Making Progress (for plaid_slytherin)
Title: Making Progress
Author: sabaceanbabe
Summary: Bill and Kara have a little talk…
Characters: Bill Adama, Kara Thrace
Pairings: gen
Ratings and warnings: PG
Spoilers: mostly for Razor
Title, author, and URL of original story: Meetings by plaid_slytherin
---------------------------------
Bill looked down at the logs on his desk, copies provided by the Pegasus commander for his review. Lee’s tight, crisp handwriting stared back up at him, hiding far more than it revealed about the goings on aboard The Beast. Bill reached up and removed his glasses, laid them across the pages of the top log, pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
He’s making progress, but Gods, that ship is still a mess.
Part of him wished that Saul had accepted command of her when he’d offered it, but the greater part of him was pleased at the results Lee had achieved so far and even more pleased at the way his son seemed to be settling into command. It was no easy thing to assume command of a ship with an existing crew, used to doing things in their own way regardless of how strictly they followed regulations, during times of peace. But to assume command as Lee had done, following a string of failed commanders and scandals, forced to clean house and still maintain battle ready function…
It was a tall order. And Bill had no idea how well Lee was truly handling it, not based on the logs nor on the few visits he’d made himself. On the surface, everything aboard Pegasus was a well-functioning machine, but the same could have been said about Cain’s command. And Lee. Lee was a good officer, an excellent CAG, but it was his first command.
Coming to an abrupt decision, Bill slid his glasses back on, picked up the receiver on the wall by his desk. “Lieutenant Gaeta. Is Starbuck still on board?” There was a pause while Felix checked the rosters.
“Yes, she should be, Admiral. Her transport isn’t scheduled to depart for another two hours.”
“Good. Have her come to my quarters.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bill replaced the receiver in its cradle and went back to reading the logs.
… recon mission for SAR flown by Showboat and Starbuck. They encountered bogeys of unknown configuration, but Cylon in origin. Due to inequity in numbers, ordered Vipers to return to base. Bogeys attacked during return flight; XO ordered ship’s batteries to engage…
A chime interrupted Bill’s reading. “Enter,” he called. The hatched opened and Jaffee stepped aside for Kara to enter, pulling the hatch closed behind her as she stepped further into the room. She stopped, standing at attention in front of Bill’s desk.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“At ease, Kara.” He gestured toward a small table in the corner. “Why don’t you pour us both a drink?”
She raised a brow at that, but didn’t otherwise question it. With a shrug, she headed over to the table and poured a finger of bourbon into each of two glasses, carried them back over to the desk and placed one next to the log books for Bill before taking a seat across from him. She leaned forward on the couch, rested her elbows on her knees.
“What’s the occasion?”
Bill allowed himself to relax a bit at the familiar sound of her voice. “It’s been far too long since we’ve talked.”
She took a sip of her drink, the only indication of its strength the slight widening of her eyes, and then gestured with her glass toward the stack of books on the desk. “A little light reading, sir?” she asked with a lopsided smile.
He snorted. “Copies of the Pegasus logs.”
She pulled a face at that, leaned back into the couch and stretched out her legs, crossing them at her ankles. Resting her drink on her stomach, she grinned. “So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
Laying his glasses again on the log books, Bill stood. It had been so long since he had the luxury of simply talking to one of his officers. Once upon a time, he and Kara had met upon occasion just to have a drink and catch up on each other’s lives. Once upon a time, he had considered her a part of his family. He still did. He hoped that she still felt that way, too. It pained him that he had an agenda for this impromptu meeting, and that she knew it.
Easing himself down to the couch beside her, he asked, “Can't we just talk? I miss how we used to just do that.” For several minutes both relaxing and enlightening, they talked candidly about Lee and how he was holding it together for his first command - Kara’s cautious optimism regarding Lee’s capabilities did more to allay Bill’s fears than any log entry could ever do - about his choice of XO and Kara’s universally low opinion of XOs in general.
For the first time in weeks, maybe longer, Bill allowed himself to entertain hope.
