Title: Commencement 
Author: Athena13 (Athena13@ixpres.com)
Rating: PG (see individual chapters for rating information)
Summary: Before the world ended, it had to begin.

Disclaimer: These works are fiction stories based on the series 
Battlestar Galactica and its characters created and owned by Glen A. 
Larson. These stories are not being sold for profit and no infringement 
of any copyright rights are intended. All unrecognized characters and 
plot lines are mine and copyright protection is claimed. Any 
resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental.

Credits for unoriginal poetry and lyrics at end of last chapter.

Dedication: To Melissa and Sanna, who seem to actually like my writing 
and encouraged me to finish this darn thing which I started yahrens 
ago!

<><><><><><><>
Where fate leads us we must travel
Whether separate or apart our hearts shall remain entwined
Think of me should we lose sight
And I will see you in my dreams
<><><><><><><>

CHAPTER 1

Athena, daughter of Ila and Adama, flew up the stairs and into her 
room. Without pausing she tossed her bag onto the bed and sat down in 
front of her computer. She reached over and flipped on the musiccom 
while the computer downloaded her electronic messages. She stopped the 
scans when she heard the strains of a currently popular Caprican song. 
She tapped her fingers on the table to the beat of the song and sang 
along as she waited.

After a few centons she was logged in and her messages were downloaded. 

She scanned through the subject headers until she found the one she was 
waiting for. After a few microns a smile spread across the young 
woman's face as she read the words on the screen: 

				=lake at sunset, C. =

"Sunset, sunset..." Athena sang to herself and started twirling around 
the room. She suddenly stopped and laughed. "I can't believe I'm so 
excited to see someone that I've seen everyday for the last...I don't 
even know how many yahren!" 

The "C" stood for "Cole," a boy who lived in the same quadrant as 
Athena's family on the outskirts of Caprica City. Their mothers were 
best friends and the pair had been inseparable since before either of 
them could walk. They hadn't, however, become a "couple" until two 
yahrens ago.

Two yahrens ago Athena had been sitting at the lake and feeling upset 
about a friend moving away and, as always, Cole had appeared out of 
nowhere to comfort her. Later they had been at the gaming center 
playing Cylon Annihilation when it suddenly hit her that she was in 
love with him and she blurted it out. Cole had been overjoyed. 
Apparently he really had been carrying a torch for her for yahrens, 
something she had never believed when people had told her. Since that 
day they had been more than best friends.  

Instead of talking about what to do the next furlon or after secondary 
school commencement, they discussed how many children they wanted. They 
discussed where to have their sealing. How to handle their life if 
Athena was assigned off-planet. And where to live.

Her mother had just smiled when Athena told her the news. Athena had 
figured it wouldn't be a big surprise to either of their mothers. Ila, 
in fact, had been one of those people who had claimed for yahrens that 
Cole had a crush on her and that she should give him "a chance." At 
least her mother hadn't told Athena she had "told her so," too much.

Other than the content of their conversations and plans, not much else 
had changed between them. They were still inseparable, except now it 
was acceptable for her to say she missed him when she hadn't seen him 
in mere centars. That and the kissing and stuff.

"Athena," her mother called up the stairs.  

"Yeah, Mom?" Athena stuck her head out her door.

"Come downstairs for a micron," Ila called back.

Athena threw what was in her hand onto the bed and headed down the 
stairs.  "What's up Mom?"

"I wanted to talk to you about accompanying you to the Academy," Ila 
pointed to a seat for Athena to sit down in. 

"Mom!" Athena exclaimed.  She couldn't believe her mother was going to 
go through this again, and in serious talk mode.  "We've had this 
discussion before. You've even had this discussion with both Apollo and 
Zac.  All I can say is ditto. No one's parents bring them to military 
academy."

Ila ducked her head and smiled. How could she shirk her parental 
responsibility and not have this conversation at least four times 
before her daughter left home?  "Athena dear, I just want to make sure 
that you get settled in properly."

Athena laughed.  "You're worried about whether I unpack properly? Did 
you forget the family vacations we've taken with Commander Father 
along? Believe me, I know how to unpack and I'm sure I'll love my 
roommates.  What I wouldn't love is everyone thinking that I'm showing 
off about my parents or expecting special favors or something. You know 
how it is whenever we meet new people." Athena cocked her head for a 
moment, "I won't be guilted into it either, so don't even try it! 
Besides, Apollo and Zac got their way, you wouldn't want to leave 
yourself open to claims of gender disparity Councilperson Ila," Athena 
grinned at her mother and flopped back in her chair.

Ila smiled and waved her hand.  "Fine, fine, I had to say my piece.  
But I want you to know that I'm going to miss having you around the 
house.  My little girl," she sighed.

"I'm going to miss you too, but I'm hardly a little girl.  I'm almost 
eighteen yahrens," Athena reminded her mother.

"When you have children of your own, eighteen will seem very young. Are 
you and Cole going out tonight?"

"Yes, of course. Mom?" Athena's expression turned serious.

"Yes dear."

"With me gone are you going to be lonely?" Athena asked quietly.

