Hi- Well, here it is, the beginnings of the BSG/Trek Crossover. I have set this a few years before Kirk, when Chris Pike was Captain of the Enterprise, and Spock was a young Lieutenant. For those of you who have never seen the original Pike episode, please watch "The Managerie". Yoeman Colt was Pike's potential love interest, Number One never had any other name given to her, Lt. Tyler, the navigator, was ship's stud, and the (intended) equal to Starbuck, and the Doctor, Phil Boyce, was every bit as grouchy as McCoy. If it's seems too long for an intro, it's because I wanted to throw in alot of things for the rest of you to work with. A new Federation member, unnatural silence from the Klingons, the nearness of the Tholians, et al. Any questions, just ask. I hope you like it. If not, you get sent to a Cylon platinum mine! Have fun! =============================== Culture Shock- A Star Trek/Battlestar Galactica Crossover Part 1, by Senmut. =============================== Lieutenant e as fast as you can." Apollo donned his sunlenses once more, scrambled out of the landram and slipped one of the backpacks on. He dropped the rest to the ground as it took all his effort pushing and Barton's pulling to close the landram door against the force of a wind gust. Apollo picked up the packs once more then reached up to lighten the blocking capacity of his sunlenses. The surrounding area had darkened considerably with the wind- whipped sand preceding the wavefront. After assuring himself that Barton was well on his way, he turned and began to stumble toward the tunnel entrance. The force of the wind was increasing. Blowing sand stung his exposed face and hands as he pushed on. Soon he had reached the place where he estimated the tunnel entrance should be. But it wasn't there. Looking around, he finally spotted a wildly-waving Dietra about 5 metrons to his right, crouched in the tunnel entrance. He leaned into the wind and made his way to her. "I thought you were goinHi- Well, here it is, the beginnings of the BSG/Trek Crossover. I have set this a few years before Kirk, when Chris Pike was Captain of the Enterprise, and Spock was a young Lieutenant. For those of you who have never seen the original Pike episode, please watch "The Managerie". Yoeman Colt was Pike's potential love interest, Number One never had any other name given to her, Lt. Tyler, the navigator, was ship's stud, and the (intended) equal to Starbuck, and the Doctor, Phil Boyce, was every bit as grouchy as McCoy. If it's seems too long for an intro, it's because I wanted to throw in alot of things for the rest of you to work with. A new Federation member, unnatural silence from the Klingons, the nearness of the Tholians, et al. Any questions, just ask. I hope you like it. If not, you get sent to a Cylon platinum mine! Have fun! =============================== Culture Shock- A Star Trek/Battlestar Galactica Crossover Part 1, by Senmut. =============================== Lieutenant Jolly of Blue Squadron thumbed the firing stud on the control stick of his Viper, and watched the orange bolts of energy lance through space, to burn their way into the hull of the Cylon Raider before him. As always, he enjoyed the sight of an enemy fighter ripping itself apart in a ball of destruction. Next to him, on his right, he saw his wingman, Giles, do the same, and watched another Cylon fly to bits. "They're running," said Giles, looking at his scanner. "Yeah, what's left of them," they heard Starbuck say over the radio. "I told 'em to stay out of this galaxy, but would they listen? Noooo." "Okay, you guys," interjected Apollo, the Strike Captain of their squadron. "We're getting the recall signal. Let's get back to the Galactica." "Roger, Skipper," replied Jolly, and the pilots banked their ships, heading for home. Such as it was. Jolly and Giles had been returning to the Battlestar from an uneventful patrol when they had picked up the alarm. The Cylons had found the Galacg to keep right on going past us," she said as she grabbed one of the kits from his hand. "I almost did," he panted, moving further into the tunnel, out of the wind, before stopping. "Where did that sandstorm come from? It seems to have come up awfully quick." "I don't know," he replied, pausing to catch his breath. "Barton said he picked up some anomalous electromagnetic readings, but we didn't have time to figure out if they're related to the storm." Just then, the wind howled loudly at the entrance to the tunnel as a large gust of sand blew in across the floor. "Come on," Apollo pulled Dietra with him down the corridor. "We'll have to get inside and close the blast doors." "You don't think the storm will bother us that far down, do you?" "It's not the storm." Dietra stared at him quzzically. "It's the humanoids," he replied. "They were scouting us and now they're on the move again." "In this?" "We lost contact with the Galactica and I couldn't contact Jolly of Blue Squadron thumbed the firing stud on the control stick of his Viper, and watched the orange bolts of energy lance through space, to burn their way into the hull of the Cylon Raider before him. As always, he enjoyed the sight of an enemy fighter ripping itself apart in a ball of destruction. Next to him, on his right, he saw his wingman, Giles, do the same, and watched another Cylon fly to bits. "They're running," said Giles, looking at his scanner. "Yeah, what's left of them," they heard Starbuck say over the radio. "I told 'em to stay out of this galaxy, but would they listen? Noooo." "Okay, you guys," interjected Apollo, the Strike Captain of their squadron. "We're getting the recall signal. Let's get back to the Galactica." "Roger, Skipper," replied Jolly, and the pilots banked their ships, heading for home. Such as it was. Jolly and Giles had been returning to the Battlestar from an uneventful patrol when they had picked up the alarm. The Cylons had found the Galactica and her fleet of flying wrecks once again. And this time, they were moving in with two BaseShips, to catch the fleeing Colonials in a pincer movement. As usual, the survivors of the Colonies fought furiously, taking a murderous toll of the attacking Raiders. But with two full BaseShips and 600 fighters, it could only be a matter of time. One stood off while the other moved in, engaging the Galactica at close range. Adama, the Battlestar's Commander, hosed laser energy into his opponent, but the Cylons, it seemed, had something new in the way of shielding. The laser blasts from the Galactica were being deflected with a surprisingly minimal loss of shield strength. As he watched from the bridge, Adama weighed his options. He ordered Omega the helmsman to orient their nose towards the enemy, offering the Cylons a smaller profile, and concentrating his forward batteries on the junction of the upper and lower hulls. "Prepare missiles," he ordered. Omega opened his mouth, but forebor you," Apollo continued, ignoring the question. "I sent Barton back to the shuttle. He'll get up out of the atmosphere and report our status to the Galactica. In the meantime, we can hole up down here and try moving further into the complex." "So they're attacking, then?" "I don't know. But I don't want to take any chances. They outnumber us, but their weaponry is primitive. I think we should be able to hold them off with widefield stunning using our lasers." "Unless they all decide to charge at once . . ." Dietra reminded him. "One problem at a time, lieutenant," he grimaced. They reached the blast doors, and with the help of the puzzled technicians, pulled them closed with a loud clang that seemed to echo around the chamber for a long time after. Precedence: bulk A powerful reddish beam tore out from Enterprise s upper hull, cutting directly across the Klingon vessel s bow. It bucked slightly, but otherwise kept on, bearing down on the Colonial shuttle. Hertica and her fleet of flying wrecks once again. And this time, they were moving in with two BaseShips, to catch the fleeing Colonials in a pincer movement. As usual, the survivors of the Colonies fought furiously, taking a murderous toll of the attacking Raiders. But with two full BaseShips and 600 fighters, it could only be a matter of time. One stood off while the other moved in, engaging the Galactica at close range. Adama, the Battlestar's Commander, hosed laser energy into his opponent, but the Cylons, it seemed, had something new in the way of shielding. The laser blasts from the Galactica were being deflected with a surprisingly minimal loss of shield strength. As he watched from the bridge, Adama weighed his options. He ordered Omega the helmsman to orient their nose towards the enemy, offering the Cylons a smaller profile, and concentrating his forward batteries on the junction of the upper and lower hulls. "Prepare missiles," he ordered. Omega opened his mouth, but forebore to speak. Like Adama, he knew that the Galactica's missiles were few and precious, and nearly impossible to replenish under current conditions. That, and the fact that the detonation of one this close could seriously damage them as well. "Aye, sir," replied Omega, activating the appropriate controls. "Missile armed and ready, Commander." "Fire." "Fir." began Omega, when the panel to his right erupted in smoke and sparks. He yelped in surprise, then began batting out the flames with his hands. "Fire control dead, sir. Missiles inoperative." "What? Our lasers." "Lasers operational, sir. It's the control circuits for the missiles that are down." "Commander!" spoke up Rigel, down in "The Pit". "I can handle this." "Excuse me?" "My first assignment out of the Academy was aboard the Rycon, in missile control, sir. I can launch them manually." "Go," ordered Adama, as more smoke filled the bridge. He cursed the decision, made by the Admiralty shortly before the defeat of the Colonies, pilot had apparently seen the Bird-Of-Prey, and was banking hard to port, and pushing the shuttle s engines into the red. The Klingon fired, the laser searing close, topside. The second salvo was a near miss. Pike s second shot was not. The phaser beam struck the P kuth directly, sending her shields flaring up into the visible. The next salvo buttoned her as well, knocking her askew, allowing the shuttle to evade her. Sensors show moderate damage to shuttle, Captain, reported Spock. Scoring on her hull, and a slight loss of power. Number One, open our shuttle bay doors, and direct the shuttle there. Captain, let me contact them, said Bojay. They won t know you. Very well, said Pike, and soon, the shuttle was heading for Enterprise. So, also, was the P kuth. Though battered, the enemy vessel was not out, and was coming around again. He fired, pencils of green energy sluicing off the Enterprise s shields, but doing little damage so far. He fired again, thee to speak. Like Adama, he knew that the Galactica's missiles were few and precious, and nearly impossible to replenish under current conditions. That, and the fact that the detonation of one this close could seriously damage them as well. "Aye, sir," replied Omega, activating the appropriate controls. "Missile armed and ready, Commander." "Fire." "Fir." began Omega, when the panel to his right erupted in smoke and sparks. He yelped in surprise, then began batting out the flames with his hands. "Fire control dead, sir. Missiles inoperative." "What? Our lasers." "Lasers operational, sir. It's the control circuits for the missiles that are down." "Commander!" spoke up Rigel, down in "The Pit". "I can handle this." "Excuse me?" "My first assignment out of the Academy was aboard the Rycon, in missile control, sir. I can launch them manually." "Go," ordered Adama, as more smoke filled the bridge. He cursed the decision, made by the Admiralty shortly before the defeat of the Colonies, to slave missile control entirely to the bridge, freeing up the missile bay crew for other duties. It was an idea of accountants, trying to find ways to make running the Fleet cheaper, by reducing the number of personnel aboard. Since fleeing the massacre at Cimtar, the Galactica had managed to avoid resorting to her precious supply of fusion-tipped missiles, and so the policy had remained in effect, and forgotten. No doubt, he reflected, the Cylons would have approved. Rigel ran along the corridor leading off the bridge, till she turned left, then came to a locked hatch. Punching in the override code, she entered and fairly flew up the ladderwell to the next deck. Opening that hatch as well, she entered the missile control bay. Empty and dark, it smelled of stale air, and bureaucratic stupidity. Cursing loudly to the emptiness, she began powering up the equipment. The ship moved under her, as another Cylon salvo went home, and she cursed again. She actuated the targeting array, andn once more, till Number One sent a powerful beam back towards him, tracking the enemy as he bore down on them. A shield failed, and the P kuth rocked, his hull ripped by the Enterprise s more powerful weapons, and began to arc away erratically. Number One fired again, knocking out yet another of the Klingon s deflectors. Cease fire, Number One, ordered Pike. Prepare to receive shuttle. Hangar deck reports ready, sir, reported Alden. Drop shields. Damage report, Number One? Deflector four weakened, sir. Minor buckling in number two impulse vent. No other damage reported, sir. Excellent. Captain, said Alden, hangar deck reports shuttle inside, sir. Good. Mr. Spock, Mr. Bojay, you are with me. Mr. Alden, have a Security team there. Doctor. I m with you. This ship is incredible, said Boomer, as he glided towards the Enterprise s open hangar deck. After a few seconds of negotiating, its flight control had interfaced with the s to slave missile control entirely to the bridge, freeing up the missile bay crew for other duties. It was an idea of accountants, trying to find ways to make running the Fleet cheaper, by reducing the number of personnel aboard. Since fleeing the massacre at Cimtar, the Galactica had managed to avoid resorting to her precious supply of fusion-tipped missiles, and so the policy had remained in effect, and forgotten. No doubt, he reflected, the Cylons would have approved. Rigel ran along the corridor leading off the bridge, till she turned left, then came to a locked hatch. Punching in the override code, she entered and fairly flew up the ladderwell to the next deck. Opening that hatch as well, she entered the missile control bay. Empty and dark, it smelled of stale air, and bureaucratic stupidity. Cursing loudly to the emptiness, she began powering up the equipment. The ship moved under her, as another Cylon salvo went home, and she cursed again. She actuated the targeting array, and lined up on the BaseShip, careful to use passive sensors only at this minimal range. According to them, the Cylon's shields were down only about 21%, not sufficient she knew for the Vipers or the Galactica's batteries to do enough damage in time. She seated herself in a gunner's rig, and gripped the stick. Counting down, she watched the missile hatches open, through the transparent tylenium viewport, and then the system gave her the green light. The missile's engine roared to life and the whole room shook as the weapon slid along its carriage and out into space. Once clear of the tube, it locked on to the enemy, crossing the distance between the warships in less than three millicentons. This close, the BaseShip's own tracking gear didn't stand a chance. The Cylon was engulfed in a purplish-white flash of incredible intensity as the missile slammed into her flank. The enemy might have new shields, but what proof could they be against a cheek-to- cheek fusion blast the equivalent thuttle s computer, and was taking them in on automatic. As they approached the mysterious vessel, he scanned her fully. Her power signatures are a lot different from the Galactica s, or any ship I ve ever encountered. She s using some sort of anti-matter reaction system for power, said Wilker, scanning with the extra equipment aboard. Those nacelles are being fed plasma from some kind of reactor. Totally unlike any method we ve ever used. I ll say. But they saved us from that other ship, so I guess& Colonial shuttle, said a voice over the radio, this is Enterprise control. Prepare to land. Enterprise control, acknowledged. Boomer lined her up, and touched down on the flight deck. Even as he moved to fire the retros, he felt the shuttle slow, pressed by a cushioning force field. As he powered her down, he watched the bay doors close behind them, and the indicator show the pressure rising. He allowed himself a moment s smugness, at the fact that for all its lined up on the BaseShip, careful to use passive sensors only at this minimal range. According to them, the Cylon's shields were down only about 21%, not sufficient she knew for the Vipers or the Galactica's batteries to do enough damage in time. She seated herself in a gunner's rig, and gripped the stick. Counting down, she watched the missile hatches open, through the transparent tylenium viewport, and then the system gave her the green light. The missile's engine roared to life and the whole room shook as the weapon slid along its carriage and out into space. Once clear of the tube, it locked on to the enemy, crossing the distance between the warships in less than three millicentons. This close, the BaseShip's own tracking gear didn't stand a chance. The Cylon was engulfed in a purplish-white flash of incredible intensity as the missile slammed into her flank. The enemy might have new shields, but what proof could they be against a cheek-to- cheek fusion blast the equivalent to ten billion tons of solonite? Rigel shielded her eyes from the awesome flare, and was sent tumbling deckwards, seeing stars of a different kind, as the shockwave reached the Galactica. She picked herself up, and reseated herself. One monitor still worked, and on it, she could see the BaseShip, still there. But not for long. Its hull was black and buckled, its spin erratic and without trim. Atmosphere and fuel spewed from seemingly countless wounds, and there were secondary explosions visible through the breaches in the metal. Rigel's scans read no shields, and the BaseShip's engines showed dead. All defensive fire had ceased. Taking advantage of this, Adama was continuing to fire, zeroing in on the rips in her crumpled hull. Rigel watched one shot find such a rip, the shielded her eyes once more as flame and debris were violently belched into space. Then, in a silent flowering of light, the BaseShip evaporated, leaving rapidly cooling gas and wreckage in its wake. Without seekingtechnological power, this ship didn t have atmospheric force fields, like the Galactica. Once the hangar was pressurized, he saw the doors open, and several people file in. The welcome wagon s here, he told Wilker, then saw Bojay, at once recognizable amongst all the red his in Colonial uniform. It s Bojay! Come on Doctor. Alright, said the scientist, and the headed for the hatch. It did not take long for the Galactica s patrol, numbering five Vipers, to wipe out the Cylon patrol sent to probe their perimeter. Jolly and Cree both took a hit apiece, but otherwise they emerged unscathed. Describing a wide arc, sensors on maximum, they curved back towards the Battlestar, alert for any further Cylon incursions. Viper pilots reports encountering and destroying Cylon patrol, Commander, announced Athena. Long-range scanners? Engineering estimates another ten centons to full power. Screens clear at the moment, Commander. Thank-you. While Adama coo ten billion tons of solonite? Rigel shielded her eyes from the awesome flare, and was sent tumbling deckwards, seeing stars of a different kind, as the shockwave reached the Galactica. She picked herself up, and reseated herself. One monitor still worked, and on it, she could see the BaseShip, still there. But not for long. Its hull was black and buckled, its spin erratic and without trim. Atmosphere and fuel spewed from seemingly countless wounds, and there were secondary explosions visible through the breaches in the metal. Rigel's scans read no shields, and the BaseShip's engines showed dead. All defensive fire had ceased. Taking advantage of this, Adama was continuing to fire, zeroing in on the rips in her crumpled hull. Rigel watched one shot find such a rip, the shielded her eyes once more as flame and debris were violently belched into space. Then, in a silent flowering of light, the BaseShip evaporated, leaving rapidly cooling gas and wreckage in its wake. Without seeking permission from the bridge, Rigel targeted the second Cylon carrier, now beginning to close on them. It did not at once attack itself, but began opening its launch bay doors to collect the surviving fighters, but Rigel didn't give a mong. She locked on to the enemy, and loosed another of the Battlestar's missiles. This one was caught in time by the BaseShips's own ABM, and exploded short of the target. But it was close enough to hurt, nonetheless. The Cylons had been caught with their shields down, recovering fighters, and had suffered considerable damage to the lower hull, as well as losing a large number of fighters into the bargain. For the moment, the BaseShip seemed to be at the Colonial's mercy. Then, as if at the whim of some capricious deity, power began to fail throughout the Galactica, and all fire ceased abruptly. Lights died on the bridge, and haphazardly elsewhere. The BaseShip, itself in no condition to continue the fight, very slowly began to pull back from her opponuldn t see the enemy vessel, the very fact that they were probing with fighters said they were fairly close. The Viper patrol had gotten lucky. Though Adama would never know it, the Raiders had been scanning on a very tight vector, and hadn t seen the Vipers until it was too late. It was, of course, only a matter of time till they brought up another BaseShip, if not more, and then& Hopefully by then, they would be gone. As he watched the monitors, watching a shuttle with freshly refined fuel head towards the Battlestar, he found himself growing ever more anxious. He resisted calling Apollo again. His son, as well as the other teams, would report when there was something to report, and to constantly badger him would only increase the tension that was nearly palpable as it was. Looking at another scanner, he watched the predicted storm front move in on Starbuck s position. Another delay. He shook his head. With the failure to receive anything but a few moments of telemetry from th permission from the bridge, Rigel targeted the second Cylon carrier, now beginning to close on them. It did not at once attack itself, but began opening its launch bay doors to collect the surviving fighters, but Rigel didn't give a mong. She locked on to the enemy, and loosed another of the Battlestar's missiles. This one was caught in time by the BaseShips's own ABM, and exploded short of the target. But it was close enough to hurt, nonetheless. The Cylons had been caught with their shields down, recovering fighters, and had suffered considerable damage to the lower hull, as well as losing a large number of fighters into the bargain. For the moment, the BaseShip seemed to be at the Colonial's mercy. Then, as if at the whim of some capricious deity, power began to fail throughout the Galactica, and all fire ceased abruptly. Lights died on the bridge, and haphazardly elsewhere. The BaseShip, itself in no condition to continue the fight, very slowly began to pull back from her opponent, gradually gaining speed till at last they were lost to sight. Rigel let out a great breath of air, and felt the tension of battle begin to leave her. As her adrenalin level dropped, she began to feel weak, and realized how much her head hurt, and that something was dripping down the back of her neck. She reached up, and her hand came away red. Then she saw black, and hit the deck. "Captain," said Spock, looking up from his sensors, "ETA Lavinius V one hour and fifty-three minutes, sir." "Very good, Lieutenant," said Captain Christopher Pike, and returned to the reports he was perusing. The recent upgrades to the Enterprise's engines were proving to be satisfactory. As predicted, the ship's maximum velocity had increased by 2%, and the waste heat from the warp nacelles was down by the same amount. He noted the extra work put into the project by Lieutenant j.g. Scott of Engineering, and put a commendation in the man's file. Pike liked it when his people went the extra mile, we shuttle& Feeling fidgety, he reviewed that data once more. It was scratchy, and he ran it through computer enhancement again and again, to try and clear it up. It would of course be Dr. Wilker, the Fleet s top expert in computer enhancement, who was not present to enhance the data he himself had sent back. Silently, Adama cursed the malicious god irony, or at least the universe s lousy sense of humor. He viewed the images again and again, till at last a ship began to emerge from the electronic muck. It was fairly large, but its design was utterly unfamiliar. A big saucer, with cylinders extending from it, it looked like no ship in the Fleet. But, it was almost the size of the Rising Star, and that bespoke power. But whose power? And how far away? Stellar cartography was still trying to identify the few stars that had been seen by the shuttle s sensors, but so far no luck. That must mean his people were far away. Very far. Too far. Colonel Tigh. Sir? Preent, gradually gaining speed till at last they were lost to sight. Rigel let out a great breath of air, and felt the tension of battle begin to leave her. As her adrenalin level dropped, she began to feel weak, and realized how much her head hurt, and that something was dripping down the back of her neck. She reached up, and her hand came away red. Then she saw black, and hit the deck. "Captain," said Spock, looking up from his sensors, "ETA Lavinius V one hour and fifty-three minutes, sir." "Very good, Lieutenant," said Captain Christopher Pike, and returned to the reports he was perusing. The recent upgrades to the Enterprise's engines were proving to be satisfactory. As predicted, the ship's maximum velocity had increased by 2%, and the waste heat from the warp nacelles was down by the same amount. He noted the extra work put into the project by Lieutenant j.g. Scott of Engineering, and put a commendation in the man's file. Pike liked it when his people went the extra mile, without his needing to ask. He knew he had a good crew. This meant it was better than good. He turned a page. The new weapons system to replace the lasers, installed at starbase, had also performed as promised. Hhmm. Phaser. He'd have to get used to the new word. Done, he signed the report, and handed it back to Yeoman Colt, who took it wherever it was yeomen took signed reports. He sat back, surveying the bridge crew. As usual, Number One was at the helm, her unerring hand guiding his ship through the darkness. Next to her, Jose Tyler, his chief navigator, was intent on his instruments, waiting for the change. The United Federation of Planets had just admitted a new member, Lavinius V. The Lavinians had just put their world back together after a long period of chaos, and petitioned for Federation membership. Since Lavinius was within spitting distance of a Klingon outpost, the Federation Council was more than happy to say yes. Pike's current mission was to transport the Federation'p my personal shuttle, Colonel. Have two people from Wilker s department, and four Warriors report to me on the shuttle deck. Sir? I m going to investigate this wormhole machine myself. He got up, and headed towards the hatch. Commander? You& I can, Colonel, said Adama, half-turning. Right now, the Galactica is in good hands. But time is running out, and we have none to waste. C& You have your orders, Colonel. The bridge is yours. Athena? Commander? You're flying. Yes, sir. Starbuck shook his head, trying to clear the annoying whine from his ears, as the portable forcefield unit hummed to life. There had been no time to brace the entrance to the underground chambers, given current circumstances. They were so old, as well as damaged by the solonite blast, that they would have required virtually a total rebuild. So, they'd pulled a portable unit from the shuttle, and effectively used it to create a plug. As long as the power hithout his needing to ask. He knew he had a good crew. This meant it was better than good. He turned a page. The new weapons system to replace the lasers, installed at starbase, had also performed as promised. Hhmm. Phaser. He'd have to get used to the new word. Done, he signed the report, and handed it back to Yeoman Colt, who took it wherever it was yeomen took signed reports. He sat back, surveying the bridge crew. As usual, Number One was at the helm, her unerring hand guiding his ship through the darkness. Next to her, Jose Tyler, his chief navigator, was intent on his instruments, waiting for the change. The United Federation of Planets had just admitted a new member, Lavinius V. The Lavinians had just put their world back together after a long period of chaos, and petitioned for Federation membership. Since Lavinius was within spitting distance of a Klingon outpost, the Federation Council was more than happy to say yes. Pike's current mission was to transport the Federation's newly appointed ambassador to Lavinius, pick up Lavinius' own diplomatic delegation in return, and deliver equipment for the new station being constructed near Lavinian space. The Klingons had yet to say word one about the Federation's newest, and closest, addition, but Pike betted it wouldn't be long before they did. Pike continued his survey, stopping to briefly gaze at his comm. Officer, Lieutenant Alden. Newly assigned during their layover at Starbase 12, he was proving an excellent officer, though Pike had as yet had little opportunity to get to know the man. He turned again, eyes settling on Spock. The young Vulcanian was a mystery to Pike, but then they generally were to most Humans, and had been since the day they had touched down in the middle of the Montana forest, and said "We're here". The son of a wealthy and powerful family, Spock had, unusually, chosen Starfleet for a career. While Pike knew little about it, rumor had it that Spock had caused no small ripple on Vulceld out, the chamber would ride out the storm. And none to soon, either. Already, the winds were up to 58 killometrons per centar, and rising. The shuttle would take off once they reached 100, and remain in orbit till the storm passed. With so little data on this planet's weather, though, they could not be certain how long that might be. Starbuck looked about, taking in the chamber. It had once been, apparently, a reinforced pen for some sort of ocean-going vessel. Even now, sticking up out of the muck, was the corroding conning tower of an old submarine. Making their way past it, they reached the back bulkhead of the long smelly chamber, and moved through the half-open hatchway. "There's a lift, heading down, sir," said Giles. "At least half a metron." "Well, it seems to be out of order," replied Starbuck. "So, let's take the scenic route." Along the inner side of the shaft was a ladder, bolted to the concrete wall. It looked reasonably intact, despite centuries of disus newly appointed ambassador to Lavinius, pick up Lavinius' own diplomatic delegation in return, and deliver equipment for the new station being constructed near Lavinian space. The Klingons had yet to say word one about the Federation's newest, and closest, addition, but Pike betted it wouldn't be long before they did. Pike continued his survey, stopping to briefly gaze at his comm. Officer, Lieutenant Alden. Newly assigned during their layover at Starbase 12, he was proving an excellent officer, though Pike had as yet had little opportunity to get to know the man. He turned again, eyes settling on Spock. The young Vulcanian was a mystery to Pike, but then they generally were to most Humans, and had been since the day they had touched down in the middle of the Montana forest, and said "We're here". The son of a wealthy and powerful family, Spock had, unusually, chosen Starfleet for a career. While Pike knew little about it, rumor had it that Spock had caused no small ripple on Vulcan by defying his powerful and iron-willed father, the legendary Ambassador Sarek, and choosing to associate with Humans in a professional and daily context. Perhaps the fact that his mother was herself Human had something to do with it. Pike shook his head, dismissing such thoughts. It was really none of his business, and the Lieutenant was proving to be a superlative science officer, if a bit stiff with the rest of the crew. But, he'd acquitted himself well during that affair on Talos IV, and Chris Pike decided that he could do worse than to have Spock of Vulcan at his side. He was interrupted by a loud series of tones filling the bridge. At Nav, Tyler punched a key, and part of his panel lit up. On the arm of his chair, Pike watched a readout change. It went from displaying today's date on Earth, to declaring it to now be Stardate 0.01. The Federation's new standard time was in. The change had taken affect. With the addition of Lavinius to the Federation, the long-acknowledged neese, and Starbuck tested his weight on it. It held, and he slowly moved to the next, then the next, heading down into the darkness. It seemed to take forever, but he at last reached the bottom, and found himself up to the calves in dark, smelly water. He stepped aside, allowing his team to join him at the bottom, and turned his attention to the vast blast doors in front of him. Unfortunately, they now saw, when the place had been evacuated, no one had bothered to close them, so whatever lay inside the chamber had been exposed to water and decay along with the rest of this city. Still, they had gone too far to just give up on that account, so Starbuck took his lantern, and began to move towards the open doors. The air that wafted from within was rank with mold and decay, and his hopes were not high, but this was his job, his team, and. Beep "Starbuck here," he said, into his commlink. "Greenbean here, sir," came the tinny voice. "The wind is almost to 100 sir. I'm preparian by defying his powerful and iron-willed father, the legendary Ambassador Sarek, and choosing to associate with Humans in a professional and daily context. Perhaps the fact that his mother was herself Human had something to do with it. Pike shook his head, dismissing such thoughts. It was really none of his business, and the Lieutenant was proving to be a superlative science officer, if a bit stiff with the rest of the crew. But, he'd acquitted himself well during that affair on Talos IV, and Chris Pike decided that he could do worse than to have Spock of Vulcan at his side. He was interrupted by a loud series of tones filling the bridge. At Nav, Tyler punched a key, and part of his panel lit up. On the arm of his chair, Pike watched a readout change. It went from displaying today's date on Earth, to declaring it to now be Stardate 0.01. The Federation's new standard time was in. The change had taken affect. With the addition of Lavinius to the Federation, the long-acknowledged need for a common time system could be put off no longer. Now, it was a reality. "Captain's Log," said Pike, into the goose-necked monitor on the arm of his chair, "Stardate 0.01. The Enterprise is proceeding on schedule to Lavinius V, in accordance with that world's recent admission to the Federation. The new time system has taken affect, without problems. ETA Lavinius, one hour, nineteen minutes." Pike clicked off, then turned back to the junior science officer. As usual, Spock was glued to his instruments, oblivious to all. Pike often thought the Last Trump would find the Vulcan calculating the variables in some obscure quantum fluctuation. He got up, moving to Spock's station. "Something interesting, Mr. Spock?" he asked. Though most would never have seen it, Pike noticed a tiny frown on his subordinate's face. Slowly, Spock looked up. "Yes, sir. Deep Space Station T-4 has reported considerable radiation bursts in System L-91. I have never seen energy signatures quite like these ng to lift off, and will maintain synchronous orbit over the site till the storm passes." "Affirmative, Bean. See ya when you get back." "Right, sir." "I just hope the tinheads don't decide to come visiting while we're mucking about down here," said Giles. "I'm more comfortable in a cockpit than a catacomb." "Same here, Giles," replied Starbuck. "But for the moment, we're stuck with it." Moving into the chamber, they shown their lanterns around. At first, all they could see were vague shadows, formless flittings amidst the ancient gloom. Then, they slipped on their IR goggles, and stood there a moment, taking it all in. "Lords of Kobol!" whispered Giles. Starbuck just nodded. The entire chamber was spherical, and a few paces to their left, a ladder led to an upper level. Along the floor, banks of equipment sat against the wall, corroded and rusted into ruin by centuries of water. In front of each was the rusty skeleton of a chair, and corroded cables and condud for a common time system could be put off no longer. Now, it was a reality. "Captain's Log," said Pike, into the goose-necked monitor on the arm of his chair, "Stardate 0.01. The Enterprise is proceeding on schedule to Lavinius V, in accordance with that world's recent admission to the Federation. The new time system has taken affect, without problems. ETA Lavinius, one hour, nineteen minutes." Pike clicked off, then turned back to the junior science officer. As usual, Spock was glued to his instruments, oblivious to all. Pike often thought the Last Trump would find the Vulcan calculating the variables in some obscure quantum fluctuation. He got up, moving to Spock's station. "Something interesting, Mr. Spock?" he asked. Though most would never have seen it, Pike noticed a tiny frown on his subordinate's face. Slowly, Spock looked up. "Yes, sir. Deep Space Station T-4 has reported considerable radiation bursts in System L-91. I have never seen energy signatures quite like these it hung down, like the ancient tears of some mournful ghost. "Not much we can get out of this stuff,' said Giles, examining one console. Little beyond its shell remained, and he gingerly fingered a remaining screen. "CRT screens." "Yeah," said Starbuck. "Shall we check out the next level up, sir?" asked Varica. "Right behind you," said Starbuck, and they carefully ascended the ladder. Up on the next level, the machinery was more intact, though the seats had long rotted away. Both warriors moved over to where Varica was examining a bank of equipment. "Anything?" "Well, I'm afraid all these centuries of humidity will have degraded everything, sir. But I'm hoping I'm wrong." He ran a scanner of one console after another. "These appear to have been computer banks, sir." "Think we can recover a data node, or anything for that matter?" asked Giles. "Give me a bit, sir," replied Varica, and set his lamp down. He opened his pack of equipment, and pulled out toolsbefore, sir." "L-91? Where's that?" "It is an uninhabited system approximately 1.3 parsecs from the Tholian border, sir." He put a sector chart up on a screen. "The system has never been visited by a manned Federation ship, sir, at least officially. It has been charted by remote probes only." "And these radiation spikes? What's so remarkable about them?" "They appear to be massive eruption of tachyons and neutrinos, sir, but not from the star itself." Pike leaned over and studied the readouts himself. The star in that system was a single Type-G, and appeared stable. "Indeed curious, Mr. Spock," said the Enterprise Captain. "Check with Starfleet. If they give you a green light, we'll check it out after we complete our current mission." "Yes, sir," replied the Vulcan, and Pike thought for a moment he saw.what? Elation? on Spock's face. No way, he decided. Vulcans just didn't do that. Once the BaseShip had retreated beyond scanner range, Adama took stock. Alpha deck was badly hurtbefore, sir." "L-91? Where's that?" "It is an uninhabited system approximately 1.3 parsecs from the Tholian border, sir." He put a sector chart up on a screen. "The system has never been visited by a manned Federation ship, sir, at least officially. It has been charted by remote probes only." "And these radiation spikes? What's so remarkable about them?" "They appear to be massive eruption of tachyons and neutrinos, sir, but not from the star itself." Pike leaned over and studied the readouts himself. The star in that system was a single Type-G, and appeared stable. "Indeed curious, Mr. Spock," said the Enterprise Captain. "Check with Starfleet. If they give you a green light, we'll check it out after we complete our current mission." "Yes, sir," replied the Vulcan, and Pike thought for a moment he saw.what? Elation? on Spock's face. No way, he decided. Vulcans just didn't do that. Once the BaseShip had retreated beyond scanner range, Adama took stock. Alpha deck was badly hurt, and a portable power unit. "Let's see," muttered the tech, now oblivious to his superior's presence. He tossed his jacket over the ancient chair, and set to work. The complex Sheba was now moving through was built along similar lines to Starbuck's, though considerably drier. Rows of long-silent equipment sat, as if waiting for their masters to return, and she couldn't help smile at the discovery of a cup and plate left lying next to a bank of screens. As she perused the ancient machines, she found her thoughts torn between worrying about Bojay, wondering where he was and wishing she was the one going off to find him, and again thinking about her missing father. This lugubrious train of worry was cut short by a sudden light, and a shout of success from Callidus. The technician had successfully tied one of the portable power units into the machinery, and brought one of the consoles back to life. Then, slowly, one screen after another began to glow and hum, lights to blink, and so, and all remaining Vipers were in Beta landing bay. As for the Galactica herself, her main drive was down, and her auxiliaries were rocky, to put it kindly. Over half the ship was without life support, and Life Center was overflowing with the injured. The Cylons had ambushed them near the edge of an uncharted solar system, four planets circling a slowly swelling red sun. Only one planet was habitable, though just barely. Surrounded by a bevy of rings, Adama decided to make use of them. Coaxing the Battlestar's maneuvering thrusters to fitful life, Omega put them into an orbit around the ringed world that matched its ring plane, effectively obscuring them from view. Then, shutting down, Adama let the engineers get to work. "Scans show this system rich in both water and minerals, sir," said Colonel Tigh. "And there are traces of tylium on the southern landmass." "Begin survey at once," ordered Adama, signing off on another report. "And expedite repairs to our launch bays. We have to , and all remaining Vipers were in Beta landing bay. As for the Galactica herself, her main drive was down, and her auxiliaries were rocky, to put it kindly. Over half the ship was without life support, and Life Center was overflowing with the injured. The Cylons had ambushed them near the edge of an uncharted solar system, four planets circling a slowly swelling red sun. Only one planet was habitable, though just barely. Surrounded by a bevy of rings, Adama decided to make use of them. Coaxing the Battlestar's maneuvering thrusters to fitful life, Omega put them into an orbit around the ringed world that matched its ring plane, effectively obscuring them from view. Then, shutting down, Adama let the engineers get to work. "Scans show this system rich in both water and minerals, sir," said Colonel Tigh. "And there are traces of tylium on the southern landmass." "Begin survey at once," ordered Adama, signing off on another report. "And expedite repairs to our launch bays. We have to mewhere a loudspeaker to hiss. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "What have you got?" "Not certain yet," said the tech. The screen in front of him had gone from snow, to displaying unfamiliar symbols. As they hooked in more power cells, more of the old facility came up, till the even the ceiling lights began to glow. "It looks like an archaic space flight control center," said Jolly. On one wall, there was a graphic of the planet, with arcs describing the orbits of long-gone craft. Then, as Callidus experimented with some controls, they got a sensor graphic of. "The wormhole machine," said Sheba. "There must be a still-functional monitoring satellite nearby it." "Correct," said Callidus. "And this." he switched on another panel, "looks to be a tie-in to their mainframe." "Can you access it?' asked Sheba? "I don't know yet. I'll have to try and sample their programming language, and run it through the Galactica`s computer. Hopefully." he shrugged his shoulders. "be ready when the Cylons return." "Yes, sir," replied his exec. As Tigh left, Adama looked down at the scanners. While he couldn't see the BaseShip, he knew it was there. Repairing. Watching. Waiting. "Sir," said Athena, his daughter. He turned to acknowledge her. "Scans are picking up some bizarre energy readings close by." "Oh? From where, Athena?" "Very close." She studied her readouts some more. "It's coming from the inner planet, Commander." "Cylons?" "This doesn't read like any Cylon energy signatures we've ever seen, sir. It's very erratic. Fluctuating." She indicated her monitor. The lines and squiggles were bizarre, bouncing all over. "Bursts of tachyons and neutrino radiation. Bizarre EM patterns, though none are at a high level." "Concentrated scan, Athena." She complied, and the inner planet zoomed in. High above it was.something. Something glinting in the light of the dying sun. Something big. "Can you get any more?" "No," she replied, after a few moments adjusting thbe ready when the Cylons return." "Yes, sir," replied his exec. As Tigh left, Adama looked down at the scanners. While he couldn't see the BaseShip, he knew it was there. Repairing. Watching. Waiting. "Sir," said Athena, his daughter. He turned to acknowledge her. "Scans are picking up some bizarre energy readings close by." "Oh? From where, Athena?" "Very close." She studied her readouts some more. "It's coming from the inner planet, Commander." "Cylons?" "This doesn't read like any Cylon energy signatures we've ever seen, sir. It's very erratic. Fluctuating." She indicated her monitor. The lines and squiggles were bizarre, bouncing all over. "Bursts of tachyons and neutrino radiation. Bizarre EM patterns, though none are at a high level." "Concentrated scan, Athena." She complied, and the inner planet zoomed in. High above it was.something. Something glinting in the light of the dying sun. Something big. "Can you get any more?" "No," she replied, after a few moments adjusting thLook," said Jolly, pointing to another screen. This one also showed the wormhole machine, and they could see Adama's shuttle approaching it. "I didn't know they'd launched another one." "Neither did I," replied Sheba. "Let's see if we can tap into their telemetry." Which was exactly what Apollo was trying to do at that very moment, half a world away. Like the rest, his team had succeeded in reviving some of the old equipment. Like the others, his site had been part of a redundant global network of space flight control centers, predominantly geared towards the wormhole device, or at least so he theorized. Right now, all he was was annoyed. "Your father left me in command," said Tigh, image scratchy over the surface to shuttle link. "He was adamant." "Can you put me through to him?' asked Apollo. "I think we've found a clue as to the identity of this planet's inhabitants." "I'll try," replied the Colonel. "What have you found?" "One of the screens here displayee controls, "other than it appears to be a vessel of some kind. I'm reading metal, but no specifics. Our scanners took quite a beating." "I see. Colonel Tigh?" "Commander?" "I want a Viper launched at once, to investigate this object. We daren' t afford to take any chances, in our current state." "Engineering reports launch tubes one through seven now operational, Commander," "Good. Launch at once." "Sir." Tigh checked the roster, and saw Bojay at the top of the list. Less than two centons later, he was rocketing off the ship. Leaving Lavinius behind at warp 6, the Enterprise tore through the void towards Deep Space Station T-4. Starfleet had decided that a brief detour there would not interfere with the mission of the new Lavinian delegation, and granted Spock's request. Although it functioned as a stopover for commercial vessels, the station's primary purpose was to monitor the border between the Federation and the often unpredictable Tholian Assembly. When first contactede controls, "other than it appears to be a vessel of some kind. I'm reading metal, but no specifics. Our scanners took quite a beating." "I see. Colonel Tigh?" "Commander?" "I want a Viper launched at once, to investigate this object. We daren' t afford to take any chances, in our current state." "Engineering reports launch tubes one through seven now operational, Commander," "Good. Launch at once." "Sir." Tigh checked the roster, and saw Bojay at the top of the list. Less than two centons later, he was rocketing off the ship. Leaving Lavinius behind at warp 6, the Enterprise tore through the void towards Deep Space Station T-4. Starfleet had decided that a brief detour there would not interfere with the mission of the new Lavinian delegation, and granted Spock's request. Although it functioned as a stopover for commercial vessels, the station's primary purpose was to monitor the border between the Federation and the often unpredictable Tholian Assembly. When first contactedd script in a form very similar to Old Gemonese, sir," said Apollo. He held up his scanner, so Tigh could get a look. "I think the people might have been from Kobol, sir." "That's." began Tigh, but the signal went dead. Almost at once, Dietra called in. "Sir, we're under attack." Apollo could hear the sounds of laser fire from the Landram over the commlink. "Lieutenant?" "Holding my own, sir," came the reply. "I." Silence. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Boomer popped the shuttle's hatch, not waiting for Wilker to signal the all-clear. Who needed to, Boomer decided? Bojay was out there, and obviously breathing whatever the locals were, and he was too glad to see his old Warrior comrade to wait on the prissy scientist. He stepped out onto the Enterprise's flight deck, and at once saw Bojay, running towards him. "Boom-Boom!" "Bojay!" Boomer yelled back, arms wide, smile as well. "You furlon-heisting daggit! So this is where you've been h by a Federation starship, the Tholians had replied with guns. Quickly defeated, thanks to their surprising lack of warp drive, they had retreated behind their border, and scarcely a word had been heard since. "Mr. Spock?' asked Pike, of his perpetually occupied junior science officer. "We shall arrive at Station T-4 in four hours three minutes present speed, Captain. I am still reading bizarre energy pulses from the L-91 system." "What do you think, Spock?" asked Pike. "Tholian activity?" "Since we have incomplete data as to the nature of Tholian technology, sir, it is impossible to be certain. However, the proximity of the phenomenon to the border may well be indicative." Was that a yes or a no? wondered Pike. "Speculation?" Spock looked at him with an almost hurt expression. Almost. Pike remembered too late that Vulcans never speculate. Their version of logic would never permit them such an undisciplined luxury. "My error, Lieutenant. Does the available data lead you in any par by a Federation starship, the Tholians had replied with guns. Quickly defeated, thanks to their surprising lack of warp drive, they had retreated behind their border, and scarcely a word had been heard since. "Mr. Spock?' asked Pike, of his perpetually occupied junior science officer. "We shall arrive at Station T-4 in four hours three minutes present speed, Captain. I am still reading bizarre energy pulses from the L-91 system." "What do you think, Spock?" asked Pike. "Tholian activity?" "Since we have incomplete data as to the nature of Tholian technology, sir, it is impossible to be certain. However, the proximity of the phenomenon to the border may well be indicative." Was that a yes or a no? wondered Pike. "Speculation?" Spock looked at him with an almost hurt expression. Almost. Pike remembered too late that Vulcans never speculate. Their version of logic would never permit them such an undisciplined luxury. "My error, Lieutenant. Does the available data lead you in any parold up!" "Well." "Oh, yeah. I know. You just couldn't resist those Siren beams, and decided to take a tour of this other galaxy." By this time, Pike and his men had moved in, and Bojay did the introductions. "This is Captain Christopher Pike, of the Federation Starship Enterprise," Boomer took his hand, "And this is Science Officer Spock." Spock did not offer his hand, keeping his resolutely behind his back. Bojay introduced the rest, including the Tellarite Security man, Zag, and then it was Wilker's turn. "Your ship is most impressive," said Wilker, as they made their way along the corridor towards Sickbay. Some sort of continuum distortion arrangement, isn't it? The nacelles being fed plasma would seem." "I think you'll enjoy talking with our engineer Scott, Doctor," said Pike, as the reached the turbolift. "Who attacked us?" said Boomer. He explained how they, like Bojay, had been exploring the device, then been here. "That was the Klingons," said Pikticular direction at present?" "The readings are incomplete, sir. However, the neutrino and meson readings resemble those of a warp engine in anti-matter imbalance." "A wormhole?" "That does seem the most likely interpretation at present, sir. However, I cannot say as yet whether it is natural or not." Pike brooded. L-91 was uninhabitable, and the Federation had abandoned terraforming plans two years ago when the Tholians demanded this as part of the price of continued peace. Left that way so that they could use it? A wormhole, where none had been detected before, so near their space? The Captain got a cold feeling in his gut, as scenarios began to form. Trouble was brewing, he was certain. Vulcans might not speculate, but he could. "Lieutenant Alden." "Sir?" "Open an encrypted channel to Starfleet Command. Pipe it down to my quarters." "Right away, sir." "Number One?" "Captain?" replied the dark-haired helmswoman, turning to him. "Increase speed to warp 7." "W.aye, sir." "Keepticular direction at present?" "The readings are incomplete, sir. However, the neutrino and meson readings resemble those of a warp engine in anti-matter imbalance." "A wormhole?" "That does seem the most likely interpretation at present, sir. However, I cannot say as yet whether it is natural or not." Pike brooded. L-91 was uninhabitable, and the Federation had abandoned terraforming plans two years ago when the Tholians demanded this as part of the price of continued peace. Left that way so that they could use it? A wormhole, where none had been detected before, so near their space? The Captain got a cold feeling in his gut, as scenarios began to form. Trouble was brewing, he was certain. Vulcans might not speculate, but he could. "Lieutenant Alden." "Sir?" "Open an encrypted channel to Starfleet Command. Pipe it down to my quarters." "Right away, sir." "Number One?" "Captain?" replied the dark-haired helmswoman, turning to him. "Increase speed to warp 7." "W.aye, sir." "Keepe. "The Klingwho?" asked Boomer, as they emerged onto Deck 5. "Klingons," said Boyce. "A warrior race, and our enemies by the way. They think that battle is fun, that carnage is cute." "Oh great," said Boomer. "Sounds like the Cylons all over again. But why?" "The probe you sent through the rift struck and damaged one of their ships, Lieutenant," said Pike. "When your shuttle followed so soon after, they did what Klingons always do. They leapt to conclusions, and opened fire." "Well I sure am glad you were here to help, Captain Pike. Our shuttles aren't capable of much in the way of defense," said Wilker. "So we saw," said Pike. They reached Sickbay, and went in. Almost at once, there was a message from the bridge. "Pike here." "Sensor update you requested on the Tholians, sir. No change. ETA, 21 hours, 7 minutes." "Any reply to hails, Number One?" "None, Captain. They are running silent." "I see. Good work, Number One. And our Klingon f on those readings, Mr. Spock. Notify me at once of any changes." "Affirmative, Captain." Bojay swung his Viper around the inner planet, a barren world with only a tenuous, unbreathable atmosphere. It showed no signs whatsoever of ever having supported life. But someone had been here before him. In the Lagrange Point between this planet, its large moon, and the sun, sat. What? It was huge, indeed sprawling. A gigantic rhomboidial cylinder of metallic grillwork, looking similar to the dock the Galactica had been built in, though on a vastly larger scale. Though obviously once placed in a stable position, it was now slowly tumbling end over end. Bojay got the impression of immense age from its scarred, pitted surface, punctured here and there by micrometeorites. He also got the idea of size. From the dimensions displayed on his scanner, at least three Battlestars could fit comfortably abreast within its steely embrace. Moving slowly around it, he saw vast areas of its surface cover on those readings, Mr. Spock. Notify me at once of any changes." "Affirmative, Captain." Bojay swung his Viper around the inner planet, a barren world with only a tenuous, unbreathable atmosphere. It showed no signs whatsoever of ever having supported life. But someone had been here before him. In the Lagrange Point between this planet, its large moon, and the sun, sat. What? It was huge, indeed sprawling. A gigantic rhomboidial cylinder of metallic grillwork, looking similar to the dock the Galactica had been built in, though on a vastly larger scale. Though obviously once placed in a stable position, it was now slowly tumbling end over end. Bojay got the impression of immense age from its scarred, pitted surface, punctured here and there by micrometeorites. He also got the idea of size. From the dimensions displayed on his scanner, at least three Battlestars could fit comfortably abreast within its steely embrace. Moving slowly around it, he saw vast areas of its surface coverriends?" "Both holding at 17,000, sir. Watching us." "Any communications?' "Messages to their home base, sir. Crypto is on it." "Good, Number One. I'll be there shortly." Pike clicked off, and turned to catch the last part of an exchange between Spock and Wilker. ".called Earth," said the Colonial scientist. "Do you know of it?" "That's what I've been telling Boomer here," said Bojay. "These people, at least most of them, are from Earth!" @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Adama could not help but feel.awe, as he approached the vast construction. Awe at its size, awe at its age. And awe at the sheer technical prowess needed just to design such a structure. A palpable aura of both age, and power hung over the abandoned machine, as he watched the sun glint through a row of windows near its "top". And he was focused on those windows because he wasn't about to repeat the mistakes of the last two exploratory missions. With data retrieved from Shed with dishes, coils, solar panels, and things neither he nor his computer could identify. Lights began to blink across its surface where it had been dark before, and his scanner told of powerful surges of energy coursing within it, though mere centons ago he had seen only minimal activity. "This is Silver Spar Two to Galactica," he radioed. "This thing is huge. It looks like a gargantuan space dock, but not like any Cylon construction I've ever seen." "Any signs of life?" asked Adama. "None, sir, but I'm reading plenty of power inside it." Bojay flew under it, continuing to scan, and as he did so his scanners told him that he was being scanned. Something, or someone, was tracking his ship. At the same moment, he read a power surge within the alien machine. Being trained as a warrior, Bojay at once actuated his attack computer. If the thing was going to paint him, he'd paint it right back by the Lords! However, no sooner had his lasers locked onto the thing, than beams of pale liged with dishes, coils, solar panels, and things neither he nor his computer could identify. Lights began to blink across its surface where it had been dark before, and his scanner told of powerful surges of energy coursing within it, though mere centons ago he had seen only minimal activity. "This is Silver Spar Two to Galactica," he radioed. "This thing is huge. It looks like a gargantuan space dock, but not like any Cylon construction I've ever seen." "Any signs of life?" asked Adama. "None, sir, but I'm reading plenty of power inside it." Bojay flew under it, continuing to scan, and as he did so his scanners told him that he was being scanned. Something, or someone, was tracking his ship. At the same moment, he read a power surge within the alien machine. Being trained as a warrior, Bojay at once actuated his attack computer. If the thing was going to paint him, he'd paint it right back by the Lords! However, no sooner had his lasers locked onto the thing, than beams of pale ligeba's expedition, they had learned of a control section, high atop the device, with a landing deck. Or so it appeared. Coming around the other way, he hoped to avoid tripping the device's still-active systems. "There, Father," said Athena, pointing to her sensors. "A hangar it looks like." "Like the data said," he replied, smiling. "While his daughter might have a tendency to sometimes state the obvious, even when it was glaring out the windows as now, he felt secure in both her observations, and her piloting skills. Things rarely got past Athena. Except men. "Internal scans"? "Nothing, sir," replied one of Wilker's techs, using a setup like the one Wilker had taken. "I read large areas still pressurized, but no bio signs at all." "Power signatures?" "Plenty of them, sir. I'm still trying to isolate and analyze them all. Near as I can tell, the device seems to be in stand-by mode." "Can we safely land?" "As far as we can tell, Commander," saidht lanced out from around the machine's maw, and focused on his Viper. "Commander!" he cried. "It's got me. I've been locked on to by some kind of beam! It's pulling me inside!" Through his canopy, Bojay could see the huge construction, blotting out the sky as he was drawn inexorably into it. "Bojay, get out of there!" ordered Adama. "Return to the Fleet at once." "I can't.der. Engines losing po.ing speed." Bojay's transmission was breaking up. "Commander," said Tigh, "scanners are picking up a massive power surge from the object." "Bojay! Bojay respond!" shouted Adama, but the Viper channel, in a massive burst of static, had gone dead. Several screens on the bridge snowed for a few millicentons, then returned to normal. When they cleared, the monstrous object was still there, but there was no sign of Bojay. hhhhhhhh Barely had the Enterprise taken up orbit around T-4 when it happened. A massive burst of subspace distortion, coupled with gigantic tachyons, neutrino, and meson emht lanced out from around the machine's maw, and focused on his Viper. "Commander!" he cried. "It's got me. I've been locked on to by some kind of beam! It's pulling me inside!" Through his canopy, Bojay could see the huge construction, blotting out the sky as he was drawn inexorably into it. "Bojay, get out of there!" ordered Adama. "Return to the Fleet at once." "I can't.der. Engines losing po.ing speed." Bojay's transmission was breaking up. "Commander," said Tigh, "scanners are picking up a massive power surge from the object." "Bojay! Bojay respond!" shouted Adama, but the Viper channel, in a massive burst of static, had gone dead. Several screens on the bridge snowed for a few millicentons, then returned to normal. When they cleared, the monstrous object was still there, but there was no sign of Bojay. hhhhhhhh Barely had the Enterprise taken up orbit around T-4 when it happened. A massive burst of subspace distortion, coupled with gigantic tachyons, neutrino, and meson em the second tech," there's no reason why not." "Very well, " said Adama. "Athena, take us in." "Taking us in, Commander." The shuttle nosed down, towards the covered landing deck, and gracefully moved in to the approach pattern. At once, landing lights and computer controls from within kicked on, and after a few moments, began to guide them in. Moving under the huge metal roof of the hangar, Athena felt the sticks tugged from her hands, and the shuttle was guided in. They came to a stop, and beheld the bay before them. "My God," whispered Adama. "Lords of Kobol!" muttered one of the guards. "Look at it, Father," said Athena. "It's like a huge parking garage full of spacecraft." &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Leaping at once into Warrior mode, Apollo made a mad rush for the surface. At once, he was beaten in the face by the heat, but continued on. Almost at once, he could hear shouts, and the pulse of the Landram's gun tub. Drawing his issions, rolled over them from the direction of system L-91. Then, in seconds, it was gone. Starfleet had concurred with Pike. Tholian activity was suspected, and the Enterprise was to investigate and to take whatever action was necessary. Or possible. "Mr. Tyler," said Pike, reentering the bridge. "Sir?" "Once the Lavinian ambassador is aboard the station, set course fro the L-91 system." "Yes, sir." "Warp factor 7, Number One." "Warp 7, sir." Scarcely half an hour after she'd arrived, the Enterprise was once more on her way. "What in Hades Hole happened?' bellowed Adama, nearly deafening those around him. "Unknown, sir," replied Omega. "I'm diverting our scans, as well as Viper telemetry to the main computer now." "Red Four's patrol reporting in, Commander," piped up Athena. "No sign of Cylon pursuit. All vectors clear." "Thank the Lords of Kobol for that," sighed Adama, then turned as a report was handed him. Beta landing bay was now 100% operational, as well as all laissions, rolled over them from the direction of system L-91. Then, in seconds, it was gone. Starfleet had concurred with Pike. Tholian activity was suspected, and the Enterprise was to investigate and to take whatever action was necessary. Or possible. "Mr. Tyler," said Pike, reentering the bridge. "Sir?" "Once the Lavinian ambassador is aboard the station, set course fro the L-91 system." "Yes, sir." "Warp factor 7, Number One." "Warp 7, sir." Scarcely half an hour after she'd arrived, the Enterprise was once more on her way. "What in Hades Hole happened?' bellowed Adama, nearly deafening those around him. "Unknown, sir," replied Omega. "I'm diverting our scans, as well as Viper telemetry to the main computer now." "Red Four's patrol reporting in, Commander," piped up Athena. "No sign of Cylon pursuit. All vectors clear." "Thank the Lords of Kobol for that," sighed Adama, then turned as a report was handed him. Beta landing bay was now 100% operational, as well as all laown weapon, he sought concealment behind something, in this case part of a wall, and risked a look. The Landram was being circled by people, swathed in dark robes, on what looked like some sort of equus. They bore drawn swords, spears, and some of them bows. One spear was sticking out from the top of the vehicle, and Dietra was firing at the attackers whenever there was a proper angle. The gun tub pulsed, and several of the attackers flew backwards, crashing into the sand. Falling back, others loosed arrows at the Landram, missing the warrior atop it. Except for one. Apollo heard a cry of pain, and the firing stopped. One of the primitive weapons had gotten through, and he saw her slump. Angry, and feeling the first tendrils of his ever-near guilt complex begin to stir, he popped out from cover, and fired. One of the attackers went down, then another. He heard the animals scream as the stun shot hit, and fired yet again. And was rewarded for his trouble by an arrow sent in hisunch tubes on the starboard side. Adama signed off on it, glad of some good news for a change. The rest was rotten, though. Auxiliary engines would be back up to about 60% in a few centars, but the main drive was in bad shape. Damage from the Cylons, plus the proximity of the missile blast, had blows busses and fused circuits throughout engineering. Repairs could take sectons. Something the Cylons were not likely to give them. Fortunately, one of this planet's moons was rich in several of the minerals they needed, and it was soon crawling with shuttles. Fuel, albeit in dribs and drabs, was now coming up from the planet below, and as he studied the reports, life support came back up. Adama sighed. The Galactica was in good hands. "Commander?" "Yes, Omega?" "Preliminary computer analysis, sir." He handed Adama a sheet of paper. "Wormhole?" "Slow to impulse," ordered Pike, and turned to Spock. "Sensors?" "The area is resonating with subspace echoes, sir. Residual radiation is hiunch tubes on the starboard side. Adama signed off on it, glad of some good news for a change. The rest was rotten, though. Auxiliary engines would be back up to about 60% in a few centars, but the main drive was in bad shape. Damage from the Cylons, plus the proximity of the missile blast, had blows busses and fused circuits throughout engineering. Repairs could take sectons. Something the Cylons were not likely to give them. Fortunately, one of this planet's moons was rich in several of the minerals they needed, and it was soon crawling with shuttles. Fuel, albeit in dribs and drabs, was now coming up from the planet below, and as he studied the reports, life support came back up. Adama sighed. The Galactica was in good hands. "Commander?" "Yes, Omega?" "Preliminary computer analysis, sir." He handed Adama a sheet of paper. "Wormhole?" "Slow to impulse," ordered Pike, and turned to Spock. "Sensors?" "The area is resonating with subspace echoes, sir. Residual radiation is hi direction. He once again fired, and the archer was sent sprawling, then again. Then, as if knowing he needed help, the gun tub flared again, and half a dozen or more of the attackers went into the dust, along with their mounts. He fired again, and again, till finally, someone in black figured out that this wasn't such a good idea, and there was a sound like a horn or bugle, and the still functional barbarians began to retreat. Except for one. As he began to move towards the Landram, he heard a scream, and could see a hulking figure atop it, drawn sword glinting in the sunlight. He took aim, and fired. With a scream, the attacker toppled off the machine, head first into the ground. With a burst of speed, he reached the vehicle, and climbed atop, to find. Dietra, semi-conscious, arrow protruding from her left shoulder, her left arm and chest glistening red. Her head lolled back, she tried to focus on Apollo. "Sir." "Save it," he ordered her, taking stock. With the gun, hegh." "Any sign of Tholian activity?" "None, sir," replied the Vulcan, returning to his readouts. "However." "Captain," said Alden at comm... "I'm picking up a signal, sir. Some kind of distress call. Very weak, sir." "Sensors picking up a vessel, sir," Spock continued. "Very small. 24 degrees, Z plus 4, range 8.5 million." "Mr. Alden?" "It's the source of the signal, sir." He put it on the speaker. A series of pulses and whines, it repeated the same pattern continuously. Clearly automated. "Send it to crypto," ordered Pike. "And hail them. Mr. Tyler, intercept course." "Intercept course aye, sir." "Captain, sensors are reading one life form aboard," said Spock. He looked up. "Human, sir." "Human?" "Yes, sir. And it appears to be dying." "Visual contact in 30 seconds, sir," reported Number One. "No answer to hails, Captain," reported Alden. "Just the same signal, repeating over and over. And it's getting weaker, sir." "Visual," declared Tyler, and they all looked at the screen. "Wgh." "Any sign of Tholian activity?" "None, sir," replied the Vulcan, returning to his readouts. "However." "Captain," said Alden at comm... "I'm picking up a signal, sir. Some kind of distress call. Very weak, sir." "Sensors picking up a vessel, sir," Spock continued. "Very small. 24 degrees, Z plus 4, range 8.5 million." "Mr. Alden?" "It's the source of the signal, sir." He put it on the speaker. A series of pulses and whines, it repeated the same pattern continuously. Clearly automated. "Send it to crypto," ordered Pike. "And hail them. Mr. Tyler, intercept course." "Intercept course aye, sir." "Captain, sensors are reading one life form aboard," said Spock. He looked up. "Human, sir." "Human?" "Yes, sir. And it appears to be dying." "Visual contact in 30 seconds, sir," reported Number One. "No answer to hails, Captain," reported Alden. "Just the same signal, repeating over and over. And it's getting weaker, sir." "Visual," declared Tyler, and they all looked at the screen. "W lobbed a few extra shots after the fleeing attackers, to put a little more of the fear of God into them, then he opened the hatch, gingerly moving the injured woman towards it. He yanked the spear from its place, tossing it away, but not before noticing that it had sliced through the antenna cable. No wonder the Landram had fallen silent. He got her inside, and settled her as best he could in one of the seats. Double checking to make sure all was locked up tight, he returned to Dietra. "How.is it, sir?" she asked. "Don't know yet," Apollo replied. The arrow had struck her just under the left collarbone, and from the sound of her breathing, punctured her left lung. He pulled the medi- kit out from under the seat, and gave her a shot for pain. Then, gingerly, he began to remove the arrow. Fortunately, it was not barbed, and slid out smoothly, if not painlessly. Mentally, Apollo kicked himself, for not keeping his certs current on first-aid. He searched his memory, then found thehat's that?" asked Pike, in a whisper. Bojay, his vision swimming, struggled to remain conscious, reaching under his seat for the reserve oxygen bottle. For a moment he felt better, but the tell-tale hiss of an air leak told a brutal truth. He was losing his air, and quickly. He reached out, and tried his instruments again. Over half of them were dead, along with the radio. He punched Auto distress to the Fleet. Maybe. He tried to fire up his engines, but it was no good. Power levels were too low to kick over the turbines. He swore, then fiddled with the other instruments. After a centon or so, his attack scanner fluttered to life. "What the frack." On his tiny screen was a vessel, but unlike any he'd ever seen. Almost a quarter metron long, it had a huge saucer forward, and three cylinders aft. His computer could make nothing of its power function, then failed entirely. He would be himself, soon, he realized, as his vision began to go. He could hardly breathe, and scarcely noticed hat's that?" asked Pike, in a whisper. Bojay, his vision swimming, struggled to remain conscious, reaching under his seat for the reserve oxygen bottle. For a moment he felt better, but the tell-tale hiss of an air leak told a brutal truth. He was losing his air, and quickly. He reached out, and tried his instruments again. Over half of them were dead, along with the radio. He punched Auto distress to the Fleet. Maybe. He tried to fire up his engines, but it was no good. Power levels were too low to kick over the turbines. He swore, then fiddled with the other instruments. After a centon or so, his attack scanner fluttered to life. "What the frack." On his tiny screen was a vessel, but unlike any he'd ever seen. Almost a quarter metron long, it had a huge saucer forward, and three cylinders aft. His computer could make nothing of its power function, then failed entirely. He would be himself, soon, he realized, as his vision began to go. He could hardly breathe, and scarcely noticed anti-septic pad, and cleaned the wound as best he could. Then, applying a pressure bandage, he covered it, hoping that the anti-biotic impregnated into the bandage was still good. "How do you feel?" he asked, after he was done with his makeshift doctoring. "Like a." she broke off, coughing. "Like a BaseShip landed on my chest, sir. Are you." "I'm okay, Lieutenant," he told her. He slid into the other seat, and fired up the vehicle. "I'm going to find cover. That wave will be here any centon." "Any.any good news, down below, sir?" "We found what might be records, but you keep quiet, Lieutenant," he ordered. "You need to conserve all your strength." "But." "That's an order, Lieutenant!" "Aye, s." hack, wheeze. "Sir." Apollo found a length of wall, apparently of granite, and ensconced the Landram behind it as best he could. On the scanner, the bizarre wave was closing. Five centons. Four. He belted them both in, and waited. And gritted his teeththe greenish light wash over him as he gasped for air. His vision was gone entirely, and he. Was still breathing? Slowly, awareness seeped back, and he was aware of himself. He was still breathing, and he opened his eyes. All he could see was a blinding light, and slowly, painfully, he reached over, and popped his canopy. He took several deep breaths, and his vision continued to clear. He was in some kind of landing bay, but unlike any Colonial one. As he pondered this, he heard a hiss off to the left. A hatch was opening, and several people were entering. There were about ten men, in red tunics, and carrying some kind of weapons, pouring through the door. They wore uniforms similar to the old Colonial Merchant Marine. No, not all were men. One was short, stocky, with a white shock of hair and a face like a porcius. What in Kobol. "Remain where you are," came a voice, from one of the men below, as he rose to get out of his cockpit. "Drop your weapon." He froze, then saw two more enthe greenish light wash over him as he gasped for air. His vision was gone entirely, and he. Was still breathing? Slowly, awareness seeped back, and he was aware of himself. He was still breathing, and he opened his eyes. All he could see was a blinding light, and slowly, painfully, he reached over, and popped his canopy. He took several deep breaths, and his vision continued to clear. He was in some kind of landing bay, but unlike any Colonial one. As he pondered this, he heard a hiss off to the left. A hatch was opening, and several people were entering. There were about ten men, in red tunics, and carrying some kind of weapons, pouring through the door. They wore uniforms similar to the old Colonial Merchant Marine. No, not all were men. One was short, stocky, with a white shock of hair and a face like a porcius. What in Kobol. "Remain where you are," came a voice, from one of the men below, as he rose to get out of his cockpit. "Drop your weapon." He froze, then saw two more en as the leading edge of the wave reached them, rocking them back and forth like a Cylon fusillade. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Athena set the shuttle down in as near to the center of the cluttered bay as possible. Or rather sat in her seat feeling useless, and watched it be landed, by remote control. Scans indicated internal atmosphere, breathable by Humans, but Adama insisted on each of them donning an oxygen mask, just in case. The senior warrior popped the hatch, and descended to the deck. The others followed one by one, then signaled Adama it was clear. It was huge, this bay. Adama was forcibly reminded of the first time he had ever set foot on a Battlestar. As a young cadet, his first Academy examination barely behind him, he and his class went aboard the Horus, for their first real look at a warship. He d felt tiny, in the cavernous landing bay, as they d filed out of the shuttle, and now the feeling was back with a vengeance. He looked arouter the room. One with thick black hair and a block- jawed face, bore himself like a leader. The other, tall and thin, had less elaborate striping on his sleeves, and. Pointed ears? "Welcome aboard the Enterprise," said the leader. "Where." began Bojay, but a sudden wave of nausea washed over him, and he passed out once more. "We can't just leave him there! I want to go after him!" Sheba stopped pacing and stared at the commander. "I -- "Lieutenant, please." Adama held up a hand. He had called the briefing in his office to discuss their current situation and to explain their options. He had assembled his top officers - Apollo, Boomer, Starbuck, Jolly, and Sheba - as well as Dr.Wilker and two of his assistants. However, he had yet to begin the meeting because the moment the door had closed behind them all, Sheba had practically exploded. The centars of inaction had worn through the lieutenant's patience and restraint; she cared for Bojay as if he were her brother, and she hadter the room. One with thick black hair and a block- jawed face, bore himself like a leader. The other, tall and thin, had less elaborate striping on his sleeves, and. Pointed ears? "Welcome aboard the Enterprise," said the leader. "Where." began Bojay, but a sudden wave of nausea washed over him, and he passed out once more. "We can't just leave him there! I want to go after him!" Sheba stopped pacing and stared at the commander. "I -- "Lieutenant, please." Adama held up a hand. He had called the briefing in his office to discuss their current situation and to explain their options. He had assembled his top officers - Apollo, Boomer, Starbuck, Jolly, and Sheba - as well as Dr.Wilker and two of his assistants. However, he had yet to begin the meeting because the moment the door had closed behind them all, Sheba had practically exploded. The centars of inaction had worn through the lieutenant's patience and restraint; she cared for Bojay as if he were her brother, and she hadnd, marveling at all the derelict craft left abandoned here. My scanner counts 23 craft, father, reported Athena. Negative on any bio signs. Hardly likely after all these yahren, I should think, he replied. Despite the hangar having air, it was quite cold. Athena felt it, too, and returned to the shuttle, for heavy parkas for them all. A little warmer now, they continued on. This looks like an old-fashioned Nebula-class transport, she observed, of one vessel, blocky, with large engine pods in back. Another was very similar to the shuttle they came in, but the rest were unfamiliar, and the warbook had no record of any such. The bay is secure, reported one of the warriors. No one here, Commander. Thank-you, replied Adama. Father, I think we should try and salvage some of these ships, said Athena, examining the control pad next to the hatch of one. It was long, sleek, and highly streamlined engine nacelles. Oh? Why? The fleet is chronical taken the news of his disappearance very hard. "Lieutenant," the commander repeated when Sheba looked ready to continue her protests, "I understand that this is difficult for you, but acting rashly will not help Bojay. Now," Adama gave her a firm but fatherly look, "please have a seat and listen." The lieutenant took several deep breaths, closing her eyes but nodding. Still too agitated to sit, she moved to lean against the wall near the entrance. Sympathetic eyes followed her, because all present felt the distress, too. "Now," Adama continued, "Dr. Wilker has analyzed the sensor readings taken from the energy bursts transmitted from the alien machine when Bojay disappeared. And he has a theory to share." Wilker glanced at the faces scattered around the commander's office. All were solemn, weary, the pressures of the recent battle and the uncertainty of the future evident in all of their eyes. Wilker cleared his throat. "Based off of the computer analyses, I believe that th taken the news of his disappearance very hard. "Lieutenant," the commander repeated when Sheba looked ready to continue her protests, "I understand that this is difficult for you, but acting rashly will not help Bojay. Now," Adama gave her a firm but fatherly look, "please have a seat and listen." The lieutenant took several deep breaths, closing her eyes but nodding. Still too agitated to sit, she moved to lean against the wall near the entrance. Sympathetic eyes followed her, because all present felt the distress, too. "Now," Adama continued, "Dr. Wilker has analyzed the sensor readings taken from the energy bursts transmitted from the alien machine when Bojay disappeared. And he has a theory to share." Wilker glanced at the faces scattered around the commander's office. All were solemn, weary, the pressures of the recent battle and the uncertainty of the future evident in all of their eyes. Wilker cleared his throat. "Based off of the computer analyses, I believe that thly short of resources. Lords of Kobol, I don t need to tell you that. With these ships, we d have metal, maybe even useable parts we could adapt to our own ships. Things we haven t had much access to since we left the Colonies. You have a point, Athena. It has been a while since our last overhaul, Adama said, considering it. The fleet was chronically finding itself out of something. Perhaps& Commander, came the voice of one of the warriors, over the commlink. We ve found the hatch out of the bay, sir. On our way, said Adama. He and his daughter threaded their way through the many abandoned craft, to find the warriors clustered around an airlock hatch, lights above it still blinking. According to scans, sir, said one, it leads to a corridor, then up& he pointed to the control gantry, above and to their left, to that deck. Sensors say it s the control deck, and we read active power signatures up inside there. Then let s go, said Adama, and moved to the door. Hee huge alien device is a wormhole portal, and Lt. Bojay's ship was inadvertently drawn into it." "So where is he?" Sheba asked. "And do you think he's all right?" "We have no way of knowing that," Wilker said. "There's only one way to determine where the wormhole leads and if the device can successfully transport a ship through to the other side - in one piece." He paused. "Let me guess," Lt. Boomer said. "That would be to go through the wormhole." "Quite correct," Wilker responded. "And I'm sure it's apparent that such a mission would quite probably be a one-way trip, given all of the unknowns." "So . . . are you saying there's nothing we can do?" Sheba's voice was quiet, the fighting edge gone. Wilker did not answer, but, instead, turned to look at the commander. Adama rose from behind his desk, letting his gaze sweep slowly across his warriors as he moved to lean against the front edge. He crossed his arms and let out a slow breath. "Under normal circumstances," he sae huge alien device is a wormhole portal, and Lt. Bojay's ship was inadvertently drawn into it." "So where is he?" Sheba asked. "And do you think he's all right?" "We have no way of knowing that," Wilker said. "There's only one way to determine where the wormhole leads and if the device can successfully transport a ship through to the other side - in one piece." He paused. "Let me guess," Lt. Boomer said. "That would be to go through the wormhole." "Quite correct," Wilker responded. "And I'm sure it's apparent that such a mission would quite probably be a one-way trip, given all of the unknowns." "So . . . are you saying there's nothing we can do?" Sheba's voice was quiet, the fighting edge gone. Wilker did not answer, but, instead, turned to look at the commander. Adama rose from behind his desk, letting his gaze sweep slowly across his warriors as he moved to lean against the front edge. He crossed his arms and let out a slow breath. "Under normal circumstances," he sa studied it a bit. A keypad, apparently numeric, and three buttons atop them. Red, green, and yellow. The numbers, he realized after a few moments, were similar to those classified in the Galactica s database as Old Gemonese . Having studied archaic Colonial scripts since Kobol, he made an educated guess, and tried it. Much to his surprise, the red light began blinking, then the green lit up, solidly, and the door opened. Inside was a large chamber, like an oversized elevator car. Shall we? ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc As with the other Colonials, Doctor Boyce found Boomer and Wilker to be in excellent health. Although there were a few curious variations, such as both Wilker and Bojay having their hearts on the right side, and a curiously different blood chemistry, they were unquestionably Human, he declared, and remarkably free of any disease organisms the Enterprise crew need worry about. As was his custom, the ship s chatty CMO engaged his patieid at last, "I would not consider such a mission. It is just too risky and uncertain. However," he said, "these are not normal circumstances. The Fleet is at a standstill while repairs - which may take sectons -- are made on the Galactica's main drive. In the meantime, the Cylons could be massing for another assault, assuming that the baseships were able to communicate their position. Thus, I 'm willing to explore any option, regardless of how remote, as opposed to just sitting dead in space, waiting for the Cylons to show up." Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer were staring at the commander, eyes narrowed in disbelief. The captain finally spoke. "You're going to send a mission through the wormhole, aren't you?" "Yes. I am." The commander's words were clipped, reflecting the strong conflict the decision evoked. "If the chance exists that we could move the Fleet through that wormhole, and then destroy the machine once we were through, then we must explore that chance." Adama gazed at id at last, "I would not consider such a mission. It is just too risky and uncertain. However," he said, "these are not normal circumstances. The Fleet is at a standstill while repairs - which may take sectons -- are made on the Galactica's main drive. In the meantime, the Cylons could be massing for another assault, assuming that the baseships were able to communicate their position. Thus, I 'm willing to explore any option, regardless of how remote, as opposed to just sitting dead in space, waiting for the Cylons to show up." Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer were staring at the commander, eyes narrowed in disbelief. The captain finally spoke. "You're going to send a mission through the wormhole, aren't you?" "Yes. I am." The commander's words were clipped, reflecting the strong conflict the decision evoked. "If the chance exists that we could move the Fleet through that wormhole, and then destroy the machine once we were through, then we must explore that chance." Adama gazed at his officers. "Imagine," he said slowly. "this alien device might offer us the chance to lose the Cylons for good." No one spoke for several centons as they absorbed the information. Eventually, all faces turned expectantly towards the commander. Sheba took a step forward. "I volunteer," she said. Adama gave her a soft smile. "I know how badly you want to help Bojay," he said. He looked at the others "And I know that all of you would willingly go, even though the odds are that this will be a one-way mission. Getting through might be easy, but returning . . . that's the greatest unknown. So I 've chosen a two-man team," Adama explained, "based off of their experience and expertise. Wilker and I discussed this at some length. He feels that a careful analysis of the data accumulated *while* the shuttle traverses the wormhole might give him enough information to make any necessary modifications to allow the shuttle to return. Thus, Wilker himself will be going. The second member ofnts in conversation, and found them enjoyable. Boomer, besides being a warrior, was actually a closet philosopher, and Wilker asked a lot of questions about the engineering of the medical equipment in Sickbay. But the major topic of conversation was Earth. Wilker had never really believed it existed, but now, in the ship s briefing room, he was shown photos charts and scans of the Federation homeworld. He was astounded, not merely that the world Adama so passionately sought actually existed, but at the level of technology she manifested. The huge spacedocks in orbit, the terraforming of the Moon, the ships. Oh yes, the ships. As a pilot, Boomer found the level of shipbuilding technology beyond what he d ever believed possible. Yes, the Colonies were the most advanced race, aside from the Cylons, his people had ever found in their part of the galaxy, but in this quadrant& Here, Bojay pointed out, on the main screen. This is the entire galaxy. Their cartographers have divided it his officers. "Imagine," he said slowly. "this alien device might offer us the chance to lose the Cylons for good." No one spoke for several centons as they absorbed the information. Eventually, all faces turned expectantly towards the commander. Sheba took a step forward. "I volunteer," she said. Adama gave her a soft smile. "I know how badly you want to help Bojay," he said. He looked at the others "And I know that all of you would willingly go, even though the odds are that this will be a one-way mission. Getting through might be easy, but returning . . . that's the greatest unknown. So I 've chosen a two-man team," Adama explained, "based off of their experience and expertise. Wilker and I discussed this at some length. He feels that a careful analysis of the data accumulated *while* the shuttle traverses the wormhole might give him enough information to make any necessary modifications to allow the shuttle to return. Thus, Wilker himself will be going. The second member ofup into four quadrants. This is where we are, and this& he waited while Lt. Scott shifted the view, is the area we come from. That must be over&50,000 light-yahren, estimated Wilker, studying the chart. Lords of Kobol, the technology of that machine is greater than we imagined. So it seems, said Scott, finding Wilker interesting, from the scientific point of view. Though the technology so far displayed by the Colonials was behind that of his own people, Scott had discovered in conversation that the Colonial scientist was well up to discussing more advanced topics. Everything from wormhole theory, to the basics of the propulsion system that powered the Enterprise. We ve known about anti-matter for hundreds of yahren, said Wilker. It was first predicted in equations published before we even developed chemical rockets. But it was never found to be cost effective. How so? asked Scott. the team needs to be not only a very capable pilot, but also needs to have the technical knowledge to be able to assist the doctor in making the modifications." Only one pilot fit that description; all eyes turned towards Lt. Boomer. Boomer took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I see. So, when do we leave?" "In three centars. Dr. Wilker's team is currently making some adjustments to the mission shuttle's shielding." Sheba frowned but said nothing. Her disappointment and frustration, though, were evident. And Adama could read the same emotions in the others' eyes, as well. The odds were inconsequential to them. If such a mission could not only save a lost pilot, but secure sanctuary for the Fleet, all would have eagerly volunteered. Knowing that, Adama had saved the next bit of information until last, deliberately, to use as a distraction. "I need the rest of you," the commander said, "for another mission, anyway. The last recon patrol did a series of low-level scans the team needs to be not only a very capable pilot, but also needs to have the technical knowledge to be able to assist the doctor in making the modifications." Only one pilot fit that description; all eyes turned towards Lt. Boomer. Boomer took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I see. So, when do we leave?" "In three centars. Dr. Wilker's team is currently making some adjustments to the mission shuttle's shielding." Sheba frowned but said nothing. Her disappointment and frustration, though, were evident. And Adama could read the same emotions in the others' eyes, as well. The odds were inconsequential to them. If such a mission could not only save a lost pilot, but secure sanctuary for the Fleet, all would have eagerly volunteered. Knowing that, Adama had saved the next bit of information until last, deliberately, to use as a distraction. "I need the rest of you," the commander said, "for another mission, anyway. The last recon patrol did a series of low-level scans Well, our earl generation FTL drives were powered by a complex series of reactions involving a highly energetic and volatile mineral we call tylium. Once the engineering was worked out, it became fairly cheap to operate, because our region of space was full of sources of tylium. Among the planets in our region known to us, we estimated that there was sufficient tylium to fuel our ships for thousands of yahren. Och, I see, replied the Scot. Economics. Well yes, that, said Wilker, and the fact that some early anti-matter experiments ended disastrously. However, Mr. Scott, I am familiar with the basic theory, and would be pleased to examine aspects of your engineering systems. Well, some o our systems are classified, as ye can appreciate, Doctor. But I think the Captain ll approve yer takin a wee look at what s in the public domain. I would appreciate it. Me, too, said Boomer, but I have a question closer to home. Is there any way we can contact our fleet? Letabove the surface of the third planet. They found different three regions where there appear to have been vast, subterranial pockets of civilization. And there may be more. There are also indications that the surface was once inhabited but abandon close to a thousand yahrens ago, according to the sensor readings. It's not difficult to understand why - Wilker says that the sun is dying. So it's a safe guess that whoever once inhabited the planet built that wormhole device as a way to escape their dying solar system. It's also a safe guess that they left behind innumerable records and databases when they abandoned the planet." "And we need to explore those records!" Apollo's eyes shone with wonder at the possibilities that awaited them. "Yes," Adama said. "Not only do we need to see if there might be any connection with the Thirteenth Tribe, but the knowledge we might gain could be invaluable. I'll be sending three teams to explore and document the areas that were located. Each teabove the surface of the third planet. They found different three regions where there appear to have been vast, subterranial pockets of civilization. And there may be more. There are also indications that the surface was once inhabited but abandon close to a thousand yahrens ago, according to the sensor readings. It's not difficult to understand why - Wilker says that the sun is dying. So it's a safe guess that whoever once inhabited the planet built that wormhole device as a way to escape their dying solar system. It's also a safe guess that they left behind innumerable records and databases when they abandoned the planet." "And we need to explore those records!" Apollo's eyes shone with wonder at the possibilities that awaited them. "Yes," Adama said. "Not only do we need to see if there might be any connection with the Thirteenth Tribe, but the knowledge we might gain could be invaluable. I'll be sending three teams to explore and document the areas that were located. Each te them know we re okay, and how to trigger that machine to get here? I canna help ye, there, replied Scott. The wormhole was, accordin to our sensors, one way only. And without an exact understandin of the mechanism used, we canna open a wormhole from this end. He saw Boomer clench his jaw in frustration, and Bojay curse silently under his breath. What about a signal? asked Boomer, who s sideline was in communications. Same story, lads. Yer fleet is over fifty thousand light- years from here. He highlighted it on the starchart. Even a subspace message at full power would take near ta a century ta get there. And by that time& Right. It would be pretty attenuated, replied Boomer. He sighed. Well, it was worth a try, Lieutenant Scott. Och, call me Scotty, replied the engineer. Unless it s the Cap n or such, I hate titles. Alright. Scotty, then. Lords of Kobol, sighed Bojay, looking once more at the galactic map. Over 50,000. I sure hope the Cylonam will consist of three warriors for security, three historians and/or scientists with a background in anthropology or archeology, and three technology specialists. Mostly likely, we will barely have time to scratch the surface of this civilization with just three small research teams, but for our own preservation, I don't want to risk sending any more people than that. Everything is an 'unknown' right now." All knew that it was a precarious balancing act. People were the Fleet's most valuable resource. With their own civilization reduced to less than 500,000 people aboard 220 ships, they could ill afford to lose anyone. Yet, to ensure the safety and success of any mission - to reduce the risk of losing lives - the commander need to send the most skilled people. Thus, the paradox - he had to risk his most valuable resources to preserve them. The commander reached behind to pull a datapad off his desk. "The warriors for each team will be as follows. Team One will be Barton and am will consist of three warriors for security, three historians and/or scientists with a background in anthropology or archeology, and three technology specialists. Mostly likely, we will barely have time to scratch the surface of this civilization with just three small research teams, but for our own preservation, I don't want to risk sending any more people than that. Everything is an 'unknown' right now." All knew that it was a precarious balancing act. People were the Fleet's most valuable resource. With their own civilization reduced to less than 500,000 people aboard 220 ships, they could ill afford to lose anyone. Yet, to ensure the safety and success of any mission - to reduce the risk of losing lives - the commander need to send the most skilled people. Thus, the paradox - he had to risk his most valuable resources to preserve them. The commander reached behind to pull a datapad off his desk. "The warriors for each team will be as follows. Team One will be Barton and Dietra, with Apollo in command. Team Two will be Greenbean, and Giles, with Starbuck in command. And Team Three will be Brie and Jolly, with Sheba in command. The computer has made the other assignments," Adama stated. "The teams will organize and depart in three centars. And they will be equipped for an extended stay of at least three days." "Most interesting." Lt. Spock cocked an eyebrow at the Galactican pilot. Captain Pike leaned back in his chair and gave the Vulcan a quizzical look. He, Spock, Number One, and Dr. Boyce were gathered in the captain's ready room. Bojay had just finished his lengthy description of where he had come from and the history of the Colonies, as best he knew it. "You evaluation of the lieutenant's story?" Pike asked his science officer. Bojay almost flinched at the word "story." From all that he had seen aboard this vessel, from the landing bay, the sick bay and the corridors that led to this briefing room, he had determined that their technolos don t find that portal. Amen to that, Bo, said Boomer. I ll die happy if I never see one of those shiny assassins again. Tell me somethin , laddie, said Scott. Who are these Lords o Kobol yer always mentionin ? Well, began Bojay, when Boomer deferred to him, our history tells us we originated on a planet called Kobol, approximately seven millennia ago. Now, Kobol was dying, and our ancestors& ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc To a Human observer, Command Centurion Noxius would have seemed utterly unresponsive, sitting in his command chair, not seeming to regard any of the other Cylons about him. But said observer would have been wrong. As more and more of the BaseShip s systems came back on-line, the Commander plugged himself in to the ship s diagnostic interface, allowing him full access to what was going on. Most of the ship s defensive systems were on-line again, or would be, and full electrical power had been restored throughout tDietra, with Apollo in command. Team Two will be Greenbean, and Giles, with Starbuck in command. And Team Three will be Brie and Jolly, with Sheba in command. The computer has made the other assignments," Adama stated. "The teams will organize and depart in three centars. And they will be equipped for an extended stay of at least three days." "Most interesting." Lt. Spock cocked an eyebrow at the Galactican pilot. Captain Pike leaned back in his chair and gave the Vulcan a quizzical look. He, Spock, Number One, and Dr. Boyce were gathered in the captain's ready room. Bojay had just finished his lengthy description of where he had come from and the history of the Colonies, as best he knew it. "You evaluation of the lieutenant's story?" Pike asked his science officer. Bojay almost flinched at the word "story." From all that he had seen aboard this vessel, from the landing bay, the sick bay and the corridors that led to this briefing room, he had determined that their technology surpassed that of the Colonials. And they appeared human - well, most of them did, anyway. So far, they had been gracious, yet cautious with him. They had effortlessly repaired his injuries, had provided him with temporary living quarters, and had given him a meal unlike anything he had had in a long while. Or ever, since the foods had been - as explained to him - completely safe replications of "local favorites." He had marveled at the food so real looking and tasting, but, according to his hosts, it was also 100% synthesized. And his hosts had revealed very little about themselves, except to say that he was aboard the Federation Starship Enterprise and to explain that an incredible device called a 'universal translator' allowed them to communicate. After the meal, he had been escorted to the briefing where the captain had asked him to explain his situation. Bojay had done so, in as much detail as he could. Still, the looks from the officers around him had seem to radiate skehe ship. Hull breaches had been sealed and braced, and each landing bay was fully operational once more. However& The engines were still giving the engineers trouble. Several relays had blown out less than 5 centons ago, setting back the repair estimates by at least 50 centons. Every moment was precious, Noxious knew. Each centon allowed the Galactica to repair and restore also, increasing the chances that Adama would, once more, escape. With as close to anger as a Cylon of his caste ever gets, Noxious swore that this would not happen. To add to his frustration, his call for additional BaseShips had only just been acknowledged. Apparently, those above him were busy elsewhere, destroying yet another inferior species, and had relegated his request to a lower status. Now, instead of replying in the affirmative, he was being asked for additional clarification of the current situation. As if the loss of one BaseShip, and the near-destruction of another was not sufficiently clear. Havigy surpassed that of the Colonials. And they appeared human - well, most of them did, anyway. So far, they had been gracious, yet cautious with him. They had effortlessly repaired his injuries, had provided him with temporary living quarters, and had given him a meal unlike anything he had had in a long while. Or ever, since the foods had been - as explained to him - completely safe replications of "local favorites." He had marveled at the food so real looking and tasting, but, according to his hosts, it was also 100% synthesized. And his hosts had revealed very little about themselves, except to say that he was aboard the Federation Starship Enterprise and to explain that an incredible device called a 'universal translator' allowed them to communicate. After the meal, he had been escorted to the briefing where the captain had asked him to explain his situation. Bojay had done so, in as much detail as he could. Still, the looks from the officers around him had seem to radiate skeng no choice but to comply, he clarified the situation, and was told that reinforcements would be dispatched as soon as feasible . Now, of course, would have been better. Noxious, deep in his digital excuse for a soul, absolutely hated Lucifer. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Aboard the Klingon vessel P Kuth, Kleege was doing much the same as Noxious, over 50,000 light-years distant. He was also glaring at the image of Enterprise on his main screen. Like most Klingons of his generation and class, he despised Humans. Soft, merciful, and weak, the galaxy reeked of them, and their sickening love of&peace. Oh how he longed, nay lusted, to see the federation ship fly to bits under his weapons, her crew taken and given over to the Examiners for whatever information they had. He also longed to get his hands on Pike, making the Earther suffer long and sweetly for the damage inflicted on his ship. Apparently, the rumors were true. The patakh did have apticism as he had proceeded. Bojay felt acutely uncomfortable as he waited for the unusual humanoid to answer his commander. "All indications are that he is telling the truth, as he knows it, at least," Spock stated. Pike shook his head. "It's so hard to believe. If what he says is true, then historians will have to rewrite a portion of our history." "If archeological records are analyzed," Spock continued, "you'll find that there is evidence to support the lieutenant's story -- " Bojay could stand it no longer. "Look!" he said, interrupting. "Are you from Earth? I've told you about myself. Now it's your turn. Just what is going on here?" "Yes," Pike said, "most of us aboard this vessel are from Earth or of Earth origins. Which is why your tale is rather astounding for us." "My 'tale' is the truth!" Bojay shouted. He felt overwhelmed, almost. Earth. They were from Earth. He had made contract with humans from Earth. And they were obviously technically capable of taking on tpticism as he had proceeded. Bojay felt acutely uncomfortable as he waited for the unusual humanoid to answer his commander. "All indications are that he is telling the truth, as he knows it, at least," Spock stated. Pike shook his head. "It's so hard to believe. If what he says is true, then historians will have to rewrite a portion of our history." "If archeological records are analyzed," Spock continued, "you'll find that there is evidence to support the lieutenant's story -- " Bojay could stand it no longer. "Look!" he said, interrupting. "Are you from Earth? I've told you about myself. Now it's your turn. Just what is going on here?" "Yes," Pike said, "most of us aboard this vessel are from Earth or of Earth origins. Which is why your tale is rather astounding for us." "My 'tale' is the truth!" Bojay shouted. He felt overwhelmed, almost. Earth. They were from Earth. He had made contract with humans from Earth. And they were obviously technically capable of taking on t new weapon system. More powerful than the standard lasers he was equipped with, it had almost blown through his shields, and into his hull. Hopefully, those idiots back at the High Command would get around to reading his report, before he and his crew were reduced to dust. Obviously, the Earther scum were planning something, an attack on the Empire he felt sure. Yes??!! he barked at the underling who appeared at his elbow. Status report, sir, said the young officer. Shields and life- support restored. Engines, Lieutenant Koloth? Still under repair, sir. Very well. Dismissed. He scarcely noticed as the Lieutenant left, and returned to his lugubrious musings. He called up the sensor logs, and took another look at the mysterious alien vessel that the Enterprise had intervened to attend. Mode of power was uncertain, but appeared to be some kind of chemical reaction drive. It s design was totally unfamiliar, though the readings of two Humans aboard hinted at a he Cylons. But could he ever get back to the Fleet to share this knowledge? He felt tired and frustrated. "Captain," Spock said, "the mere fact that he is physiologically human, yet with a genetic makeup that does differ from anything in our own medical databases, supports his statements." "Doctor?" Pike turned to his chief medical officer. "It's like Spock says," answered Boyce. "He is definitely human. And the variances in his anatomy and genetic patterns definitely support that he is *not* from our region of the galaxy." "Can you help us?" Bojay asked, feeling a relief that they were finally accepting what he had been saying. Frustration was turning into exhilaration. "Can you get me back to the Fleet? I *must* let them know about you. Great Lords of Kobol, not only are you from Earth, but I bet you could blast the pogees off the Cylons!" Before the captain could respond, though, the com panel chirped. Pike stabbed the button that sat on the table near his elbow. "Go ahe Cylons. But could he ever get back to the Fleet to share this knowledge? He felt tired and frustrated. "Captain," Spock said, "the mere fact that he is physiologically human, yet with a genetic makeup that does differ from anything in our own medical databases, supports his statements." "Doctor?" Pike turned to his chief medical officer. "It's like Spock says," answered Boyce. "He is definitely human. And the variances in his anatomy and genetic patterns definitely support that he is *not* from our region of the galaxy." "Can you help us?" Bojay asked, feeling a relief that they were finally accepting what he had been saying. Frustration was turning into exhilaration. "Can you get me back to the Fleet? I *must* let them know about you. Great Lords of Kobol, not only are you from Earth, but I bet you could blast the pogees off the Cylons!" Before the captain could respond, though, the com panel chirped. Pike stabbed the button that sat on the table near his elbow. "Go ahead." "Sir," Lt. Alden's voice sounded loudly through the speaker, "three Birds-of Prey just decloaked near the location of the apparent wormhole and are approaching at sublight speed. Thus far, they are not responding to hails." Pike and the others were on their feet immediately. "On my way," the captain said. He nodded quickly to Bojay. "You might as well come, too." "Probe shuttle ready, Commander," said Tigh, on the bridge. Adama looked about the bridge, watching the repair crews busily at work, then turned to a monitor, where men in space suits were crawling over the hull repairing and replacing as fast as possible. He turned to acknowledge his exec, the Omega handed him a report from engineering. Maneuvering thrusters one and three were now back on-line. He signed it, then turned back to Tigh. "Launch." They both watched as the shuttle sped away from the Galactica, heading towards where Bojay was last seen. As he sat at his post and watched the telemeFederation connection. The craft that had struck the other ship seemed, now, to be a probe of some kind, not a warship or torpedo of any sort. But what puzzled Kleege the most was the way the alien ships had appeared, amidst a massive surge of various radiations. While his ship s sensors were not as complete or advanced as those the Federation fielded, he knew the signs of a wormhole when he saw one, having grown up the son of a scientist. The computer concurred. The interloper craft had come from somewhere else, far away. Very far away. Being the ever-cautious predator that most Klingons were, Kleege changed position, pointing his ship s bow towards the exact coordinates where the wormhole had been. Nearby, the B ath remained as she was, weapons pointed towards the Federation scum. Whichever happened first, the wormhole opening again, or the Enterprise attacking once more, he would be ready. Incoming message for you, sir, said Koloth. Yes? ccccccccccccccccchead." "Sir," Lt. Alden's voice sounded loudly through the speaker, "three Birds-of Prey just decloaked near the location of the apparent wormhole and are approaching at sublight speed. Thus far, they are not responding to hails." Pike and the others were on their feet immediately. "On my way," the captain said. He nodded quickly to Bojay. "You might as well come, too." "Probe shuttle ready, Commander," said Tigh, on the bridge. Adama looked about the bridge, watching the repair crews busily at work, then turned to a monitor, where men in space suits were crawling over the hull repairing and replacing as fast as possible. He turned to acknowledge his exec, the Omega handed him a report from engineering. Maneuvering thrusters one and three were now back on-line. He signed it, then turned back to Tigh. "Launch." They both watched as the shuttle sped away from the Galactica, heading towards where Bojay was last seen. As he sat at his post and watched the telemecccccccccccccccccccccccccc Report from crypto, sir, reported Lt. Alden, to Pike, on the bridge. Yes? The Klingons have requested reinforcements, sir. And we ve just intercepted an answer. Which is? Another ship is on its way, sir. The IKV Groth. Computer has identified her as one of their new ships, sir. D-7 class battlecruiser. Lovely, said Pike. Just one? So far as we ve heard, sir. Just the Groth. And our request to Starfleet, Lieutenant Alden? We ve just received a response from Commodore Nogura, sir. The Constellation and the Reliant have been dispatched, Captain. ETA? Sixteen hours three minutes on the Reliant, sir. Nine hours on the Constellation. And the Klingon ship? Approximately eight hours till she s here, sir, replied Alden. He, Mr. Alden. Klingon vessels are referred to as he. Understood, sir. Hand me that comm extract, please, he asked, and reviewed the inftry from the shuttle's sensors, Adama mused again about the disappearance of the Viper pilot. A machine, designed to generate wormholes on demand, tunnels in the very fabric of space-time. Colonial scientists had worked on the idea during the war. It was simple in concept, really. Open a conduit directly to Cylon, dump half a dozen Battlestars and their support ships on the enemy homeworld, and poof! No more war. But, the project had been plagued from the first with myriad technical problems. Initiating even a small wormhole had taken enormous amounts of energy, nearly equivalent to two Battlestars with their engines to the floor, and they had never found a way to stabilize the collapsar field long enough to make use of it. That, coupled with the intense hyperspatial distortion produced and its collateral affect on electronic equipment had bogged the project down, threatening its cancellation. Until the Holocaust, and the cancellation of everything. But here, it seemed,try from the shuttle's sensors, Adama mused again about the disappearance of the Viper pilot. A machine, designed to generate wormholes on demand, tunnels in the very fabric of space-time. Colonial scientists had worked on the idea during the war. It was simple in concept, really. Open a conduit directly to Cylon, dump half a dozen Battlestars and their support ships on the enemy homeworld, and poof! No more war. But, the project had been plagued from the first with myriad technical problems. Initiating even a small wormhole had taken enormous amounts of energy, nearly equivalent to two Battlestars with their engines to the floor, and they had never found a way to stabilize the collapsar field long enough to make use of it. That, coupled with the intense hyperspatial distortion produced and its collateral affect on electronic equipment had bogged the project down, threatening its cancellation. Until the Holocaust, and the cancellation of everything. But here, it seemed,ormation which Alden had just given him. For a moment, just a moment, Pike wished that he were still back on Talos IV, and this was another of the Keeper s illusions. Wonderful, he sighed. Just wonderful. Culture Shock, Pt. 12 By Maggie Previously: Starbuck and his team have taken refuge from an approaching storm by descending through the opening to underground chambers, into a holding pen for aquatic vessels and up into a vast, spherical command chamber. A portable force field shields their entrance from the storm. Meanwhile, Greenbean has put the shuttle in a synchronous orbit above their site. "Shall we check out the next level up, sir?" asked Varica. "Right behind you," said Starbuck, and they carefully ascended the ladder. Up on the next level, the machinery was more intact, though the seats had long rotted away. Both warriors moved over to where Varica was examining a bank of equipment. "Anything?" "Well, I'm afraid all these centuries of humidity will have degraded ever someone had succeeded, not only in solving those problems, but in solving them in a big way. As he perused the various repair and mining reports, Adama kept an eye on the monitor, waiting. And there it was. A huge metal cage, metrons long, in orbit around the inner planet, slowly tumbling end over end. Across its length panels and circuits flickered and glowed, and data began scrolling up Adama's monitor. "Shuttle probe to Galactica," came Boomer's voice. "Are you receiving telemetry?" "Affirmative," replied Colonel Tigh. "Any sign of Bojay?" "None," came the reply. "No body, or indication of debris." "Boomer," said Adama, "any indications this machine might be Cylon?" As he waited for a reply, he heard voices in the background. "Doctor Wilker reports no known Cylon energy signatures, or known alloys in the metal, Commander." "Commander?" came Wilker, his face filling the screen. "Our studies would be easier if we could stabilize the objec someone had succeeded, not only in solving those problems, but in solving them in a big way. As he perused the various repair and mining reports, Adama kept an eye on the monitor, waiting. And there it was. A huge metal cage, metrons long, in orbit around the inner planet, slowly tumbling end over end. Across its length panels and circuits flickered and glowed, and data began scrolling up Adama's monitor. "Shuttle probe to Galactica," came Boomer's voice. "Are you receiving telemetry?" "Affirmative," replied Colonel Tigh. "Any sign of Bojay?" "None," came the reply. "No body, or indication of debris." "Boomer," said Adama, "any indications this machine might be Cylon?" As he waited for a reply, he heard voices in the background. "Doctor Wilker reports no known Cylon energy signatures, or known alloys in the metal, Commander." "Commander?" came Wilker, his face filling the screen. "Our studies would be easier if we could stabilize the objecything, sir. But I'm hoping I'm wrong." He ran a scanner of one console after another. "These appear to have been computer banks, sir." "Think we can recover a data node, or anything for that matter?" asked Giles. "Give me a bit, sir," replied Varica, and set his lamp down. He opened his pack of equipment, and pulled out tools, and a portable power unit. "Let's see," muttered the tech, now oblivious to his superior's presence. He tossed his jacket over the ancient chair, and set to work. ********************* As Varica delved into his task with obvious relish, the others continued inspecting chamber's upper level. Shauna, one of the other two technical specialists, stopped in front of what appeared to be a large display screen with a sizeable panel of controls next to it. With a touch of wonder in her voice, she said softly, "I wonder if there's anything salvageable here, visual records, anything. . ." She plopped her equipment bag on the floor and began a careful inspection. St's motion. Request permission to use the shuttle to stop its tumble." "Boomer?" "We can do it, Commander," said Boomer, though he could see the pilot had no liking for the idea. Still. "Very well," said Adama. He watched as the shuttle maneuvered over a spot near one end of the machine, and slowly "landed", her forward landing clamps seeking purchase. Then Boomer fired the thrusters, slowly increasing the power till the tumble stopped. All the while they had been scanning it, the machine had been sending out scans of its own. However, the beams Bojay reported as pulling him inside did not materialize It scanned the thoroughly, and then repeated the process. Again. "No life signs," said Wilker, bent over his instruments. "Internal pressurized areas, though." "Any signs of communication with the planet?" asked Boomer, as the shuttle pulled away. "None," replied Wilker. "No signals, no answer to hails. But there are signs of civilization. Scant's motion. Request permission to use the shuttle to stop its tumble." "Boomer?" "We can do it, Commander," said Boomer, though he could see the pilot had no liking for the idea. Still. "Very well," said Adama. He watched as the shuttle maneuvered over a spot near one end of the machine, and slowly "landed", her forward landing clamps seeking purchase. Then Boomer fired the thrusters, slowly increasing the power till the tumble stopped. All the while they had been scanning it, the machine had been sending out scans of its own. However, the beams Bojay reported as pulling him inside did not materialize It scanned the thoroughly, and then repeated the process. Again. "No life signs," said Wilker, bent over his instruments. "Internal pressurized areas, though." "Any signs of communication with the planet?" asked Boomer, as the shuttle pulled away. "None," replied Wilker. "No signals, no answer to hails. But there are signs of civilization. Scans show orbiting debris." He motioned Boomer to his monitor. Refined metals, plastics, and radioactive materials. "When they, whoever they were, left, they left a lot of technology behind, besides this station." "Any idea where they went to, Doctor?" asked Adama. "Not yet, sir. I've barely begun to scratch the surface of this construction. It could hold three Battlestars, and then some. It's going to take some time." He went back to his scans. Boomer could see the gleam in Wilker's eye. The scientist was wallowing in his element, and loving every minute of it. Nearly a light-yahren away, Commander Noxius sat in the control center of his BaseShip, and once more analyzed the battle just past. Yet again, he could come up with no answers. Once again, the organic corrosion had done it. Escaped. And not merely that, but destroyed a Hades class BaseShip in the process. How? Try as he might, he could find no answer to his question in the computer banks. That was what made thtarbuck and Giles began to feel a bit out of place and in the way as the rest of the team, the three scientists - O'Kala, Sirrion, and Nila -- and the other tech, Thomson, were soon all deeply and enthusiastically engrossed in their work, examining different aspect of the chamber. "This script looks similar to ancient Gemonese!" exclaimed O'Kala, a linguist as well as archaeologist, running her fingers across a panel. Several swipes with her sleeve had revealed columns of the text beneath the thick layer of centuries old dust and mildew. She began to eagerly input the information into a hand held langatron. Perhaps, she hoped, the computer would be able to cross reference the alien language with their own records of ancient Gemonese. Starbuck and Giles walked slowly around the chamber, gazing at the alien technology and feeling a combination of wonderment and curiosity. Who had these people been? And where had they gone? More importantly, did they have any connection with the Thirts show orbiting debris." He motioned Boomer to his monitor. Refined metals, plastics, and radioactive materials. "When they, whoever they were, left, they left a lot of technology behind, besides this station." "Any idea where they went to, Doctor?" asked Adama. "Not yet, sir. I've barely begun to scratch the surface of this construction. It could hold three Battlestars, and then some. It's going to take some time." He went back to his scans. Boomer could see the gleam in Wilker's eye. The scientist was wallowing in his element, and loving every minute of it. Nearly a light-yahren away, Commander Noxius sat in the control center of his BaseShip, and once more analyzed the battle just past. Yet again, he could come up with no answers. Once again, the organic corrosion had done it. Escaped. And not merely that, but destroyed a Hades class BaseShip in the process. How? Try as he might, he could find no answer to his question in the computer banks. That was what made the Humans so.so vile! Their unpredictability! He turned at last from his fruitless analysis, to the various reports on his ship's repair status. It would take considerable time for it to become battleworthy once more. In the meantime, he had sent out a request for additional BaseShips and replacement fighters. "By your command," said a Centurion. "Speak." "Scanners have detected bizarre energy pulsation readings emanating from the system the Galactica was last seen in." "Of what nature?" "Unknown. They are unlike any previously encountered." The Centurion handed his superior a data pad. Noxius studied it. Though he was, of course, incapable of frowning, he nonetheless gave a good impression of having done so. "What is the status of our drive systems?" "Main drive is still off-line. Estimated repair time 500 centons." "Launch a fighter patrol to investigate." "By your command." "They're who?" asked Bojay, on theenth Tribe? After a few centons, however, Starbuck realized that the atmosphere of the chamber was becoming increasingly stagnant and oppressive, uncomfortably so, in fact. The lieutenant pulled a sensor device from his belt. According to it, the air was still breathable, though in the marginal range. Earlier, before they had entered the holding pen, Sirrion had tested the atmosphere and had programmed the device to warn them when the air quality reached the lower-marginal range of acceptability. Starbuck had been surprised that the underground chambers had an atmosphere at all, but Sirrion had reckoned that the structures must have had ventilation shafts - albeit highly filtered ones to screen out the surface radiations - that assisted in the recycling of the atmosphere. Still, Starbuck had had enough of the growing stagnant odor. As he pulled the apparatus out of his backpack, he said, "I don't care what that sensor says, I'm switching to the breather now." Giles nodded in agree Humans so.so vile! Their unpredictability! He turned at last from his fruitless analysis, to the various reports on his ship's repair status. It would take considerable time for it to become battleworthy once more. In the meantime, he had sent out a request for additional BaseShips and replacement fighters. "By your command," said a Centurion. "Speak." "Scanners have detected bizarre energy pulsation readings emanating from the system the Galactica was last seen in." "Of what nature?" "Unknown. They are unlike any previously encountered." The Centurion handed his superior a data pad. Noxius studied it. Though he was, of course, incapable of frowning, he nonetheless gave a good impression of having done so. "What is the status of our drive systems?" "Main drive is still off-line. Estimated repair time 500 centons." "Launch a fighter patrol to investigate." "By your command." "They're who?" asked Bojay, on the Enterprise bridge. Impressed as he was with what he'd so far seen of Federation technology, the warrior in him was at once riveted to the image on the main screen. Two vessels, greenish-gray in appearance, were approaching. One was moving in close to Enterprise, the second ship, slower than the first, was holding behind it, as if in support position. Obviously a military-minded people, these. "Klingons," said Pike, taking his seat. "Enemies of the Federation," he added. "Status?" "Shields to maximum, sir." Reported Number One. Phasers on standby, torpedoes ready." "Mr. Alden?" "Still no response to hails, Captain." "Continue hails." "They are scanning us," reported Spock. "Both vessels are fully armed, and have target acquisition." "So, it would seem that reports of the Klingons having a new version of their Bird-of-Prey are true," said Pike. "And rumors of a practical cloak as well," offered up Tyler. "Mr. Spock, will we beement, as did several of the others. The breathers were connected to a small container of pure oxygen, about 5 breaths' worth, but that was enough, because the apparatus recycled CO2 back into oxygen, providing the wearer with an indefinite air supply. The drawback, though, since they had to form an air-tight seal over the face, was that they restricted one's vision and tended to be hot. Beep, beep. Beep, beep. Starbuck tugged his communicator from his belt and pushed the button. "Go ahead, Greenbean," he said, his voice sounding tinny through the breather's speaker. "Just to let you know, the eye of the storm has just passed over your location and winds should be diminishing in several centars. That's the good news." "Okay, so what's the bad news?" Starbuck glanced at Giles. "There's a surge wave approaching, and it's huge! It'll impact the shore in about 20 centons." "Lovely," Starbuck muttered. "Let's just hope the force field holds." "That wave looks mighty powerfule Enterprise bridge. Impressed as he was with what he'd so far seen of Federation technology, the warrior in him was at once riveted to the image on the main screen. Two vessels, greenish-gray in appearance, were approaching. One was moving in close to Enterprise, the second ship, slower than the first, was holding behind it, as if in support position. Obviously a military-minded people, these. "Klingons," said Pike, taking his seat. "Enemies of the Federation," he added. "Status?" "Shields to maximum, sir." Reported Number One. Phasers on standby, torpedoes ready." "Mr. Alden?" "Still no response to hails, Captain." "Continue hails." "They are scanning us," reported Spock. "Both vessels are fully armed, and have target acquisition." "So, it would seem that reports of the Klingons having a new version of their Bird-of-Prey are true," said Pike. "And rumors of a practical cloak as well," offered up Tyler. "Mr. Spock, will we be able to penetrate it with our sensors?" "Unknown as yet, Captain," replied Spock, and returned to his instruments. "Lords, are they ugly," said Bojay, pointing at the screen. "Graceful, like a cygnon, yet.savage, somehow." "Beauty, Lieutenant," said Pike, "is not a Kling." "Incoming message, Captain," said Alden. "Visual." Bojay actually flinched at the image that replaced the enemy vessels. It was of a, well, man, but a very ugly one. He had sharply pointed teeth, and a browridge from Hades. Bony plates in the front of the skull seemed to collide like a convoy of hovermobiles in a pileup, and the nose looked like it was sloughing off. Behind, long dark hair cascaded down his back, and he wore a Satanic-looking goatee. All in all, he reminded Bojay of a Borellian Nomen run riot, or a demon out of the old stories he'd heard as a boy out of the Book of the Word. "Federation ship," snarled the alien, "what are you doing here?" Nothing else. Just a str. The force of the water could wash out the entrance, force field and all." Greenbean sounded worried. "Well, if it does," Starbuck quipped, "then you'll just have to dig us out again. I wouldn't worry. I think we're a safe enough distance inside this complex." "Hmm. I guess we don't have a choice, anyway. I'll be in contact. Greenbean out." The sergeant did not sound too convinced of their safety. Starbuck sighed and then repeated to his team what Greenbean had said. As he finished, the warning indicator on his atmospheric sensor finally blipped its warning. Varica and Nila pulled on their breathers without a word, and all returned to their work, digesting this latest news with the practical attitude that whatever happened was out of their hands. So why fret about it? **************** The warriors were bored and restless, feeling a desire to move on. Starbuck was fingering the panel located next to what was most likely the entrance to the rest of the underground complex, able to penetrate it with our sensors?" "Unknown as yet, Captain," replied Spock, and returned to his instruments. "Lords, are they ugly," said Bojay, pointing at the screen. "Graceful, like a cygnon, yet.savage, somehow." "Beauty, Lieutenant," said Pike, "is not a Kling." "Incoming message, Captain," said Alden. "Visual." Bojay actually flinched at the image that replaced the enemy vessels. It was of a, well, man, but a very ugly one. He had sharply pointed teeth, and a browridge from Hades. Bony plates in the front of the skull seemed to collide like a convoy of hovermobiles in a pileup, and the nose looked like it was sloughing off. Behind, long dark hair cascaded down his back, and he wore a Satanic-looking goatee. All in all, he reminded Bojay of a Borellian Nomen run riot, or a demon out of the old stories he'd heard as a boy out of the Book of the Word. "Federation ship," snarled the alien, "what are you doing here?" Nothing else. Just a straightforward demand. "All the courtesy of a Cylon," muttered the Colonial warrior. "This is Captain Christopher Pike of the Federation Starship Enterprise. To whom do I have the.pleasure of speaking?" Both Spock and Number One looked at their CO. Whenever Pike laid on the smothering treacle in his voice, he was annoyed. "I am Commander Kleege, of the Imperial Klingon Vessel P'kuth. I repeat, Earther, what are you doing here?" "We are investigating anomalous phenomena in this system, Commander. Do you wish to assist us in our ex." "We do not assist Humans, Captain!" snapped Kleege, in something between a bellow and a snarl. "Nor do we tolerate them in our space!" "Your space?" asked Pike, smoothly. "I was unaware of any claim on this system by the Klingon government, Commander." "I speak of Lavinius, Captain! A system your Federation stole from us. A system clearly ours, and." "And which asked openly to join us, Commander Kleege. This wishing he had even Boomer's technical knowledge, so that he could hot wire the door. Giles was staring around at the techs and scientists, who were all engrossed in their individual tasks. Finally, Starbuck could stand it no longer. "Listen, everyone," he said. They turn to gaze at the warrior. "I recommend that we divide up so that we can explore more of this complex. At least two of you can remain here. Varica, any luck?" "Not yet, Sir, but I think I might be able to salvage some of the data, given time?" "Okay, why don't you and . . ." Starbuck looked at the faces of the other team members. "I'll stay," said O'Kala. I'm still working on the translations, and can do that just as well from here." "Okay, I suggest that the rest of us see what's beyond these doors -" The beeping of the communicator interrupted the lieutenant. "Go ahead, Greenbean." "Starbuck, the wave will make landfall in two centons. Just wanted to let you know." "Thanks, but I doubt we'll even notiaightforward demand. "All the courtesy of a Cylon," muttered the Colonial warrior. "This is Captain Christopher Pike of the Federation Starship Enterprise. To whom do I have the.pleasure of speaking?" Both Spock and Number One looked at their CO. Whenever Pike laid on the smothering treacle in his voice, he was annoyed. "I am Commander Kleege, of the Imperial Klingon Vessel P'kuth. I repeat, Earther, what are you doing here?" "We are investigating anomalous phenomena in this system, Commander. Do you wish to assist us in our ex." "We do not assist Humans, Captain!" snapped Kleege, in something between a bellow and a snarl. "Nor do we tolerate them in our space!" "Your space?" asked Pike, smoothly. "I was unaware of any claim on this system by the Klingon government, Commander." "I speak of Lavinius, Captain! A system your Federation stole from us. A system clearly ours, and." "And which asked openly to join us, Commander Kleege. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss this, as you well know. Now, I am very busy. If you have nothing further, you will excuse me." He gestured to Alden, and the channel was cut. "Not exactly friends of yours?" asked Bojay. "No, I wouldn't call them friends," replied Pike. "The Klingon Empire is a brutal and aggressive military dictatorship, Lieutenant. They conquer and enslave anyone who gets in their way." "Like the Cylons. Or the Eastern Alliance," replied Bojay. "Lieutenant Alden," said Pike, watching the Klingon vessels on the screen, "inform Commodore Nogura at Starfleet of the current situation, and ask about the status of the nearest available ship." "Aye, sir." "Captain," said a voice, and Pike turned on the goose- necked viewer next to him. "Yes?' "Lieutenant Scott, sair. We've succeeded in downloading data from the computer in the Viper fighter. It's verra interestin', sair." "Briefing Room One, Lieutenantce it. I'm putting my bet on our own technology. I think the shield will hold," Starbuck stated. He added under his breath, "I hope." "All the same . . . good luck." Greenbean broke the connection. Starbuck glanced around at his team briefly before continuing. "Right. Anyway. Shauna, can you open this door?" The tech smiled, "You bet!" And she grabbed a couple of tools as she moved to examine the pad next to the exit. Except for the occasional tap, tap or clatter from where Varica was working, the chamber had grown quiet, almost eerily so. Their lanterns illuminated small circles of about three metrons where each person was, but the rest of the chamber was enveloped in darkness, since the IR goggles were not compatible with their breathers. After a moment, all had stopped working, and, despite their earlier nonchalance, most kept glancing at their chronometers. Two centons passed, then three, four, five. Giles walked slowly over to where the ladder emerged from the ground le is neither the time nor the place to discuss this, as you well know. Now, I am very busy. If you have nothing further, you will excuse me." He gestured to Alden, and the channel was cut. "Not exactly friends of yours?" asked Bojay. "No, I wouldn't call them friends," replied Pike. "The Klingon Empire is a brutal and aggressive military dictatorship, Lieutenant. They conquer and enslave anyone who gets in their way." "Like the Cylons. Or the Eastern Alliance," replied Bojay. "Lieutenant Alden," said Pike, watching the Klingon vessels on the screen, "inform Commodore Nogura at Starfleet of the current situation, and ask about the status of the nearest available ship." "Aye, sir." "Captain," said a voice, and Pike turned on the goose- necked viewer next to him. "Yes?' "Lieutenant Scott, sair. We've succeeded in downloading data from the computer in the Viper fighter. It's verra interestin', sair." "Briefing Room One, Lieutenant." He shut off the tiny screen. "Spock, with me. Number One? Continue scanning the wormhole's aftereffects. And keep me appraised of our friends out there." "Aye, sir." Wilker was getting frustrated. For several centons, he'd been trying to get the giant alien machine to do more than just scan them. He'd even launched a remote probe. Like them, it had sailed in. And done zip. What in Kobol. "Got it," said Boomer at last, straightening in his seat. "What?" "Telemetry says Bojay actuated his attack computer right before he vanished. That's what triggered it, Doctor. I'll bet a secton's pay on one of Starbuck's systems it did." "That's all well and good," said Wilker, "but we're a shuttle. We aren't equipped with an attack scanner, Lieutenant." "Not yet," replied Boomer. Give me a screwdriver." That done, he began pulling a panel off the main console. Though Sheba had not been with them when the Galactica crew had landvel through an opening that was about a metron wide in diameter. It had no cover. He peered through and pointed a hand-held illuminator downward. The thin beam shone faintly across the vast lower chamber and onto the open doorway that led down to the aqua- vessel holding pen. The gloom beyond, though, smothered the rest of the light. They felt the rumble a micron before they heard it, briefly, for less than a centon. Then silence again, for a few moments, as the rest of the team moved to peer around Giles and down to the lower level, shining their own illuminators and glancing nervously at each other. Then they heard a low reverberation that swelled quickly from barely a murmur to a deafening roar, right as a torrent of water came crashing through the blast doors and into the lower chamber. It swirled around the huge circular interior, rising rapidly despite the chamber's size, swallowing up the space between it and the entrance to the second level. "Frak!" yelled Giles and jumped ba." He shut off the tiny screen. "Spock, with me. Number One? Continue scanning the wormhole's aftereffects. And keep me appraised of our friends out there." "Aye, sir." Wilker was getting frustrated. For several centons, he'd been trying to get the giant alien machine to do more than just scan them. He'd even launched a remote probe. Like them, it had sailed in. And done zip. What in Kobol. "Got it," said Boomer at last, straightening in his seat. "What?" "Telemetry says Bojay actuated his attack computer right before he vanished. That's what triggered it, Doctor. I'll bet a secton's pay on one of Starbuck's systems it did." "That's all well and good," said Wilker, "but we're a shuttle. We aren't equipped with an attack scanner, Lieutenant." "Not yet," replied Boomer. Give me a screwdriver." That done, he began pulling a panel off the main console. Though Sheba had not been with them when the Galactica crew had landed on Kobol, she had viewed the tapes. The ruins on this unnamed planet were every bit as impressive. Huge buildings soared upwards, high as any on Caprica, their windows mostly gone, their tops disintegrating. Windblown dust, debris, and plant life choked the streets, and here and there the fragmentary remains of vehicles could be seen. She shielded her eyes against the dust, and looked upwards. The planet's rings blazed across the sky like a comet's tail, incarnadined by the swelling sun. It at once recalled for her the swords carried by every Cylon. Swords stained red with the blood of her people. For a moment she indulged in anger and hatred. Hatered of the Cylons. Hatered of the traitorous Baltar who had set their flight in motion. And, most of all, hatred of the vast distance that lay between her and her beloved father, the legendary Commander Cain, and the Pegasus. Did he still live? Did. Father. Returning to the here and now, she pulled her jacket tighter about hck. "Get those doors open!" shouted Starbuck, waving his illuminator at their only means of escape - the sealed exit." Thomson had attached a sensor cable and was hastily punching in codes, with no apparent effect. Starbuck stared at the rising water. It had slowed a bit, but was still filling the lower level. It had about twelve metrons to go until it overflowed into their level. Five centons, maybe. Shauna, Varica, Thomson, and Nila were working with a growing urgency on the doors. Giles and O'Kala collected up all loose equipment and backpacks and stood nearby, shifting from foot to foot. Starbuck alternated between willing the doors to open and willing the water to stop rising. The communicator beeped. Starbuck grabbed it from his belt. "What in Hades happened out there?" he yelled before Greenbean could say anything. "The winds are still too strong for me to get a visual scan of the area, but sensors show that the wave extended several kilometrons inland," said Greenbeaned on Kobol, she had viewed the tapes. The ruins on this unnamed planet were every bit as impressive. Huge buildings soared upwards, high as any on Caprica, their windows mostly gone, their tops disintegrating. Windblown dust, debris, and plant life choked the streets, and here and there the fragmentary remains of vehicles could be seen. She shielded her eyes against the dust, and looked upwards. The planet's rings blazed across the sky like a comet's tail, incarnadined by the swelling sun. It at once recalled for her the swords carried by every Cylon. Swords stained red with the blood of her people. For a moment she indulged in anger and hatred. Hatered of the Cylons. Hatered of the traitorous Baltar who had set their flight in motion. And, most of all, hatred of the vast distance that lay between her and her beloved father, the legendary Commander Cain, and the Pegasus. Did he still live? Did. Father. Returning to the here and now, she pulled her jacket tighter about her. The sun might be swelling, but this part of the planet was just coming into its winter, and the air felt cold. Close by, she saw Jolly scanning a perimeter, with Brie manning the gun tub atop the Landram. To her left, the scientists were already at work, clearing away soil and debris from a promising structure. "What is it?" she asked one of them, of the ruined building they were digging into. "This appears to have been an administrative center, Lieutenant," replied one of the men, Callidus, indicating the whole city with a sweep of his hand. He'd been a data analyst aboard the Pegasus before Cain had everyone he could spare transferred to the Fleet at Gamoray. His father had been an archaeologist, and he was as well read in it as anyone in the Fleet. "Ours scans also confirm the flyover data. There are huge underground areas, and we're reading large amounts of refined materials inside as well." "Electronics?" "The scans say so. If we can find a data core, and. What's your condition?" "The water's filling the lower level. It'll reach our level in about three centons, at the rate it's going. We're hoping to open the rear doors that lead to the rest of this complex." Starbuck turned to shout at his team. "Any luck yet?" "Not yet," answered Varica through gritted teeth. "Just blast the damned thing!" the lieutenant yelled. "I doubt lasers would have any effect on these doors. Look like some kind of titanium compound. It wouldn't work, and it'd be too dangerous to try!." "Frak!" breathed Starbuck. "Greenbean?" "I heard," said Greenbean. "The biggest problem is that the wave was followed by a second surge, and the water's just now retreating, according to the sensors. Starbuck, the entrance is still totally submerged and will be for at least ten more centons . . ." "Great. Wonderful. Looks like I lost that bet. Big time. Gotta go. I'll update you in a bit. Starbuck out." The lieutenant slapped the communicator back ontoer. The sun might be swelling, but this part of the planet was just coming into its winter, and the air felt cold. Close by, she saw Jolly scanning a perimeter, with Brie manning the gun tub atop the Landram. To her left, the scientists were already at work, clearing away soil and debris from a promising structure. "What is it?" she asked one of them, of the ruined building they were digging into. "This appears to have been an administrative center, Lieutenant," replied one of the men, Callidus, indicating the whole city with a sweep of his hand. He'd been a data analyst aboard the Pegasus before Cain had everyone he could spare transferred to the Fleet at Gamoray. His father had been an archaeologist, and he was as well read in it as anyone in the Fleet. "Ours scans also confirm the flyover data. There are huge underground areas, and we're reading large amounts of refined materials inside as well." "Electronics?" "The scans say so. If we can find a data core, and get it up and running." "I see. Carry on." She looked up, again. The sun was a little higher, now. Maybe the day would warm up." Apollo was seriously hoping it would cool off. Team One's site was smack in the middle of a semi-desert area, and it was bloody hot. Already, two of his team were down to shorts and hats, as they probed the shimmering sands. As with team Three's site, this had once been a large city, covering a vast area. Buildings, sides and tops eroded by at least ten millennia of sand, thrust upwards into the reddish sky. Here and there he could see huge mounds of fallen rubble, and slowly made his way around one, at last mounting the summit. Far to the west, he spied a river, coursing its way across the plain. For a moment, the Galactica's Strike Captain felt a stab of fresh grief over the loss of the Colonies, and their billions of snuffed-out lives. The loss of home. He was surprised at the sharpness of it, the bitterness of his feelings after all t his belt and hurried over to the exit. In the light of the lanterns and illuminators, Starbuck could see that Varica's breather was steamed from sweat, as were the others. They had stopped bothering with the panel and had pulled out magnetic grips. Positioning two on each door, Thomson activated their field, and they adhered tightly to the surface. Without a word, Starbuck dropped his illuminator and gripped a handle. Everyone else took hold, also. Varica counted to three, and then they pulled, pulled with all of their combined strength. For a micron, nothing happened, but then a hiss indicated a break in the seal. "Frak and felgercarb!" Giles grunted. And Starbuck saw why. Through the sweaty steam on the mask of his own breather and in the dim light, he could just bearly see the hatchway - as the water came streaming up through the entrance. "Watch your footing!" he yelled as it tumbled across the floor and around their ankles. *************** "Pull!" shouted Varica, "Pull get it up and running." "I see. Carry on." She looked up, again. The sun was a little higher, now. Maybe the day would warm up." Apollo was seriously hoping it would cool off. Team One's site was smack in the middle of a semi-desert area, and it was bloody hot. Already, two of his team were down to shorts and hats, as they probed the shimmering sands. As with team Three's site, this had once been a large city, covering a vast area. Buildings, sides and tops eroded by at least ten millennia of sand, thrust upwards into the reddish sky. Here and there he could see huge mounds of fallen rubble, and slowly made his way around one, at last mounting the summit. Far to the west, he spied a river, coursing its way across the plain. For a moment, the Galactica's Strike Captain felt a stab of fresh grief over the loss of the Colonies, and their billions of snuffed-out lives. The loss of home. He was surprised at the sharpness of it, the bitterness of his feelings after all this time. He didn't think the sight of a nameless river meandering through a desert on an abandoned planet would have. He turned away, wiping the droplets ("Sweat! It's sweat!) from his eyes, and headed back towards the campsite. Dietra, down to undershirt and boots, was helping one of the scientists set up a GPR unit. Off in the distance, the other two had already cleared sand from and area the size of a house, and were cutting through the ancient pavement. "Doctor?" Apollo asked one of them. "Yes, Captain?" "Anything yet?" "Possibly, Captain. We've picked up a large number of electrical conduits and tunnels running under this area. They are immense. The nexus is right under our feet, in fact." "I see. Anything else?" "I think this may have been a launch complex, sir. We've scanned several launch pads, and hydraulic lifts, about a metron to the north." "Captain," came Barton's voice over the commlink." "Yes?" "Reading! Pull!" With a strength enhanced by a growing sense of panic, they all pulled. And the doors parted several millimetrons. "Now!" They gave one last all-out effort with a chorus of groans and desperate grunts. Muscles were straining, but adrenaline overpowered pain. O'Kala slipped with a startled cry and let go, sloshing out of the way, but having enough presence of mind to grab their equipment from under the rising water. All realized that in a couple of centons, the water would be too high, the footing too slippery, the pressure too great, for the doors to move. Then right as their strength was about to fail, the doors conceded - and slipped open wide enough, just barely, to squeeze through. The water rushed out and into the darkness beyond. Grabbing backpacks, illuminators, and lanterns, they pulled themselves through the narrow opening. Varica and Thomson removed the magnetic grips and stowed them in their packs before exiting. Bringing up the rear, Starbuck had vaguely nothis time. He didn't think the sight of a nameless river meandering through a desert on an abandoned planet would have. He turned away, wiping the droplets ("Sweat! It's sweat!) from his eyes, and headed back towards the campsite. Dietra, down to undershirt and boots, was helping one of the scientists set up a GPR unit. Off in the distance, the other two had already cleared sand from and area the size of a house, and were cutting through the ancient pavement. "Doctor?" Apollo asked one of them. "Yes, Captain?" "Anything yet?" "Possibly, Captain. We've picked up a large number of electrical conduits and tunnels running under this area. They are immense. The nexus is right under our feet, in fact." "I see. Anything else?" "I think this may have been a launch complex, sir. We've scanned several launch pads, and hydraulic lifts, about a metron to the north." "Captain," came Barton's voice over the commlink." "Yes?" "Readingiced the sound of falling water after the doors had opened. With a lantern in front of him and his pack behind, he squeezed through the gap -- and stumbled on an unseen, slippery step. "Whoa, careful!" Thomson grabbed the lieutenant's arm and steadied him. Starbuck swung his light around and almost lost his footing again as a feeling of vertigo swept over him. They were on a narrow bridge, it seemed. It had a metal mesh bottom and two waist-high hand railings, and lots of open space in between the support railings. Shining his illuminator back at the doors, he could see that the water was pouring through the gap and down through bridge, down, down, down. In the opposite direction the narrow walkway extended to another set of doors that were set into the shear wall of what seemed to be a vast but natural cavern. Below, he could barely see the watery bottom. The rest of the team had sat down, too tired to do anything else, at the moment. Starbuck sat down carefully next to a suppos on the scanner, sir," said the other Warrior, safely, and coolly, ensconced in the Landram. "Something's out there, sir. Heading this way." Starbuck looked at the wet, overgrown, decaying remains of Site Two. There were huge buildings, yes, and the scans told of vast underground chambers beneath the impossibly thick growth. But looking at it all, and being reminded of Attila. "Why do I always get the swamp?" "And.there," said Boomer, hitting the switch. The shuttle's sensor suite sent out a pulse on the same frequency as a Viper. At once, pale beams sprang to life, searching for them. The shuttle was back beyond their range, but they drew in the probe, like a hungry sea-beast. "Look at that," said Wilker, as the whole of the machine came to life once more. There was a massive surge of tachyons and magnetic energy, and the vast interior of the device swelled with pulsing radiance. Then, in a heartbeat, the machine was dark and empty once more, and the pros on the scanner, sir," said the other Warrior, safely, and coolly, ensconced in the Landram. "Something's out there, sir. Heading this way." Starbuck looked at the wet, overgrown, decaying remains of Site Two. There were huge buildings, yes, and the scans told of vast underground chambers beneath the impossibly thick growth. But looking at it all, and being reminded of Attila. "Why do I always get the swamp?" "And.there," said Boomer, hitting the switch. The shuttle's sensor suite sent out a pulse on the same frequency as a Viper. At once, pale beams sprang to life, searching for them. The shuttle was back beyond their range, but they drew in the probe, like a hungry sea-beast. "Look at that," said Wilker, as the whole of the machine came to life once more. There was a massive surge of tachyons and magnetic energy, and the vast interior of the device swelled with pulsing radiance. Then, in a heartbeat, the machine was dark and empty once more, and the prort railing - a thin cable, really -- feeling unnerved by the open cavern and the vast drop beneath them. Thomson, Nila, and Sirrion looked equally uncomfortable, while the others seemed unfazed by their location. All were too exhausted to speak for several centons. Finally, Starbuck pulled out his communicator. "We're safe for now," he informed Greenbean. "What's the status of the storm?" "Good to hear from you!" Greenbean said. "The storm's almost past and I'm just about to survey the area. Hold on . . . Holy frak!" "Yes?" asked Starbuck. "Completely flooded and caved in! Looks like the entrance is filled with sand, mud, rocks, and water. I doubt the portable force field stood any chance against those waves. Uh, Starbuck?" "Yes?" The growing knot in his stomach was not from the vertigo; the lieutenant could sense what was coming next. "It'll take days and equipment we don't even have to dig out the entrance, given all of the water and mud. I can't even land safely wbe was gone. "Telemetry?" asked Boomer. "Gone. It continued for 2.4 millicentons before we lost it. See?" he montioned Boomer over. There was an image on Wilker's screen. Blurred and distorted, of stars. Stars, and something else. "What is it?" "Not enough data, Lieutenant." "Then let's go. We leave a relay becon here, to transmit whatever we can send through to the Galactica. Transmit what we've got already, first." "Right away." Boomer brought Adama up to speed, and got the go ahead. The beams took hold of the shuttle, and drew them into the huge alien device. As the shuttle began to vanish, the cockpit filled with brilliant light, all Boomer could hear was Wilker's. "Oh Lords!" In the briefing room, everyone watched as the data from Bojay's fighter was displayed on the big screen. The flight recorder, star charts, and information from the warbook on various kinds of ships. "The Lieutenant," said Spock, "originabe was gone. "Telemetry?" asked Boomer. "Gone. It continued for 2.4 millicentons before we lost it. See?" he montioned Boomer over. There was an image on Wilker's screen. Blurred and distorted, of stars. Stars, and something else. "What is it?" "Not enough data, Lieutenant." "Then let's go. We leave a relay becon here, to transmit whatever we can send through to the Galactica. Transmit what we've got already, first." "Right away." Boomer brought Adama up to speed, and got the go ahead. The beams took hold of the shuttle, and drew them into the huge alien device. As the shuttle began to vanish, the cockpit filled with brilliant light, all Boomer could hear was Wilker's. "Oh Lords!" In the briefing room, everyone watched as the data from Bojay's fighter was displayed on the big screen. The flight recorder, star charts, and information from the warbook on various kinds of ships. "The Lieutenant," said Spock, "originaithin half a kilometron." Starbuck glanced at his team. The cavern was quiet, too quiet, since the water was no longer flowing out the open doors. Only the occasional and distant sound of splashing waves, somewhere far beneath them, could be heard. He saw solemn faces beneath the breathers as all eyes watched their team leader, waiting, listening. "Okay," he said at last. "Survey the area for any other possible entrances to this complex. There had to have been other ways in and out - besides just an aquatic vessel port. Oh, and keep a fix on our location. I'll keep the signal on the communicator activated." "Roger. Okay," said Greenbean. "I'll report the current situation to the Galactica." He sounded more than a little bit worried. "Take care." "Will do! Hey, remember, we've got an indefinite air supply with the breathers, and emergency rations for at least two days. And the knowledge of some very skilled people. We'll be fine. And we'll probably be able to locate severted in the Beta Quadrant of our galaxy." Spock put up an image. A flashing dot indicated the star system Bojay had last been in, another the Colonies, and a third the location of Cylon. Another dot, across the mass of the Milky Way, showed the position of Earth, and a fifth the system they were now in. "The Lieutenant's craft was transported over 50,000 light- years in a matter of seconds." "How?" asked Pike. "This," said Spock, and changed images again. "That's it," said Bojay, excitedly. "That's the machine we found in orbit around the inner planet. "What is it?" asked Doctor Boyce. Spock turned to look at Scott. "An artificial wormhole generator," said the young Lieutenant. Pike and the rest turned to regard the junior engineer. "It's capable `o producin' a stable warpfield in space without movin', and projectin' it, where desired." "Like a transporter, at all?" asked Pike. "Nay, Cap'n," replied Scott, and launched into a torrent of technted in the Beta Quadrant of our galaxy." Spock put up an image. A flashing dot indicated the star system Bojay had last been in, another the Colonies, and a third the location of Cylon. Another dot, across the mass of the Milky Way, showed the position of Earth, and a fifth the system they were now in. "The Lieutenant's craft was transported over 50,000 light- years in a matter of seconds." "How?" asked Pike. "This," said Spock, and changed images again. "That's it," said Bojay, excitedly. "That's the machine we found in orbit around the inner planet. "What is it?" asked Doctor Boyce. Spock turned to look at Scott. "An artificial wormhole generator," said the young Lieutenant. Pike and the rest turned to regard the junior engineer. "It's capable `o producin' a stable warpfield in space without movin', and projectin' it, where desired." "Like a transporter, at all?" asked Pike. "Nay, Cap'n," replied Scott, and launched into a torrent of technal more exits in no time at all. Okay? Starbuck out." The lieutenant let out a long sigh, then turned to his team. "Right!" he said, hoping his confidence did not sound forced. "Change of priorities, folks. Records and data collection will have to wait until we can locate the nearest useable exit." He looked down the bridge, shining his light on the doors. "That's got to lead to the main part of this underground complex. Shall we?" Keeping a tight hold on the railing, the eight climbed to their feet, settled their packs on their backs and walked slowly towards the doors on the opposite end of the bridge. The multiple light beams danced off the cavern walls and the narrow pathway in front of them. After several silent centons, they stopped at the doors. A platform in front of them provided just enough space for the group to stand and to set down the lanterns against the cavern wall on either side of the doors. Shauna was examining the control pad set to the right of the doorway.obabble that only an engineer could love. Or follow. Boyce chuckled softly, looking at the Captain. Pike at last held up a hand. "Okay, Mr. Scott. Now, what I need to know is, is it two way?" "We canna yet tell, sair," replied Scott, who seemed a bit miffed at being pulled up short. "Not enough data." "What do we know about that area of the galaxy, Spock?" "Very little, sir," replied the Vulcanian. "One of Earth's Friendship probes was launched towards the Beta Quadrant shortly after Zefram Cochrane's development of warp drive, but telemetry was subsequently lost. The Federation has never sent a manned ship into it, only probes. Our charts only extend 15 light-years into it." He changed images again. "But from the data in the Viper's on-board computer, we have learned much." "There she is," said Bojay, of the new image. "The Galactica." "She's a carrier," said Pike. "A Battlestar," corrected Bojay, with some pride in his voice. "The main capital shiobabble that only an engineer could love. Or follow. Boyce chuckled softly, looking at the Captain. Pike at last held up a hand. "Okay, Mr. Scott. Now, what I need to know is, is it two way?" "We canna yet tell, sair," replied Scott, who seemed a bit miffed at being pulled up short. "Not enough data." "What do we know about that area of the galaxy, Spock?" "Very little, sir," replied the Vulcanian. "One of Earth's Friendship probes was launched towards the Beta Quadrant shortly after Zefram Cochrane's development of warp drive, but telemetry was subsequently lost. The Federation has never sent a manned ship into it, only probes. Our charts only extend 15 light-years into it." He changed images again. "But from the data in the Viper's on-board computer, we have learned much." "There she is," said Bojay, of the new image. "The Galactica." "She's a carrier," said Pike. "A Battlestar," corrected Bojay, with some pride in his voice. "The main capital shi Using her sleeve, she brushed away thick layers of mold and dust, then inhaled sharply as lights flickered across the panel for a moment. "Lords of Kobol, there's still power!" grinned Varica. "O'Kala, can your read these labels? It's a touch pad with a long series of options," Shauna explained. Pulling out her languatron, she studied the text and punched in phrases. Finally, she pointed at a button on the bottom of the panel and said, "There! That says `auxiliary power'! And that one," she point up near the top, "says `open'!" "Could it be that simple?" wondered Giles. Shauna looked at her companions, shrugged, then firmly pressed the touch pad key for auxiliary power. The pad flickered and stayed lit for several microns before going dark again. "I suppose that was too much to ask for," she muttered. "Maybe -" "Wait! Listen!" O'Kala had heard it first. Then they all heard it: a faint hum as the ancient power generators reactivated. The cheer that erupted lasted fop of the Colonial Fleet. So far as we know, she's all that's left." "A combination o' carrier and battleship," said Scott, clearly enthused about what he was seeing. "Aye, she's a beauty." "Incredible," said Pike. "I've never seen a ship that huge." "Like I said, the last one," said Bojay. "At least as far as we know." He briefly explained the Pegasus. "The only ship to escape the massacre, and our only protection." "Protection from these, ah, Cylons. Correct?" asked Boyce. "Yes," replied the Warrior. "And that," he said, as Spock put a picture of one up, "is a Cylon." "A robot," observed Scott. "Similar to the old MP-44 Class service robots." "Far more than that," said Bojay. He explained, for those who had not yet heard the good news, about the Cylon Alliance, and it's single-minded, one might almost say psychotic, fixation with the eradication of all Humans. Indeed, with all sentient organic life, period. As he proceeded, low murmurs ranp of the Colonial Fleet. So far as we know, she's all that's left." "A combination o' carrier and battleship," said Scott, clearly enthused about what he was seeing. "Aye, she's a beauty." "Incredible," said Pike. "I've never seen a ship that huge." "Like I said, the last one," said Bojay. "At least as far as we know." He briefly explained the Pegasus. "The only ship to escape the massacre, and our only protection." "Protection from these, ah, Cylons. Correct?" asked Boyce. "Yes," replied the Warrior. "And that," he said, as Spock put a picture of one up, "is a Cylon." "A robot," observed Scott. "Similar to the old MP-44 Class service robots." "Far more than that," said Bojay. He explained, for those who had not yet heard the good news, about the Cylon Alliance, and it's single-minded, one might almost say psychotic, fixation with the eradication of all Humans. Indeed, with all sentient organic life, period. As he proceeded, low murmurs ranr almost a centon. Finally, Starbuck, pulling out the communicator, said, "I'd better share the good news with Greenbean." As the lieutenant finished, Shauna let her finger hover above the other key. "Ready?" she asked. Her companions nodded, and she pressed the pad again. With a loud hiss, the doors slid open. Several luminators penetrated the blackness beyond to reveal the interior of what must have been a large transport compartment. Rows of dusty seats along each wall implied that the ride could be lengthy. Cautiously, the team entered. As Starbuck crossed the threshold, bringing up the rear, Shauna and O'Kala was already examining the interior control pad. "Is this thing safe?" asked Sirrion, looking all around. "It hasn't been used in ages, I'm sure." Starbuck glance back out into the cavern. "I don't think we have a choice, since we can't get out the way we came in," he said. "O'Kala, any suggestions?" The scientist peered at the panel for a moment longer, then said, around the table. The Federation had enemies, yes. But not like this. "And your people?" asked Boyce? "A few thousand survivors, crammed aboard about 220 ships. Private yachts, freighters, barges, liners, even some converted old tankers. Whatever the Commander could lay hold of when evacuating the Colonies, just centars ahead of their BaseShips." They all fell silent at the picture of one. Even on a screen, just a picture, it looked sinister. Evil. Bojay had just gotten to Baltar's treachery, when the red alert sounded. "Pike." "Captain," said Number One, "sensors show a massive tachyon and meson spike directly ahead, sir. The wormhole is about to open again." "On my way," said Pike. On the bridge's main viewer, the stars were obscured by a misty smear of light, then a fountain of sparks and glitter like an old-fashioned Roman candle. It seemed to pulse, then grew brighter still. "Object emerging," reported Spock. "Identity?" around the table. The Federation had enemies, yes. But not like this. "And your people?" asked Boyce? "A few thousand survivors, crammed aboard about 220 ships. Private yachts, freighters, barges, liners, even some converted old tankers. Whatever the Commander could lay hold of when evacuating the Colonies, just centars ahead of their BaseShips." They all fell silent at the picture of one. Even on a screen, just a picture, it looked sinister. Evil. Bojay had just gotten to Baltar's treachery, when the red alert sounded. "Pike." "Captain," said Number One, "sensors show a massive tachyon and meson spike directly ahead, sir. The wormhole is about to open again." "On my way," said Pike. On the bridge's main viewer, the stars were obscured by a misty smear of light, then a fountain of sparks and glitter like an old-fashioned Roman candle. It seemed to pulse, then grew brighter still. "Object emerging," reported Spock. "Identity?" "It seems that this, uh, transport can go in three possible directions - up, down, and horizontal, in this case, into the cavern wall." "Up?" suggested Giles. "Why not," said Shauna, "but maybe we should close the doors first." She pressed the pad, and the doors swooshed closed. Then she pressed another button. The only reaction was a flashing light on the panel beneath the area she had just pressed. "Hm, looks like we can't go up, not yet, anyway. That light is the `forward' button." "Wait! What other options are there? Will we have to stop it manually, or will it automatically stop at the next entry point?" asked Starbuck, not keen on blindly traveling around underground. "Okay," said O'Kala, peering at the pad and consulting the languatron. This series of buttons is marked something like `station alpha,' `station beta,' and station gamma.' Let's try one of those?" Shauna looked around at her companions. "I'll try `station alpha,'" she said. Starbuck nodded but said "Unknown, sir. Enormous sensor distortion." As he spoke, the bridge lights dimmed slightly, and one panel sparked. Then, the pyrotechnics died, and a small object was visible. "It appears to be a small probe, Captain. I am detecting sensor scans emanating from it, and." "And?" "And, it is heading directly for one of the Klingon ships, sir." As they all watched, Bojay exclaimed "It's one of ours!" just as the probe smacked into the nearest Klingon vessel. And in the worst place, too, colliding with the Bird- of-Prey's drive section dead on. There was an explosion, and the Klingon lurched, then began to tumble, out of control, trailing drive plasma. The second vessel began powering aware out of range. "How badly is he hurt?" asked Pike. "The object impacted the open thruster ports, Captain, rupturing the plasma vents. His shields were down." "Down?" "The sub-space distortions seem to have compromised his shields, sir. Ours were momentarily d "Unknown, sir. Enormous sensor distortion." As he spoke, the bridge lights dimmed slightly, and one panel sparked. Then, the pyrotechnics died, and a small object was visible. "It appears to be a small probe, Captain. I am detecting sensor scans emanating from it, and." "And?" "And, it is heading directly for one of the Klingon ships, sir." As they all watched, Bojay exclaimed "It's one of ours!" just as the probe smacked into the nearest Klingon vessel. And in the worst place, too, colliding with the Bird- of-Prey's drive section dead on. There was an explosion, and the Klingon lurched, then began to tumble, out of control, trailing drive plasma. The second vessel began powering aware out of range. "How badly is he hurt?" asked Pike. "The object impacted the open thruster ports, Captain, rupturing the plasma vents. His shields were down." "Down?" "The sub-space distortions seem to have compromised his shields, sir. Ours were momentarily d nothing further. This time, as soon as she pressed the pad, they heard a hum and felt a jolt, followed by a gentle rocking as the compartment began to move and pick up speed. ***************** Culture Shock, Pt 13 by Slinter =================================== cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Frustrated by the seeming slowness of his superiors, Noxious finally decided on action. Though his contingent of fighters was down by well over half, he would send them out on another mission of attack. Only this time, they would not approach the Galactica's host system from the expected direction, but circle around it, to come in from opposite the sun. He ordered the fighters to be fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks for the extra distance, and watched as they departed the launch bay, loaded with solonite. To the scrap heap with Lucifer, the Leader's pet! I will still destroy the Galactica. He turned, and gave orders to an underling. Despite the main drive system still bown as well." "I see." Pike watched the Klingon ship, drifting and trailing plasma. Knowing it would be rejected, he was about to offer his help nonetheless, when the alarms went off once more. "Wormhole opening once more," said Number One and Spock, together. "Oh great," grumped Boyce. "Bloody Grand Central Station around here." Pike scowled at his CMO, then turned back to the screen. "A shuttle!" cried Bojay, pointing. "A Colonial shuttle!" Sure enough, the shuttle was coming out of the wormhole, and at a fast clip, too. As the interference began to subside, they got readings on it. It was manned, two aboard, and its engines were flat out. "Open a channel, Mr. Alden," ordered Pike. "Sir!" cried Tyler. "Klingon vessel quartering in on the shuttle." "Lords of Kobol!" swore Bojay, wishing he were in his Viper. "The shuttles have no shields!" "Number One, target the Klingon. Mr. Alden, warn them off." "Klingon vessel reown as well." "I see." Pike watched the Klingon ship, drifting and trailing plasma. Knowing it would be rejected, he was about to offer his help nonetheless, when the alarms went off once more. "Wormhole opening once more," said Number One and Spock, together. "Oh great," grumped Boyce. "Bloody Grand Central Station around here." Pike scowled at his CMO, then turned back to the screen. "A shuttle!" cried Bojay, pointing. "A Colonial shuttle!" Sure enough, the shuttle was coming out of the wormhole, and at a fast clip, too. As the interference began to subside, they got readings on it. It was manned, two aboard, and its engines were flat out. "Open a channel, Mr. Alden," ordered Pike. "Sir!" cried Tyler. "Klingon vessel quartering in on the shuttle." "Lords of Kobol!" swore Bojay, wishing he were in his Viper. "The shuttles have no shields!" "Number One, target the Klingon. Mr. Alden, warn them off." "Klingon vessel reeing off-line, they began to slowly move towards the Colonials once more, albeit on maneuvering thrusters alone. Noxious, like all Cylons of command grade, could not stand prolonged inaction. Lucifer. Pah! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQ Continuing along a dusty corridor, Adama and his team found the lift to the upper deck. Much to the surprise of all, it was powered and functional. The ride was, however, a slow one, and it gave the Commander time to once more appreciate the immensity of this station. "God, it's so huge," Athena muttered, looking through the transparent shell of the lift car. "This single deck is nearly the size of a Battlestar, Father." "Impressive," was Adama's reply. "Whoever these people were, they certainly surpass us in some ways." "You think there may be a connection, father? With our ancestors, or maybe the Thirteenth Tribe?" "Well, I know that I can read some of this," repliefusing contact, sir." "Damn! Number One." "Sir," said Spock. "Sensors have detected another vessel. Tholian. Headed this way." Pike swore, but remained focused. Glaring at the screen, he spoke. "Number One, fire phasers." The ground shook violently under Starbuck's feet, as the solonite charge ripped away countless yahrens of accumulated wood, sediment, and rock. A millicenton or two later, another explosion followed, then several more in sequence, all the way down the hill. As the smoke and debris began to settle, he looked out from behind the huge granite slab the crew was using for cover, and tried to focus. The stagnant, turbid swamp that had obstructed their goal was already beginning to drop, the water draining away through the channel now blasted for it. He pulled the scanner from his jacket, as surveyed the results. Soon, the submerged buildings would be accessible, and his crew could get down to the real work. Already, jagged pieces of metal and blockfusing contact, sir." "Damn! Number One." "Sir," said Spock. "Sensors have detected another vessel. Tholian. Headed this way." Pike swore, but remained focused. Glaring at the screen, he spoke. "Number One, fire phasers." The ground shook violently under Starbuck's feet, as the solonite charge ripped away countless yahrens of accumulated wood, sediment, and rock. A millicenton or two later, another explosion followed, then several more in sequence, all the way down the hill. As the smoke and debris began to settle, he looked out from behind the huge granite slab the crew was using for cover, and tried to focus. The stagnant, turbid swamp that had obstructed their goal was already beginning to drop, the water draining away through the channel now blasted for it. He pulled the scanner from his jacket, as surveyed the results. Soon, the submerged buildings would be accessible, and his crew could get down to the real work. Already, jagged pieces of metal and blockd her father, pointing to a faded plaque on a bulkhead. "It's similar to Old Gemonese." "What does it say?" "Ah...let me...'Not burn'...No. it says `No Smoking'." "'No Smoking'? How...mundane. Good thing we didn't bring Starbuck" "Well, did you expect something like `Welcome Galactica crew' ?" he smiled. "Well, I could stand some mushies. Think they left us anything?" "And this," he pointed to another plaque, smiling, "says something like...'Authorized Personnel Only'" "Now that's more the sort of thing I'd expect aboard a space station." "Me too." They continued along the corridor, coming to another set of heavy blast doors. Like those down on the planet, these had been left open as well, and after the Warriors scanned and swept the area beyond them, they prevented Adama, permitting he and Athena, along with the techs, to proceed. Inside, the bulkhead on the left, stretching for millimetrons into the distance, was covs of slime-covered stone were emerging from the muck, and, as if to crown their efforts, the sun was breaking through the clouds. "Our readings are clearing, sir," said the head technician. "The chambers below are draining." "Any idea how long till we can get down there?" "Another fifty centons or so, sir. There's a lot of water to drain out." "Okay, let." "Sir," came a voice over his commlink. "Message from the Galactica, Lieutenant." "Coming. Carry on, Varica," he ordered the technician. "Sir." "Lieutenant!" shouted Callidus, head popping out of the open patch in the ground. Sheba turned from her examination of some a corroded statue in the square, and fairly ran for the technician. "We've found something." "What?" "Take a look," he said, and motioned her through the hole they'd cut. After a crawling over some debris, there was metal lining the walls of a shaft, and a ladder bolted to it. "Is it safe?" shs of slime-covered stone were emerging from the muck, and, as if to crown their efforts, the sun was breaking through the clouds. "Our readings are clearing, sir," said the head technician. "The chambers below are draining." "Any idea how long till we can get down there?" "Another fifty centons or so, sir. There's a lot of water to drain out." "Okay, let." "Sir," came a voice over his commlink. "Message from the Galactica, Lieutenant." "Coming. Carry on, Varica," he ordered the technician. "Sir." "Lieutenant!" shouted Callidus, head popping out of the open patch in the ground. Sheba turned from her examination of some a corroded statue in the square, and fairly ran for the technician. "We've found something." "What?" "Take a look," he said, and motioned her through the hole they'd cut. After a crawling over some debris, there was metal lining the walls of a shaft, and a ladder bolted to it. "Is it safe?" shered with massive banks of computer interfaces, screens, and communications gear. On the other side, consoles banked beneath wide windows, giving them a clear view of the landing bay below. >From here, the shuttle they had come in looked like a toy held at arm's length. "We're picking up power systems still operating, sir," said one of the engineers. "Most of this equipment seems to have been left in standby mode." "Can you decipher it?' asked Adama, moving over to him. "It'll take time, sir," he replied. "We can't read any of this script." "Link your languatron scanner to the shuttle's computer, and from there to the Galactica's, and access the language banks. I think you'll find that it is related to Old Gemonese, Lieutenant." "Right, sir. Give me a few moments." "Father," said Athena, calling from a score of paces down the deck. "Look here." Adama made his way towards her, sidestepping one of the other techs who had a console open, proe asked, reaching out to touch it. "The metal is surprisingly sound, Lieutenant." They stood on the edge, looking down as far as the lantern could dispel the gloom. "This was an elevator shaft, and the ladder looks to have been for service access." "How far down?" "After about a metron or so, there's a chamber. A huge one, with passages branching out in all directions." "Okay, get lamps, and let's get going. I'll let Jolly know." "You're coming with us?" "Like Hades Hole I'm staying behind," she replied. "Hundreds of them, sir," said Barton, referring to his scanner inside the Landram. "But they've stopped their approach." "Anything on bioscan?" "Humanoid roughly, but the scanners have nothing further in their database. We'd need the Galactica's main computer to get anything definitive." "Are they armed?" "Yes, but nothing advanced. I'm reading sword, arrows, that sort of thing." "A lot more of them te asked, reaching out to touch it. "The metal is surprisingly sound, Lieutenant." They stood on the edge, looking down as far as the lantern could dispel the gloom. "This was an elevator shaft, and the ladder looks to have been for service access." "How far down?" "After about a metron or so, there's a chamber. A huge one, with passages branching out in all directions." "Okay, get lamps, and let's get going. I'll let Jolly know." "You're coming with us?" "Like Hades Hole I'm staying behind," she replied. "Hundreds of them, sir," said Barton, referring to his scanner inside the Landram. "But they've stopped their approach." "Anything on bioscan?" "Humanoid roughly, but the scanners have nothing further in their database. We'd need the Galactica's main computer to get anything definitive." "Are they armed?" "Yes, but nothing advanced. I'm reading sword, arrows, that sort of thing." "A lot more of them tbing its guts. As he passed, he took note of the circuitry inside. It was as sophisticated as any aboard the fleet, and impressively dense. "Athena?" he asked, drawing even with her. "This is a comm. Station, father. I'm sure of it." She held up a thin slip of some kind of plastic, tiny microcircuits visible inside the translucent material. One end was slightly flared, the other covered in metal contact points. "And these..." "Yes. They look like our old theta-class data chips." "I remember seeing them in an old data scan at the Academy, in communications school," she informed him. "They were replaced by iota-class crystalline chips almost 40 yahren ago." "I remember. We were still using them when I was a cadet, Athena." He picked up one, examining it minutely. It was dusty, but he wiped it clean, revealing tiny letters on both sides. Or perhaps numbers. Several of them were sitting in a small tray, next to a slot in the console. " I'll wager two sehan there are of us," muttered the Strike Captain. "I thought the flyovers showed this planet to be empty." "Apparently not, sir. It looks like someone got left behind when whoever it was left this system. And from what we've seen so far, they sure have regressed a long way, from star travelers to sword-swinging barbarians." "Captain Apollo?" came Dietra's voice over the speaker. "We've broken through the first set of metal doors, sir." "On my way. Okay, Barton. Keep your eyes on those natives out there. If they get too close, call me." "Sir." Much to Apollo's relief, the first set of doors referred to were the only ones. After cutting through the pavement, they had found a tunnel sloping downwards, and then at the end of it set of thick, steel blast doors. Once through, they had expected to find more, but they had been left open by the last people to leave here, and with lamps alight, the Colonials stepped inside. It was a huge, dusty-smelling roomhan there are of us," muttered the Strike Captain. "I thought the flyovers showed this planet to be empty." "Apparently not, sir. It looks like someone got left behind when whoever it was left this system. And from what we've seen so far, they sure have regressed a long way, from star travelers to sword-swinging barbarians." "Captain Apollo?" came Dietra's voice over the speaker. "We've broken through the first set of metal doors, sir." "On my way. Okay, Barton. Keep your eyes on those natives out there. If they get too close, call me." "Sir." Much to Apollo's relief, the first set of doors referred to were the only ones. After cutting through the pavement, they had found a tunnel sloping downwards, and then at the end of it set of thick, steel blast doors. Once through, they had expected to find more, but they had been left open by the last people to leave here, and with lamps alight, the Colonials stepped inside. It was a huge, dusty-smelling roomcton's pay that this is a log, Athena. A record." He studies the console some more. "Does this unit have power?" "Yes," she replied, pressing a few buttons. Next to the slot, a flashing red LED came to life, and a speaker began to hiss softly. The screen in front of them showed a raster. "Shall we?" Adama asked. She smiled, and he slid the chip into the slot, and touched the button next to it. "Commander!" called one of the techs. "Cylons!" "What?" "We've gotten a scanner working." Adama rushed to his station, and looked at the screen. The entire solar system, and space for a huge distance beyond, was displayed in detail, far beyond what the Galactica's scanners were capable of. The BaseShip, and her squadrons of fighters, were clearly visible. On their way towards the Galactica! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!!! