Early Nonus, 6489
Battlestar Galactica


It just wasn't possible to avoid Boomer, unfortunately.

Or was that fortunately? Starbuck wasn't, at that moment, prepared to say. Luck was the only lady with whom Starbuck had any sort of permanent relationship, and although he knew She smiled upon him, even he hesitated to make a value judgement about the way She let the cards fall from Her pretty hands.

Well, no matter whether it was fortunate or otherwise, Boomer knew him all too well. Boomer knew all his shifts and evasions. Boomer knew almost every plate and greave of the armour that protected him. Boomer knew all the hiding places and what put him there. Sometimes, Boomer even knew what to do and say to bring him out again.

Boomer knew him.

In fact, given how well Boomer knew him it was astonishing that the man ever played Pyramid with him in order to give his pay into Starbuck's erratic custody. Starbuck could only assume that this one, profitable blind spot was the Lady's way of weighting the dice in his favour: unaccountable, but useful and a boon not to be questioned too closely.

But the point was that there was no profit in hiding from Boomer. Boomer would find him. Boomer had found him.

"I can't quite work out what you think you're doing."

Starbuck spread his arms and put on his most innocent face.

"And that isn't going to help at all. Every time you look innocent as a choirboy—"

"You obviously haven't met many choirboys."

Boomer waited for him to finish, then went on as if he hadn't opened his mouth, "—I check my wallet for leaks. You are not to be trusted, Bucko, so what in Hades do you think you're doing with that girl?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing! C'mon, it's not fair what you're doing. She's not her brother."

"That I can see for myself, thanks."

"It's not nice, Starbuck, to use her for whatever it is you're using her for."

Starbuck glanced over to where Athena sat with some of the bridge crew. She looked up and met his eyes for an instant before looking away quickly, her face pink.

"She's not up to it, the kind of game you play. She's very young and she takes things pretty seriously, from what I've seen, and she'll get hurt."

"Friends, that's all."

"You don't do friends!"

"That's hardly fair," said Starbuck, hurt. "I've never made a pass at you!"

"No," agreed Boomer. He looked steadily at Starbuck until the latter squirmed inelegantly in his seat. "Please stop before you get into trouble. I can't see the Commander sitting back and letting you seduce his little girl. Not with your history in the family. Besides, do you really want her?"

"No," said Starbuck after a long and resentful silence. "It's just that she's someone who knows what Apollo's doing, and I keep hoping she'll mention him."

Gods, he was whining like a hormonal teenager. Luckily for him Boomer was inclined to support and sympathy, not scorn, although Boomer did say, sternly, "See. You're using her. It's not fair and it's not honourable."

Starbuck looked over to Athena again. She was watching him expectantly, waiting for him to go to her. She looked complacent. He'd seen her expression on many another before her, the expression that said I've-got-him!, that expressed a rather smug ownership. He didn't like it on her any more than he'd liked it on anyone before her. With one notable exception.

Besides, he'd been the recipient of one or two hard stares from the Commander recently, and common sense suggested a strategic withdrawal. He sighed. "Yes, you're right. I'll be good."

Boomer laughed. "From what I hear, you're always good. That's half your trouble."

Starbuck laughed too, and turned away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the smug excitement on Athena's face fade into disappointment. She'd get over it, he thought. They always do.

"So," he said, "What do I do instead?"

Boomer sighed. He took a pack of Pyramid cards from his pocket, and said, very sadly, "Do you think the Lords will take notice of this heroic sacrifice? What you do instead, old son, is what you always do. You win." He called over a couple of other willing victims and let the games begin.

Starbuck sat back in his chair, ignoring the sighing glances he got from Athena, and thought again of the only Lady to whom he was constant. He watched as She scattered the cards in his favour and wondered if the old adage was true.

He'd gladly lose every card game he ever played if She would let him be lucky in love.




Boomer never asked the question, when Starbuck said that. I'm being nice to her because I hope that she'll mention Apollo , Starbuck had said, inviting (in truth, almost begging) enquiry, but Boomer didn't ask.

Has she? Did she? Does she?

Starbuck would have had to say that n o, she doesn't talk about him much. The distance that Apollo hinted at is very real. She mentions her mother and Zac, but seldom mentions Apollo.

Once, very early on in their... how would he describe it? friendship? mild flirtation? she said, without knowing the weight of it for him: "My eldest brother was here on the Galactica a couple of yahrens ago. Were you here then?"

"Well, yes, I was ," he'd said . "It was an exciting time ."

She said no more, either not interested in the details, Starbuck thought, or already knowing that the Official Secrets Act had sealed everyone's lips about it.

And once she said, in passing, when the general talk in the OC was of the other battlestars in the Fleet, "My eldest brother's on the Columbia. He's the Strike Captain there."

So he's well enough to be back on duty, thought Starbuck, knowing Apollo would be disappointed not to be allowed back into Shield but delighted to be allowed to do something. Athena didn't seem to really know how Apollo was doing. "Oh, all right, I think," was all she said in answer to Starbuck's carefully casual enquiry.

And once in a crowded bar on Demeter, with the entire ship in for some repairs to a hull breach and a few centars unexpected R&R for the crew, she said, doubtfully, breaking Starbuck's heart, "That looks like Apollo's girlfriend, Rosie. But I don't think it can be. She's not in Shield uniform."

Wise old Boomer. Sensible old Boomer. He knew better than to ask, because he probably already knew the answer.

He already knew that Starbuck had nothing and everything to tell.