not able to find
his voice at that micron.  He had tried again.  Whoever this was
had tried again.  And if it hadn't been for his father's swift
action, might have just succeeded this time.  Apollo looked at
his father with deep concern in his green eyes.
  "Are you okay?"  Apollo's voice was soft, weak sounding to
Adama's ears.
  "I'm fine."  Adama quickly reassured his son, smiling at him as
he reached up and touched Apollo's hair.  .
  Athena ran over and knelt down, touching her father and brother
to assure herself they were both all right.  Unharmed.  Her hands
were shaking and she didn't care if either one of them knew how
scared for them she was.  Sheba was there a micron later,
checking Apollo over and then Adama, her laser still drawn ready,
as she quickly looked down the corridor where the shots came
from.
  "Apollo?  Father?"  Athena looked from one to the other.
  Adama reached out and took his daughter's hand in his.  "We're
both okay, Athena."
  Starbuck and Boomer glanced quickly at the four people in their
flight as they ran past them and down the corridor.  They wanted
to finally have whoever this was.  But they knew in a micron that
their search was fruitless.  Whoever it was had disappeared
without a trace.  They jogged back up to where Adama and Apollo
still sat on the floor.
  Adama had let go of Apollo, assured that he was unharmed.  The
angry commander looked to the two warriors in an unspoken
question, which they answered with an almost imperceptible shake
of their heads.  His anger grew quickly.  Not at the warriors in
front of him, men Adama knew would lay down their own lives to
protect Apollo, but at himself.  He had walked away from Apollo.
Given an unimaginable opportunity to whoever was out there trying
to end Apollo's life.  Adama was quietly berating himself.
  Sheba on the other hand, was trying to reassure herself over
and over that Apollo was uninjured.  He was fine, aside from
being shaken up.  She touched his face, which was cold to the
touch as he looked at her, the disbelief on his face at what just
transpired.  It was almost unreal.  Adama seemed to hover over
Apollo for a centon, then slowly rose to his feet, followed by
Athena.  Sheba reached over and hugged Apollo to her tightly and
sighed, fighting back tears of relief that stung in her eyes .
  Apollo held her close and felt her body trembling.  "Sheba, I'm
okay.  It's all right."  Apollo said softly, concern for Sheba
taking over his numbed mind.
  Sheba just held on tighter, unable to control the trembling
that was overtaking her, or the fear that gripped her soul.  "We
left you.  We gave him the opportunity.  I should have stayed
right beside you.  Right at your side.  He'll never have that
opportunity again.  I swear he never will."  A quiet sob escaped
from Sheba as Apollo held her closer, trying to reassure her that
he was fine.  Apollo felt her trembling slowly cease as Sheba
leaned back so she could look at Apollo.  He reached up and
gently brushed away the tears that were on her cheeks, his heart
pained to see her like this.  Now more than ever he wanted this
scan.  No matter what the cost.  The quest for the truth paled
now in his intense desire to end this torment for Sheba.  He
loved her more than he could have ever imagined loving anyone.
To see her like this was like a knife plunged in his soul.
  "It will soon be over, Sheba.  I swear to you.  It will soon be
over."  Apollo said to her softly.  "And when it is, I'm taking
you away from all of this for a couple of days.  Just the two of
us totally alone."
  Sheba tried to smile at her husband.  She was just so thankful
that whoever it was failed again, but she fought the knowledge
that this person would definitely try again.  And again until
they caught him.
  Athena watched as Apollo and Sheba finally let go of each other
and slowly got up off the floor.  She noticed that Starbuck and
Boomer each watched the corridors before them, lasers at the
ready.  They almost looked as thought they were wishing this
person would just pop his head out so they could cheerfully blow
him away.  At that micron, she wished that she too was armed and
that the person that was behind all of this would show his face
to her.  She would make damn sure that this person would never be
able to harm her brother again.
  "Apollo?"  Starbuck looked over at his friend questioningly,
reaching out his hand to rest on Apollo's arm as if to reassure
himself that Apollo was all right.
  Apollo tried to smile reassuringly at Starbuck as he said, "I'm
okay."
  "This lift won't be coming anytime soon.  It's been tampered
with and that explosion was a storage unit.  A diversion for us
so we would hopefully walk away from Apollo and give our killer a
clear shot at him.  Lets get out of here and to the lab so Wilker
can get started on this scan." Boomer said, his anger just below
the surface as he silently chastised himself for leaving Apollo
alone.
  "Do you think whoever it was knew we were going to do this scan
on Apollo?" asked Athena.
  Starbuck turned to Athena,  "Who knows but the sooner we get
there, the sooner we may have the answers to our questions.  And
the sooner this nightmare will be over."