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!! DEATH TO... QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQQ Cul, filled with consoles and control panels. It looked much as had the mission controls from the early days of space flight. Carefully moving into the chamber, they found papers on tables, books, and piles of what resembled old-style computer data disks. "Computers, sir," said one tech. "Dozens of them. It looks like we've hit a perfect pyramid!" "I hope so. Try and see if you can power up any of this. I'm going to report to the Galactica." "Yes, sir." In Life Station, Omega stood next to the life pod containing the unconscious Rigel. He didn't say much as the instruments bleeped and buzzed around him, just stared down at her. The diagnosis hadn't been good. When she'd crashed into the deck in the missile room, she'd suffered a depression fracture of her skull. By the time medics had reached her, the effusion of blood into the brain had put considerable pressure on the cortex, and she was in a bad way. She was so far gone, said Selik, that she might die, filled with consoles and control panels. It looked much as had the mission controls from the early days of space flight. Carefully moving into the chamber, they found papers on tables, books, and piles of what resembled old-style computer data disks. "Computers, sir," said one tech. "Dozens of them. It looks like we've hit a perfect pyramid!" "I hope so. Try and see if you can power up any of this. I'm going to report to the Galactica." "Yes, sir." In Life Station, Omega stood next to the life pod containing the unconscious Rigel. He didn't say much as the instruments bleeped and buzzed around him, just stared down at her. The diagnosis hadn't been good. When she'd crashed into the deck in the missile room, she'd suffered a depression fracture of her skull. By the time medics had reached her, the effusion of blood into the brain had put considerable pressure on the cortex, and she was in a bad way. She was so far gone, said Selik, that she might die, even with an operation. As he contemplated the future that might have been, Omega was dimly aware of the frantic pace of Life Center, as the doctors worked to save the many other wounded from the Galactica's most recent engagement. "Why don't you go and rest?" said Cassiopeia, hand on Omega's shoulder. "I can't," said the bridge officer. "I want to be with her." "And if the Cylons attack again, the Commander will need you. Rested. Come on, Omega. Go get some sleep." "I can't." He didn't notice her moving away, or returning. He felt the hypo against his arm, then her voice. "Can too." "Well, frak," Lieutenant Starbuck said into the landram's comlink. "We can't just give up. How long have we got?" The warrior gazed through the viewport into the partially clearing sky, where rays of sunlight broke through grey clouds, casting a warm glow on the surrounding vegetation. The shuttle rested in a narrow band of thick, marshy grass near tture Shock, pt. 14 By Maggie They rode in silence for the first several centons aboard the ancient subterranean transport. Starbuck gazed at the faces of his team and could see, beneath the smudged breathers, the same exhaustion that he felt. With the gentle swaying of the compartment, he found himself fighting the desire to nod off to sleep. Sleep. Lords, he realized, they had been working for over ten centars, almost nonstop, since landing on the surface of the planet. He mentally counted the centars: two just to reach the site, six or so spent excavating the entrance and then installing the now-defunct force field, two more spent exploring the - what? -- control center for the vessel port, he supposed - before the tidal waves had destroyed the excavation site, and - he glanced at his chronometer - it had been only 20 centons since they had escaped the rising waters and began their new quest: to located another way to the surface. They needed rest, he decided, rest, food, and liquid, even with an operation. As he contemplated the future that might have been, Omega was dimly aware of the frantic pace of Life Center, as the doctors worked to save the many other wounded from the Galactica's most recent engagement. "Why don't you go and rest?" said Cassiopeia, hand on Omega's shoulder. "I can't," said the bridge officer. "I want to be with her." "And if the Cylons attack again, the Commander will need you. Rested. Come on, Omega. Go get some sleep." "I can't." He didn't notice her moving away, or returning. He felt the hypo against his arm, then her voice. "Can too." "Well, frak," Lieutenant Starbuck said into the landram's comlink. "We can't just give up. How long have we got?" The warrior gazed through the viewport into the partially clearing sky, where rays of sunlight broke through grey clouds, casting a warm glow on the surrounding vegetation. The shuttle rested in a narrow band of thick, marshy grass near t. They had eaten the last meal in shifts while excavating the site, and that was probably six or seven centars ago. Now was as good a time as any, he reflected. Only God knew how many centons they were from "Station Alpha." And being encumbered with the breathers, a meal was anything but a feast. Instead, a meal meant securing an "energy packet" to a tube that was inserted through an airtight seal. The packet contained rationed amounts of nutrients, carbos, and revitalizing/rehydrating liquids, designed to be taken every six centars, or so, and eliminating the need for water. Regardless of any actual feelings of hunger or thirst, the energy packet was supposed to suffice. With each person carrying six packets, they could survive for a considerable period of time. "Status?" Starbuck asked Varica, breaking the silence. "Sensors indicate that we're traveling on a level course, almost due east, at a rate of approximately 15 kilometrons per centar." "We could end up well inland," notehe coastline. On one side, the vegetation gave way to a rocky beach and a vast ocean stretched that out to the eastern horizon. On the other, the foliage merged with a dense, tropical forest that extended to the west. Hidden behind the canopy of the towering trees were the craggy peaks of a distant mountain range that ran the length of the coastline for hundreds of kilometrons. Using lasers canons and a landram, Team Two had had to burn their way through the undergrowth to be able to reach the excavation site, which was located two kilometrons inland. They had also had to carefully navigate around the large areas of quagmire; thus, what should have been about a 20 centon drive had, in reality, taken nearly two centars. "According to the computer, the leading edge of the storm will begin affecting your area in approximately four centars," said the commander. "If it follows its current trajectory, the computer predicts landfall in approximately 8 centars. And yhe coastline. On one side, the vegetation gave way to a rocky beach and a vast ocean stretched that out to the eastern horizon. On the other, the foliage merged with a dense, tropical forest that extended to the west. Hidden behind the canopy of the towering trees were the craggy peaks of a distant mountain range that ran the length of the coastline for hundreds of kilometrons. Using lasers canons and a landram, Team Two had had to burn their way through the undergrowth to be able to reach the excavation site, which was located two kilometrons inland. They had also had to carefully navigate around the large areas of quagmire; thus, what should have been about a 20 centon drive had, in reality, taken nearly two centars. "According to the computer, the leading edge of the storm will begin affecting your area in approximately four centars," said the commander. "If it follows its current trajectory, the computer predicts landfall in approximately 8 centars. And yd Sirrion. "And well out of range of our original landing site." "Don't forget that Greenbean can track our position," Starbuck said, trying to sound reassuring, "so I wouldn't worry." He added mentally to himself: not yet. Out loud, he said, "Since we don't know how long the ride will be, I recommend we `eat' now. Everyone got their energy packets? Let's enjoy our `dinner,' shall we?" His companions nodded, groaned a bit, and proceeded to consume their "meal." After only five centons, all had finished and had packed up the used pouches, which, when empty, compacted into tiny, easily stored, bundles. Next, Starbuck contacted Greenbean. "Do you still have a fix on our location?" he asked. "Affirmative," the flight sergeant answered. "However, there may be a problem - or two -- real soon . . ." Starbuck sighed in resignation. "So give us the `good news.' What now?" "One, if you continue much longer on your current trajectory, you'll be under the mountain range in approximatelou'll get the main brunt of the storm." "Frak," Starbuck muttered. "Look," he said, thinking aloud, almost, "we should be well underground by then. Those passages have withstood yahrens and yahrens of storms." "Yes, that's true," said Adama, "but we've got two main concerns. One, the shuttle would not be able to withstand the winds, which are projected to be up to 200 kilometrons per centar -" "Greenbean can take the landram back and put the shuttle into orbit until the storm passes." Starbuck felt a rising frustration, coupled with a stubborn determination to not give up on their explorations. "Two," continued the commander, "we have no way to predict what the driving winds and rains will do to the excavation site around the subterranean entrance. I think it'd be safer to pull out and wait until the storm passes." "But we'd lose valuable time!" Starbuck protested. "What if we put up supports around the entrance?" Adama's sigh was aou'll get the main brunt of the storm." "Frak," Starbuck muttered. "Look," he said, thinking aloud, almost, "we should be well underground by then. Those passages have withstood yahrens and yahrens of storms." "Yes, that's true," said Adama, "but we've got two main concerns. One, the shuttle would not be able to withstand the winds, which are projected to be up to 200 kilometrons per centar -" "Greenbean can take the landram back and put the shuttle into orbit until the storm passes." Starbuck felt a rising frustration, coupled with a stubborn determination to not give up on their explorations. "Two," continued the commander, "we have no way to predict what the driving winds and rains will do to the excavation site around the subterranean entrance. I think it'd be safer to pull out and wait until the storm passes." "But we'd lose valuable time!" Starbuck protested. "What if we put up supports around the entrance?" Adama's sigh was ay 20 centons. I doubt my sensors will be able to locate your signal then," said Greenbean. "And the second problem?" Starbuck saw the worried glances that passed among his companions. "The _Galactica_ reports that they've picked up an approaching Cylon attack force. They were able to use the sensors on the orbiting space station, which have a much greater range than ours, so I guess you could say we've got an advantage; the Cylons won't be in range for another two centars. However," added Greanbeen, "I was just about to contact you - all available pilots have been recalled to defend the Fleet. I can only stay with you for another 50 centars. After that, I'll need to refuel and join the defense force." "Understood. Starbuck out." The lieutenant resisted the urge to sigh again. "Not exactly our lucky day," muttered Giles. "What happened to that ol' `Starbuck luck'?" "Oh, I don't know," countered Starbuck. "It depends on how you look at it. If the rest of this subterraneouudible through the comlink. "That might help. And then again . . . I recommend you explain the situation to your team and get back to me. I will leave the final decision up to you, but, as the leader of the expedition, you need to be sure to consider *all* factors that might affect the safety of your team." "Understood," said the lieutenant quietly after a brief pause. "I'll be in contact within the centar." Apollo beckoned to Dietra. Turning, he made his way back through the doors, leaving the technicians to their find. Halfway up the tunnel to street level, he stopped, waiting for the lieutenant to catch up to him. "Dietra, I want you to keep our comlink open while you're down here. Let the team do whatever they need to recover any data but I want all of you ready to move on a centon's notice." "Are you expecting trouble from the natives?" Apollo sighed. "I don't know. I'm hoping the presence of the landram will be intimidating enough keep them from udible through the comlink. "That might help. And then again . . . I recommend you explain the situation to your team and get back to me. I will leave the final decision up to you, but, as the leader of the expedition, you need to be sure to consider *all* factors that might affect the safety of your team." "Understood," said the lieutenant quietly after a brief pause. "I'll be in contact within the centar." Apollo beckoned to Dietra. Turning, he made his way back through the doors, leaving the technicians to their find. Halfway up the tunnel to street level, he stopped, waiting for the lieutenant to catch up to him. "Dietra, I want you to keep our comlink open while you're down here. Let the team do whatever they need to recover any data but I want all of you ready to move on a centon's notice." "Are you expecting trouble from the natives?" Apollo sighed. "I don't know. I'm hoping the presence of the landram will be intimidating enough keep them from s complex is functioning as well as this transport, finding an exit should be easy." "Hey - and just imagine the wealth of records we should be able to access!" Nila looked excited, despite the fatigue they all felt. "We -" Sirrion interrupted. "Is that a breeze I feel?" he said, looking at a grated opening in the ceiling of the transport. Thomson pulled out his sensor, took some quick readings, and exclaimed, "It is indeed! We must have triggered the life support systems, because we almost have a breathable atmosphere again!" Starbuck poked Giles in the ribs with an elbow. "See! I told you it's not as bad as it may seem. I'd say it's the `Starbuck luck' that keeps saving our astrums." Fifteen centons later, Nila was the first to pull off her breather and test the new atmosphere. "Stale, still," she commented. She took a deep breath. "But not as bad as the first complex." The others removed their masks, as well. Even as musty as it was, the coolness of the air was refreshidoing something foolish but I'll do whatever I have to, to protect everyone. Keep me apprised of any developments down here. I'm going to contact the Galactica and let her know what we've found." Dietra grabbed his arm as he turned to walk away. "Be careful, Skipper." "Sure," he smiled, demonstrating more confidence than he really felt. As he continued up the slope, Apollo noticed several placards placed at regular intervals along the wall of the tunnel. In all the previous excitement of opening the blast doors, he hadn't seen them. When he looked back down the tunnel at Dietra's retreating back, he realized why- they were virtually invisible in that direction. Only when he looked up toward the tunnel entrance from below, could he see them. He stopped momentarily, shining his hand-torch at one but found the symbols stamped on it bore little resemblance to any of the written languages he was familiar with. Deciphering those would have to wait. As he neared the entrancedoing something foolish but I'll do whatever I have to, to protect everyone. Keep me apprised of any developments down here. I'm going to contact the Galactica and let her know what we've found." Dietra grabbed his arm as he turned to walk away. "Be careful, Skipper." "Sure," he smiled, demonstrating more confidence than he really felt. As he continued up the slope, Apollo noticed several placards placed at regular intervals along the wall of the tunnel. In all the previous excitement of opening the blast doors, he hadn't seen them. When he looked back down the tunnel at Dietra's retreating back, he realized why- they were virtually invisible in that direction. Only when he looked up toward the tunnel entrance from below, could he see them. He stopped momentarily, shining his hand-torch at one but found the symbols stamped on it bore little resemblance to any of the written languages he was familiar with. Deciphering those would have to wait. As he neared the entranceng after the stuffy, humid breathers, and it was a relief to be able to see clearly again. "Any change in our status?" Starbuck asked Varica. "None. Still traveling in the same direction at the same velocity. We've gone approximately 1.3 kilometrons inland." As if on cue, Starbuck's communicator beeped. "Go ahead, Greenbean." "You're about to enter the mountainous region. I doubt I'll be able to maintain contact, but I'm going to scout ahead to see what lies along your current trajectory. Maybe I can get an indication of other possible access points before I have to leave. Starbuck?" "Yeah, `Bean?" "Take care. I'll be back with assistance, soon as we get rid of these frakkin' Cylons." "Blast some for me and Giles, will ya? See ya! Starbuck out." ************* Culture Shock, Pt. 15 by Slinter ======================== See disclaimers, excuses, and other legal-type snivelling in Pt. 1. ======================== Adama at once contacted the ship, and informed them o, he felt the chill of the darkened tunnel reluctantly give way to the sweltering heat of the desert, and donned his sunlenses once more. Just as he had instructed, Barton had stopped the landram about 200 metrons away from the underground entrance. Apollo broke into an immediate sweat, simply with the exertion of walking under the unforgiving rays of the planet's sun. What seemed like waves of heat beat down on his back and made him all the more thankful for the strong screening lotion provided by the life station. Much more of this, however, and he wondered if even that would be of help. As if in response to his thoughts, a breeze suddenly sprang up, blowing hot sand, stinging, against his legs. Then, as quickly as it started, the wind died. But not before obscuring his last few tracks in the sand. The landram door nearest him popped open when he approached. Gratefully, he clambered inside. Barton handed him a canteen and filled him in on the humanoids latest movemen, he felt the chill of the darkened tunnel reluctantly give way to the sweltering heat of the desert, and donned his sunlenses once more. Just as he had instructed, Barton had stopped the landram about 200 metrons away from the underground entrance. Apollo broke into an immediate sweat, simply with the exertion of walking under the unforgiving rays of the planet's sun. What seemed like waves of heat beat down on his back and made him all the more thankful for the strong screening lotion provided by the life station. Much more of this, however, and he wondered if even that would be of help. As if in response to his thoughts, a breeze suddenly sprang up, blowing hot sand, stinging, against his legs. Then, as quickly as it started, the wind died. But not before obscuring his last few tracks in the sand. The landram door nearest him popped open when he approached. Gratefully, he clambered inside. Barton handed him a canteen and filled him in on the humanoids latest movemenf the approaching menace. Though the Galactica's sensors were now back up to full, they were, it seemed, well below the level of those aboard the space station. All launch tubes were now operational, and soon every spaceworthy Viper was screaming down a launch tube, to intercept the approaching Cylon force. "We have to get back to the ship," said Adama, to Athena. "We can't," she replied. "Why not?" "The shuttle couldn't reach the fleet before the Cylons do. If a lone shuttle is intercepted in space, Father..." "But as Commander, I must be there, Athena. My duty..." "Your duty is to survive, Father." She grabbed his arm, as he turned to leave. "You can't be replaced." "I cannot neglect my..." Their argument was interrupted by a loud, blaring klaxon, flashing red lights, and a voice booming over a PA system. While the language was not at once familiar, a few moments with the Languatron gave them... "Alert. Hostile forcts as he gulped down several swallows of water. "They've stopped behind that ridge," Barton pointed to the scanner, to a rocky outcropping just beyond where they could see from the landram. "But there seems to be three distinct groups coalescing from the mob. They've each sent out parties to the edge of the dune over the past centar. The last one was about 25 centons ago." The dune Barton spoke of was a thousand metrons away and the last terrain feature they could see in that direction. Apollo stared out of the forward window toward it as if he could see their targets, if only he looked hard enough. "Nothing since then?" "Well, I did pick up some strange electromagnetic waveforms that seemed to come from their direction. But they've stopped. I think it must have been an anomaly- some kind of intermittent sunspot disturbance, most likely." Returning his attention to the humanoids, he added, "It's getting late in the day. I'm wondering if those groups might be waiting forts as he gulped down several swallows of water. "They've stopped behind that ridge," Barton pointed to the scanner, to a rocky outcropping just beyond where they could see from the landram. "But there seems to be three distinct groups coalescing from the mob. They've each sent out parties to the edge of the dune over the past centar. The last one was about 25 centons ago." The dune Barton spoke of was a thousand metrons away and the last terrain feature they could see in that direction. Apollo stared out of the forward window toward it as if he could see their targets, if only he looked hard enough. "Nothing since then?" "Well, I did pick up some strange electromagnetic waveforms that seemed to come from their direction. But they've stopped. I think it must have been an anomaly- some kind of intermittent sunspot disturbance, most likely." Returning his attention to the humanoids, he added, "It's getting late in the day. I'm wondering if those groups might be waiting fores are approaching the station. Defense posture. Repeat, hostile forces are approaching the station. Sealing all primary bulkheads." Immediately, the blast doors at the end of the huge chamber began to rumble, moving on long inert gears. Before any of them could reach them, they clanged shut like a dungeon, sealing them inside. "Try and find an override!" Adama ordered the techs, and returned to the scanner screen. The Cylons were closing, and all Vipers were moving to intercept. In orbit around the ringed planet, the fleet was pulling together into defensive positions. All was being done that could be done, and Adama kept the channel to Tigh open, cursing himself for leaving the ship. "The BaseShip seems to be lagging,' said Athena, pointing. "I wonder why." "Damage, perhaps. Who can say? At least that's something to be thankful for, Athena." He looked towards the technicians. "Any luck?" "Not yet, Commander. The automatic systems are in control. It cou nightfall to make a move." "It's possible. I want to raise the Galactica and give them a report on what we've found so far." "Okay, sir, just let me . . . wait a micron, that's odd . . ." "What?" "Well, our communications beacon was fine a few centons ago, but now I'm just getting static." The concern in Barton's voice was unmistakable. "Try changing frequencies, we've got to reach the Galactica." Apollo leaned across Barton's outstretched arm to see the transmitter waveforms displayed on the comm readout. "I did, but it's not helping. Still nothing but static." A small dust devil whipped sand across the front window of the landram. "Uh oh!" Barton exclaimed as he studied the scanner. "Captain, two of the humanoid groups are on the move." His brow furled as a puzzled look crossed his face. "And I'm getting those funny electromagnetic readings from them again . . ." Apollo spoke into his headset microphone, "Lieutenant Dietra, come in." He was greeted b nightfall to make a move." "It's possible. I want to raise the Galactica and give them a report on what we've found so far." "Okay, sir, just let me . . . wait a micron, that's odd . . ." "What?" "Well, our communications beacon was fine a few centons ago, but now I'm just getting static." The concern in Barton's voice was unmistakable. "Try changing frequencies, we've got to reach the Galactica." Apollo leaned across Barton's outstretched arm to see the transmitter waveforms displayed on the comm readout. "I did, but it's not helping. Still nothing but static." A small dust devil whipped sand across the front window of the landram. "Uh oh!" Barton exclaimed as he studied the scanner. "Captain, two of the humanoid groups are on the move." His brow furled as a puzzled look crossed his face. "And I'm getting those funny electromagnetic readings from them again . . ." Apollo spoke into his headset microphone, "Lieutenant Dietra, come in." He was greeted by the same static Barton was getting from the landram's communications equipment. The captain turned to look out the side window of the vehicle, back in the direction from which he'd just come. What he saw made his stomach lurch. "Oh shit!" Barton looked up from the controls. "Captain?" "There's a sand wave coming. A big one," he said simply as he reached for a pair of work coveralls and began to pull them on over his boots. Suddenly the landram lurched with a strong gust of wind. Their view outside was momentarily obscured by blowing sand. When it subsided, they could see what looked like a dark, churning, tidal wave approaching from behind where the rest of the team worked underground, unaware. "Barton, how far is that wavefront from us?" "Uh . . ." Barton checked the scanner, "About fifteen centons away but it seems to be accelerating." Apollo pushed his arms through the coverall's sleeves and fastened the weather-proof closures at ankle, wrist, and neck as he sld take sectons to find it." "Felcercarb," muttered the Commander. cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc "What?" asked Scott, in the hangar bay. He was busy examining the interior of the shuttle, and the Colonials were astounded by his engineering acumen. "Fel..." "Felcercarb," said Boomer, explaining the Colonial expression. He had been explaining the shuttle's propulsion system to Scott, engine housing open, and used the word in reference to the Cylons. The Universal Translator made nothing of it, and Scott laughed, contributing a few choice Gaelic expletives of his own. It wasn't long before he used it again, taken aback at how fast Scott had mastered the system before them. "Ach, it's old-fashioned," he said, "Horse `n buggy, beggin' yer pardon, lad. Now our shuttles," he gestured towards the Galileo and Columbus, "use impulse drive." "Impulse?" asked Bojay. "Aye. A hydrogen fusion system. It can push ye close ta' lightspeed, fairly quy the same static Barton was getting from the landram's communications equipment. The captain turned to look out the side window of the vehicle, back in the direction from which he'd just come. What he saw made his stomach lurch. "Oh shit!" Barton looked up from the controls. "Captain?" "There's a sand wave coming. A big one," he said simply as he reached for a pair of work coveralls and began to pull them on over his boots. Suddenly the landram lurched with a strong gust of wind. Their view outside was momentarily obscured by blowing sand. When it subsided, they could see what looked like a dark, churning, tidal wave approaching from behind where the rest of the team worked underground, unaware. "Barton, how far is that wavefront from us?" "Uh . . ." Barton checked the scanner, "About fifteen centons away but it seems to be accelerating." Apollo pushed his arms through the coverall's sleeves and fastened the weather-proof closures at ankle, wrist, and neck as he spoke. "Get back to the shuttle and take it up over this wave. Contact the Galactica and let them know what's going on. I'm going to get back to the others. We'll ride this out down below." He turned and pulled two kits from behind Barton's seat as the lieutenant fired the landram's powercells and put the vehicle in gear. "What about the humanoids?" Barton asked. "What if they . . ." It had finally occurred to him that the strange electromagnetic readings he'd picked up might be the cause of the sandwave. If that were true . . . "We'll be in a strong defensive position behind those blast doors. And we can always work our way further inward if we have to. I'll take some extra armaments and supplies in case we're holed up there for awhile. Drop me off there," Apollo pointed to a flat spot about twenty metrons from the entrance to the tunnel where the sand had been blown away and exposed an ancient street. "Hand me those water rations," he told Barton. "And get back to the shuttlick. Still, what ye've got here is no small shakes. And she's got those skydivin' tubes, and a lot more internal space than ours." "Well, it seems we have a lot we can learn from each other, Mr...." "Scotty." "Scotty," said Wilker. "I'm impressed at your, uh...phaser system. It seems far more powerful than our standard lasers." "It is," said Scotty, starting to practically beam with pride. "We've been able ta' increase power ta' the weapons by over 130%, with only a 15% or less increase in power usage. So far, she's passed all the tests with flyin' colors." "I'd love to see the Cylons on the receiving end of that beam," said Bojay, with some heat. "They've got something new in the way of shields. We barely survived their last attack." "Well, I've run a sim er two, based on the data from yer flight recorder, Mr. Bojay. If those cybernetic beasties show up here, they'll get one bloody case o' heartburn, tryin' ta swallow our phasers." "poke. "Get back to the shuttle and take it up over this wave. Contact the Galactica and let them know what's going on. I'm going to get back to the others. We'll ride this out down below." He turned and pulled two kits from behind Barton's seat as the lieutenant fired the landram's powercells and put the vehicle in gear. "What about the humanoids?" Barton asked. "What if they . . ." It had finally occurred to him that the strange electromagnetic readings he'd picked up might be the cause of the sandwave. If that were true . . . "We'll be in a strong defensive position behind those blast doors. And we can always work our way further inward if we have to. I'll take some extra armaments and supplies in case we're holed up there for awhile. Drop me off there," Apollo pointed to a flat spot about twenty metrons from the entrance to the tunnel where the sand had been blown away and exposed an ancient street. "Hand me those water rations," he told Barton. "And get back to the shuttle as fast as you can." Apollo donned his sunlenses once more, scrambled out of the landram and slipped one of the backpacks on. He dropped the rest to the ground as it took all his effort pushing and Barton's pulling to close the landram door against the force of a wind gust. Apollo picked up the packs once more then reached up to lighten the blocking capacity of his sunlenses. The surrounding area had darkened considerably with the wind- whipped sand preceding the wavefront. After assuring himself that Barton was well on his way, he turned and began to stumble toward the tunnel entrance. The force of the wind was increasing. Blowing sand stung his exposed face and hands as he pushed on. Soon he had reached the place where he estimated the tunnel entrance should be. But it wasn't there. Looking around, he finally spotted a wildly-waving Dietra about 5 metrons to his right, crouched in the tunnel entrance. He leaned into the wind and made his way to her. "I thought you were goinGlad to hear it," said Boomer. "But, you understand, we need to know how our people are doing, Scotty. It's..." "Aye, lad. I understand. I'd be climbin' the walls meself, if it were my people, and I was stuck, clear across the galaxy. But without signal boosters and exact frequencies, we canna get signal to yer ship in anythin' like a reasonable time. We'll just have ta'..." "Red Alert,' came Alden's voice over the speaker, as the klaxon sounded throughout the bay. "Red Alert. Wormhole opening. All hands to battle stations." "Well," said Scott, slapping the shuttle's engine cowling closed, "that's me' call. Ye'd better be getting' ta quarters or the briefin' room." And with that, he was off. THIRTEENTH TRIBE WAS HERE!!! THIRTEENTH "Sheba here,' said Cain's daughter, as her commlink beeped. She'd been studying the data scrolling up one of the antique vidscreens, when the call came from Tigh. Once she heard the news, she was fairly sprinting towards the exe as fast as you can." Apollo donned his sunlenses once more, scrambled out of the landram and slipped one of the backpacks on. He dropped the rest to the ground as it took all his effort pushing and Barton's pulling to close the landram door against the force of a wind gust. Apollo picked up the packs once more then reached up to lighten the blocking capacity of his sunlenses. The surrounding area had darkened considerably with the wind- whipped sand preceding the wavefront. After assuring himself that Barton was well on his way, he turned and began to stumble toward the tunnel entrance. The force of the wind was increasing. Blowing sand stung his exposed face and hands as he pushed on. Soon he had reached the place where he estimated the tunnel entrance should be. But it wasn't there. Looking around, he finally spotted a wildly-waving Dietra about 5 metrons to his right, crouched in the tunnel entrance. He leaned into the wind and made his way to her. "I thought you were going to keep right on going past us," she said as she grabbed one of the kits from his hand. "I almost did," he panted, moving further into the tunnel, out of the wind, before stopping. "Where did that sandstorm come from? It seems to have come up awfully quick." "I don't know," he replied, pausing to catch his breath. "Barton said he picked up some anomalous electromagnetic readings, but we didn't have time to figure out if they're related to the storm." Just then, the wind howled loudly at the entrance to the tunnel as a large gust of sand blew in across the floor. "Come on," Apollo pulled Dietra with him down the corridor. "We'll have to get inside and close the blast doors." "You don't think the storm will bother us that far down, do you?" "It's not the storm." Dietra stared at him quzzically. "It's the humanoids," he replied. "They were scouting us and now they're on the move again." "In this?" "We lost contact with the Galactica and I couldn't contact it to the vast chamber. As hard as it was, her curiosity as aroused as any of the rest of them, she ordered the exploration terminated immediately, and all hands to prepare to depart at once for the Galactica. "But..." "But..." "No buts. This is an attack!!!" she shot back. "Gather up whatever you have, and head for the shuttle. The Cylons will be here in about a centar." "Shutting down,' harrumphed Callidus, keeping his irritation largely to himself. The archaeological find of the millennium, and, as usual, the golmonging, snitradeous tinheads have to crash the party! "Brie," she asked, over her link. "How much solonite do we have on the shuttle?" "Lieutenant?" "Get it down here, pronton. We're going to mine this place. We can't let the Cylons get their hands on any of it." "On my way." "Good." She switched frequencies, calling Colonel Tigh. He gave her the go-ahead. Set the charges. At the right moment, they'd blow tg to keep right on going past us," she said as she grabbed one of the kits from his hand. "I almost did," he panted, moving further into the tunnel, out of the wind, before stopping. "Where did that sandstorm come from? It seems to have come up awfully quick." "I don't know," he replied, pausing to catch his breath. "Barton said he picked up some anomalous electromagnetic readings, but we didn't have time to figure out if they're related to the storm." Just then, the wind howled loudly at the entrance to the tunnel as a large gust of sand blew in across the floor. "Come on," Apollo pulled Dietra with him down the corridor. "We'll have to get inside and close the blast doors." "You don't think the storm will bother us that far down, do you?" "It's not the storm." Dietra stared at him quzzically. "It's the humanoids," he replied. "They were scouting us and now they're on the move again." "In this?" "We lost contact with the Galactica and I couldn't contact you," Apollo continued, ignoring the question. "I sent Barton back to the shuttle. He'll get up out of the atmosphere and report our status to the Galactica. In the meantime, we can hole up down here and try moving further into the complex." "So they're attacking, then?" "I don't know. But I don't want to take any chances. They outnumber us, but their weaponry is primitive. I think we should be able to hold them off with widefield stunning using our lasers." "Unless they all decide to charge at once . . ." Dietra reminded him. "One problem at a time, lieutenant," he grimaced. They reached the blast doors, and with the help of the puzzled technicians, pulled them closed with a loud clang that seemed to echo around the chamber for a long time after. Precedence: bulk A powerful reddish beam tore out from Enterprise s upper hull, cutting directly across the Klingon vessel s bow. It bucked slightly, but otherwise kept on, bearing down on the Colonial shuttle. Herhe pogies out of the place. cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccc Which was exactly how Apollo was feeling, just then. The mysterious, violent wave had passed over the Landram, knocking it onto its side, but otherwise leaving them be for the moment. He tried to move, but another wave suddenly hit, seemingly more powerful than the first. Circuits popped and fried, filling the vehicle with an acrid stench that made his eyes water, and set his charge to coughing. He and Dietra held each other as tightly as her injuries allowed, until it had passed as well. He looked around the damaged Landram, trying to right himself in the toppled vehicle. Only the emergency lights, and locator beacon, seemed to be working. The rest of her systems were down, burned out by the brutal assault, or shaken to pieces. Gradually, it quieted down, till all they could hear was the sizzle of circuits, and their own labored breathing. Apollo tried to g you," Apollo continued, ignoring the question. "I sent Barton back to the shuttle. He'll get up out of the atmosphere and report our status to the Galactica. In the meantime, we can hole up down here and try moving further into the complex." "So they're attacking, then?" "I don't know. But I don't want to take any chances. They outnumber us, but their weaponry is primitive. I think we should be able to hold them off with widefield stunning using our lasers." "Unless they all decide to charge at once . . ." Dietra reminded him. "One problem at a time, lieutenant," he grimaced. They reached the blast doors, and with the help of the puzzled technicians, pulled them closed with a loud clang that seemed to echo around the chamber for a long time after. Precedence: bulk A powerful reddish beam tore out from Enterprise s upper hull, cutting directly across the Klingon vessel s bow. It bucked slightly, but otherwise kept on, bearing down on the Colonial shuttle. Heret Dietra into an upright position, and checked her vitals. The bleeding had stopped, and thankfully her wound had not reopened. But she'd whacked her head in the tumble, and was out cold. "Well, Dietra," he said, trying the door that was now the roof of the Landram, "I think..." He stopped, letting it slam, and grabbed Dietra, as something rumbled, and the Landram began to totter... As the ground under it started to collapse. "Ohhhhhhhh Fraaaaaaaack..........." QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ ======================= Culture Shock, Pt. 16 by Senmut. See Pt.1 for all that legal-type slime and goo. This is all for fun, not money. (BOO HOO HOO!!!!!!) ======================================= Racing towards their hated foe, the Cylon pilots were surprised to discover interceptors already moving to attack. They discovered it as the first Raider was blown to bits. Neither party should have been able to detect the other at such a range. pilot had apparently seen the Bird-Of-Prey, and was banking hard to port, and pushing the shuttle s engines into the red. The Klingon fired, the laser searing close, topside. The second salvo was a near miss. Pike s second shot was not. The phaser beam struck the P kuth directly, sending her shields flaring up into the visible. The next salvo buttoned her as well, knocking her askew, allowing the shuttle to evade her. Sensors show moderate damage to shuttle, Captain, reported Spock. Scoring on her hull, and a slight loss of power. Number One, open our shuttle bay doors, and direct the shuttle there. Captain, let me contact them, said Bojay. They won t know you. Very well, said Pike, and soon, the shuttle was heading for Enterprise. So, also, was the P kuth. Though battered, the enemy vessel was not out, and was coming around again. He fired, pencils of green energy sluicing off the Enterprise s shields, but doing little damage so far. He fired again, the pilot had apparently seen the Bird-Of-Prey, and was banking hard to port, and pushing the shuttle s engines into the red. The Klingon fired, the laser searing close, topside. The second salvo was a near miss. Pike s second shot was not. The phaser beam struck the P kuth directly, sending her shields flaring up into the visible. The next salvo buttoned her as well, knocking her askew, allowing the shuttle to evade her. Sensors show moderate damage to shuttle, Captain, reported Spock. Scoring on her hull, and a slight loss of power. Number One, open our shuttle bay doors, and direct the shuttle there. Captain, let me contact them, said Bojay. They won t know you. Very well, said Pike, and soon, the shuttle was heading for Enterprise. So, also, was the P kuth. Though battered, the enemy vessel was not out, and was coming around again. He fired, pencils of green energy sluicing off the Enterprise s shields, but doing little damage so far. He fired again, theHow was this possible? In typically slow-witted Cylon fashion, the attack's Squadron Leader informed the BaseShip of this unwelcome development. It was fortunate for the Colonials that their opponents were so absorbed by this deviation from the programmed mission, for the order to arm weapons had not yet been given, and the Vipers, splitting up to squeeze the Raiders in between hammer and anvil, had gotten in the first shots. One Cylon fighter after another went up in a blinding flash, loaded as they were with both solonite, and extra fuel. Fully half the first wave of the enemy fighter craft were obliterated, and many more scattered, before they responded effectively. And in that scattering, a few slipped past the otherwise vigilant defenders. Sheba and her crew bounded aboard their shuttle, dumping their equipment and data in a heap, before strapping in for take- off. It annoyed, no infuriated her that the enemy had already been contacted, and she wasn't even back aboard the Gn once more, till Number One sent a powerful beam back towards him, tracking the enemy as he bore down on them. A shield failed, and the P kuth rocked, his hull ripped by the Enterprise s more powerful weapons, and began to arc away erratically. Number One fired again, knocking out yet another of the Klingon s deflectors. Cease fire, Number One, ordered Pike. Prepare to receive shuttle. Hangar deck reports ready, sir, reported Alden. Drop shields. Damage report, Number One? Deflector four weakened, sir. Minor buckling in number two impulse vent. No other damage reported, sir. Excellent. Captain, said Alden, hangar deck reports shuttle inside, sir. Good. Mr. Spock, Mr. Bojay, you are with me. Mr. Alden, have a Security team there. Doctor. I m with you. This ship is incredible, said Boomer, as he glided towards the Enterprise s open hangar deck. After a few seconds of negotiating, its flight control had interfaced with the sn once more, till Number One sent a powerful beam back towards him, tracking the enemy as he bore down on them. A shield failed, and the P kuth rocked, his hull ripped by the Enterprise s more powerful weapons, and began to arc away erratically. Number One fired again, knocking out yet another of the Klingon s deflectors. Cease fire, Number One, ordered Pike. Prepare to receive shuttle. Hangar deck reports ready, sir, reported Alden. Drop shields. Damage report, Number One? Deflector four weakened, sir. Minor buckling in number two impulse vent. No other damage reported, sir. Excellent. Captain, said Alden, hangar deck reports shuttle inside, sir. Good. Mr. Spock, Mr. Bojay, you are with me. Mr. Alden, have a Security team there. Doctor. I m with you. This ship is incredible, said Boomer, as he glided towards the Enterprise s open hangar deck. After a few seconds of negotiating, its flight control had interfaced with the salactica yet! Gunning the shuttle's engines dangerously close to redline as they climbed out of the planet's atmosphere, she called Colonel Tigh for an update. "We've lost contact with Captain Apollo's team," he informed her, keeping the emotion out of his voice. She swore softly, and asked Tigh to have her Viper prepped and ready for her when she landed. Of course it would be, he told her. Oh God! Apollo! What's happened? If you've gotten your knuckleheaded... "And Starbuck's group, Colonel?" she asked, as the atmosphere thinned to blackness. "Trapped underground by a massive cyclonic storm, Lieutenant." He gave her the details. "I see." She looked ahead, to the Galactica's massive landing bay. "On approach vector now, Colonel." "Roger. You are cleared to land, Lieutenant. Beta bay." "I'll be aboard in..." she checked her chrono, "less than a centon." "Acknowledged." Unable to do much of anything but watch events passively, huttle s computer, and was taking them in on automatic. As they approached the mysterious vessel, he scanned her fully. Her power signatures are a lot different from the Galactica s, or any ship I ve ever encountered. She s using some sort of anti-matter reaction system for power, said Wilker, scanning with the extra equipment aboard. Those nacelles are being fed plasma from some kind of reactor. Totally unlike any method we ve ever used. I ll say. But they saved us from that other ship, so I guess& Colonial shuttle, said a voice over the radio, this is Enterprise control. Prepare to land. Enterprise control, acknowledged. Boomer lined her up, and touched down on the flight deck. Even as he moved to fire the retros, he felt the shuttle slow, pressed by a cushioning force field. As he powered her down, he watched the bay doors close behind them, and the indicator show the pressure rising. He allowed himself a moment s smugness, at the fact that for all its huttle s computer, and was taking them in on automatic. As they approached the mysterious vessel, he scanned her fully. Her power signatures are a lot different from the Galactica s, or any ship I ve ever encountered. She s using some sort of anti-matter reaction system for power, said Wilker, scanning with the extra equipment aboard. Those nacelles are being fed plasma from some kind of reactor. Totally unlike any method we ve ever used. I ll say. But they saved us from that other ship, so I guess& Colonial shuttle, said a voice over the radio, this is Enterprise control. Prepare to land. Enterprise control, acknowledged. Boomer lined her up, and touched down on the flight deck. Even as he moved to fire the retros, he felt the shuttle slow, pressed by a cushioning force field. As he powered her down, he watched the bay doors close behind them, and the indicator show the pressure rising. He allowed himself a moment s smugness, at the fact that for all its Adama followed the progress of the approaching Cylons on the "alien" scanners. He nodded approvingly, as he saw large numbers of them blown to splinters, and reported all movements to Colonel Tigh. The Galactica would be battened down and ready long before the first Raider came within firing range. Only they weren't coming into range. True, more than half the approaching Cylons had been destroyed or damaged by the Vipers, but the survivors were not heading towards the Galactica's last known position, as expected. They were curving away from the system, heading out into space it seemed. Retreating to their BaseShip? Why in Kobol's... His attention was diverted to the top of the scanner screen. There, at extreme range, still too far to launch fighters, a second BaseShip was heading their way. If he knew the Cylons, it would soon be followed by another. So why were the fighters... Of course! "Colonel Tigh," Adama called, as their enemy's plan suddenly became clear totechnological power, this ship didn t have atmospheric force fields, like the Galactica. Once the hangar was pressurized, he saw the doors open, and several people file in. The welcome wagon s here, he told Wilker, then saw Bojay, at once recognizable amongst all the red his in Colonial uniform. It s Bojay! Come on Doctor. Alright, said the scientist, and the headed for the hatch. It did not take long for the Galactica s patrol, numbering five Vipers, to wipe out the Cylon patrol sent to probe their perimeter. Jolly and Cree both took a hit apiece, but otherwise they emerged unscathed. Describing a wide arc, sensors on maximum, they curved back towards the Battlestar, alert for any further Cylon incursions. Viper pilots reports encountering and destroying Cylon patrol, Commander, announced Athena. Long-range scanners? Engineering estimates another ten centons to full power. Screens clear at the moment, Commander. Thank-you. While Adama cotechnological power, this ship didn t have atmospheric force fields, like the Galactica. Once the hangar was pressurized, he saw the doors open, and several people file in. The welcome wagon s here, he told Wilker, then saw Bojay, at once recognizable amongst all the red his in Colonial uniform. It s Bojay! Come on Doctor. Alright, said the scientist, and the headed for the hatch. It did not take long for the Galactica s patrol, numbering five Vipers, to wipe out the Cylon patrol sent to probe their perimeter. Jolly and Cree both took a hit apiece, but otherwise they emerged unscathed. Describing a wide arc, sensors on maximum, they curved back towards the Battlestar, alert for any further Cylon incursions. Viper pilots reports encountering and destroying Cylon patrol, Commander, announced Athena. Long-range scanners? Engineering estimates another ten centons to full power. Screens clear at the moment, Commander. Thank-you. While Adama co him. "What is the ship's engineering status?" "Chief Engineer reports main drive still off-line. Port auxiliary engine now functional, starboard is expected..." "Prepare to break orbit, Colonel. Order the entire fleet to form up on the Galactica, and to follow you at once." "Commander?" said the confused Tigh. "Follow where? Our squadrons are still..." "You will make for this inner planet, Colonel. The Cylons are bringing up another BaseShip. It has just come into the range of this station's scanning systems. The fighters we've just engaged are trying to swing around, and catch us between again." He forwarded a scan capture of the screen before him. "Our surface teams?" "Lieutenant Sheba and her team are aboard now, sir. She's launching in her Viper." Tigh turned to someone off-screen, then back to his CO. "Lieutenant Starbuck's and Captain Apollo's have yet to return, sir." "I...see. Recall all Viper squadrons to the Galactica at once, Colonel." uldn t see the enemy vessel, the very fact that they were probing with fighters said they were fairly close. The Viper patrol had gotten lucky. Though Adama would never know it, the Raiders had been scanning on a very tight vector, and hadn t seen the Vipers until it was too late. It was, of course, only a matter of time till they brought up another BaseShip, if not more, and then& Hopefully by then, they would be gone. As he watched the monitors, watching a shuttle with freshly refined fuel head towards the Battlestar, he found himself growing ever more anxious. He resisted calling Apollo again. His son, as well as the other teams, would report when there was something to report, and to constantly badger him would only increase the tension that was nearly palpable as it was. Looking at another scanner, he watched the predicted storm front move in on Starbuck s position. Another delay. He shook his head. With the failure to receive anything but a few moments of telemetry from thuldn t see the enemy vessel, the very fact that they were probing with fighters said they were fairly close. The Viper patrol had gotten lucky. Though Adama would never know it, the Raiders had been scanning on a very tight vector, and hadn t seen the Vipers until it was too late. It was, of course, only a matter of time till they brought up another BaseShip, if not more, and then& Hopefully by then, they would be gone. As he watched the monitors, watching a shuttle with freshly refined fuel head towards the Battlestar, he found himself growing ever more anxious. He resisted calling Apollo again. His son, as well as the other teams, would report when there was something to report, and to constantly badger him would only increase the tension that was nearly palpable as it was. Looking at another scanner, he watched the predicted storm front move in on Starbuck s position. Another delay. He shook his head. With the failure to receive anything but a few moments of telemetry from th "Re...yes, Commander." Tigh turned to forward the order. "Getting under way, sir." "Keep me posted, Colonel," said the Commander, voice dropping a notch. Adama turned away from the screen, to hide his pain from his Exec. Tigh of course didn't miss it for a millicenton. Neither did Athena. "Father, Apollo..." "We cannot risk the survival of the entire fleet for one man, Athena." "But..." "Not even for the Commander's son, daughter." "But Father, you have to give him a chance! He's..." "You think I don't know that?" yelled Adama, surprising both everyone else, as well as himself. Never one to raise his voice at his children, he felt like a cad. "I know, first Zac, now Apollo? You think I don't care? That I don't still...still agonize over him? Left behind, doomed?" He turned away, and saw the rest of his boarding party looking at him. Quicker than a Cylon lie, they all seemed to find something else to occupy themselves with. Assidue shuttle& Feeling fidgety, he reviewed that data once more. It was scratchy, and he ran it through computer enhancement again and again, to try and clear it up. It would of course be Dr. Wilker, the Fleet s top expert in computer enhancement, who was not present to enhance the data he himself had sent back. Silently, Adama cursed the malicious god irony, or at least the universe s lousy sense of humor. He viewed the images again and again, till at last a ship began to emerge from the electronic muck. It was fairly large, but its design was utterly unfamiliar. A big saucer, with cylinders extending from it, it looked like no ship in the Fleet. But, it was almost the size of the Rising Star, and that bespoke power. But whose power? And how far away? Stellar cartography was still trying to identify the few stars that had been seen by the shuttle s sensors, but so far no luck. That must mean his people were far away. Very far. Too far. Colonel Tigh. Sir? Pree shuttle& Feeling fidgety, he reviewed that data once more. It was scratchy, and he ran it through computer enhancement again and again, to try and clear it up. It would of course be Dr. Wilker, the Fleet s top expert in computer enhancement, who was not present to enhance the data he himself had sent back. Silently, Adama cursed the malicious god irony, or at least the universe s lousy sense of humor. He viewed the images again and again, till at last a ship began to emerge from the electronic muck. It was fairly large, but its design was utterly unfamiliar. A big saucer, with cylinders extending from it, it looked like no ship in the Fleet. But, it was almost the size of the Rising Star, and that bespoke power. But whose power? And how far away? Stellar cartography was still trying to identify the few stars that had been seen by the shuttle s sensors, but so far no luck. That must mean his people were far away. Very far. Too far. Colonel Tigh. Sir? Preously. "I...I'm just..." "I know, Athena." He looked down at the scanner. The BaseShip was drawing closer, now joined, as he feared, by a second. The original BaseShip was still crawling in their direction, and the remaining Raiders were completing an arc, soon to drop into the system from behind the sun. But, at last, the Galactica was beginning to move. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Sheba swore into her helmet, as she got the recall signal. She was just closing with the Vipers, when the order came. What in Hades Hole was Tigh doing? What a waste of fuel! Growling, she turned her ship around, and headed back for the fleet. As she lined up for landing, she heard the chatter of the pilots behind her. Ah, she thought, good news. All the Vipers launched had returned! No losses on this mission. Something to be thankful for, Lords of Kobol be praised. As soon as the last Viper was aboard, the strung-out fleet began forming up on the Battlestar. Wp my personal shuttle, Colonel. Have two people from Wilker s department, and four Warriors report to me on the shuttle deck. Sir? I m going to investigate this wormhole machine myself. He got up, and headed towards the hatch. Commander? You& I can, Colonel, said Adama, half-turning. Right now, the Galactica is in good hands. But time is running out, and we have none to waste. C& You have your orders, Colonel. The bridge is yours. Athena? Commander? You're flying. Yes, sir. Starbuck shook his head, trying to clear the annoying whine from his ears, as the portable forcefield unit hummed to life. There had been no time to brace the entrance to the underground chambers, given current circumstances. They were so old, as well as damaged by the solonite blast, that they would have required virtually a total rebuild. So, they'd pulled a portable unit from the shuttle, and effectively used it to create a plug. As long as the power hp my personal shuttle, Colonel. Have two people from Wilker s department, and four Warriors report to me on the shuttle deck. Sir? I m going to investigate this wormhole machine myself. He got up, and headed towards the hatch. Commander? You& I can, Colonel, said Adama, half-turning. Right now, the Galactica is in good hands. But time is running out, and we have none to waste. C& You have your orders, Colonel. The bridge is yours. Athena? Commander? You're flying. Yes, sir. Starbuck shook his head, trying to clear the annoying whine from his ears, as the portable forcefield unit hummed to life. There had been no time to brace the entrance to the underground chambers, given current circumstances. They were so old, as well as damaged by the solonite blast, that they would have required virtually a total rebuild. So, they'd pulled a portable unit from the shuttle, and effectively used it to create a plug. As long as the power held out, the chamber would ride out the storm. And none to soon, either. Already, the winds were up to 58 killometrons per centar, and rising. The shuttle would take off once they reached 100, and remain in orbit till the storm passed. With so little data on this planet's weather, though, they could not be certain how long that might be. Starbuck looked about, taking in the chamber. It had once been, apparently, a reinforced pen for some sort of ocean-going vessel. Even now, sticking up out of the muck, was the corroding conning tower of an old submarine. Making their way past it, they reached the back bulkhead of the long smelly chamber, and moved through the half-open hatchway. "There's a lift, heading down, sir," said Giles. "At least half a metron." "Well, it seems to be out of order," replied Starbuck. "So, let's take the scenic route." Along the inner side of the shaft was a ladder, bolted to the concrete wall. It looked reasonably intact, despite centuries of disuithin a couple of centons, the last fuel shuttle was aboard, and the entire assemblage of ships began pulling out of the ring plane of the unnamed planet. Ripples in the circling dust went everywhere, leaving a very visible wake, but it no longer mattered. The approaching raiders were just coming onto the Galactica's repaired scanners, heading their way from the opposite direction of their BaseShip. Fortunately for the Colonials, the two approaching BaseShip's had slowed, rendezvousing with the crippled vessel, giving the Colonials more time to make their escape. As they moved inwards, all Vipers were refueled, rearmed, and given what repairs were possible, to be ready to launch at a moment's notice. All pilots not needing a trip to Life Center were to remain in their ships, given quick rations, or whatever minor medical attention might be required. "Any idea what's up?' asked Cree, next to Sheba's Viper. "Got me, " said Greenbean, fidgeting like a bridegroom. "I wanted teld out, the chamber would ride out the storm. And none to soon, either. Already, the winds were up to 58 killometrons per centar, and rising. The shuttle would take off once they reached 100, and remain in orbit till the storm passed. With so little data on this planet's weather, though, they could not be certain how long that might be. Starbuck looked about, taking in the chamber. It had once been, apparently, a reinforced pen for some sort of ocean-going vessel. Even now, sticking up out of the muck, was the corroding conning tower of an old submarine. Making their way past it, they reached the back bulkhead of the long smelly chamber, and moved through the half-open hatchway. "There's a lift, heading down, sir," said Giles. "At least half a metron." "Well, it seems to be out of order," replied Starbuck. "So, let's take the scenic route." Along the inner side of the shaft was a ladder, bolted to the concrete wall. It looked reasonably intact, despite centuries of disuse, and Starbuck tested his weight on it. It held, and he slowly moved to the next, then the next, heading down into the darkness. It seemed to take forever, but he at last reached the bottom, and found himself up to the calves in dark, smelly water. He stepped aside, allowing his team to join him at the bottom, and turned his attention to the vast blast doors in front of him. Unfortunately, they now saw, when the place had been evacuated, no one had bothered to close them, so whatever lay inside the chamber had been exposed to water and decay along with the rest of this city. Still, they had gone too far to just give up on that account, so Starbuck took his lantern, and began to move towards the open doors. The air that wafted from within was rank with mold and decay, and his hopes were not high, but this was his job, his team, and. Beep "Starbuck here," he said, into his commlink. "Greenbean here, sir," came the tinny voice. "The wind is almost to 100 sir. I'm prepario go back and get Starbuck, but Colonel Tigh said no." "We're pulling out of orbit," said another pilot. "Heading off towards where Bojay got it." "What?" said Sheldrake, a new Cadet. "That's nuts! We outta..." "Stow it!" snapped Sheba, downing the last of her water. "I don't want to hear that kind of talk again!" "But Lieutenant, what about Sta..." "I said stow it, Cadet," she repeated, frostily. She crossed to a recycling hatch and dumped her garbage, then climbed back up onto her Viper. "ALL OF YOU!!!" she yelled, raising herself high up on the fuselage, her fingers whitenuckled on the metal. "I don't want to hear any more of that snitrad-crawling felcercarb! Colonel Tigh is following orders from Commander Adama. We aren't here to question them, or debate their merits, or even waste the breath doing so. This is NOT the Council of Twelve!" For a moment, some of her surviving comrades from the Pegasus were forcibly reminded of her father, the heroic, semi-dse, and Starbuck tested his weight on it. It held, and he slowly moved to the next, then the next, heading down into the darkness. It seemed to take forever, but he at last reached the bottom, and found himself up to the calves in dark, smelly water. He stepped aside, allowing his team to join him at the bottom, and turned his attention to the vast blast doors in front of him. Unfortunately, they now saw, when the place had been evacuated, no one had bothered to close them, so whatever lay inside the chamber had been exposed to water and decay along with the rest of this city. Still, they had gone too far to just give up on that account, so Starbuck took his lantern, and began to move towards the open doors. The air that wafted from within was rank with mold and decay, and his hopes were not high, but this was his job, his team, and. Beep "Starbuck here," he said, into his commlink. "Greenbean here, sir," came the tinny voice. "The wind is almost to 100 sir. I'm preparing to lift off, and will maintain synchronous orbit over the site till the storm passes." "Affirmative, Bean. See ya when you get back." "Right, sir." "I just hope the tinheads don't decide to come visiting while we're mucking about down here," said Giles. "I'm more comfortable in a cockpit than a catacomb." "Same here, Giles," replied Starbuck. "But for the moment, we're stuck with it." Moving into the chamber, they shown their lanterns around. At first, all they could see were vague shadows, formless flittings amidst the ancient gloom. Then, they slipped on their IR goggles, and stood there a moment, taking it all in. "Lords of Kobol!" whispered Giles. Starbuck just nodded. The entire chamber was spherical, and a few paces to their left, a ladder led to an upper level. Along the floor, banks of equipment sat against the wall, corroded and rusted into ruin by centuries of water. In front of each was the rusty skeleton of a chair, and corroded cables and conduivine Commander Cain. Eyes. Posture. Voice. Cain in drag. She raked them all with her eyes, like pulsar batteries, before settling them back on the mouthy Cadet. "Understood?" "Understood," squeaked the offending pilot. "Good. Now I'm quite sure that the Colonel is very busy, up on the bridge. I'd hate to have to call him down here for nothing." So said, she slid into her seat, and closed the canopy. Waiting. Prepared. Not wanting to listen to the rest grumble any more. So that she could compose herself for whatever came next. So that none of them could hear her cry. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQ X-UIDL: CI6"!fii!!f])"!P*~#! Culture Shock, Pt 17 by Senmut Pike watched as the wormhole began to open, both beautiful and deadly at the same time. Standing off at extreme range, the Klingon ships were girding as well. Weapons charged, sensors going wild. He looked to his readout&the Tholian vessels were stilng to lift off, and will maintain synchronous orbit over the site till the storm passes." "Affirmative, Bean. See ya when you get back." "Right, sir." "I just hope the tinheads don't decide to come visiting while we're mucking about down here," said Giles. "I'm more comfortable in a cockpit than a catacomb." "Same here, Giles," replied Starbuck. "But for the moment, we're stuck with it." Moving into the chamber, they shown their lanterns around. At first, all they could see were vague shadows, formless flittings amidst the ancient gloom. Then, they slipped on their IR goggles, and stood there a moment, taking it all in. "Lords of Kobol!" whispered Giles. Starbuck just nodded. The entire chamber was spherical, and a few paces to their left, a ladder led to an upper level. Along the floor, banks of equipment sat against the wall, corroded and rusted into ruin by centuries of water. In front of each was the rusty skeleton of a chair, and corroded cables and conduit hung down, like the ancient tears of some mournful ghost. "Not much we can get out of this stuff,' said Giles, examining one console. Little beyond its shell remained, and he gingerly fingered a remaining screen. "CRT screens." "Yeah," said Starbuck. "Shall we check out the next level up, sir?" asked Varica. "Right behind you," said Starbuck, and they carefully ascended the ladder. Up on the next level, the machinery was more intact, though the seats had long rotted away. Both warriors moved over to where Varica was examining a bank of equipment. "Anything?" "Well, I'm afraid all these centuries of humidity will have degraded everything, sir. But I'm hoping I'm wrong." He ran a scanner of one console after another. "These appear to have been computer banks, sir." "Think we can recover a data node, or anything for that matter?" asked Giles. "Give me a bit, sir," replied Varica, and set his lamp down. He opened his pack of equipment, and pulled out toolsl approaching at what he presumed was their maximum speed. If this turned out to be a full-blown battle, the last thing either side needed was the Tholians mucking it up. Captain, piped Alden, turning from his board. Incoming message from the U.S.S. Farragut, sir. She s headed this way, at flank speed. The Farragut? Yes, sir. The Captain sends his greetings, and says to save him some Klingons, sir. Commodore Nogura made no mention of the Farragut. Captain Garrovik says this is on his own initiative, sir. I see, said Pike, and allowed himself a chuckle at his old classmate s joke. Old Save me some Klingons Garrovik. Last he d heard, the Farragut was on some kind of hush-hush mission. No wonder Nogura hadn t said anything. Well, he sighed, he wouldn t want to be in Garrovik s boots when Nogura found out. The Commodore s temper was legendary. Still, the more the merrier. Especially when Klingons were involved. ETA, Mr. Alden? Justit hung down, like the ancient tears of some mournful ghost. "Not much we can get out of this stuff,' said Giles, examining one console. Little beyond its shell remained, and he gingerly fingered a remaining screen. "CRT screens." "Yeah," said Starbuck. "Shall we check out the next level up, sir?" asked Varica. "Right behind you," said Starbuck, and they carefully ascended the ladder. Up on the next level, the machinery was more intact, though the seats had long rotted away. Both warriors moved over to where Varica was examining a bank of equipment. "Anything?" "Well, I'm afraid all these centuries of humidity will have degraded everything, sir. But I'm hoping I'm wrong." He ran a scanner of one console after another. "These appear to have been computer banks, sir." "Think we can recover a data node, or anything for that matter?" asked Giles. "Give me a bit, sir," replied Varica, and set his lamp down. He opened his pack of equipment, and pulled out tools, and a portable power unit. "Let's see," muttered the tech, now oblivious to his superior's presence. He tossed his jacket over the ancient chair, and set to work. The complex Sheba was now moving through was built along similar lines to Starbuck's, though considerably drier. Rows of long-silent equipment sat, as if waiting for their masters to return, and she couldn't help smile at the discovery of a cup and plate left lying next to a bank of screens. As she perused the ancient machines, she found her thoughts torn between worrying about Bojay, wondering where he was and wishing she was the one going off to find him, and again thinking about her missing father. This lugubrious train of worry was cut short by a sudden light, and a shout of success from Callidus. The technician had successfully tied one of the portable power units into the machinery, and brought one of the consoles back to life. Then, slowly, one screen after another began to glow and hum, lights to blink, and so under three hours, sir. Three hours, said Pike, softly. That could be an eternity. Sir, said Spock. The wormhole. This way to Ye Olde Battlestar!!! This way to Ye Olde Battlestar!!! This way to Ye O While the BaseShips dallied on the edges of the system, the Raiders had already penetrated deep within the heliopause. According to the scanners aboard the huge station, they would come into Adama s visual range in just under half a sectar. The Galactica herself would reach the station a few centons later. He turned to the engineering techs, still hanging back a bit over his earlier outburst. Have you found any sign of the defensive systems controls? We did see what looked like anti-aircraft batteries on the hull when we approached, Commander, said one, but we haven t finished our examinations in here yet. We re still& he was interrupted by the computerized voice once more. Defense posture two. Arming all batteries. At once, an entire bank of e, and a portable power unit. "Let's see," muttered the tech, now oblivious to his superior's presence. He tossed his jacket over the ancient chair, and set to work. The complex Sheba was now moving through was built along similar lines to Starbuck's, though considerably drier. Rows of long-silent equipment sat, as if waiting for their masters to return, and she couldn't help smile at the discovery of a cup and plate left lying next to a bank of screens. As she perused the ancient machines, she found her thoughts torn between worrying about Bojay, wondering where he was and wishing she was the one going off to find him, and again thinking about her missing father. This lugubrious train of worry was cut short by a sudden light, and a shout of success from Callidus. The technician had successfully tied one of the portable power units into the machinery, and brought one of the consoles back to life. Then, slowly, one screen after another began to glow and hum, lights to blink, and somewhere a loudspeaker to hiss. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "What have you got?" "Not certain yet," said the tech. The screen in front of him had gone from snow, to displaying unfamiliar symbols. As they hooked in more power cells, more of the old facility came up, till the even the ceiling lights began to glow. "It looks like an archaic space flight control center," said Jolly. On one wall, there was a graphic of the planet, with arcs describing the orbits of long-gone craft. Then, as Callidus experimented with some controls, they got a sensor graphic of. "The wormhole machine," said Sheba. "There must be a still-functional monitoring satellite nearby it." "Correct," said Callidus. "And this." he switched on another panel, "looks to be a tie-in to their mainframe." "Can you access it?' asked Sheba? "I don't know yet. I'll have to try and sample their programming language, and run it through the Galactica`s computer. Hopefully." he shrugged his shoulders. "quipment lit up, and the tech ran for it. Any clue how to open the doors and get us out of here? asked Athena. Not yet, replied another tech, working on the blast door they d entered by. It s sealed by some kind of magnetic lock. And it has a mechanical backup, too. Can we blast our way out? asked Adama. We may have to, sir, said the engineer, eyes focused on the circuits laid bare before him. I can figure it out in time, but we may not get it. That s for sure, said Athena, referring her father s attention to the scanners. The Raiders were closing, and if their tentative translation of the language was correct, the system was informing them that the Cylons had scanned the station. I make out seventeen of them, Father. Our Vipers can handle that number, he replied. Two got through last time, she reminded him softly. He merely nodded, and turned back to the screen. Dietra felt something moving, then slowly realized that it was herselmewhere a loudspeaker to hiss. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "What have you got?" "Not certain yet," said the tech. The screen in front of him had gone from snow, to displaying unfamiliar symbols. As they hooked in more power cells, more of the old facility came up, till the even the ceiling lights began to glow. "It looks like an archaic space flight control center," said Jolly. On one wall, there was a graphic of the planet, with arcs describing the orbits of long-gone craft. Then, as Callidus experimented with some controls, they got a sensor graphic of. "The wormhole machine," said Sheba. "There must be a still-functional monitoring satellite nearby it." "Correct," said Callidus. "And this." he switched on another panel, "looks to be a tie-in to their mainframe." "Can you access it?' asked Sheba? "I don't know yet. I'll have to try and sample their programming language, and run it through the Galactica`s computer. Hopefully." he shrugged his shoulders. "Look," said Jolly, pointing to another screen. This one also showed the wormhole machine, and they could see Adama's shuttle approaching it. "I didn't know they'd launched another one." "Neither did I," replied Sheba. "Let's see if we can tap into their telemetry." Which was exactly what Apollo was trying to do at that very moment, half a world away. Like the rest, his team had succeeded in reviving some of the old equipment. Like the others, his site had been part of a redundant global network of space flight control centers, predominantly geared towards the wormhole device, or at least so he theorized. Right now, all he was was annoyed. "Your father left me in command," said Tigh, image scratchy over the surface to shuttle link. "He was adamant." "Can you put me through to him?' asked Apollo. "I think we've found a clue as to the identity of this planet's inhabitants." "I'll try," replied the Colonel. "What have you found?" "One of the screens here displayef. She tried to open her eyes, but the sheer nausea made her close her eyes once more. She slowly tried to take in her surroundings by feel, and gingerly tried her limbs. One by one, things moved, if painfully. She tried her eyes once more, letting a tiny slit be her window on her world. She was pinned in her seat, and her right side was now facing downwards. As she dared more vision, she saw that the Landram s front window was smashed, and a huge hunk of rock was a mere handsbreadth from her face. A soft electronic hiss was everywhere, and as she looked around, she saw several of the lights blinking erratically on the dash. She also smelled smoke. Puffs of it were coming from under the panel in front of her, and as she watched, the occasional spark as well. She tried to move, but found herself quite stuck. She managed to turn her head, taking in the ruin of the rest of the vehicle, and found Apollo pressing down on her. At any other time, she had to admit, she might have welcomeLook," said Jolly, pointing to another screen. This one also showed the wormhole machine, and they could see Adama's shuttle approaching it. "I didn't know they'd launched another one." "Neither did I," replied Sheba. "Let's see if we can tap into their telemetry." Which was exactly what Apollo was trying to do at that very moment, half a world away. Like the rest, his team had succeeded in reviving some of the old equipment. Like the others, his site had been part of a redundant global network of space flight control centers, predominantly geared towards the wormhole device, or at least so he theorized. Right now, all he was was annoyed. "Your father left me in command," said Tigh, image scratchy over the surface to shuttle link. "He was adamant." "Can you put me through to him?' asked Apollo. "I think we've found a clue as to the identity of this planet's inhabitants." "I'll try," replied the Colonel. "What have you found?" "One of the screens here displayed script in a form very similar to Old Gemonese, sir," said Apollo. He held up his scanner, so Tigh could get a look. "I think the people might have been from Kobol, sir." "That's." began Tigh, but the signal went dead. Almost at once, Dietra called in. "Sir, we're under attack." Apollo could hear the sounds of laser fire from the Landram over the commlink. "Lieutenant?" "Holding my own, sir," came the reply. "I." Silence. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Boomer popped the shuttle's hatch, not waiting for Wilker to signal the all-clear. Who needed to, Boomer decided? Bojay was out there, and obviously breathing whatever the locals were, and he was too glad to see his old Warrior comrade to wait on the prissy scientist. He stepped out onto the Enterprise's flight deck, and at once saw Bojay, running towards him. "Boom-Boom!" "Bojay!" Boomer yelled back, arms wide, smile as well. "You furlon-heisting daggit! So this is where you've been hd it, but here, stuck in the wrecked vehicle, her shoulder screaming, all she wanted was out. Sir? she managed to choke out, her mouth dry, except for the blood on her lips. Apollo did not answer. Captain? Are you& Oh Frack!!! She thought, as she managed to focus on her CO. He was pinned down onto her, his own side s door partly jammed into the cab. But his eyes were closed, and he did not seem to be breathing! Oh Lords! Don t let him be dead! Please& She looked closer. Yes! Yes, he did draw a ragged breath, but his head was at such a lousy angle, how could he breathe? How& HELP!!! she yelled, or tried to, hoping against hope that someone was close by. What came out was more of a jagged squeak. No answer. She yelled once more, more strongly this time, and still all she could hear was her own breathing, and the hiss of the Landram s defunct radio. Slowly, she wriggled her left arm free, despite the pain, and tried to reach around to Apollo s left hip. She stifled a scream, as anod script in a form very similar to Old Gemonese, sir," said Apollo. He held up his scanner, so Tigh could get a look. "I think the people might have been from Kobol, sir." "That's." began Tigh, but the signal went dead. Almost at once, Dietra called in. "Sir, we're under attack." Apollo could hear the sounds of laser fire from the Landram over the commlink. "Lieutenant?" "Holding my own, sir," came the reply. "I." Silence. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Boomer popped the shuttle's hatch, not waiting for Wilker to signal the all-clear. Who needed to, Boomer decided? Bojay was out there, and obviously breathing whatever the locals were, and he was too glad to see his old Warrior comrade to wait on the prissy scientist. He stepped out onto the Enterprise's flight deck, and at once saw Bojay, running towards him. "Boom-Boom!" "Bojay!" Boomer yelled back, arms wide, smile as well. "You furlon-heisting daggit! So this is where you've been hold up!" "Well." "Oh, yeah. I know. You just couldn't resist those Siren beams, and decided to take a tour of this other galaxy." By this time, Pike and his men had moved in, and Bojay did the introductions. "This is Captain Christopher Pike, of the Federation Starship Enterprise," Boomer took his hand, "And this is Science Officer Spock." Spock did not offer his hand, keeping his resolutely behind his back. Bojay introduced the rest, including the Tellarite Security man, Zag, and then it was Wilker's turn. "Your ship is most impressive," said Wilker, as they made their way along the corridor towards Sickbay. Some sort of continuum distortion arrangement, isn't it? The nacelles being fed plasma would seem." "I think you'll enjoy talking with our engineer Scott, Doctor," said Pike, as the reached the turbolift. "Who attacked us?" said Boomer. He explained how they, like Bojay, had been exploring the device, then been here. "That was the Klingons," said Pikther tremor shook the Landram, and it shifted. There was a loud scrape, and the rock slid past the window, and the angle changed, moving Apollo slightly. Then, it was still once more. So that was it. They had fallen into a chasm or sinkhole of some kind, and gotten stuck there. Damn lousy way to end up, she thought. Still, if it weren t for the Landram s metal body, they d be dead already. She called to Apollo once more, but he still made no response. She moved her now freer arm around, and grasped for his laser. With maddening slowness, she teased it free, and managed to get a full grip on it. Despite the pain in her whole left side, she aimed, and squeezed. The first bolt blew one of the driver s side door hinges off, followed by another shot that missed, going through the now empty window frame. After five shots, the door was finally loose. Setting the weapon down on Apollo, she tried to wriggle towards a piece of loose metal from the Landram s roof. After another seeming eteold up!" "Well." "Oh, yeah. I know. You just couldn't resist those Siren beams, and decided to take a tour of this other galaxy." By this time, Pike and his men had moved in, and Bojay did the introductions. "This is Captain Christopher Pike, of the Federation Starship Enterprise," Boomer took his hand, "And this is Science Officer Spock." Spock did not offer his hand, keeping his resolutely behind his back. Bojay introduced the rest, including the Tellarite Security man, Zag, and then it was Wilker's turn. "Your ship is most impressive," said Wilker, as they made their way along the corridor towards Sickbay. Some sort of continuum distortion arrangement, isn't it? The nacelles being fed plasma would seem." "I think you'll enjoy talking with our engineer Scott, Doctor," said Pike, as the reached the turbolift. "Who attacked us?" said Boomer. He explained how they, like Bojay, had been exploring the device, then been here. "That was the Klingons," said Pike. "The Klingwho?" asked Boomer, as they emerged onto Deck 5. "Klingons," said Boyce. "A warrior race, and our enemies by the way. They think that battle is fun, that carnage is cute." "Oh great," said Boomer. "Sounds like the Cylons all over again. But why?" "The probe you sent through the rift struck and damaged one of their ships, Lieutenant," said Pike. "When your shuttle followed so soon after, they did what Klingons always do. They leapt to conclusions, and opened fire." "Well I sure am glad you were here to help, Captain Pike. Our shuttles aren't capable of much in the way of defense," said Wilker. "So we saw," said Pike. They reached Sickbay, and went in. Almost at once, there was a message from the bridge. "Pike here." "Sensor update you requested on the Tholians, sir. No change. ETA, 21 hours, 7 minutes." "Any reply to hails, Number One?" "None, Captain. They are running silent." "I see. Good work, Number One. And our Klingon frnity, she got it, and lifted it, to push on the loose door. It moved surprisingly easily, then fell away, scraping along the side of the machine, to fall noisily, crashing down whatever sort of shaft or tunnel they were in. She dropped the piece of metal, and let out her breath, then loudly yowled in pain. After a breather, she shouted once more for help. She listened for a time, feeling weakness drawing closer by the micron, then shouted yet again. She heard Apollo groan slightly, and turned as best she could to look at him. Clammy, blood on his lips, it was obvious that her CO didn t have much time left. Like I do? she mused. Apollo groaned again, and an eye fluttered. Sir? she whispered, her throat going dry. Captain, can you hear me? Serina? he muttered, almost too faint for her to catch. Serina, I m& He broke off coughing, and opened an eye. The other one was swollen shut. Sir, are you okay? Dumb question, Lieutenant! Any more brilliant questions, Dr.e. "The Klingwho?" asked Boomer, as they emerged onto Deck 5. "Klingons," said Boyce. "A warrior race, and our enemies by the way. They think that battle is fun, that carnage is cute." "Oh great," said Boomer. "Sounds like the Cylons all over again. But why?" "The probe you sent through the rift struck and damaged one of their ships, Lieutenant," said Pike. "When your shuttle followed so soon after, they did what Klingons always do. They leapt to conclusions, and opened fire." "Well I sure am glad you were here to help, Captain Pike. Our shuttles aren't capable of much in the way of defense," said Wilker. "So we saw," said Pike. They reached Sickbay, and went in. Almost at once, there was a message from the bridge. "Pike here." "Sensor update you requested on the Tholians, sir. No change. ETA, 21 hours, 7 minutes." "Any reply to hails, Number One?" "None, Captain. They are running silent." "I see. Good work, Number One. And our Klingon friends?" "Both holding at 17,000, sir. Watching us." "Any communications?' "Messages to their home base, sir. Crypto is on it." "Good, Number One. I'll be there shortly." Pike clicked off, and turned to catch the last part of an exchange between Spock and Wilker. ".called Earth," said the Colonial scientist. "Do you know of it?" "That's what I've been telling Boomer here," said Bojay. "These people, at least most of them, are from Earth!" @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Adama could not help but feel.awe, as he approached the vast construction. Awe at its size, awe at its age. And awe at the sheer technical prowess needed just to design such a structure. A palpable aura of both age, and power hung over the abandoned machine, as he watched the sun glint through a row of windows near its "top". And he was focused on those windows because he wasn't about to repeat the mistakes of the last two exploratory missions. With data retrieved from Sh Dietra? I¬ sure. What happened? The ground collapsed under us, when that wave hit, sir. The Landram got stuck in some kind of shaft. Are&you alright? he asked, almost a rasping breath. For the moment, sir. What about you? I& he began, then tried to move. As he did so, Dietra felt sure she heard the sound of an engine, very far away. Rescue? she wondered, as a wave of nausea began to creep over her. She also could hear someone approaching. Help! she cried once more, and her head swam from the effort. Sir, I think someone s coming. Can you move? The engine sound was drawing closer. A shuttle! I can t&move my legs, whispered Apollo. Arms&Can t& Oh God no! cried Dietra, close to panic, when a brilliant light shone outside the Landram, followed by a figure that appeared in the savaged hatch behind Apollo. A woman in a Warrior uniform with laser on her hip and communicator in hand, Dietra did not at once recognize her. Long, wavy flowing riends?" "Both holding at 17,000, sir. Watching us." "Any communications?' "Messages to their home base, sir. Crypto is on it." "Good, Number One. I'll be there shortly." Pike clicked off, and turned to catch the last part of an exchange between Spock and Wilker. ".called Earth," said the Colonial scientist. "Do you know of it?" "That's what I've been telling Boomer here," said Bojay. "These people, at least most of them, are from Earth!" @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Adama could not help but feel.awe, as he approached the vast construction. Awe at its size, awe at its age. And awe at the sheer technical prowess needed just to design such a structure. A palpable aura of both age, and power hung over the abandoned machine, as he watched the sun glint through a row of windows near its "top". And he was focused on those windows because he wasn't about to repeat the mistakes of the last two exploratory missions. With data retrieved from Sheba's expedition, they had learned of a control section, high atop the device, with a landing deck. Or so it appeared. Coming around the other way, he hoped to avoid tripping the device's still-active systems. "There, Father," said Athena, pointing to her sensors. "A hangar it looks like." "Like the data said," he replied, smiling. "While his daughter might have a tendency to sometimes state the obvious, even when it was glaring out the windows as now, he felt secure in both her observations, and her piloting skills. Things rarely got past Athena. Except men. "Internal scans"? "Nothing, sir," replied one of Wilker's techs, using a setup like the one Wilker had taken. "I read large areas still pressurized, but no bio signs at all." "Power signatures?" "Plenty of them, sir. I'm still trying to isolate and analyze them all. Near as I can tell, the device seems to be in stand-by mode." "Can we safely land?" "As far as we can tell, Commander," saidhair, and a face of an almost angelic sweetness one would hardly expect in a Warrior, she looked from the Lieutenant to Apollo. Are you alright? she asked, checking both victims pulses. Yes, ma am, she replied, but I think Apollo s neck is& She broke off, coughing, tasting blood in her mouth. As she fought for breath, she watched the other Warrior run her hand over Apollo s neck, then lift the communicator to her lips, and call for help, giving their location. Something about that voice, Dietra thought. Wait a bloody centon! Some& You! You& Then she heard other voices approaching, and the darkness took her once more. Aboard the station, Adama watched, unable to do anything, as the Raiders came into view, tiny glinting dots against the black sky. On the scanner, he saw the Galactica approaching as well. Good, he told himself, as the Battlestar drew near. Soon, his plan could be put into motion. Bad, he amended things, as, on the far edge of scanneeba's expedition, they had learned of a control section, high atop the device, with a landing deck. Or so it appeared. Coming around the other way, he hoped to avoid tripping the device's still-active systems. "There, Father," said Athena, pointing to her sensors. "A hangar it looks like." "Like the data said," he replied, smiling. "While his daughter might have a tendency to sometimes state the obvious, even when it was glaring out the windows as now, he felt secure in both her observations, and her piloting skills. Things rarely got past Athena. Except men. "Internal scans"? "Nothing, sir," replied one of Wilker's techs, using a setup like the one Wilker had taken. "I read large areas still pressurized, but no bio signs at all." "Power signatures?" "Plenty of them, sir. I'm still trying to isolate and analyze them all. Near as I can tell, the device seems to be in stand-by mode." "Can we safely land?" "As far as we can tell, Commander," said the second tech," there's no reason why not." "Very well, " said Adama. "Athena, take us in." "Taking us in, Commander." The shuttle nosed down, towards the covered landing deck, and gracefully moved in to the approach pattern. At once, landing lights and computer controls from within kicked on, and after a few moments, began to guide them in. Moving under the huge metal roof of the hangar, Athena felt the sticks tugged from her hands, and the shuttle was guided in. They came to a stop, and beheld the bay before them. "My God," whispered Adama. "Lords of Kobol!" muttered one of the guards. "Look at it, Father," said Athena. "It's like a huge parking garage full of spacecraft." &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Leaping at once into Warrior mode, Apollo made a mad rush for the surface. At once, he was beaten in the face by the heat, but continued on. Almost at once, he could hear shouts, and the pulse of the Landram's gun tub. Drawing his rs, yet another BaseShip came into range, decelerating to rendezvous with the others. The rest had stopped, presumably rendering aid to their crippled sister ship, before moving in for the kill. And a kill, an easy kill, it would be. Against that sort of firepower, they stood no chance. Adama watched as the thirteen Raiders skirted close to the inner planet, heading towards the Galactica. At the same moment, he saw Vipers catapulting off the Battlestar, moving to intercept. Those few Raiders stood no chance, and then they could, he hoped, slip through the& Father, the Cylons are coming here, said Athena, pointing to several dots on the screen. Of the thirteen Raiders, six had broken off from the main group, and were heading towards the station. Adama felt powerless, naked, off the bridge of his ship. Cylons heading this way, and& Opening fire. Each Raider cut loose at the station, lathering the ancient machine with laser fire. Gripping something reflexively, Adama braced the second tech," there's no reason why not." "Very well, " said Adama. "Athena, take us in." "Taking us in, Commander." The shuttle nosed down, towards the covered landing deck, and gracefully moved in to the approach pattern. At once, landing lights and computer controls from within kicked on, and after a few moments, began to guide them in. Moving under the huge metal roof of the hangar, Athena felt the sticks tugged from her hands, and the shuttle was guided in. They came to a stop, and beheld the bay before them. "My God," whispered Adama. "Lords of Kobol!" muttered one of the guards. "Look at it, Father," said Athena. "It's like a huge parking garage full of spacecraft." &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Leaping at once into Warrior mode, Apollo made a mad rush for the surface. At once, he was beaten in the face by the heat, but continued on. Almost at once, he could hear shouts, and the pulse of the Landram's gun tub. Drawing his own weapon, he sought concealment behind something, in this case part of a wall, and risked a look. The Landram was being circled by people, swathed in dark robes, on what looked like some sort of equus. They bore drawn swords, spears, and some of them bows. One spear was sticking out from the top of the vehicle, and Dietra was firing at the attackers whenever there was a proper angle. The gun tub pulsed, and several of the attackers flew backwards, crashing into the sand. Falling back, others loosed arrows at the Landram, missing the warrior atop it. Except for one. Apollo heard a cry of pain, and the firing stopped. One of the primitive weapons had gotten through, and he saw her slump. Angry, and feeling the first tendrils of his ever-near guilt complex begin to stir, he popped out from cover, and fired. One of the attackers went down, then another. He heard the animals scream as the stun shot hit, and fired yet again. And was rewarded for his trouble by an arrow sent in his for the result. Only rather than the catastrophic results he expected, a shield materialized between the station and the Cylons. The Humans felt the huge machine rock gently, but no more. As the Cylons passed over, their shots not getting through, a defensive battery opened up, ripping one fighter into molten bits. The rest of the attack force broke up, then moved to reform for another run on the station. As they did, Adama looked at the BaseShips again. His heart sank into his boots, as he saw them beginning to move again, heading directly for the Galactica s last position. Soon, they d be within scanner range, and then& You, said Adama, to one of the techs. How much solonite do you have? Altogether, about 50 kilons, sir, replied the man. Alright, set a charge to try and blow the door. We ll try and escape, and make it to the shuttle. And the rest, sir? Mine this room. Whatever happens, we can t let the Cylons get their hands on this technology. own weapon, he sought concealment behind something, in this case part of a wall, and risked a look. The Landram was being circled by people, swathed in dark robes, on what looked like some sort of equus. They bore drawn swords, spears, and some of them bows. One spear was sticking out from the top of the vehicle, and Dietra was firing at the attackers whenever there was a proper angle. The gun tub pulsed, and several of the attackers flew backwards, crashing into the sand. Falling back, others loosed arrows at the Landram, missing the warrior atop it. Except for one. Apollo heard a cry of pain, and the firing stopped. One of the primitive weapons had gotten through, and he saw her slump. Angry, and feeling the first tendrils of his ever-near guilt complex begin to stir, he popped out from cover, and fired. One of the attackers went down, then another. He heard the animals scream as the stun shot hit, and fired yet again. And was rewarded for his trouble by an arrow sent in his direction. He once again fired, and the archer was sent sprawling, then again. Then, as if knowing he needed help, the gun tub flared again, and half a dozen or more of the attackers went into the dust, along with their mounts. He fired again, and again, till finally, someone in black figured out that this wasn't such a good idea, and there was a sound like a horn or bugle, and the still functional barbarians began to retreat. Except for one. As he began to move towards the Landram, he heard a scream, and could see a hulking figure atop it, drawn sword glinting in the sunlight. He took aim, and fired. With a scream, the attacker toppled off the machine, head first into the ground. With a burst of speed, he reached the vehicle, and climbed atop, to find. Dietra, semi-conscious, arrow protruding from her left shoulder, her left arm and chest glistening red. Her head lolled back, she tried to focus on Apollo. "Sir." "Save it," he ordered her, taking stock. With the gun, he A&aye, sir. Father, they re coming around again, said Athena. As they watched, the surviving Cylons bore down on the station, opening fire. Unfortunately, after so many millennia, the station s systems were not what they were, and one shot got through. On one monitor, they watched as sparks and bits flew from the station s hull, followed by another. This time, they felt the whole place vibrate more violently. A few more like that, and& began one engineer, when the tables, it seemed, were turned. One fighter, making a run on the station, was suddenly caught in the same greenish beams that had enveloped Bojay. Within moments, all the Cylons were, and were being drug towards the immense maw of the machine. Adama could see their engines spewing fire, trying to escape, but the tiny machines stood no chance. The five Cylons were sucked into the wormhole projector& Lords! shouted someone, as whole banks of equipment lit up like a holiday. Humming loudly, floor vibra direction. He once again fired, and the archer was sent sprawling, then again. Then, as if knowing he needed help, the gun tub flared again, and half a dozen or more of the attackers went into the dust, along with their mounts. He fired again, and again, till finally, someone in black figured out that this wasn't such a good idea, and there was a sound like a horn or bugle, and the still functional barbarians began to retreat. Except for one. As he began to move towards the Landram, he heard a scream, and could see a hulking figure atop it, drawn sword glinting in the sunlight. He took aim, and fired. With a scream, the attacker toppled off the machine, head first into the ground. With a burst of speed, he reached the vehicle, and climbed atop, to find. Dietra, semi-conscious, arrow protruding from her left shoulder, her left arm and chest glistening red. Her head lolled back, she tried to focus on Apollo. "Sir." "Save it," he ordered her, taking stock. With the gun, he lobbed a few extra shots after the fleeing attackers, to put a little more of the fear of God into them, then he opened the hatch, gingerly moving the injured woman towards it. He yanked the spear from its place, tossing it away, but not before noticing that it had sliced through the antenna cable. No wonder the Landram had fallen silent. He got her inside, and settled her as best he could in one of the seats. Double checking to make sure all was locked up tight, he returned to Dietra. "How.is it, sir?" she asked. "Don't know yet," Apollo replied. The arrow had struck her just under the left collarbone, and from the sound of her breathing, punctured her left lung. He pulled the medi- kit out from under the seat, and gave her a shot for pain. Then, gingerly, he began to remove the arrow. Fortunately, it was not barbed, and slid out smoothly, if not painlessly. Mentally, Apollo kicked himself, for not keeping his certs current on first-aid. He searched his memory, then found theting, the entire station seemed to be pulsing with energy. Data and waveforms scrolled across various screens, and the huge cage that made up the bulk of the device glowed and sparkled with energy. The fighters were sucked further into it& And then they were gone. ====================== The wormhole flared to life, and as before, a few of the Enterprise s systems were affected. Pike heard a breaker click, and smelled smoke from somewhere. Spock assured him that auxiliaries were cutting in, when he saw the new arrivals emerge from the brilliantly boiling maw before them. Small, barely visible, they seemed to be racing from the wormhole at high speed. Then, with a final flare of roiling energy, the wormhole closed, collapsing in on itself as rapidly as it had opened, leaving only darkness, and an afterimage on Pike s retinas. Sensors? Interference clearing, reported Spock, bending over his instruments. Five spacecraft, Captain. Power system similar in signature lobbed a few extra shots after the fleeing attackers, to put a little more of the fear of God into them, then he opened the hatch, gingerly moving the injured woman towards it. He yanked the spear from its place, tossing it away, but not before noticing that it had sliced through the antenna cable. No wonder the Landram had fallen silent. He got her inside, and settled her as best he could in one of the seats. Double checking to make sure all was locked up tight, he returned to Dietra. "How.is it, sir?" she asked. "Don't know yet," Apollo replied. The arrow had struck her just under the left collarbone, and from the sound of her breathing, punctured her left lung. He pulled the medi- kit out from under the seat, and gave her a shot for pain. Then, gingerly, he began to remove the arrow. Fortunately, it was not barbed, and slid out smoothly, if not painlessly. Mentally, Apollo kicked himself, for not keeping his certs current on first-aid. He searched his memory, then found the anti-septic pad, and cleaned the wound as best he could. Then, applying a pressure bandage, he covered it, hoping that the anti-biotic impregnated into the bandage was still good. "How do you feel?" he asked, after he was done with his makeshift doctoring. "Like a." she broke off, coughing. "Like a BaseShip landed on my chest, sir. Are you." "I'm okay, Lieutenant," he told her. He slid into the other seat, and fired up the vehicle. "I'm going to find cover. That wave will be here any centon." "Any.any good news, down below, sir?" "We found what might be records, but you keep quiet, Lieutenant," he ordered. "You need to conserve all your strength." "But." "That's an order, Lieutenant!" "Aye, s." hack, wheeze. "Sir." Apollo found a length of wall, apparently of granite, and ensconced the Landram behind it as best he could. On the scanner, the bizarre wave was closing. Five centons. Four. He belted them both in, and waited. And gritted his teeth anti-septic pad, and cleaned the wound as best he could. Then, applying a pressure bandage, he covered it, hoping that the anti-biotic impregnated into the bandage was still good. "How do you feel?" he asked, after he was done with his makeshift doctoring. "Like a." she broke off, coughing. "Like a BaseShip landed on my chest, sir. Are you." "I'm okay, Lieutenant," he told her. He slid into the other seat, and fired up the vehicle. "I'm going to find cover. That wave will be here any centon." "Any.any good news, down below, sir?" "We found what might be records, but you keep quiet, Lieutenant," he ordered. "You need to conserve all your strength." "But." "That's an order, Lieutenant!" "Aye, s." hack, wheeze. "Sir." Apollo found a length of wall, apparently of granite, and ensconced the Landram behind it as best he could. On the scanner, the bizarre wave was closing. Five centons. Four. He belted them both in, and waited. And gritted his teethto the Colonial Viper and shuttle. Negative life signs. He adjusted something, then stood. Craft are Cylon fighters, sir. Weapon s status? All weapons report ready, sir, said Number One. Excellent. For a few moments, it seemed as if the Cylons were just careening through space, going nowhere in particular. No doubt, Pike decided, they had experienced their own systems problems coming through the wormhole. But unlike their Colonial counterparts, they recovered more quickly. Within seconds, they craft had formed up, and were accelerating. Towards Enterprise. Hail them, Mr. Alden, ordered Pike. Warn them off. Reading target acquisition from Cylon craft, sir, said Tyler. No answer to hails, sir, reported Alden, but then a voice, crackly and droningly electronic, came from the speakers. Stand down, Humans. Surrender or be terminated. Mr. Alden? Transmission stopped, sir. Full power to deflectors, ordered Pike. He as the leading edge of the wave reached them, rocking them back and forth like a Cylon fusillade. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Athena set the shuttle down in as near to the center of the cluttered bay as possible. Or rather sat in her seat feeling useless, and watched it be landed, by remote control. Scans indicated internal atmosphere, breathable by Humans, but Adama insisted on each of them donning an oxygen mask, just in case. The senior warrior popped the hatch, and descended to the deck. The others followed one by one, then signaled Adama it was clear. It was huge, this bay. Adama was forcibly reminded of the first time he had ever set foot on a Battlestar. As a young cadet, his first Academy examination barely behind him, he and his class went aboard the Horus, for their first real look at a warship. He d felt tiny, in the cavernous landing bay, as they d filed out of the shuttle, and now the feeling was back with a vengeance. He looked arou as the leading edge of the wave reached them, rocking them back and forth like a Cylon fusillade. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Athena set the shuttle down in as near to the center of the cluttered bay as possible. Or rather sat in her seat feeling useless, and watched it be landed, by remote control. Scans indicated internal atmosphere, breathable by Humans, but Adama insisted on each of them donning an oxygen mask, just in case. The senior warrior popped the hatch, and descended to the deck. The others followed one by one, then signaled Adama it was clear. It was huge, this bay. Adama was forcibly reminded of the first time he had ever set foot on a Battlestar. As a young cadet, his first Academy examination barely behind him, he and his class went aboard the Horus, for their first real look at a warship. He d felt tiny, in the cavernous landing bay, as they d filed out of the shuttle, and now the feeling was back with a vengeance. He looked arou d barely spoken when the lead Cylon opened fire, the fighters having crossed the distance to the Federation ship in a few seconds. The rest of the Raiders followed suit, lathering fire across the Enterprise s upper hull and left nacelle. She rocked, but the deflectors held against the alien fusillade, shimmering blue as they easily shunted the energy aside. Phaser banks, lock on! ordered Pike. Return fire! At his word, angry red energy spat out from the vessel, but the nimble enemy craft evaded the first salvo. Then, splitting up, they dove on Enterprise from both sides, firing. They could feel the ship rock with the impacts, but the screens held against the less powerful lasers. Sir, said Alden, one of the Colonials is requesting permission to launch his Viper craft, to fight the Cylons, sir. Tell him we can t launch from the shuttle bay when shields are up. Aye, sir. Got one!!! cheered Tyler, as a Cylon fighter evaporated in a direct hit from the Enterpnd, marveling at all the derelict craft left abandoned here. My scanner counts 23 craft, father, reported Athena. Negative on any bio signs. Hardly likely after all these yahren, I should think, he replied. Despite the hangar having air, it was quite cold. Athena felt it, too, and returned to the shuttle, for heavy parkas for them all. A little warmer now, they continued on. This looks like an old-fashioned Nebula-class transport, she observed, of one vessel, blocky, with large engine pods in back. Another was very similar to the shuttle they came in, but the rest were unfamiliar, and the warbook had no record of any such. The bay is secure, reported one of the warriors. No one here, Commander. Thank-you, replied Adama. Father, I think we should try and salvage some of these ships, said Athena, examining the control pad next to the hatch of one. It was long, sleek, and highly streamlined engine nacelles. Oh? Why? The fleet is chronicalnd, marveling at all the derelict craft left abandoned here. My scanner counts 23 craft, father, reported Athena. Negative on any bio signs. Hardly likely after all these yahren, I should think, he replied. Despite the hangar having air, it was quite cold. Athena felt it, too, and returned to the shuttle, for heavy parkas for them all. A little warmer now, they continued on. This looks like an old-fashioned Nebula-class transport, she observed, of one vessel, blocky, with large engine pods in back. Another was very similar to the shuttle they came in, but the rest were unfamiliar, and the warbook had no record of any such. The bay is secure, reported one of the warriors. No one here, Commander. Thank-you, replied Adama. Father, I think we should try and salvage some of these ships, said Athena, examining the control pad next to the hatch of one. It was long, sleek, and highly streamlined engine nacelles. Oh? Why? The fleet is chronicalrise s phasers. The others peeled off, trying to get out of range. But they had no idea of what this ship s range was, and soon another was violently boiling away into plasma, to join the first. Enemy craft now at three, sir, reported Spock. They re coming around again, said Number One, as the surviving Cylons formed up. They fired at the port banks, one shot a near miss, the second a direct hit. Tyler weaved the ship out of the way, and the enemy craft sped by, their next shots useless. With surprising speed, they came around again, and once more the Enterprise opened fire. A phaser beam cut close to one, just as it opened fire. The phaser beam was off, sending the Raider spinning into space. The next fighter took a bead on Enterprise, accelerated to full, and dove in at full speed, blasting. Its shots buttoned the ship s upper sensor array, maintaining target until its lasers overheated. On the bridge, a panel began to smoke, as circuits overloaded. Targeting senly short of resources. Lords of Kobol, I don t need to tell you that. With these ships, we d have metal, maybe even useable parts we could adapt to our own ships. Things we haven t had much access to since we left the Colonies. You have a point, Athena. It has been a while since our last overhaul, Adama said, considering it. The fleet was chronically finding itself out of something. Perhaps& Commander, came the voice of one of the warriors, over the commlink. We ve found the hatch out of the bay, sir. On our way, said Adama. He and his daughter threaded their way through the many abandoned craft, to find the warriors clustered around an airlock hatch, lights above it still blinking. According to scans, sir, said one, it leads to a corridor, then up& he pointed to the control gantry, above and to their left, to that deck. Sensors say it s the control deck, and we read active power signatures up inside there. Then let s go, said Adama, and moved to the door. Hely short of resources. Lords of Kobol, I don t need to tell you that. With these ships, we d have metal, maybe even useable parts we could adapt to our own ships. Things we haven t had much access to since we left the Colonies. You have a point, Athena. It has been a while since our last overhaul, Adama said, considering it. The fleet was chronically finding itself out of something. Perhaps& Commander, came the voice of one of the warriors, over the commlink. We ve found the hatch out of the bay, sir. On our way, said Adama. He and his daughter threaded their way through the many abandoned craft, to find the warriors clustered around an airlock hatch, lights above it still blinking. According to scans, sir, said one, it leads to a corridor, then up& he pointed to the control gantry, above and to their left, to that deck. Sensors say it s the control deck, and we read active power signatures up inside there. Then let s go, said Adama, and moved to the door. Hesor control circuit, said Spock. Attempting to re& Hang on!!! said Tyler, as the last phaser shot missed it s target. The Cylon had evaded the phaser, and roared on, slamming directly into the underside of the ship s saucer section. The solonite aboard it exploded violently, damaging the deflector, and driving white-hot chunks of metal up into the Enterprise s hull. Everyone on the bridge was jarred violently as the Raider obliterated itself, and a panel to Pike s right erupted in sparks. As he picked himself up, he saw the main viewer go dark, and felt the gravity beneath his feet flutter. Damage report! he bellowed, moving to pick Yeoman Colt up from the deck. She had a minor cut on her forehead, but nothing worse. Starboard deflectors four and five down reported Spock. Airlock three destroyed, loss of communications on deck six and seven. What happened? asked Pike, none too gently. We experienced a momentary loss of sensor tracking, sir, reported studied it a bit. A keypad, apparently numeric, and three buttons atop them. Red, green, and yellow. The numbers, he realized after a few moments, were similar to those classified in the Galactica s database as Old Gemonese . Having studied archaic Colonial scripts since Kobol, he made an educated guess, and tried it. Much to his surprise, the red light began blinking, then the green lit up, solidly, and the door opened. Inside was a large chamber, like an oversized elevator car. Shall we? ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc As with the other Colonials, Doctor Boyce found Boomer and Wilker to be in excellent health. Although there were a few curious variations, such as both Wilker and Bojay having their hearts on the right side, and a curiously different blood chemistry, they were unquestionably Human, he declared, and remarkably free of any disease organisms the Enterprise crew need worry about. As was his custom, the ship s chatty CMO engaged his patie studied it a bit. A keypad, apparently numeric, and three buttons atop them. Red, green, and yellow. The numbers, he realized after a few moments, were similar to those classified in the Galactica s database as Old Gemonese . Having studied archaic Colonial scripts since Kobol, he made an educated guess, and tried it. Much to his surprise, the red light began blinking, then the green lit up, solidly, and the door opened. Inside was a large chamber, like an oversized elevator car. Shall we? ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc As with the other Colonials, Doctor Boyce found Boomer and Wilker to be in excellent health. Although there were a few curious variations, such as both Wilker and Bojay having their hearts on the right side, and a curiously different blood chemistry, they were unquestionably Human, he declared, and remarkably free of any disease organisms the Enterprise crew need worry about. As was his custom, the ship s chatty CMO engaged his patie Spock. One of the enemy craft used that to evade our fire, and make a&kam.. Kamikaze. Yes. A kamikaze strike on the ship. What s the status of our sensors? Attempting to reroute through the secondary system, sir. We should have full sensors momentarily. Get me engineering, said the Captain. He turned to survey the bridge. And get me the viewscreen back! Viewscreen now, sir, said Alden. True to his word, the main viewer kicked back in, showing the stars around them. And a Klingon D-7 battlecruiser, the I.K.V. Groth, just dropping out of warp. =================== It had been a near thing, Barton told himself, as he clawed for space, the shuttle s engines screaming in protest. He d be sure to get his skin peeled off when he got back to the Galactica, he told himself. He d disobeyed a direct order from Tigh, and launched a shuttle, even as the fleet was pulling out of orbit, to return and pick up Apollo s team. No matter what, he couldn tnts in conversation, and found them enjoyable. Boomer, besides being a warrior, was actually a closet philosopher, and Wilker asked a lot of questions about the engineering of the medical equipment in Sickbay. But the major topic of conversation was Earth. Wilker had never really believed it existed, but now, in the ship s briefing room, he was shown photos charts and scans of the Federation homeworld. He was astounded, not merely that the world Adama so passionately sought actually existed, but at the level of technology she manifested. The huge spacedocks in orbit, the terraforming of the Moon, the ships. Oh yes, the ships. As a pilot, Boomer found the level of shipbuilding technology beyond what he d ever believed possible. Yes, the Colonies were the most advanced race, aside from the Cylons, his people had ever found in their part of the galaxy, but in this quadrant& Here, Bojay pointed out, on the main screen. This is the entire galaxy. Their cartographers have divided it nts in conversation, and found them enjoyable. Boomer, besides being a warrior, was actually a closet philosopher, and Wilker asked a lot of questions about the engineering of the medical equipment in Sickbay. But the major topic of conversation was Earth. Wilker had never really believed it existed, but now, in the ship s briefing room, he was shown photos charts and scans of the Federation homeworld. He was astounded, not merely that the world Adama so passionately sought actually existed, but at the level of technology she manifested. The huge spacedocks in orbit, the terraforming of the Moon, the ships. Oh yes, the ships. As a pilot, Boomer found the level of shipbuilding technology beyond what he d ever believed possible. Yes, the Colonies were the most advanced race, aside from the Cylons, his people had ever found in their part of the galaxy, but in this quadrant& Here, Bojay pointed out, on the main screen. This is the entire galaxy. Their cartographers have divided it reconcile himself to just leaving his Strike Captain, and friend, to die on some nameless alien rock, while he and the fleet rocketed off to safety. Or whatever safety they Cylons were likely to permit them. He looked at his scanners. Behind him, the BaseShips were just coming into range, and would soon, doubtless, launch fighters. If he didn t make it back before then, he was a toasted mushie. As were his passengers. On the floor, still as death, lay Apollo, Dietra next to him. Seated behind him were the members of Apollo s team, all their data and artifacts dumped unceremoniously in a heap on the floor. The one medtech he d convinced to come with him was running an instrument over both prostrate Warriors. From her expression, he didn t think it looked good. It doesn t look good, said Cassiopeia. Dietra s lost a hell of a lot of blood. And Apollo& Yeah? His neck was fractured. She ran a scanner over the insensate man. That s weird. What? His neck. The verup into four quadrants. This is where we are, and this& he waited while Lt. Scott shifted the view, is the area we come from. That must be over&50,000 light-yahren, estimated Wilker, studying the chart. Lords of Kobol, the technology of that machine is greater than we imagined. So it seems, said Scott, finding Wilker interesting, from the scientific point of view. Though the technology so far displayed by the Colonials was behind that of his own people, Scott had discovered in conversation that the Colonial scientist was well up to discussing more advanced topics. Everything from wormhole theory, to the basics of the propulsion system that powered the Enterprise. We ve known about anti-matter for hundreds of yahren, said Wilker. It was first predicted in equations published before we even developed chemical rockets. But it was never found to be cost effective. How so? asked Scott. up into four quadrants. This is where we are, and this& he waited while Lt. Scott shifted the view, is the area we come from. That must be over&50,000 light-yahren, estimated Wilker, studying the chart. Lords of Kobol, the technology of that machine is greater than we imagined. So it seems, said Scott, finding Wilker interesting, from the scientific point of view. Though the technology so far displayed by the Colonials was behind that of his own people, Scott had discovered in conversation that the Colonial scientist was well up to discussing more advanced topics. Everything from wormhole theory, to the basics of the propulsion system that powered the Enterprise. We ve known about anti-matter for hundreds of yahren, said Wilker. It was first predicted in equations published before we even developed chemical rockets. But it was never found to be cost effective. How so? asked Scott. tebrae looks like it s been fused. What s that mean? asked Barton, utterly ignorant of matters medical. I don t know, said Cassie, shaking her head. How are we doing? Got the Galactica on scanners. We re closing, Cassie. Hey, hey, said Cassie, as Dietra opened her eyes, and tried to rise. Just hold it a centon, Lieutenant. Where& On your way back to the ship, Dietra, the former socialator told her. Just be quiet. Where is she? asked Dietra, looking about the shuttle. Where is the other one? Who? The Lieutenant that found Apollo and I in the Landram, said Dietra, voice raspy. She called for help. I don t know who you re talking about, said Cassie. She looked up at the rest of the team, questioningly. We re it, said one tech, motioning to the rest of the team. There was no other Warrior, man or woman. But someone called up over the commlink, said Barton. A woman s voice, giving me the exact coordinates where Well, our earl generation FTL drives were powered by a complex series of reactions involving a highly energetic and volatile mineral we call tylium. Once the engineering was worked out, it became fairly cheap to operate, because our region of space was full of sources of tylium. Among the planets in our region known to us, we estimated that there was sufficient tylium to fuel our ships for thousands of yahren. Och, I see, replied the Scot. Economics. Well yes, that, said Wilker, and the fact that some early anti-matter experiments ended disastrously. However, Mr. Scott, I am familiar with the basic theory, and would be pleased to examine aspects of your engineering systems. Well, some o our systems are classified, as ye can appreciate, Doctor. But I think the Captain ll approve yer takin a wee look at what s in the public domain. I would appreciate it. Me, too, said Boomer, but I have a question closer to home. Is there any way we can contact our fleet? Let the Landram was. I homed in on the signal. And someone called down to us, telling us exactly where you were, said the tech. that wasn t you? No, Barton shook his head. But she was there, insisted Dietra. I saw her. I said, stay still! said Cassie, and pressed a hypo to her patient s arm. Dietra sank to the deck. Galactica ahead, said Barton. Prepare for landing, everyone. Cassie buckled in, and sat back, watching the landing bay draw closer. As ship s flight control took over, she couldn t help but wonder: They had Apollo, Lords be praised. But what about Starbuck? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CULTURE SHOCK, pt. 18 by Maggie Starbuck jerked awake. They had stopped. And he had dozed off, he realized. He glanced at his chronometer and at the faces of the others. He was not the only one who had succumbed to the gentle swaying of the transport; all but Varica were shaking off the effects of their brief but muc Well, our earl generation FTL drives were powered by a complex series of reactions involving a highly energetic and volatile mineral we call tylium. Once the engineering was worked out, it became fairly cheap to operate, because our region of space was full of sources of tylium. Among the planets in our region known to us, we estimated that there was sufficient tylium to fuel our ships for thousands of yahren. Och, I see, replied the Scot. Economics. Well yes, that, said Wilker, and the fact that some early anti-matter experiments ended disastrously. However, Mr. Scott, I am familiar with the basic theory, and would be pleased to examine aspects of your engineering systems. Well, some o our systems are classified, as ye can appreciate, Doctor. But I think the Captain ll approve yer takin a wee look at what s in the public domain. I would appreciate it. Me, too, said Boomer, but I have a question closer to home. Is there any way we can contact our fleet? Let them know we re okay, and how to trigger that machine to get here? I canna help ye, there, replied Scott. The wormhole was, accordin to our sensors, one way only. And without an exact understandin of the mechanism used, we canna open a wormhole from this end. He saw Boomer clench his jaw in frustration, and Bojay curse silently under his breath. What about a signal? asked Boomer, who s sideline was in communications. Same story, lads. Yer fleet is over fifty thousand light- years from here. He highlighted it on the starchart. Even a subspace message at full power would take near ta a century ta get there. And by that time& Right. It would be pretty attenuated, replied Boomer. He sighed. Well, it was worth a try, Lieutenant Scott. Och, call me Scotty, replied the engineer. Unless it s the Cap n or such, I hate titles. Alright. Scotty, then. Lords of Kobol, sighed Bojay, looking once more at the galactic map. Over 50,000. I sure hope the Cylonh needed rest. "It's been almost a centar," Starbuck commented as he stretched and climbed to his feet. "Yes," said Varica, "and according to my scans, we've traveled 14.3 kilometrons due east. That would put us on the far side of the mountain range." "Let's find out where we are," said O'Kala, shouldering her pack and moving towards the exit. The others did likewise, and the scientist moved to press the pad key inscribed with the word that translated to "open." "Wait!" Shauna slipped her breather over her head. "We don't know if there's a breathable atmosphere out there, or not." O'Kala shook her head, wondering how she could have forgotten that, donned her breather, and waited until the others were ready. The she pressed the pad. The doors parted. Cautiously, she stepped out and gazed around, moving aside to let the others exit, as well. The chamber was vast, and, unlike the musty, dank submarine control center, this place had been well preserved. And the power had them know we re okay, and how to trigger that machine to get here? I canna help ye, there, replied Scott. The wormhole was, accordin to our sensors, one way only. And without an exact understandin of the mechanism used, we canna open a wormhole from this end. He saw Boomer clench his jaw in frustration, and Bojay curse silently under his breath. What about a signal? asked Boomer, who s sideline was in communications. Same story, lads. Yer fleet is over fifty thousand light- years from here. He highlighted it on the starchart. Even a subspace message at full power would take near ta a century ta get there. And by that time& Right. It would be pretty attenuated, replied Boomer. He sighed. Well, it was worth a try, Lieutenant Scott. Och, call me Scotty, replied the engineer. Unless it s the Cap n or such, I hate titles. Alright. Scotty, then. Lords of Kobol, sighed Bojay, looking once more at the galactic map. Over 50,000. I sure hope the Cylons don t find that portal. Amen to that, Bo, said Boomer. I ll die happy if I never see one of those shiny assassins again. Tell me somethin , laddie, said Scott. Who are these Lords o Kobol yer always mentionin ? Well, began Bojay, when Boomer deferred to him, our history tells us we originated on a planet called Kobol, approximately seven millennia ago. Now, Kobol was dying, and our ancestors& ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc To a Human observer, Command Centurion Noxius would have seemed utterly unresponsive, sitting in his command chair, not seeming to regard any of the other Cylons about him. But said observer would have been wrong. As more and more of the BaseShip s systems came back on-line, the Commander plugged himself in to the ship s diagnostic interface, allowing him full access to what was going on. Most of the ship s defensive systems were on-line again, or would be, and full electrical power had been restored throughout tbeen activated; thus, artificial lights shone brightly off gleaming, metallic surfaces. Like the other, the chamber was circular, and panel after panel of controls and equipment lined the perimeter. In the center, an enormous core device, perhaps the generator, stretched up to and through the ceiling some thirty metrons above them, as well as down through the floor, by all appearances. In addition, part of the chamber had expansive windows that looked out beyond Ÿ?" to what, they were not close enough to discern, yet. O'Kala took a few more steps, then stopped and wrapped her arms around herself. "Frak, it's cold!" she said. Starbuck was the last to leave the transport. The dry chill of the environment stung his ears as he moved out into the chamber. "What's the temperature?" he asked as he pulled his flight jacket around him. Varica had his scanner out. "37 centions," he said. "But it's slowly rising." "Okay, okay," muttered Giles. "So it takes awhile for the systemss don t find that portal. Amen to that, Bo, said Boomer. I ll die happy if I never see one of those shiny assassins again. Tell me somethin , laddie, said Scott. Who are these Lords o Kobol yer always mentionin ? Well, began Bojay, when Boomer deferred to him, our history tells us we originated on a planet called Kobol, approximately seven millennia ago. Now, Kobol was dying, and our ancestors& ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc To a Human observer, Command Centurion Noxius would have seemed utterly unresponsive, sitting in his command chair, not seeming to regard any of the other Cylons about him. But said observer would have been wrong. As more and more of the BaseShip s systems came back on-line, the Commander plugged himself in to the ship s diagnostic interface, allowing him full access to what was going on. Most of the ship s defensive systems were on-line again, or would be, and full electrical power had been restored throughout the ship. Hull breaches had been sealed and braced, and each landing bay was fully operational once more. However& The engines were still giving the engineers trouble. Several relays had blown out less than 5 centons ago, setting back the repair estimates by at least 50 centons. Every moment was precious, Noxious knew. Each centon allowed the Galactica to repair and restore also, increasing the chances that Adama would, once more, escape. With as close to anger as a Cylon of his caste ever gets, Noxious swore that this would not happen. To add to his frustration, his call for additional BaseShips had only just been acknowledged. Apparently, those above him were busy elsewhere, destroying yet another inferior species, and had relegated his request to a lower status. Now, instead of replying in the affirmative, he was being asked for additional clarification of the current situation. As if the loss of one BaseShip, and the near-destruction of another was not sufficiently clear. Havi to return to normal. Afterall, they've only been operational for a little over a centar Ÿ?" for the first time in a thousand yahrens." "Well, what about the atmosphere?" asked Starbuck. "Still too thin to be breathable," answered Varica. "We'll have to make due," said Starbuck, squinting through his breather as each warm breath began to condense on the mask. "Let's spread out and see if we can figure out some of these controls." Equipped with hand-held languatrons, now programmed to correlate the alien scrip with ancient Gemonese, the team eagerly scattered to examine the gleaming control panels that seemed unfazed by the passage of time. Excitement and the prospect of finding a functional exit to the surface overruled the cold. Varica and Thomson headed towards the center core structure, while the others spread out towards the panels that ringed the chamber. Giles and Starbuck walked towards the huge windows, curious as to what lay beyond. Whatever it was, the power dihe ship. Hull breaches had been sealed and braced, and each landing bay was fully operational once more. However& The engines were still giving the engineers trouble. Several relays had blown out less than 5 centons ago, setting back the repair estimates by at least 50 centons. Every moment was precious, Noxious knew. Each centon allowed the Galactica to repair and restore also, increasing the chances that Adama would, once more, escape. With as close to anger as a Cylon of his caste ever gets, Noxious swore that this would not happen. To add to his frustration, his call for additional BaseShips had only just been acknowledged. Apparently, those above him were busy elsewhere, destroying yet another inferior species, and had relegated his request to a lower status. Now, instead of replying in the affirmative, he was being asked for additional clarification of the current situation. As if the loss of one BaseShip, and the near-destruction of another was not sufficiently clear. Having no choice but to comply, he clarified the situation, and was told that reinforcements would be dispatched as soon as feasible . Now, of course, would have been better. Noxious, deep in his digital excuse for a soul, absolutely hated Lucifer. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Aboard the Klingon vessel P Kuth, Kleege was doing much the same as Noxious, over 50,000 light-years distant. He was also glaring at the image of Enterprise on his main screen. Like most Klingons of his generation and class, he despised Humans. Soft, merciful, and weak, the galaxy reeked of them, and their sickening love of&peace. Oh how he longed, nay lusted, to see the federation ship fly to bits under his weapons, her crew taken and given over to the Examiners for whatever information they had. He also longed to get his hands on Pike, making the Earther suffer long and sweetly for the damage inflicted on his ship. Apparently, the rumors were true. The patakh did have ad not appear to be functional, because all was dark. At first, they could see nothing. Starbuck was about to turn away, when Giles suddenly pointed. "There! Look! Is that what I think it is?" Starbuck risked swiping the fog from the inside of his breather and then peered down to where Giles was pointing. The light from the chamber was reflecting off a metallic object. As the lieutenant followed the outline and shape of the thing, he realized what Giles was saying. "Yes!" he shouted loud enough to bring everyone else trotting over to the windows. "What? What is it?" asked Sirrion. All he saw was darkness. "Down there!" Starbuck pointed to a location below the chamber. "Look! It 's a ship!" Indeed, as they all stared and their eyes adjusted, they could just barely discern the grey forms of at least half a dozen ships. "A hangar!" shouted Giles. "It must be a hangar bay!" With a determined fervor, their hopes soaring, the team searched the control panels for a ng no choice but to comply, he clarified the situation, and was told that reinforcements would be dispatched as soon as feasible . Now, of course, would have been better. Noxious, deep in his digital excuse for a soul, absolutely hated Lucifer. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Aboard the Klingon vessel P Kuth, Kleege was doing much the same as Noxious, over 50,000 light-years distant. He was also glaring at the image of Enterprise on his main screen. Like most Klingons of his generation and class, he despised Humans. Soft, merciful, and weak, the galaxy reeked of them, and their sickening love of&peace. Oh how he longed, nay lusted, to see the federation ship fly to bits under his weapons, her crew taken and given over to the Examiners for whatever information they had. He also longed to get his hands on Pike, making the Earther suffer long and sweetly for the damage inflicted on his ship. Apparently, the rumors were true. The patakh did have a new weapon system. More powerful than the standard lasers he was equipped with, it had almost blown through his shields, and into his hull. Hopefully, those idiots back at the High Command would get around to reading his report, before he and his crew were reduced to dust. Obviously, the Earther scum were planning something, an attack on the Empire he felt sure. Yes??!! he barked at the underling who appeared at his elbow. Status report, sir, said the young officer. Shields and life- support restored. Engines, Lieutenant Koloth? Still under repair, sir. Very well. Dismissed. He scarcely noticed as the Lieutenant left, and returned to his lugubrious musings. He called up the sensor logs, and took another look at the mysterious alien vessel that the Enterprise had intervened to attend. Mode of power was uncertain, but appeared to be some kind of chemical reaction drive. It s design was totally unfamiliar, though the readings of two Humans aboard hinted at a new weapon system. More powerful than the standard lasers he was equipped with, it had almost blown through his shields, and into his hull. Hopefully, those idiots back at the High Command would get around to reading his report, before he and his crew were reduced to dust. Obviously, the Earther scum were planning something, an attack on the Empire he felt sure. Yes??!! he barked at the underling who appeared at his elbow. Status report, sir, said the young officer. Shields and life- support restored. Engines, Lieutenant Koloth? Still under repair, sir. Very well. Dismissed. He scarcely noticed as the Lieutenant left, and returned to his lugubrious musings. He called up the sensor logs, and took another look at the mysterious alien vessel that the Enterprise had intervened to attend. Mode of power was uncertain, but appeared to be some kind of chemical reaction drive. It s design was totally unfamiliar, though the readings of two Humans aboard hinted at a way to access the bay and to operate any portals. Logic told them that this chamber was the control center, and where there were ships, there had to be an exit. Passage out and to the surface. Their escape. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It took nearly 50 centons, but with O'Kala's linguistic finesse, they finally deciphered not only the controls for the hangar bay doors, but also for the power system for the interior. Artificial lights flickered on, then off for several moments, then back on again, revealing what could only be a huge hangar bay; they could now see maybe twenty different ships and transports. More importantly, they could see the sealed blast doors opposite the control center. They also discovered a sensor array. Varica studied the lines of script and the graphics, inputting what information he could into his languatron. It did not take long for him to realize that the readings were of the planetary system. As he checked and rechecked the information, Federation connection. The craft that had struck the other ship seemed, now, to be a probe of some kind, not a warship or torpedo of any sort. But what puzzled Kleege the most was the way the alien ships had appeared, amidst a massive surge of various radiations. While his ship s sensors were not as complete or advanced as those the Federation fielded, he knew the signs of a wormhole when he saw one, having grown up the son of a scientist. The computer concurred. The interloper craft had come from somewhere else, far away. Very far away. Being the ever-cautious predator that most Klingons were, Kleege changed position, pointing his ship s bow towards the exact coordinates where the wormhole had been. Nearby, the B ath remained as she was, weapons pointed towards the Federation scum. Whichever happened first, the wormhole opening again, or the Enterprise attacking once more, he would be ready. Incoming message for you, sir, said Koloth. Yes? cccccccccccccccccFederation connection. The craft that had struck the other ship seemed, now, to be a probe of some kind, not a warship or torpedo of any sort. But what puzzled Kleege the most was the way the alien ships had appeared, amidst a massive surge of various radiations. While his ship s sensors were not as complete or advanced as those the Federation fielded, he knew the signs of a wormhole when he saw one, having grown up the son of a scientist. The computer concurred. The interloper craft had come from somewhere else, far away. Very far away. Being the ever-cautious predator that most Klingons were, Kleege changed position, pointing his ship s bow towards the exact coordinates where the wormhole had been. Nearby, the B ath remained as she was, weapons pointed towards the Federation scum. Whichever happened first, the wormhole opening again, or the Enterprise attacking once more, he would be ready. Incoming message for you, sir, said Koloth. Yes? ccccccccccccccccche felt a cold knot in his stomach that had nothing to do with the temperature of the chamber. "Frak," he muttered. "Frak and felgercarb . . ." The others turned towards him. "What is it?" asked Starbuck. "Take a look," Varica said as everyone gathered around him. "The graphics tell it all. The written text just confirms it." "Lords of Kobol . . ." whispered Starbuck. Only two ships were present in all of the system. Two. Not 220. Two. "Where's the Fleet?" he asked quietly, fighting the foreboding feeling that was welling up inside. All were silent for several long centons as they absorbed the information. Had they located an exit only to discover that they were stranded? On a world where they could only tolerate the radiation levels above ground for a couple of days? "Shit!" muttered Giles. Then one of the blips vanished as the readings indicated a power surge. "The wormhole!" shouted Varica. Starbuck turned, walked purposefully to the windows and stared at cccccccccccccccccccccccccc Report from crypto, sir, reported Lt. Alden, to Pike, on the bridge. Yes? The Klingons have requested reinforcements, sir. And we ve just intercepted an answer. Which is? Another ship is on its way, sir. The IKV Groth. Computer has identified her as one of their new ships, sir. D-7 class battlecruiser. Lovely, said Pike. Just one? So far as we ve heard, sir. Just the Groth. And our request to Starfleet, Lieutenant Alden? We ve just received a response from Commodore Nogura, sir. The Constellation and the Reliant have been dispatched, Captain. ETA? Sixteen hours three minutes on the Reliant, sir. Nine hours on the Constellation. And the Klingon ship? Approximately eight hours till she s here, sir, replied Alden. He, Mr. Alden. Klingon vessels are referred to as he. Understood, sir. Hand me that comm extract, please, he asked, and reviewed the infcccccccccccccccccccccccccc Report from crypto, sir, reported Lt. Alden, to Pike, on the bridge. Yes? The Klingons have requested reinforcements, sir. And we ve just intercepted an answer. Which is? Another ship is on its way, sir. The IKV Groth. Computer has identified her as one of their new ships, sir. D-7 class battlecruiser. Lovely, said Pike. Just one? So far as we ve heard, sir. Just the Groth. And our request to Starfleet, Lieutenant Alden? We ve just received a response from Commodore Nogura, sir. The Constellation and the Reliant have been dispatched, Captain. ETA? Sixteen hours three minutes on the Reliant, sir. Nine hours on the Constellation. And the Klingon ship? Approximately eight hours till she s here, sir, replied Alden. He, Mr. Alden. Klingon vessels are referred to as he. Understood, sir. Hand me that comm extract, please, he asked, and reviewed the infthe vessels below. "Well, I guess we'll have to fly ourselves outta here," he said. The cold dread was suddenly replaced by a fierce determination. "We need those bay doors open and a way to get down to those ships." ************** Cloudy daylight now filled the hangar bay after the technicians had managed to activate the blast doors from a panel near the doors themselves. In only 20 centons, the internal atmosphere had equalized with the outside. The air was now breathable and the temperature was only ten centions lower inside. Finding access to the bay from the control center had been easy; locating a transport off the surface was proving anything but. The team had been scanning ship after ship. Most, it turned out, were clearly inoperable. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though they had been salvaged for spare parts, undoubtedly before the people left the planet for good. Of the twenty-three vessels in the bay, only two now remained as viable possibilities. Thormation which Alden had just given him. For a moment, just a moment, Pike wished that he were still back on Talos IV, and this was another of the Keeper s illusions. Wonderful, he sighed. Just wonderful. Culture Shock, Pt. 12 By Maggie Previously: Starbuck and his team have taken refuge from an approaching storm by descending through the opening to underground chambers, into a holding pen for aquatic vessels and up into a vast, spherical command chamber. A portable force field shields their entrance from the storm. Meanwhile, Greenbean has put the shuttle in a synchronous orbit above their site. "Shall we check out the next level up, sir?" asked Varica. "Right behind you," said Starbuck, and they carefully ascended the ladder. Up on the next level, the machinery was more intact, though the seats had long rotted away. Both warriors moved over to where Varica was examining a bank of equipment. "Anything?" "Well, I'm afraid all these centuries of humidity will have degraded everormation which Alden had just given him. For a moment, just a moment, Pike wished that he were still back on Talos IV, and this was another of the Keeper s illusions. Wonderful, he sighed. Just wonderful. Culture Shock, Pt. 12 By Maggie Previously: Starbuck and his team have taken refuge from an approaching storm by descending through the opening to underground chambers, into a holding pen for aquatic vessels and up into a vast, spherical command chamber. A portable force field shields their entrance from the storm. Meanwhile, Greenbean has put the shuttle in a synchronous orbit above their site. "Shall we check out the next level up, sir?" asked Varica. "Right behind you," said Starbuck, and they carefully ascended the ladder. Up on the next level, the machinery was more intact, though the seats had long rotted away. Both warriors moved over to where Varica was examining a bank of equipment. "Anything?" "Well, I'm afraid all these centuries of humidity will have degraded evere team had divided and each group was working to decipher the systems and controls and to determine if their ship was space- worthy. Giles, Varica, Shauna, and Nila were checking out a small craft near the center of the bay. It appeared to have some fuel and they had even, after a careful analysis of the controls, fired up the engines. It would be a snug fit for eight people, but it looked like a good possibility. It had two flight chairs in its small cockpit, one set of controls, and what must have been a cargo hold. And despite the ancient, alien background of the vessel, the systems seemed surprisingly familiar to an experienced pilot. Giles was naming the controls over and over, using his languatron as a reference. The biggest drawback with their ship, though, was the fuel level. The bar indicator was uncomfortably below the midpoint mark. Not knowing how much fuel it would take to just lift off, they considered the craft their second choice. Starbuck, Sirrion, Thomsoything, sir. But I'm hoping I'm wrong." He ran a scanner of one console after another. "These appear to have been computer banks, sir." "Think we can recover a data node, or anything for that matter?" asked Giles. "Give me a bit, sir," replied Varica, and set his lamp down. He opened his pack of equipment, and pulled out tools, and a portable power unit. "Let's see," muttered the tech, now oblivious to his superior's presence. He tossed his jacket over the ancient chair, and set to work. ********************* As Varica delved into his task with obvious relish, the others continued inspecting chamber's upper level. Shauna, one of the other two technical specialists, stopped in front of what appeared to be a large display screen with a sizeable panel of controls next to it. With a touch of wonder in her voice, she said softly, "I wonder if there's anything salvageable here, visual records, anything. . ." She plopped her equipment bag on the floor and began a careful inspection. Sything, sir. But I'm hoping I'm wrong." He ran a scanner of one console after another. "These appear to have been computer banks, sir." "Think we can recover a data node, or anything for that matter?" asked Giles. "Give me a bit, sir," replied Varica, and set his lamp down. He opened his pack of equipment, and pulled out tools, and a portable power unit. "Let's see," muttered the tech, now oblivious to his superior's presence. He tossed his jacket over the ancient chair, and set to work. ********************* As Varica delved into his task with obvious relish, the others continued inspecting chamber's upper level. Shauna, one of the other two technical specialists, stopped in front of what appeared to be a large display screen with a sizeable panel of controls next to it. With a touch of wonder in her voice, she said softly, "I wonder if there's anything salvageable here, visual records, anything. . ." She plopped her equipment bag on the floor and began a careful inspection. Sn, and O'Kala were examining a slightly larger ship that rested close to the open blast doors. It had a passenger section with ten seats, in addition to the two-person cockpit. The systems seemed to be operational. And the fuel level seemed acceptable. Starbuck had settled into the pilot's seat and O'Kala was reading the labels on the controls and gauges for him. "Is this the altimeter?" he asked, pointing to a familiar-looking gauge. "Seems to be," answered O'Kala. "Okay!" Starbuck grinned. "This looks easy enough. Why don't we Ÿ?"" An ear-piercing explosion cut him off and rocked the ship. "What the frak was that!" shouted Starbuck, pulling O'Kala up and heading out of the cockpit. Another explosion threw them against a wall. Thomson was gesturing frantically at them. "Get out! Get out!" ********************* Starbuck grabbed the linguist's hand and hurried through the short passage. As they stumbled along, they could hear the deafening and unmistakable soutarbuck and Giles began to feel a bit out of place and in the way as the rest of the team, the three scientists - O'Kala, Sirrion, and Nila -- and the other tech, Thomson, were soon all deeply and enthusiastically engrossed in their work, examining different aspect of the chamber. "This script looks similar to ancient Gemonese!" exclaimed O'Kala, a linguist as well as archaeologist, running her fingers across a panel. Several swipes with her sleeve had revealed columns of the text beneath the thick layer of centuries old dust and mildew. She began to eagerly input the information into a hand held langatron. Perhaps, she hoped, the computer would be able to cross reference the alien language with their own records of ancient Gemonese. Starbuck and Giles walked slowly around the chamber, gazing at the alien technology and feeling a combination of wonderment and curiosity. Who had these people been? And where had they gone? More importantly, did they have any connection with the Thirtnd of laser blasts. They ducked out of the narrow exit, jumped down to the deck and ran. A moment later, the ship exploded as it took a direct hit. O'Kala screamed and fell. Starbuck dived on top of her as the force of the blast knocked him off his feet. Shrapnel rained down. He covered her and his own head as well as he could. A few microns stretched into an eternity as the pieces battered the tarmac all around. He grimaced as tiny particles burned into his flight jacket and bit through his uniform. Then a sharp, jagged piece sliced into his left arm. "Cylons!" Starbuck heard someone shout as he fought against the searing pain. "Close the blast doors!" Hands were pulling him to his feet. Thomson. The tech supported him as they hurried towards the back of the hangar. Looking around, he saw Varica carrying O'Kala, who hug limp in his arms. Then, suddenly, the doors slid closed and an eerie silence gripped the bay. "How stupid of us!" cried Thomson as he carefully lowtarbuck and Giles began to feel a bit out of place and in the way as the rest of the team, the three scientists - O'Kala, Sirrion, and Nila -- and the other tech, Thomson, were soon all deeply and enthusiastically engrossed in their work, examining different aspect of the chamber. "This script looks similar to ancient Gemonese!" exclaimed O'Kala, a linguist as well as archaeologist, running her fingers across a panel. Several swipes with her sleeve had revealed columns of the text beneath the thick layer of centuries old dust and mildew. She began to eagerly input the information into a hand held langatron. Perhaps, she hoped, the computer would be able to cross reference the alien language with their own records of ancient Gemonese. Starbuck and Giles walked slowly around the chamber, gazing at the alien technology and feeling a combination of wonderment and curiosity. Who had these people been? And where had they gone? More importantly, did they have any connection with the Thirteenth Tribe? After a few centons, however, Starbuck realized that the atmosphere of the chamber was becoming increasingly stagnant and oppressive, uncomfortably so, in fact. The lieutenant pulled a sensor device from his belt. According to it, the air was still breathable, though in the marginal range. Earlier, before they had entered the holding pen, Sirrion had tested the atmosphere and had programmed the device to warn them when the air quality reached the lower-marginal range of acceptability. Starbuck had been surprised that the underground chambers had an atmosphere at all, but Sirrion had reckoned that the structures must have had ventilation shafts - albeit highly filtered ones to screen out the surface radiations - that assisted in the recycling of the atmosphere. Still, Starbuck had had enough of the growing stagnant odor. As he pulled the apparatus out of his backpack, he said, "I don't care what that sensor says, I'm switching to the breather now." Giles nodded in agreered the lieutenant down to the floor next to the unconscious linguist. They were close to the other craft, now their only means of escape. Starbuck coughed on the thick fumes from the burning remains of the seven ships that had been blasted. Someone slipped his breather over his face. "Just hold on," said Giles as he plopped a first-aid kit next to his friend. Thomson was still supporting him. The others, he noted with a glance, were crowded around O'Kala. "What in Kobol's name happened?" Starbuck asked. He looked down at his left arm and saw the sleeve of his flight jacket was saturated with blood. He felt light-headed and queasy. Thomson eased the lieutenant onto his right side. "I'd say that when we opened the blast doors," said Giles, "we practically invited the Cylons in! They must have picked up the energy readings and zeroed in on our location." "That lone ship on the sensors . . ." Starbuck grimaced as Thomson began to cut through the sleeve to attend to the eenth Tribe? After a few centons, however, Starbuck realized that the atmosphere of the chamber was becoming increasingly stagnant and oppressive, uncomfortably so, in fact. The lieutenant pulled a sensor device from his belt. According to it, the air was still breathable, though in the marginal range. Earlier, before they had entered the holding pen, Sirrion had tested the atmosphere and had programmed the device to warn them when the air quality reached the lower-marginal range of acceptability. Starbuck had been surprised that the underground chambers had an atmosphere at all, but Sirrion had reckoned that the structures must have had ventilation shafts - albeit highly filtered ones to screen out the surface radiations - that assisted in the recycling of the atmosphere. Still, Starbuck had had enough of the growing stagnant odor. As he pulled the apparatus out of his backpack, he said, "I don't care what that sensor says, I'm switching to the breather now." Giles nodded in agreement, as did several of the others. The breathers were connected to a small container of pure oxygen, about 5 breaths' worth, but that was enough, because the apparatus recycled CO2 back into oxygen, providing the wearer with an indefinite air supply. The drawback, though, since they had to form an air-tight seal over the face, was that they restricted one's vision and tended to be hot. Beep, beep. Beep, beep. Starbuck tugged his communicator from his belt and pushed the button. "Go ahead, Greenbean," he said, his voice sounding tinny through the breather's speaker. "Just to let you know, the eye of the storm has just passed over your location and winds should be diminishing in several centars. That's the good news." "Okay, so what's the bad news?" Starbuck glanced at Giles. "There's a surge wave approaching, and it's huge! It'll impact the shore in about 20 centons." "Lovely," Starbuck muttered. "Let's just hope the force field holds." "That wave looks mighty powerfulwound and tried to concentrate on the flight sergeant, who was kneeling in front of him. He vaguely remembered that Thomson and Sirrion had had basic-level med tech training. "Yeah, a Cylon baseship would be my guess," said Giles. "Frak. I shoulda . . ." "We all should have thought about it," Giles said. "But we were too excited about our discovery. But, hey Ÿ?"" he stopped as Thomson motioned with a hypo from the first-aid kit. "It's an anesthetic," the tech said. "I've got to remove the piece of metal before I can bandage the wound. This will take just a centon to take effect." He injected the local sedative into the lieutenant's shoulder. He had cut away the sleeves to both his flight jacket and uniform to reveal a deep, jagged gash. "How's O'Kala?" asked Starbuck looking over to where the others were tending to her. "She's in pretty bad shape," Thomson admitted. "She got hit in the back. I think the piece pierced a lung." "Oh no. Frak, no," said Starbuck,ement, as did several of the others. The breathers were connected to a small container of pure oxygen, about 5 breaths' worth, but that was enough, because the apparatus recycled CO2 back into oxygen, providing the wearer with an indefinite air supply. The drawback, though, since they had to form an air-tight seal over the face, was that they restricted one's vision and tended to be hot. Beep, beep. Beep, beep. Starbuck tugged his communicator from his belt and pushed the button. "Go ahead, Greenbean," he said, his voice sounding tinny through the breather's speaker. "Just to let you know, the eye of the storm has just passed over your location and winds should be diminishing in several centars. That's the good news." "Okay, so what's the bad news?" Starbuck glanced at Giles. "There's a surge wave approaching, and it's huge! It'll impact the shore in about 20 centons." "Lovely," Starbuck muttered. "Let's just hope the force field holds." "That wave looks mighty powerful. The force of the water could wash out the entrance, force field and all." Greenbean sounded worried. "Well, if it does," Starbuck quipped, "then you'll just have to dig us out again. I wouldn't worry. I think we're a safe enough distance inside this complex." "Hmm. I guess we don't have a choice, anyway. I'll be in contact. Greenbean out." The sergeant did not sound too convinced of their safety. Starbuck sighed and then repeated to his team what Greenbean had said. As he finished, the warning indicator on his atmospheric sensor finally blipped its warning. Varica and Nila pulled on their breathers without a word, and all returned to their work, digesting this latest news with the practical attitude that whatever happened was out of their hands. So why fret about it? **************** The warriors were bored and restless, feeling a desire to move on. Starbuck was fingering the panel located next to what was most likely the entrance to the rest of the underground complex, fighting a rising sense of panic. "Just hold still, buddy," said Giles quietly. "We'll get out of here as soon as we can move you both aboard the ship. Then we'll make for the wormhole." Giles was talking to distract the lieutenant as Thomson worked on his arm. "My bet is the Fleet went through to escape the Cylons. They' re probably just waiting for us on the other side." "Yeah, Ÿ?~cept," said Starbuck, grimacing in pain and taking deep breaths, despite the numbness of the anesthetic. "'cept *they* didn't know we'd find a ship." He gave Giles a troubled look. "If O'Kala Ÿ?"" "She'll be okay," insisted Giles. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as Starbuck. "Just hold still." Thomson had cleaned the wound as much as he could with sterile wipes and had wrapped a pressure bandage around the lieutenant's arm. Next, he and Giles eased Starbuck onto his back. The tech then moved to check on the others' progress with O'Kala. Looking over, Starbuck. The force of the water could wash out the entrance, force field and all." Greenbean sounded worried. "Well, if it does," Starbuck quipped, "then you'll just have to dig us out again. I wouldn't worry. I think we're a safe enough distance inside this complex." "Hmm. I guess we don't have a choice, anyway. I'll be in contact. Greenbean out." The sergeant did not sound too convinced of their safety. Starbuck sighed and then repeated to his team what Greenbean had said. As he finished, the warning indicator on his atmospheric sensor finally blipped its warning. Varica and Nila pulled on their breathers without a word, and all returned to their work, digesting this latest news with the practical attitude that whatever happened was out of their hands. So why fret about it? **************** The warriors were bored and restless, feeling a desire to move on. Starbuck was fingering the panel located next to what was most likely the entrance to the rest of the underground complex, wishing he had even Boomer's technical knowledge, so that he could hot wire the door. Giles was staring around at the techs and scientists, who were all engrossed in their individual tasks. Finally, Starbuck could stand it no longer. "Listen, everyone," he said. They turn to gaze at the warrior. "I recommend that we divide up so that we can explore more of this complex. At least two of you can remain here. Varica, any luck?" "Not yet, Sir, but I think I might be able to salvage some of the data, given time?" "Okay, why don't you and . . ." Starbuck looked at the faces of the other team members. "I'll stay," said O'Kala. I'm still working on the translations, and can do that just as well from here." "Okay, I suggest that the rest of us see what's beyond these doors -" The beeping of the communicator interrupted the lieutenant. "Go ahead, Greenbean." "Starbuck, the wave will make landfall in two centons. Just wanted to let you know." "Thanks, but I doubt we'll even noti could see the linguist's face as they worked on her back. Eyes closed, lips parted, she looked pale, too pale. Her lips were blue. "Lords of Kobol, no . . ." whispered the lieutenant. ****************** Not long after they had sealed the doors, they began to hear muffled explosions and could feel the ground vibrate. Evidently, the Cylons were persistently trying to blast through to the hangar. The doors, however, appeared to be holding. Still, Giles mused as he strapped himself into the cockpit, the ride out would be eventful, to say the least. For starters, the blast doors had to be activated from outside the ship. They had located a panel near the back of the bay, not too far from their small craft, but it would still mean a delay of nearly a centon between opening the doors and when they were able to launch. Plenty of time for the Cylons to take up nice and cozy defense positions or to simply bombard the exit with laser volleys. Nila came forward and sat down in wishing he had even Boomer's technical knowledge, so that he could hot wire the door. Giles was staring around at the techs and scientists, who were all engrossed in their individual tasks. Finally, Starbuck could stand it no longer. "Listen, everyone," he said. They turn to gaze at the warrior. "I recommend that we divide up so that we can explore more of this complex. At least two of you can remain here. Varica, any luck?" "Not yet, Sir, but I think I might be able to salvage some of the data, given time?" "Okay, why don't you and . . ." Starbuck looked at the faces of the other team members. "I'll stay," said O'Kala. I'm still working on the translations, and can do that just as well from here." "Okay, I suggest that the rest of us see what's beyond these doors -" The beeping of the communicator interrupted the lieutenant. "Go ahead, Greenbean." "Starbuck, the wave will make landfall in two centons. Just wanted to let you know." "Thanks, but I doubt we'll even notice it. I'm putting my bet on our own technology. I think the shield will hold," Starbuck stated. He added under his breath, "I hope." "All the same . . . good luck." Greenbean broke the connection. Starbuck glanced around at his team briefly before continuing. "Right. Anyway. Shauna, can you open this door?" The tech smiled, "You bet!" And she grabbed a couple of tools as she moved to examine the pad next to the exit. Except for the occasional tap, tap or clatter from where Varica was working, the chamber had grown quiet, almost eerily so. Their lanterns illuminated small circles of about three metrons where each person was, but the rest of the chamber was enveloped in darkness, since the IR goggles were not compatible with their breathers. After a moment, all had stopped working, and, despite their earlier nonchalance, most kept glancing at their chronometers. Two centons passed, then three, four, five. Giles walked slowly over to where the ladder emerged from the ground le the co-pilot's chair. Of the five specialists, she was the one with the most flight knowledge, and, thus, was the logical one to do what she could to assist Giles. "Okay, Sergeant," she said, "everyone's tucked in as best as can be." "Right." He let out a long, slow breath. The sound and vibrations from outside attacks had stopped, but Giles knew better than to think that the Cylons had left. More likely, they were waiting. Waiting for the blast doors to open. He glanced back to where Sirrion stood at the ship's entrance. "Okay. Let's do it!" Sirrion trotted over to the panel. After a brief pause, he pushed the pad and sprinted back towards the ship. The doors slowly pulled apart. Dim sunlight spilled into the bay. Giles was counting the microns under his breath. " . . . seven, eight, nine . . ." Sirrion jumped into the ship and closed the hatch. Immediately, Giles fired the engines. They pulsed slowly to life. "Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two . . ." The openice it. I'm putting my bet on our own technology. I think the shield will hold," Starbuck stated. He added under his breath, "I hope." "All the same . . . good luck." Greenbean broke the connection. Starbuck glanced around at his team briefly before continuing. "Right. Anyway. Shauna, can you open this door?" The tech smiled, "You bet!" And she grabbed a couple of tools as she moved to examine the pad next to the exit. Except for the occasional tap, tap or clatter from where Varica was working, the chamber had grown quiet, almost eerily so. Their lanterns illuminated small circles of about three metrons where each person was, but the rest of the chamber was enveloped in darkness, since the IR goggles were not compatible with their breathers. After a moment, all had stopped working, and, despite their earlier nonchalance, most kept glancing at their chronometers. Two centons passed, then three, four, five. Giles walked slowly over to where the ladder emerged from the ground level through an opening that was about a metron wide in diameter. It had no cover. He peered through and pointed a hand-held illuminator downward. The thin beam shone faintly across the vast lower chamber and onto the open doorway that led down to the aqua- vessel holding pen. The gloom beyond, though, smothered the rest of the light. They felt the rumble a micron before they heard it, briefly, for less than a centon. Then silence again, for a few moments, as the rest of the team moved to peer around Giles and down to the lower level, shining their own illuminators and glancing nervously at each other. Then they heard a low reverberation that swelled quickly from barely a murmur to a deafening roar, right as a torrent of water came crashing through the blast doors and into the lower chamber. It swirled around the huge circular interior, rising rapidly despite the chamber's size, swallowing up the space between it and the entrance to the second level. "Frak!" yelled Giles and jumped bang to the hangar bay was still quiet. The engines were maddingly slow! "Sixty-three, sixty-four. . ." They finally reached full capacity. "Hang on tight!" Giles shouted and pulled back on the controls, initiating their take off. They moved forward, gradually gaining momentum. Giles did not want to press his luck with the unfamiliar controls and risk smashing into a wall. Suddenly, though, laser volleys seared through the open doors. "To Hades with it!" Giles yelled and revved the engines. The ship shot forward with more acceleration than he had expected. It went straight through the wall of laser fire, seemingly unscathed, and shot up into the sky. "Hey!" screamed Thomson. He had been knocked back into Shauna, and the two were entangled in the back, held immobile by the g-forces. With no seats, in the bare cargo hold, he and the others had strapped down the Starbuck and O'Kala as securely as possible, then gripped whatever they could find. "We' ve got wounded back herevel through an opening that was about a metron wide in diameter. It had no cover. He peered through and pointed a hand-held illuminator downward. The thin beam shone faintly across the vast lower chamber and onto the open doorway that led down to the aqua- vessel holding pen. The gloom beyond, though, smothered the rest of the light. They felt the rumble a micron before they heard it, briefly, for less than a centon. Then silence again, for a few moments, as the rest of the team moved to peer around Giles and down to the lower level, shining their own illuminators and glancing nervously at each other. Then they heard a low reverberation that swelled quickly from barely a murmur to a deafening roar, right as a torrent of water came crashing through the blast doors and into the lower chamber. It swirled around the huge circular interior, rising rapidly despite the chamber's size, swallowing up the space between it and the entrance to the second level. "Frak!" yelled Giles and jumped back. "Get those doors open!" shouted Starbuck, waving his illuminator at their only means of escape - the sealed exit." Thomson had attached a sensor cable and was hastily punching in codes, with no apparent effect. Starbuck stared at the rising water. It had slowed a bit, but was still filling the lower level. It had about twelve metrons to go until it overflowed into their level. Five centons, maybe. Shauna, Varica, Thomson, and Nila were working with a growing urgency on the doors. Giles and O'Kala collected up all loose equipment and backpacks and stood nearby, shifting from foot to foot. Starbuck alternated between willing the doors to open and willing the water to stop rising. The communicator beeped. Starbuck grabbed it from his belt. "What in Hades happened out there?" he yelled before Greenbean could say anything. "The winds are still too strong for me to get a visual scan of the area, but sensors show that the wave extended several kilometrons inland," said Greenbean!" Giles eased back on his angle of accent and his velocity, and Shauna and Thomson, battered and bruised, pulled themselves back to the middle of the hold. Each wrapped an arm around one of the loops on the floor that must have been intended for securing any cargo. "Scanner . . ." Giles flipped a switched and seven blips appeared on the round screen. Assuming that his position was in the center, the blips were closing slowly. "Okay, hold on tight!" he shouted. With a little more caution, he increased the ship's velocity and angle of accent. Nila, watching the occupants of the cargo hold, especially O'Kala, warned him when to hold steady. The distance between the blips and their ship was now increasing ever so slightly. The cloud cover thinned, and they finally flew out of the planet's exosphere. Using visual markers -- the position of the sun, the planet, and it's rings -- as much as the ship's instruments, Giles oriented the craft towards the wormhole device. Nila wack. "Get those doors open!" shouted Starbuck, waving his illuminator at their only means of escape - the sealed exit." Thomson had attached a sensor cable and was hastily punching in codes, with no apparent effect. Starbuck stared at the rising water. It had slowed a bit, but was still filling the lower level. It had about twelve metrons to go until it overflowed into their level. Five centons, maybe. Shauna, Varica, Thomson, and Nila were working with a growing urgency on the doors. Giles and O'Kala collected up all loose equipment and backpacks and stood nearby, shifting from foot to foot. Starbuck alternated between willing the doors to open and willing the water to stop rising. The communicator beeped. Starbuck grabbed it from his belt. "What in Hades happened out there?" he yelled before Greenbean could say anything. "The winds are still too strong for me to get a visual scan of the area, but sensors show that the wave extended several kilometrons inland," said Greenbean. What's your condition?" "The water's filling the lower level. It'll reach our level in about three centons, at the rate it's going. We're hoping to open the rear doors that lead to the rest of this complex." Starbuck turned to shout at his team. "Any luck yet?" "Not yet," answered Varica through gritted teeth. "Just blast the damned thing!" the lieutenant yelled. "I doubt lasers would have any effect on these doors. Look like some kind of titanium compound. It wouldn't work, and it'd be too dangerous to try!." "Frak!" breathed Starbuck. "Greenbean?" "I heard," said Greenbean. "The biggest problem is that the wave was followed by a second surge, and the water's just now retreating, according to the sensors. Starbuck, the entrance is still totally submerged and will be for at least ten more centons . . ." "Great. Wonderful. Looks like I lost that bet. Big time. Gotta go. I'll update you in a bit. Starbuck out." The lieutenant slapped the communicator back ontos now eying the scanner. A different blip appeared ahead of them. On a direct course. Nila pointed. "Frak, frak, and frak," muttered Giles. It was too soon for that blip to be the wormhole. Besides, it was moving towards them. A few centons later, it came into view. Large, menacing strobes of laser pulsed towards them. "A baseship! Sorry, guys," he shouted. "But speed is the only way to get past that thing! On three. One, two three!" He opened the throttle once more, and the ship shot forward with almost twice the velocity of a viper. The baseship could not track them, and the craft sped within a kilometron of the enemy vessel, then on past. Following mostly instinct, Giles adjusted their heading. Nila was pointing at the panel. "The fuel!" The indicator was dangerously close to zero. "Okay," he shouted back to his companions, "I have to cut all power until I need to align with the wormhole device. We'll have to make do with our current velocity and trajector. What's your condition?" "The water's filling the lower level. It'll reach our level in about three centons, at the rate it's going. We're hoping to open the rear doors that lead to the rest of this complex." Starbuck turned to shout at his team. "Any luck yet?" "Not yet," answered Varica through gritted teeth. "Just blast the damned thing!" the lieutenant yelled. "I doubt lasers would have any effect on these doors. Look like some kind of titanium compound. It wouldn't work, and it'd be too dangerous to try!." "Frak!" breathed Starbuck. "Greenbean?" "I heard," said Greenbean. "The biggest problem is that the wave was followed by a second surge, and the water's just now retreating, according to the sensors. Starbuck, the entrance is still totally submerged and will be for at least ten more centons . . ." "Great. Wonderful. Looks like I lost that bet. Big time. Gotta go. I'll update you in a bit. Starbuck out." The lieutenant slapped the communicator back onto his belt and hurried over to the exit. In the light of the lanterns and illuminators, Starbuck could see that Varica's breather was steamed from sweat, as were the others. They had stopped bothering with the panel and had pulled out magnetic grips. Positioning two on each door, Thomson activated their field, and they adhered tightly to the surface. Without a word, Starbuck dropped his illuminator and gripped a handle. Everyone else took hold, also. Varica counted to three, and then they pulled, pulled with all of their combined strength. For a micron, nothing happened, but then a hiss indicated a break in the seal. "Frak and felgercarb!" Giles grunted. And Starbuck saw why. Through the sweaty steam on the mask of his own breather and in the dim light, he could just bearly see the hatchway - as the water came streaming up through the entrance. "Watch your footing!" he yelled as it tumbled across the floor and around their ankles. *************** "Pull!" shouted Varica, "Pully." Giles switched off the engines and alternated between staring ahead for any sign of the wormhole device and gazing at the eight blips on the scanner. They were closing. The seven Cylon raiders had passed the baseship. They would be within firing range in only a couple of centons. "Where is that device?" Giles muttered. The inner planet was looming nearer. A blip appeared on the scanner in the appropriate location just as the raiders opened fire. The first volleys went wide. Giles finally spotted the wormhole device ahead of them, a tiny speck against the crescent shape of the inner planet, illuminated by the system's sun off to their left. Launching from the ringed third world, Giles had swung the craft in an arc so that they were approaching with the wormhole device in a direct path in front of its planet. The ship shook from a near miss. They would be in range of the device in seven centons at their current velocity. By then, Giles reflected, they would be spac his belt and hurried over to the exit. In the light of the lanterns and illuminators, Starbuck could see that Varica's breather was steamed from sweat, as were the others. They had stopped bothering with the panel and had pulled out magnetic grips. Positioning two on each door, Thomson activated their field, and they adhered tightly to the surface. Without a word, Starbuck dropped his illuminator and gripped a handle. Everyone else took hold, also. Varica counted to three, and then they pulled, pulled with all of their combined strength. For a micron, nothing happened, but then a hiss indicated a break in the seal. "Frak and felgercarb!" Giles grunted. And Starbuck saw why. Through the sweaty steam on the mask of his own breather and in the dim light, he could just bearly see the hatchway - as the water came streaming up through the entrance. "Watch your footing!" he yelled as it tumbled across the floor and around their ankles. *************** "Pull!" shouted Varica, "Pull! Pull!" With a strength enhanced by a growing sense of panic, they all pulled. And the doors parted several millimetrons. "Now!" They gave one last all-out effort with a chorus of groans and desperate grunts. Muscles were straining, but adrenaline overpowered pain. O'Kala slipped with a startled cry and let go, sloshing out of the way, but having enough presence of mind to grab their equipment from under the rising water. All realized that in a couple of centons, the water would be too high, the footing too slippery, the pressure too great, for the doors to move. Then right as their strength was about to fail, the doors conceded - and slipped open wide enough, just barely, to squeeze through. The water rushed out and into the darkness beyond. Grabbing backpacks, illuminators, and lanterns, they pulled themselves through the narrow opening. Varica and Thomson removed the magnetic grips and stowed them in their packs before exiting. Bringing up the rear, Starbuck had vaguely note dust. It was now or never with what little fuel they had remaining. Should he burn it all, he realized, though, they would not be able to slow their approach. And then they would most likely crash into the planet . . . "Okay, hang on!" Giles took a deep breath. "Counting on the Starbuck luck ' . . ." He activated the engines, wincing as the craft shook from a glancing laser blast. The engines were so slow, too slow, to rev up. The next volley blasted the ship's portside wing, and the craft shuddered violently. This time sparks exploded from a side panel, and it burst into flames. Ignoring it, Giles opened the throttle one last time, knowing that he had to put some distance between them and the Cylons NOW. Whether or not their approach would be within the wormhole device's range, he could only hope. The ship shot forward. Smoke was filling the vessel, but all still wore their breathers. The flames, however, were spreading, feeding on the air supply. They were rapidly ! Pull!" With a strength enhanced by a growing sense of panic, they all pulled. And the doors parted several millimetrons. "Now!" They gave one last all-out effort with a chorus of groans and desperate grunts. Muscles were straining, but adrenaline overpowered pain. O'Kala slipped with a startled cry and let go, sloshing out of the way, but having enough presence of mind to grab their equipment from under the rising water. All realized that in a couple of centons, the water would be too high, the footing too slippery, the pressure too great, for the doors to move. Then right as their strength was about to fail, the doors conceded - and slipped open wide enough, just barely, to squeeze through. The water rushed out and into the darkness beyond. Grabbing backpacks, illuminators, and lanterns, they pulled themselves through the narrow opening. Varica and Thomson removed the magnetic grips and stowed them in their packs before exiting. Bringing up the rear, Starbuck had vaguely noticed the sound of falling water after the doors had opened. With a lantern in front of him and his pack behind, he squeezed through the gap -- and stumbled on an unseen, slippery step. "Whoa, careful!" Thomson grabbed the lieutenant's arm and steadied him. Starbuck swung his light around and almost lost his footing again as a feeling of vertigo swept over him. They were on a narrow bridge, it seemed. It had a metal mesh bottom and two waist-high hand railings, and lots of open space in between the support railings. Shining his illuminator back at the doors, he could see that the water was pouring through the gap and down through bridge, down, down, down. In the opposite direction the narrow walkway extended to another set of doors that were set into the shear wall of what seemed to be a vast but natural cavern. Below, he could barely see the watery bottom. The rest of the team had sat down, too tired to do anything else, at the moment. Starbuck sat down carefully next to a suppoiced the sound of falling water after the doors had opened. With a lantern in front of him and his pack behind, he squeezed through the gap -- and stumbled on an unseen, slippery step. "Whoa, careful!" Thomson grabbed the lieutenant's arm and steadied him. Starbuck swung his light around and almost lost his footing again as a feeling of vertigo swept over him. They were on a narrow bridge, it seemed. It had a metal mesh bottom and two waist-high hand railings, and lots of open space in between the support railings. Shining his illuminator back at the doors, he could see that the water was pouring through the gap and down through bridge, down, down, down. In the opposite direction the narrow walkway extended to another set of doors that were set into the shear wall of what seemed to be a vast but natural cavern. Below, he could barely see the watery bottom. The rest of the team had sat down, too tired to do anything else, at the moment. Starbuck sat down carefully next to a suppoapproaching the device. They would be in range in less than a centon, now. He tried to decelerate, but the fuel was dry. "Brace yourselves!" yelled Giles. "Here we go, one way or another!" Still malfunctioning, the wormhole device activated ten microns *before* the craft entered its range. That, and only that, allowed the device's field to capture the vessel. In a blinding pulse of energy, the small, speeding ship vanished. ********************* X-UIDL: WJ)!!\+2"!0j!#!8XX"! Culture Shock, Pt. 19 by Senmut There she is! cried Athena, as the Galactica came into view on one of the stations monitors. As she did so, Tigh was calling Adama, the Battlestar slowly decelerating as they approached the wormhole device. They were, Adama said, going through the wormhole, to wherever it took them. Wherever that may be, said Tigh. Right now, a system on the verge of a supernova would be an improvement, Tigh. We have four BaseShips moving in on us. I see them. Thrt railing - a thin cable, really -- feeling unnerved by the open cavern and the vast drop beneath them. Thomson, Nila, and Sirrion looked equally uncomfortable, while the others seemed unfazed by their location. All were too exhausted to speak for several centons. Finally, Starbuck pulled out his communicator. "We're safe for now," he informed Greenbean. "What's the status of the storm?" "Good to hear from you!" Greenbean said. "The storm's almost past and I'm just about to survey the area. Hold on . . . Holy frak!" "Yes?" asked Starbuck. "Completely flooded and caved in! Looks like the entrance is filled with sand, mud, rocks, and water. I doubt the portable force field stood any chance against those waves. Uh, Starbuck?" "Yes?" The growing knot in his stomach was not from the vertigo; the lieutenant could sense what was coming next. "It'll take days and equipment we don't even have to dig out the entrance, given all of the water and mud. I can't even land safely wrt railing - a thin cable, really -- feeling unnerved by the open cavern and the vast drop beneath them. Thomson, Nila, and Sirrion looked equally uncomfortable, while the others seemed unfazed by their location. All were too exhausted to speak for several centons. Finally, Starbuck pulled out his communicator. "We're safe for now," he informed Greenbean. "What's the status of the storm?" "Good to hear from you!" Greenbean said. "The storm's almost past and I'm just about to survey the area. Hold on . . . Holy frak!" "Yes?" asked Starbuck. "Completely flooded and caved in! Looks like the entrance is filled with sand, mud, rocks, and water. I doubt the portable force field stood any chance against those waves. Uh, Starbuck?" "Yes?" The growing knot in his stomach was not from the vertigo; the lieutenant could sense what was coming next. "It'll take days and equipment we don't even have to dig out the entrance, given all of the water and mud. I can't even land safely wey really mean to finish us this time. Well, they won t by God, replied Adama. Prepare all ships for wormhole transport. We ll be aboard in a few centons. Understood, sir. Only, it seemed, they would not. The blast door to the control deck would not open. They tried the panel. Nothing. The techs tried various permutations of the numbers, but still no go. It seems the control deck was sealed during any kind of emergency situation. One of the techs started to remove the panel cover& Oh to Hades Hole with it! snarled Athena, and drew her weapon. Get cover! She moved away a few paces, ducked behind a chair, and fired. The shaped solonite charge on it blew spectacularly, sending the door to meet its maker. At once, another klaxon and the alien computer voice began blaring through the whole structure, but they ignored it. Athena in the lead, Adama taking up the rear, they headed back the way they had come, down to the landing bay. Athena leapt through the hatch, and had ithin half a kilometron." Starbuck glanced at his team. The cavern was quiet, too quiet, since the water was no longer flowing out the open doors. Only the occasional and distant sound of splashing waves, somewhere far beneath them, could be heard. He saw solemn faces beneath the breathers as all eyes watched their team leader, waiting, listening. "Okay," he said at last. "Survey the area for any other possible entrances to this complex. There had to have been other ways in and out - besides just an aquatic vessel port. Oh, and keep a fix on our location. I'll keep the signal on the communicator activated." "Roger. Okay," said Greenbean. "I'll report the current situation to the Galactica." He sounded more than a little bit worried. "Take care." "Will do! Hey, remember, we've got an indefinite air supply with the breathers, and emergency rations for at least two days. And the knowledge of some very skilled people. We'll be fine. And we'll probably be able to locate severithin half a kilometron." Starbuck glanced at his team. The cavern was quiet, too quiet, since the water was no longer flowing out the open doors. Only the occasional and distant sound of splashing waves, somewhere far beneath them, could be heard. He saw solemn faces beneath the breathers as all eyes watched their team leader, waiting, listening. "Okay," he said at last. "Survey the area for any other possible entrances to this complex. There had to have been other ways in and out - besides just an aquatic vessel port. Oh, and keep a fix on our location. I'll keep the signal on the communicator activated." "Roger. Okay," said Greenbean. "I'll report the current situation to the Galactica." He sounded more than a little bit worried. "Take care." "Will do! Hey, remember, we've got an indefinite air supply with the breathers, and emergency rations for at least two days. And the knowledge of some very skilled people. We'll be fine. And we'll probably be able to locate severthe turbines moving before her father was inside. We re launching now, Tigh, Adama said into his commlink, the words barely out before Athena slammed them all into their seats, screaming out of the bay like a vespertilon out of Hades. The scientist in her was saddened, even annoyed, that they had been unable to examine or salvage any of the alien craft left behind in the bay, but the desperate Human in her decided that continuing to breath was the preferable course of action at the moment. She swung the shuttle around the station, arcing towards the Fleet, and spared a look at her scanner. She swore, loudly and with a full-bodied robustness that would have done a pirate skipper proud. Adama stared wide-eyed at her, but forbore any immediate paternal admonitions in favor of information. BaseShip closing, Father. Sixty microns. Commander, came Tigh s voice, as they completed their arc around the station, Cylon& We see them, Tigh. Prepare to transmit a signal toal more exits in no time at all. Okay? Starbuck out." The lieutenant let out a long sigh, then turned to his team. "Right!" he said, hoping his confidence did not sound forced. "Change of priorities, folks. Records and data collection will have to wait until we can locate the nearest useable exit." He looked down the bridge, shining his light on the doors. "That's got to lead to the main part of this underground complex. Shall we?" Keeping a tight hold on the railing, the eight climbed to their feet, settled their packs on their backs and walked slowly towards the doors on the opposite end of the bridge. The multiple light beams danced off the cavern walls and the narrow pathway in front of them. After several silent centons, they stopped at the doors. A platform in front of them provided just enough space for the group to stand and to set down the lanterns against the cavern wall on either side of the doors. Shauna was examining the control pad set to the right of the doorway.al more exits in no time at all. Okay? Starbuck out." The lieutenant let out a long sigh, then turned to his team. "Right!" he said, hoping his confidence did not sound forced. "Change of priorities, folks. Records and data collection will have to wait until we can locate the nearest useable exit." He looked down the bridge, shining his light on the doors. "That's got to lead to the main part of this underground complex. Shall we?" Keeping a tight hold on the railing, the eight climbed to their feet, settled their packs on their backs and walked slowly towards the doors on the opposite end of the bridge. The multiple light beams danced off the cavern walls and the narrow pathway in front of them. After several silent centons, they stopped at the doors. A platform in front of them provided just enough space for the group to stand and to set down the lanterns against the cavern wall on either side of the doors. Shauna was examining the control pad set to the right of the doorway.wards the station on the Viper attack frequency the centon we re aboard the Galactica. Yes, sir. Scanners show BaseShip launching fighters, sir. I see them, said Athena, twisting the shuttle in ways that would have given its designers serious fits. Six centons to landing bay. We ll be aboard in six centons, Colonel, said Adama. Understood, sir. There was a pause, then he came back. Lead Cylon fighter ETA seven centons, sir. So I m cutting it close, growled Athena. She lined up on the bay, and poured on more speed. The cavernous bay filled the windows, but she didn t slow, or let landing control take over. Racing past the huge engine section, she kept barreling along, till she felt the bump of the shuttle hitting the force field, and the ripple of the ship s gravity field. Hitting reverse thrusters much too suddenly, her charges were tossed about like dolls, as the two forces fought each other. Finally, amidst the sound of screeching landing gear, the shuttl Using her sleeve, she brushed away thick layers of mold and dust, then inhaled sharply as lights flickered across the panel for a moment. "Lords of Kobol, there's still power!" grinned Varica. "O'Kala, can your read these labels? It's a touch pad with a long series of options," Shauna explained. Pulling out her languatron, she studied the text and punched in phrases. Finally, she pointed at a button on the bottom of the panel and said, "There! That says `auxiliary power'! And that one," she point up near the top, "says `open'!" "Could it be that simple?" wondered Giles. Shauna looked at her companions, shrugged, then firmly pressed the touch pad key for auxiliary power. The pad flickered and stayed lit for several microns before going dark again. "I suppose that was too much to ask for," she muttered. "Maybe -" "Wait! Listen!" O'Kala had heard it first. Then they all heard it: a faint hum as the ancient power generators reactivated. The cheer that erupted lasted fo Using her sleeve, she brushed away thick layers of mold and dust, then inhaled sharply as lights flickered across the panel for a moment. "Lords of Kobol, there's still power!" grinned Varica. "O'Kala, can your read these labels? It's a touch pad with a long series of options," Shauna explained. Pulling out her languatron, she studied the text and punched in phrases. Finally, she pointed at a button on the bottom of the panel and said, "There! That says `auxiliary power'! And that one," she point up near the top, "says `open'!" "Could it be that simple?" wondered Giles. Shauna looked at her companions, shrugged, then firmly pressed the touch pad key for auxiliary power. The pad flickered and stayed lit for several microns before going dark again. "I suppose that was too much to ask for," she muttered. "Maybe -" "Wait! Listen!" O'Kala had heard it first. Then they all heard it: a faint hum as the ancient power generators reactivated. The cheer that erupted lasted foe at last came to a halt, slamming into a partition and ripping a gash in it. Athena! said Adama, struggling to undo his belt. What in& We re here, aren t we? She got out of her seat, and looked about the shuttle. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Miracle Spacelines. The only Spacelines where Lady Luck is your co- pilot. She saw her father, slack-jawed, but spoke first. Come on! They are aboard, said Omega, to Tigh, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Cylon lead fighters at five microns! Transmit! ordered Tigh, and the man did so. For an eternal millicenton, nothing seemed to happen, then power began surging through the vast frame of the station, panels glowing with energy, as it built up towards the next event. Then, the pale green beams shot out from the machine, and latched on to the Galactica s forward hull. Slowly, the Battlestar began to move, the ancient alien device pulling her in. All ships, follow us through, ordered Tigh over the inr almost a centon. Finally, Starbuck, pulling out the communicator, said, "I'd better share the good news with Greenbean." As the lieutenant finished, Shauna let her finger hover above the other key. "Ready?" she asked. Her companions nodded, and she pressed the pad again. With a loud hiss, the doors slid open. Several luminators penetrated the blackness beyond to reveal the interior of what must have been a large transport compartment. Rows of dusty seats along each wall implied that the ride could be lengthy. Cautiously, the team entered. As Starbuck crossed the threshold, bringing up the rear, Shauna and O'Kala was already examining the interior control pad. "Is this thing safe?" asked Sirrion, looking all around. "It hasn't been used in ages, I'm sure." Starbuck glance back out into the cavern. "I don't think we have a choice, since we can't get out the way we came in," he said. "O'Kala, any suggestions?" The scientist peered at the panel for a moment longer, then said,r almost a centon. Finally, Starbuck, pulling out the communicator, said, "I'd better share the good news with Greenbean." As the lieutenant finished, Shauna let her finger hover above the other key. "Ready?" she asked. Her companions nodded, and she pressed the pad again. With a loud hiss, the doors slid open. Several luminators penetrated the blackness beyond to reveal the interior of what must have been a large transport compartment. Rows of dusty seats along each wall implied that the ride could be lengthy. Cautiously, the team entered. As Starbuck crossed the threshold, bringing up the rear, Shauna and O'Kala was already examining the interior control pad. "Is this thing safe?" asked Sirrion, looking all around. "It hasn't been used in ages, I'm sure." Starbuck glance back out into the cavern. "I don't think we have a choice, since we can't get out the way we came in," he said. "O'Kala, any suggestions?" The scientist peered at the panel for a moment longer, then said,terfleet commcircuit. One by one, the rest of the Fleet began to move, as the Battlestar was pulled deeper and deeper into the huge station. Cylons attacking! reported Omega, as Adama and Athena raced onto the bridge. All ships, defensive posture, ordered Tigh. On one monitor, he could see a Raider diving on the mineral ship, Mother Lode, only to catch a laser volley for its trouble, and die. Another headed for the Rising Star, but then his attention was diverted. Wormhole opening! cried Omega, then the bridge lights dimmed slightly. Sensors sweeps to full! ordered Adama. All science departments, tie in! Positive shield now! A panel sparked, and the lights flickered. Through the viewport, they could all see the weird, twisting energies of the wormhole building, brighter and brighter, swirling like a spinning mist on a moonlit night, then& Then the entire ship lurched, as if violently sucked into the mounting wave of energy. The inertial damping seemed to cut "It seems that this, uh, transport can go in three possible directions - up, down, and horizontal, in this case, into the cavern wall." "Up?" suggested Giles. "Why not," said Shauna, "but maybe we should close the doors first." She pressed the pad, and the doors swooshed closed. Then she pressed another button. The only reaction was a flashing light on the panel beneath the area she had just pressed. "Hm, looks like we can't go up, not yet, anyway. That light is the `forward' button." "Wait! What other options are there? Will we have to stop it manually, or will it automatically stop at the next entry point?" asked Starbuck, not keen on blindly traveling around underground. "Okay," said O'Kala, peering at the pad and consulting the languatron. This series of buttons is marked something like `station alpha,' `station beta,' and station gamma.' Let's try one of those?" Shauna looked around at her companions. "I'll try `station alpha,'" she said. Starbuck nodded but said "It seems that this, uh, transport can go in three possible directions - up, down, and horizontal, in this case, into the cavern wall." "Up?" suggested Giles. "Why not," said Shauna, "but maybe we should close the doors first." She pressed the pad, and the doors swooshed closed. Then she pressed another button. The only reaction was a flashing light on the panel beneath the area she had just pressed. "Hm, looks like we can't go up, not yet, anyway. That light is the `forward' button." "Wait! What other options are there? Will we have to stop it manually, or will it automatically stop at the next entry point?" asked Starbuck, not keen on blindly traveling around underground. "Okay," said O'Kala, peering at the pad and consulting the languatron. This series of buttons is marked something like `station alpha,' `station beta,' and station gamma.' Let's try one of those?" Shauna looked around at her companions. "I'll try `station alpha,'" she said. Starbuck nodded but said out for a moment, and they all held on to whatever was to hand. The whole bridge was filled with a howling vibration that seemed to rumble through the decks, then the huge warship was gone. Noxious stood in his Control Center for nearly a full centon, utterly silent. According to his scanners and pilots, the Galactica and her Fleet were gone. Not destroyed. Just&gone. Vanished. Once more, his electronic brain raced to try and understand this unwelcome turn of events. One micron, the Fleet was coming under the guns of nearly a thousand fighters, more than enough to finally put an end to the annoying pests. Then¬hing. The Humans and their ships were nowhere to be seen. How? he demanded. Unknown, replied an underling. Our scanners were temporarily affected by an anomalous energy surge. Of what sort? Unknown. There is no analogue to it in our database. By your command, said another Centurion. Commander Lucifer for you on Commline. Put him nothing further. This time, as soon as she pressed the pad, they heard a hum and felt a jolt, followed by a gentle rocking as the compartment began to move and pick up speed. ***************** Culture Shock, Pt 13 by Slinter =================================== cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Frustrated by the seeming slowness of his superiors, Noxious finally decided on action. Though his contingent of fighters was down by well over half, he would send them out on another mission of attack. Only this time, they would not approach the Galactica's host system from the expected direction, but circle around it, to come in from opposite the sun. He ordered the fighters to be fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks for the extra distance, and watched as they departed the launch bay, loaded with solonite. To the scrap heap with Lucifer, the Leader's pet! I will still destroy the Galactica. He turned, and gave orders to an underling. Despite the main drive system still b nothing further. This time, as soon as she pressed the pad, they heard a hum and felt a jolt, followed by a gentle rocking as the compartment began to move and pick up speed. ***************** Culture Shock, Pt 13 by Slinter =================================== cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Frustrated by the seeming slowness of his superiors, Noxious finally decided on action. Though his contingent of fighters was down by well over half, he would send them out on another mission of attack. Only this time, they would not approach the Galactica's host system from the expected direction, but circle around it, to come in from opposite the sun. He ordered the fighters to be fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks for the extra distance, and watched as they departed the launch bay, loaded with solonite. To the scrap heap with Lucifer, the Leader's pet! I will still destroy the Galactica. He turned, and gave orders to an underling. Despite the main drive system still b on, ordered Noxious. At once he was greeted with the despised image of the IL Series who had once been the Executive Officer of the traitorous Human, Baltar. What you have witnessed is a wormhole, said Lucifer, without preamble. How the IL could have known what he was pondering was unknown to Noxious, as well as why Lucifer knew something their database did not, but some part of him did not like it. A wormhole? Yes, said Lucifer, once more dismayed at the shockingly limited abilities of the warrior class. He explained what he d meant, and ordered Noxious to board the station to obtain information. By your command. Yes, purred Lucifer, and signed off. So, he mused, a wormhole. How&fortuitous for the Colonials. Well, soon they would follow, and then there would be no escape. No escape, and new worlds to conquer, perhaps. That, and a technology that would extend the grasp of the Cylon Alliance beyond anything they had ever imagined. For a moment, as he lookedeing off-line, they began to slowly move towards the Colonials once more, albeit on maneuvering thrusters alone. Noxious, like all Cylons of command grade, could not stand prolonged inaction. Lucifer. Pah! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQ Continuing along a dusty corridor, Adama and his team found the lift to the upper deck. Much to the surprise of all, it was powered and functional. The ride was, however, a slow one, and it gave the Commander time to once more appreciate the immensity of this station. "God, it's so huge," Athena muttered, looking through the transparent shell of the lift car. "This single deck is nearly the size of a Battlestar, Father." "Impressive," was Adama's reply. "Whoever these people were, they certainly surpass us in some ways." "You think there may be a connection, father? With our ancestors, or maybe the Thirteenth Tribe?" "Well, I know that I can read some of this," replieeing off-line, they began to slowly move towards the Colonials once more, albeit on maneuvering thrusters alone. Noxious, like all Cylons of command grade, could not stand prolonged inaction. Lucifer. Pah! QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQ Continuing along a dusty corridor, Adama and his team found the lift to the upper deck. Much to the surprise of all, it was powered and functional. The ride was, however, a slow one, and it gave the Commander time to once more appreciate the immensity of this station. "God, it's so huge," Athena muttered, looking through the transparent shell of the lift car. "This single deck is nearly the size of a Battlestar, Father." "Impressive," was Adama's reply. "Whoever these people were, they certainly surpass us in some ways." "You think there may be a connection, father? With our ancestors, or maybe the Thirteenth Tribe?" "Well, I know that I can read some of this," replie around his empty throne room, Lucifer missed Baltar. Command could, he decided, be a lonely thing. Do not worry, Lucifer, said a voice. The IL looked down, and beheld the creature with whom he was currently sharing his BaseShip. It will not be long, and you will have all you desire. Let us hope so. So far, your information has been completely accurate. Naturally, said the smiling seeming-Human. His white robes flowed around him, and to anyone looking in, he would have seemed a robust, middle-aged Human. A pity we were delayed reaching this system. Your brethren seemed ill-disposed to allow us to proceed. They are of no concern, said the other, a bit sharply. Soon, the Human s will be hunted down, and Adama will meet his just end. He smiled, a smile of charm, humor, and utter malignancy. Yes, My Lord Iblis, purred Lucifer once more, and returned to his contemplation. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Culture Shock, Pt. 20 by Send her father, pointing to a faded plaque on a bulkhead. "It's similar to Old Gemonese." "What does it say?" "Ah...let me...'Not burn'...No. it says `No Smoking'." "'No Smoking'? How...mundane. Good thing we didn't bring Starbuck" "Well, did you expect something like `Welcome Galactica crew' ?" he smiled. "Well, I could stand some mushies. Think they left us anything?" "And this," he pointed to another plaque, smiling, "says something like...'Authorized Personnel Only'" "Now that's more the sort of thing I'd expect aboard a space station." "Me too." They continued along the corridor, coming to another set of heavy blast doors. Like those down on the planet, these had been left open as well, and after the Warriors scanned and swept the area beyond them, they prevented Adama, permitting he and Athena, along with the techs, to proceed. Inside, the bulkhead on the left, stretching for millimetrons into the distance, was covd her father, pointing to a faded plaque on a bulkhead. "It's similar to Old Gemonese." "What does it say?" "Ah...let me...'Not burn'...No. it says `No Smoking'." "'No Smoking'? How...mundane. Good thing we didn't bring Starbuck" "Well, did you expect something like `Welcome Galactica crew' ?" he smiled. "Well, I could stand some mushies. Think they left us anything?" "And this," he pointed to another plaque, smiling, "says something like...'Authorized Personnel Only'" "Now that's more the sort of thing I'd expect aboard a space station." "Me too." They continued along the corridor, coming to another set of heavy blast doors. Like those down on the planet, these had been left open as well, and after the Warriors scanned and swept the area beyond them, they prevented Adama, permitting he and Athena, along with the techs, to proceed. Inside, the bulkhead on the left, stretching for millimetrons into the distance, was covmut. ============================ Pike resumed his seat, as the Klingon vessel took up position near his compatriots. As he had feared, the enemy ship had arrived first. As the crews raced to repair the damage caused by the fighter s suicide run, they were hailed. It s the Farragut, sir, said Alden, his smile of relief evident to all. She ll be here in four minutes, Captain. Thank God, said Pike. At least we ve evened the odds a bit. Status of Klingon forces? Holding with the first two ships, sir. Scanning, but no contact yet. The Tholians? Still on course, sir. ETA, seven hours, four minutes. Very well. Captain, said Spock, full sensors restored, sir. And deflectors? Engineering estimates repairs will take at least another hour, sir. Phasers and torpedoes operational. Excellent, Mr. Spock. All torpedo tubes loaded and primed. Aye, sir. As he watched his crew scurry to make Enterprise ready, Pikered with massive banks of computer interfaces, screens, and communications gear. On the other side, consoles banked beneath wide windows, giving them a clear view of the landing bay below. >From here, the shuttle they had come in looked like a toy held at arm's length. "We're picking up power systems still operating, sir," said one of the engineers. "Most of this equipment seems to have been left in standby mode." "Can you decipher it?' asked Adama, moving over to him. "It'll take time, sir," he replied. "We can't read any of this script." "Link your languatron scanner to the shuttle's computer, and from there to the Galactica's, and access the language banks. I think you'll find that it is related to Old Gemonese, Lieutenant." "Right, sir. Give me a few moments." "Father," said Athena, calling from a score of paces down the deck. "Look here." Adama made his way towards her, sidestepping one of the other techs who had a console open, proered with massive banks of computer interfaces, screens, and communications gear. On the other side, consoles banked beneath wide windows, giving them a clear view of the landing bay below. >From here, the shuttle they had come in looked like a toy held at arm's length. "We're picking up power systems still operating, sir," said one of the engineers. "Most of this equipment seems to have been left in standby mode." "Can you decipher it?' asked Adama, moving over to him. "It'll take time, sir," he replied. "We can't read any of this script." "Link your languatron scanner to the shuttle's computer, and from there to the Galactica's, and access the language banks. I think you'll find that it is related to Old Gemonese, Lieutenant." "Right, sir. Give me a few moments." "Father," said Athena, calling from a score of paces down the deck. "Look here." Adama made his way towards her, sidestepping one of the other techs who had a console open, proe was relieved to see Farragut drop out of warp a few thousand astern. He was less pleased with the casualty reports. So far, the fighter s impact had resulted in 23 casualties, of which, fortunately, only four were deaths. The hull had been breached in an area where few crewmen had been on duty at the time, so thankfully everyone, living and dead, was accounted for. Emergency atmospheric force fields were in place, and the engineers were scurrying like startled mice to fit emergency plating over the savaged areas of the hull. Obviously, their gunnery and tracking was not well suited to an attack by multiple small targets, like the Cylon fighters. Not at all. And, though armed only with lasers, those lasers had been surprisingly powerful for craft of that size. How fortunate, he decided, that no one known to the Federation used such nimble craft! Once engineering had completed its analysis of all the data, he would be making recommendations to Starfleet about changes. Big changes. bing its guts. As he passed, he took note of the circuitry inside. It was as sophisticated as any aboard the fleet, and impressively dense. "Athena?" he asked, drawing even with her. "This is a comm. Station, father. I'm sure of it." She held up a thin slip of some kind of plastic, tiny microcircuits visible inside the translucent material. One end was slightly flared, the other covered in metal contact points. "And these..." "Yes. They look like our old theta-class data chips." "I remember seeing them in an old data scan at the Academy, in communications school," she informed him. "They were replaced by iota-class crystalline chips almost 40 yahren ago." "I remember. We were still using them when I was a cadet, Athena." He picked up one, examining it minutely. It was dusty, but he wiped it clean, revealing tiny letters on both sides. Or perhaps numbers. Several of them were sitting in a small tray, next to a slot in the console. " I'll wager two sebing its guts. As he passed, he took note of the circuitry inside. It was as sophisticated as any aboard the fleet, and impressively dense. "Athena?" he asked, drawing even with her. "This is a comm. Station, father. I'm sure of it." She held up a thin slip of some kind of plastic, tiny microcircuits visible inside the translucent material. One end was slightly flared, the other covered in metal contact points. "And these..." "Yes. They look like our old theta-class data chips." "I remember seeing them in an old data scan at the Academy, in communications school," she informed him. "They were replaced by iota-class crystalline chips almost 40 yahren ago." "I remember. We were still using them when I was a cadet, Athena." He picked up one, examining it minutely. It was dusty, but he wiped it clean, revealing tiny letters on both sides. Or perhaps numbers. Several of them were sitting in a small tray, next to a slot in the console. " I'll wager two se And, knowing the bureaucrats at HQ, those changes would get implemented about the time& Boyce to bridge, came a familiar voice. Pike activated the gooseneck viewer next to him. Doctor? Updated casualty list, Chris. The Enterprise s CMO looked tired, haggard. Hell, he looked wiped! Chief Engineer Alvarado just died. That makes five, so far. And Specialist Johnstone doesn t look good. Understood, Doctor, he replied, with a sigh. Keep me posted. He clicked off, and swore softly under his breath. Spock s raised eyebrow told him that his invective had not gone unheard by all. Somehow&somehow that felt good. Mr. Spock. Captain? said the young science officer. Have you been able to track the remaining Cylon ship? Yes, Captain. After it recovered, it retreated to a position well out of the way of both ourselves, and the Klingon forces. He put a sensor plot up on his board. It is also broadcasting some kind of distress signal. Fortcton's pay that this is a log, Athena. A record." He studies the console some more. "Does this unit have power?" "Yes," she replied, pressing a few buttons. Next to the slot, a flashing red LED came to life, and a speaker began to hiss softly. The screen in front of them showed a raster. "Shall we?" Adama asked. She smiled, and he slid the chip into the slot, and touched the button next to it. "Commander!" called one of the techs. "Cylons!" "What?" "We've gotten a scanner working." Adama rushed to his station, and looked at the screen. The entire solar system, and space for a huge distance beyond, was displayed in detail, far beyond what the Galactica's scanners were capable of. The BaseShip, and her squadrons of fighters, were clearly visible. On their way towards the Galactica! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!!! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!! DEATH TO... QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQQ Culcton's pay that this is a log, Athena. A record." He studies the console some more. "Does this unit have power?" "Yes," she replied, pressing a few buttons. Next to the slot, a flashing red LED came to life, and a speaker began to hiss softly. The screen in front of them showed a raster. "Shall we?" Adama asked. She smiled, and he slid the chip into the slot, and touched the button next to it. "Commander!" called one of the techs. "Cylons!" "What?" "We've gotten a scanner working." Adama rushed to his station, and looked at the screen. The entire solar system, and space for a huge distance beyond, was displayed in detail, far beyond what the Galactica's scanners were capable of. The BaseShip, and her squadrons of fighters, were clearly visible. On their way towards the Galactica! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!!! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!! DEATH TO CYLONS!!!! DEATH TO... QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQQ Culunately, their ships are too far away to ever pick it up. Yes, it would seem that the crew of the fighter are unaware of what has happened to them. Not surprising, with them being just robots programmed to fight and nothing else. Robots, said Pike, shaking his head. It doesn t seem possible. An entire society, made up of cybernauts? How could such a thing be? Recall what we have learned from our guests. The Cylon race was originally an organic sentient species, which allowed its own technology to overcome it. Rather like some of your Earth fiction, sir. Frankenstein s monster? asked Pike, with a slight smile. Still, something like that would have to have a catalyst, wouldn t it? From what we ve seen of these Centurions, they wouldn t have the initiative to foment a rebellion. He crossed his arms, and shook his head. Well, let s just pray that we never allow robots to get too spiffy, or do too much, Mr. Spock. Indeed, Captain, frowned Spock. He opened his mture Shock, pt. 14 By Maggie They rode in silence for the first several centons aboard the ancient subterranean transport. Starbuck gazed at the faces of his team and could see, beneath the smudged breathers, the same exhaustion that he felt. With the gentle swaying of the compartment, he found himself fighting the desire to nod off to sleep. Sleep. Lords, he realized, they had been working for over ten centars, almost nonstop, since landing on the surface of the planet. He mentally counted the centars: two just to reach the site, six or so spent excavating the entrance and then installing the now-defunct force field, two more spent exploring the - what? -- control center for the vessel port, he supposed - before the tidal waves had destroyed the excavation site, and - he glanced at his chronometer - it had been only 20 centons since they had escaped the rising waters and began their new quest: to located another way to the surface. They needed rest, he decided, rest, food, and liquidture Shock, pt. 14 By Maggie They rode in silence for the first several centons aboard the ancient subterranean transport. Starbuck gazed at the faces of his team and could see, beneath the smudged breathers, the same exhaustion that he felt. With the gentle swaying of the compartment, he found himself fighting the desire to nod off to sleep. Sleep. Lords, he realized, they had been working for over ten centars, almost nonstop, since landing on the surface of the planet. He mentally counted the centars: two just to reach the site, six or so spent excavating the entrance and then installing the now-defunct force field, two more spent exploring the - what? -- control center for the vessel port, he supposed - before the tidal waves had destroyed the excavation site, and - he glanced at his chronometer - it had been only 20 centons since they had escaped the rising waters and began their new quest: to located another way to the surface. They needed rest, he decided, rest, food, and liquidouth to ask a question, when there was a beep, and the Vulcanian turned back to his instruments. Starship Constellation now entering the area, Captain. ETA, two minutes to rendezvous. Some good news, said Pike. He stood, and moved to the turbolift. Keep me posted on events, Number One. I ll be in Sickbay. Sir, replied the helmswoman. She turned back to the main screen, and watched as the Constellation slowed, taking up position to starboard of Enterprise. To port, Farragut stood guard, her deflectors giving her wounded comrade cover, till her own shields were back up. She contemplated the ships for a moment from the esthetic viewpoint. Like Enterprise, Constellation was built with her warp nacelles swept back, soaring up on pylons from the engineering hull. To her, it was a beautiful, even ethereal design, combining beauty with functionality. On the other hand, with her warp nacelles slung close underneath the saucer section, and without a separate secondary hull, Farragut remi. They had eaten the last meal in shifts while excavating the site, and that was probably six or seven centars ago. Now was as good a time as any, he reflected. Only God knew how many centons they were from "Station Alpha." And being encumbered with the breathers, a meal was anything but a feast. Instead, a meal meant securing an "energy packet" to a tube that was inserted through an airtight seal. The packet contained rationed amounts of nutrients, carbos, and revitalizing/rehydrating liquids, designed to be taken every six centars, or so, and eliminating the need for water. Regardless of any actual feelings of hunger or thirst, the energy packet was supposed to suffice. With each person carrying six packets, they could survive for a considerable period of time. "Status?" Starbuck asked Varica, breaking the silence. "Sensors indicate that we're traveling on a level course, almost due east, at a rate of approximately 15 kilometrons per centar." "We could end up well inland," note. They had eaten the last meal in shifts while excavating the site, and that was probably six or seven centars ago. Now was as good a time as any, he reflected. Only God knew how many centons they were from "Station Alpha." And being encumbered with the breathers, a meal was anything but a feast. Instead, a meal meant securing an "energy packet" to a tube that was inserted through an airtight seal. The packet contained rationed amounts of nutrients, carbos, and revitalizing/rehydrating liquids, designed to be taken every six centars, or so, and eliminating the need for water. Regardless of any actual feelings of hunger or thirst, the energy packet was supposed to suffice. With each person carrying six packets, they could survive for a considerable period of time. "Status?" Starbuck asked Varica, breaking the silence. "Sensors indicate that we're traveling on a level course, almost due east, at a rate of approximately 15 kilometrons per centar." "We could end up well inland," notended her too much of the Klingon ship sitting across this solar system from them, with its nacelles arranged much the same way. To her, everything Klingon was ugly. Harsh. Brutal. Why copy that? For his part, the esthetics of starship design was far from Spock s mind. Charting the subspace radiation echoes left by the last opening of the wormhole, he had no time for such frivolous pursuits. He had more important things to do. Once his analysis was complete, he turned his attention, and the ship s library computer, to finding out something he just had to know. Research. Pure research. Spiffy. Pike just hated the smell in Sickbay. The smell of death. As a young officer, he d cut his teeth on battle against the Klingons, being one of only forty survivors out of a crew of over 200 to make it back to safety in a ship shot to bits. He despised them, and he hated what war did to people. Bd Sirrion. "And well out of range of our original landing site." "Don't forget that Greenbean can track our position," Starbuck said, trying to sound reassuring, "so I wouldn't worry." He added mentally to himself: not yet. Out loud, he said, "Since we don't know how long the ride will be, I recommend we `eat' now. Everyone got their energy packets? Let's enjoy our `dinner,' shall we?" His companions nodded, groaned a bit, and proceeded to consume their "meal." After only five centons, all had finished and had packed up the used pouches, which, when empty, compacted into tiny, easily stored, bundles. Next, Starbuck contacted Greenbean. "Do you still have a fix on our location?" he asked. "Affirmative," the flight sergeant answered. "However, there may be a problem - or two -- real soon . . ." Starbuck sighed in resignation. "So give us the `good news.' What now?" "One, if you continue much longer on your current trajectory, you'll be under the mountain range in approximateld Sirrion. "And well out of range of our original landing site." "Don't forget that Greenbean can track our position," Starbuck said, trying to sound reassuring, "so I wouldn't worry." He added mentally to himself: not yet. Out loud, he said, "Since we don't know how long the ride will be, I recommend we `eat' now. Everyone got their energy packets? Let's enjoy our `dinner,' shall we?" His companions nodded, groaned a bit, and proceeded to consume their "meal." After only five centons, all had finished and had packed up the used pouches, which, when empty, compacted into tiny, easily stored, bundles. Next, Starbuck contacted Greenbean. "Do you still have a fix on our location?" he asked. "Affirmative," the flight sergeant answered. "However, there may be a problem - or two -- real soon . . ." Starbuck sighed in resignation. "So give us the `good news.' What now?" "One, if you continue much longer on your current trajectory, you'll be under the mountain range in approximatelut these were not the victims of Klingons, he reminded himself, as he moved among the injured, chatting with some, trying to comfort others. They had fallen to an enemy they d never even heard of, most of them. An enemy whose homeworld was over 50,000 light-years from here, and who by all rights should never have come to this part of the galaxy. But, as he often reminded himself, effluvia happeneth. And, he could not blame the Human survivors of the Cylon massacre for seeking escape, by any means. And while he fully expected more ships to come through the wormhole at any time, he just hoped to God they weren t Cylon. The last thing they needed was one of those terrifying BaseShips to come barging through. He moved on from a badly burned crewman missing a leg, to find Scotty on a biobed, a nurse tending his left arm. Mr. Scott? Och, Cap n, said the young engineer, trying to rise. Pike motioned him to remain at ease. How are you? asked Pike. Well, aside fromy 20 centons. I doubt my sensors will be able to locate your signal then," said Greenbean. "And the second problem?" Starbuck saw the worried glances that passed among his companions. "The _Galactica_ reports that they've picked up an approaching Cylon attack force. They were able to use the sensors on the orbiting space station, which have a much greater range than ours, so I guess you could say we've got an advantage; the Cylons won't be in range for another two centars. However," added Greanbeen, "I was just about to contact you - all available pilots have been recalled to defend the Fleet. I can only stay with you for another 50 centars. After that, I'll need to refuel and join the defense force." "Understood. Starbuck out." The lieutenant resisted the urge to sigh again. "Not exactly our lucky day," muttered Giles. "What happened to that ol' `Starbuck luck'?" "Oh, I don't know," countered Starbuck. "It depends on how you look at it. If the rest of this subterraneouy 20 centons. I doubt my sensors will be able to locate your signal then," said Greenbean. "And the second problem?" Starbuck saw the worried glances that passed among his companions. "The _Galactica_ reports that they've picked up an approaching Cylon attack force. They were able to use the sensors on the orbiting space station, which have a much greater range than ours, so I guess you could say we've got an advantage; the Cylons won't be in range for another two centars. However," added Greanbeen, "I was just about to contact you - all available pilots have been recalled to defend the Fleet. I can only stay with you for another 50 centars. After that, I'll need to refuel and join the defense force." "Understood. Starbuck out." The lieutenant resisted the urge to sigh again. "Not exactly our lucky day," muttered Giles. "What happened to that ol' `Starbuck luck'?" "Oh, I don't know," countered Starbuck. "It depends on how you look at it. If the rest of this subterraneou a wee scorch, I m fine. I was in a Jefferies tube, sair, double-checkin a deflector power bus, when that beastie hit us. The whole relay blew out. But I ll be fit fer duty& When I say so, said Boyce, coming up next to Pike. And not a second before, Mr. Scott. The CMO handed a report to Pike. Well, Mr. Scott, said Pike, after a moment, as you know, Chief Engineer Alverado is dead. Aye, sair. I haird. said the Scott, obviously both still shaken and angry. So, in our current circumstances, I am promoting Assistant Chief Engineer Walpole to Chief, and you, Mr. Scott, to Assistant Chief. Along with a field promotion to full Lieutenant. Sair? I canna& Ye can, and ye will, replied Pike, aping Scott s accent, and smiling slightly. None of the rest have either your record, nor aptitude. Now, as soon as Doctor Boyce deems you fit for duty, I want you back down there, working on the repairs. Aye, sair, said Scott, obviously pleased, as the news suns complex is functioning as well as this transport, finding an exit should be easy." "Hey - and just imagine the wealth of records we should be able to access!" Nila looked excited, despite the fatigue they all felt. "We -" Sirrion interrupted. "Is that a breeze I feel?" he said, looking at a grated opening in the ceiling of the transport. Thomson pulled out his sensor, took some quick readings, and exclaimed, "It is indeed! We must have triggered the life support systems, because we almost have a breathable atmosphere again!" Starbuck poked Giles in the ribs with an elbow. "See! I told you it's not as bad as it may seem. I'd say it's the `Starbuck luck' that keeps saving our astrums." Fifteen centons later, Nila was the first to pull off her breather and test the new atmosphere. "Stale, still," she commented. She took a deep breath. "But not as bad as the first complex." The others removed their masks, as well. Even as musty as it was, the coolness of the air was refreshis complex is functioning as well as this transport, finding an exit should be easy." "Hey - and just imagine the wealth of records we should be able to access!" Nila looked excited, despite the fatigue they all felt. "We -" Sirrion interrupted. "Is that a breeze I feel?" he said, looking at a grated opening in the ceiling of the transport. Thomson pulled out his sensor, took some quick readings, and exclaimed, "It is indeed! We must have triggered the life support systems, because we almost have a breathable atmosphere again!" Starbuck poked Giles in the ribs with an elbow. "See! I told you it's not as bad as it may seem. I'd say it's the `Starbuck luck' that keeps saving our astrums." Fifteen centons later, Nila was the first to pull off her breather and test the new atmosphere. "Stale, still," she commented. She took a deep breath. "But not as bad as the first complex." The others removed their masks, as well. Even as musty as it was, the coolness of the air was refreshik in. He extended his arm to Boyce, who gave it a look- over. He let Scott go, and both he and the captain watched as the Scot fairly went into warp to get back to Engineering. Were we ever like that? asked Pike. I don t know, said Boyce. I can t remember that far back. He turned to take a report from another doctor. When all the excitement dies down, Chris, how about you stop by my cabin for one of my Sirius Screwdrivers ? It s about time& He was interrupted, predictably, when the red alert sounded once more. Captain to bridge, called Number One. Wormhole opening! I ll have to take a rain check on that drink, Phil. Duty calls. Ha! Convenient excuse, muttered Boyce, and headed back for his office. IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!! IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!! X-UIDL: V9a!!Uf0"!a1l!!g?