Author: Dax
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all related characters are registered trademarks of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Battlestar Galactica - The 2003 Mini-Series, written by Ronald D. Moore and Christopher Eric James. Based upon a teleplay written by Glen A. Larson. Copyright 2003 USA Cable Entertainment Inc.
Authors Note: Written above the chapter titles, are excerpts from the Battlestar Galactica Miniseries.

Note: This story uses the Hybi 4 font to represent handwriting. This font is available for download here: Hybi 4. If fonts are not installed on your PC, sections of this story will be rendered in large text. Fonts sourced from dafont.com.
Feedback: Please leave feedback on the A Love Beyond the Stars thread on the Kitten Board.

"To find the enemy. We are at war. That's my mission."
'Commander William Adama.'

"I honestly don't know why I have to keep telling you this. But the war is over."
'Laura Roslin'

"It hasn't begun yet."
'Commander William Adama.'

"That's insane."
'Laura Roslin'

"You would rather that we run?"
'Commander William Adama.'

"Yes absolutely. That's the only sane thing to do. Exactly that, run. We leave this solar system and don't back."
'Laura Roslin'

[...]

"You can run if you like. This ship will stand and it will fight."
'Commander William Adama.'

"I'm gonna be straight with you here. The human race is to be wiped out. We have 50000 people left and that's it. Now, if we are going to survive as a species, then we need to get the hell out of here and start having babies."
'Laura Roslin'

"Cry havoc and lets slip the dogs of war!" Tara whispered to herself, quoting her favourite playwright. She was still staring at the bulkhead that Willow had gone through half an hour ago, but it already felt like an eternity to Tara.

Her mind was racing. The Cylons had found them, so much was clear to Tara. She wasn't really surprised, of course she was surprised that the Cylons had found them so fast, but not that they had kept looking for possible survivors. And especially for the Galactica

They hadn't been able to destroy this old Battlestar in the first place and so it was only logical for these machines to try again. This time they would certainly throw much more against them, then the two raiders they had sent the last time.

Probably at least one Cylon Basestar, with all the Raiders such a big ship had onboard.

By now Willow would be out there with her comrades defending the civilian ships as well as the Battlestar. "And me," Tara told Miss Kitty Fantastico, who in return, looked from Tara's lap up to her as if she wanted to ask: and what about me?

"Of course you too Miss Kitty," she told her cat and softly stroke her soft fur and Kitty obviously satisfied with this answer, rolled herself up and dozed of. Tara smiled again, only cats and crazy people could sleep in a situation like that.

Tara's thoughts return to Willow and the way she had looked at her, when she had spotted her coming out of her quarter. She had looked like she had seen a ghost, Tara thought and then suddenly she remembered how Billy had told her, what 'Apollo' had done to save their life's, by disabling the warheads and making the Cylons belief that they had been destroyed by a nuclear explosion.

Since that Galactica had been in voice range, it might also have had some sensor reading on their location as well and theses had told the Galactica the same as the Cylons, that Colonial One had been destroyed by a nuclear explosion. Now if Willow and been at the CIC by the time of the 'explosion'...

"Poor girl," Tara whispered to herself.

Willow, she had really believe that she was dead. She certainly had been at the CIC, by the time of the Cylon attack on Colonial One, and thus had observed their "destruction".

So while back then, Tara still had the hope that Willow might still be alive, the redhead on the other side had been convinced that Tara had indeed been killed.

"Be safe," Tara said towards the sealing and at the same time prayed to the Lords of Kobol that they would return Willow safely back to her. That's possibly the downside of being the wife of an Viper pilot, Tara thought and wondered about her particular choice of words.

"Incoming ordnance! All hands brace for impact!" Echoed an male voice throughout the ship. Instinctively Tara took Miss Kitty firmly but carefully into her arm. Then the Galactica was hit and the entire room around Tara shook violently, almost sending her of the bed.

Miss Kitty only took a short look around, before she rolled herself up into Tara's arm again and continued her nap. Unlike Tara she didn't seam to be worried at all.

Tara took her favourite cushion - part of her travel necessities - placed it in the corner of her quarter. With Miss Kitty in her arm, she sat down in that corner, and waited for the next blast, witch promptly came, making the entire room shake like she was in the middle of an severe earthquake. But in her corner Tara felt fairly sheltered and Miss Kitty didn't even raise her head this time. "You really a fascinating cat," Tara told her pet and closed her eyes. This would soon be coming to an end, she knew, one way or the other.

Following another not so violent blast, the lights went out and within the darkness Tara felt this surreal sensation, like the room was closing in on her. She had experienced this only once before in her life, not so long ago, when Colonial One had made the FTL jump to Ragnar Anchorage - leaving so many people behind.

So Galactica had successfully held of the Cylons and after the civilian ships had made their jump, had jumped away too, hopefully toward some safety. Nevertheless Tara felt relived, now if she only knew if Willow had made it too.

Well, she would have to wait to be sure, but at the same time, in her heart she already felt that the love of her life had safely returned aboard Galactica.

With that comforting certainty masking her feel all warm and save, Tara closed her eyes and fell asleep upon the instance. Right there, sitting on her favourite cushion, in the corner with Miss Kitty Fantastico sleeping soundly in her lap.

Later in the 'night', Tara woke up to find herself, no longer in the corner on the floor, but lying in her bed, covet with a blanket and Miss Kitty sleeping right next on her feet.

Tara switched on the light and found a note on her nightstand. A note from Willow.

Dear Tara,
I stopped by to let you know that I'm still alive. But you were soundly asleep and I didn't want to wake you up.
You looked kinda uncomfortable on the floor though, and so I took the liberty, to get you into your bed.
You know, you're lucky you have your own room. I have to share quarter with five other female pilots, including my best friend Buffy.
But at least I no longer have to share quarters with Starbuck, she used to bunk under me, and she likes to smoke cigars!
Anyway. See you as soon as possible.

Love Willow

PS. I didn't look. (too much)

Tara wondered about the last line first, but only till she saw her shirt and skirt, as well as her socks and shoos neatly placed upon the nearby chair.

A short glance under her planked confirmed that she indeed was wearing only bra and panty. Tara smiled knowingly and looked upon her wristwatch, 5:15h Caprica City standard time, witch was also ships-time aboard Galactica.

So she still had some time until she had to get up, in order to get some breakfast and then she would ask Laura for something to work around here.

But more then anything else she would see Willow again, she knew.

With this quite happy thought, Tara switched of the light again and went back to sleep again, and dreamed of being happily together with Willow.