                           ***********
                                
  Wilker attached the last of the probes to Apollo's temple,
unsure if this was the right thing to do.  The captain had been
through a severe trauma, not once but twice.  Who's to say that
this would not kill him?  Adama watched the scientist with his
penetrating stare as Wilker turned to finish the set up.  Cassie
stood by with a full medical kit, ready to step in at any sign of
trouble.  Sheba, Starbuck and Boomer lined up on one side of the
table, with Adama sitting on the other side ready to talk Apollo
through this.  Athena stood beside Boomer, her features pale but
her outward expression one of calm.
  Wilker adjusted the large monitor so they could see the events
unfold.  He had already given Apollo the necessary combination of
drugs to induce the state he was presently in.  Wilker turned his
attention back to the group.
  "Now I am going to warn all of you to keep very quiet.  The
captain as he regresses back to that time might not recognize
your voices and that will cause confusion and possible distortion
of the memories.  Commander, you are the one that he is most
likely to respond to so you will be the one to guide him through
this.  Any questions before we begin?  Everyone understands?"
Wilker watched all heads nod as he adjusted the controls and
turned down the lights.  He then looked at Adama.  "Begin."
  "Apollo."  Adama said softly as he reached out and grasped
Apollo's hand.  "Apollo, do you hear me?"
  "Yes."
  "Where are you?"
  There was a pause.  "On the Galactica."
  "Do you know who I am?"
  Apollo gave a half smile.  "Father."
  "Good.  Very good, Apollo."  Adama said reassuringly, trying to
hide the nervousness and worry that he felt.  "Now I want you to
listen to me and do what I ask you without question, alright?"
  Apollo was silent for a micron then replied "Yes,"  very
quietly.
  "I want you to remember Apollo, I am right here beside you.  I
won't leave you for a micron.  No matter what happens I am here.
Do you understand?"
  Apollo was silent and then said ever so softly, "Yes."
  Adama sighed, glancing quickly at his son's wife, to Athena and
their friends, then back to Apollo.  "We are going to go back in
time.  We are on Caprica and you just had your 11th yahren
birthday several sectons before.  It is three sectons after
summer solstice.  I was on the Galactica on a mission at that
time, but was due home in another secton.  Athena was nine
yahrens old and Zac was five that summer.  Do you see them?"
  The monitor began flashing images - Caprica, the seashore,
Adama's house gleaming white in the fading sunlight.
  "It's night time and your mother was leaving for a meeting with
several advisors.  Your Aunt Alycia was watching your younger
siblings that night."
  The images cast on the large monitor changed to inside the
house as Ila was preparing to leave for her meeting.  Adama's
heart beat a little faster at the image of his deceased wife.
Her blonde hair shone in the lights of the house, the black dress
that she wore came down to her ankles and seemed to float as she
walked across the living room.  She was so beautiful to Adama,
who felt the acute emptiness that he had successfully kept at bay
since the destruction come rushing to the surface at the sight of
his beloved wife.  Adama felt Apollo's hand grip his tighter as
he looked down and noticed a tear fall slowly from the corner of
his son's closed eyes.  Adama reached and gently brushed it away,
wishing that they did not have to do any of this to Apollo.
  "I'm still here Apollo.  I know the memories are painful, but I
am here.  I will be here every step of the way."  Adama whispered
to his son.  "Dad's right here beside you."
  Apollo seemed to nod slightly and the images sharpened, came
more into focus.  Adama saw Athena at the age of nine, the beauty
that she would grow up to be was already evident on the childish
features.  She was sitting in the chair by the window, reading a
book.  She looked up as her mother was preparing to leave,
watching her absently.  The image of five yahren old Zac bound
into the room with their daggit chasing after him excitedly.
  "Mommy!"  Zac shouted at his mother, as he reached up for her.
Ila lifted Zac into her arms to receive the hug from her
youngest.  Ila laughed as Zac gave her a kiss on one cheek and
then the other.  "I love you, Mommy!"
  Ila smiled as she kissed her son's cheek and said, "I love you
too, Zac."
  "Do you love Athena?"  Zac asked with childish innocence.
  "Yes, I love Athena."  Ila looked over lovingly at her daughter
who smiled a shy smile in return.
  Zac put his hands to his mother's face, forcing her to look
back at him.  "And you love Apollo too?"
  Ila turned her smiling face and sparkling green eyes onto her
oldest child.  The monitor showed a quiet 11 yahren old boy
leaning against the entryway wall, quietly and solemnly taking in
the scene before him.  "And I love Apollo too."   Ila said
smiling lovingly at her oldest child.  The monitor switched back
to the boy, who rewarded her with an upturn of the corners of his
mouth shyly.
  "Then don't go.  I don't want you to go, Mommy." said Zac, who
started pouting slightly.  "I want you to stay with us.  Athena
and Apollo don't want you to go either.  So stay."
  As he sat there watching the events unfold on the monitor in
front of him, Adama could tell from the look on Ila's face that
she also wanted to stay home with her children, but she was a
woman who knew her duty to her people and she upheld it.  She
believed in what she was doing and felt that she was also doing
it for the future of her children.  Adama noted with interest as
Athena sat quietly and Apollo hid more behind the doorway, both
in silent agreement with Zac, but they would not voice their
opinions.
  "I won't be long, I promise."  Ila said quietly to Zac with a
strange catch in her voice as her youngest rested his dark head
on her shoulder.  She hugged him briefly then, before she could
change her mind, Ila let him down to stand on the floor.  "Now I
want all three of you to listen to Aunt Alycia.  I promise I'll
check on each one of you when I get back."
  Ila gathered her things, then walked over and kissed Athena,
giving her a hug.  Zac proceeded to climb into the chair with his
sister, resting his dark head against her slight shoulder.  Ila
looked at them a micron then walked over and looked at Apollo,
who raised his eyes up at her, his head and a hand still resting
on the entryway frame.  Ila gazed down at her first born child,
the love for him evident in her look.  She reached down and ran
her fingers through his dark thick hair and smiled.
  "You're growing up so fast, Apollo.  And I know that I have
been very busy for the past hectare or so, and I haven't been
able to give you the attention that I usually do.  In fact, I've
been giving most of my free time to your brother and sister,
haven't I?"  Apollo just looked at her and then nodded slightly.
"Well, your father comes home hopefully in less than a secton and
I have cleared my agenda for the next hectare.  Tomorrow, why
don't you and I do something together.  Aunt Alycia said that she
would take Athena and Zac for the day, so tomorrow will be our
day," Ila ran her fingers from his hair to his chin.  "Just you
and me.  How about that?"
  Apollo rewarded her with a smile and nodded.  Ila leaned down
and gave him a kiss and a hug, which Apollo returned.  "Now you
have to be inside in a couple of centars.  I've told your aunt
that.  Be good now."  With that Ila left.
  Watching the large monitor intently, Adama felt his heart
constrict as the door closed behind her.  He watched as the child
that was Apollo sighed and walked through the hallway to the
kitchen.  Adama felt a longing that he tried to suppress as he
looked at the house that he had built for his family.  The
familiar rooms that Apollo passed through as he went out the back
door.  He watched as Apollo passed the play area in the back lawn
that Adama had built himself, starting when Apollo was born, and
adding on more as his first born grew, in addition to the
arrivals of Athena and Zac.  The boy stopped at the back wall,
where Ila's prized flower garden lined both sides of the gate
along the stone fence that Adama had erected to keep his
adventurous children within the safety of their own lawn.
  "Apollo, you decided to go to Caspian's Cave.  You knew Ryan
and Shari were going to be there, but you didn't understand why
they did not want you there.  That was not normal for them.  But
you decided to go anyway because you felt you had to let them
know that you couldn't meet them the next day.."
  Sheba watched the monitor and the interaction between the
Commander and the man that she loved carefully.  Apollo loved his
father dearly, adored him if the truth be known.  She also knew
that Apollo had worried about how all of this would change his
relationships with everyone.  He had been scared that she would
leave him.  She couldn't imagine why he thought that for it was
the furthest thing from the truth and she reassured Apollo of
that.  Watching the monitor that showed his memories so vividly,
she could see how painfully shy Apollo was as a child.  How
quiet.  Sheba wanted to take both the boy and the man he became
into her arms and hold him close to reassure him.  But she stayed
back, letting Adama handle this while Sheba held on to Starbuck's
hand for support as they all watched the events unfold before
them.
  The scene on the screen changed to a small bonfire on the beach
at Caspian's Cave.  The 11 yahren old Apollo walked past two
boys, one looked about 17 and the other about 16 yahrens old.
Both had blond hair and were tall and thin.  Sheba felt
apprehension at the expressions that crossed their faces when
they saw Apollo.
  "Hey Apollo, I thought you weren't coming tonight.  At least
that's what Ryan said."
  "No, I decided to come."
  "Good."  The same boy replied.  Adama did not like the gleam
that he saw in the boys eyes as they looked at his son, neither
did any of the five people watching quietly as they all looked
concerned at Adama, then focused their attention back to the
screen.  "I know the others will be glad to see you.  Go on over.
They're at the cave."
  Apollo nodded and walked on.  The people intently watching the
memories heard the first boy say to the second. "He's here.  Ryan
was wrong.  It looks like we're in the cubits now."
  Apollo walked over to where he saw Ryan standing, talking to
two of his friends, then several others came over.  They
surrounded Ryan as he continued talking to them, his frustration
evident on his face.
  "Apollo, what are those boys talking to Ryan about?"  Adama
asked
  "I don't know.  I could hear raised voices when I approached
them, but they stopped when they saw me."
  "Was that normal?"
  "A lot of Ryan's group didn't understand why he kept me around.
I was a kid.  But Shari understood and so did Ramses.  Ryan never
would leave me alone with the others.  Either he or Shari or
Ramses was with me at all times."
  Every internal alarm in Adama went off at that statement.
Starbuck looked at Adama as did Sheba, Athena, Boomer and Cassie.
Starbuck went over and knelt beside his Commander.     "Why?
First that comment about being `in the cubits' just because
Apollo was there.  Now this.  He was never left alone with any of
the others.  What was going on?"  Starbuck whispered in Adama's
ear.
  Adama shook his head.  "I don't know."  Starbuck stood but
stayed next to his best friend's father as he looked back at the
monitor.  Ryan had seen Apollo approaching, his face went from
one of frustration to one of almost horror in seeing the boy.
  "No, Apollo. . . . "  Ryan broke away from the other boys and
quickly ran to meet Apollo.  "What are you doing here?  I told
you to stay away tonight.  Shari and I are coming to spend the
day with you tomorrow."
  "But that's what I wanted to tell you.  Tomorrow my mom wants
to do something with me for the day, so I won't get to go with
you."
  Ryan smiled at the young boy.  "She has noticed you again,
huh?"  Apollo nodded, returning Ryan's smile.  "I told you that
she would soon.  She's just had a lot to do.  You're the oldest
so sometimes parents feel we don't need that much attention.
They sort of take us for granted."  Ryan smiled broadly at Apollo
and ruffled his hair affectionately.  But then Ryan quickly
looked behind him at the boys that were watching Apollo.  He
turned his attention back to Apollo, his tone grew soft and
serious as he rested his hands on the child's thin shoulders.
"Now Apollo, I want you to listen to me.  You need to go home.
You can't come here anymore.  But don't worry," Ryan quickly
reassured Apollo, seeing the crushed expression of the boy's
face.  "Shari and I are not trying to lose you, forget you or
push you out of our lives.  We want you in our lives for a long
time to come.  You are Tatya's uncle and you promised us both
you'd help us with her as she grows.  Be there for her and I
fully expect you to keep that promise.  But now you have to get
out of here."
  Two other boys came up from behind Apollo and the dark-haired
one said with false greeting, "Apollo, I thought you weren't
going to be here tonight.  But we're glad that you are.  We have
special plans for you."
  "Leave him alone, Dylan.  I'm warning you..."  Ryan grabbed
Apollo and pulled the boy behind him.
  "You're warning me, Ryan?  Now that's a laugh.  You're the one
not doing your part.  No, you had to become attached to the kid."
Dylan said quietly and angrily.  "Now hand him over."
  Dylan tried reaching behind Ryan to grab Apollo, but Ryan stood
firm between Apollo and Dylan.
  "Apollo!"  Shari shouted out from the rocks that ran along the
shoreline. "Dylan, don't touch him!"
  The panic on Shari's face. . .  It was a look that frightened
Apollo.  Then he anxiously looked around him and noticed the
other boys were beginning to look at him differently. . .
starting to surround him.  Apollo heard Ryan say, "No. No.  Don't
touch him.  He's just a kid.  This is wrong!"
  The older blond boy, Maddock , said quietly, "You've gone soft,
Ryan.  He's the ticket.  Why can't you see that?  Your uncle made
a deal with all of us and he's the key to it all.  His parents
are part of the ruling class.  The blue bloods.  They will give
it all to get him back."
  "My uncle was wrong.  Can't any of you see that?  This is no
way to do it!  My uncle needs to learn how to fight his own
battles on the floor of the council.  Not take children to force
their father's to agree to some political motion.  This is not
right!  I won't let you do this to him.  He's innocent!  He is
just a boy, for sagan's sake."  Ryan argued, trying to make the
others see reason.  But they were having none of it.  Their
reasoning was thrown by the wayside as they only saw the money
that was offered.
  Maddock grabbed Ryan by the shirtfront and forcibly shoved the
older boy aside as Ryan fell into the sand, then grabbed Apollo's
arm, pinning his arms, so that Apollo's struggles against Maddock
were useless.
  "You're the ticket." Maddock growled in Apollo's ear.  "You're
the ticket to everything we ever wanted.  Your father will do
anything to get you back."
  The memories that had been so vivid to this point started to
become hazy and waver.  The screen blurred to the point that
nothing shown on it was distinguishable.  Adama felt Apollo
tighten the grip on his hand.  Adama was surprised at the
coldness of his touch and looked down at the closed eyes of his
son.  His concern for what was happening rose in him.  He should
have never permitted Apollo to do this.  They should have just
left it alone.
  "Apollo, what's happening?  What's wrong?"  Adama said
urgently.  Salik had warned him that the stress of this could be
damaging to Apollo.  Why didn't he listen?
  Adama stood and leaned over his son, still grasping his hand.
Apollo just quietly laid there, so still, no reaction besides the
almost painful tightness of his grip on his father's hand.  Adama
looked over at the screen, his face mirroring the disbelief he
felt at that micron.  Adama had figured it out, just as Apollo
probably had back then.  They were planning to kidnap Apollo.
Ryan's uncle was a councilman who wanted Adama's backing on
something at that time.  The only thing that Adama could even
think of that he was opposing at that time was a motion regarding
defense spending on Sagitaria.   Adama had opposed it because
Sagitaria already had the best and most advanced defense net in
the Colonies.  None of the other colonies had anything that could
compare to it.
  "Commander,"  Cassie interrupted, her voice strident.  "His
heart rate has climbed dramatically.  Brain waves are becoming
erratic.  Wilker wants to stop, bring him out.  I agree with
him."  Adama looked into her worried eyes, afraid of what he was
seeing there.  This had been risky, too risky maybe.  But Apollo
had agreed to it. and he had understood the risks.
  "If I may intrude, Commander."  A calm resonant voice broke the
tension.  Ramses walked through the door looking straight into
Adama's eyes.  "Maybe I can help.  Let me talk to him.  The time
has come that it all come out.  We've been living in our shells
too long.  Denying that it ever happened for too long."
  Adama just looked at him as Ramses came forward.  He stopped as
Starbuck stood in front of him, his look deadly.
  "Why should we let you help?  You were a part of all this."
  Ramses met Starbuck's cold intent gaze, not flinching.
"Because he just may listen to me, for Ryan's memory.  He may
still just trust me enough to let me help him.  I have to try.
We all need to know the truth.  The whole truth.  Apollo deserves
that knowledge.  He was so eaten with guilt that he pushed all
his true memories so deeply into his mind that he couldn't tell
anyone what truly happened that night.  He had a very distorted
view.  Now it's coming out.  Ryan and Shari's memories deserve
that truth also."
  Starbuck looked at Adama, then Sheba, then back to Ramses.
"You cause him any pain  or hurt him in any way, you will deal
directly with me.  Do I make myself clear, Councilman?"
  Ramses continued to meet Starbuck's gaze.  "Perfectly,
Lieutenant."  Ramses then walked around Starbuck, over to the
other side of Apollo, kneeling by his bedside.  He reached out
and touched Apollo's shoulder.  "Apollo, do you hear me?"
  Apollo remained silent.  Ramses took a deep breath and tried
again.
  "Apollo, please listen to me.  Acknowledge me.  I only want to
help you.  Please trust me."
  Apollo remained eerily silent.  The readings on the medical
scanners still showed readings that were still quite high.
Ramses felt some apprehension, but tried to keep it under
control.  He needed to get through to Apollo.  It was not an
option anymore.  The attacks on his life had become to close for
any semblance of comfort.
  "Apollo, please trust me."  Ramses pleaded quietly, urgency
crept into his tone.  The assembled group watched intently,
prepared to step in if Apollo showed any sign of distress.  "You
use to trust me, then for some reason you felt that I had
betrayed that trust."  Ramses spoke quietly, his tone trying to
sound reassuring, fervently wishing that Apollo would talk to
him.  Even give an indication that the dark-haired captain was
hearing him.  Ramses knew in his heart that Apollo saw everything
that happened to Ryan and Shari. That Apollo's memories were the
key to ending this all.
  "Apollo, you told me at one time that you would never trust
anyone again.  For a while after they died, you acted as though
you trusted me but for some reason one day that thread of trust
was broken and I don't know why.  Right now, though, I need you
to trust me fully again now, Apollo.  As you did when they were
alive."
  Apollo remained silent and deathly still.  This fact bothered
Adama greatly.  Adama looked up at Starbuck, gathering from the
blond-haired warrior's rigid stance that it would not take much
for him to reach out and rip Ramses from Apollo's side.  And by
the intent gaze that Starbuck was giving the whole proceedings,
he could see that the vigilant lieutenant was wishing for that
sign.
  "Apollo, please..." Ramses said slightly strident and stood
slightly over Apollo.  That was all the indicator Starbuck
needed.
  "That's it, Councilor."  Starbuck interjected firmly, giving
fair warning to the man by Starbuck's stance.  "You had your
chance."
  Ramses looked over at Adama, then Starbuck, up to Boomer and
over to Sheba and Athena.  He had to get through.  "Apollo, for
Ryan and Shari.  Please trust me.  Who am I?"  His normally even
voice rose a small decibel as he continued to push at Apollo.
What was happening?  Why wouldn't he respond?  Ramses knew he
just had to get through.  For all of their sakes.
  But the silence continued.
  "We have to bring him out, Commander."  Interjected Cassie, her
voice strained, as she looked up from the medical scanner that
she had focused at Apollo's inert form.  She did not like any of
this.  Not at all.  There was just too much risk in what Apollo
was doing, but she couldn't get him to listen to her.  He had
been driven to do this.  She could see his need to know, but she
didn't agree with it.  .
  "Don't."  pleaded Ramses to Adama.  "Please don't.  Not yet.  I
can get through to him."
  "You had your chance."  interjected Boomer as he laid a firm
hand on Ramses arm, tightening his grip with his unspoken demand
to the councilor.  Boomer did not like this man or trust him in
any way.  And he wanted the man as far away from his friend as he
could get him.
  "Apollo, for God's sake, who am I?"  Ramses raised his voice as
he grabbed Apollo's arm and slightly shook him.  That was the
wrong thing to do.  Adama, his eyes flashing, started to rise out
of his chair, reaching for Ramses with his free hand to forcibly
remove this man from Apollo's side.  Starbuck was on the move as
Boomer began pulling at the Virgonian.  Athena and Sheba both
opened their mouths as if to make their displeasure known when a
soft, barely audible voice broke through.
  "Ramses." Apollo replied quietly.
  Ramses' face broke into a slight pleased smile as he then
proceeded to slowly resume his position at Apollo's side.  Boomer
and Starbuck stopped as Adama looked down at his son.  Sheba
closed her mouth, then stood quietly, taking in every detail, but
stood ready to forcibly remove Ramses if she felt it necessary.
Athena's expression was a mixture of emotions, ones that she
wasn't sure how to deal with.  But she, too, kept a wary eye on
the councilor.  All he had to do was make one wrong move or say
the wrong thing to her brother, and Ramses would regret it.  She
would make sure of that.  For some reason, one that Athena did
not understand fully, she strongly wished that Zac was here now.
She didn't even have to guess how her impulsive younger brother
would have reacted to all of this.  Everything that had happened
to Apollo.  She knew exactly how protective Zac was about their
older brother and she also knew exactly what he would have done.
  "Do you trust me?"  Ramses said quietly.
  The silence seemed to go on forever, then Apollo spoke softly,
"Yes."
  "Then we will remember again."
  "Father. . . . ."  Apollo moved his head slightly as his brow
furrowed, searching for any indication of his father's continued
presence and support.
  "I'm still here, Apollo.  We're all here.  I'll be right here
with you."  Adama replied reassuringly.  Apollo seemed to relax,
then nodded.
  "Let's go on, Apollo.  You will remember that night in every
detail.  Nothing that you remember will harm the memories of
Shari and Ryan.  Tatya deserves to know the truth about her
parents."  The monitor remained fuzzy and Cassie shook her head.
  "We have to bring him out.  This is too dangerous.  His life
signs are becoming very unstable."  Cassie said anger creeping
into her voice.  This had to end.  Now it was becoming too
dangerous on Apollo.  Too stressful.  Any more and Cassie
couldn't guarantee that Apollo would not suffer some sorts of
mental `damage' from this ordeal.
  Ramses looked imploringly at the people before him, then back
to Apollo.  "Apollo, to get to the truth you must remain in
control and remain calm.  Nothing and no one can hurt you now.
These are memories of the past and I am here to help you remember
the events of that time."
  Ramses looked at the monitor.  It was slowly beginning to
clear.  Ramses leaned down and whispered to Apollo so that the
others could not hear.  "You have done everything and more that
they ever hoped for and asked of you.  You have nothing to feel
guilty over.  Let it go, Apollo.  Please let it go and let
justice be done."
  The monitor slowly began to clear and the images on it became
sharper.  Ramses looked at Cassie.  She nodded, hesitantly.
  "His brain wave pattern is beginning to stabilize.  Heart rate
is still high though."
  "Wouldn't yours be if you were reliving a nightmare?"  Ramses
kept his voice even.
  Wilker came up to Adama.  "I need to give him another small
injection to continue to stimulate the memories.  It's going to
be about 10 centons before you can begin again."
  Adama looked to Sheba, who sighed and slowly nodded her
consent.  Adama looked back to Wilker and nodded his approval,
secretly wondering to himself if what they were going to find out
was worth the price Apollo was paying.  Apollo himself wanted to
remember - to know the truth.  Adama had always believed that no
one had to fear the truth, but now he wondered.  The memories
they had already seen proved that there was more happening that
night than just a group of teenagers at the beach.  They had
planned to kidnap Apollo, but they didn't succeed.  For that
Adama thanked the Lords.
  Adama looked over at Sheba, noting her worried expression and
the tight grip she had on Apollo's other hand.  He knew exactly
how she was feeling at that micron.  She didn't want this to go
on.  She wanted to stop right now, but he also knew that Apollo
asked her, extracted a promise from her that she would not try to
stop the scan.  Just as he had asked Adama to continue on with
it, no matter what happened.  Apollo had to know the truth.  He
had to know everything that happened that night.  For his own
peace of mind.  Adama didn't agree, but only because he wanted to
protect his son.
  Ramses sighed as he looked at Apollo's quiet form.  "Apollo
never really remembered all the details of what happened that
night.  But he strongly remembered the guilt he felt - guilt
feelings that I never understood and somehow he learned to live
with.  I know he saw who it was that hit Shari and who pushed
Ryan off the cliff."
  Sheba looked over at Ramses sharply, her expression puzzled and
guarded.  "But the official report was that she fell and hit her
head."  replied Sheba, watching the dark man warily.  "And that
Ryan slipped from the path, falling to the rocks below."
  Ramses shook his head.  "I didn't believe that report then and
I still don't.  Not after what Ryan's uncle had planned and the
money he was offering those boys to have his plan carried out.
There was a lot at stake."
  Adama finally spoke, his voice harsh and cold.  "You were going
to kidnap him, steal away my child.  My son."
  "Yes." Ramses admitted pointed as he stared unflinchingly at
Adama, knowing full well that Adama had figured out what was
happening that day.  "Ryan's uncle wanted your backing on a
matter before the council, but you felt that it was unwise.
Because of your persuasive arguments against whatever Stavros
wanted, the other members of the council were agreeing with you.
In the final outcome, Stavros lost a lot of political clout
because of that back on his home planet of Sagitaria, not to
mention an unbelievable amount of money.  But while the debate
wore on about his plan, he was a desperate man.  Unreasonable.
Calculating."  Ramses sighed and looked at Apollo's closed eyes
and pale features.  "Stavros carefully looked into taking all of
your children.  Your youngest was only a very small boy.  It was
felt he would have been too much trouble.  None of the guys
wanted to deal with a little girl.  They felt that they didn't
want to deal with tears and hysterics.  That left Apollo."
  "Everything that Stavros could find out about him showed him to
be a quiet child, old enough to not be a problem, intelligent
enough to follow directions.  And he was more accessible than the
other two.  So the plan became solid and viable.  Ryan started
winning his trust, his confidence.  Ryan didn't even want to do
this, but was forced to by his uncle.  Stavros helped Ryan's
mother financially and it was help that was needed, since his
father had died.  He had four younger brothers and sisters that
the financial help fed and clothed."
  Ramses sighed again.  "Ryan felt that he could go through with
it until he met Apollo.  Ryan's job was to get close to him,
which he did and fast.  Apollo was such an amiable child.  He was
soft spoken, a little too serious sometimes.  Sensitive, gentle,
very shy but friendly.  But he also had a temper and could be
very stubborn.  But he was nothing of what we expected.  And that
New Spring and Summer seasons were a turning point time for him
that we all went through when we were that age. He was vulnerable
and under so much additional pressure to succeed and accomplish
things.  Maybe not by you, Commander or your wife, but by others
- his instructors, others that he came in contact with.  Just
because he was your son and the first born."
  "He was feeling left out of so many things.  He was confused by
things.  He wanted to be left alone by his siblings.  He missed
you and wanted you to come home  But unfortunately, you were gone
on a mission for a longer time than originally planned.  His
mother was tied up in politics and negotiations so any free time
she had was given to the younger children before him.  He was
totally alone.  Left to his own devices."
  Adama nodded.  "The mission took a hectare longer than
expected.  The Galactica was due in for a refitting that summer."
Adama didn't feel like mentioning that he was home on Caprica for
six hectares while the ship was being totally refitted.  He was
home every day with his wife and children and it was a time Adama
had enjoyed thoroughly.
  "So you took advantage of a child's feelings.  All this was
planned.  Ryan becoming the trusted friend to a child.  But in
the end Ryan couldn't do it, could he?"  asked Boomer
  "No.  Neither could Shari or I.  Ryan and Shari got very
attached to him.  They took him places, did things with him,
talked to him.  They would talk for centars.  None of us could
believe how intelligent he was.  How imaginative.  His potential
was blinding even to a 16 yahren old and two 17 yahren olds.  And
he was only 10 yahrens old.  Had just turned 11 for heaven's
sake.  In a lot of ways, he was older than his yahrens.  But in
many ways, he was still a child getting ready for adolescence -
scared to go forward, but didn't want to go back either.  He was
so vulnerable that summer."
  Starbuck looked at him angrily.  "So you were going to go
through with it and take a boy away from his family.  What made
you think that you would ever get away with it?  The Commander
would have came after you with everything he had as his
disposal."
  "Wait!"   Cassie interjected softly, but they could hear the
anger in her tone.  "What I want to know is what made you change
your minds?  Was it the fact that they became attached to Apollo
or something else?"
  "Ryan was never a malicious or deceitful person.  He was very
honest.  Very easy going, good natured.  He told his uncle there
was no way anyone was touching Apollo.  But Stavros wouldn't
listen.  He continued to threaten him, make life miserable for
him, trying to get Ryan to bend to his will.  Ryan then found out
that the other boys were going to go through with it anyway.  But
in one confrontation, the one before they died, Stavros became
incensed with the three of us.  We found out that his plan
included not giving Apollo back when it was over."
  "Not giving him back?" said Sheba, her voice rose slightly at
the thought of how things could have turned out for Apollo.
Athena gasped and looked at the dark-haired man, pure hatred in
her eyes.  Starbuck took a step back, a quick set of emotions
crossing his features..
  "What do you mean?" asked Boomer angrily.
  "Stavros planned to do away with Apollo so he could never tell,
never implicate Stavros or any of us.  He had two plans.  The
first was to take him to a facility in the Gamitar cluster and
erase his memories.  They were quite good at that there.  Then he
would have been given to a family on one of the primitive
outposts.  Someplace that he would have never been found on.
Even with the infinite resources at the disposal of a battlestar
commander."
  Adama's heart sank as he realized how close he came to losing
his son permanently all those yahrens ago.  "What was the other?"
  "If plan one didn't work, Stavros wanted to kill him so that he
could never tell anything." Ramses said quietly.
  "What's the real reason you came here today, Ramses?" asked
Boomer as he narrowed his dark eyes at the councilman.  "Is this
concern and desire to help all an act?  Did you hope that Apollo
would still not remember anything?  Are you the one who tried to
kill him in the landing bay?"
  "No!  I want to know what happened.  I have my suspicions who
attacked Apollo, but he's supposedly dead now."
  "Who?"
  "Bowman."  Ramses said looking across the table.  "I believed
that Bowman wasn't as spineless as he let on that he was, but all
of his actions said that he was a coward.  Apollo had no
tolerance for him and Bowman knew it.  He would gloat Apollo's
temper every chance he got and the fastest way to Apollo was to
insult Ryan's memory.".
  Wilker interrupted them.  "Look, I have given him the injection
and it's taking effect.   But this is it.  I will not give him
any more.  The Captain can't take much more of this.  Nothing is
worth the danger this is putting his life and sanity in.  Finish
this now or you will never get another chance."
  Adama nodded and watched as Ramses leaned down and started
talking to Apollo.
  "You need to go back, Apollo.  You need to look at everything
that happened that evening.  There was still light out.  Caprica
never got completely dark during that part of the summer.  Shari
was on the rocks by the cave entrance and Ryan was arguing with
Dylan, Maddock and some others."
  The monitor started to clear and images came in focus.
  "My uncle was wrong.  Can't any of you see that?  This is no
way to do it!  My uncle needs to learn how to fight his own
battles on the floor of the council.  Not take children to force
their father's to agree to some political motion.  This is not
right!  I won't let you do this to him.  He's innocent!  He is
just a boy, for sagan's sake."  Ryan argued, trying to make the
others see reason.  But they were having none of it.  Their
reasoning was thrown by the wayside as they only saw the money
that was offered.
  Maddock grabbed Ryan by the shirtfront and forcibly shoved the
older boy aside as Ryan fell into the sand, then grabbed Apollo's
arm, pinning his arms, so that Apollo's struggles against Maddock
were useless.
  "You're the ticket." Maddock growled in Apollo's ear.  "You're
the ticket to everything we ever wanted.  Your father will do
anything to get you back."
  Maddock started dragging Apollo away, but stopped and looked
down at Ryan, who was picking himself up off the sand.
  "You're a coward and a fool, Ryan.  He is nothing to you and
after this summer, he'll forget all about you and Shari.  He is
no relation to you.  His family has everything - money, political
power, social power.  They have everything that we want.  And now
we can have it all if we do what we have been asked.  We can take
what your uncle gives us and then ransom him to his family
ourselves."  Maddock said.
  "We would be set for life."  replied Dylan.  "No more living
like we're nothing.  No more having nothing."
  "No.  We would be no better than the criminals that are
imprisoned on the penal planet.  This is wrong!  What right do we
have taking him away from his home and his family?  Let him go."
Ryan said angrily as he got up off the sand.
  Maddock dragged Apollo away with Dylan and Kassim following.
Apollo tried to struggle against his captor, but his heart wasn't
in it.  Apollo felt a deep sadness and depression come over him.
He wouldn't look at Ryan, who was following close behind the
others.   Ryan had lied to him.  Ryan wasn't his friend.  It was
all a lie.  He had been used. . . . used by Ryan.  Someone he
trusted.  Maddock forcibly sat the boy down on the floor of the
cold, damp cave.  Apollo sat quietly, his eyes downcast as
Maddock bound Apollo's hands and feet, then secured him to a
stake driven into the wall of the cave.
  When he was satisfied that Apollo couldn't escape, Maddock
turned back to Ryan.  "This is why I should have been chosen
instead of you.  You made the mistake of becoming attached to a
caprican kid.  But you succeeded with the plan.  In fact, he
trusted you so much that he never told his family about you,
which is great.  No one has any clue about us."
  "I want to talk to him Maddock.  Alone."
  Maddock and the other boys laughed as Maddock looked over at
the downcast child, then back to Ryan.  "Go ahead.  I don't think
he going to be too talkative though.  And I'll take the release
key for his bindings with me."
  With that Maddock left the cave with the two other boys close
behind.  Ryan looked down at Apollo, his eyes reflecting the pain
he felt at that moment.  But Apollo never saw that.  Never moved
from where he sat. The silence that emanated from Apollo was
killing Ryan.  He had to make Apollo understand.  He knew how
hurt Apollo was right now, but he had to make him understand.
  "Apollo. . ."  Ryan reached out to touch Apollo, but flinched
as Apollo angrily shook off his hand and curled himself up into a
fetal position as far away from Ryan as he could get.  "Apollo,
please.  Please listen to me.  Let me explain."
  Apollo remained silent.  Ryan could see a tear escape from
Apollo's eye and slip silently down his cheek.  Ryan wanted to
brush it away, to comfort Apollo but didn't.  He knew what
Apollo's reaction would be.
  "Apollo, you have to listen to me.  I never meant to hurt you.
I asked you to stay away tonight because I knew that they had
planned to take you away this night.  That's why I told you not
to come.  Apollo, Shari and I love you . . ."
  "Yeah, right.  I've heard this before."  Apollo said spitefully
and in disbelief.
  Ryan became upset.  "Apollo, I am not your father.  You and I
have talked about your anger with him right now. He is a
commander on a battlestar.  He has to do what he has to do.  He
can not be like other parents.  Neither can your mother.  And as
for your father's delay in coming home, the mission got extended.
He's coming home in what . . . a secton?   And your problems with
your mother are now working themselves out, aren't they?
Tomorrow . . ."
  Apollo looked at him, anger and hatred in his eyes.  "I guess
this time I'm the one who won't be able to make it.  Maybe she'll
know what it feels like to be stood up and pushed aside."
  Ryan grabbed Apollo's arm, forcing Apollo to look at him as he
pointed a finger at him.  "Don't you use that tone around me and
be disrespectful to your mother.  You have to remember to
understand . . ."
  Apollo exploded.  "Understand?!  Understand!  Just like I have
to understand why you lied to me?  Why both you and Shari lied to
me?  Just like my father, just like my mother.  Only your lie is
worse.  My parents have to love me because I'm their kid.  They
have no choice.  Their stuck with me.  But you and Shari both
said you loved me.  That you cared about me.  I was your little
brother.  I was there to name Tatya.  Everything you said to me,
everything you did was a lie.  I can't trust you.  I can't trust
Shari.  I can't trust anyone.  Everyone wants me for who my
parents are, not for me.  Not just for me."  Apollo laid his head
against the cave wall, averting his eyes from Ryan's.  "You're
just like everybody else."
  "But I do love you, Apollo.  So does Shari.  And you are my
little brother.  I never wanted to be a part of this, and neither
did she.  I will get you out of here.  I promise."
  Apollo didn't reply.  Didn't look at Ryan.  Ryan looked at
Apollo then quietly stood and walked out of the cave.
  Ramses looked at the monitor in disbelief.  "Oh my god." was
all he could say.  He looked down at Apollo and then back at the
monitor, his eyes staring at the sight of a young child left
alone in a cold dark cave.
  Adama had other thoughts racing through his mind as he had
listened to the exchange between Apollo and Ryan.  The anger that
was in Apollo at that time.  At his mother.  At him.  Was it just
part of teenage rebellion, anger or something else?  Had he been
a bad father?  He had tried to do his best with his children.
They were the most important part of his life, next to his wife.
Everything he had done had been for them and their future.  But
the hurt in Apollo's voice.
  The monitor lightened as someone entered the cave.
  "Apollo."  a soft voice said.  Apollo didn't move.  "Apollo,
will you please look at me?  I brought you a light and I want to
talk to you."
  "What about?"  Apollo asked curtly, not looking at her.
  Shari sighed and sat down in front of Apollo and looked at him,
her dark violet eyes concerned.
  "You know what about, Apollo."  Shari sat patiently as Apollo
avoided looking at her.  "I'm not leaving here until you talk to
me.  I can be just as stubborn as you're being."
  Apollo finally lifted his head and looked at her, the hurt he
felt growing.  He had believed them.  He had truly believed them.
He thought they cared about him as much as he cared about them.
But it was all a lie.  People just wanted him because of who his
parents were.  That was all.  His family connections.  Not for
just himself.  Not for who he was.
  "Are you here to lie to me some more, Shari?"
  Apollo could see that his arrow hit true.  Shari's face showed
hurt and remorse.  For that he was glad. . . . . sort of.
  "Apollo, what we did, what we said to each other.  Ryan and I
never lied to you.  We never ever would do anything to hurt you.
I admit that our meeting was planned, but we were being forced to
do what we did, Apollo.  Ryan and I asked you not to come here
tonight.  Not to come here anymore.  Ryan told me why you did and
I understand that.  Maybe if we had told you why we didn't want
you here tonight, you would have stayed away.  But we didn't
because we thought we could handle this.  Handle them.  We just
wanted to protect you."
  "Why are you doing this to me?"
  "Ryan's uncle is the one behind this.  He's the one who has the
others turned against us.  Ryan, Ramses and I are not going to
let them take you from here."
  "My father is not going to give in to anyone's demands.  You've
all wasted your time."
  "If we fail in getting you out of here, and even if your father
does do what Stavros' ask, you'll never be going home again."
  Apollo looked at her, surprised, then pain and fear came into
his eyes.  "Why?"
  Shari sighed.  "Stavros plans to send you to Gamitar cluster.
There they do a mind sweep and erase your identity from your mind
and give you a new one.  He plans to give you to a family on a
primitive outpost where your father would never find you.  The
colonial fleet never goes there."  Shari looked at the dismayed
look Apollo gave her.  She was not going to tell him the
alternative plan that Stavros revealed to them the other night.
  "My father will search for me, Shari."  Apollo looked at her,
his eyes wide.  "He'll search."
  "But he won't find you, Apollo.  Stavros is thorough.  Now you
have to listen to us, Apollo."  Shari laid her hand on Apollo's
arm.  "We are going to get you out of here.  Ryan is waiting for
Ramses to show up right now."   Shari stopped as rushed footsteps
sounded though the cave and Ryan appeared.  He was out of breath.
  "We have to get him out of here, now."  Ryan said excitedly.
"Stavros's people are on their way to get him and should be here
within 20 centons."
  "How did they get here so fast?"  Shari asked, her eyes wide.
  "Stavros must have had them stationed on Caprica.  Damn"  Ryan
said angrily as he started to pace.  "He's throwing in changes to
the plan that we don't know about.  We have to get Apollo out of
here and fast."
  Shari stood and walked over to Ryan, placing a restraining hand
on his arm.  "What about Ramses?"
  "He just got here.  I haven't got to tell him what's happening
yet.  And now there's no time."  Ryan looked at Apollo.  "We are
going to have to do this right now.  There's no second chances."
Ryan pulled a release key card from his pocket and undid the lock
on the bindings.  Apollo looked at him in surprise.  "Maddock
thought there was only one set of keys."  Ryan looked seriously
at Apollo.  "Now when we get out of here and I tell you to, you
run.  Run for home as fast as you can.  Don't look back.  Just
run.  Hopefully Shari, Ramses and I will be following you
shortly.  But no matter what, you run and don't stop for any
reason."
  Apollo looked at him wide-eyed and nodded his head.
  "Shari, see if you can divert the other guys attention away
from the cave entrance.  Try to tell Ramses to get over here.
But then get their attention.  Argue with them, have hysterics,
anything.  Just get them over away from the entrance."
  Shari nodded and turned to leave.  Then she turned back and
gave Apollo a kiss on the cheek.        "We'll see you soon.
Just remember to run."  With that, Shari ran from the cave.
  "When you get home, have your mother call the authorities.
Stavros, my uncle planned all of this.  You won't be safe until
he's in prison.  He'll try this again and soon.  The vote for his
proposal is coming up on the council's agenda in three sectons."
Ryan grabbed Apollo's hand and dragged him to the cave entrance,
looking around for any of the other boys.  He saw none.  Shari
had done her job.  Ryan caught sight of his most trusted friend,
Ramses standing by the door, looking puzzled.  Luckily the others
were over by the rocks.  Shari looked to be arguing with them.
  "Ramses, get Apollo out of here."  Ryan pushed Apollo into the
arms of a startled Ramses, then started to run over to where
Shari was.  He didn't get far.  Maddock and Kassim met him and
stood threateningly in front of him, blocking his path.  Ramses
took in what was happening and the dark-haired boy grabbed
Apollo's arm, trying to drag him away.
  Apollo grew frightened at what he saw happening next and
fought Ramses.  "No, Ryan . . .
  "No, Apollo.  I have to get you out of here.  Can't you see
what is happening?" Ramses said quietly, urgently, pulling on
Apollo's arm, trying to drag the reluctant boy away.
  "No, Ramses.  Maddock and Kassim have Ryan!"  Apollo said
desperately.  Fear was starting to overcome Apollo as he watched
Maddock grab Ryan's arm then looked at Ramses and Apollo.
  "Damn you, Ryan!  You released him!  The kid's getting away!
Kelvin, Dylan, get him!"  Maddock yelled.  He then turned to
Ryan.  "You're coming with me, traitor. Let's go."
  "Apollo!  Apollo, run.  Get out of here!"  Shari turned to the
boys around her.  "Let him go.  He can't harm you.  He's just a
child.  He won't tell anyone anything.  He's harmless."
  "His father's not.  He'll tell his father and then we'll be
sitting on a penal colony."  another boy said.
  "No Tyler.  He won't tell.  Please let him go."  Shari pleaded
with the boys around her.  Then she turned her attention to
Apollo.  "Apollo, promise me.  You never break a promise.
Promise me that you will never tell what happened here tonight.
Promise me."
  Apollo looked up at Shari and said solemnly, "I promise.  I
won't tell."
  Shari smiled at Apollo, then turned to the other boys.  "See?
Just let him go."
  "You've gotten so soft, Shari."  Tyler said malevolently.
"Maybe we need to take care of you too."
  Apollo's heart was racing at that statement.  The panic it
induced in the slight boy.  "Shari!!"  Apollo somehow broke away
from Ramses, eluded Dylan and Kelvin as they made a grab for him
and ran towards Shari as Ramses tried to make a desperate grab
for the slender boy.  But Apollo was fearful - he knew they were
going to hurt her. . . he had seen an arm raise...
  Sweat was breaking out on Apollo's face as he laid there on the
table, Adama grasping one hand, Sheba the other and Ramses at his
side.  Starbuck and Boomer flanked the Commander.  Athena stood
quietly behind Sheba.  Cassie moved in closer, her eyes
apprehensive as she monitored his life signs and watched what was
happening.
  "I have to get to Shari!"  Apollo said breathlessly.
  "What did you see, Apollo?  Why do you have to get to Shari?"
asked Ramses as he tried to remain calm.
  "I have to!  Don't you see?  I have to.  They're crazy."
Apollo breathlessly pleaded.
  "Apollo, look at what's happening.  Stop and look."  Ramses
said quietly, but forcefully.  "What do you see?  What made you
so desperate to get to Shari?"
  "NO!"
  "Apollo, what did you see?"
  "A . . .a hand.  Something in a hand.  A . . .a . . .rock.  Yes
. . . . .a rock."  The monitor showed in slow motion an arm
raising behind Shari.  The arm raised . . .and then fell . . .
.and so did Shari.
  "Who was it?  Who hit Shari?"
  Apollo gently shook his head.  "I don't know.  I couldn't see
them.  Only the arm.  It wore red."
  Again the monitor showed the arm raise behind Shari and then
fall.  Shari fell back with a cry, her body falling and the other
boys stood there, nondescript looks on their faces, not helping
her, just staring at her as she fell back onto the rocks.  None
of them moving to help her.  They just stared at her still form
as she laid unmoving on the rocks.
  Apollo looked over and saw Ryan being led up the rocky path
that went over the cave and up to the top of the cliff.  He
hadn't seen what happened.  Apollo ran as fast as he could to
Shari, shoving the other boys out of his way.  Ramses ran right
behind him trying to grab him before the others did.
  Apollo stopped and stared in horror and disbelief at what he
saw.  Blood spilled from Shari's broken skull over the bare
rocks, forming a small stream in the valley's between the rocks.
Her arms outstretched, her eyes closed, her beautiful long blond
hair that Apollo loved to brush for her was turning red with her
blood.
  Apollo looked up as he heard a cry, a wail really.  Sounding
like an animal in pain.  "Shari!"  Ryan was looking down from
above, his face contorted in grief and anger.  "Shari!"
  Apollo could feel the tears running unchecked down his cheeks
as he stared back at the young woman on the ground.  His Shari.
His friend.  Dead.  The boy stumbled over the rocks, half
crawling to her still body, reaching out to touch her face.
"Shari. . . " he cried,  "Shari, wake up.  Don't leave me.  Don't
leave us.  We need you."  Apollo laid his head down on the dead
girl's chest and cried for her, grieving.  "I'm sorry, Shari.
It's all my fault.  I'm so sorry."  She was dead.  He didn't even
listen for the beating of her heart, because he knew it wouldn't
be there.
  Apollo felt the tugging at his arm and finally somebody lifting
him off of the dead girl's body.  He didn't understand a word
they said, he just wanted to be near Shari.  He cried out for
them to let him go, leave him alone.  He struggled against the
arms that held him.  He heard Ramses voice in his ear, telling
him they had to get out of here.
  Apollo heard Ryan's scream Shari's name again and then scream
Apollo's, begging him to run.  Pleading with him.  Apollo looked
up and saw Ryan falling.  Everything seemed like it was happening
in slow motion for Apollo.  Ryan falling and yelling Apollo's
name.  Apollo kept shaking his head, saying "No. . . no. . .
.no."  over and over again till finally he couldn't take anymore.
Shari was dead and it was all his fault.  Ryan. . . .  Apollo
screamed for Ryan, kicking and clawing at the arms that held him.
  Suddenly he was free and he ran for all he was worth to the
fallen Ryan, crying out his friend's name over and over again.
Apollo could hear Ramses following him, cursing all the way,
telling Apollo to stop.  But Apollo was beyond hearing.  He had
one objective - one goal.  To get to Ryan.
  As he slid to his knees beside the still form of his friend,
Apollo saw that Ryan was still alive, but barely.  Blood trickled
from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were glazed in pain.  Ryan
looked up at the tear streaked face of Apollo, felt the boy's
shaking hands lift Ryan's head,  placing it gently in his lap.
"Apollo. . . "
  "Ryan, don't die.  Please don't die.  I'll get help. . . .I'll
get my mom. . . . .my Aunt Alycia, she's at the house.  She's a
warrior. . . she'll help us.  Ryan, don't leave me.  I'm sorry.
This is all my fault.  All my fault. . . . "  The crying boy
touched his friend's face with shaking hands, his tears falling
and leaving a wet trail on Ryan's face.  Ryan's pain glazed eyes
tried to focus on the young boy's crying face as he tried to
convince Apollo to get away from here.
  "Apollo. . . . you have to run.  You have to go home and don't
look back.  Only your parents can protect you now.  Contact your
dad somehow.  Tell him what has happened here."
  "I will, Ryan, I will.  Don't die.  Ryan, you can't die."
Apollo pleaded.  "I'll call my dad somehow.  He'll help us.  He
won't let you die.  Please Ryan, don't die.  Don't leave me."
  "You promise me Apollo, you run, keep running.  Don't stop.
Don't trust anyone for a micron.  I don't care who they are.
Run.  Now promise me, little brother."
  Apollo nodded.  "I promise."
  "Ramses, get him out of here. I can't protect him now.  Ramses,
I trust you to protect him!"  With that, Ryan's eyes rolled back
into his head and he breathed his last breath.
  "NO!"  Apollo screamed.  "No Ryan, don't die!!"
  "Come on kid. . . . ."
  A hand grabbed at him and Apollo pushed it away, jumping to his
feet, screaming.
  "He dead!  Ryan's dead!  Shari's dead!  Get away from me!  I'll
never trust anyone again.  Everything was a lie.  A lie!"  With
that the distraught child started running.  Running as fast as he
could.  Ryan was dead, Shari was dead, and everything was all his
fault.  They told him not to come tonight.  They asked him, told
him not to come.
  Wilker broke in.  "That's it!  Everything is off the chart.
He's done.  I'm bringing him out of this.  Apollo can't take
anymore."  With that, Cassie placed the hypo against a vein in
Apollo's neck and injected him with a tranquilizer.  He relaxed
immediately, his head rolling limply to the side.  Wilker removed
the probes and the monitors.
  Adama reached out, brushing the stray tear that fell from the
corner of Apollo's closed eye, then reached up to touch his son's
hair.  "My lord. . . . Apollo. . . "  Adama's thoughts raced as
he wondered why Apollo never told him about any of this.  Why he
never told his mother?  If only he had known.  Apollo knew how to
get in contact with his father.  Adama would have taken emergency
leave to be there for his son.
  Ramses's shoulders sagged in disappointment as he looked at
Apollo's still form.  "He didn't see who did this.  He didn't see
who killed them."
  "It's over.  It's done.  No more.  Just no more."  Sheba said
firmly, tears running down her face.  What Apollo experienced,
what he felt.  The weight of that guilt on a boy of such tender
years.  Sheba looked at Wilker.  "How long till I can take him
back to our quarters?"
  "As soon as Cassiopeia completes her medical scan, we'll take
him back for you."  Wilker said quietly.
  "How soon till he can be asked question. . . ." Ramses began.
  "NO!"  Sheba turned on Ramses, her dark eyes blazing in anger.
"No.  No more questions.  No more probes or memory scans or
anything.  It's over and it's done.  He didn't see who did it.
Now leave him alone!"  Sheba gave Ramses a look of hatred and
held on tightly to her husband's hand.
  "But you don't understand. . . . "
  "Oh yes, we understand.  We understand a whole lot more than
you think!"  Snapped Starbuck.  "A kidnapping fell apart.  Two
people died protecting Apollo from that kidnapping and that
traumatized an 11 yahren old boy.  All this time, the memory was
buried in his subconscious, away from him.  Now those memories of
that night have been dredged up for him to have to relive all
over again.  Well Apollo has endured enough.  No more.  No more
questions.  No more guilt is going to be laid on him.  Nothing.
It's done."
  "You forget.  Someone tried to kill him too."
  "Maybe that someone was you, Sire Ramses."  said Boomer, his
anger just below the surface.
  "Why would I do that?  I have no motive.  I was trying to
protect Apollo."
  "Then who else is there?"  asked Starbuck.  "Kelvin is
incarcerated on the prison barge.  He said he didn't even realize
that Apollo was alive when we confronted him.  Mylinna has no
reason to try to kill Apollo or to kill Bowman, if he was
murdered."
  "I still say Bowman is alive and in the fleet."
  "You're so obsessed with proving that Bowman is a murderer that
you've blinded yourself to any other possibilities."  Sheba said
angrily.
  "What are those possibilities?"
  She looked at him pointedly.  "You didn't know that Kelvin was
alive.  How about others?  We have one that no one knows who he
was.  What if he's alive and in this fleet?"
  Boomer looked perturbed.  "Great.  We have a possible suspect,
but no one knows his name or what he looks like.  Let alone if
he's even alive."
  "I still think this Kelvin knows more than he's letting on."
Sheba said as she looked at Apollo's quiet form.
  "Why?  Was it something he said?"  asked Starbuck.
  Sheba shook her head.  "No.  Call it woman's intuition because
I can't explain it."
  "A gut feeling?"  Adama asked.  "I thought the same thing when
we were questioning him.  He acted like he wanted to say
something else."
  Sheba wished she understood what she felt when they talked to
the insolent Kelvin.  But she couldn't.  Athena felt that he
wasn't telling all he knew either, but couldn't explain why.  All
that mattered to Sheba at this micron was that she get Apollo out
of here and away from Ramses.  The man's obsession was beginning
to wear on her.  And that obsession was pushing Apollo into a
deeper depression.  She had noticed from the beginning how Apollo
was pulling away from everyone.  And the more that they delved
into this mystery, the more she noticed this air of defeat
surround him.  It was so unlike him.
  One of the things that had first attracted her to Apollo was
that he was a fighter.  And in the face of adversity, his
fighting spirit became stronger, more forceful.  Able to take
command of the situation.  The fact that they were both strong
people made their relationship, then their marriage very solid.
They understood each other.  They knew when to give in to the
other and when to stand firm.  But this defeated attitude, this
air of depression was one Sheba was not use to.
  At that micron, Sheba committed herself to helping Apollo
through this, no matter what.  To help him accept what happened
to him.  Wilker assured her that he would now remember everything
that happened in time, but not right away.  Bits and pieces would
come to him slowly.  It may take centars, sectons, maybe even
yahrens, but it would all come back to him.  Sheba had at least
some time to devise a way that she could help Apollo deal with
those memories.  And she also was not going to permit Ramses any
more questions.  His time was over.  Finished.
  Cassie came quietly up to Sheba's side and whispered, "We're
ready to move him back to your quarters."  Sheba nodded.