="! Culture Shock, Pt. 21 by Senmut ===================== Aboard the Klingon vessel Gr oth, First Officer Kang watched as the telltale shimmering of the wormhole began to form ing after the stuffy, humid breathers, and it was a relief to be able to see clearly again. "Any change in our status?" Starbuck asked Varica. "None. Still traveling in the same direction at the same velocity. We've gone approximately 1.3 kilometrons inland." As if on cue, Starbuck's communicator beeped. "Go ahead, Greenbean." "You're about to enter the mountainous region. I doubt I'll be able to maintain contact, but I'm going to scout ahead to see what lies along your current trajectory. Maybe I can get an indication of other possible access points before I have to leave. Starbuck?" "Yeah, `Bean?" "Take care. I'll be back with assistance, soon as we get rid of these frakkin' Cylons." "Blast some for me and Giles, will ya? See ya! Starbuck out." ************* Culture Shock, Pt. 15 by Slinter ======================== See disclaimers, excuses, and other legal-type snivelling in Pt. 1. ======================== Adama at once contacted the ship, and informed them ong after the stuffy, humid breathers, and it was a relief to be able to see clearly again. "Any change in our status?" Starbuck asked Varica. "None. Still traveling in the same direction at the same velocity. We've gone approximately 1.3 kilometrons inland." As if on cue, Starbuck's communicator beeped. "Go ahead, Greenbean." "You're about to enter the mountainous region. I doubt I'll be able to maintain contact, but I'm going to scout ahead to see what lies along your current trajectory. Maybe I can get an indication of other possible access points before I have to leave. Starbuck?" "Yeah, `Bean?" "Take care. I'll be back with assistance, soon as we get rid of these frakkin' Cylons." "Blast some for me and Giles, will ya? See ya! Starbuck out." ************* Culture Shock, Pt. 15 by Slinter ======================== See disclaimers, excuses, and other legal-type snivelling in Pt. 1. ======================== Adama at once contacted the ship, and informed them on front of them. He d informed the Commander, and his CO had ordered all weapons readied. As usual, the ship s skipper had decided, loudly, that all this was some sort of Federation treachery, a plot to seize yet another system preparatory to a strike against the Klingon people. While he had no love for the Earthers, Kang thought his CO full of targ g dayt. The Enterprise had taken a suicide hit from the unidentified alien craft. Somehow for the young officer, that didn t sound like an effective strategy. For his part, Kleege, aboard, the P kuth felt much the same. However, he didn t really care. He yearned, lusted for battle, and with his anger still boiling over the recent skirmish with Enterprise, fighting for fighting s sake was good enough for him. Next to him, the B ath signaled ready as well. Arm all weapons! he ordered, as the space in front of them began to flare. Here we go again, said Tyler, as the darkness split open, spewing light and energy out into thf the approaching menace. Though the Galactica's sensors were now back up to full, they were, it seemed, well below the level of those aboard the space station. All launch tubes were now operational, and soon every spaceworthy Viper was screaming down a launch tube, to intercept the approaching Cylon force. "We have to get back to the ship," said Adama, to Athena. "We can't," she replied. "Why not?" "The shuttle couldn't reach the fleet before the Cylons do. If a lone shuttle is intercepted in space, Father..." "But as Commander, I must be there, Athena. My duty..." "Your duty is to survive, Father." She grabbed his arm, as he turned to leave. "You can't be replaced." "I cannot neglect my..." Their argument was interrupted by a loud, blaring klaxon, flashing red lights, and a voice booming over a PA system. While the language was not at once familiar, a few moments with the Languatron gave them... "Alert. Hostile forcf the approaching menace. Though the Galactica's sensors were now back up to full, they were, it seemed, well below the level of those aboard the space station. All launch tubes were now operational, and soon every spaceworthy Viper was screaming down a launch tube, to intercept the approaching Cylon force. "We have to get back to the ship," said Adama, to Athena. "We can't," she replied. "Why not?" "The shuttle couldn't reach the fleet before the Cylons do. If a lone shuttle is intercepted in space, Father..." "But as Commander, I must be there, Athena. My duty..." "Your duty is to survive, Father." She grabbed his arm, as he turned to leave. "You can't be replaced." "I cannot neglect my..." Their argument was interrupted by a loud, blaring klaxon, flashing red lights, and a voice booming over a PA system. While the language was not at once familiar, a few moments with the Languatron gave them... "Alert. Hostile force void. Like a flower, the wormhole unfurled, momentarily connecting two distant areas of space. Vessel emerging, reported Spock. Defensive systems? asked Pike. All manned and ready, sir, reported Number One. Good God, muttered Colt, as the emerging vessel began to take coherent shape. This time, it was no tiny shuttle or fighter that came forth. It was quite simply the biggest vessel they d ever seen. Mr. Alden, said Pike, have Lieutenant Bojay and his people report to the bridge at once. Readings, Spock? Mass reading at over one million tons, sir. Sensor distortions obscuring most else. But it appears to be the Battlestar. Like a dolphin or whale leaping from a foamy sea, the Galactica slowly sailed out of the wormhole, her grace and lines holding Pike in awe. She dwarfed Enterprise, making him feel as if he were in a shuttlecraft somehow, as her massive form partially blocked the wormhole orifice from view. It seemed an eternity, though it es are approaching the station. Defense posture. Repeat, hostile forces are approaching the station. Sealing all primary bulkheads." Immediately, the blast doors at the end of the huge chamber began to rumble, moving on long inert gears. Before any of them could reach them, they clanged shut like a dungeon, sealing them inside. "Try and find an override!" Adama ordered the techs, and returned to the scanner screen. The Cylons were closing, and all Vipers were moving to intercept. In orbit around the ringed planet, the fleet was pulling together into defensive positions. All was being done that could be done, and Adama kept the channel to Tigh open, cursing himself for leaving the ship. "The BaseShip seems to be lagging,' said Athena, pointing. "I wonder why." "Damage, perhaps. Who can say? At least that's something to be thankful for, Athena." He looked towards the technicians. "Any luck?" "Not yet, Commander. The automatic systems are in control. It coues are approaching the station. Defense posture. Repeat, hostile forces are approaching the station. Sealing all primary bulkheads." Immediately, the blast doors at the end of the huge chamber began to rumble, moving on long inert gears. Before any of them could reach them, they clanged shut like a dungeon, sealing them inside. "Try and find an override!" Adama ordered the techs, and returned to the scanner screen. The Cylons were closing, and all Vipers were moving to intercept. In orbit around the ringed planet, the fleet was pulling together into defensive positions. All was being done that could be done, and Adama kept the channel to Tigh open, cursing himself for leaving the ship. "The BaseShip seems to be lagging,' said Athena, pointing. "I wonder why." "Damage, perhaps. Who can say? At least that's something to be thankful for, Athena." He looked towards the technicians. "Any luck?" "Not yet, Commander. The automatic systems are in control. It couwas actually only a few seconds, before the huge vessel was entirely visible, her massive engines at last leaving the rift behind. Almost at once, she was followed by another ship, its design equally unfamiliar to Pike, a craft consisting of three circular sections, similar to Enterprise s saucer section, in tandem with power plant astern. Then another, an ugly, bulky barge, with dirty, smudged lettering all over the sides. He heard the doors to the bridge open, and then the voices of their guests. She s here! cried Bojay, almost childlike in his glee. Boomer repeated his words, and the two Warriors embraced each other like long-lost brethren. Even the usually reserved Wilker let out a whoop, slapping Boomer on the back, and getting the same from Bojay. Lords of Kobol, they made it!! Boomer boomed, nearly deafening Alden. By God, they did it! They continued to watch as the ships of the Colonial Fleet continued to come through. One after another, the battered wrecks thatld take sectons to find it." "Felcercarb," muttered the Commander. cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc "What?" asked Scott, in the hangar bay. He was busy examining the interior of the shuttle, and the Colonials were astounded by his engineering acumen. "Fel..." "Felcercarb," said Boomer, explaining the Colonial expression. He had been explaining the shuttle's propulsion system to Scott, engine housing open, and used the word in reference to the Cylons. The Universal Translator made nothing of it, and Scott laughed, contributing a few choice Gaelic expletives of his own. It wasn't long before he used it again, taken aback at how fast Scott had mastered the system before them. "Ach, it's old-fashioned," he said, "Horse `n buggy, beggin' yer pardon, lad. Now our shuttles," he gestured towards the Galileo and Columbus, "use impulse drive." "Impulse?" asked Bojay. "Aye. A hydrogen fusion system. It can push ye close ta' lightspeed, fairly quld take sectons to find it." "Felcercarb," muttered the Commander. cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc "What?" asked Scott, in the hangar bay. He was busy examining the interior of the shuttle, and the Colonials were astounded by his engineering acumen. "Fel..." "Felcercarb," said Boomer, explaining the Colonial expression. He had been explaining the shuttle's propulsion system to Scott, engine housing open, and used the word in reference to the Cylons. The Universal Translator made nothing of it, and Scott laughed, contributing a few choice Gaelic expletives of his own. It wasn't long before he used it again, taken aback at how fast Scott had mastered the system before them. "Ach, it's old-fashioned," he said, "Horse `n buggy, beggin' yer pardon, lad. Now our shuttles," he gestured towards the Galileo and Columbus, "use impulse drive." "Impulse?" asked Bojay. "Aye. A hydrogen fusion system. It can push ye close ta' lightspeed, fairly qu had eluded the Cylons time and again emerged into this space, putting the hell of pursuit behind them. 50,00 light-years behind them. Look, it s the prison barge! said Bojay, pointing. And the Celestra, added Boomer. The Agro ships. And the Rising Star! Bojay went on. Hey, it s the orphan ship. Hades Hole, we did it!! We fracking did it!! cried Boomer again, and the three Colonials did an impromptu gig on the bridge till Pike told them to settle down. From his post, Spock watched them, trying to understand the emotions involved. It was, certainly, logical that their comrades would discover how to follow them through the wormhole. Flagrant emotional displays were hardly called for. One did not rejoice over the culmination of logic. Why did Humans always& Sir! cried Tyler, Klingon vessel moving in on the emerging fleet, sir. He studied his board a moment, trying to filter out interference. Arming torpedoes! Move in, Number One. Phasers, stand by. ick. Still, what ye've got here is no small shakes. And she's got those skydivin' tubes, and a lot more internal space than ours." "Well, it seems we have a lot we can learn from each other, Mr...." "Scotty." "Scotty," said Wilker. "I'm impressed at your, uh...phaser system. It seems far more powerful than our standard lasers." "It is," said Scotty, starting to practically beam with pride. "We've been able ta' increase power ta' the weapons by over 130%, with only a 15% or less increase in power usage. So far, she's passed all the tests with flyin' colors." "I'd love to see the Cylons on the receiving end of that beam," said Bojay, with some heat. "They've got something new in the way of shields. We barely survived their last attack." "Well, I've run a sim er two, based on the data from yer flight recorder, Mr. Bojay. If those cybernetic beasties show up here, they'll get one bloody case o' heartburn, tryin' ta swallow our phasers." "ick. Still, what ye've got here is no small shakes. And she's got those skydivin' tubes, and a lot more internal space than ours." "Well, it seems we have a lot we can learn from each other, Mr...." "Scotty." "Scotty," said Wilker. "I'm impressed at your, uh...phaser system. It seems far more powerful than our standard lasers." "It is," said Scotty, starting to practically beam with pride. "We've been able ta' increase power ta' the weapons by over 130%, with only a 15% or less increase in power usage. So far, she's passed all the tests with flyin' colors." "I'd love to see the Cylons on the receiving end of that beam," said Bojay, with some heat. "They've got something new in the way of shields. We barely survived their last attack." "Well, I've run a sim er two, based on the data from yer flight recorder, Mr. Bojay. If those cybernetic beasties show up here, they'll get one bloody case o' heartburn, tryin' ta swallow our phasers." " As Enterprise and B ath moved in, no one immediately noticed the remaining Raider powering up as well. Like the other ships, it also was moving in on its target. As it drew closer, the Klingon vessel moved across its path, and the Cylon did what Cylons always do to unidentified ships full of non-Cylons. It opened fire. The Klingon s shields flared brightly as the Raider s guns struck home, shunting the lasers aside. The Cylon kept firing, slamming the Bird-of-Prey repeatedly till they roared past. The Klingon broke off his attack on the Galactica, banking hard to port to evade. The Cylon stayed on the Klingon however, managing to strike home again several times, this time penetrating his screens. The Raider fired again, its lasers ripping through metal, and this time B ath s hull erupted in smoke and debris, her flight going wild. The Cylon came around for another pass, opened fire& And blew to bits, as a shot from Enterprise nailed it dead center. The Cylon evaporated as tGlad to hear it," said Boomer. "But, you understand, we need to know how our people are doing, Scotty. It's..." "Aye, lad. I understand. I'd be climbin' the walls meself, if it were my people, and I was stuck, clear across the galaxy. But without signal boosters and exact frequencies, we canna get signal to yer ship in anythin' like a reasonable time. We'll just have ta'..." "Red Alert,' came Alden's voice over the speaker, as the klaxon sounded throughout the bay. "Red Alert. Wormhole opening. All hands to battle stations." "Well," said Scott, slapping the shuttle's engine cowling closed, "that's me' call. Ye'd better be getting' ta quarters or the briefin' room." And with that, he was off. THIRTEENTH TRIBE WAS HERE!!! THIRTEENTH "Sheba here,' said Cain's daughter, as her commlink beeped. She'd been studying the data scrolling up one of the antique vidscreens, when the call came from Tigh. Once she heard the news, she was fairly sprinting towards the exGlad to hear it," said Boomer. "But, you understand, we need to know how our people are doing, Scotty. It's..." "Aye, lad. I understand. I'd be climbin' the walls meself, if it were my people, and I was stuck, clear across the galaxy. But without signal boosters and exact frequencies, we canna get signal to yer ship in anythin' like a reasonable time. We'll just have ta'..." "Red Alert,' came Alden's voice over the speaker, as the klaxon sounded throughout the bay. "Red Alert. Wormhole opening. All hands to battle stations." "Well," said Scott, slapping the shuttle's engine cowling closed, "that's me' call. Ye'd better be getting' ta quarters or the briefin' room." And with that, he was off. THIRTEENTH TRIBE WAS HERE!!! THIRTEENTH "Sheba here,' said Cain's daughter, as her commlink beeped. She'd been studying the data scrolling up one of the antique vidscreens, when the call came from Tigh. Once she heard the news, she was fairly sprinting towards the exhe Klingon struggled to regain control. Wobbling and trailing plasma, it was a hopeless effort. Within moments of the Raider s destruction, the B ath followed it into oblivion, ripped by a powerful explosion that tore the stern section completely in half, and sending the bow tumbling wildly towards the Galactica. Tractor beam! ordered Pike. Adama held on to the railing as the Galactica shook from her passage through the wormhole. Around him, many of the bridge crew were doing the same. As he watched, two screens went dark, then a third. A panel burst into sparks, and for a moment he felt as if the vision was being squeezed out of him. Status? he shouted, over the din in his ears. Velocity completely off the scale, reported Tigh. Scanners erratic, sir. Electrical fluctuations in all systems. As he spoke, one crewman collapsed. Medtech to bridge! As he turned back to the image before hit to the vast chamber. As hard as it was, her curiosity as aroused as any of the rest of them, she ordered the exploration terminated immediately, and all hands to prepare to depart at once for the Galactica. "But..." "But..." "No buts. This is an attack!!!" she shot back. "Gather up whatever you have, and head for the shuttle. The Cylons will be here in about a centar." "Shutting down,' harrumphed Callidus, keeping his irritation largely to himself. The archaeological find of the millennium, and, as usual, the golmonging, snitradeous tinheads have to crash the party! "Brie," she asked, over her link. "How much solonite do we have on the shuttle?" "Lieutenant?" "Get it down here, pronton. We're going to mine this place. We can't let the Cylons get their hands on any of it." "On my way." "Good." She switched frequencies, calling Colonel Tigh. He gave her the go-ahead. Set the charges. At the right moment, they'd blow tit to the vast chamber. As hard as it was, her curiosity as aroused as any of the rest of them, she ordered the exploration terminated immediately, and all hands to prepare to depart at once for the Galactica. "But..." "But..." "No buts. This is an attack!!!" she shot back. "Gather up whatever you have, and head for the shuttle. The Cylons will be here in about a centar." "Shutting down,' harrumphed Callidus, keeping his irritation largely to himself. The archaeological find of the millennium, and, as usual, the golmonging, snitradeous tinheads have to crash the party! "Brie," she asked, over her link. "How much solonite do we have on the shuttle?" "Lieutenant?" "Get it down here, pronton. We're going to mine this place. We can't let the Cylons get their hands on any of it." "On my way." "Good." She switched frequencies, calling Colonel Tigh. He gave her the go-ahead. Set the charges. At the right moment, they'd blow tim, something flew by. Something small. Small, blue, spherical. Down in the launch bay, Sheba looked up from her misery. Her instruments were fluttering, just as the lights in the bay flickered off and on. Static roared over her craft s radio, and she popped her canopy. All around her, the other pilots were having the same problems, and a few had collapsed to the deck. She leapt from her ship, to kneel next to Sheldrake, the one she had bitten in half earlier. He seemed to be alive, then she felt darkness swarm over her, and fell insensate across him. Apollo opened his eyes, seeing only the ceiling in Life Center, then total, purest white. He was standing, dressed as he had been twice before aboard the Ship of Lights, bathed in a radiance that no mortal could have endured. Why was he here again? He thought a moment, remembering. Yes, of course. Was he& No, said a voice, and he turned. More radiance flooded his eyes, yet he felt no need to shield them. A figure stood befhe pogies out of the place. cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccc Which was exactly how Apollo was feeling, just then. The mysterious, violent wave had passed over the Landram, knocking it onto its side, but otherwise leaving them be for the moment. He tried to move, but another wave suddenly hit, seemingly more powerful than the first. Circuits popped and fried, filling the vehicle with an acrid stench that made his eyes water, and set his charge to coughing. He and Dietra held each other as tightly as her injuries allowed, until it had passed as well. He looked around the damaged Landram, trying to right himself in the toppled vehicle. Only the emergency lights, and locator beacon, seemed to be working. The rest of her systems were down, burned out by the brutal assault, or shaken to pieces. Gradually, it quieted down, till all they could hear was the sizzle of circuits, and their own labored breathing. Apollo tried to ghe pogies out of the place. cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccc Which was exactly how Apollo was feeling, just then. The mysterious, violent wave had passed over the Landram, knocking it onto its side, but otherwise leaving them be for the moment. He tried to move, but another wave suddenly hit, seemingly more powerful than the first. Circuits popped and fried, filling the vehicle with an acrid stench that made his eyes water, and set his charge to coughing. He and Dietra held each other as tightly as her injuries allowed, until it had passed as well. He looked around the damaged Landram, trying to right himself in the toppled vehicle. Only the emergency lights, and locator beacon, seemed to be working. The rest of her systems were down, burned out by the brutal assault, or shaken to pieces. Gradually, it quieted down, till all they could hear was the sizzle of circuits, and their own labored breathing. Apollo tried to gore him, gowned in utter white light. You are not dead, Apollo. Then why am I here? It is not yet your time, My Beloved. You and the Fleet will go on. But you&you were there. In the Landram! You& It was not your time, Beloved. I told you. You have much yet to do, Apollo. So much to do. And Boxey needs you still. I&I don t want to go back. I&I want to remain here. With you! And what of Sheba, Apollo? Do you not know that she carries your child? You must return to that world. But&why? Why bring me here if only to send me back? Your life hangs by the thinnest of threads, Apollo. Death is near, but you will live. And, it was needful to show you certain things. What things? Behold, Brother, said another voice, one as familiar to Apollo as the first. Another figure approached, and waved an arm. The very fabric of the light parted, and Apollo could see, within the hull of a BaseShip, the one person in the Universe he had mostet Dietra into an upright position, and checked her vitals. The bleeding had stopped, and thankfully her wound had not reopened. But she'd whacked her head in the tumble, and was out cold. "Well, Dietra," he said, trying the door that was now the roof of the Landram, "I think..." He stopped, letting it slam, and grabbed Dietra, as something rumbled, and the Landram began to totter... As the ground under it started to collapse. "Ohhhhhhhh Fraaaaaaaack..........." QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ ======================= Culture Shock, Pt. 16 by Senmut. See Pt.1 for all that legal-type slime and goo. This is all for fun, not money. (BOO HOO HOO!!!!!!) ======================================= Racing towards their hated foe, the Cylon pilots were surprised to discover interceptors already moving to attack. They discovered it as the first Raider was blown to bits. Neither party should have been able to detect the other at such a range. et Dietra into an upright position, and checked her vitals. The bleeding had stopped, and thankfully her wound had not reopened. But she'd whacked her head in the tumble, and was out cold. "Well, Dietra," he said, trying the door that was now the roof of the Landram, "I think..." He stopped, letting it slam, and grabbed Dietra, as something rumbled, and the Landram began to totter... As the ground under it started to collapse. "Ohhhhhhhh Fraaaaaaaack..........." QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ ======================= Culture Shock, Pt. 16 by Senmut. See Pt.1 for all that legal-type slime and goo. This is all for fun, not money. (BOO HOO HOO!!!!!!) ======================================= Racing towards their hated foe, the Cylon pilots were surprised to discover interceptors already moving to attack. They discovered it as the first Raider was blown to bits. Neither party should have been able to detect the other at such a range. feared to see again. Iblis! breathed Apollo, his hands clenching in anger. What& It was he, Brother, who brought the Fleet to the system with the wormhole device. There, he planned to have the Galactica move through, pursued by the Cylons, allowing them to seize the technology, and thus spread their reign of terror across the galaxy. HIS reign of terror. But, he will not succeed. Are you sure? Yes, Apollo, smiled Zac, hand on his brother s shoulder. Battle yet awaits, but you have almost reached your goal. Father was right! Earth lies ahead. An Earth that will be safe from Iblis scheme, at least for now. Zac, said Apollo, feeling the tears come unbidden. I m sorry. I&I couldn t save you. I should never have left you behind, little brother. I& Apollo, when will you learn that you are forgiven? His brother smiled at him. You had to. If you had stayed with me, the Galactica would have been destroyed, along with the rest of the Fleet, and you would noHow was this possible? In typically slow-witted Cylon fashion, the attack's Squadron Leader informed the BaseShip of this unwelcome development. It was fortunate for the Colonials that their opponents were so absorbed by this deviation from the programmed mission, for the order to arm weapons had not yet been given, and the Vipers, splitting up to squeeze the Raiders in between hammer and anvil, had gotten in the first shots. One Cylon fighter after another went up in a blinding flash, loaded as they were with both solonite, and extra fuel. Fully half the first wave of the enemy fighter craft were obliterated, and many more scattered, before they responded effectively. And in that scattering, a few slipped past the otherwise vigilant defenders. Sheba and her crew bounded aboard their shuttle, dumping their equipment and data in a heap, before strapping in for take- off. It annoyed, no infuriated her that the enemy had already been contacted, and she wasn't even back aboard the GHow was this possible? In typically slow-witted Cylon fashion, the attack's Squadron Leader informed the BaseShip of this unwelcome development. It was fortunate for the Colonials that their opponents were so absorbed by this deviation from the programmed mission, for the order to arm weapons had not yet been given, and the Vipers, splitting up to squeeze the Raiders in between hammer and anvil, had gotten in the first shots. One Cylon fighter after another went up in a blinding flash, loaded as they were with both solonite, and extra fuel. Fully half the first wave of the enemy fighter craft were obliterated, and many more scattered, before they responded effectively. And in that scattering, a few slipped past the otherwise vigilant defenders. Sheba and her crew bounded aboard their shuttle, dumping their equipment and data in a heap, before strapping in for take- off. It annoyed, no infuriated her that the enemy had already been contacted, and she wasn't even back aboard the Gt be here. Come, it is time, said the other voice. The Fleet is almost through to Federation space. To where? Come, Beloved, she said, taking Apollo by the hand. Do not fear, Apollo. Iblis will not succeed. As the words fell on his ears, Apollo could feel this ethereal realm begin to fade. No, please! I want& Then he was back in Life Center, and dimly saw Salik above him. The physician looked down, and smiled at his patient. He listened as Apollo spoke, the one word barely making it to his ears, before he moved on. Serina. As he contemplated his plan, Iblis watched the Galactica enter the wormhole. Soon, his scheme, a thousand yahrens in the making would& No! he hissed, as an unwelcome presence touched his awareness. Them!?? NO! LUCIFER!!! The vibration seemed to reach an almost audible pitch, when, suddenly, the bright smear of the wormhole opened up before them, and Adama saw blackness. Blackness and stars. Then, they were alactica yet! Gunning the shuttle's engines dangerously close to redline as they climbed out of the planet's atmosphere, she called Colonel Tigh for an update. "We've lost contact with Captain Apollo's team," he informed her, keeping the emotion out of his voice. She swore softly, and asked Tigh to have her Viper prepped and ready for her when she landed. Of course it would be, he told her. Oh God! Apollo! What's happened? If you've gotten your knuckleheaded... "And Starbuck's group, Colonel?" she asked, as the atmosphere thinned to blackness. "Trapped underground by a massive cyclonic storm, Lieutenant." He gave her the details. "I see." She looked ahead, to the Galactica's massive landing bay. "On approach vector now, Colonel." "Roger. You are cleared to land, Lieutenant. Beta bay." "I'll be aboard in..." she checked her chrono, "less than a centon." "Acknowledged." Unable to do much of anything but watch events passively, alactica yet! Gunning the shuttle's engines dangerously close to redline as they climbed out of the planet's atmosphere, she called Colonel Tigh for an update. "We've lost contact with Captain Apollo's team," he informed her, keeping the emotion out of his voice. She swore softly, and asked Tigh to have her Viper prepped and ready for her when she landed. Of course it would be, he told her. Oh God! Apollo! What's happened? If you've gotten your knuckleheaded... "And Starbuck's group, Colonel?" she asked, as the atmosphere thinned to blackness. "Trapped underground by a massive cyclonic storm, Lieutenant." He gave her the details. "I see." She looked ahead, to the Galactica's massive landing bay. "On approach vector now, Colonel." "Roger. You are cleared to land, Lieutenant. Beta bay." "I'll be aboard in..." she checked her chrono, "less than a centon." "Acknowledged." Unable to do much of anything but watch events passively, through, and apparently surrounded by normal space once more. Gradually, one instrument after another flickered back to life, and the lights began to brighten. Adama tried the scanners, and there directly before them& Was a Cylon fighter, heading their way! Swearing silently, he ordered laser turrets activated, when something flew between them and the Cylon. It was a ship, totally unfamiliar, and the Cylon opened fire on it instead. Repeatedly nailed by the Raider s guns, the alien craft was stricken, then blown to bits, all within a couple of centons. Then, a powerfully bright beam from somewhere close did the same to the Cylon. Who& Sir, called Tigh. The Fleet is emerging from the wormhole behind us! All of them? Yes, sir! said Tigh, heartily, for once letting his emotions show through. Thank God for that. Defensive screens? Coming back, sir. And both launch bays are operational. Excellent. Scan for both the Viper and shuttle, Colonel. Adama followed the progress of the approaching Cylons on the "alien" scanners. He nodded approvingly, as he saw large numbers of them blown to splinters, and reported all movements to Colonel Tigh. The Galactica would be battened down and ready long before the first Raider came within firing range. Only they weren't coming into range. True, more than half the approaching Cylons had been destroyed or damaged by the Vipers, but the survivors were not heading towards the Galactica's last known position, as expected. They were curving away from the system, heading out into space it seemed. Retreating to their BaseShip? Why in Kobol's... His attention was diverted to the top of the scanner screen. There, at extreme range, still too far to launch fighters, a second BaseShip was heading their way. If he knew the Cylons, it would soon be followed by another. So why were the fighters... Of course! "Colonel Tigh," Adama called, as their enemy's plan suddenly became clear to Adama followed the progress of the approaching Cylons on the "alien" scanners. He nodded approvingly, as he saw large numbers of them blown to splinters, and reported all movements to Colonel Tigh. The Galactica would be battened down and ready long before the first Raider came within firing range. Only they weren't coming into range. True, more than half the approaching Cylons had been destroyed or damaged by the Vipers, but the survivors were not heading towards the Galactica's last known position, as expected. They were curving away from the system, heading out into space it seemed. Retreating to their BaseShip? Why in Kobol's... His attention was diverted to the top of the scanner screen. There, at extreme range, still too far to launch fighters, a second BaseShip was heading their way. If he knew the Cylons, it would soon be followed by another. So why were the fighters... Of course! "Colonel Tigh," Adama called, as their enemy's plan suddenly became clear to Sir, said Omega, another ship quartering in. Transfer to my console, he ordered. He studied the alien ship, scanner data scrolling up alongside the image. He recognized it from the fragmentary scan sent back earlier by Boomer s shuttle. Large saucer-shaped hull forward, with cylinders projecting behind. The computer could make nothing as yet of its power function, but residual distortion from the wormhole was still high. We re being hailed, Commander, reported Tigh. Put it on. Almost at once, Boomer s image appeared on his monitor. The young pilot broke into a huge smile, and in a page right out of Starbuck- Well, look who showed up. We wondered when you guys were going to make it! Lieutenant Boomer! I never thought I d be so& Another hail sir, reported Tigh. From the other vessel, sir. This time it wasn t Boomer, or any friendly face. It was, in fact, quite an ugly one, with bony forehead, long hair, and snarling lips. Through crooked teeth, th him. "What is the ship's engineering status?" "Chief Engineer reports main drive still off-line. Port auxiliary engine now functional, starboard is expected..." "Prepare to break orbit, Colonel. Order the entire fleet to form up on the Galactica, and to follow you at once." "Commander?" said the confused Tigh. "Follow where? Our squadrons are still..." "You will make for this inner planet, Colonel. The Cylons are bringing up another BaseShip. It has just come into the range of this station's scanning systems. The fighters we've just engaged are trying to swing around, and catch us between again." He forwarded a scan capture of the screen before him. "Our surface teams?" "Lieutenant Sheba and her team are aboard now, sir. She's launching in her Viper." Tigh turned to someone off-screen, then back to his CO. "Lieutenant Starbuck's and Captain Apollo's have yet to return, sir." "I...see. Recall all Viper squadrons to the Galactica at once, Colonel." him. "What is the ship's engineering status?" "Chief Engineer reports main drive still off-line. Port auxiliary engine now functional, starboard is expected..." "Prepare to break orbit, Colonel. Order the entire fleet to form up on the Galactica, and to follow you at once." "Commander?" said the confused Tigh. "Follow where? Our squadrons are still..." "You will make for this inner planet, Colonel. The Cylons are bringing up another BaseShip. It has just come into the range of this station's scanning systems. The fighters we've just engaged are trying to swing around, and catch us between again." He forwarded a scan capture of the screen before him. "Our surface teams?" "Lieutenant Sheba and her team are aboard now, sir. She's launching in her Viper." Tigh turned to someone off-screen, then back to his CO. "Lieutenant Starbuck's and Captain Apollo's have yet to return, sir." "I...see. Recall all Viper squadrons to the Galactica at once, Colonel." eir owner bellowed: This is Commander Korrd, of the Klingon Empire. Identify yourselves, or prepare to face attack! Oh frack, muttered Tigh. O CYLON!!! CYLON, HARVEST MOON!!!! LA DE DA, DUM DE DUMMMMMMMMMM X-UIDL: GBL!!U_D!!_c6!!*4!#! Culture Shock, Pt. 22 by Senmut =================== For a few centons, the Cylon forces were in disarray and confusion. The Colonial Fleet had simply disappeared in a burst of static and interference. Fighters near the wormhole device that did not get sucked through flew about crazily, trying to get their bearings, and avoid crashing either into the huge machine or one other. Some failed, and a number of Raiders either flew into the path of the stations automated defenses, getting blown to bits, or each other, achieving much the same effect. Then, they all received a recall signal from Lucifer, aboard the command ship. Slowly, order returned to the squadrons, and the BaseShips recovered their fighters. They were chec "Re...yes, Commander." Tigh turned to forward the order. "Getting under way, sir." "Keep me posted, Colonel," said the Commander, voice dropping a notch. Adama turned away from the screen, to hide his pain from his Exec. Tigh of course didn't miss it for a millicenton. Neither did Athena. "Father, Apollo..." "We cannot risk the survival of the entire fleet for one man, Athena." "But..." "Not even for the Commander's son, daughter." "But Father, you have to give him a chance! He's..." "You think I don't know that?" yelled Adama, surprising both everyone else, as well as himself. Never one to raise his voice at his children, he felt like a cad. "I know, first Zac, now Apollo? You think I don't care? That I don't still...still agonize over him? Left behind, doomed?" He turned away, and saw the rest of his boarding party looking at him. Quicker than a Cylon lie, they all seemed to find something else to occupy themselves with. Assidu "Re...yes, Commander." Tigh turned to forward the order. "Getting under way, sir." "Keep me posted, Colonel," said the Commander, voice dropping a notch. Adama turned away from the screen, to hide his pain from his Exec. Tigh of course didn't miss it for a millicenton. Neither did Athena. "Father, Apollo..." "We cannot risk the survival of the entire fleet for one man, Athena." "But..." "Not even for the Commander's son, daughter." "But Father, you have to give him a chance! He's..." "You think I don't know that?" yelled Adama, surprising both everyone else, as well as himself. Never one to raise his voice at his children, he felt like a cad. "I know, first Zac, now Apollo? You think I don't care? That I don't still...still agonize over him? Left behind, doomed?" He turned away, and saw the rest of his boarding party looking at him. Quicker than a Cylon lie, they all seemed to find something else to occupy themselves with. Assiduked, refueled, rearmed, and left waiting for the next mission. Lucifer did not quite know what to make of Iblis just now. The normally suave and urbane being was raging and spluttering, much as Baltar had when enraged by one of Adama s miraculous escapes. The IL was even more taken aback when he saw the seemingly Human face waver, revealing a countenance of unspeakable ugliness, quickly wiped away. Not knowing what else to do, he let the apoplectic being wind down, storing away all the unfamiliar words for later translation and decryption. What was it about those blue spheres that had upset him so? What is the status of the attack force? asked Iblis at last, finally bringing himself under control. Before Lucifer could answer, there was a call. Noxious reported that a ship of unidentified type had escaped from the ringed planet, and eluding pursuit, dove into the wormhole device. Did Lucifer wish them to pursue? Such intelligence and drive, thought Lucifer. Such initiatously. "I...I'm just..." "I know, Athena." He looked down at the scanner. The BaseShip was drawing closer, now joined, as he feared, by a second. The original BaseShip was still crawling in their direction, and the remaining Raiders were completing an arc, soon to drop into the system from behind the sun. But, at last, the Galactica was beginning to move. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Sheba swore into her helmet, as she got the recall signal. She was just closing with the Vipers, when the order came. What in Hades Hole was Tigh doing? What a waste of fuel! Growling, she turned her ship around, and headed back for the fleet. As she lined up for landing, she heard the chatter of the pilots behind her. Ah, she thought, good news. All the Vipers launched had returned! No losses on this mission. Something to be thankful for, Lords of Kobol be praised. As soon as the last Viper was aboard, the strung-out fleet began forming up on the Battlestar. Wously. "I...I'm just..." "I know, Athena." He looked down at the scanner. The BaseShip was drawing closer, now joined, as he feared, by a second. The original BaseShip was still crawling in their direction, and the remaining Raiders were completing an arc, soon to drop into the system from behind the sun. But, at last, the Galactica was beginning to move. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Sheba swore into her helmet, as she got the recall signal. She was just closing with the Vipers, when the order came. What in Hades Hole was Tigh doing? What a waste of fuel! Growling, she turned her ship around, and headed back for the fleet. As she lined up for landing, she heard the chatter of the pilots behind her. Ah, she thought, good news. All the Vipers launched had returned! No losses on this mission. Something to be thankful for, Lords of Kobol be praised. As soon as the last Viper was aboard, the strung-out fleet began forming up on the Battlestar. Wive. No wonder we defeated the Humans so easily. Not yet, replied Lucifer. Rendezvous with me, here, Commander. He looked up from his console, to regard Iblis once more. If it were not for those damnable code words the strange being had spoken, in the voice of Imperious Leader, triggering programs he wasn t even aware he carried inside and compelling his obedience& We have suffered some minor damage from the wormhole energy pulses, Lord Iblis, and the fourth ship s main drive is still off-line from the Galactica s missile attack. We shall, however, be ready to resume our pursuit of the Galactica within a centar, according to the engineer s estimates. Half a centar, said Iblis quietly, face cold. But& Half! No longer! he spat, and strode from the room. What is his major malfunction? muttered Lucifer. Sir? asked a Centurion standing nearby. Never mind, said Lucifer, and left the room as well. By your command. DEATH TO CYLONS!!! DEATHithin a couple of centons, the last fuel shuttle was aboard, and the entire assemblage of ships began pulling out of the ring plane of the unnamed planet. Ripples in the circling dust went everywhere, leaving a very visible wake, but it no longer mattered. The approaching raiders were just coming onto the Galactica's repaired scanners, heading their way from the opposite direction of their BaseShip. Fortunately for the Colonials, the two approaching BaseShip's had slowed, rendezvousing with the crippled vessel, giving the Colonials more time to make their escape. As they moved inwards, all Vipers were refueled, rearmed, and given what repairs were possible, to be ready to launch at a moment's notice. All pilots not needing a trip to Life Center were to remain in their ships, given quick rations, or whatever minor medical attention might be required. "Any idea what's up?' asked Cree, next to Sheba's Viper. "Got me, " said Greenbean, fidgeting like a bridegroom. "I wanted tithin a couple of centons, the last fuel shuttle was aboard, and the entire assemblage of ships began pulling out of the ring plane of the unnamed planet. Ripples in the circling dust went everywhere, leaving a very visible wake, but it no longer mattered. The approaching raiders were just coming onto the Galactica's repaired scanners, heading their way from the opposite direction of their BaseShip. Fortunately for the Colonials, the two approaching BaseShip's had slowed, rendezvousing with the crippled vessel, giving the Colonials more time to make their escape. As they moved inwards, all Vipers were refueled, rearmed, and given what repairs were possible, to be ready to launch at a moment's notice. All pilots not needing a trip to Life Center were to remain in their ships, given quick rations, or whatever minor medical attention might be required. "Any idea what's up?' asked Cree, next to Sheba's Viper. "Got me, " said Greenbean, fidgeting like a bridegroom. "I wanted t TO CYLONS!!! No sooner had the snarling Humanoid delivered his ultimatum, the red alert sounded once more. Several Cylon fighters had, it seemed, come through the wormhole with them uninvited. All defensive stations leapt into action, and soon the Galactica was in battle once again. But they were not, it seemed, alone. While most of the Cylons concentrated on the Colonial ships, some fired upon the other vessels. Adama watched as the alien craft, with considerable precision, erased one Raider after another from the sky, recklessly hosing power around like it was water. As with the ship Starbuck had hijacked, their scanners could make nothing at first of the strange power signatures, but their intent was clear. They were helping. Aboard the G roth, Korrd went from threatening to fighting. Unseen at first, several dozen of the mysterious fighter craft suddenly appeared from behind the gigantic vessel that had emerged from the wormhole, and immediately openedo go back and get Starbuck, but Colonel Tigh said no." "We're pulling out of orbit," said another pilot. "Heading off towards where Bojay got it." "What?" said Sheldrake, a new Cadet. "That's nuts! We outta..." "Stow it!" snapped Sheba, downing the last of her water. "I don't want to hear that kind of talk again!" "But Lieutenant, what about Sta..." "I said stow it, Cadet," she repeated, frostily. She crossed to a recycling hatch and dumped her garbage, then climbed back up onto her Viper. "ALL OF YOU!!!" she yelled, raising herself high up on the fuselage, her fingers whitenuckled on the metal. "I don't want to hear any more of that snitrad-crawling felcercarb! Colonel Tigh is following orders from Commander Adama. We aren't here to question them, or debate their merits, or even waste the breath doing so. This is NOT the Council of Twelve!" For a moment, some of her surviving comrades from the Pegasus were forcibly reminded of her father, the heroic, semi-do go back and get Starbuck, but Colonel Tigh said no." "We're pulling out of orbit," said another pilot. "Heading off towards where Bojay got it." "What?" said Sheldrake, a new Cadet. "That's nuts! We outta..." "Stow it!" snapped Sheba, downing the last of her water. "I don't want to hear that kind of talk again!" "But Lieutenant, what about Sta..." "I said stow it, Cadet," she repeated, frostily. She crossed to a recycling hatch and dumped her garbage, then climbed back up onto her Viper. "ALL OF YOU!!!" she yelled, raising herself high up on the fuselage, her fingers whitenuckled on the metal. "I don't want to hear any more of that snitrad-crawling felcercarb! Colonel Tigh is following orders from Commander Adama. We aren't here to question them, or debate their merits, or even waste the breath doing so. This is NOT the Council of Twelve!" For a moment, some of her surviving comrades from the Pegasus were forcibly reminded of her father, the heroic, semi-d fire. Most, Korrd noticed, were attacking the mysterious Human vessel and its collection of flying wrecks, but some moved in on the Federation ships, and then his own. Report! he demanded. Alien fighters armed with lasers, sir, replied Kang. Our shields are holding. Gunner, return fire. Returning fire, sir! the gunner, Kruge. The G roth s laser swept out, finding first one Cylon, then another. Korrd was pleased with his gunner s acumen, and surprised to discover that their targets were manned by& Robots? Yes, sir, replied the scan officer. No living beings aboard. What Federation treachery is this? he asked, to no one in particular. The ships show no Federation power signatures, sir, supplied the scan officer. The alloys in their hulls are also unlike any Federation metallurgy known to us. Uhhh, grunted Korrd, still trying to assimilate it all. He ordered his ship to bank hard over to avoid a Raider, and opened fire. One Raidivine Commander Cain. Eyes. Posture. Voice. Cain in drag. She raked them all with her eyes, like pulsar batteries, before settling them back on the mouthy Cadet. "Understood?" "Understood," squeaked the offending pilot. "Good. Now I'm quite sure that the Colonel is very busy, up on the bridge. I'd hate to have to call him down here for nothing." So said, she slid into her seat, and closed the canopy. Waiting. Prepared. Not wanting to listen to the rest grumble any more. So that she could compose herself for whatever came next. So that none of them could hear her cry. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQ X-UIDL: CI6"!fii!!f])"!P*~#! Culture Shock, Pt 17 by Senmut Pike watched as the wormhole began to open, both beautiful and deadly at the same time. Standing off at extreme range, the Klingon ships were girding as well. Weapons charged, sensors going wild. He looked to his readout&the Tholian vessels were stilivine Commander Cain. Eyes. Posture. Voice. Cain in drag. She raked them all with her eyes, like pulsar batteries, before settling them back on the mouthy Cadet. "Understood?" "Understood," squeaked the offending pilot. "Good. Now I'm quite sure that the Colonel is very busy, up on the bridge. I'd hate to have to call him down here for nothing." So said, she slid into her seat, and closed the canopy. Waiting. Prepared. Not wanting to listen to the rest grumble any more. So that she could compose herself for whatever came next. So that none of them could hear her cry. QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQ X-UIDL: CI6"!fii!!f])"!P*~#! Culture Shock, Pt 17 by Senmut Pike watched as the wormhole began to open, both beautiful and deadly at the same time. Standing off at extreme range, the Klingon ships were girding as well. Weapons charged, sensors going wild. He looked to his readout&the Tholian vessels were stiler evaporated, the other sailed past, buttoning him right behind the bridge. The G roth shook, and something sparked, but he held together. Then coming around& Hang on!!! someone bellowed, as a Raider, under the range of their guns, made a high speed suicide dive on the bridge, guns blazing. Korrd bellowed in rage, and& Then fell silent, as the Cylon was destroyed. Enemy craft destroyed by a shot from the unidentified vessel, sir, said Kruge, obviously impressed. So was Korrd. A salvo from the Galactica had saved his ship! Why? He moved to the scan station, and studied the readouts on the mysterious ship. Bigger than anything in the Imperial Fleet, it was studded with over seventy defensive laser turrets, several high-power pulse-laser batteries forward, six missile tubes, and carried several squadrons of fighters. Well, children, he said, actually impressed, it would seem that we have been saved by someone who actually deserves our respect. Sir? said Krugel approaching at what he presumed was their maximum speed. If this turned out to be a full-blown battle, the last thing either side needed was the Tholians mucking it up. Captain, piped Alden, turning from his board. Incoming message from the U.S.S. Farragut, sir. She s headed this way, at flank speed. The Farragut? Yes, sir. The Captain sends his greetings, and says to save him some Klingons, sir. Commodore Nogura made no mention of the Farragut. Captain Garrovik says this is on his own initiative, sir. I see, said Pike, and allowed himself a chuckle at his old classmate s joke. Old Save me some Klingons Garrovik. Last he d heard, the Farragut was on some kind of hush-hush mission. No wonder Nogura hadn t said anything. Well, he sighed, he wouldn t want to be in Garrovik s boots when Nogura found out. The Commodore s temper was legendary. Still, the more the merrier. Especially when Klingons were involved. ETA, Mr. Alden? Justl approaching at what he presumed was their maximum speed. If this turned out to be a full-blown battle, the last thing either side needed was the Tholians mucking it up. Captain, piped Alden, turning from his board. Incoming message from the U.S.S. Farragut, sir. She s headed this way, at flank speed. The Farragut? Yes, sir. The Captain sends his greetings, and says to save him some Klingons, sir. Commodore Nogura made no mention of the Farragut. Captain Garrovik says this is on his own initiative, sir. I see, said Pike, and allowed himself a chuckle at his old classmate s joke. Old Save me some Klingons Garrovik. Last he d heard, the Farragut was on some kind of hush-hush mission. No wonder Nogura hadn t said anything. Well, he sighed, he wouldn t want to be in Garrovik s boots when Nogura found out. The Commodore s temper was legendary. Still, the more the merrier. Especially when Klingons were involved. ETA, Mr. Alden? Just, unsure if he had misheard. Look at that ship, Kruge. Bristling with guns. Armor three times the thickness of our hull. Over ten times the size of out largest ship. That vessel was built by someone who truly understands war! Korrd actually laughed, nodding at the image of the Battlestar. He touched a few controls, and studied the letters as the ship s name was translated. Gal Aktee Kah. Amazing. Communications, open a channel. The Enterprise had barely locked onto the surviving piece of the Klingon vessel B ath, when the wormhole swelled to life once more, then faded just as quickly. The wormhole effect caused the tractor beam to cut out momentarily, but it was reestablished before the errant chunk of ship could slam into the Galactica s hull. Wooo, that was some ride, said Starbuck, as the brilliant swirlings of transit passed. Though his voice was muffled by the breather he wore, no one missed his words. He looked over Giles shoulder at the instruments. Several wer under three hours, sir. Three hours, said Pike, softly. That could be an eternity. Sir, said Spock. The wormhole. This way to Ye Olde Battlestar!!! This way to Ye Olde Battlestar!!! This way to Ye O While the BaseShips dallied on the edges of the system, the Raiders had already penetrated deep within the heliopause. According to the scanners aboard the huge station, they would come into Adama s visual range in just under half a sectar. The Galactica herself would reach the station a few centons later. He turned to the engineering techs, still hanging back a bit over his earlier outburst. Have you found any sign of the defensive systems controls? We did see what looked like anti-aircraft batteries on the hull when we approached, Commander, said one, but we haven t finished our examinations in here yet. We re still& he was interrupted by the computerized voice once more. Defense posture two. Arming all batteries. At once, an entire bank of e under three hours, sir. Three hours, said Pike, softly. That could be an eternity. Sir, said Spock. The wormhole. This way to Ye Olde Battlestar!!! This way to Ye Olde Battlestar!!! This way to Ye O While the BaseShips dallied on the edges of the system, the Raiders had already penetrated deep within the heliopause. According to the scanners aboard the huge station, they would come into Adama s visual range in just under half a sectar. The Galactica herself would reach the station a few centons later. He turned to the engineering techs, still hanging back a bit over his earlier outburst. Have you found any sign of the defensive systems controls? We did see what looked like anti-aircraft batteries on the hull when we approached, Commander, said one, but we haven t finished our examinations in here yet. We re still& he was interrupted by the computerized voice once more. Defense posture two. Arming all batteries. At once, an entire bank of ee dark, one flickered, and others still smoked from the love pat the Cylons had given them. One engine whined intermittently, then died, leaving them coasting on without forward propulsion. Man, and I thought Robber s old freighter was a bite to fly. Well, at least that old bucket didn t have a wing shot off, one engine toasted, and no fuel, Buckers. If I read this right, we have no fuel, and reserve power cells will only last us maybe twenty centons, tops. Giles looked back at the wounded O Kala. How is she? A shaken head was his answer. Though she still breathed, even he could tell that her end was near from the death rattle in her chest. He turned back to the instruments, and swore. What? asked someone. Power level s dropping faster than I thought. The batteries don t seem to be holding much of a charge. As if to reinforce his words, the faint sound of a ventilator suddenly stopped. Damn. Life support s out. What can we do? asked Sirrion. Nothing, replquipment lit up, and the tech ran for it. Any clue how to open the doors and get us out of here? asked Athena. Not yet, replied another tech, working on the blast door they d entered by. It s sealed by some kind of magnetic lock. And it has a mechanical backup, too. Can we blast our way out? asked Adama. We may have to, sir, said the engineer, eyes focused on the circuits laid bare before him. I can figure it out in time, but we may not get it. That s for sure, said Athena, referring her father s attention to the scanners. The Raiders were closing, and if their tentative translation of the language was correct, the system was informing them that the Cylons had scanned the station. I make out seventeen of them, Father. Our Vipers can handle that number, he replied. Two got through last time, she reminded him softly. He merely nodded, and turned back to the screen. Dietra felt something moving, then slowly realized that it was herselquipment lit up, and the tech ran for it. Any clue how to open the doors and get us out of here? asked Athena. Not yet, replied another tech, working on the blast door they d entered by. It s sealed by some kind of magnetic lock. And it has a mechanical backup, too. Can we blast our way out? asked Adama. We may have to, sir, said the engineer, eyes focused on the circuits laid bare before him. I can figure it out in time, but we may not get it. That s for sure, said Athena, referring her father s attention to the scanners. The Raiders were closing, and if their tentative translation of the language was correct, the system was informing them that the Cylons had scanned the station. I make out seventeen of them, Father. Our Vipers can handle that number, he replied. Two got through last time, she reminded him softly. He merely nodded, and turned back to the screen. Dietra felt something moving, then slowly realized that it was herselied Giles. We re shot to bits. Just then, something on his board beeped. What s that, Giles? asked Starbuck. Ship quartering in. She s big, too. Can you see the Galactica? asked Sirrion. I think so, if this scanner is telling me the truth. But the comm unit is shot to Hades. He hit a button, but the speaker gave only static. Thompson dug through their gear for a communicator, and passed it to the pilot. Look, said Starbuck, pointing. Through the view port, a ship was moving in, one shaped like a huge saucer. A Cylon fighter also raced past. Frack! The entire vessel shook as a salvo from the Raider hit them a glancing blow, shearing off part of their remaining wing. Sparks and smoke filled the cabin as the last of the power went, and they all began to float up off the deck, the ship tumbling end over end. A long crack appeared in the view port, and a loud hiss filled the cabin. Giles cursed, enraged at being so helpless, when the Cylon, diving directf. She tried to open her eyes, but the sheer nausea made her close her eyes once more. She slowly tried to take in her surroundings by feel, and gingerly tried her limbs. One by one, things moved, if painfully. She tried her eyes once more, letting a tiny slit be her window on her world. She was pinned in her seat, and her right side was now facing downwards. As she dared more vision, she saw that the Landram s front window was smashed, and a huge hunk of rock was a mere handsbreadth from her face. A soft electronic hiss was everywhere, and as she looked around, she saw several of the lights blinking erratically on the dash. She also smelled smoke. Puffs of it were coming from under the panel in front of her, and as she watched, the occasional spark as well. She tried to move, but found herself quite stuck. She managed to turn her head, taking in the ruin of the rest of the vehicle, and found Apollo pressing down on her. At any other time, she had to admit, she might have welcomef. She tried to open her eyes, but the sheer nausea made her close her eyes once more. She slowly tried to take in her surroundings by feel, and gingerly tried her limbs. One by one, things moved, if painfully. She tried her eyes once more, letting a tiny slit be her window on her world. She was pinned in her seat, and her right side was now facing downwards. As she dared more vision, she saw that the Landram s front window was smashed, and a huge hunk of rock was a mere handsbreadth from her face. A soft electronic hiss was everywhere, and as she looked around, she saw several of the lights blinking erratically on the dash. She also smelled smoke. Puffs of it were coming from under the panel in front of her, and as she watched, the occasional spark as well. She tried to move, but found herself quite stuck. She managed to turn her head, taking in the ruin of the rest of the vehicle, and found Apollo pressing down on her. At any other time, she had to admit, she might have welcomely for them once again, suddenly evaporated in a boiling cloud of wreckage. Who& asked Thompson, when the little craft suddenly rocked, the hull beginning to buckle, then the view port exploded out into space. Someone swore, and everything faded out& To fade back in, inside a room the likes of which they had never seen before. They were all in a chamber, built in the round, and set with glowing pads on the floor, and cylinders over their heads. For a moment, no one could move, and their ears were filled with a loud buzzing. Then, it faded, and they could all move and breathe again. &that? finished Thompson, as the effect faded. He slipped his breather off, took a deep breath, and could at once sense that though the air was recycled, it was a lot cleaner. Starbuck? asked Giles, and turned around. He found his comrade, then saw, across the room, two Humans standing behind a console, regarding them. Slowly, Giles got to his feet, and helped Starbuck up as well. Uhh&d it, but here, stuck in the wrecked vehicle, her shoulder screaming, all she wanted was out. Sir? she managed to choke out, her mouth dry, except for the blood on her lips. Apollo did not answer. Captain? Are you& Oh Frack!!! She thought, as she managed to focus on her CO. He was pinned down onto her, his own side s door partly jammed into the cab. But his eyes were closed, and he did not seem to be breathing! Oh Lords! Don t let him be dead! Please& She looked closer. Yes! Yes, he did draw a ragged breath, but his head was at such a lousy angle, how could he breathe? How& HELP!!! she yelled, or tried to, hoping against hope that someone was close by. What came out was more of a jagged squeak. No answer. She yelled once more, more strongly this time, and still all she could hear was her own breathing, and the hiss of the Landram s defunct radio. Slowly, she wriggled her left arm free, despite the pain, and tried to reach around to Apollo s left hip. She stifled a scream, as anod it, but here, stuck in the wrecked vehicle, her shoulder screaming, all she wanted was out. Sir? she managed to choke out, her mouth dry, except for the blood on her lips. Apollo did not answer. Captain? Are you& Oh Frack!!! She thought, as she managed to focus on her CO. He was pinned down onto her, his own side s door partly jammed into the cab. But his eyes were closed, and he did not seem to be breathing! Oh Lords! Don t let him be dead! Please& She looked closer. Yes! Yes, he did draw a ragged breath, but his head was at such a lousy angle, how could he breathe? How& HELP!!! she yelled, or tried to, hoping against hope that someone was close by. What came out was more of a jagged squeak. No answer. She yelled once more, more strongly this time, and still all she could hear was her own breathing, and the hiss of the Landram s defunct radio. Slowly, she wriggled her left arm free, despite the pain, and tried to reach around to Apollo s left hip. She stifled a scream, as ano he began. Medical team to the transporter room, said one man, a young, tussled haired fellow about Starbuck s age. Captain they re aboard safely. Good work, Jim, replied someone over an intercom. Their rescuer wore a turtle-necked uniform, slightly auric in color, and the man next to him held a weapon, similar to what the Colonial Warriors themselves carried. He had, Giles decided, a kind if cautious face, and inquisitive hazel eyes. Welcome aboard the Farragut, gentleman. I m Lieutenant Kirk. X-UIDL: /E@"!@>T!!L2D!!(^n!! Culture Shock, Pt. 23 by Senmut ======================= For Klingons I breaketh, yea verily! For Klingons I For one of the few times since his initial activation, Lucifer wondered what it would be like to permanently cease functioning. Did Cylons have an afterlife, such as Humans seemed to believe in? Normally, he wouldn t have wasted the CPU space pondering such an irrelevancy, but with Iblis in his current state of&excitement, his own immedther tremor shook the Landram, and it shifted. There was a loud scrape, and the rock slid past the window, and the angle changed, moving Apollo slightly. Then, it was still once more. So that was it. They had fallen into a chasm or sinkhole of some kind, and gotten stuck there. Damn lousy way to end up, she thought. Still, if it weren t for the Landram s metal body, they d be dead already. She called to Apollo once more, but he still made no response. She moved her now freer arm around, and grasped for his laser. With maddening slowness, she teased it free, and managed to get a full grip on it. Despite the pain in her whole left side, she aimed, and squeezed. The first bolt blew one of the driver s side door hinges off, followed by another shot that missed, going through the now empty window frame. After five shots, the door was finally loose. Setting the weapon down on Apollo, she tried to wriggle towards a piece of loose metal from the Landram s roof. After another seeming etether tremor shook the Landram, and it shifted. There was a loud scrape, and the rock slid past the window, and the angle changed, moving Apollo slightly. Then, it was still once more. So that was it. They had fallen into a chasm or sinkhole of some kind, and gotten stuck there. Damn lousy way to end up, she thought. Still, if it weren t for the Landram s metal body, they d be dead already. She called to Apollo once more, but he still made no response. She moved her now freer arm around, and grasped for his laser. With maddening slowness, she teased it free, and managed to get a full grip on it. Despite the pain in her whole left side, she aimed, and squeezed. The first bolt blew one of the driver s side door hinges off, followed by another shot that missed, going through the now empty window frame. After five shots, the door was finally loose. Setting the weapon down on Apollo, she tried to wriggle towards a piece of loose metal from the Landram s roof. After another seeming eteiate future seemed somewhat in doubt. Once Noxious vessel had regained main power, Raiders were transferred aboard, so that each ship could launch fighters once they had regained contact with the Galactica. That done, they moved up on the inner planet, then directly in front of the mysterious space station, and waited for& Nothing. Whatever effect had taken the Colonial Fleet beyond their grasp did not materialize. They sat there, transmitting all sorts of signals, then moving into the vast cage, then out again. All through it, despite a steadily rising power level in the object, the wormhole did not open. It did, however, open fire. Once the wormhole had closed, the machine s energy level read as very low. Gradually, steadily, it climbed, till once more power coursed through the construction. It also scanned and analyzed the intruders, transmitting a variety of messages. While most were on frequencies the Cylons did not use or monitor, one was. It was an ultimatum. rnity, she got it, and lifted it, to push on the loose door. It moved surprisingly easily, then fell away, scraping along the side of the machine, to fall noisily, crashing down whatever sort of shaft or tunnel they were in. She dropped the piece of metal, and let out her breath, then loudly yowled in pain. After a breather, she shouted once more for help. She listened for a time, feeling weakness drawing closer by the micron, then shouted yet again. She heard Apollo groan slightly, and turned as best she could to look at him. Clammy, blood on his lips, it was obvious that her CO didn t have much time left. Like I do? she mused. Apollo groaned again, and an eye fluttered. Sir? she whispered, her throat going dry. Captain, can you hear me? Serina? he muttered, almost too faint for her to catch. Serina, I m& He broke off coughing, and opened an eye. The other one was swollen shut. Sir, are you okay? Dumb question, Lieutenant! Any more brilliant questions, Dr.rnity, she got it, and lifted it, to push on the loose door. It moved surprisingly easily, then fell away, scraping along the side of the machine, to fall noisily, crashing down whatever sort of shaft or tunnel they were in. She dropped the piece of metal, and let out her breath, then loudly yowled in pain. After a breather, she shouted once more for help. She listened for a time, feeling weakness drawing closer by the micron, then shouted yet again. She heard Apollo groan slightly, and turned as best she could to look at him. Clammy, blood on his lips, it was obvious that her CO didn t have much time left. Like I do? she mused. Apollo groaned again, and an eye fluttered. Sir? she whispered, her throat going dry. Captain, can you hear me? Serina? he muttered, almost too faint for her to catch. Serina, I m& He broke off coughing, and opened an eye. The other one was swollen shut. Sir, are you okay? Dumb question, Lieutenant! Any more brilliant questions, Dr. Withdraw. Cylons, of course, don t respond well to ultimata, and promptly transmitted one of their own. In response, the station opened fire on the lead BaseShip, blasting one landing bay door to slag, and seriously damaging several laser guns. Predictably, the Cylons returned fire, only to find some serious deflectors between them and the annoyingly disobedient alien device. They continued to fire, till Iblis, once again in a purple rage, descended screaming on the Control Center, demanding that they to cease fire at once. The BaseShips pulled back some, to lick their wounds and mull the next course of action. Even so, Iblis continued, at times even slipping into the ancient Cylon tongue, no longer used save in a few places on the Homeworld where small groups of the original race survived. Lucifer was surprised, but held his peace for now, extremely desirous of holding on to his head. Fools! Blithering tinker toy idiots! bellowed Iblis, striking the command chair w Dietra? I¬ sure. What happened? The ground collapsed under us, when that wave hit, sir. The Landram got stuck in some kind of shaft. Are&you alright? he asked, almost a rasping breath. For the moment, sir. What about you? I& he began, then tried to move. As he did so, Dietra felt sure she heard the sound of an engine, very far away. Rescue? she wondered, as a wave of nausea began to creep over her. She also could hear someone approaching. Help! she cried once more, and her head swam from the effort. Sir, I think someone s coming. Can you move? The engine sound was drawing closer. A shuttle! I can t&move my legs, whispered Apollo. Arms&Can t& Oh God no! cried Dietra, close to panic, when a brilliant light shone outside the Landram, followed by a figure that appeared in the savaged hatch behind Apollo. A woman in a Warrior uniform with laser on her hip and communicator in hand, Dietra did not at once recognize her. Long, wavy flowing Dietra? I¬ sure. What happened? The ground collapsed under us, when that wave hit, sir. The Landram got stuck in some kind of shaft. Are&you alright? he asked, almost a rasping breath. For the moment, sir. What about you? I& he began, then tried to move. As he did so, Dietra felt sure she heard the sound of an engine, very far away. Rescue? she wondered, as a wave of nausea began to creep over her. She also could hear someone approaching. Help! she cried once more, and her head swam from the effort. Sir, I think someone s coming. Can you move? The engine sound was drawing closer. A shuttle! I can t&move my legs, whispered Apollo. Arms&Can t& Oh God no! cried Dietra, close to panic, when a brilliant light shone outside the Landram, followed by a figure that appeared in the savaged hatch behind Apollo. A woman in a Warrior uniform with laser on her hip and communicator in hand, Dietra did not at once recognize her. Long, wavy flowing ith his fist. It shattered, falling over in a buckled heap. The mighty Cylon war machine. HA! A war machine that cannot even follow one pathetic Human vessel? Have I wasted my time or what? The evil being stopped, glaring at Lucifer, clearly expecting some sort of an answer from the IL. We have not yet discovered the code that triggers the device, My Lord Iblis, replied Lucifer, choosing carefully the words that might very well prove to be his last. Fleetingly, he wondered what Baltar might have said, then even more fleetingly, the Human Warrior Starbuck. That one seemed to have a word or retort for every possible occasion. If they ever caught up with the Galactica, he decided, he wanted Starbuck captured alive. That particular Human had been so interesting, so educative, so&entertaining. The Humans had no trouble finding it! glowered the demonic creature, fists clenched. The Lord of Evil seemed to consider a moment, then turned to one of the Centurions manning the Control Centhair, and a face of an almost angelic sweetness one would hardly expect in a Warrior, she looked from the Lieutenant to Apollo. Are you alright? she asked, checking both victims pulses. Yes, ma am, she replied, but I think Apollo s neck is& She broke off, coughing, tasting blood in her mouth. As she fought for breath, she watched the other Warrior run her hand over Apollo s neck, then lift the communicator to her lips, and call for help, giving their location. Something about that voice, Dietra thought. Wait a bloody centon! Some& You! You& Then she heard other voices approaching, and the darkness took her once more. Aboard the station, Adama watched, unable to do anything, as the Raiders came into view, tiny glinting dots against the black sky. On the scanner, he saw the Galactica approaching as well. Good, he told himself, as the Battlestar drew near. Soon, his plan could be put into motion. Bad, he amended things, as, on the far edge of scannehair, and a face of an almost angelic sweetness one would hardly expect in a Warrior, she looked from the Lieutenant to Apollo. Are you alright? she asked, checking both victims pulses. Yes, ma am, she replied, but I think Apollo s neck is& She broke off, coughing, tasting blood in her mouth. As she fought for breath, she watched the other Warrior run her hand over Apollo s neck, then lift the communicator to her lips, and call for help, giving their location. Something about that voice, Dietra thought. Wait a bloody centon! Some& You! You& Then she heard other voices approaching, and the darkness took her once more. Aboard the station, Adama watched, unable to do anything, as the Raiders came into view, tiny glinting dots against the black sky. On the scanner, he saw the Galactica approaching as well. Good, he told himself, as the Battlestar drew near. Soon, his plan could be put into motion. Bad, he amended things, as, on the far edge of scanneer. Review all frequencies used by the Colonials, and collate them. By y& began the Cylon, when once more, the blue spheres that seemed to upset Iblis so reappeared. One flew directly through the body of the BaseShip, while others scurried around the Cylon fleet. Unidentified objects have returned, droned the Centurion, turning to Lucifer. In a fury, Iblis reached out, and grabbed the Cylon by the head with one hand. I told you to search for the frequencies!! he roared, and squeezed. The Cylon shook, then sparked as his head was crushed by Iblis grip. A chunk of it came off in his hand, as the twitching Centurion collapsed to the deck, spewing smoke and sparks, its voice synthesizer squealing. Iblis slowly finished crushing the head, and dropped it next to the destroyed Centurion. As he did so, the mysterious spheres vanished both from sight and scanners once more. Iblis looked up from his latest victim, and glared death at Lucifer, giving even the IL a real sense of fear. rs, yet another BaseShip came into range, decelerating to rendezvous with the others. The rest had stopped, presumably rendering aid to their crippled sister ship, before moving in for the kill. And a kill, an easy kill, it would be. Against that sort of firepower, they stood no chance. Adama watched as the thirteen Raiders skirted close to the inner planet, heading towards the Galactica. At the same moment, he saw Vipers catapulting off the Battlestar, moving to intercept. Those few Raiders stood no chance, and then they could, he hoped, slip through the& Father, the Cylons are coming here, said Athena, pointing to several dots on the screen. Of the thirteen Raiders, six had broken off from the main group, and were heading towards the station. Adama felt powerless, naked, off the bridge of his ship. Cylons heading this way, and& Opening fire. Each Raider cut loose at the station, lathering the ancient machine with laser fire. Gripping something reflexively, Adama bracedrs, yet another BaseShip came into range, decelerating to rendezvous with the others. The rest had stopped, presumably rendering aid to their crippled sister ship, before moving in for the kill. And a kill, an easy kill, it would be. Against that sort of firepower, they stood no chance. Adama watched as the thirteen Raiders skirted close to the inner planet, heading towards the Galactica. At the same moment, he saw Vipers catapulting off the Battlestar, moving to intercept. Those few Raiders stood no chance, and then they could, he hoped, slip through the& Father, the Cylons are coming here, said Athena, pointing to several dots on the screen. Of the thirteen Raiders, six had broken off from the main group, and were heading towards the station. Adama felt powerless, naked, off the bridge of his ship. Cylons heading this way, and& Opening fire. Each Raider cut loose at the station, lathering the ancient machine with laser fire. Gripping something reflexively, Adama braced Do not fail me again, Cylon! he said, ominously, and then strode from the room, his robes billowing behind him. ======================== He s a what? asked Adama, of his Exec. Once all Viper squadrons were back aboard, and all Raiders destroyed, they had received another hail from the snake-headed ship, who s name the translator matrix could make nothing of. A Cling On, sir, replied Tigh. It seems to be the name of their race, Commander. To what do they cling? muttered Adama, before the transmission was transferred to his station. Much to his surprise, the bumpy-headed man did not snarl, spit, growl, or demand surrender. Instead, he was offering thanks. You saved my ship, Human, said the fearsome-looking alien. I salute you! Then, pounding one side of his massive chest with a fist, then shaking it savagely, he uttered something hideously guttural. Q plaH! What in Kobol was that? said Omega quietly. Omega? said Adama. Uhh, th for the result. Only rather than the catastrophic results he expected, a shield materialized between the station and the Cylons. The Humans felt the huge machine rock gently, but no more. As the Cylons passed over, their shots not getting through, a defensive battery opened up, ripping one fighter into molten bits. The rest of the attack force broke up, then moved to reform for another run on the station. As they did, Adama looked at the BaseShips again. His heart sank into his boots, as he saw them beginning to move again, heading directly for the Galactica s last position. Soon, they d be within scanner range, and then& You, said Adama, to one of the techs. How much solonite do you have? Altogether, about 50 kilons, sir, replied the man. Alright, set a charge to try and blow the door. We ll try and escape, and make it to the shuttle. And the rest, sir? Mine this room. Whatever happens, we can t let the Cylons get their hands on this technology. for the result. Only rather than the catastrophic results he expected, a shield materialized between the station and the Cylons. The Humans felt the huge machine rock gently, but no more. As the Cylons passed over, their shots not getting through, a defensive battery opened up, ripping one fighter into molten bits. The rest of the attack force broke up, then moved to reform for another run on the station. As they did, Adama looked at the BaseShips again. His heart sank into his boots, as he saw them beginning to move again, heading directly for the Galactica s last position. Soon, they d be within scanner range, and then& You, said Adama, to one of the techs. How much solonite do you have? Altogether, about 50 kilons, sir, replied the man. Alright, set a charge to try and blow the door. We ll try and escape, and make it to the shuttle. And the rest, sir? Mine this room. Whatever happens, we can t let the Cylons get their hands on this technology. e word seems to translate roughly as success , sir, replied Omega. I ll take that as a compliment, said Adama. I think. Ship s status, Colonel. Main drive still down. We have a hull breach on deck nine and ten portside aft, and our water recycling plant is damaged. The Rising Star was also hit by a suicide run, sir. No casualties. Another hail, Commander, said Omega. It s from the other ships, sir. A Captain Pike of the&Enterprise wishes to speak with you, sir. Put him on, Omega. Did I mishear you, Commander? said Kruge, turning from his station to stare questioningly at Korrd. Q plaH? You have a question, Lieutenant? asked Korrd, almost leisurely. Humans! You speak so to&Humans? Kruge almost spat out the word as if it were dead gagh. You have a different view, perhaps? Korrd sat up straight. Please, Lieutenant. Enlighten us. It s disgusting! snarled Kruge, rising from his seat, to face Korrd. You speak to them with words A&aye, sir. Father, they re coming around again, said Athena. As they watched, the surviving Cylons bore down on the station, opening fire. Unfortunately, after so many millennia, the station s systems were not what they were, and one shot got through. On one monitor, they watched as sparks and bits flew from the station s hull, followed by another. This time, they felt the whole place vibrate more violently. A few more like that, and& began one engineer, when the tables, it seemed, were turned. One fighter, making a run on the station, was suddenly caught in the same greenish beams that had enveloped Bojay. Within moments, all the Cylons were, and were being drug towards the immense maw of the machine. Adama could see their engines spewing fire, trying to escape, but the tiny machines stood no chance. The five Cylons were sucked into the wormhole projector& Lords! shouted someone, as whole banks of equipment lit up like a holiday. Humming loudly, floor vibra A&aye, sir. Father, they re coming around again, said Athena. As they watched, the surviving Cylons bore down on the station, opening fire. Unfortunately, after so many millennia, the station s systems were not what they were, and one shot got through. On one monitor, they watched as sparks and bits flew from the station s hull, followed by another. This time, they felt the whole place vibrate more violently. A few more like that, and& began one engineer, when the tables, it seemed, were turned. One fighter, making a run on the station, was suddenly caught in the same greenish beams that had enveloped Bojay. Within moments, all the Cylons were, and were being drug towards the immense maw of the machine. Adama could see their engines spewing fire, trying to escape, but the tiny machines stood no chance. The five Cylons were sucked into the wormhole projector& Lords! shouted someone, as whole banks of equipment lit up like a holiday. Humming loudly, floor vibrating, the entire station seemed to be pulsing with energy. Data and waveforms scrolled across various screens, and the huge cage that made up the bulk of the device glowed and sparkled with energy. The fighters were sucked further into it& And then they were gone. ====================== The wormhole flared to life, and as before, a few of the Enterprise s systems were affected. Pike heard a breaker click, and smelled smoke from somewhere. Spock assured him that auxiliaries were cutting in, when he saw the new arrivals emerge from the brilliantly boiling maw before them. Small, barely visible, they seemed to be racing from the wormhole at high speed. Then, with a final flare of roiling energy, the wormhole closed, collapsing in on itself as rapidly as it had opened, leaving only darkness, and an afterimage on Pike s retinas. Sensors? Interference clearing, reported Spock, bending over his instruments. Five spacecraft, Captain. Power system similar in signature of Brotherhood. Of peace. They did save our ship, Lieutenant, said Korrd, a hint of warning just beginning to creep into his voice. And at risk to themselves. Surely that is worth something? His tone made it clear he was giving his underling the opportunity the chance to back down, but Kruge seemed to miss it. Save our ship? They robbed us of & He broke off, as Korrd s gloved fist struck him across the face. Blood and a tooth flew across the bridge. Honor? said Korrd. A glorious death in battle? Korrd laughed. The day is not over yet, Lieutenant. Battle may yet grace us with another visit. But& No buts, Gunner, said Korrd, his voice going hard- edged. Or, do you challenge my decision? I challenge softness, snarled Kruge, and drew his dagger. I challenge weakness. I see, said Korrd, and drew his own weapon, almost lackadaisically. That is your right, soldier. He locked eyes with Kruge, his expression somewhere between challenge and derision.ting, the entire station seemed to be pulsing with energy. Data and waveforms scrolled across various screens, and the huge cage that made up the bulk of the device glowed and sparkled with energy. The fighters were sucked further into it& And then they were gone. ====================== The wormhole flared to life, and as before, a few of the Enterprise s systems were affected. Pike heard a breaker click, and smelled smoke from somewhere. Spock assured him that auxiliaries were cutting in, when he saw the new arrivals emerge from the brilliantly boiling maw before them. Small, barely visible, they seemed to be racing from the wormhole at high speed. Then, with a final flare of roiling energy, the wormhole closed, collapsing in on itself as rapidly as it had opened, leaving only darkness, and an afterimage on Pike s retinas. Sensors? Interference clearing, reported Spock, bending over his instruments. Five spacecraft, Captain. Power system similar in signature to the Colonial Viper and shuttle. Negative life signs. He adjusted something, then stood. Craft are Cylon fighters, sir. Weapon s status? All weapons report ready, sir, said Number One. Excellent. For a few moments, it seemed as if the Cylons were just careening through space, going nowhere in particular. No doubt, Pike decided, they had experienced their own systems problems coming through the wormhole. But unlike their Colonial counterparts, they recovered more quickly. Within seconds, they craft had formed up, and were accelerating. Towards Enterprise. Hail them, Mr. Alden, ordered Pike. Warn them off. Reading target acquisition from Cylon craft, sir, said Tyler. No answer to hails, sir, reported Alden, but then a voice, crackly and droningly electronic, came from the speakers. Stand down, Humans. Surrender or be terminated. Mr. Alden? Transmission stopped, sir. Full power to deflectors, ordered Pike. He Snarling, Kruge lunged, but the heavy-set Korrd side-stepped his attack with surprising ease, bringing his heavy boot up, into Kruge s gut. The gunner oofed, stumbled, and reached out to catch himself. Barely had he done so when Korrd clamped a meaty hand on one arm, whirled him around, and with a smile, plunged his dagger into Kruge s abdomen. The gunner grunted, and gagged up a mouthful of blood before sagging to his knees. Korrd pulled the knife from his foe, and wiped it off on his subordinate s uniform before returning it to its sheath. He let go of Kruge, who plopped down onto his face, and motioned for him to be removed. As the bleeding officer was dragged away, he looked at Kang, and slowly scanned the rest. No one else challenged him. He ll make a fair officer, if he lives, said Korrd. But he is utterly lacking in subtilty. Sometimes, putting your enemy at his ease can be a powerful weapon, my children. If these newcomers are no threat to us, so be it. If they are, theto the Colonial Viper and shuttle. Negative life signs. He adjusted something, then stood. Craft are Cylon fighters, sir. Weapon s status? All weapons report ready, sir, said Number One. Excellent. For a few moments, it seemed as if the Cylons were just careening through space, going nowhere in particular. No doubt, Pike decided, they had experienced their own systems problems coming through the wormhole. But unlike their Colonial counterparts, they recovered more quickly. Within seconds, they craft had formed up, and were accelerating. Towards Enterprise. Hail them, Mr. Alden, ordered Pike. Warn them off. Reading target acquisition from Cylon craft, sir, said Tyler. No answer to hails, sir, reported Alden, but then a voice, crackly and droningly electronic, came from the speakers. Stand down, Humans. Surrender or be terminated. Mr. Alden? Transmission stopped, sir. Full power to deflectors, ordered Pike. He d barely spoken when the lead Cylon opened fire, the fighters having crossed the distance to the Federation ship in a few seconds. The rest of the Raiders followed suit, lathering fire across the Enterprise s upper hull and left nacelle. She rocked, but the deflectors held against the alien fusillade, shimmering blue as they easily shunted the energy aside. Phaser banks, lock on! ordered Pike. Return fire! At his word, angry red energy spat out from the vessel, but the nimble enemy craft evaded the first salvo. Then, splitting up, they dove on Enterprise from both sides, firing. They could feel the ship rock with the impacts, but the screens held against the less powerful lasers. Sir, said Alden, one of the Colonials is requesting permission to launch his Viper craft, to fight the Cylons, sir. Tell him we can t launch from the shuttle bay when shields are up. Aye, sir. Got one!!! cheered Tyler, as a Cylon fighter evaporated in a direct hit from the Enterpn allaying their fears strengthens us. He was silent a moment. Any questions? There were none. Very well, said Korrd, regaining his seat. Kang! Sir? Ship s status. Scan officer, disposition of Tholian and Federation forces! Culture Shock, Pt. 24 by Senmut ======================== Pike found the ride to the Galactica in the Colonial shuttle to be much smoother than he d expected. That, and he had an escort, as well. As he looked out one of the ports, he could see Bojay, flying alongside in his Viper, as they approached the Battlestar. As soon as hostilities had ceased, he d sent a standard hail to the huge vessel, and once the translator had gotten a handle on the language, he had accepted the invitation of the vessel s commander, a man named Adama. Bojay s fighter led the way, and while it was still in need of some serious work, it would hold together until they reached the Galactica. As he watched the alien warship grow larger ahead, Pike reflected that th d barely spoken when the lead Cylon opened fire, the fighters having crossed the distance to the Federation ship in a few seconds. The rest of the Raiders followed suit, lathering fire across the Enterprise s upper hull and left nacelle. She rocked, but the deflectors held against the alien fusillade, shimmering blue as they easily shunted the energy aside. Phaser banks, lock on! ordered Pike. Return fire! At his word, angry red energy spat out from the vessel, but the nimble enemy craft evaded the first salvo. Then, splitting up, they dove on Enterprise from both sides, firing. They could feel the ship rock with the impacts, but the screens held against the less powerful lasers. Sir, said Alden, one of the Colonials is requesting permission to launch his Viper craft, to fight the Cylons, sir. Tell him we can t launch from the shuttle bay when shields are up. Aye, sir. Got one!!! cheered Tyler, as a Cylon fighter evaporated in a direct hit from the Enterprise s phasers. The others peeled off, trying to get out of range. But they had no idea of what this ship s range was, and soon another was violently boiling away into plasma, to join the first. Enemy craft now at three, sir, reported Spock. They re coming around again, said Number One, as the surviving Cylons formed up. They fired at the port banks, one shot a near miss, the second a direct hit. Tyler weaved the ship out of the way, and the enemy craft sped by, their next shots useless. With surprising speed, they came around again, and once more the Enterprise opened fire. A phaser beam cut close to one, just as it opened fire. The phaser beam was off, sending the Raider spinning into space. The next fighter took a bead on Enterprise, accelerated to full, and dove in at full speed, blasting. Its shots buttoned the ship s upper sensor array, maintaining target until its lasers overheated. On the bridge, a panel began to smoke, as circuits overloaded. Targeting sene Viper had fared better than the Klingon ship, B ath. Blown apart in the recent fight, Pike had used the Enterprise s tractor beam to grab hold of the bow section before it could ram the Battlestar at high speed. Of the six Klingons in the forward section, only three had survived. Two, Lieutenants Mara, a female, and a huge brute named Worf, snarling about Federation treachery and spitting threats, were warming a cell in the brig, utterly lacking in gratitude at being saved from certain death. The third, an Ensign Korax, was in Sickbay, his life hanging by a thread. Pike had never met a Klingon woman before, didn t even know they served aboard warships. He shook his head, smiling slightly. What funny names Klingons have. He came back to the here and now, as they approached the Galactica s port landing bay. Once again, the sheer size of this ship impressed him, as did its collection of ramshacklrise s phasers. The others peeled off, trying to get out of range. But they had no idea of what this ship s range was, and soon another was violently boiling away into plasma, to join the first. Enemy craft now at three, sir, reported Spock. They re coming around again, said Number One, as the surviving Cylons formed up. They fired at the port banks, one shot a near miss, the second a direct hit. Tyler weaved the ship out of the way, and the enemy craft sped by, their next shots useless. With surprising speed, they came around again, and once more the Enterprise opened fire. A phaser beam cut close to one, just as it opened fire. The phaser beam was off, sending the Raider spinning into space. The next fighter took a bead on Enterprise, accelerated to full, and dove in at full speed, blasting. Its shots buttoned the ship s upper sensor array, maintaining target until its lasers overheated. On the bridge, a panel began to smoke, as circuits overloaded. Targeting sensor control circuit, said Spock. Attempting to re& Hang on!!! said Tyler, as the last phaser shot missed it s target. The Cylon had evaded the phaser, and roared on, slamming directly into the underside of the ship s saucer section. The solonite aboard it exploded violently, damaging the deflector, and driving white-hot chunks of metal up into the Enterprise s hull. Everyone on the bridge was jarred violently as the Raider obliterated itself, and a panel to Pike s right erupted in sparks. As he picked himself up, he saw the main viewer go dark, and felt the gravity beneath his feet flutter. Damage report! he bellowed, moving to pick Yeoman Colt up from the deck. She had a minor cut on her forehead, but nothing worse. Starboard deflectors four and five down reported Spock. Airlock three destroyed, loss of communications on deck six and seven. What happened? asked Pike, none too gently. We experienced a momentary loss of sensor tracking, sir, reportede remoras. Here and there, the Battlestar s hull was scarred and burned by the wounds of war, yet they had kept her going. Once inside the bay, he felt the gravity shift, and the shuttle touched down. It taxied to its berth, and he stood, along with Spock, Number One, and Doctor Boyce, and prepared to debark. What do you think of her so far, Captain? asked Boomer, as he powered down the shuttle. Impressive, Lieutenant, replied Pike, sincerely. I ve only seen space stations this size, never actual ships. I wish you could have seen our Fleet when we had many Battlestars, said Boomer, unbuckling. Now there was a sight to behold. The Warrior led them aft, and popped the hatch. As he stepped out onto the Galactica s deck, Pike was at once aware of the difference in gravity. A normal one gee for these people was definitely a bit stronger than what a man from Earth was accustomed to. He also could feel the slightly greater air pressure. Differences. Across the basor control circuit, said Spock. Attempting to re& Hang on!!! said Tyler, as the last phaser shot missed it s target. The Cylon had evaded the phaser, and roared on, slamming directly into the underside of the ship s saucer section. The solonite aboard it exploded violently, damaging the deflector, and driving white-hot chunks of metal up into the Enterprise s hull. Everyone on the bridge was jarred violently as the Raider obliterated itself, and a panel to Pike s right erupted in sparks. As he picked himself up, he saw the main viewer go dark, and felt the gravity beneath his feet flutter. Damage report! he bellowed, moving to pick Yeoman Colt up from the deck. She had a minor cut on her forehead, but nothing worse. Starboard deflectors four and five down reported Spock. Airlock three destroyed, loss of communications on deck six and seven. What happened? asked Pike, none too gently. We experienced a momentary loss of sensor tracking, sir, reported Spock. One of the enemy craft used that to evade our fire, and make a&kam.. Kamikaze. Yes. A kamikaze strike on the ship. What s the status of our sensors? Attempting to reroute through the secondary system, sir. We should have full sensors momentarily. Get me engineering, said the Captain. He turned to survey the bridge. And get me the viewscreen back! Viewscreen now, sir, said Alden. True to his word, the main viewer kicked back in, showing the stars around them. And a Klingon D-7 battlecruiser, the I.K.V. Groth, just dropping out of warp. =================== It had been a near thing, Barton told himself, as he clawed for space, the shuttle s engines screaming in protest. He d be sure to get his skin peeled off when he got back to the Galactica, he told himself. He d disobeyed a direct order from Tigh, and launched a shuttle, even as the fleet was pulling out of orbit, to return and pick up Apollo s team. No matter what, he couldn ty was a lift dropping down from above, and among those in it, he caught sight of a tall, white-haired man he at once recognized as Adama. He wore a blue uniform, similar in style and cut to Boomer s, but with more elaborate insignia. He also wore a cape, which struck Pike as an odd affectation, but perhaps the culture these people came from went in for that sort of thing. Adama crossed the distance between them quickly, his movements full of vigor despite his apparent age, and greeted his guests. Spock, in a rare concession, shook hands with the man, utterly oblivious, so it seemed, to the looks he was getting. Pike introduced his people, and Adama did likewise. At that moment Bojay rejoined them, and the Commander actually embraced the wayward Viper pilot, like a returning prodigal. He s in Life Station, said an older, husky black man, introduced as Colonel Tigh, in response to Bojay s inquiry about Apollo, who always greeted guests with his father. Dismissed, he at once ran fo Spock. One of the enemy craft used that to evade our fire, and make a&kam.. Kamikaze. Yes. A kamikaze strike on the ship. What s the status of our sensors? Attempting to reroute through the secondary system, sir. We should have full sensors momentarily. Get me engineering, said the Captain. He turned to survey the bridge. And get me the viewscreen back! Viewscreen now, sir, said Alden. True to his word, the main viewer kicked back in, showing the stars around them. And a Klingon D-7 battlecruiser, the I.K.V. Groth, just dropping out of warp. =================== It had been a near thing, Barton told himself, as he clawed for space, the shuttle s engines screaming in protest. He d be sure to get his skin peeled off when he got back to the Galactica, he told himself. He d disobeyed a direct order from Tigh, and launched a shuttle, even as the fleet was pulling out of orbit, to return and pick up Apollo s team. No matter what, he couldn t reconcile himself to just leaving his Strike Captain, and friend, to die on some nameless alien rock, while he and the fleet rocketed off to safety. Or whatever safety they Cylons were likely to permit them. He looked at his scanners. Behind him, the BaseShips were just coming into range, and would soon, doubtless, launch fighters. If he didn t make it back before then, he was a toasted mushie. As were his passengers. On the floor, still as death, lay Apollo, Dietra next to him. Seated behind him were the members of Apollo s team, all their data and artifacts dumped unceremoniously in a heap on the floor. The one medtech he d convinced to come with him was running an instrument over both prostrate Warriors. From her expression, he didn t think it looked good. It doesn t look good, said Cassiopeia. Dietra s lost a hell of a lot of blood. And Apollo& Yeah? His neck was fractured. She ran a scanner over the insensate man. That s weird. What? His neck. The verr the lift. A very impressive ship, Commander, said Number One, looking around the cavernous bay. Here and there, they could make out sections of deck and bulkhead that looked decidedly the worse for wear. Metal plates darkened and buckled, welded haphazardly into place. Electrical conduits routed haphazardly. Lights gone dark. Obviously, the Galactica had taken her share of punishment getting her load of survivors this far. Thank you. So are yours, replied Adama. If you will accompany me, gentlemen, madam. Adama took them on a brief tour, including the bridge. Pike was once more impressed by the layout of the area, so different from the standard Federation design. Across the vast room, the open view port gave a panorama of the stars, and the Federation ships. The place was a veritable hive of activity, as techs scurried about like bees, racing to make the ship battleworthy once more. An efficient, logical layout, Commander, said Spock, watching some techs work o reconcile himself to just leaving his Strike Captain, and friend, to die on some nameless alien rock, while he and the fleet rocketed off to safety. Or whatever safety they Cylons were likely to permit them. He looked at his scanners. Behind him, the BaseShips were just coming into range, and would soon, doubtless, launch fighters. If he didn t make it back before then, he was a toasted mushie. As were his passengers. On the floor, still as death, lay Apollo, Dietra next to him. Seated behind him were the members of Apollo s team, all their data and artifacts dumped unceremoniously in a heap on the floor. The one medtech he d convinced to come with him was running an instrument over both prostrate Warriors. From her expression, he didn t think it looked good. It doesn t look good, said Cassiopeia. Dietra s lost a hell of a lot of blood. And Apollo& Yeah? His neck was fractured. She ran a scanner over the insensate man. That s weird. What? His neck. The vertebrae looks like it s been fused. What s that mean? asked Barton, utterly ignorant of matters medical. I don t know, said Cassie, shaking her head. How are we doing? Got the Galactica on scanners. We re closing, Cassie. Hey, hey, said Cassie, as Dietra opened her eyes, and tried to rise. Just hold it a centon, Lieutenant. Where& On your way back to the ship, Dietra, the former socialator told her. Just be quiet. Where is she? asked Dietra, looking about the shuttle. Where is the other one? Who? The Lieutenant that found Apollo and I in the Landram, said Dietra, voice raspy. She called for help. I don t know who you re talking about, said Cassie. She looked up at the rest of the team, questioningly. We re it, said one tech, motioning to the rest of the team. There was no other Warrior, man or woman. But someone called up over the commlink, said Barton. A woman s voice, giving me the exact coordinates wheren Omega s helm console. Thank you, Lieutenant..ah& Spock, Commander. Spock. Spock, said Adama, trying out the unfamiliar word. Yes, we have found it the best arrangement for what our ship has to do. It s been refined over generations of war experience. How sad, said the Vulcan, that your people have not been permitted to direct their obviously formidable talents in more peaceful directions. My sentiments exactly, replied Adama. All things considered, I d much rather be back home, in my back garden on Caprica, enjoying the sun and my family, then here. No offense. None taken, said Pike. From there, they retired to Adama s quarters. Though he personally eschewed emotion, Spock could see that the Galactica s Commander was under considerable stress. The slight break in his voice, when he had said the word family , had made it plain that something more than just the Colonial Fleet was amiss. The pilot Bojay had spoken of Apollo . A relative? Perhtebrae looks like it s been fused. What s that mean? asked Barton, utterly ignorant of matters medical. I don t know, said Cassie, shaking her head. How are we doing? Got the Galactica on scanners. We re closing, Cassie. Hey, hey, said Cassie, as Dietra opened her eyes, and tried to rise. Just hold it a centon, Lieutenant. Where& On your way back to the ship, Dietra, the former socialator told her. Just be quiet. Where is she? asked Dietra, looking about the shuttle. Where is the other one? Who? The Lieutenant that found Apollo and I in the Landram, said Dietra, voice raspy. She called for help. I don t know who you re talking about, said Cassie. She looked up at the rest of the team, questioningly. We re it, said one tech, motioning to the rest of the team. There was no other Warrior, man or woman. But someone called up over the commlink, said Barton. A woman s voice, giving me the exact coordinates where the Landram was. I homed in on the signal. And someone called down to us, telling us exactly where you were, said the tech. that wasn t you? No, Barton shook his head. But she was there, insisted Dietra. I saw her. I said, stay still! said Cassie, and pressed a hypo to her patient s arm. Dietra sank to the deck. Galactica ahead, said Barton. Prepare for landing, everyone. Cassie buckled in, and sat back, watching the landing bay draw closer. As ship s flight control took over, she couldn t help but wonder: They had Apollo, Lords be praised. But what about Starbuck? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CULTURE SHOCK, pt. 18 by Maggie Starbuck jerked awake. They had stopped. And he had dozed off, he realized. He glanced at his chronometer and at the faces of the others. He was not the only one who had succumbed to the gentle swaying of the transport; all but Varica were shaking off the effects of their brief but mucaps Adama s son? On their way, they were met by a striking older woman, introduced as a Siress Tinia from the Council of Twelve. Adama explained how they had, even during their flight, attempted to keep alive their political institutions. This Tinia was sent by the Council to meet and assess the newcomers. They sat for over two hours, discussing the situation, and the flight from the Cylons. Adama felt sure, and Pike agreed, that sooner or later, the Cylons would figure out a way to follow them through the wormhole. The old man shook his head. Over 50,000 light-yahren. It s incredible, Captain. I would never have believed it possible. Our finding that abandoned system was truly a Godsend. At that distance, said Pike, you re effectively beyond their reach forever. Even assuming they knew which direction to head. Thank the Lords of Kobol for that, said Tinia. Now, you said you are from Earth? The tension in her voice was palpable. But then, from what the the Landram was. I homed in on the signal. And someone called down to us, telling us exactly where you were, said the tech. that wasn t you? No, Barton shook his head. But she was there, insisted Dietra. I saw her. I said, stay still! said Cassie, and pressed a hypo to her patient s arm. Dietra sank to the deck. Galactica ahead, said Barton. Prepare for landing, everyone. Cassie buckled in, and sat back, watching the landing bay draw closer. As ship s flight control took over, she couldn t help but wonder: They had Apollo, Lords be praised. But what about Starbuck? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CULTURE SHOCK, pt. 18 by Maggie Starbuck jerked awake. They had stopped. And he had dozed off, he realized. He glanced at his chronometer and at the faces of the others. He was not the only one who had succumbed to the gentle swaying of the transport; all but Varica were shaking off the effects of their brief but much needed rest. "It's been almost a centar," Starbuck commented as he stretched and climbed to his feet. "Yes," said Varica, "and according to my scans, we've traveled 14.3 kilometrons due east. That would put us on the far side of the mountain range." "Let's find out where we are," said O'Kala, shouldering her pack and moving towards the exit. The others did likewise, and the scientist moved to press the pad key inscribed with the word that translated to "open." "Wait!" Shauna slipped her breather over her head. "We don't know if there's a breathable atmosphere out there, or not." O'Kala shook her head, wondering how she could have forgotten that, donned her breather, and waited until the others were ready. The she pressed the pad. The doors parted. Cautiously, she stepped out and gazed around, moving aside to let the others exit, as well. The chamber was vast, and, unlike the musty, dank submarine control center, this place had been well preserved. And the power had h needed rest. "It's been almost a centar," Starbuck commented as he stretched and climbed to his feet. "Yes," said Varica, "and according to my scans, we've traveled 14.3 kilometrons due east. That would put us on the far side of the mountain range." "Let's find out where we are," said O'Kala, shouldering her pack and moving towards the exit. The others did likewise, and the scientist moved to press the pad key inscribed with the word that translated to "open." "Wait!" Shauna slipped her breather over her head. "We don't know if there's a breathable atmosphere out there, or not." O'Kala shook her head, wondering how she could have forgotten that, donned her breather, and waited until the others were ready. The she pressed the pad. The doors parted. Cautiously, she stepped out and gazed around, moving aside to let the others exit, as well. The chamber was vast, and, unlike the musty, dank submarine control center, this place had been well preserved. And the power had y d heard, Earth was the virtual raison d etre for their existence, since escaping the Cylons. We are, said Pike, indicating his people, but Mr. Spock is a native of the planet Vulcan, which is an ally, and fellow member of the Federation. We have sought Earth for so long, said Adama, the weariness in his voice becoming evident. Our ancestor brothers. I see, said Pike. He gestured at Spock, who handed his tricorder over to the Captain. Opening it, Pike brought up a file, and turned the device towards Adama. The Colonials gazed, seemingly enrapt, at the image of Earth on the tiny screen. The same, Adama said, almost reverently. After a few moments, Adama activated the monitor on his desk, and called up a file of his own. He turned it towards his guests. This is the only image of Earth we still have, Captain. Sent back to our motherworld of Kobol by a probe long, long ago. You were right, Adama, said Tigh. It is real. And you ll get to see it very sobeen activated; thus, artificial lights shone brightly off gleaming, metallic surfaces. Like the other, the chamber was circular, and panel after panel of controls and equipment lined the perimeter. In the center, an enormous core device, perhaps the generator, stretched up to and through the ceiling some thirty metrons above them, as well as down through the floor, by all appearances. In addition, part of the chamber had expansive windows that looked out beyond Ÿ?" to what, they were not close enough to discern, yet. O'Kala took a few more steps, then stopped and wrapped her arms around herself. "Frak, it's cold!" she said. Starbuck was the last to leave the transport. The dry chill of the environment stung his ears as he moved out into the chamber. "What's the temperature?" he asked as he pulled his flight jacket around him. Varica had his scanner out. "37 centions," he said. "But it's slowly rising." "Okay, okay," muttered Giles. "So it takes awhile for the systemsbeen activated; thus, artificial lights shone brightly off gleaming, metallic surfaces. Like the other, the chamber was circular, and panel after panel of controls and equipment lined the perimeter. In the center, an enormous core device, perhaps the generator, stretched up to and through the ceiling some thirty metrons above them, as well as down through the floor, by all appearances. In addition, part of the chamber had expansive windows that looked out beyond Ÿ?" to what, they were not close enough to discern, yet. O'Kala took a few more steps, then stopped and wrapped her arms around herself. "Frak, it's cold!" she said. Starbuck was the last to leave the transport. The dry chill of the environment stung his ears as he moved out into the chamber. "What's the temperature?" he asked as he pulled his flight jacket around him. Varica had his scanner out. "37 centions," he said. "But it's slowly rising." "Okay, okay," muttered Giles. "So it takes awhile for the systemson, said Pike. Provided the Klingons& They turned as the door to Adama s quarters opened, and a little boy of about seven or so entered, accompanied by a bizarre, furry robot. The intrusion was completed by a slender, attractive blonde woman, dressed in a type of uniform they had not yet seen. Grandpa, I& began the boy, but the woman interrupted. Oh, I m sorry, Commander. I didn t realize you had& She stopped, as she caught sight of Spock. Ah& Adama introduced them, and then noticed Boxey s expression. Red-eyed, tight- lipped, the boy was in great distress. Apollo? asked Adama, for a moment his iron control slipping. It s bad, Commander, said Cassiopeia. He s slipped into a coma. Doctor Selik gives him maybe twenty-eighty. He s gonna die, just like momma! cried Boxey, utterly miserable. Adama embraced the boy, despite the guests, and let him sob. Pardon my asking, said Boyce, but my interest is medical. What is the man s, uh, Apollo? What s to return to normal. Afterall, they've only been operational for a little over a centar Ÿ?" for the first time in a thousand yahrens." "Well, what about the atmosphere?" asked Starbuck. "Still too thin to be breathable," answered Varica. "We'll have to make due," said Starbuck, squinting through his breather as each warm breath began to condense on the mask. "Let's spread out and see if we can figure out some of these controls." Equipped with hand-held languatrons, now programmed to correlate the alien scrip with ancient Gemonese, the team eagerly scattered to examine the gleaming control panels that seemed unfazed by the passage of time. Excitement and the prospect of finding a functional exit to the surface overruled the cold. Varica and Thomson headed towards the center core structure, while the others spread out towards the panels that ringed the chamber. Giles and Starbuck walked towards the huge windows, curious as to what lay beyond. Whatever it was, the power di to return to normal. Afterall, they've only been operational for a little over a centar Ÿ?" for the first time in a thousand yahrens." "Well, what about the atmosphere?" asked Starbuck. "Still too thin to be breathable," answered Varica. "We'll have to make due," said Starbuck, squinting through his breather as each warm breath began to condense on the mask. "Let's spread out and see if we can figure out some of these controls." Equipped with hand-held languatrons, now programmed to correlate the alien scrip with ancient Gemonese, the team eagerly scattered to examine the gleaming control panels that seemed unfazed by the passage of time. Excitement and the prospect of finding a functional exit to the surface overruled the cold. Varica and Thomson headed towards the center core structure, while the others spread out towards the panels that ringed the chamber. Giles and Starbuck walked towards the huge windows, curious as to what lay beyond. Whatever it was, the power dihis condition? He has a broken neck, said Cassie. As well as a punctured lung, and other internal injuries. It s bad. He s paralyzed, and in a lifepod. Commander, said Boyce, we have several of your people aboard one of our ships. I m told that our physiological compatibility is excellent. I would be happy to offer whatever help our Sickbay can provide. By&by all means, said Adama, his reserve slipping slowly back into place. Come. He led them through the vast ship, which at almost every turn seemed to be swarming with repair personnel. Life Station, as it was called, was packed to the ceiling almost. Boyce could at once instinctively recognize his Colonial colleague. Sweaty, tired, racing from patient to patient, the fellow looked like a one man ER all by himself. Cassie! he called, seeing her, four s ready to be transferred. Right, Doctor. She sped off to comply. Adama introduced the Enterprise crew, and Selik considered Boyce s offer. Bud not appear to be functional, because all was dark. At first, they could see nothing. Starbuck was about to turn away, when Giles suddenly pointed. "There! Look! Is that what I think it is?" Starbuck risked swiping the fog from the inside of his breather and then peered down to where Giles was pointing. The light from the chamber was reflecting off a metallic object. As the lieutenant followed the outline and shape of the thing, he realized what Giles was saying. "Yes!" he shouted loud enough to bring everyone else trotting over to the windows. "What? What is it?" asked Sirrion. All he saw was darkness. "Down there!" Starbuck pointed to a location below the chamber. "Look! It 's a ship!" Indeed, as they all stared and their eyes adjusted, they could just barely discern the grey forms of at least half a dozen ships. "A hangar!" shouted Giles. "It must be a hangar bay!" With a determined fervor, their hopes soaring, the team searched the control panels for a d not appear to be functional, because all was dark. At first, they could see nothing. Starbuck was about to turn away, when Giles suddenly pointed. "There! Look! Is that what I think it is?" Starbuck risked swiping the fog from the inside of his breather and then peered down to where Giles was pointing. The light from the chamber was reflecting off a metallic object. As the lieutenant followed the outline and shape of the thing, he realized what Giles was saying. "Yes!" he shouted loud enough to bring everyone else trotting over to the windows. "What? What is it?" asked Sirrion. All he saw was darkness. "Down there!" Starbuck pointed to a location below the chamber. "Look! It 's a ship!" Indeed, as they all stared and their eyes adjusted, they could just barely discern the grey forms of at least half a dozen ships. "A hangar!" shouted Giles. "It must be a hangar bay!" With a determined fervor, their hopes soaring, the team searched the control panels for a t, there was no professional jealousy in the man s response. In fact, he welcomed it. The Galactica s medical stores were badly depleted in several areas. Critical drugs were entirely gone or in short supply, two of the life pods were off-line thanks to a lack of spares, and on any planet-bound hospital, many of the surgical instruments would have been long since replaced. Pike watched as the two physicians talked, instantly liking Selik. A competent, compassionate man trying to patch together torn and battered bodies with dwindling resources. Selik s eyes lit up. Apparently, a deal of sorts had been struck. Both Commanders gave to go ahead, and before long they were ready. I ll prep the shuttle, said Cassie. No need, said Number One. We can transport your people aboard from here. Excuse me? asked Selik. Number One explained the transporter, and Selik frowned. What effect would this have on his patients, he wanted to know. As they conversed, and Spock called Enteway to access the bay and to operate any portals. Logic told them that this chamber was the control center, and where there were ships, there had to be an exit. Passage out and to the surface. Their escape. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It took nearly 50 centons, but with O'Kala's linguistic finesse, they finally deciphered not only the controls for the hangar bay doors, but also for the power system for the interior. Artificial lights flickered on, then off for several moments, then back on again, revealing what could only be a huge hangar bay; they could now see maybe twenty different ships and transports. More importantly, they could see the sealed blast doors opposite the control center. They also discovered a sensor array. Varica studied the lines of script and the graphics, inputting what information he could into his languatron. It did not take long for him to realize that the readings were of the planetary system. As he checked and rechecked the information, way to access the bay and to operate any portals. Logic told them that this chamber was the control center, and where there were ships, there had to be an exit. Passage out and to the surface. Their escape. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It took nearly 50 centons, but with O'Kala's linguistic finesse, they finally deciphered not only the controls for the hangar bay doors, but also for the power system for the interior. Artificial lights flickered on, then off for several moments, then back on again, revealing what could only be a huge hangar bay; they could now see maybe twenty different ships and transports. More importantly, they could see the sealed blast doors opposite the control center. They also discovered a sensor array. Varica studied the lines of script and the graphics, inputting what information he could into his languatron. It did not take long for him to realize that the readings were of the planetary system. As he checked and rechecked the information, rprise, Boyce looked over, to see Adama, standing over a large cylinder, connected by tubes to the ceiling, containing the body of a young, dark-haired man. Adama was speaking softly, but too far away for the translator to make anything of it. As he did so, a tall, gorgeous brunette, dressed in blue as he was, joined him, putting her arm around the Commander. Who is that? Boyce asked Siress Tinia. That s Lieutenant Athena, Doctor. Adama s daughter. And the young man? His only remaining son. Captain Apollo. I see. Thank you. An hour later, aboard Enterprise, Adama stood by as Apollo was prepped for surgery. He felt helpless, like a pilot with no Viper, as he watched Boyce and his people begin work. This ship, he had to admit, was indeed impressive. While much smaller than his own, the Enterprise and it s sisters packed power. Perhaps enough to help them, one day, defeat the Cylons. Or were the Cylons behind them, now, literally as well ashe felt a cold knot in his stomach that had nothing to do with the temperature of the chamber. "Frak," he muttered. "Frak and felgercarb . . ." The others turned towards him. "What is it?" asked Starbuck. "Take a look," Varica said as everyone gathered around him. "The graphics tell it all. The written text just confirms it." "Lords of Kobol . . ." whispered Starbuck. Only two ships were present in all of the system. Two. Not 220. Two. "Where's the Fleet?" he asked quietly, fighting the foreboding feeling that was welling up inside. All were silent for several long centons as they absorbed the information. Had they located an exit only to discover that they were stranded? On a world where they could only tolerate the radiation levels above ground for a couple of days? "Shit!" muttered Giles. Then one of the blips vanished as the readings indicated a power surge. "The wormhole!" shouted Varica. Starbuck turned, walked purposefully to the windows and stared at he felt a cold knot in his stomach that had nothing to do with the temperature of the chamber. "Frak," he muttered. "Frak and felgercarb . . ." The others turned towards him. "What is it?" asked Starbuck. "Take a look," Varica said as everyone gathered around him. "The graphics tell it all. The written text just confirms it." "Lords of Kobol . . ." whispered Starbuck. Only two ships were present in all of the system. Two. Not 220. Two. "Where's the Fleet?" he asked quietly, fighting the foreboding feeling that was welling up inside. All were silent for several long centons as they absorbed the information. Had they located an exit only to discover that they were stranded? On a world where they could only tolerate the radiation levels above ground for a couple of days? "Shit!" muttered Giles. Then one of the blips vanished as the readings indicated a power surge. "The wormhole!" shouted Varica. Starbuck turned, walked purposefully to the windows and stared at figuratively? Earth was, so Pike told him, only a few days travel away at maximum warp . Perhaps& Bridge to Captain, came a voice over a speaker. Pike here. The Reliant has arrived, sir, said Spock. Good news, Mr. Spock. Anything else? Yes, sir. Sensors have detected another Klingon ship. ETA four hours, eleven minutes, sir. I see, sighed Pike, obviously displeased. And? And the Tholians will be here in less than an hour, sir. Very well, Mr. Spock. I m on my way. He clicked off, and turned to Adama. You have to go, said the old Warrior. I understand. I ll just wait here. Good luck, said Pike, and turned and left. Klingons, thought Adama. Tholians. What have we sailed into? X-UIDL: ToV"!8?$"!_Sh!!d4J!! Culture Shock, Pt 25 by Senmut =============== Aboard the Tholian cruiser Kreeda, Commander Gommeed watched the sensor displays at his station. As expected, there were Federation ships in the the vessels below. "Well, I guess we'll have to fly ourselves outta here," he said. The cold dread was suddenly replaced by a fierce determination. "We need those bay doors open and a way to get down to those ships." ************** Cloudy daylight now filled the hangar bay after the technicians had managed to activate the blast doors from a panel near the doors themselves. In only 20 centons, the internal atmosphere had equalized with the outside. The air was now breathable and the temperature was only ten centions lower inside. Finding access to the bay from the control center had been easy; locating a transport off the surface was proving anything but. The team had been scanning ship after ship. Most, it turned out, were clearly inoperable. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though they had been salvaged for spare parts, undoubtedly before the people left the planet for good. Of the twenty-three vessels in the bay, only two now remained as viable possibilities. Ththe vessels below. "Well, I guess we'll have to fly ourselves outta here," he said. The cold dread was suddenly replaced by a fierce determination. "We need those bay doors open and a way to get down to those ships." ************** Cloudy daylight now filled the hangar bay after the technicians had managed to activate the blast doors from a panel near the doors themselves. In only 20 centons, the internal atmosphere had equalized with the outside. The air was now breathable and the temperature was only ten centions lower inside. Finding access to the bay from the control center had been easy; locating a transport off the surface was proving anything but. The team had been scanning ship after ship. Most, it turned out, were clearly inoperable. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though they had been salvaged for spare parts, undoubtedly before the people left the planet for good. Of the twenty-three vessels in the bay, only two now remained as viable possibilities. ThQgweth a system, directly ahead. Once more, the Humans were pushing the Assembly, skirting at the edges of the treaty. He counted&four Federation vessels, one just dropping below lightspeed. Once gain, Gommeed cursed his people s lack of hyperlight drive. It was what had given the Humans their advantage in their war with the Tholian Assembly. But now there seemed to be more than just Federation ships in the system. If the scanner readings were to be believed, there were scores of other vessels, most of which matched nothing whatsoever in his ship s database. After a few moments, his computer came back with an ID on two of them. Klingons. Gommeed would have frowned, or stroked his chin, if his race could have done so, or had chins. As it was, his crystalline body flickered through several colors, indicating his state of mind. So, there were Klingons, here. Had they attempted to conquer the system, and the Humans fought them to stop it? If so, perhaps the Assembly should be grae team had divided and each group was working to decipher the systems and controls and to determine if their ship was space- worthy. Giles, Varica, Shauna, and Nila were checking out a small craft near the center of the bay. It appeared to have some fuel and they had even, after a careful analysis of the controls, fired up the engines. It would be a snug fit for eight people, but it looked like a good possibility. It had two flight chairs in its small cockpit, one set of controls, and what must have been a cargo hold. And despite the ancient, alien background of the vessel, the systems seemed surprisingly familiar to an experienced pilot. Giles was naming the controls over and over, using his languatron as a reference. The biggest drawback with their ship, though, was the fuel level. The bar indicator was uncomfortably below the midpoint mark. Not knowing how much fuel it would take to just lift off, they considered the craft their second choice. Starbuck, Sirrion, Thomsoe team had divided and each group was working to decipher the systems and controls and to determine if their ship was space- worthy. Giles, Varica, Shauna, and Nila were checking out a small craft near the center of the bay. It appeared to have some fuel and they had even, after a careful analysis of the controls, fired up the engines. It would be a snug fit for eight people, but it looked like a good possibility. It had two flight chairs in its small cockpit, one set of controls, and what must have been a cargo hold. And despite the ancient, alien background of the vessel, the systems seemed surprisingly familiar to an experienced pilot. Giles was naming the controls over and over, using his languatron as a reference. The biggest drawback with their ship, though, was the fuel level. The bar indicator was uncomfortably below the midpoint mark. Not knowing how much fuel it would take to just lift off, they considered the craft their second choice. Starbuck, Sirrion, Thomsoteful. From the amount of debris he was beginning to detect, it seemed a possibility, but what of the other ships? There were no records of any inhabitants in this system, ever. No ships, other than the Human and Klingon vessels, had been detected approaching, so where had they come from? He transmitted all his sensor data back to base, to see if perhaps higher ups had any information on the strange vessels, or the mysterious energy pulses that had burst from the system recently. Gommeed and his science officer both agreed that a connection between the two was likely, but then, one could never be certain, where the sly and cunning Federation was concerned. And, though he had never previously encountered any Klingons himself, Gommeed understood them to be similarly lacking in proper behavior. The lead newcomer vessel is enormous, Commander, said the scan officer, putting a sensor graphic up on a screen. Gommeed moved closer, studying it. It was indeed huge, for more massive thann, and O'Kala were examining a slightly larger ship that rested close to the open blast doors. It had a passenger section with ten seats, in addition to the two-person cockpit. The systems seemed to be operational. And the fuel level seemed acceptable. Starbuck had settled into the pilot's seat and O'Kala was reading the labels on the controls and gauges for him. "Is this the altimeter?" he asked, pointing to a familiar-looking gauge. "Seems to be," answered O'Kala. "Okay!" Starbuck grinned. "This looks easy enough. Why don't we Ÿ?"" An ear-piercing explosion cut him off and rocked the ship. "What the frak was that!" shouted Starbuck, pulling O'Kala up and heading out of the cockpit. Another explosion threw them against a wall. Thomson was gesturing frantically at them. "Get out! Get out!" ********************* Starbuck grabbed the linguist's hand and hurried through the short passage. As they stumbled along, they could hear the deafening and unmistakable soun, and O'Kala were examining a slightly larger ship that rested close to the open blast doors. It had a passenger section with ten seats, in addition to the two-person cockpit. The systems seemed to be operational. And the fuel level seemed acceptable. Starbuck had settled into the pilot's seat and O'Kala was reading the labels on the controls and gauges for him. "Is this the altimeter?" he asked, pointing to a familiar-looking gauge. "Seems to be," answered O'Kala. "Okay!" Starbuck grinned. "This looks easy enough. Why don't we Ÿ?"" An ear-piercing explosion cut him off and rocked the ship. "What the frak was that!" shouted Starbuck, pulling O'Kala up and heading out of the cockpit. Another explosion threw them against a wall. Thomson was gesturing frantically at them. "Get out! Get out!" ********************* Starbuck grabbed the linguist's hand and hurried through the short passage. As they stumbled along, they could hear the deafening and unmistakable sou any vessel his people had ever constructed, or had the ability to. For a moment, the Tholian felt a surge of pure envy. Over twenty krell long. There are now over two hundred ships within the system. It would appear at first sight to be some kind of warship, said Gommeed. Laser guns. Launch tubes. It must be an invasion force, Commander, said Gommeed s second, Loskeem. So many vessels cannot be here just to explore . Loskeem said the word like it was ice in his mouth. Perhaps, said Gommeed, But I will know the truth, before I begin knitting my enemies, Sub-Commander. Sir, said Loskeem, conceding. Do we hail them? Not yet. We will follow standard procedure, Sub- Commander, and I wish to gain as much information as possible before we arrive. Time to interception, helm? We will reach the positon of the Federation vessels in seventeen poold t, Commander, came the reply. Excellent. Contact the Ultur. Prepare all defenses. ======================nd of laser blasts. They ducked out of the narrow exit, jumped down to the deck and ran. A moment later, the ship exploded as it took a direct hit. O'Kala screamed and fell. Starbuck dived on top of her as the force of the blast knocked him off his feet. Shrapnel rained down. He covered her and his own head as well as he could. A few microns stretched into an eternity as the pieces battered the tarmac all around. He grimaced as tiny particles burned into his flight jacket and bit through his uniform. Then a sharp, jagged piece sliced into his left arm. "Cylons!" Starbuck heard someone shout as he fought against the searing pain. "Close the blast doors!" Hands were pulling him to his feet. Thomson. The tech supported him as they hurried towards the back of the hangar. Looking around, he saw Varica carrying O'Kala, who hug limp in his arms. Then, suddenly, the doors slid closed and an eerie silence gripped the bay. "How stupid of us!" cried Thomson as he carefully lownd of laser blasts. They ducked out of the narrow exit, jumped down to the deck and ran. A moment later, the ship exploded as it took a direct hit. O'Kala screamed and fell. Starbuck dived on top of her as the force of the blast knocked him off his feet. Shrapnel rained down. He covered her and his own head as well as he could. A few microns stretched into an eternity as the pieces battered the tarmac all around. He grimaced as tiny particles burned into his flight jacket and bit through his uniform. Then a sharp, jagged piece sliced into his left arm. "Cylons!" Starbuck heard someone shout as he fought against the searing pain. "Close the blast doors!" Hands were pulling him to his feet. Thomson. The tech supported him as they hurried towards the back of the hangar. Looking around, he saw Varica carrying O'Kala, who hug limp in his arms. Then, suddenly, the doors slid closed and an eerie silence gripped the bay. "How stupid of us!" cried Thomson as he carefully low================================== Aboard the G roth, Commander Korrd studied both the messages from the High Command, and the local radio intercepts. Imperial Intelligence had no data at all on any of the ships in the recently arrived fleet. Most were basically similar to the sorts of ships used in the early days of space flight, before the perfection of anti-matter containment, and the development of warp drive, but not a single configuration was known. The same was true for the attacker vessels. The codes used by the newcomers had, so far, defied decryption, but his people did report, fortunately for them, success in decrypting at least one Federation message home. The newcomers were, definitely, Humans, from some as yet unknown part of the galaxy. They also were being pursued by a relentless, indefatigable foe, called Cylon . Apparently, wherever it was they hailed from, these Cylons were a power to be reckoned with. Wreckage from the Cylon fighter ships had been bered the lieutenant down to the floor next to the unconscious linguist. They were close to the other craft, now their only means of escape. Starbuck coughed on the thick fumes from the burning remains of the seven ships that had been blasted. Someone slipped his breather over his face. "Just hold on," said Giles as he plopped a first-aid kit next to his friend. Thomson was still supporting him. The others, he noted with a glance, were crowded around O'Kala. "What in Kobol's name happened?" Starbuck asked. He looked down at his left arm and saw the sleeve of his flight jacket was saturated with blood. He felt light-headed and queasy. Thomson eased the lieutenant onto his right side. "I'd say that when we opened the blast doors," said Giles, "we practically invited the Cylons in! They must have picked up the energy readings and zeroed in on our location." "That lone ship on the sensors . . ." Starbuck grimaced as Thomson began to cut through the sleeve to attend to the ered the lieutenant down to the floor next to the unconscious linguist. They were close to the other craft, now their only means of escape. Starbuck coughed on the thick fumes from the burning remains of the seven ships that had been blasted. Someone slipped his breather over his face. "Just hold on," said Giles as he plopped a first-aid kit next to his friend. Thomson was still supporting him. The others, he noted with a glance, were crowded around O'Kala. "What in Kobol's name happened?" Starbuck asked. He looked down at his left arm and saw the sleeve of his flight jacket was saturated with blood. He felt light-headed and queasy. Thomson eased the lieutenant onto his right side. "I'd say that when we opened the blast doors," said Giles, "we practically invited the Cylons in! They must have picked up the energy readings and zeroed in on our location." "That lone ship on the sensors . . ." Starbuck grimaced as Thomson began to cut through the sleeve to attend to the eamed aboard, and was undergoing preliminary analysis. Like the mysterious Human vessels, these craft too seemed rather primitive, at least as far as their power systems went. Their lasers, however, were quite respectable, as both he, and the B ath, had reason to know. The data from their onboard computers had yet to be salvaged, but one thing about the alien Cylons was now abundantly clear. They were robots. Much to his astonishment, each of the enemy fighters had been flown by a robotic crew. Three of the mechanical men had manned each ship. Apparently, the aliens needed to work in groups to operate their fighters. Not surprising, since, at least in the Empire s experience, even the best artificial intelligence system lacked the necessary initiative to operate fully independently. This was a good thing, of course. After all, if you made the computers too smart, they might end up taking over. Korrd looked at Enterprise on his main screen, and wondered if the Federation had ever toyedwound and tried to concentrate on the flight sergeant, who was kneeling in front of him. He vaguely remembered that Thomson and Sirrion had had basic-level med tech training. "Yeah, a Cylon baseship would be my guess," said Giles. "Frak. I shoulda . . ." "We all should have thought about it," Giles said. "But we were too excited about our discovery. But, hey Ÿ?"" he stopped as Thomson motioned with a hypo from the first-aid kit. "It's an anesthetic," the tech said. "I've got to remove the piece of metal before I can bandage the wound. This will take just a centon to take effect." He injected the local sedative into the lieutenant's shoulder. He had cut away the sleeves to both his flight jacket and uniform to reveal a deep, jagged gash. "How's O'Kala?" asked Starbuck looking over to where the others were tending to her. "She's in pretty bad shape," Thomson admitted. "She got hit in the back. I think the piece pierced a lung." "Oh no. Frak, no," said Starbuck,wound and tried to concentrate on the flight sergeant, who was kneeling in front of him. He vaguely remembered that Thomson and Sirrion had had basic-level med tech training. "Yeah, a Cylon baseship would be my guess," said Giles. "Frak. I shoulda . . ." "We all should have thought about it," Giles said. "But we were too excited about our discovery. But, hey Ÿ?"" he stopped as Thomson motioned with a hypo from the first-aid kit. "It's an anesthetic," the tech said. "I've got to remove the piece of metal before I can bandage the wound. This will take just a centon to take effect." He injected the local sedative into the lieutenant's shoulder. He had cut away the sleeves to both his flight jacket and uniform to reveal a deep, jagged gash. "How's O'Kala?" asked Starbuck looking over to where the others were tending to her. "She's in pretty bad shape," Thomson admitted. "She got hit in the back. I think the piece pierced a lung." "Oh no. Frak, no," said Starbuck, with independently intelligent computers. No, he told himself. They would never be that stupid. He was roused from his contemplation by two messages. Kruge would, it seemed, survive. Though he kept his face stonily indifferent, Korrd was inwardly pleased. He had no real wish to kill anyone, save of course for the enemies of the Empire. Now, Kruge would not only have something to, hopefully, augment to his education, but a nice, livid scar, worthy of a warrior. It would make a better Klingon out of the young officer. It sure as Stovokor better! The second message was less to his liking. The Chief Security officer called up from the ship s one and only science lab, and reported a problem. Or, at least that s what it sounded like, Korrd thought. All he actually said was: Commander..uuhghhh . Nothing more. Korrd at once rose, called for more Security officers, and taking Kang with him, headed aft. At the hatch to the laboratory, both men drew weapons, and Kang, usin fighting a rising sense of panic. "Just hold still, buddy," said Giles quietly. "We'll get out of here as soon as we can move you both aboard the ship. Then we'll make for the wormhole." Giles was talking to distract the lieutenant as Thomson worked on his arm. "My bet is the Fleet went through to escape the Cylons. They' re probably just waiting for us on the other side." "Yeah, Ÿ?~cept," said Starbuck, grimacing in pain and taking deep breaths, despite the numbness of the anesthetic. "'cept *they* didn't know we'd find a ship." He gave Giles a troubled look. "If O'Kala Ÿ?"" "She'll be okay," insisted Giles. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as Starbuck. "Just hold still." Thomson had cleaned the wound as much as he could with sterile wipes and had wrapped a pressure bandage around the lieutenant's arm. Next, he and Giles eased Starbuck onto his back. The tech then moved to check on the others' progress with O'Kala. Looking over, Starbuck fighting a rising sense of panic. "Just hold still, buddy," said Giles quietly. "We'll get out of here as soon as we can move you both aboard the ship. Then we'll make for the wormhole." Giles was talking to distract the lieutenant as Thomson worked on his arm. "My bet is the Fleet went through to escape the Cylons. They' re probably just waiting for us on the other side." "Yeah, Ÿ?~cept," said Starbuck, grimacing in pain and taking deep breaths, despite the numbness of the anesthetic. "'cept *they* didn't know we'd find a ship." He gave Giles a troubled look. "If O'Kala Ÿ?"" "She'll be okay," insisted Giles. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as Starbuck. "Just hold still." Thomson had cleaned the wound as much as he could with sterile wipes and had wrapped a pressure bandage around the lieutenant's arm. Next, he and Giles eased Starbuck onto his back. The tech then moved to check on the others' progress with O'Kala. Looking over, Starbuckg the bulkhead as cover, slapped the control pad with his foot. The hatch slid open, to reveal& A Cylon Centurion, standing over the broken, twisted corpses of three Klingon warriors, it s dented, scorched armor bespattered with lavender blood, and holding a disruptor pistol in one dripping hand. For a moment, the three just stood there, staring, the Klingons unable at first to actually believe what they were looking at. Three trained, armed soldiers, slaughtered by a&machine? The Cylon spoke first. Humans, surrender or be terminated. It raised the weapon with incredible speed, and pointed it at the Klingons, just as the first of the Security men appeared. The weapon fired, ripping one Klingon s guts to shreds, and blasting a hole in the opposite bulkhead. Everyone lurched back for a moment, and the door to the lab closed. Korrd checked on the fallen soldier, though he hardly needed to. The man s guts were flayed from his bones, his blood and cauterized entrails spilling out on could see the linguist's face as they worked on her back. Eyes closed, lips parted, she looked pale, too pale. Her lips were blue. "Lords of Kobol, no . . ." whispered the lieutenant. ****************** Not long after they had sealed the doors, they began to hear muffled explosions and could feel the ground vibrate. Evidently, the Cylons were persistently trying to blast through to the hangar. The doors, however, appeared to be holding. Still, Giles mused as he strapped himself into the cockpit, the ride out would be eventful, to say the least. For starters, the blast doors had to be activated from outside the ship. They had located a panel near the back of the bay, not too far from their small craft, but it would still mean a delay of nearly a centon between opening the doors and when they were able to launch. Plenty of time for the Cylons to take up nice and cozy defense positions or to simply bombard the exit with laser volleys. Nila came forward and sat down in could see the linguist's face as they worked on her back. Eyes closed, lips parted, she looked pale, too pale. Her lips were blue. "Lords of Kobol, no . . ." whispered the lieutenant. ****************** Not long after they had sealed the doors, they began to hear muffled explosions and could feel the ground vibrate. Evidently, the Cylons were persistently trying to blast through to the hangar. The doors, however, appeared to be holding. Still, Giles mused as he strapped himself into the cockpit, the ride out would be eventful, to say the least. For starters, the blast doors had to be activated from outside the ship. They had located a panel near the back of the bay, not too far from their small craft, but it would still mean a delay of nearly a centon between opening the doors and when they were able to launch. Plenty of time for the Cylons to take up nice and cozy defense positions or to simply bombard the exit with laser volleys. Nila came forward and sat down into the deck, his mouth and eyes open in a silent scream. The bulkhead wasn t looking much better. Sir, asked one of the guards, what was that? A Federation spy? No, said Korrd, and explained as best he could. As he spoke, from inside, he could hear the weapon fire once more. He opened his mouth again, when the bridge called. The Captain of the Enterprise was hailing them. He specifically wished to speak with the G roth s Commander. Well, my children, he said, it would seem we have a problem. Or two, muttered Kang. Or two. ======================== Farragut? asked Starbuck, of the young Human officer who had beamed he and his party aboard this vessel. They had been escorted to the ship s Life Station, called Sickbay, and examined by the Federation doctors. They had been rescued, with literally picocentons to spare, from their dying ship, by what had been described as a transporter . Starbuck hadn t a clue as to what it was or how it worked, bu the co-pilot's chair. Of the five specialists, she was the one with the most flight knowledge, and, thus, was the logical one to do what she could to assist Giles. "Okay, Sergeant," she said, "everyone's tucked in as best as can be." "Right." He let out a long, slow breath. The sound and vibrations from outside attacks had stopped, but Giles knew better than to think that the Cylons had left. More likely, they were waiting. Waiting for the blast doors to open. He glanced back to where Sirrion stood at the ship's entrance. "Okay. Let's do it!" Sirrion trotted over to the panel. After a brief pause, he pushed the pad and sprinted back towards the ship. The doors slowly pulled apart. Dim sunlight spilled into the bay. Giles was counting the microns under his breath. " . . . seven, eight, nine . . ." Sirrion jumped into the ship and closed the hatch. Immediately, Giles fired the engines. They pulsed slowly to life. "Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two . . ." The openi the co-pilot's chair. Of the five specialists, she was the one with the most flight knowledge, and, thus, was the logical one to do what she could to assist Giles. "Okay, Sergeant," she said, "everyone's tucked in as best as can be." "Right." He let out a long, slow breath. The sound and vibrations from outside attacks had stopped, but Giles knew better than to think that the Cylons had left. More likely, they were waiting. Waiting for the blast doors to open. He glanced back to where Sirrion stood at the ship's entrance. "Okay. Let's do it!" Sirrion trotted over to the panel. After a brief pause, he pushed the pad and sprinted back towards the ship. The doors slowly pulled apart. Dim sunlight spilled into the bay. Giles was counting the microns under his breath. " . . . seven, eight, nine . . ." Sirrion jumped into the ship and closed the hatch. Immediately, Giles fired the engines. They pulsed slowly to life. "Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two . . ." The openit it had, and that was good enough for him. When their ship s engines had been destroyed, they d all gotten a serious dose of radiation. However, the Federation doctors had administered drugs to take care of that, and Starbuck had to admit, he felt pretty good right now. Giles had taken flying debris from the decompression, and Sirrion as well. Thompson however was just fine& Which was more than they could say for O Kala. Literally centons from death, she d been rushed here, and the ship s CMO, a Doctor with the improbable name of Ariana Livia Chegwidden- Bonzetti, had at once set to. As he had when Cree had been captured by the Cylons on Arcta, Starbuck felt personally responsible for O Kala s condition. After all, she was part of his team, and it was part of his duty as the team CO to safeguard each and every one of his team s lives, even at the cost of his own. As he often did on losing someone, Starbuck felt the guilt of surviving, when others didn t, or might not. How many ng to the hangar bay was still quiet. The engines were maddingly slow! "Sixty-three, sixty-four. . ." They finally reached full capacity. "Hang on tight!" Giles shouted and pulled back on the controls, initiating their take off. They moved forward, gradually gaining momentum. Giles did not want to press his luck with the unfamiliar controls and risk smashing into a wall. Suddenly, though, laser volleys seared through the open doors. "To Hades with it!" Giles yelled and revved the engines. The ship shot forward with more acceleration than he had expected. It went straight through the wall of laser fire, seemingly unscathed, and shot up into the sky. "Hey!" screamed Thomson. He had been knocked back into Shauna, and the two were entangled in the back, held immobile by the g-forces. With no seats, in the bare cargo hold, he and the others had strapped down the Starbuck and O'Kala as securely as possible, then gripped whatever they could find. "We' ve got wounded back herepilots had he seen burn up under Cylon guns, while he kept returning to the Galactica, time after time? Bunker? Taggs? Zac. No, stop it!!! Don t go there! He shook his head. I ll bet Apollo never feels any& It never gets easy, does it? asked a voice. Starbuck looked up, to see the young officer who had rescued them. Lieutenant Kirk, he said, extending his hand. Lieutenant Starbuck, Blue Squadron. What did you mean? The look on your face, watching her. Kirk indicated the operating area, where O Kala was being treated. It s never easy, when you re the one in charge, and one of your team gets hurt. Well, stammered Starbuck, a little uneasy at how easily someone he d only just met had been able to read him like the Book of the Word under a scanner. I&uh, you said this ship was called what? Kirk smiled, understanding the pilot s dodge perfectly, and began to tell him about both the ship, and the 19th Century Admiral she d been named after. He alsong to the hangar bay was still quiet. The engines were maddingly slow! "Sixty-three, sixty-four. . ." They finally reached full capacity. "Hang on tight!" Giles shouted and pulled back on the controls, initiating their take off. They moved forward, gradually gaining momentum. Giles did not want to press his luck with the unfamiliar controls and risk smashing into a wall. Suddenly, though, laser volleys seared through the open doors. "To Hades with it!" Giles yelled and revved the engines. The ship shot forward with more acceleration than he had expected. It went straight through the wall of laser fire, seemingly unscathed, and shot up into the sky. "Hey!" screamed Thomson. He had been knocked back into Shauna, and the two were entangled in the back, held immobile by the g-forces. With no seats, in the bare cargo hold, he and the others had strapped down the Starbuck and O'Kala as securely as possible, then gripped whatever they could find. "We' ve got wounded back here!" Giles eased back on his angle of accent and his velocity, and Shauna and Thomson, battered and bruised, pulled themselves back to the middle of the hold. Each wrapped an arm around one of the loops on the floor that must have been intended for securing any cargo. "Scanner . . ." Giles flipped a switched and seven blips appeared on the round screen. Assuming that his position was in the center, the blips were closing slowly. "Okay, hold on tight!" he shouted. With a little more caution, he increased the ship's velocity and angle of accent. Nila, watching the occupants of the cargo hold, especially O'Kala, warned him when to hold steady. The distance between the blips and their ship was now increasing ever so slightly. The cloud cover thinned, and they finally flew out of the planet's exosphere. Using visual markers -- the position of the sun, the planet, and it's rings -- as much as the ship's instruments, Giles oriented the craft towards the wormhole device. Nila wa explained the Federation, Earth s place in it, and listened intently to Starbuck s description of the Colonies, her military, and the relation of the various powers in that far away sector. As they talked, Giles and Sirrion rejoined them, then Thompson. Kirk suggested they retire to the rec room down the corridor, but Starbuck didn t want to leave O Kala. Not while she was& Look, son, said one of the junior physicians, his accent new and odd to the Colonials, your friend s in excellent hands. You won t do her a damn bit of good hanging around here, worrying yerself to death. Go with the Lieutenant, and relax. But& said Giles. No buts, son, said the dark-haired doctor. I hereby prescribe that you go. Now, get em outta here, Jim. Yes, Doctor, said Kirk, and led the group towards the door. Besides, he added, the Captain will want to talk to you all. As they filed out the door, Kirk looked back at the young doctor. Thanks, Bones. No problem. Aboard Enterprise, Omega sat next to Rigel, recovering on a biobed in Sickbay. While Adama had returned to the ship, he had granted temporary leave to all who had injured loved ones here. She had not regained consciousness since launching the missile attack on the BaseShip, and had shown no signs that she ever would. Her vital signs had slowly, if continuously slipped, till she was almost on full support. We made it, he said to her softly, speaking in the now-rare, little used Virgon dialect they shared from their common homeworld. Without realizing it, he d taken her hand in his own, stroking it in unconscious time to the sound of her pulse on the monitor. We re nearly there, Ri, he said. We ve found Humans, powerful enough to defeat the Cylons. And Earth, Ri. Earth is only a few days away from here! We finally made it. He looked at her face, still partly covered by the bandages that wound about her head. Its now eying the scanner. A different blip appeared ahead of them. On a direct course. Nila pointed. "Frak, frak, and frak," muttered Giles. It was too soon for that blip to be the wormhole. Besides, it was moving towards them. A few centons later, it came into view. Large, menacing strobes of laser pulsed towards them. "A baseship! Sorry, guys," he shouted. "But speed is the only way to get past that thing! On three. One, two three!" He opened the throttle once more, and the ship shot forward with almost twice the velocity of a viper. The baseship could not track them, and the craft sped within a kilometron of the enemy vessel, then on past. Following mostly instinct, Giles adjusted their heading. Nila was pointing at the panel. "The fuel!" The indicator was dangerously close to zero. "Okay," he shouted back to his companions, "I have to cut all power until I need to align with the wormhole device. We'll have to make do with our current velocity and trajectory." Giles switched off the engines and alternated between staring ahead for any sign of the wormhole device and gazing at the eight blips on the scanner. They were closing. The seven Cylon raiders had passed the baseship. They would be within firing range in only a couple of centons. "Where is that device?" Giles muttered. The inner planet was looming nearer. A blip appeared on the scanner in the appropriate location just as the raiders opened fire. The first volleys went wide. Giles finally spotted the wormhole device ahead of them, a tiny speck against the crescent shape of the inner planet, illuminated by the system's sun off to their left. Launching from the ringed third world, Giles had swung the craft in an arc so that they were approaching with the wormhole device in a direct path in front of its planet. The ship shook from a near miss. They would be in range of the device in seven centons at their current velocity. By then, Giles reflected, they would be spac had been a near thing, Dr Boyce told him. A huge blood clot on her cortex, spreading deep into her brain, had been literally hours from rupturing a major artery. With all the shortages on the Galactica, Selik had been able to do far less than he might have otherwise. Here, thankfully, the medical staff had saved her life with centons to spare. A home, Babe, Omega went on, still holding Rigel s hand. Finally, a real place to live, not cubicle inside an oversized metal box, always on the run. Sun. A sky. A place for our& He choked, nearly breaking down. While the doctors had been able to save her life, they had not been able to do the same for her unborn baby. With all the shock, trauma, and cascade of medications&Omega tried to get control over himself, but the tears just refused to be put off. He sat, rocking like a child, and weeping like one. He didn t hear the footsteps of someone drawing close, or their voice. It was only when they touched him that he began to come back to realityy." Giles switched off the engines and alternated between staring ahead for any sign of the wormhole device and gazing at the eight blips on the scanner. They were closing. The seven Cylon raiders had passed the baseship. They would be within firing range in only a couple of centons. "Where is that device?" Giles muttered. The inner planet was looming nearer. A blip appeared on the scanner in the appropriate location just as the raiders opened fire. The first volleys went wide. Giles finally spotted the wormhole device ahead of them, a tiny speck against the crescent shape of the inner planet, illuminated by the system's sun off to their left. Launching from the ringed third world, Giles had swung the craft in an arc so that they were approaching with the wormhole device in a direct path in front of its planet. The ship shook from a near miss. They would be in range of the device in seven centons at their current velocity. By then, Giles reflected, they would be space dust. It was now or never with what little fuel they had remaining. Should he burn it all, he realized, though, they would not be able to slow their approach. And then they would most likely crash into the planet . . . "Okay, hang on!" Giles took a deep breath. "Counting on the Starbuck luck ' . . ." He activated the engines, wincing as the craft shook from a glancing laser blast. The engines were so slow, too slow, to rev up. The next volley blasted the ship's portside wing, and the craft shuddered violently. This time sparks exploded from a side panel, and it burst into flames. Ignoring it, Giles opened the throttle one last time, knowing that he had to put some distance between them and the Cylons NOW. Whether or not their approach would be within the wormhole device's range, he could only hope. The ship shot forward. Smoke was filling the vessel, but all still wore their breathers. The flames, however, were spreading, feeding on the air supply. They were rapidly e dust. It was now or never with what little fuel they had remaining. Should he burn it all, he realized, though, they would not be able to slow their approach. And then they would most likely crash into the planet . . . "Okay, hang on!" Giles took a deep breath. "Counting on the Starbuck luck ' . . ." He activated the engines, wincing as the craft shook from a glancing laser blast. The engines were so slow, too slow, to rev up. The next volley blasted the ship's portside wing, and the craft shuddered violently. This time sparks exploded from a side panel, and it burst into flames. Ignoring it, Giles opened the throttle one last time, knowing that he had to put some distance between them and the Cylons NOW. Whether or not their approach would be within the wormhole device's range, he could only hope. The ship shot forward. Smoke was filling the vessel, but all still wore their breathers. The flames, however, were spreading, feeding on the air supply. They were rapidly . I wish there was something I could say, said Sheba, taking a seat next to his. But words seem so&empty at times like this, Omega. You re here, Lieutenant, he managed to get out, getting control over himself. That means a lot. He took a deep breath, and looked up at the biomonitors. How s Captain Apollo? He just came out of surgery. Their Doctor said it would be awhile before he can give a definite prognosis. She pulled up a chair, and sat next to him. His spinal cord wasn t severed, but he had a lot of internal injuries. Like Omega, she felt terrified at the possibility of losing the one she loved. But, unlike his situation, the child she carried was in no danger. She couldn t bring herself to tell him& It ll kill the Commander, if he loses Apollo, too, said Omega finally. When Zac was lost, it was like a big part of him was cut out. He s never talked about it, but sometimes&sometimes you can see it in his eyes. The pain, the emptiness, where his son was. approaching the device. They would be in range in less than a centon, now. He tried to decelerate, but the fuel was dry. "Brace yourselves!" yelled Giles. "Here we go, one way or another!" Still malfunctioning, the wormhole device activated ten microns *before* the craft entered its range. That, and only that, allowed the device's field to capture the vessel. In a blinding pulse of energy, the small, speeding ship vanished. ********************* X-UIDL: WJ)!!\+2"!0j!#!8XX"! Culture Shock, Pt. 19 by Senmut There she is! cried Athena, as the Galactica came into view on one of the stations monitors. As she did so, Tigh was calling Adama, the Battlestar slowly decelerating as they approached the wormhole device. They were, Adama said, going through the wormhole, to wherever it took them. Wherever that may be, said Tigh. Right now, a system on the verge of a supernova would be an improvement, Tigh. We have four BaseShips moving in on us. I see them. Thapproaching the device. They would be in range in less than a centon, now. He tried to decelerate, but the fuel was dry. "Brace yourselves!" yelled Giles. "Here we go, one way or another!" Still malfunctioning, the wormhole device activated ten microns *before* the craft entered its range. That, and only that, allowed the device's field to capture the vessel. In a blinding pulse of energy, the small, speeding ship vanished. ********************* X-UIDL: WJ)!!\+2"!0j!#!8XX"! Culture Shock, Pt. 19 by Senmut There she is! cried Athena, as the Galactica came into view on one of the stations monitors. As she did so, Tigh was calling Adama, the Battlestar slowly decelerating as they approached the wormhole device. They were, Adama said, going through the wormhole, to wherever it took them. Wherever that may be, said Tigh. Right now, a system on the verge of a supernova would be an improvement, Tigh. We have four BaseShips moving in on us. I see them. Th Well, Zac didn t die in vain, replied Sheba, slowly. We ve made it to Earth space, Omega. We ve done it. Soon, we ll have a home. A new, real home. We& She stopped, and shook her head. Omega had fallen asleep, his hand still holding Rigel s. She smiled, and stood, patting him on the head, and left him in peace. Lords, the man hadn t slept in days. Returning to the other ward, she saw Apollo, lying still, on another biobed. Like Omega, she began talking to him, uncertain if he could even hear her. They said unconscious people could hear what was said to them, by others. She wasn t sure she believed it, but then again, why not? You re going to be okay, she said, softly. You ll be out there, flying that Viper again in no time, Apollo. And then, when we get to Earth, we can have a home. A place to raise our son. She pressed her lips together, blinking back a tear. Yes, it s a boy, Apollo. Their Doctors gave me some sort of scan. I didn t even know, yet. Zac, Apollo. We ll call him Zac, and&ey really mean to finish us this time. Well, they won t by God, replied Adama. Prepare all ships for wormhole transport. We ll be aboard in a few centons. Understood, sir. Only, it seemed, they would not. The blast door to the control deck would not open. They tried the panel. Nothing. The techs tried various permutations of the numbers, but still no go. It seems the control deck was sealed during any kind of emergency situation. One of the techs started to remove the panel cover& Oh to Hades Hole with it! snarled Athena, and drew her weapon. Get cover! She moved away a few paces, ducked behind a chair, and fired. The shaped solonite charge on it blew spectacularly, sending the door to meet its maker. At once, another klaxon and the alien computer voice began blaring through the whole structure, but they ignored it. Athena in the lead, Adama taking up the rear, they headed back the way they had come, down to the landing bay. Athena leapt through the hatch, and had ey really mean to finish us this time. Well, they won t by God, replied Adama. Prepare all ships for wormhole transport. We ll be aboard in a few centons. Understood, sir. Only, it seemed, they would not. The blast door to the control deck would not open. They tried the panel. Nothing. The techs tried various permutations of the numbers, but still no go. It seems the control deck was sealed during any kind of emergency situation. One of the techs started to remove the panel cover& Oh to Hades Hole with it! snarled Athena, and drew her weapon. Get cover! She moved away a few paces, ducked behind a chair, and fired. The shaped solonite charge on it blew spectacularly, sending the door to meet its maker. At once, another klaxon and the alien computer voice began blaring through the whole structure, but they ignored it. Athena in the lead, Adama taking up the rear, they headed back the way they had come, down to the landing bay. Athena leapt through the hatch, and had How is he? asked a voice. Sheba started, unaware she had company, and turned to face Boomer. He s&he s doing okay, replied Sheba. Their doctor seems to think he ll make it. She wiped an eye, hoping Boomer hadn t noticed. Uh, how s&how s the Fleet? Well, we ve moved away from the wormhole site, and entered orbit around one of this system s planets. Two of the Federation ships are with us, in case those Klingons attack again. The repair crews are going full tilt, and we re getting a lot of help from the Federation folks. That s good, she said, getting to her feet. She looked down at Apollo. Come on, Sheba. Let s get something to eat. Thanks, Boomer, but I& Are not a doctor. Neither one of us can help Apollo by sitting here. Their doctors can look after him now, and they ll keep us posted if anything happens. Now come on. One of their rec rooms is right down the corridor. It may not be the Officer s Club on a Battlestar, but they do have a pasthe turbines moving before her father was inside. We re launching now, Tigh, Adama said into his commlink, the words barely out before Athena slammed them all into their seats, screaming out of the bay like a vespertilon out of Hades. The scientist in her was saddened, even annoyed, that they had been unable to examine or salvage any of the alien craft left behind in the bay, but the desperate Human in her decided that continuing to breath was the preferable course of action at the moment. She swung the shuttle around the station, arcing towards the Fleet, and spared a look at her scanner. She swore, loudly and with a full-bodied robustness that would have done a pirate skipper proud. Adama stared wide-eyed at her, but forbore any immediate paternal admonitions in favor of information. BaseShip closing, Father. Sixty microns. Commander, came Tigh s voice, as they completed their arc around the station, Cylon& We see them, Tigh. Prepare to transmit a signal tothe turbines moving before her father was inside. We re launching now, Tigh, Adama said into his commlink, the words barely out before Athena slammed them all into their seats, screaming out of the bay like a vespertilon out of Hades. The scientist in her was saddened, even annoyed, that they had been unable to examine or salvage any of the alien craft left behind in the bay, but the desperate Human in her decided that continuing to breath was the preferable course of action at the moment. She swung the shuttle around the station, arcing towards the Fleet, and spared a look at her scanner. She swore, loudly and with a full-bodied robustness that would have done a pirate skipper proud. Adama stared wide-eyed at her, but forbore any immediate paternal admonitions in favor of information. BaseShip closing, Father. Sixty microns. Commander, came Tigh s voice, as they completed their arc around the station, Cylon& We see them, Tigh. Prepare to transmit a signal tosable drink. Something called, uh&beer. Okay, Boomer, she surrendered. But I don t feel much like drinking. Don t worry. Their food synthesizer also makes something a lot like klebreen, back home. My treat. Klebreen? Well, they call it lasagna here. Or something like it. Boomer? You are beginning to remind me of Starbuck. Ah! You wound me, Sheba. Ouch. Ouch. ======================== Aboard the Galactica, engineers and technicians were still scurrying about like termites in an overturned mound. So many of the Battlestar s systems were in need of repairs, or even basic maintenance, it was hard to know where to start. Fortunately, once basic repairs to Enterprise were completed, Pike had agreed to Adama s request for assistance, and allowed an engineering party to beam over to the Colonial carrier. Garrovik on Farragut, and Stone on Constellation had permitted one as well. Lord above! said Scotty, as he got his first look at the Battwards the station on the Viper attack frequency the centon we re aboard the Galactica. Yes, sir. Scanners show BaseShip launching fighters, sir. I see them, said Athena, twisting the shuttle in ways that would have given its designers serious fits. Six centons to landing bay. We ll be aboard in six centons, Colonel, said Adama. Understood, sir. There was a pause, then he came back. Lead Cylon fighter ETA seven centons, sir. So I m cutting it close, growled Athena. She lined up on the bay, and poured on more speed. The cavernous bay filled the windows, but she didn t slow, or let landing control take over. Racing past the huge engine section, she kept barreling along, till she felt the bump of the shuttle hitting the force field, and the ripple of the ship s gravity field. Hitting reverse thrusters much too suddenly, her charges were tossed about like dolls, as the two forces fought each other. Finally, amidst the sound of screeching landing gear, the shuttlwards the station on the Viper attack frequency the centon we re aboard the Galactica. Yes, sir. Scanners show BaseShip launching fighters, sir. I see them, said Athena, twisting the shuttle in ways that would have given its designers serious fits. Six centons to landing bay. We ll be aboard in six centons, Colonel, said Adama. Understood, sir. There was a pause, then he came back. Lead Cylon fighter ETA seven centons, sir. So I m cutting it close, growled Athena. She lined up on the bay, and poured on more speed. The cavernous bay filled the windows, but she didn t slow, or let landing control take over. Racing past the huge engine section, she kept barreling along, till she felt the bump of the shuttle hitting the force field, and the ripple of the ship s gravity field. Hitting reverse thrusters much too suddenly, her charges were tossed about like dolls, as the two forces fought each other. Finally, amidst the sound of screeching landing gear, the shuttllestar s engine room. At first, it bore scant resemblance to the Enterprise s power plant, but soon his engineer s eye was beginning to make sense of it all. The huge reaction chambers, eight for each side, were nearly as big as the Enterprise main warp core. Here and there, amidst the conduits and tangles of machinery, he could see signs of damage. Burned consoles, bypassed busses, bulkheads scorched by one catastrophe after another. He swore as he nearly tripped over cables bridging surviving systems. Scott set his equipment bag down, and opened his tricorder, scanning the entire assembly. Comparing it with the engineering data given them earlier by Chief Engineer Shadrick, it was plain just how much punishment the Battlestar s engines and power systems had taken during their flight from the Cylons. He shook his head, over and over, as he read of dead circuits, overstressed seals, and jury-rigged bypasses that made the L.A. Freeway system look straightforward. Shadrick found the at last came to a halt, slamming into a partition and ripping a gash in it. Athena! said Adama, struggling to undo his belt. What in& We re here, aren t we? She got out of her seat, and looked about the shuttle. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Miracle Spacelines. The only Spacelines where Lady Luck is your co- pilot. She saw her father, slack-jawed, but spoke first. Come on! They are aboard, said Omega, to Tigh, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Cylon lead fighters at five microns! Transmit! ordered Tigh, and the man did so. For an eternal millicenton, nothing seemed to happen, then power began surging through the vast frame of the station, panels glowing with energy, as it built up towards the next event. Then, the pale green beams shot out from the machine, and latched on to the Galactica s forward hull. Slowly, the Battlestar began to move, the ancient alien device pulling her in. All ships, follow us through, ordered Tigh over the ine at last came to a halt, slamming into a partition and ripping a gash in it. Athena! said Adama, struggling to undo his belt. What in& We re here, aren t we? She got out of her seat, and looked about the shuttle. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Miracle Spacelines. The only Spacelines where Lady Luck is your co- pilot. She saw her father, slack-jawed, but spoke first. Come on! They are aboard, said Omega, to Tigh, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Cylon lead fighters at five microns! Transmit! ordered Tigh, and the man did so. For an eternal millicenton, nothing seemed to happen, then power began surging through the vast frame of the station, panels glowing with energy, as it built up towards the next event. Then, the pale green beams shot out from the machine, and latched on to the Galactica s forward hull. Slowly, the Battlestar began to move, the ancient alien device pulling her in. All ships, follow us through, ordered Tigh over the ine Earthman to be perhaps the most attuned to the feel of machinery of anyone he d ever met. Within centons of beginning his checks, Scott was already suggesting modifications and repairs that left him feeling both impressed, and like the cadet who s dead last in his class. Tylium said Shadrick, answering a question about their main power source. He explained both the mineral, and how its refined byproducts were used in the engines, as Scott began making requisitions of the Enterprise s stores. When fully refined and processed, it is both highly reactive, as well as emitting considerable radion levels. I see, said Scotty. She s not unlike the basic propulsion system used in the old DY-500 class o ships, back before warp drive, Mr. Shadrick. I m surprised ye can actually make it inta warp at all. Scott waited till the translator had rendered warp drive into the Colonial engineer s language. Since their science did not use the same method of achieving superluminal speeds, there wasterfleet commcircuit. One by one, the rest of the Fleet began to move, as the Battlestar was pulled deeper and deeper into the huge station. Cylons attacking! reported Omega, as Adama and Athena raced onto the bridge. All ships, defensive posture, ordered Tigh. On one monitor, he could see a Raider diving on the mineral ship, Mother Lode, only to catch a laser volley for its trouble, and die. Another headed for the Rising Star, but then his attention was diverted. Wormhole opening! cried Omega, then the bridge lights dimmed slightly. Sensors sweeps to full! ordered Adama. All science departments, tie in! Positive shield now! A panel sparked, and the lights flickered. Through the viewport, they could all see the weird, twisting energies of the wormhole building, brighter and brighter, swirling like a spinning mist on a moonlit night, then& Then the entire ship lurched, as if violently sucked into the mounting wave of energy. The inertial damping seemed to cutterfleet commcircuit. One by one, the rest of the Fleet began to move, as the Battlestar was pulled deeper and deeper into the huge station. Cylons attacking! reported Omega, as Adama and Athena raced onto the bridge. All ships, defensive posture, ordered Tigh. On one monitor, he could see a Raider diving on the mineral ship, Mother Lode, only to catch a laser volley for its trouble, and die. Another headed for the Rising Star, but then his attention was diverted. Wormhole opening! cried Omega, then the bridge lights dimmed slightly. Sensors sweeps to full! ordered Adama. All science departments, tie in! Positive shield now! A panel sparked, and the lights flickered. Through the viewport, they could all see the weird, twisting energies of the wormhole building, brighter and brighter, swirling like a spinning mist on a moonlit night, then& Then the entire ship lurched, as if violently sucked into the mounting wave of energy. The inertial damping seemed to cut no warp of the continuum involved. The Colonials, and he presumed the Cylons as well, just used brute force to achieve FTL velocities. A crude, if interesting approach, he decided. Like usin a fire hose ta fill a teacup, he muttered to himself. It wasn t long before dead instruments began to flicker back to life, newly fabricated circuits were slid into place, and old seals and filters were being replaced. While engines of this vast size and intricacy would usually require months in dock, Scott was determined that his people would do the ship s designers proud. Besides, he just loved the challenge! On the bridge, Tigh turned to Adama- Engineering reports repairs proceeding two centons ahead of schedule, Commander. Air filtration plant four is now back on-line, sir. Appreciated by all, replied Adama, taking a tentative sniff. Yes, the air was beginning to smell marginally better. Secto out for a moment, and they all held on to whatever was to hand. The whole bridge was filled with a howling vibration that seemed to rumble through the decks, then the huge warship was gone. Noxious stood in his Control Center for nearly a full centon, utterly silent. According to his scanners and pilots, the Galactica and her Fleet were gone. Not destroyed. Just&gone. Vanished. Once more, his electronic brain raced to try and understand this unwelcome turn of events. One micron, the Fleet was coming under the guns of nearly a thousand fighters, more than enough to finally put an end to the annoying pests. Then¬hing. The Humans and their ships were nowhere to be seen. How? he demanded. Unknown, replied an underling. Our scanners were temporarily affected by an anomalous energy surge. Of what sort? Unknown. There is no analogue to it in our database. By your command, said another Centurion. Commander Lucifer for you on Commline. Put him out for a moment, and they all held on to whatever was to hand. The whole bridge was filled with a howling vibration that seemed to rumble through the decks, then the huge warship was gone. Noxious stood in his Control Center for nearly a full centon, utterly silent. According to his scanners and pilots, the Galactica and her Fleet were gone. Not destroyed. Just&gone. Vanished. Once more, his electronic brain raced to try and understand this unwelcome turn of events. One micron, the Fleet was coming under the guns of nearly a thousand fighters, more than enough to finally put an end to the annoying pests. Then¬hing. The Humans and their ships were nowhere to be seen. How? he demanded. Unknown, replied an underling. Our scanners were temporarily affected by an anomalous energy surge. Of what sort? Unknown. There is no analogue to it in our database. By your command, said another Centurion. Commander Lucifer for you on Commline. Put himns of having three of the ship s filtering plants down had certainly taken its toll on everyone s sense of smell, if not aesthetics. He turned from Tigh, fixing his eyes on scans of the planet below them. Like the one orbited by the wormhole machine, it too was cold, possessed only a marginal atmosphere, and was uninhabitable by Humans. It was, however, well endowed with mineral deposits, including tylium in sufficient quantities to make mining practical. He ordered a team to the surface, then turned to the repair reports. He perused them, signing off on this and that, then toured the various bridge stations under repair. All to keep from thinking about Apollo, thought Tigh, watching his old friend from a distance. Anyone who didn t know the Commander extremely well would never have seen it. Only those closest to him could see the terrible, Sisyphusian weight on his shoulders, the agonized fear he would never permit himself to express. It s made him old, Tigh decided. Old before his tim on, ordered Noxious. At once he was greeted with the despised image of the IL Series who had once been the Executive Officer of the traitorous Human, Baltar. What you have witnessed is a wormhole, said Lucifer, without preamble. How the IL could have known what he was pondering was unknown to Noxious, as well as why Lucifer knew something their database did not, but some part of him did not like it. A wormhole? Yes, said Lucifer, once more dismayed at the shockingly limited abilities of the warrior class. He explained what he d meant, and ordered Noxious to board the station to obtain information. By your command. Yes, purred Lucifer, and signed off. So, he mused, a wormhole. How&fortuitous for the Colonials. Well, soon they would follow, and then there would be no escape. No escape, and new worlds to conquer, perhaps. That, and a technology that would extend the grasp of the Cylon Alliance beyond anything they had ever imagined. For a moment, as he looked on, ordered Noxious. At once he was greeted with the despised image of the IL Series who had once been the Executive Officer of the traitorous Human, Baltar. What you have witnessed is a wormhole, said Lucifer, without preamble. How the IL could have known what he was pondering was unknown to Noxious, as well as why Lucifer knew something their database did not, but some part of him did not like it. A wormhole? Yes, said Lucifer, once more dismayed at the shockingly limited abilities of the warrior class. He explained what he d meant, and ordered Noxious to board the station to obtain information. By your command. Yes, purred Lucifer, and signed off. So, he mused, a wormhole. How&fortuitous for the Colonials. Well, soon they would follow, and then there would be no escape. No escape, and new worlds to conquer, perhaps. That, and a technology that would extend the grasp of the Cylon Alliance beyond anything they had ever imagined. For a moment, as he lookede. He stopped, catching his own reflection in a dark monitor screen. He shook his head. Look who s talking. Commander, said Athena, taking Omega s place for the moment. Signal from Captain Pike on Enterprise, sir. Transfer to my station, said Adama. The Enterprise skipper had, it seemed, decided it was time for a full-blown conference between themselves, and the newcomers. While it was obvious to Adama that Pike had no love for the Klingons, he had invited them as well, in the interests of peace. In what Adama was coming to realize as typical Klingon style, they had yet to respond. He readily agreed to Pike s request. All parties would meet in the Galactica s council chamber in thirty cen&minutes. Korrd was experiencing conflicting emotions, and wasn t at all sure that he liked it. Introverted and self-possessed (for a Klingon), he had said little about the loss of the Bird-of-Prey B ath. While as senior officer of the Klingon force in this system he was, natu around his empty throne room, Lucifer missed Baltar. Command could, he decided, be a lonely thing. Do not worry, Lucifer, said a voice. The IL looked down, and beheld the creature with whom he was currently sharing his BaseShip. It will not be long, and you will have all you desire. Let us hope so. So far, your information has been completely accurate. Naturally, said the smiling seeming-Human. His white robes flowed around him, and to anyone looking in, he would have seemed a robust, middle-aged Human. A pity we were delayed reaching this system. Your brethren seemed ill-disposed to allow us to proceed. They are of no concern, said the other, a bit sharply. Soon, the Human s will be hunted down, and Adama will meet his just end. He smiled, a smile of charm, humor, and utter malignancy. Yes, My Lord Iblis, purred Lucifer once more, and returned to his contemplation. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Culture Shock, Pt. 20 by Sen around his empty throne room, Lucifer missed Baltar. Command could, he decided, be a lonely thing. Do not worry, Lucifer, said a voice. The IL looked down, and beheld the creature with whom he was currently sharing his BaseShip. It will not be long, and you will have all you desire. Let us hope so. So far, your information has been completely accurate. Naturally, said the smiling seeming-Human. His white robes flowed around him, and to anyone looking in, he would have seemed a robust, middle-aged Human. A pity we were delayed reaching this system. Your brethren seemed ill-disposed to allow us to proceed. They are of no concern, said the other, a bit sharply. Soon, the Human s will be hunted down, and Adama will meet his just end. He smiled, a smile of charm, humor, and utter malignancy. Yes, My Lord Iblis, purred Lucifer once more, and returned to his contemplation. ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc Culture Shock, Pt. 20 by Senrally, angry at its loss, he had more personal concerns. While only Koloth knew it, and would never mention it in the company of others& Korrd s son had been aboard the B ath. All his children had perished, in the service of the Empire. He felt both the sadness of a father, and the pride of a warrior, at this state of affairs. When the B ath had been destroyed, he had said little. He would mourn in his own way, in his own time, like a Klingon. And, Kahless give him leave, he would take bloody vengeance on those responsible for his son s death. Only, now he learned, he was not dead! After the Cylon had run amok in the science lab, he had received a personal call from the Captain of Enterprise, Pike. The section of the B ath that had survived the ship s destruction had carried three survivors, all being tended by Federation doctors. Apparently, showing considerable honor for mere Humans, they were sending the survivors back. Korax was now stable, and it seemed would live. Mara, thmut. ============================ Pike resumed his seat, as the Klingon vessel took up position near his compatriots. As he had feared, the enemy ship had arrived first. As the crews raced to repair the damage caused by the fighter s suicide run, they were hailed. It s the Farragut, sir, said Alden, his smile of relief evident to all. She ll be here in four minutes, Captain. Thank God, said Pike. At least we ve evened the odds a bit. Status of Klingon forces? Holding with the first two ships, sir. Scanning, but no contact yet. The Tholians? Still on course, sir. ETA, seven hours, four minutes. Very well. Captain, said Spock, full sensors restored, sir. And deflectors? Engineering estimates repairs will take at least another hour, sir. Phasers and torpedoes operational. Excellent, Mr. Spock. All torpedo tubes loaded and primed. Aye, sir. As he watched his crew scurry to make Enterprise ready, Pikmut. ============================ Pike resumed his seat, as the Klingon vessel took up position near his compatriots. As he had feared, the enemy ship had arrived first. As the crews raced to repair the damage caused by the fighter s suicide run, they were hailed. It s the Farragut, sir, said Alden, his smile of relief evident to all. She ll be here in four minutes, Captain. Thank God, said Pike. At least we ve evened the odds a bit. Status of Klingon forces? Holding with the first two ships, sir. Scanning, but no contact yet. The Tholians? Still on course, sir. ETA, seven hours, four minutes. Very well. Captain, said Spock, full sensors restored, sir. And deflectors? Engineering estimates repairs will take at least another hour, sir. Phasers and torpedoes operational. Excellent, Mr. Spock. All torpedo tubes loaded and primed. Aye, sir. As he watched his crew scurry to make Enterprise ready, Pike betrothed of Kang, was well, as was his own son, Worf. Secretly, in his heart of hearts, Korrd was relieved that his last child had survived. He was growing tired, Korrd was. Tired of war, tired of all the endless killing for no meaningful reason. Was not the Klingon Empire big enough? Wasn t over a thousand races under the boot of Kahless sufficient for the High Council? Did this mean he had to&thank the Human Captain? How humiliating, he thought, as he embraced his son. He reached out, to grab hold of something, as his ship rumbled. An explosion, he was sure, and fairly close. At once, a klaxon began howling. An underling came up to him. The Cylon in the lab had, it seemed, gotten tired of being cooped up, and was blasting its way out. They had set up a force field across the door, to keep the Centurion inside. Unfortunately, that didn t do a whole lot for the ceiling, the deck, or the other bulkheads in the Cylon s way. From the internal sensors, it seeme was relieved to see Farragut drop out of warp a few thousand astern. He was less pleased with the casualty reports. So far, the fighter s impact had resulted in 23 casualties, of which, fortunately, only four were deaths. The hull had been breached in an area where few crewmen had been on duty at the time, so thankfully everyone, living and dead, was accounted for. Emergency atmospheric force fields were in place, and the engineers were scurrying like startled mice to fit emergency plating over the savaged areas of the hull. Obviously, their gunnery and tracking was not well suited to an attack by multiple small targets, like the Cylon fighters. Not at all. And, though armed only with lasers, those lasers had been surprisingly powerful for craft of that size. How fortunate, he decided, that no one known to the Federation used such nimble craft! Once engineering had completed its analysis of all the data, he would be making recommendations to Starfleet about changes. Big changes. e was relieved to see Farragut drop out of warp a few thousand astern. He was less pleased with the casualty reports. So far, the fighter s impact had resulted in 23 casualties, of which, fortunately, only four were deaths. The hull had been breached in an area where few crewmen had been on duty at the time, so thankfully everyone, living and dead, was accounted for. Emergency atmospheric force fields were in place, and the engineers were scurrying like startled mice to fit emergency plating over the savaged areas of the hull. Obviously, their gunnery and tracking was not well suited to an attack by multiple small targets, like the Cylon fighters. Not at all. And, though armed only with lasers, those lasers had been surprisingly powerful for craft of that size. How fortunate, he decided, that no one known to the Federation used such nimble craft! Once engineering had completed its analysis of all the data, he would be making recommendations to Starfleet about changes. Big changes. ed that the Cylon had, after failing to get out the regular way, cut loose at the nearest wall. Luckily for all, there were no inhabited areas behind the lab. It was the power taps that were the problem. The beam from the stolen disruptor tore through the bulkhead, and ripped apart cable trunks like fresh g dayt hitting the atmospheric impellers. There was a powerful blast, then lights and systems went down all over that part of the ship. And some Human wants me to come to a... conference now? thought Korrd. Commander, said Kang. Alien robot now reported in section fourteen, sir, deck six. Near the life support systems. All security forces converge there. Have engineering shut down gravity in that section. Sir, said Kang, moving to obey. Come, my son, said Korrd. Certainly. Of course. After all, I have nothing else to do. ======================== To the Colonials, the effect of the transporters was still a little startling. To save t And, knowing the bureaucrats at HQ, those changes would get implemented about the time& Boyce to bridge, came a familiar voice. Pike activated the gooseneck viewer next to him. Doctor? Updated casualty list, Chris. The Enterprise s CMO looked tired, haggard. Hell, he looked wiped! Chief Engineer Alvarado just died. That makes five, so far. And Specialist Johnstone doesn t look good. Understood, Doctor, he replied, with a sigh. Keep me posted. He clicked off, and swore softly under his breath. Spock s raised eyebrow told him that his invective had not gone unheard by all. Somehow&somehow that felt good. Mr. Spock. Captain? said the young science officer. Have you been able to track the remaining Cylon ship? Yes, Captain. After it recovered, it retreated to a position well out of the way of both ourselves, and the Klingon forces. He put a sensor plot up on his board. It is also broadcasting some kind of distress signal. Fort And, knowing the bureaucrats at HQ, those changes would get implemented about the time& Boyce to bridge, came a familiar voice. Pike activated the gooseneck viewer next to him. Doctor? Updated casualty list, Chris. The Enterprise s CMO looked tired, haggard. Hell, he looked wiped! Chief Engineer Alvarado just died. That makes five, so far. And Specialist Johnstone doesn t look good. Understood, Doctor, he replied, with a sigh. Keep me posted. He clicked off, and swore softly under his breath. Spock s raised eyebrow told him that his invective had not gone unheard by all. Somehow&somehow that felt good. Mr. Spock. Captain? said the young science officer. Have you been able to track the remaining Cylon ship? Yes, Captain. After it recovered, it retreated to a position well out of the way of both ourselves, and the Klingon forces. He put a sensor plot up on his board. It is also broadcasting some kind of distress signal. Fortime, Pike had convinced Adama to forego the shuttles, and so he and the other Federation officers materialized in the Battlestar s cavernous landing bay, to an honor guard. Once the introductions were done, again, they were led up through the ship to the conference room. Pike at once liked the huge, polished wooden table, sitting on its elevated platform. The old, hand-rubbed wood was certainly at odds with the metal and plastic environment of a starship, and succeeded in giving the room a homey feel. Beyond it, the large viewport gave them a spectacular view of the planet they now orbited, as well as of many of the other ships. One of the stewards on duty was clearly mesmerized by the image of one of the Federation ships, the Constellation, orbiting close to the Galactica. Pike couldn t help but smile ever so slightly. Several of his own crew found the Colonial Battlestar equally fascinating. They took the proffered seats, and waited for the link to Starfleet HQ to initialize. Punately, their ships are too far away to ever pick it up. Yes, it would seem that the crew of the fighter are unaware of what has happened to them. Not surprising, with them being just robots programmed to fight and nothing else. Robots, said Pike, shaking his head. It doesn t seem possible. An entire society, made up of cybernauts? How could such a thing be? Recall what we have learned from our guests. The Cylon race was originally an organic sentient species, which allowed its own technology to overcome it. Rather like some of your Earth fiction, sir. Frankenstein s monster? asked Pike, with a slight smile. Still, something like that would have to have a catalyst, wouldn t it? From what we ve seen of these Centurions, they wouldn t have the initiative to foment a rebellion. He crossed his arms, and shook his head. Well, let s just pray that we never allow robots to get too spiffy, or do too much, Mr. Spock. Indeed, Captain, frowned Spock. He opened his munately, their ships are too far away to ever pick it up. Yes, it would seem that the crew of the fighter are unaware of what has happened to them. Not surprising, with them being just robots programmed to fight and nothing else. Robots, said Pike, shaking his head. It doesn t seem possible. An entire society, made up of cybernauts? How could such a thing be? Recall what we have learned from our guests. The Cylon race was originally an organic sentient species, which allowed its own technology to overcome it. Rather like some of your Earth fiction, sir. Frankenstein s monster? asked Pike, with a slight smile. Still, something like that would have to have a catalyst, wouldn t it? From what we ve seen of these Centurions, they wouldn t have the initiative to foment a rebellion. He crossed his arms, and shook his head. Well, let s just pray that we never allow robots to get too spiffy, or do too much, Mr. Spock. Indeed, Captain, frowned Spock. He opened his mike had felt that this meeting of peoples was too important not to include HQ at once, yet leaving the area, until it was certain there would be no further Cylon incursions, was out of the question. So, Commodore Nogura had agreed to a link, and the refugees from the Beta Quadrant would be meeting with the top levels of Federation government. As he waited for things to click in, Pike studied his guests/hosts more closely. Commander Adama was a man who, somehow, made him think of a Biblical prophet or patriarch. Though manifestly a life-long war leader, he nonetheless exuded the sort of avuncular aire one expected from an indulgent grandfather, or the nice man next door, amply demonstrated when Boxey, Muffit in tow, decided to trundle in unannounced, and was introduced to the newcomers, and then gently sent on his way to bed. A man at the helm of a powerful ship of war, yet he dealt with one small, frightened boy with the gentleness of a St. Francis. That s it, thought Pike. He routh to ask a question, when there was a beep, and the Vulcanian turned back to his instruments. Starship Constellation now entering the area, Captain. ETA, two minutes to rendezvous. Some good news, said Pike. He stood, and moved to the turbolift. Keep me posted on events, Number One. I ll be in Sickbay. Sir, replied the helmswoman. She turned back to the main screen, and watched as the Constellation slowed, taking up position to starboard of Enterprise. To port, Farragut stood guard, her deflectors giving her wounded comrade cover, till her own shields were back up. She contemplated the ships for a moment from the esthetic viewpoint. Like Enterprise, Constellation was built with her warp nacelles swept back, soaring up on pylons from the engineering hull. To her, it was a beautiful, even ethereal design, combining beauty with functionality. On the other hand, with her warp nacelles slung close underneath the saucer section, and without a separate secondary hull, Farragut remiouth to ask a question, when there was a beep, and the Vulcanian turned back to his instruments. Starship Constellation now entering the area, Captain. ETA, two minutes to rendezvous. Some good news, said Pike. He stood, and moved to the turbolift. Keep me posted on events, Number One. I ll be in Sickbay. Sir, replied the helmswoman. She turned back to the main screen, and watched as the Constellation slowed, taking up position to starboard of Enterprise. To port, Farragut stood guard, her deflectors giving her wounded comrade cover, till her own shields were back up. She contemplated the ships for a moment from the esthetic viewpoint. Like Enterprise, Constellation was built with her warp nacelles swept back, soaring up on pylons from the engineering hull. To her, it was a beautiful, even ethereal design, combining beauty with functionality. On the other hand, with her warp nacelles slung close underneath the saucer section, and without a separate secondary hull, Farragut remieminds me of that rancher, near where I grew up. The one with the big house, and the three sons What was his name? Ben& He was brought back to the here and now by the signal from Earth at last coming through. Lacking a subspace commsuite equal to those the Federation vessels carried, the signals were relayed to and from the Battlestar, via Enterprise. The Klingons had not deigned to appear for this conference, or even answer the invitation, but it mattered little. With Starfleet s okay, the conference was being carried out via a code known to have been recently broken by Klingon Intelligence. At least, Commodore Nogura reasoned, the Klingons could never claim that anything of import was hidden from them. Truthfully, anyway. Gentleman, began Adama, bringing the meeting to attention, first I wish to apologize for the abruptness of our arrival in your territory. Faced with the situation with the Cylons, we had no choice if our people were to survive. One does what onnded her too much of the Klingon ship sitting across this solar system from them, with its nacelles arranged much the same way. To her, everything Klingon was ugly. Harsh. Brutal. Why copy that? For his part, the esthetics of starship design was far from Spock s mind. Charting the subspace radiation echoes left by the last opening of the wormhole, he had no time for such frivolous pursuits. He had more important things to do. Once his analysis was complete, he turned his attention, and the ship s library computer, to finding out something he just had to know. Research. Pure research. Spiffy. Pike just hated the smell in Sickbay. The smell of death. As a young officer, he d cut his teeth on battle against the Klingons, being one of only forty survivors out of a crew of over 200 to make it back to safety in a ship shot to bits. He despised them, and he hated what war did to people. Bnded her too much of the Klingon ship sitting across this solar system from them, with its nacelles arranged much the same way. To her, everything Klingon was ugly. Harsh. Brutal. Why copy that? For his part, the esthetics of starship design was far from Spock s mind. Charting the subspace radiation echoes left by the last opening of the wormhole, he had no time for such frivolous pursuits. He had more important things to do. Once his analysis was complete, he turned his attention, and the ship s library computer, to finding out something he just had to know. Research. Pure research. Spiffy. Pike just hated the smell in Sickbay. The smell of death. As a young officer, he d cut his teeth on battle against the Klingons, being one of only forty survivors out of a crew of over 200 to make it back to safety in a ship shot to bits. He despised them, and he hated what war did to people. Be must to survive, Commander Adama, said Melk lek, the Federation President. Of the Axinarian race, he was yet another example to the Colonials of the unexpectedly great diversity of Humanoid types to be found in this new region of space. On behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I welcome you and your people to the Alpha Quadrant. Thank-you, replied Adama, words at once echoed by the striking woman next to him, introduced as Siress Tinia, representative of the Colonial Council. Two others, introduced as Sire s Domra and Uri respectively, also acted for the Council. Adama at once set to, unfolding as quickly but thoroughly as possible, the story of his people s millennium-long war with the malignant Cylon Alliance, their defeat through the machinations of the treasonous Commander Baltar, and their desperate flight across the universe. Melk lek, talkative after the fashion of Axinarians, interrupted often with questions, Nogura, who cultivated the inscrutable Oriental image, seldom ut these were not the victims of Klingons, he reminded himself, as he moved among the injured, chatting with some, trying to comfort others. They had fallen to an enemy they d never even heard of, most of them. An enemy whose homeworld was over 50,000 light-years from here, and who by all rights should never have come to this part of the galaxy. But, as he often reminded himself, effluvia happeneth. And, he could not blame the Human survivors of the Cylon massacre for seeking escape, by any means. And while he fully expected more ships to come through the wormhole at any time, he just hoped to God they weren t Cylon. The last thing they needed was one of those terrifying BaseShips to come barging through. He moved on from a badly burned crewman missing a leg, to find Scotty on a biobed, a nurse tending his left arm. Mr. Scott? Och, Cap n, said the young engineer, trying to rise. Pike motioned him to remain at ease. How are you? asked Pike. Well, aside fromut these were not the victims of Klingons, he reminded himself, as he moved among the injured, chatting with some, trying to comfort others. They had fallen to an enemy they d never even heard of, most of them. An enemy whose homeworld was over 50,000 light-years from here, and who by all rights should never have come to this part of the galaxy. But, as he often reminded himself, effluvia happeneth. And, he could not blame the Human survivors of the Cylon massacre for seeking escape, by any means. And while he fully expected more ships to come through the wormhole at any time, he just hoped to God they weren t Cylon. The last thing they needed was one of those terrifying BaseShips to come barging through. He moved on from a badly burned crewman missing a leg, to find Scotty on a biobed, a nurse tending his left arm. Mr. Scott? Och, Cap n, said the young engineer, trying to rise. Pike motioned him to remain at ease. How are you? asked Pike. Well, aside fromdid, but it was obvious to both the horrific odds against which the Children of Kobol has striven to reach their goal. Damage to the Galactica was considerable, Adama continued, and we of course knew that their BaseShips would attack again soon, when we discovered the wormhole generator. Adama sent, to the holographic monitors at each station, the data files from their scans of the mysterious alien machine, both its internal construction and energy signatures. Sitting next to Pike, Spock leaned close to study the data, his mind eagerly absorbing all he saw. Clearly, the level of scientific and technological prowess possessed by the former inhabitants of that distant system surpassed in many ways that of not only the Federation, but other known races in the Alpha Quadrant as well. Before evacuating the station, and bringing the fleet through the wormhole, said Adama, in answer to the president s question, we set solonite charges throughout the control deck, to prevent the Cylons a wee scorch, I m fine. I was in a Jefferies tube, sair, double-checkin a deflector power bus, when that beastie hit us. The whole relay blew out. But I ll be fit fer duty& When I say so, said Boyce, coming up next to Pike. And not a second before, Mr. Scott. The CMO handed a report to Pike. Well, Mr. Scott, said Pike, after a moment, as you know, Chief Engineer Alverado is dead. Aye, sair. I haird. said the Scott, obviously both still shaken and angry. So, in our current circumstances, I am promoting Assistant Chief Engineer Walpole to Chief, and you, Mr. Scott, to Assistant Chief. Along with a field promotion to full Lieutenant. Sair? I canna& Ye can, and ye will, replied Pike, aping Scott s accent, and smiling slightly. None of the rest have either your record, nor aptitude. Now, as soon as Doctor Boyce deems you fit for duty, I want you back down there, working on the repairs. Aye, sair, said Scott, obviously pleased, as the news sun a wee scorch, I m fine. I was in a Jefferies tube, sair, double-checkin a deflector power bus, when that beastie hit us. The whole relay blew out. But I ll be fit fer duty& When I say so, said Boyce, coming up next to Pike. And not a second before, Mr. Scott. The CMO handed a report to Pike. Well, Mr. Scott, said Pike, after a moment, as you know, Chief Engineer Alverado is dead. Aye, sair. I haird. said the Scott, obviously both still shaken and angry. So, in our current circumstances, I am promoting Assistant Chief Engineer Walpole to Chief, and you, Mr. Scott, to Assistant Chief. Along with a field promotion to full Lieutenant. Sair? I canna& Ye can, and ye will, replied Pike, aping Scott s accent, and smiling slightly. None of the rest have either your record, nor aptitude. Now, as soon as Doctor Boyce deems you fit for duty, I want you back down there, working on the repairs. Aye, sair, said Scott, obviously pleased, as the news sunfrom gaining access to the machine, and its technology. Thank God for that, said Garrovik. From what I ve seen, those Cylons are the last thing we need here. The Klingons, Tholians, Romulans, and the rest are quite enough. The charges were set to detonate within a few centons, said Adama. The station is destroyed by now. Can you be certain of that? asked Captain Stone, of the Constellation. As certain as can be, replied Adama. Dozens of Centurions made their way through the station, searching for any sign of Human stragglers. While Lucifer had not considered it likely that any would be found, he had decided to at least go through the motions, for Iblis sake. No, for his own, since he did not want his cranial case melted into slag by another love pat from the mysterious Count. The real reason for the boarding party was to try and discover what frequency triggered the alien machine, forcing it into opening another wormhole to whatever distant part ok in. He extended his arm to Boyce, who gave it a look- over. He let Scott go, and both he and the captain watched as the Scot fairly went into warp to get back to Engineering. Were we ever like that? asked Pike. I don t know, said Boyce. I can t remember that far back. He turned to take a report from another doctor. When all the excitement dies down, Chris, how about you stop by my cabin for one of my Sirius Screwdrivers ? It s about time& He was interrupted, predictably, when the red alert sounded once more. Captain to bridge, called Number One. Wormhole opening! I ll have to take a rain check on that drink, Phil. Duty calls. Ha! Convenient excuse, muttered Boyce, and headed back for his office. IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!! IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!! X-UIDL: V9a!!Uf0"!a1l!!g?