"Sweetheart, I'll miss all of you, but I have plenty to keep me 
occupied. I'm fine," Ila smiled at her daughter. For as much as Athena 
liked to pretend she was carefree, there was always kindness and 
sensitivity underneath that shined through.

"That's true, you are hardly ever home.  Between the Council, the arts 
committee and volunteering at the medical center, I worry about you 
taking on too much."

Ila stood and put her hand on her daughter's cheek.  "My sweet girl, 
you always worry about everyone."

"Mom!" Athena blushed.  "I've got to go do some more packing.  I'm 
meeting Cole at sunset."

"Are you having dinner here?  I have a meeting, but I can fix you 
something?" Ila offered.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not that inept in the kitchen," Athena 
chuckled. Her and her mother's interest in the kitchen were pretty much 
equal. Which meant prepared foods and take out since Zac left home.

"No, but you're no Apollo," Ila replied and they both shared a laugh.

"No, I'm not Apollo," Athena said to herself as she headed back to her 
room.

<><><><><><><>
You got the perfect image of the perfect man
You're a tough little sister, 
but you'll settle for a mister tonight
But you're running out of time (1)
<><><><><><><>

Athena reached "their" spot at Lake Sirius just as the suns were 
setting.  Cole hadn't arrived yet so Athena spread out the blanket she 
had brought and sat down to wait.  

She leaned back on her elbows and breathed in the fresh air as she 
watched the fiery sunset. She was trying to imagine what it would be 
like to live without this view for sectars at a time.

Athena couldn't remember a time when she didn't want to spend her adult 
life on a battlestar like her father and older brother. At centons like 
these she second-guessed those desires. Nature lay in all its glory 
before her as their Kobolian ancestors had wanted and despite the 
generations-long war with the Cylons, their worlds still remained 
relatively pristine. 

As always, her thoughts led her back to the reasons why she wanted to 
join the military effort - so she could help protect beautiful views 
like this for her children. And their children.

Like all Colonials she hoped that the war would end in her lifetime and 
she could live on-planet without guilt and enjoy what they had fought 
to preserve.

'Maybe someday,' she was thinking wistfully when she felt a kiss on the 
back of her neck.  

"Don't you ever get tired of looking at the sky?" Cole whispered in her 
ear before sitting down next to her on the blanket.

No, I don't," Athena smiled at the scene unfolding before her. "I'd 
never tire of this view. Especially not with you," Athena cast the boy 
next to her a sidelong glance.

Cole reached out and settled Athena in front of him. "We've been 
watching these sunsets together since we were babies, so our mother's 
tell us, and we don't have many left until we both leave for school," 
he soberly observed.

"But yahrens until I get sent off to a battlestar," Athena grabbed 
Cole's hand and held it in front of her, wishing that Cole too was 
going to the Caprican Academy instead of to Aries for an engineering 
program. 

Cole remained silent, not wanting to spoil the night by bringing up 
what would happen after she graduated. They both knew she would fly off 
into space and he would remain in the Colonies designing ships and 
weaponry for the war effort. And despite their common goals, they would 
be separated. Cole disengaged his hand and began to stroke her hair as 
they silently soaked in the sunset.

Once the sunset was over Athena leaned her head on Cole's shoulder. "I 
have to go."

"I know. I've known you your whole life. I know that you couldn't be 
you if you aren't a warrior." Cole stopped speaking for a centon as he 
gathered his thoughts. 

"Remember when we were, oh I don't know, about eight? You wouldn't 
speak to me for a centar because I wouldn't be the Cylon and let you be 
the viper pilot. I know you have to do this. I just can't imagine 
having you around every day, every centar," he finished in a whisper.

"I know," Athena said quietly. "I'm torn in two, between leaving you 
and having to go. I know I would only resent you later if I gave it up 
to stay with you no matter how much I want to do that," Athena sighed.  
"I've always been too selfish haven't I?"

"Not selfish, but if you feel that way, stay a civilian and come to 
University with me. You'd make a great civilian technician. You really 
don't want to actually get to fly what you design on a regular basis, 
right?" Cole pressed his face onto the top of Athena's head as he 
teased.

Athena didn't answer. She didn't have to. They both knew they had to 
follow their own paths. They wouldn't be who they were if they didn't.  
And she wouldn't love him so much if he wasn't true to himself. That 
didn't mean leaving didn't hurt like hades. 

"Besides watching the sunset, what are we going to do tonight?" Cole 
asked.

"You don't know?" Athena moved out of Cole's arms and turned to look 
him questioningly. "Is there any reason _I_ should?"

"Not should, but might?" he answered hopefully.

Athena took in his mien and rolled her eyes. He had something planned, 
she could tell. "I can tell I won't get anything out of you right now," 
she shrugged and settled herself back into his embrace.

Cole got up and stretched out his hand and pulled Athena to her feet.  
"Too true my dear." Cole bent down and began folding the blanket. "We 
can walk from here," Cole took Athena's hand and they began walking 
away from the Lake.

The moons began to rise over the horizon, their images reflecting in 
the Lake's surface.

END CHAPTER 1
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