                            ********

  Apollo woke with a start.  He was back in his quarters.  In his
own bed.  And Sheba was beside him, holding him as his head
rested on her shoulder as she slept.  Apollo waited a few microns
then got up slowly, carefully disentangling himself from Sheba's
arms.  His head was throbbing painfully, but not much else seemed
to be wrong.  He felt very tired, totally drained.  Apollo
wondered what he remembered, because nothing of his memories of
that night seemed to have changed.  He looked around the bedroom,
noting that he and Sheba were alone.  Apollo sighed and laid back
down, placing his head back on his wife's shoulder and draping
his arm over her body.  He felt her arms come around him again as
he settle back to rest.
  "How do you feel?"  Sheba said softly.  Apollo looked at her,
surprised to see her awake.
  "I didn't mean to wake you."  Apollo replied softly.
  Sheba gave a half smile.  "You didn't.  I've been dozing on and
off since we brought you back here.  Everyone has left besides
Starbuck and Cassie.  They're out on the couch sleeping."
  Apollo closed his eyes for a micron then asked Sheba, his voice
subdued.  "What happened?"
  "Do you mean what did you remember?"  Sheba asked.  Apollo
nodded.  "Everything.  It was quite a story.  None of us are
surprised that you never talked about it or even remembered all
the details of that night."
  "What was everyone's reaction?"  Apollo cast his eyes away from
hers as he said dejectedly.  "I suppose no one wants to associate
with me for a while."
  Sheba reached out and touched his cheek gently, bring his gaze
up to meet hers.  "No, just the opposite.  Your father was
hovering in here for several centars, till he got called to the
bridge.  Those memories scared him a great deal.  Athena was
pretty shaken up about everything she saw.  She now understands
things that she didn't before.  She left to go take Boxey over to
his friend Jason's ship for a while.  Starbuck, Cassie and Boomer
still stand the same as before.  They are your friends and they
love you.  They are a bit more protective though."
  Apollo smiled.  "I didn't think that was possible."
  Sheba smiled as she stroked her husband's hair.  "Oh yes."
  "And what about you?" Apollo looked at her questioningly,
almost as if he feared her answer.
  Sheba's face took on a very serious expression.  "I love you
with all my heart.  With my very soul."
  Apollo smiled at her lovingly.  "Is that my answer?'
  "Yes.  Even though I know you want more of an answer than that,
it's what your getting right now"  Sheba paused.  "Do you
remember any thing that happened, what the scan brought out?"
  "No."  Apollo said quietly as he laid his head back down on her
shoulder.  "I'm not even sure anymore if  I want to.  Maybe I'll
just leave it alone."
  "Don't you wonder anything about what happened?"
  "I'll admit I do."  Apollo replied, enjoying the feeling of
security he felt laying there with Sheba.  "I wonder why they
died and was there anything that I could have done to prevent it.
It bothers me a lot that maybe I saw what happened to them, if
someone did murder them.  Am I helping that person get away with
it, if that person is even still alive."
  "Wilker told us that in time it will all come back to you.
He's not sure when.  I can tell you this, you did not see who did
killed them."
  Apollo rose up and looked at Sheba.  "They were murdered?"
  Sheba looked in Apollo's eyes.  "She was, definitely.  We're
not totally sure about Ryan.  But we do know something else.
They cared about you very much, Apollo.  No matter what happened,
or why."
  "Are you going to enlighten me about that last statement?"
  "Both Cassie and Dr. Salik don't think we should, at least not
right now.  Just accept that for right now, please?"
  "You know how I hate being left in the dark."  Apollo said
quietly.
  Sheba reached up and touched his cheek.  "Apollo, please just
leave all of this alone for now.  Do what the doctor's ask you to
do.  If you won't do it for them or for yourself, do it for me."
  Apollo looked at her, then nodded.  "For you.  Only for you."
  Sheba smiled at him.  "Thank you."
  He leaned over and kissed her gently, then sighed and laid his
head back on her shoulder.  Sheba continued to stroke his hair as
he laid there and drifted off to sleep.  As she brought the
blanket up further around Apollo, she turned the lights off and
laid there, holding her husband to her in the darkness.  Then, as
a stray tear made its way down her cheek, Sheba quietly said a
prayer of thanksgiving to the powers that be.