="! Culture Shock, Pt. 21 by Senmut ===================== Aboard the Klingon vessel Gr oth, First Officer Kang watched as the telltale shimmering of the wormhole began to form ik in. He extended his arm to Boyce, who gave it a look- over. He let Scott go, and both he and the captain watched as the Scot fairly went into warp to get back to Engineering. Were we ever like that? asked Pike. I don t know, said Boyce. I can t remember that far back. He turned to take a report from another doctor. When all the excitement dies down, Chris, how about you stop by my cabin for one of my Sirius Screwdrivers ? It s about time& He was interrupted, predictably, when the red alert sounded once more. Captain to bridge, called Number One. Wormhole opening! I ll have to take a rain check on that drink, Phil. Duty calls. Ha! Convenient excuse, muttered Boyce, and headed back for his office. IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!! IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!! X-UIDL: V9a!!Uf0"!a1l!!g?="! Culture Shock, Pt. 21 by Senmut ===================== Aboard the Klingon vessel Gr oth, First Officer Kang watched as the telltale shimmering of the wormhole began to form if the universe the Galactica and the Colonial Fleet had escaped to. He naturally hoped for success. Iblis demanded it. And so did Imperious Leader. A message from the Cylon ruler had arrived, urging , yes, that was the word, urging the IL to ever-greater efforts. The communication, replete with references to the consequences of failure, was profusely colorful, and there had not been a dull electron in it. One of the Centurions, a gold-colored Commander named Turpitudus, perused the same data interfaces Athena and the techs had before him. Unlike the Humans, the Cylon felt no frustration or impatience at his initial lack of success. He was, however, aware of Imperious Leader s orders, and Iblis reward for those who failed to produce. Vast reams of data scrolled up the monitor, each and every bit recorded in Turpitudus memory banks, while simultaneously being uploaded to his BaseShip s computers as well. Fortunately for the Cylons, the rate of copying and analysis wn front of them. He d informed the Commander, and his CO had ordered all weapons readied. As usual, the ship s skipper had decided, loudly, that all this was some sort of Federation treachery, a plot to seize yet another system preparatory to a strike against the Klingon people. While he had no love for the Earthers, Kang thought his CO full of targ g dayt. The Enterprise had taken a suicide hit from the unidentified alien craft. Somehow for the young officer, that didn t sound like an effective strategy. For his part, Kleege, aboard, the P kuth felt much the same. However, he didn t really care. He yearned, lusted for battle, and with his anger still boiling over the recent skirmish with Enterprise, fighting for fighting s sake was good enough for him. Next to him, the B ath signaled ready as well. Arm all weapons! he ordered, as the space in front of them began to flare. Here we go again, said Tyler, as the darkness split open, spewing light and energy out into thn front of them. He d informed the Commander, and his CO had ordered all weapons readied. As usual, the ship s skipper had decided, loudly, that all this was some sort of Federation treachery, a plot to seize yet another system preparatory to a strike against the Klingon people. While he had no love for the Earthers, Kang thought his CO full of targ g dayt. The Enterprise had taken a suicide hit from the unidentified alien craft. Somehow for the young officer, that didn t sound like an effective strategy. For his part, Kleege, aboard, the P kuth felt much the same. However, he didn t really care. He yearned, lusted for battle, and with his anger still boiling over the recent skirmish with Enterprise, fighting for fighting s sake was good enough for him. Next to him, the B ath signaled ready as well. Arm all weapons! he ordered, as the space in front of them began to flare. Here we go again, said Tyler, as the darkness split open, spewing light and energy out into there a mere fraction of what it had taken Adama s people. Fortunately for the Humans, Cylon data on their enemy s history was as abundant as their tolerance of them. Any and all information taken from captured ships and Warriors, not immediately germane to the war, was discarded as a matter of course. Thus, none aboard the Cylon task force recognized the script or language for what it was. The station s defenses had, of course, activated upon detecting unknowns boarding it. Laser batteries has fired upon the boarding shuttles, destroying one, before they were knocked out. Interior defenses, such as decompressing chambers, or rooms flooding with anesthetic gas, of course had no effect on the Cylons. They went about their evil business, oblivious to it all. Iblis, of course, was not. Once again, the hated blue spheres had skimmed the Cylon force, hovering around his ship a few moments longer than the rest. The accursed vermin knew he was here, knew what he intended. But it was too le void. Like a flower, the wormhole unfurled, momentarily connecting two distant areas of space. Vessel emerging, reported Spock. Defensive systems? asked Pike. All manned and ready, sir, reported Number One. Good God, muttered Colt, as the emerging vessel began to take coherent shape. This time, it was no tiny shuttle or fighter that came forth. It was quite simply the biggest vessel they d ever seen. Mr. Alden, said Pike, have Lieutenant Bojay and his people report to the bridge at once. Readings, Spock? Mass reading at over one million tons, sir. Sensor distortions obscuring most else. But it appears to be the Battlestar. Like a dolphin or whale leaping from a foamy sea, the Galactica slowly sailed out of the wormhole, her grace and lines holding Pike in awe. She dwarfed Enterprise, making him feel as if he were in a shuttlecraft somehow, as her massive form partially blocked the wormhole orifice from view. It seemed an eternity, though it e void. Like a flower, the wormhole unfurled, momentarily connecting two distant areas of space. Vessel emerging, reported Spock. Defensive systems? asked Pike. All manned and ready, sir, reported Number One. Good God, muttered Colt, as the emerging vessel began to take coherent shape. This time, it was no tiny shuttle or fighter that came forth. It was quite simply the biggest vessel they d ever seen. Mr. Alden, said Pike, have Lieutenant Bojay and his people report to the bridge at once. Readings, Spock? Mass reading at over one million tons, sir. Sensor distortions obscuring most else. But it appears to be the Battlestar. Like a dolphin or whale leaping from a foamy sea, the Galactica slowly sailed out of the wormhole, her grace and lines holding Pike in awe. She dwarfed Enterprise, making him feel as if he were in a shuttlecraft somehow, as her massive form partially blocked the wormhole orifice from view. It seemed an eternity, though it ate for him to be stopped, he told himself. Soon. Soon, the wormhole would open once more, and& Damned machine! he hissed aloud to himself, alone in his chamber. One such as he could, with a mere thought, transport himself and whatever he chose, across the infinity of space. Supreme Beings like himself had no need of&machines! But, he was forcibly reminded by the passing of another blue sphere, he was still under a penalty, for his part in murdering Apollo, back on that planet where his ship had crashed. He was forbidden the use of certain of his powers, for a time of indeterminate duration. While he could at any time go whithersoever he wished, the Cylons themselves were limited to other, more mundane means. He could aid them only to a certain point. He seethed under the ban, his anger brewing up to a fine rolling boil. How dare they&how dare HE, tell Iblis, the Great Illumined One& No one has dominion over me!! he growled aloud. Looking up, he repeated his endless mantwas actually only a few seconds, before the huge vessel was entirely visible, her massive engines at last leaving the rift behind. Almost at once, she was followed by another ship, its design equally unfamiliar to Pike, a craft consisting of three circular sections, similar to Enterprise s saucer section, in tandem with power plant astern. Then another, an ugly, bulky barge, with dirty, smudged lettering all over the sides. He heard the doors to the bridge open, and then the voices of their guests. She s here! cried Bojay, almost childlike in his glee. Boomer repeated his words, and the two Warriors embraced each other like long-lost brethren. Even the usually reserved Wilker let out a whoop, slapping Boomer on the back, and getting the same from Bojay. Lords of Kobol, they made it!! Boomer boomed, nearly deafening Alden. By God, they did it! They continued to watch as the ships of the Colonial Fleet continued to come through. One after another, the battered wrecks thatwas actually only a few seconds, before the huge vessel was entirely visible, her massive engines at last leaving the rift behind. Almost at once, she was followed by another ship, its design equally unfamiliar to Pike, a craft consisting of three circular sections, similar to Enterprise s saucer section, in tandem with power plant astern. Then another, an ugly, bulky barge, with dirty, smudged lettering all over the sides. He heard the doors to the bridge open, and then the voices of their guests. She s here! cried Bojay, almost childlike in his glee. Boomer repeated his words, and the two Warriors embraced each other like long-lost brethren. Even the usually reserved Wilker let out a whoop, slapping Boomer on the back, and getting the same from Bojay. Lords of Kobol, they made it!! Boomer boomed, nearly deafening Alden. By God, they did it! They continued to watch as the ships of the Colonial Fleet continued to come through. One after another, the battered wrecks thatra. No one has dominion over me!! I wonder. He whirled, face hideous, claws flexing, eyes hell red, ready to obliterate anyone who dared speak thus to him. But the room was empty, Cylon machinery his only audience. He remembered the words, of course, remembered the day they had been spoken. Above all, he remembered the one who had so insolently uttered them in his face. Sheba, daughter of Cain. And as he searched the room with senses strange and unholy, he could hear her words, again and again, seeming to mock him. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder. Screaming in utter, yet impotent fury, he flailed out, his vile thoughts obliterating bulkheads, machines, and not a few Cylons beyond them in a blast of orange-blue light. I shall be like the Most High!!! When at last he settled down, he looked about him, finding himself standing amid a blackened, tangled heap of twisted smoking wreckage. No, said Lucifer to a Centurion, had eluded the Cylons time and again emerged into this space, putting the hell of pursuit behind them. 50,00 light-years behind them. Look, it s the prison barge! said Bojay, pointing. And the Celestra, added Boomer. The Agro ships. And the Rising Star! Bojay went on. Hey, it s the orphan ship. Hades Hole, we did it!! We fracking did it!! cried Boomer again, and the three Colonials did an impromptu gig on the bridge till Pike told them to settle down. From his post, Spock watched them, trying to understand the emotions involved. It was, certainly, logical that their comrades would discover how to follow them through the wormhole. Flagrant emotional displays were hardly called for. One did not rejoice over the culmination of logic. Why did Humans always& Sir! cried Tyler, Klingon vessel moving in on the emerging fleet, sir. He studied his board a moment, trying to filter out interference. Arming torpedoes! Move in, Number One. Phasers, stand by. had eluded the Cylons time and again emerged into this space, putting the hell of pursuit behind them. 50,00 light-years behind them. Look, it s the prison barge! said Bojay, pointing. And the Celestra, added Boomer. The Agro ships. And the Rising Star! Bojay went on. Hey, it s the orphan ship. Hades Hole, we did it!! We fracking did it!! cried Boomer again, and the three Colonials did an impromptu gig on the bridge till Pike told them to settle down. From his post, Spock watched them, trying to understand the emotions involved. It was, certainly, logical that their comrades would discover how to follow them through the wormhole. Flagrant emotional displays were hardly called for. One did not rejoice over the culmination of logic. Why did Humans always& Sir! cried Tyler, Klingon vessel moving in on the emerging fleet, sir. He studied his board a moment, trying to filter out interference. Arming torpedoes! Move in, Number One. Phasers, stand by. a few sections away, picking himself up. I& think I ll wait. No one, seethed Iblis, breathing hard, has dominion over me! Ensconced in his command seat aboard the Kreeda, Commander Gomeed watched the encrypted Federation transmission play on his board. Unlike the Klingons, his people had not yet succeeded in breaking a single Federation code. True, his crypto people were on it at that very moment, but for now, it was all garbage. And Gomeed hated garbage. Obviously, the Feds, and the mysterious newcomers, had something to hide. Now decelerating as they entered the system, the Tholian ships were busily scanning the Colonial vessels, with particular attention being reserved for the immense ship now orbiting the planet. True to his expectations, it was definitely a warship, and a powerful one, too, if the energy signatures they were scanning were any indication. Dozens of gun emplacements, missile tubes, and many fighters in her giant bays. Without a doubt, this ship would As Enterprise and B ath moved in, no one immediately noticed the remaining Raider powering up as well. Like the other ships, it also was moving in on its target. As it drew closer, the Klingon vessel moved across its path, and the Cylon did what Cylons always do to unidentified ships full of non-Cylons. It opened fire. The Klingon s shields flared brightly as the Raider s guns struck home, shunting the lasers aside. The Cylon kept firing, slamming the Bird-of-Prey repeatedly till they roared past. The Klingon broke off his attack on the Galactica, banking hard to port to evade. The Cylon stayed on the Klingon however, managing to strike home again several times, this time penetrating his screens. The Raider fired again, its lasers ripping through metal, and this time B ath s hull erupted in smoke and debris, her flight going wild. The Cylon came around for another pass, opened fire& And blew to bits, as a shot from Enterprise nailed it dead center. The Cylon evaporated as t As Enterprise and B ath moved in, no one immediately noticed the remaining Raider powering up as well. Like the other ships, it also was moving in on its target. As it drew closer, the Klingon vessel moved across its path, and the Cylon did what Cylons always do to unidentified ships full of non-Cylons. It opened fire. The Klingon s shields flared brightly as the Raider s guns struck home, shunting the lasers aside. The Cylon kept firing, slamming the Bird-of-Prey repeatedly till they roared past. The Klingon broke off his attack on the Galactica, banking hard to port to evade. The Cylon stayed on the Klingon however, managing to strike home again several times, this time penetrating his screens. The Raider fired again, its lasers ripping through metal, and this time B ath s hull erupted in smoke and debris, her flight going wild. The Cylon came around for another pass, opened fire& And blew to bits, as a shot from Enterprise nailed it dead center. The Cylon evaporated as t be a serious threat to the Homeworld, if and when things played out that way. Reading energy transmissions from the Federation ships to the newcomer vessel, sir, reported Loskeem. Transporters. So, they talk. Like all mammals, they talk. He looked at a scan. What of the other ships? Lightly armed, sir, replied another officer. Some are entirely without defensive armaments. That should make it easy, when and if the shooting starts, said Gomeed. Anything else about them, Scan Officer? They read as full of bio signs, sir. Many densely packed, like freight. Most of the ships have low energy signatures, and seem poorly maintained and underpowered. Look at them, said Loskeem, zooming in on the old freighter Gemini. Dented, scorched, battered, and repainted more times than anyone could remember, it looked exactly like what it was. A wreck with a motor on it. It looks like something from a salvors yard, sir. Something that escaped, you mean, chucklehe Klingon struggled to regain control. Wobbling and trailing plasma, it was a hopeless effort. Within moments of the Raider s destruction, the B ath followed it into oblivion, ripped by a powerful explosion that tore the stern section completely in half, and sending the bow tumbling wildly towards the Galactica. Tractor beam! ordered Pike. Adama held on to the railing as the Galactica shook from her passage through the wormhole. Around him, many of the bridge crew were doing the same. As he watched, two screens went dark, then a third. A panel burst into sparks, and for a moment he felt as if the vision was being squeezed out of him. Status? he shouted, over the din in his ears. Velocity completely off the scale, reported Tigh. Scanners erratic, sir. Electrical fluctuations in all systems. As he spoke, one crewman collapsed. Medtech to bridge! As he turned back to the image before hhe Klingon struggled to regain control. Wobbling and trailing plasma, it was a hopeless effort. Within moments of the Raider s destruction, the B ath followed it into oblivion, ripped by a powerful explosion that tore the stern section completely in half, and sending the bow tumbling wildly towards the Galactica. Tractor beam! ordered Pike. Adama held on to the railing as the Galactica shook from her passage through the wormhole. Around him, many of the bridge crew were doing the same. As he watched, two screens went dark, then a third. A panel burst into sparks, and for a moment he felt as if the vision was being squeezed out of him. Status? he shouted, over the din in his ears. Velocity completely off the scale, reported Tigh. Scanners erratic, sir. Electrical fluctuations in all systems. As he spoke, one crewman collapsed. Medtech to bridge! As he turned back to the image before hd Gomeed. At least it was a chuckle to another Tholian. To anyone else, it would have sounded something like air squealing at high pressure out of a tattered organ bellows. It s a refugee fleet, he observed after a few moments. Local intership communications confirmed it. Mostly uncoded, or using simple ciphers, these messages could be read. As his people pieced the tale together, he sent everything he had back home, and ordered his gunner to scan and prepare firing patterns for every ship. And, request more ships for backup. What about the Klingons, though, sir? asked Loskeem. Good question, thought Gomeed. Deuces? said Starbuck, examining the cards dealt him by the blonde young Federation officer. They were in one of the rec rooms aboard the Farragut, and Kirk was engaging in what he liked to call a cultural exchange . For his part, Starbuck was feeling marginally better. They had just heard from Sickbay. O Kala s condition had been upgraded from extremely crim, something flew by. Something small. Small, blue, spherical. Down in the launch bay, Sheba looked up from her misery. Her instruments were fluttering, just as the lights in the bay flickered off and on. Static roared over her craft s radio, and she popped her canopy. All around her, the other pilots were having the same problems, and a few had collapsed to the deck. She leapt from her ship, to kneel next to Sheldrake, the one she had bitten in half earlier. He seemed to be alive, then she felt darkness swarm over her, and fell insensate across him. Apollo opened his eyes, seeing only the ceiling in Life Center, then total, purest white. He was standing, dressed as he had been twice before aboard the Ship of Lights, bathed in a radiance that no mortal could have endured. Why was he here again? He thought a moment, remembering. Yes, of course. Was he& No, said a voice, and he turned. More radiance flooded his eyes, yet he felt no need to shield them. A figure stood befim, something flew by. Something small. Small, blue, spherical. Down in the launch bay, Sheba looked up from her misery. Her instruments were fluttering, just as the lights in the bay flickered off and on. Static roared over her craft s radio, and she popped her canopy. All around her, the other pilots were having the same problems, and a few had collapsed to the deck. She leapt from her ship, to kneel next to Sheldrake, the one she had bitten in half earlier. He seemed to be alive, then she felt darkness swarm over her, and fell insensate across him. Apollo opened his eyes, seeing only the ceiling in Life Center, then total, purest white. He was standing, dressed as he had been twice before aboard the Ship of Lights, bathed in a radiance that no mortal could have endured. Why was he here again? He thought a moment, remembering. Yes, of course. Was he& No, said a voice, and he turned. More radiance flooded his eyes, yet he felt no need to shield them. A figure stood befitical to critical. She d come through. Apollo likewise was recovering. Yes, replied Kirk, examining his hand. They re wild. Ah, I see, replied Starbuck, perusing his own cards, and trying to make sense of them. He took a sip of the drink at his elbow, something his host called whiskey, felt his esophagus ignite like a Viper engine, and tried the ol Starbuck charm. As expected, Kirk played his hand, and indicated for Starbuck to follow suit. Whatcha looking at, Starbuck? asked Giles, as the Lieutenant continued to study his hand. This one. He looked at Kirk. What s it called, again? Ace of Spades, replied Kirk. Uhh. Looks more like Spectre s head, said the Colonial, and with a shrug, played his hand. He took the spreading grin on Kirk s face to be indicative of failure on his part, and Starbuck hated to fail. Be it combat, women, or even cards, the whole point was to win. He studied the cards a moment or two more, before noticing the smirks of his coore him, gowned in utter white light. You are not dead, Apollo. Then why am I here? It is not yet your time, My Beloved. You and the Fleet will go on. But you&you were there. In the Landram! You& It was not your time, Beloved. I told you. You have much yet to do, Apollo. So much to do. And Boxey needs you still. I&I don t want to go back. I&I want to remain here. With you! And what of Sheba, Apollo? Do you not know that she carries your child? You must return to that world. But&why? Why bring me here if only to send me back? Your life hangs by the thinnest of threads, Apollo. Death is near, but you will live. And, it was needful to show you certain things. What things? Behold, Brother, said another voice, one as familiar to Apollo as the first. Another figure approached, and waved an arm. The very fabric of the light parted, and Apollo could see, within the hull of a BaseShip, the one person in the Universe he had mostore him, gowned in utter white light. You are not dead, Apollo. Then why am I here? It is not yet your time, My Beloved. You and the Fleet will go on. But you&you were there. In the Landram! You& It was not your time, Beloved. I told you. You have much yet to do, Apollo. So much to do. And Boxey needs you still. I&I don t want to go back. I&I want to remain here. With you! And what of Sheba, Apollo? Do you not know that she carries your child? You must return to that world. But&why? Why bring me here if only to send me back? Your life hangs by the thinnest of threads, Apollo. Death is near, but you will live. And, it was needful to show you certain things. What things? Behold, Brother, said another voice, one as familiar to Apollo as the first. Another figure approached, and waved an arm. The very fabric of the light parted, and Apollo could see, within the hull of a BaseShip, the one person in the Universe he had mostmrades. How would you like to be tied across my laser guns, and taken on patrol with me? he asked sweetly. Giles looked away, then burst out laughing. Sirrion, more stoical, nonetheless managed a smirk. With wingmen like you guys& began Starbuck. &who needs Cylons? the others finished. Starbuck went from glaring at them, to studying his conqueror more closely. You know, he said, you could make quite a living as a professional wagerer. Nah, said Kirk. I ll keep my day job. Well, you remind me of a three-handed dealer I met once, on Pinias. He heard the others groan. Oh Lords, not the three-handed dealer story again!!!! they thought. Where? asked Kirk, and Starbuck s pulse quickened slightly. Kirk was interested. Perhaps& Pinias, repeated the Warrior. A planet on the edge of the Cyrannis Sector. The gambling chancery there was the most famous in the quadrant. He took a breath, sensing his growing mastery. There was this one casino, and they had this thr feared to see again. Iblis! breathed Apollo, his hands clenching in anger. What& It was he, Brother, who brought the Fleet to the system with the wormhole device. There, he planned to have the Galactica move through, pursued by the Cylons, allowing them to seize the technology, and thus spread their reign of terror across the galaxy. HIS reign of terror. But, he will not succeed. Are you sure? Yes, Apollo, smiled Zac, hand on his brother s shoulder. Battle yet awaits, but you have almost reached your goal. Father was right! Earth lies ahead. An Earth that will be safe from Iblis scheme, at least for now. Zac, said Apollo, feeling the tears come unbidden. I m sorry. I&I couldn t save you. I should never have left you behind, little brother. I& Apollo, when will you learn that you are forgiven? His brother smiled at him. You had to. If you had stayed with me, the Galactica would have been destroyed, along with the rest of the Fleet, and you would no feared to see again. Iblis! breathed Apollo, his hands clenching in anger. What& It was he, Brother, who brought the Fleet to the system with the wormhole device. There, he planned to have the Galactica move through, pursued by the Cylons, allowing them to seize the technology, and thus spread their reign of terror across the galaxy. HIS reign of terror. But, he will not succeed. Are you sure? Yes, Apollo, smiled Zac, hand on his brother s shoulder. Battle yet awaits, but you have almost reached your goal. Father was right! Earth lies ahead. An Earth that will be safe from Iblis scheme, at least for now. Zac, said Apollo, feeling the tears come unbidden. I m sorry. I&I couldn t save you. I should never have left you behind, little brother. I& Apollo, when will you learn that you are forgiven? His brother smiled at him. You had to. If you had stayed with me, the Galactica would have been destroyed, along with the rest of the Fleet, and you would noee-handed pyramid dealer. A Naytarian. Anyway& Starbuck went on, extolling the virtues, or at least the pleasures, of the Colonial gaming systems, the resort worlds near the Colonies, et al. By the end of ten centons, uh, minutes, Kirk was hooked. I m sure my XO will allow it, he said, and led the way out of the rec room, towards the transporter. From all Starbuck had said, Kirk just had to see this other ship, the Rising Star. Cards. Exotic drinks. Foods. Ladies. Wrigley s with engines. "I need to check on O'Kala, first," said Starbuck. "Sure," replied Kirk. Starbuck, asked Giles, as they followed Kirk. What s a Royal Flush ? Dunno. Imperious Leader s toilet stall? ============================ Sir, said Loskeem, aboard the Kreeda. Command base has responded. Two more ships are being dispatched to join us. Excellent, replied Gommeed. Anything else? No, sir. Command is still analyzing the data we transmitted. Very t be here. Come, it is time, said the other voice. The Fleet is almost through to Federation space. To where? Come, Beloved, she said, taking Apollo by the hand. Do not fear, Apollo. Iblis will not succeed. As the words fell on his ears, Apollo could feel this ethereal realm begin to fade. No, please! I want& Then he was back in Life Center, and dimly saw Salik above him. The physician looked down, and smiled at his patient. He listened as Apollo spoke, the one word barely making it to his ears, before he moved on. Serina. As he contemplated his plan, Iblis watched the Galactica enter the wormhole. Soon, his scheme, a thousand yahrens in the making would& No! he hissed, as an unwelcome presence touched his awareness. Them!?? NO! LUCIFER!!! The vibration seemed to reach an almost audible pitch, when, suddenly, the bright smear of the wormhole opened up before them, and Adama saw blackness. Blackness and stars. Then, they were t be here. Come, it is time, said the other voice. The Fleet is almost through to Federation space. To where? Come, Beloved, she said, taking Apollo by the hand. Do not fear, Apollo. Iblis will not succeed. As the words fell on his ears, Apollo could feel this ethereal realm begin to fade. No, please! I want& Then he was back in Life Center, and dimly saw Salik above him. The physician looked down, and smiled at his patient. He listened as Apollo spoke, the one word barely making it to his ears, before he moved on. Serina. As he contemplated his plan, Iblis watched the Galactica enter the wormhole. Soon, his scheme, a thousand yahrens in the making would& No! he hissed, as an unwelcome presence touched his awareness. Them!?? NO! LUCIFER!!! The vibration seemed to reach an almost audible pitch, when, suddenly, the bright smear of the wormhole opened up before them, and Adama saw blackness. Blackness and stars. Then, they were well. Korrd felt the change in gravity, as the generators shut down on deck six, section fourteen. He and his men, however, in battle armor and magnetic boots, stayed rooted to the deck. Kang regarded his scanner. Alien robot is behind that bulk& he stopped, as an ugly disruptor beam ripped through the door, and gave him a haircut. Really? said Korrd, as they all ducked back around the corner. He and two security men replied with their own disruptors, blowing the door to scrap, chunks flying everywhere in the null gravity. Another beam from the captured weapon swathed by, this time missing them entirely, but tearing up the deck. Security Officer Kadwal fired a grenade through the open hatchway, and a second or two later, the entire room blossomed into orange fire. Excellent, said Kang, as they waited for the smoke to clear. As they did so, there was a secondary blast, and more wreckagethrough, and apparently surrounded by normal space once more. Gradually, one instrument after another flickered back to life, and the lights began to brighten. Adama tried the scanners, and there directly before them& Was a Cylon fighter, heading their way! Swearing silently, he ordered laser turrets activated, when something flew between them and the Cylon. It was a ship, totally unfamiliar, and the Cylon opened fire on it instead. Repeatedly nailed by the Raider s guns, the alien craft was stricken, then blown to bits, all within a couple of centons. Then, a powerfully bright beam from somewhere close did the same to the Cylon. Who& Sir, called Tigh. The Fleet is emerging from the wormhole behind us! All of them? Yes, sir! said Tigh, heartily, for once letting his emotions show through. Thank God for that. Defensive screens? Coming back, sir. And both launch bays are operational. Excellent. Scan for both the Viper and shuttle, Colonel. through, and apparently surrounded by normal space once more. Gradually, one instrument after another flickered back to life, and the lights began to brighten. Adama tried the scanners, and there directly before them& Was a Cylon fighter, heading their way! Swearing silently, he ordered laser turrets activated, when something flew between them and the Cylon. It was a ship, totally unfamiliar, and the Cylon opened fire on it instead. Repeatedly nailed by the Raider s guns, the alien craft was stricken, then blown to bits, all within a couple of centons. Then, a powerfully bright beam from somewhere close did the same to the Cylon. Who& Sir, called Tigh. The Fleet is emerging from the wormhole behind us! All of them? Yes, sir! said Tigh, heartily, for once letting his emotions show through. Thank God for that. Defensive screens? Coming back, sir. And both launch bays are operational. Excellent. Scan for both the Viper and shuttle, Colonel. spewed from the shredded bulkhead, followed by gradually spreading flames. Through the smoke and fire, they could see ruptured conduits and sparking power trunks, but no sign of the Cylon. Even as he registered that, Korrd was sent into the far bulkhead by yet another blast. Engineering! he ordered into his suit mic. Restore gravity. At once, he fell to the deck, bruising his tailbone, and uttering a few choice words. Within the burning section, loud crashings could be heard as wreckage fell back to the deck. Fire alert! Activate suppression! For a few seconds, nothing happened. Korrd repeated the order, more forcefully this time. Primary system off-line, sir, came a voice. Attempting to& Feklar conjugate your attempts! Get a fire crew here at once! Sir. Well, sir, said Worf, we have destroyed the Cylon, sir. Things could have been worse. Korrd turned to him, face a sneer of contempt. And how, pray tell, my son? The lights went out. Sir, said Omega, another ship quartering in. Transfer to my console, he ordered. He studied the alien ship, scanner data scrolling up alongside the image. He recognized it from the fragmentary scan sent back earlier by Boomer s shuttle. Large saucer-shaped hull forward, with cylinders projecting behind. The computer could make nothing as yet of its power function, but residual distortion from the wormhole was still high. We re being hailed, Commander, reported Tigh. Put it on. Almost at once, Boomer s image appeared on his monitor. The young pilot broke into a huge smile, and in a page right out of Starbuck- Well, look who showed up. We wondered when you guys were going to make it! Lieutenant Boomer! I never thought I d be so& Another hail sir, reported Tigh. From the other vessel, sir. This time it wasn t Boomer, or any friendly face. It was, in fact, quite an ugly one, with bony forehead, long hair, and snarling lips. Through crooked teeth, th Sir, said Omega, another ship quartering in. Transfer to my console, he ordered. He studied the alien ship, scanner data scrolling up alongside the image. He recognized it from the fragmentary scan sent back earlier by Boomer s shuttle. Large saucer-shaped hull forward, with cylinders projecting behind. The computer could make nothing as yet of its power function, but residual distortion from the wormhole was still high. We re being hailed, Commander, reported Tigh. Put it on. Almost at once, Boomer s image appeared on his monitor. The young pilot broke into a huge smile, and in a page right out of Starbuck- Well, look who showed up. We wondered when you guys were going to make it! Lieutenant Boomer! I never thought I d be so& Another hail sir, reported Tigh. From the other vessel, sir. This time it wasn t Boomer, or any friendly face. It was, in fact, quite an ugly one, with bony forehead, long hair, and snarling lips. Through crooked teeth, thOh. The gravity aboard the Rising Star was a little heavier than the Earth-normal that Kirk was used to, but he d felt worse, on numerous planets, and after a few minutes he forgot about it completely. The ship was, he had to admit, luxurious. Lavish. No, make that Sybaritic. Starbuck explained that it had originally been built, about nine yahren before the Holocaust, as a liner, catering to the hyper wealthy crowd, which had nothing better to do but spend their money indulging themselves. Oh my, he muttered, upon entering the gaming area. He was reminded of the casinos on Wrigley s, and a wild liberty on Risa a few weeks back, but this place had them all beat. They ought to call this ship The Rising Sodom, he thought. Up on a glittering stage, dancers in a wide and hedonistic variety of undress cavorted, as others did so on the floor, played cards, or other, as yet unidentified games of chance. Starbuck led them to a table, and since he had no Colonial currency, Giles handedeir owner bellowed: This is Commander Korrd, of the Klingon Empire. Identify yourselves, or prepare to face attack! Oh frack, muttered Tigh. O CYLON!!! CYLON, HARVEST MOON!!!! LA DE DA, DUM DE DUMMMMMMMMMM X-UIDL: GBL!!U_D!!_c6!!*4!#! Culture Shock, Pt. 22 by Senmut =================== For a few centons, the Cylon forces were in disarray and confusion. The Colonial Fleet had simply disappeared in a burst of static and interference. Fighters near the wormhole device that did not get sucked through flew about crazily, trying to get their bearings, and avoid crashing either into the huge machine or one other. Some failed, and a number of Raiders either flew into the path of the stations automated defenses, getting blown to bits, or each other, achieving much the same effect. Then, they all received a recall signal from Lucifer, aboard the command ship. Slowly, order returned to the squadrons, and the BaseShips recovered their fighters. They were checeir owner bellowed: This is Commander Korrd, of the Klingon Empire. Identify yourselves, or prepare to face attack! Oh frack, muttered Tigh. O CYLON!!! CYLON, HARVEST MOON!!!! LA DE DA, DUM DE DUMMMMMMMMMM X-UIDL: GBL!!U_D!!_c6!!*4!#! Culture Shock, Pt. 22 by Senmut =================== For a few centons, the Cylon forces were in disarray and confusion. The Colonial Fleet had simply disappeared in a burst of static and interference. Fighters near the wormhole device that did not get sucked through flew about crazily, trying to get their bearings, and avoid crashing either into the huge machine or one other. Some failed, and a number of Raiders either flew into the path of the stations automated defenses, getting blown to bits, or each other, achieving much the same effect. Then, they all received a recall signal from Lucifer, aboard the command ship. Slowly, order returned to the squadrons, and the BaseShips recovered their fighters. They were chec him a small pouch of cubits. Gold, said Kirk, examining one, which the translator rendered as auric . Yep, said Starbuck, already feeling better, as he bellied up to a table. He waved at one of the girls at the next table, then acknowledged several others. Friends? asked Kirk. Sort of, replied the pilot. He took a deck from the dealer, and spread them out for Kirk. This, Lieut& Jim, please. Jim. This is pyramid deck& As Starbuck explained, Kirk s attention was drawn again to the others aboard the liner. Most were Human, or appeared so. A vocal group, just firing up, was composed of three bizarre Humanoids, each with two sets of eyes and mouths each, in a head set upon an otherwise gorgeous feminine body, dressed in skimpy, clingy gowns. From them, he turned to see a man, apparently the dealer, with purplish skin like burned plastic, and a couple of& What are they? he asked, as the hulking fellows made their way across the dance floorked, refueled, rearmed, and left waiting for the next mission. Lucifer did not quite know what to make of Iblis just now. The normally suave and urbane being was raging and spluttering, much as Baltar had when enraged by one of Adama s miraculous escapes. The IL was even more taken aback when he saw the seemingly Human face waver, revealing a countenance of unspeakable ugliness, quickly wiped away. Not knowing what else to do, he let the apoplectic being wind down, storing away all the unfamiliar words for later translation and decryption. What was it about those blue spheres that had upset him so? What is the status of the attack force? asked Iblis at last, finally bringing himself under control. Before Lucifer could answer, there was a call. Noxious reported that a ship of unidentified type had escaped from the ringed planet, and eluding pursuit, dove into the wormhole device. Did Lucifer wish them to pursue? Such intelligence and drive, thought Lucifer. Such initiatked, refueled, rearmed, and left waiting for the next mission. Lucifer did not quite know what to make of Iblis just now. The normally suave and urbane being was raging and spluttering, much as Baltar had when enraged by one of Adama s miraculous escapes. The IL was even more taken aback when he saw the seemingly Human face waver, revealing a countenance of unspeakable ugliness, quickly wiped away. Not knowing what else to do, he let the apoplectic being wind down, storing away all the unfamiliar words for later translation and decryption. What was it about those blue spheres that had upset him so? What is the status of the attack force? asked Iblis at last, finally bringing himself under control. Before Lucifer could answer, there was a call. Noxious reported that a ship of unidentified type had escaped from the ringed planet, and eluding pursuit, dove into the wormhole device. Did Lucifer wish them to pursue? Such intelligence and drive, thought Lucifer. Such initiat, seemingly oblivious to the other people around them. Tall, hideously muscular, and with heavy beards and hoods, they sported enormous brow ridges and noses, giving Kirk the impression of a troupe of seven foot Neanderthals, without the bearskins. Borellian Nomen, explained Sirrion. Whatever you do, stay out of their way, Jim. Bad news? Very, said Giles. Ready? said Starbuck. Kirk nodded, after a last look at the Nomen. Smiling the smile of the cat who s swallowed the cream, Starbuck turned to the dealer. Let s roll! Excellent work, said Lucifer, to the Centurion who d brought him the report. They had, he hoped, isolated the frequency required to trigger the wormhole device into operation. Make that fervently hoped. How ridiculously obvious, the IL told himself. The Colonial ships almost always used their attack scanners to sweep the area ahead of them, and they utilized a limited set of frequencies for this purpose. Certainly, they woulive. No wonder we defeated the Humans so easily. Not yet, replied Lucifer. Rendezvous with me, here, Commander. He looked up from his console, to regard Iblis once more. If it were not for those damnable code words the strange being had spoken, in the voice of Imperious Leader, triggering programs he wasn t even aware he carried inside and compelling his obedience& We have suffered some minor damage from the wormhole energy pulses, Lord Iblis, and the fourth ship s main drive is still off-line from the Galactica s missile attack. We shall, however, be ready to resume our pursuit of the Galactica within a centar, according to the engineer s estimates. Half a centar, said Iblis quietly, face cold. But& Half! No longer! he spat, and strode from the room. What is his major malfunction? muttered Lucifer. Sir? asked a Centurion standing nearby. Never mind, said Lucifer, and left the room as well. By your command. DEATH TO CYLONS!!! DEATHive. No wonder we defeated the Humans so easily. Not yet, replied Lucifer. Rendezvous with me, here, Commander. He looked up from his console, to regard Iblis once more. If it were not for those damnable code words the strange being had spoken, in the voice of Imperious Leader, triggering programs he wasn t even aware he carried inside and compelling his obedience& We have suffered some minor damage from the wormhole energy pulses, Lord Iblis, and the fourth ship s main drive is still off-line from the Galactica s missile attack. We shall, however, be ready to resume our pursuit of the Galactica within a centar, according to the engineer s estimates. Half a centar, said Iblis quietly, face cold. But& Half! No longer! he spat, and strode from the room. What is his major malfunction? muttered Lucifer. Sir? asked a Centurion standing nearby. Never mind, said Lucifer, and left the room as well. By your command. DEATH TO CYLONS!!! DEATHd have done so upon first investigating the huge alien device. Simple. Obvious. It should have occurred to him long ago. Why hadn t it, then? Unfortunately, he had no time to ponder this, for he had to report to Count Iblis, and Imperious Leader, this new development. Actually, he would have already, if the somewhat testy being hadn t slagged half a deck, and left intership communication in a complete mess. Yes? said Iblis, as he entered the Count s chamber. Already, techs scurried about, repairing the devastated room. In front of him was a holographic image of Imperious Leader, with whom the Count had been conversing when Lucifer had entered. His voice was calm, yet quietly eloquent with the consequences of displeasure. We believe we have discovered the proper frequency for activating the device, Imperious Leader, Lord Iblis. Indeed, replied the white robed menace. Though he was certainly not biological in nature, Lucifer could still sense a change in the alien. A TO CYLONS!!! No sooner had the snarling Humanoid delivered his ultimatum, the red alert sounded once more. Several Cylon fighters had, it seemed, come through the wormhole with them uninvited. All defensive stations leapt into action, and soon the Galactica was in battle once again. But they were not, it seemed, alone. While most of the Cylons concentrated on the Colonial ships, some fired upon the other vessels. Adama watched as the alien craft, with considerable precision, erased one Raider after another from the sky, recklessly hosing power around like it was water. As with the ship Starbuck had hijacked, their scanners could make nothing at first of the strange power signatures, but their intent was clear. They were helping. Aboard the G roth, Korrd went from threatening to fighting. Unseen at first, several dozen of the mysterious fighter craft suddenly appeared from behind the gigantic vessel that had emerged from the wormhole, and immediately opened TO CYLONS!!! No sooner had the snarling Humanoid delivered his ultimatum, the red alert sounded once more. Several Cylon fighters had, it seemed, come through the wormhole with them uninvited. All defensive stations leapt into action, and soon the Galactica was in battle once again. But they were not, it seemed, alone. While most of the Cylons concentrated on the Colonial ships, some fired upon the other vessels. Adama watched as the alien craft, with considerable precision, erased one Raider after another from the sky, recklessly hosing power around like it was water. As with the ship Starbuck had hijacked, their scanners could make nothing at first of the strange power signatures, but their intent was clear. They were helping. Aboard the G roth, Korrd went from threatening to fighting. Unseen at first, several dozen of the mysterious fighter craft suddenly appeared from behind the gigantic vessel that had emerged from the wormhole, and immediately opened wave, or pulse, of energy from Iblis washed over his sensors. Though he could not identify it, Lucifer was nonetheless left with the impression of&elation? Pleasure? He couldn t be sure. Then let us begin. By your command, said Lucifer, and turned to lead Iblis to Control Center. As he walked, Lucifer once more wondered something that had bothered him for nearly as long as he had been active. Why do Iblis and Imperious Leader have the same voice? Culture Shock, Pt.29 ============================ Everyone in the Galactica s council chamber stood, as the transporter energy faded, solidifying into Korrd, his XO Kang, and another hulking example of Klingondom, introduced as Korrd s son, Worf. Once the crisis aboard the G roth was under control, Korrd had been ordered by his superiors to attend the Federation s conference with the newcomers. While they were, of course, reading it all, they nonetheless wanted, nay needed to be seen, making their presence felt. Korrd str fire. Most, Korrd noticed, were attacking the mysterious Human vessel and its collection of flying wrecks, but some moved in on the Federation ships, and then his own. Report! he demanded. Alien fighters armed with lasers, sir, replied Kang. Our shields are holding. Gunner, return fire. Returning fire, sir! the gunner, Kruge. The G roth s laser swept out, finding first one Cylon, then another. Korrd was pleased with his gunner s acumen, and surprised to discover that their targets were manned by& Robots? Yes, sir, replied the scan officer. No living beings aboard. What Federation treachery is this? he asked, to no one in particular. The ships show no Federation power signatures, sir, supplied the scan officer. The alloys in their hulls are also unlike any Federation metallurgy known to us. Uhhh, grunted Korrd, still trying to assimilate it all. He ordered his ship to bank hard over to avoid a Raider, and opened fire. One Raid fire. Most, Korrd noticed, were attacking the mysterious Human vessel and its collection of flying wrecks, but some moved in on the Federation ships, and then his own. Report! he demanded. Alien fighters armed with lasers, sir, replied Kang. Our shields are holding. Gunner, return fire. Returning fire, sir! the gunner, Kruge. The G roth s laser swept out, finding first one Cylon, then another. Korrd was pleased with his gunner s acumen, and surprised to discover that their targets were manned by& Robots? Yes, sir, replied the scan officer. No living beings aboard. What Federation treachery is this? he asked, to no one in particular. The ships show no Federation power signatures, sir, supplied the scan officer. The alloys in their hulls are also unlike any Federation metallurgy known to us. Uhhh, grunted Korrd, still trying to assimilate it all. He ordered his ship to bank hard over to avoid a Raider, and opened fire. One Raidode purposefully across the floor, handed his cloak to a servitor without even looking at him, introduced his party, and they were shown their seats. Quickly recapping, Adama showed them the basic data on the Cylons. Korrd did not, of course, mention the recent trouble aboard his own ship, but was secretly hoping his Federation counterparts were having similar problems. He looked around the table. Hhmphff& Captains all. Probably not. Naturally, being the brusque Klingon, Korrd demanded to know why the Colonials had come here, and what they intended. Refugees were not to his taste, of course. From his point of view, war should produce no refugees. Everyone should either submit, or die, and not clog the roads. What refugees? But, he was faced with the reality of the Galactica, and her fleet. And while he had no doubts about his own skill in battle, he saw, more deeply than any of his crew, what a formidable vessel this Battlestar truly was. He would rather not, he decideder evaporated, the other sailed past, buttoning him right behind the bridge. The G roth shook, and something sparked, but he held together. Then coming around& Hang on!!! someone bellowed, as a Raider, under the range of their guns, made a high speed suicide dive on the bridge, guns blazing. Korrd bellowed in rage, and& Then fell silent, as the Cylon was destroyed. Enemy craft destroyed by a shot from the unidentified vessel, sir, said Kruge, obviously impressed. So was Korrd. A salvo from the Galactica had saved his ship! Why? He moved to the scan station, and studied the readouts on the mysterious ship. Bigger than anything in the Imperial Fleet, it was studded with over seventy defensive laser turrets, several high-power pulse-laser batteries forward, six missile tubes, and carried several squadrons of fighters. Well, children, he said, actually impressed, it would seem that we have been saved by someone who actually deserves our respect. Sir? said Krugeer evaporated, the other sailed past, buttoning him right behind the bridge. The G roth shook, and something sparked, but he held together. Then coming around& Hang on!!! someone bellowed, as a Raider, under the range of their guns, made a high speed suicide dive on the bridge, guns blazing. Korrd bellowed in rage, and& Then fell silent, as the Cylon was destroyed. Enemy craft destroyed by a shot from the unidentified vessel, sir, said Kruge, obviously impressed. So was Korrd. A salvo from the Galactica had saved his ship! Why? He moved to the scan station, and studied the readouts on the mysterious ship. Bigger than anything in the Imperial Fleet, it was studded with over seventy defensive laser turrets, several high-power pulse-laser batteries forward, six missile tubes, and carried several squadrons of fighters. Well, children, he said, actually impressed, it would seem that we have been saved by someone who actually deserves our respect. Sir? said Kruge, have to face him&no, make that her he reminded himself, in battle, without plenty of backup. The Cylon fighters, small and flimsy as they were by comparison to his own ship, had done enough damage. What might squadrons of Colonial fighter craft not do? But first things first. I wish to extend my thanks, he said, to Adama, slowly and deliberately. For? Saving my ship and crew, Commander. You destroyed a Cylon fighter craft about to crash into me. You and your people are considerable warriors. Thank you, Commander, replied Adama. Any enemy of the Cylons. Indeed, indeed, he said, slapping the table. He turned to accept a cup of wine from the steward, looked about the huge chamber, then at the planet beyond the port. I am impressed, in fact. Truly I am. This vessel, Commander. Built by those who truly understand war! He cast a sidelong glance over his cup at Captain Stone of the Constellation, with whom he had traded a few shots over the years. Yes, , unsure if he had misheard. Look at that ship, Kruge. Bristling with guns. Armor three times the thickness of our hull. Over ten times the size of out largest ship. That vessel was built by someone who truly understands war! Korrd actually laughed, nodding at the image of the Battlestar. He touched a few controls, and studied the letters as the ship s name was translated. Gal Aktee Kah. Amazing. Communications, open a channel. The Enterprise had barely locked onto the surviving piece of the Klingon vessel B ath, when the wormhole swelled to life once more, then faded just as quickly. The wormhole effect caused the tractor beam to cut out momentarily, but it was reestablished before the errant chunk of ship could slam into the Galactica s hull. Wooo, that was some ride, said Starbuck, as the brilliant swirlings of transit passed. Though his voice was muffled by the breather he wore, no one missed his words. He looked over Giles shoulder at the instruments. Several wer, unsure if he had misheard. Look at that ship, Kruge. Bristling with guns. Armor three times the thickness of our hull. Over ten times the size of out largest ship. That vessel was built by someone who truly understands war! Korrd actually laughed, nodding at the image of the Battlestar. He touched a few controls, and studied the letters as the ship s name was translated. Gal Aktee Kah. Amazing. Communications, open a channel. The Enterprise had barely locked onto the surviving piece of the Klingon vessel B ath, when the wormhole swelled to life once more, then faded just as quickly. The wormhole effect caused the tractor beam to cut out momentarily, but it was reestablished before the errant chunk of ship could slam into the Galactica s hull. Wooo, that was some ride, said Starbuck, as the brilliant swirlings of transit passed. Though his voice was muffled by the breather he wore, no one missed his words. He looked over Giles shoulder at the instruments. Several wer truly understand war. Only out of need, replied Siress Tinia, not certain if she liked these people. They reminded her of Borellian Nomen, with a dash of the Eastern Alliance thrown in. The war was forced upon us. War is forced upon us all, said Kang. It is the nature of life, the struggle for existence. It is how we respond to it that says who we are. Number One, reported Tyler, back on Enterprise, manning the sensors in Spock s absence. Yes? Sensors are detecting two more Tholian vessels, ma am. Just coming into sensor range. ETA, Mr. Tyler? Approximately nineteen hours to intercept. Velocity 0.97 C. Very well. Ma am? We re also detecting a slight increase in neutrino emissions from the wormhole coordinates. Is it opening, Lieutenant? It doesn t seem to be, at least not yet, ma am. Very well. Continue monitoring. Coordinae dark, one flickered, and others still smoked from the love pat the Cylons had given them. One engine whined intermittently, then died, leaving them coasting on without forward propulsion. Man, and I thought Robber s old freighter was a bite to fly. Well, at least that old bucket didn t have a wing shot off, one engine toasted, and no fuel, Buckers. If I read this right, we have no fuel, and reserve power cells will only last us maybe twenty centons, tops. Giles looked back at the wounded O Kala. How is she? A shaken head was his answer. Though she still breathed, even he could tell that her end was near from the death rattle in her chest. He turned back to the instruments, and swore. What? asked someone. Power level s dropping faster than I thought. The batteries don t seem to be holding much of a charge. As if to reinforce his words, the faint sound of a ventilator suddenly stopped. Damn. Life support s out. What can we do? asked Sirrion. Nothing, reple dark, one flickered, and others still smoked from the love pat the Cylons had given them. One engine whined intermittently, then died, leaving them coasting on without forward propulsion. Man, and I thought Robber s old freighter was a bite to fly. Well, at least that old bucket didn t have a wing shot off, one engine toasted, and no fuel, Buckers. If I read this right, we have no fuel, and reserve power cells will only last us maybe twenty centons, tops. Giles looked back at the wounded O Kala. How is she? A shaken head was his answer. Though she still breathed, even he could tell that her end was near from the death rattle in her chest. He turned back to the instruments, and swore. What? asked someone. Power level s dropping faster than I thought. The batteries don t seem to be holding much of a charge. As if to reinforce his words, the faint sound of a ventilator suddenly stopped. Damn. Life support s out. What can we do? asked Sirrion. Nothing, replte your efforts with the other ships, Lieutenant. I ve already contacted the Reliant, ma am. Excellent, Lieutenant. Shall I inform the Captain? asked Alden. Not until there is anything to inform him of, Mr. Alden, replied Number One. Yes, ma am. Sheba had to admit, the drinks on offer aboard Enterprise weren t bad. Beer, a bottle containing Saurian brandy, and something called Coca-Cola seemed to be the most common. She liked, she decided, these Federation Humans. They acted as if welcoming brethren they hadn t known of the day before was the most natural thing in the universe. Like the day aboard the Galactica, the Federation day was divided into three parts of eight centars, or hours, apiece, totally twenty-four. An interesting similarity, she decided. They had linked up with a very young officer, an Ensign named Hikaru Sulu, as their liaison. He and Boomer at once hit it off. Like the Colonial pilot, the young Ensign enjoyed bothied Giles. We re shot to bits. Just then, something on his board beeped. What s that, Giles? asked Starbuck. Ship quartering in. She s big, too. Can you see the Galactica? asked Sirrion. I think so, if this scanner is telling me the truth. But the comm unit is shot to Hades. He hit a button, but the speaker gave only static. Thompson dug through their gear for a communicator, and passed it to the pilot. Look, said Starbuck, pointing. Through the view port, a ship was moving in, one shaped like a huge saucer. A Cylon fighter also raced past. Frack! The entire vessel shook as a salvo from the Raider hit them a glancing blow, shearing off part of their remaining wing. Sparks and smoke filled the cabin as the last of the power went, and they all began to float up off the deck, the ship tumbling end over end. A long crack appeared in the view port, and a loud hiss filled the cabin. Giles cursed, enraged at being so helpless, when the Cylon, diving directied Giles. We re shot to bits. Just then, something on his board beeped. What s that, Giles? asked Starbuck. Ship quartering in. She s big, too. Can you see the Galactica? asked Sirrion. I think so, if this scanner is telling me the truth. But the comm unit is shot to Hades. He hit a button, but the speaker gave only static. Thompson dug through their gear for a communicator, and passed it to the pilot. Look, said Starbuck, pointing. Through the view port, a ship was moving in, one shaped like a huge saucer. A Cylon fighter also raced past. Frack! The entire vessel shook as a salvo from the Raider hit them a glancing blow, shearing off part of their remaining wing. Sparks and smoke filled the cabin as the last of the power went, and they all began to float up off the deck, the ship tumbling end over end. A long crack appeared in the view port, and a loud hiss filled the cabin. Giles cursed, enraged at being so helpless, when the Cylon, diving direct electronics, and botany as hobbies. Both practiced swordsmanship as a form of exercise, and both had a degree in physics. And, both enjoyed the drink Sulu called sake. And they actually gave a command to a man like that? asked Sulu, finishing up his lasagna when he learned of the traitorous Baltar. A Battlestar? Yes, said Sheba. Baltar was a wealthy and powerful man, from an influential family. He wangled election to the Council, and the command. I see. No reflection on your political institutions, said Sulu, but& It is quite alright, said Sheba. Money and power corrupt, regardless of where, or what society, Ensign. Sheba remembered how, on one of his rare furlons home before her graduation, her father, the legendary Commander Cain, had told her of Baltar s schemes to ascend to both the Council, and the command of the Battlestar Pacifica. He had pleaded before the outgoing Council, to the local Senate on Piscera, their mutual home colony, even to numerously for them once again, suddenly evaporated in a boiling cloud of wreckage. Who& asked Thompson, when the little craft suddenly rocked, the hull beginning to buckle, then the view port exploded out into space. Someone swore, and everything faded out& To fade back in, inside a room the likes of which they had never seen before. They were all in a chamber, built in the round, and set with glowing pads on the floor, and cylinders over their heads. For a moment, no one could move, and their ears were filled with a loud buzzing. Then, it faded, and they could all move and breathe again. &that? finished Thompson, as the effect faded. He slipped his breather off, took a deep breath, and could at once sense that though the air was recycled, it was a lot cleaner. Starbuck? asked Giles, and turned around. He found his comrade, then saw, across the room, two Humans standing behind a console, regarding them. Slowly, Giles got to his feet, and helped Starbuck up as well. Uhh&ly for them once again, suddenly evaporated in a boiling cloud of wreckage. Who& asked Thompson, when the little craft suddenly rocked, the hull beginning to buckle, then the view port exploded out into space. Someone swore, and everything faded out& To fade back in, inside a room the likes of which they had never seen before. They were all in a chamber, built in the round, and set with glowing pads on the floor, and cylinders over their heads. For a moment, no one could move, and their ears were filled with a loud buzzing. Then, it faded, and they could all move and breathe again. &that? finished Thompson, as the effect faded. He slipped his breather off, took a deep breath, and could at once sense that though the air was recycled, it was a lot cleaner. Starbuck? asked Giles, and turned around. He found his comrade, then saw, across the room, two Humans standing behind a console, regarding them. Slowly, Giles got to his feet, and helped Starbuck up as well. Uhh& political groups, to try and block Baltar s eligibility to stand for election. All to no avail. Only her father s inordinate love of war had kept him from following her advice, resigning from the military, and pursuing a political career, to oppose Baltar in the Councilar elections. Somehow, she didn t think it was merely a coincidence that, when the Cylon push in the Molocay sector had begun, it was Cain who was chosen to lead the Fifth Fleet Task Force, rather than Adama, the more senior Commander. She also suspected that it had been Baltar who had leaked their battle plans, so that the enemy BaseShips had been waiting for them when they had arrived. Baltar never forgot anything, and never let go a grudge. She tried to relax and forget for a bit, when Sulu told them it was movie night. Once movie was explained, she and Boomer sat back, and found they enjoyed Captain Horatio Hornblower. Boomer had enjoyed tales from the Colonies distant past, when people had regressed to the he began. Medical team to the transporter room, said one man, a young, tussled haired fellow about Starbuck s age. Captain they re aboard safely. Good work, Jim, replied someone over an intercom. Their rescuer wore a turtle-necked uniform, slightly auric in color, and the man next to him held a weapon, similar to what the Colonial Warriors themselves carried. He had, Giles decided, a kind if cautious face, and inquisitive hazel eyes. Welcome aboard the Farragut, gentleman. I m Lieutenant Kirk. X-UIDL: /E@"!@>T!!L2D!!(^n!! Culture Shock, Pt. 23 by Senmut ======================= For Klingons I breaketh, yea verily! For Klingons I For one of the few times since his initial activation, Lucifer wondered what it would be like to permanently cease functioning. Did Cylons have an afterlife, such as Humans seemed to believe in? Normally, he wouldn t have wasted the CPU space pondering such an irrelevancy, but with Iblis in his current state of&excitement, his own immed he began. Medical team to the transporter room, said one man, a young, tussled haired fellow about Starbuck s age. Captain they re aboard safely. Good work, Jim, replied someone over an intercom. Their rescuer wore a turtle-necked uniform, slightly auric in color, and the man next to him held a weapon, similar to what the Colonial Warriors themselves carried. He had, Giles decided, a kind if cautious face, and inquisitive hazel eyes. Welcome aboard the Farragut, gentleman. I m Lieutenant Kirk. X-UIDL: /E@"!@>T!!L2D!!(^n!! Culture Shock, Pt. 23 by Senmut ======================= For Klingons I breaketh, yea verily! For Klingons I For one of the few times since his initial activation, Lucifer wondered what it would be like to permanently cease functioning. Did Cylons have an afterlife, such as Humans seemed to believe in? Normally, he wouldn t have wasted the CPU space pondering such an irrelevancy, but with Iblis in his current state of&excitement, his own immediate future seemed somewhat in doubt. Once Noxious vessel had regained main power, Raiders were transferred aboard, so that each ship could launch fighters once they had regained contact with the Galactica. That done, they moved up on the inner planet, then directly in front of the mysterious space station, and waited for& Nothing. Whatever effect had taken the Colonial Fleet beyond their grasp did not materialize. They sat there, transmitting all sorts of signals, then moving into the vast cage, then out again. All through it, despite a steadily rising power level in the object, the wormhole did not open. It did, however, open fire. Once the wormhole had closed, the machine s energy level read as very low. Gradually, steadily, it climbed, till once more power coursed through the construction. It also scanned and analyzed the intruders, transmitting a variety of messages. While most were on frequencies the Cylons did not use or monitor, one was. It was an ultimatum. level of wooden ships, and crossed the oceans of their worlds on the wings of the wind. The pilot found himself caught up in the tale, the booming of the cannons, the roar of musket fire. Yes, he decided, if these old pictures were anything to go by, Earth was a planet of surpassing loveliness, her history one to rouse his interest. He looked over at Sheba, and saw her, here yet not here. She s back in Sickbay, he decided. With Apollo. There had been a time, briefly, when he had hoped that Sheba, newly ensconced aboard the Galactica& But no. Fate, God, dumb luck. Whatever forced ruled over such things, Boomer realized that the voluptuous Warrior was not for him. Not without a certain regret, surely. But, he held no animosity towards his CO. He wished Apollo well of her, and let go a tiny prayer for him, even now. As the lights went back up, she thanked Sulu, and headed back for Sickbay. You understand your instructions, Centurion? asked Lucifer, of the pilot about tiate future seemed somewhat in doubt. Once Noxious vessel had regained main power, Raiders were transferred aboard, so that each ship could launch fighters once they had regained contact with the Galactica. That done, they moved up on the inner planet, then directly in front of the mysterious space station, and waited for& Nothing. Whatever effect had taken the Colonial Fleet beyond their grasp did not materialize. They sat there, transmitting all sorts of signals, then moving into the vast cage, then out again. All through it, despite a steadily rising power level in the object, the wormhole did not open. It did, however, open fire. Once the wormhole had closed, the machine s energy level read as very low. Gradually, steadily, it climbed, till once more power coursed through the construction. It also scanned and analyzed the intruders, transmitting a variety of messages. While most were on frequencies the Cylons did not use or monitor, one was. It was an ultimatum. Withdraw. Cylons, of course, don t respond well to ultimata, and promptly transmitted one of their own. In response, the station opened fire on the lead BaseShip, blasting one landing bay door to slag, and seriously damaging several laser guns. Predictably, the Cylons returned fire, only to find some serious deflectors between them and the annoyingly disobedient alien device. They continued to fire, till Iblis, once again in a purple rage, descended screaming on the Control Center, demanding that they to cease fire at once. The BaseShips pulled back some, to lick their wounds and mull the next course of action. Even so, Iblis continued, at times even slipping into the ancient Cylon tongue, no longer used save in a few places on the Homeworld where small groups of the original race survived. Lucifer was surprised, but held his peace for now, extremely desirous of holding on to his head. Fools! Blithering tinker toy idiots! bellowed Iblis, striking the command chair wo board the Raider. By your command. Yes, but do you understand? Upon reaching the specified coordinates, transmit on the specified frequency. Too many specifieds, thought Lucifer. Yes. Now go. By your command. Sigh Lucifer watched the ship launch, and hoped this worked. After all, Iblis& Chose that moment to call him. Daggit drivel! X-UIDL: ]d4!!IQ(#!WgF"![/=!! Culture Shock, Pt.30 ============================ Starbuck looked up from the table, to gaze into Lieutenant Kirk s eyes. For a moment, the ship, no the entire universe, seemed to spin crazily. This was impossible! It just could not be happening! He would sooner expect the Cylon Imperious Leader to get up on stage, and do a long slow strip. Kirk had hit him with a perfect pyramid! After a shaky start, the Starfleet man had won one game with a quarter, then a half pyramid. Then, after losing to the Card Sharp of Caprica, Starbuck had been slam Withdraw. Cylons, of course, don t respond well to ultimata, and promptly transmitted one of their own. In response, the station opened fire on the lead BaseShip, blasting one landing bay door to slag, and seriously damaging several laser guns. Predictably, the Cylons returned fire, only to find some serious deflectors between them and the annoyingly disobedient alien device. They continued to fire, till Iblis, once again in a purple rage, descended screaming on the Control Center, demanding that they to cease fire at once. The BaseShips pulled back some, to lick their wounds and mull the next course of action. Even so, Iblis continued, at times even slipping into the ancient Cylon tongue, no longer used save in a few places on the Homeworld where small groups of the original race survived. Lucifer was surprised, but held his peace for now, extremely desirous of holding on to his head. Fools! Blithering tinker toy idiots! bellowed Iblis, striking the command chair with his fist. It shattered, falling over in a buckled heap. The mighty Cylon war machine. HA! A war machine that cannot even follow one pathetic Human vessel? Have I wasted my time or what? The evil being stopped, glaring at Lucifer, clearly expecting some sort of an answer from the IL. We have not yet discovered the code that triggers the device, My Lord Iblis, replied Lucifer, choosing carefully the words that might very well prove to be his last. Fleetingly, he wondered what Baltar might have said, then even more fleetingly, the Human Warrior Starbuck. That one seemed to have a word or retort for every possible occasion. If they ever caught up with the Galactica, he decided, he wanted Starbuck captured alive. That particular Human had been so interesting, so educative, so&entertaining. The Humans had no trouble finding it! glowered the demonic creature, fists clenched. The Lord of Evil seemed to consider a moment, then turned to one of the Centurions manning the Control Centmed back down into his seat with a perfect pyramid. TWICE! Not bad, said Sirrion, keeping his face almost as straight and believable as a Baltar lie. Giles said nothing, but gave Kirk a wink. The Starfleet officer smiled back, and asked the dealer for a larger bag, into which cubits innumerable now vanished with a scoop of his hand. But& C mon, Starbuck, said Giles, trying to keep his lungs from rupturing, It s only a game. But& Kirk smiled, and looked around the lounge again. Through one hatch, several people were entering, four dressed in what was evidently maintenance crew garb. They took a seat at the next table, and ordered drinks. One was, he immediately noticed, a very cute, long-haired brunette, whose bulky suit did little to hide her gender. Hi, said Kirk, taking the initiative. He introduced himself, and invited the newcomer to his table. Starbuck, still in near-cataleptic shock and still muttering But& didn t notice, either the lith his fist. It shattered, falling over in a buckled heap. The mighty Cylon war machine. HA! A war machine that cannot even follow one pathetic Human vessel? Have I wasted my time or what? The evil being stopped, glaring at Lucifer, clearly expecting some sort of an answer from the IL. We have not yet discovered the code that triggers the device, My Lord Iblis, replied Lucifer, choosing carefully the words that might very well prove to be his last. Fleetingly, he wondered what Baltar might have said, then even more fleetingly, the Human Warrior Starbuck. That one seemed to have a word or retort for every possible occasion. If they ever caught up with the Galactica, he decided, he wanted Starbuck captured alive. That particular Human had been so interesting, so educative, so&entertaining. The Humans had no trouble finding it! glowered the demonic creature, fists clenched. The Lord of Evil seemed to consider a moment, then turned to one of the Centurions manning the Control Center. Review all frequencies used by the Colonials, and collate them. By y& began the Cylon, when once more, the blue spheres that seemed to upset Iblis so reappeared. One flew directly through the body of the BaseShip, while others scurried around the Cylon fleet. Unidentified objects have returned, droned the Centurion, turning to Lucifer. In a fury, Iblis reached out, and grabbed the Cylon by the head with one hand. I told you to search for the frequencies!! he roared, and squeezed. The Cylon shook, then sparked as his head was crushed by Iblis grip. A chunk of it came off in his hand, as the twitching Centurion collapsed to the deck, spewing smoke and sparks, its voice synthesizer squealing. Iblis slowly finished crushing the head, and dropped it next to the destroyed Centurion. As he did so, the mysterious spheres vanished both from sight and scanners once more. Iblis looked up from his latest victim, and glared death at Lucifer, giving even the IL a real sense of fear. ady, nor the distinguished elderly man, making his way towards them. It didn t take long before the young Earther was deep in conversation with the female repair tech, discovering her name, Neith, her job (she was working on repairs to the Rising Star from the recent Cylon attack), and the fact that she bunked aboard the liner. Then, things went south. Hi, Starbuck, said the elderly man, heaving to next to him. Starbuck, still studying the cards like an attack scanner, did not at first acknowledge. Sirrion explained what had happened, and the old man leaned around, to peruse Starbuck s hand. Ah, he said at last. I told you, remember? Unless the dealer holds the capstone& Uh&oh, hi, Chameleon, said Starbuck, at last returning to a semblance of life. How s tricks? Oh, the same, smiled the old man down at his son. He sat, and ordered a drink. Giles introduced him to Kirk, and the old card sharp at once liked the brash young Starfleet officer. Some of us had almost gier. Review all frequencies used by the Colonials, and collate them. By y& began the Cylon, when once more, the blue spheres that seemed to upset Iblis so reappeared. One flew directly through the body of the BaseShip, while others scurried around the Cylon fleet. Unidentified objects have returned, droned the Centurion, turning to Lucifer. In a fury, Iblis reached out, and grabbed the Cylon by the head with one hand. I told you to search for the frequencies!! he roared, and squeezed. The Cylon shook, then sparked as his head was crushed by Iblis grip. A chunk of it came off in his hand, as the twitching Centurion collapsed to the deck, spewing smoke and sparks, its voice synthesizer squealing. Iblis slowly finished crushing the head, and dropped it next to the destroyed Centurion. As he did so, the mysterious spheres vanished both from sight and scanners once more. Iblis looked up from his latest victim, and glared death at Lucifer, giving even the IL a real sense of fear. Do not fail me again, Cylon! he said, ominously, and then strode from the room, his robes billowing behind him. ======================== He s a what? asked Adama, of his Exec. Once all Viper squadrons were back aboard, and all Raiders destroyed, they had received another hail from the snake-headed ship, who s name the translator matrix could make nothing of. A Cling On, sir, replied Tigh. It seems to be the name of their race, Commander. To what do they cling? muttered Adama, before the transmission was transferred to his station. Much to his surprise, the bumpy-headed man did not snarl, spit, growl, or demand surrender. Instead, he was offering thanks. You saved my ship, Human, said the fearsome-looking alien. I salute you! Then, pounding one side of his massive chest with a fist, then shaking it savagely, he uttered something hideously guttural. Q plaH! What in Kobol was that? said Omega quietly. Omega? said Adama. Uhh, thven up on Earth being real, Lieutenant. Jim, repeated Kirk. Yes, it s real. In fact, I have leave, coming up in a week or two. If things work out, you can come and see the family place in Iowa. Iowa? asked both Chameleon and Neith at once. Kirk explained his birthplace, the burgeoning Megalopolis of Centerville, Iowa, where his widowed mother still lived on the family farm. What s a week? asked Neith, clinging to Kirk s arm and nursing her second ambrosia. A week? It s a period of seven standard Earth days. They tried to work out the variations between systems, when a shadow about the size of the Statue Of Liberty fell across Kirk s drink. There was a grunt, and he looked up, faintly registering an Oh felcercarb from Chameleon, and a sharp intake of breath from his impromptu date. The shadow was connected to someone immediately reminiscent of Mount Rushmore, glowering down at him as if he were a frog about to be dissected in biology class. Leave her alone Do not fail me again, Cylon! he said, ominously, and then strode from the room, his robes billowing behind him. ======================== He s a what? asked Adama, of his Exec. Once all Viper squadrons were back aboard, and all Raiders destroyed, they had received another hail from the snake-headed ship, who s name the translator matrix could make nothing of. A Cling On, sir, replied Tigh. It seems to be the name of their race, Commander. To what do they cling? muttered Adama, before the transmission was transferred to his station. Much to his surprise, the bumpy-headed man did not snarl, spit, growl, or demand surrender. Instead, he was offering thanks. You saved my ship, Human, said the fearsome-looking alien. I salute you! Then, pounding one side of his massive chest with a fist, then shaking it savagely, he uttered something hideously guttural. Q plaH! What in Kobol was that? said Omega quietly. Omega? said Adama. Uhh, the word seems to translate roughly as success , sir, replied Omega. I ll take that as a compliment, said Adama. I think. Ship s status, Colonel. Main drive still down. We have a hull breach on deck nine and ten portside aft, and our water recycling plant is damaged. The Rising Star was also hit by a suicide run, sir. No casualties. Another hail, Commander, said Omega. It s from the other ships, sir. A Captain Pike of the&Enterprise wishes to speak with you, sir. Put him on, Omega. Did I mishear you, Commander? said Kruge, turning from his station to stare questioningly at Korrd. Q plaH? You have a question, Lieutenant? asked Korrd, almost leisurely. Humans! You speak so to&Humans? Kruge almost spat out the word as if it were dead gagh. You have a different view, perhaps? Korrd sat up straight. Please, Lieutenant. Enlighten us. It s disgusting! snarled Kruge, rising from his seat, to face Korrd. You speak to them with words , rumbled the Borellian Nomen, reminding Kirk of a Klingon with a serious hormone problem. Without waiting for an answer, the Nomen reached down, and took Neith s arm in his grip. Come. Look, Bela, she said, trying to free herself from his grip, I told you, it s over. She tried to wriggle free, but her arm was like a butterfly caught in a tractor beam. Will you get that through your thick& I have not said so, Neith& began Bela, when Kirk interjected. Leave her alone. Uh, Jim& said Giles. Lieutenant& began Chameleon. Uhh& managed Starbuck, but Kirk wasn t listening. Look, King Kong, the lady said scram. So put an egg in your shoe, and beat it. The Nomen looked back towards Kirk, his gaze going from an annoyed scowl to an irritated glower, tinged with amusement. How&picturesque, said Bela, taking hold of Kirk s uniform with his other steam-shovel bucket of a hand. You have a large voice for someone so&small. And if I choose not to? e word seems to translate roughly as success , sir, replied Omega. I ll take that as a compliment, said Adama. I think. Ship s status, Colonel. Main drive still down. We have a hull breach on deck nine and ten portside aft, and our water recycling plant is damaged. The Rising Star was also hit by a suicide run, sir. No casualties. Another hail, Commander, said Omega. It s from the other ships, sir. A Captain Pike of the&Enterprise wishes to speak with you, sir. Put him on, Omega. Did I mishear you, Commander? said Kruge, turning from his station to stare questioningly at Korrd. Q plaH? You have a question, Lieutenant? asked Korrd, almost leisurely. Humans! You speak so to&Humans? Kruge almost spat out the word as if it were dead gagh. You have a different view, perhaps? Korrd sat up straight. Please, Lieutenant. Enlighten us. It s disgusting! snarled Kruge, rising from his seat, to face Korrd. You speak to them with words of Brotherhood. Of peace. They did save our ship, Lieutenant, said Korrd, a hint of warning just beginning to creep into his voice. And at risk to themselves. Surely that is worth something? His tone made it clear he was giving his underling the opportunity the chance to back down, but Kruge seemed to miss it. Save our ship? They robbed us of & He broke off, as Korrd s gloved fist struck him across the face. Blood and a tooth flew across the bridge. Honor? said Korrd. A glorious death in battle? Korrd laughed. The day is not over yet, Lieutenant. Battle may yet grace us with another visit. But& No buts, Gunner, said Korrd, his voice going hard- edged. Or, do you challenge my decision? I challenge softness, snarled Kruge, and drew his dagger. I challenge weakness. I see, said Korrd, and drew his own weapon, almost lackadaisically. That is your right, soldier. He locked eyes with Kruge, his expression somewhere between challenge and derision. Then I d get worried, replied the Starfleet man. Uh, Kirk& began one of Neith s co-workers, a man named Freeman. Indeed? continued Bela, grinning widely. Worried how? Worried about what s going to happen to your ugly, spent dilithium crystal of a face if you don t. You? asked Bela, leaning close, nose to nose, his grin like the gash in a slit throat. He grinned even wider, showing formidable teeth. I see you re not flossing, said Kirk, allowing a tiny smile to show, but never letting go his eye to eye gaze. You, Tiny? asked the Nomen again, voice almost incredulous. You got it, butt breath, replied his foe. You and who s BaseShip? Barely had the word left his mouth, when Neith, taking advantage of her would-be lover s distraction, kicked his leg from under the table. Bela looked down, eyes going from contemptuous to angry, when Kirk let him have it with a right cross. The results were somewhat like hitting Mount McKinley of Brotherhood. Of peace. They did save our ship, Lieutenant, said Korrd, a hint of warning just beginning to creep into his voice. And at risk to themselves. Surely that is worth something? His tone made it clear he was giving his underling the opportunity the chance to back down, but Kruge seemed to miss it. Save our ship? They robbed us of & He broke off, as Korrd s gloved fist struck him across the face. Blood and a tooth flew across the bridge. Honor? said Korrd. A glorious death in battle? Korrd laughed. The day is not over yet, Lieutenant. Battle may yet grace us with another visit. But& No buts, Gunner, said Korrd, his voice going hard- edged. Or, do you challenge my decision? I challenge softness, snarled Kruge, and drew his dagger. I challenge weakness. I see, said Korrd, and drew his own weapon, almost lackadaisically. That is your right, soldier. He locked eyes with Kruge, his expression somewhere between challenge and derision. Snarling, Kruge lunged, but the heavy-set Korrd side-stepped his attack with surprising ease, bringing his heavy boot up, into Kruge s gut. The gunner oofed, stumbled, and reached out to catch himself. Barely had he done so when Korrd clamped a meaty hand on one arm, whirled him around, and with a smile, plunged his dagger into Kruge s abdomen. The gunner grunted, and gagged up a mouthful of blood before sagging to his knees. Korrd pulled the knife from his foe, and wiped it off on his subordinate s uniform before returning it to its sheath. He let go of Kruge, who plopped down onto his face, and motioned for him to be removed. As the bleeding officer was dragged away, he looked at Kang, and slowly scanned the rest. No one else challenged him. He ll make a fair officer, if he lives, said Korrd. But he is utterly lacking in subtilty. Sometimes, putting your enemy at his ease can be a powerful weapon, my children. If these newcomers are no threat to us, so be it. If they are, thewith a tennis ball, but it did get Romeo s attention back for the moment. Don t call me Tiny, said Kirk. With a bestial roar, Bela doubled his fist, and backhanded Kirk across the face. He went sailing into Starbuck, knocking the pilot to the floor, and sending cards and drinks flying. Bela let go entirely of Neith, and moved in on Kirk. But the agile Starfleet man doubled up his legs, and kicked as hard as he could, right into Bela s knees. The Nomen gasped in pain, and staggered for a moment, allowing Kirk to regain his feet. Freeman chose that moment to strike Bela as well, smashing a bottle over his head. For his trouble, the tech was sent flying, right into another table. The fight had by this time caught the attention of Bela s Brothers in Nomenness, and they were hurrying that way, one laying hand to the laser boles that were the Nomen s favorite weapon. Starbuck moved his elderly father out of the way, telling him to call Security, and turned& In time to see Gil Snarling, Kruge lunged, but the heavy-set Korrd side-stepped his attack with surprising ease, bringing his heavy boot up, into Kruge s gut. The gunner oofed, stumbled, and reached out to catch himself. Barely had he done so when Korrd clamped a meaty hand on one arm, whirled him around, and with a smile, plunged his dagger into Kruge s abdomen. The gunner grunted, and gagged up a mouthful of blood before sagging to his knees. Korrd pulled the knife from his foe, and wiped it off on his subordinate s uniform before returning it to its sheath. He let go of Kruge, who plopped down onto his face, and motioned for him to be removed. As the bleeding officer was dragged away, he looked at Kang, and slowly scanned the rest. No one else challenged him. He ll make a fair officer, if he lives, said Korrd. But he is utterly lacking in subtilty. Sometimes, putting your enemy at his ease can be a powerful weapon, my children. If these newcomers are no threat to us, so be it. If they are, then allaying their fears strengthens us. He was silent a moment. Any questions? There were none. Very well, said Korrd, regaining his seat. Kang! Sir? Ship s status. Scan officer, disposition of Tholian and Federation forces! Culture Shock, Pt. 24 by Senmut ======================== Pike found the ride to the Galactica in the Colonial shuttle to be much smoother than he d expected. That, and he had an escort, as well. As he looked out one of the ports, he could see Bojay, flying alongside in his Viper, as they approached the Battlestar. As soon as hostilities had ceased, he d sent a standard hail to the huge vessel, and once the translator had gotten a handle on the language, he had accepted the invitation of the vessel s commander, a man named Adama. Bojay s fighter led the way, and while it was still in need of some serious work, it would hold together until they reached the Galactica. As he watched the alien warship grow larger ahead, Pike reflected that thes locked in a death grip from one of the other Nomen, and Kirk crashing a fist into Bela s bony face. Starbuck grabbed the second Nomen s arm, and twisted with as much strength as he could muster, wrenching the attacker off balance, and making him drop Giles. The third Nomen was trying to rescue his bandoliers from Sirrion, who quick-thinkingly tore them from him, to forestall any unfortunate results. In revenge, the third Nomen picked up a chair, and brought in crashing down on him, then held one of the legs over his head as a bludgeon. He never got to use it, for Freeman body-blocked him with surprising speed, sending both weapon and Nomen flying. The burly thug crashed to the deck near Chameleon, who brought his foot down on the Borellian s hand, grinding his heel in as hard as he could. The hulk bellowed in pain, and reached for his tormentor with the free hand, but as with cards, Chameleon was fast on his feet, like a dancer. He kicked the Nomen in the face, then slipped out of rn allaying their fears strengthens us. He was silent a moment. Any questions? There were none. Very well, said Korrd, regaining his seat. Kang! Sir? Ship s status. Scan officer, disposition of Tholian and Federation forces! Culture Shock, Pt. 24 by Senmut ======================== Pike found the ride to the Galactica in the Colonial shuttle to be much smoother than he d expected. That, and he had an escort, as well. As he looked out one of the ports, he could see Bojay, flying alongside in his Viper, as they approached the Battlestar. As soon as hostilities had ceased, he d sent a standard hail to the huge vessel, and once the translator had gotten a handle on the language, he had accepted the invitation of the vessel s commander, a man named Adama. Bojay s fighter led the way, and while it was still in need of some serious work, it would hold together until they reached the Galactica. As he watched the alien warship grow larger ahead, Pike reflected that the Viper had fared better than the Klingon ship, B ath. Blown apart in the recent fight, Pike had used the Enterprise s tractor beam to grab hold of the bow section before it could ram the Battlestar at high speed. Of the six Klingons in the forward section, only three had survived. Two, Lieutenants Mara, a female, and a huge brute named Worf, snarling about Federation treachery and spitting threats, were warming a cell in the brig, utterly lacking in gratitude at being saved from certain death. The third, an Ensign Korax, was in Sickbay, his life hanging by a thread. Pike had never met a Klingon woman before, didn t even know they served aboard warships. He shook his head, smiling slightly. What funny names Klingons have. He came back to the here and now, as they approached the Galactica s port landing bay. Once again, the sheer size of this ship impressed him, as did its collection of ramshackleach. Kirk s original foe had him by the throat, and was pounding his face with unrestrained glee, when another chair was swung across his back, staggering him. He never got the chance to recover, before Neith kicked his knees from behind with her boot, dropping him like a stone. She turned, and got a Nomenesque fist in the face for her trouble. And trouble seemed to be the word for the day. As if three Nomen were not enough, two more of the hulking Colonists entered the lounge, and at once rushed to the aid of there peers. Or at least tried to. One was tripped along the way by one of the double-mouthed singers, and slid across the dance floor, knocking another table askew. This place is starting to get real unfriendly, said Kirk, as he ducked a vicious swing from one of the Nomen. He replied with an upper cut, eliciting an ooof, but not much else. Like Klingons, the Nomen were thickly muscled, and stronger than he had expected. Well who the hell started it? shoute Viper had fared better than the Klingon ship, B ath. Blown apart in the recent fight, Pike had used the Enterprise s tractor beam to grab hold of the bow section before it could ram the Battlestar at high speed. Of the six Klingons in the forward section, only three had survived. Two, Lieutenants Mara, a female, and a huge brute named Worf, snarling about Federation treachery and spitting threats, were warming a cell in the brig, utterly lacking in gratitude at being saved from certain death. The third, an Ensign Korax, was in Sickbay, his life hanging by a thread. Pike had never met a Klingon woman before, didn t even know they served aboard warships. He shook his head, smiling slightly. What funny names Klingons have. He came back to the here and now, as they approached the Galactica s port landing bay. Once again, the sheer size of this ship impressed him, as did its collection of ramshackle remoras. Here and there, the Battlestar s hull was scarred and burned by the wounds of war, yet they had kept her going. Once inside the bay, he felt the gravity shift, and the shuttle touched down. It taxied to its berth, and he stood, along with Spock, Number One, and Doctor Boyce, and prepared to debark. What do you think of her so far, Captain? asked Boomer, as he powered down the shuttle. Impressive, Lieutenant, replied Pike, sincerely. I ve only seen space stations this size, never actual ships. I wish you could have seen our Fleet when we had many Battlestars, said Boomer, unbuckling. Now there was a sight to behold. The Warrior led them aft, and popped the hatch. As he stepped out onto the Galactica s deck, Pike was at once aware of the difference in gravity. A normal one gee for these people was definitely a bit stronger than what a man from Earth was accustomed to. He also could feel the slightly greater air pressure. Differences. Across the baed Starbuck, likewise ducking, then smashing his fist into Bela s face, spattering blood. There was a loud crunch, and the Nomen spat a tooth at him, then roared in fury, picking him up, and hurling him away. A moment later, Giles broke a table leg across his back, then ducked as Bela rounded on him& To get an ambrosia bottle smashed across his nose by Neith. He roared in pain as the alcohol stung both his wounds, and his eyes. Blinded for a moment, he struck out wildly, barely missing Kirk, and cracking the jaw of one of his fellow Nomen. The second Nomen went down, and then Bela, headblocked by Kirk as he tried to grab Neith once more. Do you always do this sort of thing? she asked. Well, I never liked a man treating a woman like& Hey, I can take care of myself. Yeah, right Okay, call me chivalrous. Oh, please! I guess he s kinda stuck on you, said Kirk, to the Colonial woman. Stuck, yeah. Like dried&ugh! She toppled, a punche remoras. Here and there, the Battlestar s hull was scarred and burned by the wounds of war, yet they had kept her going. Once inside the bay, he felt the gravity shift, and the shuttle touched down. It taxied to its berth, and he stood, along with Spock, Number One, and Doctor Boyce, and prepared to debark. What do you think of her so far, Captain? asked Boomer, as he powered down the shuttle. Impressive, Lieutenant, replied Pike, sincerely. I ve only seen space stations this size, never actual ships. I wish you could have seen our Fleet when we had many Battlestars, said Boomer, unbuckling. Now there was a sight to behold. The Warrior led them aft, and popped the hatch. As he stepped out onto the Galactica s deck, Pike was at once aware of the difference in gravity. A normal one gee for these people was definitely a bit stronger than what a man from Earth was accustomed to. He also could feel the slightly greater air pressure. Differences. Across the bay was a lift dropping down from above, and among those in it, he caught sight of a tall, white-haired man he at once recognized as Adama. He wore a blue uniform, similar in style and cut to Boomer s, but with more elaborate insignia. He also wore a cape, which struck Pike as an odd affectation, but perhaps the culture these people came from went in for that sort of thing. Adama crossed the distance between them quickly, his movements full of vigor despite his apparent age, and greeted his guests. Spock, in a rare concession, shook hands with the man, utterly oblivious, so it seemed, to the looks he was getting. Pike introduced his people, and Adama did likewise. At that moment Bojay rejoined them, and the Commander actually embraced the wayward Viper pilot, like a returning prodigal. He s in Life Station, said an older, husky black man, introduced as Colonel Tigh, in response to Bojay s inquiry about Apollo, who always greeted guests with his father. Dismissed, he at once ran fo from another Nomen felling her. In reply, Kirk brought a foot up, on course for the Nomen s crotch. He missed, catching the brute in the leg only. Then, the other had one leg in a vice- like grip, and twisted, sending him spinning. Starbuck had landed somewhere near the stage, no, make that on the stage. Both dancers and equipment scattered, and he tried to recover his lost breath. Slowly, he got to his knees, and looked around. Those who had not fled the lounge had joined in the fight, giving the Nomen as good as they got. One Nomen, held high by two people, was sent sailing into one of his fellows, crushing both a table, and several bones in the process. Frack, he said, and tasted blood on his tongue. He reached down, and found that his pistol was gone from its holster. Having little choice, he headed back into the fray, cracking a bottle over the skull of the Nomen about to dismember Sirrion, then stabbing him with the jagged edges. The heavy cloak protected the Nomen from y was a lift dropping down from above, and among those in it, he caught sight of a tall, white-haired man he at once recognized as Adama. He wore a blue uniform, similar in style and cut to Boomer s, but with more elaborate insignia. He also wore a cape, which struck Pike as an odd affectation, but perhaps the culture these people came from went in for that sort of thing. Adama crossed the distance between them quickly, his movements full of vigor despite his apparent age, and greeted his guests. Spock, in a rare concession, shook hands with the man, utterly oblivious, so it seemed, to the looks he was getting. Pike introduced his people, and Adama did likewise. At that moment Bojay rejoined them, and the Commander actually embraced the wayward Viper pilot, like a returning prodigal. He s in Life Station, said an older, husky black man, introduced as Colonel Tigh, in response to Bojay s inquiry about Apollo, who always greeted guests with his father. Dismissed, he at once ran for the lift. A very impressive ship, Commander, said Number One, looking around the cavernous bay. Here and there, they could make out sections of deck and bulkhead that looked decidedly the worse for wear. Metal plates darkened and buckled, welded haphazardly into place. Electrical conduits routed haphazardly. Lights gone dark. Obviously, the Galactica had taken her share of punishment getting her load of survivors this far. Thank you. So are yours, replied Adama. If you will accompany me, gentlemen, madam. Adama took them on a brief tour, including the bridge. Pike was once more impressed by the layout of the area, so different from the standard Federation design. Across the vast room, the open view port gave a panorama of the stars, and the Federation ships. The place was a veritable hive of activity, as techs scurried about like bees, racing to make the ship battleworthy once more. An efficient, logical layout, Commander, said Spock, watching some techs work olethal injury, but got his attention, an attention at once diverted by Kirk, hitting him hard in the small of the back, then hammering his jewels when he turned around. His mouth open in a silent howl, the Nomen went down. He did not see the other one, behind him, till with a bellow worthy of a Nomen itself, Chameleon brought a serving platter down on the fellow s head, then struck him across the face with the broken half. With a scream of pain, the Nomen collapsed, his face bleeding. Kirk pounded into another Nomen s face, just as Security finally made an appearance, weapons drawn, and shouting to be heard over the din of combat. Kirk felt hands take hold of his arms, and was ordered to hold it , when, in a last gasp of defiance, a Nomen succeeded in smashing his face with a huge fist. As the world spun, the lights dimmed, and he rapidly approached the deck, Kirk realized two things. The first was that he had underestimated the Nomen. The other was that the deck was really, really har the lift. A very impressive ship, Commander, said Number One, looking around the cavernous bay. Here and there, they could make out sections of deck and bulkhead that looked decidedly the worse for wear. Metal plates darkened and buckled, welded haphazardly into place. Electrical conduits routed haphazardly. Lights gone dark. Obviously, the Galactica had taken her share of punishment getting her load of survivors this far. Thank you. So are yours, replied Adama. If you will accompany me, gentlemen, madam. Adama took them on a brief tour, including the bridge. Pike was once more impressed by the layout of the area, so different from the standard Federation design. Across the vast room, the open view port gave a panorama of the stars, and the Federation ships. The place was a veritable hive of activity, as techs scurried about like bees, racing to make the ship battleworthy once more. An efficient, logical layout, Commander, said Spock, watching some techs work on Omega s helm console. Thank you, Lieutenant..ah& Spock, Commander. Spock. Spock, said Adama, trying out the unfamiliar word. Yes, we have found it the best arrangement for what our ship has to do. It s been refined over generations of war experience. How sad, said the Vulcan, that your people have not been permitted to direct their obviously formidable talents in more peaceful directions. My sentiments exactly, replied Adama. All things considered, I d much rather be back home, in my back garden on Caprica, enjoying the sun and my family, then here. No offense. None taken, said Pike. From there, they retired to Adama s quarters. Though he personally eschewed emotion, Spock could see that the Galactica s Commander was under considerable stress. The slight break in his voice, when he had said the word family , had made it plain that something more than just the Colonial Fleet was amiss. The pilot Bojay had spoken of Apollo . A relative? Perhrd. His Raider on course and perfectly aligned with the wormhole device, Flight Leader Vomus began transmitting. At first, nothing happened, likewise on the second frequency. Then, adjusting his scanner to the third& As the survivors of the Battle of the Rising Star were ordered, dragged, or carried from the lounge, the wormhole once more began to stir into life. X-UIDL: Ql3!!hS$!!\TL!!f!b"! Culture Shock, Pt.31 ============================== The Federation Captains were reviewing the data in the Galactica s computer on the Cylon command structure, when Pike s communicator beeped. Less than a second later, Stone s did as well, then the Galactica s klaxon sounded through the room. Number One? asked Pike. Sensors show the wormhole preparing to open again, sir. All defenses to full, Number One. Battle stations. Sir, what about& Keep the shields up, Commander, ordered Pike. In the background, he could hear his fellow Captain Omega s helm console. Thank you, Lieutenant..ah& Spock, Commander. Spock. Spock, said Adama, trying out the unfamiliar word. Yes, we have found it the best arrangement for what our ship has to do. It s been refined over generations of war experience. How sad, said the Vulcan, that your people have not been permitted to direct their obviously formidable talents in more peaceful directions. My sentiments exactly, replied Adama. All things considered, I d much rather be back home, in my back garden on Caprica, enjoying the sun and my family, then here. No offense. None taken, said Pike. From there, they retired to Adama s quarters. Though he personally eschewed emotion, Spock could see that the Galactica s Commander was under considerable stress. The slight break in his voice, when he had said the word family , had made it plain that something more than just the Colonial Fleet was amiss. The pilot Bojay had spoken of Apollo . A relative? Perhaps Adama s son? On their way, they were met by a striking older woman, introduced as a Siress Tinia from the Council of Twelve. Adama explained how they had, even during their flight, attempted to keep alive their political institutions. This Tinia was sent by the Council to meet and assess the newcomers. They sat for over two hours, discussing the situation, and the flight from the Cylons. Adama felt sure, and Pike agreed, that sooner or later, the Cylons would figure out a way to follow them through the wormhole. The old man shook his head. Over 50,000 light-yahren. It s incredible, Captain. I would never have believed it possible. Our finding that abandoned system was truly a Godsend. At that distance, said Pike, you re effectively beyond their reach forever. Even assuming they knew which direction to head. Thank the Lords of Kobol for that, said Tinia. Now, you said you are from Earth? The tension in her voice was palpable. But then, from what thens doing the same. He looked up at Adama, and could see from his face that the Colonial leader had received the same news. He gave them the liberty of accompanying him to the bridge, and they followed him from the council chamber. The Battlestar s bridge was abuzz with tension and activity as they entered. Pike could see one of his engineering people, working in concert with Galactica technical crew, on one of the bridge stations. Feeling almost naked being off his ship, Pike drifted towards a scanner station, and took stock. The wild interference rippling across the screen was in full force, as the flickers of light presaging the wormhole burst into the full flower of the phenomenon. As before, it unfolded like a bizarre, terrifying flower, spewing light and myriad radiations into the system. Adama brought the ship to battle stations, preparing her for heavy attack. Under his breath, he could be heard cursing the failure of the mines to detonate, destroying the station. He haaps Adama s son? On their way, they were met by a striking older woman, introduced as a Siress Tinia from the Council of Twelve. Adama explained how they had, even during their flight, attempted to keep alive their political institutions. This Tinia was sent by the Council to meet and assess the newcomers. They sat for over two hours, discussing the situation, and the flight from the Cylons. Adama felt sure, and Pike agreed, that sooner or later, the Cylons would figure out a way to follow them through the wormhole. The old man shook his head. Over 50,000 light-yahren. It s incredible, Captain. I would never have believed it possible. Our finding that abandoned system was truly a Godsend. At that distance, said Pike, you re effectively beyond their reach forever. Even assuming they knew which direction to head. Thank the Lords of Kobol for that, said Tinia. Now, you said you are from Earth? The tension in her voice was palpable. But then, from what they d heard, Earth was the virtual raison d etre for their existence, since escaping the Cylons. We are, said Pike, indicating his people, but Mr. Spock is a native of the planet Vulcan, which is an ally, and fellow member of the Federation. We have sought Earth for so long, said Adama, the weariness in his voice becoming evident. Our ancestor brothers. I see, said Pike. He gestured at Spock, who handed his tricorder over to the Captain. Opening it, Pike brought up a file, and turned the device towards Adama. The Colonials gazed, seemingly enrapt, at the image of Earth on the tiny screen. The same, Adama said, almost reverently. After a few moments, Adama activated the monitor on his desk, and called up a file of his own. He turned it towards his guests. This is the only image of Earth we still have, Captain. Sent back to our motherworld of Kobol by a probe long, long ago. You were right, Adama, said Tigh. It is real. And you ll get to see it very sod just ordered all laser batteries activated, when the wormhole collapsed, leaving the system in darkness, as before. As before, save for& Commander, reported Athena, scans show a single craft has emerged from the wormhole. Identity? Cylon Raider, sir. Just one? asked Tigh. Affirmative, Colonel. One fighter only. It is fully armed, and heading towards the Fleet. As Adama worked, Pike got the same information from the Enterprise. One enemy ship, period. While puzzling, the Cylon s behavior was not. As soon as the aftereffects of the wormhole began to die down, the Raider broadcast a demand for immediate surrender. Without waiting for an answer, the Cylon began to attack, making a run on the nearest ship in the Fleet, the freighter Gemini. Its lasers struck home, sending metal bits flying, then came around for another pass. But Adama wasn t sitting still. He at once ordered Vipers up, and soon the Raider was blasted into molten debris, savingy d heard, Earth was the virtual raison d etre for their existence, since escaping the Cylons. We are, said Pike, indicating his people, but Mr. Spock is a native of the planet Vulcan, which is an ally, and fellow member of the Federation. We have sought Earth for so long, said Adama, the weariness in his voice becoming evident. Our ancestor brothers. I see, said Pike. He gestured at Spock, who handed his tricorder over to the Captain. Opening it, Pike brought up a file, and turned the device towards Adama. The Colonials gazed, seemingly enrapt, at the image of Earth on the tiny screen. The same, Adama said, almost reverently. After a few moments, Adama activated the monitor on his desk, and called up a file of his own. He turned it towards his guests. This is the only image of Earth we still have, Captain. Sent back to our motherworld of Kobol by a probe long, long ago. You were right, Adama, said Tigh. It is real. And you ll get to see it very soon, said Pike. Provided the Klingons& They turned as the door to Adama s quarters opened, and a little boy of about seven or so entered, accompanied by a bizarre, furry robot. The intrusion was completed by a slender, attractive blonde woman, dressed in a type of uniform they had not yet seen. Grandpa, I& began the boy, but the woman interrupted. Oh, I m sorry, Commander. I didn t realize you had& She stopped, as she caught sight of Spock. Ah& Adama introduced them, and then noticed Boxey s expression. Red-eyed, tight- lipped, the boy was in great distress. Apollo? asked Adama, for a moment his iron control slipping. It s bad, Commander, said Cassiopeia. He s slipped into a coma. Doctor Selik gives him maybe twenty-eighty. He s gonna die, just like momma! cried Boxey, utterly miserable. Adama embraced the boy, despite the guests, and let him sob. Pardon my asking, said Boyce, but my interest is medical. What is the man s, uh, Apollo? What s the freighter. Adama requested a damage report, and the Vipers, after sweeping the area, headed back for the Galactica. Excellent, rumbled Korrd, watching the Raider fly to bits. Excellent, Commander. Thank you, replied Adama, unsure of whether praise from the Klingons was quite to his taste. Enterprise to Pike, came Number One s voice over the communicator. Pike here. We have scans taken during the wormhole s duration that you, and Commander Adama, should see, sir. Transmit it to the Galactica s bridge at once, Number One. Aye, sir. All ships will be in position for transit in less than ten centons, Your Eminence, said Lucifer, in response to Imperious Leader s query. Much to both Lucifer s surprise, and trepidation, Imperious Leader had decided to personally join in the final assault on the Human enemy. Yet another one, thought the IL series administrator. The Leader s BaseShip had just entered scanner range, and would be on, said Pike. Provided the Klingons& They turned as the door to Adama s quarters opened, and a little boy of about seven or so entered, accompanied by a bizarre, furry robot. The intrusion was completed by a slender, attractive blonde woman, dressed in a type of uniform they had not yet seen. Grandpa, I& began the boy, but the woman interrupted. Oh, I m sorry, Commander. I didn t realize you had& She stopped, as she caught sight of Spock. Ah& Adama introduced them, and then noticed Boxey s expression. Red-eyed, tight- lipped, the boy was in great distress. Apollo? asked Adama, for a moment his iron control slipping. It s bad, Commander, said Cassiopeia. He s slipped into a coma. Doctor Selik gives him maybe twenty-eighty. He s gonna die, just like momma! cried Boxey, utterly miserable. Adama embraced the boy, despite the guests, and let him sob. Pardon my asking, said Boyce, but my interest is medical. What is the man s, uh, Apollo? What s his condition? He has a broken neck, said Cassie. As well as a punctured lung, and other internal injuries. It s bad. He s paralyzed, and in a lifepod. Commander, said Boyce, we have several of your people aboard one of our ships. I m told that our physiological compatibility is excellent. I would be happy to offer whatever help our Sickbay can provide. By&by all means, said Adama, his reserve slipping slowly back into place. Come. He led them through the vast ship, which at almost every turn seemed to be swarming with repair personnel. Life Station, as it was called, was packed to the ceiling almost. Boyce could at once instinctively recognize his Colonial colleague. Sweaty, tired, racing from patient to patient, the fellow looked like a one man ER all by himself. Cassie! he called, seeing her, four s ready to be transferred. Right, Doctor. She sped off to comply. Adama introduced the Enterprise crew, and Selik considered Boyce s offer. Buwithin the system in less than fourteen centons. Altogether five BaseShips would be involved, insuring that the Colonials would, finally, be exterminated. Eradicated. The universe cleansed of them for all time. What puzzled Lucifer was, once they were through the wormhole, wherever it led, and engaged the Galactica, how were they going to get back to their part of the galaxy? All Lucifer s analyses of the scans from the wormhole led him to believe that the device led somewhere far, far beyond known space, somewhere no Cylon had ever been. Assuming all went well, and the last of the Humans were obliterated, what then? Iblis was obviously keeping something from them. What? Lucifer s experience with non-Cylons, while admittedly limited, told him that, behind the smile and intelligent eyes, something was being held back. Something of importance, something& Deceit, he decided at last, recalling his experiences with both Baltar, and the pilot, Starbuck. Baltar, even at his most deviohis condition? He has a broken neck, said Cassie. As well as a punctured lung, and other internal injuries. It s bad. He s paralyzed, and in a lifepod. Commander, said Boyce, we have several of your people aboard one of our ships. I m told that our physiological compatibility is excellent. I would be happy to offer whatever help our Sickbay can provide. By&by all means, said Adama, his reserve slipping slowly back into place. Come. He led them through the vast ship, which at almost every turn seemed to be swarming with repair personnel. Life Station, as it was called, was packed to the ceiling almost. Boyce could at once instinctively recognize his Colonial colleague. Sweaty, tired, racing from patient to patient, the fellow looked like a one man ER all by himself. Cassie! he called, seeing her, four s ready to be transferred. Right, Doctor. She sped off to comply. Adama introduced the Enterprise crew, and Selik considered Boyce s offer. But, there was no professional jealousy in the man s response. In fact, he welcomed it. The Galactica s medical stores were badly depleted in several areas. Critical drugs were entirely gone or in short supply, two of the life pods were off-line thanks to a lack of spares, and on any planet-bound hospital, many of the surgical instruments would have been long since replaced. Pike watched as the two physicians talked, instantly liking Selik. A competent, compassionate man trying to patch together torn and battered bodies with dwindling resources. Selik s eyes lit up. Apparently, a deal of sorts had been struck. Both Commanders gave to go ahead, and before long they were ready. I ll prep the shuttle, said Cassie. No need, said Number One. We can transport your people aboard from here. Excuse me? asked Selik. Number One explained the transporter, and Selik frowned. What effect would this have on his patients, he wanted to know. As they conversed, and Spock called Enteus, was often transparent, once one got to know him. Yes, they had, as he had once predicted to a Centurion, learned much from him. But, once his nuances became familiar, Baltar could hide little from his Cylon exec. But Starbuck&Starbuck had been different. While Baltar used lies like a fighter used tylium, Starbuck had used something the Humans called charm. While he still did not completely understand the word, or concept, he knew it involved somehow making your opponent draw the wrong conclusions about you, or modify their intended course of action, from the emotions you projected, without having to actually utter an untruth. Or pretended to. Lucifer recalled the game of chance, pyramid, he had played with Starbuck during his brief captivity aboard this ship. Lucifer s computer brain very soon made short work of the cards and their myriad combinations, being able to predict all outcomes of any hand, based on his own. Yet, despite all that, Starbuck had beaten him time after time. t, there was no professional jealousy in the man s response. In fact, he welcomed it. The Galactica s medical stores were badly depleted in several areas. Critical drugs were entirely gone or in short supply, two of the life pods were off-line thanks to a lack of spares, and on any planet-bound hospital, many of the surgical instruments would have been long since replaced. Pike watched as the two physicians talked, instantly liking Selik. A competent, compassionate man trying to patch together torn and battered bodies with dwindling resources. Selik s eyes lit up. Apparently, a deal of sorts had been struck. Both Commanders gave to go ahead, and before long they were ready. I ll prep the shuttle, said Cassie. No need, said Number One. We can transport your people aboard from here. Excuse me? asked Selik. Number One explained the transporter, and Selik frowned. What effect would this have on his patients, he wanted to know. As they conversed, and Spock called Enterprise, Boyce looked over, to see Adama, standing over a large cylinder, connected by tubes to the ceiling, containing the body of a young, dark-haired man. Adama was speaking softly, but too far away for the translator to make anything of it. As he did so, a tall, gorgeous brunette, dressed in blue as he was, joined him, putting her arm around the Commander. Who is that? Boyce asked Siress Tinia. That s Lieutenant Athena, Doctor. Adama s daughter. And the young man? His only remaining son. Captain Apollo. I see. Thank you. An hour later, aboard Enterprise, Adama stood by as Apollo was prepped for surgery. He felt helpless, like a pilot with no Viper, as he watched Boyce and his people begin work. This ship, he had to admit, was indeed impressive. While much smaller than his own, the Enterprise and it s sisters packed power. Perhaps enough to help them, one day, defeat the Cylons. Or were the Cylons behind them, now, literally as well asLucifer had examined the results many times, seeking clues to Human behavior, but never solved the riddle. Until now. It was this&this charm that Iblis projected, so like yet unlike Starbuck s, that seemed to provide the necessary ability for the strange man to get what he wanted. Even to the point of getting Imperious Leader, it seemed, to do his bidding. Which brought Lucifer to another troublesome point. Iblis and the Leader&both had identical voices. Repeated vocal analysis on his part had proven it beyond doubt. Both the current, and past Imperious Leader, had the same voice as the Count, down to tonal quality and inflections. How? And why? And how did Iblis come to know passwords and codes known only to those of Lucifer s level and above? All attempts by Lucifer to probe Iblis body had resulted in the same thing. Nothing. No returns, no data. It was as if the being wasn t there, somehow. Visible, yet unreal. A BaseShip? asked Garrovik, in the Galactica s ready room, rprise, Boyce looked over, to see Adama, standing over a large cylinder, connected by tubes to the ceiling, containing the body of a young, dark-haired man. Adama was speaking softly, but too far away for the translator to make anything of it. As he did so, a tall, gorgeous brunette, dressed in blue as he was, joined him, putting her arm around the Commander. Who is that? Boyce asked Siress Tinia. That s Lieutenant Athena, Doctor. Adama s daughter. And the young man? His only remaining son. Captain Apollo. I see. Thank you. An hour later, aboard Enterprise, Adama stood by as Apollo was prepped for surgery. He felt helpless, like a pilot with no Viper, as he watched Boyce and his people begin work. This ship, he had to admit, was indeed impressive. While much smaller than his own, the Enterprise and it s sisters packed power. Perhaps enough to help them, one day, defeat the Cylons. Or were the Cylons behind them, now, literally as well aslooking at the blurry scan from Enterprise, enhanced to its limit. Yes, said Adama, clearly both surprised and angry. During the wormhole s brief opening, your scanners detected what lies behind us. The Cylon force has assembled, and is ready to open the wormhole. What s taken them so long? asked Stone. It may be, said Spock, and all eyes turned towards him as he spoke, that they have not until now known how to do so. Recall that Lieutenant Bojay reported that the machine did not begin to operate, until he had scanned it on a particular frequency. That s right, interjected Athena. His attack scanner frequency. Yes, said Spock, hiding his annoyance at her interruption. He had found the young Colonial woman to be overly emotional, somewhat loud, and otherwise thoroughly Human. Perhaps, he thought very fleetingly, he should try and introduce these Humans to the teachings of Surak. Perhaps a people worn down by endless war might, like his own once, be recepti figuratively? Earth was, so Pike told him, only a few days travel away at maximum warp . Perhaps& Bridge to Captain, came a voice over a speaker. Pike here. The Reliant has arrived, sir, said Spock. Good news, Mr. Spock. Anything else? Yes, sir. Sensors have detected another Klingon ship. ETA four hours, eleven minutes, sir. I see, sighed Pike, obviously displeased. And? And the Tholians will be here in less than an hour, sir. Very well, Mr. Spock. I m on my way. He clicked off, and turned to Adama. You have to go, said the old Warrior. I understand. I ll just wait here. Good luck, said Pike, and turned and left. Klingons, thought Adama. Tholians. What have we sailed into? X-UIDL: ToV"!8?$"!_Sh!!d4J!! Culture Shock, Pt 25 by Senmut =============== Aboard the Tholian cruiser Kreeda, Commander Gommeed watched the sensor displays at his station. As expected, there were Federation ships in the figuratively? Earth was, so Pike told him, only a few days travel away at maximum warp . Perhaps& Bridge to Captain, came a voice over a speaker. Pike here. The Reliant has arrived, sir, said Spock. Good news, Mr. Spock. Anything else? Yes, sir. Sensors have detected another Klingon ship. ETA four hours, eleven minutes, sir. I see, sighed Pike, obviously displeased. And? And the Tholians will be here in less than an hour, sir. Very well, Mr. Spock. I m on my way. He clicked off, and turned to Adama. You have to go, said the old Warrior. I understand. I ll just wait here. Good luck, said Pike, and turned and left. Klingons, thought Adama. Tholians. What have we sailed into? X-UIDL: ToV"!8?$"!_Sh!!d4J!! Culture Shock, Pt 25 by Senmut =============== Aboard the Tholian cruiser Kreeda, Commander Gommeed watched the sensor displays at his station. As expected, there were Federation ships in the ve to the precepts of logic. So unlike T Pring, he thought, even more fleetingly, and wondered where that had come from. He ruthless put it down, and returned to the matter of the moment. It seems logical that the Lieutenant unwittingly activated the device when he initiated his scan. Since Colonel Tigh has informed us that Cylon vessels normally use different scan frequencies, it would seem that this accounts for their delay. Until now, they have not known how to open the wormhole. Why wouldn t they just use Colonial frequencies to try and open it? asked Pike. Uncertain, sir, replied Spock. However, it may be that to do so, they would have to retune their equipment, and try each frequency in turn. Colonial data indicates that Cylons do not innovate well, or make the kinds of&leaps Humans and other sentient creatures do. They would have been methodical in the extreme, until they succeeded. Which they obviously have, said Korrd. Gentleman, I want to Qgweth a system, directly ahead. Once more, the Humans were pushing the Assembly, skirting at the edges of the treaty. He counted&four Federation vessels, one just dropping below lightspeed. Once gain, Gommeed cursed his people s lack of hyperlight drive. It was what had given the Humans their advantage in their war with the Tholian Assembly. But now there seemed to be more than just Federation ships in the system. If the scanner readings were to be believed, there were scores of other vessels, most of which matched nothing whatsoever in his ship s database. After a few moments, his computer came back with an ID on two of them. Klingons. Gommeed would have frowned, or stroked his chin, if his race could have done so, or had chins. As it was, his crystalline body flickered through several colors, indicating his state of mind. So, there were Klingons, here. Had they attempted to conquer the system, and the Humans fought them to stop it? If so, perhaps the Assembly should be graQgweth a system, directly ahead. Once more, the Humans were pushing the Assembly, skirting at the edges of the treaty. He counted&four Federation vessels, one just dropping below lightspeed. Once gain, Gommeed cursed his people s lack of hyperlight drive. It was what had given the Humans their advantage in their war with the Tholian Assembly. But now there seemed to be more than just Federation ships in the system. If the scanner readings were to be believed, there were scores of other vessels, most of which matched nothing whatsoever in his ship s database. After a few moments, his computer came back with an ID on two of them. Klingons. Gommeed would have frowned, or stroked his chin, if his race could have done so, or had chins. As it was, his crystalline body flickered through several colors, indicating his state of mind. So, there were Klingons, here. Had they attempted to conquer the system, and the Humans fought them to stop it? If so, perhaps the Assembly should be grathank you for all your help, said Adama. Our pleasure, said Pike. But now, we need to get back to our ships. If they do come through& Then we shall annihilate them, rumbled Worf, standing next to his father. He looked at Pike, then to Korrd. An indecipherable look passed between them, then Korrd turned to Pike. Captain, said the Klingon. Yes, Commander? We may be in battle, soon. To fight is perhaps to die. If we die, may it be glorious. He paused a moment. You saved my son, Christopher Pike. You have given him back to me, and to the Empire. Well, I just& He might have died, yes. But thanks to you, he lives to fight once more, and heap yet more glory upon our name. I see, said Pike, unsure if he really did. I am trying to&say&thank you, Captain, said Korrd thickly, as if it came hard for him. It obviously cost him no small amount of pride to say it to a Human. You are welcome, Commander. May you both find&honor ahead. teful. From the amount of debris he was beginning to detect, it seemed a possibility, but what of the other ships? There were no records of any inhabitants in this system, ever. No ships, other than the Human and Klingon vessels, had been detected approaching, so where had they come from? He transmitted all his sensor data back to base, to see if perhaps higher ups had any information on the strange vessels, or the mysterious energy pulses that had burst from the system recently. Gommeed and his science officer both agreed that a connection between the two was likely, but then, one could never be certain, where the sly and cunning Federation was concerned. And, though he had never previously encountered any Klingons himself, Gommeed understood them to be similarly lacking in proper behavior. The lead newcomer vessel is enormous, Commander, said the scan officer, putting a sensor graphic up on a screen. Gommeed moved closer, studying it. It was indeed huge, for more massive thanteful. From the amount of debris he was beginning to detect, it seemed a possibility, but what of the other ships? There were no records of any inhabitants in this system, ever. No ships, other than the Human and Klingon vessels, had been detected approaching, so where had they come from? He transmitted all his sensor data back to base, to see if perhaps higher ups had any information on the strange vessels, or the mysterious energy pulses that had burst from the system recently. Gommeed and his science officer both agreed that a connection between the two was likely, but then, one could never be certain, where the sly and cunning Federation was concerned. And, though he had never previously encountered any Klingons himself, Gommeed understood them to be similarly lacking in proper behavior. The lead newcomer vessel is enormous, Commander, said the scan officer, putting a sensor graphic up on a screen. Gommeed moved closer, studying it. It was indeed huge, for more massive than Yes, said Korrd, gave Pike a curt bow, then stood back. Slapping his fist to his chest, he barked Q PlaH! And to you, replied Pike, then the Klingons were gone. Lucifer actually shook his head, realizing that all this introspection wasn t getting him any closer to an answer to his original question. How in Hades Hole were they going to get back? He looked up at a monitor. Imperious Leader s BaseShip had just dropped below lightspeed, and was moving in on the planet orbited by the wormhole device. As he scanned, it entered visual range, and the Leader transmitted a message. One Lucifer had heard, through the Cylon neural net, once before. As he did so, something Starbuck had once said suddenly flitted through his processors. Oh get a life! The final annihilation of the life form known as man. Let the attack begin. Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: (-G"!1]E"!=)@!!Uk]!! Culture Shock, Pt.32 =================================== The fuzziness of e any vessel his people had ever constructed, or had the ability to. For a moment, the Tholian felt a surge of pure envy. Over twenty krell long. There are now over two hundred ships within the system. It would appear at first sight to be some kind of warship, said Gommeed. Laser guns. Launch tubes. It must be an invasion force, Commander, said Gommeed s second, Loskeem. So many vessels cannot be here just to explore . Loskeem said the word like it was ice in his mouth. Perhaps, said Gommeed, But I will know the truth, before I begin knitting my enemies, Sub-Commander. Sir, said Loskeem, conceding. Do we hail them? Not yet. We will follow standard procedure, Sub- Commander, and I wish to gain as much information as possible before we arrive. Time to interception, helm? We will reach the positon of the Federation vessels in seventeen poold t, Commander, came the reply. Excellent. Contact the Ultur. Prepare all defenses. ====================== any vessel his people had ever constructed, or had the ability to. For a moment, the Tholian felt a surge of pure envy. Over twenty krell long. There are now over two hundred ships within the system. It would appear at first sight to be some kind of warship, said Gommeed. Laser guns. Launch tubes. It must be an invasion force, Commander, said Gommeed s second, Loskeem. So many vessels cannot be here just to explore . Loskeem said the word like it was ice in his mouth. Perhaps, said Gommeed, But I will know the truth, before I begin knitting my enemies, Sub-Commander. Sir, said Loskeem, conceding. Do we hail them? Not yet. We will follow standard procedure, Sub- Commander, and I wish to gain as much information as possible before we arrive. Time to interception, helm? We will reach the positon of the Federation vessels in seventeen poold t, Commander, came the reply. Excellent. Contact the Ultur. Prepare all defenses. ======================merging awareness was the first thing Kirk was aware of. As it slowly rolled on, he became aware of sound, light, and pain. Lots and lots of pain. He opened his eyes at last, then squinted at the overhead illuminations. As he focused, he turned his head, slowly, and tried to take in the room. It was unfamiliar, but to someone as experienced in space travel and ships as himself, he could at once tell what it was. No, not the brig on Wrigley s. Uhh, not the gambler s office on Risa, either. It was&lemme see&Of course! A sickbay! Ah, awake, said a voice, and he tried to sit up. A huge, pulsing throb in his face reminded him that wasn t a good idea. A body hove into view to join the voice, and began checking the readouts next to his bed. Don t sit up just yet, said the body, that of a handsome middle-aged woman with graying red hair. You took quite a pounding, Mr&.Kirk. Your bones need time to finish knitting. I have to get back to my ship, he countered, ignoring he================================== Aboard the G roth, Commander Korrd studied both the messages from the High Command, and the local radio intercepts. Imperial Intelligence had no data at all on any of the ships in the recently arrived fleet. Most were basically similar to the sorts of ships used in the early days of space flight, before the perfection of anti-matter containment, and the development of warp drive, but not a single configuration was known. The same was true for the attacker vessels. The codes used by the newcomers had, so far, defied decryption, but his people did report, fortunately for them, success in decrypting at least one Federation message home. The newcomers were, definitely, Humans, from some as yet unknown part of the galaxy. They also were being pursued by a relentless, indefatigable foe, called Cylon . Apparently, wherever it was they hailed from, these Cylons were a power to be reckoned with. Wreckage from the Cylon fighter ships had been b================================== Aboard the G roth, Commander Korrd studied both the messages from the High Command, and the local radio intercepts. Imperial Intelligence had no data at all on any of the ships in the recently arrived fleet. Most were basically similar to the sorts of ships used in the early days of space flight, before the perfection of anti-matter containment, and the development of warp drive, but not a single configuration was known. The same was true for the attacker vessels. The codes used by the newcomers had, so far, defied decryption, but his people did report, fortunately for them, success in decrypting at least one Federation message home. The newcomers were, definitely, Humans, from some as yet unknown part of the galaxy. They also were being pursued by a relentless, indefatigable foe, called Cylon . Apparently, wherever it was they hailed from, these Cylons were a power to be reckoned with. Wreckage from the Cylon fighter ships had been br admonition, and trying to rise. He looked at her again. She might be about fifty or so, in Earth terms, but she was still quite a looker for all that. Doctor& Sekhmet, Lieutenant. Doctor Sekhmet. I m CMO here on the Rising Star, and I haven t had this much business here since the last All-Fleet Triad Championships. She smiled, but it was the smile of the parent who has just caught you with baseball bat, glove, and shattered window. Uh, well... Uh nothing, Lieutenant, smiled Sekhmet. Your little show of testosterone poisoning in the Main Lounge has put several people in here, and some very valued Warriors at that. Well, I& Ah, come on, Doc, came Starbuck s voice, and Kirk turned to look at the Viper pilot. Everything was just fine, until that Nomen started in. Well, you know better than most, Lieutenant Starbuck, what getting in a Nomen s way can result in, said the Doctor, with a knowing look. Obviously, a story there, Kirk decided. Well,eamed aboard, and was undergoing preliminary analysis. Like the mysterious Human vessels, these craft too seemed rather primitive, at least as far as their power systems went. Their lasers, however, were quite respectable, as both he, and the B ath, had reason to know. The data from their onboard computers had yet to be salvaged, but one thing about the alien Cylons was now abundantly clear. They were robots. Much to his astonishment, each of the enemy fighters had been flown by a robotic crew. Three of the mechanical men had manned each ship. Apparently, the aliens needed to work in groups to operate their fighters. Not surprising, since, at least in the Empire s experience, even the best artificial intelligence system lacked the necessary initiative to operate fully independently. This was a good thing, of course. After all, if you made the computers too smart, they might end up taking over. Korrd looked at Enterprise on his main screen, and wondered if the Federation had ever toyedeamed aboard, and was undergoing preliminary analysis. Like the mysterious Human vessels, these craft too seemed rather primitive, at least as far as their power systems went. Their lasers, however, were quite respectable, as both he, and the B ath, had reason to know. The data from their onboard computers had yet to be salvaged, but one thing about the alien Cylons was now abundantly clear. They were robots. Much to his astonishment, each of the enemy fighters had been flown by a robotic crew. Three of the mechanical men had manned each ship. Apparently, the aliens needed to work in groups to operate their fighters. Not surprising, since, at least in the Empire s experience, even the best artificial intelligence system lacked the necessary initiative to operate fully independently. This was a good thing, of course. After all, if you made the computers too smart, they might end up taking over. Korrd looked at Enterprise on his main screen, and wondered if the Federation had ever toyed he started it, said Giles, half his face bandaged, and arm in a cast. The Nomen, I mean. Yeah, muttered Neith, jaw wired. Well, I don t care if the Council of Twelve started it! However, sighed Sekhmet, Fortune has smiled on you all. It seems that the Captain has decided, in the interests of amity with our new Federation friends, to forego any charges against you, Mr. Kirk, pending Commander Adama s concurrence, which is why you and the rest aren t in the brig, right now. Well, thanks. I& He also asked me to give you a message from the crew of the Rising Star. Really? What is it? Goodbye. That s it? In it s entirety. She smiled her mirthless smile again. You are, also, to be transported back to your ship as soon as possible. Thank-you, Doctor, replied Kirk, unsure of whether or not something witty was well advised just now, with the doctor holding some unidentified medical instrument in her hand, and smiling. You re with independently intelligent computers. No, he told himself. They would never be that stupid. He was roused from his contemplation by two messages. Kruge would, it seemed, survive. Though he kept his face stonily indifferent, Korrd was inwardly pleased. He had no real wish to kill anyone, save of course for the enemies of the Empire. Now, Kruge would not only have something to, hopefully, augment to his education, but a nice, livid scar, worthy of a warrior. It would make a better Klingon out of the young officer. It sure as Stovokor better! The second message was less to his liking. The Chief Security officer called up from the ship s one and only science lab, and reported a problem. Or, at least that s what it sounded like, Korrd thought. All he actually said was: Commander..uuhghhh . Nothing more. Korrd at once rose, called for more Security officers, and taking Kang with him, headed aft. At the hatch to the laboratory, both men drew weapons, and Kang, usin with independently intelligent computers. No, he told himself. They would never be that stupid. He was roused from his contemplation by two messages. Kruge would, it seemed, survive. Though he kept his face stonily indifferent, Korrd was inwardly pleased. He had no real wish to kill anyone, save of course for the enemies of the Empire. Now, Kruge would not only have something to, hopefully, augment to his education, but a nice, livid scar, worthy of a warrior. It would make a better Klingon out of the young officer. It sure as Stovokor better! The second message was less to his liking. The Chief Security officer called up from the ship s one and only science lab, and reported a problem. Or, at least that s what it sounded like, Korrd thought. All he actually said was: Commander..uuhghhh . Nothing more. Korrd at once rose, called for more Security officers, and taking Kang with him, headed aft. At the hatch to the laboratory, both men drew weapons, and Kang, usinwelcome, said Sekhmet, and informed them that the rest of her patients, with the exception of the Nomen, who were warming a cell in the brig, would be accompanying him back to the Farragut. With the shortages in the Fleet, many basics were either limited or unavailable in the Rising Star s small Life Station, and the medical staff on the Federation vessel has agreed to extend a hand. Of course, the Galactica seems to have little trouble getting replenishments, she grumbled. Well& That s not fair, Doc, began Sirrion. Plug it, she ordered the Warrior. At that moment, the elderly frame of Chameleon stirred, and opened one eye. Starbu-u-u-uck? Sekhmet turned her back on Kirk, and two Security men, lasers on hips, escorted the casualties to the shuttle bay. Once there, Kirk was handed his communicator by one of the guards, and signaled for transport. He felt somewhat gratified, seeing the expressions on their faces, as he and the rest faded out in the tg the bulkhead as cover, slapped the control pad with his foot. The hatch slid open, to reveal& A Cylon Centurion, standing over the broken, twisted corpses of three Klingon warriors, it s dented, scorched armor bespattered with lavender blood, and holding a disruptor pistol in one dripping hand. For a moment, the three just stood there, staring, the Klingons unable at first to actually believe what they were looking at. Three trained, armed soldiers, slaughtered by a&machine? The Cylon spoke first. Humans, surrender or be terminated. It raised the weapon with incredible speed, and pointed it at the Klingons, just as the first of the Security men appeared. The weapon fired, ripping one Klingon s guts to shreds, and blasting a hole in the opposite bulkhead. Everyone lurched back for a moment, and the door to the lab closed. Korrd checked on the fallen soldier, though he hardly needed to. The man s guts were flayed from his bones, his blood and cauterized entrails spilling out ong the bulkhead as cover, slapped the control pad with his foot. The hatch slid open, to reveal& A Cylon Centurion, standing over the broken, twisted corpses of three Klingon warriors, it s dented, scorched armor bespattered with lavender blood, and holding a disruptor pistol in one dripping hand. For a moment, the three just stood there, staring, the Klingons unable at first to actually believe what they were looking at. Three trained, armed soldiers, slaughtered by a&machine? The Cylon spoke first. Humans, surrender or be terminated. It raised the weapon with incredible speed, and pointed it at the Klingons, just as the first of the Security men appeared. The weapon fired, ripping one Klingon s guts to shreds, and blasting a hole in the opposite bulkhead. Everyone lurched back for a moment, and the door to the lab closed. Korrd checked on the fallen soldier, though he hardly needed to. The man s guts were flayed from his bones, his blood and cauterized entrails spilling out onransporter beam. His gratification faded somewhat as he solidified on the Farragut s transporter pad, and beheld the face of Captain Garrovik. The unsmiling face, complete with enormous stogie. After greeting the Colonials, and escorting them to the Farragut s sickbay, he pulled the young Lieutenant aside, into the nearby conference room, presently unoccupied. We need to talk. Uh, sir& Put a sock in it, Lieutenant! Stand at attention! He waited, while Kirk stiffened, partly to attention, partly in pain. Do you have any idea how upset, no, not upset. This has gone way, way beyond upset. Do you have any idea how pissed off both Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are, at the news that one of our people, one of my crewmen, managed to turn a simple card game into a gladiatorial match? The Captain s voice had risen perceptibly, letting Kirk know what was coming. One of my officers lets his well-known libido get in the way, decides to play Sir Galahad, or perhaps I shouto the deck, his mouth and eyes open in a silent scream. The bulkhead wasn t looking much better. Sir, asked one of the guards, what was that? A Federation spy? No, said Korrd, and explained as best he could. As he spoke, from inside, he could hear the weapon fire once more. He opened his mouth again, when the bridge called. The Captain of the Enterprise was hailing them. He specifically wished to speak with the G roth s Commander. Well, my children, he said, it would seem we have a problem. Or two, muttered Kang. Or two. ======================== Farragut? asked Starbuck, of the young Human officer who had beamed he and his party aboard this vessel. They had been escorted to the ship s Life Station, called Sickbay, and examined by the Federation doctors. They had been rescued, with literally picocentons to spare, from their dying ship, by what had been described as a transporter . Starbuck hadn t a clue as to what it was or how it worked, buto the deck, his mouth and eyes open in a silent scream. The bulkhead wasn t looking much better. Sir, asked one of the guards, what was that? A Federation spy? No, said Korrd, and explained as best he could. As he spoke, from inside, he could hear the weapon fire once more. He opened his mouth again, when the bridge called. The Captain of the Enterprise was hailing them. He specifically wished to speak with the G roth s Commander. Well, my children, he said, it would seem we have a problem. Or two, muttered Kang. Or two. ======================== Farragut? asked Starbuck, of the young Human officer who had beamed he and his party aboard this vessel. They had been escorted to the ship s Life Station, called Sickbay, and examined by the Federation doctors. They had been rescued, with literally picocentons to spare, from their dying ship, by what had been described as a transporter . Starbuck hadn t a clue as to what it was or how it worked, buld say Don Juan, and turns a lover s tiff into making their lounge look like a used gunnery target! Louder, now. We are trying to show these people, these war-weary people, the best the Federation and Starfleet can offer, Mister Kirk, not demonstrate how fast we can redecorate their ships. Am I clear here? Quite clear, sir. I trust so, Lieutenant. Because, once the Doc certifies you fit to resume your duties, you will report to Commander Adama, and the skipper of the Rising Star, and apologize. Garrovik leaned close, rolling the cigar around in his cheek. (As an aside, it should be noted that Captain Garrovik rarely smoked cigars. He mangled them.) And, once you have done so, you will personally clean up the lounge on the Rising Star, along with any of the Colonial personnel involved whom Commander Adama may wish to assign to the same detail. Am I clear, Lieutenant? Yes, sir. Very clear, sir. I hope so, Lieutenant, growled Garrovik, leaning close, because if I et it had, and that was good enough for him. When their ship s engines had been destroyed, they d all gotten a serious dose of radiation. However, the Federation doctors had administered drugs to take care of that, and Starbuck had to admit, he felt pretty good right now. Giles had taken flying debris from the decompression, and Sirrion as well. Thompson however was just fine& Which was more than they could say for O Kala. Literally centons from death, she d been rushed here, and the ship s CMO, a Doctor with the improbable name of Ariana Livia Chegwidden- Bonzetti, had at once set to. As he had when Cree had been captured by the Cylons on Arcta, Starbuck felt personally responsible for O Kala s condition. After all, she was part of his team, and it was part of his duty as the team CO to safeguard each and every one of his team s lives, even at the cost of his own. As he often did on losing someone, Starbuck felt the guilt of surviving, when others didn t, or might not. How many t it had, and that was good enough for him. When their ship s engines had been destroyed, they d all gotten a serious dose of radiation. However, the Federation doctors had administered drugs to take care of that, and Starbuck had to admit, he felt pretty good right now. Giles had taken flying debris from the decompression, and Sirrion as well. Thompson however was just fine& Which was more than they could say for O Kala. Literally centons from death, she d been rushed here, and the ship s CMO, a Doctor with the improbable name of Ariana Livia Chegwidden- Bonzetti, had at once set to. As he had when Cree had been captured by the Cylons on Arcta, Starbuck felt personally responsible for O Kala s condition. After all, she was part of his team, and it was part of his duty as the team CO to safeguard each and every one of his team s lives, even at the cost of his own. As he often did on losing someone, Starbuck felt the guilt of surviving, when others didn t, or might not. How many ver hear of you brawling again while under my command&? He waited a few tense beats. Well, I might just have to talk to Engineering about assigning someone new to clean out the warp plasma filters. He took the cigar from his mouth, and pretended to regard it. Or, if one prefers, I hear there s talk of actually assigning a Human crew to the lithium station on Delta Vega. He smiled avuncularly. Understood, sir. Kirk did not smile. I hope so, Lieutenant. He put the cigar back. Now get to sickbay. Once the leech gives you the once-over, you re confined to quarters till further notice. Yes, sir. Kirk moved towards the door, but the moment his Captain stepped through, the klaxon sounded. Red Alert. Red Alert, came the voice from the bridge. All hands to battle stations. I repeat, all hands to battle stations. This is not a drill! Captain Garrovik to the bridge. Garrovik raced for the nearest intercom station. It was as he had feared. The wormhole had began to open oncpilots had he seen burn up under Cylon guns, while he kept returning to the Galactica, time after time? Bunker? Taggs? Zac. No, stop it!!! Don t go there! He shook his head. I ll bet Apollo never feels any& It never gets easy, does it? asked a voice. Starbuck looked up, to see the young officer who had rescued them. Lieutenant Kirk, he said, extending his hand. Lieutenant Starbuck, Blue Squadron. What did you mean? The look on your face, watching her. Kirk indicated the operating area, where O Kala was being treated. It s never easy, when you re the one in charge, and one of your team gets hurt. Well, stammered Starbuck, a little uneasy at how easily someone he d only just met had been able to read him like the Book of the Word under a scanner. I&uh, you said this ship was called what? Kirk smiled, understanding the pilot s dodge perfectly, and began to tell him about both the ship, and the 19th Century Admiral she d been named after. He alsopilots had he seen burn up under Cylon guns, while he kept returning to the Galactica, time after time? Bunker? Taggs? Zac. No, stop it!!! Don t go there! He shook his head. I ll bet Apollo never feels any& It never gets easy, does it? asked a voice. Starbuck looked up, to see the young officer who had rescued them. Lieutenant Kirk, he said, extending his hand. Lieutenant Starbuck, Blue Squadron. What did you mean? The look on your face, watching her. Kirk indicated the operating area, where O Kala was being treated. It s never easy, when you re the one in charge, and one of your team gets hurt. Well, stammered Starbuck, a little uneasy at how easily someone he d only just met had been able to read him like the Book of the Word under a scanner. I&uh, you said this ship was called what? Kirk smiled, understanding the pilot s dodge perfectly, and began to tell him about both the ship, and the 19th Century Admiral she d been named after. He alsoe more. Jim! said Garrovik, turning back to Kirk. Get to your station. Now. Yes, Captain, said Kirk, and this time he did smile. Thank you, sir. Culture Shock, Pt.33 Commander Gommeed! called Loskeem, aboard the Kreeda. Wormhole opening again. Contact the Ultur. Status of our backup? They are still almost a standard day away, sir. Gommeed snorted, or at least gave the Tholian equivalent. Arm all weapons, all hands to war posts. Sir. Lucifer did not like the transit through the wormhole. Not one bit. Whatever energy drove the mysterious alien device, it was not kind to his higher mental functions. Memory, vision, and analytical processes all took a beating, even to going blind for a few millicentons. So blind that he did not see the strange blue spheres, once more buzzing about the ships. The IL felt a rising sense of&what? Panic. Yes, that was the Human word. He actually felt a momentary wave of fear, at the unfamiliar explained the Federation, Earth s place in it, and listened intently to Starbuck s description of the Colonies, her military, and the relation of the various powers in that far away sector. As they talked, Giles and Sirrion rejoined them, then Thompson. Kirk suggested they retire to the rec room down the corridor, but Starbuck didn t want to leave O Kala. Not while she was& Look, son, said one of the junior physicians, his accent new and odd to the Colonials, your friend s in excellent hands. You won t do her a damn bit of good hanging around here, worrying yerself to death. Go with the Lieutenant, and relax. But& said Giles. No buts, son, said the dark-haired doctor. I hereby prescribe that you go. Now, get em outta here, Jim. Yes, Doctor, said Kirk, and led the group towards the door. Besides, he added, the Captain will want to talk to you all. As they filed out the door, Kirk looked back at the young doctor. Thanks, Bones. No problem. Aboard Enterprise, Omega sat next to Rigel, recovering on a biobed in Sickbay. While Adama had returned to the ship, he had granted temporary leave to all who had injured loved ones here. She had not regained consciousness since launching the missile attack on the BaseShip, and had shown no signs that she ever would. Her vital signs had slowly, if continuously slipped, till she was almost on full support. We made it, he said to her softly, speaking in the now-rare, little used Virgon dialect they shared from their common homeworld. Without realizing it, he d taken her hand in his own, stroking it in unconscious time to the sound of her pulse on the monitor. We re nearly there, Ri, he said. We ve found Humans, powerful enough to defeat the Cylons. And Earth, Ri. Earth is only a few days away from here! We finally made it. He looked at her face, still partly covered by the bandages that wound about her head. Ite prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft- com:office:office" /> Aboard Enterprise, Omega sat next to Rigel, recovering on a biobed in Sickbay. While Adama had returned to the ship, he had granted temporary leave to all who had injured loved ones here. She had not regained consciousness since launching the missile attack on the BaseShip, and had shown no signs that she ever would. Her vital signs had slowly, if continuously slipped, till she was almost on full support. We made it, he said to her softly, speaking in the now-rare, little used Virgon dialect they shared from their common homeworld. Without realizing it, he d taken her hand in his own, stroking it in unconscious time to the sound of her pulse on the monitor. We re nearly there, Ri, he said. We ve found Humans, powerful enough to defeat the Cylons. And Earth, Ri. Earth is only a few days away from here! We finally made it. He looked at her face, still partly covered by the bandages that wound about her head. Itg, but to no avail. Its weapons were damaged, and all measures taken so far had not resulted in the termination of one invader. What could it do? It must follow its directives, but its own selfdestruct protocols could not be accessed. It& A force of Cylon troops had been left aboard the station, to prepare it for full analysis, and acquisition by the Alliance. Even as the task force prepared to depart, a call was sent out, all the way to Cylon, for another ship, this one filled with technical crew, to be dispatched at once. Once the machine was fully understood, it would be restored to 100% operating condition, then replicated. Soon, the entire star system would lie within the reach of the Alliance. No world, no race, would long escape the grasp of Cylon, and the Cleansing of the Universe could truly begin. All that had gone before, the Hassaris, the Humans, the Delphians, all that was as preparation for the Crusade to come. The Universe would lie prostrate before the Red Eye of C had been a near thing, Dr Boyce told him. A huge blood clot on her cortex, spreading deep into her brain, had been literally hours from rupturing a major artery. With all the shortages on the Galactica, Selik had been able to do far less than he might have otherwise. Here, thankfully, the medical staff had saved her life with centons to spare. A home, Babe, Omega went on, still holding Rigel s hand. Finally, a real place to live, not cubicle inside an oversized metal box, always on the run. Sun. A sky. A place for our& He choked, nearly breaking down. While the doctors had been able to save her life, they had not been able to do the same for her unborn baby. With all the shock, trauma, and cascade of medications&Omega tried to get control over himself, but the tears just refused to be put off. He sat, rocking like a child, and weeping like one. He didn t hear the footsteps of someone drawing close, or their voice. It was only when they touched him that he began to come back to reality had been a near thing, Dr Boyce told him. A huge blood clot on her cortex, spreading deep into her brain, had been literally hours from rupturing a major artery. With all the shortages on the Galactica, Selik had been able to do far less than he might have otherwise. Here, thankfully, the medical staff had saved her life with centons to spare. A home, Babe, Omega went on, still holding Rigel s hand. Finally, a real place to live, not cubicle inside an oversized metal box, always on the run. Sun. A sky. A place for our& He choked, nearly breaking down. While the doctors had been able to save her life, they had not been able to do the same for her unborn baby. With all the shock, trauma, and cascade of medications&Omega tried to get control over himself, but the tears just refused to be put off. He sat, rocking like a child, and weeping like one. He didn t hear the footsteps of someone drawing close, or their voice. It was only when they touched him that he began to come back to realityylon. The station computer had intercepted and attempted to decrypt all this. Though only marginally successful, its stuttering mind understood one thing. They must be stopped. It searched and searched& And found the mines left by Adama s technicians. It scanned the devices. All the units had been slaved to the master unit. It exploded, they all went. Unfortunately, it had malfunctioned, before being found by Cylon troops, and disarmed. Of course, Cylons being Cylons, they had only disarmed the master charge. After all, if you cut off the head, that was that, right? And, sometimes, it doesn t pay. Could it be detonated remotely? The machine analyzed and analyzed, scanning the mine repeatedly. If it could find the right frequency& Appropriate frequency accessed. Executing program& A powerful EM pulse ripped through the control dec. I wish there was something I could say, said Sheba, taking a seat next to his. But words seem so&empty at times like this, Omega. You re here, Lieutenant, he managed to get out, getting control over himself. That means a lot. He took a deep breath, and looked up at the biomonitors. How s Captain Apollo? He just came out of surgery. Their Doctor said it would be awhile before he can give a definite prognosis. She pulled up a chair, and sat next to him. His spinal cord wasn t severed, but he had a lot of internal injuries. Like Omega, she felt terrified at the possibility of losing the one she loved. But, unlike his situation, the child she carried was in no danger. She couldn t bring herself to tell him& It ll kill the Commander, if he loses Apollo, too, said Omega finally. When Zac was lost, it was like a big part of him was cut out. He s never talked about it, but sometimes&sometimes you can see it in his eyes. The pain, the emptiness, where his son was. . I wish there was something I could say, said Sheba, taking a seat next to his. But words seem so&empty at times like this, Omega. You re here, Lieutenant, he managed to get out, getting control over himself. That means a lot. He took a deep breath, and looked up at the biomonitors. How s Captain Apollo? He just came out of surgery. Their Doctor said it would be awhile before he can give a definite prognosis. She pulled up a chair, and sat next to him. His spinal cord wasn t severed, but he had a lot of internal injuries. Like Omega, she felt terrified at the possibility of losing the one she loved. But, unlike his situation, the child she carried was in no danger. She couldn t bring herself to tell him& It ll kill the Commander, if he loses Apollo, too, said Omega finally. When Zac was lost, it was like a big part of him was cut out. He s never talked about it, but sometimes&sometimes you can see it in his eyes. The pain, the emptiness, where his son was. k, where Turpitudus was monitoring the transit of the task force. He, and all the Cylons aboard, were momentarily rendered insensate by the pulse, a moment that stretched into eternity. The mine, sitting on the console next to a monitor with the rest, began to squeal, then& Aboard his own ship, Noxious saw the blinding flash of light erupt from the station s control deck. He was puzzled at first of course, then grew concerned when the data uplink with the force aboard the station went dead. He was about to order it reestablished, when the entire BaseShip rocked, then rocked again. Something exploded& Turpitudus was thrown through the ceiling of the control deck, smashing to bits on impact. Two microcentons later, the second charge exploded, ripping through the bulkhead, severing the cable trunks under their feet. The third followed suit, then the fourth, then all the rest. Vast orange balls of flame erupted from the control deck, like a volcano, then larger, deeper explosi Well, Zac didn t die in vain, replied Sheba, slowly. We ve made it to Earth space, Omega. We ve done it. Soon, we ll have a home. A new, real home. We& She stopped, and shook her head. Omega had fallen asleep, his hand still holding Rigel s. She smiled, and stood, patting him on the head, and left him in peace. Lords, the man hadn t slept in days. Returning to the other ward, she saw Apollo, lying still, on another biobed. Like Omega, she began talking to him, uncertain if he could even hear her. They said unconscious people could hear what was said to them, by others. She wasn t sure she believed it, but then again, why not? You re going to be okay, she said, softly. You ll be out there, flying that Viper again in no time, Apollo. And then, when we get to Earth, we can have a home. A place to raise our son. She pressed her lips together, blinking back a tear. Yes, it s a boy, Apollo. Their Doctors gave me some sort of scan. I didn t even know, yet. Zac, Apollo. We ll call him Zac, and&ons began tearing through the entire machine. The landing deck cracked open, then the station s vast power grid overloaded, slicing huge chunks out of the superstructure. Almost at once, the wormhole effect died, as the machine was hammered to pieces. The fourth BaseShip had entered the wormhole, on its way towards Federation space, when the effect had begun taking hold of Noxious vessel. Partly in, partly out. As the effect collapsed, the boundaries between real and hyperspace were momentarily mixed, like two disparate metals under stress. Circuits began to overload and blow out all over Noxious ship, then vast chunks of debris from the exploding station slammed into her hull. Every panel in Control Center belched smoke and sparks, the computers burned, then& The BaseShip exploded as her main drive was overloaded with energies beyond the understanding of Cylon science, her ordnance following. It rapidly swelled into a gigantic ball of demonic fire, sending evaporating hunk How is he? asked a voice. Sheba started, unaware she had company, and turned to face Boomer. He s&he s doing okay, replied Sheba. Their doctor seems to think he ll make it. She wiped an eye, hoping Boomer hadn t noticed. Uh, how s&how s the Fleet? Well, we ve moved away from the wormhole site, and entered orbit around one of this system s planets. Two of the Federation ships are with us, in case those Klingons attack again. The repair crews are going full tilt, and we re getting a lot of help from the Federation folks. That s good, she said, getting to her feet. She looked down at Apollo. Come on, Sheba. Let s get something to eat. Thanks, Boomer, but I& Are not a doctor. Neither one of us can help Apollo by sitting here. Their doctors can look after him now, and they ll keep us posted if anything happens. Now come on. One of their rec rooms is right down the corridor. It may not be the Officer s Club on a Battlestar, but they do have a pass of shrapnel into what was left of the disintegrating station, turning both machines into one miniature nova. Amidst the darkness on the night side of both the planet below, and the ringed world, it seemed for a moment as if there were a new sun in the sky, as the starry vault momentarily blazed to life with an unholy radiance. For several moments, the fireball continued to swell and swell, till it was all that could be seen in the sky. X-UIDL: "j3!!@)8"!'!:!!]]i!! Culture Shock, Pt.34 With a massive burst of radio and sensor noise, the wormhole once more erupted into life, momentarily blinding all who looked at it. Its bizarrely beautiful petals of energy slowly unfurled, momentarily bridging two parts of the universe never meant to touch. As with each previous episode, scanners and other electronic equipment in the vicinity snowed, screeched, or died, as unholy energies washed over them like a summer flood. Then, from what seemed like the very m Well, Zac didn t die in vain, replied Sheba, slowly. We ve made it to Earth space, Omega. We ve done it. Soon, we ll have a home. A new, real home. We& She stopped, and shook her head. Omega had fallen asleep, his hand still holding Rigel s. She smiled, and stood, patting him on the head, and left him in peace. Lords, the man hadn t slept in days. Returning to the other ward, she saw Apollo, lying still, on another biobed. Like Omega, she began talking to him, uncertain if he could even hear her. They said unconscious people could hear what was said to them, by others. She wasn t sure she believed it, but then again, why not? You re going to be okay, she said, softly. You ll be out there, flying that Viper again in no time, Apollo. And then, when we get to Earth, we can have a home. A place to raise our son. She pressed her lips together, blinking back a tear. Yes, it s a boy, Apollo. Their Doctors gave me some sort of scan. I didn t even know, yet. Zac, Apollo. We ll call him Zac, and&sable drink. Something called, uh&beer. Okay, Boomer, she surrendered. But I don t feel much like drinking. Don t worry. Their food synthesizer also makes something a lot like klebreen, back home. My treat. Klebreen? Well, they call it lasagna here. Or something like it. Boomer? You are beginning to remind me of Starbuck. Ah! You wound me, Sheba. Ouch. Ouch. ======================== Aboard the Galactica, engineers and technicians were still scurrying about like termites in an overturned mound. So many of the Battlestar s systems were in need of repairs, or even basic maintenance, it was hard to know where to start. Fortunately, once basic repairs to Enterprise were completed, Pike had agreed to Adama s request for assistance, and allowed an engineering party to beam over to the Colonial carrier. Garrovik on Farragut, and Stone on Constellation had permitted one as well. Lord above! said Scotty, as he got his first look at the Battaw of Hell& Sir! shouted Loskeem, over the din of the instruments. Vessel emerging! he pointed to the viewscreen, damped down to its limit, and Gommeed followed. A vessel was emerging from the terrifying rip in space, a vessel both huge, and ugly in its own right. It took a few seconds longer for the sensors aboard the Klingon vessels to recover from the initial energy bursts, but Korrd could see that another Imperial ship, G ith, had just entered visual range. Then, amid yet a further burst from the wormhole, his screen went down. Report, Mister Spock! ordered Pike, rising to his feet. Enormous sensor distortion, Captain. Tachyon and meson radiation off our scale. Is there a ship? demanded the Captain. For a moment, none said aught, as both eyes and instruments strove to recover from the onslaught. Then, slowly, it began to fade& There, sir! said Tyler, pointing. In the middle of the screen, barely visible against th How is he? asked a voice. Sheba started, unaware she had company, and turned to face Boomer. He s&he s doing okay, replied Sheba. Their doctor seems to think he ll make it. She wiped an eye, hoping Boomer hadn t noticed. Uh, how s&how s the Fleet? Well, we ve moved away from the wormhole site, and entered orbit around one of this system s planets. Two of the Federation ships are with us, in case those Klingons attack again. The repair crews are going full tilt, and we re getting a lot of help from the Federation folks. That s good, she said, getting to her feet. She looked down at Apollo. Come on, Sheba. Let s get something to eat. Thanks, Boomer, but I& Are not a doctor. Neither one of us can help Apollo by sitting here. Their doctors can look after him now, and they ll keep us posted if anything happens. Now come on. One of their rec rooms is right down the corridor. It may not be the Officer s Club on a Battlestar, but they do have a paslestar s engine room. At first, it bore scant resemblance to the Enterprise s power plant, but soon his engineer s eye was beginning to make sense of it all. The huge reaction chambers, eight for each side, were nearly as big as the Enterprise main warp core. Here and there, amidst the conduits and tangles of machinery, he could see signs of damage. Burned consoles, bypassed busses, bulkheads scorched by one catastrophe after another. He swore as he nearly tripped over cables bridging surviving systems. Scott set his equipment bag down, and opened his tricorder, scanning the entire assembly. Comparing it with the engineering data given them earlier by Chief Engineer Shadrick, it was plain just how much punishment the Battlestar s engines and power systems had taken during their flight from the Cylons. He shook his head, over and over, as he read of dead circuits, overstressed seals, and jury-rigged bypasses that made the L.A. Freeway system look straightforward. Shadrick found the wormhole effect, a black spot was become visible. Growing, taking hideous shape. Then another emerged from the wormhole behind it, then a third, like some deformed, twisted lozenge, vomited from an equally diseased throat. Pike ordered full magnification, and the tiny image zoomed to fill the screen. There were few times in his space career when Chris Pike had felt fear. Real fear. Once, in the catacombs of Talos IV, or fighting the Kalahr on Rigel VII, but rarely otherwise. But now, standing on the bridge, staring at the ship before him, he felt it again. Ship? No, this wasn t a ship. It was a monstrosity, a cancer, an hideously distorted, diseased excuse for a vessel, overflowing from one end to the other with ugliness. Ugliness, arrogance, and hate. The upper and lower hulls, identical mirror images of each other, looked like mangled, sick versions of the saucer sections of Federation vessels. Whoever had conceived and constructed this machine had beesable drink. Something called, uh&beer. Okay, Boomer, she surrendered. But I don t feel much like drinking. Don t worry. Their food synthesizer also makes something a lot like klebreen, back home. My treat. Klebreen? Well, they call it lasagna here. Or something like it. Boomer? You are beginning to remind me of Starbuck. Ah! You wound me, Sheba. Ouch. Ouch. ======================== Aboard the Galactica, engineers and technicians were still scurrying about like termites in an overturned mound. So many of the Battlestar s systems were in need of repairs, or even basic maintenance, it was hard to know where to start. Fortunately, once basic repairs to Enterprise were completed, Pike had agreed to Adama s request for assistance, and allowed an engineering party to beam over to the Colonial carrier. Garrovik on Farragut, and Stone on Constellation had permitted one as well. Lord above! said Scotty, as he got his first look at the Batte Earthman to be perhaps the most attuned to the feel of machinery of anyone he d ever met. Within centons of beginning his checks, Scott was already suggesting modifications and repairs that left him feeling both impressed, and like the cadet who s dead last in his class. Tylium said Shadrick, answering a question about their main power source. He explained both the mineral, and how its refined byproducts were used in the engines, as Scott began making requisitions of the Enterprise s stores. When fully refined and processed, it is both highly reactive, as well as emitting considerable radion levels. I see, said Scotty. She s not unlike the basic propulsion system used in the old DY-500 class o ships, back before warp drive, Mr. Shadrick. I m surprised ye can actually make it inta warp at all. Scott waited till the translator had rendered warp drive into the Colonial engineer s language. Since their science did not use the same method of achieving superluminal speeds, there wasn twisted, Pike decided. Filled to overflowing with vile, malignant hate. From what Adama had shown he and the other Captains, he could well believe that such a design would vomit forth from Cylon, as the ships themselves had vomited forth from the wormhole. Doubtless, as he looked, each and every Cylon aboard the task force was brimming with it, ready and eager to rend and kill and destroy. These Cylons, he decided, made the Klingons seems kind, the Romulans like good neighbors. Fascinating, said Spock, quietly, as the ships hove slowly closer. Shields to maximum, ordered Pike, turning away, as a feeling of terror ran through him. Terror, and nausea. Phasers to ready, load torpedo tubes. Aye, sir, replied Number One, and the Enterprise prepared herself once more for battle. As was the Galactica. Like everyone else, her systems were filled with static and wild readings. Unlike theirs, hers began to stabililestar s engine room. At first, it bore scant resemblance to the Enterprise s power plant, but soon his engineer s eye was beginning to make sense of it all. The huge reaction chambers, eight for each side, were nearly as big as the Enterprise main warp core. Here and there, amidst the conduits and tangles of machinery, he could see signs of damage. Burned consoles, bypassed busses, bulkheads scorched by one catastrophe after another. He swore as he nearly tripped over cables bridging surviving systems. Scott set his equipment bag down, and opened his tricorder, scanning the entire assembly. Comparing it with the engineering data given them earlier by Chief Engineer Shadrick, it was plain just how much punishment the Battlestar s engines and power systems had taken during their flight from the Cylons. He shook his head, over and over, as he read of dead circuits, overstressed seals, and jury-rigged bypasses that made the L.A. Freeway system look straightforward. Shadrick found th no warp of the continuum involved. The Colonials, and he presumed the Cylons as well, just used brute force to achieve FTL velocities. A crude, if interesting approach, he decided. Like usin a fire hose ta fill a teacup, he muttered to himself. It wasn t long before dead instruments began to flicker back to life, newly fabricated circuits were slid into place, and old seals and filters were being replaced. While engines of this vast size and intricacy would usually require months in dock, Scott was determined that his people would do the ship s designers proud. Besides, he just loved the challenge! On the bridge, Tigh turned to Adama- Engineering reports repairs proceeding two centons ahead of schedule, Commander. Air filtration plant four is now back on-line, sir. Appreciated by all, replied Adama, taking a tentative sniff. Yes, the air was beginning to smell marginally better. Sectoze a few moments sooner. Adama, shielding his eyes, ordered all hands to battle stations, all pilots to their Vipers. Two, sir, reported Omega, back at his post. Three. My God, rasped Tigh, as the reality of it sunk in. Not only had the enemy gotten ahold of the wormhole device, they d made it work, and followed them across the galaxy, as ever bent on destruction. He studied a readout, still partly scrambled by the effect. Unless he was grossly mistaken, he could see a fourth BaseShip ooze out of the wormhole. Then& What in Kobol&? shouted someone. Massive energy surge, replied the Farragut s science officer, to his Captain s demand. Just moments after the fourth BaseShip emerged from the wormhole, a massive slurry of light and fluttering energy spewed out behind it. For a moment, it seemed as if the very fabric of space around them blurred, smeared, and squiggled, then, with an even more violent bure Earthman to be perhaps the most attuned to the feel of machinery of anyone he d ever met. Within centons of beginning his checks, Scott was already suggesting modifications and repairs that left him feeling both impressed, and like the cadet who s dead last in his class. Tylium said Shadrick, answering a question about their main power source. He explained both the mineral, and how its refined byproducts were used in the engines, as Scott began making requisitions of the Enterprise s stores. When fully refined and processed, it is both highly reactive, as well as emitting considerable radion levels. I see, said Scotty. She s not unlike the basic propulsion system used in the old DY-500 class o ships, back before warp drive, Mr. Shadrick. I m surprised ye can actually make it inta warp at all. Scott waited till the translator had rendered warp drive into the Colonial engineer s language. Since their science did not use the same method of achieving superluminal speeds, there wasns of having three of the ship s filtering plants down had certainly taken its toll on everyone s sense of smell, if not aesthetics. He turned from Tigh, fixing his eyes on scans of the planet below them. Like the one orbited by the wormhole machine, it too was cold, possessed only a marginal atmosphere, and was uninhabitable by Humans. It was, however, well endowed with mineral deposits, including tylium in sufficient quantities to make mining practical. He ordered a team to the surface, then turned to the repair reports. He perused them, signing off on this and that, then toured the various bridge stations under repair. All to keep from thinking about Apollo, thought Tigh, watching his old friend from a distance. Anyone who didn t know the Commander extremely well would never have seen it. Only those closest to him could see the terrible, Sisyphusian weight on his shoulders, the agonized fear he would never permit himself to express. It s made him old, Tigh decided. Old before his timst of light, it closed. Not as before, as some monstrous flower closing up for the cosmic night, but like a burst light fixture, then blackness. For a few moments, no one said or did a thing, as systems, both nervous and electronic, settled down, then there was one more final, feeble spurt of light, like a phaser bank being cut off, then nothing. Utter and final nothing. Systems clearing, said Spock. Systems clearing, said Omega. Systems clearing, said Kang. Systems clearing, said Koloth. Systems clearing, said Loskeem. Systems clearing, by your command, said Lucifer, to Imperious Leader. For a few moments, the Cylon ruler said nothing. Like the IL, his own neural systems were still scrambled by the wormhole effect. Then, as they began to clear, he looked at his underling on the screen, and spoke. All ships, take up battle positions. By your command, Imperious Leader. Taking up a st no warp of the continuum involved. The Colonials, and he presumed the Cylons as well, just used brute force to achieve FTL velocities. A crude, if interesting approach, he decided. Like usin a fire hose ta fill a teacup, he muttered to himself. It wasn t long before dead instruments began to flicker back to life, newly fabricated circuits were slid into place, and old seals and filters were being replaced. While engines of this vast size and intricacy would usually require months in dock, Scott was determined that his people would do the ship s designers proud. Besides, he just loved the challenge! On the bridge, Tigh turned to Adama- Engineering reports repairs proceeding two centons ahead of schedule, Commander. Air filtration plant four is now back on-line, sir. Appreciated by all, replied Adama, taking a tentative sniff. Yes, the air was beginning to smell marginally better. Sectoe. He stopped, catching his own reflection in a dark monitor screen. He shook his head. Look who s talking. Commander, said Athena, taking Omega s place for the moment. Signal from Captain Pike on Enterprise, sir. Transfer to my station, said Adama. The Enterprise skipper had, it seemed, decided it was time for a full-blown conference between themselves, and the newcomers. While it was obvious to Adama that Pike had no love for the Klingons, he had invited them as well, in the interests of peace. In what Adama was coming to realize as typical Klingon style, they had yet to respond. He readily agreed to Pike s request. All parties would meet in the Galactica s council chamber in thirty cen&minutes. Korrd was experiencing conflicting emotions, and wasn t at all sure that he liked it. Introverted and self-possessed (for a Klingon), he had said little about the loss of the Bird-of-Prey B ath. While as senior officer of the Klingon force in this system he was, natuar formation, the four BaseShips activated their defensive armaments, and readied their fighters. And just sat there. For several centons, they didn t move, beyond that same, horrid, hated rotation. Adama, used to Cylons launching instantly, puzzled for a moment as to the delay. Of course, he said aloud. They don t know where they are, or who the other ships are. They are making long-range scans of the region, sir, said Omega. Repeatedly. And their long-range beacons have kicked in. Incoming signal, sir, said Tigh. From the&from the Imperious Leader, sir. Imperious Leader? said Adama, clearly surprised. Put him on, Colonel. He waited, as the screen flickered, then cleared. Greetings, Commander Adama, said the Cylon ruler, his reptilian face taking on the closest thing he was capable of to a smile. At last, we come to the final moment. I shall enjoy, bringing about your death at last. Youns of having three of the ship s filtering plants down had certainly taken its toll on everyone s sense of smell, if not aesthetics. He turned from Tigh, fixing his eyes on scans of the planet below them. Like the one orbited by the wormhole machine, it too was cold, possessed only a marginal atmosphere, and was uninhabitable by Humans. It was, however, well endowed with mineral deposits, including tylium in sufficient quantities to make mining practical. He ordered a team to the surface, then turned to the repair reports. He perused them, signing off on this and that, then toured the various bridge stations under repair. All to keep from thinking about Apollo, thought Tigh, watching his old friend from a distance. Anyone who didn t know the Commander extremely well would never have seen it. Only those closest to him could see the terrible, Sisyphusian weight on his shoulders, the agonized fear he would never permit himself to express. It s made him old, Tigh decided. Old before his timrally, angry at its loss, he had more personal concerns. While only Koloth knew it, and would never mention it in the company of others& Korrd s son had been aboard the B ath. All his children had perished, in the service of the Empire. He felt both the sadness of a father, and the pride of a warrior, at this state of affairs. When the B ath had been destroyed, he had said little. He would mourn in his own way, in his own time, like a Klingon. And, Kahless give him leave, he would take bloody vengeance on those responsible for his son s death. Only, now he learned, he was not dead! After the Cylon had run amok in the science lab, he had received a personal call from the Captain of Enterprise, Pike. The section of the B ath that had survived the ship s destruction had carried three survivors, all being tended by Federation doctors. Apparently, showing considerable honor for mere Humans, they were sending the survivors back. Korax was now stable, and it seemed would live. Mara, the. He stopped, catching his own reflection in a dark monitor screen. He shook his head. Look who s talking. Commander, said Athena, taking Omega s place for the moment. Signal from Captain Pike on Enterprise, sir. Transfer to my station, said Adama. The Enterprise skipper had, it seemed, decided it was time for a full-blown conference between themselves, and the newcomers. While it was obvious to Adama that Pike had no love for the Klingons, he had invited them as well, in the interests of peace. In what Adama was coming to realize as typical Klingon style, they had yet to respond. He readily agreed to Pike s request. All parties would meet in the Galactica s council chamber in thirty cen&minutes. Korrd was experiencing conflicting emotions, and wasn t at all sure that he liked it. Introverted and self-possessed (for a Klingon), he had said little about the loss of the Bird-of-Prey B ath. While as senior officer of the Klingon force in this system he was, natu came all this way, just to be destroyed be me? I m flattered. You have it quite reversed, Adama. I shall be the one to destroy you. I shall at last have what that fool Baltar could never deliver. Your destruction, and with it, your whole race. We have allies, now, Imperious Leader. Powerful ones. You came all this way for nothing. We shall see, Adama, said the Leader, his voice as unctuous as ever. As he spoke, something flitted across the Galactica s viewport. Something blue. Report! ordered Korrd. Unknown, sir, replied Kang. They do not register on our sensors fully. Unable to get a target acquisition, sir, said Worf, taking Kruge s place. Our scanners cannot determine their speed. Mister Spock? Unknown, sir, replied the Vulcanian. Some form of energy, but sensors cannot give specifics. They are traveling faster than our instruments can track them. I see. Status of Cylon forces? e betrothed of Kang, was well, as was his own son, Worf. Secretly, in his heart of hearts, Korrd was relieved that his last child had survived. He was growing tired, Korrd was. Tired of war, tired of all the endless killing for no meaningful reason. Was not the Klingon Empire big enough? Wasn t over a thousand races under the boot of Kahless sufficient for the High Council? Did this mean he had to&thank the Human Captain? How humiliating, he thought, as he embraced his son. He reached out, to grab hold of something, as his ship rumbled. An explosion, he was sure, and fairly close. At once, a klaxon began howling. An underling came up to him. The Cylon in the lab had, it seemed, gotten tired of being cooped up, and was blasting its way out. They had set up a force field across the door, to keep the Centurion inside. Unfortunately, that didn t do a whole lot for the ceiling, the deck, or the other bulkheads in the Cylon s way. From the internal sensors, it seemrally, angry at its loss, he had more personal concerns. While only Koloth knew it, and would never mention it in the company of others& Korrd s son had been aboard the B ath. All his children had perished, in the service of the Empire. He felt both the sadness of a father, and the pride of a warrior, at this state of affairs. When the B ath had been destroyed, he had said little. He would mourn in his own way, in his own time, like a Klingon. And, Kahless give him leave, he would take bloody vengeance on those responsible for his son s death. Only, now he learned, he was not dead! After the Cylon had run amok in the science lab, he had received a personal call from the Captain of Enterprise, Pike. The section of the B ath that had survived the ship s destruction had carried three survivors, all being tended by Federation doctors. Apparently, showing considerable honor for mere Humans, they were sending the survivors back. Korax was now stable, and it seemed would live. Mara, th Holding position at 323.7, z plus 5,500, range 11,000 relative, sir. Sensors read all their defensive systems as armed. Sir, said Alden, picking up a transmission from one of the Cylon ships to the Galactica, sir. Put it on, Mr. Alden. Aye, sir. Give up, Adama, said Imperious Leader, his voice becoming almost oily. I promise you, I shall make your end quick and easy. We have seen what Cylon promises have been worth in the past, you piece of cybernetic garbage. I ll take my chances, and spit my last breath at you! That is your choice, Adama, said the Leader. Then, to everyone s surprise, Imperious Leader was almost shoved aside, and another figure took his place. A figure well known to Adama, and everyone else aboard the Colonial Fleet. A figure that, to anyone else, might have seemed Human. Enough babble. Then, after a moment: I said we would meet again, Adama, said the figure, smiling the smile of Hell. Old friend. ed that the Cylon had, after failing to get out the regular way, cut loose at the nearest wall. Luckily for all, there were no inhabited areas behind the lab. It was the power taps that were the problem. The beam from the stolen disruptor tore through the bulkhead, and ripped apart cable trunks like fresh g dayt hitting the atmospheric impellers. There was a powerful blast, then lights and systems went down all over that part of the ship. And some Human wants me to come to a... conference now? thought Korrd. Commander, said Kang. Alien robot now reported in section fourteen, sir, deck six. Near the life support systems. All security forces converge there. Have engineering shut down gravity in that section. Sir, said Kang, moving to obey. Come, my son, said Korrd. Certainly. Of course. After all, I have nothing else to do. ======================== To the Colonials, the effect of the transporters was still a little startling. To save te betrothed of Kang, was well, as was his own son, Worf. Secretly, in his heart of hearts, Korrd was relieved that his last child had survived. He was growing tired, Korrd was. Tired of war, tired of all the endless killing for no meaningful reason. Was not the Klingon Empire big enough? Wasn t over a thousand races under the boot of Kahless sufficient for the High Council? Did this mean he had to&thank the Human Captain? How humiliating, he thought, as he embraced his son. He reached out, to grab hold of something, as his ship rumbled. An explosion, he was sure, and fairly close. At once, a klaxon began howling. An underling came up to him. The Cylon in the lab had, it seemed, gotten tired of being cooped up, and was blasting its way out. They had set up a force field across the door, to keep the Centurion inside. Unfortunately, that didn t do a whole lot for the ceiling, the deck, or the other bulkheads in the Cylon s way. From the internal sensors, it seem Iblis! breathed Adama, as the image of the evil Count at last registered. Last seen after Apollo and Starbuck had gone to investigate the crash of a mysterious vessel near the Fleet s course, Adama had often wondered about the Count. Who was he? Really? Would he return? What was truly behind his deliverance of Baltar into their hands? Once more, Baltar s question ran through his mind& Who is he? There is no need, Adama, to die today. If possible, the Count s eyes gleamed with even more evil. My offer still stands. Accept my leadership, and you shall live. All of you. Sure. And the Atlantia will be pulling alongside us any centon, growled Tigh. Adama, still looking at Iblis, said no word of reproof to his XO. He seemed to consider a moment, and Tigh wondered why. He could not feel the struggle, as Iblis, from the safety of Imperious Leader s throne room, strove to control Adama s mind. The Commander, naturally, resisted. Resisted despite the stress it put his ime, Pike had convinced Adama to forego the shuttles, and so he and the other Federation officers materialized in the Battlestar s cavernous landing bay, to an honor guard. Once the introductions were done, again, they were led up through the ship to the conference room. Pike at once liked the huge, polished wooden table, sitting on its elevated platform. The old, hand-rubbed wood was certainly at odds with the metal and plastic environment of a starship, and succeeded in giving the room a homey feel. Beyond it, the large viewport gave them a spectacular view of the planet they now orbited, as well as of many of the other ships. One of the stewards on duty was clearly mesmerized by the image of one of the Federation ships, the Constellation, orbiting close to the Galactica. Pike couldn t help but smile ever so slightly. Several of his own crew found the Colonial Battlestar equally fascinating. They took the proffered seats, and waited for the link to Starfleet HQ to initialize. Ped that the Cylon had, after failing to get out the regular way, cut loose at the nearest wall. Luckily for all, there were no inhabited areas behind the lab. It was the power taps that were the problem. The beam from the stolen disruptor tore through the bulkhead, and ripped apart cable trunks like fresh g dayt hitting the atmospheric impellers. There was a powerful blast, then lights and systems went down all over that part of the ship. And some Human wants me to come to a... conference now? thought Korrd. Commander, said Kang. Alien robot now reported in section fourteen, sir, deck six. Near the life support systems. All security forces converge there. Have engineering shut down gravity in that section. Sir, said Kang, moving to obey. Come, my son, said Korrd. Certainly. Of course. After all, I have nothing else to do. ======================== To the Colonials, the effect of the transporters was still a little startling. To save taged frame through, the sweat running off his face. Just when it seemed that he could do so no longer, Tigh shook him. The Commander blinked. The moment was broken. Iblis snarled, furious. He glared at Tigh, but said nothing to him. His face was as twisted with hate as any Human face could be. Then, for a moment, they all could see the Count as he was, for who he was. The twisted, deformed, unimaginable ugliness that was the true Iblis. Spittle, steaming and vaporous, spilled from his black smoldering lips, and his eyes became as red as blood. Fools! rasped the Beginning of Murders. Do you think I shall let you go? That I would ever let you go? Well, your toys haven t had much luck, said Adama, suddenly filled with a feeling of power, of a vitality, not his own. It s about time you showed up. And I am here! This day shall see the fulfillment of my plans! For a thousand yahren I have worked towards the annihilation of your pathetic species! Your race shall noike had felt that this meeting of peoples was too important not to include HQ at once, yet leaving the area, until it was certain there would be no further Cylon incursions, was out of the question. So, Commodore Nogura had agreed to a link, and the refugees from the Beta Quadrant would be meeting with the top levels of Federation government. As he waited for things to click in, Pike studied his guests/hosts more closely. Commander Adama was a man who, somehow, made him think of a Biblical prophet or patriarch. Though manifestly a life-long war leader, he nonetheless exuded the sort of avuncular aire one expected from an indulgent grandfather, or the nice man next door, amply demonstrated when Boxey, Muffit in tow, decided to trundle in unannounced, and was introduced to the newcomers, and then gently sent on his way to bed. A man at the helm of a powerful ship of war, yet he dealt with one small, frightened boy with the gentleness of a St. Francis. That s it, thought Pike. He rime, Pike had convinced Adama to forego the shuttles, and so he and the other Federation officers materialized in the Battlestar s cavernous landing bay, to an honor guard. Once the introductions were done, again, they were led up through the ship to the conference room. Pike at once liked the huge, polished wooden table, sitting on its elevated platform. The old, hand-rubbed wood was certainly at odds with the metal and plastic environment of a starship, and succeeded in giving the room a homey feel. Beyond it, the large viewport gave them a spectacular view of the planet they now orbited, as well as of many of the other ships. One of the stewards on duty was clearly mesmerized by the image of one of the Federation ships, the Constellation, orbiting close to the Galactica. Pike couldn t help but smile ever so slightly. Several of his own crew found the Colonial Battlestar equally fascinating. They took the proffered seats, and waited for the link to Starfleet HQ to initialize. Pt be able to stop me! Pathetic enough to keep you and your toy soldiers at bay for a thousand yahren, quipped Tigh. Only a Human traitor had brains enough to devise a plan that would win. It was you, wasn t it, asked Adama, face like the Wrath of God, who fomented the overthrow of the true Cylons. Who gave them the technology to construct robots and ships in the first place. Who plotted their orgy of conquest, all to bring about the destruction of Mankind! Iblis face seemed to blanch, if possible. Who, when our Fathers on Kobol rejected you, fled away. When we did not die when you murdered Kobol, and survived the wilderness of space to found the Colonies, you found another, more willing race to be your tools. The Commander of the Galactica stood up, tall and strong, and it seemed for a moment as if the long, grinding years of war and suffering and pain had sloughed away, leaving a young, vigorous man at the helm of the mighty Battlestar. You&how&? eminds me of that rancher, near where I grew up. The one with the big house, and the three sons What was his name? Ben& He was brought back to the here and now by the signal from Earth at last coming through. Lacking a subspace commsuite equal to those the Federation vessels carried, the signals were relayed to and from the Battlestar, via Enterprise. The Klingons had not deigned to appear for this conference, or even answer the invitation, but it mattered little. With Starfleet s okay, the conference was being carried out via a code known to have been recently broken by Klingon Intelligence. At least, Commodore Nogura reasoned, the Klingons could never claim that anything of import was hidden from them. Truthfully, anyway. Gentleman, began Adama, bringing the meeting to attention, first I wish to apologize for the abruptness of our arrival in your territory. Faced with the situation with the Cylons, we had no choice if our people were to survive. One does what onike had felt that this meeting of peoples was too important not to include HQ at once, yet leaving the area, until it was certain there would be no further Cylon incursions, was out of the question. So, Commodore Nogura had agreed to a link, and the refugees from the Beta Quadrant would be meeting with the top levels of Federation government. As he waited for things to click in, Pike studied his guests/hosts more closely. Commander Adama was a man who, somehow, made him think of a Biblical prophet or patriarch. Though manifestly a life-long war leader, he nonetheless exuded the sort of avuncular aire one expected from an indulgent grandfather, or the nice man next door, amply demonstrated when Boxey, Muffit in tow, decided to trundle in unannounced, and was introduced to the newcomers, and then gently sent on his way to bed. A man at the helm of a powerful ship of war, yet he dealt with one small, frightened boy with the gentleness of a St. Francis. That s it, thought Pike. He rchoked the Lord of Lies, taken aback by both Adama s words, and his countenance. I know it all, said Adama, blue spheres seeming now to dance around him, on the bridge. All, Iblis. Diabolis. Loki. Set. Deal. All of it. Then be knowledgeable, and die! roared Iblis, becoming even more ugly, if possible. DIE ALL OF YOU!!!!!! The signal faded, and Adama turned to his men. Launch. Moroth s ass, but those ships are beautiful, said Kleege X-UIDL: V_4"!3LS"!^O(#!Xa-"! Culture Shock, Pt.35 Barely had the word left Adama s lips, when intense, massive beams of blue energy began pouring from the lead BaseShip, followed by its nearest fellow, a few seconds later. As always when Imperious Leader was present, the other ships provided cover, protecting their Master at all costs. Immediately the Cylons began firing, the Galactica returned fire, her Vipers screaming out into the void once more, as the Cylons launched their own fighters. Mister Tyler, ordered Pikee must to survive, Commander Adama, said Melk lek, the Federation President. Of the Axinarian race, he was yet another example to the Colonials of the unexpectedly great diversity of Humanoid types to be found in this new region of space. On behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I welcome you and your people to the Alpha Quadrant. Thank-you, replied Adama, words at once echoed by the striking woman next to him, introduced as Siress Tinia, representative of the Colonial Council. Two others, introduced as Sire s Domra and Uri respectively, also acted for the Council. Adama at once set to, unfolding as quickly but thoroughly as possible, the story of his people s millennium-long war with the malignant Cylon Alliance, their defeat through the machinations of the treasonous Commander Baltar, and their desperate flight across the universe. Melk lek, talkative after the fashion of Axinarians, interrupted often with questions, Nogura, who cultivated the inscrutable Oriental image, seldom eminds me of that rancher, near where I grew up. The one with the big house, and the three sons What was his name? Ben& He was brought back to the here and now by the signal from Earth at last coming through. Lacking a subspace commsuite equal to those the Federation vessels carried, the signals were relayed to and from the Battlestar, via Enterprise. The Klingons had not deigned to appear for this conference, or even answer the invitation, but it mattered little. With Starfleet s okay, the conference was being carried out via a code known to have been recently broken by Klingon Intelligence. At least, Commodore Nogura reasoned, the Klingons could never claim that anything of import was hidden from them. Truthfully, anyway. Gentleman, began Adama, bringing the meeting to attention, first I wish to apologize for the abruptness of our arrival in your territory. Faced with the situation with the Cylons, we had no choice if our people were to survive. One does what on on Enterprise, target that lead ship. Full torpedo spread. Torpedoes show ready, sir. Fire! The lights dimmed a bit, and they all heard the noise of the launchers kicking in. Four photon torpedoes tore from out from the starship s hull, directly for the nearest Cylon vessel. Fighters were pouring from her launch bays like angry hornets from a nest, when the first torpedo struck. It flared into a blue-white blossom of destruction, hammering the BaseShip s defensive screens. The rest followed suit, pushing the enemy vessel up and backwards. Almost at once, the next nearest Cylon turned her huge mega-pulsars on Enterprise, the blue beams hammering her shields like the Devil s fist. Pike was knocked to the deck, and the lights flickered, but he regained his feet quickly. Phaser banks, lock on! Which is precisely what the Reliant was doing at that moment. Once the Cylons had opened fire, she had broken positidid, but it was obvious to both the horrific odds against which the Children of Kobol has striven to reach their goal. Damage to the Galactica was considerable, Adama continued, and we of course knew that their BaseShips would attack again soon, when we discovered the wormhole generator. Adama sent, to the holographic monitors at each station, the data files from their scans of the mysterious alien machine, both its internal construction and energy signatures. Sitting next to Pike, Spock leaned close to study the data, his mind eagerly absorbing all he saw. Clearly, the level of scientific and technological prowess possessed by the former inhabitants of that distant system surpassed in many ways that of not only the Federation, but other known races in the Alpha Quadrant as well. Before evacuating the station, and bringing the fleet through the wormhole, said Adama, in answer to the president s question, we set solonite charges throughout the control deck, to prevent the Cylons e must to survive, Commander Adama, said Melk lek, the Federation President. Of the Axinarian race, he was yet another example to the Colonials of the unexpectedly great diversity of Humanoid types to be found in this new region of space. On behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I welcome you and your people to the Alpha Quadrant. Thank-you, replied Adama, words at once echoed by the striking woman next to him, introduced as Siress Tinia, representative of the Colonial Council. Two others, introduced as Sire s Domra and Uri respectively, also acted for the Council. Adama at once set to, unfolding as quickly but thoroughly as possible, the story of his people s millennium-long war with the malignant Cylon Alliance, their defeat through the machinations of the treasonous Commander Baltar, and their desperate flight across the universe. Melk lek, talkative after the fashion of Axinarians, interrupted often with questions, Nogura, who cultivated the inscrutable Oriental image, seldom on, and come up to one-third impulse. Passing over the Cylon force, she opened up with all banks. Though not yet refitted with the new phaser technology, her main lasers were hot, on target, and acquitted themselves well. One BaseShip s screens flared angrily, the next, already stung by Enterprise s torpedoes, felt the red beam pierce her hull, sending metal and debris flying. First blood to you, said Lucifer, grabbing hold of something to steady himself. He ordered return fire, but the BaseShip s air defense gunnery could not follow a ship so nimble, so close. Cursing with words he d learned from Starbuck, he ordered missiles readied. Incoming! shouted someone on the Constellation s bridge, and the ship cut hard to port, barely in time. The salvo exploded, rocking the ship, but her screens held. The starship swung around at nearly half impulse, slathering Lucifer s ship with intense phaser fire. Huge blasts erupted along the Cylon s shield perimeter, but the screenfrom gaining access to the machine, and its technology. Thank God for that, said Garrovik. From what I ve seen, those Cylons are the last thing we need here. The Klingons, Tholians, Romulans, and the rest are quite enough. The charges were set to detonate within a few centons, said Adama. The station is destroyed by now. Can you be certain of that? asked Captain Stone, of the Constellation. As certain as can be, replied Adama. Dozens of Centurions made their way through the station, searching for any sign of Human stragglers. While Lucifer had not considered it likely that any would be found, he had decided to at least go through the motions, for Iblis sake. No, for his own, since he did not want his cranial case melted into slag by another love pat from the mysterious Count. The real reason for the boarding party was to try and discover what frequency triggered the alien machine, forcing it into opening another wormhole to whatever distant part odid, but it was obvious to both the horrific odds against which the Children of Kobol has striven to reach their goal. Damage to the Galactica was considerable, Adama continued, and we of course knew that their BaseShips would attack again soon, when we discovered the wormhole generator. Adama sent, to the holographic monitors at each station, the data files from their scans of the mysterious alien machine, both its internal construction and energy signatures. Sitting next to Pike, Spock leaned close to study the data, his mind eagerly absorbing all he saw. Clearly, the level of scientific and technological prowess possessed by the former inhabitants of that distant system surpassed in many ways that of not only the Federation, but other known races in the Alpha Quadrant as well. Before evacuating the station, and bringing the fleet through the wormhole, said Adama, in answer to the president s question, we set solonite charges throughout the control deck, to prevent the Cylons held for now. Let s go! screamed Cree, as his squadron dove on the first Cylon raiders. He opened fire, vaporizing the nearest Cylon, then rolled, fired again, and cut hard over to avoid an enemy salvo. A Raider exploded behind him, and he came around, to see Sheldrake with two Raiders on his tail. One connected, sending bits of Sheldrake s fighter flying off, then exploded as a laser drilled it dead center. He fired also, sending the second Raider to join the first. Thanks, whoever that was, said Sheldrake, sweat pouring off his forehead. My pleasure, said Bojay, rocketing past. I wish I could, said Garrovik, to Starbuck, on Farragut. Really. But with our deflector screens up, we can t transport anyone. You re& he broke off, as the ship seemed to rock beneath them. You re stuck, till this is over. Lords, we should be in our Vipers, said Giles, helping Starbuck back to his feet. Our squadrons& I know, Giles. But& They wobbled again, as f the universe the Galactica and the Colonial Fleet had escaped to. He naturally hoped for success. Iblis demanded it. And so did Imperious Leader. A message from the Cylon ruler had arrived, urging , yes, that was the word, urging the IL to ever-greater efforts. The communication, replete with references to the consequences of failure, was profusely colorful, and there had not been a dull electron in it. One of the Centurions, a gold-colored Commander named Turpitudus, perused the same data interfaces Athena and the techs had before him. Unlike the Humans, the Cylon felt no frustration or impatience at his initial lack of success. He was, however, aware of Imperious Leader s orders, and Iblis reward for those who failed to produce. Vast reams of data scrolled up the monitor, each and every bit recorded in Turpitudus memory banks, while simultaneously being uploaded to his BaseShip s computers as well. Fortunately for the Cylons, the rate of copying and analysis wfrom gaining access to the machine, and its technology. Thank God for that, said Garrovik. From what I ve seen, those Cylons are the last thing we need here. The Klingons, Tholians, Romulans, and the rest are quite enough. The charges were set to detonate within a few centons, said Adama. The station is destroyed by now. Can you be certain of that? asked Captain Stone, of the Constellation. As certain as can be, replied Adama. Dozens of Centurions made their way through the station, searching for any sign of Human stragglers. While Lucifer had not considered it likely that any would be found, he had decided to at least go through the motions, for Iblis sake. No, for his own, since he did not want his cranial case melted into slag by another love pat from the mysterious Count. The real reason for the boarding party was to try and discover what frequency triggered the alien machine, forcing it into opening another wormhole to whatever distant part o two Raiders swept past, strafing the ship. The helmsman banked hard over, and the main battery opened up. One of the Raiders disappeared under Kirk s gunnery, the second slipped past. Good job, Mr. Kirk, said the Captain. Target lead Cylon vessel, and open fire! Targeting aye, sir! replied Kirk, and angry lances of light spat from the ship, slicing through space to find the Cylon. The BaseShip s screens held a moment, then fire mushroomed from her hull, near one of the landing bays. Kirk followed it up with another shot, ripping more metal from the Cylon, till a pulsar blast connected with Farragut, slamming her hard, and blowing a panel into sparks not inches from the Captain. Seeing that they were too easy a target as they were, the BaseShips split up, seeking to englobe the Galactica and her unknown protectors. As they did so, the fighters, nearly 1,200 of them, sought out their main target, the Battlestar, and her school of flying remoras. As one squadron moved ere a mere fraction of what it had taken Adama s people. Fortunately for the Humans, Cylon data on their enemy s history was as abundant as their tolerance of them. Any and all information taken from captured ships and Warriors, not immediately germane to the war, was discarded as a matter of course. Thus, none aboard the Cylon task force recognized the script or language for what it was. The station s defenses had, of course, activated upon detecting unknowns boarding it. Laser batteries has fired upon the boarding shuttles, destroying one, before they were knocked out. Interior defenses, such as decompressing chambers, or rooms flooding with anesthetic gas, of course had no effect on the Cylons. They went about their evil business, oblivious to it all. Iblis, of course, was not. Once again, the hated blue spheres had skimmed the Cylon force, hovering around his ship a few moments longer than the rest. The accursed vermin knew he was here, knew what he intended. But it was too lf the universe the Galactica and the Colonial Fleet had escaped to. He naturally hoped for success. Iblis demanded it. And so did Imperious Leader. A message from the Cylon ruler had arrived, urging , yes, that was the word, urging the IL to ever-greater efforts. The communication, replete with references to the consequences of failure, was profusely colorful, and there had not been a dull electron in it. One of the Centurions, a gold-colored Commander named Turpitudus, perused the same data interfaces Athena and the techs had before him. Unlike the Humans, the Cylon felt no frustration or impatience at his initial lack of success. He was, however, aware of Imperious Leader s orders, and Iblis reward for those who failed to produce. Vast reams of data scrolled up the monitor, each and every bit recorded in Turpitudus memory banks, while simultaneously being uploaded to his BaseShip s computers as well. Fortunately for the Cylons, the rate of copying and analysis win on the Galactica, Korrd, ever the honorable warrior, fired two torpedoes into the heart of the Cylon formation, then cut loose with sweeping lasers. Over a score of Raiders boiled to dust, shrapnel and wreckage wreaking havoc with several more. Good shooting, my son! bellowed Korrd, as he watched a Raider blown to bits. Worf retargeted his guns, striking the closest BaseShip a telling blow to the lower hull. Its screens flared brightly, then it returned fire, a blue spear of energy slicing into the D-7 s screens. Korrd s ship banked away, visibly wobbly, and the Cylon targeted her again... Ignoring his brother ship, G ith. The second ship opened up, sending two torpedoes into the BaseShip, then targeting her once more before taking a missile from the Cylon in return. Commander, said Loskeem, enemy fighter craft approaching. Range& he broke off, as the first of the Raider s slathered the Tholian with its guns. Plasma cannon, fire! An orange blob of bate for him to be stopped, he told himself. Soon. Soon, the wormhole would open once more, and& Damned machine! he hissed aloud to himself, alone in his chamber. One such as he could, with a mere thought, transport himself and whatever he chose, across the infinity of space. Supreme Beings like himself had no need of&machines! But, he was forcibly reminded by the passing of another blue sphere, he was still under a penalty, for his part in murdering Apollo, back on that planet where his ship had crashed. He was forbidden the use of certain of his powers, for a time of indeterminate duration. While he could at any time go whithersoever he wished, the Cylons themselves were limited to other, more mundane means. He could aid them only to a certain point. He seethed under the ban, his anger brewing up to a fine rolling boil. How dare they&how dare HE, tell Iblis, the Great Illumined One& No one has dominion over me!! he growled aloud. Looking up, he repeated his endless mantere a mere fraction of what it had taken Adama s people. Fortunately for the Humans, Cylon data on their enemy s history was as abundant as their tolerance of them. Any and all information taken from captured ships and Warriors, not immediately germane to the war, was discarded as a matter of course. Thus, none aboard the Cylon task force recognized the script or language for what it was. The station s defenses had, of course, activated upon detecting unknowns boarding it. Laser batteries has fired upon the boarding shuttles, destroying one, before they were knocked out. Interior defenses, such as decompressing chambers, or rooms flooding with anesthetic gas, of course had no effect on the Cylons. They went about their evil business, oblivious to it all. Iblis, of course, was not. Once again, the hated blue spheres had skimmed the Cylon force, hovering around his ship a few moments longer than the rest. The accursed vermin knew he was here, knew what he intended. But it was too loiling light shot from the Kreeda, sending two Raiders flying into chunks, the shrapnel ripping through three more. The Tholian vessel rocked from the multiple blasts, then again as her shields took hits from the wreckage. Kreeda banked, and ran straight into another Raider, its guns buttoning the Tholian ship dead on. Evasive maneuvers! shouted Gommeed. Emergency power! Kleege had at once moved to firing position, but some very good Cylon gunner had anticipated him. As he brought his forward tube to bear on the closest BaseShip, one of the Cylon s megapulsars cut loose, slamming him directly abaft the bridge. Sparks and smoke belched from under a console, all but one of the bridge lights died, and the main screen flickered on and off. His gunner managed one laser shot, then the Bird- of-Prey slid out of the way. No, muttered Lucifer, examining damage repra. No one has dominion over me!! I wonder. He whirled, face hideous, claws flexing, eyes hell red, ready to obliterate anyone who dared speak thus to him. But the room was empty, Cylon machinery his only audience. He remembered the words, of course, remembered the day they had been spoken. Above all, he remembered the one who had so insolently uttered them in his face. Sheba, daughter of Cain. And as he searched the room with senses strange and unholy, he could hear her words, again and again, seeming to mock him. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder. Screaming in utter, yet impotent fury, he flailed out, his vile thoughts obliterating bulkheads, machines, and not a few Cylons beyond them in a blast of orange-blue light. I shall be like the Most High!!! When at last he settled down, he looked about him, finding himself standing amid a blackened, tangled heap of twisted smoking wreckage. No, said Lucifer to a Centurion,ate for him to be stopped, he told himself. Soon. Soon, the wormhole would open once more, and& Damned machine! he hissed aloud to himself, alone in his chamber. One such as he could, with a mere thought, transport himself and whatever he chose, across the infinity of space. Supreme Beings like himself had no need of&machines! But, he was forcibly reminded by the passing of another blue sphere, he was still under a penalty, for his part in murdering Apollo, back on that planet where his ship had crashed. He was forbidden the use of certain of his powers, for a time of indeterminate duration. While he could at any time go whithersoever he wished, the Cylons themselves were limited to other, more mundane means. He could aid them only to a certain point. He seethed under the ban, his anger brewing up to a fine rolling boil. How dare they&how dare HE, tell Iblis, the Great Illumined One& No one has dominion over me!! he growled aloud. Looking up, he repeated his endless mantorts. This was not right. Some of these new enemy ships were using weapons that their scanners did not recognize. Like lasers, only stronger. Hotter. And their shielding was also unlike anything the Cylons had encountered before. This did not, he decided, bode well for the task force. He felt the ship rumble under him, as a shot from one of the ships with the long nacelles connected. Those ships& Centurion, emergency power to deflection systems. By your command. X-UIDL: /Yl!!cPc"!eRI"!X9W!! Culture Shock, Pt.36 by Senmut Main phasers fire! ordered Stone, on the Constellation, and he watched as the red beams sliced space between his ship, and the nearest Cylon vessel. On it s way, it destroyed three Raiders, and hammered the BaseShip s screens just below one of her landing bays. His gunner fired again, and he was gratified both to see another beam, this one from Farragut, connect with the same target also, and the huge ball of hot wreckage a few sections away, picking himself up. I& think I ll wait. No one, seethed Iblis, breathing hard, has dominion over me! Ensconced in his command seat aboard the Kreeda, Commander Gomeed watched the encrypted Federation transmission play on his board. Unlike the Klingons, his people had not yet succeeded in breaking a single Federation code. True, his crypto people were on it at that very moment, but for now, it was all garbage. And Gomeed hated garbage. Obviously, the Feds, and the mysterious newcomers, had something to hide. Now decelerating as they entered the system, the Tholian ships were busily scanning the Colonial vessels, with particular attention being reserved for the immense ship now orbiting the planet. True to his expectations, it was definitely a warship, and a powerful one, too, if the energy signatures they were scanning were any indication. Dozens of gun emplacements, missile tubes, and many fighters in her giant bays. Without a doubt, this ship wouldra. No one has dominion over me!! I wonder. He whirled, face hideous, claws flexing, eyes hell red, ready to obliterate anyone who dared speak thus to him. But the room was empty, Cylon machinery his only audience. He remembered the words, of course, remembered the day they had been spoken. Above all, he remembered the one who had so insolently uttered them in his face. Sheba, daughter of Cain. And as he searched the room with senses strange and unholy, he could hear her words, again and again, seeming to mock him. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder. Screaming in utter, yet impotent fury, he flailed out, his vile thoughts obliterating bulkheads, machines, and not a few Cylons beyond them in a blast of orange-blue light. I shall be like the Most High!!! When at last he settled down, he looked about him, finding himself standing amid a blackened, tangled heap of twisted smoking wreckage. No, said Lucifer to a Centurion,blast from the enemy s hull. The Cylon visibly shuddered, her spin stuttering. She returned fire, slamming Constellation directly abeam, shaking her down to her bones. Jolly fired, and then cursed as he missed the Cylon making a dive on the Galactica. He fired again, and saw metal bits fly from one wing. The Cylon banked hard away, and Jolly found another enemy fighter bearing down on him. He fired wildly ahead, momentarily blinded by the burning flower of light erupting in his path. Unable to turn away in time, he flew directly through the boiling miasma that had been the Raider, and felt his ship buck sharply. Something under him went sharply thunk, and his scanner died, followed hard on by one engine. His control stick was brutally snapped from his fingers, and he sailed on& Adama watched the instruments as a Raider flew to bits under the ship s a be a serious threat to the Homeworld, if and when things played out that way. Reading energy transmissions from the Federation ships to the newcomer vessel, sir, reported Loskeem. Transporters. So, they talk. Like all mammals, they talk. He looked at a scan. What of the other ships? Lightly armed, sir, replied another officer. Some are entirely without defensive armaments. That should make it easy, when and if the shooting starts, said Gomeed. Anything else about them, Scan Officer? They read as full of bio signs, sir. Many densely packed, like freight. Most of the ships have low energy signatures, and seem poorly maintained and underpowered. Look at them, said Loskeem, zooming in on the old freighter Gemini. Dented, scorched, battered, and repainted more times than anyone could remember, it looked exactly like what it was. A wreck with a motor on it. It looks like something from a salvors yard, sir. Something that escaped, you mean, chuckle a few sections away, picking himself up. I& think I ll wait. No one, seethed Iblis, breathing hard, has dominion over me! Ensconced in his command seat aboard the Kreeda, Commander Gomeed watched the encrypted Federation transmission play on his board. Unlike the Klingons, his people had not yet succeeded in breaking a single Federation code. True, his crypto people were on it at that very moment, but for now, it was all garbage. And Gomeed hated garbage. Obviously, the Feds, and the mysterious newcomers, had something to hide. Now decelerating as they entered the system, the Tholian ships were busily scanning the Colonial vessels, with particular attention being reserved for the immense ship now orbiting the planet. True to his expectations, it was definitely a warship, and a powerful one, too, if the energy signatures they were scanning were any indication. Dozens of gun emplacements, missile tubes, and many fighters in her giant bays. Without a doubt, this ship wouldnti-aircraft guns, then felt his stomach tighten as a Viper followed suit. It never failed, the feeling of sick nausea, whenever one of his people were lost. He cursed inwardly, fleetingly wishing he had Commander Cain s vast and varied vocabulary when it came to obscenities. Come to think of it, he could use Cain. He turned, as Tigh passed close by, and watched smoke waft from a grill. Fire crews and techs were standing by, but so far, the modifications the Federation engineer Scott and his people had made to the Galactica s shields and power grid seemed to be bearing fruit. The shields were dissipating heat more efficiently, and the guns were hotter by a few percent than before. If only& Bring her around, Lambda Two-Three, he ordered, as they targeted a BaseShip. Missile target acquisition. Missile aye, sir, replied Tigh. Fire! Firing, sir, replied the Exec, and the ordnance shot from the Battlestar, on course for its target. The BaseShip s scanners saw it d Gomeed. At least it was a chuckle to another Tholian. To anyone else, it would have sounded something like air squealing at high pressure out of a tattered organ bellows. It s a refugee fleet, he observed after a few moments. Local intership communications confirmed it. Mostly uncoded, or using simple ciphers, these messages could be read. As his people pieced the tale together, he sent everything he had back home, and ordered his gunner to scan and prepare firing patterns for every ship. And, request more ships for backup. What about the Klingons, though, sir? asked Loskeem. Good question, thought Gomeed. Deuces? said Starbuck, examining the cards dealt him by the blonde young Federation officer. They were in one of the rec rooms aboard the Farragut, and Kirk was engaging in what he liked to call a cultural exchange . For his part, Starbuck was feeling marginally better. They had just heard from Sickbay. O Kala s condition had been upgraded from extremely cr be a serious threat to the Homeworld, if and when things played out that way. Reading energy transmissions from the Federation ships to the newcomer vessel, sir, reported Loskeem. Transporters. So, they talk. Like all mammals, they talk. He looked at a scan. What of the other ships? Lightly armed, sir, replied another officer. Some are entirely without defensive armaments. That should make it easy, when and if the shooting starts, said Gomeed. Anything else about them, Scan Officer? They read as full of bio signs, sir. Many densely packed, like freight. Most of the ships have low energy signatures, and seem poorly maintained and underpowered. Look at them, said Loskeem, zooming in on the old freighter Gemini. Dented, scorched, battered, and repainted more times than anyone could remember, it looked exactly like what it was. A wreck with a motor on it. It looks like something from a salvors yard, sir. Something that escaped, you mean, chuckle coming, but gunnery was too slow, being otherwise occupied. The thermonuclear warhead slammed into the Cylon s battered shields, flowering into a sweetly beautiful corsage of death. The Cylon s screens flared up into the visible range, and then went brilliantly white, before dying. A huge section of her hull was now blackened, buckled, and utterly naked to her enemies. Of which there were aplenty. Within less than one centon, six Vipers dove for the now obviously worried BaseShip, and strafed the naked section of her burned hull. One after the other pumped laser fire into the damaged vessel, tearing open more wounds by the moment. Return fire was spotty and ineffective, and the Vipers made three more passes before several dozen Raiders, as hoped, were detached from fighting elsewhere, to defend their damaged BaseShip, taking some pressure off the Galactica. But to no real purpose. No sooner had the fighters engaged each other, when a massive crack appeared between two hull plateitical to critical. She d come through. Apollo likewise was recovering. Yes, replied Kirk, examining his hand. They re wild. Ah, I see, replied Starbuck, perusing his own cards, and trying to make sense of them. He took a sip of the drink at his elbow, something his host called whiskey, felt his esophagus ignite like a Viper engine, and tried the ol Starbuck charm. As expected, Kirk played his hand, and indicated for Starbuck to follow suit. Whatcha looking at, Starbuck? asked Giles, as the Lieutenant continued to study his hand. This one. He looked at Kirk. What s it called, again? Ace of Spades, replied Kirk. Uhh. Looks more like Spectre s head, said the Colonial, and with a shrug, played his hand. He took the spreading grin on Kirk s face to be indicative of failure on his part, and Starbuck hated to fail. Be it combat, women, or even cards, the whole point was to win. He studied the cards a moment or two more, before noticing the smirks of his cod Gomeed. At least it was a chuckle to another Tholian. To anyone else, it would have sounded something like air squealing at high pressure out of a tattered organ bellows. It s a refugee fleet, he observed after a few moments. Local intership communications confirmed it. Mostly uncoded, or using simple ciphers, these messages could be read. As his people pieced the tale together, he sent everything he had back home, and ordered his gunner to scan and prepare firing patterns for every ship. And, request more ships for backup. What about the Klingons, though, sir? asked Loskeem. Good question, thought Gomeed. Deuces? said Starbuck, examining the cards dealt him by the blonde young Federation officer. They were in one of the rec rooms aboard the Farragut, and Kirk was engaging in what he liked to call a cultural exchange . For his part, Starbuck was feeling marginally better. They had just heard from Sickbay. O Kala s condition had been upgraded from extremely crs in the lower hull of the BaseShip, and hot gas and debris spewed forth like water from a cracked dam. Intense beams of green light, pounding her courtesy of the G ith, ripped more plating from her side, followed a moment later by more shots from G roth. The BaseShip began to try and pull back, but could barely even maintain her trim. She began tumbling away, towards the Colonial Fleet, firing wildly as she went. Like Starbuck aboard the Farragut, Sheba had found herself stuck aboard Enterprise when the battle had begun. Feeling angry, no, furious, at being separated from her Viper in time of combat, worried sick over Apollo, and puking like a daggit with morning sickness, she nonetheless got permission from Pike to be on the bridge during the fight. The Federation Captain seemed to intuitively understand a Warrior s need to be near, when the clash of arms began. Though she had tried to keep it buttoned up, she could, like a certain other member of her family, no longer reframrades. How would you like to be tied across my laser guns, and taken on patrol with me? he asked sweetly. Giles looked away, then burst out laughing. Sirrion, more stoical, nonetheless managed a smirk. With wingmen like you guys& began Starbuck. &who needs Cylons? the others finished. Starbuck went from glaring at them, to studying his conqueror more closely. You know, he said, you could make quite a living as a professional wagerer. Nah, said Kirk. I ll keep my day job. Well, you remind me of a three-handed dealer I met once, on Pinias. He heard the others groan. Oh Lords, not the three-handed dealer story again!!!! they thought. Where? asked Kirk, and Starbuck s pulse quickened slightly. Kirk was interested. Perhaps& Pinias, repeated the Warrior. A planet on the edge of the Cyrannis Sector. The gambling chancery there was the most famous in the quadrant. He took a breath, sensing his growing mastery. There was this one casino, and they had this thritical to critical. She d come through. Apollo likewise was recovering. Yes, replied Kirk, examining his hand. They re wild. Ah, I see, replied Starbuck, perusing his own cards, and trying to make sense of them. He took a sip of the drink at his elbow, something his host called whiskey, felt his esophagus ignite like a Viper engine, and tried the ol Starbuck charm. As expected, Kirk played his hand, and indicated for Starbuck to follow suit. Whatcha looking at, Starbuck? asked Giles, as the Lieutenant continued to study his hand. This one. He looked at Kirk. What s it called, again? Ace of Spades, replied Kirk. Uhh. Looks more like Spectre s head, said the Colonial, and with a shrug, played his hand. He took the spreading grin on Kirk s face to be indicative of failure on his part, and Starbuck hated to fail. Be it combat, women, or even cards, the whole point was to win. He studied the cards a moment or two more, before noticing the smirks of his coin. Stepping away from Boomer& There, she said, to Pike, pointing at the lower hull of the BaseShip the Galactica had pinned. She looked at a scanner image on a screen at Spock s station, and zeroed in on a spot on the savaged hull. This lower bay is the closest to their tylium storage bunkers, she told him, who reported her observation to Pike. The Captain nodded to Number One, and the Exec reset her controls, and opened fire. Enterprise s phasers tore into the BaseShip s wounded side, ripping open one landing bay door, and cutting through the Cylon alloys like lightning through mist. The beams held steady, ripping deeper into the ship, until they found their prize. A huge blast tore the enemy vessel open like a burst balloon, sending the interior hurling into space. The smoke and debris cleared for a moment, revealing more than half the BaseShip s lower hull entirely gone, the remaining bits sparking, and spewing burning fuel into space, giving the Cylon an uncontrollable ee-handed pyramid dealer. A Naytarian. Anyway& Starbuck went on, extolling the virtues, or at least the pleasures, of the Colonial gaming systems, the resort worlds near the Colonies, et al. By the end of ten centons, uh, minutes, Kirk was hooked. I m sure my XO will allow it, he said, and led the way out of the rec room, towards the transporter. From all Starbuck had said, Kirk just had to see this other ship, the Rising Star. Cards. Exotic drinks. Foods. Ladies. Wrigley s with engines. "I need to check on O'Kala, first," said Starbuck. "Sure," replied Kirk. Starbuck, asked Giles, as they followed Kirk. What s a Royal Flush ? Dunno. Imperious Leader s toilet stall? ============================ Sir, said Loskeem, aboard the Kreeda. Command base has responded. Two more ships are being dispatched to join us. Excellent, replied Gommeed. Anything else? No, sir. Command is still analyzing the data we transmitted. Very mrades. How would you like to be tied across my laser guns, and taken on patrol with me? he asked sweetly. Giles looked away, then burst out laughing. Sirrion, more stoical, nonetheless managed a smirk. With wingmen like you guys& began Starbuck. &who needs Cylons? the others finished. Starbuck went from glaring at them, to studying his conqueror more closely. You know, he said, you could make quite a living as a professional wagerer. Nah, said Kirk. I ll keep my day job. Well, you remind me of a three-handed dealer I met once, on Pinias. He heard the others groan. Oh Lords, not the three-handed dealer story again!!!! they thought. Where? asked Kirk, and Starbuck s pulse quickened slightly. Kirk was interested. Perhaps& Pinias, repeated the Warrior. A planet on the edge of the Cyrannis Sector. The gambling chancery there was the most famous in the quadrant. He took a breath, sensing his growing mastery. There was this one casino, and they had this thr tumble. She rolled like a lumpy rock, directly towards the nearest Colonial ship, the orphan barge, when the Reliant screamed past, and fired deep into the yawning wounds in the Cylon s hull. The BaseShip disappeared in a heartbeat, going from a million gross tons of evil metal, to a seething, swelling cloud of radioactive vapor. The fireball grew larger and larger, eating up several Raiders, and hurling molten debris towards her sister ships, as the Reliant sped away, peppered by wreckage. Cheering erupted on the Enterprise s bridge, and did they but know, the Galactica s as well. On Farragut, Starbuck slammed Giles across the back with a hearty slap, and the two old comrades cheered as loudly as a klaxon. The normally stern Garrovik turned to look at his unwilling guests, but said naught, actually smiling at the antics of the two young men. Yes, I was young once, he thought. Barely had he looked back from the Colonial Warriors, when senwell. Korrd felt the change in gravity, as the generators shut down on deck six, section fourteen. He and his men, however, in battle armor and magnetic boots, stayed rooted to the deck. Kang regarded his scanner. Alien robot is behind that bulk& he stopped, as an ugly disruptor beam ripped through the door, and gave him a haircut. Really? said Korrd, as they all ducked back around the corner. He and two security men replied with their own disruptors, blowing the door to scrap, chunks flying everywhere in the null gravity. Another beam from the captured weapon swathed by, this time missing them entirely, but tearing up the deck. Security Officer Kadwal fired a grenade through the open hatchway, and a second or two later, the entire room blossomed into orange fire. Excellent, said Kang, as they waited for the smoke to clear. As they did so, there was a secondary blast, and more wreckageee-handed pyramid dealer. A Naytarian. Anyway& Starbuck went on, extolling the virtues, or at least the pleasures, of the Colonial gaming systems, the resort worlds near the Colonies, et al. By the end of ten centons, uh, minutes, Kirk was hooked. I m sure my XO will allow it, he said, and led the way out of the rec room, towards the transporter. From all Starbuck had said, Kirk just had to see this other ship, the Rising Star. Cards. Exotic drinks. Foods. Ladies. Wrigley s with engines. "I need to check on O'Kala, first," said Starbuck. "Sure," replied Kirk. Starbuck, asked Giles, as they followed Kirk. What s a Royal Flush ? Dunno. Imperious Leader s toilet stall? ============================ Sir, said Loskeem, aboard the Kreeda. Command base has responded. Two more ships are being dispatched to join us. Excellent, replied Gommeed. Anything else? No, sir. Command is still analyzing the data we transmitted. Very sors picked up& Incoming missile from the Cylons&&& X-UIDL: fUC!!X;a!!Q+S!!TL%"! Culture Shock, Pt.36 Far, far away from the battle, energy radiating outwards from the destroyed wormhole device touched the sensor grid of a ship. On it s bridge, the officer charged with monitoring those scanning devices noted its presence, did a quick analysis, and turned to his superior. Commander, you should have a look at this. For a long, long moment, though in realtime it was but a fraction of a millicenton, Imperious Leader sat, silently, reviewing the destruction of his supporting BaseShip. How? How in all that was ordered and normal could this have happened? An up to date, top of the line BaseShip, blown to bits like a trapped fighter? And after only a few centons? Again he reviewed the data, and again he could not grasp how it could be. Foolswell. Korrd felt the change in gravity, as the generators shut down on deck six, section fourteen. He and his men, however, in battle armor and magnetic boots, stayed rooted to the deck. Kang regarded his scanner. Alien robot is behind that bulk& he stopped, as an ugly disruptor beam ripped through the door, and gave him a haircut. Really? said Korrd, as they all ducked back around the corner. He and two security men replied with their own disruptors, blowing the door to scrap, chunks flying everywhere in the null gravity. Another beam from the captured weapon swathed by, this time missing them entirely, but tearing up the deck. Security Officer Kadwal fired a grenade through the open hatchway, and a second or two later, the entire room blossomed into orange fire. Excellent, said Kang, as they waited for the smoke to clear. As they did so, there was a secondary blast, and more wreckage spewed from the shredded bulkhead, followed by gradually spreading flames. Through the smoke and fire, they could see ruptured conduits and sparking power trunks, but no sign of the Cylon. Even as he registered that, Korrd was sent into the far bulkhead by yet another blast. Engineering! he ordered into his suit mic. Restore gravity. At once, he fell to the deck, bruising his tailbone, and uttering a few choice words. Within the burning section, loud crashings could be heard as wreckage fell back to the deck. Fire alert! Activate suppression! For a few seconds, nothing happened. Korrd repeated the order, more forcefully this time. Primary system off-line, sir, came a voice. Attempting to& Feklar conjugate your attempts! Get a fire crew here at once! Sir. Well, sir, said Worf, we have destroyed the Cylon, sir. Things could have been worse. Korrd turned to him, face a sneer of contempt. And how, pray tell, my son? The lights went out. ! said a voice, and Imperious Leader roused himself from his reverie, which, his internal chrono told him had amounted to a mere .0013 millicentons, and turned to face the source of the word. Idiots! said Iblis, turning to look at the Leader. What kind of retarded turnips do you have with you? Their weapons are unfamiliar to us, replied Imperious Leader, annoyed with both Iblis tone, and the comparison to something he knew nothing of. The word turnip, naturally, did not exist in the Cylon databanks. You did not tell us that there would be other Human vessels here, or that their weapons would be so powerful. As if to punctuate his last statement, the ship shook, a rumble shuddering through her hull. Do not presume to remonstrate with me, machine! said Iblis, in a quiet voice. The kind of quiet voice the hired killer uses right before he slips the knife into you. You would be nothing but for me. Your whole race would not exist but for me!!! We are gra spewed from the shredded bulkhead, followed by gradually spreading flames. Through the smoke and fire, they could see ruptured conduits and sparking power trunks, but no sign of the Cylon. Even as he registered that, Korrd was sent into the far bulkhead by yet another blast. Engineering! he ordered into his suit mic. Restore gravity. At once, he fell to the deck, bruising his tailbone, and uttering a few choice words. Within the burning section, loud crashings could be heard as wreckage fell back to the deck. Fire alert! Activate suppression! For a few seconds, nothing happened. Korrd repeated the order, more forcefully this time. Primary system off-line, sir, came a voice. Attempting to& Feklar conjugate your attempts! Get a fire crew here at once! Sir. Well, sir, said Worf, we have destroyed the Cylon, sir. Things could have been worse. Korrd turned to him, face a sneer of contempt. And how, pray tell, my son? The lights went out. Oh. The gravity aboard the Rising Star was a little heavier than the Earth-normal that Kirk was used to, but he d felt worse, on numerous planets, and after a few minutes he forgot about it completely. The ship was, he had to admit, luxurious. Lavish. No, make that Sybaritic. Starbuck explained that it had originally been built, about nine yahren before the Holocaust, as a liner, catering to the hyper wealthy crowd, which had nothing better to do but spend their money indulging themselves. Oh my, he muttered, upon entering the gaming area. He was reminded of the casinos on Wrigley s, and a wild liberty on Risa a few weeks back, but this place had them all beat. They ought to call this ship The Rising Sodom, he thought. Up on a glittering stage, dancers in a wide and hedonistic variety of undress cavorted, as others did so on the floor, played cards, or other, as yet unidentified games of chance. Starbuck led them to a table, and since he had no Colonial currency, Giles handedteful for all you did for us, said Imperious Leader, accessing for the first time in sectars the memories of his destroyed predecessor, who had been activated before the onset of the war with the Humans. Yes, all that the Cylon race had become had been due to this&being. Imperious Leader found this fact, undeniable as it was&unsettling. The Cylon race, the very pinnacle of the evolution of the purity of the machine, the product of a man. Iblis was, however, not a man, he reminded himself. He was some sort of being, some unquantifiable class of creature, which seemed to transcend both living tissue, and electronic circuits. Iblis was neither. And if it were not for the fact that he knew certain codes that compelled obedience from every Cylon, regardless of status, Imperious Leader would have had him executed, or at the very least thrown off the ship. Only Iblis knowledge prevented this action. Once more& Protocol seven, nested memory file 3955, program Avenger , said Iblis, Oh. The gravity aboard the Rising Star was a little heavier than the Earth-normal that Kirk was used to, but he d felt worse, on numerous planets, and after a few minutes he forgot about it completely. The ship was, he had to admit, luxurious. Lavish. No, make that Sybaritic. Starbuck explained that it had originally been built, about nine yahren before the Holocaust, as a liner, catering to the hyper wealthy crowd, which had nothing better to do but spend their money indulging themselves. Oh my, he muttered, upon entering the gaming area. He was reminded of the casinos on Wrigley s, and a wild liberty on Risa a few weeks back, but this place had them all beat. They ought to call this ship The Rising Sodom, he thought. Up on a glittering stage, dancers in a wide and hedonistic variety of undress cavorted, as others did so on the floor, played cards, or other, as yet unidentified games of chance. Starbuck led them to a table, and since he had no Colonial currency, Giles handed him a small pouch of cubits. Gold, said Kirk, examining one, which the translator rendered as auric . Yep, said Starbuck, already feeling better, as he bellied up to a table. He waved at one of the girls at the next table, then acknowledged several others. Friends? asked Kirk. Sort of, replied the pilot. He took a deck from the dealer, and spread them out for Kirk. This, Lieut& Jim, please. Jim. This is pyramid deck& As Starbuck explained, Kirk s attention was drawn again to the others aboard the liner. Most were Human, or appeared so. A vocal group, just firing up, was composed of three bizarre Humanoids, each with two sets of eyes and mouths each, in a head set upon an otherwise gorgeous feminine body, dressed in skimpy, clingy gowns. From them, he turned to see a man, apparently the dealer, with purplish skin like burned plastic, and a couple of& What are they? he asked, as the hulking fellows made their way across the dance floorlooking directly into the other s optical sensors, and at once Imperious Leader felt the will to kill this creature fade. He felt utterly impotent, impotent and confused, as Iblis smiled at him, a smile not unlike one his predecessor had seen on the face of the Human traitor, Baltar, when the duplicitous Commander had first broached his treacherous scheme. A smile of victory, of knowing of a certainty that one has their opponent utterly in their hands, because they have absolutely no choice. A look that faded rapidly as one of the mysterious blue spheres seemed to fly right through the room, barely missing the gloating Iblis. The Count turned to look where it had gone, but the mysterious manifestation was gone faster than any mere Human could follow. But, as Imperious Leader knew, Iblis was not Human, and when a second sphere appeared, then a third, the Count, with a growl of anger and a swish of his robes, vanished from the throne room, leaving the Leader alone. The ship rumbled him a small pouch of cubits. Gold, said Kirk, examining one, which the translator rendered as auric . Yep, said Starbuck, already feeling better, as he bellied up to a table. He waved at one of the girls at the next table, then acknowledged several others. Friends? asked Kirk. Sort of, replied the pilot. He took a deck from the dealer, and spread them out for Kirk. This, Lieut& Jim, please. Jim. This is pyramid deck& As Starbuck explained, Kirk s attention was drawn again to the others aboard the liner. Most were Human, or appeared so. A vocal group, just firing up, was composed of three bizarre Humanoids, each with two sets of eyes and mouths each, in a head set upon an otherwise gorgeous feminine body, dressed in skimpy, clingy gowns. From them, he turned to see a man, apparently the dealer, with purplish skin like burned plastic, and a couple of& What are they? he asked, as the hulking fellows made their way across the dance floor, seemingly oblivious to the other people around them. Tall, hideously muscular, and with heavy beards and hoods, they sported enormous brow ridges and noses, giving Kirk the impression of a troupe of seven foot Neanderthals, without the bearskins. Borellian Nomen, explained Sirrion. Whatever you do, stay out of their way, Jim. Bad news? Very, said Giles. Ready? said Starbuck. Kirk nodded, after a last look at the Nomen. Smiling the smile of the cat who s swallowed the cream, Starbuck turned to the dealer. Let s roll! Excellent work, said Lucifer, to the Centurion who d brought him the report. They had, he hoped, isolated the frequency required to trigger the wormhole device into operation. Make that fervently hoped. How ridiculously obvious, the IL told himself. The Colonial ships almost always used their attack scanners to sweep the area ahead of them, and they utilized a limited set of frequencies for this purpose. Certainly, they woulbeneath his feet once more, a light flickered, and he activated a circuit in his giant brain. Control Center. Status report. Jolly s control stick was useless. When he tried to move it forwards and back, it was stuck fast as a beached ship. Side to side, it flopped like a limp& Another warning beep sounded, adding its noise to the cacophony of all the other beeps. Something smelled burned, and he tried to access his diagnostic board. Damnation! Another engine had just kicked out, and if the wreck of what had once been his control panel was to be believed, he was leaking fuel from the left dump vent, and leaking mighty fast, too. As he tried to bring some life back to his crippled Viper, he felt himself growing lightheaded, and reached under the seat for the emergency oxygen bottle. Deep breath. Deep breath. Yes. His scanner was dead, but as he looked out his canopy, he saw a Raider crossing his line of flight. Angry, scared, and feeling helpless, he none, seemingly oblivious to the other people around them. Tall, hideously muscular, and with heavy beards and hoods, they sported enormous brow ridges and noses, giving Kirk the impression of a troupe of seven foot Neanderthals, without the bearskins. Borellian Nomen, explained Sirrion. Whatever you do, stay out of their way, Jim. Bad news? Very, said Giles. Ready? said Starbuck. Kirk nodded, after a last look at the Nomen. Smiling the smile of the cat who s swallowed the cream, Starbuck turned to the dealer. Let s roll! Excellent work, said Lucifer, to the Centurion who d brought him the report. They had, he hoped, isolated the frequency required to trigger the wormhole device into operation. Make that fervently hoped. How ridiculously obvious, the IL told himself. The Colonial ships almost always used their attack scanners to sweep the area ahead of them, and they utilized a limited set of frequencies for this purpose. Certainly, they would have done so upon first investigating the huge alien device. Simple. Obvious. It should have occurred to him long ago. Why hadn t it, then? Unfortunately, he had no time to ponder this, for he had to report to Count Iblis, and Imperious Leader, this new development. Actually, he would have already, if the somewhat testy being hadn t slagged half a deck, and left intership communication in a complete mess. Yes? said Iblis, as he entered the Count s chamber. Already, techs scurried about, repairing the devastated room. In front of him was a holographic image of Imperious Leader, with whom the Count had been conversing when Lucifer had entered. His voice was calm, yet quietly eloquent with the consequences of displeasure. We believe we have discovered the proper frequency for activating the device, Imperious Leader, Lord Iblis. Indeed, replied the white robed menace. Though he was certainly not biological in nature, Lucifer could still sense a change in the alien. Atheless decided that he wasn t going out except with a last strike at the enemy, and he gripped the control stick, and waited. Hoping his gauge was telling the truth& He fired, and a single bolt of energy spat from his right gun, and nailed the Cylon dead on. The Raider spewed chunks and gas into space, then the cockpit window blew out into vacuum. Jolly whooped at this tiny victory, then fell silent as he saw what was ahead. The planet they were orbiting, growing larger by the moment. As if that weren t enough, a huge chunk of debris, at least five or six times the size of his ship, was between him and the planet, and he was sailing right into it. He yanked on the control stick once more, but it still refused to obey him. His ship kept on, the huge hunk of debris growing larger and larger. He hit UNICOM, he practically yelled into his helmet, but so far, there had been no response to his pleas for help. Almost too far away to bed have done so upon first investigating the huge alien device. Simple. Obvious. It should have occurred to him long ago. Why hadn t it, then? Unfortunately, he had no time to ponder this, for he had to report to Count Iblis, and Imperious Leader, this new development. Actually, he would have already, if the somewhat testy being hadn t slagged half a deck, and left intership communication in a complete mess. Yes? said Iblis, as he entered the Count s chamber. Already, techs scurried about, repairing the devastated room. In front of him was a holographic image of Imperious Leader, with whom the Count had been conversing when Lucifer had entered. His voice was calm, yet quietly eloquent with the consequences of displeasure. We believe we have discovered the proper frequency for activating the device, Imperious Leader, Lord Iblis. Indeed, replied the white robed menace. Though he was certainly not biological in nature, Lucifer could still sense a change in the alien. A wave, or pulse, of energy from Iblis washed over his sensors. Though he could not identify it, Lucifer was nonetheless left with the impression of&elation? Pleasure? He couldn t be sure. Then let us begin. By your command, said Lucifer, and turned to lead Iblis to Control Center. As he walked, Lucifer once more wondered something that had bothered him for nearly as long as he had been active. Why do Iblis and Imperious Leader have the same voice? Culture Shock, Pt.29 ============================ Everyone in the Galactica s council chamber stood, as the transporter energy faded, solidifying into Korrd, his XO Kang, and another hulking example of Klingondom, introduced as Korrd s son, Worf. Once the crisis aboard the G roth was under control, Korrd had been ordered by his superiors to attend the Federation s conference with the newcomers. While they were, of course, reading it all, they nonetheless wanted, nay needed to be seen, making their presence felt. Korrd str seen, Ensign Greenbean nonetheless saw the Cylon explode, and turned that way. He scanned, and picked up the barely transmitting distress call from Jolly s Viper. Banking hard, he headed that way, following the glittering trail of fuel his friend was leaking, coming up close alongside the crippled ship, just as the last of Jolly s fuel spluttered out into space, killing his last engine. Jolly? asked Greenbean, his ship bare centimetrons from the other. Jolly turned to look, raising a hand to wave. Okay, bud, said Greenbean. I m going to assume you can hear me. He looked, and saw Jolly tap his helmet, then give the thumbs up. So, at least he could hear, if not transmit properly. Greenbean looked ahead, and saw the wall of twisted death they were headed towards. I m gonna give you a little kiss, Jolly. I know you like girls, so don t take it the wrong way. He maneuvered his Viper closer, so close the computer gave him a proximity warning. He ignored it, and edged closer. Cl wave, or pulse, of energy from Iblis washed over his sensors. Though he could not identify it, Lucifer was nonetheless left with the impression of&elation? Pleasure? He couldn t be sure. Then let us begin. By your command, said Lucifer, and turned to lead Iblis to Control Center. As he walked, Lucifer once more wondered something that had bothered him for nearly as long as he had been active. Why do Iblis and Imperious Leader have the same voice? Culture Shock, Pt.29 ============================ Everyone in the Galactica s council chamber stood, as the transporter energy faded, solidifying into Korrd, his XO Kang, and another hulking example of Klingondom, introduced as Korrd s son, Worf. Once the crisis aboard the G roth was under control, Korrd had been ordered by his superiors to attend the Federation s conference with the newcomers. While they were, of course, reading it all, they nonetheless wanted, nay needed to be seen, making their presence felt. Korrd strode purposefully across the floor, handed his cloak to a servitor without even looking at him, introduced his party, and they were shown their seats. Quickly recapping, Adama showed them the basic data on the Cylons. Korrd did not, of course, mention the recent trouble aboard his own ship, but was secretly hoping his Federation counterparts were having similar problems. He looked around the table. Hhmphff& Captains all. Probably not. Naturally, being the brusque Klingon, Korrd demanded to know why the Colonials had come here, and what they intended. Refugees were not to his taste, of course. From his point of view, war should produce no refugees. Everyone should either submit, or die, and not clog the roads. What refugees? But, he was faced with the reality of the Galactica, and her fleet. And while he had no doubts about his own skill in battle, he saw, more deeply than any of his crew, what a formidable vessel this Battlestar truly was. He would rather not, he decidedoser. Ever closer. Despite screaming alarms, he edged his left wing under the mangled remains of Jolly s right one. Hold her steady for a few more millicentons, buddy. He spared a look forward, and saw the huge chunk of wreckage nearly filling his cockpit window and scanner screen. Then, once he heard and felt the two pieces of metal scrape together, and the computer scream at him& He flipped his Viper over sharply a few degrees, sending Jolly s crippled ship tumbling away from the wreckage ahead, his fighter missing the chunk of metal by less than the length of a Viper. He sailed past it, letting out a long deep breath, and thanking each and every one of the Lords of Kobol in turn, by name. As he tried once more to regain control of his ship, he saw Greenbean reappear, moving in front of him, and a tether shoot from under the stern of his Viper, to latch on to his own. As he felt the tether connect with a thunk, he saw another Viper join his savior, then a third. Slowly, he was pulled ode purposefully across the floor, handed his cloak to a servitor without even looking at him, introduced his party, and they were shown their seats. Quickly recapping, Adama showed them the basic data on the Cylons. Korrd did not, of course, mention the recent trouble aboard his own ship, but was secretly hoping his Federation counterparts were having similar problems. He looked around the table. Hhmphff& Captains all. Probably not. Naturally, being the brusque Klingon, Korrd demanded to know why the Colonials had come here, and what they intended. Refugees were not to his taste, of course. From his point of view, war should produce no refugees. Everyone should either submit, or die, and not clog the roads. What refugees? But, he was faced with the reality of the Galactica, and her fleet. And while he had no doubts about his own skill in battle, he saw, more deeply than any of his crew, what a formidable vessel this Battlestar truly was. He would rather not, he decided, have to face him&no, make that her he reminded himself, in battle, without plenty of backup. The Cylon fighters, small and flimsy as they were by comparison to his own ship, had done enough damage. What might squadrons of Colonial fighter craft not do? But first things first. I wish to extend my thanks, he said, to Adama, slowly and deliberately. For? Saving my ship and crew, Commander. You destroyed a Cylon fighter craft about to crash into me. You and your people are considerable warriors. Thank you, Commander, replied Adama. Any enemy of the Cylons. Indeed, indeed, he said, slapping the table. He turned to accept a cup of wine from the steward, looked about the huge chamber, then at the planet beyond the port. I am impressed, in fact. Truly I am. This vessel, Commander. Built by those who truly understand war! He cast a sidelong glance over his cup at Captain Stone of the Constellation, with whom he had traded a few shots over the years. Yes, away from his course into oblivion. He waived at the other pilots& And saw at least four raiders heading directly for them. He swore, and checked his weapons. His lasers were down to below firing level. His ship was helpless, he could do nothing. Till an intense beam of green energy sliced through the formation, destroying them all. As the Cylons sublimed into vapor, he saw one of the alien ships, the Cling-ons, speed nearby. He didn t know, or care, he just was glad to be in one piece. He waved at the alien vessel, then looked ahead, where the Galactica was drawing near. Like his Leader, Lucifer also was stunned a moment, at the destruction of the BaseShip. It had been the newest and best defended of the group. How? Obviously, these Federation Humans had weapons far, far more powerful than anything the Colonials had ever fielded. Clearly, they had stumbled into a situation they could not handle, any fool could see that. The IL Series spent th, have to face him&no, make that her he reminded himself, in battle, without plenty of backup. The Cylon fighters, small and flimsy as they were by comparison to his own ship, had done enough damage. What might squadrons of Colonial fighter craft not do? But first things first. I wish to extend my thanks, he said, to Adama, slowly and deliberately. For? Saving my ship and crew, Commander. You destroyed a Cylon fighter craft about to crash into me. You and your people are considerable warriors. Thank you, Commander, replied Adama. Any enemy of the Cylons. Indeed, indeed, he said, slapping the table. He turned to accept a cup of wine from the steward, looked about the huge chamber, then at the planet beyond the port. I am impressed, in fact. Truly I am. This vessel, Commander. Built by those who truly understand war! He cast a sidelong glance over his cup at Captain Stone of the Constellation, with whom he had traded a few shots over the years. Yes, truly understand war. Only out of need, replied Siress Tinia, not certain if she liked these people. They reminded her of Borellian Nomen, with a dash of the Eastern Alliance thrown in. The war was forced upon us. War is forced upon us all, said Kang. It is the nature of life, the struggle for existence. It is how we respond to it that says who we are. Number One, reported Tyler, back on Enterprise, manning the sensors in Spock s absence. Yes? Sensors are detecting two more Tholian vessels, ma am. Just coming into sensor range. ETA, Mr. Tyler? Approximately nineteen hours to intercept. Velocity 0.97 C. Very well. Ma am? We re also detecting a slight increase in neutrino emissions from the wormhole coordinates. Is it opening, Lieutenant? It doesn t seem to be, at least not yet, ma am. Very well. Continue monitoring. Coordina truly understand war. Only out of need, replied Siress Tinia, not certain if she liked these people. They reminded her of Borellian Nomen, with a dash of the Eastern Alliance thrown in. The war was forced upon us. War is forced upon us all, said Kang. It is the nature of life, the struggle for existence. It is how we respond to it that says who we are. Number One, reported Tyler, back on Enterprise, manning the sensors in Spock s absence. Yes? Sensors are detecting two more Tholian vessels, ma am. Just coming into sensor range. ETA, Mr. Tyler? Approximately nineteen hours to intercept. Velocity 0.97 C. Very well. Ma am? We re also detecting a slight increase in neutrino emissions from the wormhole coordinates. Is it opening, Lieutenant? It doesn t seem to be, at least not yet, ma am. Very well. Continue monitoring. Coordinaree picocentons calculating the odds of victory. They were dismal, as were the odds of mere survival. A conclusion punctuated by the sudden hard slam his ship took at that moment. He gripped the nearest podium to remain standing, and returned his attention to his screen. His gunners continued to pour fire into the enemy, but the return fire was just proving to be too strong for their screens. He ordered fire directed at one of the Federation ships, and felt an almost Human gratification as its shields flared brightly, the megalaser pinning the ship dead center. Almost at once, the Human ship returned fire with the hideously powerful missiles they used, and& The lights failed in Control Center, and Lucifer was momentarily blinded by a panel bursting into flames. The BaseShip shook once more, and something exploded, sending them all sprawling, and debris rained down from the ceiling. Emergency power! bellowed the IL. By your commante your efforts with the other ships, Lieutenant. I ve already contacted the Reliant, ma am. Excellent, Lieutenant. Shall I inform the Captain? asked Alden. Not until there is anything to inform him of, Mr. Alden, replied Number One. Yes, ma am. Sheba had to admit, the drinks on offer aboard Enterprise weren t bad. Beer, a bottle containing Saurian brandy, and something called Coca-Cola seemed to be the most common. She liked, she decided, these Federation Humans. They acted as if welcoming brethren they hadn t known of the day before was the most natural thing in the universe. Like the day aboard the Galactica, the Federation day was divided into three parts of eight centars, or hours, apiece, totally twenty-four. An interesting similarity, she decided. They had linked up with a very young officer, an Ensign named Hikaru Sulu, as their liaison. He and Boomer at once hit it off. Like the Colonial pilot, the young Ensign enjoyed bothte your efforts with the other ships, Lieutenant. I ve already contacted the Reliant, ma am. Excellent, Lieutenant. Shall I inform the Captain? asked Alden. Not until there is anything to inform him of, Mr. Alden, replied Number One. Yes, ma am. Sheba had to admit, the drinks on offer aboard Enterprise weren t bad. Beer, a bottle containing Saurian brandy, and something called Coca-Cola seemed to be the most common. She liked, she decided, these Federation Humans. They acted as if welcoming brethren they hadn t known of the day before was the most natural thing in the universe. Like the day aboard the Galactica, the Federation day was divided into three parts of eight centars, or hours, apiece, totally twenty-four. An interesting similarity, she decided. They had linked up with a very young officer, an Ensign named Hikaru Sulu, as their liaison. He and Boomer at once hit it off. Like the Colonial pilot, the young Ensign enjoyed bothd replied an underling, as another explosion slammed the BaseShip. X-UIDL: (0b!!Sdj"!O8N!!#(L"! Culture Shock, Pt. 38 The Cylon missile exploded barely a ship s length from the outer hull of the Farragut, caught by her lasers. Everyone was hurled back and upwards , and her screen momentarily went blindingly white, as the thermonuclear ordnance gnawed at their shields. Garrovik and Starbuck ended up in a tangled heap together, and several controls burned and died, before the malignant light faded, and they could take stock. Main viewer! ordered Garrovik, retaking his seat. He felt something trickle down his left cheek, and reflexively reached up. There was a deep gash stretching from his brow to over his ear. The viewscreen had momentarily died, and they could see nothing. Sensors! Activating backups, sir, said a voice, and one by one, fitfully, the lights came up, followed by the main viewer a few moments later. Shields? At 46.7 percent, sir, said hi electronics, and botany as hobbies. Both practiced swordsmanship as a form of exercise, and both had a degree in physics. And, both enjoyed the drink Sulu called sake. And they actually gave a command to a man like that? asked Sulu, finishing up his lasagna when he learned of the traitorous Baltar. A Battlestar? Yes, said Sheba. Baltar was a wealthy and powerful man, from an influential family. He wangled election to the Council, and the command. I see. No reflection on your political institutions, said Sulu, but& It is quite alright, said Sheba. Money and power corrupt, regardless of where, or what society, Ensign. Sheba remembered how, on one of his rare furlons home before her graduation, her father, the legendary Commander Cain, had told her of Baltar s schemes to ascend to both the Council, and the command of the Battlestar Pacifica. He had pleaded before the outgoing Council, to the local Senate on Piscera, their mutual home colony, even to numerous electronics, and botany as hobbies. Both practiced swordsmanship as a form of exercise, and both had a degree in physics. And, both enjoyed the drink Sulu called sake. And they actually gave a command to a man like that? asked Sulu, finishing up his lasagna when he learned of the traitorous Baltar. A Battlestar? Yes, said Sheba. Baltar was a wealthy and powerful man, from an influential family. He wangled election to the Council, and the command. I see. No reflection on your political institutions, said Sulu, but& It is quite alright, said Sheba. Money and power corrupt, regardless of where, or what society, Ensign. Sheba remembered how, on one of his rare furlons home before her graduation, her father, the legendary Commander Cain, had told her of Baltar s schemes to ascend to both the Council, and the command of the Battlestar Pacifica. He had pleaded before the outgoing Council, to the local Senate on Piscera, their mutual home colony, even to numerouss exec. Warp drive off- line. Status of enemy forces? There, sir! said Kirk, pointing at the fuzzy, tearing screen. The BaseShip that had attacked them was otherwise engaged at the moment, trading heavy salvos with the Galactica, but at least a score of Cylon fighters were bearing down on them, almost within firing range. Aboard the Kreeda, Gommeed had picked himself up, and was taking damage reports. Thanks to the Elementals, the ship was in better shape than he had feared from the pounding they had taken. The Cylon fighter that had tagged them so precisely had come around for another pass, and been destroyed by one of the Human-flown fighters from the immense Battlestar vessel. For the moment, the Cylons seemed to be ignoring him, as well as his sister ship. Fools. Maneuvering in, closer to the action, Gomme political groups, to try and block Baltar s eligibility to stand for election. All to no avail. Only her father s inordinate love of war had kept him from following her advice, resigning from the military, and pursuing a political career, to oppose Baltar in the Councilar elections. Somehow, she didn t think it was merely a coincidence that, when the Cylon push in the Molocay sector had begun, it was Cain who was chosen to lead the Fifth Fleet Task Force, rather than Adama, the more senior Commander. She also suspected that it had been Baltar who had leaked their battle plans, so that the enemy BaseShips had been waiting for them when they had arrived. Baltar never forgot anything, and never let go a grudge. She tried to relax and forget for a bit, when Sulu told them it was movie night. Once movie was explained, she and Boomer sat back, and found they enjoyed Captain Horatio Hornblower. Boomer had enjoyed tales from the Colonies distant past, when people had regressed to the political groups, to try and block Baltar s eligibility to stand for election. All to no avail. Only her father s inordinate love of war had kept him from following her advice, resigning from the military, and pursuing a political career, to oppose Baltar in the Councilar elections. Somehow, she didn t think it was merely a coincidence that, when the Cylon push in the Molocay sector had begun, it was Cain who was chosen to lead the Fifth Fleet Task Force, rather than Adama, the more senior Commander. She also suspected that it had been Baltar who had leaked their battle plans, so that the enemy BaseShips had been waiting for them when they had arrived. Baltar never forgot anything, and never let go a grudge. She tried to relax and forget for a bit, when Sulu told them it was movie night. Once movie was explained, she and Boomer sat back, and found they enjoyed Captain Horatio Hornblower. Boomer had enjoyed tales from the Colonies distant past, when people had regressed to the ed s gunner saw a hoard of the ugly Cylon fighter craft bearing down on one of the Federation ships. While he had no love for the repulsive mammals, it was clear that they all faced a common foe in these Cylons at the moment. The gunner turned (no small feat for a segmented piece of crystal), seeing his skipper observing the tracking data. Wordlessly, Gommeed pointed to the Cylon formation currently screaming towards the Farragut, and gave the order. Aboard the lead Cylon fighter, Flight Leader Pravus lined up the wounded Federation vessel on his targeting scope in front of the third seat. While much of the data his scanner gave him was unfamiliar, either to his or his ship s database, and therefore useless to him, he could plainly see that the ship was hurt, it s shield energies down significantly and fluctuating, along with some sort of highly energetic plasma venting from one of the long power nacelles projecting from the body of the ship. Significantly enough for his fighters tlevel of wooden ships, and crossed the oceans of their worlds on the wings of the wind. The pilot found himself caught up in the tale, the booming of the cannons, the roar of musket fire. Yes, he decided, if these old pictures were anything to go by, Earth was a planet of surpassing loveliness, her history one to rouse his interest. He looked over at Sheba, and saw her, here yet not here. She s back in Sickbay, he decided. With Apollo. There had been a time, briefly, when he had hoped that Sheba, newly ensconced aboard the Galactica& But no. Fate, God, dumb luck. Whatever forced ruled over such things, Boomer realized that the voluptuous Warrior was not for him. Not without a certain regret, surely. But, he held no animosity towards his CO. He wished Apollo well of her, and let go a tiny prayer for him, even now. As the lights went back up, she thanked Sulu, and headed back for Sickbay. You understand your instructions, Centurion? asked Lucifer, of the pilot about tlevel of wooden ships, and crossed the oceans of their worlds on the wings of the wind. The pilot found himself caught up in the tale, the booming of the cannons, the roar of musket fire. Yes, he decided, if these old pictures were anything to go by, Earth was a planet of surpassing loveliness, her history one to rouse his interest. He looked over at Sheba, and saw her, here yet not here. She s back in Sickbay, he decided. With Apollo. There had been a time, briefly, when he had hoped that Sheba, newly ensconced aboard the Galactica& But no. Fate, God, dumb luck. Whatever forced ruled over such things, Boomer realized that the voluptuous Warrior was not for him. Not without a certain regret, surely. But, he held no animosity towards his CO. He wished Apollo well of her, and let go a tiny prayer for him, even now. As the lights went back up, she thanked Sulu, and headed back for Sickbay. You understand your instructions, Centurion? asked Lucifer, of the pilot about to board the Raider. By your command. Yes, but do you understand? Upon reaching the specified coordinates, transmit on the specified frequency. Too many specifieds, thought Lucifer. Yes. Now go. By your command. Sigh Lucifer watched the ship launch, and hoped this worked. After all, Iblis& Chose that moment to call him. Daggit drivel! X-UIDL: ]d4!!IQ(#!WgF"![/=!! Culture Shock, Pt.30 ============================ Starbuck looked up from the table, to gaze into Lieutenant Kirk s eyes. For a moment, the ship, no the entire universe, seemed to spin crazily. This was impossible! It just could not be happening! He would sooner expect the Cylon Imperious Leader to get up on stage, and do a long slow strip. Kirk had hit him with a perfect pyramid! After a shaky start, the Starfleet man had won one game with a quarter, then a half pyramid. Then, after losing to the Card Sharp of Caprica, Starbuck had been slamo inflict serious damage to the ship. Pravus double-checked his formation, then ordered- Arm weapons. By your command. As they came into killer range, Pravus ship opened fire on the Farragut, and the Command Cylon was rewarded by a bright flaring of energy from the enemy s shields. He was then further rewarded by even more brightness, as the closest ship in the formation erupted into a boiling cloud of debris. Pravus turned to get a better view, and for a microcenton got a truly spectacular one, as the canopy and side of his fighter disappeared under the Tholian assault. Barely had he perceived this, and begun to register surprise, when a chunk of shrapnel sliced off his head, and the orange blob fired from the Kreeda completed its deadly work, burning through the ships, and the every bit of the Cylon force was reduced to hot metal vapor, Pravus surprisefilled head included. Good shooting, Kirk! shouted Garrovik, as the shock wave from the Cylon so board the Raider. By your command. Yes, but do you understand? Upon reaching the specified coordinates, transmit on the specified frequency. Too many specifieds, thought Lucifer. Yes. Now go. By your command. Sigh Lucifer watched the ship launch, and hoped this worked. After all, Iblis& Chose that moment to call him. Daggit drivel! X-UIDL: ]d4!!IQ(#!WgF"![/=!! Culture Shock, Pt.30 ============================ Starbuck looked up from the table, to gaze into Lieutenant Kirk s eyes. For a moment, the ship, no the entire universe, seemed to spin crazily. This was impossible! It just could not be happening! He would sooner expect the Cylon Imperious Leader to get up on stage, and do a long slow strip. Kirk had hit him with a perfect pyramid! After a shaky start, the Starfleet man had won one game with a quarter, then a half pyramid. Then, after losing to the Card Sharp of Caprica, Starbuck had been slam destruction wafted over them. Damn good& Not me, Captain, replied the gunner. It was one of the Tholian ships, sir. Garrovik looked from his gunner, to the main screen. Sure enough, one of the Tholian vessels was skimming past the cooling cloud of debris that moments before had been the Cylon attack force. As he stared in neardisbelief, Garrovik had to admit the intervention was welltimed. Even the one shot that had connected had whittled another half- percent or so off their shield power. With the main warp-core off-line, it would only get worse, unless the engineering crew could pump the impulse reactors up to near insane levels. Even then, with them trailing warp plasma like they were, they were& Helm, he ordered, voice suddenly whip- sharp. Plot us a course away from the battle. 210, mark 11, z-minus 5,500. Sir? Speed, one-tenth impulse, shut down the port impulse engine in nine seconds, take maneuvering thrusters four, nine, and eleven off-line. med back down into his seat with a perfect pyramid. TWICE! Not bad, said Sirrion, keeping his face almost as straight and believable as a Baltar lie. Giles said nothing, but gave Kirk a wink. The Starfleet officer smiled back, and asked the dealer for a larger bag, into which cubits innumerable now vanished with a scoop of his hand. But& C mon, Starbuck, said Giles, trying to keep his lungs from rupturing, It s only a game. But& Kirk smiled, and looked around the lounge again. Through one hatch, several people were entering, four dressed in what was evidently maintenance crew garb. They took a seat at the next table, and ordered drinks. One was, he immediately noticed, a very cute, long-haired brunette, whose bulky suit did little to hide her gender. Hi, said Kirk, taking the initiative. He introduced himself, and invited the newcomer to his table. Starbuck, still in near-cataleptic shock and still muttering But& didn t notice, either the lmed back down into his seat with a perfect pyramid. TWICE! Not bad, said Sirrion, keeping his face almost as straight and believable as a Baltar lie. Giles said nothing, but gave Kirk a wink. The Starfleet officer smiled back, and asked the dealer for a larger bag, into which cubits innumerable now vanished with a scoop of his hand. But& C mon, Starbuck, said Giles, trying to keep his lungs from rupturing, It s only a game. But& Kirk smiled, and looked around the lounge again. Through one hatch, several people were entering, four dressed in what was evidently maintenance crew garb. They took a seat at the next table, and ordered drinks. One was, he immediately noticed, a very cute, long-haired brunette, whose bulky suit did little to hide her gender. Hi, said Kirk, taking the initiative. He introduced himself, and invited the newcomer to his table. Starbuck, still in near-cataleptic shock and still muttering But& didn t notice, either the l Off& The helmsman stopped, suddenly seeing where this was going. Wobble us, said Garrovik. He turned, to regard his Colonial guests a few moments. And load all torpedo tubes. Bring lasers to full capacity. Prepare to drop starboard screens on my order. Torpedo tubes loading, sir, replied Kirk. Lasers to full aye. And transmit my thanks to the Tholian Captain, he added. Uh, Captain Garrovik& began Sirrion. Hold on, Garrovik said, to Starbuck and company. It s gonna get a bit bumpy. What s he doing? whispered Sirrion, to Giles. Unless I m really mistaken, something worthy of Cain, replied Starbuck, trying to hide a smile. Once he was back aboard the Galactica, itself no mean feat in the middle of a battle, Jolly popped his canopy, and got out. Or rather, fell out. Under battle conditions, they had not been able to catch his damaged fighter with the tow beam and recovery armady, nor the distinguished elderly man, making his way towards them. It didn t take long before the young Earther was deep in conversation with the female repair tech, discovering her name, Neith, her job (she was working on repairs to the Rising Star from the recent Cylon attack), and the fact that she bunked aboard the liner. Then, things went south. Hi, Starbuck, said the elderly man, heaving to next to him. Starbuck, still studying the cards like an attack scanner, did not at first acknowledge. Sirrion explained what had happened, and the old man leaned around, to peruse Starbuck s hand. Ah, he said at last. I told you, remember? Unless the dealer holds the capstone& Uh&oh, hi, Chameleon, said Starbuck, at last returning to a semblance of life. How s tricks? Oh, the same, smiled the old man down at his son. He sat, and ordered a drink. Giles introduced him to Kirk, and the old card sharp at once liked the brash young Starfleet officer. Some of us had almost giady, nor the distinguished elderly man, making his way towards them. It didn t take long before the young Earther was deep in conversation with the female repair tech, discovering her name, Neith, her job (she was working on repairs to the Rising Star from the recent Cylon attack), and the fact that she bunked aboard the liner. Then, things went south. Hi, Starbuck, said the elderly man, heaving to next to him. Starbuck, still studying the cards like an attack scanner, did not at first acknowledge. Sirrion explained what had happened, and the old man leaned around, to peruse Starbuck s hand. Ah, he said at last. I told you, remember? Unless the dealer holds the capstone& Uh&oh, hi, Chameleon, said Starbuck, at last returning to a semblance of life. How s tricks? Oh, the same, smiled the old man down at his son. He sat, and ordered a drink. Giles introduced him to Kirk, and the old card sharp at once liked the brash young Starfleet officer. Some of us had almost gi, and pull it in, setting it down in a cradle. No, once inside the landing bay, the tether was let loose, and he skidded to a brutal stop, ending up on his nose. Once the canopy was open, he fell out like a fish on a trawler s deck. Getting up from his unceremonious reunion with his shipmates, he ran, faster than the ship s Fitness Director would have given his credit for, directly towards the launch bay, where three fighters sat empty for lack of pilots. Not waiting for someone to tell him no, ignoring the shouts from behind him, Jolly leaped up into one ready ship, and at once began revving her engines. Lieutenant& began a deckhand, but the rotund Viper pilot waved him off. What, I m gonna sit here on my oversized astrum, while there s a battle on? He hit the button to lower his canopy. No way. But regulations& Frack em with a bovine prod! shouted Jolly, and hit his stick. The Viper screamed down the launch tube, the deckhand unsure of whven up on Earth being real, Lieutenant. Jim, repeated Kirk. Yes, it s real. In fact, I have leave, coming up in a week or two. If things work out, you can come and see the family place in Iowa. Iowa? asked both Chameleon and Neith at once. Kirk explained his birthplace, the burgeoning Megalopolis of Centerville, Iowa, where his widowed mother still lived on the family farm. What s a week? asked Neith, clinging to Kirk s arm and nursing her second ambrosia. A week? It s a period of seven standard Earth days. They tried to work out the variations between systems, when a shadow about the size of the Statue Of Liberty fell across Kirk s drink. There was a grunt, and he looked up, faintly registering an Oh felcercarb from Chameleon, and a sharp intake of breath from his impromptu date. The shadow was connected to someone immediately reminiscent of Mount Rushmore, glowering down at him as if he were a frog about to be dissected in biology class. Leave her aloneven up on Earth being real, Lieutenant. Jim, repeated Kirk. Yes, it s real. In fact, I have leave, coming up in a week or two. If things work out, you can come and see the family place in Iowa. Iowa? asked both Chameleon and Neith at once. Kirk explained his birthplace, the burgeoning Megalopolis of Centerville, Iowa, where his widowed mother still lived on the family farm. What s a week? asked Neith, clinging to Kirk s arm and nursing her second ambrosia. A week? It s a period of seven standard Earth days. They tried to work out the variations between systems, when a shadow about the size of the Statue Of Liberty fell across Kirk s drink. There was a grunt, and he looked up, faintly registering an Oh felcercarb from Chameleon, and a sharp intake of breath from his impromptu date. The shadow was connected to someone immediately reminiscent of Mount Rushmore, glowering down at him as if he were a frog about to be dissected in biology class. Leave her alone, rumbled the Borellian Nomen, reminding Kirk of a Klingon with a serious hormone problem. Without waiting for an answer, the Nomen reached down, and took Neith s arm in his grip. Come. Look, Bela, she said, trying to free herself from his grip, I told you, it s over. She tried to wriggle free, but her arm was like a butterfly caught in a tractor beam. Will you get that through your thick& I have not said so, Neith& began Bela, when Kirk interjected. Leave her alone. Uh, Jim& said Giles. Lieutenant& began Chameleon. Uhh& managed Starbuck, but Kirk wasn t listening. Look, King Kong, the lady said scram. So put an egg in your shoe, and beat it. The Nomen looked back towards Kirk, his gaze going from an annoyed scowl to an irritated glower, tinged with amusement. How&picturesque, said Bela, taking hold of Kirk s uniform with his other steam-shovel bucket of a hand. You have a large voice for someone so&small. And if I choose not to? ether or not the vibration he felt was the departing ship, or a Cylon salvo. Aboard the third remaining BaseShip, the Commander noted the destruction of the attack force sent to destroy the Farragut. He scanned the Federation ship, and formulated a plan. Bringing his ship around, he maneuvered her closer to where the Human vessel was drifting. All mega pulsars, target the Farragut, he ordered. As he spoke, a shot from the Galactica slammed his shields, then a second one. Lights failed, then blazed back. For precisely three picocentons, the Commander was torn. Which ship to attack? Cylon vessel breaking formation, said Koloth. Heading towards grid zero-one-eight, cross-grid five-five. Target, ordered Kleege. Full impulse! X-UIDL: f3B!!K`1!![C/"!;$b!! Culture Shock, Pt. 39 Commander, said the bridge officer, approaching the coordinates of the energy readings. Uncharted solar system at 227, delta 4.4. Alter course, r, rumbled the Borellian Nomen, reminding Kirk of a Klingon with a serious hormone problem. Without waiting for an answer, the Nomen reached down, and took Neith s arm in his grip. Come. Look, Bela, she said, trying to free herself from his grip, I told you, it s over. She tried to wriggle free, but her arm was like a butterfly caught in a tractor beam. Will you get that through your thick& I have not said so, Neith& began Bela, when Kirk interjected. Leave her alone. Uh, Jim& said Giles. Lieutenant& began Chameleon. Uhh& managed Starbuck, but Kirk wasn t listening. Look, King Kong, the lady said scram. So put an egg in your shoe, and beat it. The Nomen looked back towards Kirk, his gaze going from an annoyed scowl to an irritated glower, tinged with amusement. How&picturesque, said Bela, taking hold of Kirk s uniform with his other steam-shovel bucket of a hand. You have a large voice for someone so&small. And if I choose not to? Then I d get worried, replied the Starfleet man. Uh, Kirk& began one of Neith s co-workers, a man named Freeman. Indeed? continued Bela, grinning widely. Worried how? Worried about what s going to happen to your ugly, spent dilithium crystal of a face if you don t. You? asked Bela, leaning close, nose to nose, his grin like the gash in a slit throat. He grinned even wider, showing formidable teeth. I see you re not flossing, said Kirk, allowing a tiny smile to show, but never letting go his eye to eye gaze. You, Tiny? asked the Nomen again, voice almost incredulous. You got it, butt breath, replied his foe. You and who s BaseShip? Barely had the word left his mouth, when Neith, taking advantage of her would-be lover s distraction, kicked his leg from under the table. Bela looked down, eyes going from contemptuous to angry, when Kirk let him have it with a right cross. The results were somewhat like hitting Mount McKinley eplied the Commander, twirling his swagger stick between his fingers. Any sign of Cylons? None so far sir, but I m getting resonate energy signatures that correlate positively with Colonial power systems. Recent? asked the Commander, showing a hint of heightened interest. Still analyzing sensor data, sir, but likely within the last secton. Bring us in closer. With Iblis gone from his presence, Imperious Leader could give full attention to the matter at hand. Yet, somehow, like an organic sentient, some part of his electronic mind would not let go of recent events. The conversation, so-called, with Iblis had left him unsettled, even angry. Though Imperious Leader did not know it, his creators had followed the Human mental pattern a bit too closely, along with the physical, in designing the cybernetic race that now called itself Cylon. He w Then I d get worried, replied the Starfleet man. Uh, Kirk& began one of Neith s co-workers, a man named Freeman. Indeed? continued Bela, grinning widely. Worried how? Worried about what s going to happen to your ugly, spent dilithium crystal of a face if you don t. You? asked Bela, leaning close, nose to nose, his grin like the gash in a slit throat. He grinned even wider, showing formidable teeth. I see you re not flossing, said Kirk, allowing a tiny smile to show, but never letting go his eye to eye gaze. You, Tiny? asked the Nomen again, voice almost incredulous. You got it, butt breath, replied his foe. You and who s BaseShip? Barely had the word left his mouth, when Neith, taking advantage of her would-be lover s distraction, kicked his leg from under the table. Bela looked down, eyes going from contemptuous to angry, when Kirk let him have it with a right cross. The results were somewhat like hitting Mount McKinley as angry, irritated, and were he capable of articulating it, suffering from a bruised pride. All of which detracted from his immediate concern, the fight with the Humans. One BaseShip destroyed, the rest damaged to varying degrees. No way, no way at all, should this have happened. Iblis had lied to him, not bothering to inform him of the powerful, advanced races that inhabited this region of space. As the fight wore on, his massive brain continued to analyze both the enemies, and their vessels, for any scrap of data that could be turned to the Cylon s advantage. One glimmer seemed to be that none of the Human or Klingon ships were designed to defend against attack by waves of small fighter craft, such as the Cylons and the Colonials used. While blasts from their weapons seemed effective in scattering Raider formations at a distance, if the fighters got in close, they could do some real damage. Massive pinwheel attacks, a Cylon standby, should prove effectwith a tennis ball, but it did get Romeo s attention back for the moment. Don t call me Tiny, said Kirk. With a bestial roar, Bela doubled his fist, and backhanded Kirk across the face. He went sailing into Starbuck, knocking the pilot to the floor, and sending cards and drinks flying. Bela let go entirely of Neith, and moved in on Kirk. But the agile Starfleet man doubled up his legs, and kicked as hard as he could, right into Bela s knees. The Nomen gasped in pain, and staggered for a moment, allowing Kirk to regain his feet. Freeman chose that moment to strike Bela as well, smashing a bottle over his head. For his trouble, the tech was sent flying, right into another table. The fight had by this time caught the attention of Bela s Brothers in Nomenness, and they were hurrying that way, one laying hand to the laser boles that were the Nomen s favorite weapon. Starbuck moved his elderly father out of the way, telling him to call Security, and turned& In time to see Gilwith a tennis ball, but it did get Romeo s attention back for the moment. Don t call me Tiny, said Kirk. With a bestial roar, Bela doubled his fist, and backhanded Kirk across the face. He went sailing into Starbuck, knocking the pilot to the floor, and sending cards and drinks flying. Bela let go entirely of Neith, and moved in on Kirk. But the agile Starfleet man doubled up his legs, and kicked as hard as he could, right into Bela s knees. The Nomen gasped in pain, and staggered for a moment, allowing Kirk to regain his feet. Freeman chose that moment to strike Bela as well, smashing a bottle over his head. For his trouble, the tech was sent flying, right into another table. The fight had by this time caught the attention of Bela s Brothers in Nomenness, and they were hurrying that way, one laying hand to the laser boles that were the Nomen s favorite weapon. Starbuck moved his elderly father out of the way, telling him to call Security, and turned& In time to see Gilive, if properly coordinated, and Imperious Leader sent out the order forthwith. As he watched the scanners, waiting for the various squadrons to form up, he saw two more of his own fighter craft destroyed by Vipers, and the second BaseShip take a telling hit from the Galactica s main batteries. Obviously, time was of the essence, and he urged his forces on, infusing them with his sense of urgency. Or trying to, since to a lower-class Cylon, nothing was urgent. Damn Iblis! he said aloud, surprising both himself, and the nearby Centurions. Imperious Leader? asked one. Status of pinwheel formation? It is done, Imperious Leader. Attack. By your command, Imperious Leader. Watching the Farragut trailing warp plasma, the Commander of the second BaseShip allowed himself an almost Human moment of anticipation. The crippled Human ship they were approaching would soon be destroyed, and part of the threat to the task force at the same time. Befores locked in a death grip from one of the other Nomen, and Kirk crashing a fist into Bela s bony face. Starbuck grabbed the second Nomen s arm, and twisted with as much strength as he could muster, wrenching the attacker off balance, and making him drop Giles. The third Nomen was trying to rescue his bandoliers from Sirrion, who quick-thinkingly tore them from him, to forestall any unfortunate results. In revenge, the third Nomen picked up a chair, and brought in crashing down on him, then held one of the legs over his head as a bludgeon. He never got to use it, for Freeman body-blocked him with surprising speed, sending both weapon and Nomen flying. The burly thug crashed to the deck near Chameleon, who brought his foot down on the Borellian s hand, grinding his heel in as hard as he could. The hulk bellowed in pain, and reached for his tormentor with the free hand, but as with cards, Chameleon was fast on his feet, like a dancer. He kicked the Nomen in the face, then slipped out of res locked in a death grip from one of the other Nomen, and Kirk crashing a fist into Bela s bony face. Starbuck grabbed the second Nomen s arm, and twisted with as much strength as he could muster, wrenching the attacker off balance, and making him drop Giles. The third Nomen was trying to rescue his bandoliers from Sirrion, who quick-thinkingly tore them from him, to forestall any unfortunate results. In revenge, the third Nomen picked up a chair, and brought in crashing down on him, then held one of the legs over his head as a bludgeon. He never got to use it, for Freeman body-blocked him with surprising speed, sending both weapon and Nomen flying. The burly thug crashed to the deck near Chameleon, who brought his foot down on the Borellian s hand, grinding his heel in as hard as he could. The hulk bellowed in pain, and reached for his tormentor with the free hand, but as with cards, Chameleon was fast on his feet, like a dancer. He kicked the Nomen in the face, then slipped out of re long, the disgusting Colonial vermin would have no protectors, and would meet their fate. Range to Farragut? Twenty-two microns, by your command, replied his gunner. Interception in seven centons. By your command, said another underling. Power fluctuations from the Human vessel. One engine has apparently failed. Excellent. Prepare all mega-pulsars, and target the power nacelles. By your command. Flight Leader Mactabulus fired once more on the Galactica, and once more was frustrated by his laser s failure to fully penetrate her defensive shields. It seemed that something had changed in the defenses of the Battlestar. He scanned the enemy ship once more, and found the results just as baffling as before. Her shield dynamics were quite unlike those met during any previous encounters with Colonial vessels. What had the Humans done? It wasn t a what, so much as a who. When the attack came, Scotty and his engieach. Kirk s original foe had him by the throat, and was pounding his face with unrestrained glee, when another chair was swung across his back, staggering him. He never got the chance to recover, before Neith kicked his knees from behind with her boot, dropping him like a stone. She turned, and got a Nomenesque fist in the face for her trouble. And trouble seemed to be the word for the day. As if three Nomen were not enough, two more of the hulking Colonists entered the lounge, and at once rushed to the aid of there peers. Or at least tried to. One was tripped along the way by one of the double-mouthed singers, and slid across the dance floor, knocking another table askew. This place is starting to get real unfriendly, said Kirk, as he ducked a vicious swing from one of the Nomen. He replied with an upper cut, eliciting an ooof, but not much else. Like Klingons, the Nomen were thickly muscled, and stronger than he had expected. Well who the hell started it? shouteach. Kirk s original foe had him by the throat, and was pounding his face with unrestrained glee, when another chair was swung across his back, staggering him. He never got the chance to recover, before Neith kicked his knees from behind with her boot, dropping him like a stone. She turned, and got a Nomenesque fist in the face for her trouble. And trouble seemed to be the word for the day. As if three Nomen were not enough, two more of the hulking Colonists entered the lounge, and at once rushed to the aid of there peers. Or at least tried to. One was tripped along the way by one of the double-mouthed singers, and slid across the dance floor, knocking another table askew. This place is starting to get real unfriendly, said Kirk, as he ducked a vicious swing from one of the Nomen. He replied with an upper cut, eliciting an ooof, but not much else. Like Klingons, the Nomen were thickly muscled, and stronger than he had expected. Well who the hell started it? shoutneering team had been trapped aboard the Battlestar, unable to return to their various ships. By luck, or perhaps design, he had actually been discussing the Galactica s shield dynamics with Engineer Shadrick when the Cylons arrived, and at once tried to bring some of his knowledge into play. He worked to rotate the ship s shield frequencies, with emphasis on the upper EM band, then attempted to reconfigure the outputs on the shield emitters themselves. The Federation engineers work had already resulted in a moderate increase in power from the ship s main plant. By rerouting and jury-rigging, Scott and his team had stiffened the Galactica s defenses considerably. But would it be enough? Her systems had never been designed for these kinds of alterations, especially slapdash redesign in the midst of combat, and Scott realized it was only a matter of time. Can ye shunt power from this system here, he pointed to part of the engineering schematics, and route it through yer mained Starbuck, likewise ducking, then smashing his fist into Bela s face, spattering blood. There was a loud crunch, and the Nomen spat a tooth at him, then roared in fury, picking him up, and hurling him away. A moment later, Giles broke a table leg across his back, then ducked as Bela rounded on him& To get an ambrosia bottle smashed across his nose by Neith. He roared in pain as the alcohol stung both his wounds, and his eyes. Blinded for a moment, he struck out wildly, barely missing Kirk, and cracking the jaw of one of his fellow Nomen. The second Nomen went down, and then Bela, headblocked by Kirk as he tried to grab Neith once more. Do you always do this sort of thing? she asked. Well, I never liked a man treating a woman like& Hey, I can take care of myself. Yeah, right Okay, call me chivalrous. Oh, please! I guess he s kinda stuck on you, said Kirk, to the Colonial woman. Stuck, yeah. Like dried&ugh! She toppled, a punched Starbuck, likewise ducking, then smashing his fist into Bela s face, spattering blood. There was a loud crunch, and the Nomen spat a tooth at him, then roared in fury, picking him up, and hurling him away. A moment later, Giles broke a table leg across his back, then ducked as Bela rounded on him& To get an ambrosia bottle smashed across his nose by Neith. He roared in pain as the alcohol stung both his wounds, and his eyes. Blinded for a moment, he struck out wildly, barely missing Kirk, and cracking the jaw of one of his fellow Nomen. The second Nomen went down, and then Bela, headblocked by Kirk as he tried to grab Neith once more. Do you always do this sort of thing? she asked. Well, I never liked a man treating a woman like& Hey, I can take care of myself. Yeah, right Okay, call me chivalrous. Oh, please! I guess he s kinda stuck on you, said Kirk, to the Colonial woman. Stuck, yeah. Like dried&ugh! She toppled, a punch armaments bus? That s life-support for the crew quarters, replied Shadrick. Most of yer pilots are out, and willnae miss it. Can the relays take it? We don t have a choice, admitted Shadrick, and entered the appropriate commands into the system. Lights and heaters throughout the center of the ship began to dim, as the engineering systems pumped the energy into the defensive systems. The ship bucked, and something sparked, but for the moment, the defenses held. The ship s defensive laser guns, their power output increased by several crucial percent, lashed out& Catching Mactabulus fighter on one wing. The metal skin peeled away in chunks, and one engine exploded, followed by the fuel cells, forever leaving the Flight Leader with no answer to his puzzlement. X-UIDL: YJh!!]("#!/#?!!iGW"! Culture Shock, Pt. 40 by Senmut In a place that no Human could tolerate unaided, Iblis stood, watching the battle progress. H from another Nomen felling her. In reply, Kirk brought a foot up, on course for the Nomen s crotch. He missed, catching the brute in the leg only. Then, the other had one leg in a vice- like grip, and twisted, sending him spinning. Starbuck had landed somewhere near the stage, no, make that on the stage. Both dancers and equipment scattered, and he tried to recover his lost breath. Slowly, he got to his knees, and looked around. Those who had not fled the lounge had joined in the fight, giving the Nomen as good as they got. One Nomen, held high by two people, was sent sailing into one of his fellows, crushing both a table, and several bones in the process. Frack, he said, and tasted blood on his tongue. He reached down, and found that his pistol was gone from its holster. Having little choice, he headed back into the fray, cracking a bottle over the skull of the Nomen about to dismember Sirrion, then stabbing him with the jagged edges. The heavy cloak protected the Nomen from from another Nomen felling her. In reply, Kirk brought a foot up, on course for the Nomen s crotch. He missed, catching the brute in the leg only. Then, the other had one leg in a vice- like grip, and twisted, sending him spinning. Starbuck had landed somewhere near the stage, no, make that on the stage. Both dancers and equipment scattered, and he tried to recover his lost breath. Slowly, he got to his knees, and looked around. Those who had not fled the lounge had joined in the fight, giving the Nomen as good as they got. One Nomen, held high by two people, was sent sailing into one of his fellows, crushing both a table, and several bones in the process. Frack, he said, and tasted blood on his tongue. He reached down, and found that his pistol was gone from its holster. Having little choice, he headed back into the fray, cracking a bottle over the skull of the Nomen about to dismember Sirrion, then stabbing him with the jagged edges. The heavy cloak protected the Nomen from e smiled as the huge salvos from the Cylons connected with the Human vessels, frowned when the opposite occurred. He clenched his fists in anger, chafing still under the humiliating limitations placed upon him by his opponents. With one wave of his hand, the Galactica and all her helpers could be swept into the sun, reduced to dust. How he longed to make that a reality, ached, lusted, to finally rid the entire galaxy, forever, of the one race he hated above all others with such unbending, unyielding malignity. For the barest of moments, he dared think of it, dared to gather and nurture the thought& Only to have several of the blue spheres rip through the space near him. He bellowed in rage, power boiling from his fingertips, as the hated blobs spun about his position. This is not your place! he roared, the very ground under him rumbling with the power of his voice, the sky roiling. It is mine! No! replied another voice, this one as beautiful and aslethal injury, but got his attention, an attention at once diverted by Kirk, hitting him hard in the small of the back, then hammering his jewels when he turned around. His mouth open in a silent howl, the Nomen went down. He did not see the other one, behind him, till with a bellow worthy of a Nomen itself, Chameleon brought a serving platter down on the fellow s head, then struck him across the face with the broken half. With a scream of pain, the Nomen collapsed, his face bleeding. Kirk pounded into another Nomen s face, just as Security finally made an appearance, weapons drawn, and shouting to be heard over the din of combat. Kirk felt hands take hold of his arms, and was ordered to hold it , when, in a last gasp of defiance, a Nomen succeeded in smashing his face with a huge fist. As the world spun, the lights dimmed, and he rapidly approached the deck, Kirk realized two things. The first was that he had underestimated the Nomen. The other was that the deck was really, really halethal injury, but got his attention, an attention at once diverted by Kirk, hitting him hard in the small of the back, then hammering his jewels when he turned around. His mouth open in a silent howl, the Nomen went down. He did not see the other one, behind him, till with a bellow worthy of a Nomen itself, Chameleon brought a serving platter down on the fellow s head, then struck him across the face with the broken half. With a scream of pain, the Nomen collapsed, his face bleeding. Kirk pounded into another Nomen s face, just as Security finally made an appearance, weapons drawn, and shouting to be heard over the din of combat. Kirk felt hands take hold of his arms, and was ordered to hold it , when, in a last gasp of defiance, a Nomen succeeded in smashing his face with a huge fist. As the world spun, the lights dimmed, and he rapidly approached the deck, Kirk realized two things. The first was that he had underestimated the Nomen. The other was that the deck was really, really hard. His Raider on course and perfectly aligned with the wormhole device, Flight Leader Vomus began transmitting. At first, nothing happened, likewise on the second frequency. Then, adjusting his scanner to the third& As the survivors of the Battle of the Rising Star were ordered, dragged, or carried from the lounge, the wormhole once more began to stir into life. X-UIDL: Ql3!!hS$!!\TL!!f!b"! Culture Shock, Pt.31 ============================== The Federation Captains were reviewing the data in the Galactica s computer on the Cylon command structure, when Pike s communicator beeped. Less than a second later, Stone s did as well, then the Galactica s klaxon sounded through the room. Number One? asked Pike. Sensors show the wormhole preparing to open again, sir. All defenses to full, Number One. Battle stations. Sir, what about& Keep the shields up, Commander, ordered Pike. In the background, he could hear his fellow Captai pure as Iblis was foul and hideous, though no less heavy with authority. Myriad spheres swept past, till one slowed, stopping to hover mere inches from the Father of Lies, and began to morph. Slowly, deliberately, it began to take on a vaguely manlike shape, eyes and limbs becoming visible. As it did so, other spheres appeared also, these a deep reddishblack, some hovering around Iblis as he watched the transformation complete itself. Within moments, which to a Human would have seemed but a fraction of a second in duration, there stood before Iblis another, Human-appearing being. While Iblis would have seemed still to a Human observer to be a handsome man of vigorous middle age, this being s semblance was that of a tall, powerfully built man of younger years, his face and eyes burning with apparent youth. His robes were of an intense blue-white, and his flesh seemed to afire from within with an awful radiance. He looked hard and deeply at the Beginning of Murders, and spoke. You havrd. His Raider on course and perfectly aligned with the wormhole device, Flight Leader Vomus began transmitting. At first, nothing happened, likewise on the second frequency. Then, adjusting his scanner to the third& As the survivors of the Battle of the Rising Star were ordered, dragged, or carried from the lounge, the wormhole once more began to stir into life. X-UIDL: Ql3!!hS$!!\TL!!f!b"! Culture Shock, Pt.31 ============================== The Federation Captains were reviewing the data in the Galactica s computer on the Cylon command structure, when Pike s communicator beeped. Less than a second later, Stone s did as well, then the Galactica s klaxon sounded through the room. Number One? asked Pike. Sensors show the wormhole preparing to open again, sir. All defenses to full, Number One. Battle stations. Sir, what about& Keep the shields up, Commander, ordered Pike. In the background, he could hear his fellow Captains doing the same. He looked up at Adama, and could see from his face that the Colonial leader had received the same news. He gave them the liberty of accompanying him to the bridge, and they followed him from the council chamber. The Battlestar s bridge was abuzz with tension and activity as they entered. Pike could see one of his engineering people, working in concert with Galactica technical crew, on one of the bridge stations. Feeling almost naked being off his ship, Pike drifted towards a scanner station, and took stock. The wild interference rippling across the screen was in full force, as the flickers of light presaging the wormhole burst into the full flower of the phenomenon. As before, it unfolded like a bizarre, terrifying flower, spewing light and myriad radiations into the system. Adama brought the ship to battle stations, preparing her for heavy attack. Under his breath, he could be heard cursing the failure of the mines to detonate, destroying the station. He hae lost here, Iblis. He waited a beat. Be gone. You babble like an addled child, laughed Iblis. I shall prevail, and you, and all your rabble shall see it. You lie still, Iblis. Even to yourself. Your time is almost expended, and the challenge has failed. They will win, Michael, and the prize will be mine. Iblis raised a hand, changing as he did so into something vast and awesome, crowned with lightning, and something so intense no Human could have seen it and lived slammed into the other being. He staggered, but soon recovered, changing also and replying in kind. Iblis gasped, himself staggering under a barrage that men could measure only in megatons. As he recovered, Iblis reached out, ripping out splinters from a mountain, hurling it at his foe. With a breath, Michael sent it flying into dust, the debris raining down on Iblis. You are done, Iblis. And you will fulfill your word to the woman. ns doing the same. He looked up at Adama, and could see from his face that the Colonial leader had received the same news. He gave them the liberty of accompanying him to the bridge, and they followed him from the council chamber. The Battlestar s bridge was abuzz with tension and activity as they entered. Pike could see one of his engineering people, working in concert with Galactica technical crew, on one of the bridge stations. Feeling almost naked being off his ship, Pike drifted towards a scanner station, and took stock. The wild interference rippling across the screen was in full force, as the flickers of light presaging the wormhole burst into the full flower of the phenomenon. As before, it unfolded like a bizarre, terrifying flower, spewing light and myriad radiations into the system. Adama brought the ship to battle stations, preparing her for heavy attack. Under his breath, he could be heard cursing the failure of the mines to detonate, destroying the station. He ha My word? laughed the Author of Death. He waved a hand, and Michael staggered, losing his footing, plummeting over an abyss. My word? You fool& He grunted, staggering himself, as his foe suddenly appeared behind him, striking him with a fist that seemed to be ablaze with the very power of the sun. Yes, Iblis. Your word. You remember as well as I what you promised the woman Sheba. And I care? Soon, she will be dead, and it shall matter not one whit. He swung, his bolt barely missing the other, but shattering another mountain. Rock and debris sufficient to fill a hundred Battlestars slid down into the chasm yawning far below. Who cares what some pregnant whore expects or wants? I shall do as I wish. No! shouted the other, and this time, he was joined by several other radiant beings, each one grim-faced and resolute. As he scanned his opponents, Iblis was taken momentarily aback. He recognized some of these new faces. Serina! He recoiled in sd just ordered all laser batteries activated, when the wormhole collapsed, leaving the system in darkness, as before. As before, save for& Commander, reported Athena, scans show a single craft has emerged from the wormhole. Identity? Cylon Raider, sir. Just one? asked Tigh. Affirmative, Colonel. One fighter only. It is fully armed, and heading towards the Fleet. As Adama worked, Pike got the same information from the Enterprise. One enemy ship, period. While puzzling, the Cylon s behavior was not. As soon as the aftereffects of the wormhole began to die down, the Raider broadcast a demand for immediate surrender. Without waiting for an answer, the Cylon began to attack, making a run on the nearest ship in the Fleet, the freighter Gemini. Its lasers struck home, sending metal bits flying, then came around for another pass. But Adama wasn t sitting still. He at once ordered Vipers up, and soon the Raider was blasted into molten debris, savingd just ordered all laser batteries activated, when the wormhole collapsed, leaving the system in darkness, as before. As before, save for& Commander, reported Athena, scans show a single craft has emerged from the wormhole. Identity? Cylon Raider, sir. Just one? asked Tigh. Affirmative, Colonel. One fighter only. It is fully armed, and heading towards the Fleet. As Adama worked, Pike got the same information from the Enterprise. One enemy ship, period. While puzzling, the Cylon s behavior was not. As soon as the aftereffects of the wormhole began to die down, the Raider broadcast a demand for immediate surrender. Without waiting for an answer, the Cylon began to attack, making a run on the nearest ship in the Fleet, the freighter Gemini. Its lasers struck home, sending metal bits flying, then came around for another pass. But Adama wasn t sitting still. He at once ordered Vipers up, and soon the Raider was blasted into molten debris, savinghock, quickly covered. Zac, son of Adama? You shall obey, or& OBEY?? screamed Iblis, the air around him seeming to rip asunder, crackling with evil light. I obey none, fool! No one has dominion over me!!! he raised his hands, blazing with unholy destruction& And the ground under him collapsed, the very earth beneath opening up, swallowing him. Screams horrific and hate-filled ripped through the very fabric of the planet, as Iblis vanished under the onslaught of rock and blasts of light. His minions, scattering in fear, fought weakly, as their Master disappeared from view. You shall obey!!! boomed one of Iblis opponents, long, waving hair ablaze with a holy radiance, as the ground collapsed in on itself. They knew of course that Iblis was not seriously harmed, and would be back. But for the moment, the chastened demon would do as he was told. Or face an even greater chastening. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; the freighter. Adama requested a damage report, and the Vipers, after sweeping the area, headed back for the Galactica. Excellent, rumbled Korrd, watching the Raider fly to bits. Excellent, Commander. Thank you, replied Adama, unsure of whether praise from the Klingons was quite to his taste. Enterprise to Pike, came Number One s voice over the communicator. Pike here. We have scans taken during the wormhole s duration that you, and Commander Adama, should see, sir. Transmit it to the Galactica s bridge at once, Number One. Aye, sir. All ships will be in position for transit in less than ten centons, Your Eminence, said Lucifer, in response to Imperious Leader s query. Much to both Lucifer s surprise, and trepidation, Imperious Leader had decided to personally join in the final assault on the Human enemy. Yet another one, thought the IL series administrator. The Leader s BaseShip had just entered scanner range, and would be the freighter. Adama requested a damage report, and the Vipers, after sweeping the area, headed back for the Galactica. Excellent, rumbled Korrd, watching the Raider fly to bits. Excellent, Commander. Thank you, replied Adama, unsure of whether praise from the Klingons was quite to his taste. Enterprise to Pike, came Number One s voice over the communicator. Pike here. We have scans taken during the wormhole s duration that you, and Commander Adama, should see, sir. Transmit it to the Galactica s bridge at once, Number One. Aye, sir. All ships will be in position for transit in less than ten centons, Your Eminence, said Lucifer, in response to Imperious Leader s query. Much to both Lucifer s surprise, and trepidation, Imperious Leader had decided to personally join in the final assault on the Human enemy. Yet another one, thought the IL series administrator. The Leader s BaseShip had just entered scanner range, and would be boundary=--__JNP_000_34de.2b2a.0465 X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 7-6,7-8,10-13,20,29,36-37,39-43,45-47,49-51,54-55,58- 61,68,73,79,81,86,91,102,108,118,126,131,140-141,143,145-148,155- 161,169,173,176,178,180-182,185-187,196,200,202,203-32767 X-UIDL: g,R!!]Tk"![2p!!MP@!! Culture Shock, Pt. 41 Imperious Leader watched as his fighters, now in the full pinwheel formation, began to accelerate, closing on the Human ship Farragut. Soon, he told himself, the vessel would be destroyed, and the odds would begin to shift in his favor. It had been hard fought, this battle. Surprising and savage, but in the end, what other outcome could there be? The Cylons would win, as they were meant to, and the life form known as Man would cease to trouble the universe. But what if, after that, they could not return whence they came? he wondered. After a few picocentons of seriously deep thought, he decided it ultimately made no difference. They would establish themselves here, build a new base and infrastruwithin the system in less than fourteen centons. Altogether five BaseShips would be involved, insuring that the Colonials would, finally, be exterminated. Eradicated. The universe cleansed of them for all time. What puzzled Lucifer was, once they were through the wormhole, wherever it led, and engaged the Galactica, how were they going to get back to their part of the galaxy? All Lucifer s analyses of the scans from the wormhole led him to believe that the device led somewhere far, far beyond known space, somewhere no Cylon had ever been. Assuming all went well, and the last of the Humans were obliterated, what then? Iblis was obviously keeping something from them. What? Lucifer s experience with non-Cylons, while admittedly limited, told him that, behind the smile and intelligent eyes, something was being held back. Something of importance, something& Deceit, he decided at last, recalling his experiences with both Baltar, and the pilot, Starbuck. Baltar, even at his most deviowithin the system in less than fourteen centons. Altogether five BaseShips would be involved, insuring that the Colonials would, finally, be exterminated. Eradicated. The universe cleansed of them for all time. What puzzled Lucifer was, once they were through the wormhole, wherever it led, and engaged the Galactica, how were they going to get back to their part of the galaxy? All Lucifer s analyses of the scans from the wormhole led him to believe that the device led somewhere far, far beyond known space, somewhere no Cylon had ever been. Assuming all went well, and the last of the Humans were obliterated, what then? Iblis was obviously keeping something from them. What? Lucifer s experience with non-Cylons, while admittedly limited, told him that, behind the smile and intelligent eyes, something was being held back. Something of importance, something& Deceit, he decided at last, recalling his experiences with both Baltar, and the pilot, Starbuck. Baltar, even at his most deviocture on the planet below, which scans had shown was rich in a variety of minerals, and in time establish renewed communication with the Homeworld. Slowly, over time, the space between them would come under the Red Eye of Cylon, as it would have eventually anyway. Things would unfold as they should, if a little differently then anticipated. He returned from his musings, to give his attention fully to the display before him. The huge formation of Raiders was starting its dive on the Farragut, while one of the other BaseShips moved in to support. He need not worry about the Galactica for the moment. She was occupied with defending against large Raider swarms of her own, and would not be able to come to anyone s aid. He watched as a laser shot from one of the fighters penetrated her shields. Yes, it would be soon. Soon. Enemy formation approaching, sir, reported Kirk to Captain Garrovik. Seventy-seven tus, was often transparent, once one got to know him. Yes, they had, as he had once predicted to a Centurion, learned much from him. But, once his nuances became familiar, Baltar could hide little from his Cylon exec. But Starbuck&Starbuck had been different. While Baltar used lies like a fighter used tylium, Starbuck had used something the Humans called charm. While he still did not completely understand the word, or concept, he knew it involved somehow making your opponent draw the wrong conclusions about you, or modify their intended course of action, from the emotions you projected, without having to actually utter an untruth. Or pretended to. Lucifer recalled the game of chance, pyramid, he had played with Starbuck during his brief captivity aboard this ship. Lucifer s computer brain very soon made short work of the cards and their myriad combinations, being able to predict all outcomes of any hand, based on his own. Yet, despite all that, Starbuck had beaten him time after time. us, was often transparent, once one got to know him. Yes, they had, as he had once predicted to a Centurion, learned much from him. But, once his nuances became familiar, Baltar could hide little from his Cylon exec. But Starbuck&Starbuck had been different. While Baltar used lies like a fighter used tylium, Starbuck had used something the Humans called charm. While he still did not completely understand the word, or concept, he knew it involved somehow making your opponent draw the wrong conclusions about you, or modify their intended course of action, from the emotions you projected, without having to actually utter an untruth. Or pretended to. Lucifer recalled the game of chance, pyramid, he had played with Starbuck during his brief captivity aboard this ship. Lucifer s computer brain very soon made short work of the cards and their myriad combinations, being able to predict all outcomes of any hand, based on his own. Yet, despite all that, Starbuck had beaten him time after time. housand five-hundred, and closing. Cut remaining impulse drive, ordered the Captain. Cutting impulse aye, sir, replied the helmsman. Ready& Sir, said Number One, on Enterprise, Cylon formation moving in on the Farragut. BaseShip? asked Pike. Closing, as expected, sir, she replied. Just as he figured, snorted Pike. Phasers to full, Mr. Tyler. Target BaseShip. Targeting aye, sir. All weapons report ready. Sensor readings, Mr. Spock? The BaseShip s shields read as weakened but still up, sir. Computer has scanned the weakest points in her grid. I have also detected structurally weak areas of her hull, sir. Feed them to fire control, Mr. Spock. Stand by to get moving. Ready, sir, said Number One. As she spoke, a blast from Lucifer s ship hit them abeam. Enterprise bucked nastily, but her screens held. Pike sent Lucifer two photon torpedoes in return for his thoughtfulness. Captain, Cylon force opening Lucifer had examined the results many times, seeking clues to Human behavior, but never solved the riddle. Until now. It was this&this charm that Iblis projected, so like yet unlike Starbuck s, that seemed to provide the necessary ability for the strange man to get what he wanted. Even to the point of getting Imperious Leader, it seemed, to do his bidding. Which brought Lucifer to another troublesome point. Iblis and the Leader&both had identical voices. Repeated vocal analysis on his part had proven it beyond doubt. Both the current, and past Imperious Leader, had the same voice as the Count, down to tonal quality and inflections. How? And why? And how did Iblis come to know passwords and codes known only to those of Lucifer s level and above? All attempts by Lucifer to probe Iblis body had resulted in the same thing. Nothing. No returns, no data. It was as if the being wasn t there, somehow. Visible, yet unreal. A BaseShip? asked Garrovik, in the Galactica s ready room, Lucifer had examined the results many times, seeking clues to Human behavior, but never solved the riddle. Until now. It was this&this charm that Iblis projected, so like yet unlike Starbuck s, that seemed to provide the necessary ability for the strange man to get what he wanted. Even to the point of getting Imperious Leader, it seemed, to do his bidding. Which brought Lucifer to another troublesome point. Iblis and the Leader&both had identical voices. Repeated vocal analysis on his part had proven it beyond doubt. Both the current, and past Imperious Leader, had the same voice as the Count, down to tonal quality and inflections. How? And why? And how did Iblis come to know passwords and codes known only to those of Lucifer s level and above? All attempts by Lucifer to probe Iblis body had resulted in the same thing. Nothing. No returns, no data. It was as if the being wasn t there, somehow. Visible, yet unreal. A BaseShip? asked Garrovik, in the Galactica s ready room, fire on the Farragut, reported Spock. Alright, let s go! Flight Leader Facinus gave the order to attack, and his fighter opened fire on the Farragut, his shots striking her just forward the port running light topside. Around him, the rest of the fearsome pinwheel formation followed suit, raining down devastating fire on the unprotected Federation ship. As the ships raced past, points of light blossomed from the Farragut hull, as her unprotected skin took the brunt of myriad Cylon salvos. Soon, the entire ship& Was once more cocooned in her protective screens, her power coming back up in an eyeblink. One shot after another was stopped by the deflectors, and more than a few Raiders, skimming close to the edge of her saucer section, slammed into the deflectors, crushing themselves like beer cans. Hard over!! ordered Garrovik, and the ship roared to life, her impulse engines glowing like miniature suns. She raced ahead, sending the pinwheeling Cylons into confusion,looking at the blurry scan from Enterprise, enhanced to its limit. Yes, said Adama, clearly both surprised and angry. During the wormhole s brief opening, your scanners detected what lies behind us. The Cylon force has assembled, and is ready to open the wormhole. What s taken them so long? asked Stone. It may be, said Spock, and all eyes turned towards him as he spoke, that they have not until now known how to do so. Recall that Lieutenant Bojay reported that the machine did not begin to operate, until he had scanned it on a particular frequency. That s right, interjected Athena. His attack scanner frequency. Yes, said Spock, hiding his annoyance at her interruption. He had found the young Colonial woman to be overly emotional, somewhat loud, and otherwise thoroughly Human. Perhaps, he thought very fleetingly, he should try and introduce these Humans to the teachings of Surak. Perhaps a people worn down by endless war might, like his own once, be receptilooking at the blurry scan from Enterprise, enhanced to its limit. Yes, said Adama, clearly both surprised and angry. During the wormhole s brief opening, your scanners detected what lies behind us. The Cylon force has assembled, and is ready to open the wormhole. What s taken them so long? asked Stone. It may be, said Spock, and all eyes turned towards him as he spoke, that they have not until now known how to do so. Recall that Lieutenant Bojay reported that the machine did not begin to operate, until he had scanned it on a particular frequency. That s right, interjected Athena. His attack scanner frequency. Yes, said Spock, hiding his annoyance at her interruption. He had found the young Colonial woman to be overly emotional, somewhat loud, and otherwise thoroughly Human. Perhaps, he thought very fleetingly, he should try and introduce these Humans to the teachings of Surak. Perhaps a people worn down by endless war might, like his own once, be recepti and firing her laser banks directly into the heart of her attackers. Cylon after Cylon blew apart as the Farragut s weapons ripped through the slow-to-respond Raiders, sending them, and bits thereof, scattering in confusion. Bring her around, full impulse! ordered Garrovik. Fire at will, Mr. Kirk. Firing, replied Kirk, and once more the Federation ship s guns spat out the final argument. Arcing as the ship swerved, her lasers gutted dozens of the enemy, totally unprepared for an opponent that could maneuver this nimbly, as a Battlestar never could. Kirk kept on firing, slicing fighter after fighter& Till the more powerful beams of Enterprise joined him, scything through the Cylon squadrons like the Grim Reaper, erasing Raider after Raider. Facimus had little time to try and grasp the situation, before both his wingmen were destroyed, and he was fatally hit. He spun away, barely able to control his machine& And then the BaseShip opened fire. Beams from her mega-pulsve to the precepts of logic. So unlike T Pring, he thought, even more fleetingly, and wondered where that had come from. He ruthless put it down, and returned to the matter of the moment. It seems logical that the Lieutenant unwittingly activated the device when he initiated his scan. Since Colonel Tigh has informed us that Cylon vessels normally use different scan frequencies, it would seem that this accounts for their delay. Until now, they have not known how to open the wormhole. Why wouldn t they just use Colonial frequencies to try and open it? asked Pike. Uncertain, sir, replied Spock. However, it may be that to do so, they would have to retune their equipment, and try each frequency in turn. Colonial data indicates that Cylons do not innovate well, or make the kinds of&leaps Humans and other sentient creatures do. They would have been methodical in the extreme, until they succeeded. Which they obviously have, said Korrd. Gentleman, I want to ve to the precepts of logic. So unlike T Pring, he thought, even more fleetingly, and wondered where that had come from. He ruthless put it down, and returned to the matter of the moment. It seems logical that the Lieutenant unwittingly activated the device when he initiated his scan. Since Colonel Tigh has informed us that Cylon vessels normally use different scan frequencies, it would seem that this accounts for their delay. Until now, they have not known how to open the wormhole. Why wouldn t they just use Colonial frequencies to try and open it? asked Pike. Uncertain, sir, replied Spock. However, it may be that to do so, they would have to retune their equipment, and try each frequency in turn. Colonial data indicates that Cylons do not innovate well, or make the kinds of&leaps Humans and other sentient creatures do. They would have been methodical in the extreme, until they succeeded. Which they obviously have, said Korrd. Gentleman, I want to ars slammed both starships, sending sparks flying across Farragut s bridge, and knocking out one of Enterprise s phaser banks. But the nimble ship swung around, and pinned the more cumbersome behemoth with her remaining ordnance. Pike opened fire, strafing the Cylon, while Garrovik did the same, managing to keep ahead of the slackening Cylon gunnery. Her shields flared and roiled, till one shot finally found a weak spot, just above Control Center. Huge chunks of hull plate peeled off as Pike s phasers found metal, chewing into the plating like a hot blade through flesh. The Cylons returned fire, hitting Enterprise over one warp nacelle, and Tyler banked her hard away. But the BaseShip found no respite. Despite her battered condition, Farragut kept up the fire as well, finding another weak spot in the enemy s shields. Like her companion, she was rewarded with metal and gas belching into space, and fired a full spread of torpedoes. Much to everyone s surprise, several Vipers joined the frathank you for all your help, said Adama. Our pleasure, said Pike. But now, we need to get back to our ships. If they do come through& Then we shall annihilate them, rumbled Worf, standing next to his father. He looked at Pike, then to Korrd. An indecipherable look passed between them, then Korrd turned to Pike. Captain, said the Klingon. Yes, Commander? We may be in battle, soon. To fight is perhaps to die. If we die, may it be glorious. He paused a moment. You saved my son, Christopher Pike. You have given him back to me, and to the Empire. Well, I just& He might have died, yes. But thanks to you, he lives to fight once more, and heap yet more glory upon our name. I see, said Pike, unsure if he really did. I am trying to&say&thank you, Captain, said Korrd thickly, as if it came hard for him. It obviously cost him no small amount of pride to say it to a Human. You are welcome, Commander. May you both find&honor ahead. thank you for all your help, said Adama. Our pleasure, said Pike. But now, we need to get back to our ships. If they do come through& Then we shall annihilate them, rumbled Worf, standing next to his father. He looked at Pike, then to Korrd. An indecipherable look passed between them, then Korrd turned to Pike. Captain, said the Klingon. Yes, Commander? We may be in battle, soon. To fight is perhaps to die. If we die, may it be glorious. He paused a moment. You saved my son, Christopher Pike. You have given him back to me, and to the Empire. Well, I just& He might have died, yes. But thanks to you, he lives to fight once more, and heap yet more glory upon our name. I see, said Pike, unsure if he really did. I am trying to&say&thank you, Captain, said Korrd thickly, as if it came hard for him. It obviously cost him no small amount of pride to say it to a Human. You are welcome, Commander. May you both find&honor ahead. y, keeping the Raiders off the Federation s backs as best as possible. Swinging up and away in a high arc, Pike brought his ship screaming down almost directly towards the BaseShip s top hull, dead center. From this point of attack, more than half of the Cylon s defensive guns could not be brought to bear on their attacker, and Enterprise moved almost as fast as a Viper flat out. As he dove towards the massive hull, Pike fired again, finding another weak point in her shields. The torpedoes slammed the weakened screens, then the phasers found their goal. Spock kept them focused on the exact point for as long as he dared, drilling deep into the Cylon ship, before the Enterprise veered away, the two ships deflector screens violently sparking as they scrapped together. A huge fountain of flaming metal and debris boiled out from the top of the BaseShip, as the mega-pulsar battery exploded with near-nuclear force. The entire ship was rocked violently askew, her spin going wild, as the m Yes, said Korrd, gave Pike a curt bow, then stood back. Slapping his fist to his chest, he barked Q PlaH! And to you, replied Pike, then the Klingons were gone. Lucifer actually shook his head, realizing that all this introspection wasn t getting him any closer to an answer to his original question. How in Hades Hole were they going to get back? He looked up at a monitor. Imperious Leader s BaseShip had just dropped below lightspeed, and was moving in on the planet orbited by the wormhole device. As he scanned, it entered visual range, and the Leader transmitted a message. One Lucifer had heard, through the Cylon neural net, once before. As he did so, something Starbuck had once said suddenly flitted through his processors. Oh get a life! The final annihilation of the life form known as man. Let the attack begin. Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: (-G"!1]E"!=)@!!Uk]!! Culture Shock, Pt.32 =================================== The fuzziness of e Yes, said Korrd, gave Pike a curt bow, then stood back. Slapping his fist to his chest, he barked Q PlaH! And to you, replied Pike, then the Klingons were gone. Lucifer actually shook his head, realizing that all this introspection wasn t getting him any closer to an answer to his original question. How in Hades Hole were they going to get back? He looked up at a monitor. Imperious Leader s BaseShip had just dropped below lightspeed, and was moving in on the planet orbited by the wormhole device. As he scanned, it entered visual range, and the Leader transmitted a message. One Lucifer had heard, through the Cylon neural net, once before. As he did so, something Starbuck had once said suddenly flitted through his processors. Oh get a life! The final annihilation of the life form known as man. Let the attack begin. Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: (-G"!1]E"!=)@!!Uk]!! Culture Shock, Pt.32 =================================== The fuzziness of eolten wreckage continued to vomit both up out of the wound, barely missing Enterprise, and down, further into the ship s guts. The hit was followed bare moments later by one of her landing bay doors violently blowing open, spewing more junk into space, the fuel for her fighters cooking off. Command Center was in chaos, screens dark or burning, most of the crew destroyed. Wreckage rained down, the deck cracked, and the hatch blew outwards, as the pressure differential tore it open, sucking everything, and everyone, into the howling, burning guts of the decompressing ship. She s going! cried Greenbean, as he opened fire on the BaseShip once more. All fire had stopped, and the Vipers were having a field day cutting up the Cylon s hull like a piece of old carpet. A few Raiders returned and tried to resume their attack, but fire from both starships, and the furious response of the Vipers sent them scattering back to their remaining carriers. As he continued firing, he saw P kuth, lasermerging awareness was the first thing Kirk was aware of. As it slowly rolled on, he became aware of sound, light, and pain. Lots and lots of pain. He opened his eyes at last, then squinted at the overhead illuminations. As he focused, he turned his head, slowly, and tried to take in the room. It was unfamiliar, but to someone as experienced in space travel and ships as himself, he could at once tell what it was. No, not the brig on Wrigley s. Uhh, not the gambler s office on Risa, either. It was&lemme see&Of course! A sickbay! Ah, awake, said a voice, and he tried to sit up. A huge, pulsing throb in his face reminded him that wasn t a good idea. A body hove into view to join the voice, and began checking the readouts next to his bed. Don t sit up just yet, said the body, that of a handsome middle-aged woman with graying red hair. You took quite a pounding, Mr&.Kirk. Your bones need time to finish knitting. I have to get back to my ship, he countered, ignoring hemerging awareness was the first thing Kirk was aware of. As it slowly rolled on, he became aware of sound, light, and pain. Lots and lots of pain. He opened his eyes at last, then squinted at the overhead illuminations. As he focused, he turned his head, slowly, and tried to take in the room. It was unfamiliar, but to someone as experienced in space travel and ships as himself, he could at once tell what it was. No, not the brig on Wrigley s. Uhh, not the gambler s office on Risa, either. It was&lemme see&Of course! A sickbay! Ah, awake, said a voice, and he tried to sit up. A huge, pulsing throb in his face reminded him that wasn t a good idea. A body hove into view to join the voice, and began checking the readouts next to his bed. Don t sit up just yet, said the body, that of a handsome middle-aged woman with graying red hair. You took quite a pounding, Mr&.Kirk. Your bones need time to finish knitting. I have to get back to my ship, he countered, ignoring her admonition, and trying to rise. He looked at her again. She might be about fifty or so, in Earth terms, but she was still quite a looker for all that. Doctor& Sekhmet, Lieutenant. Doctor Sekhmet. I m CMO here on the Rising Star, and I haven t had this much business here since the last All-Fleet Triad Championships. She smiled, but it was the smile of the parent who has just caught you with baseball bat, glove, and shattered window. Uh, well... Uh nothing, Lieutenant, smiled Sekhmet. Your little show of testosterone poisoning in the Main Lounge has put several people in here, and some very valued Warriors at that. Well, I& Ah, come on, Doc, came Starbuck s voice, and Kirk turned to look at the Viper pilot. Everything was just fine, until that Nomen started in. Well, you know better than most, Lieutenant Starbuck, what getting in a Nomen s way can result in, said the Doctor, with a knowing look. Obviously, a story there, Kirk decided. Well,s screaming, roar past, adding his fire to the fight. More pieces of her hull cracked off as the Klingon poured more fire into the BaseShip, then another landing bay tore itself open. My God, it s beautiful! said Tigh, on the Galactica s bridge. It s beautiful, Adama! Commander, shouted an officer from the pit below. Unidentified contact. Closing. NO! bellowed Imperious Leader. The Vipers continued their barrage, carving up the almost-corpse of the BaseShip, when an orange ball of light, then a second, crashed into its buckling hull. The Tholian ships, Greenbean s scanner told him. He ordered his flight to peel away, and just in time. Pinioned by beams and speared by torpedoes, the Cylon BaseShip exploded in a massive eyeblink s flowering of radiance, utterly reduced to plasma and dust, taking out half a dozen Raiders, and one Viper, in the process. Centurion, said Lucifer. By your command. Come with me. By your commandr admonition, and trying to rise. He looked at her again. She might be about fifty or so, in Earth terms, but she was still quite a looker for all that. Doctor& Sekhmet, Lieutenant. Doctor Sekhmet. I m CMO here on the Rising Star, and I haven t had this much business here since the last All-Fleet Triad Championships. She smiled, but it was the smile of the parent who has just caught you with baseball bat, glove, and shattered window. Uh, well... Uh nothing, Lieutenant, smiled Sekhmet. Your little show of testosterone poisoning in the Main Lounge has put several people in here, and some very valued Warriors at that. Well, I& Ah, come on, Doc, came Starbuck s voice, and Kirk turned to look at the Viper pilot. Everything was just fine, until that Nomen started in. Well, you know better than most, Lieutenant Starbuck, what getting in a Nomen s way can result in, said the Doctor, with a knowing look. Obviously, a story there, Kirk decided. Well, he started it, said Giles, half his face bandaged, and arm in a cast. The Nomen, I mean. Yeah, muttered Neith, jaw wired. Well, I don t care if the Council of Twelve started it! However, sighed Sekhmet, Fortune has smiled on you all. It seems that the Captain has decided, in the interests of amity with our new Federation friends, to forego any charges against you, Mr. Kirk, pending Commander Adama s concurrence, which is why you and the rest aren t in the brig, right now. Well, thanks. I& He also asked me to give you a message from the crew of the Rising Star. Really? What is it? Goodbye. That s it? In it s entirety. She smiled her mirthless smile again. You are, also, to be transported back to your ship as soon as possible. Thank-you, Doctor, replied Kirk, unsure of whether or not something witty was well advised just now, with the doctor holding some unidentified medical instrument in her hand, and smiling. You re . God, thot s beautiful! said Scott, watching the Cylon die on one of the engineering monitors. Like a hundred generations of dour, fearsome Celts before him, he felt the surging blood of war calling to him, and laughed, tightly gripping a railing, as the BaseShip disappeared into hell. Cheering erupted throughout the engine room, as the Colonials felt their chances begin to tip. As the first delicious wave of pure ecstasy began to wane, Scotty looked back at his instruments. A warning light was flashing& Bloody hell! he cried, as the import of what he was looking at sunk in. A moment later, as another Raider fired on the Battlestar, a circuit popped, the fried. On the grid, a red section of the ship s hull began blinking. Shield failure! Lords! swore Shadrick, trying to get the failing shield to respond. Shunting power from& He swore again, as another circuit erupted in sparks, then flames. Overload in shield control, sir! cried one of Shadrick s men. Relays a he started it, said Giles, half his face bandaged, and arm in a cast. The Nomen, I mean. Yeah, muttered Neith, jaw wired. Well, I don t care if the Council of Twelve started it! However, sighed Sekhmet, Fortune has smiled on you all. It seems that the Captain has decided, in the interests of amity with our new Federation friends, to forego any charges against you, Mr. Kirk, pending Commander Adama s concurrence, which is why you and the rest aren t in the brig, right now. Well, thanks. I& He also asked me to give you a message from the crew of the Rising Star. Really? What is it? Goodbye. That s it? In it s entirety. She smiled her mirthless smile again. You are, also, to be transported back to your ship as soon as possible. Thank-you, Doctor, replied Kirk, unsure of whether or not something witty was well advised just now, with the doctor holding some unidentified medical instrument in her hand, and smiling. You re welcome, said Sekhmet, and informed them that the rest of her patients, with the exception of the Nomen, who were warming a cell in the brig, would be accompanying him back to the Farragut. With the shortages in the Fleet, many basics were either limited or unavailable in the Rising Star s small Life Station, and the medical staff on the Federation vessel has agreed to extend a hand. Of course, the Galactica seems to have little trouble getting replenishments, she grumbled. Well& That s not fair, Doc, began Sirrion. Plug it, she ordered the Warrior. At that moment, the elderly frame of Chameleon stirred, and opened one eye. Starbu-u-u-uck? Sekhmet turned her back on Kirk, and two Security men, lasers on hips, escorted the casualties to the shuttle bay. Once there, Kirk was handed his communicator by one of the guards, and signaled for transport. He felt somewhat gratified, seeing the expressions on their faces, as he and the rest faded out in the tre burned out. Sagan s daggit! spat Shadrick. Our shields are down over Beta Bay. Och, we re as good as naked, laddie, said Scott. He s heading for the bay! shouted Tigh, as the Raider dove directly towards the hull. A moment later, lasers blasting, it buried itself at full speed into the bay. The Colonial Warriors aboard the Federation ships, despite the terrible damage about them, erupted in cheering almost as energetic as the BaseShip s death. Starbuck actually clapped Kirk hard across the back, eliciting something between a laugh and a choke from the Lieutenant, and Giles kissed one of the female bridge officers. On Enterprise, Sheba, never more truly her father s daughter, whooped like a naked, bloodspattered savage with a tomahawk, reveling in the raw emotions of war, exchanging joyous sounds with Number One, Pike, and even Spock, before& Lieutenant, began the Science Officer, when Sheba, suddenly turning a shade of green that would have donwelcome, said Sekhmet, and informed them that the rest of her patients, with the exception of the Nomen, who were warming a cell in the brig, would be accompanying him back to the Farragut. With the shortages in the Fleet, many basics were either limited or unavailable in the Rising Star s small Life Station, and the medical staff on the Federation vessel has agreed to extend a hand. Of course, the Galactica seems to have little trouble getting replenishments, she grumbled. Well& That s not fair, Doc, began Sirrion. Plug it, she ordered the Warrior. At that moment, the elderly frame of Chameleon stirred, and opened one eye. Starbu-u-u-uck? Sekhmet turned her back on Kirk, and two Security men, lasers on hips, escorted the casualties to the shuttle bay. Once there, Kirk was handed his communicator by one of the guards, and signaled for transport. He felt somewhat gratified, seeing the expressions on their faces, as he and the rest faded out in the transporter beam. His gratification faded somewhat as he solidified on the Farragut s transporter pad, and beheld the face of Captain Garrovik. The unsmiling face, complete with enormous stogie. After greeting the Colonials, and escorting them to the Farragut s sickbay, he pulled the young Lieutenant aside, into the nearby conference room, presently unoccupied. We need to talk. Uh, sir& Put a sock in it, Lieutenant! Stand at attention! He waited, while Kirk stiffened, partly to attention, partly in pain. Do you have any idea how upset, no, not upset. This has gone way, way beyond upset. Do you have any idea how pissed off both Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are, at the news that one of our people, one of my crewmen, managed to turn a simple card game into a gladiatorial match? The Captain s voice had risen perceptibly, letting Kirk know what was coming. One of my officers lets his well-known libido get in the way, decides to play Sir Galahad, or perhaps I shoue a Vulcanian proud, fell silent, tottered, then toppled over, Spock catching her before she could hit the deck. Lieu& Mr. Spock, said Pike, turning to his man. Damage re&Doctor Boyce to the bridge. Medical emergency! ========================================== The Fleet definitely came this way, sir, said Tolan, indicating the scanner data on his monitor. Exhaust plasma residue is unique to Viper engines, and I m picking up Cylon wreckage. Cylon? Yes, sir. Lots of it, too. He switched to another view. Huge chunks of metal, still recognizably Cylon in design, floated about, hot with radiation. Closer in towards the sun, there was more wreckage, mostly of fighters, numerous Cylon pilots floating in the void. Well, this is damn puzzling, said the Commander. Cylon wreckage, but nothing else. Colonial fuel residue, but no Galactica. Take us in closer, helm. Sir. Evidence of the recent fighting here was everywhere. More wrecked or destroyed Raild say Don Juan, and turns a lover s tiff into making their lounge look like a used gunnery target! Louder, now. We are trying to show these people, these war-weary people, the best the Federation and Starfleet can offer, Mister Kirk, not demonstrate how fast we can redecorate their ships. Am I clear here? Quite clear, sir. I trust so, Lieutenant. Because, once the Doc certifies you fit to resume your duties, you will report to Commander Adama, and the skipper of the Rising Star, and apologize. Garrovik leaned close, rolling the cigar around in his cheek. (As an aside, it should be noted that Captain Garrovik rarely smoked cigars. He mangled them.) And, once you have done so, you will personally clean up the lounge on the Rising Star, along with any of the Colonial personnel involved whom Commander Adama may wish to assign to the same detail. Am I clear, Lieutenant? Yes, sir. Very clear, sir. I hope so, Lieutenant, growled Garrovik, leaning close, because if I eders, leaking fuel cells from the destroyed ships, even a few Cylon distress beacons from now-immobile fighters. The huge amounts of wreckage surrounding the inner planet got their attention, and left everyone in awe. The amount of destruction here was incredible, as if a whole fleet& At least one BaseShip amongst the debris, sir. But no sign of any of the Fleet. And the rest doesn t match anything in our database. As he spoke, something washed over the ship, like an image beheld through rippling water. Everyone s sight dimmed, and the instruments fluttered. None of this makes any sense. What the& began the Commander, when an alert sounded. Cylon fighter approaching! Collision course! As Sheba was taken to Sickbay, Pike turned back to the screen. The hot billowing cloud of wreckage from the destroyed BaseShip was just beginning to dissipate, and he could get a clearer view. Hransporter beam. His gratification faded somewhat as he solidified on the Farragut s transporter pad, and beheld the face of Captain Garrovik. The unsmiling face, complete with enormous stogie. After greeting the Colonials, and escorting them to the Farragut s sickbay, he pulled the young Lieutenant aside, into the nearby conference room, presently unoccupied. We need to talk. Uh, sir& Put a sock in it, Lieutenant! Stand at attention! He waited, while Kirk stiffened, partly to attention, partly in pain. Do you have any idea how upset, no, not upset. This has gone way, way beyond upset. Do you have any idea how pissed off both Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are, at the news that one of our people, one of my crewmen, managed to turn a simple card game into a gladiatorial match? The Captain s voice had risen perceptibly, letting Kirk know what was coming. One of my officers lets his well-known libido get in the way, decides to play Sir Galahad, or perhaps I shouver hear of you brawling again while under my command&? He waited a few tense beats. Well, I might just have to talk to Engineering about assigning someone new to clean out the warp plasma filters. He took the cigar from his mouth, and pretended to regard it. Or, if one prefers, I hear there s talk of actually assigning a Human crew to the lithium station on Delta Vega. He smiled avuncularly. Understood, sir. Kirk did not smile. I hope so, Lieutenant. He put the cigar back. Now get to sickbay. Once the leech gives you the once-over, you re confined to quarters till further notice. Yes, sir. Kirk moved towards the door, but the moment his Captain stepped through, the klaxon sounded. Red Alert. Red Alert, came the voice from the bridge. All hands to battle stations. I repeat, all hands to battle stations. This is not a drill! Captain Garrovik to the bridge. Garrovik raced for the nearest intercom station. It was as he had feared. The wormhole had began to open once turned to Spock, once more requesting a damage report for Enterprise. It wasn t good. One phaser bank was off-line, as was one torpedo tube. The right warp nacelle had been hit a glancing blow by a BaseShip s salvo, and was leaking plasma, putting the warp drive out of action for now. The deflectors were rocky, and the shield over the keel might fail at any moment, as might the hull seal between decks seven and eight. The shuttle bay doors were jammed, and the transporter was off-line as well. Still, casualties were light, and there were no deaths from the encounter just past. Pike ordered Tyler to plot a course to rendezvous with Farragut, and Spock to report on enemy forces. The two surviving BaseShips had pulled back, under a withering covering fire, to a point just beyond the planet s Roche Limit. Of the other Federation ships, both had taken telling hits, and were moving as best they could to rendezvous with Enterprise and Farragut. One of the Klingon battlecruisld say Don Juan, and turns a lover s tiff into making their lounge look like a used gunnery target! Louder, now. We are trying to show these people, these war-weary people, the best the Federation and Starfleet can offer, Mister Kirk, not demonstrate how fast we can redecorate their ships. Am I clear here? Quite clear, sir. I trust so, Lieutenant. Because, once the Doc certifies you fit to resume your duties, you will report to Commander Adama, and the skipper of the Rising Star, and apologize. Garrovik leaned close, rolling the cigar around in his cheek. (As an aside, it should be noted that Captain Garrovik rarely smoked cigars. He mangled them.) And, once you have done so, you will personally clean up the lounge on the Rising Star, along with any of the Colonial personnel involved whom Commander Adama may wish to assign to the same detail. Am I clear, Lieutenant? Yes, sir. Very clear, sir. I hope so, Lieutenant, growled Garrovik, leaning close, because if I ee more. Jim! said Garrovik, turning back to Kirk. Get to your station. Now. Yes, Captain, said Kirk, and this time he did smile. Thank you, sir. Culture Shock, Pt.33 Commander Gommeed! called Loskeem, aboard the Kreeda. Wormhole opening again. Contact the Ultur. Status of our backup? They are still almost a standard day away, sir. Gommeed snorted, or at least gave the Tholian equivalent. Arm all weapons, all hands to war posts. Sir. Lucifer did not like the transit through the wormhole. Not one bit. Whatever energy drove the mysterious alien device, it was not kind to his higher mental functions. Memory, vision, and analytical processes all took a beating, even to going blind for a few millicentons. So blind that he did not see the strange blue spheres, once more buzzing about the ships. The IL felt a rising sense of&what? Panic. Yes, that was the Human word. He actually felt a momentary wave of fear, at the unfamiliarers, G ith, was drifting, her engines down, and getting a tow from his brother ship. The Tholians were just sitting where they had before. Silent. Watching. Waiting. Whatever it was Tholians did. Of the surviving Raiders, only about a score or so were still engaged against the Galactica, the rest were withdrawing to cover their BaseShips. The Battlestar herself was taking a beating, but Scott s improvements to her gunnery, and the reduction in the number of attackers took considerable pressure off of her. From his vantage point in Engineering, Scott watched a Raider, firing wildly as it dove on the Galactica, evaporate under the A-A, and then two more fall victim to the returning Vipers. Damage control? asked Adama, watching the battle progress. Beta Bay fire reported sixty percent contained, sir, reported Omega. But boraton mist system failing. Evacuate Beta Bay, ordered Adama. Seal it off, and drop the atmospheric force field. Aye, sir, replied Tigh. U experiences now coursing through his cybernetic frame. He fleetingly wondered if the rest of their forces were experiencing the same. He would have been annoyed to learn that the lower Centurions, with their more limited brains, did not. Sometimes, it pays to be stupid. One by one, the Cylon ships dissolved into the wormhole effect, Imperious Leader s taking the lead, followed by Lucifer s, with that commanded by Noxious last in line. The whole construction was large enough to hold three of the ugly vessels at once, and even as the first vanished, the rest moved up. Which did not sit well with the computer running the installation. These&aliens were not permitted by its programming to enter or make use of the device. Years, centuries, of neglect and decay had left it s programming spotty and degraded, but it still knew that these beings were not Human. Not its builders. Outside. Other. It delved down, trying to access long-disused programminnlike last time, he would have little trouble snuffing the fire. When Alpha deck had been struck by suicide fighters, close to a yahren ago, the explosion had wreaked such damage to the control systems, that the force field could not be dropped, and several bulkheads and airtight doors were bent out of alignment by the explosion, making it impossible to seal off the bay. Not this time. Tigh relayed the order, and within a few centons, the fire crews were out, the doors slammed shut, and the forcefield powered down. Within millicentons, the fire was out, the red-hot metal cooling, the danger past. At least that danger. One Cylon, observing this operation, made a run for the unshielded bay, but fell victim to Cree s Viper, scattering shrapnel across the hull. Within a few more centons, all remaining Raiders attacking the Battlestar were either destroyed or running for their BaseShips. Good. Or, maybe not. As the Colonial, Federation, and Klingon ship moved back and licked their wver hear of you brawling again while under my command&? He waited a few tense beats. Well, I might just have to talk to Engineering about assigning someone new to clean out the warp plasma filters. He took the cigar from his mouth, and pretended to regard it. Or, if one prefers, I hear there s talk of actually assigning a Human crew to the lithium station on Delta Vega. He smiled avuncularly. Understood, sir. Kirk did not smile. I hope so, Lieutenant. He put the cigar back. Now get to sickbay. Once the leech gives you the once-over, you re confined to quarters till further notice. Yes, sir. Kirk moved towards the door, but the moment his Captain stepped through, the klaxon sounded. Red Alert. Red Alert, came the voice from the bridge. All hands to battle stations. I repeat, all hands to battle stations. This is not a drill! Captain Garrovik to the bridge. Garrovik raced for the nearest intercom station. It was as he had feared. The wormhole had began to open oncg, but to no avail. Its weapons were damaged, and all measures taken so far had not resulted in the termination of one invader. What could it do? It must follow its directives, but its own selfdestruct protocols could not be accessed. It& A force of Cylon troops had been left aboard the station, to prepare it for full analysis, and acquisition by the Alliance. Even as the task force prepared to depart, a call was sent out, all the way to Cylon, for another ship, this one filled with technical crew, to be dispatched at once. Once the machine was fully understood, it would be restored to 100% operating condition, then replicated. Soon, the entire star system would lie within the reach of the Alliance. No world, no race, would long escape the grasp of Cylon, and the Cleansing of the Universe could truly begin. All that had gone before, the Hassaris, the Humans, the Delphians, all that was as preparation for the Crusade to come. The Universe would lie prostrate before the Red Eye of Ce more. Jim! said Garrovik, turning back to Kirk. Get to your station. Now. Yes, Captain, said Kirk, and this time he did smile. Thank you, sir. Culture Shock, Pt.33 Commander Gommeed! called Loskeem, aboard the Kreeda. Wormhole opening again. Contact the Ultur. Status of our backup? They are still almost a standard day away, sir. Gommeed snorted, or at least gave the Tholian equivalent. Arm all weapons, all hands to war posts. Sir. Lucifer did not like the transit through the wormhole. Not one bit. Whatever energy drove the mysterious alien device, it was not kind to his higher mental functions. Memory, vision, and analytical processes all took a beating, even to going blind for a few millicentons. So blind that he did not see the strange blue spheres, once more buzzing about the ships. The IL felt a rising sense of&what? Panic. Yes, that was the Human word. He actually felt a momentary wave of fear, at the unfamiliarounds, the Cylon BaseShips were not idle. After pulling back beyond standard laser range, the two remaining enemy capital ships began a bizarre performance. Their operational landing bays opened, and began recovering fighters. One of the Klingon ships lobbed a torpedo, striking Lucifer s ship s screens, but took no other action. Lucifer s ship moved until it was atop Imperious Leader s ship, and fired her functional maneuvering thrusters, until she exactly matched the other ship s spin. Slowly, she was brought into perfect alignment with the Command Ship, and the two wounded behemoths began to spin as one. What in Hades Hole are they doing? said Adama, and Starbuck, exactly at once, though far apart. Oh no! Not that! Feklar s lips! swore Korrd, watching the bizarre dance of metal before them. As everyone watched, the two BaseShips continued to spin together, until hatches on the lower ship s upper hull yawned open, and shafts or appendages of some sort began to extend, continuylon. The station computer had intercepted and attempted to decrypt all this. Though only marginally successful, its stuttering mind understood one thing. They must be stopped. It searched and searched& And found the mines left by Adama s technicians. It scanned the devices. All the units had been slaved to the master unit. It exploded, they all went. Unfortunately, it had malfunctioned, before being found by Cylon troops, and disarmed. Of course, Cylons being Cylons, they had only disarmed the master charge. After all, if you cut off the head, that was that, right? And, sometimes, it doesn t pay. Could it be detonated remotely? The machine analyzed and analyzed, scanning the mine repeatedly. If it could find the right frequency& Appropriate frequency accessed. Executing program& A powerful EM pulse ripped through the control dec experiences now coursing through his cybernetic frame. He fleetingly wondered if the rest of their forces were experiencing the same. He would have been annoyed to learn that the lower Centurions, with their more limited brains, did not. Sometimes, it pays to be stupid. One by one, the Cylon ships dissolved into the wormhole effect, Imperious Leader s taking the lead, followed by Lucifer s, with that commanded by Noxious last in line. The whole construction was large enough to hold three of the ugly vessels at once, and even as the first vanished, the rest moved up. Which did not sit well with the computer running the installation. These&aliens were not permitted by its programming to enter or make use of the device. Years, centuries, of neglect and decay had left it s programming spotty and degraded, but it still knew that these beings were not Human. Not its builders. Outside. Other. It delved down, trying to access long-disused programmining until they met with the opposite hull, and huge latches snapped them securely into place. The upper ship repeated the procedure, until both ships were locked together by thick, massive pylons of metal. Frack Sagan in the astrum! swore Starbuck, as he watched the horrible dance continue. Once the pylons had locked into place, one of the landing bay approaches on the lower ship s upper hull moved&moved!!! upwards, to meet its opposite number, moving down. The control gantry moved aside, locked, and they, like the pylons, latched into place. Oh my God! whispered Pike, as the evil-looking monstrosities before him mated and melded into a single, even more hideous wielder of death. He turned to Spock. The BaseShips have docked, sir, he reported, stating the obvious. Sensors show that the BaseShip s power systems and defenses have linked, increasing their power significantly. How significantly, Mister Spock? Sensors show an increase in power of approximatelyk, where Turpitudus was monitoring the transit of the task force. He, and all the Cylons aboard, were momentarily rendered insensate by the pulse, a moment that stretched into eternity. The mine, sitting on the console next to a monitor with the rest, began to squeal, then& Aboard his own ship, Noxious saw the blinding flash of light erupt from the station s control deck. He was puzzled at first of course, then grew concerned when the data uplink with the force aboard the station went dead. He was about to order it reestablished, when the entire BaseShip rocked, then rocked again. Something exploded& Turpitudus was thrown through the ceiling of the control deck, smashing to bits on impact. Two microcentons later, the second charge exploded, ripping through the bulkhead, severing the cable trunks under their feet. The third followed suit, then the fourth, then all the rest. Vast orange balls of flame erupted from the control deck, like a volcano, then larger, deeper explosig, but to no avail. Its weapons were damaged, and all measures taken so far had not resulted in the termination of one invader. What could it do? It must follow its directives, but its own selfdestruct protocols could not be accessed. It& A force of Cylon troops had been left aboard the station, to prepare it for full analysis, and acquisition by the Alliance. Even as the task force prepared to depart, a call was sent out, all the way to Cylon, for another ship, this one filled with technical crew, to be dispatched at once. Once the machine was fully understood, it would be restored to 100% operating condition, then replicated. Soon, the entire star system would lie within the reach of the Alliance. No world, no race, would long escape the grasp of Cylon, and the Cleansing of the Universe could truly begin. All that had gone before, the Hassaris, the Humans, the Delphians, all that was as preparation for the Crusade to come. The Universe would lie prostrate before the Red Eye of C four to the 9th power Wartham units, sir. The Vulcan switched scans, showing a cocoon of protective energy beginning to envelope the Cylons. Her deflectors have increased power by over thirty percent, Captain, and are continuing to do so. Get me Starfleet Command. Get me the High Command! ordered Korrd. Repair status! Och, laddie, burred Scott, watching events unfold, we re screwed. "Look, I feel fine now!" Apollo tried to sit up and once again the firm hand of Doctor Boyce pushed him back down. "I doubt that, and you definitely won't feel fine any time soon if you don't give your body time to recover," he said firmly. "The matter regenerator works wonders on repairing broken bones and more superficial wounds. This, however, was no simple injury. I repaired your spinal cord and some extensive internal injuries. The only reason you don't feel much is because I have you pumped full of painkillers. Now, do I need to have you restrained so that you ons began tearing through the entire machine. The landing deck cracked open, then the station s vast power grid overloaded, slicing huge chunks out of the superstructure. Almost at once, the wormhole effect died, as the machine was hammered to pieces. The fourth BaseShip had entered the wormhole, on its way towards Federation space, when the effect had begun taking hold of Noxious vessel. Partly in, partly out. As the effect collapsed, the boundaries between real and hyperspace were momentarily mixed, like two disparate metals under stress. Circuits began to overload and blow out all over Noxious ship, then vast chunks of debris from the exploding station slammed into her hull. Every panel in Control Center belched smoke and sparks, the computers burned, then& The BaseShip exploded as her main drive was overloaded with energies beyond the understanding of Cylon science, her ordnance following. It rapidly swelled into a gigantic ball of demonic fire, sending evaporating hunkylon. The station computer had intercepted and attempted to decrypt all this. Though only marginally successful, its stuttering mind understood one thing. They must be stopped. It searched and searched& And found the mines left by Adama s technicians. It scanned the devices. All the units had been slaved to the master unit. It exploded, they all went. Unfortunately, it had malfunctioned, before being found by Cylon troops, and disarmed. Of course, Cylons being Cylons, they had only disarmed the master charge. After all, if you cut off the head, that was that, right? And, sometimes, it doesn t pay. Could it be detonated remotely? The machine analyzed and analyzed, scanning the mine repeatedly. If it could find the right frequency& Appropriate frequency accessed. Executing program& A powerful EM pulse ripped through the control decdon't undo all my handiwork?" "No," muttered the captain. It was apparent that the doctor would not budge in his opinion. Regardless of how much danger they might be facing, Boyce was not about to let his patient, skilled pilot or not, move one centimetron out of his bed. The fate of humanity would have to be decided without his help, as the good doctor had put it. He lay back against his pillow, gazing up at the radiant ceiling panels and suddenly felt a wave of nausea pass over him. No, he was not fine, not yet. He did not recall the last time that he had felt this weak, this easily drained. He had awoken about a centar ago, and it did not take long to realize that not only was he on an alien ship, but one that was under attack. Add to that the shock that this ship was run by humans. Yes, he had been rather confused upon awakening. Doctor Boyce, however, had carefully explained how he had come under his care and what he knew of the current situation. Perhaps the combs of shrapnel into what was left of the disintegrating station, turning both machines into one miniature nova. Amidst the darkness on the night side of both the planet below, and the ringed world, it seemed for a moment as if there were a new sun in the sky, as the starry vault momentarily blazed to life with an unholy radiance. For several moments, the fireball continued to swell and swell, till it was all that could be seen in the sky. X-UIDL: "j3!!@)8"!'!:!!]]i!! Culture Shock, Pt.34 With a massive burst of radio and sensor noise, the wormhole once more erupted into life, momentarily blinding all who looked at it. Its bizarrely beautiful petals of energy slowly unfurled, momentarily bridging two parts of the universe never meant to touch. As with each previous episode, scanners and other electronic equipment in the vicinity snowed, screeched, or died, as unholy energies washed over them like a summer flood. Then, from what seemed like the very mk, where Turpitudus was monitoring the transit of the task force. He, and all the Cylons aboard, were momentarily rendered insensate by the pulse, a moment that stretched into eternity. The mine, sitting on the console next to a monitor with the rest, began to squeal, then& Aboard his own ship, Noxious saw the blinding flash of light erupt from the station s control deck. He was puzzled at first of course, then grew concerned when the data uplink with the force aboard the station went dead. He was about to order it reestablished, when the entire BaseShip rocked, then rocked again. Something exploded& Turpitudus was thrown through the ceiling of the control deck, smashing to bits on impact. Two microcentons later, the second charge exploded, ripping through the bulkhead, severing the cable trunks under their feet. The third followed suit, then the fourth, then all the rest. Vast orange balls of flame erupted from the control deck, like a volcano, then larger, deeper explosiination of both shock and euphoria of knowing where he was - within reach, at last, of Earth! - had masked how weak he truly felt. Not any more. Even with the continued shakes and reverberations from the continuing battle, Apollo felt too drained after even that little bit of exertion. He let his eyes close, let his mind just float. His last memory, a vague, incomplete memory, was of the landram crashing downward. Dietra calling out. And a figure . . . who? Something was missing. Something important, something he felt he needed to remember, was just out of conscious reach. What was it that he could not remember? He drifted into sleep, and as his mind relaxed, a vision returned. One he had experienced aboard the Galactica before being transferred to the Enterprise. A relived conversation. And faces, familiar faces surrounded by a pure luminescence. Oh, Lords . . . it had not just been a dream . . . had it? Had it? Doctor Boyce stopped mid-stride as he heard the monitoaw of Hell& Sir! shouted Loskeem, over the din of the instruments. Vessel emerging! he pointed to the viewscreen, damped down to its limit, and Gommeed followed. A vessel was emerging from the terrifying rip in space, a vessel both huge, and ugly in its own right. It took a few seconds longer for the sensors aboard the Klingon vessels to recover from the initial energy bursts, but Korrd could see that another Imperial ship, G ith, had just entered visual range. Then, amid yet a further burst from the wormhole, his screen went down. Report, Mister Spock! ordered Pike, rising to his feet. Enormous sensor distortion, Captain. Tachyon and meson radiation off our scale. Is there a ship? demanded the Captain. For a moment, none said aught, as both eyes and instruments strove to recover from the onslaught. Then, slowly, it began to fade& There, sir! said Tyler, pointing. In the middle of the screen, barely visible against thons began tearing through the entire machine. The landing deck cracked open, then the station s vast power grid overloaded, slicing huge chunks out of the superstructure. Almost at once, the wormhole effect died, as the machine was hammered to pieces. The fourth BaseShip had entered the wormhole, on its way towards Federation space, when the effect had begun taking hold of Noxious vessel. Partly in, partly out. As the effect collapsed, the boundaries between real and hyperspace were momentarily mixed, like two disparate metals under stress. Circuits began to overload and blow out all over Noxious ship, then vast chunks of debris from the exploding station slammed into her hull. Every panel in Control Center belched smoke and sparks, the computers burned, then& The BaseShip exploded as her main drive was overloaded with energies beyond the understanding of Cylon science, her ordnance following. It rapidly swelled into a gigantic ball of demonic fire, sending evaporating hunkr echoing the acceleration of Apollo's heartbeat. He quickly checked his vitals and decided that the Galactican was dreaming, perhaps a bad dream, but was otherwise stable. He knew that many would welcome that news, not the least the young lieutenant Sheba. Boyce decided that, battle or no battle, it was time to send for her. He was about to do just that when the summons to bridge came. ******** Apollo was still drifting in and out of a fitful sleep when a voice from outside the ward, a loud, protesting voice, shattered the silence. "I'm fine! Oh, for Sagan's sake, I just got a bit dizzy, that's all. I need -" Sheba, realized Apollo. He heard the monitor echoing again the quickening of his heart rate. Sheba. Something had happened to Sheba? He would have gotten up, but his limbs still felt heavy, too heavy, when he tried to move. "You need to take a moment to rest and let me be the judge of whether of not you are all right," came Boyce's firm reply. "Not just lie wormhole effect, a black spot was become visible. Growing, taking hideous shape. Then another emerged from the wormhole behind it, then a third, like some deformed, twisted lozenge, vomited from an equally diseased throat. Pike ordered full magnification, and the tiny image zoomed to fill the screen. There were few times in his space career when Chris Pike had felt fear. Real fear. Once, in the catacombs of Talos IV, or fighting the Kalahr on Rigel VII, but rarely otherwise. But now, standing on the bridge, staring at the ship before him, he felt it again. Ship? No, this wasn t a ship. It was a monstrosity, a cancer, an hideously distorted, diseased excuse for a vessel, overflowing from one end to the other with ugliness. Ugliness, arrogance, and hate. The upper and lower hulls, identical mirror images of each other, looked like mangled, sick versions of the saucer sections of Federation vessels. Whoever had conceived and constructed this machine had bees of shrapnel into what was left of the disintegrating station, turning both machines into one miniature nova. Amidst the darkness on the night side of both the planet below, and the ringed world, it seemed for a moment as if there were a new sun in the sky, as the starry vault momentarily blazed to life with an unholy radiance. For several moments, the fireball continued to swell and swell, till it was all that could be seen in the sky. X-UIDL: "j3!!@)8"!'!:!!]]i!! Culture Shock, Pt.34 With a massive burst of radio and sensor noise, the wormhole once more erupted into life, momentarily blinding all who looked at it. Its bizarrely beautiful petals of energy slowly unfurled, momentarily bridging two parts of the universe never meant to touch. As with each previous episode, scanners and other electronic equipment in the vicinity snowed, screeched, or died, as unholy energies washed over them like a summer flood. Then, from what seemed like the very me back while I run a few scans. It'll only take a moment." Apollo thought he heard a sigh, but perhaps it had been his imagination as he pictured an obviously okay Sheba wanting as impatiently as he normally would be to get back into the battle. Sheba, he thought, saying the name in his mind and feeling suddenly an intense, indescribable sensation. Sheba . . . his mind was drifting again, even as another explosion from the battle rocked the ship. Sheba. . . and a voice, a sweet, familiar voice, seemed to whisper in his mind, in his dreams, *She needs you. You and she are meant to be.* Serina? No, thought Apollo, feeling a swelling of emotion, tears burning in his still-closed eyes. No! *You and she are meant to be.* The words repeated, then seemed to fade, replaced by a quite audible and very real voice. "See, I'm fine! I just, I just -" "Well, perhaps before you rush back to the bridge," stated Dr. Boyce, "you might want to pay a visit to someone, since you're hen twisted, Pike decided. Filled to overflowing with vile, malignant hate. From what Adama had shown he and the other Captains, he could well believe that such a design would vomit forth from Cylon, as the ships themselves had vomited forth from the wormhole. Doubtless, as he looked, each and every Cylon aboard the task force was brimming with it, ready and eager to rend and kill and destroy. These Cylons, he decided, made the Klingons seems kind, the Romulans like good neighbors. Fascinating, said Spock, quietly, as the ships hove slowly closer. Shields to maximum, ordered Pike, turning away, as a feeling of terror ran through him. Terror, and nausea. Phasers to ready, load torpedo tubes. Aye, sir, replied Number One, and the Enterprise prepared herself once more for battle. As was the Galactica. Like everyone else, her systems were filled with static and wild readings. Unlike theirs, hers began to stabiliaw of Hell& Sir! shouted Loskeem, over the din of the instruments. Vessel emerging! he pointed to the viewscreen, damped down to its limit, and Gommeed followed. A vessel was emerging from the terrifying rip in space, a vessel both huge, and ugly in its own right. It took a few seconds longer for the sensors aboard the Klingon vessels to recover from the initial energy bursts, but Korrd could see that another Imperial ship, G ith, had just entered visual range. Then, amid yet a further burst from the wormhole, his screen went down. Report, Mister Spock! ordered Pike, rising to his feet. Enormous sensor distortion, Captain. Tachyon and meson radiation off our scale. Is there a ship? demanded the Captain. For a moment, none said aught, as both eyes and instruments strove to recover from the onslaught. Then, slowly, it began to fade& There, sir! said Tyler, pointing. In the middle of the screen, barely visible against thre." A pause, then, "Apollo? Is he awake?" "Come and let's see. He might be sleeping, still." "Apollo!" The voice was suddenly next to him. The captain opened his eyes to see Sheba's concerned face staring down at him. Backlit by the ceiling illumination, she seemed to be surrounded by a radiance, a white radiance, as another had been. For just the briefest of moments, her face seemed to shimmer, to blur as another beautiful image seemed to merge with hers. The words and visions that had been troubling him since he had awakened, faded in that instance from the captain's mind, leaving behind one thought, one realization, something he had not let himself say or truly believe. Until now. "Sheba," he whispered, "I love you." "Oh, Apollo!" Tears were slipping down the lieutenant's face. She put a hand to Apollo's cheek, gently caressing. "You really had us going there for a while," she said, sniffing back the tears and smiling in relief. "I'll be fine," the caze a few moments sooner. Adama, shielding his eyes, ordered all hands to battle stations, all pilots to their Vipers. Two, sir, reported Omega, back at his post. Three. My God, rasped Tigh, as the reality of it sunk in. Not only had the enemy gotten ahold of the wormhole device, they d made it work, and followed them across the galaxy, as ever bent on destruction. He studied a readout, still partly scrambled by the effect. Unless he was grossly mistaken, he could see a fourth BaseShip ooze out of the wormhole. Then& What in Kobol&? shouted someone. Massive energy surge, replied the Farragut s science officer, to his Captain s demand. Just moments after the fourth BaseShip emerged from the wormhole, a massive slurry of light and fluttering energy spewed out behind it. For a moment, it seemed as if the very fabric of space around them blurred, smeared, and squiggled, then, with an even more violent bure wormhole effect, a black spot was become visible. Growing, taking hideous shape. Then another emerged from the wormhole behind it, then a third, like some deformed, twisted lozenge, vomited from an equally diseased throat. Pike ordered full magnification, and the tiny image zoomed to fill the screen. There were few times in his space career when Chris Pike had felt fear. Real fear. Once, in the catacombs of Talos IV, or fighting the Kalahr on Rigel VII, but rarely otherwise. But now, standing on the bridge, staring at the ship before him, he felt it again. Ship? No, this wasn t a ship. It was a monstrosity, a cancer, an hideously distorted, diseased excuse for a vessel, overflowing from one end to the other with ugliness. Ugliness, arrogance, and hate. The upper and lower hulls, identical mirror images of each other, looked like mangled, sick versions of the saucer sections of Federation vessels. Whoever had conceived and constructed this machine had beeptain said. "But are you okay?" The ship shook again. Sheba seemed oblivious to it. "Oh, I'm more than fine!" She did not notice as Dr. Boyce slipped out around a corner into the next ward, leaving them. "I love you," Apollo repeated. And he meant it. With all of his heart, as he gazed up into her glowing, beautiful face framed by the long soft strands of hair that flowed over her shoulders. No more doubts. No more hesitation. He just *knew* that now was the time to reach out to her and not let go, not let her slip away. Not push her away anymore as he had done in the past, when a lingering barrier had prevented him from giving himself to her. But that barrier was gone now. And Sheba saw the conviction in his emerald eyes. For how many sectars had she longed to see that? Too many, too many. Even when she and Apollo had given themselves to each other, she had felt his uncertainty, his unwillingness to let go of the past. But no more, she realized as she gazed at st of light, it closed. Not as before, as some monstrous flower closing up for the cosmic night, but like a burst light fixture, then blackness. For a few moments, no one said or did a thing, as systems, both nervous and electronic, settled down, then there was one more final, feeble spurt of light, like a phaser bank being cut off, then nothing. Utter and final nothing. Systems clearing, said Spock. Systems clearing, said Omega. Systems clearing, said Kang. Systems clearing, said Koloth. Systems clearing, said Loskeem. Systems clearing, by your command, said Lucifer, to Imperious Leader. For a few moments, the Cylon ruler said nothing. Like the IL, his own neural systems were still scrambled by the wormhole effect. Then, as they began to clear, he looked at his underling on the screen, and spoke. All ships, take up battle positions. By your command, Imperious Leader. Taking up a stn twisted, Pike decided. Filled to overflowing with vile, malignant hate. From what Adama had shown he and the other Captains, he could well believe that such a design would vomit forth from Cylon, as the ships themselves had vomited forth from the wormhole. Doubtless, as he looked, each and every Cylon aboard the task force was brimming with it, ready and eager to rend and kill and destroy. These Cylons, he decided, made the Klingons seems kind, the Romulans like good neighbors. Fascinating, said Spock, quietly, as the ships hove slowly closer. Shields to maximum, ordered Pike, turning away, as a feeling of terror ran through him. Terror, and nausea. Phasers to ready, load torpedo tubes. Aye, sir, replied Number One, and the Enterprise prepared herself once more for battle. As was the Galactica. Like everyone else, her systems were filled with static and wild readings. Unlike theirs, hers began to stabilihim. No more! "Oh, Apollo!" Sheba leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her, pulling her down against him. The tears streamed down as she nestled her face against his cheek and hugged him as best she could. Finally she pulled back. "Um, there's something I need to tell you," she said, glancing away. Apollo's smile faded as he misread her hesitating look. "What is it? Are you all right? Did something happen to -" "No, no," said Sheba quickly. "Everyone is okay, so far." She decided not to mention how precarious, still, was Rigel's hold on life. Not now. "I've got some news," she said, grinning, "some good news, I think." She looked away, still embarrassed. "What?" asked Apollo, feeling perplexed by her hesitant reaction. This just wasn't the bold, brash daughter of Cain that he was used to. "What is it?" A tinge of exasperation was creeping into his voice. Sheba looked back at him, gazing into his eyes. In answer to his question, she tar formation, the four BaseShips activated their defensive armaments, and readied their fighters. And just sat there. For several centons, they didn t move, beyond that same, horrid, hated rotation. Adama, used to Cylons launching instantly, puzzled for a moment as to the delay. Of course, he said aloud. They don t know where they are, or who the other ships are. They are making long-range scans of the region, sir, said Omega. Repeatedly. And their long-range beacons have kicked in. Incoming signal, sir, said Tigh. From the&from the Imperious Leader, sir. Imperious Leader? said Adama, clearly surprised. Put him on, Colonel. He waited, as the screen flickered, then cleared. Greetings, Commander Adama, said the Cylon ruler, his reptilian face taking on the closest thing he was capable of to a smile. At last, we come to the final moment. I shall enjoy, bringing about your death at last. Youze a few moments sooner. Adama, shielding his eyes, ordered all hands to battle stations, all pilots to their Vipers. Two, sir, reported Omega, back at his post. Three. My God, rasped Tigh, as the reality of it sunk in. Not only had the enemy gotten ahold of the wormhole device, they d made it work, and followed them across the galaxy, as ever bent on destruction. He studied a readout, still partly scrambled by the effect. Unless he was grossly mistaken, he could see a fourth BaseShip ooze out of the wormhole. Then& What in Kobol&? shouted someone. Massive energy surge, replied the Farragut s science officer, to his Captain s demand. Just moments after the fourth BaseShip emerged from the wormhole, a massive slurry of light and fluttering energy spewed out behind it. For a moment, it seemed as if the very fabric of space around them blurred, smeared, and squiggled, then, with an even more violent burook his hand in hers and placed it over her abdomen, pressing it against her. Apollo knew in an instant. As if he had already known, somehow. "You're . . .?" Sheba nodded. "Yes . . . and it's a boy." "A boy," repeated Apollo in a quiet voice. This brand new reality was going to take some getting used to! Sheba's smile faded. "You're happy about this, aren't you?" She felt that old, familiar doubt suddenly grip her again. "Yes!" said Apollo, sensing her fears. "Oh, yes!" And he knew it was the truth. Felt it from the bottom of his soul. He placed his other hand on top of hers. "Our child," he whispered. As the ship continued to rock and jolt, as the battle continued, the two warriors were oblivious. For now, all that mattered was each other. Tolan and his Commander watched as the Cylon fighter dove on them, engines flat out, lasers spitting death. But one fighter was no match for their gunnery, and it almost at once came apart, defensive fire slicing away the u came all this way, just to be destroyed be me? I m flattered. You have it quite reversed, Adama. I shall be the one to destroy you. I shall at last have what that fool Baltar could never deliver. Your destruction, and with it, your whole race. We have allies, now, Imperious Leader. Powerful ones. You came all this way for nothing. We shall see, Adama, said the Leader, his voice as unctuous as ever. As he spoke, something flitted across the Galactica s viewport. Something blue. Report! ordered Korrd. Unknown, sir, replied Kang. They do not register on our sensors fully. Unable to get a target acquisition, sir, said Worf, taking Kruge s place. Our scanners cannot determine their speed. Mister Spock? Unknown, sir, replied the Vulcanian. Some form of energy, but sensors cannot give specifics. They are traveling faster than our instruments can track them. I see. Status of Cylon forces? st of light, it closed. Not as before, as some monstrous flower closing up for the cosmic night, but like a burst light fixture, then blackness. For a few moments, no one said or did a thing, as systems, both nervous and electronic, settled down, then there was one more final, feeble spurt of light, like a phaser bank being cut off, then nothing. Utter and final nothing. Systems clearing, said Spock. Systems clearing, said Omega. Systems clearing, said Kang. Systems clearing, said Koloth. Systems clearing, said Loskeem. Systems clearing, by your command, said Lucifer, to Imperious Leader. For a few moments, the Cylon ruler said nothing. Like the IL, his own neural systems were still scrambled by the wormhole effect. Then, as they began to clear, he looked at his underling on the screen, and spoke. All ships, take up battle positions. By your command, Imperious Leader. Taking up a stndercarriage and engine housings. The Raider split open spectacularly, spewing fire and garbage into space. "Fighter destroyed," announced the gunnery officer, needlessly. "No other functional enemy craft within range, sir." "Good shooting,' replied the Commander. He studied the scanner data for a centon or two. Wild energy readings the computer could make nothing of, clouds of wreckage, and no Galactica. None of this made a millicubit's worth of sense. He turned to Tolan. "Open a channel to the Galactica. All frequencies." "Sir." And see if engineering can recover one of the Cylons floating out there. I want answers." "Sir." On the other side of the galaxy, engineers aboard every ship opposing the Cylons were scurrying about like ants, feverishly working to repair, and prepare for whatever came next. In the Battlestar's engineering section, Scotty and his team bridged, replaced, assessed, heedless of the time. Their Klingon counterparts were doing the same, as were the Thol Holding position at 323.7, z plus 5,500, range 11,000 relative, sir. Sensors read all their defensive systems as armed. Sir, said Alden, picking up a transmission from one of the Cylon ships to the Galactica, sir. Put it on, Mr. Alden. Aye, sir. Give up, Adama, said Imperious Leader, his voice becoming almost oily. I promise you, I shall make your end quick and easy. We have seen what Cylon promises have been worth in the past, you piece of cybernetic garbage. I ll take my chances, and spit my last breath at you! That is your choice, Adama, said the Leader. Then, to everyone s surprise, Imperious Leader was almost shoved aside, and another figure took his place. A figure well known to Adama, and everyone else aboard the Colonial Fleet. A figure that, to anyone else, might have seemed Human. Enough babble. Then, after a moment: I said we would meet again, Adama, said the figure, smiling the smile of Hell. Old friend. ar formation, the four BaseShips activated their defensive armaments, and readied their fighters. And just sat there. For several centons, they didn t move, beyond that same, horrid, hated rotation. Adama, used to Cylons launching instantly, puzzled for a moment as to the delay. Of course, he said aloud. They don t know where they are, or who the other ships are. They are making long-range scans of the region, sir, said Omega. Repeatedly. And their long-range beacons have kicked in. Incoming signal, sir, said Tigh. From the&from the Imperious Leader, sir. Imperious Leader? said Adama, clearly surprised. Put him on, Colonel. He waited, as the screen flickered, then cleared. Greetings, Commander Adama, said the Cylon ruler, his reptilian face taking on the closest thing he was capable of to a smile. At last, we come to the final moment. I shall enjoy, bringing about your death at last. You Iblis! breathed Adama, as the image of the evil Count at last registered. Last seen after Apollo and Starbuck had gone to investigate the crash of a mysterious vessel near the Fleet s course, Adama had often wondered about the Count. Who was he? Really? Would he return? What was truly behind his deliverance of Baltar into their hands? Once more, Baltar s question ran through his mind& Who is he? There is no need, Adama, to die today. If possible, the Count s eyes gleamed with even more evil. My offer still stands. Accept my leadership, and you shall live. All of you. Sure. And the Atlantia will be pulling alongside us any centon, growled Tigh. Adama, still looking at Iblis, said no word of reproof to his XO. He seemed to consider a moment, and Tigh wondered why. He could not feel the struggle, as Iblis, from the safety of Imperious Leader s throne room, strove to control Adama s mind. The Commander, naturally, resisted. Resisted despite the stress it put his ian vessels. "Readings, Mr. Spock," said Pike, watching the now-coupled BaseShips spin as one. A ghostly wraith of light seemed to swirl about the joined vessel, and Pike was sure what the sensors would find. "The joined enemy vessels have linked their internal systems, sir. The total power output of the combined craft has increased by another fifty thousand Wartham units, and continuing. Becoming increasingly difficult to scan them, sir." "Are those deflectors of some kind?" asked Pike, pointing. "Yes, sir. Some form of multi-phasic shielding, Captain. It is exceeding the entire output of our impulse engines." "Can we penetrate it?" "Unknown, sir. I shall attempt to obtain more data," said Spock, and bent over his instruments, once more. "Captain," said Alden, turning from his board. "Message from Starfleet Command. The starships Hood and Defiant have been dispatched, sir." "ETA, Mr. Alden?" "Six hours on the Hood, sir. About the same for the Defiant." "Good news, fi came all this way, just to be destroyed be me? I m flattered. You have it quite reversed, Adama. I shall be the one to destroy you. I shall at last have what that fool Baltar could never deliver. Your destruction, and with it, your whole race. We have allies, now, Imperious Leader. Powerful ones. You came all this way for nothing. We shall see, Adama, said the Leader, his voice as unctuous as ever. As he spoke, something flitted across the Galactica s viewport. Something blue. Report! ordered Korrd. Unknown, sir, replied Kang. They do not register on our sensors fully. Unable to get a target acquisition, sir, said Worf, taking Kruge s place. Our scanners cannot determine their speed. Mister Spock? Unknown, sir, replied the Vulcanian. Some form of energy, but sensors cannot give specifics. They are traveling faster than our instruments can track them. I see. Status of Cylon forces? nally," said Pike. "Ship's status, Number One." "Engineering reports warp drive still off-line, sir. EVA crews have been sent out to effect repairs to the damaged nacelle, the breach between decks seven and eight, and the shuttle bay doors as well." She turned back to her status board. "Starboard forward phaser bank back on-line, but the torpedo launcher is still jammed." "At least we've got phasers back. Shields?" "Engineering estimates that generator number seven will be back up to full output in less than one hour, sir. Generators four and five are still off-line for repairs." "Transporter?' "Still down, sir. No repair estimate, yet." "Thank-you, Number One." Pike turned to Spock. "Spock?" "Still analyzing the data, sir," replied the Vulcanian, not looking up from his scanners. "Good. Call me if the Cylons so much as sneeze. I'll be in Sickbay." "Yes, sir,' replied Number One. pike left the bridge, and Spock slowly raised his head, a puzzled look on his Patrician feat Holding position at 323.7, z plus 5,500, range 11,000 relative, sir. Sensors read all their defensive systems as armed. Sir, said Alden, picking up a transmission from one of the Cylon ships to the Galactica, sir. Put it on, Mr. Alden. Aye, sir. Give up, Adama, said Imperious Leader, his voice becoming almost oily. I promise you, I shall make your end quick and easy. We have seen what Cylon promises have been worth in the past, you piece of cybernetic garbage. I ll take my chances, and spit my last breath at you! That is your choice, Adama, said the Leader. Then, to everyone s surprise, Imperious Leader was almost shoved aside, and another figure took his place. A figure well known to Adama, and everyone else aboard the Colonial Fleet. A figure that, to anyone else, might have seemed Human. Enough babble. Then, after a moment: I said we would meet again, Adama, said the figure, smiling the smile of Hell. Old friend. aged frame through, the sweat running off his face. Just when it seemed that he could do so no longer, Tigh shook him. The Commander blinked. The moment was broken. Iblis snarled, furious. He glared at Tigh, but said nothing to him. His face was as twisted with hate as any Human face could be. Then, for a moment, they all could see the Count as he was, for who he was. The twisted, deformed, unimaginable ugliness that was the true Iblis. Spittle, steaming and vaporous, spilled from his black smoldering lips, and his eyes became as red as blood. Fools! rasped the Beginning of Murders. Do you think I shall let you go? That I would ever let you go? Well, your toys haven t had much luck, said Adama, suddenly filled with a feeling of power, of a vitality, not his own. It s about time you showed up. And I am here! This day shall see the fulfillment of my plans! For a thousand yahren I have worked towards the annihilation of your pathetic species! Your race shall noures. He looked over to Alden. "Sneeze?" Adama and his people felt the initial shock of horror abate, as the reality of the situation sunk in. Only once before, in the entire history of the conflict with the Cylons, had two BaseShips physically joined in this way. Usually, if the Cylons were victorious, there was, presumably, no need to. If the were defeated, there were no surviving BaseShips to join. The one instance in the records where they had done so was over a hundred yahrens old. During a savage battle in the Naytar system, two BaseShips, their backs to the wall, had docked, and while Colonial forces licked their wounds and called for reinforcements, built up their power. Unleashing it suddenly, they obliterated one Battlestar, crippled another, then began devastating the planet, rendering it almost uninhabitable by any life form. Thus victorious, the Alliance occupied the system, till, a few years before the Holocaust, an elite operations team, led by Apollo, had penetrated the Iblis! breathed Adama, as the image of the evil Count at last registered. Last seen after Apollo and Starbuck had gone to investigate the crash of a mysterious vessel near the Fleet s course, Adama had often wondered about the Count. Who was he? Really? Would he return? What was truly behind his deliverance of Baltar into their hands? Once more, Baltar s question ran through his mind& Who is he? There is no need, Adama, to die today. If possible, the Count s eyes gleamed with even more evil. My offer still stands. Accept my leadership, and you shall live. All of you. Sure. And the Atlantia will be pulling alongside us any centon, growled Tigh. Adama, still looking at Iblis, said no word of reproof to his XO. He seemed to consider a moment, and Tigh wondered why. He could not feel the struggle, as Iblis, from the safety of Imperious Leader s throne room, strove to control Adama s mind. The Commander, naturally, resisted. Resisted despite the stress it put his t be able to stop me! Pathetic enough to keep you and your toy soldiers at bay for a thousand yahren, quipped Tigh. Only a Human traitor had brains enough to devise a plan that would win. It was you, wasn t it, asked Adama, face like the Wrath of God, who fomented the overthrow of the true Cylons. Who gave them the technology to construct robots and ships in the first place. Who plotted their orgy of conquest, all to bring about the destruction of Mankind! Iblis face seemed to blanch, if possible. Who, when our Fathers on Kobol rejected you, fled away. When we did not die when you murdered Kobol, and survived the wilderness of space to found the Colonies, you found another, more willing race to be your tools. The Commander of the Galactica stood up, tall and strong, and it seemed for a moment as if the long, grinding years of war and suffering and pain had sloughed away, leaving a young, vigorous man at the helm of the mighty Battlestar. You&how&? Cylon base, and blown it, and its garrison, to Kingdom Come. The system, and all its vital resources, were reclaimed by the Colonies. Now, it was happening once more. As the energy within the enemy ship/s built up, Adama realized what was coming. He ordered a channel opened to Enterprise. Spock at last unravelled the mystery as well. The energy building within the Cylon vessel was not being generated by any means used by the Federation. The enemy was tapping what had once been referred to as "zero-point" energy, energy drawn from another dimension, or even universe. Such energy gave the Cylons virtually limitless power. If... "Ma'am," said Alden to Number One, breaking into Spock's contemplation. "We are being hailed. Scout Grissom entering sensor range." "Grissom?" said Number One, surprised. The vessel in question, a small science ship of the Revere class, was dwarfed by her larger sisters, and looked like a matchbox next the the Galactica. What was she doing here? "Acknowledge, aged frame through, the sweat running off his face. Just when it seemed that he could do so no longer, Tigh shook him. The Commander blinked. The moment was broken. Iblis snarled, furious. He glared at Tigh, but said nothing to him. His face was as twisted with hate as any Human face could be. Then, for a moment, they all could see the Count as he was, for who he was. The twisted, deformed, unimaginable ugliness that was the true Iblis. Spittle, steaming and vaporous, spilled from his black smoldering lips, and his eyes became as red as blood. Fools! rasped the Beginning of Murders. Do you think I shall let you go? That I would ever let you go? Well, your toys haven t had much luck, said Adama, suddenly filled with a feeling of power, of a vitality, not his own. It s about time you showed up. And I am here! This day shall see the fulfillment of my plans! For a thousand yahren I have worked towards the annihilation of your pathetic species! Your race shall nochoked the Lord of Lies, taken aback by both Adama s words, and his countenance. I know it all, said Adama, blue spheres seeming now to dance around him, on the bridge. All, Iblis. Diabolis. Loki. Set. Deal. All of it. Then be knowledgeable, and die! roared Iblis, becoming even more ugly, if possible. DIE ALL OF YOU!!!!!! The signal faded, and Adama turned to his men. Launch. Moroth s ass, but those ships are beautiful, said Kleege X-UIDL: V_4"!3LS"!^O(#!Xa-"! Culture Shock, Pt.35 Barely had the word left Adama s lips, when intense, massive beams of blue energy began pouring from the lead BaseShip, followed by its nearest fellow, a few seconds later. As always when Imperious Leader was present, the other ships provided cover, protecting their Master at all costs. Immediately the Cylons began firing, the Galactica returned fire, her Vipers screaming out into the void once more, as the Cylons launched their own fighters. Mister Tyler, ordered PikeMr. Alden." "Acknowledged, ma'am. Captain Raemart says he's here on his own initiative, ma'am." "I see. Well, we do need all the help we can get," shrugged the Exec, wondering what possible use the tiny Grissom could be against the Cylons. "David versus Goliath?" she muttered. "Ma'am?" said Alden. "Nothing, Mr. Alden." "Colonel," said Omega, turning to the Exec, from his instruments. "The Cylon shields, sir." "What about them?" "Something's different." "Ma'am," cried Tyler, pointing at the viewscreen. "The Klingons are firing on the BaseShips!" Sitting upon his throne in his audience chamber, Imperious Leader watched and felt events around him. With both surviving BaseShips joined, repairs and defense could take place at an accelerated rate. As he accessed data, he could see the new shielding, cocooning him, the added power of the other ship making it near-impenetrable. Unfortunately, the recent deployment of the new multi-phasic shielding technology, despite it be able to stop me! Pathetic enough to keep you and your toy soldiers at bay for a thousand yahren, quipped Tigh. Only a Human traitor had brains enough to devise a plan that would win. It was you, wasn t it, asked Adama, face like the Wrath of God, who fomented the overthrow of the true Cylons. Who gave them the technology to construct robots and ships in the first place. Who plotted their orgy of conquest, all to bring about the destruction of Mankind! Iblis face seemed to blanch, if possible. Who, when our Fathers on Kobol rejected you, fled away. When we did not die when you murdered Kobol, and survived the wilderness of space to found the Colonies, you found another, more willing race to be your tools. The Commander of the Galactica stood up, tall and strong, and it seemed for a moment as if the long, grinding years of war and suffering and pain had sloughed away, leaving a young, vigorous man at the helm of the mighty Battlestar. You&how&? on Enterprise, target that lead ship. Full torpedo spread. Torpedoes show ready, sir. Fire! The lights dimmed a bit, and they all heard the noise of the launchers kicking in. Four photon torpedoes tore from out from the starship s hull, directly for the nearest Cylon vessel. Fighters were pouring from her launch bays like angry hornets from a nest, when the first torpedo struck. It flared into a blue-white blossom of destruction, hammering the BaseShip s defensive screens. The rest followed suit, pushing the enemy vessel up and backwards. Almost at once, the next nearest Cylon turned her huge mega-pulsars on Enterprise, the blue beams hammering her shields like the Devil s fist. Pike was knocked to the deck, and the lights flickered, but he regained his feet quickly. Phaser banks, lock on! Which is precisely what the Reliant was doing at that moment. Once the Cylons had opened fire, she had broken positits benefits, had proven less than satisfactory, as evidenced by the destruction of the other ships. Hopefully now, joined to another ship, and tapping into sources of power undreamed of by the Colonials, they would not only prove invincible, but able to erase their opoosition in short order. He felt a slight movement. Fire from one of the opposing vessels. The shields held, impervious to the alien weapons. At least for the moment. Imperious Leader was pleased with the progress reports from the repair crews. They were ahead of schedule, for once. He was, however, not pleased by the sudden disappeareance of Iblis. The mysterious being had vanished, as suddenly as he had appeared, and unexplained things which his data could not satisfactorily explain bothered Imperious Leader. The smiling Iblis had known things about Cylon programming that even he had not been aware of, and that made him as dangerous as a loose Battlestar. He called a Centurion to his chamber. "Operations Cchoked the Lord of Lies, taken aback by both Adama s words, and his countenance. I know it all, said Adama, blue spheres seeming now to dance around him, on the bridge. All, Iblis. Diabolis. Loki. Set. Deal. All of it. Then be knowledgeable, and die! roared Iblis, becoming even more ugly, if possible. DIE ALL OF YOU!!!!!! The signal faded, and Adama turned to his men. Launch. Moroth s ass, but those ships are beautiful, said Kleege X-UIDL: V_4"!3LS"!