Author: sabaceanbabe
Summary: Bill and Kara have a little talk…
Characters: Bill Adama, Kara Thrace
Pairings: gen
Ratings and warnings: PG
Spoilers: mostly for Razor
Title, author, and URL of original story: Meetings by plaid_slytherin
---------------------------------
Bill looked down at the logs on his desk, copies provided by the Pegasus commander for his review. Lee’s tight, crisp handwriting stared back up at him, hiding far more than it revealed about the goings on aboard The Beast. Bill reached up and removed his glasses, laid them across the pages of the top log, pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
He’s making progress, but Gods, that ship is still a mess.
Part of him wished that Saul had accepted command of her when he’d offered it, but the greater part of him was pleased at the results Lee had achieved so far and even more pleased at the way his son seemed to be settling into command. It was no easy thing to assume command of a ship with an existing crew, used to doing things in their own way regardless of how strictly they followed regulations, during times of peace. But to assume command as Lee had done, following a string of failed commanders and scandals, forced to clean house and still maintain battle ready function…
It was a tall order. And Bill had no idea how well Lee was truly handling it, not based on the logs nor on the few visits he’d made himself. On the surface, everything aboard Pegasus was a well-functioning machine, but the same could have been said about Cain’s command. And Lee. Lee was a good officer, an excellent CAG, but it was his first command.
Coming to an abrupt decision, Bill slid his glasses back on, picked up the receiver on the wall by his desk. “Lieutenant Gaeta. Is Starbuck still on board?” There was a pause while Felix checked the rosters.
“Yes, she should be, Admiral. Her transport isn’t scheduled to depart for another two hours.”
“Good. Have her come to my quarters.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bill replaced the receiver in its cradle and went back to reading the logs.
… recon mission for SAR flown by Showboat and Starbuck. They encountered bogeys of unknown configuration, but Cylon in origin. Due to inequity in numbers, ordered Vipers to return to base. Bogeys attacked during return flight; XO ordered ship’s batteries to engage…
A chime interrupted Bill’s reading. “Enter,” he called. The hatched opened and Jaffee stepped aside for Kara to enter, pulling the hatch closed behind her as she stepped further into the room. She stopped, standing at attention in front of Bill’s desk.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“At ease, Kara.” He gestured toward a small table in the corner. “Why don’t you pour us both a drink?”
She raised a brow at that, but didn’t otherwise question it. With a shrug, she headed over to the table and poured a finger of bourbon into each of two glasses, carried them back over to the desk and placed one next to the log books for Bill before taking a seat across from him. She leaned forward on the couch, rested her elbows on her knees.
“What’s the occasion?”
Bill allowed himself to relax a bit at the familiar sound of her voice. “It’s been far too long since we’ve talked.”
She took a sip of her drink, the only indication of its strength the slight widening of her eyes, and then gestured with her glass toward the stack of books on the desk. “A little light reading, sir?” she asked with a lopsided smile.
He snorted. “Copies of the Pegasus logs.”
She pulled a face at that, leaned back into the couch and stretched out her legs, crossing them at her ankles. Resting her drink on her stomach, she grinned. “So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
Laying his glasses again on the log books, Bill stood. It had been so long since he had the luxury of simply talking to one of his officers. Once upon a time, he and Kara had met upon occasion just to have a drink and catch up on each other’s lives. Once upon a time, he had considered her a part of his family. He still did. He hoped that she still felt that way, too. It pained him that he had an agenda for this impromptu meeting, and that she knew it.
Easing himself down to the couch beside her, he asked, “Can't we just talk? I miss how we used to just do that.” For several minutes both relaxing and enlightening, they talked candidly about Lee and how he was holding it together for his first command - Kara’s cautious optimism regarding Lee’s capabilities did more to allay Bill’s fears than any log entry could ever do - about his choice of XO and Kara’s universally low opinion of XOs in general.
For the first time in weeks, maybe longer, Bill allowed himself to entertain hope.