[Fic] Clean Record (BSG)
Title: Clean Record
Summary: Commander Adama calls Helo in for a face-to-face, and Helo's not sure what he's about to be punished for. (preseries, not 100% canon-compliant)
Pairing: Kara/Zak (discussed)
Author's Note: This was supposed to be the prologue to my Starbuck&Helo bromancestory, but I just rewatched "Act of Contrition" and discovered that Kara and Zak hadn't gone public with the wedding yet (or, at least, they hadn't told Bill). Oops.
I could just say frak it and make it a non-canon compliant fic, but I'm drawing a lot of history from a dubiously canon source (the Starbuck and Helo graphic novel) so it would be weird to ignore the actual canon source, especially for something as long and time-consuming as a Big Bang. In any case, this was really only here to show Bill developing a little bit of a relationship with Helo. Which, eh, I'll do some other way.
But it seems a shame to throw it out, so I'm posting it here. Enjoy!
“Take a seat, Lieutenant Agathon,” Commander Adama said.
Karl sat. He had, truthfully, not the vaguest idea of why the Commander had wanted to see him. This was the first time he’d ever been in Commander Adama’s presence, and last time he’d been in front of a commander at all was when he’d been involved in the fight that got Kara kicked off Triton, so things didn’t look good.
“I pulled your file,” Adama said, gesturing to the folder on his desk. He opened it, and the faux bravery of Karl’s enlistment photo was almost embarrassing. “Lieutenant Karl Cyrus Agathon, Electronic Countermeasures Officer. Born in Heim, Aquaria, to a pair of scientists, captain of the high school pyramid team representing Aquaria at Worlds-”
“There’s only one high school on Aquaria,” Karl admitted. The Commander looked up, and Karl swallowed. “Sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Adama continued: “Scored particularly well at the Fleet Academy in navigation and defensive countermeasures. Served on the Battlestar Triton with a commendation from the Defense Ministry for reasons classified, and, despite near-constant demerits, received excellent reports from your commanding officer. Raptor ECO on the Battlestar Solaria with similarly excellent reports from your commanding officer, but this time not a single demerit. Now you’re here with glowing reviews from Major Spencer despite having a pilot who can’t stick a landing, and again no demerits. Does that about sum it up?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“What’s interesting about your file is how completely spotless it is, except for the impressive number of demerits on Triton.”
“Youthful…indiscretions, Sir. I got plenty at the Academy, too.”
“Yes, but only near the end.” The Commander closed the file and folded his hands over it. “May I call you Helo?”
“That’s what most people call me, Sir.”
“Is that what Lieutenant Kara Thrace calls you?” the Commander asked.
Karl rocked back in his chair, surprised. “I’m sorry?”
“Your file clearly shows a connection between disciplinary action and being stationed with Lieutenant Thrace. Does she call you Helo?”
“Ah-sometimes, Sir. But we were friends before our call signs and she still mostly uses Karl.”
“Do you know what this is about?”
Nope. Absolutely not, unless the references to Kara and Triton were a way of goading him into something. “I’m very sorry, but the Defense Ministry said I can’t-”
The Commander laughed. Actually laughed. “I’ve read that report, but this isn’t about Troy.” Interesting-not as confidential as Karl had assumed. “This is about the leave request you filed.”
Oh. That.
“It was denied last week,” Karl said. That had been an unpleasant conversation with Kara.
“Of course it was,” Adama said. “My XO is not in the habit of granting leave requests he feels are frivolous. Did it really never occur to you to tell anyone that the shore leave was so you could be the Bridesman at your Commander’s son’s wedding?”
“I didn’t think it was right to request special treatment, Sir.”
“Major Spencer said you’d say as much,” Adama said. “And I do admire your honor, Helo. But, luckily for everyone involved, the Bride has sent me a very…passionate…message on your behalf.”
Karl brightened. “Luckily?” he asked.
“I’m granting you shore leave, of course,” the Commander said. “You can ride in my raptor. Maybe I’ll pilot and you can be my ECO. How does that sound?”
“That would be-that would be a very high honor.”
“Excellent.” The Commander opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a pair of glasses and a bottle of whiskey. “Join me in a drink to the happy couple?”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you.” Adama poured a finger for each of them and handed Karl the other glass. They clinked and drank, and Karl was awed by the complexity of the whiskey, a far higher quality than he had ever been able to afford.
Adama set his glass down, smiling. “Have you met Zak?”
“Last year.” His leave between Solaria and Galactica had fallen during the Kyros Summerfest, and Kara and Zak couldn’t resist an invitation for a free place to stay. “He’s a good man.”
“That he is. I’ve never met Lieutenant Thrace,” he said.
“She’s-” How exactly, did one describe Kara? He shook his head. “You just have to meet her.”
“I’ve heard that before, actually. She seems spirited.”