                          ************

  "WHAT IN THE HELL WENT WRONG!!!!!"
  The angry, demanding voice reverberated around the small room.
If Damalis had been another type of woman, she would have been
cringing against the wall in fear of this man's explosive anger.
But she was a strong woman and a hexlar.  Hexlars stood fast in
the face of fear.  They never showed any sign of weakness.  So
she quietly stood there, back in the shadows as the cloaked
figure vented his rage at her, pacing back and forth.
  Then he suddenly stopped in front of her, his eyes flashing,
his fists clenched at his side.  He seemed to be unsure of what
he wanted to do.  He seemed to struggle with himself to bring his
emotions under control.  He only succeeded partially.
  "What went wrong this time, Damalis?"  he demanded, the
frustration that he was feeling filled his voice.  "He should
have died!!  What went wrong?!"
  Damalis stood firm as she spoke calmly, with a touch of sarcasm
in her voice.  "That is something only you can answer.  My part
went off just as planned.  I created the diversion.  Apollo was
left totally unguarded.  You had a clear shot at him and you
missed!  I told you to let me be the one to kill him, but no,
your sense of revenge and your stupid obsessions have placed us
in danger of being found out."
  The dark material of his cloak whirled around him as he spun
and walked away from Damalis, his anger and frustration made his
moves jerkier than usual.  "Someone warned Adama!  Someone must
have.  There is no other what that he could have know.  Or else,
he must have seen you!"  The figure spun back to face her.  "He
had to have seen you!"
  "How could he?  I was out of that room three centons before the
explosion!"  Damalis said defensively.  "Who could have warned
him?  No one else was there.  No one else saw me.  So you tell
me, WHO could have possibly warned him?"  Damalis tried to reason
with him, but she had a feeling that it would be futile.  He was
too far gone.  To wrapped up in his own emotions to think and
reason everything out.
  The cloaked figure shook his head in frustration and started
his pacing again.  "He knew!  Somehow he knew!  I've always had
my suspicions about Adama.  He's a Caprican.  Descended from one
of the oldest and purest bloodlines of Kobol.  It has been
rumored for millennia that they have talents, abilities that few
know about."
  "You're imagining things.'  Damalis said angrily.  She was
growing weary of all of this.  "You're giving Adama more credit
than he deserves.  He is a father who sensed his son was in
danger at that micron.  That's all it was.  Don't you have
feelings come over you when your child is in danger?  Intuition
is what the giegia's call it.  That is all it is.  Nothing
mystical at all about it."
  "Well, whatever it was, he was able to save Apollo."  The
cloaked figure said with resignation.  "Now we have a much more
pressing problem.  Apollo has by now had the scan and he has to
have remembered everything that happened back then.  Now there
are no more choices.  We are going to have to take him by force
and kill him.  And we need to destroy that scan."
  "And just how do we get to him?  His father, his wife, his
sister are each going to be on their guard.  Then you have the
added factors of his friends, Lt. Starbuck and Lt. Boomer.  They
are all going to be protecting him.  How do we get through them?
We are taking about colonial warriors, not colonial security.
And that scan is going to be carefully guarded.  Adama is not
going to risk anything happening to it, for he will not risk
Apollo again to get another."  Damalis said.  She was becoming
extremely frustrated with him herself.  His over reactions were
wearing on her.  She was wondering if she should just forget it
all.  Cut her ties with him and lose herself within the fleet.
  But for some reason she continued to try to reason with him.
For a reason that escaped her.  "You cannot even be sure of what
Apollo remembered in that scan.  He was a child at that time.  He
lost two people that he cared much about.  You cannot tell me
that he fully remembers everything that happened that night with
clear concise clarity.  Not after all this time.  Bowman himself
told you for yahrens and even swore to me moments before his own
life ended that Apollo remembered nothing of that night.  Why can
you not just drop it?"
  The figure kept his back to her as he stopped for a micron,
then replied softly,  "I lost a lot that night."
  Damalis decided to press further.  "You decided to gamble all
and you had much to lose.  You lost much personally - your
stature, your position, your credibility, your fortune."  She
paused.  "You lost people that you must have cared for at one
time, before your greed for money and power consumed your soul."
  He turned on her, looking at her with some surprise.  "My
greed?  It was that money and power, that position within the
colonies that drew you to me from the start.  And the subsequent
actions of that night that has kept you at my side since then.
You never cared for me, Damalis.  I know that.  A hexlar care for
a giegia?  Unheard of.  No.  I could have testified against you,
and because of your status as a hexlar, no court in the colonies
would have believed anything you said in your defense.  It would
have been my word against yours."
  "You killed the others."  Damalis said quietly but firmly.  She
stood straight and looked him in the eye without flinching.  "And
you hated a small boy for something that you did to yourself."
  "He caused my accident.  He was the cause for my ending up this
way.  He was the cause for many things."
  Damalis shook her head and looked at him in pity.  Pity that he
was too wrapped up in his own self to see.  He couldn't even take
responsibility for crashing his hovermobile into the wall of rock
that lined the roadway of the seashore.  No, he had to blame a
child who didn't even know of his existence for the accident.
And he blamed Apollo for his killing Ryan and ordering her to
kill Shari.  Apollo was the reason, he believed, that drove him
to kill the other boys from that night.  Damalis felt the shroud
that she had been wearing for so long lift from her eyes.
Herrick was right - his father was mad as mad as could be.  She
was going to have to play herself to him very carefully.  There
was still a way for her to get out of this problem.
  The cloaked figure stopped pacing as he turned and looked at
Damalis, an idea coming to him.
  "There is a way that we can get to Apollo."  the man said
thoughtfully.  "He was always a headstrong child.  Now as an
adult, he still has that same quality to him.  He is going to
have a burning need, even all consuming, to find out who is doing
this to him.  He is going to want to deal with that person or
persons in his own way.  To avenge the deaths of Ryan and Shari,
if he can possibly do that."  The cloaked figure looked at her
and smiled.  "But he also has an exploitable weakness.  He is a
man.  He has an appreciation for beautiful women, just like any
other man.  I believe that you can use your considerable charms
on him, Damalis, to bring him under our control."
  Damalis crossed her arms in front of her and retorted
sarcastically, "You seem to be more confident of my abilities
than I am at the micron.  You also seem to forget that he is a
newly sealed man.  How do you propose that I get his attention?
He is not going to be as easily seduced as the others were.
There has to be another way.  Another exploitable emotion to use
to get to Apollo.  And you also seem to forget, if that scan did
reveal all, then Commander Adama and his warriors are going to be
looking all over this fleet for us."
  The figure looked at Damalis, thoughtfully.  "You think they
are going to be able to find us?  We have definitely changed in
our looks since then.  You were disguised as a boy.  And he
pointed to his covered face.  "And I did not look like this
then."
  "I mean it, old man.  I am not spending the rest of my life
aboard the prison barge.  I am not taking responsibility for what
you did."
  A pleased smirk crossed the figure's face.  "You are an
accessory to the crime, Damalis.  You were in on the planning
stages of Apollo's kidnapping.  You were the one that handled the
details and your the one who acted on them when the others
wouldn't.  You are as guilty as anyone else that was involved and
will be held as accountable as I."
  Damalis looked at him.  She should have known it was bound to
happen.  He had lied to his wife about them.  He deceived his
family.  He was willing to sacrifice anyone or anything for his
own advancement.  For his own end.  Now he was turning on her.
  "May I point out that you are the one who killed the others.
Not I.  I did what I had to do.  You did the rest.  You did it
all."
  A self satisfied smile came across his scarred features.  "But
you were the one who killed Shareen.  You're the one who lifted
the stone and crushed her skull.  You're the one who killed
Bowman.  In the colonial system of justice, it doesn't matter if
it's one termination or two dozen, the penalty is the same.  You
are as guilty as I am, Damalis, and don't you forget it.  I go
down, so do you."
  "No one saw me kill Shareen or can link me to Bowman's death.
It's impossible.  Just as I don't believe that Apollo saw
anything that night that could place me there.  Besides, even if
he did see anything, it was the image of a slim blond-haired boy
that he saw.  Not me.  So the only person that knows what I did
is you."  Damalis stood firm as she looked at the man that she
had stood by for all these yahrens.  The man that she had killed
for.  And for what?  Everything he had was gone.  Everything she
ever thought she wanted from him was dust.
  "Don't play your games with me, Damalis.  You are just as
expendable as my son was."  The scarred man's eyes glinted at
her.
  Shock came over Damalis's face.  "Just how expendable was he?
Where is Herrick?"  Damalis had a sinking feeling come over her.
If he had killed his own son, then things did not bode well for
her.
  "That is none of your concern.  He has been dealt with for his
failures.  I want Apollo killed and the scan destroyed.  I want
Ramses to be implicated in the murders.  And I want it done now,
Damalis."
  Damalis looked at him, a plan of her own formulating in her
mind.  She was going to get out of this.  She nodded.  "It will
be done."

                            *********
                                
  Sheba woke up slowly, drifting in that tranquil land between
sleep and awake.  The exhaustion, the mybrid of emotions that she
had felt since this all began seemed to be gone.  She felt rested
and renewed, revitalized.  Sheba reveled right now in those
feelings, as she continued to lay there, wrapped in the warmth of
her husband, smiling contentedly to herself.  She felt better
about how Apollo was handling the results of the scan.  Several
centars after he had awakened from the scan, he had awakened
again and they had talked - talked about what was happening now
and what he remembered as the 11 yahren old he once was.  The
emotions, the confusion, the intense guilt he had felt then and
was feeling now.  He had seemed to come to terms with things that
had happened then, at least the ones he could remember, and what
was happening now.  Sheba smiled a pleased smile.  It was almost
as if his fighting spirit had returned - amongst other things.
  Sheba reached out to Apollo, but felt unease come over her like
a sudden storm as she touched nothing but his pillow and the
blankets that had covered them.  She opened her eyes quickly and
she looked beside her, then around the bedroom.  Nothing.  Sheba
found herself not wrapped in the warmth of her husband, but a
cocoon of blankets and no sign of Apollo.  Where the frack was
he?
  Her feelings of contentment and security that she had felt just
microns before were gone in an instant.  A fear that she didn't
want to deal with rose within her as Sheba quickly jumped out of
bed.  Grabbing her robe that laid on the chair a short distance
from their bed, she donned it quickly, tying it tightly around
her.  She then grabbed her laser from its holster and entered
their living quarters, her heart racing.  Sheba stopped suddenly
in mid-flight at the sight before her.  There calmly stood
Apollo, dressed in uniform, looking over some papers by his desk.
He looked at his wife with her weapon in her hand and smiled.
  "I hope that before you shoot me you're going to tell me what
I've done to deserve it."
  Sheba shook her head as she tried to quickly pull herself
together.  "I may just shoot you out of relief of finding you
here and in one piece.  You scared me to death."  She let out a
ragged breath in relief at seeing him calmly standing there.
  Apollo took in Sheba's pale face and haunted expression.  He
never thought that she would wake up this soon.  Sheba had not
been sleeping well since this all began, besides the fact that
she was up most of the sleep period listening to Apollo talk
through his thoughts and feelings.  He had not been able to sleep
so he had gotten up, dressed and left her to rest undisturbed.
Apollo laid the papers he was reading back on his desk, then
walked over and took Sheba in his arms, holding her close to him.
"I'm fine, Sheba.  You were just sleeping so soundly that I
didn't want to wake you."
  They stood there quietly holding each other for several
centons, when Sheba looked over and noticed the empty couch.
  "Where's Starbuck and Cassie?"  Sheba asked quietly, calm
stealing back over her as she stood reassured in Apollo's
embrace.  Any thoughts of danger to him dispelled like a gemon
mist.
  "I sent them back to their own quarters under protest from
Starbuck who didn't want to leave.  They didn't look very
comfortable on that couch."
  Sheba raised her head and looked at Apollo.  Just then she
noticed he was wearing his flight jacket.  "Why are you dressed
in uniform?  You're not suppose to be on duty until we catch
whoever is doing all this!"
  "I put myself back on duty." He replied calmly.  Apollo knew
what her reaction was going to be to the decision that he had
made this morning as he laid there holding the sleeping form of
his wife.  He had prepared himself for it.  And he fully
understood why she was reacting this way.  His reaction probably
would have been worse if their roles were reversed and her life
was the one at risk.
  "Does your father know about this?  Did he give his approval?"
  Apollo gently pushed Sheba away from him and stepped back from
her.  "I'm the flight captain, Sheba.  I have total control over
the pilots and the duty roster.  My father will  know soon
enough."  His tone controlled as he watched Sheba's expression.
  "Apollo. . . ."  Sheba began, only to be interrupted by Apollo.
  "Sheba, I'm fine.  There is nothing wrong with me, so there is
no reason for me to be off the duty roster.  We're short enough
on pilots as it is."
  "Apollo, in case you've forgotten, someone is trying to kill
you."  Sheba's voice rose slightly.  "Yesterday whoever this is
tried again and luckily missed again.  You also just went through
the stress of a deep probe memory scan.  Salik and Cassie both
told you that you should rest for several days.  Last night you
promised me that you would do just that.  You would listen to the
doctors.  For me you would do what was asked.  Now suddenly
you're doing this.  What is going on with you?"
  Apollo became irritated.  "I feel just fine.  It's not like I'm
going to go on patrol or anything remotely like that.  I'm just
working on some reports, taking care of paperwork.  I also have a
couple of meetings that I need to be at today.  Besides, I am not
going to hide in our quarters or behind you, my father or anyone
else."
  "Apollo, we're not asking you to hide behind us!  We're asking
you to give us some time and let us find out who this is.  To put
this person away."
  "Oh, so you can die in my place?"  Apollo replied irrationally.
He was just tired of everything that was happening.  The
memories, the attempts on his life, the stress of the probe and
everything else piled on top of it all.  He just wished things
could go back to the way they were before Mylinna decided to
search for the truth.  Before this nightmare started all over
again.  He just wanted to forget.
  Sheba tried to remain calm, but her temper was winning out.
"What are you talking about?  I don't plan on dying.  Neither
does your father or any of the rest of us.  And I am definitely
not letting you die either.  If you would just let all of us find
out who this is, give us time, then everything will be back to
normal."
  "I am not going to hide, Sheba."  Apollo said pointedly, his
voice nearly shouting.  "I am not going to place you in danger of
getting killed.  I am not going to hide from this person or have
you take the risk for me."
  "Oh no," Sheba replied sarcastically, her voice shouting.
"You're just going to make yourself an easy target.  Give this
person the opportunity he's been waiting for."
  Apollo took a steadying breath, trying to get control of his
rampant emotions and his temper.  Why was he standing here
arguing with Sheba.  She wasn't the cause or the problem.  Apollo
looked at Sheba straight in the eye and said, his voice lower.
"Maybe that's what I need to do to draw whoever this is out into
the open."
  "No, it's not."  Sheba stressed to him.  She felt frustration
beginning to win out.  Why in the name of heaven was he so damn
stubborn!  Why couldn't he just see their reasoning?  "It just
makes you an easier target.  This person has tried twice to kill
you.  And he's nearly succeeded twice.  He came too close for
comfort both times.  I don't plan to be a widow anytime soon.  I
love you.  Can't you understand that I want us to have a life
together, whether it be within the fleet, on Earth someday, or if
it comes down to it, on some other habitable planet.  But you
just can't see that, can you?  You can't see how much we all love
you.  Your father, Athena, Boxey, Starbuck, Cassie, Boomer.  All
of us."
  Apollo sighed and looked at her.  Love for her, anger at what
was happening, frustration at the whole situation, fear for her
safety - too many emotions clouding his mind.  "Sheba, I love you
and I don't want you placed in a dangerous situation because of
me.  I am not planning to let whoever this is get to me before I
get to him.  But I am not willing to let you, my father, my
sister, or Starbuck and Boomer or anyone else die in my place
protecting me."  Apollo paused for a micron, then his voice
dropped to a quiet tone.  "Like Ryan and Shari."
  Sheba's eyes widened in surprise.  Now it finally made sense.
It was happening.  Sooner than Salik and Wilker predicted, but it
was happening.  "You're remembering."
  Hesitantly Apollo nodded.  "Not everything, not by a long shot.
There's still a lot of blanks, but I'm beginning to remember
enough.  While I was laying there holding you while you slept,
the memory flashes started."  Apollo sighed.  "I remembered Ryan
trying to protect me.  I remembered being tied up in a cave.  I
remembered Ryan and Shari setting me free.  I also remembered
some of the hateful things I said to Ryan."
  Sheba stepped towards him, a comforting hand resting on his
arm.  "You were a child that was hurt and angry.  He knew you
didn't really mean them in the end, Apollo."
  "But I still said them, Sheba.  I remembered Shari laying on
the rocks dead, then Ryan falling and dying in my arms.  That's
all so far."
  Sheba nodded.  "It's a beginning.  But please, don't force the
memories.  And don't let any guilt or remorse about what happened
that night overwhelm you.  Please talk to me, Apollo.  Tell me
what you remember.  I promise I will work with you through this.
But for now, give us the time we need find whoever is doing all
of this.  Please."
  Apollo stood there silently, looking into Sheba's pleading
eyes.  He just felt so useless at this micron.  He also felt
defeated and depressed, had since all of this started again.  He
was lying to himself when he said he wanted to remember when in
actuality, he really didn't.  Apollo just wanted to forget that
night as though it never happened.  It was the only way he'd
found to deal with it.  And he had never wanted to put his family
and friends through this.  He thought he could handle it by
himself.  Handle Mylinna and stop her questions.  But Mylinna had
to go to his father, and Apollo had been furious with her about
that.  But now he understood why she did it.  She had to protect
a child.  If he had been in the same position and it was Boxey
who was at risk, he would have done the same thing.
  As Apollo looked down at the floor, he remembered how he had
decided last night as he laid there holding his wife, the person
he loved more than anyone or anything, that he was going to fight
back.  Quit feeling sorry for himself.  Quit trying to run away
from this again.  And to quit feeling the guilt that threatened
to overwhelm him and cripple him.  He had always been a fighter.
He had always met a challenge head on.  There were many times in
his life where he wanted to run.  Wanted desperately to hide.
When his home was destroyed along with his mother.  When Zac
died.  When he lost Serina.
  But Apollo had survived those losses.  He'd learned to fight
back.  He had the love and support of his family, his friends.
And he had the new responsibility for a child - Serina's son.
His son.  And then suddenly Sheba burst into his life.  Right
when he thought he could never, would never love another woman
again, there she stood, defying him.  Challenging him.  Fighting
with him.  And they fell deeply in love with each other.  Neither
one was looking for that complication in their lives.  Nearly
four yahrens after they met, they had finally taken the seal.
Now she was pleading with him to let them protect him for once.
Let them handle this.  Let his family and friends take care of
him, protect him just as he had taken care of and protected them.
  Apollo sighed as Sheba watched at him expectantly.  He nodded
his head slowly and lifted his eyes to meet hers.
  "All right.  You win.  I'll stay here and work on my reports.
I won't leave our quarters."
  Sheba smiled and nodded, the tension and worry she felt just
microns before leaving her body..  "And just in case you have to
leave for any reason that you can come up with, I'm asking Bojay
to come here and sit with you."
  Apollo relaxed and laughed, shaking his head and holding up his
hands.  "You win.  I concede.  Bojay will be my shadow."  Apollo
looked at his wife tenderly  "Happy?" he asked as he reached out
draw her to him.
  Sheba put her arms around him as they held each other close.
"Yes.  Very happy."  Sheba replied letting out the breath she had
been unconsciously holding.  The only thing that would make her
happier right at that micron would be seeing the person that was
doing this either in a cell on the prison barge or dead.  To her,
that would be a beginning.

                           ***********
                                
  Several centars later, after making sure Bojay was briefed and
basically attached to Apollo's side, Sheba walked into her father-
in-law's quarters.  As she stood at the doorway and took in the
sight before her, she would have swore that a scorpion whirlwind
had been through there.  Papers and print outs seemed to be
everywhere.  Sitting amongst the chaos on the floor were
Starbuck, Boomer, and Athena, along with Mylinna.  All looked
tired and disgusted.  All looked like they would have willingly
set fire to all these papers just to get them out of their sight.
  "What are we looking for?  We have been through these print
outs and reports over and over again."  Starbuck said angrily,
running his fingers through his hair.  He picked up another pile
of papers and sorted through them again, then threw them down in
frustration.
  Sheba walked over, settled down on the floor beside him and
picked up a pile of papers.  "Just what are you looking at?"
  Boomer sighed as he leaned his head back against the metal wall
and rubbed his temples.  "You name it, it's here.  Medical team
reports on the injuries and cause of death for both Shari and
Ryan.  More medical reports concerning the deaths of the other
people from that night who died later.  Reports from Caprican
Security about the investigation into Shari and Ryan's deaths.
Reports from other Security organizations on the other colonies
involved regarding the deaths of the others.  Apollo's statement
from that night which is very vague, to say the least.  A
doctor's report regarding Apollo's mental condition.  A statement
from Ramses regarding that night.  Statements from the families
of the victims. . . ."
  A thought came to Sheba as she quickly interrupted Boomer.
"Wait a micron.  What did you say?  A psychiatric report on
Apollo's condition?"
  Boomer stopped rubbing his temples and looked at her curiously.
"Yeah, why?"
  "Who authorized that report?  Apollo was a child.  Not old
enough to sign any permission forms for a psychiatric
examination.  His parents would have had to ask for that and
Adama has already stated that he knew nothing about any of  this.
He was on the Galactica, not anywhere near Caprica.  Apollo said
he never told his mother about any of this.  So who signed the
permissions needed to examine Apollo?"
  Starbuck picked up the report and looked at the signature of
the attending physician.  "Well the report is signed by a Dr.
Damskas."
  "Is there a permission form there?"  Athena asked now her
curiosity peaked.
  Starbuck looked through the papers that accompanied the report.
His eyes widened in surprise.  "It's signed by your mother."
  "Let me see that."  Athena took the papers from Starbuck and
looked them over carefully.  "This can't be my mother's
signature, even though it looks a lot like it.  She would have
told father about it."  Athena hastily scanned the report.  "It
says here subject child was brought in by parents for a complete
evaluation.  Subject child is unresponsive to questioning about a
traumatic incident that happened recently.  Parents requested
complete psychiatric evaluation on subject child."  Athena paused
as she looked at the next line thoughtfully.  "It says here that
the records were sealed by order of President Rathmar."  Athena
looked up.  "This was all done the next day after their deaths.
Before their bodies were even found.  Who asked for this exam?
Who signed this form?"
  "Nothing else is said?"  asked Sheba as she took the report
from Athena.
  "Nothing."  Athena looked confused.  None of this was making
any sense.  Athena knew how close her parents were, how devoted
to each other they were.  She knew that they were each other's
best friend.  And when it came to Apollo, Zac or herself, no
matter the issue, that their parents talked to each other about
situations regarding their children in great length.  This
situation concerning Apollo was not one her mother would have
ever kept from her father.
  "It doesn't say much at all.  A psychiatric exam was done on
Apollo.  Someone signed the permission form saying she was his
mother.  Apollo never said one word about this exam ever
happening.  Of course from everything he's told us and everything
we've seen, this may be something else he can't remember.  But
the records were ordered sealed by the President of the Council
of Twelve.  Why?"  Sheba said as she read over the report, then
turned to Mylinna.  "Where did you get this from, Mylinna?"
  "A friend of my sister's worked at the Kobol Institute.  She
gave me that report after she ran across it by accident.  Tyvona
thought it was interesting that President Rathmar sealed a report
like that."
  "It makes no sense."  Starbuck replied thoughtfully, his mind
contemplating what they had discovered with this new piece of
information.  "Your parents knew nothing about any of this
happening to Apollo.  Yet someone takes him to a psychiatric
facility under the guise of being his parents.  For what purpose?
And the records are sealed by the President of the Council of
Twelve.  An order that can only be countermanded by the President
himself.  What was going on here?"
  "Just when we thought we had some sort of grasp on this whole
mess, now we get this."  Boomer said disgruntled..
  Sheba looked at Starbuck, her expression concerned.  "Just what
did they do to Apollo there?"
  "Sheba, the Kobol Institute was a very reputable place.  Mainly
they specialized in the treatment of people descended from the
Lords of Kobol, which was pretty much the entire population of
the colonies."  Starbuck said, running his hand through his hair.
"Its not likely that they would have done anything there that
would have been questionable to Apollo."
  Sheba sat quietly for a few microns, then said quietly.  "But
who took Apollo there and why?  We have too many questions and
very few answers to those questions."
  "Well, we do know this much.  Ryan's uncle Stavros wanted
Adama's backing on a proposal to spend more money on upgrading
the defense net on Sagitaria  Adama would not back it and as a
result there were enough other members who agreed with him so the
proposal was not going to pass.  Now Stavros, in turn, formulated
a plan to kidnap Apollo to force Adama's backing on that project.
Now what was in this for Stavros was money and lots of it.  The
kind of wealth that men dream of having.  Now Ryan, Shari and
Ramses backed out, because they didn't want to do it in the first
place, but Stavros was forcing them.  They had become very
attached to Apollo."
  "Now," Starbuck continued.  "Stavros has a backup plan.  He
turns the `boys' against the three people.  Ryan finds out when
the kidnapping is taking place and tries to keep Apollo away but
Apollo shows up anyway.  The boys go through with the kidnapping.
Shari and Ryan set Apollo free, but as they are escaping, someone
kills Shari.  Ryan falls or is pushed from a cliff after Shari's
death.  Now we get really complicated."
  "Like it hasn't been so far?"  asked Boomer, an edge of sarcasm
in his voice.
  "We come to find out a few other little puzzling twists in this
little drama.  Apollo remembers nothing of that night but small
bits and pieces that can help no one.  The other boys from that
night have all died, mysteriously.  We have one boy that no one
knows who he was except a now dead man.  Ramses is our only other
suspect, but Apollo does not believe that he is behind any of
this.  In fact, he believes that Ramses is being set up."
Starbuck sat back against the cool metal wall and sighed.
"Normally I would follow Apollo's opinion on this, but I just
don't know.  He's been through so much lately.  And Ramses is the
only one left from that night besides Kelvin that we know of."
  "I want to know just how all of this was kept quiet?  To listen
to Starbuck tell it all, it sounds impossible to believe that all
these people would keep quiet and not tell a living soul.  Like
this is some wildly concocted story."  Said Mylinna quietly.
  "Old Aquarian proverb.  Truth is stranger than fiction."
Athena said
  Boomer rolled his eyes skyward.  "I really hate old Aquarian
proverbs!"  His voice exasperated.
  "Well, an old proverb is not trying to kill Apollo.  We have to
find out who is.  He's failed twice.  He will most definitely try
again."  Sheba pointed out to the others.
  "Why do I have a very funny feeling that there is even more to
this tale that none of us know?  Not even Apollo?"  inquired
Boomer.
  "Besides who's doing this?"  queried Starbuck.
  "Even more than that.  I want the full story so when this is
finally over, everything is out in the open.  This has already
caused more pain and grief than anyone needs in one lifetime."
  "I agree." Replied Athena as she looked at the papers in front
of her, her expression somewhat distant.  "I remember how upset
Apollo was when he came home that night.  And how much he
changed.  The Apollo that you know is different from the one I
grew up with."
  Starbuck looked at Athena questioningly.  Starbuck thought he
knew Apollo better than anyone.  He couldn't see Apollo being too
much different than he was now.  "How much did this night affect
him?  We saw the memory scan.  He seemed so quiet."
  "No.  I can tell you Apollo was never quiet.  He was shy.  Very
shy.  But if he knew you, now that was different.  He was funny,
adventurous, very devious and daring.  Was absolutely terrible at
keeping a secret even though he did keep a few of mine.  Gentle,
understanding,  But he also had his bad points.  Impulsive,
impatient.  Temperamental.  Stubborn."  Athena smiled.  "He and I
got in so much trouble together.  Mother always said that people
thought Apollo and I were twins, not two yahrens apart in age.
We practically tortured Zac until he learned how to stand up for
himself."  Athena's smile faded.  "But after that night, Apollo
withdrew from us.  Became quiet, introverted.  Spent a lot of
time by himself.  And I worried about him a lot.  He didn't fully
open up to me anymore.  He just changed."
  "Did you try talking to him?"  asked Mylinna, knowing how
Athena felt.  To lose the camaraderie of a sibling was difficult.
  "Repeatedly.  Mother finally told me to leave Apollo alone.
That he was growing up and that these changes were to be
expected.  That I would go through them too."  Athena looked at
the paper scattered all over and sighed.  "He slowly reverted
back to his old self, but there were differences in him.
Differences that I knew.  Now I wonder how all of this is going
to affect him again?"
  "He seemed more like himself when I left him with Bojay about a
centar ago."  Sheba said.  "He's at least starting to fight
back."
  "Now if we could find answers to all of our questions."
Starbuck said, thoughtfully.  "And their in here somewhere.  All
we have to do is find them and figure them out."