^O(#!Xa-"! Culture Shock, Pt.35 Barely had the word left Adama s lips, when intense, massive beams of blue energy began pouring from the lead BaseShip, followed by its nearest fellow, a few seconds later. As always when Imperious Leader was present, the other ships provided cover, protecting their Master at all costs. Immediately the Cylons began firing, the Galactica returned fire, her Vipers screaming out into the void once more, as the Cylons launched their own fighters. Mister Tyler, ordered Pikeon, and come up to one-third impulse. Passing over the Cylon force, she opened up with all banks. Though not yet refitted with the new phaser technology, her main lasers were hot, on target, and acquitted themselves well. One BaseShip s screens flared angrily, the next, already stung by Enterprise s torpedoes, felt the red beam pierce her hull, sending metal and debris flying. First blood to you, said Lucifer, grabbing hold of something to steady himself. He ordered return fire, but the BaseShip s air defense gunnery could not follow a ship so nimble, so close. Cursing with words he d learned from Starbuck, he ordered missiles readied. Incoming! shouted someone on the Constellation s bridge, and the ship cut hard to port, barely in time. The salvo exploded, rocking the ship, but her screens held. The starship swung around at nearly half impulse, slathering Lucifer s ship with intense phaser fire. Huge blasts erupted along the Cylon s shield perimeter, but the screenontroller Intortus, By your Command." "Find the creature called Iblis, Centurion." "By your Command." At that very instant, the person in question, his escape blocked by the body of the planet, writhed in fury and pain. The molten core of the dead world screamed and tore about him like a liquid hurricane, and flailing about like a decapitated serpent, he lashed out, ripping gashes in the very flesh of the planet. With a brilliant eruption of energies both geologic and unholy, the surface shook, cracked, and heaved upwards, belching both magma and searing gases into the thin air. Iblis strove to free himself from his prison, but felt something close about him as he tore upwards. "Iblis!" boomed a voice that shook the crust. "Go! Leave me!" he roared back, voice like a nuclear bomb. "You have no domin..." "Fulfill your word!" boomed his foe, blazing with blue- white incandescence, contrasting so harshly with Iblis' own red- black pulsing. "Restore..." on Enterprise, target that lead ship. Full torpedo spread. Torpedoes show ready, sir. Fire! The lights dimmed a bit, and they all heard the noise of the launchers kicking in. Four photon torpedoes tore from out from the starship s hull, directly for the nearest Cylon vessel. Fighters were pouring from her launch bays like angry hornets from a nest, when the first torpedo struck. It flared into a blue-white blossom of destruction, hammering the BaseShip s defensive screens. The rest followed suit, pushing the enemy vessel up and backwards. Almost at once, the next nearest Cylon turned her huge mega-pulsars on Enterprise, the blue beams hammering her shields like the Devil s fist. Pike was knocked to the deck, and the lights flickered, but he regained his feet quickly. Phaser banks, lock on! Which is precisely what the Reliant was doing at that moment. Once the Cylons had opened fire, she had broken positi held for now. Let s go! screamed Cree, as his squadron dove on the first Cylon raiders. He opened fire, vaporizing the nearest Cylon, then rolled, fired again, and cut hard over to avoid an enemy salvo. A Raider exploded behind him, and he came around, to see Sheldrake with two Raiders on his tail. One connected, sending bits of Sheldrake s fighter flying off, then exploded as a laser drilled it dead center. He fired also, sending the second Raider to join the first. Thanks, whoever that was, said Sheldrake, sweat pouring off his forehead. My pleasure, said Bojay, rocketing past. I wish I could, said Garrovik, to Starbuck, on Farragut. Really. But with our deflector screens up, we can t transport anyone. You re& he broke off, as the ship seemed to rock beneath them. You re stuck, till this is over. Lords, we should be in our Vipers, said Giles, helping Starbuck back to his feet. Our squadrons& I know, Giles. But& They wobbled again, as he choked off, as a blast from Iblis slammed him back down into the core. For a moment, Michael staggered, then returned to the fray. He shot into Iblis like a bullet, ripping yet more wounds in the nameless world. The two titans struggled, the energies about them crashing and boiling upwards. "Sir," said Kang, aboard G'roth. Korrd turned towards his man, then the main screen, and behald a bizarre sight. The planet below was in upheaval, volcanoes bursting out along the southern continental landmass even as they watched. Within moments, huge areas were transformed into vast, searing lava fields, then even more of the vents cracked open as the eerie phenomenon continued. "Scans?" "Gravity and magnetic field fluctuating, sir," replied Kang. He held on tight, as the G'roth bucked in her orbit, then again. "The planet seems to be beginning to break up, sir." "Cease fire, weapons officer. Helm, move us away from the planet." "Sir." The Klingon vessels aton, and come up to one-third impulse. Passing over the Cylon force, she opened up with all banks. Though not yet refitted with the new phaser technology, her main lasers were hot, on target, and acquitted themselves well. One BaseShip s screens flared angrily, the next, already stung by Enterprise s torpedoes, felt the red beam pierce her hull, sending metal and debris flying. First blood to you, said Lucifer, grabbing hold of something to steady himself. He ordered return fire, but the BaseShip s air defense gunnery could not follow a ship so nimble, so close. Cursing with words he d learned from Starbuck, he ordered missiles readied. Incoming! shouted someone on the Constellation s bridge, and the ship cut hard to port, barely in time. The salvo exploded, rocking the ship, but her screens held. The starship swung around at nearly half impulse, slathering Lucifer s ship with intense phaser fire. Huge blasts erupted along the Cylon s shield perimeter, but the screen two Raiders swept past, strafing the ship. The helmsman banked hard over, and the main battery opened up. One of the Raiders disappeared under Kirk s gunnery, the second slipped past. Good job, Mr. Kirk, said the Captain. Target lead Cylon vessel, and open fire! Targeting aye, sir! replied Kirk, and angry lances of light spat from the ship, slicing through space to find the Cylon. The BaseShip s screens held a moment, then fire mushroomed from her hull, near one of the landing bays. Kirk followed it up with another shot, ripping more metal from the Cylon, till a pulsar blast connected with Farragut, slamming her hard, and blowing a panel into sparks not inches from the Captain. Seeing that they were too easy a target as they were, the BaseShips split up, seeking to englobe the Galactica and her unknown protectors. As they did so, the fighters, nearly 1,200 of them, sought out their main target, the Battlestar, and her school of flying remoras. As one squadron moved once began to move away, the G'ith now, barely, under his own power. Soon, everybody was putting some serious distance between themselves and the heaving planet below. Except the Cylons. With a massive heave measureable only in teratons, Iblis was sent sailing through hundreds of miles of molten rock and crust like a dustbunny through air, shattering the planet's surface, bursting forth from his temporary prison, screaming back into the void of space. Followed hard on by his foes, he did not stop to watch the lifeless planet buck and heave, its surface ripped and torn by myriad wounds, its meager air poisoned by the effluvia of countless volcanoes, and fissures hundreds of miles long. Everyone else was, though. Spock especially was glued to his sensors, measuring everything there was to measure about the dying world. What had caused a stable, geologically quiet planet to suddenly go violently volcanic, within literally a few minutes? Unless one knew, they could n held for now. Let s go! screamed Cree, as his squadron dove on the first Cylon raiders. He opened fire, vaporizing the nearest Cylon, then rolled, fired again, and cut hard over to avoid an enemy salvo. A Raider exploded behind him, and he came around, to see Sheldrake with two Raiders on his tail. One connected, sending bits of Sheldrake s fighter flying off, then exploded as a laser drilled it dead center. He fired also, sending the second Raider to join the first. Thanks, whoever that was, said Sheldrake, sweat pouring off his forehead. My pleasure, said Bojay, rocketing past. I wish I could, said Garrovik, to Starbuck, on Farragut. Really. But with our deflector screens up, we can t transport anyone. You re& he broke off, as the ship seemed to rock beneath them. You re stuck, till this is over. Lords, we should be in our Vipers, said Giles, helping Starbuck back to his feet. Our squadrons& I know, Giles. But& They wobbled again, as in on the Galactica, Korrd, ever the honorable warrior, fired two torpedoes into the heart of the Cylon formation, then cut loose with sweeping lasers. Over a score of Raiders boiled to dust, shrapnel and wreckage wreaking havoc with several more. Good shooting, my son! bellowed Korrd, as he watched a Raider blown to bits. Worf retargeted his guns, striking the closest BaseShip a telling blow to the lower hull. Its screens flared brightly, then it returned fire, a blue spear of energy slicing into the D-7 s screens. Korrd s ship banked away, visibly wobbly, and the Cylon targeted her again... Ignoring his brother ship, G ith. The second ship opened up, sending two torpedoes into the BaseShip, then targeting her once more before taking a missile from the Cylon in return. Commander, said Loskeem, enemy fighter craft approaching. Range& he broke off, as the first of the Raider s slathered the Tholian with its guns. Plasma cannon, fire! An orange blob of bot have recognized this world as the same one they had scanned when entering this system. Even as Spock watched, the atmosphere thickened, clouding over with toxic gases and ash, obscuring the surface. Winds now ripped at hundred of miles an hour, and there were literally thousands of quakes going on simultaneously, whole continents buckling and tearing assunder. "What in Hades Hole is going on?" asked Adama, on the Galactica bridge. Like everyone else, he was rivetted to the scene below them. Thank the Lords of Kobol that the mineral crews had launched to return to the Fleet when...whatever it was had begun. "Unknown, sir," replied Tigh. "A few centons ago, the planet was fine. Then...this. I've never seen anything like it." With another blast of immeasurable power, Michael and his warriors sent Iblis tearing back downwards, impacting the planet like a asteroid. "It's what?" asked Pike. "The planet's magnetic and gravimetric fluctuations seem to be two Raiders swept past, strafing the ship. The helmsman banked hard over, and the main battery opened up. One of the Raiders disappeared under Kirk s gunnery, the second slipped past. Good job, Mr. Kirk, said the Captain. Target lead Cylon vessel, and open fire! Targeting aye, sir! replied Kirk, and angry lances of light spat from the ship, slicing through space to find the Cylon. The BaseShip s screens held a moment, then fire mushroomed from her hull, near one of the landing bays. Kirk followed it up with another shot, ripping more metal from the Cylon, till a pulsar blast connected with Farragut, slamming her hard, and blowing a panel into sparks not inches from the Captain. Seeing that they were too easy a target as they were, the BaseShips split up, seeking to englobe the Galactica and her unknown protectors. As they did so, the fighters, nearly 1,200 of them, sought out their main target, the Battlestar, and her school of flying remoras. As one squadron moved oiling light shot from the Kreeda, sending two Raiders flying into chunks, the shrapnel ripping through three more. The Tholian vessel rocked from the multiple blasts, then again as her shields took hits from the wreckage. Kreeda banked, and ran straight into another Raider, its guns buttoning the Tholian ship dead on. Evasive maneuvers! shouted Gommeed. Emergency power! Kleege had at once moved to firing position, but some very good Cylon gunner had anticipated him. As he brought his forward tube to bear on the closest BaseShip, one of the Cylon s megapulsars cut loose, slamming him directly abaft the bridge. Sparks and smoke belched from under a console, all but one of the bridge lights died, and the main screen flickered on and off. His gunner managed one laser shot, then the Bird- of-Prey slid out of the way. No, muttered Lucifer, examining damage rep interacting with the residual energies from the portal, sir," repeated Spock. He then launched into a torrent of technical gobbledegook that only a Vulcan physicist could love, till Pike halted him. "Bottom line, Lieutenant," asked Pike, hand extended. "Bottom...?" hesitated Spock. Sighing, Pike explained. "I see. Unknown, sir. Too many unknown factors." "Keep on it, Spock," ordered the Captain. "Yes, sir." "Sir," said Tolan, indicating his instruments. Cain looked down at the readouts, then at the area where the wormhole device once had been. "What in Hades Hole is..." "Energy wave approaching, sir!" shouted someone, suddenly. "Unknown..." "Seal all bulkheads..." ordered Cain, as something broadsided into the Pegasus. Pike looked at the figures before him. Small, bulbous- headed, eyes small and remorselessly penetrating. Once again, he felt rather than heard the Keeper s words to him, as he fumed in his cell, deep below the planet sin on the Galactica, Korrd, ever the honorable warrior, fired two torpedoes into the heart of the Cylon formation, then cut loose with sweeping lasers. Over a score of Raiders boiled to dust, shrapnel and wreckage wreaking havoc with several more. Good shooting, my son! bellowed Korrd, as he watched a Raider blown to bits. Worf retargeted his guns, striking the closest BaseShip a telling blow to the lower hull. Its screens flared brightly, then it returned fire, a blue spear of energy slicing into the D-7 s screens. Korrd s ship banked away, visibly wobbly, and the Cylon targeted her again... Ignoring his brother ship, G ith. The second ship opened up, sending two torpedoes into the BaseShip, then targeting her once more before taking a missile from the Cylon in return. Commander, said Loskeem, enemy fighter craft approaching. Range& he broke off, as the first of the Raider s slathered the Tholian with its guns. Plasma cannon, fire! An orange blob of borts. This was not right. Some of these new enemy ships were using weapons that their scanners did not recognize. Like lasers, only stronger. Hotter. And their shielding was also unlike anything the Cylons had encountered before. This did not, he decided, bode well for the task force. He felt the ship rumble under him, as a shot from one of the ships with the long nacelles connected. Those ships& Centurion, emergency power to deflection systems. By your command. X-UIDL: /Yl!!cPc"!eRI"!X9W!! Culture Shock, Pt.36 by Senmut Main phasers fire! ordered Stone, on the Constellation, and he watched as the red beams sliced space between his ship, and the nearest Cylon vessel. On it s way, it destroyed three Raiders, and hammered the BaseShip s screens just below one of her landing bays. His gunner fired again, and he was gratified both to see another beam, this one from Farragut, connect with the same target also, and the huge ball of hot wreckage surface. As we always suspected, Captain, intoned the Talosian leader, your intelligence and abilities are shockingly limited. What are you doing here? Pike demanded. He looked about himself, recognizing the confines of his old prison. As you have learned, continued the Keeper, ignoring him, escape from our control is not possible. You will do and act as we determine, Human. You will obey, or you will be exterminated. There will be no compromise. You misshapen-headed freak! snarled Pike, throwing his food dish at the transparency that kept him from turning the Keeper s neck into a pretzel. You re a coward. You promised to let me and my ship go! He looked about again, but saw no sign of Vina, the Keeper s female captive. You& Pike stepped back, recoiling in horror, as slowly the Keeper changed, growing taller, bulkier, and losing all facial resemblance to the Talosian he had known. The Keeper and his retinue morphed into metallic beings, eyes replaced by ooiling light shot from the Kreeda, sending two Raiders flying into chunks, the shrapnel ripping through three more. The Tholian vessel rocked from the multiple blasts, then again as her shields took hits from the wreckage. Kreeda banked, and ran straight into another Raider, its guns buttoning the Tholian ship dead on. Evasive maneuvers! shouted Gommeed. Emergency power! Kleege had at once moved to firing position, but some very good Cylon gunner had anticipated him. As he brought his forward tube to bear on the closest BaseShip, one of the Cylon s megapulsars cut loose, slamming him directly abaft the bridge. Sparks and smoke belched from under a console, all but one of the bridge lights died, and the main screen flickered on and off. His gunner managed one laser shot, then the Bird- of-Prey slid out of the way. No, muttered Lucifer, examining damage repblast from the enemy s hull. The Cylon visibly shuddered, her spin stuttering. She returned fire, slamming Constellation directly abeam, shaking her down to her bones. Jolly fired, and then cursed as he missed the Cylon making a dive on the Galactica. He fired again, and saw metal bits fly from one wing. The Cylon banked hard away, and Jolly found another enemy fighter bearing down on him. He fired wildly ahead, momentarily blinded by the burning flower of light erupting in his path. Unable to turn away in time, he flew directly through the boiling miasma that had been the Raider, and felt his ship buck sharply. Something under him went sharply thunk, and his scanner died, followed hard on by one engine. His control stick was brutally snapped from his fingers, and he sailed on& Adama watched the instruments as a Raider flew to bits under the ship s ascillating red scanners, their hands huge and gloved, long swords hanging at their sides. The Keeper-cum-Cylon stared at Pike, in the unnerving way they have, and the Captain felt terror begin to rise within him. His heart pounded, his face ran with sweat, but still the cybernetic killers made no move. What& he began, when the closest one, raising an arm, pointed at him, and spoke. Spoke, horrifyingly, in the Keeper s voice: Terminate him. The other Cylons began to move, raising their pulse rifles, and opened fire on Pike s cage. The transparency disappeared in a blaze of light, and he felt the bolts rip into him. He screamed& And sat bolt upright, spilling tapes and disks onto the briefing room floor. Captain? said Spock, standing over him, in the briefing room. For a moment, he too seemed Cylon, till Pike s mind cleared, and he saw his junior science officer for what he was. Not a soulless mechanized killer, but a real flesh-and- blood man. Pike had not spoken,orts. This was not right. Some of these new enemy ships were using weapons that their scanners did not recognize. Like lasers, only stronger. Hotter. And their shielding was also unlike anything the Cylons had encountered before. This did not, he decided, bode well for the task force. He felt the ship rumble under him, as a shot from one of the ships with the long nacelles connected. Those ships& Centurion, emergency power to deflection systems. By your command. X-UIDL: /Yl!!cPc"!eRI"!X9W!! Culture Shock, Pt.36 by Senmut Main phasers fire! ordered Stone, on the Constellation, and he watched as the red beams sliced space between his ship, and the nearest Cylon vessel. On it s way, it destroyed three Raiders, and hammered the BaseShip s screens just below one of her landing bays. His gunner fired again, and he was gratified both to see another beam, this one from Farragut, connect with the same target also, and the huge ball of hot wreckage nti-aircraft guns, then felt his stomach tighten as a Viper followed suit. It never failed, the feeling of sick nausea, whenever one of his people were lost. He cursed inwardly, fleetingly wishing he had Commander Cain s vast and varied vocabulary when it came to obscenities. Come to think of it, he could use Cain. He turned, as Tigh passed close by, and watched smoke waft from a grill. Fire crews and techs were standing by, but so far, the modifications the Federation engineer Scott and his people had made to the Galactica s shields and power grid seemed to be bearing fruit. The shields were dissipating heat more efficiently, and the guns were hotter by a few percent than before. If only& Bring her around, Lambda Two-Three, he ordered, as they targeted a BaseShip. Missile target acquisition. Missile aye, sir, replied Tigh. Fire! Firing, sir, replied the Exec, and the ordnance shot from the Battlestar, on course for its target. The BaseShip s scanners saw it and Spock repeated himself. Are you well, sir? Spock? said Pike, though it sounded more like the croaking of a lizard. He took a deep breath, tried to swallow, and again- Spock? Yes, Captain. I tried to reach you by intercom, but you did not answer. Ah, yes, Mr. Spock. I&dropped off it seems. I ve, ah& Understood, Captain, replied Spock, momentarily allowing himself a flicker of compassion for the Human. After all, Pike s race did not have the stamina of the Vulcans, and needed rest far more often. They also, he reflected, had no control over their dreams. Pike had looked up at him upon awakening with an expression of pure terror. While his understanding of Human emotions was limited, his mother being the prime example, it was not hard to discern the source of his Captain s discomfiture. The Cylon threat& Spock remorselessly shut down his emotional blip, and told himself he must spend additional time in meditation, once he was off-watch. He had been very blast from the enemy s hull. The Cylon visibly shuddered, her spin stuttering. She returned fire, slamming Constellation directly abeam, shaking her down to her bones. Jolly fired, and then cursed as he missed the Cylon making a dive on the Galactica. He fired again, and saw metal bits fly from one wing. The Cylon banked hard away, and Jolly found another enemy fighter bearing down on him. He fired wildly ahead, momentarily blinded by the burning flower of light erupting in his path. Unable to turn away in time, he flew directly through the boiling miasma that had been the Raider, and felt his ship buck sharply. Something under him went sharply thunk, and his scanner died, followed hard on by one engine. His control stick was brutally snapped from his fingers, and he sailed on& Adama watched the instruments as a Raider flew to bits under the ship s a coming, but gunnery was too slow, being otherwise occupied. The thermonuclear warhead slammed into the Cylon s battered shields, flowering into a sweetly beautiful corsage of death. The Cylon s screens flared up into the visible range, and then went brilliantly white, before dying. A huge section of her hull was now blackened, buckled, and utterly naked to her enemies. Of which there were aplenty. Within less than one centon, six Vipers dove for the now obviously worried BaseShip, and strafed the naked section of her burned hull. One after the other pumped laser fire into the damaged vessel, tearing open more wounds by the moment. Return fire was spotty and ineffective, and the Vipers made three more passes before several dozen Raiders, as hoped, were detached from fighting elsewhere, to defend their damaged BaseShip, taking some pressure off the Galactica. But to no real purpose. No sooner had the fighters engaged each other, when a massive crack appeared between two hull platesloppy of late, allowing &feelings to intrude upon his thought processes. Revulsion at the actions of the Cylons, concern for the feelings of Pike, dangerous thoughts about the woman Ath& I have additional scan data, sir. The computer located you here, so I took the liberty of& Understood, Mr. Spock, Pike cut him off, straightening himself up, and retrieving the scattered materials from the floor. What have you got? Mister Scott reports that repairs to the Galactica s systems will be completed approximately seventeen minutes ahead of schedule, said Spock, seating himself across from his CO. I would expect no less of him. And? Repairs to the Enterprise are also proceeding, sir. Engineering teams report that the jammed torpedo launcher is again operational, and the plasma leak from starboard nacelle is sealed off. The warp coil realignment is proceeding well, and all deflector generators are back up to full power, Captain. All hull breaches are also sealed. nti-aircraft guns, then felt his stomach tighten as a Viper followed suit. It never failed, the feeling of sick nausea, whenever one of his people were lost. He cursed inwardly, fleetingly wishing he had Commander Cain s vast and varied vocabulary when it came to obscenities. Come to think of it, he could use Cain. He turned, as Tigh passed close by, and watched smoke waft from a grill. Fire crews and techs were standing by, but so far, the modifications the Federation engineer Scott and his people had made to the Galactica s shields and power grid seemed to be bearing fruit. The shields were dissipating heat more efficiently, and the guns were hotter by a few percent than before. If only& Bring her around, Lambda Two-Three, he ordered, as they targeted a BaseShip. Missile target acquisition. Missile aye, sir, replied Tigh. Fire! Firing, sir, replied the Exec, and the ordnance shot from the Battlestar, on course for its target. The BaseShip s scanners saw it s in the lower hull of the BaseShip, and hot gas and debris spewed forth like water from a cracked dam. Intense beams of green light, pounding her courtesy of the G ith, ripped more plating from her side, followed a moment later by more shots from G roth. The BaseShip began to try and pull back, but could barely even maintain her trim. She began tumbling away, towards the Colonial Fleet, firing wildly as she went. Like Starbuck aboard the Farragut, Sheba had found herself stuck aboard Enterprise when the battle had begun. Feeling angry, no, furious, at being separated from her Viper in time of combat, worried sick over Apollo, and puking like a daggit with morning sickness, she nonetheless got permission from Pike to be on the bridge during the fight. The Federation Captain seemed to intuitively understand a Warrior s need to be near, when the clash of arms began. Though she had tried to keep it buttoned up, she could, like a certain other member of her family, no longer refra Good news, Mr. Spock. The rest of the fleet? All ships report battle ready, Captain, though the Farragut s warp drive is still off-line. ETA on the Hood and Defiant is now three hours, seven minutes. Status of the enemy? The Cylons continue to hold station, sir, and have made no aggressive moves. However, the planet below has begun to break up, sir. We have moved to a safe distance. Pike turned, and activated the briefing room s screen. The image from the bridge was clear-the planet, geologically almost dead a few hours ago, was now a seething molten mass of hellish aspect. Massive chunks blew skywards, some to crash back down, blasting huge craters out of the melting surface. Most of the atmosphere was now gone, as the dying world heaved and shook with whatever it was that was killing it. Pike shook his head, remembering how eager the Federation had been to colonize and terraform the place. Thank God for Tholian intransigence, he thought. Could the coming, but gunnery was too slow, being otherwise occupied. The thermonuclear warhead slammed into the Cylon s battered shields, flowering into a sweetly beautiful corsage of death. The Cylon s screens flared up into the visible range, and then went brilliantly white, before dying. A huge section of her hull was now blackened, buckled, and utterly naked to her enemies. Of which there were aplenty. Within less than one centon, six Vipers dove for the now obviously worried BaseShip, and strafed the naked section of her burned hull. One after the other pumped laser fire into the damaged vessel, tearing open more wounds by the moment. Return fire was spotty and ineffective, and the Vipers made three more passes before several dozen Raiders, as hoped, were detached from fighting elsewhere, to defend their damaged BaseShip, taking some pressure off the Galactica. But to no real purpose. No sooner had the fighters engaged each other, when a massive crack appeared between two hull platein. Stepping away from Boomer& There, she said, to Pike, pointing at the lower hull of the BaseShip the Galactica had pinned. She looked at a scanner image on a screen at Spock s station, and zeroed in on a spot on the savaged hull. This lower bay is the closest to their tylium storage bunkers, she told him, who reported her observation to Pike. The Captain nodded to Number One, and the Exec reset her controls, and opened fire. Enterprise s phasers tore into the BaseShip s wounded side, ripping open one landing bay door, and cutting through the Cylon alloys like lightning through mist. The beams held steady, ripping deeper into the ship, until they found their prize. A huge blast tore the enemy vessel open like a burst balloon, sending the interior hurling into space. The smoke and debris cleared for a moment, revealing more than half the BaseShip s lower hull entirely gone, the remaining bits sparking, and spewing burning fuel into space, giving the Cylon an uncontrollable Cylons be doing something, Spock? asked Pike. Some weapon connected with their stronger shields? Unlikely, Captain. I can detect no indications of any energies being directed by the Cylons towards the planet, except for periodic scans. Well double check, just in case. We can t afford to overlook anything, when it comes to them. Yes, sir. Anything else? The Klingons have fired on the Cylons, sir, with little apparent effect, and Commander Adama requests another meeting. Tell him that s agreeable, Mr. Spock. How long till the transporter is repaired? Still some time, sir. But we could be beamed via one of the other ships. Make it so. Anything else? Yes, sir, replied Spock, and slid a data disk into the computer terminal. The images of the dying planet were replaced with& What is it? asked Pike, leaning close to study the image. Unknown, sir, replied Spock. It appears to be a ship, but it matches no known configus in the lower hull of the BaseShip, and hot gas and debris spewed forth like water from a cracked dam. Intense beams of green light, pounding her courtesy of the G ith, ripped more plating from her side, followed a moment later by more shots from G roth. The BaseShip began to try and pull back, but could barely even maintain her trim. She began tumbling away, towards the Colonial Fleet, firing wildly as she went. Like Starbuck aboard the Farragut, Sheba had found herself stuck aboard Enterprise when the battle had begun. Feeling angry, no, furious, at being separated from her Viper in time of combat, worried sick over Apollo, and puking like a daggit with morning sickness, she nonetheless got permission from Pike to be on the bridge during the fight. The Federation Captain seemed to intuitively understand a Warrior s need to be near, when the clash of arms began. Though she had tried to keep it buttoned up, she could, like a certain other member of her family, no longer refra tumble. She rolled like a lumpy rock, directly towards the nearest Colonial ship, the orphan barge, when the Reliant screamed past, and fired deep into the yawning wounds in the Cylon s hull. The BaseShip disappeared in a heartbeat, going from a million gross tons of evil metal, to a seething, swelling cloud of radioactive vapor. The fireball grew larger and larger, eating up several Raiders, and hurling molten debris towards her sister ships, as the Reliant sped away, peppered by wreckage. Cheering erupted on the Enterprise s bridge, and did they but know, the Galactica s as well. On Farragut, Starbuck slammed Giles across the back with a hearty slap, and the two old comrades cheered as loudly as a klaxon. The normally stern Garrovik turned to look at his unwilling guests, but said naught, actually smiling at the antics of the two young men. Yes, I was young once, he thought. Barely had he looked back from the Colonial Warriors, when senration in our memory banks. Spock magnified the image. The vessel, or whatever it was, was immense, though sensors could give no specifics. Miles across, it sported huge towers, glowing spires and glittering horizontal extensions nearly as long. It glowed with a cool, blue-white radiance, but the spectrograph could make out little, beyond iron, beryllium, and chemical patterns unknown to Federation science. Its energy signatures were, likewise, utterly unfamiliar. How far away is it? Unknown, sir. Our sensors cannot precisely lock on to it. Neither can those of the Colonial ships, or the Klingons. One of their ships launched a probe, but its telemetry failed. Grissom did the same, but the closer it got, the further the vessel seemed to retreat. It too failed, and the ship then appeared to come closer again. Spock actually sighed, and Pike recognized frustration on his face. I have no explanation, sir. What was the direction of approach? None, sir. It just appearein. Stepping away from Boomer& There, she said, to Pike, pointing at the lower hull of the BaseShip the Galactica had pinned. She looked at a scanner image on a screen at Spock s station, and zeroed in on a spot on the savaged hull. This lower bay is the closest to their tylium storage bunkers, she told him, who reported her observation to Pike. The Captain nodded to Number One, and the Exec reset her controls, and opened fire. Enterprise s phasers tore into the BaseShip s wounded side, ripping open one landing bay door, and cutting through the Cylon alloys like lightning through mist. The beams held steady, ripping deeper into the ship, until they found their prize. A huge blast tore the enemy vessel open like a burst balloon, sending the interior hurling into space. The smoke and debris cleared for a moment, revealing more than half the BaseShip s lower hull entirely gone, the remaining bits sparking, and spewing burning fuel into space, giving the Cylon an uncontrollable sors picked up& Incoming missile from the Cylons&&& X-UIDL: fUC!!X;a!!Q+S!!TL%"! Culture Shock, Pt.36 Far, far away from the battle, energy radiating outwards from the destroyed wormhole device touched the sensor grid of a ship. On it s bridge, the officer charged with monitoring those scanning devices noted its presence, did a quick analysis, and turned to his superior. Commander, you should have a look at this. For a long, long moment, though in realtime it was but a fraction of a millicenton, Imperious Leader sat, silently, reviewing the destruction of his supporting BaseShip. How? How in all that was ordered and normal could this have happened? An up to date, top of the line BaseShip, blown to bits like a trapped fighter? And after only a few centons? Again he reviewed the data, and again he could not grasp how it could be. Foolsd, and was in motion for no more than a few seconds. Then, it took up position, and has remained there. An illusion, Spock? The Cylons? Even the Tholians? Not according to the available information, Captain. The most we can glean from the paucity of data is that someone unknown to any of us would seem to be curious. A new race? That is my hypothesis, sir. You hailed them, of course. No response, Captain. They did not respond to the Klingons, either. The Tholian ships? Maintaining radio silence, sir. Hhmmm&. Said Pike, considering. I m coming up to the bridge, Spock. We ll& He broke off, as he and Spock were hurled to the deck by a sudden wrenching lurch of the ship. The klaxon began to wail, and as the Enterprise righted herself, there was another shock, though less severe this time. Bridge! Report! demanded Pike, reaching the intercom. An energy wave of unknown source, reported Number One. Our deflectors tumble. She rolled like a lumpy rock, directly towards the nearest Colonial ship, the orphan barge, when the Reliant screamed past, and fired deep into the yawning wounds in the Cylon s hull. The BaseShip disappeared in a heartbeat, going from a million gross tons of evil metal, to a seething, swelling cloud of radioactive vapor. The fireball grew larger and larger, eating up several Raiders, and hurling molten debris towards her sister ships, as the Reliant sped away, peppered by wreckage. Cheering erupted on the Enterprise s bridge, and did they but know, the Galactica s as well. On Farragut, Starbuck slammed Giles across the back with a hearty slap, and the two old comrades cheered as loudly as a klaxon. The normally stern Garrovik turned to look at his unwilling guests, but said naught, actually smiling at the antics of the two young men. Yes, I was young once, he thought. Barely had he looked back from the Colonial Warriors, when sen! said a voice, and Imperious Leader roused himself from his reverie, which, his internal chrono told him had amounted to a mere .0013 millicentons, and turned to face the source of the word. Idiots! said Iblis, turning to look at the Leader. What kind of retarded turnips do you have with you? Their weapons are unfamiliar to us, replied Imperious Leader, annoyed with both Iblis tone, and the comparison to something he knew nothing of. The word turnip, naturally, did not exist in the Cylon databanks. You did not tell us that there would be other Human vessels here, or that their weapons would be so powerful. As if to punctuate his last statement, the ship shook, a rumble shuddering through her hull. Do not presume to remonstrate with me, machine! said Iblis, in a quiet voice. The kind of quiet voice the hired killer uses right before he slips the knife into you. You would be nothing but for me. Your whole race would not exist but for me!!! We are gra barely popped on in time, sir. All hands to battle stations! ordered Pike. I m on the way up. There was another shake, and Pike nearly fell, Spock grasping his hand to steady him. For an instant, the touch- telepathic Vulcan felt what still reverberated through Pike s mind. He shuddered at the horrific images, both from the dream just past, and Pike s imprisonment on Talos IV. My God! he thought, momentarily mimicking his mother s way of speaking. How& But Pike was out the door, and he hurried to follow, leaving the dreams and horrors of the past, for those awaiting them on the bridge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There was noise, sharp and frantic but so low it was indistinguishable. And the pain, the sharp pulsing pain that overshadowed all else. Then the darkness came up again and smothered out all sensation, leaving her floating alone, numb in that dark sea of nothingness. There was no noise, no pain - nothing. It was cold, so cold and she was alone. More alonesors picked up& Incoming missile from the Cylons&&& X-UIDL: fUC!!X;a!!Q+S!!TL%"! Culture Shock, Pt.36 Far, far away from the battle, energy radiating outwards from the destroyed wormhole device touched the sensor grid of a ship. On it s bridge, the officer charged with monitoring those scanning devices noted its presence, did a quick analysis, and turned to his superior. Commander, you should have a look at this. For a long, long moment, though in realtime it was but a fraction of a millicenton, Imperious Leader sat, silently, reviewing the destruction of his supporting BaseShip. How? How in all that was ordered and normal could this have happened? An up to date, top of the line BaseShip, blown to bits like a trapped fighter? And after only a few centons? Again he reviewed the data, and again he could not grasp how it could be. Foolsteful for all you did for us, said Imperious Leader, accessing for the first time in sectars the memories of his destroyed predecessor, who had been activated before the onset of the war with the Humans. Yes, all that the Cylon race had become had been due to this&being. Imperious Leader found this fact, undeniable as it was&unsettling. The Cylon race, the very pinnacle of the evolution of the purity of the machine, the product of a man. Iblis was, however, not a man, he reminded himself. He was some sort of being, some unquantifiable class of creature, which seemed to transcend both living tissue, and electronic circuits. Iblis was neither. And if it were not for the fact that he knew certain codes that compelled obedience from every Cylon, regardless of status, Imperious Leader would have had him executed, or at the very least thrown off the ship. Only Iblis knowledge prevented this action. Once more& Protocol seven, nested memory file 3955, program Avenger , said Iblis, than she could have ever imagined. When the darkness had originally claimed her, she had welcomed the absence of pain. In that darkness she had been released from the constant fear that had become so familiar it was as a part of her life as breathing. The sudden absence of that constant, unwelcome, companion had been traumatizing in its intensity. Gladly she held onto the darkness, settling deeper and deeper into its welcoming embrace. Before her she could sense her destination, a warm safe place that called to her in welcoming serenity. In that darkness she could feel something, someone, traveling with her, around her - within her. A soul so precious to her she wanted to cry with the intensity of her love for it. She held it close to her as they traveled ever downwards into the darkness. Ahead of them she could just make out a brilliant loving light, so bright it dazzled her mind's eye. Then she felt herself stop. No longer journeying forward. The soul she carried was lifted! said a voice, and Imperious Leader roused himself from his reverie, which, his internal chrono told him had amounted to a mere .0013 millicentons, and turned to face the source of the word. Idiots! said Iblis, turning to look at the Leader. What kind of retarded turnips do you have with you? Their weapons are unfamiliar to us, replied Imperious Leader, annoyed with both Iblis tone, and the comparison to something he knew nothing of. The word turnip, naturally, did not exist in the Cylon databanks. You did not tell us that there would be other Human vessels here, or that their weapons would be so powerful. As if to punctuate his last statement, the ship shook, a rumble shuddering through her hull. Do not presume to remonstrate with me, machine! said Iblis, in a quiet voice. The kind of quiet voice the hired killer uses right before he slips the knife into you. You would be nothing but for me. Your whole race would not exist but for me!!! We are gralooking directly into the other s optical sensors, and at once Imperious Leader felt the will to kill this creature fade. He felt utterly impotent, impotent and confused, as Iblis smiled at him, a smile not unlike one his predecessor had seen on the face of the Human traitor, Baltar, when the duplicitous Commander had first broached his treacherous scheme. A smile of victory, of knowing of a certainty that one has their opponent utterly in their hands, because they have absolutely no choice. A look that faded rapidly as one of the mysterious blue spheres seemed to fly right through the room, barely missing the gloating Iblis. The Count turned to look where it had gone, but the mysterious manifestation was gone faster than any mere Human could follow. But, as Imperious Leader knew, Iblis was not Human, and when a second sphere appeared, then a third, the Count, with a growl of anger and a swish of his robes, vanished from the throne room, leaving the Leader alone. The ship rumbled from her grasp and continued along without her toward the distant light. She fought against the force that was drawing her away from it. She reached out and briefly touched the other before it was taken beyond her reach. The forces around her carrying her back up, away from the comfort and love below. Now, she was back in the darkness, no pain, no fear - nothing. Cold and so alone it was madding. She fought against the darkness; she didn't want to be alone! The pain came again but not as intense as before. Sounds once again buzzed around her and this time she could hear the whispers. "A home, Babe. Finally, a real place to live...." The voice was familiar and comforting. "...not a cubicle inside an oversized metal box, always on the run. Sun. A sky. A place for our." She could feel the sorrow and pain that filled the voice. She tried to get closer but the journey had been long and hard. Exhausted, Rigel slipped back down into the darkness. ___________ Omega awoke teful for all you did for us, said Imperious Leader, accessing for the first time in sectars the memories of his destroyed predecessor, who had been activated before the onset of the war with the Humans. Yes, all that the Cylon race had become had been due to this&being. Imperious Leader found this fact, undeniable as it was&unsettling. The Cylon race, the very pinnacle of the evolution of the purity of the machine, the product of a man. Iblis was, however, not a man, he reminded himself. He was some sort of being, some unquantifiable class of creature, which seemed to transcend both living tissue, and electronic circuits. Iblis was neither. And if it were not for the fact that he knew certain codes that compelled obedience from every Cylon, regardless of status, Imperious Leader would have had him executed, or at the very least thrown off the ship. Only Iblis knowledge prevented this action. Once more& Protocol seven, nested memory file 3955, program Avenger , said Iblis, beneath his feet once more, a light flickered, and he activated a circuit in his giant brain. Control Center. Status report. Jolly s control stick was useless. When he tried to move it forwards and back, it was stuck fast as a beached ship. Side to side, it flopped like a limp& Another warning beep sounded, adding its noise to the cacophony of all the other beeps. Something smelled burned, and he tried to access his diagnostic board. Damnation! Another engine had just kicked out, and if the wreck of what had once been his control panel was to be believed, he was leaking fuel from the left dump vent, and leaking mighty fast, too. As he tried to bring some life back to his crippled Viper, he felt himself growing lightheaded, and reached under the seat for the emergency oxygen bottle. Deep breath. Deep breath. Yes. His scanner was dead, but as he looked out his canopy, he saw a Raider crossing his line of flight. Angry, scared, and feeling helpless, he noneabruptly, awakened by something he could not identify. Anxiously, he looked about him, scanning the area before him. He did not, for a moment, recognize the room nor the strange alien scents and sounds around him. Adrenaline rushed through his senses casting out the foggy sleep that clouded his mind. Then his memories flooded back to him and he remembered. During the lull in the battle, Commander Adama had permitted him a brief return to Enterprise, to see Rigel, and Dr. Boyce had left him with her. He quickly turned and looked at the small delicate form that lay in the medical bed beside him. Shakily, he placed a hand over his eyes, wiping away the last vestiges of dreams, and fighting off a fresh wave of grief. He had been at home, walking along the shore, exhilarating in the feel of sand between his toes. His arm draped lovingly around Rigel, their child in her arms. They strolled along the sands watching the brilliantly colored sunset before them. Their life aboard the Galacticalooking directly into the other s optical sensors, and at once Imperious Leader felt the will to kill this creature fade. He felt utterly impotent, impotent and confused, as Iblis smiled at him, a smile not unlike one his predecessor had seen on the face of the Human traitor, Baltar, when the duplicitous Commander had first broached his treacherous scheme. A smile of victory, of knowing of a certainty that one has their opponent utterly in their hands, because they have absolutely no choice. A look that faded rapidly as one of the mysterious blue spheres seemed to fly right through the room, barely missing the gloating Iblis. The Count turned to look where it had gone, but the mysterious manifestation was gone faster than any mere Human could follow. But, as Imperious Leader knew, Iblis was not Human, and when a second sphere appeared, then a third, the Count, with a growl of anger and a swish of his robes, vanished from the throne room, leaving the Leader alone. The ship rumbled theless decided that he wasn t going out except with a last strike at the enemy, and he gripped the control stick, and waited. Hoping his gauge was telling the truth& He fired, and a single bolt of energy spat from his right gun, and nailed the Cylon dead on. The Raider spewed chunks and gas into space, then the cockpit window blew out into vacuum. Jolly whooped at this tiny victory, then fell silent as he saw what was ahead. The planet they were orbiting, growing larger by the moment. As if that weren t enough, a huge chunk of debris, at least five or six times the size of his ship, was between him and the planet, and he was sailing right into it. He yanked on the control stick once more, but it still refused to obey him. His ship kept on, the huge hunk of debris growing larger and larger. He hit UNICOM, he practically yelled into his helmet, but so far, there had been no response to his pleas for help. Almost too far away to be, the Cylon betrayal and the Fleet just a bad dream. Only, the beach and serenity had been the dream and his love, his life, lay motionless in an alien medical facility, the Cylons and death still around them. He took a shaky breath as hot tears escaped and ran unheeded down him face. "Omega?" His head snapped up at the softly spoken word. Dark eyes looked up at him in confusion. Choking down his tears, Omega turned and grasped the searching hand. "Rigel? Oh, Rigel!" He reached out a hand to touch her face, afraid he was again lost in a dream. The face under his questing finger was warm, soft and very much there. "Oh Babe," he cried out as he hugged her to him. The being called Iblis is not aboard either ship, Imperious Leader, intoned the drone below him. Imperious Leader considered this a moment, but decided against punishing the Centurion for being the bearer of bad news. After all, Iblis seemed to be able to do whatever he wished. He d appeared out of nowhere, beneath his feet once more, a light flickered, and he activated a circuit in his giant brain. Control Center. Status report. Jolly s control stick was useless. When he tried to move it forwards and back, it was stuck fast as a beached ship. Side to side, it flopped like a limp& Another warning beep sounded, adding its noise to the cacophony of all the other beeps. Something smelled burned, and he tried to access his diagnostic board. Damnation! Another engine had just kicked out, and if the wreck of what had once been his control panel was to be believed, he was leaking fuel from the left dump vent, and leaking mighty fast, too. As he tried to bring some life back to his crippled Viper, he felt himself growing lightheaded, and reached under the seat for the emergency oxygen bottle. Deep breath. Deep breath. Yes. His scanner was dead, but as he looked out his canopy, he saw a Raider crossing his line of flight. Angry, scared, and feeling helpless, he none seen, Ensign Greenbean nonetheless saw the Cylon explode, and turned that way. He scanned, and picked up the barely transmitting distress call from Jolly s Viper. Banking hard, he headed that way, following the glittering trail of fuel his friend was leaking, coming up close alongside the crippled ship, just as the last of Jolly s fuel spluttered out into space, killing his last engine. Jolly? asked Greenbean, his ship bare centimetrons from the other. Jolly turned to look, raising a hand to wave. Okay, bud, said Greenbean. I m going to assume you can hear me. He looked, and saw Jolly tap his helmet, then give the thumbs up. So, at least he could hear, if not transmit properly. Greenbean looked ahead, and saw the wall of twisted death they were headed towards. I m gonna give you a little kiss, Jolly. I know you like girls, so don t take it the wrong way. He maneuvered his Viper closer, so close the computer gave him a proximity warning. He ignored it, and edged closer. Cland now it seemed he had returned there. Still& Scan the immediate area for any signs of him. By your command, Imperious Leader. The Centurion turned to go, but never made it to the hatch before something hit the ship like a tidal wave. Imperious Leader was nearly toppled from his high seat, and the Centurion went sprawling. Report!! What is it? demanded Gommeed, aboard the Tholian ship Kreeda. His ship had felt the surge of some powerful wave wash over it, and the crew was picking itself up. He found himself fervently hoping the blasted mammals were having the same problems. Energy wave of unknown type, sir, replied Loskeem, scanning. It seems to be emanating from an area between the planet and the emergence point of the Colonial Fleet. Cylon weaponry? Unlikely, sir. This reads as utterly incongruous with the Cylon energy signatures we scanned earlier. And the Cylons have not fired their weapons in some time. Whattheless decided that he wasn t going out except with a last strike at the enemy, and he gripped the control stick, and waited. Hoping his gauge was telling the truth& He fired, and a single bolt of energy spat from his right gun, and nailed the Cylon dead on. The Raider spewed chunks and gas into space, then the cockpit window blew out into vacuum. Jolly whooped at this tiny victory, then fell silent as he saw what was ahead. The planet they were orbiting, growing larger by the moment. As if that weren t enough, a huge chunk of debris, at least five or six times the size of his ship, was between him and the planet, and he was sailing right into it. He yanked on the control stick once more, but it still refused to obey him. His ship kept on, the huge hunk of debris growing larger and larger. He hit UNICOM, he practically yelled into his helmet, but so far, there had been no response to his pleas for help. Almost too far away to beoser. Ever closer. Despite screaming alarms, he edged his left wing under the mangled remains of Jolly s right one. Hold her steady for a few more millicentons, buddy. He spared a look forward, and saw the huge chunk of wreckage nearly filling his cockpit window and scanner screen. Then, once he heard and felt the two pieces of metal scrape together, and the computer scream at him& He flipped his Viper over sharply a few degrees, sending Jolly s crippled ship tumbling away from the wreckage ahead, his fighter missing the chunk of metal by less than the length of a Viper. He sailed past it, letting out a long deep breath, and thanking each and every one of the Lords of Kobol in turn, by name. As he tried once more to regain control of his ship, he saw Greenbean reappear, moving in front of him, and a tether shoot from under the stern of his Viper, to latch on to his own. As he felt the tether connect with a thunk, he saw another Viper join his savior, then a third. Slowly, he was pulled , then? growled the Tholian. What? Unknown, sir, said Kang, reporting. Well find out! ordered Korrd, turning back from Kang to face the screen. By Kahless find out! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!!!! screamed Iblis, Michael s, and countless other warriors hands about his throat . Deep in the guts of the now boiling planet, the Father of Lies writhed in pain, under the assault of his foes. His own demons having either been beaten or fled, he was alone. Utterly. Beaten, overwhelmed, defeated, forced to his knees, he was now totally naked to his enemies, and had no choice. Now, Iblis! Now, Iblis! cried the entire chorus of warrior arrayed against him. Now, Iblis! Now. Iblis! YES! the Evil One cried, shrieked, the merest foretaste of his future wracking his entire being. Yes, what? pushed the other. No reply. YES, WHAT?? he sent another shock of power through the defeated Iblis. I&obey! wailed the demonic monster, and at a nod from Micha seen, Ensign Greenbean nonetheless saw the Cylon explode, and turned that way. He scanned, and picked up the barely transmitting distress call from Jolly s Viper. Banking hard, he headed that way, following the glittering trail of fuel his friend was leaking, coming up close alongside the crippled ship, just as the last of Jolly s fuel spluttered out into space, killing his last engine. Jolly? asked Greenbean, his ship bare centimetrons from the other. Jolly turned to look, raising a hand to wave. Okay, bud, said Greenbean. I m going to assume you can hear me. He looked, and saw Jolly tap his helmet, then give the thumbs up. So, at least he could hear, if not transmit properly. Greenbean looked ahead, and saw the wall of twisted death they were headed towards. I m gonna give you a little kiss, Jolly. I know you like girls, so don t take it the wrong way. He maneuvered his Viper closer, so close the computer gave him a proximity warning. He ignored it, and edged closer. Claway from his course into oblivion. He waived at the other pilots& And saw at least four raiders heading directly for them. He swore, and checked his weapons. His lasers were down to below firing level. His ship was helpless, he could do nothing. Till an intense beam of green energy sliced through the formation, destroying them all. As the Cylons sublimed into vapor, he saw one of the alien ships, the Cling-ons, speed nearby. He didn t know, or care, he just was glad to be in one piece. He waved at the alien vessel, then looked ahead, where the Galactica was drawing near. Like his Leader, Lucifer also was stunned a moment, at the destruction of the BaseShip. It had been the newest and best defended of the group. How? Obviously, these Federation Humans had weapons far, far more powerful than anything the Colonials had ever fielded. Clearly, they had stumbled into a situation they could not handle, any fool could see that. The IL Series spent thel, the others loosened their hold on him. Now free, Iblis began to regain something of his former appearance, and closed his eyes. He raised his hands& Cain barely kept his feet, as the wave swept over his ship, knocking her almost up on her beam ends. He felt the gravity flutter, then go off-line for a moment. The lights dimmed, then with another heave, the Pegasus seemed to partially right herself, and the emergency lights kicked in. Floating up off the deck, he caught on to the back of Tolan s chair, then plopped unceremoniously back down onto his astrum, as the backup generators cut in. What the fracking& he began, when he saw the images on one of the monitors. Directly ahead, there was a&well, a whirlpool of swirling lightning. That was the first thing he could think of to call it. A whirlpool, and the Pegasus was being drawn right into it. Reverse engines! he ordered, as the Battlestar was drawn closer into the maw of whatever it was. No response! replioser. Ever closer. Despite screaming alarms, he edged his left wing under the mangled remains of Jolly s right one. Hold her steady for a few more millicentons, buddy. He spared a look forward, and saw the huge chunk of wreckage nearly filling his cockpit window and scanner screen. Then, once he heard and felt the two pieces of metal scrape together, and the computer scream at him& He flipped his Viper over sharply a few degrees, sending Jolly s crippled ship tumbling away from the wreckage ahead, his fighter missing the chunk of metal by less than the length of a Viper. He sailed past it, letting out a long deep breath, and thanking each and every one of the Lords of Kobol in turn, by name. As he tried once more to regain control of his ship, he saw Greenbean reappear, moving in front of him, and a tether shoot from under the stern of his Viper, to latch on to his own. As he felt the tether connect with a thunk, he saw another Viper join his savior, then a third. Slowly, he was pulled ree picocentons calculating the odds of victory. They were dismal, as were the odds of mere survival. A conclusion punctuated by the sudden hard slam his ship took at that moment. He gripped the nearest podium to remain standing, and returned his attention to his screen. His gunners continued to pour fire into the enemy, but the return fire was just proving to be too strong for their screens. He ordered fire directed at one of the Federation ships, and felt an almost Human gratification as its shields flared brightly, the megalaser pinning the ship dead center. Almost at once, the Human ship returned fire with the hideously powerful missiles they used, and& The lights failed in Control Center, and Lucifer was momentarily blinded by a panel bursting into flames. The BaseShip shook once more, and something exploded, sending them all sprawling, and debris rained down from the ceiling. Emergency power! bellowed the IL. By your commaned Tolan, trying the controls again and again. Reverse thrusters off-line, Commander. Keep trying! ordered Cain. Negative shield! Tolan opened the huge blast shields, and they all got a look. The Pegasus was being sucked down into this&this hole, like being sucked down a turboflush. Red lights were flashing across the boards, as system after system went dead or erratic. An alarm sounded. Life support is out all over the ship, sir! yelled someone. The Pegasus bucked, like a boat caught in rapids. Secure all bulkheads! ordered Cain. Fire crews to stations! Aye sir! Speed, Tolan? Unknown sir, said Tolan, nearly thrown from his perch by another heave. Velocity reads as zero, sir. What? Impossible! said Cain. Outside, the whirlpool was passing by as if the ship were literally hundreds of times over lightspeed. Yet, the indicator read as dead stop! The scanners were also blank, as if they were nowhere. What in Hades Hole&? Sir! crieaway from his course into oblivion. He waived at the other pilots& And saw at least four raiders heading directly for them. He swore, and checked his weapons. His lasers were down to below firing level. His ship was helpless, he could do nothing. Till an intense beam of green energy sliced through the formation, destroying them all. As the Cylons sublimed into vapor, he saw one of the alien ships, the Cling-ons, speed nearby. He didn t know, or care, he just was glad to be in one piece. He waved at the alien vessel, then looked ahead, where the Galactica was drawing near. Like his Leader, Lucifer also was stunned a moment, at the destruction of the BaseShip. It had been the newest and best defended of the group. How? Obviously, these Federation Humans had weapons far, far more powerful than anything the Colonials had ever fielded. Clearly, they had stumbled into a situation they could not handle, any fool could see that. The IL Series spent thd replied an underling, as another explosion slammed the BaseShip. X-UIDL: (0b!!Sdj"!O8N!!#(L"! Culture Shock, Pt. 38 The Cylon missile exploded barely a ship s length from the outer hull of the Farragut, caught by her lasers. Everyone was hurled back and upwards , and her screen momentarily went blindingly white, as the thermonuclear ordnance gnawed at their shields. Garrovik and Starbuck ended up in a tangled heap together, and several controls burned and died, before the malignant light faded, and they could take stock. Main viewer! ordered Garrovik, retaking his seat. He felt something trickle down his left cheek, and reflexively reached up. There was a deep gash stretching from his brow to over his ear. The viewscreen had momentarily died, and they could see nothing. Sensors! Activating backups, sir, said a voice, and one by one, fitfully, the lights came up, followed by the main viewer a few moments later. Shields? At 46.7 percent, sir, said hid Tolan, pointing ahead. At the center of the tunnel, a black spot had appeared. It was growing larger, and the Pegasus was headed right towards it! What the frack! said Starbuck softly, back on the Galactica s bridge, as a swirling mass of light opened up several thousand off their starboard bow. Like, yet unlike the earlier wormhole, it was obviously immensely powerful, and had most of their instruments showing only snow. It pulsed, like a geyser, and after a few centons, it was obvious that something was emerging. WHAT??? bellowed Imperious Leader, when he saw it, on one of the few functioning monitors before him. As if everything that had happened was not sufficiently bad, now they had to contend with this! All across the Galactica s bridge, cheering erupted, as the object coming through the wormhole became more clearly defined. Long, wide, and gleaming white in the light of this sun, it was unmistakably& The Pegasus! shouted Giles, followedree picocentons calculating the odds of victory. They were dismal, as were the odds of mere survival. A conclusion punctuated by the sudden hard slam his ship took at that moment. He gripped the nearest podium to remain standing, and returned his attention to his screen. His gunners continued to pour fire into the enemy, but the return fire was just proving to be too strong for their screens. He ordered fire directed at one of the Federation ships, and felt an almost Human gratification as its shields flared brightly, the megalaser pinning the ship dead center. Almost at once, the Human ship returned fire with the hideously powerful missiles they used, and& The lights failed in Control Center, and Lucifer was momentarily blinded by a panel bursting into flames. The BaseShip shook once more, and something exploded, sending them all sprawling, and debris rained down from the ceiling. Emergency power! bellowed the IL. By your commans exec. Warp drive off- line. Status of enemy forces? There, sir! said Kirk, pointing at the fuzzy, tearing screen. The BaseShip that had attacked them was otherwise engaged at the moment, trading heavy salvos with the Galactica, but at least a score of Cylon fighters were bearing down on them, almost within firing range. Aboard the Kreeda, Gommeed had picked himself up, and was taking damage reports. Thanks to the Elementals, the ship was in better shape than he had feared from the pounding they had taken. The Cylon fighter that had tagged them so precisely had come around for another pass, and been destroyed by one of the Human-flown fighters from the immense Battlestar vessel. For the moment, the Cylons seemed to be ignoring him, as well as his sister ship. Fools. Maneuvering in, closer to the action, Gomme by several others. Unreal, unbelievable, it was nonetheless true. The Battlestar Pegasus, survivor of Molocay and Gamoray, lost, found, and lost again, was ripping out of the hole in space, like an arrow from a bow. My God! cried Adama, eyes wide, as shocked for the moment as everyone else. They all watched the other ship scream out of the wormhole, which at once collapsed back into whatever had created it, and roar on, rolling as she did so. For several moments, it seemed that the Pegasus would sail on, bypassing them entirely, and crash into the Fleet. But after a few tense moments, they could see maneuvering thrusters fire, and the ship turned, slowed, and righted herself. Open a channel! ordered Adama. Needlessly, as Athena had already begun to do so. As the interference from the wormhole cleared, a scratchy image of Cain once more graced Adama s bridge. Not now, Adama! said Cain, voice warbly and full of hiss. I m busy. And so said, the Pegasus came about, pointedd replied an underling, as another explosion slammed the BaseShip. X-UIDL: (0b!!Sdj"!O8N!!#(L"! Culture Shock, Pt. 38 The Cylon missile exploded barely a ship s length from the outer hull of the Farragut, caught by her lasers. Everyone was hurled back and upwards , and her screen momentarily went blindingly white, as the thermonuclear ordnance gnawed at their shields. Garrovik and Starbuck ended up in a tangled heap together, and several controls burned and died, before the malignant light faded, and they could take stock. Main viewer! ordered Garrovik, retaking his seat. He felt something trickle down his left cheek, and reflexively reached up. There was a deep gash stretching from his brow to over his ear. The viewscreen had momentarily died, and they could see nothing. Sensors! Activating backups, sir, said a voice, and one by one, fitfully, the lights came up, followed by the main viewer a few moments later. Shields? At 46.7 percent, sir, said hied s gunner saw a hoard of the ugly Cylon fighter craft bearing down on one of the Federation ships. While he had no love for the repulsive mammals, it was clear that they all faced a common foe in these Cylons at the moment. The gunner turned (no small feat for a segmented piece of crystal), seeing his skipper observing the tracking data. Wordlessly, Gommeed pointed to the Cylon formation currently screaming towards the Farragut, and gave the order. Aboard the lead Cylon fighter, Flight Leader Pravus lined up the wounded Federation vessel on his targeting scope in front of the third seat. While much of the data his scanner gave him was unfamiliar, either to his or his ship s database, and therefore useless to him, he could plainly see that the ship was hurt, it s shield energies down significantly and fluctuating, along with some sort of highly energetic plasma venting from one of the long power nacelles projecting from the body of the ship. Significantly enough for his fighters t herself directly at the combined Cylon BaseShips, and began to speed up. Oh Lords! said Boomer, as Cain fired a missile directly at the Cylons. It is done, growled Iblis. Excuse me, sir? said the Centurion. We re fracked! said Lucifer. Meanwhile, on board a spaceship, floating in,&well, in space&.. Pike watched, speechless, as the other Battlestar shot from the spatial rift, and pirouetting with a grace he would not have dreamed so massive a ship capable of, turned, and headed directly for the Cylon BaseShips. He watched as Cain, in a move of typically insane Cainicity, bore down directly on the enemy, firing as he did so. The ordnance spat from the Pegasus missile tubes, to slam into the Cylon s shields. Each missile blossomed into a beautiful, blue-white ball of death, hammering the enemy s defenses. One, two, three missiles exploded against the BaseShip s screens, and still the Pegasus screamed towards her foe, forward laser banks s exec. Warp drive off- line. Status of enemy forces? There, sir! said Kirk, pointing at the fuzzy, tearing screen. The BaseShip that had attacked them was otherwise engaged at the moment, trading heavy salvos with the Galactica, but at least a score of Cylon fighters were bearing down on them, almost within firing range. Aboard the Kreeda, Gommeed had picked himself up, and was taking damage reports. Thanks to the Elementals, the ship was in better shape than he had feared from the pounding they had taken. The Cylon fighter that had tagged them so precisely had come around for another pass, and been destroyed by one of the Human-flown fighters from the immense Battlestar vessel. For the moment, the Cylons seemed to be ignoring him, as well as his sister ship. Fools. Maneuvering in, closer to the action, Gomme pumping out shot after shot. Then, at the very last millicenton, she banked, like an old-fashioned propeller- driven airplane, right up onto her beam-ends, and skirted the enemy, the screens of the two warships flashing and sparking as they scraped by. Who in God s name is this lunatic? muttered Tyler, as the Enterprise bridge crew watched the Pegasus race away, engines blazing, Cylon guns trying fruitlessly to track her motion. Belay that, Mr. Tyler, said Pike, sparing his navigator a glance. I d venture to say these people know their enemies. Understood, sir, replied Tyler, chastened. Turning back to the screen, he watched the Battlestar speed away, the Cylons momentarily blinded. Damage to Cylon vessel, Mr. Spock, said Pike. One shield damaged, sir. Total shield integrity down by 6.78 percent. He scanned further. No appreciable structural damage to the enemy, Captain. Sir, said Number One, Cylon vessel attempting to target the new ship. She s ed s gunner saw a hoard of the ugly Cylon fighter craft bearing down on one of the Federation ships. While he had no love for the repulsive mammals, it was clear that they all faced a common foe in these Cylons at the moment. The gunner turned (no small feat for a segmented piece of crystal), seeing his skipper observing the tracking data. Wordlessly, Gommeed pointed to the Cylon formation currently screaming towards the Farragut, and gave the order. Aboard the lead Cylon fighter, Flight Leader Pravus lined up the wounded Federation vessel on his targeting scope in front of the third seat. While much of the data his scanner gave him was unfamiliar, either to his or his ship s database, and therefore useless to him, he could plainly see that the ship was hurt, it s shield energies down significantly and fluctuating, along with some sort of highly energetic plasma venting from one of the long power nacelles projecting from the body of the ship. Significantly enough for his fighters to inflict serious damage to the ship. Pravus double-checked his formation, then ordered- Arm weapons. By your command. As they came into killer range, Pravus ship opened fire on the Farragut, and the Command Cylon was rewarded by a bright flaring of energy from the enemy s shields. He was then further rewarded by even more brightness, as the closest ship in the formation erupted into a boiling cloud of debris. Pravus turned to get a better view, and for a microcenton got a truly spectacular one, as the canopy and side of his fighter disappeared under the Tholian assault. Barely had he perceived this, and begun to register surprise, when a chunk of shrapnel sliced off his head, and the orange blob fired from the Kreeda completed its deadly work, burning through the ships, and the every bit of the Cylon force was reduced to hot metal vapor, Pravus surprisefilled head included. Good shooting, Kirk! shouted Garrovik, as the shock wave from the Cylon smoving. Then let s not let her. Target the Cylons, Number One. Mr. Tyler, open fire, all banks. Opening fire, aye, responded Tyler. Intense beams of phaser energy spat from the Enterprise s forward banks, slamming the Cylon s screens. Moments later, they were followed by a full spread of photon torpedoes, then a second round of phaser fire, raising huge balls of violent energy from the enemy s shields. As if on cue, the remaining Klingon vessels did the same, opening fire on the Cylons. G roth cut loose, followed by the rest of the Klingon flotilla. The Cylon s shields flared white, purple, and red, but stubbornly held firm. Pike watched as Farragut opened fire, then fired himself once more. Again the BaseShip s screens flashed and burst, but stayed in place. Cease fire, ordered Pike, and Tyler stood down. The Pegasus was now far from the BaseShip, and was coming back around to rejoin her sister ship, and the Colonial Fleet. Pike watched her slide smoothly, surpro inflict serious damage to the ship. Pravus double-checked his formation, then ordered- Arm weapons. By your command. As they came into killer range, Pravus ship opened fire on the Farragut, and the Command Cylon was rewarded by a bright flaring of energy from the enemy s shields. He was then further rewarded by even more brightness, as the closest ship in the formation erupted into a boiling cloud of debris. Pravus turned to get a better view, and for a microcenton got a truly spectacular one, as the canopy and side of his fighter disappeared under the Tholian assault. Barely had he perceived this, and begun to register surprise, when a chunk of shrapnel sliced off his head, and the orange blob fired from the Kreeda completed its deadly work, burning through the ships, and the every bit of the Cylon force was reduced to hot metal vapor, Pravus surprisefilled head included. Good shooting, Kirk! shouted Garrovik, as the shock wave from the Cylon s destruction wafted over them. Damn good& Not me, Captain, replied the gunner. It was one of the Tholian ships, sir. Garrovik looked from his gunner, to the main screen. Sure enough, one of the Tholian vessels was skimming past the cooling cloud of debris that moments before had been the Cylon attack force. As he stared in neardisbelief, Garrovik had to admit the intervention was welltimed. Even the one shot that had connected had whittled another half- percent or so off their shield power. With the main warp-core off-line, it would only get worse, unless the engineering crew could pump the impulse reactors up to near insane levels. Even then, with them trailing warp plasma like they were, they were& Helm, he ordered, voice suddenly whip- sharp. Plot us a course away from the battle. 210, mark 11, z-minus 5,500. Sir? Speed, one-tenth impulse, shut down the port impulse engine in nine seconds, take maneuvering thrusters four, nine, and eleven off-line. isingly so, alongside the Galactica, slowing to station keeping. He shook his head and smiled. What the hell must this Cain be like? He wondered, as the ship s name sunk in. Klingon forces continuing to fire, sir, Spock informed him. Cylons returning fire. Pike watched as more lasers from the Klingons slammed the Cylons, and a pulsar blast from the enemy seared close to G roth. The Klingons seemed to get the idea that this wasn t going to work, right now, and they stood down. The Cylons soon ceased fire as well. Sir, said Alden, Commander Adama requests another conference. Tell him I ll be there, Mr. Alden. You bet I will be, thought Pike. I want to meet this&lunatic. Captain, said Spock, starship Defiant now entering sensor range. ETA 54 minutes. The Hood? Not yet, sir. Sir, interrupted Alden, incoming message from Commodore Nogura, aboard the Defiant. The Commodore? said Pike, clearly surprised at this news. Yes, Ca destruction wafted over them. Damn good& Not me, Captain, replied the gunner. It was one of the Tholian ships, sir. Garrovik looked from his gunner, to the main screen. Sure enough, one of the Tholian vessels was skimming past the cooling cloud of debris that moments before had been the Cylon attack force. As he stared in neardisbelief, Garrovik had to admit the intervention was welltimed. Even the one shot that had connected had whittled another half- percent or so off their shield power. With the main warp-core off-line, it would only get worse, unless the engineering crew could pump the impulse reactors up to near insane levels. Even then, with them trailing warp plasma like they were, they were& Helm, he ordered, voice suddenly whip- sharp. Plot us a course away from the battle. 210, mark 11, z-minus 5,500. Sir? Speed, one-tenth impulse, shut down the port impulse engine in nine seconds, take maneuvering thrusters four, nine, and eleven off-line. Off& The helmsman stopped, suddenly seeing where this was going. Wobble us, said Garrovik. He turned, to regard his Colonial guests a few moments. And load all torpedo tubes. Bring lasers to full capacity. Prepare to drop starboard screens on my order. Torpedo tubes loading, sir, replied Kirk. Lasers to full aye. And transmit my thanks to the Tholian Captain, he added. Uh, Captain Garrovik& began Sirrion. Hold on, Garrovik said, to Starbuck and company. It s gonna get a bit bumpy. What s he doing? whispered Sirrion, to Giles. Unless I m really mistaken, something worthy of Cain, replied Starbuck, trying to hide a smile. Once he was back aboard the Galactica, itself no mean feat in the middle of a battle, Jolly popped his canopy, and got out. Or rather, fell out. Under battle conditions, they had not been able to catch his damaged fighter with the tow beam and recovery armptain. Put him on, Mr. Alden. Lucifer had watched the Pegasus emerge from nothing, and had felt certain that he was about to be destroyed. For a fleeting moment, he had wished that Baltar were here with him, so that he could watch the Human traitor scream in terror as the end approached. Something about Baltar s emotional outbursts, especially the fearful ones, had been so entertaining. The Pegasus attack had caught the BaseShip totally unawares. With crews occupied with repairs and modifications, and the scanners momentarily obscured by the wormhole effect, the Pegasus had been turning to bear down on them almost before they knew it. The first salvo had rocked the ships, the second missile even worse, as Cain followed it up with massive laser volleys. While the new shield design had held, for the moment, against the attacks, the energy released had obscured their tracking sensors once again, making it nearly impossible for the gunners to target the Battlestar by an Off& The helmsman stopped, suddenly seeing where this was going. Wobble us, said Garrovik. He turned, to regard his Colonial guests a few moments. And load all torpedo tubes. Bring lasers to full capacity. Prepare to drop starboard screens on my order. Torpedo tubes loading, sir, replied Kirk. Lasers to full aye. And transmit my thanks to the Tholian Captain, he added. Uh, Captain Garrovik& began Sirrion. Hold on, Garrovik said, to Starbuck and company. It s gonna get a bit bumpy. What s he doing? whispered Sirrion, to Giles. Unless I m really mistaken, something worthy of Cain, replied Starbuck, trying to hide a smile. Once he was back aboard the Galactica, itself no mean feat in the middle of a battle, Jolly popped his canopy, and got out. Or rather, fell out. Under battle conditions, they had not been able to catch his damaged fighter with the tow beam and recovery arm, and pull it in, setting it down in a cradle. No, once inside the landing bay, the tether was let loose, and he skidded to a brutal stop, ending up on his nose. Once the canopy was open, he fell out like a fish on a trawler s deck. Getting up from his unceremonious reunion with his shipmates, he ran, faster than the ship s Fitness Director would have given his credit for, directly towards the launch bay, where three fighters sat empty for lack of pilots. Not waiting for someone to tell him no, ignoring the shouts from behind him, Jolly leaped up into one ready ship, and at once began revving her engines. Lieutenant& began a deckhand, but the rotund Viper pilot waved him off. What, I m gonna sit here on my oversized astrum, while there s a battle on? He hit the button to lower his canopy. No way. But regulations& Frack em with a bovine prod! shouted Jolly, and hit his stick. The Viper screamed down the launch tube, the deckhand unsure of whything but visual sighting alone. As a result, they missed badly, and got a serious thrashing in return. Yes, Centurion? asked Lucifer. Damage to Number Three shield generator, sir, said the underling. Lucifer examined the report. It seemed the Pegasus near-collision had resulted in severe overloading in one of the shield generators, and the deflector had nearly collapsed. Only the overlapping of the screens, and rotating of the ship had saved it from being penetrated, during the follow-up attacks from the Federation and Klingon vessels. Unfortunately, that attack had made it impossible to pursue the Pegasus, and she had escaped. It was, reported the engineers, going to take at least 60 or 70 centons to put it right, barring any complications, along with everything else. Lucifer shook his pointy electronic head, an unconscious mannerism picked up from Baltar, and reflected upon this new situation. Commander Cain. The Pegasus. Imperious Leader would most certainly not be pleased, and pull it in, setting it down in a cradle. No, once inside the landing bay, the tether was let loose, and he skidded to a brutal stop, ending up on his nose. Once the canopy was open, he fell out like a fish on a trawler s deck. Getting up from his unceremonious reunion with his shipmates, he ran, faster than the ship s Fitness Director would have given his credit for, directly towards the launch bay, where three fighters sat empty for lack of pilots. Not waiting for someone to tell him no, ignoring the shouts from behind him, Jolly leaped up into one ready ship, and at once began revving her engines. Lieutenant& began a deckhand, but the rotund Viper pilot waved him off. What, I m gonna sit here on my oversized astrum, while there s a battle on? He hit the button to lower his canopy. No way. But regulations& Frack em with a bovine prod! shouted Jolly, and hit his stick. The Viper screamed down the launch tube, the deckhand unsure of whether or not the vibration he felt was the departing ship, or a Cylon salvo. Aboard the third remaining BaseShip, the Commander noted the destruction of the attack force sent to destroy the Farragut. He scanned the Federation ship, and formulated a plan. Bringing his ship around, he maneuvered her closer to where the Human vessel was drifting. All mega pulsars, target the Farragut, he ordered. As he spoke, a shot from the Galactica slammed his shields, then a second one. Lights failed, then blazed back. For precisely three picocentons, the Commander was torn. Which ship to attack? Cylon vessel breaking formation, said Koloth. Heading towards grid zero-one-eight, cross-grid five-five. Target, ordered Kleege. Full impulse! X-UIDL: f3B!!K`1!![C/"!;$b!! Culture Shock, Pt. 39 Commander, said the bridge officer, approaching the coordinates of the energy readings. Uncharted solar system at 227, delta 4.4. Alter course, r. He looked around his damaged Control Center, as the techs worked to repair, and once again wondered; What would Baltar do? Centurion, he called, lowering his voice, gesturing to another Cylon. Sir? Is it ready? Awaiting your arrival, sir. Very good, Centurion. Proceed there, and await my signal. By your command. Pike wasn t certain of just what to expect of Commander Cain, but somehow this wasn t it. A tall, still- vigorous middle-aged man, with a thick shock of golden hair, and a face you could trust. Somehow, he d expected someone with wild eyes, and the long streaming hair of an ax- wielding barbarian. But upon seeing him for the first time, he had to shelve that idea. Cain looked, somehow, so&normal. Not the sort of man one would expect to pilot a million gross tons of starship like a punk in a stolen hovercar out playing chicken. Cain was staring at him, and it took a few moments to realize that it wasn t he or his ether or not the vibration he felt was the departing ship, or a Cylon salvo. Aboard the third remaining BaseShip, the Commander noted the destruction of the attack force sent to destroy the Farragut. He scanned the Federation ship, and formulated a plan. Bringing his ship around, he maneuvered her closer to where the Human vessel was drifting. All mega pulsars, target the Farragut, he ordered. As he spoke, a shot from the Galactica slammed his shields, then a second one. Lights failed, then blazed back. For precisely three picocentons, the Commander was torn. Which ship to attack? Cylon vessel breaking formation, said Koloth. Heading towards grid zero-one-eight, cross-grid five-five. Target, ordered Kleege. Full impulse! X-UIDL: f3B!!K`1!![C/"!;$b!! Culture Shock, Pt. 39 Commander, said the bridge officer, approaching the coordinates of the energy readings. Uncharted solar system at 227, delta 4.4. Alter course, replied the Commander, twirling his swagger stick between his fingers. Any sign of Cylons? None so far sir, but I m getting resonate energy signatures that correlate positively with Colonial power systems. Recent? asked the Commander, showing a hint of heightened interest. Still analyzing sensor data, sir, but likely within the last secton. Bring us in closer. With Iblis gone from his presence, Imperious Leader could give full attention to the matter at hand. Yet, somehow, like an organic sentient, some part of his electronic mind would not let go of recent events. The conversation, so-called, with Iblis had left him unsettled, even angry. Though Imperious Leader did not know it, his creators had followed the Human mental pattern a bit too closely, along with the physical, in designing the cybernetic race that now called itself Cylon. He wparty so much, as the transporter effect that held the Commander s attention. Since the Colonies had never developed the technology much beyond the theoretical stage, Cain would never have seen it, and it clearly unsettled him. They went through the introductory pleasantries, and then had to do so once again, when Commodore Nogura transported into the Galactica s huge council chamber, from the Defiant. A small man, Pike seemed to tower over him, but it would have been a mistake to evaluate the Commodore on that basis alone. A brilliant tactician and line officer, he had once saved his first command, the Dewey, from certain destruction by Orion pirates, saving most of his crew, and destroying two of the attacking pirate cruisers. He said little, saw much, and heard everything. Commander Cain, he said, his Japanese accent all but imperceptible, I welcome you to the Alpha Quadrant on behalf of the United Federation of Planets. My thanks, replied Cain, shaking the other s haeplied the Commander, twirling his swagger stick between his fingers. Any sign of Cylons? None so far sir, but I m getting resonate energy signatures that correlate positively with Colonial power systems. Recent? asked the Commander, showing a hint of heightened interest. Still analyzing sensor data, sir, but likely within the last secton. Bring us in closer. With Iblis gone from his presence, Imperious Leader could give full attention to the matter at hand. Yet, somehow, like an organic sentient, some part of his electronic mind would not let go of recent events. The conversation, so-called, with Iblis had left him unsettled, even angry. Though Imperious Leader did not know it, his creators had followed the Human mental pattern a bit too closely, along with the physical, in designing the cybernetic race that now called itself Cylon. He was angry, irritated, and were he capable of articulating it, suffering from a bruised pride. All of which detracted from his immediate concern, the fight with the Humans. One BaseShip destroyed, the rest damaged to varying degrees. No way, no way at all, should this have happened. Iblis had lied to him, not bothering to inform him of the powerful, advanced races that inhabited this region of space. As the fight wore on, his massive brain continued to analyze both the enemies, and their vessels, for any scrap of data that could be turned to the Cylon s advantage. One glimmer seemed to be that none of the Human or Klingon ships were designed to defend against attack by waves of small fighter craft, such as the Cylons and the Colonials used. While blasts from their weapons seemed effective in scattering Raider formations at a distance, if the fighters got in close, they could do some real damage. Massive pinwheel attacks, a Cylon standby, should prove effectnd. Nogura at once took in Cain s dress. A uniform similar to that worn by the golden-haired woman next to him, his was however loaded with shining braid, medals, and gold trim. He carried a short black swagger stick with a small bird atop it, and wore a pistol, the grips customized, on each hip. It was obvious that the woman was related to him somehow, probably his daughter, Nogura decided. They all sat, the Pegasus and one of the Federation ships filling the window. Pike noted Cain s repeated and admiring glances at the other ship, and smiled inwardly. After the second BaseShip was destroyed, said Cain, filling everyone in, our main life-support failed, as well as our primary deflector system. We saw, barely, the Cylon task force closing, heading back for Baltar s BaseShip, so we got out of there, while the debris and radiation from the destroyed BaseShips could still obscure us. Spock studied Cain s expression and voice closely. It was obvious that the Commander hadn t likedas angry, irritated, and were he capable of articulating it, suffering from a bruised pride. All of which detracted from his immediate concern, the fight with the Humans. One BaseShip destroyed, the rest damaged to varying degrees. No way, no way at all, should this have happened. Iblis had lied to him, not bothering to inform him of the powerful, advanced races that inhabited this region of space. As the fight wore on, his massive brain continued to analyze both the enemies, and their vessels, for any scrap of data that could be turned to the Cylon s advantage. One glimmer seemed to be that none of the Human or Klingon ships were designed to defend against attack by waves of small fighter craft, such as the Cylons and the Colonials used. While blasts from their weapons seemed effective in scattering Raider formations at a distance, if the fighters got in close, they could do some real damage. Massive pinwheel attacks, a Cylon standby, should prove effective, if properly coordinated, and Imperious Leader sent out the order forthwith. As he watched the scanners, waiting for the various squadrons to form up, he saw two more of his own fighter craft destroyed by Vipers, and the second BaseShip take a telling hit from the Galactica s main batteries. Obviously, time was of the essence, and he urged his forces on, infusing them with his sense of urgency. Or trying to, since to a lower-class Cylon, nothing was urgent. Damn Iblis! he said aloud, surprising both himself, and the nearby Centurions. Imperious Leader? asked one. Status of pinwheel formation? It is done, Imperious Leader. Attack. By your command, Imperious Leader. Watching the Farragut trailing warp plasma, the Commander of the second BaseShip allowed himself an almost Human moment of anticipation. The crippled Human ship they were approaching would soon be destroyed, and part of the threat to the task force at the same time. Beforive, if properly coordinated, and Imperious Leader sent out the order forthwith. As he watched the scanners, waiting for the various squadrons to form up, he saw two more of his own fighter craft destroyed by Vipers, and the second BaseShip take a telling hit from the Galactica s main batteries. Obviously, time was of the essence, and he urged his forces on, infusing them with his sense of urgency. Or trying to, since to a lower-class Cylon, nothing was urgent. Damn Iblis! he said aloud, surprising both himself, and the nearby Centurions. Imperious Leader? asked one. Status of pinwheel formation? It is done, Imperious Leader. Attack. By your command, Imperious Leader. Watching the Farragut trailing warp plasma, the Commander of the second BaseShip allowed himself an almost Human moment of anticipation. The crippled Human ship they were approaching would soon be destroyed, and part of the threat to the task force at the same time. Before long, the disgusting Colonial vermin would have no protectors, and would meet their fate. Range to Farragut? Twenty-two microns, by your command, replied his gunner. Interception in seven centons. By your command, said another underling. Power fluctuations from the Human vessel. One engine has apparently failed. Excellent. Prepare all mega-pulsars, and target the power nacelles. By your command. Flight Leader Mactabulus fired once more on the Galactica, and once more was frustrated by his laser s failure to fully penetrate her defensive shields. It seemed that something had changed in the defenses of the Battlestar. He scanned the enemy ship once more, and found the results just as baffling as before. Her shield dynamics were quite unlike those met during any previous encounters with Colonial vessels. What had the Humans done? It wasn t a what, so much as a who. When the attack came, Scotty and his engi that at all. Unlike Adama, who did what he did out of need, Cain truly loved war. The man was, Spock decided, mentally unbalanced, or nearly so, Why else would someone be so fond of conflict and battle? He blinked, coming back to the conversation. Korrd noticed it, too. This man loved war!!! We ran her at flank speed, until our main drive failed, and we were down to auxiliary power, Cain was continuing. Baltar had recovered fighters, and was searching for us, but we ducked into the Deltivit asteroid belt, and used one of the larger asteroids as cover. How long were you there? asked Adama. Almost three sectars. We were in pretty sad shape, and needed serious repairs. After Baltar s scouts gave up the search, we began mining one of the asteroids for the minerals we needed to restore our various systems. It took nearly two sectars to get our defensive systems and engines back up to operational status, then another to scratch enough tylium from the asteroids to fill e long, the disgusting Colonial vermin would have no protectors, and would meet their fate. Range to Farragut? Twenty-two microns, by your command, replied his gunner. Interception in seven centons. By your command, said another underling. Power fluctuations from the Human vessel. One engine has apparently failed. Excellent. Prepare all mega-pulsars, and target the power nacelles. By your command. Flight Leader Mactabulus fired once more on the Galactica, and once more was frustrated by his laser s failure to fully penetrate her defensive shields. It seemed that something had changed in the defenses of the Battlestar. He scanned the enemy ship once more, and found the results just as baffling as before. Her shield dynamics were quite unlike those met during any previous encounters with Colonial vessels. What had the Humans done? It wasn t a what, so much as a who. When the attack came, Scotty and his engineering team had been trapped aboard the Battlestar, unable to return to their various ships. By luck, or perhaps design, he had actually been discussing the Galactica s shield dynamics with Engineer Shadrick when the Cylons arrived, and at once tried to bring some of his knowledge into play. He worked to rotate the ship s shield frequencies, with emphasis on the upper EM band, then attempted to reconfigure the outputs on the shield emitters themselves. The Federation engineers work had already resulted in a moderate increase in power from the ship s main plant. By rerouting and jury-rigging, Scott and his team had stiffened the Galactica s defenses considerably. But would it be enough? Her systems had never been designed for these kinds of alterations, especially slapdash redesign in the midst of combat, and Scott realized it was only a matter of time. Can ye shunt power from this system here, he pointed to part of the engineering schematics, and route it through yer mainour bunkers. We sent out a scout, and when I was sure the coast was clear, we headed back out, to try and pick up your trail. Scout, sir? asked Starbuck. I thought you launched all your Vipers when we evacuated to the Fleet. We did, but there were enough components in ship s stores to construct one Viper. Once clear of the asteroid belt, we headed for Gamoray once more, and found it a total wreck. None of the Cylon defenses had been rebuilt, and we were able to help ourselves to all the fuel and munitions we could cram aboard the Pegasus, before leaving the sector. Must have been a big help, said Sheba. It was. But it was nearly two sectons before we picked up your trail with certainty, Adama. By that time, my people had finally cracked the Cylon code, and knew that they were in pursuit of you again. So, I ve been following, avoiding the Cylons as best I could, and deceiving them when necessary. We found the system where you destroyed that BaseShip, and when we deneering team had been trapped aboard the Battlestar, unable to return to their various ships. By luck, or perhaps design, he had actually been discussing the Galactica s shield dynamics with Engineer Shadrick when the Cylons arrived, and at once tried to bring some of his knowledge into play. He worked to rotate the ship s shield frequencies, with emphasis on the upper EM band, then attempted to reconfigure the outputs on the shield emitters themselves. The Federation engineers work had already resulted in a moderate increase in power from the ship s main plant. By rerouting and jury-rigging, Scott and his team had stiffened the Galactica s defenses considerably. But would it be enough? Her systems had never been designed for these kinds of alterations, especially slapdash redesign in the midst of combat, and Scott realized it was only a matter of time. Can ye shunt power from this system here, he pointed to part of the engineering schematics, and route it through yer main armaments bus? That s life-support for the crew quarters, replied Shadrick. Most of yer pilots are out, and willnae miss it. Can the relays take it? We don t have a choice, admitted Shadrick, and entered the appropriate commands into the system. Lights and heaters throughout the center of the ship began to dim, as the engineering systems pumped the energy into the defensive systems. The ship bucked, and something sparked, but for the moment, the defenses held. The ship s defensive laser guns, their power output increased by several crucial percent, lashed out& Catching Mactabulus fighter on one wing. The metal skin peeled away in chunks, and one engine exploded, followed by the fuel cells, forever leaving the Flight Leader with no answer to his puzzlement. X-UIDL: YJh!!]("#!/#?!!iGW"! Culture Shock, Pt. 40 by Senmut In a place that no Human could tolerate unaided, Iblis stood, watching the battle progress. Htected scouts approaching, I let them see me for a few centons, then led them astray, to help cover your escape. My thanks, Cain, replied Adama. Did you encounter the Eastern Alliance? He explained. Cain had, but the Destroyers, still skittish from their earlier encounter, had preferred to stay back, giving the second Battlestar to transit their space a wide berth. I finally picked up a stray signal from one of your patrols, and decided it was time to rendezvous, when we had a scanner breakdown. By the time repairs were made, and we d found that solar system, you were gone. I m surprised, said Korrd, from what I have heard. Was not the wormhole device destroyed? It was , said Cain. All we found was a cloud of wreckage near the inner planet. Some of it was Cylon, and the rest we couldn t identify. Then how did you manage the transit from there to here? asked the Klingon. Cain looked at him a moment, wondering if the ridges on their skulls made their brains armaments bus? That s life-support for the crew quarters, replied Shadrick. Most of yer pilots are out, and willnae miss it. Can the relays take it? We don t have a choice, admitted Shadrick, and entered the appropriate commands into the system. Lights and heaters throughout the center of the ship began to dim, as the engineering systems pumped the energy into the defensive systems. The ship bucked, and something sparked, but for the moment, the defenses held. The ship s defensive laser guns, their power output increased by several crucial percent, lashed out& Catching Mactabulus fighter on one wing. The metal skin peeled away in chunks, and one engine exploded, followed by the fuel cells, forever leaving the Flight Leader with no answer to his puzzlement. X-UIDL: YJh!!]("#!/#?!!iGW"! Culture Shock, Pt. 40 by Senmut In a place that no Human could tolerate unaided, Iblis stood, watching the battle progress. He smiled as the huge salvos from the Cylons connected with the Human vessels, frowned when the opposite occurred. He clenched his fists in anger, chafing still under the humiliating limitations placed upon him by his opponents. With one wave of his hand, the Galactica and all her helpers could be swept into the sun, reduced to dust. How he longed to make that a reality, ached, lusted, to finally rid the entire galaxy, forever, of the one race he hated above all others with such unbending, unyielding malignity. For the barest of moments, he dared think of it, dared to gather and nurture the thought& Only to have several of the blue spheres rip through the space near him. He bellowed in rage, power boiling from his fingertips, as the hated blobs spun about his position. This is not your place! he roared, the very ground under him rumbling with the power of his voice, the sky roiling. It is mine! No! replied another voice, this one as beautiful and asa different shape. I don t know, said Cain, and that s the truth. We encountered ripples of some kind of energy washing over us. Our computer had never seen anything like it before. Another one hit, nearly flipping the ship over, and we ended up here. Well, the timing couldn t have been better, said Adama. We need all the help we can get against this new Cylon defense. I noticed that they ve joined, he indicated the holodisplay in the center of the table, and that they survived our attack. But I have no more clue as to how we got here than anyone. If I may, said Spock, and with a motion, he replaced the holodisplay of the Cylons, with a computer graphic. This is a scan of the wormhole device that brought the Colonial Fleet to the Alpha Quadrant. It is incredible, said Korrd. Such technology. Aye, she was a beauty, burred Scott. Indeed, replied Spock. And here, he switched images once more, is a waveform analysis of the wormhole effect, take smiled as the huge salvos from the Cylons connected with the Human vessels, frowned when the opposite occurred. He clenched his fists in anger, chafing still under the humiliating limitations placed upon him by his opponents. With one wave of his hand, the Galactica and all her helpers could be swept into the sun, reduced to dust. How he longed to make that a reality, ached, lusted, to finally rid the entire galaxy, forever, of the one race he hated above all others with such unbending, unyielding malignity. For the barest of moments, he dared think of it, dared to gather and nurture the thought& Only to have several of the blue spheres rip through the space near him. He bellowed in rage, power boiling from his fingertips, as the hated blobs spun about his position. This is not your place! he roared, the very ground under him rumbling with the power of his voice, the sky roiling. It is mine! No! replied another voice, this one as beautiful and as pure as Iblis was foul and hideous, though no less heavy with authority. Myriad spheres swept past, till one slowed, stopping to hover mere inches from the Father of Lies, and began to morph. Slowly, deliberately, it began to take on a vaguely manlike shape, eyes and limbs becoming visible. As it did so, other spheres appeared also, these a deep reddishblack, some hovering around Iblis as he watched the transformation complete itself. Within moments, which to a Human would have seemed but a fraction of a second in duration, there stood before Iblis another, Human-appearing being. While Iblis would have seemed still to a Human observer to be a handsome man of vigorous middle age, this being s semblance was that of a tall, powerfully built man of younger years, his face and eyes burning with apparent youth. His robes were of an intense blue-white, and his flesh seemed to afire from within with an awful radiance. He looked hard and deeply at the Beginning of Murders, and spoke. You haven when the Galactica emerged into our space. He began a highly technical description of what all the lines and squiggles meant, but Cain interrupted. All fine and dandy, Mr. Spock, but how do the interaction of graviton wave pulses and collapsar fields get me here? The wormhole device was destroyed by the time the Pegasus reached that planet. Yes, Commander. But there were, according to our scans here, residual energies from the previous events. Echoes, if you will, of the wormhole effect. He switched images once more. As you can see, the waveform analysis of your emergence is similar to, but does not precisely match that of the other episodes. I see that, said Korrd, who, unlike most Klingon warriors, took a more than passing interest in the sciences. But it does not appear capable of transiting an object the size of a Battlestar. You are correct, sir, replied the Vulcan. Yet, it did so. And at the very time that the wormhole opened, to allow the Pegasus to e pure as Iblis was foul and hideous, though no less heavy with authority. Myriad spheres swept past, till one slowed, stopping to hover mere inches from the Father of Lies, and began to morph. Slowly, deliberately, it began to take on a vaguely manlike shape, eyes and limbs becoming visible. As it did so, other spheres appeared also, these a deep reddishblack, some hovering around Iblis as he watched the transformation complete itself. Within moments, which to a Human would have seemed but a fraction of a second in duration, there stood before Iblis another, Human-appearing being. While Iblis would have seemed still to a Human observer to be a handsome man of vigorous middle age, this being s semblance was that of a tall, powerfully built man of younger years, his face and eyes burning with apparent youth. His robes were of an intense blue-white, and his flesh seemed to afire from within with an awful radiance. He looked hard and deeply at the Beginning of Murders, and spoke. You have lost here, Iblis. He waited a beat. Be gone. You babble like an addled child, laughed Iblis. I shall prevail, and you, and all your rabble shall see it. You lie still, Iblis. Even to yourself. Your time is almost expended, and the challenge has failed. They will win, Michael, and the prize will be mine. Iblis raised a hand, changing as he did so into something vast and awesome, crowned with lightning, and something so intense no Human could have seen it and lived slammed into the other being. He staggered, but soon recovered, changing also and replying in kind. Iblis gasped, himself staggering under a barrage that men could measure only in megatons. As he recovered, Iblis reached out, ripping out splinters from a mountain, hurling it at his foe. With a breath, Michael sent it flying into dust, the debris raining down on Iblis. You are done, Iblis. And you will fulfill your word to the woman. nter our space, the planet below us was undergoing bizarre and as yet unexplained geological upheavals. He showed a speeded up image of the planet, going from cold, desolate, and dead, to hot, boiling, and nearly coming apart. As you can see, since the arrival of the Pegasus, the planet s paroxysms have subsided. A realtime image of the planet showed huge seas of lava, boiling up from the molten interior, and a new, and toxic, atmosphere outgassing from the surface. But the shattering upheavals had ceased. To put it simply, sirs, neither the new wormhole, nor the planet s upheavals are explainable, but, as you can see, once more he put up a graphic, the energy pulses from both phenomena correlate. Incredible, said Scott. He was right. Two charts, full of yet more lines and squiggles, were overlaid. They eerily matched. But how the near-explosion of a planet here, and a wormhole so far away could be connected, Spock had no answer. Well, however it happened, you are here, e lost here, Iblis. He waited a beat. Be gone. You babble like an addled child, laughed Iblis. I shall prevail, and you, and all your rabble shall see it. You lie still, Iblis. Even to yourself. Your time is almost expended, and the challenge has failed. They will win, Michael, and the prize will be mine. Iblis raised a hand, changing as he did so into something vast and awesome, crowned with lightning, and something so intense no Human could have seen it and lived slammed into the other being. He staggered, but soon recovered, changing also and replying in kind. Iblis gasped, himself staggering under a barrage that men could measure only in megatons. As he recovered, Iblis reached out, ripping out splinters from a mountain, hurling it at his foe. With a breath, Michael sent it flying into dust, the debris raining down on Iblis. You are done, Iblis. And you will fulfill your word to the woman. My word? laughed the Author of Death. He waved a hand, and Michael staggered, losing his footing, plummeting over an abyss. My word? You fool& He grunted, staggering himself, as his foe suddenly appeared behind him, striking him with a fist that seemed to be ablaze with the very power of the sun. Yes, Iblis. Your word. You remember as well as I what you promised the woman Sheba. And I care? Soon, she will be dead, and it shall matter not one whit. He swung, his bolt barely missing the other, but shattering another mountain. Rock and debris sufficient to fill a hundred Battlestars slid down into the chasm yawning far below. Who cares what some pregnant whore expects or wants? I shall do as I wish. No! shouted the other, and this time, he was joined by several other radiant beings, each one grim-faced and resolute. As he scanned his opponents, Iblis was taken momentarily aback. He recognized some of these new faces. Serina! He recoiled in sshrugged Adama, Sheba squeezing her father s arm as he did so. What we need now is a way to cut through the Cylon s new shielding before they can complete their repairs. Yes, said Stone, their new shielding is highly resistant to analysis by our sensors. We can t get any clear data on its configuration. Well, I may be able to help, there, said Cain, his smile beginning to surface. He held up a data tape. While still in the other system, we were attacked by Cylon fighters. We destroyed them, and I had some of the damaged Centurions brought aboard the Pegasus, in an attempt to gain information. Which you did, said Tigh. Yes, said Tolan, Tigh s opposite number on the Pegasus. We downloaded everything we could from their memory banks, and discovered that they had made some new advances to their BaseShips. He took the data tape from Cain, and inserted it into the reader at his station. Again, more squiggles and pictures, but& Och! said Scott, nearly coming up My word? laughed the Author of Death. He waved a hand, and Michael staggered, losing his footing, plummeting over an abyss. My word? You fool& He grunted, staggering himself, as his foe suddenly appeared behind him, striking him with a fist that seemed to be ablaze with the very power of the sun. Yes, Iblis. Your word. You remember as well as I what you promised the woman Sheba. And I care? Soon, she will be dead, and it shall matter not one whit. He swung, his bolt barely missing the other, but shattering another mountain. Rock and debris sufficient to fill a hundred Battlestars slid down into the chasm yawning far below. Who cares what some pregnant whore expects or wants? I shall do as I wish. No! shouted the other, and this time, he was joined by several other radiant beings, each one grim-faced and resolute. As he scanned his opponents, Iblis was taken momentarily aback. He recognized some of these new faces. Serina! He recoiled in shock, quickly covered. Zac, son of Adama? You shall obey, or& OBEY?? screamed Iblis, the air around him seeming to rip asunder, crackling with evil light. I obey none, fool! No one has dominion over me!!! he raised his hands, blazing with unholy destruction& And the ground under him collapsed, the very earth beneath opening up, swallowing him. Screams horrific and hate-filled ripped through the very fabric of the planet, as Iblis vanished under the onslaught of rock and blasts of light. His minions, scattering in fear, fought weakly, as their Master disappeared from view. You shall obey!!! boomed one of Iblis opponents, long, waving hair ablaze with a holy radiance, as the ground collapsed in on itself. They knew of course that Iblis was not seriously harmed, and would be back. But for the moment, the chastened demon would do as he was told. Or face an even greater chastening. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative;out of his chair. Their shield frequency modulation! Exactly, said Tolan. With this data, we can tune our weapons more precisely, rendering, hopefully, their shields nearly useless. Gentlemen, said Nogura, to his Captains, how long to make the necessary modifications? I will have to study the data, replied Spock, at a questioning look from Pike, but I estimate less than an hour, Commodore. Then I suggest we begin at once, said the Commodore, gesturing towards the Cylons, before they finish. Atop a slowly cooling outcrop of lava on the planet s surface, unaffected by the hot, toxic gasses wafting about him, Iblis watched the events unfolding above him. Despite his efforts, the Pegasus had, after all, rejoined the Galactica, reuniting all that remained of the Colonial refugees. He seethed in anger, but there was little he could do. The limits set upon him were clear, and inviolate. hock, quickly covered. Zac, son of Adama? You shall obey, or& OBEY?? screamed Iblis, the air around him seeming to rip asunder, crackling with evil light. I obey none, fool! No one has dominion over me!!! he raised his hands, blazing with unholy destruction& And the ground under him collapsed, the very earth beneath opening up, swallowing him. Screams horrific and hate-filled ripped through the very fabric of the planet, as Iblis vanished under the onslaught of rock and blasts of light. His minions, scattering in fear, fought weakly, as their Master disappeared from view. You shall obey!!! boomed one of Iblis opponents, long, waving hair ablaze with a holy radiance, as the ground collapsed in on itself. They knew of course that Iblis was not seriously harmed, and would be back. But for the moment, the chastened demon would do as he was told. Or face an even greater chastening. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=--__JNP_000_34de.2b2a.0465 X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 7-6,7-8,10-13,20,29,36-37,39-43,45-47,49-51,54-55,58- 61,68,73,79,81,86,91,102,108,118,126,131,140-141,143,145-148,155- 161,169,173,176,178,180-182,185-187,196,200,202,203-32767 X-UIDL: g,R!!]Tk"![2p!!MP@!! Culture Shock, Pt. 41 Imperious Leader watched as his fighters, now in the full pinwheel formation, began to accelerate, closing on the Human ship Farragut. Soon, he told himself, the vessel would be destroyed, and the odds would begin to shift in his favor. It had been hard fought, this battle. Surprising and savage, but in the end, what other outcome could there be? The Cylons would win, as they were meant to, and the life form known as Man would cease to trouble the universe. But what if, after that, they could not return whence they came? he wondered. After a few picocentons of seriously deep thought, he decided it ultimately made no difference. They would establish themselves here, build a new base and infrastru And time marched on, remorselessly. Soon, the Agreement would expire, and he would have nothing to show. Nothing for thousands of yahren of work and effort. All for nothing. Pointless. Dust. He glared upwards in impotent rage at the Pegasus, then down at the still-searing lava beneath his feet. His powers, vast beyond any mere Human reckoning, circumscribed by&morals! MORALS??? Morals were for men, not gods! He, as the only one truly worthy of worship, confined, penned in, LIMITED by mere..rules! How unfair! Men transgressed the will of- he could not even bring himself to think that accursed name- all the time. Every day of their puny, miserable, bacterial lives, they sinned, yet they had greater freedom than he, now. They could go, and do, whatever they willed. Even the other species, the Tholians, the Klingons, acted as they wished, playing into his hands all the time. Why& The Father of Lies looked back up, towards the Colonial Fleet, and a slow smile began to spread boundary=--__JNP_000_34de.2b2a.0465 X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 7-6,7-8,10-13,20,29,36-37,39-43,45-47,49-51,54-55,58- 61,68,73,79,81,86,91,102,108,118,126,131,140-141,143,145-148,155- 161,169,173,176,178,180-182,185-187,196,200,202,203-32767 X-UIDL: g,R!!]Tk"![2p!!MP@!! Culture Shock, Pt. 41 Imperious Leader watched as his fighters, now in the full pinwheel formation, began to accelerate, closing on the Human ship Farragut. Soon, he told himself, the vessel would be destroyed, and the odds would begin to shift in his favor. It had been hard fought, this battle. Surprising and savage, but in the end, what other outcome could there be? The Cylons would win, as they were meant to, and the life form known as Man would cease to trouble the universe. But what if, after that, they could not return whence they came? he wondered. After a few picocentons of seriously deep thought, he decided it ultimately made no difference. They would establish themselves here, build a new base and infrastructure on the planet below, which scans had shown was rich in a variety of minerals, and in time establish renewed communication with the Homeworld. Slowly, over time, the space between them would come under the Red Eye of Cylon, as it would have eventually anyway. Things would unfold as they should, if a little differently then anticipated. He returned from his musings, to give his attention fully to the display before him. The huge formation of Raiders was starting its dive on the Farragut, while one of the other BaseShips moved in to support. He need not worry about the Galactica for the moment. She was occupied with defending against large Raider swarms of her own, and would not be able to come to anyone s aid. He watched as a laser shot from one of the fighters penetrated her shields. Yes, it would be soon. Soon. Enemy formation approaching, sir, reported Kirk to Captain Garrovik. Seventy-seven t across his face. Even in his Human guise, it was a smile of pure malignance, of such irredeemable evil as to make any mortal who might have chanced to have seen it recoil in horror. Fortunately for their sanity, none did. A new idea had begun to germinate in the Black Heart of Hell, and as it slowly took shape, the Evil One began to laugh. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, till the very rocks around him shook with the sound, rippling and buckling, as if even the gooey, cooling lava sought to escape from this creature. Oh, yes, he said, barely a whisper on the keening wind. Yes, of course, and with a thought, he was gone. ======================================= And Satan went out from the presence of the Lord Once more sleeping peacefully, Rigel lay in the recovery ward of Enterprise s sickbay, her vital signs slowly growing stronger as her ravaged body healed. To the casual observer, it would have seemed as if naught were amiss, yet... Once more, upocture on the planet below, which scans had shown was rich in a variety of minerals, and in time establish renewed communication with the Homeworld. Slowly, over time, the space between them would come under the Red Eye of Cylon, as it would have eventually anyway. Things would unfold as they should, if a little differently then anticipated. He returned from his musings, to give his attention fully to the display before him. The huge formation of Raiders was starting its dive on the Farragut, while one of the other BaseShips moved in to support. He need not worry about the Galactica for the moment. She was occupied with defending against large Raider swarms of her own, and would not be able to come to anyone s aid. He watched as a laser shot from one of the fighters penetrated her shields. Yes, it would be soon. Soon. Enemy formation approaching, sir, reported Kirk to Captain Garrovik. Seventy-seven thousand five-hundred, and closing. Cut remaining impulse drive, ordered the Captain. Cutting impulse aye, sir, replied the helmsman. Ready& Sir, said Number One, on Enterprise, Cylon formation moving in on the Farragut. BaseShip? asked Pike. Closing, as expected, sir, she replied. Just as he figured, snorted Pike. Phasers to full, Mr. Tyler. Target BaseShip. Targeting aye, sir. All weapons report ready. Sensor readings, Mr. Spock? The BaseShip s shields read as weakened but still up, sir. Computer has scanned the weakest points in her grid. I have also detected structurally weak areas of her hull, sir. Feed them to fire control, Mr. Spock. Stand by to get moving. Ready, sir, said Number One. As she spoke, a blast from Lucifer s ship hit them abeam. Enterprise bucked nastily, but her screens held. Pike sent Lucifer two photon torpedoes in return for his thoughtfulness. Captain, Cylon force opening n a quite different plane, she wandered through a land dark, yet somehow suffused with a bizarre light. She searched, she was not sure for what, turning her head this way and that. Where was it? Yes, where was the...yes! The soul she sought for? Her child, her baby, the soul she and Omega had so recently quickened, and cruel fate as soon had snatched from her. She sought and sought... And saw something. Something moving, amidst the swirling tendrils of perception. She turned, moving towards this motion, her own seeming to send wispy ribbons of light and shadow spinning in her wake. As she drew closer to it, it seemed to resolve, drawing itself out of the formlessness, take shape. She called, hoping against hope... Omi? she called, using the pet name she and only she used for Omega. Omi, is that you? Where did... She stopped, as the roiling form took solidity, passing from indistinct, to red, to robbed in white. Startled, she cried aloud, first in surprise, then in fear, ahousand five-hundred, and closing. Cut remaining impulse drive, ordered the Captain. Cutting impulse aye, sir, replied the helmsman. Ready& Sir, said Number One, on Enterprise, Cylon formation moving in on the Farragut. BaseShip? asked Pike. Closing, as expected, sir, she replied. Just as he figured, snorted Pike. Phasers to full, Mr. Tyler. Target BaseShip. Targeting aye, sir. All weapons report ready. Sensor readings, Mr. Spock? The BaseShip s shields read as weakened but still up, sir. Computer has scanned the weakest points in her grid. I have also detected structurally weak areas of her hull, sir. Feed them to fire control, Mr. Spock. Stand by to get moving. Ready, sir, said Number One. As she spoke, a blast from Lucifer s ship hit them abeam. Enterprise bucked nastily, but her screens held. Pike sent Lucifer two photon torpedoes in return for his thoughtfulness. Captain, Cylon force opening fire on the Farragut, reported Spock. Alright, let s go! Flight Leader Facinus gave the order to attack, and his fighter opened fire on the Farragut, his shots striking her just forward the port running light topside. Around him, the rest of the fearsome pinwheel formation followed suit, raining down devastating fire on the unprotected Federation ship. As the ships raced past, points of light blossomed from the Farragut hull, as her unprotected skin took the brunt of myriad Cylon salvos. Soon, the entire ship& Was once more cocooned in her protective screens, her power coming back up in an eyeblink. One shot after another was stopped by the deflectors, and more than a few Raiders, skimming close to the edge of her saucer section, slammed into the deflectors, crushing themselves like beer cans. Hard over!! ordered Garrovik, and the ship roared to life, her impulse engines glowing like miniature suns. She raced ahead, sending the pinwheeling Cylons into confusion,s the figure looked back down at her. Tall, seemingly a robust man of powerful middle-age, he pierced her with his gaze, his face outwardly kind, yet eyes like scalpels of pure malignity. She felt her arms slowly enfolded in fingers of steel, gripped by a frightening strength she could never match. As the truth of that face sunk in, she began to shake in horror, struggling to no avail. Her voice croaked, words falling silent. My dear Rigel, he said, his words falling dead like poison in her ears, yet somehow magnetic and sweetly enticing, you seem well. I had heard that you were ill. My condolences on your tragic bereavement. He smiled again, his smile both fatherly, and that of the psychotic. Rigel tried to speak, and could scarce breath- Iblis! Spock found the Science Officers from both Colonial Battlestars a mixture of irritating emotions, and sharp perceptions. While Wilker was somewhat self-important and ego-centric, what his mother, Amanda, would call prickly fire on the Farragut, reported Spock. Alright, let s go! Flight Leader Facinus gave the order to attack, and his fighter opened fire on the Farragut, his shots striking her just forward the port running light topside. Around him, the rest of the fearsome pinwheel formation followed suit, raining down devastating fire on the unprotected Federation ship. As the ships raced past, points of light blossomed from the Farragut hull, as her unprotected skin took the brunt of myriad Cylon salvos. Soon, the entire ship& Was once more cocooned in her protective screens, her power coming back up in an eyeblink. One shot after another was stopped by the deflectors, and more than a few Raiders, skimming close to the edge of her saucer section, slammed into the deflectors, crushing themselves like beer cans. Hard over!! ordered Garrovik, and the ship roared to life, her impulse engines glowing like miniature suns. She raced ahead, sending the pinwheeling Cylons into confusion, and firing her laser banks directly into the heart of her attackers. Cylon after Cylon blew apart as the Farragut s weapons ripped through the slow-to-respond Raiders, sending them, and bits thereof, scattering in confusion. Bring her around, full impulse! ordered Garrovik. Fire at will, Mr. Kirk. Firing, replied Kirk, and once more the Federation ship s guns spat out the final argument. Arcing as the ship swerved, her lasers gutted dozens of the enemy, totally unprepared for an opponent that could maneuver this nimbly, as a Battlestar never could. Kirk kept on firing, slicing fighter after fighter& Till the more powerful beams of Enterprise joined him, scything through the Cylon squadrons like the Grim Reaper, erasing Raider after Raider. Facimus had little time to try and grasp the situation, before both his wingmen were destroyed, and he was fatally hit. He spun away, barely able to control his machine& And then the BaseShip opened fire. Beams from her mega-puls, his opposite number from the Pegasus, a Doctor Dee, was a near-opposite in temperament. Calm, steady, and seemingly imperturbable, he reminded Spock of Master Sugan, his first mathematics instructor in primary school. However, despite their differences, the two Colonial scientists worked well together, and interfaced with the Vulcan easily. Already, their collaboration had borne fruit. The sensor logs from the Pegasus attack run on the Cylon vessel show that the BaseShip s scanners did not track them effectively, he said, tapping out an equation on a monitor in one of the Enterprise s labs. Their scan signatures become increasingly erratic from this point on. Yes, said Wilker, after a moment. The secondary radiation from the shields acted to scatter much of their scan energy. Which shows a serious flaw in their new shielding design, added Dee. While deflecting incoming energy, the secondary radiation nearly blinds them. He studied Spock s math for a moment, then made and firing her laser banks directly into the heart of her attackers. Cylon after Cylon blew apart as the Farragut s weapons ripped through the slow-to-respond Raiders, sending them, and bits thereof, scattering in confusion. Bring her around, full impulse! ordered Garrovik. Fire at will, Mr. Kirk. Firing, replied Kirk, and once more the Federation ship s guns spat out the final argument. Arcing as the ship swerved, her lasers gutted dozens of the enemy, totally unprepared for an opponent that could maneuver this nimbly, as a Battlestar never could. Kirk kept on firing, slicing fighter after fighter& Till the more powerful beams of Enterprise joined him, scything through the Cylon squadrons like the Grim Reaper, erasing Raider after Raider. Facimus had little time to try and grasp the situation, before both his wingmen were destroyed, and he was fatally hit. He spun away, barely able to control his machine& And then the BaseShip opened fire. Beams from her mega-pulsars slammed both starships, sending sparks flying across Farragut s bridge, and knocking out one of Enterprise s phaser banks. But the nimble ship swung around, and pinned the more cumbersome behemoth with her remaining ordnance. Pike opened fire, strafing the Cylon, while Garrovik did the same, managing to keep ahead of the slackening Cylon gunnery. Her shields flared and roiled, till one shot finally found a weak spot, just above Control Center. Huge chunks of hull plate peeled off as Pike s phasers found metal, chewing into the plating like a hot blade through flesh. The Cylons returned fire, hitting Enterprise over one warp nacelle, and Tyler banked her hard away. But the BaseShip found no respite. Despite her battered condition, Farragut kept up the fire as well, finding another weak spot in the enemy s shields. Like her companion, she was rewarded with metal and gas belching into space, and fired a full spread of torpedoes. Much to everyone s surprise, several Vipers joined the frasome notes of his own. They seem most vulnerable here, at these frequencies. Both Wilker and Spock nodded. Our laser weapons can be retuned to take advantage of their shield modulation, he continued. What of your phaser system, or your torpedoes? Phaser retuning will take little time, replied Spock, reviewing the calculations, and then running a simulation. However, our torpedoes have a pre-set charge. Altering them to be effective against their multi-phasic shielding may take considerably longer. Why? asked Wilker, again letting his prickly side show a bit. Each torpedo has a pre-determined amount of anti-matter in the warhead. When it mixes and explodes, it releases energy of a certain precise level and energy configuration. To alter that, we would have to pull each warhead, and effectively redesign the charges. Determine a new matter- anti-matter mix. Given the rate of the enemy s increasing shield strength, we may not have time to find the correct mix, and then manuars slammed both starships, sending sparks flying across Farragut s bridge, and knocking out one of Enterprise s phaser banks. But the nimble ship swung around, and pinned the more cumbersome behemoth with her remaining ordnance. Pike opened fire, strafing the Cylon, while Garrovik did the same, managing to keep ahead of the slackening Cylon gunnery. Her shields flared and roiled, till one shot finally found a weak spot, just above Control Center. Huge chunks of hull plate peeled off as Pike s phasers found metal, chewing into the plating like a hot blade through flesh. The Cylons returned fire, hitting Enterprise over one warp nacelle, and Tyler banked her hard away. But the BaseShip found no respite. Despite her battered condition, Farragut kept up the fire as well, finding another weak spot in the enemy s shields. Like her companion, she was rewarded with metal and gas belching into space, and fired a full spread of torpedoes. Much to everyone s surprise, several Vipers joined the fray, keeping the Raiders off the Federation s backs as best as possible. Swinging up and away in a high arc, Pike brought his ship screaming down almost directly towards the BaseShip s top hull, dead center. From this point of attack, more than half of the Cylon s defensive guns could not be brought to bear on their attacker, and Enterprise moved almost as fast as a Viper flat out. As he dove towards the massive hull, Pike fired again, finding another weak point in her shields. The torpedoes slammed the weakened screens, then the phasers found their goal. Spock kept them focused on the exact point for as long as he dared, drilling deep into the Cylon ship, before the Enterprise veered away, the two ships deflector screens violently sparking as they scrapped together. A huge fountain of flaming metal and debris boiled out from the top of the BaseShip, as the mega-pulsar battery exploded with near-nuclear force. The entire ship was rocked violently askew, her spin going wild, as the mfacture new warheads. We may not have to, said Dee. If we are successful in penetrating their shields, then the torpedoes will do their work, regardless. I agree, nodded Wilker, fingers digging deeply into his chin. He turned back to the screen, and downloaded all the data onto a disk. I ll get back to the Galactica with this, and get started. And I the Pegasus, said Dee. Both men left, and Spock transferred the new phaser data to Engineering. He sat for a moment, considering... Yes, Rigel, said the infamous Count. I did say I would return. Wh...what do you want? It is more a question of what you want, Rigel. He was quiet a moment, and the light, the very air, seemed to swirl about them. I heard about your loss. So sad, he smiled, and for a moment, it almost seemed genuine. I know what it is to lose, My Dear. My loss... she stuttered, unable to tear her gaze away from his eyes. I just... Your child, My Dear. Yes, very, very sad. y, keeping the Raiders off the Federation s backs as best as possible. Swinging up and away in a high arc, Pike brought his ship screaming down almost directly towards the BaseShip s top hull, dead center. From this point of attack, more than half of the Cylon s defensive guns could not be brought to bear on their attacker, and Enterprise moved almost as fast as a Viper flat out. As he dove towards the massive hull, Pike fired again, finding another weak point in her shields. The torpedoes slammed the weakened screens, then the phasers found their goal. Spock kept them focused on the exact point for as long as he dared, drilling deep into the Cylon ship, before the Enterprise veered away, the two ships deflector screens violently sparking as they scrapped together. A huge fountain of flaming metal and debris boiled out from the top of the BaseShip, as the mega-pulsar battery exploded with near-nuclear force. The entire ship was rocked violently askew, her spin going wild, as the molten wreckage continued to vomit both up out of the wound, barely missing Enterprise, and down, further into the ship s guts. The hit was followed bare moments later by one of her landing bay doors violently blowing open, spewing more junk into space, the fuel for her fighters cooking off. Command Center was in chaos, screens dark or burning, most of the crew destroyed. Wreckage rained down, the deck cracked, and the hatch blew outwards, as the pressure differential tore it open, sucking everything, and everyone, into the howling, burning guts of the decompressing ship. She s going! cried Greenbean, as he opened fire on the BaseShip once more. All fire had stopped, and the Vipers were having a field day cutting up the Cylon s hull like a piece of old carpet. A few Raiders returned and tried to resume their attack, but fire from both starships, and the furious response of the Vipers sent them scattering back to their remaining carriers. As he continued firing, he saw P kuth, laserNo woman deserves to suffer so. The life within her, torn away by cruelty, or fate. He smiled again. I want to help. Help? Rigel asked, feeling her mind begin to reel in confusion. Help how? My child is gone. There is nothing that can be done. She managed to look away for a moment. Omi? she called once more. My baby. My... she gasped, feeling tears begin to well up. Yes, said Iblis, for a brief moment, sounding like the most comforting of Father Confessors. Your baby, My Dear Rigel. I grieve with you. The sad, yea, the needless loss of life. A life so cruelly cut short, before even having a chance to truly live. He turned his gaze from her a moment, and she followed him. The misty light seemed to swirl up, then to part. Out of the murk, she saw shapes move, shapes that seemed so familiar. Shapes... She cried out, as the images became clearer. Herself, belly full and rounded, arm in arm with Omega, walking on a beach somewhere, under a beautiful blue sky. Unable to form olten wreckage continued to vomit both up out of the wound, barely missing Enterprise, and down, further into the ship s guts. The hit was followed bare moments later by one of her landing bay doors violently blowing open, spewing more junk into space, the fuel for her fighters cooking off. Command Center was in chaos, screens dark or burning, most of the crew destroyed. Wreckage rained down, the deck cracked, and the hatch blew outwards, as the pressure differential tore it open, sucking everything, and everyone, into the howling, burning guts of the decompressing ship. She s going! cried Greenbean, as he opened fire on the BaseShip once more. All fire had stopped, and the Vipers were having a field day cutting up the Cylon s hull like a piece of old carpet. A few Raiders returned and tried to resume their attack, but fire from both starships, and the furious response of the Vipers sent them scattering back to their remaining carriers. As he continued firing, he saw P kuth, lasers screaming, roar past, adding his fire to the fight. More pieces of her hull cracked off as the Klingon poured more fire into the BaseShip, then another landing bay tore itself open. My God, it s beautiful! said Tigh, on the Galactica s bridge. It s beautiful, Adama! Commander, shouted an officer from the pit below. Unidentified contact. Closing. NO! bellowed Imperious Leader. The Vipers continued their barrage, carving up the almost-corpse of the BaseShip, when an orange ball of light, then a second, crashed into its buckling hull. The Tholian ships, Greenbean s scanner told him. He ordered his flight to peel away, and just in time. Pinioned by beams and speared by torpedoes, the Cylon BaseShip exploded in a massive eyeblink s flowering of radiance, utterly reduced to plasma and dust, taking out half a dozen Raiders, and one Viper, in the process. Centurion, said Lucifer. By your command. Come with me. By your commanda word, she watched as the images changed. Herself in the throes of childbirth, a baby at her breast, then a toddler, a golden-haired girl at her side, jumping and frolicking upon green grass with a daggit. Mommy? a voice said, coming to her from the mist. Mommy? it called again, and she tried to focus. Out of the fog stepped a little girl, perhaps no more than five yahren, the very image of Rigel s own mother, lost in the Holocaust. What...but how... Death is not the end, Rigel, said Iblis, his grip on her arms loosening ever so slightly. Death is ultimately meaningless. Why should one let it come between them and their loved ones? But...but she s gone. I lost her. The doctor... But you can have her back, Rigel, cooed Iblis, his voice like the sweetest treacle, the headiest wine. You do want her back, don t you? He waited a bit. I can give her back to you. You and Omega. I...I can t. She s...I don t under... You don t need to understand, chis screaming, roar past, adding his fire to the fight. More pieces of her hull cracked off as the Klingon poured more fire into the BaseShip, then another landing bay tore itself open. My God, it s beautiful! said Tigh, on the Galactica s bridge. It s beautiful, Adama! Commander, shouted an officer from the pit below. Unidentified contact. Closing. NO! bellowed Imperious Leader. The Vipers continued their barrage, carving up the almost-corpse of the BaseShip, when an orange ball of light, then a second, crashed into its buckling hull. The Tholian ships, Greenbean s scanner told him. He ordered his flight to peel away, and just in time. Pinioned by beams and speared by torpedoes, the Cylon BaseShip exploded in a massive eyeblink s flowering of radiance, utterly reduced to plasma and dust, taking out half a dozen Raiders, and one Viper, in the process. Centurion, said Lucifer. By your command. Come with me. By your command. God, thot s beautiful! said Scott, watching the Cylon die on one of the engineering monitors. Like a hundred generations of dour, fearsome Celts before him, he felt the surging blood of war calling to him, and laughed, tightly gripping a railing, as the BaseShip disappeared into hell. Cheering erupted throughout the engine room, as the Colonials felt their chances begin to tip. As the first delicious wave of pure ecstasy began to wane, Scotty looked back at his instruments. A warning light was flashing& Bloody hell! he cried, as the import of what he was looking at sunk in. A moment later, as another Raider fired on the Battlestar, a circuit popped, the fried. On the grid, a red section of the ship s hull began blinking. Shield failure! Lords! swore Shadrick, trying to get the failing shield to respond. Shunting power from& He swore again, as another circuit erupted in sparks, then flames. Overload in shield control, sir! cried one of Shadrick s men. Relays ald, said the white- robed deceiver. But it can be yours. She can be yours. Again. He motioned to the image, and the child stepped forward. Iblis spoke again, as he slipped her hand into Rigel s trembling one. Tears running down her face, her lips quivering, she looked deep into the face of the simulacrum, and then up at Iblis. What...what do I... Even as she formed the question, the gleam in Iblis eyes seemed to brighten as he sensed his victory. She tried asking it again, and straightening up to his full height, the Father of Lies looked down at her, his voice like a narcotic, saying: You will worship me! ============================ As the new phaser data sped its way through the Enterprise s systems, Spock sat, quietly a moment, reading the latest scans from the sensors re the BaseShip. He ran another simulation, then another. Each time, the results were satisfactory. The Cylon s shielding failed, and they won. Yet, despite all that, something continued to . God, thot s beautiful! said Scott, watching the Cylon die on one of the engineering monitors. Like a hundred generations of dour, fearsome Celts before him, he felt the surging blood of war calling to him, and laughed, tightly gripping a railing, as the BaseShip disappeared into hell. Cheering erupted throughout the engine room, as the Colonials felt their chances begin to tip. As the first delicious wave of pure ecstasy began to wane, Scotty looked back at his instruments. A warning light was flashing& Bloody hell! he cried, as the import of what he was looking at sunk in. A moment later, as another Raider fired on the Battlestar, a circuit popped, the fried. On the grid, a red section of the ship s hull began blinking. Shield failure! Lords! swore Shadrick, trying to get the failing shield to respond. Shunting power from& He swore again, as another circuit erupted in sparks, then flames. Overload in shield control, sir! cried one of Shadrick s men. Relays are burned out. Sagan s daggit! spat Shadrick. Our shields are down over Beta Bay. Och, we re as good as naked, laddie, said Scott. He s heading for the bay! shouted Tigh, as the Raider dove directly towards the hull. A moment later, lasers blasting, it buried itself at full speed into the bay. The Colonial Warriors aboard the Federation ships, despite the terrible damage about them, erupted in cheering almost as energetic as the BaseShip s death. Starbuck actually clapped Kirk hard across the back, eliciting something between a laugh and a choke from the Lieutenant, and Giles kissed one of the female bridge officers. On Enterprise, Sheba, never more truly her father s daughter, whooped like a naked, bloodspattered savage with a tomahawk, reveling in the raw emotions of war, exchanging joyous sounds with Number One, Pike, and even Spock, before& Lieutenant, began the Science Officer, when Sheba, suddenly turning a shade of green that would have donbother him. Something he could not define... Obviously, he told himself, leaning quickly back in his seat, and taking a deep breath, the presence of so many Humans from another culture, with all their wild and unrestrained emotions, was continuing to affect him more than he had realized. He must, regardless, set aside more time for Meditation in the Disciplines, after his watch. While he had increased his meditation since this crisis had erupted, he obviously had slipped more than was at first apparent. Wilker s prickliness had actually irritated him. He had actually...sighed. And Athena... Athena, he said aloud, though no one else was there to hear him. Yet again, the image of the Colonial officer rose up before him, and he found himself wondering about her. Courious. Desiring her! She was a beauty, yes. Tall, attractive in a way even Vulcan aesthetics would approve, and so very, very unlike T Pring. Tre burned out. Sagan s daggit! spat Shadrick. Our shields are down over Beta Bay. Och, we re as good as naked, laddie, said Scott. He s heading for the bay! shouted Tigh, as the Raider dove directly towards the hull. A moment later, lasers blasting, it buried itself at full speed into the bay. The Colonial Warriors aboard the Federation ships, despite the terrible damage about them, erupted in cheering almost as energetic as the BaseShip s death. Starbuck actually clapped Kirk hard across the back, eliciting something between a laugh and a choke from the Lieutenant, and Giles kissed one of the female bridge officers. On Enterprise, Sheba, never more truly her father s daughter, whooped like a naked, bloodspattered savage with a tomahawk, reveling in the raw emotions of war, exchanging joyous sounds with Number One, Pike, and even Spock, before& Lieutenant, began the Science Officer, when Sheba, suddenly turning a shade of green that would have done a Vulcanian proud, fell silent, tottered, then toppled over, Spock catching her before she could hit the deck. Lieu& Mr. Spock, said Pike, turning to his man. Damage re&Doctor Boyce to the bridge. Medical emergency! ========================================== The Fleet definitely came this way, sir, said Tolan, indicating the scanner data on his monitor. Exhaust plasma residue is unique to Viper engines, and I m picking up Cylon wreckage. Cylon? Yes, sir. Lots of it, too. He switched to another view. Huge chunks of metal, still recognizably Cylon in design, floated about, hot with radiation. Closer in towards the sun, there was more wreckage, mostly of fighters, numerous Cylon pilots floating in the void. Well, this is damn puzzling, said the Commander. Cylon wreckage, but nothing else. Colonial fuel residue, but no Galactica. Take us in closer, helm. Sir. Evidence of the recent fighting here was everywhere. More wrecked or destroyed Rai Pring, who despite her sensual beauty and great intelligence, her wealth and ancient lineage, was cold, icy, disdainful. Chosen as a wife for him by his and T Pring s father almost at birth, he and the girl had been bonded at the age of seven, in keeping with ancient Vulcan tradition. While the seven-year-old Spock had felt nothing at the time, save the creation of the psychic bond between them, as the years passed he realized that he would never, save only at the time of pon farr, feel anything for the girl. That, and nothing from her, either. What little he could sense from her, now, through their bond, was less than what he occasionally sensed from any of the women on the Enterprise, Human or otherwise, when forced by circumstance into close contact with them. >From Number One, he had at times sensed...interest. Curiosity. From Yeoman Colt, animal passions, pure female need. Even from Vina, on Talos IV, he had briefly sensed some fleeting emotion. But from T Pring, from his own bee a Vulcanian proud, fell silent, tottered, then toppled over, Spock catching her before she could hit the deck. Lieu& Mr. Spock, said Pike, turning to his man. Damage re&Doctor Boyce to the bridge. Medical emergency! ========================================== The Fleet definitely came this way, sir, said Tolan, indicating the scanner data on his monitor. Exhaust plasma residue is unique to Viper engines, and I m picking up Cylon wreckage. Cylon? Yes, sir. Lots of it, too. He switched to another view. Huge chunks of metal, still recognizably Cylon in design, floated about, hot with radiation. Closer in towards the sun, there was more wreckage, mostly of fighters, numerous Cylon pilots floating in the void. Well, this is damn puzzling, said the Commander. Cylon wreckage, but nothing else. Colonial fuel residue, but no Galactica. Take us in closer, helm. Sir. Evidence of the recent fighting here was everywhere. More wrecked or destroyed Raiders, leaking fuel cells from the destroyed ships, even a few Cylon distress beacons from now-immobile fighters. The huge amounts of wreckage surrounding the inner planet got their attention, and left everyone in awe. The amount of destruction here was incredible, as if a whole fleet& At least one BaseShip amongst the debris, sir. But no sign of any of the Fleet. And the rest doesn t match anything in our database. As he spoke, something washed over the ship, like an image beheld through rippling water. Everyone s sight dimmed, and the instruments fluttered. None of this makes any sense. What the& began the Commander, when an alert sounded. Cylon fighter approaching! Collision course! As Sheba was taken to Sickbay, Pike turned back to the screen. The hot billowing cloud of wreckage from the destroyed BaseShip was just beginning to dissipate, and he could get a clearer view. Htrothed, not even that. It was as if he were bonded to a statue. To ice. To a woman who cared not one whit for or about him. A woman who, in actuality, despised him. But, Athena, daughter of Adama...When he had looked at her, and she back at him, he had...had felt as if his heart were stirred. Stirred, like never... NO! he said, louder this time, shaking his head to clear it, an unconscious Human mannerism. No. It can never be! It is illogical! Wor...worship? said Rigel, her voice squeaky and uncertain. Her eyes were fixed on Iblis , unable to tear her gaze away. His smile slowly grew wider, like the sociopath who sees weakness, like the lupus that senses fresh prey. Such a little thing, Child, said Iblis, his teeth white like bleached deathstones. So little, and so many have done so. I...I cannot... But you can, replied Iblis, his voice and expression losing some of their congeniality. I offer so much, Rigel. I offer you so much. And I ask so ders, leaking fuel cells from the destroyed ships, even a few Cylon distress beacons from now-immobile fighters. The huge amounts of wreckage surrounding the inner planet got their attention, and left everyone in awe. The amount of destruction here was incredible, as if a whole fleet& At least one BaseShip amongst the debris, sir. But no sign of any of the Fleet. And the rest doesn t match anything in our database. As he spoke, something washed over the ship, like an image beheld through rippling water. Everyone s sight dimmed, and the instruments fluttered. None of this makes any sense. What the& began the Commander, when an alert sounded. Cylon fighter approaching! Collision course! As Sheba was taken to Sickbay, Pike turned back to the screen. The hot billowing cloud of wreckage from the destroyed BaseShip was just beginning to dissipate, and he could get a clearer view. He turned to Spock, once more requesting a damage report for Enterprise. It wasn t good. One phaser bank was off-line, as was one torpedo tube. The right warp nacelle had been hit a glancing blow by a BaseShip s salvo, and was leaking plasma, putting the warp drive out of action for now. The deflectors were rocky, and the shield over the keel might fail at any moment, as might the hull seal between decks seven and eight. The shuttle bay doors were jammed, and the transporter was off-line as well. Still, casualties were light, and there were no deaths from the encounter just past. Pike ordered Tyler to plot a course to rendezvous with Farragut, and Spock to report on enemy forces. The two surviving BaseShips had pulled back, under a withering covering fire, to a point just beyond the planet s Roche Limit. Of the other Federation ships, both had taken telling hits, and were moving as best they could to rendezvous with Enterprise and Farragut. One of the Klingon battlecruislittle in return. So little. I... began Rigel, as the simulacrum of the child drew closer, and slipped fingers into hers. Mommy. No. I must... Doctor! cried a nurse in Sickbay, interrupting Boyce as he finished up yet another autopsy report. Doctor! she called again, and he jumped up from his office seat, and ran for the recovery ward. There, Nurse Mansoor was trying to rouse Rigel, writhing and twisting on the biobed. What happened? Boyce demanded, as he moved in. Rigel s eyes were open, but dilated and glassy. Not seeing them. It just started Doctor. I came to check her biosigns before logging off shift, when they suddenly began to spike like this. Brainwaves show REM state, said Boyce, but it s nearly off the scale. Her neurotransmitters are through the roof! Boyce shook her, but the Colonial officer did not awaken, continuing to thrash, and cry out in a language Boyce did not understand. He looked at the monitors again. Her pulse wase turned to Spock, once more requesting a damage report for Enterprise. It wasn t good. One phaser bank was off-line, as was one torpedo tube. The right warp nacelle had been hit a glancing blow by a BaseShip s salvo, and was leaking plasma, putting the warp drive out of action for now. The deflectors were rocky, and the shield over the keel might fail at any moment, as might the hull seal between decks seven and eight. The shuttle bay doors were jammed, and the transporter was off-line as well. Still, casualties were light, and there were no deaths from the encounter just past. Pike ordered Tyler to plot a course to rendezvous with Farragut, and Spock to report on enemy forces. The two surviving BaseShips had pulled back, under a withering covering fire, to a point just beyond the planet s Roche Limit. Of the other Federation ships, both had taken telling hits, and were moving as best they could to rendezvous with Enterprise and Farragut. One of the Klingon battlecruisers, G ith, was drifting, her engines down, and getting a tow from his brother ship. The Tholians were just sitting where they had before. Silent. Watching. Waiting. Whatever it was Tholians did. Of the surviving Raiders, only about a score or so were still engaged against the Galactica, the rest were withdrawing to cover their BaseShips. The Battlestar herself was taking a beating, but Scott s improvements to her gunnery, and the reduction in the number of attackers took considerable pressure off of her. From his vantage point in Engineering, Scott watched a Raider, firing wildly as it dove on the Galactica, evaporate under the A-A, and then two more fall victim to the returning Vipers. Damage control? asked Adama, watching the battle progress. Beta Bay fire reported sixty percent contained, sir, reported Omega. But boraton mist system failing. Evacuate Beta Bay, ordered Adama. Seal it off, and drop the atmospheric force field. Aye, sir, replied Tigh. U over 230, she was beginning to hyperventilate, and her blood chemistry, as well as pressure, was going crazy. With everything that had happened to her recently, if this did not stop soon, she would likely die of stroke or cardiac failure. He ordered Mansoor to hand him a hypo from the tray, and injected Rigel with it. He watched her, screaming and flailing as the medication worked its way into her brain... Omega, in his quarters aboard the Galactica, collapsed onto the deck, his uniform sodden with sweat, his heart feeling as if it were going to literally explode within his rib cage. He had been trying to catch a few centons rest before he went back on duty, when he had awakened suddenly, filled with a horrid premonition that Rigel was in danger. He keyed his intercom, but repairs on the ship s systems had temporarily taken it off-line. So, as if led, pushed, driven to do so, he sank to his knees, and turned in a direction he had rarely turned in his life. Oh... God! he hoers, G ith, was drifting, her engines down, and getting a tow from his brother ship. The Tholians were just sitting where they had before. Silent. Watching. Waiting. Whatever it was Tholians did. Of the surviving Raiders, only about a score or so were still engaged against the Galactica, the rest were withdrawing to cover their BaseShips. The Battlestar herself was taking a beating, but Scott s improvements to her gunnery, and the reduction in the number of attackers took considerable pressure off of her. From his vantage point in Engineering, Scott watched a Raider, firing wildly as it dove on the Galactica, evaporate under the A-A, and then two more fall victim to the returning Vipers. Damage control? asked Adama, watching the battle progress. Beta Bay fire reported sixty percent contained, sir, reported Omega. But boraton mist system failing. Evacuate Beta Bay, ordered Adama. Seal it off, and drop the atmospheric force field. Aye, sir, replied Tigh. Unlike last time, he would have little trouble snuffing the fire. When Alpha deck had been struck by suicide fighters, close to a yahren ago, the explosion had wreaked such damage to the control systems, that the force field could not be dropped, and several bulkheads and airtight doors were bent out of alignment by the explosion, making it impossible to seal off the bay. Not this time. Tigh relayed the order, and within a few centons, the fire crews were out, the doors slammed shut, and the forcefield powered down. Within millicentons, the fire was out, the red-hot metal cooling, the danger past. At least that danger. One Cylon, observing this operation, made a run for the unshielded bay, but fell victim to Cree s Viper, scattering shrapnel across the hull. Within a few more centons, all remaining Raiders attacking the Battlestar were either destroyed or running for their BaseShips. Good. Or, maybe not. As the Colonial, Federation, and Klingon ship moved back and licked their wnlike last time, he would have little trouble snuffing the fire. When Alpha deck had been struck by suicide fighters, close to a yahren ago, the explosion had wreaked such damage to the control systems, that the force field could not be dropped, and several bulkheads and airtight doors were bent out of alignment by the explosion, making it impossible to seal off the bay. Not this time. Tigh relayed the order, and within a few centons, the fire crews were out, the doors slammed shut, and the forcefield powered down. Within millicentons, the fire was out, the red-hot metal cooling, the danger past. At least that danger. One Cylon, observing this operation, made a run for the unshielded bay, but fell victim to Cree s Viper, scattering shrapnel across the hull. Within a few more centons, all remaining Raiders attacking the Battlestar were either destroyed or running for their BaseShips. Good. Or, maybe not. As the Colonial, Federation, and Klingon ship moved back and licked their wounds, the Cylon BaseShips were not idle. After pulling back beyond standard laser range, the two remaining enemy capital ships began a bizarre performance. Their operational landing bays opened, and began recovering fighters. One of the Klingon ships lobbed a torpedo, striking Lucifer s ship s screens, but took no other action. Lucifer s ship moved until it was atop Imperious Leader s ship, and fired her functional maneuvering thrusters, until she exactly matched the other ship s spin. Slowly, she was brought into perfect alignment with the Command Ship, and the two wounded behemoths began to spin as one. What in Hades Hole are they doing? said Adama, and Starbuck, exactly at once, though far apart. Oh no! Not that! Feklar s lips! swore Korrd, watching the bizarre dance of metal before them. As everyone watched, the two BaseShips continued to spin together, until hatches on the lower ship s upper hull yawned open, and shafts or appendages of some sort began to extend, continuwled, as if stung by bodkins of fire. Stop it!! Nooo... wailed Rigel, struggling against Iblis grip of steel. Despite the pain, despite the agony of her loss, she could not, she would not obey the Prince of Darkness. As she looked at him, baring her teeth in what must surely have seemed a piteous display of resistance, she saw someone else, behind the Author of Death. Someone she knew, or had known. Someone.... Rigel! said the shimmering, white-clad figure. As she shifted her gaze wholly from Iblis to the newcomer, Rigel recognized her. Serina? croaked Rigel, barely able to speak, or even breath. NO!!! bellowed Iblis, as this fly made it s way into his carefully oozed ointment. No! Be gone! You cannot... His voice was cut off, by Serina, placing her hand upon Rigel s breast. At once, her violent gasping began to calm, and her face to relax. Be gone, Dark One! said Serina, voice quiet, yet somehow able to be heard over all the riot of Hell. Rigounds, the Cylon BaseShips were not idle. After pulling back beyond standard laser range, the two remaining enemy capital ships began a bizarre performance. Their operational landing bays opened, and began recovering fighters. One of the Klingon ships lobbed a torpedo, striking Lucifer s ship s screens, but took no other action. Lucifer s ship moved until it was atop Imperious Leader s ship, and fired her functional maneuvering thrusters, until she exactly matched the other ship s spin. Slowly, she was brought into perfect alignment with the Command Ship, and the two wounded behemoths began to spin as one. What in Hades Hole are they doing? said Adama, and Starbuck, exactly at once, though far apart. Oh no! Not that! Feklar s lips! swore Korrd, watching the bizarre dance of metal before them. As everyone watched, the two BaseShips continued to spin together, until hatches on the lower ship s upper hull yawned open, and shafts or appendages of some sort began to extend, continuing until they met with the opposite hull, and huge latches snapped them securely into place. The upper ship repeated the procedure, until both ships were locked together by thick, massive pylons of metal. Frack Sagan in the astrum! swore Starbuck, as he watched the horrible dance continue. Once the pylons had locked into place, one of the landing bay approaches on the lower ship s upper hull moved&moved!!! upwards, to meet its opposite number, moving down. The control gantry moved aside, locked, and they, like the pylons, latched into place. Oh my God! whispered Pike, as the evil-looking monstrosities before him mated and melded into a single, even more hideous wielder of death. He turned to Spock. The BaseShips have docked, sir, he reported, stating the obvious. Sensors show that the BaseShip s power systems and defenses have linked, increasing their power significantly. How significantly, Mister Spock? Sensors show an increase in power of approximatelyel! said Iblis again, ignoring Serina and the host becoming visible behind her. Think what I can give you! Think what you are giving up! All that you and Omega ever... Behold! said Serina, and the image of the little girl began to change. Swift as a heartbeat, it morphed, to become a small, disgustingly ugly imp, with huge, glowing eyes, which retreated to cower in Iblis robes. Master! it wailed, terrified, making a sick, gurgling sound in its throat. Massssster! Noooooo!! snarled Iblis... Then for Rigel, everything went black, her last memory that of the uncapricaly loveliness of the shimmering being before her. Then, blissful darkness. Vital signs returning to normal, Doctor, said Mansoor, as the indicators above Rigel s bed began dropping. Her muscles relaxed, and her breathing began to calm. Her brainwaves also began to smooth out, and she was quiet. What was that? A neuro-inhibitor, replied Boyce, still scanning Rigel s brain. Her brain was floode four to the 9th power Wartham units, sir. The Vulcan switched scans, showing a cocoon of protective energy beginning to envelope the Cylons. Her deflectors have increased power by over thirty percent, Captain, and are continuing to do so. Get me Starfleet Command. Get me the High Command! ordered Korrd. Repair status! Och, laddie, burred Scott, watching events unfold, we re screwed. "Look, I feel fine now!" Apollo tried to sit up and once again the firm hand of Doctor Boyce pushed him back down. "I doubt that, and you definitely won't feel fine any time soon if you don't give your body time to recover," he said firmly. "The matter regenerator works wonders on repairing broken bones and more superficial wounds. This, however, was no simple injury. I repaired your spinal cord and some extensive internal injuries. The only reason you don't feel much is because I have you pumped full of painkillers. Now, do I need to have you restrained so that you ing until they met with the opposite hull, and huge latches snapped them securely into place. The upper ship repeated the procedure, until both ships were locked together by thick, massive pylons of metal. Frack Sagan in the astrum! swore Starbuck, as he watched the horrible dance continue. Once the pylons had locked into place, one of the landing bay approaches on the lower ship s upper hull moved&moved!!! upwards, to meet its opposite number, moving down. The control gantry moved aside, locked, and they, like the pylons, latched into place. Oh my God! whispered Pike, as the evil-looking monstrosities before him mated and melded into a single, even more hideous wielder of death. He turned to Spock. The BaseShips have docked, sir, he reported, stating the obvious. Sensors show that the BaseShip s power systems and defenses have linked, increasing their power significantly. How significantly, Mister Spock? Sensors show an increase in power of approximatelyd with more neuro-transmitters than any Human should ever have. This, he held up the hypo, counteracted them. But I d like to know why her brain chemistry suddenly started doing somersaults. Blood pressure back to normal, Doctor, reported Nurse Mansoor. Her pulse is now 68 beats per minute. Good. Keep monitoring her, Nurse. I want to talk to the Galactica s CMO. Yes, Doctor, she replied, then froze. For a moment, they both did, as a blast of intense cold wafted through the room. A blast of cold, and, Boyce was sure, a thin, faint, keening wail of a voice. An enraged voice screaming..... Nooooooo. =================================== So taken up with recent events was Spock, that he had neglected, he realized as his stomach growled softly, to take any sustenance for over twenty-four hours. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his mother, Amanda, telling him that he needed to eat more. Rising, datapadd still in hand, and dismissing such reminisces adon't undo all my handiwork?" "No," muttered the captain. It was apparent that the doctor would not budge in his opinion. Regardless of how much danger they might be facing, Boyce was not about to let his patient, skilled pilot or not, move one centimetron out of his bed. The fate of humanity would have to be decided without his help, as the good doctor had put it. He lay back against his pillow, gazing up at the radiant ceiling panels and suddenly felt a wave of nausea pass over him. No, he was not fine, not yet. He did not recall the last time that he had felt this weak, this easily drained. He had awoken about a centar ago, and it did not take long to realize that not only was he on an alien ship, but one that was under attack. Add to that the shock that this ship was run by humans. Yes, he had been rather confused upon awakening. Doctor Boyce, however, had carefully explained how he had come under his care and what he knew of the current situation. Perhaps the comb four to the 9th power Wartham units, sir. The Vulcan switched scans, showing a cocoon of protective energy beginning to envelope the Cylons. Her deflectors have increased power by over thirty percent, Captain, and are continuing to do so. Get me Starfleet Command. Get me the High Command! ordered Korrd. Repair status! Och, laddie, burred Scott, watching events unfold, we re screwed. "Look, I feel fine now!" Apollo tried to sit up and once again the firm hand of Doctor Boyce pushed him back down. "I doubt that, and you definitely won't feel fine any time soon if you don't give your body time to recover," he said firmly. "The matter regenerator works wonders on repairing broken bones and more superficial wounds. This, however, was no simple injury. I repaired your spinal cord and some extensive internal injuries. The only reason you don't feel much is because I have you pumped full of painkillers. Now, do I need to have you restrained so that you s another example of his recent lack of discipline, he went to the food processor slot, and punched up some plomeek broth before returning to the bridge. As he tasted, eyes still glued to the readouts in one hand, he clumsily spilled the hot liquid down his uniform blouse and trousers. What... he began, then choked it off as yet another illogical outburst. He set down the datapadd on the briefing table, then tossed off the remains of his meal, chucking the cup down a recycling chute. Checking his chrono and realizing it would be some minutes yet until the modifications to the weapons systems were complete, he left the briefing room for his quarters, quite close by on the same deck, and quickly got out of his soiled uniform, and into the shower. One thing Spock disliked in the extreme, as much as a Vulcan could be said to dislike anything, was not being neat, clean, even fastidious, while on duty. And Spock ination of both shock and euphoria of knowing where he was - within reach, at last, of Earth! - had masked how weak he truly felt. Not any more. Even with the continued shakes and reverberations from the continuing battle, Apollo felt too drained after even that little bit of exertion. He let his eyes close, let his mind just float. His last memory, a vague, incomplete memory, was of the landram crashing downward. Dietra calling out. And a figure . . . who? Something was missing. Something important, something he felt he needed to remember, was just out of conscious reach. What was it that he could not remember? He drifted into sleep, and as his mind relaxed, a vision returned. One he had experienced aboard the Galactica before being transferred to the Enterprise. A relived conversation. And faces, familiar faces surrounded by a pure luminescence. Oh, Lords . . . it had not just been a dream . . . had it? Had it? Doctor Boyce stopped mid-stride as he heard the monitodon't undo all my handiwork?" "No," muttered the captain. It was apparent that the doctor would not budge in his opinion. Regardless of how much danger they might be facing, Boyce was not about to let his patient, skilled pilot or not, move one centimetron out of his bed. The fate of humanity would have to be decided without his help, as the good doctor had put it. He lay back against his pillow, gazing up at the radiant ceiling panels and suddenly felt a wave of nausea pass over him. No, he was not fine, not yet. He did not recall the last time that he had felt this weak, this easily drained. He had awoken about a centar ago, and it did not take long to realize that not only was he on an alien ship, but one that was under attack. Add to that the shock that this ship was run by humans. Yes, he had been rather confused upon awakening. Doctor Boyce, however, had carefully explained how he had come under his care and what he knew of the current situation. Perhaps the combr echoing the acceleration of Apollo's heartbeat. He quickly checked his vitals and decided that the Galactican was dreaming, perhaps a bad dream, but was otherwise stable. He knew that many would welcome that news, not the least the young lieutenant Sheba. Boyce decided that, battle or no battle, it was time to send for her. He was about to do just that when the summons to bridge came. ******** Apollo was still drifting in and out of a fitful sleep when a voice from outside the ward, a loud, protesting voice, shattered the silence. "I'm fine! Oh, for Sagan's sake, I just got a bit dizzy, that's all. I need -" Sheba, realized Apollo. He heard the monitor echoing again the quickening of his heart rate. Sheba. Something had happened to Sheba? He would have gotten up, but his limbs still felt heavy, too heavy, when he tried to move. "You need to take a moment to rest and let me be the judge of whether of not you are all right," came Boyce's firm reply. "Not just liination of both shock and euphoria of knowing where he was - within reach, at last, of Earth! - had masked how weak he truly felt. Not any more. Even with the continued shakes and reverberations from the continuing battle, Apollo felt too drained after even that little bit of exertion. He let his eyes close, let his mind just float. His last memory, a vague, incomplete memory, was of the landram crashing downward. Dietra calling out. And a figure . . . who? Something was missing. Something important, something he felt he needed to remember, was just out of conscious reach. What was it that he could not remember? He drifted into sleep, and as his mind relaxed, a vision returned. One he had experienced aboard the Galactica before being transferred to the Enterprise. A relived conversation. And faces, familiar faces surrounded by a pure luminescence. Oh, Lords . . . it had not just been a dream . . . had it? Had it? Doctor Boyce stopped mid-stride as he heard the monitowas never anything but spotless in front of his fellow crewmen. He quickly finished, and stepped out of the shower. Moving into the main living area... Athena wasn t sure she liked the feel of the Federation transporter device. One moment she was on board the Galactica, in the relatively open landing bay, then she felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and things around her morphed into the confines of the Enterprise s transporter room. Adama had given her a short mini-furlon, to visit her brother in the ship s Sickbay. The latest report on his condition was guardedly favorable, but for some time she had felt a rising urge, an intense drive, to go and see him in person. The transporter tech directed her towards Sickbay, and she headed out. And promptly got lost. She rounded a corner, and found herself lost in the twists and turns of Deck 5. A couple of techs, dressed in what she recognized as heavy fire-fighting suits, rushed past her, seemingly oblivious to her calls for directioe back while I run a few scans. It'll only take a moment." Apollo thought he heard a sigh, but perhaps it had been his imagination as he pictured an obviously okay Sheba wanting as impatiently as he normally would be to get back into the battle. Sheba, he thought, saying the name in his mind and feeling suddenly an intense, indescribable sensation. Sheba . . . his mind was drifting again, even as another explosion from the battle rocked the ship. Sheba. . . and a voice, a sweet, familiar voice, seemed to whisper in his mind, in his dreams, *She needs you. You and she are meant to be.* Serina? No, thought Apollo, feeling a swelling of emotion, tears burning in his still-closed eyes. No! *You and she are meant to be.* The words repeated, then seemed to fade, replaced by a quite audible and very real voice. "See, I'm fine! I just, I just -" "Well, perhaps before you rush back to the bridge," stated Dr. Boyce, "you might want to pay a visit to someone, since you're her echoing the acceleration of Apollo's heartbeat. He quickly checked his vitals and decided that the Galactican was dreaming, perhaps a bad dream, but was otherwise stable. He knew that many would welcome that news, not the least the young lieutenant Sheba. Boyce decided that, battle or no battle, it was time to send for her. He was about to do just that when the summons to bridge came. ******** Apollo was still drifting in and out of a fitful sleep when a voice from outside the ward, a loud, protesting voice, shattered the silence. "I'm fine! Oh, for Sagan's sake, I just got a bit dizzy, that's all. I need -" Sheba, realized Apollo. He heard the monitor echoing again the quickening of his heart rate. Sheba. Something had happened to Sheba? He would have gotten up, but his limbs still felt heavy, too heavy, when he tried to move. "You need to take a moment to rest and let me be the judge of whether of not you are all right," came Boyce's firm reply. "Not just lins. She stopped, hands on hips, looked around her, certain that a starship must have a telecom system of some sort, and spotted the rectangular pad with speaker grill on a bulkhead not an arm s length away. She moved towards it... Excuse me, said a voice, and she turned. A man in what she recognized as a Federation enlisted man s uniform stood there, in an open doorway, looking at her. May I help you, Miss... Athena, she replied. Lieutenant Athena, from the Galactica. Ah, yes. I recognize the uniform, said the crewman, looking her up and down, a faint smile on his face. Is there something I can do for you? This area is restricted. I m trying to get to Life Station...uh, Sickbay. I was going to see my brother, Captain Apollo. He s recovering from surgery. Oh yes, smiled the crewman, and Athena thought she sensed something familiar in the smile. The fighter pilot. I heard. Come with me. I can show you the way, Lieutenant. Thank-you, she responded, relre." A pause, then, "Apollo? Is he awake?" "Come and let's see. He might be sleeping, still." "Apollo!" The voice was suddenly next to him. The captain opened his eyes to see Sheba's concerned face staring down at him. Backlit by the ceiling illumination, she seemed to be surrounded by a radiance, a white radiance, as another had been. For just the briefest of moments, her face seemed to shimmer, to blur as another beautiful image seemed to merge with hers. The words and visions that had been troubling him since he had awakened, faded in that instance from the captain's mind, leaving behind one thought, one realization, something he had not let himself say or truly believe. Until now. "Sheba," he whispered, "I love you." "Oh, Apollo!" Tears were slipping down the lieutenant's face. She put a hand to Apollo's cheek, gently caressing. "You really had us going there for a while," she said, sniffing back the tears and smiling in relief. "I'll be fine," the cae back while I run a few scans. It'll only take a moment." Apollo thought he heard a sigh, but perhaps it had been his imagination as he pictured an obviously okay Sheba wanting as impatiently as he normally would be to get back into the battle. Sheba, he thought, saying the name in his mind and feeling suddenly an intense, indescribable sensation. Sheba . . . his mind was drifting again, even as another explosion from the battle rocked the ship. Sheba. . . and a voice, a sweet, familiar voice, seemed to whisper in his mind, in his dreams, *She needs you. You and she are meant to be.* Serina? No, thought Apollo, feeling a swelling of emotion, tears burning in his still-closed eyes. No! *You and she are meant to be.* The words repeated, then seemed to fade, replaced by a quite audible and very real voice. "See, I'm fine! I just, I just -" "Well, perhaps before you rush back to the bridge," stated Dr. Boyce, "you might want to pay a visit to someone, since you're heief evident on her face. She took up position with the crewman, and the two headed down the corridor. Was your brother wounded in battle? asked the crewman, seemingly interested in making small talk. Athena was becoming aware of the way his eyes were surreptitiously raking her up and down, and it somewhat annoyed her. Yet, it also...flattered her. In some small part of herself, she could feel herself growing aroused, as if this man s eyes alone were able to make her body feel something, make it... Ahhh...no, she replied, trying to shake it off. He was involved in a surface accident on the planet we encountered back on the other side of the wormhole. His Landram fell down a sinkhole, and he broke his neck. I see, said the other one. He stepped out in front of her quickly, and faced her. Athena stuttered to a stop, and locked eyes with the man. For an instant, he looked deeply into her eyes, and the deck seemed to swim about her. Here we are, Lieutenant, he said, aptain said. "But are you okay?" The ship shook again. Sheba seemed oblivious to it. "Oh, I'm more than fine!" She did not notice as Dr. Boyce slipped out around a corner into the next ward, leaving them. "I love you," Apollo repeated. And he meant it. With all of his heart, as he gazed up into her glowing, beautiful face framed by the long soft strands of hair that flowed over her shoulders. No more doubts. No more hesitation. He just *knew* that now was the time to reach out to her and not let go, not let her slip away. Not push her away anymore as he had done in the past, when a lingering barrier had prevented him from giving himself to her. But that barrier was gone now. And Sheba saw the conviction in his emerald eyes. For how many sectars had she longed to see that? Too many, too many. Even when she and Apollo had given themselves to each other, she had felt his uncertainty, his unwillingness to let go of the past. But no more, she realized as she gazed at re." A pause, then, "Apollo? Is he awake?" "Come and let's see. He might be sleeping, still." "Apollo!" The voice was suddenly next to him. The captain opened his eyes to see Sheba's concerned face staring down at him. Backlit by the ceiling illumination, she seemed to be surrounded by a radiance, a white radiance, as another had been. For just the briefest of moments, her face seemed to shimmer, to blur as another beautiful image seemed to merge with hers. The words and visions that had been troubling him since he had awakened, faded in that instance from the captain's mind, leaving behind one thought, one realization, something he had not let himself say or truly believe. Until now. "Sheba," he whispered, "I love you." "Oh, Apollo!" Tears were slipping down the lieutenant's face. She put a hand to Apollo's cheek, gently caressing. "You really had us going there for a while," she said, sniffing back the tears and smiling in relief. "I'll be fine," the cand his voice seemed like liquid heat, trickling over her. She once more felt her body responding, as if she were caught up in desire, when he spoke again. Sickbay. He pointed to the plate by the door. I shall leave you here, Lieutenant. He turned and left, and she shook her head, in a whirl at this sudden rush of...feelings. What in Hades Hole was wrong with her??? Desire? Need? Lust? Over someone she d known all of a few centons? Lords of Kobol, she hadn t had anything to drink for quite some time, and she sure the frack wasn t Starbuck! Besides, he d been so rude, looking her over like some choice chop in the meat market. Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the door, and it slid open with the weird squeaky hiss all the doors on this ship had. She marched in, head high and with strength in her gait, when she saw... Lieutenant Athena! said Spock, momentarily frozen in place, towel in one hand. Commander Spock! she squeaked, eyes wide, face red. Outside, the crewman lauhim. No more! "Oh, Apollo!" Sheba leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her, pulling her down against him. The tears streamed down as she nestled her face against his cheek and hugged him as best she could. Finally she pulled back. "Um, there's something I need to tell you," she said, glancing away. Apollo's smile faded as he misread her hesitating look. "What is it? Are you all right? Did something happen to -" "No, no," said Sheba quickly. "Everyone is okay, so far." She decided not to mention how precarious, still, was Rigel's hold on life. Not now. "I've got some news," she said, grinning, "some good news, I think." She looked away, still embarrassed. "What?" asked Apollo, feeling perplexed by her hesitant reaction. This just wasn't the bold, brash daughter of Cain that he was used to. "What is it?" A tinge of exasperation was creeping into his voice. Sheba looked back at him, gazing into his eyes. In answer to his question, she tptain said. "But are you okay?" The ship shook again. Sheba seemed oblivious to it. "Oh, I'm more than fine!" She did not notice as Dr. Boyce slipped out around a corner into the next ward, leaving them. "I love you," Apollo repeated. And he meant it. With all of his heart, as he gazed up into her glowing, beautiful face framed by the long soft strands of hair that flowed over her shoulders. No more doubts. No more hesitation. He just *knew* that now was the time to reach out to her and not let go, not let her slip away. Not push her away anymore as he had done in the past, when a lingering barrier had prevented him from giving himself to her. But that barrier was gone now. And Sheba saw the conviction in his emerald eyes. For how many sectars had she longed to see that? Too many, too many. Even when she and Apollo had given themselves to each other, she had felt his uncertainty, his unwillingness to let go of the past. But no more, she realized as she gazed at ghed softly to himself. =========================== As he reviewed his underlings repair and operations reports, Imperious Leader also contemplated the battle ahead. While he was incapable of swerving from the Directive to destroy all Humans, he was not so blind as to believe himself invulnerable. Although the new shielding was a considerable improvement over previous systems, it could not stand up forever against the relentless pounding of so many enemy ships. And, regardless of how well it did, the enemy had an advantage-they could call in more ships, while it had been calculated that at full speed, it would take a BaseShip twenty yahren or more to get here from Cylon. Assuming of course that fuel and operations presented no problems. So, what to do? Once the shield was fully charged, they would fire the pulse, then distract any remaining Human forces, and implement his escape plan. Imperiousook his hand in hers and placed it over her abdomen, pressing it against her. Apollo knew in an instant. As if he had already known, somehow. "You're . . .?" Sheba nodded. "Yes . . . and it's a boy." "A boy," repeated Apollo in a quiet voice. This brand new reality was going to take some getting used to! Sheba's smile faded. "You're happy about this, aren't you?" She felt that old, familiar doubt suddenly grip her again. "Yes!" said Apollo, sensing her fears. "Oh, yes!" And he knew it was the truth. Felt it from the bottom of his soul. He placed his other hand on top of hers. "Our child," he whispered. As the ship continued to rock and jolt, as the battle continued, the two warriors were oblivious. For now, all that mattered was each other. Tolan and his Commander watched as the Cylon fighter dove on them, engines flat out, lasers spitting death. But one fighter was no match for their gunnery, and it almost at once came apart, defensive fire slicing away the uhim. No more! "Oh, Apollo!" Sheba leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her, pulling her down against him. The tears streamed down as she nestled her face against his cheek and hugged him as best she could. Finally she pulled back. "Um, there's something I need to tell you," she said, glancing away. Apollo's smile faded as he misread her hesitating look. "What is it? Are you all right? Did something happen to -" "No, no," said Sheba quickly. "Everyone is okay, so far." She decided not to mention how precarious, still, was Rigel's hold on life. Not now. "I've got some news," she said, grinning, "some good news, I think." She looked away, still embarrassed. "What?" asked Apollo, feeling perplexed by her hesitant reaction. This just wasn't the bold, brash daughter of Cain that he was used to. "What is it?" A tinge of exasperation was creeping into his voice. Sheba looked back at him, gazing into his eyes. In answer to his question, she t Leader had no doubts that it would do the job, and the Colonials and their new allies would fall victim to it, allowing him to, ultimately, emerge victorious. Victorious, and lost. Whoever managed to survive would be unable to find him, and he would be free. Free to find another world upon which to settle, and begin the task of building a new arm of the Cylon Empire. In time, there would be more centurions, more fighters, and more BaseShips. And, when communication with Cylon was finally reestablished, they would proceed crush everything and everyone between the two fists of his ineluctable power. He also reviewed the message, transmitted a few centons ago, back to the Homeworld. Once the lull in the fighting had settled in, navigation had at last managed to determine their location, in relation to Cylon. A message had been sent, at full power, on the Imperious Leader s personal frequency. Considerably slower than Federation subspace transmissions, the Cylon version, however, ndercarriage and engine housings. The Raider split open spectacularly, spewing fire and garbage into space. "Fighter destroyed," announced the gunnery officer, needlessly. "No other functional enemy craft within range, sir." "Good shooting,' replied the Commander. He studied the scanner data for a centon or two. Wild energy readings the computer could make nothing of, clouds of wreckage, and no Galactica. None of this made a millicubit's worth of sense. He turned to Tolan. "Open a channel to the Galactica. All frequencies." "Sir." And see if engineering can recover one of the Cylons floating out there. I want answers." "Sir." On the other side of the galaxy, engineers aboard every ship opposing the Cylons were scurrying about like ants, feverishly working to repair, and prepare for whatever came next. In the Battlestar's engineering section, Scotty and his team bridged, replaced, assessed, heedless of the time. Their Klingon counterparts were doing the same, as were the Tholook his hand in hers and placed it over her abdomen, pressing it against her. Apollo knew in an instant. As if he had already known, somehow. "You're . . .?" Sheba nodded. "Yes . . . and it's a boy." "A boy," repeated Apollo in a quiet voice. This brand new reality was going to take some getting used to! Sheba's smile faded. "You're happy about this, aren't you?" She felt that old, familiar doubt suddenly grip her again. "Yes!" said Apollo, sensing her fears. "Oh, yes!" And he knew it was the truth. Felt it from the bottom of his soul. He placed his other hand on top of hers. "Our child," he whispered. As the ship continued to rock and jolt, as the battle continued, the two warriors were oblivious. For now, all that mattered was each other. Tolan and his Commander watched as the Cylon fighter dove on them, engines flat out, lasers spitting death. But one fighter was no match for their gunnery, and it almost at once came apart, defensive fire slicing away the utended to suffer less signal degradation over exceptionally long distances then they did. When the message, repeated continuously, reached Cylon, in about ten or so yahren, the Alliance would at once send BaseShips to link up with his own outpost here, and then the final destruction of Humanity could be completed. But what of the other races? Lucifer had asked him. What indeed? pondered Imperious Leader, trying to fit them into the parameters of his programming. While, like the Hassaris, the Delphians, the Naytarians, and countless other species, they were inferior and must be destroyed, or like the Ovions, made use of, the seemingly easy way in which they had allied themselves with the Colonials troubled him. The Tholians, according to the scans, were crystalloid beings, very much like the now-extinct Delphian race. Their weaponry, however, was far ahead of what the Delphians had fielded, and that made them vastly more dangerous. And the Klingons... A race that looked and actian vessels. "Readings, Mr. Spock," said Pike, watching the now-coupled BaseShips spin as one. A ghostly wraith of light seemed to swirl about the joined vessel, and Pike was sure what the sensors would find. "The joined enemy vessels have linked their internal systems, sir. The total power output of the combined craft has increased by another fifty thousand Wartham units, and continuing. Becoming increasingly difficult to scan them, sir." "Are those deflectors of some kind?" asked Pike, pointing. "Yes, sir. Some form of multi-phasic shielding, Captain. It is exceeding the entire output of our impulse engines." "Can we penetrate it?" "Unknown, sir. I shall attempt to obtain more data," said Spock, and bent over his instruments, once more. "Captain," said Alden, turning from his board. "Message from Starfleet Command. The starships Hood and Defiant have been dispatched, sir." "ETA, Mr. Alden?" "Six hours on the Hood, sir. About the same for the Defiant." "Good news, findercarriage and engine housings. The Raider split open spectacularly, spewing fire and garbage into space. "Fighter destroyed," announced the gunnery officer, needlessly. "No other functional enemy craft within range, sir." "Good shooting,' replied the Commander. He studied the scanner data for a centon or two. Wild energy readings the computer could make nothing of, clouds of wreckage, and no Galactica. None of this made a millicubit's worth of sense. He turned to Tolan. "Open a channel to the Galactica. All frequencies." "Sir." And see if engineering can recover one of the Cylons floating out there. I want answers." "Sir." On the other side of the galaxy, engineers aboard every ship opposing the Cylons were scurrying about like ants, feverishly working to repair, and prepare for whatever came next. In the Battlestar's engineering section, Scotty and his team bridged, replaced, assessed, heedless of the time. Their Klingon counterparts were doing the same, as were the Tholed so much like the Humans, yet was not Human, troubled him even more. These Klingons seemed to enjoy fighting. While the Colonials fought because the Cylons gave them no choice, the Klingons seemed to fight because they derived an obscene kind of pleasure from the very act of fighting. Imperious Leader could not understand this very well, having no equivalent programming. What he understood of the more bizarre Human emotions he had gleaned from his contacts with Baltar, and conversations with Lucifer. Why would any sentient being enjoy an activity that could quite easily lead to its injury, or even death? Surely, any species that conducted its affairs by such a code would soon find itself annihilated. Wiped out of existence. Yet these Klingons not only had survived, but obviously advanced their space technology to approximately the same level as the Federation Humans, who seemed, on the surface at least, as desirous of peace as the Colonials. Imperious Leader shook his ugly head, a gnally," said Pike. "Ship's status, Number One." "Engineering reports warp drive still off-line, sir. EVA crews have been sent out to effect repairs to the damaged nacelle, the breach between decks seven and eight, and the shuttle bay doors as well." She turned back to her status board. "Starboard forward phaser bank back on-line, but the torpedo launcher is still jammed." "At least we've got phasers back. Shields?" "Engineering estimates that generator number seven will be back up to full output in less than one hour, sir. Generators four and five are still off-line for repairs." "Transporter?' "Still down, sir. No repair estimate, yet." "Thank-you, Number One." Pike turned to Spock. "Spock?" "Still analyzing the data, sir," replied the Vulcanian, not looking up from his scanners. "Good. Call me if the Cylons so much as sneeze. I'll be in Sickbay." "Yes, sir,' replied Number One. pike left the bridge, and Spock slowly raised his head, a puzzled look on his Patrician featian vessels. "Readings, Mr. Spock," said Pike, watching the now-coupled BaseShips spin as one. A ghostly wraith of light seemed to swirl about the joined vessel, and Pike was sure what the sensors would find. "The joined enemy vessels have linked their internal systems, sir. The total power output of the combined craft has increased by another fifty thousand Wartham units, and continuing. Becoming increasingly difficult to scan them, sir." "Are those deflectors of some kind?" asked Pike, pointing. "Yes, sir. Some form of multi-phasic shielding, Captain. It is exceeding the entire output of our impulse engines." "Can we penetrate it?" "Unknown, sir. I shall attempt to obtain more data," said Spock, and bent over his instruments, once more. "Captain," said Alden, turning from his board. "Message from Starfleet Command. The starships Hood and Defiant have been dispatched, sir." "ETA, Mr. Alden?" "Six hours on the Hood, sir. About the same for the Defiant." "Good news, fiesture unconsciously picked up from contact with Baltar, and felt a rush of frustration. Being a computer, he hated any sort of unresolved analysis. No, he reminded himself, not all Humans wanted peace. Commander Cain, of the perpetually returning Battlestar Pegasus. There was a Colonial Human who seemed to have no desire for peace. No desire at all. He was a Human who actually seemed more like these Klingon creatures, than his own Colonial brethren. Cain loved war, lived for it, seemingly reveled in the intensity of combat. Perhaps that was what had permitted him to survive for so long, escaping death at the hands of his enemies time and time again. Such Humans, and the Klingons together...what other disgusting deviants did this Alpha Quadrant hold? Obviously, the Alliance had much work ahead of it. He accessed the ship s chrono. Forty-four centons, and counting. But where was Iblis? ====================================== Uhhh... began Athena, utterly at a loss ures. He looked over to Alden. "Sneeze?" Adama and his people felt the initial shock of horror abate, as the reality of the situation sunk in. Only once before, in the entire history of the conflict with the Cylons, had two BaseShips physically joined in this way. Usually, if the Cylons were victorious, there was, presumably, no need to. If the were defeated, there were no surviving BaseShips to join. The one instance in the records where they had done so was over a hundred yahrens old. During a savage battle in the Naytar system, two BaseShips, their backs to the wall, had docked, and while Colonial forces licked their wounds and called for reinforcements, built up their power. Unleashing it suddenly, they obliterated one Battlestar, crippled another, then began devastating the planet, rendering it almost uninhabitable by any life form. Thus victorious, the Alliance occupied the system, till, a few years before the Holocaust, an elite operations team, led by Apollo, had penetrated thenally," said Pike. "Ship's status, Number One." "Engineering reports warp drive still off-line, sir. EVA crews have been sent out to effect repairs to the damaged nacelle, the breach between decks seven and eight, and the shuttle bay doors as well." She turned back to her status board. "Starboard forward phaser bank back on-line, but the torpedo launcher is still jammed." "At least we've got phasers back. Shields?" "Engineering estimates that generator number seven will be back up to full output in less than one hour, sir. Generators four and five are still off-line for repairs." "Transporter?' "Still down, sir. No repair estimate, yet." "Thank-you, Number One." Pike turned to Spock. "Spock?" "Still analyzing the data, sir," replied the Vulcanian, not looking up from his scanners. "Good. Call me if the Cylons so much as sneeze. I'll be in Sickbay." "Yes, sir,' replied Number One. pike left the bridge, and Spock slowly raised his head, a puzzled look on his Patrician featfor the moment as to what to say. For his part, Spock was much the same. While he did not react in the same way as a Human, he was nonetheless as taken off-guard as she. He at last found his voice. Lieutenant, I... You want her, don t you? said a voice, and Spock turned. Who else had entered his quarters? He turned, and beheld the owner of the voice. Tall, appearing to be a Human in vigorous middle-age, robed in white. After a moment, he recognized him as the being he had seen on the viewscreen, whom the Colonials called Count Iblis. The mysterious being was smiling, though at Spock s state, or the situation as a whole, the Vulcan could not tell. I... he began, wishing he had not left his towel in the head. Oh but you do, purred the other. Spock tried to speak, but suddenly found speech difficult. While he did not feel a Human sense of shame, he was nonetheless uncomfortable at his current state. Ever since you laid eyes on her, Spock. Iblis had drawn closer, an Cylon base, and blown it, and its garrison, to Kingdom Come. The system, and all its vital resources, were reclaimed by the Colonies. Now, it was happening once more. As the energy within the enemy ship/s built up, Adama realized what was coming. He ordered a channel opened to Enterprise. Spock at last unravelled the mystery as well. The energy building within the Cylon vessel was not being generated by any means used by the Federation. The enemy was tapping what had once been referred to as "zero-point" energy, energy drawn from another dimension, or even universe. Such energy gave the Cylons virtually limitless power. If... "Ma'am," said Alden to Number One, breaking into Spock's contemplation. "We are being hailed. Scout Grissom entering sensor range." "Grissom?" said Number One, surprised. The vessel in question, a small science ship of the Revere class, was dwarfed by her larger sisters, and looked like a matchbox next the the Galactica. What was she doing here? "Acknowledge, ures. He looked over to Alden. "Sneeze?" Adama and his people felt the initial shock of horror abate, as the reality of the situation sunk in. Only once before, in the entire history of the conflict with the Cylons, had two BaseShips physically joined in this way. Usually, if the Cylons were victorious, there was, presumably, no need to. If the were defeated, there were no surviving BaseShips to join. The one instance in the records where they had done so was over a hundred yahrens old. During a savage battle in the Naytar system, two BaseShips, their backs to the wall, had docked, and while Colonial forces licked their wounds and called for reinforcements, built up their power. Unleashing it suddenly, they obliterated one Battlestar, crippled another, then began devastating the planet, rendering it almost uninhabitable by any life form. Thus victorious, the Alliance occupied the system, till, a few years before the Holocaust, an elite operations team, led by Apollo, had penetrated thed Spock suddenly seemed to be unable to move as well. All around him, everything had slowed to a stop. The vibration of the ship s engines was gone, the soft noise of the circulation fan in his quarter s environmental controls, even the blinking of the lights on his computer console. All had stopped. Even Athena, her eyes wide with shock, was seemingly frozen in place, her mouth open, as if to speak. He could not define exactly what was going on, but Iblis was the only thing that was moving. Somehow, this creature had the ability to... She is Human, replied Spock, at last forcing words out of his mouth. There can be nothing...between us. As he spoke, he was dimly aware of having slipped back into Vulcan. As there was nothing between Sarek and Amanda? countered Iblis, his voice somewhere between compassionate understanding, and taunting. A Vulcan, and a Human woman? Who would have believed that possible, eh? But...but my father... Was not betrothed, yes. I understMr. Alden." "Acknowledged, ma'am. Captain Raemart says he's here on his own initiative, ma'am." "I see. Well, we do need all the help we can get," shrugged the Exec, wondering what possible use the tiny Grissom could be against the Cylons. "David versus Goliath?" she muttered. "Ma'am?" said Alden. "Nothing, Mr. Alden." "Colonel," said Omega, turning to the Exec, from his instruments. "The Cylon shields, sir." "What about them?" "Something's different." "Ma'am," cried Tyler, pointing at the viewscreen. "The Klingons are firing on the BaseShips!" Sitting upon his throne in his audience chamber, Imperious Leader watched and felt events around him. With both surviving BaseShips joined, repairs and defense could take place at an accelerated rate. As he accessed data, he could see the new shielding, cocooning him, the added power of the other ship making it near-impenetrable. Unfortunately, the recent deployment of the new multi-phasic shielding technology, despite i Cylon base, and blown it, and its garrison, to Kingdom Come. The system, and all its vital resources, were reclaimed by the Colonies. Now, it was happening once more. As the energy within the enemy ship/s built up, Adama realized what was coming. He ordered a channel opened to Enterprise. Spock at last unravelled the mystery as well. The energy building within the Cylon vessel was not being generated by any means used by the Federation. The enemy was tapping what had once been referred to as "zero-point" energy, energy drawn from another dimension, or even universe. Such energy gave the Cylons virtually limitless power. If... "Ma'am," said Alden to Number One, breaking into Spock's contemplation. "We are being hailed. Scout Grissom entering sensor range." "Grissom?" said Number One, surprised. The vessel in question, a small science ship of the Revere class, was dwarfed by her larger sisters, and looked like a matchbox next the the Galactica. What was she doing here? "Acknowledge, and. Ever since the death of Sybok s mother, he had been alone. Bereft. Desolate. Then he met Amanda, Spock. Met her, and at once felt drawn to her, despite all your ridiculous taboos. He saw her, and he acted upon it. I...I am betrothed, Spock shot back, finding it somehow increasingly difficult, both to breathe, and to resist the strange feelings coursing through him. Not just desire, which was manifestly becoming undeniable. But something in Iblis voice was having an effect on him. T Pring. His will, his ability to think clearly, was becoming...becoming... Pah! said Iblis, leaning close, almost whispering in his ear. T Pring? She cares nothing for you, Spock. Nothing at all. Do you remember Stonn? Despite his Vulcan control, Spock betrayed a moment s emotion. Iblis smiled. Yes. Stonn. Your cousin. The ringleader of the boys who taunted you as a child. Calling you halfbreed , and saying that you weren t really Vulcan. Iblis waited a beat, letting his words sink in, and the olts benefits, had proven less than satisfactory, as evidenced by the destruction of the other ships. Hopefully now, joined to another ship, and tapping into sources of power undreamed of by the Colonials, they would not only prove invincible, but able to erase their opoosition in short order. He felt a slight movement. Fire from one of the opposing vessels. The shields held, impervious to the alien weapons. At least for the moment. Imperious Leader was pleased with the progress reports from the repair crews. They were ahead of schedule, for once. He was, however, not pleased by the sudden disappeareance of Iblis. The mysterious being had vanished, as suddenly as he had appeared, and unexplained things which his data could not satisfactorily explain bothered Imperious Leader. The smiling Iblis had known things about Cylon programming that even he had not been aware of, and that made him as dangerous as a loose Battlestar. He called a Centurion to his chamber. "Operations CMr. Alden." "Acknowledged, ma'am. Captain Raemart says he's here on his own initiative, ma'am." "I see. Well, we do need all the help we can get," shrugged the Exec, wondering what possible use the tiny Grissom could be against the Cylons. "David versus Goliath?" she muttered. "Ma'am?" said Alden. "Nothing, Mr. Alden." "Colonel," said Omega, turning to the Exec, from his instruments. "The Cylon shields, sir." "What about them?" "Something's different." "Ma'am," cried Tyler, pointing at the viewscreen. "The Klingons are firing on the BaseShips!" Sitting upon his throne in his audience chamber, Imperious Leader watched and felt events around him. With both surviving BaseShips joined, repairs and defense could take place at an accelerated rate. As he accessed data, he could see the new shielding, cocooning him, the added power of the other ship making it near-impenetrable. Unfortunately, the recent deployment of the new multi-phasic shielding technology, despite id memory surface. You never liked him did you? I can hardly blame you, Spock. Dislike is...irrelevant, said Spock, increasingly frustrated at his lack of control. Stonn is Stonn. And he wants her, Spock. T Pring. Your betrothed. And... Iblis touched Spock on the shoulder, in an almost obscene caress, T Pring returns the sentiment. He smiled again. T Pring is... Unfaithful, Spock. Yes, unfaithful. Behold. Iblis waved a hand, and for a moment, he saw before him a room in what he recognized as the home of T Pring s father, on Vulcan. She was sitting upon a divan, Stonn next to her. Both were locked in a passionate embrace, kissing, T Pring slowly sliding Stonn s tunic off of him. Spock felt...what? Anger? Shock? Deep humiliation? He wasn t sure. You knew she cared nothing for you, Spock, Iblis went on, the images before Spock s eyes fading from sight. You ve felt it through your bond for years. Almost from the day you and she were bonded, over twenty years agontroller Intortus, By your Command." "Find the creature called Iblis, Centurion." "By your Command." At that very instant, the person in question, his escape blocked by the body of the planet, writhed in fury and pain. The molten core of the dead world screamed and tore about him like a liquid hurricane, and flailing about like a decapitated serpent, he lashed out, ripping gashes in the very flesh of the planet. With a brilliant eruption of energies both geologic and unholy, the surface shook, cracked, and heaved upwards, belching both magma and searing gases into the thin air. Iblis strove to free himself from his prison, but felt something close about him as he tore upwards. "Iblis!" boomed a voice that shook the crust. "Go! Leave me!" he roared back, voice like a nuclear bomb. "You have no domin..." "Fulfill your word!" boomed his foe, blazing with blue- white incandescence, contrasting so harshly with Iblis' own red- black pulsing. "Restore..." ts benefits, had proven less than satisfactory, as evidenced by the destruction of the other ships. Hopefully now, joined to another ship, and tapping into sources of power undreamed of by the Colonials, they would not only prove invincible, but able to erase their opoosition in short order. He felt a slight movement. Fire from one of the opposing vessels. The shields held, impervious to the alien weapons. At least for the moment. Imperious Leader was pleased with the progress reports from the repair crews. They were ahead of schedule, for once. He was, however, not pleased by the sudden disappeareance of Iblis. The mysterious being had vanished, as suddenly as he had appeared, and unexplained things which his data could not satisfactorily explain bothered Imperious Leader. The smiling Iblis had known things about Cylon programming that even he had not been aware of, and that made him as dangerous as a loose Battlestar. He called a Centurion to his chamber. "Operations Co. You don t need her! hissed Iblis, seeming to move even closer. But Athena... As the images of T Pring and Stonn faded, Spock once more saw Athena. But now, she stood before him, utterly naked, aroused, her uniform in a heap about her feet. He felt his heart take an involuntary leap... Gloriously naked... I...this cannot... Athena is different, Spock, Iblis went on, smiling a smile of pure malignity. She wants you, as T Pring never has. And never will. She is young, beautiful, passionate. She is willing, Spock. She can be yours. For an hour. For life. The choice is yours. No.... Athena opened her mouth in shock, upon unexpectedly seeing a naked man in front of her. She was even more shocked when she recognized him as Spock, the Vulcan First Officer of Captain Pike. Obviously, this was not the Sickbay. She managed to squeak... Uhhh... Athena, said a voice. She didn t move for a moment, and the voice spoke again. Athena. At lasthe choked off, as a blast from Iblis slammed him back down into the core. For a moment, Michael staggered, then returned to the fray. He shot into Iblis like a bullet, ripping yet more wounds in the nameless world. The two titans struggled, the energies about them crashing and boiling upwards. "Sir," said Kang, aboard G'roth. Korrd turned towards his man, then the main screen, and behald a bizarre sight. The planet below was in upheaval, volcanoes bursting out along the southern continental landmass even as they watched. Within moments, huge areas were transformed into vast, searing lava fields, then even more of the vents cracked open as the eerie phenomenon continued. "Scans?" "Gravity and magnetic field fluctuating, sir," replied Kang. He held on tight, as the G'roth bucked in her orbit, then again. "The planet seems to be beginning to break up, sir." "Cease fire, weapons officer. Helm, move us away from the planet." "Sir." The Klingon vessels atontroller Intortus, By your Command." "Find the creature called Iblis, Centurion." "By your Command." At that very instant, the person in question, his escape blocked by the body of the planet, writhed in fury and pain. The molten core of the dead world screamed and tore about him like a liquid hurricane, and flailing about like a decapitated serpent, he lashed out, ripping gashes in the very flesh of the planet. With a brilliant eruption of energies both geologic and unholy, the surface shook, cracked, and heaved upwards, belching both magma and searing gases into the thin air. Iblis strove to free himself from his prison, but felt something close about him as he tore upwards. "Iblis!" boomed a voice that shook the crust. "Go! Leave me!" he roared back, voice like a nuclear bomb. "You have no domin..." "Fulfill your word!" boomed his foe, blazing with blue- white incandescence, contrasting so harshly with Iblis' own red- black pulsing. "Restore..." she turned her gaze away from Spock, who seemed to be standing frozen in place, and beheld Iblis, smiling the smile of evil. She did not at once speak, and he nodded his head in Spock s direction. Yes, it s him. How interesting that you find yourself here, My Dear. He waited a bit, then moved closer to her. In the very quarters of the man who so intrigues you. How did I get here? she choked out, even as she felt her body spiral upwards in arousal. I was heading for their Life... Does it matter? Your brother will be fine. But you came here, Athena. Came here to the very quarters of the man who has thought of little but you since the moment that you met. Me? No. No, that can t be true. He s an alien, and... Like Spock, she found it increasingly hard to breathe, and everything around her had slowed to a virtual stop. And that matters? oozed the Count. You want him. I can sense it. Even now, your body cries out for him. For his touch upon your flesh, for the power of once began to move away, the G'ith now, barely, under his own power. Soon, everybody was putting some serious distance between themselves and the heaving planet below. Except the Cylons. With a massive heave measureable only in teratons, Iblis was sent sailing through hundreds of miles of molten rock and crust like a dustbunny through air, shattering the planet's surface, bursting forth from his temporary prison, screaming back into the void of space. Followed hard on by his foes, he did not stop to watch the lifeless planet buck and heave, its surface ripped and torn by myriad wounds, its meager air poisoned by the effluvia of countless volcanoes, and fissures hundreds of miles long. Everyone else was, though. Spock especially was glued to his sensors, measuring everything there was to measure about the dying world. What had caused a stable, geologically quiet planet to suddenly go violently volcanic, within literally a few minutes? Unless one knew, they could nhe choked off, as a blast from Iblis slammed him back down into the core. For a moment, Michael staggered, then returned to the fray. He shot into Iblis like a bullet, ripping yet more wounds in the nameless world. The two titans struggled, the energies about them crashing and boiling upwards. "Sir," said Kang, aboard G'roth. Korrd turned towards his man, then the main screen, and behald a bizarre sight. The planet below was in upheaval, volcanoes bursting out along the southern continental landmass even as they watched. Within moments, huge areas were transformed into vast, searing lava fields, then even more of the vents cracked open as the eerie phenomenon continued. "Scans?" "Gravity and magnetic field fluctuating, sir," replied Kang. He held on tight, as the G'roth bucked in her orbit, then again. "The planet seems to be beginning to break up, sir." "Cease fire, weapons officer. Helm, move us away from the planet." "Sir." The Klingon vessels at his body next to your own. She felt his fingers touch her shoulder. No! You re a liar! She tried to move, and remained rooted in place You only want... Not at all, hissed the Father of Lies, his tongue almost serpent-like in her ear. I ask nothing from you, My Dear. Indulge yourself. You will see that I am right. You want him. Need him. He indicated the statue-like Spock before her. You can see he wants you, Iblis smiled. What...what would... We can talk again later, Athena. For now... Iblis seemed to withdraw from her senses, now almost totally overwhelmed with pure animal arousal, an arousal she saw mirrored in the wonderfully sculpted form before her. With a cry of near-bestial lust, she moved towards Spock, only dimly aware of the fact that she was now as naked as he was, though she had made no conscious move to disrobe whatsoever. She gripped him fiercely, as found herself held as tightly in return. The two of them at once fell to the bunk, beyond spot have recognized this world as the same one they had scanned when entering this system. Even as Spock watched, the atmosphere thickened, clouding over with toxic gases and ash, obscuring the surface. Winds now ripped at hundred of miles an hour, and there were literally thousands of quakes going on simultaneously, whole continents buckling and tearing assunder. "What in Hades Hole is going on?" asked Adama, on the Galactica bridge. Like everyone else, he was rivetted to the scene below them. Thank the Lords of Kobol that the mineral crews had launched to return to the Fleet when...whatever it was had begun. "Unknown, sir," replied Tigh. "A few centons ago, the planet was fine. Then...this. I've never seen anything like it." With another blast of immeasurable power, Michael and his warriors sent Iblis tearing back downwards, impacting the planet like a asteroid. "It's what?" asked Pike. "The planet's magnetic and gravimetric fluctuations seem to be once began to move away, the G'ith now, barely, under his own power. Soon, everybody was putting some serious distance between themselves and the heaving planet below. Except the Cylons. With a massive heave measureable only in teratons, Iblis was sent sailing through hundreds of miles of molten rock and crust like a dustbunny through air, shattering the planet's surface, bursting forth from his temporary prison, screaming back into the void of space. Followed hard on by his foes, he did not stop to watch the lifeless planet buck and heave, its surface ripped and torn by