“That’s an understatement. But they make each other very happy.”
Summary: Commander Adama calls Helo in for a face-to-face, and Helo's not sure what he's about to be punished for. (preseries, not 100% canon-compliant)
Pairing: Kara/Zak (discussed)
Author's Note: This was supposed to be the prologue to my Starbuck&Helo bromancestory, but I just rewatched "Act of Contrition" and discovered that Kara and Zak hadn't gone public with the wedding yet (or, at least, they hadn't told Bill). Oops.
I could just say frak it and make it a non-canon compliant fic, but I'm drawing a lot of history from a dubiously canon source (the Starbuck and Helo graphic novel) so it would be weird to ignore the actual canon source, especially for something as long and time-consuming as a Big Bang. In any case, this was really only here to show Bill developing a little bit of a relationship with Helo. Which, eh, I'll do some other way.
But it seems a shame to throw it out, so I'm posting it here. Enjoy!
“Take a seat, Lieutenant Agathon,” Commander Adama said.
Karl sat. He had, truthfully, not the vaguest idea of why the Commander had wanted to see him. This was the first time he’d ever been in Commander Adama’s presence, and last time he’d been in front of a commander at all was when he’d been involved in the fight that got Kara kicked off Triton, so things didn’t look good.
“I pulled your file,” Adama said, gesturing to the folder on his desk. He opened it, and the faux bravery of Karl’s enlistment photo was almost embarrassing. “Lieutenant Karl Cyrus Agathon, Electronic Countermeasures Officer. Born in Heim, Aquaria, to a pair of scientists, captain of the high school pyramid team representing Aquaria at Worlds-”
“There’s only one high school on Aquaria,” Karl admitted. The Commander looked up, and Karl swallowed. “Sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Adama continued: “Scored particularly well at the Fleet Academy in navigation and defensive countermeasures. Served on the Battlestar Triton with a commendation from the Defense Ministry for reasons classified, and, despite near-constant demerits, received excellent reports from your commanding officer. Raptor ECO on the Battlestar Solaria with similarly excellent reports from your commanding officer, but this time not a single demerit. Now you’re here with glowing reviews from Major Spencer despite having a pilot who can’t stick a landing, and again no demerits. Does that about sum it up?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“What’s interesting about your file is how completely spotless it is, except for the impressive number of demerits on Triton.”
“Youthful…indiscretions, Sir. I got plenty at the Academy, too.”
“Yes, but only near the end.” The Commander closed the file and folded his hands over it. “May I call you Helo?”
“That’s what most people call me, Sir.”
“Is that what Lieutenant Kara Thrace calls you?” the Commander asked.
Karl rocked back in his chair, surprised. “I’m sorry?”
“Your file clearly shows a connection between disciplinary action and being stationed with Lieutenant Thrace. Does she call you Helo?”
“Ah-sometimes, Sir. But we were friends before our call signs and she still mostly uses Karl.”
“Do you know what this is about?”
Nope. Absolutely not, unless the references to Kara and Triton were a way of goading him into something. “I’m very sorry, but the Defense Ministry said I can’t-”
The Commander laughed. Actually laughed. “I’ve read that report, but this isn’t about Troy.” Interesting-not as confidential as Karl had assumed. “This is about the leave request you filed.”
Oh. That.
“It was denied last week,” Karl said. That had been an unpleasant conversation with Kara.
“Of course it was,” Adama said. “My XO is not in the habit of granting leave requests he feels are frivolous. Did it really never occur to you to tell anyone that the shore leave was so you could be the Bridesman at your Commander’s son’s wedding?”
“I didn’t think it was right to request special treatment, Sir.”
“Major Spencer said you’d say as much,” Adama said. “And I do admire your honor, Helo. But, luckily for everyone involved, the Bride has sent me a very…passionate…message on your behalf.”
Karl brightened. “Luckily?” he asked.
“I’m granting you shore leave, of course,” the Commander said. “You can ride in my raptor. Maybe I’ll pilot and you can be my ECO. How does that sound?”
“That would be-that would be a very high honor.”
“Excellent.” The Commander opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a pair of glasses and a bottle of whiskey. “Join me in a drink to the happy couple?”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you.” Adama poured a finger for each of them and handed Karl the other glass. They clinked and drank, and Karl was awed by the complexity of the whiskey, a far higher quality than he had ever been able to afford.
Adama set his glass down, smiling. “Have you met Zak?”
“Last year.” His leave between Solaria and Galactica had fallen during the Kyros Summerfest, and Kara and Zak couldn’t resist an invitation for a free place to stay. “He’s a good man.”
“That he is. I’ve never met Lieutenant Thrace,” he said.
“She’s-” How exactly, did one describe Kara? He shook his head. “You just have to meet her.”
“I’ve heard that before, actually. She seems spirited.”
“That’s an understatement. But they make each other very happy.”