                           ***********

  Apollo looked up from the report he had been going over
regarding the status of the current advanced class of cadets.
His headache that started about a centar ago was starting to
bother him a little more and he wondered if he should call Cassie
to get something for it.  He put down the report and leaned back
in his chair, closing his eyes as he tried to rid himself of the
tiredness he was beginning to feel.  Salik had told Sheba that
this fatigue was part of the side affects of the probe.  Apollo
just wanted it all to be over so he could get on with his life.
He wasn't use to living in this protective cocoon of people and
he was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by all of the
attention he was receiving.
  Apollo opened his eyes as he looked over at Bojay, who was
helping him sort through some of the piles of paper that had
accumulated since all of this began.  And in actuality, Apollo
was grateful for his help with all of this.  Bojay had been one
of Cain's flight captains on the Pegasus, so Bojay knew the
requirements necessary for all reports.
  Apollo closed his eyes again and tried to rest a little.  He
was still feeling a bit bothered about the small argument he
started with Sheba earlier, even though he had apologized to her
for that.  None of this was her fault, nor was it any one else's
fault.  If fault or blame had to be placed, it had to be on his
own shoulders.  Apollo knew he should have told his mother about
everything that happened that night at the caves.  He had ample
opportunity to tell his father when he came home on leave.  His
father had inquired more than once if there was anything that
Apollo wanted to discuss with him.  But Apollo had rejected the
offers, maintaining that nothing was wrong and kept silent.
  But that was a lie to himself.  But by maintaining that lie,
Apollo felt that he was keeping his promise that he made to Shari
to never tell about what happened there that night.  Another
promise that Apollo wished he never made.  He wasn't even sure if
Shari really meant for him to stay quiet.  Maybe it was something
that she just wanted the other boys to hear so that they would
leave her alone.  And to protect him.  And then what happened to
Ryan.  And Apollo's promise to his dying friend to run and keep
running.
  Apollo felt a twinge of pain in his head as he thought of the
cave.  Of being tied there.  They were going to use him against
his father.  They had wanted to use him to get something from
Adama, but what?  Money?  Possessions?  Apollo knew his father
would have given them anything they wanted if it was money or
possessions.  Those things, when it came down to it were very
unimportant to his parents.  Apollo, Athena and Zac each knew
that they were their parents most prized possessions.
  Apollo still vividly remembered when he had taken his father
back to their home on Caprica where they had searched for Ila to
no avail.  The only possession that Adama had taken from the
smoldering remains of their home were holopictures and several
small items that either Ila had given him or one of his children
had.  It had been Apollo and Athena who had returned one last
time to their home and removed things from the smoldering ruins
of what remained of their lives on Caprica.  Apollo had been
surprise that his bedroom and his sister's and brother's bedrooms
had been relatively unscathed.  Apollo had gone through his room
and collected some personal things, Athena had gone through hers,
while both of them painfully went into Zac's room and removed
some mementos to remember him by.
  Apollo remembered when he and Athena had found Ila's jewelry
still contained in the ornate antique box that the three of them
had given her for her last birthday.  In it was heirloom jewelry
that had been passed down through both sides of the family.
Athena had found their mother's promise ring there.  They had
gathered everything and later handed the jewelry box to their
father, who told them that they could have it all.  Divide it
between them, for the jewelry meant nothing to him.  He had
everything that mattered to him - Apollo, Athena.  His world
would have been complete if Ila and Zac had been there also.  The
only item Adama had kept was Ila's promise ring.
  Apollo sighed as his memories shifted - to the caves and that
night.  Ryan's face came into view.  They were in the cave and
Ryan was trying to talk to him but he was refusing to listen.
Apollo was angry, hurt, and confused.  A confusion whose origin
Apollo was unsure of.  Maybe it was because he was growing up and
the changes he was going though physically and emotionally.
Maybe it was the confusion he had felt about his mother that
summer.  How she had seemed to just ignore him or shove him
aside.  And when she did say anything to him, she seemed angry or
accusing.  Behavior that was not like her, not at all.  The only
bright time that whole summer had been his time with Ryan and
Shari.
  But the things he had said to Ryan that night.  The hurt Apollo
knew Ryan had felt.  Apollo knew that they both had cared about
him a great deal.  But Apollo had thought that they were
different.  That the reason that they had wanted to be with him
was of their own volition.  Because they like him for being
himself.  Not because he was the son of Adama and Ila, but just
because he was Apollo.  He never suspected that their meeting was
planned.  Arranged.  Apollo had been so happy when he was with
them.  They had filled a void that he didn't realize he had.
Apollo had come to care for them so much.  To love them.  He
still did.
  As Apollo sat there with his eyes closed, he could see Shari
talking to him.  He could see the pain in her face at his hateful
words.  But they had freed him.  Tried to save him.  And they had
died for that.  The memories started to flash rapidly now.
Something. . . . there was something there.  Apollo saw the flash
of red, the hand raising with the rock in it.  Shari's voice
urgently pleading for Apollo's freedom with those around her.
Ryan being led away.  Ramses grabbing at him.  The flash of red.
Apollo tried to look at the memory again.  The flash of red.  The
rock.  Gold.  The flash of bright. . . .gold?  No.  The memory
flashed again.  The red of the sleeve.  Who was wearing red that
day?
  Apollo's brow furrowed as he tried to remember.  The flash of
red.  The flash of bright . . . gold?  No, no not gold.  Apollo
tried to focus on that memory.  Yellow.  Bright yellow.  A blur.
Apollo tried concentrating again, trying to ignore how the small
headache he had felt a short time ago had now became a painful
throb.  What was it?  Apollo concentrated on the memory again.
The flash of red.  The rock being raised in a hand.  A small
hand.  A delicate hand.
  Apollo concentrated harder, trying to focus his full attention
on those hands.  Suddenly he saw hands - his now and at the age
of 11.  Ryan's hands.  His father's hands.  Starbuck's.  Sheba's.
Shari's hands flashed before him.  The fine, delicate hands of a
woman.  Apollo looked again at the hand around the rock.  A small
hand.  A delicate hand.  Could it be?  A possibility formed in
Apollo's mind.  Was it the hand of a young girl, not a young boy?
The arm fell and the rock hit Shari.  The flash of yellow and the
boys parted slightly.  A blur.  A flash.  A face?  Did he really
see a face?
  Apollo felt his heart race.  What Apollo didn't see was Bojay
looking up from his papers and noticing Apollo's closed eyes,
furrowed brow and his rapid breathing.  Bojay got up, walking
over to where Apollo slept in his chair behind his desk.  Bojay
stood there, watching for a few microns then moved over to the
comm unit.  He breathed a sigh of relief when Cassiopeia
answered.
  "Cassie, it's Bojay.  I'm in Apollo's quarters and there's
something going on with him.  I think you'd better get down here
right away."  Bojay said urgently as his eyes never left Apollo.
  "I'm on my way."  Cassie replied quickly.
  Bojay stood there watching as Apollo seemed intent on fighting
some demon it seemed to Bojay.  A fine sheen of perspiration
broke out on Apollo's face.  And his breathing was becoming more
rapid.  Bojay wondered if he should find Sheba and let her know
what was happening.
  Apollo continued trying to figure out what he had seen that
night.  Replaying the flashes of memory he was having in his mind
over and over again, trying to analyze little flashes that he
saw.  What he had seemed to overlook.  He replayed that part of
what he remembered again, trying to analyze small details that
seemed to flash at him.  The red of the sleeve, the delicate hand
- a young girl's hand - held the rock and then it rapidly lowered
and hit Shari.  Apollo watched at the boys around Shari parted
slightly, but enough for Apollo to focus on the yellow that he
saw.  It was hair.  The blond hair of a killer.  And the face. .
. the face of Shari's killer.  Apollo struggled to concentrate,
focused intently on that face.  It was a girl.  The unknown boy
was really a girl.  The face turned towards him slightly.  The
eyes were a blue. . . .no, not blue.  They were violet eyes.
Unusual eyes.  Eyes that were like Shari's, but didn't contain
any warmth, any life.  Just animosity,  Hatred.
  Apollo looked at that face unable to make out any more details
besides the fact of her eyes.  His head was pounding
unmercifully.  The face of the person who killed his friend.  Who
killed Shari.   The unknown boy was a girl.  Apollo felt shock
come over him at this discovery.  It was a girl.  Who was she?
Why did she do this?  Why did she kill Shari?  Apollo heard
Ryan's cry and he looked up.  Suddenly Ryan's body seemed to jerk
slightly.  Apollo concentrated on Ryan.  Did he trip over
something?  Apollo looked again.  There it was again.  That jerk.
He didn't trip or even slip in the loose dirt of the path.  Ryan
was falling.  Apollo felt a pain that he couldn't explain.  Ryan
was falling again.  Yelling Shari and Apollo's names.  A jerk,
then Ryan was falling again.
  Apollo looked down at the still form of Shari, her eyes closed
and the blood staining her light blonde hair red.  For some
reason the red of the blood was becoming the red of the shirt.
And the blood kept flowing.  Kept coming.  Everything was now
flashing by Apollo in very slow motion.  Apollo reached out to
touch the red blood that was saturating Shari's hair, but
couldn't.  Apollo saw the flash of red and a flash of yellow from
behind him.  Hands.  Those hands again.  The ones that delivered
the deadly blow to Shari.  They were reaching for him, but Apollo
didn't seem to care.  All he could do was lay his head down on
Shari's lifeless body and cry for her, begging her not to leave
him.  Ramses voice was there suddenly, trying to cut through
Apollo's grief filled mind, his arms were now around the 11
yahren old boy, lifting Apollo off Shari as Apollo laid there
mourning her.  Wrapped up in his grief, not caring what happened
to himself.
  Apollo heard Ryan's voice crying out Shari's name and Apollo's.
Apollo looked up as Ramses tried dragging him away.  The jerk of
his body again and Ryan was falling.  Apollo felt the mindless
fear he felt at that sight practically overwhelm him as he
screamed and broke free of Ramses.  Was Ryan pushed?  Was Ryan
murdered too?  Apollo ran mindlessly to his friend.  He pleaded
with Ryan to live as Apollo placed his friend's head gently in
his lap.  Apollo looked up for a micron and thought he saw a man
standing there.  On the spot that Ryan had just fell from.
Definitely a man.  Older than the boys with a seemingly familiar
face.  Where had he seen that face before?  And the look he had
on his face.  Was it hatred?  Was it satisfaction?  Was he
pleased with what he had done?  But it was a girl who killed
Shari. . . . .
  Apollo tried to focus on the man's face.  The clothes he wore.
Everything was flashing by so fast.  All the details Apollo was
now seeing were overwhelming his tortured mind.  Apollo felt like
he was a drowning victim as his mind seemed to be pounded over
and over again with small details.  The face of the man.  It was
familiar even though Apollo couldn't see it clearly.  Couldn't
describe it in any detail.  But Apollo knew that face. . . .but
from where?
  Bojay watched in growing concern as Apollo started muttering
indistinguishable words and his head began to move from side to
side, small beads of sweat running down his face.  Bojay was
reaching the comm switch to find Sheba when the door slid open
and Cassie entered in a run.  She took one look at Apollo and
uttered a `Damn' under her breath as she took out a hypo from her
medical kit containing a sedative to inject into Apollo.
  "Find Sheba now.  And the Commander."  Cassie said urgently.
Bojay nodded and obeyed her bidding.
  Suddenly Apollo jerk upright in his chair making Cassie jump
back startled by his sudden movement.  Apollo's eyes were opened
wide as he looked around him quickly, then caught sight of
Cassie.  Bojay was speaking insistently into the comm unit, his
voice low.
  "Apollo," Cassie said soothingly, reaching out so she could
sedate him.  Apollo grabbed her hands, mindless of the hypo
there, pulling her down to face him.
  "Cassie, it was a girl.  It was a girl that killed Shari.  I
saw her!"  Apollo spoke breathlessly and hurriedly.  Cassie
stared at his pale complexion and his wide glazed eyes, his face
gleaming with sweat.  She tried to get her hands free of his so
that she could give him the sedative.  Cassie knew that he was
having memory flashes.  It was all coming back to him.  "I saw
her.  It was a girl.  And Ryan.  I think he was pushed.  I saw
him.  I looked up and I think he was pushed from the path.  He
didn't fall accidentally."
  "Apollo,"  Cassie said soothingly, still trying to get at least
her one hand free from his grip.  "Apollo, you have to calm down.
You saw who killed Shari?  It was a girl?"
  "Yes!"  Apollo said urgently, breathlessly.  "It was a girl.
She killed Shari.  A girl with the strangest eyes.  They weren't
blue but like a violet color.  Different.  Like a field flower
that grows on Caprica during New Spring.  But her eyes seemed
cold.  So cold."
  Cassie felt concern that bordered on both worry and fear start
to grip her heart.  Apollo was highly upset.  Agitated.  The
memories were becoming even more clear, more detailed than the
scan had been.  He was remembering things that weren't even on
the scan.
  "Apollo, listen to me!"  Cassie kept her voice calm, but stern.
Apollo had such a painful grip on her hands.  "You need to relax.
To calm down.  You need to take a deep breath and just calm
down."
  "But Cassie, I saw her.  You don't understand!"  Apollo's eyes
bore into Cassie's.  "I saw the person that killed Shari and it
was a girl!  A young girl!"
  Cassie was getting scared at watching the normally calm man
that she knew acting as though he was out of his mind completely.
What had that scan done to him?
  "Apollo!"  Cassie shouted, firmly.  Apollo looked at her
startled by the tone of her voice.  "Apollo, you need to calm
down."  She waited as Apollo seemed to fight to gain control of
his emotions.  When she saw some response, she smiled
reassuringly.  "Good.  Now you have to remain calm."  Cassie
began working again to get her hands free.  "Now Apollo, you say
that the person who killed Shari was a girl.  A young girl.  Do
you know where she came from?  Who she was?  Even what she looked
like?"
  Apollo looked at her and shook his head.  He felt his emotions
start to rollercoaster as he closed his eyes and shook his head
harder.  "No.  I don't know who she was.  But she was the boy!
She hit Shari!"  Apollo's voice was even more strident now.
Cassie knew she was losing control of the situation.  The calm
and control Apollo had achieved only a micron ago was gone.  A
part of her was angry that she and Salik had been talked into the
scan by the Commander.  But a larger part of her was frightened
for her friend.
  "Apollo, let me give you this sedative.  Let Bojay and I take
you back to life center and we'll find Sheba.  We'll find your
father and Athena.  Starbuck.  We'll find Starbuck."
  "Cassie, please.  I saw her.  I saw the girl.  And the man."
  Cassie looked confused.  "What man?"
  "The man who pushed Ryan.  The man. . . ."  Apollo looked away
from Cassie thoughtfully, his attention drifting.  Cassie felt
his grip on her hands loosen slightly as she worked on getting
her hand with the hypo free.  "I know him from somewhere."
Apollo looked back to Cassie.  "He was familiar.  I know him or
met him somewhere."
  Cassie felt she was close to getting her hand free as she
concentrated on talking soothingly to her friend.  A person she
cared a great deal for.   "Apollo, come with me.  We'll sort all
of this out when we get you calmed down and at life center.
We'll get your father and Sheba.  Starbuck_"
  "Starbuck!"  Apollo shouted excitedly.  "Starbuck has to go to
the personnel computer.  It would have what I need.  No."  Apollo
looked intently at Cassie, tightening his grip in her hands
again.  "No, the archives.  The archives.  The news reports.  I
think that's where I've seen him.  I know this man.  He was
familiar.  I think I know him from the news reports on Caprica."
  Cassie looked over at Bojay, who was watching in shocked
helplessness at what was happening before him.
  "Bojay!"  Bojay blinked and looked at her questioningly.
Cassie looked at him with some concern.  "Did you find Sheba and
the Commander?".
  "Colonel Tigh is finding them and having them meet us at life
center."  Bojay said to her, then turned his attention to Apollo,
unsure of what to say or do.  In all the yahrens he had known
Apollo, he had never seen him in this state.  "Apollo, let's just
go to life station.  We'll have Starbuck and Boomer get those
news reports.  I promise you.  One of us will get them.  But now
let go of Cassie and we'll take you down to see Dr. Salik."
Bojay kept his voice calm and soothing.  Apollo looked back to
Cassie as she nodded to him reassuringly, her blue eyes
reflecting her concern for him.  Slowly that concern penetrated
Apollo's racing mind and he let go of Cassie's hands.  Apollo's
head was pounding painfully and his heart was still racing a
little bit, but he tried to calm himself down.
  "I'm giving you this sedative, Apollo.  It's a mild sedative,
then we'll all go down and see Dr. Salik."  Cassie said calmly as
she administered the hypo finally to Apollo.  She watched him for
a moment then asked, "How do you feel?"
  "Okay, I guess.  Just this pounding headache."  Apollo replied,
his voice calmer as the hypo instantly took effect.
  "We'll take care of everything.  Then you can tell Starbuck
what you want to look at and he'll get it for you.  But lets get
you looked over."
  Apollo sighed and stood up, starting to walk out of his
quarters.  Cassie had a supporting arm on Apollo as Bojay watched
quietly.  As Apollo stepped out into the corridor, he stopped
suddenly, noticing how dimly lit the corridor had become.  He
then noticed the two people that were just standing there.  A
beautiful black-haired woman and a cloaked figure beside her.
Apollo looked from one to the other quickly, but then turned his
attention fully on the woman as he stood and stared at her.  He
noticed her eyes.  The strange violet eyes.  Her.  Those eyes!
The realization hit him like a missile.  It was her!
  "You!  It was you!"  Apollo whispered, pointing at her.  Not
caring that they knew that he knew, only caring that he finally
knew who murdered his friends so long ago.  Apollo stepped
towards the woman but didn't get very far.  He never saw the
laser that the cloaked figure had concealed until it was fired at
him.  Apollo quickly lost consciousness and fell to the floor in
a heap.  Cassie looked surprised as she looked down at the still
form of Apollo, then quickly at the two figures - the cloaked
person and the stunning woman.  Apollo had pointed at her and
said accusingly `You!  It was you!'  Was this the girl he saw
kill Shari?  Where did these people come from?  What had happened
to all the lights in the corridor?  It was so bright when she had
arrived here just centons ago.  Cassie saw Bojay reach for his
laser but it was not fast enough.  As the cloaked figure fired
again, Bojay slumped backward against the bulkhead wall and slid
to the floor, stunned.  Cassie turned to look back at the pair,
trying to see more of what they looked like, but she too suddenly
fell to the floor, unconscious.
  Damalis looked at the three people laying on the floor, then
looked at the figure beside her.
  "They saw us."
  "It doesn't matter anymore.  We have Apollo.  Lets get out of
here before someone else comes by and sees us taking him."
  Damalis looked over at him, then nodded.  She had to put her
plan into action as quickly as possible.  Time was running out.

                           **********

  Cassie slowly came to, wondering for a micron where she was.
The bright lights, the familiar smell that assailed her senses.
And she was laying down.  After a few microns she realized where
she was.  She was in life center, but how did she get here?
Cassie slowly moved and felt a steadying hand touch her shoulder.
  "Just stay there, Cassiopeia.  Lie still and don't try to move
yet."  Cassie was surprised to hear Adama's reassuring voice.
What was he doing here?  What happened?   Cassie carefully opened
her eyes to see Adama's face looking down at her.  And Sheba,
Boomer and Athena.  Starbuck stood on the other side of Cassie,
holding her other hand, his blue eyes full of concern as he
looked at her laying here..
  "What happened?"  Cassie said groggily.
   "Don't you remember?"  asked Starbuck.
  Suddenly the memories came flooding back and Cassie looked at
Starbuck.  "Apollo!  Those two people took Apollo.  They stunned
him."
  "Who, Cassie?" asked Sheba urgently.
  "Those two.  A woman.  And somebody else.  I don't know if it
was a man or woman.  They wore a dark cloak that covered them
from head to foot."
  "Did they say anything?"  asked Athena.
  Cassie shook her head.  "Nothing.  But Apollo did.  He looked
at her, pointed at the woman then he said `You!  It was you!'
then he fell to the floor.  They stunned him."
  "What did the woman look like?"  Athena asked urgently.
  Cassie slowly sat up with Adama's and Starbuck's assistance,
then looked at Athena.  "I'm not sure.  It wasn't very light in
the corridor for some reason.  I really didn't even get a good
look at her.  Where's Bojay?"
  "Still unconscious.  Colonel Tigh and Jolly found you two in
the corridor outside Apollo and Sheba's quarters.  Apollo was
gone."  Said Boomer, his tone quiet.
  "They took him."  Cassie said quietly.  "They were there when
we walked out into the corridor.  Didn't say a word.  They
stunned Apollo then Bojay tried to draw his laser but they got
him next.  Then me.  They were just there when we were leaving to
bring Apollo here."
  "What happened before that?"  Adama asked, as he sat down
beside her.  "What was wrong with Apollo?"
  "Apollo was remembering, Commander.  He was having memory
flashes.  Bojay called me down there because something was
happening with Apollo.  When I got there Apollo was out of it.
He must have fell asleep in his chair and started having memory
flashes.  He was sweating, mumbling incoherently.  I told Bojay
to find you as I prepared a mild sedative for Apollo.  He
suddenly woke up just as I was getting ready to administer it."
Cassie shook her head.  "He was very upset.  Extremely upset.  He
kept saying that he saw her.  It was a girl that killed Shari.
Then there was this man.  A man Apollo said he knew from
somewhere.  He just wasn't sure where.  He wanted Starbuck to get
old news archives from Caprica.  He thought that was where he
knew him from."
  "What about the man?  What did Apollo say about him?  Anything
else?"  Starbuck asked.
  The woman Starbuck loved looked at him intently.  "Just that he
killed Ryan."
  "So Ryan was murdered."  Athena responded quietly.
  "Yes.  Apollo was very upset.  Out of control.  He had my hands
in a grip so tight that I couldn't break free to give him the
sedative.  I finally got him to release me.  I gave the injection
to him and he was a little calmer.  We were leaving to come here
when we ran into those two people."
  "Cassie, was Ramses one of them?"  Starbuck asked her levelly.
  Cassie just looked at him.  "I don't know  I couldn't see who
was hidden under the cloak."
  "Apollo did see who did it."  Sheba said forlornly.  "He saw it
all.  And now they have him."
  "But where?"  asked Athena, worry creeping into her voice.
"And who are they?"
  Starbuck looked at his commander.  "I think we should start
with Ramses.  He has to be involved in this more than we know.
Apollo didn't believe he was involved, but I sure don't trust
him.  Not after how he acted at the scan."
  "Claiming to be the one protecting Apollo when he was pushing
to continue the scan, no matter what the cost.  Then the fact
during each attack on Apollo, Ramses was nowhere to be found.  No
one can attest to where he was.  And what about the attacks on
Mylinna and the girl?" Boomer asked pointedly.  "He knows more
than he's telling."
  "Let's question him further.  Maybe have Cassie give him a
little help in the truth department."  Starbuck said to Adama.
  "I have my suspicions too.  I'm just not sure myself about
Ramses.  With everything that's happening.  I just don't know."
Adama said, the worry for Apollo and what was possibly happening
to him now at the hands of those two people weighed on Adama's
mind.
  "We have to find Apollo and who has him.  Now we're racing
against time."  Sheba said, her voice strident.
  Adama nodded his agreement.  "Starbuck, Boomer, find Ramses and
bring him to council chambers.  I want answers and he seems to be
the best place to start again."
  Both men hurried to do their commander's bidding.

                           ***********

  Centons later, Adama looked at the councilman as he entered the
room with Starbuck and Boomer on each side of him.  Anger clearly
evident on Adama's stern features, his fists clenching and
unclenching as he tried to control his powerful emotions.  Adama
paced slowly back and forth as he watched Ramses walk over to the
table and stand behind the chairs.  This man had to have some
answers.  And Adama was going to get them.
  "I am though playing games, Ramses.  Through with this feline
and rodent chase.  Where is my son?"
  Ramses looked concerned as he watched Adama pace back and
forth.  "I don't know where Apollo is."
  Adama stopped his pacing and looked intently at the councilor.
"Someone knows.  And if I find out that you are in any way lying
to me, Ramses, or that you are in any way responsible for what is
happening now, I will deal with you myself."
  "I am not responsible for anything that is happening.  You have
to now listen to me and look for Bowman.  I've told you
repeatedly that Bowman's not dead.  You have to listen to me.  He
is not dead."
  "If he's not dead, then where is he?  Just where is he hiding
in the fleet?  And where is my son?"
  "I don't know."  Ramses slowly sat down in the chair, seeming
to need the support.  "But I'll tell you this.  Bowman must think
that Apollo has remembered everything.  That he knows the truth
about things when he knows nothing.  Bowman's not going to
believe Apollo when he maintains his innocence."
  Adama whirled on the councilman.  "But Apollo has remembered.
He's remembered that the person who killed Shari was a girl.  And
there was a man there.  That man pushed Ryan off the path.  Was
that man you?"
  Ramses was shocked.  Apollo DID see who did it.  They were
murdered.  Ramses felt some vindication.  He was right.  "The
person who killed Shari was a girl?"
  "And he saw who pushed Ryan from the path."  Adama said
cautiously, noting every detail of the dark-haired councilor's
reaction.  .
  "Oh my god.  He did see it all.  Apollo really did see it all!"
Ramses responded, his voice hushed.
  Sheba lost the tenuous hold that she had on her temper.
"There's more to this than just the deaths of Ryan and Shari,
isn't there?  Your obsession with pinning this on Bowman.  The
attacks on Apollo.  The attacks on Mylinna and Tatya.  The other
boys from that night dying, possibly murdered.  There is
something more.  There has to be a reason beside the thwarted
kidnapping behind all of this."
  Athena spoke, her voice carried a hard edge.  "I thought from
everything I've heard that this was a kidnapping that went wrong
that resulted in the deaths of two people.  Now all of this is
happening.  Why?  Why was Shari murdered?  Because she wouldn't
carry out a kidnapping?  Because she protected a child?  Why was
Ryan pushed from the path?"
  "You don't understand."  Ramses said, exasperated.
  "Oh I understand"  Athena snapped angrily, her rage below the
surface, her blue eyes hard as she looked at the councilman.  "I
understand more than you realize.  Those two used my brother's
vulnerability against him.  To trick him.  To kidnap him.  You
all used him."
  Ramses looked at her.  "No, you're wrong!  I admitted to you
what Stavros had planned.  Why Ryan was involved and Shari.  They
couldn't do it to him.  They were trying to save him.  Ryan and
Shari loved Apollo.  They were protecting him that night.  And
why would I have used Apollo?  What reason did I have?"
  "You have to admit that you were angry with Apollo that night.
He didn't stay away like Ryan had asked him."  Starbuck pointed
out angrily, his blue eyes flashing.  Starbuck wanted to just
have a few microns alone with this man.  He would get the answers
they wanted out of him, one way or another.
  "No!"
  "You were angry because you felt if Apollo had listened, Ryan
and Shari would have been alive to maybe this day."
  Ramses was silent.  "Maybe for a while I was angry with him.
Maybe if he had listened and stayed away, they would have lived."
Ramses looked at Starbuck.  "But Apollo, being the intelligent
child he was, also came to realize that.  And the guilt he felt
almost crushed him mentally and emotionally."  Ramses got up and
walked away from the table, then looked back at the five people
there.  "I alone comforted a boy who wanted nothing more than the
change the outcome of that night.  Apollo felt for a very long
time that he should have been the one to die that night.  He was
the one everybody wanted."  Ramses sighed.  "When I saw the depth
of the pain and guilt that he was suffering, my anger
disappeared.  That yahren before had been so trying on everyone."
  Ramses turned to Athena.  "You're right though.  There was more
going on than just the situation with Apollo but another innocent
was involved in that.  And everyone had to be protected, even
though sometimes inadvertently the ones you try to protect get
hurt in the end..  I thought, just maybe, Apollo knew the truth,
but he doesn't.  That means only four of us knew."
  "What?"  Starbuck asked bitterly.  "What is that secret?  Out
of the so many that seems to be floating around."
  "Ryan. . . ."  Ramses looked down at the table then to
Starbuck.  "Ryan wasn't Tatya's real father.  Shari. . . was
assaulted one night. . . . ."  Ramses said his voice subdued.
"By Bowman."
  "Oh my god."  Boomer sighed quietly as he slowly sank down in
one of the council chairs.
  "Ryan took his revenge on Bowman several nights later."  Ramses
informed them.  "Then Bowman threatened to get his own revenge on
Ryan, no matter what it took or how long it took."
  "Why didn't anyone go to the authorities?"  asked Adama,
incredulously.  "Why wasn't any parent told of what happened?
Why?"
  Ramses smiled a mirthless smile.  "Commander, be serious.  Even
in the enlightened Caprican society, this type of assault is
still a act of violence.  And even in the legal system, the
victim gets as much of the blame as the man.  People would say
that she did something to entice him, to bring this on herself.
They blame the woman where no blame is due.  The stigma is still
there.  People would have whispered about Shari behind her back,
behind her family's back.  And Tatya would have had a stigma
attached to her that she would have never shook.  So it was
decided that Ryan would be put on the birth records as Tatya's
father.  He loved Shari so much that he was more than willing to
love that child and raise it as his own.  It was enough."
  "But Tatya was born with a mild version of a genetic defect,
one that does not run in either Ryan or Shari's family.  But it
does run in Bowman's.  And he must have found out that the child
Shari gave birth to was his."
  "Bowman has always been unstable.  My theory is that Bowman
wanted his secret to never get out.  He loved Shari to the point
of obsession and swore when he assaulted her that she would
always be his.  I also know that Shari had a run in with Bowman
before her death.  The only thing that saved her from his temper
and instability then was that she had Apollo with her.  Bowman
knew not to push even an 11 yahren old boy."
  "So you think Bowman was involved somehow in those two deaths."
Boomer said, watching the councilman intently.  "And what has
happened since."
  "Yes!"  Ramses said.  "And this is why I wouldn't answer
Mylinna.  I am not willing to hurt that child or have her find
out the truth about her parents or how she came to be.  Ryan
loved that baby as his own child.  He could not have been prouder
if she was his own flesh and blood.  He was and is her father.
And I will never inform her to any other fact than that."
  Adama nodded his agreement on that point.  "So now you think
Bowman fears that Apollo knows the whole truth from the memory
scan  The assault and who committed the murders."  Adama looked
at Ramses, his expression pragmatic.  "But what if Bowman really
is dead, Ramses.  What then?  And who is this young girl that
Apollo now remembers killing Shari?  And what about the man he
saw?  How are they connected to Bowman?  Are they even connected
at all?"
  Ramses looked thoughtful for a micron.  "Well, Commander, if
Bowman is truly dead and if I'm wrong and he's not involved in
everything that's happened, then Commander, we are back to square
one."
  "Someone has my brother."  Athena said quietly.
  Ramses nodded.  "And I'm the one whose going to take the blame
for his death."
  "We know that those two people that Cassie told us about have
Apollo.  A cloaked figure and a woman.  Where would they have
taken Apollo is the biggest question at the micron."  Pointed out
Boomer.  "Would they keep Apollo on the Galactica  or will they
take him to another ship?  And just how will they get him to that
ship without being seen by any of this ship's personnel?  It's a
little difficult to move an unconscious person around this ship
without someone seeing them and asking questions."
  "Where else would they go except off the Galactica and to
another ship in the fleet."  Replied Athena thoughtfully.  "These
people are going to want to keep Apollo off balance.  Why stay on
the Galactica?  Apollo knows this battlestar.  Whoever these
people are, they would want to take Apollo to a place where he is
at their mercy."
  "Keep him off balance."  Ramses said thoughtfully.
  "Let's check with core command.  They have to have a record who
launched in the time shortly after Apollo's disappearance.  Lets
start from there."
  "We should also go over Bowman's quarters to see if there is
anything there that can help us."  Ramses said to Adama, who
nodded his agreement.  "Then pray that we find whoever has Apollo
before its too late." Ramses said quietly.

                           ***********

  "Come on Apollo.  Wake up"
  Apollo felt himself laying against a hard, cool metal surface.
But he was struggling to open his eyes as the voice commanded.
The voice_.so soft like Sheba's. But it wasn't his wife's voice.
Then he felt the slight sting of a hypo in his neck.
  "There you go, Apollo.  That will make you more cooperative in
a little bit.  But come on now.  You have to get up and join the
fun.  Wake up."
  Apollo's eyes opened slowly and he found himself looking into a
face.  The face of a very beautiful young woman.  Her long black
hair pulled up on her head, her clothes that of the privilege
class.  Apollo then looked at her eyes.  Violet eyes.  The
memories came flooding back.  The eyes of a killer.
  "Who are you?"  Apollo asked confused, but his mind was
starting to bring everything together.  "And what was that you
just injected into me?
  "My name really isn't important now is it, Apollo?  And that
injection was just a little something to make you cooperate with
what is going to happen next."  She moved back and walked over to
the chair sitting beside the table in the room.  Apollo looked
around, wondering where he was.  Nothing here looked familiar to
him.  He tried to move but found that he was tied securely to a
support beam in the room.
  Damalis looked at him, her expression giving nothing away.
"You remember me, Apollo, don't you?  It's all coming back to
you.  And here I thought that I hid my true identity very
effectively behind my disguise."
  "What do you want with me?"
  Damalis shrugged her shoulders.  "Oh, that should be obvious.
To kill you."
  Apollo looked at her trying to keep his face stoic.  "Because I
know that you were the one who hit Shari that night with the
rock.  But why?  Why did you have to kill her?"
  "There were several reasons.  Because she wouldn't do what she
was told.  She was warned repeatedly what would happen to her and
Ryan, if they turned against us.  She was given ample
opportunities to help keep Ryan in line too.  But she turned
against us.  They both did.  So did Ramses."  Damalis turned and
smiled at Apollo.  "But if you want to know the biggest reason,
it was because they wouldn't turn you over to us.  They had to
become attached to you.  Became emotionally involved.  So they
had to pay."
  "And now we know that you remember.  We know that you know
everything.  We believed Ramses for a while, but he's such a
terrible liar.  He kept telling that fool Bowman that you didn't
see anything or remember anything about that night.  That you
were in such a state of shock from the trauma of what you
witnessed.  That was confirmed medically.  And of course since
nothing happened to anyone afterward, we figured maybe, just
maybe it was true.  It was strongly felt that you would never
remember.  So the situation warranted other action at the time."
  "But now_  Now Apollo, you have become a liability.  A
liability that we can ill afford."
  Apollo's mind was whirling like a spinning top.  She killed
Shari.  And she had help in killing Ryan.  This woman murdered
Shari.  Bowman was part of it all too.  Ramses always acted as if
he suspected Bowman of being involved in all of this somehow.
He was so positive that it was Bowman, and this woman knew
Bowman.  Were they in it together?  But Bowman's dead.  So who is
the `we' that she refers to?  The man on the side of the path
that was looking down at Ryan's body?  Who was the person hidden
by the cloak?  Was Bowman really not dead as Ramses suspected?
Was he the one under the cloak?  To hide his identity?
  The woman got up and headed towards the door.  "Get comfortable
Apollo, but not too comfortable.  Unfortunately, you won't be
alive for too much longer to enjoy our hospitality."  With those
parting words, the woman left Apollo to his tumultuous thoughts,
searching his mind for answers.

                            ********

  Boomer, Starbuck and Sheba tore through Bowman's quarters,
searching for anything that might help them at this micron.  Time
was running out and they needed a direction, a clue, anything to
help them find Apollo.  Athena and Ramses were still  checking
Bowman's lab and office while Adama was going over the records of
shuttle launches for the centar following Apollo's disappearance.
But now Starbuck was impatient and short-tempered.  There was
nothing here.  Nothing at all.  And they were running out of
time.  Apollo could be dead by now.  Starbuck shook his head
mentally to clear it.  No.  He was not going to think like that.
Apollo had to be still alive.  But where was he?  Where had they
taken him?
  Starbuck tried mentally going over everything they knew so far,
which was a lot.  But everything that they knew happened so long
ago.  He had to think logically for Apollo's sake.  Suspects and
motive.  There was Mylinna, Shari's sister.  Curious about her
sister's death.  Angry over it possibly.  But a motive or
opportunity to kill Bowman?  Maybe a motive in the death of her
sister.  Revenge is a strong motive.  But knowledge enough to
blow up a shuttle?  Not there.  She's a historian with a
specialty in ancient artifacts.  Unless she secretly has a degree
in engineering and shuttle schematics hidden somewhere, she was
out.  The girl Tatya was a total innocent.  That fact Starbuck
was positive of.
  What about if Bowman wasn't dead?  Starbuck again pushed that
thought out of his head.  No matter how obsessed Ramses was with
pinning this crime on Bowman, the evidence was just not there
that he was still alive.  The bay crew saw him enter the shuttle
and the door closed behind him.  Several centons later, it
launched.  Thirty centons later, it was space debris.  There was
no way this man was still alive.
  Kelvin.  But he was a prisoner on the Prison Barge.  He would
have had to manage to escape from there, somehow get to the
Galactica, blow up Bowman's shuttle, then wait for Apollo to
return from patrol, knock him out, then return to the prison
barge undetected.  Impossible even though a dark cloak is a good
way to hide a person's identity.  Besides the fact that he would
also have had to been able to leave at irregular intervals
undetected to cause the accidents that Mylinna and Tatya were
having.  Nope.  There was no way.
  Ramses.  Starbuck wasn't sure what bothered him about the man,
but he bothered him.  Cassie wasn't too sure of him either,
especially after how the councilor acted during the memory scan.
He claimed to be Apollo's protector, but willing put his life in
danger to get answers in the memory scan.  Starbuck wasn't sure
if the man was Apollo's protector or his enemy.  Ramses's
supposed obsession with finding Ryan and Shari's killer was
becoming a consuming tide and Starbuck was going to make sure
that Apollo didn't get carried out in that tide to drown.
  What probably bothered Starbuck most was the fact that Ramses,
during everything, was unscathed.  No attempts on his life, no
unexplained accidents, nothing.  And everything, all of the
evidence pointed directly at Ramses.  Unless. . . .
  "Sheba.  Boomer."  Both warriors turned to look at Starbuck
curiously.  "What if Ramses is really innocent?  What if Apollo
was right and everything so far really has a very well conceived
set up?  Apollo was so positive that Ramses was not behind all of
this.  That it had to be someone else.  The two people who took
him from the Galactica."
  "Everything does point straight in his direction.  Too
straight.  You would think that he would try pinning the blame on
someone else.  Divert suspicion away from him.  Ramses is adamant
that he is not behind any of this.  And if Kelvin was right. . .
. "  replied Boomer thoughtfully.
  "But Kelvin was correct when he said the authorities did not
believe that any of these people were killed accidentally.  We
have copies of the reports.  Now Bowman was left alive this long
after everyone's deaths for a reason.  He was definitely a part
of everything that's happened.  And those two people killed him
to keep him quiet.  Maybe he was tired of everything and
threatened to tell all.  Who knows?"
  Sheba looked at Starbuck, a crooked mirthless grin on her face
as she nodded her head in agreement.  "Kill Bowman because maybe
he was the weak link.  Apollo said he was a coward.  So did
Ramses.  Whoever is behind the accidents that Mylinna and Tatya
were having and the attacks on Apollo figured that as long as
they cast suspicion on Ramses that we'd look no further."
  The door to Bowman's quarters opened to admit Athena and
Ramses, who stopped and quietly listened to the trio.
  "Because we believe that there was no one else alive who was
there that night.  But there is still Kelvin.  And we still have
this unknown person.  The girl that came to the caves dressed as
a boy."  Boomer said.
  "But why go to that extent dressing as a boy?"  Athena asked.
"For what purpose?  Did the others know her somehow?"
  "Maybe." Replied Boomer.
  Athena shook her head.  "All this speculation is not getting us
any closer to finding my brother."
  "She's right, Starbuck.  We still have no idea who this woman
is or who the person is hidden behind the cloak."  Sheba said
impatiently.
  "Maybe if we take a closer look at the memory scan.  Slow it
down, go micron by micron at the moment Shari was killed and
Apollo saw Ryan fall.."  Starbuck said with a slight flourish.
  "Wilker has a copy of the scan."  Said Sheba.
  "What are we waiting for. . . ."  Ramses voice drifted off as
he turned and caught a glimpse of a holopicture on the shelf
beside the door.  He stopped in shock and looked intently at it.
There in the holopicture were three people, smiling.  One he
recognized as Bowman.  The other was a stunning black-haired
woman with her arms around the other figure in the picture.  A
man.  A horribly scarred man.  A man who looked very familiar to
Ramses.  But it was impossible! He was dead! He died in an
accident that night that Ryan died.  From what Ramses had heard,
he had burned to death in a fiery crash.
  "What's wrong?" asked Athena as she noted the strange
expression on the councilor's face..
  Ramses reached for the picture and handed it to Athena.  "The
people in this picture.  This is Bowman."  Ramses pointed to the
man on the left.  "I don't know the woman, but I'm willing to bet
that Cassie will know her.  I bet this is the woman that Cassie
and Bojay saw in the corridor.  And I know the man on the right.
He's suppose to have died yahrens ago.  In fact the night that
Ryan and Shari died."  Ramses looked at the picture again that
Starbuck now held in his hands.  "If I'm right, and this is who I
think it is, he has the motive to want each one of the boys that
were there that night at the caves to die.  He would have the
motive to kill Bowman.  And he would have motive and the desire
to kill Apollo.  And to frame me.  I just may have all our
answers to our questions."
  "The disfigured man in the picture?"  asked Starbuck as he
looked up from the holopic.
  Ramses nodded.  "I know now who has Apollo.  I know who's been
behind it all.  He was the cloaked figure in the corridor beside
the woman."  Ramses grabbed the holopic from Starbuck's grasp and
ran from the room, with the others right behind him.

                            *********

  Adama entered the council room with a bit of trepidation,
Athena following closely at his side.  The communication that he
had received had been very specific.  One person could accompany
him to this meeting to act as a witness, but no one else.  No
weapons of any kind were permitted.  If any of the rules were
broken, then Adama would never find Apollo in time.  Starbuck,
Boomer and Sheba had argued with him not to go, not to trust this
mysterious person.  They felt it was a trap of some kind.   But
when they saw that their commander's mind was firmly made up,
they asked him to at least let one of them accompany him.  Athena
had stood quietly, knowing full well her father was going to
select her.  Not because she was the logical choice, but because
he knew her heart.  How and what Athena had felt during all of
this.
  Adama walked over to his chair at the head of the table and sat
quietly.  Athena stood quietly at his side, her hand resting on
her father's shoulder comfortingly.  She wondered how long they
would have to wait for this person.  But what weighed more
heavily on her mind was if this person would really tell them
where Apollo was.  And that he would still be alive.  Athena felt
in her heart that he still was alive, but she knew that wouldn't
be the case for much longer.
  A soft voice broke through Athena's thoughts.  "You came."
  Adama glanced sideways at his daughter, then replied.  "You
didn't think I would?"
  Adama and Athena heard a soft laugh.  "No.  Your appearance was
never in doubt, Commander.  I am surprised though that you
brought your daughter.  I figured it would either be Lt.
Starbuck, Lt. Boomer or even Lt. Sheba."
  "Where is my son?"  Adama said sternly, wishing he could get a
look at the person speaking.  He knew it was the woman in the
picture.  The hexlar.  Cassie had identified her as the
mysterious woman in the corridor.  So had Bojay.
  "He's still alive.  But if the other has his way, he won't be
for long."
  Adama decided to take a gamble.  "Why don't you come out into
the light?  I gave you my word that I would not try anything."
  "I feel safer where I am."
  "Why?  You have my word.  I am not going to harm you.  I am
unarmed as is my daughter."
  "And a Caprican lives by his word, doesn't he?"  The voice
said, sarcasm dripping from every word..
  "You said you knew about me.  Is there anything in my past that
shows that I am unworthy of a person's trust?  You have my word.
You also have my son."
  "I don't have your son.  The other does."
  "Who is the other?" Adama demanded. "It's Stavros, isn't it?"
He could feel her surprise at his question.  That piece of
information was something she wasn't expecting.
  "So you know that Stavros is the one that has taken Apollo.  If
you know then why did you agree to meet with me?  Why did you
agree to my conditions?"
  "Because I want to know why all of this has happened.  I want
to know the full story.  Why there has been so much pain and
death.  You are willing to turn against Stavros now after all
this time.  Why?  There seems to be so much more to this than
meets the eye."
  The voice became quiet.  "Stavros has changed too much for my
liking.  He can't accept responsibility for his actions and their
consequences."
  "And you can?  You won't even face me.  I can't sit and talk to
a voice in the darkness."  Adama made a decision that he wondered
if he would regret.  To Athena's surprise, her father rose from
his chair.  "This meeting is over.  I have to look at a person as
they speak to me.  I want to see the truth in their eyes."
  "You are willing to sacrifice your son just because I will not
let you see me?"  the voice was incredulous.  "You are as mad as
Stavros."
  "No.  I know what you look like.  I know that you're a hexlar.
And contrary to what you may believe, I will listen to what you
have to say.  But I can't speak to someone who must hide in the
shadows.  Step into the light.  Let us see you.  Then we'll
talk."
  "Father. . . ."  Athena whispered, her voice wavered.  What was
her father trying to do?
  A sigh came up from behind Adama and the sound of soft
footsteps as Damalis came out of the shadows and stood on the
other side of the council table.
  "How did you know?"  Damalis asked.
  "We found a picture of you and Stavros in Bowman's quarters.
The med tech and the warrior that you stunned when you took
Apollo identified you from that picture."  Adama replied calmly
as he sat back down.  "You were the mysterious boy from that
night."
  Damalis looked at Adama.  Maybe she had misjudged this man.
Maybe there was some truth in the stories about them.  "How did
you know that?"
  "Is it important now?"  Adama asked.  Damalis shook her head.
"What is your name?"
  "Is that important to you also?"
  "I like to address people by name if I can."
  She was silent for a moment, then replied quietly.  "Damalis."
  Adama nodded.  "Damalis."   Adama looked up at Athena, who was
watching the hexlar guardedly, but also curiously.  He then
turned his attention back to Damalis.  "I want to know the whole
story behind that night, Damalis.  I want to know why people have
died.  I also want to know where Apollo is now.  Why has all of
this happened?"
  "Because Stavros took a gamble that failed."
  "Stavros planned the kidnapping."
  "Yes.  I was also there and I admit that I helped him plan it.
The only thing that I can say in my defense was that I was very
young and very stupid.  I cannot say and won't say that he forced
me to help him, because he didn't.  At least not at first.  I
could have walked away, but I didn't.  I was 16 yahrens old then
and he offered me everything that I ever wanted.  Money, power,
beautiful things.  Everything a hexlar dreams of."
  "Who killed Shari?"  Athena asked, grasping her father's
shoulder tightly to stop her shaking.
  Damalis stood straighter and looked Athena in the eye.  "I did.
I did it because he told me to.  He told me it was the only way.
She wouldn't listen to him.  She refused to help Stavros reason
with Ryan.  And she refused to give in to his demands about
Apollo.  She told him that she would never permit Stavros to hurt
the boy in any way."  Damalis paused.  "And she refused to get
rid of the baby."
  "What did the baby have to do with any of this?"
  "Stavros is the father of that child."
  Athena and Adama looked at each other in surprise.  "But. . . .
.Bowman . . . ."
  "Bowman was too much of a spineless coward.  It has always been
my belief that Stavros was very attracted to Shari.  Maybe even
felt something akin to love for her.  But he knew that she loved
Ryan.  Stavros got drunk one night on some Virgonian sombria and
assaulted Shari.  Bowman took the blame for that assault because
Stavros told him he had to.  He gave Bowman no other choice."
  "But the genetic disorder that the child has does not run in
Ryan's family."
  "Not in Ryan's but Stavros is not truly Ryan's uncle by blood.
Only by marriage.  Stavros's father married Ryan's grandmother
when Stavros was a child.  Ryan's grandmother was a widow with
two children at the time."
  "Then who killed Ryan?  Was it an accident?"  Athena asked.
  "Stavros killed Ryan and it was no accident.  He planned to
kill Ryan and he did when he pushed him from the cliff."  Damalis
replied.  "Even though he swears that my killing Shari is what
really killed Ryan."
  "Why did he kill Ryan?" asked Adama incredulously.
  "Ryan refused to follow his uncle's orders anymore.  He would
not turn over Apollo to Stavros or his associates.  Ryan,
unfortunately, had morals and values which his uncle did not
have.  Ryan wanted out of everything and was threatening to tell
all to you and to the authorities, but Stavros had too much at
stake.  There were millions of cubits to be made if the proposal
passed through Council as it stood.  And there were others more
powerful than Stavros who also had much at stake.  You were the
only obstacle and they felt that you would remain quiet if you
had a good enough reason."
  "So Ryan and Shari stood between Apollo and Stavros."
  "Yes.  Stavros expected as much from them both.  He had tried
to convince Shari to change Ryan's mind and she refused.  Not
only refused, but fully agreed with Ryan.  So Stavros decided
they had to be eliminated.  I was to kill Shari to keep her
silent, then later handle Ryan.  At first, Stavros figured  that
we would need Ryan's help to keep Apollo under our control once
we had him.  But everything changed in a moment."
  "All the others that were there that night.  The two of you
have been murdering them too."
  "No!"  Damalis said forcefully.  "That was all Stavros.  He
made sure every single person's death looked like an accident.
In time he would have made it to Apollo and Ramses, but the
holocaust stopped him."  The voice paused.  "Stavros wants Apollo
dead very badly."
  "Why?  Because he thinks Apollo saw who killed Shari and Ryan?"
  Damalis nodded her agreement.  "But that's only part of the
reason Stavros wants your son to die."
  "Then what's the rest of the story?"  demanded Adama, his
temper getting short.  "What is behind all of this?"
  `That night, as Apollo ran from everything that happened at the
caves, Stavros tried to beat Apollo to his home so that he could
kidnap the boy himself and still make everything come out in his
favor.  But Stavros lost control of his vehicle and hit the wall
of rock that lined the roadway.  It burst into flames on impact
and Stavros was horribly injured.  Stavros blames Apollo for that
accident.  For his injuries.  And he wants Apollo to pay."
Damalis sighed, then continued.  "I still believe that Stavros
finally fell victim to his own demons.  He slipped into madness,
slowly, but slip he did."  Damalis started to pace.  "He's now
turning against me saying that he will make me pay for all that
has happened.  That if the blame is not put on Ramses, that I
will take the fall.  And I believe him.  He has killed his own
nephew, killed many others.  He's even killed his own son.
What's to stop him from killing me?"
  "What do you want out of this?"  Adama asked, his heart
pounding rapidly.
  "You're an intelligent man, Commander.  You have a good idea
what I want."
  "Your freedom."
  "I'll make an anonymous statement about everything that
happened on Caprica and within the fleet.  I'll give you the
location of your son.  All I ask for is my freedom."
  "You want me to overlook everything you have done in this
situation?"
  "That is so little to ask for when you realize what you are
getting in return.  Conviction of Stavros and the return of your
son to you."
  "I can't believe that a hexlar would turn against her
benefactor in this fashion."
  "Call it self-preservation, Commander.  I've told you what he's
done."
  "Is he the one who attacked Apollo in the landing bay?"
  "Yes, in a way.  I think that the person who actually did it is
dead.  Killed by Stavros.  And Stavros is the one who fired the
shots in the corridor later.  He found out that Apollo was
scheduled to take a deep probe memory scan.  Stavros couldn't
allow that."
  "I guess not.  But the probe never showed anything that you
have told me here, beside the fact that Ryan and Shari risked
their lives to save Apollo.  The scan never showed who killed
Shari and Ryan.  Apollo never remembered anything until just
before you and Stavros took him in the corridor."
  "Bowman told us for yahrens that Apollo didn't remember or
never saw who it was.  And since their deaths were classified
accidents, I figured it was all over.  Until Stavros admitted to
me that he had been systematically killing the others from that
night."
  "Where is Apollo?"  Adama leaned forward and pointedly asked
the black-haired woman.
  "Do I retain my freedom?  Do you agree to the bargain?"
  "Where is my son?"
  "Do we have an agreement?"  Damalis demanded.
  Adama stood and looked Damalis in the eye.  "If Apollo is alive
and well, if you fulfill your end of the agreement, I will give
the matter further consideration."
  Damalis stared at him in stunned disbelief.  "Further
consideration?  No.  That is not an answer!  You are playing
games with your son's life.  Stavros is mad.  He plans to make
Apollo suffer as he did.  He plans to burn Apollo alive!  In a
fire with no chance of escape!"
  Adama stood there quietly, a war raging within himself.  A war
between being a father and being a leader for his people.  Adama
could feel Athena's anxious gaze resting upon him as she awaited
for his decision.  His daughter knew the war he was fighting with
himself.  Apollo's life was at stake.  All Adama could remember
at that micron was how he felt when Apollo was born.  The awe and
wonder that he had felt when that tiny person that was a part of
him and a part of Ila was placed in his arms.  He remembered the
happy, joyous child that was his son.  And Adama remembered the
intense love that he felt for his child, his first born.  In a
flash he saw his child grow up before his eyes.
  Adama looked at Damalis and slowly nodded his agreement.  With
that, Damalis let go of the breath that she had been holding,
then proceeded to tell Adama quickly the whereabouts of his son
and what Stavros had planned for him.

                          ************

  Apollo watched silently as the cloaked figure came over to him
and stood silently over him.  For some reason Apollo felt cold,
and very, very tired.  He was fighting to keep his eyes open but
he felt like he was losing that battle.  That woman killed Shari.
She killed Bowman.  She caused the accidents that had happened to
Mylinna and Tatya.  And he was next.  Now what did this
mysterious figure want with him?  To kill him too?  He could only
die once, and the woman intended to be the one who took his life.
Do what did this person want?
  "Well, well.  Who do we have here?"  The cloaked figure asked
in a condescending tone.  "Apollo, son of Adama.  Son of the
revered commander of this motley fleet of human survivors."
  Apollo struggled to look up at the figure, wondering why he was
hiding his identity behind a dark cloak and hood.  Apollo tried
desperately to clear his clouding vision, but to no avail.  The
figure of the cloaked man started to waver and become distorted.
He shook his head to try to help restore his vision to right, but
it didn't help at all.
  And as the figure walked around him, or floated around him,
Apollo really wasn't sure which, he began to feel the further
affects of the mixture that had been injected into him earlier by
the woman.  He felt like his body was not his own as he tried to
move around to watch what this person was up to.  It was not
responding to what he wanted it to do.  What he commanded it to
do.  He struggled vainly to keep up with the movements of the
person before him, but he gave up.  He was even more exhausted
from the struggle and he leaned against the cool metal column.
  "I hope you have found your accommodations comfortable."  The
figure said congenially.
  "Where am I?  And who are you?"  Apollo said, trying to sound
demanding, but his voice came out pathetic to even his own ears.
His tongue felt like it had suddenly grown too large for his
mouth and everything began to move like it was in slow motion.
What in the name of frack was happening to him?
  "What's the matter, Apollo?  You don't recognize me?"  The
figure knelt down in front of the drugged and confused man.  "Is
it my robes that I now forced to wear all the time so that people
don't run from the very sight of me?  So children don't go crying
and running to their parents because I frighten them?"  The
figure too a long look at Apollo, then rose and walked over to
the only piece of furniture in the room.
  As he sat down in the chair, he looked at the man half sitting,
half sprawled on the floor before him.  The mixture that Damalis
devised was working very effectively.  It wouldn't matter now if
his friends found him.  They would not be able to get to Apollo
in time to save him.  This plan was working like an expensive
timepiece.
  "Who are you?"  Apollo's words were slurred now.
  The figure looked at him in surprise.  Could this be true?  The
man that the boy had became did not recognize him?  No, that
couldn't be.
  "Young Apollo, you wound me.  Here I thought I was
unforgettable.  Or rather I had made myself unforgettable to you.
Let's just see if I can prompt your memory a little."
  Apollo turned his head to look at the figure, trying to
remember.  That voice seemed like it was one he knew.  But from
where?  Apollo wished he could remember.
  "I met you a long time ago, on Caprica.  In Caprica City to be
precise.  I was dressed differently then.  These tattered robes
were not my usual attire.  I wore the finest of robes made of the
finest materials in the colonies and beyond.  The robes of the
elite class.  A class you were born into but I worked and bought
my way into.  You know Apollo if it wasn't for me, you would have
never met Ryan and Shari.  Never at all.  You should thank me for
that at least."
  Apollo felt something take a hold of him when the person
mentioned Ryan and Shari.  A memory.  Suddenly, Apollo wasn't
tied to a post on one of the ships that traveled with the fleet.
He was on Caprica.  In Caprica City.  It was the beginning of New
Spring and the grass was turning green again, the air was clear
and smelled full of new life  A freshness, a cleanliness all
around him.  He had gone to a park in a different part of the
city.  It was a huge park, one of the oldest on Caprica, but it
was one that he loved coming to.  It was a little out of his way
as he walked home from school, but to him it was worth it.  He
felt like he was on his grandparent's farm when he was here.
  The gardeners were hard at work, preparing the flower beds that
were along the path for the new planets they planned to cultivate
there.  Apollo turned to watch them as he walked, not paying
attention to where he was going.   Suddenly, he ran into
something hard and heard and `Oomph!" and things dropping onto
the ground.  As Apollo quickly backed up he heard a voice say
impatiently to him.
  "You little hellion!  Can't you look where your going instead
of daydreaming about what you've left behind?  Now look what
you've done!"
  As Apollo looked at the source of the voice, he found himself
staring at a very tall man, wearing the robes of the elite class
on Sagitaria.  The man's angry face looking at him and Apollo
felt a little afraid.  The man was right.  He should have been
looking where he was going.  But he wasn't.
  "I'm. . . I'm sorry, Sire."  Apollo apologized to the man.  But
the man didn't look appeased with his apology as he stared at
Apollo.  His gray eyes then scanned over the scattered books and
papers on the ground.
  "Look at this mess.  My papers for the Council are ruined.  I
was suppose to review those papers for the next meeting.  How
could you be so irresponsible by not looking where you were
going?"
  Apollo's heart sank at the words `papers for the Council'.
That means that this man is on the Council of Twelve with his
father.  And now his father was going to hear about this when he
arrived home.  Apollo knelt down and started picking up the
papers and books to hand to the man.  All he has wanted to do was
watch as the gardeners planted the new flowers and watch this
park come back renewed for New Spring.
  "I just can't believe how irresponsible you were. . . ."
  "That's enough, Sire."  An inpatient voice interrupted them,
"He has apologized to you.  That should suffice."  a voice
interrupted him.  Apollo turned to look a tall teenager with
crystal green eyes and pale blond hair.  His voice was firm as he
spoke to the man in front of him.
  "Is he a relative of yours?"  The man asked.
  "My brother."  The young man took the books and papers from
Apollo and handed them to the man in front of him.  "Here you
are, Sire.  Everything is fine now."  He then turned to Apollo.
"Come on, brother.  Let's go home." He said as he took Apollo's
arm and led him away.
  They walked a short distance in silence, then the older boy
turned to see the man gone, smiled at Apollo.
  "Well, he's gone."
  "Thank you for helping me back there."
  The youth smiled at him.  "That's okay.  He was making a big
deal out of it for nothing except his own importance.  My name is
Ryan."
  "I'm Apollo."
  Apollo looked again at the cloaked figure as the memory faded.
"I do know you.  You were the man from the park that day."
  "Very good, Apollo.  You do remember."
  "Why are you doing this?"  Apollo was very confused now.
  "Because of you, I lost everything.  My home, my fortune, my
power.  I lost it all.  Because of you,  I had to kill my own
nephew.  Because of you, I had to become a killer.  Because of
you, I now look like this."
  The hood flew back as the man ripped it from his face.  Apollo
gasped unwillingly as he saw the scars that were left by severe
burns to the man.  The dark mottled pink and purple raised areas
on the man's face and neck.  The hatred that he saw in the gray
eyes that looked that him made Apollo flinch.  This man was mad.
He was crazy!
  "How did I do that to you?  And who was your nephew?  Apollo
asked groggily as he tried to remain focused.
  "Ryan.  Ryan was my nephew.  And because of you, he had to die.
I had to kill him.  I had to push him from that ledge."
  Apollo sat there, the shock coming over him.  Ryan was his
nephew.  Ryan.  He killed Ryan.  `Stavros, my uncle planned all
of this.  You won't be safe until he's in prison.  He'll try
again and soon.'  Ryan warned him.  Ryan died and this man killed
him.  This was the man that Apollo saw on the path.  And now
Apollo knew why he had seemed so familiar.  From the park when he
met Ryan.  Anger and hatred welled up him Apollo as he tried to
break free of his bonds.
  "MURDERER!"  Apollo shouted as he tugged and pulled at his
bonds.  "You're Stavros, Ryan's uncle."
  "I use to be Stavros.  Now I'm Cecil, the old crazy man.  I got
these burns from trying to get to you before you made it to your
house.  I crashed my hovermobile on the rock wall and it
exploded, leaving me like this."
  "You killed all the others too."
  "Yes, Damalis and I killed every single one.  They would have
talked sooner or later.  They would have told all.  But they are
dead!  Soon you will also die and all the evidence in all the
deaths will point to Ramses.  He will be the one imprisoned for
their deaths, including yours."
  "My father will never believe that Ramses did this!"
  "Your father will be so grief stricken that he will be glad to
have someone pay for your death.  He will believe it."
  "You must have hated Ryan to kill him.  And Shari."
  Madness glittered in his eyes as Stavros spoke.  "No boy.  I
loved Ryan.  And I offered Shari everything.  She bore my child,
a child I told her to get rid of.  But no, she wouldn't do that."
Apollo's eyes widened at this revelation.
  "But Tatya is Ryan's daughter."
  Stavros laughed.  "No, boy.  No, the child was mine.  I wanted
the lovely Shari so one night I took her.  Unfortunately, she
ended up bearing my child.  Ryan thought it was Bowman who
assaulted her.  But it wasn't.  He just took the blame because I
ordered him to.  And she kept silent because she knew what would
happen if she didn't.  If she had only listened to me, she could
have had anything that she wanted within the colonies.  But she
loved Ryan too much.  And she loved you.  And that baby.  So she
had to die."
  Stavros got up and pulled a laser out of his cloak, firing it
at the floor.  Flames leapt up and traveled quickly up the walls,
covered the floor.  Apollo watched the flames run within a
heartbeat over the walls and floor.  He thought off-handedly to
himself that Stavros must be using an incinerate substance to
help this fire along.  Stavros laughed a crazed evil laugh as he
turned back to Apollo.
  "Your death will be long and painful.  You will die from burns
suffered in a terrible fire.  Your kidnappers left you to die.
Of course all of the evidence will point to Ramses.  And now with
your death and the breaking of Ramses, it is finally over."  With
that, Stavros left Apollo to the mercy of the fire.

                            *********

  Stavros ran down the corridor to the launch bay in glee.  The
problem was going to be dead very shortly.  It was all over.
Revenge was just so sweet.
  Suddenly Stavros felt a jerk from behind and he felt himself
fly through the air quickly slammed up against the bulkhead.  A
strong hand gripped his throat as he looked into to cold,
glittering eyes of his attacker.  Stavros's heart sank as he
looked into those eyes full of hate and anger.  Eyes that he
remembered well.
  "Where is my son, Stavros?!"  Adama's voice was unyielding and
cold.  "What have you done to him."
  "What makes you think I have any knowledge of your son, Adama?"
  "Don't play games with me."
  "I have no knowledge of your son, Adama.  Why would I?"
  "You tried to kidnap him on Caprica.  When that failed, you
killed Ryan and Shari because they would not follow through with
your plan.  Then you systematically killed everyone who was there
that night, trying to make them all look like accidents.  You
have tried twice to kill my son and failed."
  Stavros smiled slowly at Adama, letting the madness take over.
"You know the old saying Adama, third time's the charm."
  Adama tightened his grip around Stavros's throat.  Stavros's
body jerked against the bulkhead at the tightening of Adama's
grip.
  "Where is Apollo?"
  "Dead."  Stavros's voice choked out, his eyes glinted with
satisfaction.
  "You're lying!"  Sheba shouted as she tried to advance on the
scarred man.  "You tell us the truth!  Tell us where Apollo is!"
Sheba had her hands in front of her, unsure what she intended to
do as she swiftly moved forward.  Boomer grabbed her and held her
back.
  "Where is he?!"  Starbuck shouted, barely  controlling his own
urge to lunge at the already helpless man, to choke the life out
of him, himself.
  "He's dead.  Now all you have to do is find his body."
  "You're lying Stavros."  Ramses said angrily.  "You might just
be able to live to see your trial if you tell us where he is."
  "He's dead, Ramses.  The only regret that I have is that I have
been caught.  You won't pay for the crime.  But that's okay.  You
have to live with his blood on your hands and his death on your
conscious.  Just like you have to live with Ryan's death.  And
Shari's."
  Athena stood in total disbelief at this shell of a man.  "You
are totally mad!"
  "I may be mad, but I have won!  Apollo is finally dead!"
  Adama felt his heart turn to stone at that micron.  He
tightened his grip on Stavros's neck and started to raise the
despicable man off the ground, sliding him up the cold metal
wall.  Apollo was not dead.  He couldn't be.  Adama would know.
He would have felt it.  But if his first born was really dead, so
would this man be.  Just as Baltar would someday pay for Ila and
Zac's deaths.  Rage and anger took over Adama's mind.
  Suddenly the light scent of flowers drifted through the
corridor effectively halting Adama as he stopped, then slowly
settled Stavros back to the floor.  Adama looked around,
searching for the source of that scent.  He had smelled it
before.  When the shots were fired in the corridor at Apollo, it
was that same scent.
  The scent was one that Ramses recognized even after all of
these yahrens.  A scent that he would never forget.  Ramses
looked around in trepidation, seeing nothing.  There was no such
thing as ghosts.  Yet, he smelled that scent here in corridor of
the Sadira. And that was impossible.  It was the scent that Shari
use to wear.  Her favorite.  What was happening to him?  Had he
lost his mind completely?
  Ramses ventured down the corridor cautiously wondering in the
back of his mind if he was the only one that smelled that scent.
Then the scent suddenly changed from one of light flowers in
springtime to one that indicated burning - fire!.
  "This way!"  Ramses shouted, with Starbuck, Boomer, Sheba and
Athena at his heels as they ran towards the source of the smell.
Adama kept his grip on Stavros as he dragged the man down the
corridor, refusing to release him for a micron.  Starbuck saw the
small wafts of smoke coming from underneath the sealed door and
ran ahead of the group to the door.  As the door slid open,
Starbuck could see the still figure of Apollo laying on the
floor, the room consumed in fire and thick, heavy smoke.
  "Boomer, call the fire team!"  Starbuck looked at the prone
figure of Apollo laying on the floor.  "Apollo!"  Starbuck
shouted as he tried to move towards his friend, but the fire rose
before him, the intense heat and flame pushed him back   Starbuck
coughed as the smoke entered his lungs.
  "Apollo!"  Adama shouted.  He was rewarded with a slight
movement from Apollo, his first sign of hope.  "Apollo, I'm
coming to get you!"  The fire rose as Adama tried to push
forward, effectively making the man step back from the intense
heat.
  "No!"  Sheba screamed as she saw Apollo's prone body on the
floor surrounded by walls of flame.  She tried to run forward
into the flames to save her husband.  Adama quickly grabbed her
and held her tightly to him.  She fought at him, straining,
kicking and fighting the strong arms that held her like steel
bands.  "Let me go!  Let me go!  I have to get to him!"  Adama
tightened his arms around her, trying to keep her out of harms
way.  At least trying to keep her safe.  Holding her as she
finally stopped her struggling and sagged against her father-in-
law, sobbing.  Athena could do nothing more than embrace her
sister-in-law to her and tried to give some comfort to her.
Athena's own heart felt like it was made of lead.  There was
nothing she could do.
  Apollo coughed as the smoke filled his lungs.  He felt himself
unable to do anything.  He heard Starbuck's voice calling to him.
Then his father's   He couldn't respond to either, then he heard
a voice.  A voice he hadn't heard in yahrens.
  "Apollo. . . .Apollo. . . . ."
  Apollo knew he must be dead.  Ryan was and he was now hearing
him, hearing his voice.  He was dead.  Apollo slowly opened his
eyes, looking around and seeing nothing.  Apollo coughed as he
laid his head back down.  His lungs and eyes were burning from
the heat and smoke.  He knew that smoke would finish him off
before the fire did, but he just couldn't move.  His arms and
legs refused to obey his commands.  He was going to die.
  Apollo slowly tried to move, but he didn't have the strength.
He felt as weak as a newborn child.  In hopelessness and defeat,
Apollo stopped his struggles, knowing they were useless.  He was
going to die and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Apollo could feel the intense heat of the fire get closer.  The
air he was breathing in was burning his lungs, every breath he
took was a struggle.  Every time he tried to breathe, a fit of
coughing overwhelmed him, leaving him feeling weaker than before.
His lungs felt like they were on fire - burning from inside his
body.
  Apollo just laid there, exhaustion  winning out over all.
Weakness and defeat.  He wasn't sure who was calling him or what
they were saying anymore.
  "Apollo."  It was back again.  That voice. . . .   Why wasn't
he hearing his mother's voice or his brother's?  Not even
Serina's.  Voices he thought he would hear again when he died.
Apollo heard a crash and a scream.  A scream. . . . .  It almost
sounded like Sheba's voice.
  Apollo tried to get up again, but to no avail.  Whatever that
woman had given him was making it impossible for him to move.  He
laid his head down on the hard metal floor, frustrated as he
watched the fire move closer to him.  He thought of his father
and sister.  He thought of Boxey.  Of Sheba.  Of Boomer, Cassie.
And Starbuck. . . .  Starbuck would take care of his family.
Starbuck would take care of everything.
  Apollo laid there, his mind drifting to his meeting Starbuck
for the first time at Caprica City Secondary Instruction.  Both
15 yahrens old.  Starbuck made friends easily and he had people
all around him even after his first day there.  Apollo was the
serious one.  The achiever.  Top of his class.  The studious one.
And Starbuck had fascinated the quiet Apollo.  They were thrown
together in an advanced science course.  It had taken a while for
Starbuck to dig through the layers that made up Apollo, just as
it had taken some time for Apollo to get around Starbuck's well
tuned defenses.  They entered the academy together, roomed
together, studied together.  When Apollo was assigned to the
Galactica, Starbuck was waiting there for him with Boomer, who
they had became friends with at the Academy.  Now Apollo was
going to die.  Starbuck would watch over Sheba and Boxey.
Starbuck would take care of them and his father and Athena.  He
knew Starbuck and Boomer both would be there for his family.  He
could die with that much peace.
  "Apollo!"  Somewhere in the distance he could hear Starbuck's
voice.  But Apollo was too tired to find him.  Apollo wasn't sure
what he felt anymore, but the heat was finally fading away.
Everything seemed so surreal.
  "Apollo, I'm coming to get you!"  Starbuck ran forward before
anyone could stop him and somehow made it over and through the
flames, dense smoke and heat to Apollo's side.  As he knelt down
beside his friend, his heart raced with fear and worry.  Was he
too late?  Starbuck touched Apollo and was rewarded to see the
rise and fall of Apollo's chest.  He was still breathing.
Starbuck quickly checked the bonds and decided he didn't have
time to release Apollo from his bindings.  The fire had already
burned Apollo's hands and face, singed his hair.    His flight
jacket was scorched in places.  Swiftly Starbuck drew his laser
and fired it at the beam and the bindings.  The bindings snapped
and Apollo was free.
  Starbuck wiped the sweat from his brow as he reached down to
pick Apollo up off the floor.  As he rose with Apollo's limp body
in his arms, he thought he saw something. . . . Was there someone
else here?   Starbuck strained to try to see if what he saw
someone else moving or what, but he saw nothing but the fire and
dense smoke. He looked down at the quiet form of Apollo, then
back to the fire.
  "Apollo," he said quietly as he adjusted Apollo's weight in his
arms.  "You just can't stay out of trouble can you?  We have to
talk about this and a few other things when I get you out of
here."  A crash sounded in the distance.  "IF I get you out of
here."
  "Starbuck!"  Sheba cried.  Starbuck turned and looked over at
the people that stood by the open doorway.  Starbuck started
moving towards them, Apollo's limp form making his progress much
slower.  As he got closer to the wall of flames that separated
him from Adama, Sheba, Athena, Ramses and safety, Starbuck moved
a little faster till was running.  He knew with Apollo's
additional weight that there was no way that he was going to be
able to jump clear of the flames this time.  The only alternative
was to run through them.  Which he did.
  Starbuck felt the intense heat for a micron as he ran through
the flames with his head close to Apollo's.  The coolness of the
air in the corridor was a great relief as Starbuck ran into the
corridor wall, turning his back to it and slid to the floor,
still holding on to Apollo tightly.  Starbuck's tortured lungs
gasped the cool air, as Starbuck coughed to clear his lung s of
the heated air from the room.  He could hear the running
footsteps of the fire team as Sheba fearfully knelt down beside
them on the floor, first hugging and checking over Apollo, then
hugging Starbuck, as she then turned her attention back to
Apollo.  Adama and Athena knelt down beside her as Ramses stood
quietly off to the side, watching the proceedings silently,
although Starbuck could see the worry and concern in his eyes and
in the nervous gesture he made of clenching and unclenching his
fists at his side.  Boomer held on to the shocked Stavros, who
watched everything in mute horror.
  "Starbuck?"  Sheba asked in a broken voice as she touched
Apollo's still form, cautious of the burns on his hands while she
tried to check her husband over.
  "I think he's okay, Sheba.  He'll be all right."  Starbuck
said, a grin breaking across his soot streaked face.
  "No."  Stavros shook his head.  "No.  He's dead.  He has to be
dead!'
  The madness took over in Stavro's anger, frustration and
blinding rage.  With strength that none of them thought he had,
Stavros lashed out and knocked Boomer back to the floor in a
heap.  With speed that seemed almost impossible, Stavros took
Boomer's laser and was turning back to shoot the unconscious
Apollo.
  If anyone had asked any of them what happened next, none of
them would have been able to give an accurate answer.  But
miraculously, Adama had a laser in his hand and without any
thought at all, brought the weapon up and shot a deadly blast at
the mad man intent on ending his son's life.  The mad man who had
caused Apollo so much pain, so much hurt, so much guilt that
Adama knew he could never erase it from his son's mind and heart.
  Adama watched as Stavros fell against the far wall of the
corridor from the force of the blast, then laid there deathly
still.  The Commander stood and walked over towards Stavros,
standing over him, gazing down at his scarred, disfigured form
with hatred in his eyes.  At that micron, he felt almost as much
hatred for this pathetic figure of a man as he did for Baltar.
Suddenly, Stavros began to move.  Adama brought the laser back
up, pointing it at the pathetic figure, and  watched carefully as
Stavros's  eyes fluttered open and he started to laugh.  A cruel,
spiteful laugh.
  "I knew not to take you on by myself.  I knew that you could
defeat me easily.  The others agreed.  If I had been faster that
night, I would have won.  I would have been rich beyond my
wildest dreams.  And you wouldn't have your son now."
  "You don't know me very well, Stavros.  I would have found
Apollo.  I would have never stopped searching.  And I would have
found you.  And I would have killed you for touching one of my
children."  Adama said quietly, coldly.  "I would have never
given up."
  "Relentless.  Rathmar said that if we had succeeded you would
have hunted us down relentlessly.  Shown no mercy to any of us."
Stavros looked over at Apollo's unconscious form, his eye
contained a sense of wonderment, as did his voice.  "What is it
about him?  What is it that he possesses that my nephew and Shari
were willing to betray me for?  Were willing to die for?"
Stavros looked at Ramses.  "You too Ramses.  You were willing to
defy me with Ryan and Shari.  To protect a boy that you had just
met.  A boy that was not blood, not family.  What special power
does he possess?"
  "One that you would never, ever be able to comprehend,
Stavros."  Ramses answered with quiet assurance.
  "I was so close to success.  So close.  Shari died for her
insolence towards me, along with her devotion to my nephew,
Apollo and that baby.  Ryan had to die because he was willing to
betray me to you and to the authorities.  He didn't know that I
already knew that Ryan had been in contact with the Colonial
Service to try to reach you.  Trying to warn you about our plans.
Rathmar had that message intercepted and destroyed before it
could reach you."  Stavros gasped in pain, stopping for a micron,
then continued.  "I had to kill the others.  They were the
witnesses.  They saw Damalis and I kill Ryan and Shari.  They
were apart of the plot to kidnap your son.  Don't you see, I had
to kill them all.  To protect myself.  I worked so hard to make
sure that nothing ever came to light."  Stavros looked up at
Adama as he struggled to speak.  "It was so much bigger than you
ever knew.  But Ryan knew.  Ryan said that nothing good could
come of this.  Well, he was right.  Ryan won.  They both won in
the end." Stavros's voice drifted off weakly as he closed his
eyes and gave himself to the arms of death.
  "They have my eternal gratitude."  Adama said quietly as he
lowered his weapon and watched the maniac that tried to kill his
son take his last breath and die.  It was over.  It was all over.
Now the healing could begin.  Apollo would be able to learn to
cope with his memories and his feelings from that time.  Adama
turned and looked at Starbuck, who still held on tightly to
Apollo, at Sheba, Athena and Boomer who stood protectively close
by.  Then to Ramses, nodding his silent thanks to the man who
Adama himself would have to learn more about.  He had a strange
feeling that this man was going to be a fixture in his son's
life.  Adama looked up heavenward, with a quick thanks to God.
And to two others.
  Adama then sighed and walked over to care for his son.


                            Epilogue
                                
  Over a secton later, Apollo sat quietly on the couch in his
quarters, looking at the holopictures that Mylinna had given him
just centars before.  He had finally met the child he had held in
his arms all those yahrens ago.   The one that he had named.  The
one that he had tried his best to watch over from afar.  It had
seemed easier that way.  The pain didn't seem as hurtful.
  To Apollo's surprise, Tatya had smiled happily at him, then
hugged him tightly.  When she finally released him, he was
surprised to see tears in her eyes.  His felt a little misty too.
Mylinna had told Tatya the whole story - at least what she needed
to hear.  No one concerned felt that Tatya needed to be
enlightened any further than to the fact that her parents died
tragically, but loved her with all their hearts.  And Mylinna had
informed Apollo that Tatya desperately wanted to get to know her
`uncle', wanted to spend time with him and his family, which made
Apollo happier than he could have ever thought.
  And Ramses.  Apollo finally felt comfortable with him again and
able to trust him.  Apollo had met his wife Elyssia and his two
children, Brenton and Kylinn, then later Apollo had sat down and
had a long talk with Ramses.  He finally saw what Ryan saw.
Apollo wasn't sure where his relationship with Ramses was going
to go, but Apollo was willing to try again.
  The door slid open to admit Athena, Sheba and Adama, who came
and sat down on either side of him.
  "Mylinna must have given these to you."  Sheba said quietly as
she picked up the one of the three that were framed.  The smiling
faces of Ryan and Shari with the child Apollo was all those
yahrens ago glowed back at her.  Sheba wished that she had been
given the chance to know these two people.  Because of them, she
had Apollo with her.  She got to meet, fight with and fall in
love with the person they loved.
  "Yeah.  I had these three framed.  The rest can be put away
with the rest of the family photos."
  "Tatya's a beautiful girl."  Adama said quietly as he picked up
the delicately framed holopic of the ethereal looking girl..
"Where did you come up with the name Tatya?"
  "It was a piece of music that I had learned when I was about
nine titled "Tatya's Concerto."   For some reason, when I looked
at her when Ryan gave her to me to hold, she reminded me of that
piece.  I have no idea why."   Apollo smiled as he looked at the
picture his father held.  "Tatya asked me the same question.
After I told her, she asked me if I would play it for her
sometime.  I told her I would.  For some reason, I've never
forgotten it."
  Adama just smiled and nodded.  Athena held the other framed
picture of her brother with Ryan and Shari, Ramses and a baby
Tatya.
  "It all just seems so unbelievable now.  Stavros and President
Rathmar in a conspiracy that would have made them rich men.  And
the only document that connected Rathmar to Stavros was the
sealed psychiatric exam that Rathmar insisted be done to make
sure you could never tell what happened.  Or possibly link him to
anything that happened that night.  I just wish we knew what was
in that report."
  Apollo looked at his sister.  "I don't even remember it being
done.  Maybe that's one of the things that will come back to me
in time."  Apollo paused.  "Or it may never come back.  Who
knows?"
  "Well, if it does, we'll deal with it won't we, Apollo?"  Adama
inquired quietly.
  Apollo just nodded as he looked at the picture of Shari, Ryan
and himself.  Then he looked at his father.  "I just wish they
had just told me why they wanted me to stay away that night.  I
would have listened.  They might still be alive."
  "Apollo,"  Sheba said softly.  "We can't change the past or
look back and say, `if I had only done this. . .'  Its done, over
with and it won't be changed with thoughts of ifs and maybes.
You just have to remember how much they cared for you.  And how
much they loved each other."
  "Mylinna told me that they had loved each other since they were
10 yahrens old.  They were each other's best friend and she said
it was appropriate that they went together."
  "You just never know what life has in store for you.  Or who
the lords have picked out for you to spend your life with.  Your
mother and I knew when we met that we would be together for the
rest of our lives."  Adama said quietly.  "They had time together
in this life and now they are together forever.  And happy."
  Apollo nodded.
  "Hopefully now too we can move on.  I just hope there is
nothing else like this that you have kept from me."  Adama looked
at Athena.  "Either of you."  Athena just smiled and shook her
head.  Adama then looked at Sheba.  "How about you?  Anything I
need to know about?"  Sheba just smiled and shook her head.
Adama looked at the three of them and then sat back.  "Good.  I'm
not even going to ask Starbuck.  I don't know if I could take the
strain of anything he would tell me."
  A thought came to Adama.  "Is there anything else that either
of you need to tell me about?  Any other little `secrets' that
you two might have kept from me that I should know about?  That
just may come to light some day?"
  Sheba almost burst out laughing at the twin wide-eyed
expressions that crossed both Apollo and Athena's faces.  They
looked at their father and said together, "Secrets?  Us?" then
turned to look at each other shaking their heads as they turned
their attention back to the holopics they held.
  "No, nothing."  Replied Apollo hurriedly.
  "Nothing.  Nothing at all."  Athena replied as she started to
gather the remaining pictures nervously, then turned to her
brother.  "Apollo, lets put these away."
  Apollo looked at the amused faces of his wife then his father,
then turned his attention to his sister.  "Ah. . . yeah."  As he
gathered the ones close to him and rose to quickly follow Athena
into his bedroom.
  Sheba and Adama just looked at each other and started laughing.

- The End -