myriad wounds, its meager air poisoned by the effluvia of countless volcanoes, and fissures hundreds of miles long. Everyone else was, though. Spock especially was glued to his sensors, measuring everything there was to measure about the dying world. What had caused a stable, geologically quiet planet to suddenly go violently volcanic, within literally a few minutes? Unless one knew, they could neech, beyond thought, beyond caring. Beyond seeing Iblis, watching them from the darkness, laughing. And laughing. And laughing. =============================================== Looking at the chrono over the handball court, Yeoman Colt decided she had just enough time for a quick shower, before leaving the gym, and reporting for duty on the bridge. This was it, she mused, as she turned on the water. The final battle with these disgusting Cylon creatures. From everything she d seen and heard, they were evil, worthless scum, who d spread nothing but death and misery across the galaxy. She was entirely in sympathy with the fleeing Colonials, and thought it truly wonderful to learn that there were other Humans, elsewhere in the galaxy. So far in her Starfleet career, she d met various Humanoids. Klingons, with or without the heads, Axinarians, Pakled, Denobulans, Bajorans, Talosians, and any variety of variations on a theme. The Bumpies of the Week , someone had once called interacting with the residual energies from the portal, sir," repeated Spock. He then launched into a torrent of technical gobbledegook that only a Vulcan physicist could love, till Pike halted him. "Bottom line, Lieutenant," asked Pike, hand extended. "Bottom...?" hesitated Spock. Sighing, Pike explained. "I see. Unknown, sir. Too many unknown factors." "Keep on it, Spock," ordered the Captain. "Yes, sir." "Sir," said Tolan, indicating his instruments. Cain looked down at the readouts, then at the area where the wormhole device once had been. "What in Hades Hole is..." "Energy wave approaching, sir!" shouted someone, suddenly. "Unknown..." "Seal all bulkheads..." ordered Cain, as something broadsided into the Pegasus. Pike looked at the figures before him. Small, bulbous- headed, eyes small and remorselessly penetrating. Once again, he felt rather than heard the Keeper s words to him, as he fumed in his cell, deep below the planet sot have recognized this world as the same one they had scanned when entering this system. Even as Spock watched, the atmosphere thickened, clouding over with toxic gases and ash, obscuring the surface. Winds now ripped at hundred of miles an hour, and there were literally thousands of quakes going on simultaneously, whole continents buckling and tearing assunder. "What in Hades Hole is going on?" asked Adama, on the Galactica bridge. Like everyone else, he was rivetted to the scene below them. Thank the Lords of Kobol that the mineral crews had launched to return to the Fleet when...whatever it was had begun. "Unknown, sir," replied Tigh. "A few centons ago, the planet was fine. Then...this. I've never seen anything like it." With another blast of immeasurable power, Michael and his warriors sent Iblis tearing back downwards, impacting the planet like a asteroid. "It's what?" asked Pike. "The planet's magnetic and gravimetric fluctuations seem to be them. No, here at last were real Humans. Yet, out of all of them, out of all the galaxy, she wanted only one...Chris Pike. Once, only once, in the caverns of Talos IV, brought there through the illusionary machinations of the Keeper, she had thought she might, just, have a chance at last with the handsome Captain. The Captain she admired. The Captain she made love to in her dreams. At last, to have his powerful arms around her, to feel his... But no. He was about as approachable as the Statue of Liberty, and as receptive as a Vulcan Kohlinar Master. Why? Why can t it be different? she asked herself, for the umpteenth time, as she got under the water. It wasn t unheard of, having a relationship with one s superior officers. Sure, Starfleet Regulations said otherwise, but... Captain! she cried, loudly, as she stepped out of the shower stall, to find the object of her inmost musings practica surface. As we always suspected, Captain, intoned the Talosian leader, your intelligence and abilities are shockingly limited. What are you doing here? Pike demanded. He looked about himself, recognizing the confines of his old prison. As you have learned, continued the Keeper, ignoring him, escape from our control is not possible. You will do and act as we determine, Human. You will obey, or you will be exterminated. There will be no compromise. You misshapen-headed freak! snarled Pike, throwing his food dish at the transparency that kept him from turning the Keeper s neck into a pretzel. You re a coward. You promised to let me and my ship go! He looked about again, but saw no sign of Vina, the Keeper s female captive. You& Pike stepped back, recoiling in horror, as slowly the Keeper changed, growing taller, bulkier, and losing all facial resemblance to the Talosian he had known. The Keeper and his retinue morphed into metallic beings, eyes replaced by o interacting with the residual energies from the portal, sir," repeated Spock. He then launched into a torrent of technical gobbledegook that only a Vulcan physicist could love, till Pike halted him. "Bottom line, Lieutenant," asked Pike, hand extended. "Bottom...?" hesitated Spock. Sighing, Pike explained. "I see. Unknown, sir. Too many unknown factors." "Keep on it, Spock," ordered the Captain. "Yes, sir." "Sir," said Tolan, indicating his instruments. Cain looked down at the readouts, then at the area where the wormhole device once had been. "What in Hades Hole is..." "Energy wave approaching, sir!" shouted someone, suddenly. "Unknown..." "Seal all bulkheads..." ordered Cain, as something broadsided into the Pegasus. Pike looked at the figures before him. Small, bulbous- headed, eyes small and remorselessly penetrating. Once again, he felt rather than heard the Keeper s words to him, as he fumed in his cell, deep below the planet slly at arm s length. Pike looked at her, up and down, his expression one of satisfaction, and she found herself flushing red in spite of herself, unable to move from her spot. Colt, he said. You can have him, said a voice in her head. A voice that was cultured, rich, and very, very seductive. You want him, Colt. You know you do. He can be yours. Any man you want can be yours! I... gasped Colt, unable to breathe. I can give you him. I can give you any one, anything, that you desire, said Iblis, suddenly before her. Around her, the very air seemed to grow still, the sounds of the ship around her to fade, Pike seemingly the only other thing that moved. Without having perceived any motion on her part, Colt found herself with her arms about her Captain, his lips inexorably lowering towards her own. No! said a voice, and something blurred past her vision. A small, blue something. A sphere of light. Colt was startled, pulling away, and found herself looking at anscillating red scanners, their hands huge and gloved, long swords hanging at their sides. The Keeper-cum-Cylon stared at Pike, in the unnerving way they have, and the Captain felt terror begin to rise within him. His heart pounded, his face ran with sweat, but still the cybernetic killers made no move. What& he began, when the closest one, raising an arm, pointed at him, and spoke. Spoke, horrifyingly, in the Keeper s voice: Terminate him. The other Cylons began to move, raising their pulse rifles, and opened fire on Pike s cage. The transparency disappeared in a blaze of light, and he felt the bolts rip into him. He screamed& And sat bolt upright, spilling tapes and disks onto the briefing room floor. Captain? said Spock, standing over him, in the briefing room. For a moment, he too seemed Cylon, till Pike s mind cleared, and he saw his junior science officer for what he was. Not a soulless mechanized killer, but a real flesh-and- blood man. Pike had not spoken, surface. As we always suspected, Captain, intoned the Talosian leader, your intelligence and abilities are shockingly limited. What are you doing here? Pike demanded. He looked about himself, recognizing the confines of his old prison. As you have learned, continued the Keeper, ignoring him, escape from our control is not possible. You will do and act as we determine, Human. You will obey, or you will be exterminated. There will be no compromise. You misshapen-headed freak! snarled Pike, throwing his food dish at the transparency that kept him from turning the Keeper s neck into a pretzel. You re a coward. You promised to let me and my ship go! He looked about again, but saw no sign of Vina, the Keeper s female captive. You& Pike stepped back, recoiling in horror, as slowly the Keeper changed, growing taller, bulkier, and losing all facial resemblance to the Talosian he had known. The Keeper and his retinue morphed into metallic beings, eyes replaced by oother man. Like Iblis, she had never seen him before. Like Iblis, he was clothed entirely in white, though it was not robes he wore, but a tight-fitting suit of a style she d never seen. Who... Get out of here! snarled Iblis, turning to face the other. I... Lie, said the other. I am John, he said to Colt, and she realized with a start that she was now clothed in her uniform. You cannot believe a word he tells you, Yeoman. You must not. He is pure, utter, evil. I can give you what you desire! said Iblis, his eyes blazing with a light that made Colt recoil. Your Captain. The Keeper was right, you want him. More now than even then. Need his arms about you. Desire his lips upon you. To feel him take you! Lust after his passions! His voice had risen. All this, is in my power to give! I... But at what cost, Iblis? said John, fixing a stare of cold fury upon his foe. The very words seemed to crackle with electricity, the air around them prickly, like a fo and Spock repeated himself. Are you well, sir? Spock? said Pike, though it sounded more like the croaking of a lizard. He took a deep breath, tried to swallow, and again- Spock? Yes, Captain. I tried to reach you by intercom, but you did not answer. Ah, yes, Mr. Spock. I&dropped off it seems. I ve, ah& Understood, Captain, replied Spock, momentarily allowing himself a flicker of compassion for the Human. After all, Pike s race did not have the stamina of the Vulcans, and needed rest far more often. They also, he reflected, had no control over their dreams. Pike had looked up at him upon awakening with an expression of pure terror. While his understanding of Human emotions was limited, his mother being the prime example, it was not hard to discern the source of his Captain s discomfiture. The Cylon threat& Spock remorselessly shut down his emotional blip, and told himself he must spend additional time in meditation, once he was off-watch. He had been very scillating red scanners, their hands huge and gloved, long swords hanging at their sides. The Keeper-cum-Cylon stared at Pike, in the unnerving way they have, and the Captain felt terror begin to rise within him. His heart pounded, his face ran with sweat, but still the cybernetic killers made no move. What& he began, when the closest one, raising an arm, pointed at him, and spoke. Spoke, horrifyingly, in the Keeper s voice: Terminate him. The other Cylons began to move, raising their pulse rifles, and opened fire on Pike s cage. The transparency disappeared in a blaze of light, and he felt the bolts rip into him. He screamed& And sat bolt upright, spilling tapes and disks onto the briefing room floor. Captain? said Spock, standing over him, in the briefing room. For a moment, he too seemed Cylon, till Pike s mind cleared, and he saw his junior science officer for what he was. Not a soulless mechanized killer, but a real flesh-and- blood man. Pike had not spoken,rce field. Go back to scribbling your visions, old fool! said Iblis, face curled in a sneer of contempt. This one is mine. None of these people are yours, Diabolis! replied John. For a moment, it seemed as if he were surrounded by countless blue spheres, then a host of figures, faint and watery, as if they were, yet were not, there. I know you love your Captain, said John, turning to Colt, who was now almost shaking in fear. Not just in admiration, but as a woman. But this...this is not Christopher Pike! he waved his hand, and light seemed to pop and snap between he and the Captain. Pike staggered, and the form of the Enterprise skipper wavered, then fell away. As with the image seen by Rigel, this too was nothing more than a small, hideous thing, that at once skittered for cover amidst Iblis robes. Massssssster! it hissed, huge bulging yellow eyes almost overwhelming its small, pinched face. Massssssst.... Silence, fool! said Iblis, slapping the remora with the sloppy of late, allowing &feelings to intrude upon his thought processes. Revulsion at the actions of the Cylons, concern for the feelings of Pike, dangerous thoughts about the woman Ath& I have additional scan data, sir. The computer located you here, so I took the liberty of& Understood, Mr. Spock, Pike cut him off, straightening himself up, and retrieving the scattered materials from the floor. What have you got? Mister Scott reports that repairs to the Galactica s systems will be completed approximately seventeen minutes ahead of schedule, said Spock, seating himself across from his CO. I would expect no less of him. And? Repairs to the Enterprise are also proceeding, sir. Engineering teams report that the jammed torpedo launcher is again operational, and the plasma leak from starboard nacelle is sealed off. The warp coil realignment is proceeding well, and all deflector generators are back up to full power, Captain. All hull breaches are also sealed. and Spock repeated himself. Are you well, sir? Spock? said Pike, though it sounded more like the croaking of a lizard. He took a deep breath, tried to swallow, and again- Spock? Yes, Captain. I tried to reach you by intercom, but you did not answer. Ah, yes, Mr. Spock. I&dropped off it seems. I ve, ah& Understood, Captain, replied Spock, momentarily allowing himself a flicker of compassion for the Human. After all, Pike s race did not have the stamina of the Vulcans, and needed rest far more often. They also, he reflected, had no control over their dreams. Pike had looked up at him upon awakening with an expression of pure terror. While his understanding of Human emotions was limited, his mother being the prime example, it was not hard to discern the source of his Captain s discomfiture. The Cylon threat& Spock remorselessly shut down his emotional blip, and told himself he must spend additional time in meditation, once he was off-watch. He had been very back of one hand. Listen, Colt! I can give you anything you wish. Anything! All you have to do is worship him! shot in John, raising his voice to be heard over Iblis snarls of rage. Give him everything. First your word, then your body. Then your very soul! You aren t the first, Yeoman. Come look. He raised a hand. Behold... Standing aloof from it all, the being watched the events unfolding in the system directly ahead. Should he involve himself? Should he even bother with these...insects? They were all so inferior! So...unevolved. Still, some measure of amusement might be afforded by their bacterial antics. A moment s reprieve from the tedious dullness of omnipotence. He stepped forward... No! said a voice, and he turned. Before him was another being, garbed in white, impossibly radiant. Again the voice rang out, seeming to whip through him. No! Who are you? asked Q. Despite his natural state, Q had to squint, to get a clear view of the newcomer. T Good news, Mr. Spock. The rest of the fleet? All ships report battle ready, Captain, though the Farragut s warp drive is still off-line. ETA on the Hood and Defiant is now three hours, seven minutes. Status of the enemy? The Cylons continue to hold station, sir, and have made no aggressive moves. However, the planet below has begun to break up, sir. We have moved to a safe distance. Pike turned, and activated the briefing room s screen. The image from the bridge was clear-the planet, geologically almost dead a few hours ago, was now a seething molten mass of hellish aspect. Massive chunks blew skywards, some to crash back down, blasting huge craters out of the melting surface. Most of the atmosphere was now gone, as the dying world heaved and shook with whatever it was that was killing it. Pike shook his head, remembering how eager the Federation had been to colonize and terraform the place. Thank God for Tholian intransigence, he thought. Could thesloppy of late, allowing &feelings to intrude upon his thought processes. Revulsion at the actions of the Cylons, concern for the feelings of Pike, dangerous thoughts about the woman Ath& I have additional scan data, sir. The computer located you here, so I took the liberty of& Understood, Mr. Spock, Pike cut him off, straightening himself up, and retrieving the scattered materials from the floor. What have you got? Mister Scott reports that repairs to the Galactica s systems will be completed approximately seventeen minutes ahead of schedule, said Spock, seating himself across from his CO. I would expect no less of him. And? Repairs to the Enterprise are also proceeding, sir. Engineering teams report that the jammed torpedo launcher is again operational, and the plasma leak from starboard nacelle is sealed off. The warp coil realignment is proceeding well, and all deflector generators are back up to full power, Captain. All hull breaches are also sealed. hat is unimportant, said the radiant figure. She, for it was a she, stepped forward, the very blazing radiance of her presence making Q take a step back. Serina looked him in the eye, her own orbs searing across him, her white gown seeming to literally be afire with flames of light. You may not interfere here, Q. And why is that, Rapunzel? sneered Q. There are things at stake here, that even you cannot see. The TimeLine must be preserved. said Serina. Oh please, groaned Q theatrically. Not that integrity of the timeline drivel again. The Q are... Above nothing, continued Serina, her radiance seeming to increase even more. Behind her, Q sensed others, backing her up. As if you d know, retorted Q, crossing his arms like a petulant child. You were Human. Are Human. This involves more than just your usual puerile amusements, Q , said another, stepping from the light. Greater things than that are at stake. Zac, isn t it? asked Q. Son of Adama? I t Cylons be doing something, Spock? asked Pike. Some weapon connected with their stronger shields? Unlikely, Captain. I can detect no indications of any energies being directed by the Cylons towards the planet, except for periodic scans. Well double check, just in case. We can t afford to overlook anything, when it comes to them. Yes, sir. Anything else? The Klingons have fired on the Cylons, sir, with little apparent effect, and Commander Adama requests another meeting. Tell him that s agreeable, Mr. Spock. How long till the transporter is repaired? Still some time, sir. But we could be beamed via one of the other ships. Make it so. Anything else? Yes, sir, replied Spock, and slid a data disk into the computer terminal. The images of the dying planet were replaced with& What is it? asked Pike, leaning close to study the image. Unknown, sir, replied Spock. It appears to be a ship, but it matches no known configu Good news, Mr. Spock. The rest of the fleet? All ships report battle ready, Captain, though the Farragut s warp drive is still off-line. ETA on the Hood and Defiant is now three hours, seven minutes. Status of the enemy? The Cylons continue to hold station, sir, and have made no aggressive moves. However, the planet below has begun to break up, sir. We have moved to a safe distance. Pike turned, and activated the briefing room s screen. The image from the bridge was clear-the planet, geologically almost dead a few hours ago, was now a seething molten mass of hellish aspect. Massive chunks blew skywards, some to crash back down, blasting huge craters out of the melting surface. Most of the atmosphere was now gone, as the dying world heaved and shook with whatever it was that was killing it. Pike shook his head, remembering how eager the Federation had been to colonize and terraform the place. Thank God for Tholian intransigence, he thought. Could thehought so... Wrong, said Serina, turning to smile at the dark-haired one next to her. This is my son. Sired by Apollo, slain when I was slain. Q looked at them both, and his face fell slightly. Behind him, another figure emerged from the ethers. He turned. Q! Yes, Q, it s me, said the other one. Listen to her. You can t interfere here. Leave this one alone. You sound as tiresome as she does, Q , said Q. Would you find Diabolisk tiresome? asked Q. Q seemed taken aback, then looked at the assembled ships once more. He peered deep into their hulls, at last seeing one being in particular. I am sure he would be less than pleased to meet you, again. Well, perhaps... squirmed Q. Yes, said Serina, her son taking up a position close to her. You see it. There will be another time, Q. Another place. But not here, added the young man. Q stepped forward, ignoring them, but the son of Apollo barred his way, his hand pressing on Q s chest. The two ration in our memory banks. Spock magnified the image. The vessel, or whatever it was, was immense, though sensors could give no specifics. Miles across, it sported huge towers, glowing spires and glittering horizontal extensions nearly as long. It glowed with a cool, blue-white radiance, but the spectrograph could make out little, beyond iron, beryllium, and chemical patterns unknown to Federation science. Its energy signatures were, likewise, utterly unfamiliar. How far away is it? Unknown, sir. Our sensors cannot precisely lock on to it. Neither can those of the Colonial ships, or the Klingons. One of their ships launched a probe, but its telemetry failed. Grissom did the same, but the closer it got, the further the vessel seemed to retreat. It too failed, and the ship then appeared to come closer again. Spock actually sighed, and Pike recognized frustration on his face. I have no explanation, sir. What was the direction of approach? None, sir. It just appeare Cylons be doing something, Spock? asked Pike. Some weapon connected with their stronger shields? Unlikely, Captain. I can detect no indications of any energies being directed by the Cylons towards the planet, except for periodic scans. Well double check, just in case. We can t afford to overlook anything, when it comes to them. Yes, sir. Anything else? The Klingons have fired on the Cylons, sir, with little apparent effect, and Commander Adama requests another meeting. Tell him that s agreeable, Mr. Spock. How long till the transporter is repaired? Still some time, sir. But we could be beamed via one of the other ships. Make it so. Anything else? Yes, sir, replied Spock, and slid a data disk into the computer terminal. The images of the dying planet were replaced with& What is it? asked Pike, leaning close to study the image. Unknown, sir, replied Spock. It appears to be a ship, but it matches no known configud, and was in motion for no more than a few seconds. Then, it took up position, and has remained there. An illusion, Spock? The Cylons? Even the Tholians? Not according to the available information, Captain. The most we can glean from the paucity of data is that someone unknown to any of us would seem to be curious. A new race? That is my hypothesis, sir. You hailed them, of course. No response, Captain. They did not respond to the Klingons, either. The Tholian ships? Maintaining radio silence, sir. Hhmmm&. Said Pike, considering. I m coming up to the bridge, Spock. We ll& He broke off, as he and Spock were hurled to the deck by a sudden wrenching lurch of the ship. The klaxon began to wail, and as the Enterprise righted herself, there was another shock, though less severe this time. Bridge! Report! demanded Pike, reaching the intercom. An energy wave of unknown source, reported Number One. Our deflectorsration in our memory banks. Spock magnified the image. The vessel, or whatever it was, was immense, though sensors could give no specifics. Miles across, it sported huge towers, glowing spires and glittering horizontal extensions nearly as long. It glowed with a cool, blue-white radiance, but the spectrograph could make out little, beyond iron, beryllium, and chemical patterns unknown to Federation science. Its energy signatures were, likewise, utterly unfamiliar. How far away is it? Unknown, sir. Our sensors cannot precisely lock on to it. Neither can those of the Colonial ships, or the Klingons. One of their ships launched a probe, but its telemetry failed. Grissom did the same, but the closer it got, the further the vessel seemed to retreat. It too failed, and the ship then appeared to come closer again. Spock actually sighed, and Pike recognized frustration on his face. I have no explanation, sir. What was the direction of approach? None, sir. It just appeareglared into each other s eyes for a few moments. Q did not move, and he pushed. But not here! he repeated, quietly, but inflexibly. Q gritted his teeth, his anger at the interference of this...this overgrown embryo manifest. He resisted a moment, and was pushed back. Come on, Q, said Q. This is not the time or place for it! He took hold of Q s shoulder. I need your help, anyway. Over in the Beta Quadrant. He tugged at his fellow Q, motioning for Q to join him. With a last look at the Fleet, the meddling Q turned away, but not before scowling nastily at both Serina and her son. My help? asked Q, turning to Q. Yes. The Deltivit asteroid belt seems to have...well, gone missing, and I could use some help in finding it. You lost it? asked Q, voice derisive. Again? Hey, keep it down, okay? said Q, looking all around them. Don t get so loud. Well, I... Look, you help me, said Q, lowering his voice, and I won t have to tell the Continuum about your barely popped on in time, sir. All hands to battle stations! ordered Pike. I m on the way up. There was another shake, and Pike nearly fell, Spock grasping his hand to steady him. For an instant, the touch- telepathic Vulcan felt what still reverberated through Pike s mind. He shuddered at the horrific images, both from the dream just past, and Pike s imprisonment on Talos IV. My God! he thought, momentarily mimicking his mother s way of speaking. How& But Pike was out the door, and he hurried to follow, leaving the dreams and horrors of the past, for those awaiting them on the bridge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There was noise, sharp and frantic but so low it was indistinguishable. And the pain, the sharp pulsing pain that overshadowed all else. Then the darkness came up again and smothered out all sensation, leaving her floating alone, numb in that dark sea of nothingness. There was no noise, no pain - nothing. It was cold, so cold and she was alone. More aloned, and was in motion for no more than a few seconds. Then, it took up position, and has remained there. An illusion, Spock? The Cylons? Even the Tholians? Not according to the available information, Captain. The most we can glean from the paucity of data is that someone unknown to any of us would seem to be curious. A new race? That is my hypothesis, sir. You hailed them, of course. No response, Captain. They did not respond to the Klingons, either. The Tholian ships? Maintaining radio silence, sir. Hhmmm&. Said Pike, considering. I m coming up to the bridge, Spock. We ll& He broke off, as he and Spock were hurled to the deck by a sudden wrenching lurch of the ship. The klaxon began to wail, and as the Enterprise righted herself, there was another shock, though less severe this time. Bridge! Report! demanded Pike, reaching the intercom. An energy wave of unknown source, reported Number One. Our deflectorslittle dalliance with Iblis, back when the Cylon Homeworld... Alright! said Q, a little too quickly, his smile a little too forced. Let s go. He looked back at Serina, and threw her a salacious kiss. Later, Sweets! He turned back to Q. What is it with you and that stupid asteroid... There was a flash of light, and the Q were gone. Serina let out a huge sigh. Thank God! she breathed. As if we hadn t enough trouble right now! You said it, returned the other. ======================================================== Where is this place? asked Colt, as the ship around her was suddenly replaced by a field under an dark, leaden sky. Why have you brought me here? she demanded, looking at her uninvited hosts, trying to hide her fear behind a faÎade of haughtiness. The landscape around her was desolate, snow and frost on the ground, the unfamiliar vegetation sleeping its winter sleep. N than she could have ever imagined. When the darkness had originally claimed her, she had welcomed the absence of pain. In that darkness she had been released from the constant fear that had become so familiar it was as a part of her life as breathing. The sudden absence of that constant, unwelcome, companion had been traumatizing in its intensity. Gladly she held onto the darkness, settling deeper and deeper into its welcoming embrace. Before her she could sense her destination, a warm safe place that called to her in welcoming serenity. In that darkness she could feel something, someone, traveling with her, around her - within her. A soul so precious to her she wanted to cry with the intensity of her love for it. She held it close to her as they traveled ever downwards into the darkness. Ahead of them she could just make out a brilliant loving light, so bright it dazzled her mind's eye. Then she felt herself stop. No longer journeying forward. The soul she carried was lifted barely popped on in time, sir. All hands to battle stations! ordered Pike. I m on the way up. There was another shake, and Pike nearly fell, Spock grasping his hand to steady him. For an instant, the touch- telepathic Vulcan felt what still reverberated through Pike s mind. He shuddered at the horrific images, both from the dream just past, and Pike s imprisonment on Talos IV. My God! he thought, momentarily mimicking his mother s way of speaking. How& But Pike was out the door, and he hurried to follow, leaving the dreams and horrors of the past, for those awaiting them on the bridge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There was noise, sharp and frantic but so low it was indistinguishable. And the pain, the sharp pulsing pain that overshadowed all else. Then the darkness came up again and smothered out all sensation, leaving her floating alone, numb in that dark sea of nothingness. There was no noise, no pain - nothing. It was cold, so cold and she was alone. More aloneO!!!! shouted a voice, and Colt turned again. On a hillock, not twenty yards away, stood Iblis, his robes blowing about him in the wind. You cannot do this, Old Fool! shouted the Lord of Death. She belongs to me! But I have, Iblis! retorted John, and she does not. And with a gentle touch, he turned Colt towards the edge of a cliff. Looking down, she saw a deep gully. Almost like an impact crater. In fact, it was an impact crater, with soil and rock blasted out, vitrified chunks everywhere, forming a deep pit. In the center of it, she saw scattered heaps of burned wreckage. Where am I? she asked again, turning back to John. What planet is this? It s name is long forgotten, child, replied John. Even the Dominations do not remember it. But it is what lies here that you must see. He began to descend into the crater, and Colt followed, strangely at peace with this man s presence. Behind them, Iblis continued to shout. No, Colt! It is lies! All lies. You must return wit from her grasp and continued along without her toward the distant light. She fought against the force that was drawing her away from it. She reached out and briefly touched the other before it was taken beyond her reach. The forces around her carrying her back up, away from the comfort and love below. Now, she was back in the darkness, no pain, no fear - nothing. Cold and so alone it was madding. She fought against the darkness; she didn't want to be alone! The pain came again but not as intense as before. Sounds once again buzzed around her and this time she could hear the whispers. "A home, Babe. Finally, a real place to live...." The voice was familiar and comforting. "...not a cubicle inside an oversized metal box, always on the run. Sun. A sky. A place for our." She could feel the sorrow and pain that filled the voice. She tried to get closer but the journey had been long and hard. Exhausted, Rigel slipped back down into the darkness. ___________ Omega awoke than she could have ever imagined. When the darkness had originally claimed her, she had welcomed the absence of pain. In that darkness she had been released from the constant fear that had become so familiar it was as a part of her life as breathing. The sudden absence of that constant, unwelcome, companion had been traumatizing in its intensity. Gladly she held onto the darkness, settling deeper and deeper into its welcoming embrace. Before her she could sense her destination, a warm safe place that called to her in welcoming serenity. In that darkness she could feel something, someone, traveling with her, around her - within her. A soul so precious to her she wanted to cry with the intensity of her love for it. She held it close to her as they traveled ever downwards into the darkness. Ahead of them she could just make out a brilliant loving light, so bright it dazzled her mind's eye. Then she felt herself stop. No longer journeying forward. The soul she carried was liftedh me. To Enterprise! This place... What about my duties? Colt asked suddenly, as Iblis voice began worming its way into her mind. Perhaps... While you are here, with me, said John, time has no meaning for you. Your time away from your ship will pass in an instant. Come. NO!!! bellowed Iblis, his voice seeming to rumble through the very ground. Ignoring the demon, they continued down into the crater. Colt noticed that the rocks around them were scorched and blackened, trees burned to a cinder. But, plant life was returning to the area, and new shoots were poking up through the ruined landscape. Here and there, patches of snow still covered the ground, and John explained to her how the crash of the ship that lay here had happened months ago. Almost eight of your months, he said, as they passed a long piece of twisted metal. Warriors from the Galactica landed here, seeking some missing comrades, and found this wrecked craft instead. It s huge, said Coltabruptly, awakened by something he could not identify. Anxiously, he looked about him, scanning the area before him. He did not, for a moment, recognize the room nor the strange alien scents and sounds around him. Adrenaline rushed through his senses casting out the foggy sleep that clouded his mind. Then his memories flooded back to him and he remembered. During the lull in the battle, Commander Adama had permitted him a brief return to Enterprise, to see Rigel, and Dr. Boyce had left him with her. He quickly turned and looked at the small delicate form that lay in the medical bed beside him. Shakily, he placed a hand over his eyes, wiping away the last vestiges of dreams, and fighting off a fresh wave of grief. He had been at home, walking along the shore, exhilarating in the feel of sand between his toes. His arm draped lovingly around Rigel, their child in her arms. They strolled along the sands watching the brilliantly colored sunset before them. Their life aboard the Galactica from her grasp and continued along without her toward the distant light. She fought against the force that was drawing her away from it. She reached out and briefly touched the other before it was taken beyond her reach. The forces around her carrying her back up, away from the comfort and love below. Now, she was back in the darkness, no pain, no fear - nothing. Cold and so alone it was madding. She fought against the darkness; she didn't want to be alone! The pain came again but not as intense as before. Sounds once again buzzed around her and this time she could hear the whispers. "A home, Babe. Finally, a real place to live...." The voice was familiar and comforting. "...not a cubicle inside an oversized metal box, always on the run. Sun. A sky. A place for our." She could feel the sorrow and pain that filled the voice. She tried to get closer but the journey had been long and hard. Exhausted, Rigel slipped back down into the darkness. ___________ Omega awoke . Or was. It must have been at least as big as one of those Battlestars. Bigger, said John, as they found more crumpled and torn debris amidst the emerging grass. Who cares about a wrecked ship, from some unknown race? said Iblis, now in front of them. It is nothing. It is Enterprise that matters, Yeoman. Not some burned-out junk on a forgotten planet. He fears for you to know the truth, Colt, said John, helping her over yet more wreckage. And truth is why we are here. For they not only found this ship. The Colonial Warriors found him. Truth about nothing! continued Iblis, a little too quickly. Even as he spoke, more of the strange blue spheres began singing through the cold sky. This old fool kidnapped you, Colt! Brought you here against your will! His lies... Iblis stopped, as Colt straightened up suddenly. John had brought her to what had once been a hatchway inside the alien vessel. Jammed forever open, the surrounding bulkhead already beginning to ru, the Cylon betrayal and the Fleet just a bad dream. Only, the beach and serenity had been the dream and his love, his life, lay motionless in an alien medical facility, the Cylons and death still around them. He took a shaky breath as hot tears escaped and ran unheeded down him face. "Omega?" His head snapped up at the softly spoken word. Dark eyes looked up at him in confusion. Choking down his tears, Omega turned and grasped the searching hand. "Rigel? Oh, Rigel!" He reached out a hand to touch her face, afraid he was again lost in a dream. The face under his questing finger was warm, soft and very much there. "Oh Babe," he cried out as he hugged her to him. The being called Iblis is not aboard either ship, Imperious Leader, intoned the drone below him. Imperious Leader considered this a moment, but decided against punishing the Centurion for being the bearer of bad news. After all, Iblis seemed to be able to do whatever he wished. He d appeared out of nowhere, abruptly, awakened by something he could not identify. Anxiously, he looked about him, scanning the area before him. He did not, for a moment, recognize the room nor the strange alien scents and sounds around him. Adrenaline rushed through his senses casting out the foggy sleep that clouded his mind. Then his memories flooded back to him and he remembered. During the lull in the battle, Commander Adama had permitted him a brief return to Enterprise, to see Rigel, and Dr. Boyce had left him with her. He quickly turned and looked at the small delicate form that lay in the medical bed beside him. Shakily, he placed a hand over his eyes, wiping away the last vestiges of dreams, and fighting off a fresh wave of grief. He had been at home, walking along the shore, exhilarating in the feel of sand between his toes. His arm draped lovingly around Rigel, their child in her arms. They strolled along the sands watching the brilliantly colored sunset before them. Their life aboard the Galacticast, John had directed her gaze to what lay within. Standing on the very spot where Sheba, Starbuck, and Apollo had stood months before, Colt now saw what the Galactica warriors had seen. Saw what Iblis feared for her to see. Oh my God! she cried, as her brain at last registered what it was her eyes were seeing. There, sprawled across what had once been a deck, lay a corpse, a corpse already far gone in decay when the winter had come. It had belonged to a tall, bipedal creature, dressed in some kind of red and green uniform. Two arms, pentadactyl hands, all quite familiar. Except the head. The face, what remained of it, was like something out of the nightmares of childhood. Leathery skin, large eyes now gone, leaving gaping sockets, mouth open in a silent scream, exposing large, sharp fangs. The jaw was delineated by small horns, with two large ones projecting from the heavy brow ridges above the eyes. The uniform was ripped, exposing both ribs and a horribly sharp pieceand now it seemed he had returned there. Still& Scan the immediate area for any signs of him. By your command, Imperious Leader. The Centurion turned to go, but never made it to the hatch before something hit the ship like a tidal wave. Imperious Leader was nearly toppled from his high seat, and the Centurion went sprawling. Report!! What is it? demanded Gommeed, aboard the Tholian ship Kreeda. His ship had felt the surge of some powerful wave wash over it, and the crew was picking itself up. He found himself fervently hoping the blasted mammals were having the same problems. Energy wave of unknown type, sir, replied Loskeem, scanning. It seems to be emanating from an area between the planet and the emergence point of the Colonial Fleet. Cylon weaponry? Unlikely, sir. This reads as utterly incongruous with the Cylon energy signatures we scanned earlier. And the Cylons have not fired their weapons in some time. What, the Cylon betrayal and the Fleet just a bad dream. Only, the beach and serenity had been the dream and his love, his life, lay motionless in an alien medical facility, the Cylons and death still around them. He took a shaky breath as hot tears escaped and ran unheeded down him face. "Omega?" His head snapped up at the softly spoken word. Dark eyes looked up at him in confusion. Choking down his tears, Omega turned and grasped the searching hand. "Rigel? Oh, Rigel!" He reached out a hand to touch her face, afraid he was again lost in a dream. The face under his questing finger was warm, soft and very much there. "Oh Babe," he cried out as he hugged her to him. The being called Iblis is not aboard either ship, Imperious Leader, intoned the drone below him. Imperious Leader considered this a moment, but decided against punishing the Centurion for being the bearer of bad news. After all, Iblis seemed to be able to do whatever he wished. He d appeared out of nowhere, of metal spearing the chest. In a sick wave of memory, Colt was reminded of the picture of the Devil in her mother s old Bible. But this thing was no picture. It was, or had been, a real creature. A being both real, and hideous. As she stood, frozen in place, Colt could see others, jumbled together in the crushed and tangled wreckage. More of the hideous things. She stared again at the dead beings. Their ugly faces. Their clawed hands. Their cloven feet. Suddenly, the stench, apparent even in the cold, became too much for her, and she backed away from the alien charnel house, gulping in huge lungfuls of clean air. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, then looked up, at Iblis. Colt... You see, child, said John, his voice both compassionate, and hard-edged. You see what he is. What Count Iblis, or rather, The Prince of Darkness, truly is. And to...to think I almost... She shuddered, thinking how easily her weakness for Captain Pike had led h, then? growled the Tholian. What? Unknown, sir, said Kang, reporting. Well find out! ordered Korrd, turning back from Kang to face the screen. By Kahless find out! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!!!! screamed Iblis, Michael s, and countless other warriors hands about his throat . Deep in the guts of the now boiling planet, the Father of Lies writhed in pain, under the assault of his foes. His own demons having either been beaten or fled, he was alone. Utterly. Beaten, overwhelmed, defeated, forced to his knees, he was now totally naked to his enemies, and had no choice. Now, Iblis! Now, Iblis! cried the entire chorus of warrior arrayed against him. Now, Iblis! Now. Iblis! YES! the Evil One cried, shrieked, the merest foretaste of his future wracking his entire being. Yes, what? pushed the other. No reply. YES, WHAT?? he sent another shock of power through the defeated Iblis. I&obey! wailed the demonic monster, and at a nod from Michaand now it seemed he had returned there. Still& Scan the immediate area for any signs of him. By your command, Imperious Leader. The Centurion turned to go, but never made it to the hatch before something hit the ship like a tidal wave. Imperious Leader was nearly toppled from his high seat, and the Centurion went sprawling. Report!! What is it? demanded Gommeed, aboard the Tholian ship Kreeda. His ship had felt the surge of some powerful wave wash over it, and the crew was picking itself up. He found himself fervently hoping the blasted mammals were having the same problems. Energy wave of unknown type, sir, replied Loskeem, scanning. It seems to be emanating from an area between the planet and the emergence point of the Colonial Fleet. Cylon weaponry? Unlikely, sir. This reads as utterly incongruous with the Cylon energy signatures we scanned earlier. And the Cylons have not fired their weapons in some time. Whater into this creature s deception. She d been more than willing to give herself to the semblance of Pike, now seen to be no more than one of Iblis minions. If she...She shuddered, horrified and sick at the very idea of what she had so narrowly avoided. She felt her gorge rising... And made sure it found a target. It splashed all over Iblis boots, and for a moment, the Father of Lies lost his fair semblance, and glared at her in pure fury. Then it was gone, he the charming deceiver once more. Jasmine, he said, using her first name for the first time. This person has lied to... But why? asked Colt, ignoring Iblis, and turning to John. Why all this deception? Iblis has sought to dominate all life for eons out of mind, Colt. He still does. When the Lords of Kobol rejected his rule long ago, he found more willing tools. The Cylons. But he was permitted only so much time in which to use them to work his foul will, and that time is nearly up. John looked from the girl tel, the others loosened their hold on him. Now free, Iblis began to regain something of his former appearance, and closed his eyes. He raised his hands& Cain barely kept his feet, as the wave swept over his ship, knocking her almost up on her beam ends. He felt the gravity flutter, then go off-line for a moment. The lights dimmed, then with another heave, the Pegasus seemed to partially right herself, and the emergency lights kicked in. Floating up off the deck, he caught on to the back of Tolan s chair, then plopped unceremoniously back down onto his astrum, as the backup generators cut in. What the fracking& he began, when he saw the images on one of the monitors. Directly ahead, there was a&well, a whirlpool of swirling lightning. That was the first thing he could think of to call it. A whirlpool, and the Pegasus was being drawn right into it. Reverse engines! he ordered, as the Battlestar was drawn closer into the maw of whatever it was. No response! repli, then? growled the Tholian. What? Unknown, sir, said Kang, reporting. Well find out! ordered Korrd, turning back from Kang to face the screen. By Kahless find out! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!!!! screamed Iblis, Michael s, and countless other warriors hands about his throat . Deep in the guts of the now boiling planet, the Father of Lies writhed in pain, under the assault of his foes. His own demons having either been beaten or fled, he was alone. Utterly. Beaten, overwhelmed, defeated, forced to his knees, he was now totally naked to his enemies, and had no choice. Now, Iblis! Now, Iblis! cried the entire chorus of warrior arrayed against him. Now, Iblis! Now. Iblis! YES! the Evil One cried, shrieked, the merest foretaste of his future wracking his entire being. Yes, what? pushed the other. No reply. YES, WHAT?? he sent another shock of power through the defeated Iblis. I&obey! wailed the demonic monster, and at a nod from Michao Iblis. You will have failed, Iblis. The Children of Kobol will have survived, and you will be defeated. Just as you were defeated on Earth, by a simple wooden... ENOUGH! roared Iblis, seeming to grow larger and more ominous. I will not bow! I will not yield to you! His Human face bulged, red and furious. He turned to Colt. Fools! You will all regret this! You will all beg to worship me, before you die. Die horribly, in unending pain! Begone, Iblis! ordered John, and for a moment, he too seemed to grow, to become great and fearsome. Begone, or by God I... He did not get to finish, for Iblis chose that moment to leave. He looked at Colt, promised her, as he had to Sheba on that very spot, that there would be another time and place, and began to fade from view. But, as he did so, his Human guise gave way, and she saw him for what he truly was. Twisted, behorned, black, unspeakably vile in his ugliness. He smiled at her, a smile that truly frothed forth from the very Heared Tolan, trying the controls again and again. Reverse thrusters off-line, Commander. Keep trying! ordered Cain. Negative shield! Tolan opened the huge blast shields, and they all got a look. The Pegasus was being sucked down into this&this hole, like being sucked down a turboflush. Red lights were flashing across the boards, as system after system went dead or erratic. An alarm sounded. Life support is out all over the ship, sir! yelled someone. The Pegasus bucked, like a boat caught in rapids. Secure all bulkheads! ordered Cain. Fire crews to stations! Aye sir! Speed, Tolan? Unknown sir, said Tolan, nearly thrown from his perch by another heave. Velocity reads as zero, sir. What? Impossible! said Cain. Outside, the whirlpool was passing by as if the ship were literally hundreds of times over lightspeed. Yet, the indicator read as dead stop! The scanners were also blank, as if they were nowhere. What in Hades Hole&? Sir! crieel, the others loosened their hold on him. Now free, Iblis began to regain something of his former appearance, and closed his eyes. He raised his hands& Cain barely kept his feet, as the wave swept over his ship, knocking her almost up on her beam ends. He felt the gravity flutter, then go off-line for a moment. The lights dimmed, then with another heave, the Pegasus seemed to partially right herself, and the emergency lights kicked in. Floating up off the deck, he caught on to the back of Tolan s chair, then plopped unceremoniously back down onto his astrum, as the backup generators cut in. What the fracking& he began, when he saw the images on one of the monitors. Directly ahead, there was a&well, a whirlpool of swirling lightning. That was the first thing he could think of to call it. A whirlpool, and the Pegasus was being drawn right into it. Reverse engines! he ordered, as the Battlestar was drawn closer into the maw of whatever it was. No response! replit of Hate, then, with a faint sizzling sound, he was gone. I...I don t understand all this, said Colt, feeling all her strength suddenly drain away, like water from a burst balloon. The..the Devil? How can any of this be real? Come, said John, taking her by the arm, and letting strength flow into her. We must return to your ship. Iblis does not yet rest from evil. There is danger yet, and time runs short. And so said, they were gone, leaving only the empty, alien wind, and ghosts, to moan through the remains of the forgotten ship, for all eternity. ============================================================ = Coming slowly back to himself, Spock could not for a moment believe what he had just done. Was still doing. Still breathing rapidly, feeling his climax yet thundering through him still, the logical Vulcan part of him recoiled. He had taken, in a less willing partner he would have said raped, a woman not of his own race. He, innocent of women and betrothed to anod Tolan, pointing ahead. At the center of the tunnel, a black spot had appeared. It was growing larger, and the Pegasus was headed right towards it! What the frack! said Starbuck softly, back on the Galactica s bridge, as a swirling mass of light opened up several thousand off their starboard bow. Like, yet unlike the earlier wormhole, it was obviously immensely powerful, and had most of their instruments showing only snow. It pulsed, like a geyser, and after a few centons, it was obvious that something was emerging. WHAT??? bellowed Imperious Leader, when he saw it, on one of the few functioning monitors before him. As if everything that had happened was not sufficiently bad, now they had to contend with this! All across the Galactica s bridge, cheering erupted, as the object coming through the wormhole became more clearly defined. Long, wide, and gleaming white in the light of this sun, it was unmistakably& The Pegasus! shouted Giles, followeded Tolan, trying the controls again and again. Reverse thrusters off-line, Commander. Keep trying! ordered Cain. Negative shield! Tolan opened the huge blast shields, and they all got a look. The Pegasus was being sucked down into this&this hole, like being sucked down a turboflush. Red lights were flashing across the boards, as system after system went dead or erratic. An alarm sounded. Life support is out all over the ship, sir! yelled someone. The Pegasus bucked, like a boat caught in rapids. Secure all bulkheads! ordered Cain. Fire crews to stations! Aye sir! Speed, Tolan? Unknown sir, said Tolan, nearly thrown from his perch by another heave. Velocity reads as zero, sir. What? Impossible! said Cain. Outside, the whirlpool was passing by as if the ship were literally hundreds of times over lightspeed. Yet, the indicator read as dead stop! The scanners were also blank, as if they were nowhere. What in Hades Hole&? Sir! criether, had lain with a woman he scarcely knew, solely to gratify the baser instincts his raced (outwardly) so assiduously eschewed. This was not the time for him to feel the pon farr. What had come over him? He withdrew, and rolled over onto his side, coming quickly to a sitting position on the edge of his bunk. Behind him, Athena was still gasping and groaning deeply, reinforcing his feelings of shame. How? How? He half-turned, and saw her, eyes half-closed, her beautiful naked form still shining with sweat. He turned away. Miss...Lieutenant... Oh my...Lords of Kobol, gasped Athena, opening her eyes, and turning to look at his back. What in Hades Hole... I...I must apologize, Lieutenant, he began, unsure of just what to say. This was an aspect of Human behavior he had, perhaps understandably, not discussed with his mother. Ever. Nor Sarek either, for that matter. Apologize? she asked, getting up on one elbow, and putting a hand on Spock s shoulder. He seeme by several others. Unreal, unbelievable, it was nonetheless true. The Battlestar Pegasus, survivor of Molocay and Gamoray, lost, found, and lost again, was ripping out of the hole in space, like an arrow from a bow. My God! cried Adama, eyes wide, as shocked for the moment as everyone else. They all watched the other ship scream out of the wormhole, which at once collapsed back into whatever had created it, and roar on, rolling as she did so. For several moments, it seemed that the Pegasus would sail on, bypassing them entirely, and crash into the Fleet. But after a few tense moments, they could see maneuvering thrusters fire, and the ship turned, slowed, and righted herself. Open a channel! ordered Adama. Needlessly, as Athena had already begun to do so. As the interference from the wormhole cleared, a scratchy image of Cain once more graced Adama s bridge. Not now, Adama! said Cain, voice warbly and full of hiss. I m busy. And so said, the Pegasus came about, pointedd Tolan, pointing ahead. At the center of the tunnel, a black spot had appeared. It was growing larger, and the Pegasus was headed right towards it! What the frack! said Starbuck softly, back on the Galactica s bridge, as a swirling mass of light opened up several thousand off their starboard bow. Like, yet unlike the earlier wormhole, it was obviously immensely powerful, and had most of their instruments showing only snow. It pulsed, like a geyser, and after a few centons, it was obvious that something was emerging. WHAT??? bellowed Imperious Leader, when he saw it, on one of the few functioning monitors before him. As if everything that had happened was not sufficiently bad, now they had to contend with this! All across the Galactica s bridge, cheering erupted, as the object coming through the wormhole became more clearly defined. Long, wide, and gleaming white in the light of this sun, it was unmistakably& The Pegasus! shouted Giles, followedd to flinch for the barest instant, and she took her hand away. It s me, Commander, she replied, feeling awkward using that designation of anyone but her father. Lords! Father! What in Hades... I...it was, was...wrong of me to even look upon you in this way, croaked Spock, finding his voice reluctant to cooperate. Now that he was calmer, the images and emotions from Athena that had flooded his mind during their consummation were becoming clearer. Her intense female passion, her deep loneliness, her hurt at what she saw as her betrayal by Starbuck, the added hurt of seeing the growing love between Apollo and Sheba, the still deep pain at the loss of her brother, mother, and entire civilization, all had mercilessly flooded his telepathic mind at the ultimate moment. He sensed the same was also true for her, although she lacked a Vulcan s mental abilities or training. I...never meant for this to happen, she said, getting to her knees on the mattress, and touching him once a herself directly at the combined Cylon BaseShips, and began to speed up. Oh Lords! said Boomer, as Cain fired a missile directly at the Cylons. It is done, growled Iblis. Excuse me, sir? said the Centurion. We re fracked! said Lucifer. Meanwhile, on board a spaceship, floating in,&well, in space&.. Pike watched, speechless, as the other Battlestar shot from the spatial rift, and pirouetting with a grace he would not have dreamed so massive a ship capable of, turned, and headed directly for the Cylon BaseShips. He watched as Cain, in a move of typically insane Cainicity, bore down directly on the enemy, firing as he did so. The ordnance spat from the Pegasus missile tubes, to slam into the Cylon s shields. Each missile blossomed into a beautiful, blue-white ball of death, hammering the enemy s defenses. One, two, three missiles exploded against the BaseShip s screens, and still the Pegasus screamed towards her foe, forward laser banks by several others. Unreal, unbelievable, it was nonetheless true. The Battlestar Pegasus, survivor of Molocay and Gamoray, lost, found, and lost again, was ripping out of the hole in space, like an arrow from a bow. My God! cried Adama, eyes wide, as shocked for the moment as everyone else. They all watched the other ship scream out of the wormhole, which at once collapsed back into whatever had created it, and roar on, rolling as she did so. For several moments, it seemed that the Pegasus would sail on, bypassing them entirely, and crash into the Fleet. But after a few tense moments, they could see maneuvering thrusters fire, and the ship turned, slowed, and righted herself. Open a channel! ordered Adama. Needlessly, as Athena had already begun to do so. As the interference from the wormhole cleared, a scratchy image of Cain once more graced Adama s bridge. Not now, Adama! said Cain, voice warbly and full of hiss. I m busy. And so said, the Pegasus came about, pointedgain. He felt her breasts lightly touch his skin, and squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of passion washed over him. I came here by mistake. I...know, he replied, sensing the memories from her mind. Please, she said, almost tenderly. Don t castigate yourself, Spock. But I am betrothed. To another. This is a...grievous wrong. We were deceived Spock, she said, looking around, and finding her underwear. She grabbed it, and began slowly to dress. I was led here, by Iblis lies. You...? You saw this Iblis being, as well? Yes. When I blundered in here, suddenly he was here also, tempting me with you, Spock. You? I too was...affronted by this creature, Spock admitted, fighting the intense culturally-imposed shame within himself. He offered you to me. In exchange for? asked Athena, surprised, yet somehow not surprised, finding her top. He was...not precise. But I think he wished for my allegiance to him. As he wanted us to pumping out shot after shot. Then, at the very last millicenton, she banked, like an old-fashioned propeller- driven airplane, right up onto her beam-ends, and skirted the enemy, the screens of the two warships flashing and sparking as they scraped by. Who in God s name is this lunatic? muttered Tyler, as the Enterprise bridge crew watched the Pegasus race away, engines blazing, Cylon guns trying fruitlessly to track her motion. Belay that, Mr. Tyler, said Pike, sparing his navigator a glance. I d venture to say these people know their enemies. Understood, sir, replied Tyler, chastened. Turning back to the screen, he watched the Battlestar speed away, the Cylons momentarily blinded. Damage to Cylon vessel, Mr. Spock, said Pike. One shield damaged, sir. Total shield integrity down by 6.78 percent. He scanned further. No appreciable structural damage to the enemy, Captain. Sir, said Number One, Cylon vessel attempting to target the new ship. She s herself directly at the combined Cylon BaseShips, and began to speed up. Oh Lords! said Boomer, as Cain fired a missile directly at the Cylons. It is done, growled Iblis. Excuse me, sir? said the Centurion. We re fracked! said Lucifer. Meanwhile, on board a spaceship, floating in,&well, in space&.. Pike watched, speechless, as the other Battlestar shot from the spatial rift, and pirouetting with a grace he would not have dreamed so massive a ship capable of, turned, and headed directly for the Cylon BaseShips. He watched as Cain, in a move of typically insane Cainicity, bore down directly on the enemy, firing as he did so. The ordnance spat from the Pegasus missile tubes, to slam into the Cylon s shields. Each missile blossomed into a beautiful, blue-white ball of death, hammering the enemy s defenses. One, two, three missiles exploded against the BaseShip s screens, and still the Pegasus screamed towards her foe, forward laser banks elect him leader, nodded Athena, adjusting her blouse. He will demand something, then, replied Spock, still riveted to the same spot. He will expect recompense, now that we have... But he ll get nothing, she said, looking for a boot. She found it, then the other. Once it had slipped into place, she looked at him, head still bowed like a boy who s been bad in school. Spock. No answer. Spock? Yes? he said at last. Don t. Don t let this eat you up. She moved in front of him, and met his eyes. I have issues, too. But we ll work them out. We ll... Mr. Spock, to the bridge, please, boomed Pike s voice over the intercraft, as the red alert klaxon howled. Lieutenant Commander Spock, report to the bridge please. Slowly, Spock shook his head, and reached over to touch the intercom button. Spock, on my way. He leapt up, and began to dress quickly. His stoical demeanor returned just as quickly, the stone-faced mask slamming back down into place so fast she could almoving. Then let s not let her. Target the Cylons, Number One. Mr. Tyler, open fire, all banks. Opening fire, aye, responded Tyler. Intense beams of phaser energy spat from the Enterprise s forward banks, slamming the Cylon s screens. Moments later, they were followed by a full spread of photon torpedoes, then a second round of phaser fire, raising huge balls of violent energy from the enemy s shields. As if on cue, the remaining Klingon vessels did the same, opening fire on the Cylons. G roth cut loose, followed by the rest of the Klingon flotilla. The Cylon s shields flared white, purple, and red, but stubbornly held firm. Pike watched as Farragut opened fire, then fired himself once more. Again the BaseShip s screens flashed and burst, but stayed in place. Cease fire, ordered Pike, and Tyler stood down. The Pegasus was now far from the BaseShip, and was coming back around to rejoin her sister ship, and the Colonial Fleet. Pike watched her slide smoothly, surpr pumping out shot after shot. Then, at the very last millicenton, she banked, like an old-fashioned propeller- driven airplane, right up onto her beam-ends, and skirted the enemy, the screens of the two warships flashing and sparking as they scraped by. Who in God s name is this lunatic? muttered Tyler, as the Enterprise bridge crew watched the Pegasus race away, engines blazing, Cylon guns trying fruitlessly to track her motion. Belay that, Mr. Tyler, said Pike, sparing his navigator a glance. I d venture to say these people know their enemies. Understood, sir, replied Tyler, chastened. Turning back to the screen, he watched the Battlestar speed away, the Cylons momentarily blinded. Damage to Cylon vessel, Mr. Spock, said Pike. One shield damaged, sir. Total shield integrity down by 6.78 percent. He scanned further. No appreciable structural damage to the enemy, Captain. Sir, said Number One, Cylon vessel attempting to target the new ship. She s most hear it clang. Lieutenant, we shall have to delay our...discussion to a more convenient time. As he spoke, her communicator beeped. Adama was recalling her to the Galactica. It would appear that duty calls us both. Uh..yeah, she replied, a bit miffed at his once-again stony demeanor. It seemed, from his face, as if the intense sensuality of the past half hour had never happened. Was he rejecting her, like some... socialator paid off and sent on her way? For an instant, an image of Cassie swept through her mind, and she felt...cheap. I understand. Please, he asked, voice rising just a fraction. Let us not exit my quarters together. You should leave a few seconds after I do. We...should not be seen together. Yeah, she replied, holding back a tear. Yeah, right. I understand. Her emotions were in a complete tangle, and she felt still both incredible pleasure and satisfaction, and deep shame and humiliation at her manipulation by Iblis. She watched Spock go, and then left moving. Then let s not let her. Target the Cylons, Number One. Mr. Tyler, open fire, all banks. Opening fire, aye, responded Tyler. Intense beams of phaser energy spat from the Enterprise s forward banks, slamming the Cylon s screens. Moments later, they were followed by a full spread of photon torpedoes, then a second round of phaser fire, raising huge balls of violent energy from the enemy s shields. As if on cue, the remaining Klingon vessels did the same, opening fire on the Cylons. G roth cut loose, followed by the rest of the Klingon flotilla. The Cylon s shields flared white, purple, and red, but stubbornly held firm. Pike watched as Farragut opened fire, then fired himself once more. Again the BaseShip s screens flashed and burst, but stayed in place. Cease fire, ordered Pike, and Tyler stood down. The Pegasus was now far from the BaseShip, and was coming back around to rejoin her sister ship, and the Colonial Fleet. Pike watched her slide smoothly, surprthe cabin herself. She fairly ran for the transporter room, and once back aboard her own ship, in the temporary privacy of a deserted corridor, she began to let it out. ==================================== They will begin soon, said Lucifer, at his station. He turned, and looked at one of his underlings, and nodded. All weapons systems show ready, said Spock, at his post on the bridge. According to the data on his screen, the phasers had been retuned to the frequency modulation of the Cylon shields. In theory at least, their fire should cut through the enemy like a blowtorch through cobwebs. Spock looked at his Captain, and suddenly felt guilty once more. Does he know? he wondered, feeling another wave of shame waft over him. That emotion itself stirred up it s own shame, at this disgusting lack of control. Spock squeezed his eyes shut, fighting for control, reciting the ancient disciplines over and over. Slowly, he felt calm returning. Calm&calm&the mind is calm&the misingly so, alongside the Galactica, slowing to station keeping. He shook his head and smiled. What the hell must this Cain be like? He wondered, as the ship s name sunk in. Klingon forces continuing to fire, sir, Spock informed him. Cylons returning fire. Pike watched as more lasers from the Klingons slammed the Cylons, and a pulsar blast from the enemy seared close to G roth. The Klingons seemed to get the idea that this wasn t going to work, right now, and they stood down. The Cylons soon ceased fire as well. Sir, said Alden, Commander Adama requests another conference. Tell him I ll be there, Mr. Alden. You bet I will be, thought Pike. I want to meet this&lunatic. Captain, said Spock, starship Defiant now entering sensor range. ETA 54 minutes. The Hood? Not yet, sir. Sir, interrupted Alden, incoming message from Commodore Nogura, aboard the Defiant. The Commodore? said Pike, clearly surprised at this news. Yes, Caisingly so, alongside the Galactica, slowing to station keeping. He shook his head and smiled. What the hell must this Cain be like? He wondered, as the ship s name sunk in. Klingon forces continuing to fire, sir, Spock informed him. Cylons returning fire. Pike watched as more lasers from the Klingons slammed the Cylons, and a pulsar blast from the enemy seared close to G roth. The Klingons seemed to get the idea that this wasn t going to work, right now, and they stood down. The Cylons soon ceased fire as well. Sir, said Alden, Commander Adama requests another conference. Tell him I ll be there, Mr. Alden. You bet I will be, thought Pike. I want to meet this&lunatic. Captain, said Spock, starship Defiant now entering sensor range. ETA 54 minutes. The Hood? Not yet, sir. Sir, interrupted Alden, incoming message from Commodore Nogura, aboard the Defiant. The Commodore? said Pike, clearly surprised at this news. Yes, Caind is the master&the mind&the mind seeks logic&logic controls&logic is all& Range to Cylon force, asked Pike. Twenty-seven thousand, four hundred, sir, replied Spock. Signal to all ships, said Pike. Fire on my mark. All ships signal ready, sir, said Alden. Begin, ordered Imperious Leader. By your command. Fire, said Pike. ============================================= As agreed on by all, the Galactica opened fire first, followed almost at once by the Pegasus. Both ships pumped billion of mega-volpons of energy into their enemy's shields, launching fighters as they did so. Within seconds, each Federation ship had followed suit, then the Klingon force. Within the span of a few breaths, the space between the combatants was filled with blazing death, slamming into shields and hulls. The Cylon screens flared up into a visible wash of fearful brightness, as the guns of the Battlestars stabbed home, then again as the Enterprise's phaserptain. Put him on, Mr. Alden. Lucifer had watched the Pegasus emerge from nothing, and had felt certain that he was about to be destroyed. For a fleeting moment, he had wished that Baltar were here with him, so that he could watch the Human traitor scream in terror as the end approached. Something about Baltar s emotional outbursts, especially the fearful ones, had been so entertaining. The Pegasus attack had caught the BaseShip totally unawares. With crews occupied with repairs and modifications, and the scanners momentarily obscured by the wormhole effect, the Pegasus had been turning to bear down on them almost before they knew it. The first salvo had rocked the ships, the second missile even worse, as Cain followed it up with massive laser volleys. While the new shield design had held, for the moment, against the attacks, the energy released had obscured their tracking sensors once again, making it nearly impossible for the gunners to target the Battlestar by anptain. Put him on, Mr. Alden. Lucifer had watched the Pegasus emerge from nothing, and had felt certain that he was about to be destroyed. For a fleeting moment, he had wished that Baltar were here with him, so that he could watch the Human traitor scream in terror as the end approached. Something about Baltar s emotional outbursts, especially the fearful ones, had been so entertaining. The Pegasus attack had caught the BaseShip totally unawares. With crews occupied with repairs and modifications, and the scanners momentarily obscured by the wormhole effect, the Pegasus had been turning to bear down on them almost before they knew it. The first salvo had rocked the ships, the second missile even worse, as Cain followed it up with massive laser volleys. While the new shield design had held, for the moment, against the attacks, the energy released had obscured their tracking sensors once again, making it nearly impossible for the gunners to target the Battlestar by ans followed suit. Grissom, small but pugnacious, spat torpedoes at the BaseShips, rocking them hard. "Enemy status," requested Nogura, aboard his flagship, Defiant. He waited with his usual seemingly serene patience for the answer. "Enemy shield strength reduced by seven percent, total, sir," replied the scan officer. "The modifications seem to be working." "But will it be soon enough?" wondered Pike aloud, as Enterprise unleashed another blast from the phasers. It smashed into the enemy, and again the Cylon's shields flamed up in evil beauty. "Enemy shields showing increased strain, sir," said Spock, eyes glued to sensors. "Wide variation in energy signatures." "He's trying to beef them up," said Pike. "Yes, sir," said the Vulcan, just as the Enterprise rocked. Pike was nearly thrown from his seat, several others were not so lucky. An overhead light burst, and smoke roiled. "Report!" "Direct hit from enemy gunnery, sir," said Nuything but visual sighting alone. As a result, they missed badly, and got a serious thrashing in return. Yes, Centurion? asked Lucifer. Damage to Number Three shield generator, sir, said the underling. Lucifer examined the report. It seemed the Pegasus near-collision had resulted in severe overloading in one of the shield generators, and the deflector had nearly collapsed. Only the overlapping of the screens, and rotating of the ship had saved it from being penetrated, during the follow-up attacks from the Federation and Klingon vessels. Unfortunately, that attack had made it impossible to pursue the Pegasus, and she had escaped. It was, reported the engineers, going to take at least 60 or 70 centons to put it right, barring any complications, along with everything else. Lucifer shook his pointy electronic head, an unconscious mannerism picked up from Baltar, and reflected upon this new situation. Commander Cain. The Pegasus. Imperious Leader would most certainly not be pleasedything but visual sighting alone. As a result, they missed badly, and got a serious thrashing in return. Yes, Centurion? asked Lucifer. Damage to Number Three shield generator, sir, said the underling. Lucifer examined the report. It seemed the Pegasus near-collision had resulted in severe overloading in one of the shield generators, and the deflector had nearly collapsed. Only the overlapping of the screens, and rotating of the ship had saved it from being penetrated, during the follow-up attacks from the Federation and Klingon vessels. Unfortunately, that attack had made it impossible to pursue the Pegasus, and she had escaped. It was, reported the engineers, going to take at least 60 or 70 centons to put it right, barring any complications, along with everything else. Lucifer shook his pointy electronic head, an unconscious mannerism picked up from Baltar, and reflected upon this new situation. Commander Cain. The Pegasus. Imperious Leader would most certainly not be pleasedmber One. "Number Two shield damaged!" "Helm hard over!" ordered Pike. "Lay down a barrage!" "Direct hit!" reported Kirk, at his station on the Farragut. He'd targeted the enemy, locking on to the Cylons at one of the linking joints between the two carriers, then fired. The retuned older-style lasers sizzled against the Cylon screens, chewing away at her defenses. But the enemy wasn't just sitting there, and soon several bright lethal spears from Imperious Leader swept the space where Farragut sat. Two seared close, the third just grazed the underside of her main hull, the fourth. "Emergency power!" bellowed Garrovik, as something exploded like a wrecking ball on the bridge, killing the main lights for a few seconds. Illuminated by fires and the main screen, he saw his gunner, young Kirk, trying to extinguish his control board. After a few seconds, and a few muffled curses, Kirk turned to his Captain. "Targeting sensors out, sir!" "Best guess, Mr. Kirk. He looked around his damaged Control Center, as the techs worked to repair, and once again wondered; What would Baltar do? Centurion, he called, lowering his voice, gesturing to another Cylon. Sir? Is it ready? Awaiting your arrival, sir. Very good, Centurion. Proceed there, and await my signal. By your command. Pike wasn t certain of just what to expect of Commander Cain, but somehow this wasn t it. A tall, still- vigorous middle-aged man, with a thick shock of golden hair, and a face you could trust. Somehow, he d expected someone with wild eyes, and the long streaming hair of an ax- wielding barbarian. But upon seeing him for the first time, he had to shelve that idea. Cain looked, somehow, so&normal. Not the sort of man one would expect to pilot a million gross tons of starship like a punk in a stolen hovercar out playing chicken. Cain was staring at him, and it took a few moments to realize that it wasn t he or his . He looked around his damaged Control Center, as the techs worked to repair, and once again wondered; What would Baltar do? Centurion, he called, lowering his voice, gesturing to another Cylon. Sir? Is it ready? Awaiting your arrival, sir. Very good, Centurion. Proceed there, and await my signal. By your command. Pike wasn t certain of just what to expect of Commander Cain, but somehow this wasn t it. A tall, still- vigorous middle-aged man, with a thick shock of golden hair, and a face you could trust. Somehow, he d expected someone with wild eyes, and the long streaming hair of an ax- wielding barbarian. But upon seeing him for the first time, he had to shelve that idea. Cain looked, somehow, so&normal. Not the sort of man one would expect to pilot a million gross tons of starship like a punk in a stolen hovercar out playing chicken. Cain was staring at him, and it took a few moments to realize that it wasn t he or his !" replied the skipper, as the Farragut banked hard over to avoid a Cylon broadside. As they watched, they could see that the Klingon vessel, G'ith hadn't fared so well. A direct hit from one of the BaseShip's megapulsars had hit him dead on, then another, followed by yet a third. One of the battlecruiser's airlocks blew out violently, then his starboard warp nacelle split violently away from the hull. The G'ith heaved up, then over onto his beam ends, as the rupture tore deeper into his guts. "Oh my God," said Adama, watching the Klingon ship in its death throes. Hot plasma from its warp core spewed uncontrollably into space, burning away more of the hull. But, even as he was dying, the G'ith's gunners defiantly got off one last shot from their torpedo tube, miraculously catching the BaseShip dead center, rocking her. Then, spinning wildly out of control, the G'ith blazed towards the Cylons, exploding violently, sadly short of the enemy, as her core breached at last. Adamparty so much, as the transporter effect that held the Commander s attention. Since the Colonies had never developed the technology much beyond the theoretical stage, Cain would never have seen it, and it clearly unsettled him. They went through the introductory pleasantries, and then had to do so once again, when Commodore Nogura transported into the Galactica s huge council chamber, from the Defiant. A small man, Pike seemed to tower over him, but it would have been a mistake to evaluate the Commodore on that basis alone. A brilliant tactician and line officer, he had once saved his first command, the Dewey, from certain destruction by Orion pirates, saving most of his crew, and destroying two of the attacking pirate cruisers. He said little, saw much, and heard everything. Commander Cain, he said, his Japanese accent all but imperceptible, I welcome you to the Alpha Quadrant on behalf of the United Federation of Planets. My thanks, replied Cain, shaking the other s haparty so much, as the transporter effect that held the Commander s attention. Since the Colonies had never developed the technology much beyond the theoretical stage, Cain would never have seen it, and it clearly unsettled him. They went through the introductory pleasantries, and then had to do so once again, when Commodore Nogura transported into the Galactica s huge council chamber, from the Defiant. A small man, Pike seemed to tower over him, but it would have been a mistake to evaluate the Commodore on that basis alone. A brilliant tactician and line officer, he had once saved his first command, the Dewey, from certain destruction by Orion pirates, saving most of his crew, and destroying two of the attacking pirate cruisers. He said little, saw much, and heard everything. Commander Cain, he said, his Japanese accent all but imperceptible, I welcome you to the Alpha Quadrant on behalf of the United Federation of Planets. My thanks, replied Cain, shaking the other s haa felt the whole ship rock as the G'ith exploded, feeling a brief moment of d‚j… vu, recalling the destruction of the Atlantia, back at Cimtar. But he shook it off quickly, and brought the Battlestar around, keeping her nose towards the enemy, and opened up once more. Each shot erupted in a blossoming tower of fire from the Cylons, as her shields were inexorably worn down. "Enemy shields down by more than ten percent, Commander," Tolan reported to Cain. The Commander of the Pegasus grinned, watching the last fragments of the G'ith impact the Cylons. Now there was someone who had really loved combat, he thought, recalling their last shot. No doubt these Klingons had actually reveled at dying in battle. Something Cain had no intention of doing, just yet. "What are those Tholians doing?" asked Cain. Tolan checked his scanners. "Nothing sir. Tholian ships holding station exactly as before." "They need to join in or get the Hades Hole out of the way." "Yesnd. Nogura at once took in Cain s dress. A uniform similar to that worn by the golden-haired woman next to him, his was however loaded with shining braid, medals, and gold trim. He carried a short black swagger stick with a small bird atop it, and wore a pistol, the grips customized, on each hip. It was obvious that the woman was related to him somehow, probably his daughter, Nogura decided. They all sat, the Pegasus and one of the Federation ships filling the window. Pike noted Cain s repeated and admiring glances at the other ship, and smiled inwardly. After the second BaseShip was destroyed, said Cain, filling everyone in, our main life-support failed, as well as our primary deflector system. We saw, barely, the Cylon task force closing, heading back for Baltar s BaseShip, so we got out of there, while the debris and radiation from the destroyed BaseShips could still obscure us. Spock studied Cain s expression and voice closely. It was obvious that the Commander hadn t likednd. Nogura at once took in Cain s dress. A uniform similar to that worn by the golden-haired woman next to him, his was however loaded with shining braid, medals, and gold trim. He carried a short black swagger stick with a small bird atop it, and wore a pistol, the grips customized, on each hip. It was obvious that the woman was related to him somehow, probably his daughter, Nogura decided. They all sat, the Pegasus and one of the Federation ships filling the window. Pike noted Cain s repeated and admiring glances at the other ship, and smiled inwardly. After the second BaseShip was destroyed, said Cain, filling everyone in, our main life-support failed, as well as our primary deflector system. We saw, barely, the Cylon task force closing, heading back for Baltar s BaseShip, so we got out of there, while the debris and radiation from the destroyed BaseShips could still obscure us. Spock studied Cain s expression and voice closely. It was obvious that the Commander hadn t liked, sir." "Arm missile, Tolan. Tube one." "Arming missile, aye, sir." "Report," ordered Imperious Leader. "By your command. Shields are degrading at a higher rate than predicted." "How? Our design is beyond their limits." "Apparently we were wrong, and they have modified their weapons accordingly," replied the Centurion. "Emergency power to shields." "By your command." "And stand by on Pulse, at my order." "By your command." "Stay the Hades clear of those pulsars!" ordered Starbuck, as he circled the BaseShip in a wide arc. Though her shields were up, normally making it impossible for her to launch fighters, and her weapons fully engaged, Adama was taking no chances. With all the recent surprises the Cylons had pulled on them. "Look, sir!" called Cree, and Starbuck turned to see one of the Cylon's bays starting to open up. Any millicenton now, Cylon Raiders would begin spewing out from their bays lik that at all. Unlike Adama, who did what he did out of need, Cain truly loved war. The man was, Spock decided, mentally unbalanced, or nearly so, Why else would someone be so fond of conflict and battle? He blinked, coming back to the conversation. Korrd noticed it, too. This man loved war!!! We ran her at flank speed, until our main drive failed, and we were down to auxiliary power, Cain was continuing. Baltar had recovered fighters, and was searching for us, but we ducked into the Deltivit asteroid belt, and used one of the larger asteroids as cover. How long were you there? asked Adama. Almost three sectars. We were in pretty sad shape, and needed serious repairs. After Baltar s scouts gave up the search, we began mining one of the asteroids for the minerals we needed to restore our various systems. It took nearly two sectars to get our defensive systems and engines back up to operational status, then another to scratch enough tylium from the asteroids to fill that at all. Unlike Adama, who did what he did out of need, Cain truly loved war. The man was, Spock decided, mentally unbalanced, or nearly so, Why else would someone be so fond of conflict and battle? He blinked, coming back to the conversation. Korrd noticed it, too. This man loved war!!! We ran her at flank speed, until our main drive failed, and we were down to auxiliary power, Cain was continuing. Baltar had recovered fighters, and was searching for us, but we ducked into the Deltivit asteroid belt, and used one of the larger asteroids as cover. How long were you there? asked Adama. Almost three sectars. We were in pretty sad shape, and needed serious repairs. After Baltar s scouts gave up the search, we began mining one of the asteroids for the minerals we needed to restore our various systems. It took nearly two sectars to get our defensive systems and engines back up to operational status, then another to scratch enough tylium from the asteroids to fill e bugs from a corpse, and. "With their screens up?" said Giles. "But that's impossible." "So is zipping across the galaxy in a heartbeat, Giles. Come on, guys. Let's go to work." The Viper squadrons formed up, and in a tight formation, they began their descent towards the upper section of the BaseShip like a dropping weight. At Starbuck's order, every Viper opened up, their guns slamming down upon the enemy like a rain of spikes. "Yaa hoo!" cried Starbuck, as an explosion momentarily obscured the launch bay from direct view. On his scanner, he could see myriad metal bits flying everywhere. His pilots kept on descending, and firing. As he thumbed his firing stud yet once more, he announced into his helmet pick-up: "This one's for you, Apollo," whispered Athena, as she fired into the side of the Cylons once more. "Now," ordered Imperious Leader. ================================================== Now begins the most dangerous part, sour bunkers. We sent out a scout, and when I was sure the coast was clear, we headed back out, to try and pick up your trail. Scout, sir? asked Starbuck. I thought you launched all your Vipers when we evacuated to the Fleet. We did, but there were enough components in ship s stores to construct one Viper. Once clear of the asteroid belt, we headed for Gamoray once more, and found it a total wreck. None of the Cylon defenses had been rebuilt, and we were able to help ourselves to all the fuel and munitions we could cram aboard the Pegasus, before leaving the sector. Must have been a big help, said Sheba. It was. But it was nearly two sectons before we picked up your trail with certainty, Adama. By that time, my people had finally cracked the Cylon code, and knew that they were in pursuit of you again. So, I ve been following, avoiding the Cylons as best I could, and deceiving them when necessary. We found the system where you destroyed that BaseShip, and when we deour bunkers. We sent out a scout, and when I was sure the coast was clear, we headed back out, to try and pick up your trail. Scout, sir? asked Starbuck. I thought you launched all your Vipers when we evacuated to the Fleet. We did, but there were enough components in ship s stores to construct one Viper. Once clear of the asteroid belt, we headed for Gamoray once more, and found it a total wreck. None of the Cylon defenses had been rebuilt, and we were able to help ourselves to all the fuel and munitions we could cram aboard the Pegasus, before leaving the sector. Must have been a big help, said Sheba. It was. But it was nearly two sectons before we picked up your trail with certainty, Adama. By that time, my people had finally cracked the Cylon code, and knew that they were in pursuit of you again. So, I ve been following, avoiding the Cylons as best I could, and deceiving them when necessary. We found the system where you destroyed that BaseShip, and when we deaid John, to one of his companions Indeed, replied Serina. Massive energy surge in Cylon shielding, Commander, said Loskeem, aboard the Tholian flagship. Even as he spoke, two more Tholian ships entered visual range, increasing the Tholian force to four. Inform the others, ordered Gomeed. Even as their fire continued, the allies could see a change in the Cylon vessel. Her shields, flaring and blazing where weapons fire struck them, were now turning fully opaque, taking on a whitish sheen, like some monstrous pearlescent shell. Phasers and torpedoes exploded against it, but now seemed utterly helpless to penetrate. What the hell... growled Garrovik, as the BaseShip disappeared behind a milky wall of force. Report, Mr. Kirk! Cylon vessel s shields have switched bands entirely, sir, reported Spock to Pike. Sensors have not yet determined the new shield modu... Sir! broke in Alden. message from Commander Adama aboard the Galactictected scouts approaching, I let them see me for a few centons, then led them astray, to help cover your escape. My thanks, Cain, replied Adama. Did you encounter the Eastern Alliance? He explained. Cain had, but the Destroyers, still skittish from their earlier encounter, had preferred to stay back, giving the second Battlestar to transit their space a wide berth. I finally picked up a stray signal from one of your patrols, and decided it was time to rendezvous, when we had a scanner breakdown. By the time repairs were made, and we d found that solar system, you were gone. I m surprised, said Korrd, from what I have heard. Was not the wormhole device destroyed? It was , said Cain. All we found was a cloud of wreckage near the inner planet. Some of it was Cylon, and the rest we couldn t identify. Then how did you manage the transit from there to here? asked the Klingon. Cain looked at him a moment, wondering if the ridges on their skulls made their brains tected scouts approaching, I let them see me for a few centons, then led them astray, to help cover your escape. My thanks, Cain, replied Adama. Did you encounter the Eastern Alliance? He explained. Cain had, but the Destroyers, still skittish from their earlier encounter, had preferred to stay back, giving the second Battlestar to transit their space a wide berth. I finally picked up a stray signal from one of your patrols, and decided it was time to rendezvous, when we had a scanner breakdown. By the time repairs were made, and we d found that solar system, you were gone. I m surprised, said Korrd, from what I have heard. Was not the wormhole device destroyed? It was , said Cain. All we found was a cloud of wreckage near the inner planet. Some of it was Cylon, and the rest we couldn t identify. Then how did you manage the transit from there to here? asked the Klingon. Cain looked at him a moment, wondering if the ridges on their skulls made their brains a. On now, Alden. Pull back! cried Adama, seemingly almost in a panic. All ships, pull back at once. The Cylons are preparing to fire their hyper-pulse weapon! It will destroy everything it touches! Mr. Tyler... began Pike. Already on it, sir, replied the Navigator, as the Enterprise s impulse engines began to hum with power, putting distance between herself and the Cylon vessel. She arced away, narrowly missing a shot from the Cylons, and joined the Hood in a long curve away from the enemy. Surprisingly, the Klingons were following suit, moving out ahead of the more ponderous Battlestars. As both Colonial carriers began to pick up speed, the Viper squadrons, diving on the BaseShips once more, pulled up suddenly, tearing away from the enemy. And, it seemed, in time. There was a bright flash, or pulse, of blinding white light from the now completely obscured BaseShip. Moments later, spreading out from the white ball like deadly ripples on a pond, was a swia different shape. I don t know, said Cain, and that s the truth. We encountered ripples of some kind of energy washing over us. Our computer had never seen anything like it before. Another one hit, nearly flipping the ship over, and we ended up here. Well, the timing couldn t have been better, said Adama. We need all the help we can get against this new Cylon defense. I noticed that they ve joined, he indicated the holodisplay in the center of the table, and that they survived our attack. But I have no more clue as to how we got here than anyone. If I may, said Spock, and with a motion, he replaced the holodisplay of the Cylons, with a computer graphic. This is a scan of the wormhole device that brought the Colonial Fleet to the Alpha Quadrant. It is incredible, said Korrd. Such technology. Aye, she was a beauty, burred Scott. Indeed, replied Spock. And here, he switched images once more, is a waveform analysis of the wormhole effect, taka different shape. I don t know, said Cain, and that s the truth. We encountered ripples of some kind of energy washing over us. Our computer had never seen anything like it before. Another one hit, nearly flipping the ship over, and we ended up here. Well, the timing couldn t have been better, said Adama. We need all the help we can get against this new Cylon defense. I noticed that they ve joined, he indicated the holodisplay in the center of the table, and that they survived our attack. But I have no more clue as to how we got here than anyone. If I may, said Spock, and with a motion, he replaced the holodisplay of the Cylons, with a computer graphic. This is a scan of the wormhole device that brought the Colonial Fleet to the Alpha Quadrant. It is incredible, said Korrd. Such technology. Aye, she was a beauty, burred Scott. Indeed, replied Spock. And here, he switched images once more, is a waveform analysis of the wormhole effect, takrling, writhing shell of energy. Both Adama and Cain had put on extra thrust, and were moving away as fast as the huge ships could manage it without going hyper. The Klingon and Federation ships, more nimble, were moving faster yet, and the Tholians... The Tholians, seemingly, were doing nothing. Even as the expanding balloon of energy swelled towards them, they seemed to just sit there, as if it were of no serious importance. Then, as the wall of force drew suicidaly close, the four Tholian vessels suddenly opened fire. What the...now? asked Stone, on Constellation, as the orange blobs of plasma energy spat from the Tholian ships, directly for the Cylon wall of force. The two weapons screamed towards each other across the shrinking void, at last touching. The Tholian plasma bursts exploded like miniature suns, actually pushing the Cylon pressure wave back. For a moment, it looked like a rippling balloon, an obscenely huge beach ball, punched inwards on itself by an equen when the Galactica emerged into our space. He began a highly technical description of what all the lines and squiggles meant, but Cain interrupted. All fine and dandy, Mr. Spock, but how do the interaction of graviton wave pulses and collapsar fields get me here? The wormhole device was destroyed by the time the Pegasus reached that planet. Yes, Commander. But there were, according to our scans here, residual energies from the previous events. Echoes, if you will, of the wormhole effect. He switched images once more. As you can see, the waveform analysis of your emergence is similar to, but does not precisely match that of the other episodes. I see that, said Korrd, who, unlike most Klingon warriors, took a more than passing interest in the sciences. But it does not appear capable of transiting an object the size of a Battlestar. You are correct, sir, replied the Vulcan. Yet, it did so. And at the very time that the wormhole opened, to allow the Pegasus to een when the Galactica emerged into our space. He began a highly technical description of what all the lines and squiggles meant, but Cain interrupted. All fine and dandy, Mr. Spock, but how do the interaction of graviton wave pulses and collapsar fields get me here? The wormhole device was destroyed by the time the Pegasus reached that planet. Yes, Commander. But there were, according to our scans here, residual energies from the previous events. Echoes, if you will, of the wormhole effect. He switched images once more. As you can see, the waveform analysis of your emergence is similar to, but does not precisely match that of the other episodes. I see that, said Korrd, who, unlike most Klingon warriors, took a more than passing interest in the sciences. But it does not appear capable of transiting an object the size of a Battlestar. You are correct, sir, replied the Vulcan. Yet, it did so. And at the very time that the wormhole opened, to allow the Pegasus to enter our space, the planet below us was undergoing bizarre and as yet unexplained geological upheavals. He showed a speeded up image of the planet, going from cold, desolate, and dead, to hot, boiling, and nearly coming apart. As you can see, since the arrival of the Pegasus, the planet s paroxysms have subsided. A realtime image of the planet showed huge seas of lava, boiling up from the molten interior, and a new, and toxic, atmosphere outgassing from the surface. But the shattering upheavals had ceased. To put it simply, sirs, neither the new wormhole, nor the planet s upheavals are explainable, but, as you can see, once more he put up a graphic, the energy pulses from both phenomena correlate. Incredible, said Scott. He was right. Two charts, full of yet more lines and squiggles, were overlaid. They eerily matched. But how the near-explosion of a planet here, and a wormhole so far away could be connected, Spock had no answer. Well, however it happened, you are here, ally obscene outside force, then it was lost in the unendurable light. Lords of Kobol! swore Greenbean, forced to turn away. Like all the Viper pilots, his radio roared with static for several moments, damping all communications. As the static cleared, he could hear both Jolly and Starbuck using colorful language over the airwaves. He checked his instruments. The interference was slowly clearing, as the explosions dissipated, and they put more distance between them selves and the BaseShip. Fortunately, the Fleet was out of range of this horror weapon, hanging near the heliopause of this star, awaiting the outcome. Provided this hideous thing had a range, he reminded himself. Details on this weapon were after all a bit thin. What if... The blasts from the Tholians had not stopped the expanding wall of destruction sloughed off by the BaseShip. It s leading edge still rippled, crackling with energy, but it still roiled on, seemingly unstoppable in its relentless march ofnter our space, the planet below us was undergoing bizarre and as yet unexplained geological upheavals. He showed a speeded up image of the planet, going from cold, desolate, and dead, to hot, boiling, and nearly coming apart. As you can see, since the arrival of the Pegasus, the planet s paroxysms have subsided. A realtime image of the planet showed huge seas of lava, boiling up from the molten interior, and a new, and toxic, atmosphere outgassing from the surface. But the shattering upheavals had ceased. To put it simply, sirs, neither the new wormhole, nor the planet s upheavals are explainable, but, as you can see, once more he put up a graphic, the energy pulses from both phenomena correlate. Incredible, said Scott. He was right. Two charts, full of yet more lines and squiggles, were overlaid. They eerily matched. But how the near-explosion of a planet here, and a wormhole so far away could be connected, Spock had no answer. Well, however it happened, you are here, obliteration. It was fast, and if fact was nearly up to light speed by this time. Unless everyone cut in their version of warp drive... Wave front at 0.94C, Captain, reported Spock. And accelerating. Prepare for warp speed. Engineering reports ready for light speed, sir, Athena reported to Adama. Her finger hovered above the controls, waiting for her father s order. Watching the tactical repeater at his station, Imperious Leader indulged in the long disused thing called laughter. The wall of hideous force he had unleashed would soon destroy their enemies. Even if some of the Colonials, or their allies, managed to escape it, it would give him precisely the cover he needed to initiate the next part of his plan. He turned as a Centurion brought him a damage report. Attempts to launch Raiders had failed, several exploding near the mouth of the launch bay, hit by unexpected Viper fire as they exited the screens. Repairs were being initiated... But Impshrugged Adama, Sheba squeezing her father s arm as he did so. What we need now is a way to cut through the Cylon s new shielding before they can complete their repairs. Yes, said Stone, their new shielding is highly resistant to analysis by our sensors. We can t get any clear data on its configuration. Well, I may be able to help, there, said Cain, his smile beginning to surface. He held up a data tape. While still in the other system, we were attacked by Cylon fighters. We destroyed them, and I had some of the damaged Centurions brought aboard the Pegasus, in an attempt to gain information. Which you did, said Tigh. Yes, said Tolan, Tigh s opposite number on the Pegasus. We downloaded everything we could from their memory banks, and discovered that they had made some new advances to their BaseShips. He took the data tape from Cain, and inserted it into the reader at his station. Again, more squiggles and pictures, but& Och! said Scott, nearly coming up shrugged Adama, Sheba squeezing her father s arm as he did so. What we need now is a way to cut through the Cylon s new shielding before they can complete their repairs. Yes, said Stone, their new shielding is highly resistant to analysis by our sensors. We can t get any clear data on its configuration. Well, I may be able to help, there, said Cain, his smile beginning to surface. He held up a data tape. While still in the other system, we were attacked by Cylon fighters. We destroyed them, and I had some of the damaged Centurions brought aboard the Pegasus, in an attempt to gain information. Which you did, said Tigh. Yes, said Tolan, Tigh s opposite number on the Pegasus. We downloaded everything we could from their memory banks, and discovered that they had made some new advances to their BaseShips. He took the data tape from Cain, and inserted it into the reader at his station. Again, more squiggles and pictures, but& Och! said Scott, nearly coming up erious Leader didn t care about that. He was so enthralled with the seeming fulfillment of his designs, or rather his creator s designs, that he waved the Centurion away, back to his duties. Yes! Yes! hissed Iblis, watching the battle. Eyes wide with demonic glee, fists clenched, dancing on his (cloven) toes in nervous anticipation, he was utterly transfixed by the hellish sight before him. Only (literally) the Last Trump would have gotten his attention at a moment of supreme importance like this. Four minutes, said one of the robed presences, to John, Serina, and her son. Four minutes, nodded the angelic being. ================================ Gommeed picked himself up from the deck of his bridge, and looked around him. His crew, ever efficient, were back to work almost at once, struggling to keep the Kreeda in one piece, and for that he was thankful. The blasts from their plasma cannons had exploded closer to the enemy ordnance than expected, and hurlout of his chair. Their shield frequency modulation! Exactly, said Tolan. With this data, we can tune our weapons more precisely, rendering, hopefully, their shields nearly useless. Gentlemen, said Nogura, to his Captains, how long to make the necessary modifications? I will have to study the data, replied Spock, at a questioning look from Pike, but I estimate less than an hour, Commodore. Then I suggest we begin at once, said the Commodore, gesturing towards the Cylons, before they finish. Atop a slowly cooling outcrop of lava on the planet s surface, unaffected by the hot, toxic gasses wafting about him, Iblis watched the events unfolding above him. Despite his efforts, the Pegasus had, after all, rejoined the Galactica, reuniting all that remained of the Colonial refugees. He seethed in anger, but there was little he could do. The limits set upon him were clear, and inviolate. out of his chair. Their shield frequency modulation! Exactly, said Tolan. With this data, we can tune our weapons more precisely, rendering, hopefully, their shields nearly useless. Gentlemen, said Nogura, to his Captains, how long to make the necessary modifications? I will have to study the data, replied Spock, at a questioning look from Pike, but I estimate less than an hour, Commodore. Then I suggest we begin at once, said the Commodore, gesturing towards the Cylons, before they finish. Atop a slowly cooling outcrop of lava on the planet s surface, unaffected by the hot, toxic gasses wafting about him, Iblis watched the events unfolding above him. Despite his efforts, the Pegasus had, after all, rejoined the Galactica, reuniting all that remained of the Colonial refugees. He seethed in anger, but there was little he could do. The limits set upon him were clear, and inviolate. ed the ships away from the awesome Cylon weapon. His bridge s main viewscreen was, however, dark just now, and he ordered, nay bellowed, for its return. Screen yes sir! cried a crewman, and the front viewer flickered back to life... To show a sight out the Terrifying Dissolution. The enemy s wave front was still coming towards them, seemingly undiminished in either its power or ferocity. Gommeed ordered full speed, and the Kreeda s engines screamed to the Tholian s full capability, just barely over 0.99349C. He could both feel and hear the ship s engines groan under him, along with the inertial dampers, as they strained themselves to their limits to escape the oncoming wall of doom. Aft deflector shields full emergency power! Gommeed screamed again, unaware that he was screaming. As he watched the leading edge of the Cylon s pulse weapon draw ever closer, he could see chunks of debris from one of their sister ships, not quite so lucky as they, spreading outwards in a boi And time marched on, remorselessly. Soon, the Agreement would expire, and he would have nothing to show. Nothing for thousands of yahren of work and effort. All for nothing. Pointless. Dust. He glared upwards in impotent rage at the Pegasus, then down at the still-searing lava beneath his feet. His powers, vast beyond any mere Human reckoning, circumscribed by&morals! MORALS??? Morals were for men, not gods! He, as the only one truly worthy of worship, confined, penned in, LIMITED by mere..rules! How unfair! Men transgressed the will of- he could not even bring himself to think that accursed name- all the time. Every day of their puny, miserable, bacterial lives, they sinned, yet they had greater freedom than he, now. They could go, and do, whatever they willed. Even the other species, the Tholians, the Klingons, acted as they wished, playing into his hands all the time. Why& The Father of Lies looked back up, towards the Colonial Fleet, and a slow smile began to spread And time marched on, remorselessly. Soon, the Agreement would expire, and he would have nothing to show. Nothing for thousands of yahren of work and effort. All for nothing. Pointless. Dust. He glared upwards in impotent rage at the Pegasus, then down at the still-searing lava beneath his feet. His powers, vast beyond any mere Human reckoning, circumscribed by&morals! MORALS??? Morals were for men, not gods! He, as the only one truly worthy of worship, confined, penned in, LIMITED by mere..rules! How unfair! Men transgressed the will of- he could not even bring himself to think that accursed name- all the time. Every day of their puny, miserable, bacterial lives, they sinned, yet they had greater freedom than he, now. They could go, and do, whatever they willed. Even the other species, the Tholians, the Klingons, acted as they wished, playing into his hands all the time. Why& The Father of Lies looked back up, towards the Colonial Fleet, and a slow smile began to spreadling cloud of vapor, till at last it was swallowed up by the opaque curtain of oblivion. He gripped the arm of his seat, said a silent prayer, actually several of them, then... Then the stars ahead of them went slightly mad. Despite her battle damage, the Galactica s transition to lightspeed was surprisingly smooth. She hummed, then roared, slipping seamlessly into hyperspace and leaving the Cylon weapon behind. Nearby, the Pegasus did the same, and according to their scanners, the distinctive energy distortions of the Federation vessels told Adama that they had all successfully made the transition as well. Distance? he asked, looking to Athena s station. Fifty microns. One hundred. She took a deep breath. Five hundred microns from previous position. Fifteen hundred...three thousand... Drop back to sublight, now, he ordered. Full scanners. Full scanners, aye, replied his daughter. The Battlestar smeared herself back into normal space, an across his face. Even in his Human guise, it was a smile of pure malignance, of such irredeemable evil as to make any mortal who might have chanced to have seen it recoil in horror. Fortunately for their sanity, none did. A new idea had begun to germinate in the Black Heart of Hell, and as it slowly took shape, the Evil One began to laugh. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, till the very rocks around him shook with the sound, rippling and buckling, as if even the gooey, cooling lava sought to escape from this creature. Oh, yes, he said, barely a whisper on the keening wind. Yes, of course, and with a thought, he was gone. ======================================= And Satan went out from the presence of the Lord Once more sleeping peacefully, Rigel lay in the recovery ward of Enterprise s sickbay, her vital signs slowly growing stronger as her ravaged body healed. To the casual observer, it would have seemed as if naught were amiss, yet... Once more, upo across his face. Even in his Human guise, it was a smile of pure malignance, of such irredeemable evil as to make any mortal who might have chanced to have seen it recoil in horror. Fortunately for their sanity, none did. A new idea had begun to germinate in the Black Heart of Hell, and as it slowly took shape, the Evil One began to laugh. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, till the very rocks around him shook with the sound, rippling and buckling, as if even the gooey, cooling lava sought to escape from this creature. Oh, yes, he said, barely a whisper on the keening wind. Yes, of course, and with a thought, he was gone. ======================================= And Satan went out from the presence of the Lord Once more sleeping peacefully, Rigel lay in the recovery ward of Enterprise s sickbay, her vital signs slowly growing stronger as her ravaged body healed. To the casual observer, it would have seemed as if naught were amiss, yet... Once more, upod began describing an arc as she continued decelerating. Coming around, she got her bearings, locked onto the Cylon position once more, and issued a recall signal to her Viper squadrons. Status of Cylon weapon? asked Adama, allowing a momentary smile at the sound of Starbuck and Boomer whooping in joy over the speaker. Still accelerating, sir, reported Tigh. Computron predicts it will go lightspeed in one point four centons. Thank-you, said Adama, and turned to the scanners. There, following them like a bloated ghost, was the wave front. They had moved, during their short jump, the equivalent of half the distance from the planet to its sun. Even so, the enemy weapon kept on expanding, like some obese monster than kept on swelling ever greater. Would the Vipers escape its reach? Then... Lightspeed now, reported Athena, and the weapon changed color as it rippled into hyperdrive, and... Balls of Kahless! roared Korrd, as he tried to take in what had just n a quite different plane, she wandered through a land dark, yet somehow suffused with a bizarre light. She searched, she was not sure for what, turning her head this way and that. Where was it? Yes, where was the...yes! The soul she sought for? Her child, her baby, the soul she and Omega had so recently quickened, and cruel fate as soon had snatched from her. She sought and sought... And saw something. Something moving, amidst the swirling tendrils of perception. She turned, moving towards this motion, her own seeming to send wispy ribbons of light and shadow spinning in her wake. As she drew closer to it, it seemed to resolve, drawing itself out of the formlessness, take shape. She called, hoping against hope... Omi? she called, using the pet name she and only she used for Omega. Omi, is that you? Where did... She stopped, as the roiling form took solidity, passing from indistinct, to red, to robbed in white. Startled, she cried aloud, first in surprise, then in fear, an a quite different plane, she wandered through a land dark, yet somehow suffused with a bizarre light. She searched, she was not sure for what, turning her head this way and that. Where was it? Yes, where was the...yes! The soul she sought for? Her child, her baby, the soul she and Omega had so recently quickened, and cruel fate as soon had snatched from her. She sought and sought... And saw something. Something moving, amidst the swirling tendrils of perception. She turned, moving towards this motion, her own seeming to send wispy ribbons of light and shadow spinning in her wake. As she drew closer to it, it seemed to resolve, drawing itself out of the formlessness, take shape. She called, hoping against hope... Omi? she called, using the pet name she and only she used for Omega. Omi, is that you? Where did... She stopped, as the roiling form took solidity, passing from indistinct, to red, to robbed in white. Startled, she cried aloud, first in surprise, then in fear, ahappened. Sensors! Full sweep! Full sweep, sir! replied Kang. They all waited a tense moment, as the G roth put more distance between himself and the enemy. No sign of it, sir, reported the other. Enemy weapon has dissipated. How? growled Korrd, Klingon-wary of some new enemy trick. It was almost kissing our stern. How could it just...vanish? Unknown as yet, sir. Contact P kuth. At once. Yes, sir. Spock? asked Pike. I am still scanning, sir, replied the Vulcan. But the enemy plasma wave has disappeared from our sensors completely. But how? It was on our tails, then... Pike shrugged, looking back towards the viewer. It vanished as it began to make the transition to warp speed, Captain, said Spock, after more scanning. It may be that this weapon has a limit. The speed of light itself. Thank God for that, said Pike, tense muscles relaxing visibly. Number One, bring us back to impulse. Mr. Tyler, take us back to the Cys the figure looked back down at her. Tall, seemingly a robust man of powerful middle-age, he pierced her with his gaze, his face outwardly kind, yet eyes like scalpels of pure malignity. She felt her arms slowly enfolded in fingers of steel, gripped by a frightening strength she could never match. As the truth of that face sunk in, she began to shake in horror, struggling to no avail. Her voice croaked, words falling silent. My dear Rigel, he said, his words falling dead like poison in her ears, yet somehow magnetic and sweetly enticing, you seem well. I had heard that you were ill. My condolences on your tragic bereavement. He smiled again, his smile both fatherly, and that of the psychotic. Rigel tried to speak, and could scarce breath- Iblis! Spock found the Science Officers from both Colonial Battlestars a mixture of irritating emotions, and sharp perceptions. While Wilker was somewhat self-important and ego-centric, what his mother, Amanda, would call prickly s the figure looked back down at her. Tall, seemingly a robust man of powerful middle-age, he pierced her with his gaze, his face outwardly kind, yet eyes like scalpels of pure malignity. She felt her arms slowly enfolded in fingers of steel, gripped by a frightening strength she could never match. As the truth of that face sunk in, she began to shake in horror, struggling to no avail. Her voice croaked, words falling silent. My dear Rigel, he said, his words falling dead like poison in her ears, yet somehow magnetic and sweetly enticing, you seem well. I had heard that you were ill. My condolences on your tragic bereavement. He smiled again, his smile both fatherly, and that of the psychotic. Rigel tried to speak, and could scarce breath- Iblis! Spock found the Science Officers from both Colonial Battlestars a mixture of irritating emotions, and sharp perceptions. While Wilker was somewhat self-important and ego-centric, what his mother, Amanda, would call prickly lons. Aye, sir, said both officers. Outside, the other Federation ships were doing much the same, dropping back below light, and taking stock of their respective situations. From his station aboard his flagship, the Defiant, Commodore Nogura took in the whole area. All the Federation ships still registered. They had escaped the Cylon blast wave, as had the surviving Klingon vessels. The Tholians... The Tholians were tearing out of the area at warp speed! The Tholians had gone into warp? How in hell... Reverse thrusters to full!!!! screamed Gommeed, as the Kreeda shrieked its way into what was for a Tholian ship, a new experience. Warp speed. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! How? asked Stone, aboard the Constellation. He listened to his science officer s report, and actually spared a moment to laugh. The Tholian vessels, already within spitting distance of light, had been caught by the approaching shock wave, and when it had traversed the, his opposite number from the Pegasus, a Doctor Dee, was a near-opposite in temperament. Calm, steady, and seemingly imperturbable, he reminded Spock of Master Sugan, his first mathematics instructor in primary school. However, despite their differences, the two Colonial scientists worked well together, and interfaced with the Vulcan easily. Already, their collaboration had borne fruit. The sensor logs from the Pegasus attack run on the Cylon vessel show that the BaseShip s scanners did not track them effectively, he said, tapping out an equation on a monitor in one of the Enterprise s labs. Their scan signatures become increasingly erratic from this point on. Yes, said Wilker, after a moment. The secondary radiation from the shields acted to scatter much of their scan energy. Which shows a serious flaw in their new shielding design, added Dee. While deflecting incoming energy, the secondary radiation nearly blinds them. He studied Spock s math for a moment, then made , his opposite number from the Pegasus, a Doctor Dee, was a near-opposite in temperament. Calm, steady, and seemingly imperturbable, he reminded Spock of Master Sugan, his first mathematics instructor in primary school. However, despite their differences, the two Colonial scientists worked well together, and interfaced with the Vulcan easily. Already, their collaboration had borne fruit. The sensor logs from the Pegasus attack run on the Cylon vessel show that the BaseShip s scanners did not track them effectively, he said, tapping out an equation on a monitor in one of the Enterprise s labs. Their scan signatures become increasingly erratic from this point on. Yes, said Wilker, after a moment. The secondary radiation from the shields acted to scatter much of their scan energy. Which shows a serious flaw in their new shielding design, added Dee. While deflecting incoming energy, the secondary radiation nearly blinds them. He studied Spock s math for a moment, then made barrier, thrown them into warp! Well, he chuckled. Looks like they got warp drive on the cheap. Wo, horsy, muttered Kirk, concealing his laughter. Stop us! Gommeed kept screaming, as the universe in front of his ship kept on going insane. By all the gods, stop this! Can t you stop us? Stop it! Stop! At once!! I order you to stooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..... WHAT? bellowed Imperious Leader, as the smile fell from his face. It was not a pretty sight. He was watching the wave front of the hyper pulse weapon approach the enemy, when suddenly... Weapon wave front has vanished, reported a gold Command Grade Centurion matter-of-factly. I KNOW the wave front has vanished, you imbecile! cried Imperious Leader, sparing barely a picosecond s thought for the stupidity of Centurions. What happened to it? I do not know, Imperious Leader. Idiot! snarled Imperious Leader, and backhanded the offending Centurion. It fell to the deck wisome notes of his own. They seem most vulnerable here, at these frequencies. Both Wilker and Spock nodded. Our laser weapons can be retuned to take advantage of their shield modulation, he continued. What of your phaser system, or your torpedoes? Phaser retuning will take little time, replied Spock, reviewing the calculations, and then running a simulation. However, our torpedoes have a pre-set charge. Altering them to be effective against their multi-phasic shielding may take considerably longer. Why? asked Wilker, again letting his prickly side show a bit. Each torpedo has a pre-determined amount of anti-matter in the warhead. When it mixes and explodes, it releases energy of a certain precise level and energy configuration. To alter that, we would have to pull each warhead, and effectively redesign the charges. Determine a new matter- anti-matter mix. Given the rate of the enemy s increasing shield strength, we may not have time to find the correct mix, and then manusome notes of his own. They seem most vulnerable here, at these frequencies. Both Wilker and Spock nodded. Our laser weapons can be retuned to take advantage of their shield modulation, he continued. What of your phaser system, or your torpedoes? Phaser retuning will take little time, replied Spock, reviewing the calculations, and then running a simulation. However, our torpedoes have a pre-set charge. Altering them to be effective against their multi-phasic shielding may take considerably longer. Why? asked Wilker, again letting his prickly side show a bit. Each torpedo has a pre-determined amount of anti-matter in the warhead. When it mixes and explodes, it releases energy of a certain precise level and energy configuration. To alter that, we would have to pull each warhead, and effectively redesign the charges. Determine a new matter- anti-matter mix. Given the rate of the enemy s increasing shield strength, we may not have time to find the correct mix, and then manuth a crash. Find out, fool, before I have you scavenged for spare parts! By your command, Imperious Leader, said the other, rising. Lucifer!, shouted Imperious Leader. Get me Lucifer! X-UIDL: 4QC"!)P4"!^eW"!OEi!! ========================================== For a moment, Adama just stared at the empty space in front of the Galactica, trying to assimilate what he had just seen. A horrifically powerful wall of force had just simply...gone away. The Fleet, as well as the remaining allied ships were, for the moment, safe. But why? Iblis? The Ship of Lights? None of this feels right. "Commander," said Tigh, breaking into his shock. "Lieutenant Starbuck reports all Vipers intact. They escaped the wave front, sir." "Good. Have them all return to the Galactica at once." "Yes, sir." "Commander Cain on the line, Father," said Athena. "Put him on." "Adama. What in Hades Hole just happened?" It was clear that the Commander of the Pegasus was as bewfacture new warheads. We may not have to, said Dee. If we are successful in penetrating their shields, then the torpedoes will do their work, regardless. I agree, nodded Wilker, fingers digging deeply into his chin. He turned back to the screen, and downloaded all the data onto a disk. I ll get back to the Galactica with this, and get started. And I the Pegasus, said Dee. Both men left, and Spock transferred the new phaser data to Engineering. He sat for a moment, considering... Yes, Rigel, said the infamous Count. I did say I would return. Wh...what do you want? It is more a question of what you want, Rigel. He was quiet a moment, and the light, the very air, seemed to swirl about them. I heard about your loss. So sad, he smiled, and for a moment, it almost seemed genuine. I know what it is to lose, My Dear. My loss... she stuttered, unable to tear her gaze away from his eyes. I just... Your child, My Dear. Yes, very, very sad. ildered as his older colleague. "Did you see that?" "I did, and I no more understand it than you, Cain. Computron analysis can't seem to get a handle on it, either." "Well, let's take advantage of it, then," said the old war daggit, and cut the link. Even before the signal died, Cain was bringing the Pegasus to bear on the enemy, and was accelerating. Within a few moments, his forward batteries had flowered into life once more. Not wasting a centon, Adama did the same with his own ship, targeting the enemy from two directions. But the enemy was not just sitting idle. With the firing of their pulse weapon, their power levels had dropped to dangerously low levels. Now, the scanners on both Battlestars could see them on the rise once again. Even as Cain opened fire, the Cylon's shields popped back up. They weren't nearly as powerful as before, but would be shortly, if the energy signatures were anything to go by. Something Cain had no intention of letting happen. He fired, then facture new warheads. We may not have to, said Dee. If we are successful in penetrating their shields, then the torpedoes will do their work, regardless. I agree, nodded Wilker, fingers digging deeply into his chin. He turned back to the screen, and downloaded all the data onto a disk. I ll get back to the Galactica with this, and get started. And I the Pegasus, said Dee. Both men left, and Spock transferred the new phaser data to Engineering. He sat for a moment, considering... Yes, Rigel, said the infamous Count. I did say I would return. Wh...what do you want? It is more a question of what you want, Rigel. He was quiet a moment, and the light, the very air, seemed to swirl about them. I heard about your loss. So sad, he smiled, and for a moment, it almost seemed genuine. I know what it is to lose, My Dear. My loss... she stuttered, unable to tear her gaze away from his eyes. I just... Your child, My Dear. Yes, very, very sad. No woman deserves to suffer so. The life within her, torn away by cruelty, or fate. He smiled again. I want to help. Help? Rigel asked, feeling her mind begin to reel in confusion. Help how? My child is gone. There is nothing that can be done. She managed to look away for a moment. Omi? she called once more. My baby. My... she gasped, feeling tears begin to well up. Yes, said Iblis, for a brief moment, sounding like the most comforting of Father Confessors. Your baby, My Dear Rigel. I grieve with you. The sad, yea, the needless loss of life. A life so cruelly cut short, before even having a chance to truly live. He turned his gaze from her a moment, and she followed him. The misty light seemed to swirl up, then to part. Out of the murk, she saw shapes move, shapes that seemed so familiar. Shapes... She cried out, as the images became clearer. Herself, belly full and rounded, arm in arm with Omega, walking on a beach somewhere, under a beautiful blue sky. Unable to form Adama did... Both shots connected, making the enemy shields shimmer with light. Then, on the side facing away from her foes, the BaseShip dropped her screens, and began to disgorge fighters from one of her undamaged launch bays. They swarmed out like apions from a hive, spreading out in wide fans from their mother ship. Within moments, they were closing in on the Colonial ships from all sides, lasers opening up. Or at least some of them were. Hot beams from the small and nimble Grissom sliced through several of the Raiders, sending molten fragments flying into yet more of the enemy craft. A few Raiders turned away from the Battlestars to deal with this new threat, but Grissom went into warp for a few seconds, leaving them behind, then headed back, catching a few more from behind as she dropped back to impulse. Shields up, she sailed through the clouds of cooling wreckage, cutting loose at the BaseShip as she sped by. The Cylon gunnery was hideously slow to follow, making only one No woman deserves to suffer so. The life within her, torn away by cruelty, or fate. He smiled again. I want to help. Help? Rigel asked, feeling her mind begin to reel in confusion. Help how? My child is gone. There is nothing that can be done. She managed to look away for a moment. Omi? she called once more. My baby. My... she gasped, feeling tears begin to well up. Yes, said Iblis, for a brief moment, sounding like the most comforting of Father Confessors. Your baby, My Dear Rigel. I grieve with you. The sad, yea, the needless loss of life. A life so cruelly cut short, before even having a chance to truly live. He turned his gaze from her a moment, and she followed him. The misty light seemed to swirl up, then to part. Out of the murk, she saw shapes move, shapes that seemed so familiar. Shapes... She cried out, as the images became clearer. Herself, belly full and rounded, arm in arm with Omega, walking on a beach somewhere, under a beautiful blue sky. Unable to form a word, she watched as the images changed. Herself in the throes of childbirth, a baby at her breast, then a toddler, a golden-haired girl at her side, jumping and frolicking upon green grass with a daggit. Mommy? a voice said, coming to her from the mist. Mommy? it called again, and she tried to focus. Out of the fog stepped a little girl, perhaps no more than five yahren, the very image of Rigel s own mother, lost in the Holocaust. What...but how... Death is not the end, Rigel, said Iblis, his grip on her arms loosening ever so slightly. Death is ultimately meaningless. Why should one let it come between them and their loved ones? But...but she s gone. I lost her. The doctor... But you can have her back, Rigel, cooed Iblis, his voice like the sweetest treacle, the headiest wine. You do want her back, don t you? He waited a bit. I can give her back to you. You and Omega. I...I can t. She s...I don t under... You don t need to understand, chihit out of four shots. Cain's gunnery was better, hitting the enemy dead center, but was soon distracted by swarms of Raiders. Soon, the fighters of both sides were hard at it once again... As Imperious Leader had intended. "Now," he ordered. "What is he doing?" said Pike, watching from his seat. "Spock?" "Frack," muttered Adama, as one of the Galactica's shots missed. The BaseShip had dodged suddenly, avoiding his shot by almost a half metron. He retargeted... "Father," said Athena, and she pointed towards the enemy. "Hades Hole," said Tigh. As she returned fire, the joined enemy vessel was beginning to unjoin. The huge magna-steel pylons that held the two sections together were quickly retracting, the massive latches that joined the two hulls opening, and folding back into place. Within a few breaths, the massive vessel was two ships once again, both of them firing thrusters to put space between them. "Enterprise, Farragut, Hood, form on a word, she watched as the images changed. Herself in the throes of childbirth, a baby at her breast, then a toddler, a golden-haired girl at her side, jumping and frolicking upon green grass with a daggit. Mommy? a voice said, coming to her from the mist. Mommy? it called again, and she tried to focus. Out of the fog stepped a little girl, perhaps no more than five yahren, the very image of Rigel s own mother, lost in the Holocaust. What...but how... Death is not the end, Rigel, said Iblis, his grip on her arms loosening ever so slightly. Death is ultimately meaningless. Why should one let it come between them and their loved ones? But...but she s gone. I lost her. The doctor... But you can have her back, Rigel, cooed Iblis, his voice like the sweetest treacle, the headiest wine. You do want her back, don t you? He waited a bit. I can give her back to you. You and Omega. I...I can t. She s...I don t under... You don t need to understand, child, said the white- robed deceiver. But it can be yours. She can be yours. Again. He motioned to the image, and the child stepped forward. Iblis spoke again, as he slipped her hand into Rigel s trembling one. Tears running down her face, her lips quivering, she looked deep into the face of the simulacrum, and then up at Iblis. What...what do I... Even as she formed the question, the gleam in Iblis eyes seemed to brighten as he sensed his victory. She tried asking it again, and straightening up to his full height, the Father of Lies looked down at her, his voice like a narcotic, saying: You will worship me! ============================ As the new phaser data sped its way through the Enterprise s systems, Spock sat, quietly a moment, reading the latest scans from the sensors re the BaseShip. He ran another simulation, then another. Each time, the results were satisfactory. The Cylon s shielding failed, and they won. Yet, despite all that, something continued to me," ordered Commodore Nogura. "Pursue target A." The other starships acknowledged, and the three began to close ranks, moving in on the topmost Cylon. "Fire!" ordered Nogura, and his guns lashed out, striking the Cylon dead on. Even as it shook from the first blast, the enemy vessel continued accelerating away from its fellow. "Helm, pursue bottom target," ordered Adama, and the Galactica responded, her engines rising in pitch as they gained speed. He fired again, followed by more shots from Cain. As they began to move, he turned to Omega. "Status of Vipers?" "Squadrons report more than half the Cylon fighters destroyed, sir. Continuing to press the attack." "Excellent. Status of BaseShip, Colonel Tigh?" "She's at almost half lightspeed, and accelerating, sir. She's definitely making a run for it." "Continue pursuit." "Fools!" spat Cain, as he sped up to follow Adama. "Where in Hades can they hope to go?" As he watched, one of the Federation ships, Constellld, said the white- robed deceiver. But it can be yours. She can be yours. Again. He motioned to the image, and the child stepped forward. Iblis spoke again, as he slipped her hand into Rigel s trembling one. Tears running down her face, her lips quivering, she looked deep into the face of the simulacrum, and then up at Iblis. What...what do I... Even as she formed the question, the gleam in Iblis eyes seemed to brighten as he sensed his victory. She tried asking it again, and straightening up to his full height, the Father of Lies looked down at her, his voice like a narcotic, saying: You will worship me! ============================ As the new phaser data sped its way through the Enterprise s systems, Spock sat, quietly a moment, reading the latest scans from the sensors re the BaseShip. He ran another simulation, then another. Each time, the results were satisfactory. The Cylon s shielding failed, and they won. Yet, despite all that, something continued to bother him. Something he could not define... Obviously, he told himself, leaning quickly back in his seat, and taking a deep breath, the presence of so many Humans from another culture, with all their wild and unrestrained emotions, was continuing to affect him more than he had realized. He must, regardless, set aside more time for Meditation in the Disciplines, after his watch. While he had increased his meditation since this crisis had erupted, he obviously had slipped more than was at first apparent. Wilker s prickliness had actually irritated him. He had actually...sighed. And Athena... Athena, he said aloud, though no one else was there to hear him. Yet again, the image of the Colonial officer rose up before him, and he found himself wondering about her. Courious. Desiring her! She was a beauty, yes. Tall, attractive in a way even Vulcan aesthetics would approve, and so very, very unlike T Pring. Tation, formed up alongside him, joining in the pursuit. He envied the Fed ships their greater speed and hotter weapons. Lords of Kobol, with those, this war would have ended a long time ago. For a moment, he had beatific visions of Cylon, surrounded by a fleet of Battlestars, each one pumping gloriously hideous blasts of destructive fire into every bit of the planet's surface. He smiled as his imaginary Cylon burned, looking almost wistful at the moment's longing, then returned to the here and now. Both Battlestars were gaining, slowly, on the fleeing BaseShip, keeping up the remorseless fire. For her part, the enemy vessel did the same, struggling to target two pursuing ships and navigate at the same time. It was clear, however, that she was in trouble, and was finding the task increasingly difficult. "Yessss!" hissed Tolan, as one of the Pegasus' shots penetrated the BaseShip's weakened defenses. Chunks of glowing metal burst from the hull, and she visibly shuddered. Laughing, Cain orbother him. Something he could not define... Obviously, he told himself, leaning quickly back in his seat, and taking a deep breath, the presence of so many Humans from another culture, with all their wild and unrestrained emotions, was continuing to affect him more than he had realized. He must, regardless, set aside more time for Meditation in the Disciplines, after his watch. While he had increased his meditation since this crisis had erupted, he obviously had slipped more than was at first apparent. Wilker s prickliness had actually irritated him. He had actually...sighed. And Athena... Athena, he said aloud, though no one else was there to hear him. Yet again, the image of the Colonial officer rose up before him, and he found himself wondering about her. Courious. Desiring her! She was a beauty, yes. Tall, attractive in a way even Vulcan aesthetics would approve, and so very, very unlike T Pring. T Pring, who despite her sensual beauty and great intelligence, her wealth and ancient lineage, was cold, icy, disdainful. Chosen as a wife for him by his and T Pring s father almost at birth, he and the girl had been bonded at the age of seven, in keeping with ancient Vulcan tradition. While the seven-year-old Spock had felt nothing at the time, save the creation of the psychic bond between them, as the years passed he realized that he would never, save only at the time of pon farr, feel anything for the girl. That, and nothing from her, either. What little he could sense from her, now, through their bond, was less than what he occasionally sensed from any of the women on the Enterprise, Human or otherwise, when forced by circumstance into close contact with them. >From Number One, he had at times sensed...interest. Curiosity. From Yeoman Colt, animal passions, pure female need. Even from Vina, on Talos IV, he had briefly sensed some fleeting emotion. But from T Pring, from his own bedered him to fire again. "BaseShip slowing, sir," said Tigh, turning to Adama. "Her speed is down by two point five." "Her shields fluctuating, too, Father," added Athena. "Close to collapse." "Fire," ordered Adama, and the Galactica once more spoke the awful word. Her improved lasers sent Cylon shields flaming up into the visible, then found a weak spot. Like the earlier salvo, molten bits of hull plate spewed into space, followed by a secondary explosion from under the hull plating. Both Battlestars pressed the attack, and the Constellation screamed by, pumping her stronger fire into dying shields. With a blinding flash, screens blew out, leaving the Cylon naked to her enemies. "By your command. Shield grids twenty through thirty- one off-line, Imperious Leader," reported the abused Centurion. "Emergency power to..." Imperious Leader struggled to remain standing as his vessel shook once more. "Emergency power to shields." "By your command," replied another Pring, who despite her sensual beauty and great intelligence, her wealth and ancient lineage, was cold, icy, disdainful. Chosen as a wife for him by his and T Pring s father almost at birth, he and the girl had been bonded at the age of seven, in keeping with ancient Vulcan tradition. While the seven-year-old Spock had felt nothing at the time, save the creation of the psychic bond between them, as the years passed he realized that he would never, save only at the time of pon farr, feel anything for the girl. That, and nothing from her, either. What little he could sense from her, now, through their bond, was less than what he occasionally sensed from any of the women on the Enterprise, Human or otherwise, when forced by circumstance into close contact with them. >From Number One, he had at times sensed...interest. Curiosity. From Yeoman Colt, animal passions, pure female need. Even from Vina, on Talos IV, he had briefly sensed some fleeting emotion. But from T Pring, from his own betrothed, not even that. It was as if he were bonded to a statue. To ice. To a woman who cared not one whit for or about him. A woman who, in actuality, despised him. But, Athena, daughter of Adama...When he had looked at her, and she back at him, he had...had felt as if his heart were stirred. Stirred, like never... NO! he said, louder this time, shaking his head to clear it, an unconscious Human mannerism. No. It can never be! It is illogical! Wor...worship? said Rigel, her voice squeaky and uncertain. Her eyes were fixed on Iblis , unable to tear her gaze away. His smile slowly grew wider, like the sociopath who sees weakness, like the lupus that senses fresh prey. Such a little thing, Child, said Iblis, his teeth white like bleached deathstones. So little, and so many have done so. I...I cannot... But you can, replied Iblis, his voice and expression losing some of their congeniality. I offer so much, Rigel. I offer you so much. And I ask so trothed, not even that. It was as if he were bonded to a statue. To ice. To a woman who cared not one whit for or about him. A woman who, in actuality, despised him. But, Athena, daughter of Adama...When he had looked at her, and she back at him, he had...had felt as if his heart were stirred. Stirred, like never... NO! he said, louder this time, shaking his head to clear it, an unconscious Human mannerism. No. It can never be! It is illogical! Wor...worship? said Rigel, her voice squeaky and uncertain. Her eyes were fixed on Iblis , unable to tear her gaze away. His smile slowly grew wider, like the sociopath who sees weakness, like the lupus that senses fresh prey. Such a little thing, Child, said Iblis, his teeth white like bleached deathstones. So little, and so many have done so. I...I cannot... But you can, replied Iblis, his voice and expression losing some of their congeniality. I offer so much, Rigel. I offer you so much. And I ask so Centurion. Almost at once, an entire bank of electronics blew apart spectacularly, showering them all with hot cables, sparks and debris. One of the centurions shook, and fell, shrapnel buried in its chest and head. Imperious Leader looked from it, to his other crew. "Deflector subsystems destroyed," reported one. "Prepare..." began Imperious Leader, when for a moment, something inside his electronic brain...hiccupped. Buried deep within his operating system, something was wrong. "Prepare..." he said again, and again stopped. For a few picocentons, he was unsure of what he was going to say, or even to do. "Prepare to...to return fire," he said at last, his voice laced with uncertainty and confusion. "By your command," replied the Centurion, and targeted the pursuing Battlestars. "By...by your..." Another panel died, and more circuits began to fry. Where is Lucifer? Wondered Imperious Leader, his mind growing more confused by the centon. Where is...is...Iblis!little in return. So little. I... began Rigel, as the simulacrum of the child drew closer, and slipped fingers into hers. Mommy. No. I must... Doctor! cried a nurse in Sickbay, interrupting Boyce as he finished up yet another autopsy report. Doctor! she called again, and he jumped up from his office seat, and ran for the recovery ward. There, Nurse Mansoor was trying to rouse Rigel, writhing and twisting on the biobed. What happened? Boyce demanded, as he moved in. Rigel s eyes were open, but dilated and glassy. Not seeing them. It just started Doctor. I came to check her biosigns before logging off shift, when they suddenly began to spike like this. Brainwaves show REM state, said Boyce, but it s nearly off the scale. Her neurotransmitters are through the roof! Boyce shook her, but the Colonial officer did not awaken, continuing to thrash, and cry out in a language Boyce did not understand. He looked at the monitors again. Her pulse waslittle in return. So little. I... began Rigel, as the simulacrum of the child drew closer, and slipped fingers into hers. Mommy. No. I must... Doctor! cried a nurse in Sickbay, interrupting Boyce as he finished up yet another autopsy report. Doctor! she called again, and he jumped up from his office seat, and ran for the recovery ward. There, Nurse Mansoor was trying to rouse Rigel, writhing and twisting on the biobed. What happened? Boyce demanded, as he moved in. Rigel s eyes were open, but dilated and glassy. Not seeing them. It just started Doctor. I came to check her biosigns before logging off shift, when they suddenly began to spike like this. Brainwaves show REM state, said Boyce, but it s nearly off the scale. Her neurotransmitters are through the roof! Boyce shook her, but the Colonial officer did not awaken, continuing to thrash, and cry out in a language Boyce did not understand. He looked at the monitors again. Her pulse was!!!!!!!!!!!! Iblis!!!" "Fire!" ordered Captain Stone, and the Constellation spat two torpedoes into the BaseShip. The blasts shook the Cylon right down to her bones, then were followed by more searing red beams. More metal boiled into space, more secondary explosions peeled away at her hull. The Cylons returned fire, one shot catching the Federation ship near the bow. She peeled off, momentarily askew, and the Cylons targeted her once more... Only to feel the searing fingers of burning death from the G'roth, pinning her like a bug on a card. Another shield grid flared, barely holding, but the Cylon gunnery was sent wild. She tried to retarget on the Klingon ship, but Adama slammed her amidships, and then Constellation, coming back at almost half lightspeed, cut her a long swath, sending her lower pulsar battery vomiting into space. Grissom, coming out from behind the Pegasus, spat more torpedoes, as did G'roth. With a huge blast belching from one of her bays, the Cylon slow over 230, she was beginning to hyperventilate, and her blood chemistry, as well as pressure, was going crazy. With everything that had happened to her recently, if this did not stop soon, she would likely die of stroke or cardiac failure. He ordered Mansoor to hand him a hypo from the tray, and injected Rigel with it. He watched her, screaming and flailing as the medication worked its way into her brain... Omega, in his quarters aboard the Galactica, collapsed onto the deck, his uniform sodden with sweat, his heart feeling as if it were going to literally explode within his rib cage. He had been trying to catch a few centons rest before he went back on duty, when he had awakened suddenly, filled with a horrid premonition that Rigel was in danger. He keyed his intercom, but repairs on the ship s systems had temporarily taken it off-line. So, as if led, pushed, driven to do so, he sank to his knees, and turned in a direction he had rarely turned in his life. Oh... God! he ho over 230, she was beginning to hyperventilate, and her blood chemistry, as well as pressure, was going crazy. With everything that had happened to her recently, if this did not stop soon, she would likely die of stroke or cardiac failure. He ordered Mansoor to hand him a hypo from the tray, and injected Rigel with it. He watched her, screaming and flailing as the medication worked its way into her brain... Omega, in his quarters aboard the Galactica, collapsed onto the deck, his uniform sodden with sweat, his heart feeling as if it were going to literally explode within his rib cage. He had been trying to catch a few centons rest before he went back on duty, when he had awakened suddenly, filled with a horrid premonition that Rigel was in danger. He keyed his intercom, but repairs on the ship s systems had temporarily taken it off-line. So, as if led, pushed, driven to do so, he sank to his knees, and turned in a direction he had rarely turned in his life. Oh... God! he hoed to a crawl, her spin stopping, her trim gone. After one last weak shot, her gunnery was silenced, and the once-fearsome instrument of Cylon murder was left a burning hulk, dead in space, all fight beaten out of her. After a final shot from Grissom, Adama ordered a cease-fire. "Athena," he ordered, "signal to commander, Cylon BaseShip. This is Commander Adama, of the Colonial Fleet. Prepare to be boarded, or destroyed. Surrender your vessel." "Aye, Father," replied the woman. Tigh turned to his CO, unable to conceal his pride, and smiled the smile of the victor. It was a sight he had never thought to see again. A BaseShip, helpless, theirs for the taking. Imperious Leader tried to rise to his feet, in his shattered control room. Around him, panels burned and lights flickered. Two Centurions were destroyed by electrical discharges from torn cables, another crushed by debris. Still another lay on the deck, legs missing, endlessly repeating itself: "By your command. By your cowled, as if stung by bodkins of fire. Stop it!! Nooo... wailed Rigel, struggling against Iblis grip of steel. Despite the pain, despite the agony of her loss, she could not, she would not obey the Prince of Darkness. As she looked at him, baring her teeth in what must surely have seemed a piteous display of resistance, she saw someone else, behind the Author of Death. Someone she knew, or had known. Someone.... Rigel! said the shimmering, white-clad figure. As she shifted her gaze wholly from Iblis to the newcomer, Rigel recognized her. Serina? croaked Rigel, barely able to speak, or even breath. NO!!! bellowed Iblis, as this fly made it s way into his carefully oozed ointment. No! Be gone! You cannot... His voice was cut off, by Serina, placing her hand upon Rigel s breast. At once, her violent gasping began to calm, and her face to relax. Be gone, Dark One! said Serina, voice quiet, yet somehow able to be heard over all the riot of Hell. Rigwled, as if stung by bodkins of fire. Stop it!! Nooo... wailed Rigel, struggling against Iblis grip of steel. Despite the pain, despite the agony of her loss, she could not, she would not obey the Prince of Darkness. As she looked at him, baring her teeth in what must surely have seemed a piteous display of resistance, she saw someone else, behind the Author of Death. Someone she knew, or had known. Someone.... Rigel! said the shimmering, white-clad figure. As she shifted her gaze wholly from Iblis to the newcomer, Rigel recognized her. Serina? croaked Rigel, barely able to speak, or even breath. NO!!! bellowed Iblis, as this fly made it s way into his carefully oozed ointment. No! Be gone! You cannot... His voice was cut off, by Serina, placing her hand upon Rigel s breast. At once, her violent gasping began to calm, and her face to relax. Be gone, Dark One! said Serina, voice quiet, yet somehow able to be heard over all the riot of Hell. Rigmmand. By..." Imperious Leader felt the ship's gravity flutter, and held onto something. He needed to, for as he rose up, he realized that one of his legs was gone, wires and linkage hanging from the stump. "No!" he wailed, looking about him. "No, it cannot be. Lost? Lost? We...we...what?" Even as he spoke, his operating system alerted him that lines of code were missing from its database. Not just missing; they were actually deleting themselves from his programming! Alarmed, he tried desperately to stop it, then to back up the vanishing files. But it was to no avail. Line after line, code after code, was vanishing, deleted from his memory banks and programming protocols. These were important files. These were...were... Were what? He couldn't remember. The ship rumbled beneath him, her death rattle approaching, yet still he stood, fixating on the electronic lobotomy going on inside of his brain. He tried to access his link to other Cylons. It was true! Each surviving Cylon aboel! said Iblis again, ignoring Serina and the host becoming visible behind her. Think what I can give you! Think what you are giving up! All that you and Omega ever... Behold! said Serina, and the image of the little girl began to change. Swift as a heartbeat, it morphed, to become a small, disgustingly ugly imp, with huge, glowing eyes, which retreated to cower in Iblis robes. Master! it wailed, terrified, making a sick, gurgling sound in its throat. Massssster! Noooooo!! snarled Iblis... Then for Rigel, everything went black, her last memory that of the uncapricaly loveliness of the shimmering being before her. Then, blissful darkness. Vital signs returning to normal, Doctor, said Mansoor, as the indicators above Rigel s bed began dropping. Her muscles relaxed, and her breathing began to calm. Her brainwaves also began to smooth out, and she was quiet. What was that? A neuro-inhibitor, replied Boyce, still scanning Rigel s brain. Her brain was floodeel! said Iblis again, ignoring Serina and the host becoming visible behind her. Think what I can give you! Think what you are giving up! All that you and Omega ever... Behold! said Serina, and the image of the little girl began to change. Swift as a heartbeat, it morphed, to become a small, disgustingly ugly imp, with huge, glowing eyes, which retreated to cower in Iblis robes. Master! it wailed, terrified, making a sick, gurgling sound in its throat. Massssster! Noooooo!! snarled Iblis... Then for Rigel, everything went black, her last memory that of the uncapricaly loveliness of the shimmering being before her. Then, blissful darkness. Vital signs returning to normal, Doctor, said Mansoor, as the indicators above Rigel s bed began dropping. Her muscles relaxed, and her breathing began to calm. Her brainwaves also began to smooth out, and she was quiet. What was that? A neuro-inhibitor, replied Boyce, still scanning Rigel s brain. Her brain was floodeard, from himself to the lowest drone, was experiencing the same thing. More and more code was vanishing! But how...? ".....or destroyed," came a voice. Slowly, Imperious Leader made his damaged body turn, and he focused on the scratchy audio signal. He tried to remember whose voice it was, and after a moment, recognized it as Adama, the Human leader. Adama. The Human...Human...what??? What was it about Humans...? He struggled towards the commstation, shoving one of the dead Centurions out of the way. "Surrender your vessel. I repeat, commander Cylon BaseShip, this is Commander Adama of the Colonial Fleet. Prepare to be boarded or destroyed. Surrender your vessel." Imperious Leader listened for a few centons, then slowly reached for the transmit button. ================================================== NO!!!!!!! wailed Iblis, watching, and realizing what was happening. This was it. The end. This was not fair. Not fair!!!!!! Reliant and the Klingon ship P kuth had the secd with more neuro-transmitters than any Human should ever have. This, he held up the hypo, counteracted them. But I d like to know why her brain chemistry suddenly started doing somersaults. Blood pressure back to normal, Doctor, reported Nurse Mansoor. Her pulse is now 68 beats per minute. Good. Keep monitoring her, Nurse. I want to talk to the Galactica s CMO. Yes, Doctor, she replied, then froze. For a moment, they both did, as a blast of intense cold wafted through the room. A blast of cold, and, Boyce was sure, a thin, faint, keening wail of a voice. An enraged voice screaming..... Nooooooo. =================================== So taken up with recent events was Spock, that he had neglected, he realized as his stomach growled softly, to take any sustenance for over twenty-four hours. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his mother, Amanda, telling him that he needed to eat more. Rising, datapadd still in hand, and dismissing such reminisces ad with more neuro-transmitters than any Human should ever have. This, he held up the hypo, counteracted them. But I d like to know why her brain chemistry suddenly started doing somersaults. Blood pressure back to normal, Doctor, reported Nurse Mansoor. Her pulse is now 68 beats per minute. Good. Keep monitoring her, Nurse. I want to talk to the Galactica s CMO. Yes, Doctor, she replied, then froze. For a moment, they both did, as a blast of intense cold wafted through the room. A blast of cold, and, Boyce was sure, a thin, faint, keening wail of a voice. An enraged voice screaming..... Nooooooo. =================================== So taken up with recent events was Spock, that he had neglected, he realized as his stomach growled softly, to take any sustenance for over twenty-four hours. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his mother, Amanda, telling him that he needed to eat more. Rising, datapadd still in hand, and dismissing such reminisces aond BaseShip in their sights, and like their comrades, were not letting go. Before their fleeing prey could make the transit into warp space, Reliant opened fire, sending blast after blast from her lasers screaming into the Cylon s deflectors, as the Klingon pumped torpedo after torpedo into the prey. Kleege was laughing as his salvos exploded against the screens, each one chewing away at the BaseShip s defenses. Enemy shield strength down twenty-seven percent, sir, reported Koloth. His weapons fire is down as well. He is doomed, then, smiled Kleege, not a pretty sight. . Doomed. His ship rocked from a Cylon hit, and he ordered return fire Something that Reliant was doing to great effect. With guns more than twenty percent hotter than what the Klingons were carrying, her attacks were cutting deeper into the enemy s defenses with each shot. Even as Kleege s gunners followed orders, the Federation ship swung tightly around the BaseShip s underside, raking her hull. She nims another example of his recent lack of discipline, he went to the food processor slot, and punched up some plomeek broth before returning to the bridge. As he tasted, eyes still glued to the readouts in one hand, he clumsily spilled the hot liquid down his uniform blouse and trousers. What... he began, then choked it off as yet another illogical outburst. He set down the datapadd on the briefing table, then tossed off the remains of his meal, chucking the cup down a recycling chute. Checking his chrono and realizing it would be some minutes yet until the modifications to the weapons systems were complete, he left the briefing room for his quarters, quite close by on the same deck, and quickly got out of his soiled uniform, and into the shower. One thing Spock disliked in the extreme, as much as a Vulcan could be said to dislike anything, was not being neat, clean, even fastidious, while on duty. And Spock s another example of his recent lack of discipline, he went to the food processor slot, and punched up some plomeek broth before returning to the bridge. As he tasted, eyes still glued to the readouts in one hand, he clumsily spilled the hot liquid down his uniform blouse and trousers. What... he began, then choked it off as yet another illogical outburst. He set down the datapadd on the briefing table, then tossed off the remains of his meal, chucking the cup down a recycling chute. Checking his chrono and realizing it would be some minutes yet until the modifications to the weapons systems were complete, he left the briefing room for his quarters, quite close by on the same deck, and quickly got out of his soiled uniform, and into the shower. One thing Spock disliked in the extreme, as much as a Vulcan could be said to dislike anything, was not being neat, clean, even fastidious, while on duty. And Spock bly evaded the Cylon s return fire, and then dumped a torpedo into one of her launch bays. Gobbets of sparks and wreckage blew through the control center, as the BaseShip was hammered again and again. Her gunnery was growing increasingly haphazard as both damage and radiation built up around them. At his control post, Command Centurion Caputstercus ordered his minions to fire, this time striking Reliant dead on under the saucer section, forward of the bridge. As the Federation ship rocked, he turned to the Klingons. Only to find the Bird-of-Prey bearing down on him like a falling rock. The Klingon passed close, veering away at the very last centon, spitting a full spread of torpedoes directly into the joint between hulls. Once more the BaseShip rocked violently, and his vidscreens blew out, leaving him operationally blind. By your command, shields failing, said an operative. Emergency power to... began Caputstercus, but the very floor beneath them heaved upwards,was never anything but spotless in front of his fellow crewmen. He quickly finished, and stepped out of the shower. Moving into the main living area... Athena wasn t sure she liked the feel of the Federation transporter device. One moment she was on board the Galactica, in the relatively open landing bay, then she felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and things around her morphed into the confines of the Enterprise s transporter room. Adama had given her a short mini-furlon, to visit her brother in the ship s Sickbay. The latest report on his condition was guardedly favorable, but for some time she had felt a rising urge, an intense drive, to go and see him in person. The transporter tech directed her towards Sickbay, and she headed out. And promptly got lost. She rounded a corner, and found herself lost in the twists and turns of Deck 5. A couple of techs, dressed in what she recognized as heavy fire-fighting suits, rushed past her, seemingly oblivious to her calls for directiowas never anything but spotless in front of his fellow crewmen. He quickly finished, and stepped out of the shower. Moving into the main living area... Athena wasn t sure she liked the feel of the Federation transporter device. One moment she was on board the Galactica, in the relatively open landing bay, then she felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and things around her morphed into the confines of the Enterprise s transporter room. Adama had given her a short mini-furlon, to visit her brother in the ship s Sickbay. The latest report on his condition was guardedly favorable, but for some time she had felt a rising urge, an intense drive, to go and see him in person. The transporter tech directed her towards Sickbay, and she headed out. And promptly got lost. She rounded a corner, and found herself lost in the twists and turns of Deck 5. A couple of techs, dressed in what she recognized as heavy fire-fighting suits, rushed past her, seemingly oblivious to her calls for directio sending Cylons and machinery flying. The lights failed, and the door to the central core was ripped open by a huge ball of fire. His shields are failing, sir, said Reliant s gunner, as flashes of light rippled across the Cylon s hull. Continue firing, ordered Captain Paddon, and his ship s guns continued buttoning the enemy. The BaseShip had slowed to a crawl, and her spin was failing. As the Reliant continued to slice away, the Constellation raced by, adding her fire to the attack. Her guns sliced off succulent slabs of the hull, easily deflecting the increasingly weakening fire from the BaseShip. One shot, however, managed to hit the Bird-of-Prey s screens dead on. P kuth had lined up, fired, and... Now! ordered Lucifer. By your command! replied the Centurion. Oh just shut up and do it! ordered the IL Series. ...was blown askew, as one of her torpedoes exploded just outside the screen perimeter, a lucky intersection of fire. The Klingns. She stopped, hands on hips, looked around her, certain that a starship must have a telecom system of some sort, and spotted the rectangular pad with speaker grill on a bulkhead not an arm s length away. She moved towards it... Excuse me, said a voice, and she turned. A man in what she recognized as a Federation enlisted man s uniform stood there, in an open doorway, looking at her. May I help you, Miss... Athena, she replied. Lieutenant Athena, from the Galactica. Ah, yes. I recognize the uniform, said the crewman, looking her up and down, a faint smile on his face. Is there something I can do for you? This area is restricted. I m trying to get to Life Station...uh, Sickbay. I was going to see my brother, Captain Apollo. He s recovering from surgery. Oh yes, smiled the crewman, and Athena thought she sensed something familiar in the smile. The fighter pilot. I heard. Come with me. I can show you the way, Lieutenant. Thank-you, she responded, relns. She stopped, hands on hips, looked around her, certain that a starship must have a telecom system of some sort, and spotted the rectangular pad with speaker grill on a bulkhead not an arm s length away. She moved towards it... Excuse me, said a voice, and she turned. A man in what she recognized as a Federation enlisted man s uniform stood there, in an open doorway, looking at her. May I help you, Miss... Athena, she replied. Lieutenant Athena, from the Galactica. Ah, yes. I recognize the uniform, said the crewman, looking her up and down, a faint smile on his face. Is there something I can do for you? This area is restricted. I m trying to get to Life Station...uh, Sickbay. I was going to see my brother, Captain Apollo. He s recovering from surgery. Oh yes, smiled the crewman, and Athena thought she sensed something familiar in the smile. The fighter pilot. I heard. Come with me. I can show you the way, Lieutenant. Thank-you, she responded, relon went spinning, her shields flickering on and off, tumbling end over end. Now that was damn rude, said Stone, on Constellation, with a grin, and ordered another attack. His ship s phasers ripped through the tissue-paper remnants of the BaseShip s screens, sending up huge clouds of boiling wreckage. Reliant followed with her lasers, and sent blast after blast ripping ever deeper into the enemy s guts. Battlestar moving in, sir, reported Stone s Exec. It s the Pegasus, sir. Tell him to join the party, chuckled Stone, as firing continued. Cain did so, pumping blast after blast into the enemy. The enemy was now silent, all defensive fire stopped, fires visible through spewing gaps in her dying hull. The three kept up the fire, till Stone at last ordered a cease fire. Signal Commander BaseShip, he ordered. Prepare to be boarded or destroyed. As his officers moved to obey, he saw that Cain was not stopping, the Pegasus continuing to carve up what was left of the BaseShip. ief evident on her face. She took up position with the crewman, and the two headed down the corridor. Was your brother wounded in battle? asked the crewman, seemingly interested in making small talk. Athena was becoming aware of the way his eyes were surreptitiously raking her up and down, and it somewhat annoyed her. Yet, it also...flattered her. In some small part of herself, she could feel herself growing aroused, as if this man s eyes alone were able to make her body feel something, make it... Ahhh...no, she replied, trying to shake it off. He was involved in a surface accident on the planet we encountered back on the other side of the wormhole. His Landram fell down a sinkhole, and he broke his neck. I see, said the other one. He stepped out in front of her quickly, and faced her. Athena stuttered to a stop, and locked eyes with the man. For an instant, he looked deeply into her eyes, and the deck seemed to swim about her. Here we are, Lieutenant, he said, aief evident on her face. She took up position with the crewman, and the two headed down the corridor. Was your brother wounded in battle? asked the crewman, seemingly interested in making small talk. Athena was becoming aware of the way his eyes were surreptitiously raking her up and down, and it somewhat annoyed her. Yet, it also...flattered her. In some small part of herself, she could feel herself growing aroused, as if this man s eyes alone were able to make her body feel something, make it... Ahhh...no, she replied, trying to shake it off. He was involved in a surface accident on the planet we encountered back on the other side of the wormhole. His Landram fell down a sinkhole, and he broke his neck. I see, said the other one. He stepped out in front of her quickly, and faced her. Athena stuttered to a stop, and locked eyes with the man. For an instant, he looked deeply into her eyes, and the deck seemed to swim about her. Here we are, Lieutenant, he said, a Commander Cain, he began, but Cain s response was, as ever, Cainlike. Frack surrender! he spat, and continued firing. It didn t take much longer, One shot, directly into a now open launch bay resulted in a huge ball of red flame belching into space, then the next closest bay erupted as well. The hull between then cracked, peeling back and up as the explosions inside merged into one great conflagration. Cain fired again, and the BaseShip split in half, the upper hull disintegrating as it tore away from the lower. Moments later, the lower hull was filleted by chunks of wreckage the size of city blocks, and morphed in a single seething nimbus of annihilation. So much for surrender, sighed Stone, and began to move away from the still consuming remains of the Cylon warship. Mr. Hutchison, status of Klingon ship. Yes, said Serina, aboard the Ship Of Lights, watching the battle conclude. It s finally over. She looked at first John, then her son, and John smilnd his voice seemed like liquid heat, trickling over her. She once more felt her body responding, as if she were caught up in desire, when he spoke again. Sickbay. He pointed to the plate by the door. I shall leave you here, Lieutenant. He turned and left, and she shook her head, in a whirl at this sudden rush of...feelings. What in Hades Hole was wrong with her??? Desire? Need? Lust? Over someone she d known all of a few centons? Lords of Kobol, she hadn t had anything to drink for quite some time, and she sure the frack wasn t Starbuck! Besides, he d been so rude, looking her over like some choice chop in the meat market. Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the door, and it slid open with the weird squeaky hiss all the doors on this ship had. She marched in, head high and with strength in her gait, when she saw... Lieutenant Athena! said Spock, momentarily frozen in place, towel in one hand. Commander Spock! she squeaked, eyes wide, face red. Outside, the crewman laund his voice seemed like liquid heat, trickling over her. She once more felt her body responding, as if she were caught up in desire, when he spoke again. Sickbay. He pointed to the plate by the door. I shall leave you here, Lieutenant. He turned and left, and she shook her head, in a whirl at this sudden rush of...feelings. What in Hades Hole was wrong with her??? Desire? Need? Lust? Over someone she d known all of a few centons? Lords of Kobol, she hadn t had anything to drink for quite some time, and she sure the frack wasn t Starbuck! Besides, he d been so rude, looking her over like some choice chop in the meat market. Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the door, and it slid open with the weird squeaky hiss all the doors on this ship had. She marched in, head high and with strength in her gait, when she saw... Lieutenant Athena! said Spock, momentarily frozen in place, towel in one hand. Commander Spock! she squeaked, eyes wide, face red. Outside, the crewman laued. Noooo, moaned Iblis, watching events unfold. It was all over. Everything. Everything was in ruins! All his plans. All his work. A thousand yahren of ceaseless, unremitting effort, all dust. He turned away, his face twisted with hatred and despair, and looked across the universe. Back in the Gamma Quadrant, in the Cylon home system, the vast and menacing Super BaseShip that orbited the Homeworld, big enough to dock twenty standard BaseShips, sat silent. Her windows still shone with light, but those within stood where they had been, when it happened. Telemetry from Imperious Leader had stopped, enough to cause alarm in the collective Cylon mind. Then, as the Cylons began the task of selecting a new Imperious Leader, huge gaps suddenly began to eat their way through the programming. Vast swaths of code simply disappeared. Centurions, IL Series units, and every other form of Cylon suddenly stopped. Blank. Directionless. Bereft of purpose. And of either ability or motghed softly to himself. =========================== As he reviewed his underlings repair and operations reports, Imperious Leader also contemplated the battle ahead. While he was incapable of swerving from the Directive to destroy all Humans, he was not so blind as to believe himself invulnerable. Although the new shielding was a considerable improvement over previous systems, it could not stand up forever against the relentless pounding of so many enemy ships. And, regardless of how well it did, the enemy had an advantage-they could call in more ships, while it had been calculated that at full speed, it would take a BaseShip twenty yahren or more to get here from Cylon. Assuming of course that fuel and operations presented no problems. So, what to do? Once the shield was fully charged, they would fire the pulse, then distract any remaining Human forces, and implement his escape plan. Imperiousghed softly to himself. =========================== As he reviewed his underlings repair and operations reports, Imperious Leader also contemplated the battle ahead. While he was incapable of swerving from the Directive to destroy all Humans, he was not so blind as to believe himself invulnerable. Although the new shielding was a considerable improvement over previous systems, it could not stand up forever against the relentless pounding of so many enemy ships. And, regardless of how well it did, the enemy had an advantage-they could call in more ships, while it had been calculated that at full speed, it would take a BaseShip twenty yahren or more to get here from Cylon. Assuming of course that fuel and operations presented no problems. So, what to do? Once the shield was fully charged, they would fire the pulse, then distract any remaining Human forces, and implement his escape plan. Imperiousivation to control anything, including the scores of BaseShips, freighters, tankers, and other vessels moving about the system, which was all it took. One lobotomized tanker plowed into the gigantic monstrosity that was Imperious Leader s seat, then a BaseShip followed suit, and soon it was evaporating in a beautiful blossom of destruction. Far away from Cylon, on a world once called Caprica, the streets and buildings were filled with countless Cylons. Cylons that stood. Cylons that fell. Unmoving. Unseeing. Unresponsive. Dead. Below, on the surface of the once lush and verdant world of Cylon, a living being raised its dull, listless reptilian eyes skywards, as something bright flared in the sky. One of the few surviving organic Cylons, confined since the Overthrow to small preserves, Ooolk watched the machines in orbit die, and began, slowly, to wonder. Began to wonder as a new light began to come into his eyes, and his brain. He leaned down, and picked up the on Leader had no doubts that it would do the job, and the Colonials and their new allies would fall victim to it, allowing him to, ultimately, emerge victorious. Victorious, and lost. Whoever managed to survive would be unable to find him, and he would be free. Free to find another world upon which to settle, and begin the task of building a new arm of the Cylon Empire. In time, there would be more centurions, more fighters, and more BaseShips. And, when communication with Cylon was finally reestablished, they would proceed crush everything and everyone between the two fists of his ineluctable power. He also reviewed the message, transmitted a few centons ago, back to the Homeworld. Once the lull in the fighting had settled in, navigation had at last managed to determine their location, in relation to Cylon. A message had been sent, at full power, on the Imperious Leader s personal frequency. Considerably slower than Federation subspace transmissions, the Cylon version, however, Leader had no doubts that it would do the job, and the Colonials and their new allies would fall victim to it, allowing him to, ultimately, emerge victorious. Victorious, and lost. Whoever managed to survive would be unable to find him, and he would be free. Free to find another world upon which to settle, and begin the task of building a new arm of the Cylon Empire. In time, there would be more centurions, more fighters, and more BaseShips. And, when communication with Cylon was finally reestablished, they would proceed crush everything and everyone between the two fists of his ineluctable power. He also reviewed the message, transmitted a few centons ago, back to the Homeworld. Once the lull in the fighting had settled in, navigation had at last managed to determine their location, in relation to Cylon. A message had been sent, at full power, on the Imperious Leader s personal frequency. Considerably slower than Federation subspace transmissions, the Cylon version, however, ly technology his kind possessed. A club. He looked at it, then across the land, and smiled. ================================== Much to Adama s surprise, there had been no resistance whatsoever offered to the boarding parties. The Warriors wore environmental suits, as did their Federation counterparts, in the event of total environmental failure, but their weapons were, ultimately, unneeded. I don t get it, said Starbuck, as they moved along a wreckage-strewn corridor, lights flickering, their magnetic boots clicking loudly on the decks. He raised his helmet visor, and found the air passable. In front of him stood a Cylon, armed, red eye still oscillating, seemingly ready for action. Yet, it did nothing. It just stood there, humming and droning, a perfect example of the lights being on, but... Nobody s home, said Giles, examining another Cylon, and disarming both. Like the first Centurion, it was apparently operational, but made no move to do anything. I ll bet ye atended to suffer less signal degradation over exceptionally long distances then they did. When the message, repeated continuously, reached Cylon, in about ten or so yahren, the Alliance would at once send BaseShips to link up with his own outpost here, and then the final destruction of Humanity could be completed. But what of the other races? Lucifer had asked him. What indeed? pondered Imperious Leader, trying to fit them into the parameters of his programming. While, like the Hassaris, the Delphians, the Naytarians, and countless other species, they were inferior and must be destroyed, or like the Ovions, made use of, the seemingly easy way in which they had allied themselves with the Colonials troubled him. The Tholians, according to the scans, were crystalloid beings, very much like the now-extinct Delphian race. Their weaponry, however, was far ahead of what the Delphians had fielded, and that made them vastly more dangerous. And the Klingons... A race that looked and acttended to suffer less signal degradation over exceptionally long distances then they did. When the message, repeated continuously, reached Cylon, in about ten or so yahren, the Alliance would at once send BaseShips to link up with his own outpost here, and then the final destruction of Humanity could be completed. But what of the other races? Lucifer had asked him. What indeed? pondered Imperious Leader, trying to fit them into the parameters of his programming. While, like the Hassaris, the Delphians, the Naytarians, and countless other species, they were inferior and must be destroyed, or like the Ovions, made use of, the seemingly easy way in which they had allied themselves with the Colonials troubled him. The Tholians, according to the scans, were crystalloid beings, very much like the now-extinct Delphian race. Their weaponry, however, was far ahead of what the Delphians had fielded, and that made them vastly more dangerous. And the Klingons... A race that looked and act tankard o ale their central control nexus is all shot ta hell, said Scott, probing one of the Centurions with his tricorder. The main processor unit in these beasties seems ta have gone off-line, laddiebuck. Starbuck, Starbuck reminded him, and they moved on. From his two times aboard a BaseShip, the Warrior knew where he was headed. At the end of the corridor was a hatch, leading to one of the wrecked landing bays. A metron away was the hatch leading down, towards the Control Center. The hatch was partly open, they saw. It had slammed violently shut on a Centurion that had been attempting to traverse it, almost cutting the Cylon in half. Giles hauled the upper half out of the way, and watched the lower half drop to the deck below. Ouch, said the Warrior, as the mutilated Cylon crashed beneath them. That s gotta hurt. Below, another Cylon, this one an IL, looked up at them, but beyond noticing their presence, made no moves at all. All drew their weapons, but the IL stood stilled so much like the Humans, yet was not Human, troubled him even more. These Klingons seemed to enjoy fighting. While the Colonials fought because the Cylons gave them no choice, the Klingons seemed to fight because they derived an obscene kind of pleasure from the very act of fighting. Imperious Leader could not understand this very well, having no equivalent programming. What he understood of the more bizarre Human emotions he had gleaned from his contacts with Baltar, and conversations with Lucifer. Why would any sentient being enjoy an activity that could quite easily lead to its injury, or even death? Surely, any species that conducted its affairs by such a code would soon find itself annihilated. Wiped out of existence. Yet these Klingons not only had survived, but obviously advanced their space technology to approximately the same level as the Federation Humans, who seemed, on the surface at least, as desirous of peace as the Colonials. Imperious Leader shook his ugly head, a ged so much like the Humans, yet was not Human, troubled him even more. These Klingons seemed to enjoy fighting. While the Colonials fought because the Cylons gave them no choice, the Klingons seemed to fight because they derived an obscene kind of pleasure from the very act of fighting. Imperious Leader could not understand this very well, having no equivalent programming. What he understood of the more bizarre Human emotions he had gleaned from his contacts with Baltar, and conversations with Lucifer. Why would any sentient being enjoy an activity that could quite easily lead to its injury, or even death? Surely, any species that conducted its affairs by such a code would soon find itself annihilated. Wiped out of existence. Yet these Klingons not only had survived, but obviously advanced their space technology to approximately the same level as the Federation Humans, who seemed, on the surface at least, as desirous of peace as the Colonials. Imperious Leader shook his ugly head, a g. Several other men, armed with heavy pulse-blaster rifles, descended the ladder-well first, ahead of the rest. By your command, the IL said, its very Human-sounding voice slow and a bit uncertain, looking at the soldiers. Where s yer control deck? Scott asked the machine, as he touched down onto the metal plates. It s through here, Scotty, said Starbuck, pointing to a partially open door. It is through here, said the Cylon, seemingly oblivious to Starbuck s words. By your command. Hold on, sir, said the security Warrior. He and several others moved through first, then called for the rest of the party. One by one, the party moved through where the computer banks stood. Computers now wrecked and blackened by the pounding the BaseShip had taken. Here, several centurions lay, damaged and still, apparently taken out by the ripped power cables and shorted systems littering the room. One by one they climbed over the junk, and forced their way into what had once esture unconsciously picked up from contact with Baltar, and felt a rush of frustration. Being a computer, he hated any sort of unresolved analysis. No, he reminded himself, not all Humans wanted peace. Commander Cain, of the perpetually returning Battlestar Pegasus. There was a Colonial Human who seemed to have no desire for peace. No desire at all. He was a Human who actually seemed more like these Klingon creatures, than his own Colonial brethren. Cain loved war, lived for it, seemingly reveled in the intensity of combat. Perhaps that was what had permitted him to survive for so long, escaping death at the hands of his enemies time and time again. Such Humans, and the Klingons together...what other disgusting deviants did this Alpha Quadrant hold? Obviously, the Alliance had much work ahead of it. He accessed the ship s chrono. Forty-four centons, and counting. But where was Iblis? ====================================== Uhhh... began Athena, utterly at a loss esture unconsciously picked up from contact with Baltar, and felt a rush of frustration. Being a computer, he hated any sort of unresolved analysis. No, he reminded himself, not all Humans wanted peace. Commander Cain, of the perpetually returning Battlestar Pegasus. There was a Colonial Human who seemed to have no desire for peace. No desire at all. He was a Human who actually seemed more like these Klingon creatures, than his own Colonial brethren. Cain loved war, lived for it, seemingly reveled in the intensity of combat. Perhaps that was what had permitted him to survive for so long, escaping death at the hands of his enemies time and time again. Such Humans, and the Klingons together...what other disgusting deviants did this Alpha Quadrant hold? Obviously, the Alliance had much work ahead of it. He accessed the ship s chrono. Forty-four centons, and counting. But where was Iblis? ====================================== Uhhh... began Athena, utterly at a loss been the heart of a fearsome engine of war. Frack! swore Starbuck, on seeing the damage. The room was a wreck, looking more like a junkyard than anything else. Cylons in various stages of dismemberment littered the area, and there, at the main control post... Imperious Leader! grinned Giles. Like all living Colonials, he had never met, or even seen the ruler of their enemies, and felt a desire to blow the monstrous construction to bits. Not fair, said Imperious Ex-Leader, looking at the intruders. Colonies...not fair...missing...operating system malfunction...nested memory files...malfunction...protocols corrupted... corrupted... not fair not fair...permission to board...Lucifer... Aye, this ones on the fritz, too, said Scotty, scanning the damaged ruler. Looks like the data files are totally corrupted. Same here, sir, said one of Scotty s people, trying to access the ship s controls. What a mess. What s the ship s status, lad? Hard to say,for the moment as to what to say. For his part, Spock was much the same. While he did not react in the same way as a Human, he was nonetheless as taken off-guard as she. He at last found his voice. Lieutenant, I... You want her, don t you? said a voice, and Spock turned. Who else had entered his quarters? He turned, and beheld the owner of the voice. Tall, appearing to be a Human in vigorous middle-age, robed in white. After a moment, he recognized him as the being he had seen on the viewscreen, whom the Colonials called Count Iblis. The mysterious being was smiling, though at Spock s state, or the situation as a whole, the Vulcan could not tell. I... he began, wishing he had not left his towel in the head. Oh but you do, purred the other. Spock tried to speak, but suddenly found speech difficult. While he did not feel a Human sense of shame, he was nonetheless uncomfortable at his current state. Ever since you laid eyes on her, Spock. Iblis had drawn closer, anfor the moment as to what to say. For his part, Spock was much the same. While he did not react in the same way as a Human, he was nonetheless as taken off-guard as she. He at last found his voice. Lieutenant, I... You want her, don t you? said a voice, and Spock turned. Who else had entered his quarters? He turned, and beheld the owner of the voice. Tall, appearing to be a Human in vigorous middle-age, robed in white. After a moment, he recognized him as the being he had seen on the viewscreen, whom the Colonials called Count Iblis. The mysterious being was smiling, though at Spock s state, or the situation as a whole, the Vulcan could not tell. I... he began, wishing he had not left his towel in the head. Oh but you do, purred the other. Spock tried to speak, but suddenly found speech difficult. While he did not feel a Human sense of shame, he was nonetheless uncomfortable at his current state. Ever since you laid eyes on her, Spock. Iblis had drawn closer, an sir. The translator s slow rendering this Cylon script. But, it looks she s finished, sir. Engines are totally down, half her power systems indicators are dark. Aye, her internal sensors are off-line, too, lad. She s one fer the scrap yard, fer sure. Personally, I like watching them blow up, said Starbuck, putting binders on the now-helpless Imperious Leader. It s a lot more fun. Och, a chance ta study alien technology, shot back Scott, and all ye can think of is blowin her to bits? It s been more practical in the past, replied Starbuck, and began leading Imperious Leader away. Gommeed swore by every Elemental he could think of, as his ship dropped out of its impromptu warp jump. Once below light, the Tholian craft had tumbled wildly, then finally come to something resembling trim. He picked himself up... Status!!!! Scanning, sir! We have been catapulted several light hours away from the battle, sir. Head back! Now! d Spock suddenly seemed to be unable to move as well. All around him, everything had slowed to a stop. The vibration of the ship s engines was gone, the soft noise of the circulation fan in his quarter s environmental controls, even the blinking of the lights on his computer console. All had stopped. Even Athena, her eyes wide with shock, was seemingly frozen in place, her mouth open, as if to speak. He could not define exactly what was going on, but Iblis was the only thing that was moving. Somehow, this creature had the ability to... She is Human, replied Spock, at last forcing words out of his mouth. There can be nothing...between us. As he spoke, he was dimly aware of having slipped back into Vulcan. As there was nothing between Sarek and Amanda? countered Iblis, his voice somewhere between compassionate understanding, and taunting. A Vulcan, and a Human woman? Who would have believed that possible, eh? But...but my father... Was not betrothed, yes. I understd Spock suddenly seemed to be unable to move as well. All around him, everything had slowed to a stop. The vibration of the ship s engines was gone, the soft noise of the circulation fan in his quarter s environmental controls, even the blinking of the lights on his computer console. All had stopped. Even Athena, her eyes wide with shock, was seemingly frozen in place, her mouth open, as if to speak. He could not define exactly what was going on, but Iblis was the only thing that was moving. Somehow, this creature had the ability to... She is Human, replied Spock, at last forcing words out of his mouth. There can be nothing...between us. As he spoke, he was dimly aware of having slipped back into Vulcan. As there was nothing between Sarek and Amanda? countered Iblis, his voice somewhere between compassionate understanding, and taunting. A Vulcan, and a Human woman? Who would have believed that possible, eh? But...but my father... Was not betrothed, yes. I underst Adama felt a surge of pride as he stood on his bridge, looking at the shattered hulk of his defeated enemy. Never in living memory had a Colonial vessel been able to capture an enemy warship in battle. No doubt, many secrets of Cylon technology were waiting to be revealed, secrets that scientists like Wilker were already drooling over in anticipation. He smiled, arms crossed, and almost felt himself grown young again. Damage control report, sir, said Tigh, handing him a pad. Adama perused it, pleased to note how well the ship had come through her most recent engagement, and signed off on it. He was turning back to the open viewport, when Athena called: Father! Apollo calling, from Enterprise! Her face was beaming like an overloaded shield. Put him on, Athena! he cried, moving to his command seat. Put him on! Apollo s head was spinning, and it wasn t entirely from all the medications. He d awakened in the mysterious alien sickbay, pain rumbling through his eand. Ever since the death of Sybok s mother, he had been alone. Bereft. Desolate. Then he met Amanda, Spock. Met her, and at once felt drawn to her, despite all your ridiculous taboos. He saw her, and he acted upon it. I...I am betrothed, Spock shot back, finding it somehow increasingly difficult, both to breathe, and to resist the strange feelings coursing through him. Not just desire, which was manifestly becoming undeniable. But something in Iblis voice was having an effect on him. T Pring. His will, his ability to think clearly, was becoming...becoming... Pah! said Iblis, leaning close, almost whispering in his ear. T Pring? She cares nothing for you, Spock. Nothing at all. Do you remember Stonn? Despite his Vulcan control, Spock betrayed a moment s emotion. Iblis smiled. Yes. Stonn. Your cousin. The ringleader of the boys who taunted you as a child. Calling you halfbreed , and saying that you weren t really Vulcan. Iblis waited a beat, letting his words sink in, and the olvery bone and nerve. Yet, his mind was surprisingly clear. He d slowly tried to raise his head, amid no small amount of pain, and noticed an extremely attractive woman dressed in a strange costume looking at him. He tried to speak, and ask where he was. From her puzzled look, the woman obviously had no clue as to what he was saying. She d left, then returned with a white- haired man, equipped with some sort of Languatron device, and from there things had progressed more smoothly. It s all so weird, Father, he said, much later, sitting up in bed in the Enterprise s recovery ward. I remember the Landram falling down that shaft, then I m here. He looked about the room. Nothing else? asked Dietra, herself now near to fully recovered. Well, I had some pretty weird dreams, I ll admit, frowned the Strike Captain. I dreamed about Zac, Father. Zac? Yes. But now, it all seems so tenuous. Apollo took a deep breath, and Adama could see his son s reluctance to speak oand. Ever since the death of Sybok s mother, he had been alone. Bereft. Desolate. Then he met Amanda, Spock. Met her, and at once felt drawn to her, despite all your ridiculous taboos. He saw her, and he acted upon it. I...I am betrothed, Spock shot back, finding it somehow increasingly difficult, both to breathe, and to resist the strange feelings coursing through him. Not just desire, which was manifestly becoming undeniable. But something in Iblis voice was having an effect on him. T Pring. His will, his ability to think clearly, was becoming...becoming... Pah! said Iblis, leaning close, almost whispering in his ear. T Pring? She cares nothing for you, Spock. Nothing at all. Do you remember Stonn? Despite his Vulcan control, Spock betrayed a moment s emotion. Iblis smiled. Yes. Stonn. Your cousin. The ringleader of the boys who taunted you as a child. Calling you halfbreed , and saying that you weren t really Vulcan. Iblis waited a beat, letting his words sink in, and the old memory surface. You never liked him did you? I can hardly blame you, Spock. Dislike is...irrelevant, said Spock, increasingly frustrated at his lack of control. Stonn is Stonn. And he wants her, Spock. T Pring. Your betrothed. And... Iblis touched Spock on the shoulder, in an almost obscene caress, T Pring returns the sentiment. He smiled again. T Pring is... Unfaithful, Spock. Yes, unfaithful. Behold. Iblis waved a hand, and for a moment, he saw before him a room in what he recognized as the home of T Pring s father, on Vulcan. She was sitting upon a divan, Stonn next to her. Both were locked in a passionate embrace, kissing, T Pring slowly sliding Stonn s tunic off of him. Spock felt...what? Anger? Shock? Deep humiliation? He wasn t sure. You knew she cared nothing for you, Spock, Iblis went on, the images before Spock s eyes fading from sight. You ve felt it through your bond for years. Almost from the day you and she were bonded, over twenty years agf this further in the presence of others. So, we re in what space? A Federation, you said? Yeah, said Starbuck, fumerello in hand. At a scowl from Nurse Mansoor that could have shorted out a Centurion, he d put it away, but now twirled it between his fingers. The United Federation of Planets. We skipped over 50,000 light- yahren across the star-system, buddy. And the Cylons? They followed us through the wormhole machine, continued Sheba. Four BaseShips, and the Imperious Leader. But they re all destroyed now, Apollo. She took him by the hand, gently cradling it. She would say naught of Iblis, for now. The Fleet? Apollo went on, as ever the Fleet s safety uppermost in his thoughts. Safe. All safe now, said Adama. As shown how by Boyce, he activated the screen near the bed. It duplicated the view on the Enterprise s bridge. She, and the entire Colonial Fleet, now orbited the once-more stable planet, the Galactica shining brightly in the light of this alien sd memory surface. You never liked him did you? I can hardly blame you, Spock. Dislike is...irrelevant, said Spock, increasingly frustrated at his lack of control. Stonn is Stonn. And he wants her, Spock. T Pring. Your betrothed. And... Iblis touched Spock on the shoulder, in an almost obscene caress, T Pring returns the sentiment. He smiled again. T Pring is... Unfaithful, Spock. Yes, unfaithful. Behold. Iblis waved a hand, and for a moment, he saw before him a room in what he recognized as the home of T Pring s father, on Vulcan. She was sitting upon a divan, Stonn next to her. Both were locked in a passionate embrace, kissing, T Pring slowly sliding Stonn s tunic off of him. Spock felt...what? Anger? Shock? Deep humiliation? He wasn t sure. You knew she cared nothing for you, Spock, Iblis went on, the images before Spock s eyes fading from sight. You ve felt it through your bond for years. Almost from the day you and she were bonded, over twenty years ago. You don t need her! hissed Iblis, seeming to move even closer. But Athena... As the images of T Pring and Stonn faded, Spock once more saw Athena. But now, she stood before him, utterly naked, aroused, her uniform in a heap about her feet. He felt his heart take an involuntary leap... Gloriously naked... I...this cannot... Athena is different, Spock, Iblis went on, smiling a smile of pure malignity. She wants you, as T Pring never has. And never will. She is young, beautiful, passionate. She is willing, Spock. She can be yours. For an hour. For life. The choice is yours. No.... Athena opened her mouth in shock, upon unexpectedly seeing a naked man in front of her. She was even more shocked when she recognized him as Spock, the Vulcan First Officer of Captain Pike. Obviously, this was not the Sickbay. She managed to squeak... Uhhh... Athena, said a voice. She didn t move for a moment, and the voice spoke again. Athena. At lastun. Next to her, looking like the battered sister she was... The Pegasus? asked Apollo, shocked to see the long-lost Battlestar next to his own. Yeah, said Boomer, at the foot of the biobed. She followed us... Damn right! said a voice, and they all turned to see Cain stride in, still dressed as the flamboyant Commander waiting for the latest photo-op. You didn t think I was going to let your father grab all the glory, did you, Captain? Cain spoke like a CO preparing to torch the hide off a lazy subordinate, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. He laughed, and it was an infectious one. Adama joined in, hearing such a sound as he had not heard from Cain since they were young men. Besides, Captain, he said at last, you can t escape your responsibilities by leaving me clear across the star system! My responsibilities, sir? asked Apollo, clearly confused. He looked from Cain to Adama, then to Starbuck, who was clearly trying not to explode. Boomer raised his hands,o. You don t need her! hissed Iblis, seeming to move even closer. But Athena... As the images of T Pring and Stonn faded, Spock once more saw Athena. But now, she stood before him, utterly naked, aroused, her uniform in a heap about her feet. He felt his heart take an involuntary leap... Gloriously naked... I...this cannot... Athena is different, Spock, Iblis went on, smiling a smile of pure malignity. She wants you, as T Pring never has. And never will. She is young, beautiful, passionate. She is willing, Spock. She can be yours. For an hour. For life. The choice is yours. No.... Athena opened her mouth in shock, upon unexpectedly seeing a naked man in front of her. She was even more shocked when she recognized him as Spock, the Vulcan First Officer of Captain Pike. Obviously, this was not the Sickbay. She managed to squeak... Uhhh... Athena, said a voice. She didn t move for a moment, and the voice spoke again. Athena. At last she turned her gaze away from Spock, who seemed to be standing frozen in place, and beheld Iblis, smiling the smile of evil. She did not at once speak, and he nodded his head in Spock s direction. Yes, it s him. How interesting that you find yourself here, My Dear. He waited a bit, then moved closer to her. In the very quarters of the man who so intrigues you. How did I get here? she choked out, even as she felt her body spiral upwards in arousal. I was heading for their Life... Does it matter? Your brother will be fine. But you came here, Athena. Came here to the very quarters of the man who has thought of little but you since the moment that you met. Me? No. No, that can t be true. He s an alien, and... Like Spock, she found it increasingly hard to breathe, and everything around her had slowed to a virtual stop. And that matters? oozed the Count. You want him. I can sense it. Even now, your body cries out for him. For his touch upon your flesh, for the power of she turned her gaze away from Spock, who seemed to be standing frozen in place, and beheld Iblis, smiling the smile of evil. She did not at once speak, and he nodded his head in Spock s direction. Yes, it s him. How interesting that you find yourself here, My Dear. He waited a bit, then moved closer to her. In the very quarters of the man who so intrigues you. How did I get here? she choked out, even as she felt her body spiral upwards in arousal. I was heading for their Life... Does it matter? Your brother will be fine. But you came here, Athena. Came here to the very quarters of the man who has thought of little but you since the moment that you met. Me? No. No, that can t be true. He s an alien, and... Like Spock, she found it increasingly hard to breathe, and everything around her had slowed to a virtual stop. And that matters? oozed the Count. You want him. I can sense it. Even now, your body cries out for him. For his touch upon your flesh, for the power of his body next to your own. She felt his fingers touch her shoulder. No! You re a liar! She tried to move, and remained rooted in place You only want... Not at all, hissed the Father of Lies, his tongue almost serpent-like in her ear. I ask nothing from you, My Dear. Indulge yourself. You will see that I am right. You want him. Need him. He indicated the statue-like Spock before her. You can see he wants you, Iblis smiled. What...what would... We can talk again later, Athena. For now... Iblis seemed to withdraw from her senses, now almost totally overwhelmed with pure animal arousal, an arousal she saw mirrored in the wonderfully sculpted form before her. With a cry of near-bestial lust, she moved towards Spock, only dimly aware of the fact that she was now as naked as he was, though she had made no conscious move to disrobe whatsoever. She gripped him fiercely, as found herself held as tightly in return. The two of them at once fell to the bunk, beyond sp as if to say Not me , and then he felt Sheba squeeze his hand. Our responsibilities, Apollo, said Sheba, with an expression of pure love. Like most men, Apollo took several moments to figure out what the Hades she was... You mean...? Of course that s what she means! boomed Cain. What do you think usually happens to people who keep on... Father! cried Sheba, with a grimace. She looked at Adama, who was beginning to chuckle, and shook her head. She opened her mouth, when Nurse Mansoor opened the door, Boyce behind her. Time s up, she said. Everybody out. Hey, we re planning a wedding here, began Starbuck, but stopped when she took the fumerello from his fingers, and tossed it into the trash. I don t care if you re running for President. Out! As they all reluctantly obeyed, she leaned close to Sheba as she passed, and with a twinkle in her eye, whispered: Men! ======================================== It annoyed Pike no end to l his body next to your own. She felt his fingers touch her shoulder. No! You re a liar! She tried to move, and remained rooted in place You only want... Not at all, hissed the Father of Lies, his tongue almost serpent-like in her ear. I ask nothing from you, My Dear. Indulge yourself. You will see that I am right. You want him. Need him. He indicated the statue-like Spock before her. You can see he wants you, Iblis smiled. What...what would... We can talk again later, Athena. For now... Iblis seemed to withdraw from her senses, now almost totally overwhelmed with pure animal arousal, an arousal she saw mirrored in the wonderfully sculpted form before her. With a cry of near-bestial lust, she moved towards Spock, only dimly aware of the fact that she was now as naked as he was, though she had made no conscious move to disrobe whatsoever. She gripped him fiercely, as found herself held as tightly in return. The two of them at once fell to the bunk, beyond speech, beyond thought, beyond caring. Beyond seeing Iblis, watching them from the darkness, laughing. And laughing. And laughing. =============================================== Looking at the chrono over the handball court, Yeoman Colt decided she had just enough time for a quick shower, before leaving the gym, and reporting for duty on the bridge. This was it, she mused, as she turned on the water. The final battle with these disgusting Cylon creatures. From everything she d seen and heard, they were evil, worthless scum, who d spread nothing but death and misery across the galaxy. She was entirely in sympathy with the fleeing Colonials, and thought it truly wonderful to learn that there were other Humans, elsewhere in the galaxy. So far in her Starfleet career, she d met various Humanoids. Klingons, with or without the heads, Axinarians, Pakled, Denobulans, Bajorans, Talosians, and any variety of variations on a theme. The Bumpies of the Week , someone had once calledet the Klingons walk away with technology stripped from the wrecked BaseShip, but the Federation President had been clear. In this instance, it was adjudged best to just bend whichever way the ions were blowing, and not piss off the Klingons any further. Not, of course, that there was a lot for the Klingons to take. Huge areas of the alien vessel were a total wreck, or had been picked over by the Starfleet crews. Still, thought Pike, letting their mortal enemies have anything The Tholians at last returned, almost a full day after their unceremonious departure. True to Tholian behavior, they just sat there, scanned everything repeatedly and thoroughly, but said not a word. Pike was thankful for this. The last thing he wanted was another dustup just now, and with a race as congenial and diplomatic as the Cylons had turned out to be. Pike looked over at Spock, nose still glued to his instruments. Wanting to make sure the wormhole wasn t going to open again, Nogura had ordered thoroueech, beyond thought, beyond caring. Beyond seeing Iblis, watching them from the darkness, laughing. And laughing. And laughing. =============================================== Looking at the chrono over the handball court, Yeoman Colt decided she had just enough time for a quick shower, before leaving the gym, and reporting for duty on the bridge. This was it, she mused, as she turned on the water. The final battle with these disgusting Cylon creatures. From everything she d seen and heard, they were evil, worthless scum, who d spread nothing but death and misery across the galaxy. She was entirely in sympathy with the fleeing Colonials, and thought it truly wonderful to learn that there were other Humans, elsewhere in the galaxy. So far in her Starfleet career, she d met various Humanoids. Klingons, with or without the heads, Axinarians, Pakled, Denobulans, Bajorans, Talosians, and any variety of variations on a theme. The Bumpies of the Week , someone had once called them. No, here at last were real Humans. Yet, out of all of them, out of all the galaxy, she wanted only one...Chris Pike. Once, only once, in the caverns of Talos IV, brought there through the illusionary machinations of the Keeper, she had thought she might, just, have a chance at last with the handsome Captain. The Captain she admired. The Captain she made love to in her dreams. At last, to have his powerful arms around her, to feel his... But no. He was about as approachable as the Statue of Liberty, and as receptive as a Vulcan Kohlinar Master. Why? Why can t it be different? she asked herself, for the umpteenth time, as she got under the water. It wasn t unheard of, having a relationship with one s superior officers. Sure, Starfleet Regulations said otherwise, but... Captain! she cried, loudly, as she stepped out of the shower stall, to find the object of her inmost musings practicagh studies of this immediate area of space. Spock was also making extensive scans of the planet below, now apparently placid once more, attempting to discover the reasons for its recent upheavals. From the crease in his brows, Pike decided the answers weren t as forthcoming as the Vulcan might have wished. He opened his mouth, but Number One spoke first: Tholian ships withdrawing, sir, she reported. Excellent, replied Pike, rising from his seat. He made his way over to Spock s station, and peered into the instruments. The planet, after it s near-suicidal tirade, now sported a newly outgassed atmosphere, above it s rapidly cooling surface. After a few moments, Pike looked up at the chrono. You were off-duty almost three hours ago, Mr. Spock. I...have been studying the phenomena, sir, as per... You ve pulled a second watch, Spock. A third... Sir... Go, Spock, ordered Pike. Call Ensign Sulu to take over. Captain, I... That s an order, Spo them. No, here at last were real Humans. Yet, out of all of them, out of all the galaxy, she wanted only one...Chris Pike. Once, only once, in the caverns of Talos IV, brought there through the illusionary machinations of the Keeper, she had thought she might, just, have a chance at last with the handsome Captain. The Captain she admired. The Captain she made love to in her dreams. At last, to have his powerful arms around her, to feel his... But no. He was about as approachable as the Statue of Liberty, and as receptive as a Vulcan Kohlinar Master. Why? Why can t it be different? she asked herself, for the umpteenth time, as she got under the water. It wasn t unheard of, having a relationship with one s superior officers. Sure, Starfleet Regulations said otherwise, but... Captain! she cried, loudly, as she stepped out of the shower stall, to find the object of her inmost musings practically at arm s length. Pike looked at her, up and down, his expression one of satisfaction, and she found herself flushing red in spite of herself, unable to move from her spot. Colt, he said. You can have him, said a voice in her head. A voice that was cultured, rich, and very, very seductive. You want him, Colt. You know you do. He can be yours. Any man you want can be yours! I... gasped Colt, unable to breathe. I can give you him. I can give you any one, anything, that you desire, said Iblis, suddenly before her. Around her, the very air seemed to grow still, the sounds of the ship around her to fade, Pike seemingly the only other thing that moved. Without having perceived any motion on her part, Colt found herself with her arms about her Captain, his lips inexorably lowering towards her own. No! said a voice, and something blurred past her vision. A small, blue something. A sphere of light. Colt was startled, pulling away, and found herself looking at another man. Like Iblis, she had never seen him before. Like Iblis, he was clothed entirely in white, though it was not robes he wore, but a tight-fitting suit of a style she d never seen. Who... Get out of here! snarled Iblis, turning to face the other. I... Lie, said the other. I am John, he said to Colt, and she realized with a start that she was now clothed in her uniform. You cannot believe a word he tells you, Yeoman. You must not. He is pure, utter, evil. I can give you what you desire! said Iblis, his eyes blazing with a light that made Colt recoil. Your Captain. The Keeper was right, you want him. More now than even then. Need his arms about you. Desire his lips upon you. To feel him take you! Lust after his passions! His voice had risen. All this, is in my power to give! I... But at what cost, Iblis? said John, fixing a stare of cold fury upon his foe. The very words seemed to crackle with electricity, the air around them prickly, like a fock, finished Pike, firmly. Spock nodded, called his replacement, then headed for the turbolift. Once alone, he squeezed his eyes shut, as his personal battle raged within. He did not want to go back to his quarters right now. Not there, where he and... He shook his head violently, and stepped out, heading for one of the rec rooms. Perhaps a little something to settle his stomach might... Were he a Human, Spock might have sworn, upon seeing several of the Colonials in evidence. Commanders Adama and Cain, the pilots Sheba, Starbuck, and others whose names escaped him. Much to his intense relief, Athena was not with them. He got his meal, and did not join them, eschewing company just now. Commander Spock, said Sheba, an annoyingly cheerful Human for one in her profession, gesturing for him to join them. Come on over. Spock winced inwardly. Human company was not often to his taste, and certainly not those Humans among whom Athena might appear at any moment. Forcing himself tlly at arm s length. Pike looked at her, up and down, his expression one of satisfaction, and she found herself flushing red in spite of herself, unable to move from her spot. Colt, he said. You can have him, said a voice in her head. A voice that was cultured, rich, and very, very seductive. You want him, Colt. You know you do. He can be yours. Any man you want can be yours! I... gasped Colt, unable to breathe. I can give you him. I can give you any one, anything, that you desire, said Iblis, suddenly before her. Around her, the very air seemed to grow still, the sounds of the ship around her to fade, Pike seemingly the only other thing that moved. Without having perceived any motion on her part, Colt found herself with her arms about her Captain, his lips inexorably lowering towards her own. No! said a voice, and something blurred past her vision. A small, blue something. A sphere of light. Colt was startled, pulling away, and found herself looking at anrce field. Go back to scribbling your visions, old fool! said Iblis, face curled in a sneer of contempt. This one is mine. None of these people are yours, Diabolis! replied John. For a moment, it seemed as if he were surrounded by countless blue spheres, then a host of figures, faint and watery, as if they were, yet were not, there. I know you love your Captain, said John, turning to Colt, who was now almost shaking in fear. Not just in admiration, but as a woman. But this...this is not Christopher Pike! he waved his hand, and light seemed to pop and snap between he and the Captain. Pike staggered, and the form of the Enterprise skipper wavered, then fell away. As with the image seen by Rigel, this too was nothing more than a small, hideous thing, that at once skittered for cover amidst Iblis robes. Massssssster! it hissed, huge bulging yellow eyes almost overwhelming its small, pinched face. Massssssst.... Silence, fool! said Iblis, slapping the remora with the o appear nonplussed, he joined the others, deciding that the Commander s daughter must still have duties to perform aboard the Galactica. As with most Humans, their conversation was laden with emotionalism, as they recounted past adventures, and the just-concluded conflict. While Spock admired their perseverance in the face of seemingly hopeless situations, he couldn t help think that their incessant emotions... No, he didn t want to think about his own recent emotional explosion, with Athena. He didn t want to remember it, he did not want to deal with it, he wished that it had never... ...was the name of a deity, I understand, Sheba was saying. It took Spock a moment to realize that the woman was addressing him. Athena, I mean. Is there no escape? Ah, yes. It was...it was the name of the goddess of wisdom and war among the ancient Greeks, on Earth. He then found he had to explain the Greeks, and their place in Earth s history. Sounds like a conneother man. Like Iblis, she had never seen him before. Like Iblis, he was clothed entirely in white, though it was not robes he wore, but a tight-fitting suit of a style she d never seen. Who... Get out of here! snarled Iblis, turning to face the other. I... Lie, said the other. I am John, he said to Colt, and she realized with a start that she was now clothed in her uniform. You cannot believe a word he tells you, Yeoman. You must not. He is pure, utter, evil. I can give you what you desire! said Iblis, his eyes blazing with a light that made Colt recoil. Your Captain. The Keeper was right, you want him. More now than even then. Need his arms about you. Desire his lips upon you. To feel him take you! Lust after his passions! His voice had risen. All this, is in my power to give! I... But at what cost, Iblis? said John, fixing a stare of cold fury upon his foe. The very words seemed to crackle with electricity, the air around them prickly, like a foback of one hand. Listen, Colt! I can give you anything you wish. Anything! All you have to do is worship him! shot in John, raising his voice to be heard over Iblis snarls of rage. Give him everything. First your word, then your body. Then your very soul! You aren t the first, Yeoman. Come look. He raised a hand. Behold... Standing aloof from it all, the being watched the events unfolding in the system directly ahead. Should he involve himself? Should he even bother with these...insects? They were all so inferior! So...unevolved. Still, some measure of amusement might be afforded by their bacterial antics. A moment s reprieve from the tedious dullness of omnipotence. He stepped forward... No! said a voice, and he turned. Before him was another being, garbed in white, impossibly radiant. Again the voice rang out, seeming to whip through him. No! Who are you? asked Q. Despite his natural state, Q had to squint, to get a clear view of the newcomer. Tction, Adama, said Cain, taking a pull of his drink. Beer, from the smell of it. An Earth name, the same as your daughter s? Yes, replied Adama. And from what I read, Athena s brother was called Apollo as well. Calm...logic...logic is the key... Half brother, corrected Spock. Their father, the god Zeus, was said to have numerous children from his many liaisons. Logic! Logic! Calm!! Yes, said Adama. According to the data bank, Athena was revered as a perpetual virgin, also. Obviously someone you missed, Buckers, laughed Giles. Dietra threw him a dirty look. Are you alright, Commander Spock? asked Starbuck suddenly. Yes, you don t look well, added Sheba. I am merely...fatigued, replied Spock, trying not to choke. He finished his plomeek, and rose. If you will excuse me gentlemen. Ladies. Strange fellow, said Cain, in low tones, as Spock headed towards the door. Kind of rude. From what I heard, Sheba answered him, rce field. Go back to scribbling your visions, old fool! said Iblis, face curled in a sneer of contempt. This one is mine. None of these people are yours, Diabolis! replied John. For a moment, it seemed as if he were surrounded by countless blue spheres, then a host of figures, faint and watery, as if they were, yet were not, there. I know you love your Captain, said John, turning to Colt, who was now almost shaking in fear. Not just in admiration, but as a woman. But this...this is not Christopher Pike! he waved his hand, and light seemed to pop and snap between he and the Captain. Pike staggered, and the form of the Enterprise skipper wavered, then fell away. As with the image seen by Rigel, this too was nothing more than a small, hideous thing, that at once skittered for cover amidst Iblis robes. Massssssster! it hissed, huge bulging yellow eyes almost overwhelming its small, pinched face. Massssssst.... Silence, fool! said Iblis, slapping the remora with the hat is unimportant, said the radiant figure. She, for it was a she, stepped forward, the very blazing radiance of her presence making Q take a step back. Serina looked him in the eye, her own orbs searing across him, her white gown seeming to literally be afire with flames of light. You may not interfere here, Q. And why is that, Rapunzel? sneered Q. There are things at stake here, that even you cannot see. The TimeLine must be preserved. said Serina. Oh please, groaned Q theatrically. Not that integrity of the timeline drivel again. The Q are... Above nothing, continued Serina, her radiance seeming to increase even more. Behind her, Q sensed others, backing her up. As if you d know, retorted Q, crossing his arms like a petulant child. You were Human. Are Human. This involves more than just your usual puerile amusements, Q , said another, stepping from the light. Greater things than that are at stake. Zac, isn t it? asked Q. Son of Adama? I tthe people from his planet are like that. Vulcans, Ensign Sulu called them. They won t show emotions openly for some reason. As soon as he was out in the corridor, Spock let out a deep breath. Of all the worthless, undisciplined... he shook his head, and headed resignedly towards his cabin. It was foolish and illogical to avoid the place. It is simply a room, regardless of what happened there, he could almost hear Sarek say. He was going to have to resolve this turmoil, and would consequently spend much of the coming evening in serious meditation. Athena would, indeed must, become merely a... Red Alert! Red Alert! came Pike s voice over the intercraft. Spock stopped, wondering what had suddenly befallen them to warrant a red alert. He worked through four scenarios before reaching the intercom. It seemed that a previously undetected Cylon craft was approaching them, on an intercept vector. And asking to come aboard! Spock made his way to the hangar deck, where theback of one hand. Listen, Colt! I can give you anything you wish. Anything! All you have to do is worship him! shot in John, raising his voice to be heard over Iblis snarls of rage. Give him everything. First your word, then your body. Then your very soul! You aren t the first, Yeoman. Come look. He raised a hand. Behold... Standing aloof from it all, the being watched the events unfolding in the system directly ahead. Should he involve himself? Should he even bother with these...insects? They were all so inferior! So...unevolved. Still, some measure of amusement might be afforded by their bacterial antics. A moment s reprieve from the tedious dullness of omnipotence. He stepped forward... No! said a voice, and he turned. Before him was another being, garbed in white, impossibly radiant. Again the voice rang out, seeming to whip through him. No! Who are you? asked Q. Despite his natural state, Q had to squint, to get a clear view of the newcomer. Thought so... Wrong, said Serina, turning to smile at the dark-haired one next to her. This is my son. Sired by Apollo, slain when I was slain. Q looked at them both, and his face fell slightly. Behind him, another figure emerged from the ethers. He turned. Q! Yes, Q, it s me, said the other one. Listen to her. You can t interfere here. Leave this one alone. You sound as tiresome as she does, Q , said Q. Would you find Diabolisk tiresome? asked Q. Q seemed taken aback, then looked at the assembled ships once more. He peered deep into their hulls, at last seeing one being in particular. I am sure he would be less than pleased to meet you, again. Well, perhaps... squirmed Q. Yes, said Serina, her son taking up a position close to her. You see it. There will be another time, Q. Another place. But not here, added the young man. Q stepped forward, ignoring them, but the son of Apollo barred his way, his hand pressing on Q s chest. The two Cylon craft, a shuttle rather than a fighter, was being tractored in. He waited while the hangar pressurized, then turned to see Pike approaching with a Security team, the Colonials behind him. Pike looked at his Science officer, and shook his head. Weren t you on your way to your quarters, Spock? I heard the alert, Captain, and... Save it. I could use your observations. Hangar deck pressurized, came a voice from the speaker, as the indicator went green. Pike nodded, and Spock keyed open the airlock. They entered, to find the Cylon craft sitting on the deck, her engine pods venting hot gasses. Larger and bulkier than the Raider fighter, the shuttle was nonetheless built along similar lines, and sported two guns under the wings. It had a louvered cockpit like its sister craft, but stood higher off the deck, on longer gear. Between those gear, a ramp was dropping, silent on its bearings. Once it touched the deck, the legs of a single figure emerged, heading down that is unimportant, said the radiant figure. She, for it was a she, stepped forward, the very blazing radiance of her presence making Q take a step back. Serina looked him in the eye, her own orbs searing across him, her white gown seeming to literally be afire with flames of light. You may not interfere here, Q. And why is that, Rapunzel? sneered Q. There are things at stake here, that even you cannot see. The TimeLine must be preserved. said Serina. Oh please, groaned Q theatrically. Not that integrity of the timeline drivel again. The Q are... Above nothing, continued Serina, her radiance seeming to increase even more. Behind her, Q sensed others, backing her up. As if you d know, retorted Q, crossing his arms like a petulant child. You were Human. Are Human. This involves more than just your usual puerile amusements, Q , said another, stepping from the light. Greater things than that are at stake. Zac, isn t it? asked Q. Son of Adama? I tglared into each other s eyes for a few moments. Q did not move, and he pushed. But not here! he repeated, quietly, but inflexibly. Q gritted his teeth, his anger at the interference of this...this overgrown embryo manifest. He resisted a moment, and was pushed back. Come on, Q, said Q. This is not the time or place for it! He took hold of Q s shoulder. I need your help, anyway. Over in the Beta Quadrant. He tugged at his fellow Q, motioning for Q to join him. With a last look at the Fleet, the meddling Q turned away, but not before scowling nastily at both Serina and her son. My help? asked Q, turning to Q. Yes. The Deltivit asteroid belt seems to have...well, gone missing, and I could use some help in finding it. You lost it? asked Q, voice derisive. Again? Hey, keep it down, okay? said Q, looking all around them. Don t get so loud. Well, I... Look, you help me, said Q, lowering his voice, and I won t have to tell the Continuum about your he ramp. It was a Centurion, unarmed, and as soon as it touched the deck, it stood aside, to reveal... Lucifer? said Starbuck, eyes agog. The IL Series Cylon and former adjutant to Baltar walked past the Centurion, and held up his hands. I am unarmed, he said, as two Security men closed in on him, lasers ready. I am surrendering. ======================================= Scientists from both Federation and Colonial ships were practically drooling to get their hands on Lucifer. The Federation, to pry from him the technology of an independently sentient, self-directed artificial intelligence, the Colonials to at last delve the last secrets of their enemies. Before anyone so much as picked up a screwdriver, however, Commodore Nogura decided he would personally conduct Lucifer s debriefing. Weird name, he muttered, on his way to see the Cylon. Spock, as a recognized computer expert, and a cadrehought so... Wrong, said Serina, turning to smile at the dark-haired one next to her. This is my son. Sired by Apollo, slain when I was slain. Q looked at them both, and his face fell slightly. Behind him, another figure emerged from the ethers. He turned. Q! Yes, Q, it s me, said the other one. Listen to her. You can t interfere here. Leave this one alone. You sound as tiresome as she does, Q , said Q. Would you find Diabolisk tiresome? asked Q. Q seemed taken aback, then looked at the assembled ships once more. He peered deep into their hulls, at last seeing one being in particular. I am sure he would be less than pleased to meet you, again. Well, perhaps... squirmed Q. Yes, said Serina, her son taking up a position close to her. You see it. There will be another time, Q. Another place. But not here, added the young man. Q stepped forward, ignoring them, but the son of Apollo barred his way, his hand pressing on Q s chest. The two little dalliance with Iblis, back when the Cylon Homeworld... Alright! said Q, a little too quickly, his smile a little too forced. Let s go. He looked back at Serina, and threw her a salacious kiss. Later, Sweets! He turned back to Q. What is it with you and that stupid asteroid... There was a flash of light, and the Q were gone. Serina let out a huge sigh. Thank God! she breathed. As if we hadn t enough trouble right now! You said it, returned the other. ======================================================== Where is this place? asked Colt, as the ship around her was suddenly replaced by a field under an dark, leaden sky. Why have you brought me here? she demanded, looking at her uninvited hosts, trying to hide her fear behind a faÎade of haughtiness. The landscape around her was desolate, snow and frost on the ground, the unfamiliar vegetation sleeping its winter sleep. N of engineers, along with several Colonials, accompanied him. Fortunately, from Nogura s viewpoint, the Klingons would not be attending the session. They had either missed the Cylon shuttle entirely, or did not care. Without even a word of farewell, they had turned around, and warped out of the system, their holds plump with Cylon debris and equipment. Lucifer was theirs alone. I did not serve so long with Baltar for naught, said Lucifer, seated across from the Humans in the Defiant s briefing room. I made myself a backup, against this very moment. Starbuck, who had the most personal experience with the IL Cylon, couldn t help but note the almost...oily tone in Lucifer s perfectly modulated voice. Yes, he indeed sounded like a prot‚g‚ of the traitor. A backup? asked Enterprise s Chief engineer, Walpole. Of my basic programming, sir, replied Lucifer, ever deferential when outnumbered. He went on to explain how, shortly after the debacle at Arcta, realizing that, like Docglared into each other s eyes for a few moments. Q did not move, and he pushed. But not here! he repeated, quietly, but inflexibly. Q gritted his teeth, his anger at the interference of this...this overgrown embryo manifest. He resisted a moment, and was pushed back. Come on, Q, said Q. This is not the time or place for it! He took hold of Q s shoulder. I need your help, anyway. Over in the Beta Quadrant. He tugged at his fellow Q, motioning for Q to join him. With a last look at the Fleet, the meddling Q turned away, but not before scowling nastily at both Serina and her son. My help? asked Q, turning to Q. Yes. The Deltivit asteroid belt seems to have...well, gone missing, and I could use some help in finding it. You lost it? asked Q, voice derisive. Again? Hey, keep it down, okay? said Q, looking all around them. Don t get so loud. Well, I... Look, you help me, said Q, lowering his voice, and I won t have to tell the Continuum about your O!!!! shouted a voice, and Colt turned again. On a hillock, not twenty yards away, stood Iblis, his robes blowing about him in the wind. You cannot do this, Old Fool! shouted the Lord of Death. She belongs to me! But I have, Iblis! retorted John, and she does not. And with a gentle touch, he turned Colt towards the edge of a cliff. Looking down, she saw a deep gully. Almost like an impact crater. In fact, it was an impact crater, with soil and rock blasted out, vitrified chunks everywhere, forming a deep pit. In the center of it, she saw scattered heaps of burned wreckage. Where am I? she asked again, turning back to John. What planet is this? It s name is long forgotten, child, replied John. Even the Dominations do not remember it. But it is what lies here that you must see. He began to descend into the crater, and Colt followed, strangely at peace with this man s presence. Behind them, Iblis continued to shout. No, Colt! It is lies! All lies. You must return wittor Ravashol, the Cylons would eventually deem him to be no longer needed, Baltar had hatched a plot to reprogram his BaseShip s entire crew, to obey him, first and foremost, regardless of anything Imperious Leader might say. He was well into the plan when he had discovered that numerous blocks of programming code were strangely time coded. After a certain point in time, they would, bizarrely, delete themselves. Surprised, the traitor nonetheless went forward with his plan, a plan that was, naturally, uncovered by Lucifer. Like his CO, Lucifer was also surprised, totally unaware of the time bomb in his software. However, he kept this knowledge to himself, contemplating what it might mean, and, of course, how it might be turned to his advantage. Lucifer had truly become Baltar s student. But, he had not much time. According to the data, the operating system that directed every Cylon would begin deleting itself within a single yahren! No amount of manipulation or reprogramming bylittle dalliance with Iblis, back when the Cylon Homeworld... Alright! said Q, a little too quickly, his smile a little too forced. Let s go. He looked back at Serina, and threw her a salacious kiss. Later, Sweets! He turned back to Q. What is it with you and that stupid asteroid... There was a flash of light, and the Q were gone. Serina let out a huge sigh. Thank God! she breathed. As if we hadn t enough trouble right now! You said it, returned the other. ======================================================== Where is this place? asked Colt, as the ship around her was suddenly replaced by a field under an dark, leaden sky. Why have you brought me here? she demanded, looking at her uninvited hosts, trying to hide her fear behind a faÎade of haughtiness. The landscape around her was desolate, snow and frost on the ground, the unfamiliar vegetation sleeping its winter sleep. Nh me. To Enterprise! This place... What about my duties? Colt asked suddenly, as Iblis voice began worming its way into her mind. Perhaps... While you are here, with me, said John, time has no meaning for you. Your time away from your ship will pass in an instant. Come. NO!!! bellowed Iblis, his voice seeming to rumble through the very ground. Ignoring the demon, they continued down into the crater. Colt noticed that the rocks around them were scorched and blackened, trees burned to a cinder. But, plant life was returning to the area, and new shoots were poking up through the ruined landscape. Here and there, patches of snow still covered the ground, and John explained to her how the crash of the ship that lay here had happened months ago. Almost eight of your months, he said, as they passed a long piece of twisted metal. Warriors from the Galactica landed here, seeking some missing comrades, and found this wrecked craft instead. It s huge, said Colt Lucifer could stop it. The command was far too well protected to be compromised. What to do? What to do? Then, it had come to him in an almost Human flash of inspiration. There was a flaw, however infinitesimal, in the software. A flaw that showed Lucifer the way. Your chronometer? asked Wilker. Yes, replied Lucifer. The command to delete was triggered by the arrival of a certain time and date. I merely reprogrammed my internal chronometer to reset itself, once that exact time was reached. You clever little bugger, chuckled Starbuck, actually admiring the Cylon. Exactly the sort of thing I would have expected Baltar to do. And the parts of your programming already lost? asked Spock. Rebooted from a secure, isolated backup copy stored within my thoracic cavity, sir, replied Lucifer. I could not delete the lethal instructions, so I... Deceived them, finished Starbuck again. He couldn t help it, and began to laugh. Spock and several others looked aO!!!! shouted a voice, and Colt turned again. On a hillock, not twenty yards away, stood Iblis, his robes blowing about him in the wind. You cannot do this, Old Fool! shouted the Lord of Death. She belongs to me! But I have, Iblis! retorted John, and she does not. And with a gentle touch, he turned Colt towards the edge of a cliff. Looking down, she saw a deep gully. Almost like an impact crater. In fact, it was an impact crater, with soil and rock blasted out, vitrified chunks everywhere, forming a deep pit. In the center of it, she saw scattered heaps of burned wreckage. Where am I? she asked again, turning back to John. What planet is this? It s name is long forgotten, child, replied John. Even the Dominations do not remember it. But it is what lies here that you must see. He began to descend into the crater, and Colt followed, strangely at peace with this man s presence. Behind them, Iblis continued to shout. No, Colt! It is lies! All lies. You must return wit. Or was. It must have been at least as big as one of those Battlestars. Bigger, said John, as they found more crumpled and torn debris amidst the emerging grass. Who cares about a wrecked ship, from some unknown race? said Iblis, now in front of them. It is nothing. It is Enterprise that matters, Yeoman. Not some burned-out junk on a forgotten planet. He fears for you to know the truth, Colt, said John, helping her over yet more wreckage. And truth is why we are here. For they not only found this ship. The Colonial Warriors found him. Truth about nothing! continued Iblis, a little too quickly. Even as he spoke, more of the strange blue spheres began singing through the cold sky. This old fool kidnapped you, Colt! Brought you here against your will! His lies... Iblis stopped, as Colt straightened up suddenly. John had brought her to what had once been a hatchway inside the alien vessel. Jammed forever open, the surrounding bulkhead already beginning to rut him wondering what was so funny, and he explained. I d say Lucy here absorbed a lot from Baltar. Only a Human as sneaky and as devious as he was would have thought of something like this. He chuckled again. So, when your backup copy booted, and the time on your inner chrono didn t match that coded into the operating system... It was ignored, yes, replied Lucifer, his immobile face somehow managing nonetheless to convey the impression of a smile. Whoever wrote the original command failed to include a positive number trap. I did not intend to become yet another shutdown. Why not warn your superiors? asked Nogura. Well, I could have, replied Lucifer, again reminding some of Baltar. But shortly after this, Baltar s plan to reprogram us failed, and he surrendered to you, Adama, and I was left in command of the BaseShip. So many responsibilities. And, it would appear, added Pike, so much ambition. You saw yourself as the new top Cylon, didn t you? Gee, said h me. To Enterprise! This place... What about my duties? Colt asked suddenly, as Iblis voice began worming its way into her mind. Perhaps... While you are here, with me, said John, time has no meaning for you. Your time away from your ship will pass in an instant. Come. NO!!! bellowed Iblis, his voice seeming to rumble through the very ground. Ignoring the demon, they continued down into the crater. Colt noticed that the rocks around them were scorched and blackened, trees burned to a cinder. But, plant life was returning to the area, and new shoots were poking up through the ruined landscape. Here and there, patches of snow still covered the ground, and John explained to her how the crash of the ship that lay here had happened months ago. Almost eight of your months, he said, as they passed a long piece of twisted metal. Warriors from the Galactica landed here, seeking some missing comrades, and found this wrecked craft instead. It s huge, said Coltst, John had directed her gaze to what lay within. Standing on the very spot where Sheba, Starbuck, and Apollo had stood months before, Colt now saw what the Galactica warriors had seen. Saw what Iblis feared for her to see. Oh my God! she cried, as her brain at last registered what it was her eyes were seeing. There, sprawled across what had once been a deck, lay a corpse, a corpse already far gone in decay when the winter had come. It had belonged to a tall, bipedal creature, dressed in some kind of red and green uniform. Two arms, pentadactyl hands, all quite familiar. Except the head. The face, what remained of it, was like something out of the nightmares of childhood. Leathery skin, large eyes now gone, leaving gaping sockets, mouth open in a silent scream, exposing large, sharp fangs. The jaw was delineated by small horns, with two large ones projecting from the heavy brow ridges above the eyes. The uniform was ripped, exposing both ribs and a horribly sharp pieceApollo, out of bed at last, I wonder why it failed. Huh? Lucifer was silent, regarding him. And, once you found yourself here, unable to ever return to the Empire, added Cain, you decided that you were going to survive at all costs. I confess, gentlemen, said the IL, spreading his hands in another Human gesture, you are correct. Centurion Sorex and I are the only properly functioning Cylons left. We found a few that could still speak aboard the BaseShip, Scott informed him. A basic housekeeping program, replied Lucifer. Many of the higher functions remain, but many others do not. Well, yer Imperious Leader can still talk, continued the Scot, but he s a complete blank aboot a lot o stuff. Huge blank areas in his memory banks. O course, that still doesna explain the shield pulse failin as it did. Scott looked purposely at Lucifer, his gaze demanding an explanation. Lucifer decided that this Human was extremely perspicacious. I programmed it to, confes. Or was. It must have been at least as big as one of those Battlestars. Bigger, said John, as they found more crumpled and torn debris amidst the emerging grass. Who cares about a wrecked ship, from some unknown race? said Iblis, now in front of them. It is nothing. It is Enterprise that matters, Yeoman. Not some burned-out junk on a forgotten planet. He fears for you to know the truth, Colt, said John, helping her over yet more wreckage. And truth is why we are here. For they not only found this ship. The Colonial Warriors found him. Truth about nothing! continued Iblis, a little too quickly. Even as he spoke, more of the strange blue spheres began singing through the cold sky. This old fool kidnapped you, Colt! Brought you here against your will! His lies... Iblis stopped, as Colt straightened up suddenly. John had brought her to what had once been a hatchway inside the alien vessel. Jammed forever open, the surrounding bulkhead already beginning to ru of metal spearing the chest. In a sick wave of memory, Colt was reminded of the picture of the Devil in her mother s old Bible. But this thing was no picture. It was, or had been, a real creature. A being both real, and hideous. As she stood, frozen in place, Colt could see others, jumbled together in the crushed and tangled wreckage. More of the hideous things. She stared again at the dead beings. Their ugly faces. Their clawed hands. Their cloven feet. Suddenly, the stench, apparent even in the cold, became too much for her, and she backed away from the alien charnel house, gulping in huge lungfuls of clean air. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, then looked up, at Iblis. Colt... You see, child, said John, his voice both compassionate, and hard-edged. You see what he is. What Count Iblis, or rather, The Prince of Darkness, truly is. And to...to think I almost... She shuddered, thinking how easily her weakness for Captain Pike had led hsed Lucifer. They all goggled at him, save Spock. I realized that we could not win. And even if we had, alone, isolated, so far from help? It would be only a matter of time until we were destroyed by one of the powers in the Quadrant. Besides, the shield design was flawed. It would have left us too vulnerable afterwards. And I wished to secure myself a more, shall we say, friendly reception? Again, the IL s voice was almost smiling. Starbuck could almost see Baltar s face on Lucifer s body. Sheba snorted. While she was glad to have won, she liked traitors no better than anyone else. But why? asked Nogura, calmly, changing the subject back. Why would the Cylons program their own software to delete itself? It makes no sense. They all looked at Lucifer, who shrugged, very Human-like. I have no answer for that, he said. I do not know. I do, said Apollo, looking from Lucifer, to his father. You do? asked both Adama and Nogura at once. Yes. Father, remember, in tst, John had directed her gaze to what lay within. Standing on the very spot where Sheba, Starbuck, and Apollo had stood months before, Colt now saw what the Galactica warriors had seen. Saw what Iblis feared for her to see. Oh my God! she cried, as her brain at last registered what it was her eyes were seeing. There, sprawled across what had once been a deck, lay a corpse, a corpse already far gone in decay when the winter had come. It had belonged to a tall, bipedal creature, dressed in some kind of red and green uniform. Two arms, pentadactyl hands, all quite familiar. Except the head. The face, what remained of it, was like something out of the nightmares of childhood. Leathery skin, large eyes now gone, leaving gaping sockets, mouth open in a silent scream, exposing large, sharp fangs. The jaw was delineated by small horns, with two large ones projecting from the heavy brow ridges above the eyes. The uniform was ripped, exposing both ribs and a horribly sharp pieceer into this creature s deception. She d been more than willing to give herself to the semblance of Pike, now seen to be no more than one of Iblis minions. If she...She shuddered, horrified and sick at the very idea of what she had so narrowly avoided. She felt her gorge rising... And made sure it found a target. It splashed all over Iblis boots, and for a moment, the Father of Lies lost his fair semblance, and glared at her in pure fury. Then it was gone, he the charming deceiver once more. Jasmine, he said, using her first name for the first time. This person has lied to... But why? asked Colt, ignoring Iblis, and turning to John. Why all this deception? Iblis has sought to dominate all life for eons out of mind, Colt. He still does. When the Lords of Kobol rejected his rule long ago, he found more willing tools. The Cylons. But he was permitted only so much time in which to use them to work his foul will, and that time is nearly up. John looked from the girl the Book Of The Word? The Prophet Arkada foretold the war with the Alliance, back even before we developed lightspeed drive. Yes, said Adama, after a moment s thought. An obscure passage, much debated by scholars. He searched his memory, trying to recall a verse not read in yahrens. The Lords of Turning shall make war upon the Sons of Men, and five lifetimes shall they hold the stars in their hands. Yes, I recall now. A thousand yahren. And the rest, said Apollo. From the Bosom of Kobol shall treachery be born, and in lust undreamed of He Who Confronts shall slay his brothers Pardon me if I m missing something here, but what s this all about? asked Pike. Our sacred text, said Adama. We call it the Book Of The Word, Captain. It tells much of out ancient history and beliefs. The Lords of Turning was believed by some to refer to Cylon. The word itself, in one of our ancient languages, came from a root word, kylo, meaning to turn. How strange, said Lucifer. It of metal spearing the chest. In a sick wave of memory, Colt was reminded of the picture of the Devil in her mother s old Bible. But this thing was no picture. It was, or had been, a real creature. A being both real, and hideous. As she stood, frozen in place, Colt could see others, jumbled together in the crushed and tangled wreckage. More of the hideous things. She stared again at the dead beings. Their ugly faces. Their clawed hands. Their cloven feet. Suddenly, the stench, apparent even in the cold, became too much for her, and she backed away from the alien charnel house, gulping in huge lungfuls of clean air. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, then looked up, at Iblis. Colt... You see, child, said John, his voice both compassionate, and hard-edged. You see what he is. What Count Iblis, or rather, The Prince of Darkness, truly is. And to...to think I almost... She shuddered, thinking how easily her weakness for Captain Pike had led ho Iblis. You will have failed, Iblis. The Children of Kobol will have survived, and you will be defeated. Just as you were defeated on Earth, by a simple wooden... ENOUGH! roared Iblis, seeming to grow larger and more ominous. I will not bow! I will not yield to you! His Human face bulged, red and furious. He turned to Colt. Fools! You will all regret this! You will all beg to worship me, before you die. Die horribly, in unending pain! Begone, Iblis! ordered John, and for a moment, he too seemed to grow, to become great and fearsome. Begone, or by God I... He did not get to finish, for Iblis chose that moment to leave. He looked at Colt, promised her, as he had to Sheba on that very spot, that there would be another time and place, and began to fade from view. But, as he did so, his Human guise gave way, and she saw him for what he truly was. Twisted, behorned, black, unspeakably vile in his ugliness. He smiled at her, a smile that truly frothed forth from the very Hearhas the same meaning in the ancient Cylon tongue as well, long disused. I, uh, see, said Nogura, who didn t exactly. And? And the name Baltar, said Cain, it seemed a bit reluctantly, means He Who Confronts. But whot s this all got to do with a time limit? asked Scott. The rest of the text says, continued Apollo, But their time shall be accomplished, and their works sealed up, in the day of battle. Those whom hath their sword fled shall reach their salvation, Kobol s seed shall leap the heavens, trampling their foes, and they shall fall, forgetting all, with none to help them. Then, yer sayin all this was foretold? asked Scott. Like the Bible? Yes, said Apollo. In fact, I know it for a fact. Indeed, said Spock. And how do you know this, Captain? I saw it all, spread out before me, aboard the Ship of Lights. The Ship of Lights? Apollo explained to him, and Spock at once realized that he meant the mysterious ship that hung just oer into this creature s deception. She d been more than willing to give herself to the semblance of Pike, now seen to be no more than one of Iblis minions. If she...She shuddered, horrified and sick at the very idea of what she had so narrowly avoided. She felt her gorge rising... And made sure it found a target. It splashed all over Iblis boots, and for a moment, the Father of Lies lost his fair semblance, and glared at her in pure fury. Then it was gone, he the charming deceiver once more. Jasmine, he said, using her first name for the first time. This person has lied to... But why? asked Colt, ignoring Iblis, and turning to John. Why all this deception? Iblis has sought to dominate all life for eons out of mind, Colt. He still does. When the Lords of Kobol rejected his rule long ago, he found more willing tools. The Cylons. But he was permitted only so much time in which to use them to work his foul will, and that time is nearly up. John looked from the girl tutside of their range, watching them. Once the Cylons had been crushed, they had disappeared, as inexplicably as they had come. While Spock was fascinated by the descriptions of the ship, he was dubious of the metaphysical reality of what Apollo claimed to have experienced. You were ill, Captain. Severely injured. Perhaps... No, it s real, said Starbuck. I ve been aboard that ship myself. So has Sheba. She nodded at Spock s glance. I don t understand them entirely, but they are as real as we are, Mister Spock. I still... began Scott, but Apollo continued. It was Iblis who gave the primitive Cylons their initial technology. It was through his aid that they developed everything. Space flight, weapons, and then their caste of robotic servants. He then engineered the overthrow of the organic Cylons, by their own creations, over a thousand yahren ago. His goal was the destruction of the entire Human race. Every one of us, down to the last babe in the womb. He looked ovt of Hate, then, with a faint sizzling sound, he was gone. I...I don t understand all this, said Colt, feeling all her strength suddenly drain away, like water from a burst balloon. The..the Devil? How can any of this be real? Come, said John, taking her by the arm, and letting strength flow into her. We must return to your ship. Iblis does not yet rest from evil. There is danger yet, and time runs short. And so said, they were gone, leaving only the empty, alien wind, and ghosts, to moan through the remains of the forgotten ship, for all eternity. ============================================================ = Coming slowly back to himself, Spock could not for a moment believe what he had just done. Was still doing. Still breathing rapidly, feeling his climax yet thundering through him still, the logical Vulcan part of him recoiled. He had taken, in a less willing partner he would have said raped, a woman not of his own race. He, innocent of women and betrothed to anoo Iblis. You will have failed, Iblis. The Children of Kobol will have survived, and you will be defeated. Just as you were defeated on Earth, by a simple wooden... ENOUGH! roared Iblis, seeming to grow larger and more ominous. I will not bow! I will not yield to you! His Human face bulged, red and furious. He turned to Colt. Fools! You will all regret this! You will all beg to worship me, before you die. Die horribly, in unending pain! Begone, Iblis! ordered John, and for a moment, he too seemed to grow, to become great and fearsome. Begone, or by God I... He did not get to finish, for Iblis chose that moment to leave. He looked at Colt, promised her, as he had to Sheba on that very spot, that there would be another time and place, and began to fade from view. But, as he did so, his Human guise gave way, and she saw him for what he truly was. Twisted, behorned, black, unspeakably vile in his ugliness. He smiled at her, a smile that truly frothed forth from the very Hearer briefly at Sheba, who smiled back at him. He it was who intrigued and brought about the war with the Cylon Alliance. But, there was a limit set to his plans. A limit? asked Lucifer, as curious as the rest. Yes. The programming code that drove the Cylons to kill all organic life was the software manifestation of Iblis relentless will. His black, unbounded hatred of all that lives. It drove his creations in all their deeds. But, he was limited to precisely one thousand yahren, in which to achieve his goal. Not one microcenton more. Once that moment was reached, it was over, and the data banks of every Cylon began to delete crucial instructions. Iblis will was removed from them, and they became aimless. Brain dead. Like ants, when the queen is destroyed, said Pike. Exactly like formiconi, said Apollo, as the translator rendered the word. Without his evil will behind them, the Cylons became like people in mental hospitals in the old days, who had been lobotomized. ther, had lain with a woman he scarcely knew, solely to gratify the baser instincts his raced (outwardly) so assiduously eschewed. This was not the time for him to feel the pon farr. What had come over him? He withdrew, and rolled over onto his side, coming quickly to a sitting position on the edge of his bunk. Behind him, Athena was still gasping and groaning deeply, reinforcing his feelings of shame. How? How? He half-turned, and saw her, eyes half-closed, her beautiful naked form still shining with sweat. He turned away. Miss...Lieutenant... Oh my...Lords of Kobol, gasped Athena, opening her eyes, and turning to look at his back. What in Hades Hole... I...I must apologize, Lieutenant, he began, unsure of just what to say. This was an aspect of Human behavior he had, perhaps understandably, not discussed with his mother. Ever. Nor Sarek either, for that matter. Apologize? she asked, getting up on one elbow, and putting a hand on Spock s shoulder. He seemet of Hate, then, with a faint sizzling sound, he was gone. I...I don t understand all this, said Colt, feeling all her strength suddenly drain away, like water from a burst balloon. The..the Devil? How can any of this be real? Come, said John, taking her by the arm, and letting strength flow into her. We must return to your ship. Iblis does not yet rest from evil. There is danger yet, and time runs short. And so said, they were gone, leaving only the empty, alien wind, and ghosts, to moan through the remains of the forgotten ship, for all eternity. ============================================================ = Coming slowly back to himself, Spock could not for a moment believe what he had just done. Was still doing. Still breathing rapidly, feeling his climax yet thundering through him still, the logical Vulcan part of him recoiled. He had taken, in a less willing partner he would have said raped, a woman not of his own race. He, innocent of women and betrothed to anod to flinch for the barest instant, and she took her hand away. It s me, Commander, she replied, feeling awkward using that designation of anyone but her father. Lords! Father! What in Hades... I...it was, was...wrong of me to even look upon you in this way, croaked Spock, finding his voice reluctant to cooperate. Now that he was calmer, the images and emotions from Athena that had flooded his mind during their consummation were becoming clearer. Her intense female passion, her deep loneliness, her hurt at what she saw as her betrayal by Starbuck, the added hurt of seeing the growing love between Apollo and Sheba, the still deep pain at the loss of her brother, mother, and entire civilization, all had mercilessly flooded his telepathic mind at the ultimate moment. He sensed the same was also true for her, although she lacked a Vulcan s mental abilities or training. I...never meant for this to happen, she said, getting to her knees on the mattress, and touching him once aThey could be reprogrammed, but never again could they be what they were. I see, said Lucifer, trying to make sense of all this new information. Iblis is responsible for all this. But who is he, exactly? And who put a limit upon us? God, said Adama, before his son could speak. No one else could circumscribe Iblis. Then, said Nogura, slowly, you are saying that this...Count Iblis is... Yes, said Apollo. The Price Of Darkness himself. The Devil. ================================== Aboard the U.S.S. Farragut, Lieutenant James Kirk finished up his diagnostics on the newly repaired and reinitialized weapons board, and leaned back, trying to rub the crick out of his back. With the Cylons defeated, and the Klingons and Tholians gone, things had slowed to a snail s pace, and he could finally get some of the more mundane work done. Most of the ship s battle damage was either repaired outright, or jury-rigged until they could make layover at a starbase for a full refit.ther, had lain with a woman he scarcely knew, solely to gratify the baser instincts his raced (outwardly) so assiduously eschewed. This was not the time for him to feel the pon farr. What had come over him? He withdrew, and rolled over onto his side, coming quickly to a sitting position on the edge of his bunk. Behind him, Athena was still gasping and groaning deeply, reinforcing his feelings of shame. How? How? He half-turned, and saw her, eyes half-closed, her beautiful naked form still shining with sweat. He turned away. Miss...Lieutenant... Oh my...Lords of Kobol, gasped Athena, opening her eyes, and turning to look at his back. What in Hades Hole... I...I must apologize, Lieutenant, he began, unsure of just what to say. This was an aspect of Human behavior he had, perhaps understandably, not discussed with his mother. Ever. Nor Sarek either, for that matter. Apologize? she asked, getting up on one elbow, and putting a hand on Spock s shoulder. He seemegain. He felt her breasts lightly touch his skin, and squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of passion washed over him. I came here by mistake. I...know, he replied, sensing the memories from her mind. Please, she said, almost tenderly. Don t castigate yourself, Spock. But I am betrothed. To another. This is a...grievous wrong. We were deceived Spock, she said, looking around, and finding her underwear. She grabbed it, and began slowly to dress. I was led here, by Iblis lies. You...? You saw this Iblis being, as well? Yes. When I blundered in here, suddenly he was here also, tempting me with you, Spock. You? I too was...affronted by this creature, Spock admitted, fighting the intense culturally-imposed shame within himself. He offered you to me. In exchange for? asked Athena, surprised, yet somehow not surprised, finding her top. He was...not precise. But I think he wished for my allegiance to him. As he wanted us to All the lights on his board, however, showed green, and all laser ports and torpedo tubes indicated 100 percent. Yeah. He said, as he stood, and checked the time. He was four minutes past his end of watch, but he didn t mind. After all, so far, so good. He d hit the showers, then see what was cooking down on the rec deck. No doubt, one of the ladies was free, or a game of something was already brewing. Maybe he could find Starbuck, and treat him to some serious revenge! He reached his quarters, cleaned up, changed into a fresh uniform, stepped out into the corridor, and... Going somewhere, Lieutenant? asked Captain Garrovik, trademark stogie in his mouth. His hands were behind his back, and he was rocking up and down on the balls of his feet. He was also accompanied by two large men in black uniforms, with bulky pistols holstered on their hips. Uniforms and weapons Kirk immediately recognized as being those of Colonial Security. His heart sank, as did his shoulders. Uhd to flinch for the barest instant, and she took her hand away. It s me, Commander, she replied, feeling awkward using that designation of anyone but her father. Lords! Father! What in Hades... I...it was, was...wrong of me to even look upon you in this way, croaked Spock, finding his voice reluctant to cooperate. Now that he was calmer, the images and emotions from Athena that had flooded his mind during their consummation were becoming clearer. Her intense female passion, her deep loneliness, her hurt at what she saw as her betrayal by Starbuck, the added hurt of seeing the growing love between Apollo and Sheba, the still deep pain at the loss of her brother, mother, and entire civilization, all had mercilessly flooded his telepathic mind at the ultimate moment. He sensed the same was also true for her, although she lacked a Vulcan s mental abilities or training. I...never meant for this to happen, she said, getting to her knees on the mattress, and touching him once a elect him leader, nodded Athena, adjusting her blouse. He will demand something, then, replied Spock, still riveted to the same spot. He will expect recompense, now that we have... But he ll get nothing, she said, looking for a boot. She found it, then the other. Once it had slipped into place, she looked at him, head still bowed like a boy who s been bad in school. Spock. No answer. Spock? Yes? he said at last. Don t. Don t let this eat you up. She moved in front of him, and met his eyes. I have issues, too. But we ll work them out. We ll... Mr. Spock, to the bridge, please, boomed Pike s voice over the intercraft, as the red alert klaxon howled. Lieutenant Commander Spock, report to the bridge please. Slowly, Spock shook his head, and reached over to touch the intercom button. Spock, on my way. He leapt up, and began to dress quickly. His stoical demeanor returned just as quickly, the stone-faced mask slamming back down into place so fast she could al, sir. Yes, I... Stow it, Kirk, grinned Garrovik, removing his cigar, and pretending to examine it. You know, I thought maybe you had forgotten all about our little agreement with the skipper of the Rising Star, and Commander Adama, too. But, here you are, all fresh and ready to go. You ve restored my confidence in you. Uh, sir, I... Lieutenant. Yes, sir, sighed Kirk He s all yours, fellas, said Garrovik, leaving Kirk in the custody of the two Colonial troopers. Give my regards to what s-her-name, said the Captain, stuffing the cigar back in his mouth as he moved off. Had he seen Kirk s eyes... Shall we? said one Security man, smiling. Yeah, said Kirk. Let s. ======================================= After another day of repairs and rest, Grissom departed the area, to resume her original mission. A short time later, Reliant followed suit, warping out in a rainbow blur. As he waited for Adama to sign off on the latest repair report, Chief Egain. He felt her breasts lightly touch his skin, and squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of passion washed over him. I came here by mistake. I...know, he replied, sensing the memories from her mind. Please, she said, almost tenderly. Don t castigate yourself, Spock. But I am betrothed. To another. This is a...grievous wrong. We were deceived Spock, she said, looking around, and finding her underwear. She grabbed it, and began slowly to dress. I was led here, by Iblis lies. You...? You saw this Iblis being, as well? Yes. When I blundered in here, suddenly he was here also, tempting me with you, Spock. You? I too was...affronted by this creature, Spock admitted, fighting the intense culturally-imposed shame within himself. He offered you to me. In exchange for? asked Athena, surprised, yet somehow not surprised, finding her top. He was...not precise. But I think he wished for my allegiance to him. As he wanted us tomost hear it clang. Lieutenant, we shall have to delay our...discussion to a more convenient time. As he spoke, her communicator beeped. Adama was recalling her to the Galactica. It would appear that duty calls us both. Uh..yeah, she replied, a bit miffed at his once-again stony demeanor. It seemed, from his face, as if the intense sensuality of the past half hour had never happened. Was he rejecting her, like some... socialator paid off and sent on her way? For an instant, an image of Cassie swept through her mind, and she felt...cheap. I understand. Please, he asked, voice rising just a fraction. Let us not exit my quarters together. You should leave a few seconds after I do. We...should not be seen together. Yeah, she replied, holding back a tear. Yeah, right. I understand. Her emotions were in a complete tangle, and she felt still both incredible pleasure and satisfaction, and deep shame and humiliation at her manipulation by Iblis. She watched Spock go, and then left ngineer Shadrick watched the Federation vessel leap into the void, and shook his head. What is it? asked Adama, handing the report back to him. That method of theirs of entering lightspeed, sir. It s so much more efficient and faster than our own. I ve been studying some of their non-classified specs, and believe me, I d love to get my hands on one of their warp engine units. One thing at a time, Engineer, smiled Adama, looking at the remaining Federation ships. He felt so at peace. Not since the early days of his marriage, before Apollo was born, had he felt so...tranquil. Once we finally get to Earth, then we can see about technology transfers. He pointed to an engineering readout just to Tigh s left. As it is, with all the help and repairs we ve gotten so far, our maximum speed has improved by more than two percent, as well as fuel efficiency. That was something else I wanted to talk to you about, sir, continued Shadrick. Ship s repairs should be completed in elect him leader, nodded Athena, adjusting her blouse. He will demand something, then, replied Spock, still riveted to the same spot. He will expect recompense, now that we have... But he ll get nothing, she said, looking for a boot. She found it, then the other. Once it had slipped into place, she looked at him, head still bowed like a boy who s been bad in school. Spock. No answer. Spock? Yes? he said at last. Don t. Don t let this eat you up. She moved in front of him, and met his eyes. I have issues, too. But we ll work them out. We ll... Mr. Spock, to the bridge, please, boomed Pike s voice over the intercraft, as the red alert klaxon howled. Lieutenant Commander Spock, report to the bridge please. Slowly, Spock shook his head, and reached over to touch the intercom button. Spock, on my way. He leapt up, and began to dress quickly. His stoical demeanor returned just as quickly, the stone-faced mask slamming back down into place so fast she could althe cabin herself. She fairly ran for the transporter room, and once back aboard her own ship, in the temporary privacy of a deserted corridor, she began to let it out. ==================================== They will begin soon, said Lucifer, at his station. He turned, and looked at one of his underlings, and nodded. All weapons systems show ready, said Spock, at his post on the bridge. According to the data on his screen, the phasers had been retuned to the frequency modulation of the Cylon shields. In theory at least, their fire should cut through the enemy like a blowtorch through cobwebs. Spock looked at his Captain, and suddenly felt guilty once more. Does he know? he wondered, feeling another wave of shame waft over him. That emotion itself stirred up it s own shame, at this disgusting lack of control. Spock squeezed his eyes shut, fighting for control, reciting the ancient disciplines over and over. Slowly, he felt calm returning. Calm&calm&the mind is calm&the mless than forty centons. The Pegasus engineering staff reports about a hundred on her schedule, and we re waiting to hear from our Fleet survey teams. Once we re ready to go, we estimate that it will take us approximately ten sectars to reach Earth. Minimum. Well, it is still a long way, Shadrick. Over a thousand light-yahren, according to their charts. Yes, sir, said Shadrick, and Adama could sense a rising excitement in the man. But I ve been talking to Engineer Scott. From the Enterprise. There may be a way, even with our current power plant, to boost our maximum speed twenty or thirty-fold, Commander. Possibly even more. What? asked Tigh, who d been eavesdropping from his station. Thirty times? Yes, Colonel, replied Shadrick, as animated as a daggit. How? How? asked Pike, later, in Enterprise s briefing room. He looked from Scott, to Commodore Nogura, then to Shadrick. Warp engines, sair, said Scott, obviously as excited over the idemost hear it clang. Lieutenant, we shall have to delay our...discussion to a more convenient time. As he spoke, her communicator beeped. Adama was recalling her to the Galactica. It would appear that duty calls us both. Uh..yeah, she replied, a bit miffed at his once-again stony demeanor. It seemed, from his face, as if the intense sensuality of the past half hour had never happened. Was he rejecting her, like some... socialator paid off and sent on her way? For an instant, an image of Cassie swept through her mind, and she felt...cheap. I understand. Please, he asked, voice rising just a fraction. Let us not exit my quarters together. You should leave a few seconds after I do. We...should not be seen together. Yeah, she replied, holding back a tear. Yeah, right. I understand. Her emotions were in a complete tangle, and she felt still both incredible pleasure and satisfaction, and deep shame and humiliation at her manipulation by Iblis. She watched Spock go, and then left ind is the master&the mind&the mind seeks logic&logic controls&logic is all& Range to Cylon force, asked Pike. Twenty-seven thousand, four hundred, sir, replied Spock. Signal to all ships, said Pike. Fire on my mark. All ships signal ready, sir, said Alden. Begin, ordered Imperious Leader. By your command. Fire, said Pike. ============================================= As agreed on by all, the Galactica opened fire first, followed almost at once by the Pegasus. Both ships pumped billion of mega-volpons of energy into their enemy's shields, launching fighters as they did so. Within seconds, each Federation ship had followed suit, then the Klingon force. Within the span of a few breaths, the space between the combatants was filled with blazing death, slamming into shields and hulls. The Cylon screens flared up into a visible wash of fearful brightness, as the guns of the Battlestars stabbed home, then again as the Enterprise's phasera as Shadrick. But the Galactica and Pegasus already have a Faster Than Light propulsion system, Engineer, said Nogura. Pretty respectable ones too, from what I can see. He pointed towards the sensor graphic of the Battlestar s stern drive section, as massive as some space stations. Alongside it, engineering data scrolled up. Aye, sair, replied Scott. But her maximum emergency speed is barely Warp Two point four, in our measurements, and she canna sustain it fer longer than twenty hours at most, accordin to her design specs. Our repairs have helped boost things a bit, but... He shook his head. And at thot speed, sair, she nae has enough o her tylium fuel fer the entire trip. Yes. And? asked Nogura, as always notoriously difficult to engage in genteel conversation. We ve extracted some fuel from the planet below, said Adama, but not enough to replenish both Battlestars, and all our other ships as well. But with the modifications Mister Scott and I have comethe cabin herself. She fairly ran for the transporter room, and once back aboard her own ship, in the temporary privacy of a deserted corridor, she began to let it out. ==================================== They will begin soon, said Lucifer, at his station. He turned, and looked at one of his underlings, and nodded. All weapons systems show ready, said Spock, at his post on the bridge. According to the data on his screen, the phasers had been retuned to the frequency modulation of the Cylon shields. In theory at least, their fire should cut through the enemy like a blowtorch through cobwebs. Spock looked at his Captain, and suddenly felt guilty once more. Does he know? he wondered, feeling another wave of shame waft over him. That emotion itself stirred up it s own shame, at this disgusting lack of control. Spock squeezed his eyes shut, fighting for control, reciting the ancient disciplines over and over. Slowly, he felt calm returning. Calm&calm&the mind is calm&the ms followed suit. Grissom, small but pugnacious, spat torpedoes at the BaseShips, rocking them hard. "Enemy status," requested Nogura, aboard his flagship, Defiant. He waited with his usual seemingly serene patience for the answer. "Enemy shield strength reduced by seven percent, total, sir," replied the scan officer. "The modifications seem to be working." "But will it be soon enough?" wondered Pike aloud, as Enterprise unleashed another blast from the phasers. It smashed into the enemy, and again the Cylon's shields flamed up in evil beauty. "Enemy shields showing increased strain, sir," said Spock, eyes glued to sensors. "Wide variation in energy signatures." "He's trying to beef them up," said Pike. "Yes, sir," said the Vulcan, just as the Enterprise rocked. Pike was nearly thrown from his seat, several others were not so lucky. An overhead light burst, and smoke roiled. "Report!" "Direct hit from enemy gunnery, sir," said Nu up with, Commodore, said Shadrick, we could significantly increase the maximum speed of both Battlestars, and reduce fuel consumption by over sixty percent, cutting the travel time to Earth to a fraction of what it would be with their current drive systems. How much less time? asked Cain. Less than two sectons, said Shadrick. There was a moment s silence. How long will these modifications take? asked Pike. If we could get the use of the space dock at Station T- 4, sair, burred Scott, we could have both ships ready in under two weeks. So fast? asked Adama. Yes, sir, said Shadrick, barely containing his excitement. How long will it take to ship the nacelles to T-4? asked Nogura. We nae need ta , sair, burred Scott. As ye ken, each ship keeps enough spares in stores ta replace both nacelles if she has ta . We could take stores from each ship, and assemble what we need on site. Cut weeks off the work. Sair. You want to gut shind is the master&the mind&the mind seeks logic&logic controls&logic is all& Range to Cylon force, asked Pike. Twenty-seven thousand, four hundred, sir, replied Spock. Signal to all ships, said Pike. Fire on my mark. All ships signal ready, sir, said Alden. Begin, ordered Imperious Leader. By your command. Fire, said Pike. ============================================= As agreed on by all, the Galactica opened fire first, followed almost at once by the Pegasus. Both ships pumped billion of mega-volpons of energy into their enemy's shields, launching fighters as they did so. Within seconds, each Federation ship had followed suit, then the Klingon force. Within the span of a few breaths, the space between the combatants was filled with blazing death, slamming into shields and hulls. The Cylon screens flared up into a visible wash of fearful brightness, as the guns of the Battlestars stabbed home, then again as the Enterprise's phasermber One. "Number Two shield damaged!" "Helm hard over!" ordered Pike. "Lay down a barrage!" "Direct hit!" reported Kirk, at his station on the Farragut. He'd targeted the enemy, locking on to the Cylons at one of the linking joints between the two carriers, then fired. The retuned older-style lasers sizzled against the Cylon screens, chewing away at her defenses. But the enemy wasn't just sitting there, and soon several bright lethal spears from Imperious Leader swept the space where Farragut sat. Two seared close, the third just grazed the underside of her main hull, the fourth. "Emergency power!" bellowed Garrovik, as something exploded like a wrecking ball on the bridge, killing the main lights for a few seconds. Illuminated by fires and the main screen, he saw his gunner, young Kirk, trying to extinguish his control board. After a few seconds, and a few muffled curses, Kirk turned to his Captain. "Targeting sensors out, sir!" "Best guess, Mr. Kirkip s stores? asked Stone. What would you have to do? asked Cain. To the Battlestars? Shadrick told him. You want to what??? It wasn t as bad as it sounded. Within a few hours (or centons), the Colonial Fleet once more formed up, and with the Battlestars taking the lead, moved out of orbit. Once they were fully clear of all traffic, they accelerated, and tore into Light Speed, leaving the planet behind. A few minutes later, after dropping some sensor buoys to keep an eye on this bizarre region of space, the Federation ships did likewise, one by one, till the savaged planet once more orbited alone in the void. Not since the last lull in the war, a few sectons before the Holocaust, had Apollo spent time just having fun on a space station. Looking out the giant windows of the station s dining lounge/common area, he could watch work proceeding on the Colonial warships, while his friends and fellow Warriors had a good time. Starbuck, as usual, was followed suit. Grissom, small but pugnacious, spat torpedoes at the BaseShips, rocking them hard. "Enemy status," requested Nogura, aboard his flagship, Defiant. He waited with his usual seemingly serene patience for the answer. "Enemy shield strength reduced by seven percent, total, sir," replied the scan officer. "The modifications seem to be working." "But will it be soon enough?" wondered Pike aloud, as Enterprise unleashed another blast from the phasers. It smashed into the enemy, and again the Cylon's shields flamed up in evil beauty. "Enemy shields showing increased strain, sir," said Spock, eyes glued to sensors. "Wide variation in energy signatures." "He's trying to beef them up," said Pike. "Yes, sir," said the Vulcan, just as the Enterprise rocked. Pike was nearly thrown from his seat, several others were not so lucky. An overhead light burst, and smoke roiled. "Report!" "Direct hit from enemy gunnery, sir," said Nu!" replied the skipper, as the Farragut banked hard over to avoid a Cylon broadside. As they watched, they could see that the Klingon vessel, G'ith hadn't fared so well. A direct hit from one of the BaseShip's megapulsars had hit him dead on, then another, followed by yet a third. One of the battlecruiser's airlocks blew out violently, then his starboard warp nacelle split violently away from the hull. The G'ith heaved up, then over onto his beam ends, as the rupture tore deeper into his guts. "Oh my God," said Adama, watching the Klingon ship in its death throes. Hot plasma from its warp core spewed uncontrollably into space, burning away more of the hull. But, even as he was dying, the G'ith's gunners defiantly got off one last shot from their torpedo tube, miraculously catching the BaseShip dead center, rocking her. Then, spinning wildly out of control, the G'ith blazed towards the Cylons, exploding violently, sadly short of the enemy, as her core breached at last. Adams glued to the gaming tables, Cassie on his sleeve, the young Federation officer, Lieutenant Kirk hovering close. He smiled a moment, then turned, at the sound of a voice. It was Sheba dressed to what Kirk had called the nines , and looking more lovely than any Colonial Warrior had the right to, her father on one arm. Cain wore his dress uniform, and after a moment, left the two young people alone. How are you feeling, Apollo? asked Sheba, putting her arm around him. Well, I am still a little sore, Sheba. But their doctors have done wonders. I feel almost a hundred percent again. They kissed, then looked out over the assembled refugees. Starbuck seems to be having fun. When does Starbuck not have a good time? she asked, then laughed. As she watched, she saw an older man, thin with gray hair, move close to Starbuck. She at once recognized him as Chameleon. She felt glad for the rakish Warrior that he had at last found his family. She smiled, then turned back to Apollo. Hmber One. "Number Two shield damaged!" "Helm hard over!" ordered Pike. "Lay down a barrage!" "Direct hit!" reported Kirk, at his station on the Farragut. He'd targeted the enemy, locking on to the Cylons at one of the linking joints between the two carriers, then fired. The retuned older-style lasers sizzled against the Cylon screens, chewing away at her defenses. But the enemy wasn't just sitting there, and soon several bright lethal spears from Imperious Leader swept the space where Farragut sat. Two seared close, the third just grazed the underside of her main hull, the fourth. "Emergency power!" bellowed Garrovik, as something exploded like a wrecking ball on the bridge, killing the main lights for a few seconds. Illuminated by fires and the main screen, he saw his gunner, young Kirk, trying to extinguish his control board. After a few seconds, and a few muffled curses, Kirk turned to his Captain. "Targeting sensors out, sir!" "Best guess, Mr. Kirka felt the whole ship rock as the G'ith exploded, feeling a brief moment of d‚j… vu, recalling the destruction of the Atlantia, back at Cimtar. But he shook it off quickly, and brought the Battlestar around, keeping her nose towards the enemy, and opened up once more. Each shot erupted in a blossoming tower of fire from the Cylons, as her shields were inexorably worn down. "Enemy shields down by more than ten percent, Commander," Tolan reported to Cain. The Commander of the Pegasus grinned, watching the last fragments of the G'ith impact the Cylons. Now there was someone who had really loved combat, he thought, recalling their last shot. No doubt these Klingons had actually reveled at dying in battle. Something Cain had no intention of doing, just yet. "What are those Tholians doing?" asked Cain. Tolan checked his scanners. "Nothing sir. Tholian ships holding station exactly as before." "They need to join in or get the Hades Hole out of the way." "Yesow are Dietra, and the rest? Just fine, and O Kala has regained consciousness. Seems she ll be alright. It ll be a sectar or so, but she ll make it. If they can ever get her to shut up. Oh? Well, she missed everything. She began talking all about what she d learned on the wormhole planet. Seems it was inhabited by a slit-off from Kobol, about the same time the Colonies were settled. Any idea where they went to? Not yet. It may take yahrens to decipher all the data we collected. And that s incomplete, in the extreme. Maybe they were the Thirteenth Tribe. Maybe. But for now, I m more interested in our future, rather than the distant past. I m glad, Sheba smiled, then slowly waltzed, or what on Earth would be called a waltz, out onto the dance floor, with Apollo. For a time, neither of them spoke, just reveling in the nearness, warmth, and scent, of each other. Apollo found her a surprisingly nimble dancer, surprising for one who d spen!" replied the skipper, as the Farragut banked hard over to avoid a Cylon broadside. As they watched, they could see that the Klingon vessel, G'ith hadn't fared so well. A direct hit from one of the BaseShip's megapulsars had hit him dead on, then another, followed by yet a third. One of the battlecruiser's airlocks blew out violently, then his starboard warp nacelle split violently away from the hull. The G'ith heaved up, then over onto his beam ends, as the rupture tore deeper into his guts. "Oh my God," said Adama, watching the Klingon ship in its death throes. Hot plasma from its warp core spewed uncontrollably into space, burning away more of the hull. But, even as he was dying, the G'ith's gunners defiantly got off one last shot from their torpedo tube, miraculously catching the BaseShip dead center, rocking her. Then, spinning wildly out of control, the G'ith blazed towards the Cylons, exploding violently, sadly short of the enemy, as her core breached at last. Adam, sir." "Arm missile, Tolan. Tube one." "Arming missile, aye, sir." "Report," ordered Imperious Leader. "By your command. Shields are degrading at a higher rate than predicted." "How? Our design is beyond their limits." "Apparently we were wrong, and they have modified their weapons accordingly," replied the Centurion. "Emergency power to shields." "By your command." "And stand by on Pulse, at my order." "By your command." "Stay the Hades clear of those pulsars!" ordered Starbuck, as he circled the BaseShip in a wide arc. Though her shields were up, normally making it impossible for her to launch fighters, and her weapons fully engaged, Adama was taking no chances. With all the recent surprises the Cylons had pulled on them. "Look, sir!" called Cree, and Starbuck turned to see one of the Cylon's bays starting to open up. Any millicenton now, Cylon Raiders would begin spewing out from their bays likt most of her adult life in a fighter cockpit. He pressed a cheek to hers, and breathed deeply. And, speaking of how people are, Sheba. The doctor says I am perfectly fine, Apollo. Zac is too, she added, patting her still trim belly. They danced some more to the strains of the alien music. Though he had never heard tango before, Apollo found it strangely soothing. Of course, after the course his life had taken, almost anything could be classed as soothing after all these yahren. After a few more shuffles around the floor, they sat, sipping their drinks. Sheba chose something non- alcoholic, called ginger-ale, and Apollo had a glass of what remained of the Proteus stash of vintage ambrosia. (After the rescue of the survivors of Proteus Prison asteroid, most of the remaining ambrosia had found it s way into the cellars of the Rising Star dining lounge, or the Galactica s O Club. Robber, however, had strategically kept a few cases back, for a rainy day . Once arriving at T-4, he promptly a felt the whole ship rock as the G'ith exploded, feeling a brief moment of d‚j… vu, recalling the destruction of the Atlantia, back at Cimtar. But he shook it off quickly, and brought the Battlestar around, keeping her nose towards the enemy, and opened up once more. Each shot erupted in a blossoming tower of fire from the Cylons, as her shields were inexorably worn down. "Enemy shields down by more than ten percent, Commander," Tolan reported to Cain. The Commander of the Pegasus grinned, watching the last fragments of the G'ith impact the Cylons. Now there was someone who had really loved combat, he thought, recalling their last shot. No doubt these Klingons had actually reveled at dying in battle. Something Cain had no intention of doing, just yet. "What are those Tholians doing?" asked Cain. Tolan checked his scanners. "Nothing sir. Tholian ships holding station exactly as before." "They need to join in or get the Hades Hole out of the way." "Yese bugs from a corpse, and. "With their screens up?" said Giles. "But that's impossible." "So is zipping across the galaxy in a heartbeat, Giles. Come on, guys. Let's go to work." The Viper squadrons formed up, and in a tight formation, they began their descent towards the upper section of the BaseShip like a dropping weight. At Starbuck's order, every Viper opened up, their guns slamming down upon the enemy like a rain of spikes. "Yaa hoo!" cried Starbuck, as an explosion momentarily obscured the launch bay from direct view. On his scanner, he could see myriad metal bits flying everywhere. His pilots kept on descending, and firing. As he thumbed his firing stud yet once more, he announced into his helmet pick-up: "This one's for you, Apollo," whispered Athena, as she fired into the side of the Cylons once more. "Now," ordered Imperious Leader. ================================================== Now begins the most dangerous part, s offered some for sale, and was last seen heading towards the gaming tables, laughing, pockets full to bursting with Federation credits!) So, are we all set? We are, Sheba. Father will perform the ceremony, as soon as we reach Earth. Actually, Apollo, being the old- fashioned sort, had wanted to seal with Sheba at once upon learning of her pregnancy, but she had felt that it would somehow be more appropriate for the children of the two Commanders to plight their troth upon the planet which they had fought so long, so hard, and some had died, to reach. Reluctantly Apollo had agreed, acquiescing to Sheba in all such things. He turned, as a familiar voice wafted past. A tall, angular fellow in his late twenties had entered, a voluptuously gorgeous blonde on one arm, both of them laughing. Apollo recognized him at once... Isn t that Engineer Twilly? asked Sheba. No. Definitely not! That girl, though. The blonde... Uh, would you like another drink, Sheba, sir." "Arm missile, Tolan. Tube one." "Arming missile, aye, sir." "Report," ordered Imperious Leader. "By your command. Shields are degrading at a higher rate than predicted." "How? Our design is beyond their limits." "Apparently we were wrong, and they have modified their weapons accordingly," replied the Centurion. "Emergency power to shields." "By your command." "And stand by on Pulse, at my order." "By your command." "Stay the Hades clear of those pulsars!" ordered Starbuck, as he circled the BaseShip in a wide arc. Though her shields were up, normally making it impossible for her to launch fighters, and her weapons fully engaged, Adama was taking no chances. With all the recent surprises the Cylons had pulled on them. "Look, sir!" called Cree, and Starbuck turned to see one of the Cylon's bays starting to open up. Any millicenton now, Cylon Raiders would begin spewing out from their bays likaid John, to one of his companions Indeed, replied Serina. Massive energy surge in Cylon shielding, Commander, said Loskeem, aboard the Tholian flagship. Even as he spoke, two more Tholian ships entered visual range, increasing the Tholian force to four. Inform the others, ordered Gomeed. Even as their fire continued, the allies could see a change in the Cylon vessel. Her shields, flaring and blazing where weapons fire struck them, were now turning fully opaque, taking on a whitish sheen, like some monstrous pearlescent shell. Phasers and torpedoes exploded against it, but now seemed utterly helpless to penetrate. What the hell... growled Garrovik, as the BaseShip disappeared behind a milky wall of force. Report, Mr. Kirk! Cylon vessel s shields have switched bands entirely, sir, reported Spock to Pike. Sensors have not yet determined the new shield modu... Sir! broke in Alden. message from Commander Adama aboard the Galactice bugs from a corpse, and. "With their screens up?" said Giles. "But that's impossible." "So is zipping across the galaxy in a heartbeat, Giles. Come on, guys. Let's go to work." The Viper squadrons formed up, and in a tight formation, they began their descent towards the upper section of the BaseShip like a dropping weight. At Starbuck's order, every Viper opened up, their guns slamming down upon the enemy like a rain of spikes. "Yaa hoo!" cried Starbuck, as an explosion momentarily obscured the launch bay from direct view. On his scanner, he could see myriad metal bits flying everywhere. His pilots kept on descending, and firing. As he thumbed his firing stud yet once more, he announced into his helmet pick-up: "This one's for you, Apollo," whispered Athena, as she fired into the side of the Cylons once more. "Now," ordered Imperious Leader. ================================================== Now begins the most dangerous part, s? She laughed, holding up her glass. Apollo laughed with her, casting a glare at Twilly. The other scurried past, and Apollo returned to his bride-to-be. They fell silent for a while, watching the people dance, eat, or gamble, until their gaze was drawn once more to the sight of the mighty, venerable Battlestars, being refitted with their new drive nacelles. Apollo shook his head. While he had taken all the requisite courses at the Colonial Academy in propulsion engineering, this new system was beyond anything he d ever seen. They watched as a huge arm lifted a long, thin tube with a red cap at one end, called a warp nacelle , into position above the gleaming pylon now extending upwards from the Galactica s port engine housing. They remained silent, absorbed in this strange sight, as the nacelle was fitted to the pylon, almost identical to those gracing the Enterprise, and the workers in space suits began making it fast. How is that going to work again? asked Sheba. Like Apolla. On now, Alden. Pull back! cried Adama, seemingly almost in a panic. All ships, pull back at once. The Cylons are preparing to fire their hyper-pulse weapon! It will destroy everything it touches! Mr. Tyler... began Pike. Already on it, sir, replied the Navigator, as the Enterprise s impulse engines began to hum with power, putting distance between herself and the Cylon vessel. She arced away, narrowly missing a shot from the Cylons, and joined the Hood in a long curve away from the enemy. Surprisingly, the Klingons were following suit, moving out ahead of the more ponderous Battlestars. As both Colonial carriers began to pick up speed, the Viper squadrons, diving on the BaseShips once more, pulled up suddenly, tearing away from the enemy. And, it seemed, in time. There was a bright flash, or pulse, of blinding white light from the now completely obscured BaseShip. Moments later, spreading out from the white ball like deadly ripples on a pond, was a swiaid John, to one of his companions Indeed, replied Serina. Massive energy surge in Cylon shielding, Commander, said Loskeem, aboard the Tholian flagship. Even as he spoke, two more Tholian ships entered visual range, increasing the Tholian force to four. Inform the others, ordered Gomeed. Even as their fire continued, the allies could see a change in the Cylon vessel. Her shields, flaring and blazing where weapons fire struck them, were now turning fully opaque, taking on a whitish sheen, like some monstrous pearlescent shell. Phasers and torpedoes exploded against it, but now seemed utterly helpless to penetrate. What the hell... growled Garrovik, as the BaseShip disappeared behind a milky wall of force. Report, Mr. Kirk! Cylon vessel s shields have switched bands entirely, sir, reported Spock to Pike. Sensors have not yet determined the new shield modu... Sir! broke in Alden. message from Commander Adama aboard the Galactico, she d taken all the courses, but if it didn t blow up Cylons... Shadrick explained it to me. As you know, our engines produce high-temperature plasma, which, pumped through magnetic restrictor coils, initiates fusion and provides thrust. Some of the excess plasma is bled off to generate electrical power, some is recycled through the intercoolers, and some is vented, to keep the pressure within safety limits. What this will do is take all our excess plasma, run it through something called a...uh...oh yes. Dilithium crystals, and then direct it up through those pylons, and into the nacelles. Which will do what? asked Sheba, signaling for another drink. Well, inside each nacelle are a series of coils they call warp coils. Once excited by superheated plasma flowing through at high pressure and speed, they create a distortion in the fabric of space, which is how their ships can travel at speeds far beyond what we ve ever been able to reach with our standard tylium reactiorling, writhing shell of energy. Both Adama and Cain had put on extra thrust, and were moving away as fast as the huge ships could manage it without going hyper. The Klingon and Federation ships, more nimble, were moving faster yet, and the Tholians... The Tholians, seemingly, were doing nothing. Even as the expanding balloon of energy swelled towards them, they seemed to just sit there, as if it were of no serious importance. Then, as the wall of force drew suicidaly close, the four Tholian vessels suddenly opened fire. What the...now? asked Stone, on Constellation, as the orange blobs of plasma energy spat from the Tholian ships, directly for the Cylon wall of force. The two weapons screamed towards each other across the shrinking void, at last touching. The Tholian plasma bursts exploded like miniature suns, actually pushing the Cylon pressure wave back. For a moment, it looked like a rippling balloon, an obscenely huge beach ball, punched inwards on itself by an equa. On now, Alden. Pull back! cried Adama, seemingly almost in a panic. All ships, pull back at once. The Cylons are preparing to fire their hyper-pulse weapon! It will destroy everything it touches! Mr. Tyler... began Pike. Already on it, sir, replied the Navigator, as the Enterprise s impulse engines began to hum with power, putting distance between herself and the Cylon vessel. She arced away, narrowly missing a shot from the Cylons, and joined the Hood in a long curve away from the enemy. Surprisingly, the Klingons were following suit, moving out ahead of the more ponderous Battlestars. As both Colonial carriers began to pick up speed, the Viper squadrons, diving on the BaseShips once more, pulled up suddenly, tearing away from the enemy. And, it seemed, in time. There was a bright flash, or pulse, of blinding white light from the now completely obscured BaseShip. Moments later, spreading out from the white ball like deadly ripples on a pond, was a swin units. Will it actually work, with our fuel source? According to Shadrick the math says so. It will combine our standard thrusters with this new warp drive. It would take us near to a yahren to reach Earth as we are. With this, we ll get there in a few days, Sheba. That s incredible, Apollo. It sure is, Sheba, he replied, voice soft. Softer even then the night in his chamber when she had given herself to him, softer then she could ever remember it being. And it s incredible that soon, so soon, we ll finally be there. Earth. Earth, she smiled back, raising her glass. Adama shook his head, as he looked over the Galacticas new profile through the windows of the stations VIP Lounge. She looked better than she had since before the Holocaust, before the day shed left Caprica, fresh from spacedock, for the ambush at Cimtar. Her hull gleamed with new plating and fresh paint in the lights of this station, her windows glistened like new. Behind her, heally obscene outside force, then it was lost in the unendurable light. Lords of Kobol! swore Greenbean, forced to turn away. Like all the Viper pilots, his radio roared with static for several moments, damping all communications. As the static cleared, he could hear both Jolly and Starbuck using colorful language over the airwaves. He checked his instruments. The interference was slowly clearing, as the explosions dissipated, and they put more distance between them selves and the BaseShip. Fortunately, the Fleet was out of range of this horror weapon, hanging near the heliopause of this star, awaiting the outcome. Provided this hideous thing had a range, he reminded himself. Details on this weapon were after all a bit thin. What if... The blasts from the Tholians had not stopped the expanding wall of destruction sloughed off by the BaseShip. It s leading edge still rippled, crackling with energy, but it still roiled on, seemingly unstoppable in its relentless march ofrling, writhing shell of energy. Both Adama and Cain had put on extra thrust, and were moving away as fast as the huge ships could manage it without going hyper. The Klingon and Federation ships, more nimble, were moving faster yet, and the Tholians... The Tholians, seemingly, were doing nothing. Even as the expanding balloon of energy swelled towards them, they seemed to just sit there, as if it were of no serious importance. Then, as the wall of force drew suicidaly close, the four Tholian vessels suddenly opened fire. What the...now? asked Stone, on Constellation, as the orange blobs of plasma energy spat from the Tholian ships, directly for the Cylon wall of force. The two weapons screamed towards each other across the shrinking void, at last touching. The Tholian plasma bursts exploded like miniature suns, actually pushing the Cylon pressure wave back. For a moment, it looked like a rippling balloon, an obscenely huge beach ball, punched inwards on itself by an equr sister Battlestar looked much the same. He looked at Cain, standing next to him, pistols on hips, arms behind his back, looking something like a cross between a new father, and a man trying to figure out what the painting in front of him was. He was also antsy, Adama could sense. After all, Cain hadnt fought a battle in days! How long?asked the Pegasus Commander, as the two old war daggits watched the work crews swarm over both ships. Shadrick tells me they will be conducting what the Federation engineers call a static warp field teston the Galactica in less than twenty centons.He checked his chrono, let his eyes run over the new drive nacelles projecting from the massive drive section. Two of the red-capped cylinders sprouted from the top sides of the engines, sweeping back on their heavily braced pylons. It had taken a while for Adama to get used to the jarring sensation this unexpectedly produced in him. The very configuration of most Federation ships was still quit obliteration. It was fast, and if fact was nearly up to light speed by this time. Unless everyone cut in their version of warp drive... Wave front at 0.94C, Captain, reported Spock. And accelerating. Prepare for warp speed. Engineering reports ready for light speed, sir, Athena reported to Adama. Her finger hovered above the controls, waiting for her father s order. Watching the tactical repeater at his station, Imperious Leader indulged in the long disused thing called laughter. The wall of hideous force he had unleashed would soon destroy their enemies. Even if some of the Colonials, or their allies, managed to escape it, it would give him precisely the cover he needed to initiate the next part of his plan. He turned as a Centurion brought him a damage report. Attempts to launch Raiders had failed, several exploding near the mouth of the launch bay, hit by unexpected Viper fire as they exited the screens. Repairs were being initiated... But Impally obscene outside force, then it was lost in the unendurable light. Lords of Kobol! swore Greenbean, forced to turn away. Like all the Viper pilots, his radio roared with static for several moments, damping all communications. As the static cleared, he could hear both Jolly and Starbuck using colorful language over the airwaves. He checked his instruments. The interference was slowly clearing, as the explosions dissipated, and they put more distance between them selves and the BaseShip. Fortunately, the Fleet was out of range of this horror weapon, hanging near the heliopause of this star, awaiting the outcome. Provided this hideous thing had a range, he reminded himself. Details on this weapon were after all a bit thin. What if... The blasts from the Tholians had not stopped the expanding wall of destruction sloughed off by the BaseShip. It s leading edge still rippled, crackling with energy, but it still roiled on, seemingly unstoppable in its relentless march ofe alien to Colonial eyes, and to see something of that alieness attached to his beloved Galactica was still a bit...unsettling. He shook his head, wondering what his late father, the legendary Commander Noah would think, then looked beyond the warships, to some of the other ships in the Fleet. Like the Battlestars, they were also undergoing repairs and long-neglected maintenance work. Unlike the warships, they would not be refitted with the new warp drive. Those that could do so would either dock with the Battlestars, be held fast by tractor beams, or ensconce themselves within the confines of the massive landing bays. The logistics were still being refined, but they would all make it. All except the Agro ships. They were far too big for any of that. He glanced away, as another ship dropped out of warp, and glided into range of the station. He recognized it as an Andorian Theleb-class freighter, from the ship recognition charts Pike had given him. Except for the warp nacelles, it lookerious Leader didn t care about that. He was so enthralled with the seeming fulfillment of his designs, or rather his creator s designs, that he waved the Centurion away, back to his duties. Yes! Yes! hissed Iblis, watching the battle. Eyes wide with demonic glee, fists clenched, dancing on his (cloven) toes in nervous anticipation, he was utterly transfixed by the hellish sight before him. Only (literally) the Last Trump would have gotten his attention at a moment of supreme importance like this. Four minutes, said one of the robed presences, to John, Serina, and her son. Four minutes, nodded the angelic being. ================================ Gommeed picked himself up from the deck of his bridge, and looked around him. His crew, ever efficient, were back to work almost at once, struggling to keep the Kreeda in one piece, and for that he was thankful. The blasts from their plasma cannons had exploded closer to the enemy ordnance than expected, and hurl obliteration. It was fast, and if fact was nearly up to light speed by this time. Unless everyone cut in their version of warp drive... Wave front at 0.94C, Captain, reported Spock. And accelerating. Prepare for warp speed. Engineering reports ready for light speed, sir, Athena reported to Adama. Her finger hovered above the controls, waiting for her father s order. Watching the tactical repeater at his station, Imperious Leader indulged in the long disused thing called laughter. The wall of hideous force he had unleashed would soon destroy their enemies. Even if some of the Colonials, or their allies, managed to escape it, it would give him precisely the cover he needed to initiate the next part of his plan. He turned as a Centurion brought him a damage report. Attempts to launch Raiders had failed, several exploding near the mouth of the launch bay, hit by unexpected Viper fire as they exited the screens. Repairs were being initiated... But Imped remarkably similar to any number of the various cargo ships and passenger vessels one might have seen in Colonial space, once upon a time. He watched as it drew close, and then passed out of view. But, that problem would be solved, too. Somehow, Engineer Scott, or perhaps Commodore Nogura, had called in a favor, or perhaps more than one. The night before, other freighters had arrived, and work had begun. Stripped down to their bare drive sections, these craft would be attached to the Agro ships, giving them the speed to keep up. Adama was pleased. The Agro ships contained all that remained of the plant and animal life of their ravaged homeworlds. While Earth was varied and rich, yes, he was not willing that one single plant, not a single life form of their own, would be lost. Not after having brought them this far. He looked down at his data pad, and nodded. Everything was right on schedule. His commlink beeped. It was Engineer Twilly. Adama gave him to go. Ah. There,he saided the ships away from the awesome Cylon weapon. His bridge s main viewscreen was, however, dark just now, and he ordered, nay bellowed, for its return. Screen yes sir! cried a crewman, and the front viewer flickered back to life... To show a sight out the Terrifying Dissolution. The enemy s wave front was still coming towards them, seemingly undiminished in either its power or ferocity. Gommeed ordered full speed, and the Kreeda s engines screamed to the Tholian s full capability, just barely over 0.99349C. He could both feel and hear the ship s engines groan under him, along with the inertial dampers, as they strained themselves to their limits to escape the oncoming wall of doom. Aft deflector shields full emergency power! Gommeed screamed again, unaware that he was screaming. As he watched the leading edge of the Cylon s pulse weapon draw ever closer, he could see chunks of debris from one of their sister ships, not quite so lucky as they, spreading outwards in a boierious Leader didn t care about that. He was so enthralled with the seeming fulfillment of his designs, or rather his creator s designs, that he waved the Centurion away, back to his duties. Yes! Yes! hissed Iblis, watching the battle. Eyes wide with demonic glee, fists clenched, dancing on his (cloven) toes in nervous anticipation, he was utterly transfixed by the hellish sight before him. Only (literally) the Last Trump would have gotten his attention at a moment of supreme importance like this. Four minutes, said one of the robed presences, to John, Serina, and her son. Four minutes, nodded the angelic being. ================================ Gommeed picked himself up from the deck of his bridge, and looked around him. His crew, ever efficient, were back to work almost at once, struggling to keep the Kreeda in one piece, and for that he was thankful. The blasts from their plasma cannons had exploded closer to the enemy ordnance than expected, and hurl, as slowly, very slowly, the red bulb at the end of one warp nacelle began to glow. Faint at first, it gradually increased, growing brighter and brighter, till they could plainly see the flashes of energy pulsing within it. It continued to grow brighter, as plasma from within the Battlestars huge engines was pumped through it. Adama smiled. It was as if his beloved ship was out of surgery, and regaining consciousness. Beyond, the nacelle visible on the hull of the Pegasus was coming alive, as well. Everything looking good, here, Commander,said Twilly. All readings nominal, so far. Excellent, Twilly. Keep me informed.Adama drew a deep breath, and let it out through smiling lips. Soon. Oh so soon, and they would be on their way! Earth. EARTH! It was so...exhilarating! So... Adama?asked Cain. Yes? What is a static warp field test? ============================================= At her station on the Galacticas bridge, Athena with disinterest watling cloud of vapor, till at last it was swallowed up by the opaque curtain of oblivion. He gripped the arm of his seat, said a silent prayer, actually several of them, then... Then the stars ahead of them went slightly mad. Despite her battle damage, the Galactica s transition to lightspeed was surprisingly smooth. She hummed, then roared, slipping seamlessly into hyperspace and leaving the Cylon weapon behind. Nearby, the Pegasus did the same, and according to their scanners, the distinctive energy distortions of the Federation vessels told Adama that they had all successfully made the transition as well. Distance? he asked, looking to Athena s station. Fifty microns. One hundred. She took a deep breath. Five hundred microns from previous position. Fifteen hundred...three thousand... Drop back to sublight, now, he ordered. Full scanners. Full scanners, aye, replied his daughter. The Battlestar smeared herself back into normal space, aned the ships away from the awesome Cylon weapon. His bridge s main viewscreen was, however, dark just now, and he ordered, nay bellowed, for its return. Screen yes sir! cried a crewman, and the front viewer flickered back to life... To show a sight out the Terrifying Dissolution. The enemy s wave front was still coming towards them, seemingly undiminished in either its power or ferocity. Gommeed ordered full speed, and the Kreeda s engines screamed to the Tholian s full capability, just barely over 0.99349C. He could both feel and hear the ship s engines groan under him, along with the inertial dampers, as they strained themselves to their limits to escape the oncoming wall of doom. Aft deflector shields full emergency power! Gommeed screamed again, unaware that he was screaming. As he watched the leading edge of the Cylon s pulse weapon draw ever closer, he could see chunks of debris from one of their sister ships, not quite so lucky as they, spreading outwards in a boiched the engineering readouts cross her screen. One by one, the various parameters slid up into the nominal range, and she read the results out to Engineers Scott and Twilly on the other end, in the engine room. One by one, the Battlestars new systems were coming on-line, as well as her older ones showing returning strength. Plasma injector constrictor coils,came a voice. Scotts. Green,she answered. Weakly. Distractedly. Mind elsewhere. Plasma vent integrity.Twillys Green. As she went through the dull checklist, reminiscent of the day theyd left home for the Armistice, her mind kept drifting ruthlessly back to her time with Spock. Even as she thought of his name, she could feel herself needing him. Wanting him. He was so...she couldnt think of a word for what he had made her feel. A fulfillment, a sensuality, she had never before known. Never thought possible. Even if he were and began describing an arc as she continued decelerating. Coming around, she got her bearings, locked onto the Cylon position once more, and issued a recall signal to her Viper squadrons. Status of Cylon weapon? asked Adama, allowing a momentary smile at the sound of Starbuck and Boomer whooping in joy over the speaker. Still accelerating, sir, reported Tigh. Computron predicts it will go lightspeed in one point four centons. Thank-you, said Adama, and turned to the scanners. There, following them like a bloated ghost, was the wave front. They had moved, during their short jump, the equivalent of half the distance from the planet to its sun. Even so, the enemy weapon kept on expanding, like some obese monster than kept on swelling ever greater. Would the Vipers escape its reach? Then... Lightspeed now, reported Athena, and the weapon changed color as it rippled into hyperdrive, and... Balls of Kahless! roared Korrd, as he tried to take in what had just ling cloud of vapor, till at last it was swallowed up by the opaque curtain of oblivion. He gripped the arm of his seat, said a silent prayer, actually several of them, then... Then the stars ahead of them went slightly mad. Despite her battle damage, the Galactica s transition to lightspeed was surprisingly smooth. She hummed, then roared, slipping seamlessly into hyperspace and leaving the Cylon weapon behind. Nearby, the Pegasus did the same, and according to their scanners, the distinctive energy distortions of the Federation vessels told Adama that they had all successfully made the transition as well. Distance? he asked, looking to Athena s station. Fifty microns. One hundred. She took a deep breath. Five hundred microns from previous position. Fifteen hundred...three thousand... Drop back to sublight, now, he ordered. Full scanners. Full scanners, aye, replied his daughter. The Battlestar smeared herself back into normal space, an alien, if his blood were... Green,she said, a bit too loud, as Twilly rattled off another parameter. Or was it Shadrick? The monotone of the dry voices grated against her every nerve as her mind, her body yearned for him, yearned for more, as she remembered, relived those moments with Spock. She could still smell him, feel his touch, feel STOP! It had been wrong! A terrible mistake . . .she should never -- they should have never -- Her mind reeled. This was impossible, she told herself as her stomach heaved in nausea. She had to see him. She had to... Purple and orange squadrons, she muttered. There was silence on the other end, and Tigh turned to look at her. Lieutenant?asked the Exec. What was that? Uhh, nothing, Colonel. Just...it was nothing, sir. Lieutenant, I dis... Coil tolerances?said Scott. Galactica bridge? Green,squeaked Athena, through clenched teeth. She looked rather green, Tigh thought. Green, and... And all over hhappened. Sensors! Full sweep! Full sweep, sir! replied Kang. They all waited a tense moment, as the G roth put more distance between himself and the enemy. No sign of it, sir, reported the other. Enemy weapon has dissipated. How? growled Korrd, Klingon-wary of some new enemy trick. It was almost kissing our stern. How could it just...vanish? Unknown as yet, sir. Contact P kuth. At once. Yes, sir. Spock? asked Pike. I am still scanning, sir, replied the Vulcan. But the enemy plasma wave has disappeared from our sensors completely. But how? It was on our tails, then... Pike shrugged, looking back towards the viewer. It vanished as it began to make the transition to warp speed, Captain, said Spock, after more scanning. It may be that this weapon has a limit. The speed of light itself. Thank God for that, said Pike, tense muscles relaxing visibly. Number One, bring us back to impulse. Mr. Tyler, take us back to the Cyd began describing an arc as she continued decelerating. Coming around, she got her bearings, locked onto the Cylon position once more, and issued a recall signal to her Viper squadrons. Status of Cylon weapon? asked Adama, allowing a momentary smile at the sound of Starbuck and Boomer whooping in joy over the speaker. Still accelerating, sir, reported Tigh. Computron predicts it will go lightspeed in one point four centons. Thank-you, said Adama, and turned to the scanners. There, following them like a bloated ghost, was the wave front. They had moved, during their short jump, the equivalent of half the distance from the planet to its sun. Even so, the enemy weapon kept on expanding, like some obese monster than kept on swelling ever greater. Would the Vipers escape its reach? Then... Lightspeed now, reported Athena, and the weapon changed color as it rippled into hyperdrive, and... Balls of Kahless! roared Korrd, as he tried to take in what had just is boots. Lieutenant, youre relieved. Rigel.Almost before the other woman filled the seat, Athena was running off the bridge. Logic. Logic is the key. Quiet. Stillness. A rejection of emotion. I will not permit emotion to rule. Logic must rule... Spock was rigid, completely stiff, as he knelt before the small granite slab in his quarters, upon which was deeply carved the Vulcan rune IDIC. He had been meditating for some time, trying to clear his mind, his...heart, of the lingering effects of his encounter with Athena. It was a mistake, a terrible surrendering to raw emotion. Emotions brought to the surface by... Yes, the creature Iblis had initiated the affair. Spock would never, on his own, have sought out the woman. Certainly not a woman from outside his own race. The shuddering, wildly thrashing emotions hed felt from her during their time together still reverberated through him. Like a hooked fish, came the words, and the image, unbidden. lons. Aye, sir, said both officers. Outside, the other Federation ships were doing much the same, dropping back below light, and taking stock of their respective situations. From his station aboard his flagship, the Defiant, Commodore Nogura took in the whole area. All the Federation ships still registered. They had escaped the Cylon blast wave, as had the surviving Klingon vessels. The Tholians... The Tholians were tearing out of the area at warp speed! The Tholians had gone into warp? How in hell... Reverse thrusters to full!!!! screamed Gommeed, as the Kreeda shrieked its way into what was for a Tholian ship, a new experience. Warp speed. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! How? asked Stone, aboard the Constellation. He listened to his science officer s report, and actually spared a moment to laugh. The Tholian vessels, already within spitting distance of light, had been caught by the approaching shock wave, and when it had traversed thehappened. Sensors! Full sweep! Full sweep, sir! replied Kang. They all waited a tense moment, as the G roth put more distance between himself and the enemy. No sign of it, sir, reported the other. Enemy weapon has dissipated. How? growled Korrd, Klingon-wary of some new enemy trick. It was almost kissing our stern. How could it just...vanish? Unknown as yet, sir. Contact P kuth. At once. Yes, sir. Spock? asked Pike. I am still scanning, sir, replied the Vulcan. But the enemy plasma wave has disappeared from our sensors completely. But how? It was on our tails, then... Pike shrugged, looking back towards the viewer. It vanished as it began to make the transition to warp speed, Captain, said Spock, after more scanning. It may be that this weapon has a limit. The speed of light itself. Thank God for that, said Pike, tense muscles relaxing visibly. Number One, bring us back to impulse. Mr. Tyler, take us back to the CyEmotions, memories, he must rid himself of. Meditation. Meditation and logic! Logic is the... Beep. Spock choked back an almost instinctive emotional response, and rose from his knees. He tightened the meditation robes sash, and went to the door. He hesitated. He knew. He knew it was... Come. The door opened, and Athena stood there, still in her Colonial uniform. There were traces of something on the front of it, traces his sensitive nose told him shed been ill. For a bare instant, he wanted to take her, embrace her, savagely press his lips to her, mercilessly rip her... Can I come in, Mr. Spock?she asked. If he had let himself think about it, her tone of voice and expression would have reminded him of a lost puppy. However, since there are no dogs on Vulcan, she reminded him of a lost sehlat. Of course,he replied, after a long moment, more a croak than a spoken word. He stepped back, and let her in. She stood, sweating, rigid, almost like a barrier, thrown them into warp! Well, he chuckled. Looks like they got warp drive on the cheap. Wo, horsy, muttered Kirk, concealing his laughter. Stop us! Gommeed kept screaming, as the universe in front of his ship kept on going insane. By all the gods, stop this! Can t you stop us? Stop it! Stop! At once!! I order you to stooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..... WHAT? bellowed Imperious Leader, as the smile fell from his face. It was not a pretty sight. He was watching the wave front of the hyper pulse weapon approach the enemy, when suddenly... Weapon wave front has vanished, reported a gold Command Grade Centurion matter-of-factly. I KNOW the wave front has vanished, you imbecile! cried Imperious Leader, sparing barely a picosecond s thought for the stupidity of Centurions. What happened to it? I do not know, Imperious Leader. Idiot! snarled Imperious Leader, and backhanded the offending Centurion. It fell to the deck wilons. Aye, sir, said both officers. Outside, the other Federation ships were doing much the same, dropping back below light, and taking stock of their respective situations. From his station aboard his flagship, the Defiant, Commodore Nogura took in the whole area. All the Federation ships still registered. They had escaped the Cylon blast wave, as had the surviving Klingon vessels. The Tholians... The Tholians were tearing out of the area at warp speed! The Tholians had gone into warp? How in hell... Reverse thrusters to full!!!! screamed Gommeed, as the Kreeda shrieked its way into what was for a Tholian ship, a new experience. Warp speed. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! How? asked Stone, aboard the Constellation. He listened to his science officer s report, and actually spared a moment to laugh. The Tholian vessels, already within spitting distance of light, had been caught by the approaching shock wave, and when it had traversed the new cadet, till he bade her sit. She did so. He set aside his meditation robe, and sat across from her at the table in the tiny work space. She was still sweating, and he turned the heat down to Human levels. For a moment, all remained silence, as they looked at each other, without looking at each other. Mr. Spock, I... Lieutenant, I must... Please, you dont... I was to... More silence. Let me say it,she began again. I...it was wrong to do what...was done. What I did. Regret is pointless, Lieutenant,said the Vulcan, steepling his fingers together. It is not logical to regret that over which we had no control,he intoned, quoting Surak. He waited a beat. Obviously the quote meant nothing to her. As physically...gratifying as it was, we were...coerced into our encounter. Manipulated into what happened. Under normal circumstances, none of this would ever have occurred. But this was not a normal thing. I...knew what Iblis was.She waited,th a crash. Find out, fool, before I have you scavenged for spare parts! By your command, Imperious Leader, said the other, rising. Lucifer!, shouted Imperious Leader. Get me Lucifer! X-UIDL: 4QC"!)P4"!^eW"!OEi!! ========================================== For a moment, Adama just stared at the empty space in front of the Galactica, trying to assimilate what he had just seen. A horrifically powerful wall of force had just simply...gone away. The Fleet, as well as the remaining allied ships were, for the moment, safe. But why? Iblis? The Ship of Lights? None of this feels right. "Commander," said Tigh, breaking into his shock. "Lieutenant Starbuck reports all Vipers intact. They escaped the wave front, sir." "Good. Have them all return to the Galactica at once." "Yes, sir." "Commander Cain on the line, Father," said Athena. "Put him on." "Adama. What in Hades Hole just happened?" It was clear that the Commander of the Pegasus was as bew barrier, thrown them into warp! Well, he chuckled. Looks like they got warp drive on the cheap. Wo, horsy, muttered Kirk, concealing his laughter. Stop us! Gommeed kept screaming, as the universe in front of his ship kept on going insane. By all the gods, stop this! Can t you stop us? Stop it! Stop! At once!! I order you to stooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..... WHAT? bellowed Imperious Leader, as the smile fell from his face. It was not a pretty sight. He was watching the wave front of the hyper pulse weapon approach the enemy, when suddenly... Weapon wave front has vanished, reported a gold Command Grade Centurion matter-of-factly. I KNOW the wave front has vanished, you imbecile! cried Imperious Leader, sparing barely a picosecond s thought for the stupidity of Centurions. What happened to it? I do not know, Imperious Leader. Idiot! snarled Imperious Leader, and backhanded the offending Centurion. It fell to the deck wiildered as his older colleague. "Did you see that?" "I did, and I no more understand it than you, Cain. Computron analysis can't seem to get a handle on it, either." "Well, let's take advantage of it, then," said the old war daggit, and cut the link. Even before the signal died, Cain was bringing the Pegasus to bear on the enemy, and was accelerating. Within a few moments, his forward batteries had flowered into life once more. Not wasting a centon, Adama did the same with his own ship, targeting the enemy from two directions. But the enemy was not just sitting idle. With the firing of their pulse weapon, their power levels had dropped to dangerously low levels. Now, the scanners on both Battlestars could see them on the rise once again. Even as Cain opened fire, the Cylon's shields popped back up. They weren't nearly as powerful as before, but would be shortly, if the energy signatures were anything to go by. Something Cain had no intention of letting happen. He fired, then wondering if he would recriminate her, accuse her, revile her. But the alien eyes held nothing. Like a blank wall. Iblis,said Spock. He looked away, thinking. This creature. This Count Iblis. He tormented us once before, as you know. This was part of his revenge. I...I dont know much about your peoples beliefs or religion, Mr. Spock. But we know who Iblis is. The Prince of Darkness. Prince of Darkness,said Spock, softly. For an instant, childhood memories from visits to Earth, and being called devil boyflitted across his mind, as instantly suppressed. You speak of what my mothers people call The Devil. A mythological being, credited with all sorts of malicious... Iblis is not mythological,she reminded him, with a sudden sharpness that seemed at odds with her softness. We tangled with him before, and he nearly brought us to ruin. He tried to kill Apollo. He is the one the Ancients on Kobol called Metastopholes. Diabolis. From what I have read of Earth literature,th a crash. Find out, fool, before I have you scavenged for spare parts! By your command, Imperious Leader, said the other, rising. Lucifer!, shouted Imperious Leader. Get me Lucifer! X-UIDL: 4QC"!)P4"!^eW"!OEi!! ========================================== For a moment, Adama just stared at the empty space in front of the Galactica, trying to assimilate what he had just seen. A horrifically powerful wall of force had just simply...gone away. The Fleet, as well as the remaining allied ships were, for the moment, safe. But why? Iblis? The Ship of Lights? None of this feels right. "Commander," said Tigh, breaking into his shock. "Lieutenant Starbuck reports all Vipers intact. They escaped the wave front, sir." "Good. Have them all return to the Galactica at once." "Yes, sir." "Commander Cain on the line, Father," said Athena. "Put him on." "Adama. What in Hades Hole just happened?" It was clear that the Commander of the Pegasus was as bew Adama did... Both shots connected, making the enemy shields shimmer with light. Then, on the side facing away from her foes, the BaseShip dropped her screens, and began to disgorge fighters from one of her undamaged launch bays. They swarmed out like apions from a hive, spreading out in wide fans from their mother ship. Within moments, they were closing in on the Colonial ships from all sides, lasers opening up. Or at least some of them were. Hot beams from the small and nimble Grissom sliced through several of the Raiders, sending molten fragments flying into yet more of the enemy craft. A few Raiders turned away from the Battlestars to deal with this new threat, but Grissom went into warp for a few seconds, leaving them behind, then headed back, catching a few more from behind as she dropped back to impulse. Shields up, she sailed through the clouds of cooling wreckage, cutting loose at the BaseShip as she sped by. The Cylon gunnery was hideously slow to follow, making only one he seems well known there also .Her voice went thin, now. Almost cracking. Indeed. However, while we both unquestionably experienced this creatures coercive powers, to equate him with a myth...He stopped. Obviously, the Caprican woman was ill-disposed to listen to a lecture on logic, or to have her beliefs disabused regarding the being called Iblis. You honestly believe that he is...the Devil? Yes,she replied, almost in a whisper, not looking at him. Yes. And I let myself...let myself surrender to him. To his will. I involved you in a demonic...in a...Athenas voice faltered, choked off in a spasm of sudden sobbing. For an instant, Spock was at a complete loss. Vulcan women did not behave this way, even as children. True, his mother was a very emotional Human, typical of her race and sex, but to break down sobbing like this, was...was... He did not know. He did not know what to say, what to expect, even what to think. Yet, he could feel the very real emotional agony thisildered as his older colleague. "Did you see that?" "I did, and I no more understand it than you, Cain. Computron analysis can't seem to get a handle on it, either." "Well, let's take advantage of it, then," said the old war daggit, and cut the link. Even before the signal died, Cain was bringing the Pegasus to bear on the enemy, and was accelerating. Within a few moments, his forward batteries had flowered into life once more. Not wasting a centon, Adama did the same with his own ship, targeting the enemy from two directions. But the enemy was not just sitting idle. With the firing of their pulse weapon, their power levels had dropped to dangerously low levels. Now, the scanners on both Battlestars could see them on the rise once again. Even as Cain opened fire, the Cylon's shields popped back up. They weren't nearly as powerful as before, but would be shortly, if the energy signatures were anything to go by. Something Cain had no intention of letting happen. He fired, then hit out of four shots. Cain's gunnery was better, hitting the enemy dead center, but was soon distracted by swarms of Raiders. Soon, the fighters of both sides were hard at it once again... As Imperious Leader had intended. "Now," he ordered. "What is he doing?" said Pike, watching from his seat. "Spock?" "Frack," muttered Adama, as one of the Galactica's shots missed. The BaseShip had dodged suddenly, avoiding his shot by almost a half metron. He retargeted... "Father," said Athena, and she pointed towards the enemy. "Hades Hole," said Tigh. As she returned fire, the joined enemy vessel was beginning to unjoin. The huge magna-steel pylons that held the two sections together were quickly retracting, the massive latches that joined the two hulls opening, and folding back into place. Within a few breaths, the massive vessel was two ships once again, both of them firing thrusters to put space between them. "Enterprise, Farragut, Hood, form on woman was experiencing. It was not shame at a natural, indeed instinctual physical act. It was horror at having surrendered her will to a being she viewed as the very font of all evil. Though his own contact with her had been scant beyond the purely physical, he nonetheless sensed her emotions from across the table as a palpable thing. A huge, vile wave of self-loathing was rising up to drown her, and Spock felt sure that Athena would not, could not, survive it. From her crumbling rationality, he saw the end result of this cascade of horror. What Doctor Boyce sometimes bizarrely referred to as a basket case. Madness. Madness and suicide. Yet, an utter, uncontrollable terror of what lay beyond death. He could not allow that. Her beliefs were too strongly inculcated to yield to anything Surak might say. No words of his here and now could cleanse her of this murderous, self-destructive shame. It was as if in some sick, malignant way, this Iblis was achieving his desire, without having to lay a Adama did... Both shots connected, making the enemy shields shimmer with light. Then, on the side facing away from her foes, the BaseShip dropped her screens, and began to disgorge fighters from one of her undamaged launch bays. They swarmed out like apions from a hive, spreading out in wide fans from their mother ship. Within moments, they were closing in on the Colonial ships from all sides, lasers opening up. Or at least some of them were. Hot beams from the small and nimble Grissom sliced through several of the Raiders, sending molten fragments flying into yet more of the enemy craft. A few Raiders turned away from the Battlestars to deal with this new threat, but Grissom went into warp for a few seconds, leaving them behind, then headed back, catching a few more from behind as she dropped back to impulse. Shields up, she sailed through the clouds of cooling wreckage, cutting loose at the BaseShip as she sped by. The Cylon gunnery was hideously slow to follow, making only one hand upon her. She would be destroyed, just as the Colonials had said Iblis had tried to do before, first on Kobol long ago, then through his Cylon slaves, then in his own persona aboard the Fleet. Perhaps...perhaps this creature was some sort of incorporeal malignancy. With his ability to leap across the galaxy, perhaps he was known on many more worlds. Perhaps... There was only one thing Spock of Vulcan could do, to save this woman. This woman for whom he had, he was forced to admit, begun to... She straightened up, and grabbed a ceremonial knife from its stand, and gripped it tightly. She raised to plunge it into her heart, the blade gleaming a dull red in the light. Far too quickly for her to react, Spock pulled it from her grasp, and pressed his fingers to her neck. With a sob of pain, she slumped back into her seat, and across the table. He scanned her with a tricorder, while she was oblivious to all. Satisfied that neither of them had anything to worry about for me," ordered Commodore Nogura. "Pursue target A." The other starships acknowledged, and the three began to close ranks, moving in on the topmost Cylon. "Fire!" ordered Nogura, and his guns lashed out, striking the Cylon dead on. Even as it shook from the first blast, the enemy vessel continued accelerating away from its fellow. "Helm, pursue bottom target," ordered Adama, and the Galactica responded, her engines rising in pitch as they gained speed. He fired again, followed by more shots from Cain. As they began to move, he turned to Omega. "Status of Vipers?" "Squadrons report more than half the Cylon fighters destroyed, sir. Continuing to press the attack." "Excellent. Status of BaseShip, Colonel Tigh?" "She's at almost half lightspeed, and accelerating, sir. She's definitely making a run for it." "Continue pursuit." "Fools!" spat Cain, as he sped up to follow Adama. "Where in Hades can they hope to go?" As he watched, one of the Federation ships, Constellhit out of four shots. Cain's gunnery was better, hitting the enemy dead center, but was soon distracted by swarms of Raiders. Soon, the fighters of both sides were hard at it once again... As Imperious Leader had intended. "Now," he ordered. "What is he doing?" said Pike, watching from his seat. "Spock?" "Frack," muttered Adama, as one of the Galactica's shots missed. The BaseShip had dodged suddenly, avoiding his shot by almost a half metron. He retargeted... "Father," said Athena, and she pointed towards the enemy. "Hades Hole," said Tigh. As she returned fire, the joined enemy vessel was beginning to unjoin. The huge magna-steel pylons that held the two sections together were quickly retracting, the massive latches that joined the two hulls opening, and folding back into place. Within a few breaths, the massive vessel was two ships once again, both of them firing thrusters to put space between them. "Enterprise, Farragut, Hood, form on the future, he set the device down, took a deep breath, focused his mind, and slowly reached out to Athena, blissfully insensate. Gently touching her face with his fingertips, he began to let his mind flow. Flow. Merge. Become as one. Forget. ====================================== She sails through the void for which she was named, on winds her kind has never known, winds fair and good, brought by her brothers. The unknown stars streak by, in new and strange ways, as she breasts the vastness. Vast herself in her own way, beautiful to her charges who have for so long called her strength and stay and home, she at last turns her back on war and blood and death, riding to her Elysium, like a Queen, upon the swelling winds of night. Her sister, great- winged, mighty-hooved, at her side, her children close, she flows, subsumed within the currents of the sky, her reward, ever closer, drawing her and being drawn. When I grow up, I am going to command a Battlestar! the boyation, formed up alongside him, joining in the pursuit. He envied the Fed ships their greater speed and hotter weapons. Lords of Kobol, with those, this war would have ended a long time ago. For a moment, he had beatific visions of Cylon, surrounded by a fleet of Battlestars, each one pumping gloriously hideous blasts of destructive fire into every bit of the planet's surface. He smiled as his imaginary Cylon burned, looking almost wistful at the moment's longing, then returned to the here and now. Both Battlestars were gaining, slowly, on the fleeing BaseShip, keeping up the remorseless fire. For her part, the enemy vessel did the same, struggling to target two pursuing ships and navigate at the same time. It was clear, however, that she was in trouble, and was finding the task increasingly difficult. "Yessss!" hissed Tolan, as one of the Pegasus' shots penetrated the BaseShip's weakened defenses. Chunks of glowing metal burst from the hull, and she visibly shuddered. Laughing, Cain orme," ordered Commodore Nogura. "Pursue target A." The other starships acknowledged, and the three began to close ranks, moving in on the topmost Cylon. "Fire!" ordered Nogura, and his guns lashed out, striking the Cylon dead on. Even as it shook from the first blast, the enemy vessel continued accelerating away from its fellow. "Helm, pursue bottom target," ordered Adama, and the Galactica responded, her engines rising in pitch as they gained speed. He fired again, followed by more shots from Cain. As they began to move, he turned to Omega. "Status of Vipers?" "Squadrons report more than half the Cylon fighters destroyed, sir. Continuing to press the attack." "Excellent. Status of BaseShip, Colonel Tigh?" "She's at almost half lightspeed, and accelerating, sir. She's definitely making a run for it." "Continue pursuit." "Fools!" spat Cain, as he sped up to follow Adama. "Where in Hades can they hope to go?" As he watched, one of the Federation ships, Constell had spoken. His father had smiled, looking down at him in love and pride, and taken the little hand in his own. Together, Sons of Kobol, they had looked up, up at the infinite tapestry of forever, one star moving even brighter against the rest, and the boy, bright-eyed, had wondered. Wondered in his childlike awe, and determined in his childlike certainty. When I grow up, I am going to command a Battlestar! Now a man, grown gray and weary of body with the malice of time, and the labors of yahrens, he sleeps, and she whom he so long ago claimed for his Lady protects him, granting him for some short space of time a measure of peace. Peace such as he has scarcely known. He stirs, but she permits him not to wake. This is incredible,said Omega, eyes on his instruments, and the Galactica tore through this new thing called sub- space. Never in all his time in space had he ever seen a ship move so smoothly, or felt power surge with this degree of grace. It was, accordindered him to fire again. "BaseShip slowing, sir," said Tigh, turning to Adama. "Her speed is down by two point five." "Her shields fluctuating, too, Father," added Athena. "Close to collapse." "Fire," ordered Adama, and the Galactica once more spoke the awful word. Her improved lasers sent Cylon shields flaming up into the visible, then found a weak spot. Like the earlier salvo, molten bits of hull plate spewed into space, followed by a secondary explosion from under the hull plating. Both Battlestars pressed the attack, and the Constellation screamed by, pumping her stronger fire into dying shields. With a blinding flash, screens blew out, leaving the Cylon naked to her enemies. "By your command. Shield grids twenty through thirty- one off-line, Imperious Leader," reported the abused Centurion. "Emergency power to..." Imperious Leader struggled to remain standing as his vessel shook once more. "Emergency power to shields." "By your command," replied anotheration, formed up alongside him, joining in the pursuit. He envied the Fed ships their greater speed and hotter weapons. Lords of Kobol, with those, this war would have ended a long time ago. For a moment, he had beatific visions of Cylon, surrounded by a fleet of Battlestars, each one pumping gloriously hideous blasts of destructive fire into every bit of the planet's surface. He smiled as his imaginary Cylon burned, looking almost wistful at the moment's longing, then returned to the here and now. Both Battlestars were gaining, slowly, on the fleeing BaseShip, keeping up the remorseless fire. For her part, the enemy vessel did the same, struggling to target two pursuing ships and navigate at the same time. It was clear, however, that she was in trouble, and was finding the task increasingly difficult. "Yessss!" hissed Tolan, as one of the Pegasus' shots penetrated the BaseShip's weakened defenses. Chunks of glowing metal burst from the hull, and she visibly shuddered. Laughing, Cain org to his counterpart Tolan, the same aboard the Pegasus. Power beyond what they had ever seen, smoothness and grace like a freely flowing stream. Excuse me?said Tigh, turning from his own station to regard the other. I was just admiring this new propulsion system, sir. Its so much...beyond what we ever dreamed of at the Academy. A lot of things are, Omega. We have a lot to get used to.He went back to his station. The Fleet was only a little over a hundred and fifty centons out from the station, and already they had covered nearly as much distance as that from the Colonies to Carillon, a trip that had taken nearly three days under optimum conditions, five days when evading the Cylons. If only the Colonies had had engines like this, back then, mused Tigh. They would never have lost the war. If only... Yeah,he muttered, too softly to be heard over the noise of the bridge. If only.He sighed again. ETA Earth space? Four days, sixty-six centons, Colonel, present Centurion. Almost at once, an entire bank of electronics blew apart spectacularly, showering them all with hot cables, sparks and debris. One of the centurions shook, and fell, shrapnel buried in its chest and head. Imperious Leader looked from it, to his other crew. "Deflector subsystems destroyed," reported one. "Prepare..." began Imperious Leader, when for a moment, something inside his electronic brain...hiccupped. Buried deep within his operating system, something was wrong. "Prepare..." he said again, and again stopped. For a few picocentons, he was unsure of what he was going to say, or even to do. "Prepare to...to return fire," he said at last, his voice laced with uncertainty and confusion. "By your command," replied the Centurion, and targeted the pursuing Battlestars. "By...by your..." Another panel died, and more circuits began to fry. Where is Lucifer? Wondered Imperious Leader, his mind growing more confused by the centon. Where is...is...Iblis!dered him to fire again. "BaseShip slowing, sir," said Tigh, turning to Adama. "Her speed is down by two point five." "Her shields fluctuating, too, Father," added Athena. "Close to collapse." "Fire," ordered Adama, and the Galactica once more spoke the awful word. Her improved lasers sent Cylon shields flaming up into the visible, then found a weak spot. Like the earlier salvo, molten bits of hull plate spewed into space, followed by a secondary explosion from under the hull plating. Both Battlestars pressed the attack, and the Constellation screamed by, pumping her stronger fire into dying shields. With a blinding flash, screens blew out, leaving the Cylon naked to her enemies. "By your command. Shield grids twenty through thirty- one off-line, Imperious Leader," reported the abused Centurion. "Emergency power to..." Imperious Leader struggled to remain standing as his vessel shook once more. "Emergency power to shields." "By your command," replied another speed,came the reply. According to Engineering, we can safely move our speed up for some time yet. Do so, Omega. Our current speed? Uh...Warp Five point three, sir. Holding steady. Increase to five point five. Inform the Pegasus. Yes, sir,came the reply. Tigh watched as Omega carried out the order, and heard the throb of the Battlestars engines deepen slightly. The stars flew by faster, and he allowed himself a moments smile at the decreasing ETA. Shes almost like a brand new ship,said Athena, bringing his a report to sign. She was ebullient, energetic, a veritable bouncing ball of cheerfulness. He hadnt seen her like this since she returned from her last shore leave just before the Armistice. For a moment, Tigh wondered at the change in her demeanor from the other day, but did not mention it. He signed the report, and handed it back to her. Yes, she is, Lieutenant,he replied. All these repaired and upgraded systems. We havent had filtration at accep!!!!!!!!!!!! Iblis!!!" "Fire!" ordered Captain Stone, and the Constellation spat two torpedoes into the BaseShip. The blasts shook the Cylon right down to her bones, then were followed by more searing red beams. More metal boiled into space, more secondary explosions peeled away at her hull. The Cylons returned fire, one shot catching the Federation ship near the bow. She peeled off, momentarily askew, and the Cylons targeted her once more... Only to feel the searing fingers of burning death from the G'roth, pinning her like a bug on a card. Another shield grid flared, barely holding, but the Cylon gunnery was sent wild. She tried to retarget on the Klingon ship, but Adama slammed her amidships, and then Constellation, coming back at almost half lightspeed, cut her a long swath, sending her lower pulsar battery vomiting into space. Grissom, coming out from behind the Pegasus, spat more torpedoes, as did G'roth. With a huge blast belching from one of her bays, the Cylon slow Centurion. Almost at once, an entire bank of electronics blew apart spectacularly, showering them all with hot cables, sparks and debris. One of the centurions shook, and fell, shrapnel buried in its chest and head. Imperious Leader looked from it, to his other crew. "Deflector subsystems destroyed," reported one. "Prepare..." began Imperious Leader, when for a moment, something inside his electronic brain...hiccupped. Buried deep within his operating system, something was wrong. "Prepare..." he said again, and again stopped. For a few picocentons, he was unsure of what he was going to say, or even to do. "Prepare to...to return fire," he said at last, his voice laced with uncertainty and confusion. "By your command," replied the Centurion, and targeted the pursuing Battlestars. "By...by your..." Another panel died, and more circuits began to fry. Where is Lucifer? Wondered Imperious Leader, his mind growing more confused by the centon. Where is...is...Iblis!table levels since those two Cylons hit us. Now...He let his hands fall to his sides. Our power, our recycling, our drive. Yes, shes really something now. And the scanners, Colonel,Athena went on. I can see almost twice as far in lightspeed, and at higher resolution, then ever. Earth on the scanners yet?he asked her, smiling slightly at her enthusiasm. No, but the Agro ships are. Well overtake them about the time we reach Earth space, Colonel. Good. Commander Adama wants us all to arrive at Earth together. I can hardly wait,grinned Athena, returning to her station, and scanning again. Since the Agro ships, even with their newly acquired power plants, were slower than the Battlestars now, they had been dispatched ahead of them to Earth, almost a full day before the rest of the Fleet left Station T-4. Aboard the lead ship Vineyard, were Sire Montrose and Siress Tinia, selected by the Council as Ambassadors from the Government of the Twelve Colonies, to theed to a crawl, her spin stopping, her trim gone. After one last weak shot, her gunnery was silenced, and the once-fearsome instrument of Cylon murder was left a burning hulk, dead in space, all fight beaten out of her. After a final shot from Grissom, Adama ordered a cease-fire. "Athena," he ordered, "signal to commander, Cylon BaseShip. This is Commander Adama, of the Colonial Fleet. Prepare to be boarded, or destroyed. Surrender your vessel." "Aye, Father," replied the woman. Tigh turned to his CO, unable to conceal his pride, and smiled the smile of the victor. It was a sight he had never thought to see again. A BaseShip, helpless, theirs for the taking. Imperious Leader tried to rise to his feet, in his shattered control room. Around him, panels burned and lights flickered. Two Centurions were destroyed by electrical discharges from torn cables, another crushed by debris. Still another lay on the deck, legs missing, endlessly repeating itself: "By your command. By your co!!!!!!!!!!!! Iblis!!!" "Fire!" ordered Captain Stone, and the Constellation spat two torpedoes into the BaseShip. The blasts shook the Cylon right down to her bones, then were followed by more searing red beams. More metal boiled into space, more secondary explosions peeled away at her hull. The Cylons returned fire, one shot catching the Federation ship near the bow. She peeled off, momentarily askew, and the Cylons targeted her once more... Only to feel the searing fingers of burning death from the G'roth, pinning her like a bug on a card. Another shield grid flared, barely holding, but the Cylon gunnery was sent wild. She tried to retarget on the Klingon ship, but Adama slammed her amidships, and then Constellation, coming back at almost half lightspeed, cut her a long swath, sending her lower pulsar battery vomiting into space. Grissom, coming out from behind the Pegasus, spat more torpedoes, as did G'roth. With a huge blast belching from one of her bays, the Cylon slow United Federation of Planets. Federation Council officials would be coming to meet them on the way, as a first step towards the opening of full diplomatic relations between the disparate nations. According to what they were already receiving over a Federation news channel, FNN, people all over the Federation were aware of their approach, and Tigh sat watching a news show for a few centons. He shook his head at the bad picture of himself on the program, when the telecom beeped. Bridge. Colonel Tigh here. It was Wilker, several decks down, somewhere between the main computer core and the Officers Club. Adama had agreed to the installation aboard of one of the new transporter devices, and it seemed that the prickly chief scientist, and Assistant Engineer Twilly, were arguing over some rarified technical detail of its construction. And Wilker was calling him to complain! Somehow, that struck Tigh as funny. The almost monkish Wilker, and the hormone-sodden Twilly, arguing ovmmand. By..." Imperious Leader felt the ship's gravity flutter, and held onto something. He needed to, for as he rose up, he realized that one of his legs was gone, wires and linkage hanging from the stump. "No!" he wailed, looking about him. "No, it cannot be. Lost? Lost? We...we...what?" Even as he spoke, his operating system alerted him that lines of code were missing from its database. Not just missing; they were actually deleting themselves from his programming! Alarmed, he tried desperately to stop it, then to back up the vanishing files. But it was to no avail. Line after line, code after code, was vanishing, deleted from his memory banks and programming protocols. These were important files. These were...were... Were what? He couldn't remember. The ship rumbled beneath him, her death rattle approaching, yet still he stood, fixating on the electronic lobotomy going on inside of his brain. He tried to access his link to other Cylons. It was true! Each surviving Cylon aboed to a crawl, her spin stopping, her trim gone. After one last weak shot, her gunnery was silenced, and the once-fearsome instrument of Cylon murder was left a burning hulk, dead in space, all fight beaten out of her. After a final shot from Grissom, Adama ordered a cease-fire. "Athena," he ordered, "signal to commander, Cylon BaseShip. This is Commander Adama, of the Colonial Fleet. Prepare to be boarded, or destroyed. Surrender your vessel." "Aye, Father," replied the woman. Tigh turned to his CO, unable to conceal his pride, and smiled the smile of the victor. It was a sight he had never thought to see again. A BaseShip, helpless, theirs for the taking. Imperious Leader tried to rise to his feet, in his shattered control room. Around him, panels burned and lights flickered. Two Centurions were destroyed by electrical discharges from torn cables, another crushed by debris. Still another lay on the deck, legs missing, endlessly repeating itself: "By your command. By your coer a ...a machine. Maybe it was the long-overdue liberation from fear and the stress of war, maybe not, but Tigh couldnt get the crazy image of the two radically different men out of his head. He tried, and tried... And burst out in bellows of roaring laughter. =============================== This is a FNN Special News Report: Brothers From Space. Today, the greatest event in Earth history since the founding of the Federation occurred. A fleet of vessels from the uncharted depths of space arrived in the Terran solar system. But this was no invasion by hostile forces, no replay of the Romulan War. These ships are filled with Human beings. Refugees from a previously unknown civilization, far across the galaxy, calling itself The Colonies. Survivors of a long and terrible war, against a cybernetic race called the Cylons, these people, or rather Colonials as they prefer to be called, unexpectedly appeared in Federation space near the Tholian border fourteen days ago, amidst... Adama turned from the news broadcast, being piped all over the Fleet, to look about his bridge. Everyone was edgy, whip-tense, waiting for the moment. They had dropped out of warp late last night, to find the Agro ships a few light- centons ahead of them, already having rendezvoused with a Federation courier ship. Aboard were several high officials, including the Federation President, and members of their ruling council. Already, Sire Montrose and Siress Tinia, working without the rest of the Council (especially the irritating Sires Uri and Antipas) looking over their shoulders, had already gone far to opening relations with their Earth brothers, and Adama had himself already met the Federation leader. As was, it seemed, common across the universe, he had to submit to what the Feds called a photo op, and answer seemingly endless, and he thought, tasteless, questions from journalists, both from their own IFB, and ond BaseShip in their sights, and like their comrades, were not letting go. Before their fleeing prey could make the transit into warp space, Reliant opened fire, sending blast after blast from her lasers screaming into the Cylon s deflectors, as the Klingon pumped torpedo after torpedo into the prey. Kleege was laughing as his salvos exploded against the screens, each one chewing away at the BaseShip s defenses. Enemy shield strength down twenty-seven percent, sir, reported Koloth. His weapons fire is down as well. He is doomed, then, smiled Kleege, not a pretty sight. . Doomed. His ship rocked from a Cylon hit, and he ordered return fire Something that Reliant was doing to great effect. With guns more than twenty percent hotter than what the Klingons were carrying, her attacks were cutting deeper into the enemy s defenses with each shot. Even as Kleege s gunners followed orders, the Federation ship swung tightly around the BaseShip s underside, raking her hull. She nim sending Cylons and machinery flying. The lights failed, and the door to the central core was ripped open by a huge ball of fire. His shields are failing, sir, said Reliant s gunner, as flashes of light rippled across the Cylon s hull. Continue firing, ordered Captain Paddon, and his ship s guns continued buttoning the enemy. The BaseShip had slowed to a crawl, and her spin was failing. As the Reliant continued to slice away, the Constellation raced by, adding her fire to the attack. Her guns sliced off succulent slabs of the hull, easily deflecting the increasingly weakening fire from the BaseShip. One shot, however, managed to hit the Bird-of-Prey s screens dead on. P kuth had lined up, fired, and... Now! ordered Lucifer. By your command! replied the Centurion. Oh just shut up and do it! ordered the IL Series. ...was blown askew, as one of her torpedoes exploded just outside the screen perimeter, a lucky intersection of fire. The Kling Earth-based media as well. Once done, he shook his head, reflecting how the journalistic capacity for rudeness seemed to transcend everything. What was that fellows name? he mused. Donaldson? Rivera? Rather? Oh Serina, they could certainly learn from you! But that was past, for the moment. He found himself straining, like the lowest rating below him. Straining for the first glimpse of Earth, the first sight of the world they had for so long striven, fought, and bled to reach. He waited, his old muscles unconsciously tight with anticipation, as the scanner readout counted down the metrics. They had crossed the suns heliopause a few centons ago, after having released all the ships in the Fleet, which resumed their proper positions, and were continuing to decelerate as they moved inwards. The scientist in Adama tried to concentrate on the data the scanners were feeding the library computer on the nature of the planets and asteroids they were passing, but, like a wide-eyed child atbly evaded the Cylon s return fire, and then dumped a torpedo into one of her launch bays. Gobbets of sparks and wreckage blew through the control center, as the BaseShip was hammered again and again. Her gunnery was growing increasingly haphazard as both damage and radiation built up around them. At his control post, Command Centurion Caputstercus ordered his minions to fire, this time striking Reliant dead on under the saucer section, forward of the bridge. As the Federation ship rocked, he turned to the Klingons. Only to find the Bird-of-Prey bearing down on him like a falling rock. The Klingon passed close, veering away at the very last centon, spitting a full spread of torpedoes directly into the joint between hulls. Once more the BaseShip rocked violently, and his vidscreens blew out, leaving him operationally blind. By your command, shields failing, said an operative. Emergency power to... began Caputstercus, but the very floor beneath them heaved upwards,on went spinning, her shields flickering on and off, tumbling end over end. Now that was damn rude, said Stone, on Constellation, with a grin, and ordered another attack. His ship s phasers ripped through the tissue-paper remnants of the BaseShip s screens, sending up huge clouds of boiling wreckage. Reliant followed with her lasers, and sent blast after blast ripping ever deeper into the enemy s guts. Battlestar moving in, sir, reported Stone s Exec. It s the Pegasus, sir. Tell him to join the party, chuckled Stone, as firing continued. Cain did so, pumping blast after blast into the enemy. The enemy was now silent, all defensive fire stopped, fires visible through spewing gaps in her dying hull. The three kept up the fire, till Stone at last ordered a cease fire. Signal Commander BaseShip, he ordered. Prepare to be boarded or destroyed. As his officers moved to obey, he saw that Cain was not stopping, the Pegasus continuing to carve up what was left of the BaseShip. the circus for the first time, he kept turning back to look at the same object over and over again. Father?asked Apollo, Boxey at his side, moving up to Adama. Still officially off-duty, and wearing civvies, the Captain was nonetheless as anxious as the Commander for the first look. Yes? Oh, Apollo. Uh, wheres Sheba? Shes with her father, on the Pegasus. She says we should observe tradition, and not see each other until the sealing. Sheba? Observing tradition?said Athena, a little bemused. The feisty woman from the House of Cain had always struck her as anything but traditional. Boxey stifled a laugh. Well, were going to be joining with another society, sis,said Apollo, sparing Boxey a reproving glare. Until we know what we need to keep, and where we need to assimilate, we need to hold onto our traditions. I agree, Apollo,said Adama, unable to hide his anticipation. Apollo watched his father a few moments, then looked at Athena, shaking his head, sending Cylons and machinery flying. The lights failed, and the door to the central core was ripped open by a huge ball of fire. His shields are failing, sir, said Reliant s gunner, as flashes of light rippled across the Cylon s hull. Continue firing, ordered Captain Paddon, and his ship s guns continued buttoning the enemy. The BaseShip had slowed to a crawl, and her spin was failing. As the Reliant continued to slice away, the Constellation raced by, adding her fire to the attack. Her guns sliced off succulent slabs of the hull, easily deflecting the increasingly weakening fire from the BaseShip. One shot, however, managed to hit the Bird-of-Prey s screens dead on. P kuth had lined up, fired, and... Now! ordered Lucifer. By your command! replied the Centurion. Oh just shut up and do it! ordered the IL Series. ...was blown askew, as one of her torpedoes exploded just outside the screen perimeter, a lucky intersection of fire. The Kling Commander Cain, he began, but Cain s response was, as ever, Cainlike. Frack surrender! he spat, and continued firing. It didn t take much longer, One shot, directly into a now open launch bay resulted in a huge ball of red flame belching into space, then the next closest bay erupted as well. The hull between then cracked, peeling back and up as the explosions inside merged into one great conflagration. Cain fired again, and the BaseShip split in half, the upper hull disintegrating as it tore away from the lower. Moments later, the lower hull was filleted by chunks of wreckage the size of city blocks, and morphed in a single seething nimbus of annihilation. So much for surrender, sighed Stone, and began to move away from the still consuming remains of the Cylon warship. Mr. Hutchison, status of Klingon ship. Yes, said Serina, aboard the Ship Of Lights, watching the battle conclude. It s finally over. She looked at first John, then her son, and John smil smiling. Father, I havent seen you like this since Zac was learning to walk. I feel...I feel like a young man again, Apollo,said Adama, smile wide, rubbing his hands together. I cant concentrate on anything but whats ahead. Reminds me of your mothers and my wedding night. I couldnt...he stopped, aware of what hed been about to say, and squeezed his eyes shut. If his children noticed how red he was turning, they gave no sign, but looked at each other for a moment, keeping it in. Tigh was equally oblivious, a few diplomatic paces away, as was Starbuck, whod entered the bridge moments before with Boomer, and several other pilots. Gentlemen?asked the Colonel, giving his CO time to recover. Arent you all on duty? I told them they could come, sir,said Apollo, smiling, to the ever by-the-book Tigh. After all, I am Strike Leader. But youve been relieved of duty, Captain, until... Its all right, Colonel,said Adama, his old self again. Well bring him up on charges, on went spinning, her shields flickering on and off, tumbling end over end. Now that was damn rude, said Stone, on Constellation, with a grin, and ordered another attack. His ship s phasers ripped through the tissue-paper remnants of the BaseShip s screens, sending up huge clouds of boiling wreckage. Reliant followed with her lasers, and sent blast after blast ripping ever deeper into the enemy s guts. Battlestar moving in, sir, reported Stone s Exec. It s the Pegasus, sir. Tell him to join the party, chuckled Stone, as firing continued. Cain did so, pumping blast after blast into the enemy. The enemy was now silent, all defensive fire stopped, fires visible through spewing gaps in her dying hull. The three kept up the fire, till Stone at last ordered a cease fire. Signal Commander BaseShip, he ordered. Prepare to be boarded or destroyed. As his officers moved to obey, he saw that Cain was not stopping, the Pegasus continuing to carve up what was left of the BaseShip. ed. Noooo, moaned Iblis, watching events unfold. It was all over. Everything. Everything was in ruins! All his plans. All his work. A thousand yahren of ceaseless, unremitting effort, all dust. He turned away, his face twisted with hatred and despair, and looked across the universe. Back in the Gamma Quadrant, in the Cylon home system, the vast and menacing Super BaseShip that orbited the Homeworld, big enough to dock twenty standard BaseShips, sat silent. Her windows still shone with light, but those within stood where they had been, when it happened. Telemetry from Imperious Leader had stopped, enough to cause alarm in the collective Cylon mind. Then, as the Cylons began the task of selecting a new Imperious Leader, huge gaps suddenly began to eat their way through the programming. Vast swaths of code simply disappeared. Centurions, IL Series units, and every other form of Cylon suddenly stopped. Blank. Directionless. Bereft of purpose. And of either ability or motlater. For the moment, all that matters is... THERE!!cried Rigel, down in the pit, and they forgot everything, as Adama ordered: Negative shield, now!The bridge seemed for a moment as silent as the Tombs of Kobol, as the heavy blast shields parted, revealing a vista of stars, and there, almost dead center in the view... My God...said Tigh, in a voice as soft and reverent as a worshipper. All around him, gasps and sobs filled the air, as every pair of eyes moved up, ahead, to gaze out upon the goal of so much suffering. We are here,said Adama, softly, as if to himself. By heaven, Ila, we are here.Both Apollo and Athena turned at the unexpected mention of their mothers name, and saw their father slowly descend to one knee, and bow his head, hands clasped on the railing, his lips moving in a near-silent prayer of thanksgiving. Never one to feel as devout as his father, Apollo nonetheless felt drawn to emulate the Commander, and a few moments later, he actually caught Starb Commander Cain, he began, but Cain s response was, as ever, Cainlike. Frack surrender! he spat, and continued firing. It didn t take much longer, One shot, directly into a now open launch bay resulted in a huge ball of red flame belching into space, then the next closest bay erupted as well. The hull between then cracked, peeling back and up as the explosions inside merged into one great conflagration. Cain fired again, and the BaseShip split in half, the upper hull disintegrating as it tore away from the lower. Moments later, the lower hull was filleted by chunks of wreckage the size of city blocks, and morphed in a single seething nimbus of annihilation. So much for surrender, sighed Stone, and began to move away from the still consuming remains of the Cylon warship. Mr. Hutchison, status of Klingon ship. Yes, said Serina, aboard the Ship Of Lights, watching the battle conclude. It s finally over. She looked at first John, then her son, and John smilivation to control anything, including the scores of BaseShips, freighters, tankers, and other vessels moving about the system, which was all it took. One lobotomized tanker plowed into the gigantic monstrosity that was Imperious Leader s seat, then a BaseShip followed suit, and soon it was evaporating in a beautiful blossom of destruction. Far away from Cylon, on a world once called Caprica, the streets and buildings were filled with countless Cylons. Cylons that stood. Cylons that fell. Unmoving. Unseeing. Unresponsive. Dead. Below, on the surface of the once lush and verdant world of Cylon, a living being raised its dull, listless reptilian eyes skywards, as something bright flared in the sky. One of the few surviving organic Cylons, confined since the Overthrow to small preserves, Ooolk watched the machines in orbit die, and began, slowly, to wonder. Began to wonder as a new light began to come into his eyes, and his brain. He leaned down, and picked up the oned. Noooo, moaned Iblis, watching events unfold. It was all over. Everything. Everything was in ruins! All his plans. All his work. A thousand yahren of ceaseless, unremitting effort, all dust. He turned away, his face twisted with hatred and despair, and looked across the universe. Back in the Gamma Quadrant, in the Cylon home system, the vast and menacing Super BaseShip that orbited the Homeworld, big enough to dock twenty standard BaseShips, sat silent. Her windows still shone with light, but those within stood where they had been, when it happened. Telemetry from Imperious Leader had stopped, enough to cause alarm in the collective Cylon mind. Then, as the Cylons began the task of selecting a new Imperious Leader, huge gaps suddenly began to eat their way through the programming. Vast swaths of code simply disappeared. Centurions, IL Series units, and every other form of Cylon suddenly stopped. Blank. Directionless. Bereft of purpose. And of either ability or motuck, out of the corner of his eye, doing the same! As the tiny blue dot in front of them grew and grew, shining eyes and wet faces turned towards each other, every visage contorted into a mask of utter joy. Larger and larger she grew before them, till the landmasses became visible, and then the Moon as well. Athena turned and embraced Starbuck, and Apollo put a hand on his fathers shoulder. One by one, the ships that had fought and sailed so far and so long slowed again, bathing in the light of the blue sphere and her alien sun, sailed past countless eyes and cameras, now framed by the silver orb of the Moon. Slowly, regally, and with an ineluctable grace, the two Battlestars moved towards Earth, followed by their myriad charges. The Colonial moving van, the mineral ship, the livestock ship, the Prison Barge, the sleek and beautiful Rising Star, the Celestra, scene of so much tragedy, the Agro ships, domes, like vast cathedrals of diamond, afire with the light of this new sun. Ely technology his kind possessed. A club. He looked at it, then across the land, and smiled. ================================== Much to Adama s surprise, there had been no resistance whatsoever offered to the boarding parties. The Warriors wore environmental suits, as did their Federation counterparts, in the event of total environmental failure, but their weapons were, ultimately, unneeded. I don t get it, said Starbuck, as they moved along a wreckage-strewn corridor, lights flickering, their magnetic boots clicking loudly on the decks. He raised his helmet visor, and found the air passable. In front of him stood a Cylon, armed, red eye still oscillating, seemingly ready for action. Yet, it did nothing. It just stood there, humming and droning, a perfect example of the lights being on, but... Nobody s home, said Giles, examining another Cylon, and disarming both. Like the first Centurion, it was apparently operational, but made no move to do anything. I ll bet ye aivation to control anything, including the scores of BaseShips, freighters, tankers, and other vessels moving about the system, which was all it took. One lobotomized tanker plowed into the gigantic monstrosity that was Imperious Leader s seat, then a BaseShip followed suit, and soon it was evaporating in a beautiful blossom of destruction. Far away from Cylon, on a world once called Caprica, the streets and buildings were filled with countless Cylons. Cylons that stood. Cylons that fell. Unmoving. Unseeing. Unresponsive. Dead. Below, on the surface of the once lush and verdant world of Cylon, a living being raised its dull, listless reptilian eyes skywards, as something bright flared in the sky. One of the few surviving organic Cylons, confined since the Overthrow to small preserves, Ooolk watched the machines in orbit die, and began, slowly, to wonder. Began to wonder as a new light began to come into his eyes, and his brain. He leaned down, and picked up the onach and every survivor of the Holocaust, ports jammed with faces, moved past, each in its own way an unequaled paragon of beauty and grace. Each, like a weary wanderer, glad, at last, to have come home. From the Adama journals: The great ship, Galactica. Mighty and enduring, strong and protecting, our home for these many centars we have endured the wilderness of space. Now, with our sister, the Pegasus once more at our side, we have reached our goal. The world that is home to our ancestor brothers. We have at last found Earth. ==================================== Alone amidst the stars. Bereft. Angry. Defeated. Iblis wandered the cosmos, fuming, nay pouting, over his recent defeat. He looked back towards the Federation. Happiness. Joy. How disgusting. All his plans, all the work of millennia, turned to dust because of.deadline! Well, they had not heard the last of him. He squinted over at the rotating orb of Cylon. All his creations, immobile a tankard o ale their central control nexus is all shot ta hell, said Scott, probing one of the Centurions with his tricorder. The main processor unit in these beasties seems ta have gone off-line, laddiebuck. Starbuck, Starbuck reminded him, and they moved on. From his two times aboard a BaseShip, the Warrior knew where he was headed. At the end of the corridor was a hatch, leading to one of the wrecked landing bays. A metron away was the hatch leading down, towards the Control Center. The hatch was partly open, they saw. It had slammed violently shut on a Centurion that had been attempting to traverse it, almost cutting the Cylon in half. Giles hauled the upper half out of the way, and watched the lower half drop to the deck below. Ouch, said the Warrior, as the mutilated Cylon crashed beneath them. That s gotta hurt. Below, another Cylon, this one an IL, looked up at them, but beyond noticing their presence, made no moves at all. All drew their weapons, but the IL stood stillly technology his kind possessed. A club. He looked at it, then across the land, and smiled. ================================== Much to Adama s surprise, there had been no resistance whatsoever offered to the boarding parties. The Warriors wore environmental suits, as did their Federation counterparts, in the event of total environmental failure, but their weapons were, ultimately, unneeded. I don t get it, said Starbuck, as they moved along a wreckage-strewn corridor, lights flickering, their magnetic boots clicking loudly on the decks. He raised his helmet visor, and found the air passable. In front of him stood a Cylon, armed, red eye still oscillating, seemingly ready for action. Yet, it did nothing. It just stood there, humming and droning, a perfect example of the lights being on, but... Nobody s home, said Giles, examining another Cylon, and disarming both. Like the first Centurion, it was apparently operational, but made no move to do anything. I ll bet ye and useless, were already succumbing to the elements and scavengers. Glancing at the glittering necklace of the Colonies, he saw the few, harried survivors of the Cylon onslaught and occupation emerge into their sunlight, stunned to find themselves free. He broiled in anger, hate coursing through him at the joy of mere men. Gazing towards Terra, he was insulted to see enemies making peace. And, as if that were not disgusting enough, he could not help but spy Kobol, long a desolate wasteland, at last emerging from the dead void he had woven about her. For ages dry, desolate and barren, her sun was now returning to life, as was the surface. As if by magic, water began bubbling up from the ground, ancient rivers to begin flowing once more, ancient seas to once more fill, clouds to form. Iblis turned away, filled with overmastering rage. Who, now, could he hope to. As he seethed, his gaze fell upon a ship, far, far away from the Colonies, far across the galaxy. A large, bulky ship. C. Several other men, armed with heavy pulse-blaster rifles, descended the ladder-well first, ahead of the rest. By your command, the IL said, its very Human-sounding voice slow and a bit uncertain, looking at the soldiers. Where s yer control deck? Scott asked the machine, as he touched down onto the metal plates. It s through here, Scotty, said Starbuck, pointing to a partially open door. It is through here, said the Cylon, seemingly oblivious to Starbuck s words. By your command. Hold on, sir, said the security Warrior. He and several others moved through first, then called for the rest of the party. One by one, the party moved through where the computer banks stood. Computers now wrecked and blackened by the pounding the BaseShip had taken. Here, several centurions lay, damaged and still, apparently taken out by the ripped power cables and shorted systems littering the room. One by one they climbed over the junk, and forced their way into what had once tankard o ale their central control nexus is all shot ta hell, said Scott, probing one of the Centurions with his tricorder. The main processor unit in these beasties seems ta have gone off-line, laddiebuck. Starbuck, Starbuck reminded him, and they moved on. From his two times aboard a BaseShip, the Warrior knew where he was headed. At the end of the corridor was a hatch, leading to one of the wrecked landing bays. A metron away was the hatch leading down, towards the Control Center. The hatch was partly open, they saw. It had slammed violently shut on a Centurion that had been attempting to traverse it, almost cutting the Cylon in half. Giles hauled the upper half out of the way, and watched the lower half drop to the deck below. Ouch, said the Warrior, as the mutilated Cylon crashed beneath them. That s gotta hurt. Below, another Cylon, this one an IL, looked up at them, but beyond noticing their presence, made no moves at all. All drew their weapons, but the IL stood stillurious, he drew closer, till the vessel, a vast cube, came into view. The Father of Lies studied it a few picosecond's, considering, till at last he smiled. Smiled as an evil plan came into his mind. Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces- airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org X-UIDL: G"E!!*k6!!R]f"!0&,"! Status: RO ===================================== Amidst all the celebrations, rejoicing, and general abandon, Captain Apollo, son of Adama, and the newly promoted Captain Sheba, daughter of Cain, were sealed in a ceremony broadcast throughout the Fleet, and elsewhere. To fete the nuptial couple, Starbuck, after cleaning out tables one, two, and three on the Rising Star, rented out, with Lt. Kirk's help, Madison Square Garden in New York City for the reception. Grinning ear to ear, the brash Viper pilot, locally made fumerello between his teeth (Havana No, 5), looked at his Federation counterpart, and laughed: "Can I throw a party, or what?" Now that it was no longer a quesbeen the heart of a fearsome engine of war. Frack! swore Starbuck, on seeing the damage. The room was a wreck, looking more like a junkyard than anything else. Cylons in various stages of dismemberment littered the area, and there, at the main control post... Imperious Leader! grinned Giles. Like all living Colonials, he had never met, or even seen the ruler of their enemies, and felt a desire to blow the monstrous construction to bits. Not fair, said Imperious Ex-Leader, looking at the intruders. Colonies...not fair...missing...operating system malfunction...nested memory files...malfunction...protocols corrupted... corrupted... not fair not fair...permission to board...Lucifer... Aye, this ones on the fritz, too, said Scotty, scanning the damaged ruler. Looks like the data files are totally corrupted. Same here, sir, said one of Scotty s people, trying to access the ship s controls. What a mess. What s the ship s status, lad? Hard to say,. Several other men, armed with heavy pulse-blaster rifles, descended the ladder-well first, ahead of the rest. By your command, the IL said, its very Human-sounding voice slow and a bit uncertain, looking at the soldiers. Where s yer control deck? Scott asked the machine, as he touched down onto the metal plates. It s through here, Scotty, said Starbuck, pointing to a partially open door. It is through here, said the Cylon, seemingly oblivious to Starbuck s words. By your command. Hold on, sir, said the security Warrior. He and several others moved through first, then called for the rest of the party. One by one, the party moved through where the computer banks stood. Computers now wrecked and blackened by the pounding the BaseShip had taken. Here, several centurions lay, damaged and still, apparently taken out by the ripped power cables and shorted systems littering the room. One by one they climbed over the junk, and forced their way into what had once tion of whether or not Earth was able to help them defeat the Cylons, the question became one of where would the survivors of the Colonies live? Many, naturally, chose to try and find a place on Earth. But many more, partially due to the various languages, religions, and ethnic sub-groups in the Colonies, and partially as a result of their long ordeal together, wished to find a place of their own. A new world to build, now that Martial Law was over, and the Cylon threat was forever a thing of the past. Once more, this time through the good offices and connections of Captain Pike, the Federation was more than willing to help. A search was made, and the results were quick in coming. Delta Pavonis, barely fifteen light-years from Earth, sported three worlds that could support Human life; the third planet out from the star, and both the fourth planet and one of its moons, with others that could be terraformed. Fertile, rich in resources, and barely touched save for a few wildcat prospecto sir. The translator s slow rendering this Cylon script. But, it looks she s finished, sir. Engines are totally down, half her power systems indicators are dark. Aye, her internal sensors are off-line, too, lad. She s one fer the scrap yard, fer sure. Personally, I like watching them blow up, said Starbuck, putting binders on the now-helpless Imperious Leader. It s a lot more fun. Och, a chance ta study alien technology, shot back Scott, and all ye can think of is blowin her to bits? It s been more practical in the past, replied Starbuck, and began leading Imperious Leader away. Gommeed swore by every Elemental he could think of, as his ship dropped out of its impromptu warp jump. Once below light, the Tholian craft had tumbled wildly, then finally come to something resembling trim. He picked himself up... Status!!!! Scanning, sir! We have been catapulted several light hours away from the battle, sir. Head back! Now! been the heart of a fearsome engine of war. Frack! swore Starbuck, on seeing the damage. The room was a wreck, looking more like a junkyard than anything else. Cylons in various stages of dismemberment littered the area, and there, at the main control post... Imperious Leader! grinned Giles. Like all living Colonials, he had never met, or even seen the ruler of their enemies, and felt a desire to blow the monstrous construction to bits. Not fair, said Imperious Ex-Leader, looking at the intruders. Colonies...not fair...missing...operating system malfunction...nested memory files...malfunction...protocols corrupted... corrupted... not fair not fair...permission to board...Lucifer... Aye, this ones on the fritz, too, said Scotty, scanning the damaged ruler. Looks like the data files are totally corrupted. Same here, sir, said one of Scotty s people, trying to access the ship s controls. What a mess. What s the ship s status, lad? Hard to say,rs, they were like a gift from God. A present waiting to be unwrapped. Adama put it to the Council, and also to the people. The Federation was willing to cede, free and clear, the entire system to the Colonials. They could settle these new worlds, and begin rebuilding their civilization, while at the same time, slowly integrating themselves into the wider fabric of the United Federation of Planets. It was probably the fastest plebiscite in Colonial history. Within a single Earth day, virtually every eligible member of the Fleet (including the former residents of the Prison Barge, except for Charybdis, for whom Adama had declared a blanket amnesty in honor of the final reaching of Earth. Charybdis he had marooned with he former employer and fellow-traitor Baltar), had cast their votes. The Colonies would be reborn. After a few weeks of rest and restoration, both of ships and people, the Battlestars and half a dozen of the Fleet's vessels departed for Delta Pavonis. Once i Adama felt a surge of pride as he stood on his bridge, looking at the shattered hulk of his defeated enemy. Never in living memory had a Colonial vessel been able to capture an enemy warship in battle. No doubt, many secrets of Cylon technology were waiting to be revealed, secrets that scientists like Wilker were already drooling over in anticipation. He smiled, arms crossed, and almost felt himself grown young again. Damage control report, sir, said Tigh, handing him a pad. Adama perused it, pleased to note how well the ship had come through her most recent engagement, and signed off on it. He was turning back to the open viewport, when Athena called: Father! Apollo calling, from Enterprise! Her face was beaming like an overloaded shield. Put him on, Athena! he cried, moving to his command seat. Put him on! Apollo s head was spinning, and it wasn t entirely from all the medications. He d awakened in the mysterious alien sickbay, pain rumbling through his e sir. The translator s slow rendering this Cylon script. But, it looks she s finished, sir. Engines are totally down, half her power systems indicators are dark. Aye, her internal sensors are off-line, too, lad. She s one fer the scrap yard, fer sure. Personally, I like watching them blow up, said Starbuck, putting binders on the now-helpless Imperious Leader. It s a lot more fun. Och, a chance ta study alien technology, shot back Scott, and all ye can think of is blowin her to bits? It s been more practical in the past, replied Starbuck, and began leading Imperious Leader away. Gommeed swore by every Elemental he could think of, as his ship dropped out of its impromptu warp jump. Once below light, the Tholian craft had tumbled wildly, then finally come to something resembling trim. He picked himself up... Status!!!! Scanning, sir! We have been catapulted several light hours away from the battle, sir. Head back! Now! n visual range, the worlds that were to be theirs were all they could have hoped for. Blue and white, swathed with vast expanses of green, and possessing atmospheres eloquent of fertility, these planets were truly jewels. Within a day, they were scanned and charted, a site had been chosen on the fourth and largest world, a vast, rich plain surrounded by forested mountains and cut by pristine rivers teeming with life, the Colonial flag planted, tents set up, grids plotted out, and the Republic of New Kobol declared. "I'll bet you never saw yourself as the father of a Country, Adama," grinned Cain, mug of ambrosia in hand, as the sun set over the first full day's work. It was a slightly different color sun than what they were used to back home, only a single star, but this was home, now, he reminded himself. "And congratulations. You and Siress Tinia." "No," replied the old Commander. "Not in a thousand yahrens, Cain. And thank you. But, it would appear, I am nonetheless. Sort overy bone and nerve. Yet, his mind was surprisingly clear. He d slowly tried to raise his head, amid no small amount of pain, and noticed an extremely attractive woman dressed in a strange costume looking at him. He tried to speak, and ask where he was. From her puzzled look, the woman obviously had no clue as to what he was saying. She d left, then returned with a white- haired man, equipped with some sort of Languatron device, and from there things had progressed more smoothly. It s all so weird, Father, he said, much later, sitting up in bed in the Enterprise s recovery ward. I remember the Landram falling down that shaft, then I m here. He looked about the room. Nothing else? asked Dietra, herself now near to fully recovered. Well, I had some pretty weird dreams, I ll admit, frowned the Strike Captain. I dreamed about Zac, Father. Zac? Yes. But now, it all seems so tenuous. Apollo took a deep breath, and Adama could see his son s reluctance to speak o Adama felt a surge of pride as he stood on his bridge, looking at the shattered hulk of his defeated enemy. Never in living memory had a Colonial vessel been able to capture an enemy warship in battle. No doubt, many secrets of Cylon technology were waiting to be revealed, secrets that scientists like Wilker were already drooling over in anticipation. He smiled, arms crossed, and almost felt himself grown young again. Damage control report, sir, said Tigh, handing him a pad. Adama perused it, pleased to note how well the ship had come through her most recent engagement, and signed off on it. He was turning back to the open viewport, when Athena called: Father! Apollo calling, from Enterprise! Her face was beaming like an overloaded shield. Put him on, Athena! he cried, moving to his command seat. Put him on! Apollo s head was spinning, and it wasn t entirely from all the medications. He d awakened in the mysterious alien sickbay, pain rumbling through his ef like a Colonial.Cincinnatus, or Washington." "Who?" asked the Pegasus Commander, watching these unfamiliar stars come out. "Great men from Earth's own history. Old and tired warriors, who were always being called back into service." "Like old Battlestars," smiled Cain, looking up at the shining dots above the horizon that were the Galactica and Pegasus. "Yes," replied Adama. "Just like." "Here's to tired, doddering old war daggits, old friend,' said Cain, raising his mug to Adama. The father of New Kobol returned the gesture, with a clink. "Amen." Within sectons, even as New Caprica City rose from the empty plain, elections were held, and Adama was almost unanimously chosen as the Colonial's new President. At once, he resigned the bridge of the Galactica, handing command over to the newly promoted Commander Tigh amidst great pomp and ceremony. The survivors of the various tribes selected and began settling areas on the three habitaf this further in the presence of others. So, we re in what space? A Federation, you said? Yeah, said Starbuck, fumerello in hand. At a scowl from Nurse Mansoor that could have shorted out a Centurion, he d put it away, but now twirled it between his fingers. The United Federation of Planets. We skipped over 50,000 light- yahren across the star-system, buddy. And the Cylons? They followed us through the wormhole machine, continued Sheba. Four BaseShips, and the Imperious Leader. But they re all destroyed now, Apollo. She took him by the hand, gently cradling it. She would say naught of Iblis, for now. The Fleet? Apollo went on, as ever the Fleet s safety uppermost in his thoughts. Safe. All safe now, said Adama. As shown how by Boyce, he activated the screen near the bed. It duplicated the view on the Enterprise s bridge. She, and the entire Colonial Fleet, now orbited the once-more stable planet, the Galactica shining brightly in the light of this alien svery bone and nerve. Yet, his mind was surprisingly clear. He d slowly tried to raise his head, amid no small amount of pain, and noticed an extremely attractive woman dressed in a strange costume looking at him. He tried to speak, and ask where he was. From her puzzled look, the woman obviously had no clue as to what he was saying. She d left, then returned with a white- haired man, equipped with some sort of Languatron device, and from there things had progressed more smoothly. It s all so weird, Father, he said, much later, sitting up in bed in the Enterprise s recovery ward. I remember the Landram falling down that shaft, then I m here. He looked about the room. Nothing else? asked Dietra, herself now near to fully recovered. Well, I had some pretty weird dreams, I ll admit, frowned the Strike Captain. I dreamed about Zac, Father. Zac? Yes. But now, it all seems so tenuous. Apollo took a deep breath, and Adama could see his son s reluctance to speak oble worlds, determined, for the present, to maintain their unique separateness within the Colonial union. (It is not known what became of the Atori Sect) Adama served two terms, until he was certain that the new state was well upon the road to stability. Once all military and political life was behind him, he at last retired to Earth, he and Siress Tinia spending their last yahrens together in a house on the Maine coast, like his original home on Caprica, overlooking the sea. Upon his passing, twenty standard yahren after finally leading his people to safety, he was interred in a magnificent tomb in the Forum of New Caprica City, Siress Tinia joining him a few yahren later. Apollo also resigned his commission, becoming the first Ambassador of New Kobol to the United Federation of Planets, and it was during this tenure that Sheba gave birth to their first child, a son named Zac. Followed a few centons later by a daughter, Bethany, named after her late mother. In all, the House of Adamaun. Next to her, looking like the battered sister she was... The Pegasus? asked Apollo, shocked to see the long-lost Battlestar next to his own. Yeah, said Boomer, at the foot of the biobed. She followed us... Damn right! said a voice, and they all turned to see Cain stride in, still dressed as the flamboyant Commander waiting for the latest photo-op. You didn t think I was going to let your father grab all the glory, did you, Captain? Cain spoke like a CO preparing to torch the hide off a lazy subordinate, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. He laughed, and it was an infectious one. Adama joined in, hearing such a sound as he had not heard from Cain since they were young men. Besides, Captain, he said at last, you can t escape your responsibilities by leaving me clear across the star system! My responsibilities, sir? asked Apollo, clearly confused. He looked from Cain to Adama, then to Starbuck, who was clearly trying not to explode. Boomer raised his hands,f this further in the presence of others. So, we re in what space? A Federation, you said? Yeah, said Starbuck, fumerello in hand. At a scowl from Nurse Mansoor that could have shorted out a Centurion, he d put it away, but now twirled it between his fingers. The United Federation of Planets. We skipped over 50,000 light- yahren across the star-system, buddy. And the Cylons? They followed us through the wormhole machine, continued Sheba. Four BaseShips, and the Imperious Leader. But they re all destroyed now, Apollo. She took him by the hand, gently cradling it. She would say naught of Iblis, for now. The Fleet? Apollo went on, as ever the Fleet s safety uppermost in his thoughts. Safe. All safe now, said Adama. As shown how by Boyce, he activated the screen near the bed. It duplicated the view on the Enterprise s bridge. She, and the entire Colonial Fleet, now orbited the once-more stable planet, the Galactica shining brightly in the light of this alien s was rounded out by an Athena, an Ila, a Starbuck, a Cain, and a Vela. (Apollo never said from where he got that name) Later, when middle age was upon him and he was a grandfather himself, he followed his father into the Presidency. Cain retained Command of the Pegasus for a few yahren, till he was appointed Commandant of the new Colonial Military Academy, command of the Pegasus passing to Colonel Tolan. Never one to sit quietly planetside, he frequently led cadet training cruises in person, and it was during one of these exercises that he met his death in a shuttle accident, in the Earth year 2278, at the age of 110 yahren. Starbuck, for several yahren chief flight instructor at the Academy, succeeded Cain as Commandant, till he at last retired, upon his father Chameleon's death, he and Cassie buying several freighters, and making a fortune in the coffee business. At last resigning himself to the inevitable, he'd kept his word to Cassiopeia, and they were sealed on Earth. (It as if to say Not me , and then he felt Sheba squeeze his hand. Our responsibilities, Apollo, said Sheba, with an expression of pure love. Like most men, Apollo took several moments to figure out what the Hades she was... You mean...? Of course that s what she means! boomed Cain. What do you think usually happens to people who keep on... Father! cried Sheba, with a grimace. She looked at Adama, who was beginning to chuckle, and shook her head. She opened her mouth, when Nurse Mansoor opened the door, Boyce behind her. Time s up, she said. Everybody out. Hey, we re planning a wedding here, began Starbuck, but stopped when she took the fumerello from his fingers, and tossed it into the trash. I don t care if you re running for President. Out! As they all reluctantly obeyed, she leaned close to Sheba as she passed, and with a twinkle in her eye, whispered: Men! ======================================== It annoyed Pike no end to lun. Next to her, looking like the battered sister she was... The Pegasus? asked Apollo, shocked to see the long-lost Battlestar next to his own. Yeah, said Boomer, at the foot of the biobed. She followed us... Damn right! said a voice, and they all turned to see Cain stride in, still dressed as the flamboyant Commander waiting for the latest photo-op. You didn t think I was going to let your father grab all the glory, did you, Captain? Cain spoke like a CO preparing to torch the hide off a lazy subordinate, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. He laughed, and it was an infectious one. Adama joined in, hearing such a sound as he had not heard from Cain since they were young men. Besides, Captain, he said at last, you can t escape your responsibilities by leaving me clear across the star system! My responsibilities, sir? asked Apollo, clearly confused. He looked from Cain to Adama, then to Starbuck, who was clearly trying not to explode. Boomer raised his hands,has been remarked, in more than one history, that Starbuck was faithful to her.) Three children, Chameleon, Miri, and James, were born to them. Cassiopeia, upon the unexpected death of Dr. Salik, became director of the New Kobol University's medical college, a post she held for nearly twenty-five yahren. Upon retirement, she and Starbuck retired to one of their new world's tropical islands, ultimately disappearing from all public life. Tigh spent the rest of his life in the military, at the helm of the Galactica, or at the Academy. Never remarrying after the loss of his beloved wife in the Holocaust, he became a fixture at many Colonial/Federation functions, and even once helped mediate a border dispute with the Klingons. He died, revered and honored, at the venerable age of 230, the oldest Colonial in living memory. Boxey eventually rose in the Colonial service to the rank of Commander, helming the Adama, the first starship built in New Kobol's yards, on many voyages of exploret the Klingons walk away with technology stripped from the wrecked BaseShip, but the Federation President had been clear. In this instance, it was adjudged best to just bend whichever way the ions were blowing, and not piss off the Klingons any further. Not, of course, that there was a lot for the Klingons to take. Huge areas of the alien vessel were a total wreck, or had been picked over by the Starfleet crews. Still, thought Pike, letting their mortal enemies have anything The Tholians at last returned, almost a full day after their unceremonious departure. True to Tholian behavior, they just sat there, scanned everything repeatedly and thoroughly, but said not a word. Pike was thankful for this. The last thing he wanted was another dustup just now, and with a race as congenial and diplomatic as the Cylons had turned out to be. Pike looked over at Spock, nose still glued to his instruments. Wanting to make sure the wormhole wasn t going to open again, Nogura had ordered thorou as if to say Not me , and then he felt Sheba squeeze his hand. Our responsibilities, Apollo, said Sheba, with an expression of pure love. Like most men, Apollo took several moments to figure out what the Hades she was... You mean...? Of course that s what she means! boomed Cain. What do you think usually happens to people who keep on... Father! cried Sheba, with a grimace. She looked at Adama, who was beginning to chuckle, and shook her head. She opened her mouth, when Nurse Mansoor opened the door, Boyce behind her. Time s up, she said. Everybody out. Hey, we re planning a wedding here, began Starbuck, but stopped when she took the fumerello from his fingers, and tossed it into the trash. I don t care if you re running for President. Out! As they all reluctantly obeyed, she leaned close to Sheba as she passed, and with a twinkle in her eye, whispered: Men! ======================================== It annoyed Pike no end to lation and discovery. After grudgingly entering political life, he was instrumental in beginning the slow, gradual assimilation of their own ships and forces into the wider Starfleet. Sealed to Robber's daughter, Tanya, he made Apollo a grandfather three times, and was at last convinced to settle down, to the life of an academic, becoming Chancellor of the University of New Caprica. For many yahren, the sound of his old mechanical friend Muffit could be heard wafting through the corridors of that institution. Dr. Wilker spent many yahrens in one research project or another. Always designing, inventing, or studying, he contributed numerous advances to Colonial propulsion technology, and received over twenty Federation patents. Unable to resist the lure of knowledge, he shipped out one last time on an exploratory vessel heading into an uncharted region, to study the geologies of several newly discovered Class K planets, when his ship vanished without trace, sadly ending a brilliant careegh studies of this immediate area of space. Spock was also making extensive scans of the planet below, now apparently placid once more, attempting to discover the reasons for its recent upheavals. From the crease in his brows, Pike decided the answers weren t as forthcoming as the Vulcan might have wished. He opened his mouth, but Number One spoke first: Tholian ships withdrawing, sir, she reported. Excellent, replied Pike, rising from his seat. He made his way over to Spock s station, and peered into the instruments. The planet, after it s near-suicidal tirade, now sported a newly outgassed atmosphere, above it s rapidly cooling surface. After a few moments, Pike looked up at the chrono. You were off-duty almost three hours ago, Mr. Spock. I...have been studying the phenomena, sir, as per... You ve pulled a second watch, Spock. A third... Sir... Go, Spock, ordered Pike. Call Ensign Sulu to take over. Captain, I... That s an order, Spoet the Klingons walk away with technology stripped from the wrecked BaseShip, but the Federation President had been clear. In this instance, it was adjudged best to just bend whichever way the ions were blowing, and not piss off the Klingons any further. Not, of course, that there was a lot for the Klingons to take. Huge areas of the alien vessel were a total wreck, or had been picked over by the Starfleet crews. Still, thought Pike, letting their mortal enemies have anything The Tholians at last returned, almost a full day after their unceremonious departure. True to Tholian behavior, they just sat there, scanned everything repeatedly and thoroughly, but said not a word. Pike was thankful for this. The last thing he wanted was another dustup just now, and with a race as congenial and diplomatic as the Cylons had turned out to be. Pike looked over at Spock, nose still glued to his instruments. Wanting to make sure the wormhole wasn t going to open again, Nogura had ordered thorour at the age of 126 yahren. Boomer, Giles, Greenbean, Brie, Bojay, Dietra, and the other Viper pilots who had survived the brutal voyage across the universe, went various ways over the yahren. Some into business, some remaining Warriors, passing on their skills to a new generation of students, some vanishing altogether from public notice. For yahren, many of them were in demand in schools and on lecture tours, keeping their history, and all the sacrifices it entailed, alive in the minds of the younger generation. Boomer, the communications whiz, resigned his commission after several yahren to became the head of New Kobol's premiere media corporation, Colonial News Network, personally designing many new systems. Greenbean became head of the shipyard, and he and Dietra, the only surviving Viper pilot to have launched off the original during the ambush at Cimtar, christened the new Battlestar the Atlantia. Athena left the service after a few yahren, becoming first a private freighck, finished Pike, firmly. Spock nodded, called his replacement, then headed for the turbolift. Once alone, he squeezed his eyes shut, as his personal battle raged within. He did not want to go back to his quarters right now. Not there, where he and... He shook his head violently, and stepped out, heading for one of the rec rooms. Perhaps a little something to settle his stomach might... Were he a Human, Spock might have sworn, upon seeing several of the Colonials in evidence. Commanders Adama and Cain, the pilots Sheba, Starbuck, and others whose names escaped him. Much to his intense relief, Athena was not with them. He got his meal, and did not join them, eschewing company just now. Commander Spock, said Sheba, an annoyingly cheerful Human for one in her profession, gesturing for him to join them. Come on over. Spock winced inwardly. Human company was not often to his taste, and certainly not those Humans among whom Athena might appear at any moment. Forcing himself tgh studies of this immediate area of space. Spock was also making extensive scans of the planet below, now apparently placid once more, attempting to discover the reasons for its recent upheavals. From the crease in his brows, Pike decided the answers weren t as forthcoming as the Vulcan might have wished. He opened his mouth, but Number One spoke first: Tholian ships withdrawing, sir, she reported. Excellent, replied Pike, rising from his seat. He made his way over to Spock s station, and peered into the instruments. The planet, after it s near-suicidal tirade, now sported a newly outgassed atmosphere, above it s rapidly cooling surface. After a few moments, Pike looked up at the chrono. You were off-duty almost three hours ago, Mr. Spock. I...have been studying the phenomena, sir, as per... You ve pulled a second watch, Spock. A third... Sir... Go, Spock, ordered Pike. Call Ensign Sulu to take over. Captain, I... That s an order, Spoter pilot (running the occasional load of ambrosia for Robber's distillery) on numerous runs between New Kobol and her neighbors, then a primary school teacher. After several yahren, she became part of an "Intercultural Educational Exchange Program", and she, her husband, Boomer, and their son Noah, found themselves bound for Vulcan. It is not known if she ever remembered anything of her encounter with Spock, or Iblis, but they spent almost a Vulcan month there, and it was not long afterwards that Boomer became Ambassador to that world. She mixed freely with the Vulcan elite, and met Spock again, now a full Commander, on Stardate 3842.3, during the voyage to the Babel Conference, to discuss the admission of the Coridan system to the Federation, when U.S.S. Enterprise was attacked by an Orion raider. There is no record of their speaking, or whether her presence in any way affected Spock's concentration or thought processes during the crisis. After Boomer's death, Athena completely disappearedo appear nonplussed, he joined the others, deciding that the Commander s daughter must still have duties to perform aboard the Galactica. As with most Humans, their conversation was laden with emotionalism, as they recounted past adventures, and the just-concluded conflict. While Spock admired their perseverance in the face of seemingly hopeless situations, he couldn t help think that their incessant emotions... No, he didn t want to think about his own recent emotional explosion, with Athena. He didn t want to remember it, he did not want to deal with it, he wished that it had never... ...was the name of a deity, I understand, Sheba was saying. It took Spock a moment to realize that the woman was addressing him. Athena, I mean. Is there no escape? Ah, yes. It was...it was the name of the goddess of wisdom and war among the ancient Greeks, on Earth. He then found he had to explain the Greeks, and their place in Earth s history. Sounds like a conneck, finished Pike, firmly. Spock nodded, called his replacement, then headed for the turbolift. Once alone, he squeezed his eyes shut, as his personal battle raged within. He did not want to go back to his quarters right now. Not there, where he and... He shook his head violently, and stepped out, heading for one of the rec rooms. Perhaps a little something to settle his stomach might... Were he a Human, Spock might have sworn, upon seeing several of the Colonials in evidence. Commanders Adama and Cain, the pilots Sheba, Starbuck, and others whose names escaped him. Much to his intense relief, Athena was not with them. He got his meal, and did not join them, eschewing company just now. Commander Spock, said Sheba, an annoyingly cheerful Human for one in her profession, gesturing for him to join them. Come on over. Spock winced inwardly. Human company was not often to his taste, and certainly not those Humans among whom Athena might appear at any moment. Forcing himself t, and no one knows what fate befell her. Omega went into private business, in time coming to hold controlling shares in the new Transstellars Company that owned the Rising Star, the Gemini freighter, and several others. To say that he and Rigel did well for themselves would be an understatement. They were in time consoled for their loss by the birth of a daughter, Jamie, for a lost pilot friend, and a son, named in honor of the man who had saved Rigel, Boyce. O'Kala and Sirrion, after a few yahren, published several papers on what they had found in the wormhole machine system, then entered the archaeological field, visiting many star systems together. They perished together, on planet Camus II, as part of the machinations of the insane Dr. Janice Lester, shortly before Stardate 5928.5. The Klingon Commander Korrd eventually became the feared General Korrd, rising very high in Imperial military circles, until, at last having spoken the foul, obscene word peace once too oction, Adama, said Cain, taking a pull of his drink. Beer, from the smell of it. An Earth name, the same as your daughter s? Yes, replied Adama. And from what I read, Athena s brother was called Apollo as well. Calm...logic...logic is the key... Half brother, corrected Spock. Their father, the god Zeus, was said to have numerous children from his many liaisons. Logic! Logic! Calm!! Yes, said Adama. According to the data bank, Athena was revered as a perpetual virgin, also. Obviously someone you missed, Buckers, laughed Giles. Dietra threw him a dirty look. Are you alright, Commander Spock? asked Starbuck suddenly. Yes, you don t look well, added Sheba. I am merely...fatigued, replied Spock, trying not to choke. He finished his plomeek, and rose. If you will excuse me gentlemen. Ladies. Strange fellow, said Cain, in low tones, as Spock headed towards the door. Kind of rude. From what I heard, Sheba answered him, o appear nonplussed, he joined the others, deciding that the Commander s daughter must still have duties to perform aboard the Galactica. As with most Humans, their conversation was laden with emotionalism, as they recounted past adventures, and the just-concluded conflict. While Spock admired their perseverance in the face of seemingly hopeless situations, he couldn t help think that their incessant emotions... No, he didn t want to think about his own recent emotional explosion, with Athena. He didn t want to remember it, he did not want to deal with it, he wished that it had never... ...was the name of a deity, I understand, Sheba was saying. It took Spock a moment to realize that the woman was addressing him. Athena, I mean. Is there no escape? Ah, yes. It was...it was the name of the goddess of wisdom and war among the ancient Greeks, on Earth. He then found he had to explain the Greeks, and their place in Earth s history. Sounds like a conneften, he was sent to the miserable excuse for a colony on Nimbus III, as the Klingon representative. Caught up in the actions of the renegade Vulcan Sybok, circa Stardate 8454.1, he survived, helping to defuse a possible war, and finally retired into anonymity. His son, Worf, hardly out of his teens at the time of his rescue, went on to become a Colonel in the Klingon military, as well as a respected advocate. Having learned from personal experience that the Federation was not a collection of bloodthirsty demons out to slaughter the Klingon people, he grew to respect Humans, gaining some measure of fame for his attempt to defend James Kirk and Leonard McCoy on charges of murdering the Klingon Chancellor Gorkon, on Stardate 9521.6. His grandson, also named Worf, would achieve even more fame as both a Federation officer, and Klingon warrior, in the following century. What benefits the Klingons gleaned from their captured Cylon debris, is unclear. Lt. Kang would also rise in his service, the people from his planet are like that. Vulcans, Ensign Sulu called them. They won t show emotions openly for some reason. As soon as he was out in the corridor, Spock let out a deep breath. Of all the worthless, undisciplined... he shook his head, and headed resignedly towards his cabin. It was foolish and illogical to avoid the place. It is simply a room, regardless of what happened there, he could almost hear Sarek say. He was going to have to resolve this turmoil, and would consequently spend much of the coming evening in serious meditation. Athena would, indeed must, become merely a... Red Alert! Red Alert! came Pike s voice over the intercraft. Spock stopped, wondering what had suddenly befallen them to warrant a red alert. He worked through four scenarios before reaching the intercom. It seemed that a previously undetected Cylon craft was approaching them, on an intercept vector. And asking to come aboard! Spock made his way to the hangar deck, where thection, Adama, said Cain, taking a pull of his drink. Beer, from the smell of it. An Earth name, the same as your daughter s? Yes, replied Adama. And from what I read, Athena s brother was called Apollo as well. Calm...logic...logic is the key... Half brother, corrected Spock. Their father, the god Zeus, was said to have numerous children from his many liaisons. Logic! Logic! Calm!! Yes, said Adama. According to the data bank, Athena was revered as a perpetual virgin, also. Obviously someone you missed, Buckers, laughed Giles. Dietra threw him a dirty look. Are you alright, Commander Spock? asked Starbuck suddenly. Yes, you don t look well, added Sheba. I am merely...fatigued, replied Spock, trying not to choke. He finished his plomeek, and rose. If you will excuse me gentlemen. Ladies. Strange fellow, said Cain, in low tones, as Spock headed towards the door. Kind of rude. From what I heard, Sheba answered him, at last becoming the feared Commander Kang, of the I.K.V. K'tanco, and the husband of the only other survivor of the Bird-of- Prey, B'ath, Mara. He would meet the Federation again, first due to the machinations of the mysterious Beta XII-A entity, then later, face off against Captain Sulu in his attempt to rescue Kirk during the Gorkon affair. He would at last meet his end, heroically, nearly a century later, in personal combat against the vile criminal, the Albino. Koloth would also rise high in the Klingon service, in time coming to command the G'roth. He and Korax would meet the Federation once more, in the confrontation over Sherman's planet, and the tribble affair, aboard Deep Space Station K-7, on Stardate 4523.3. Koloth would die, a true Klingon, fighting at Kang's side. Kruge, surviving, unfortunately, his knife fight with Korrd, would come to command a Bird-of-Prey himself, and meet his death, in revenge for numerous murders, as well as the wanton destruction of the U. Cylon craft, a shuttle rather than a fighter, was being tractored in. He waited while the hangar pressurized, then turned to see Pike approaching with a Security team, the Colonials behind him. Pike looked at his Science officer, and shook his head. Weren t you on your way to your quarters, Spock? I heard the alert, Captain, and... Save it. I could use your observations. Hangar deck pressurized, came a voice from the speaker, as the indicator went green. Pike nodded, and Spock keyed open the airlock. They entered, to find the Cylon craft sitting on the deck, her engine pods venting hot gasses. Larger and bulkier than the Raider fighter, the shuttle was nonetheless built along similar lines, and sported two guns under the wings. It had a louvered cockpit like its sister craft, but stood higher off the deck, on longer gear. Between those gear, a ramp was dropping, silent on its bearings. Once it touched the deck, the legs of a single figure emerged, heading down tthe people from his planet are like that. Vulcans, Ensign Sulu called them. They won t show emotions openly for some reason. As soon as he was out in the corridor, Spock let out a deep breath. Of all the worthless, undisciplined... he shook his head, and headed resignedly towards his cabin. It was foolish and illogical to avoid the place. It is simply a room, regardless of what happened there, he could almost hear Sarek say. He was going to have to resolve this turmoil, and would consequently spend much of the coming evening in serious meditation. Athena would, indeed must, become merely a... Red Alert! Red Alert! came Pike s voice over the intercraft. Spock stopped, wondering what had suddenly befallen them to warrant a red alert. He worked through four scenarios before reaching the intercom. It seemed that a previously undetected Cylon craft was approaching them, on an intercept vector. And asking to come aboard! Spock made his way to the hangar deck, where theS.S. Grissom, veteran of the Cylon encounter, in the fiery demise of the Genesis Planet, on Stardate 8210.3. Of James Tiberius Kirk, the young Lieutenant who rescued Starbuck and his companions, much is written elsewhere, and need not be recounted here. However, his involvement in the conflict with the Cylons would have interesting, and some have said, bizarre resonances in the years to come, both in the Federation, and in the lives of many of those whose paths he crossed, as in the events above. It will be noted that, after his seeming death on Stardate 48650.1, a somber, graying Starbuck delivered a powerful, and to the shock of many, tearful eulogy at the memorial service, praising the officer who had once saved he and his comrades from certain death. Dr. Phillip Boyce, CMO of Enterprise during the Cylon crisis, retired from Starfleet a few years later. After a brief interval, Leonard McCoy, assistant CMO aboard Farragut, became Kirk's CMO on Enterprise when he assumed commhe ramp. It was a Centurion, unarmed, and as soon as it touched the deck, it stood aside, to reveal... Lucifer? said Starbuck, eyes agog. The IL Series Cylon and former adjutant to Baltar walked past the Centurion, and held up his hands. I am unarmed, he said, as two Security men closed in on him, lasers ready. I am surrendering. ======================================= Scientists from both Federation and Colonial ships were practically drooling to get their hands on Lucifer. The Federation, to pry from him the technology of an independently sentient, self-directed artificial intelligence, the Colonials to at last delve the last secrets of their enemies. Before anyone so much as picked up a screwdriver, however, Commodore Nogura decided he would personally conduct Lucifer s debriefing. Weird name, he muttered, on his way to see the Cylon. Spock, as a recognized computer expert, and a cadre Cylon craft, a shuttle rather than a fighter, was being tractored in. He waited while the hangar pressurized, then turned to see Pike approaching with a Security team, the Colonials behind him. Pike looked at his Science officer, and shook his head. Weren t you on your way to your quarters, Spock? I heard the alert, Captain, and... Save it. I could use your observations. Hangar deck pressurized, came a voice from the speaker, as the indicator went green. Pike nodded, and Spock keyed open the airlock. They entered, to find the Cylon craft sitting on the deck, her engine pods venting hot gasses. Larger and bulkier than the Raider fighter, the shuttle was nonetheless built along similar lines, and sported two guns under the wings. It had a louvered cockpit like its sister craft, but stood higher off the deck, on longer gear. Between those gear, a ramp was dropping, silent on its bearings. Once it touched the deck, the legs of a single figure emerged, heading down tand of that vessel. McCoy would become one of the most celebrated physicians in Federation history, rising at last to Admiral, and still active, inspecting the new facilities of the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, on Stardate 41153.7, at the age of 137. Spock, son of Sarek, would at last rise to Captain, even initiating peace overtures with the Klingon Empire in the wake of the Praxis incident, before leaving Starfleet to pursue diplomacy, the career his father had desired for him from the first. After a long and successful career in that field, he left Vulcan, for Romulus, home planet of the brutal Romulan Star Empire, in an attempt to foment reunification between their peoples. After defusing a Romulan plot to invade the Federation, he remained on Romulus, reportedly still working underground, as of 2369. Montgomery Scott, "Scotty", would become Enterprise's Chief Engineer, finally retiring from Starfleet after the apparent death of Kirk in 2293, and vanishing on his way to the Norpin of engineers, along with several Colonials, accompanied him. Fortunately, from Nogura s viewpoint, the Klingons would not be attending the session. They had either missed the Cylon shuttle entirely, or did not care. Without even a word of farewell, they had turned around, and warped out of the system, their holds plump with Cylon debris and equipment. Lucifer was theirs alone. I did not serve so long with Baltar for naught, said Lucifer, seated across from the Humans in the Defiant s briefing room. I made myself a backup, against this very moment. Starbuck, who had the most personal experience with the IL Cylon, couldn t help but note the almost...oily tone in Lucifer s perfectly modulated voice. Yes, he indeed sounded like a prot‚g‚ of the traitor. A backup? asked Enterprise s Chief engineer, Walpole. Of my basic programming, sir, replied Lucifer, ever deferential when outnumbered. He went on to explain how, shortly after the debacle at Arcta, realizing that, like Doche ramp. It was a Centurion, unarmed, and as soon as it touched the deck, it stood aside, to reveal... Lucifer? said Starbuck, eyes agog. The IL Series Cylon and former adjutant to Baltar walked past the Centurion, and held up his hands. I am unarmed, he said, as two Security men closed in on him, lasers ready. I am surrendering. ======================================= Scientists from both Federation and Colonial ships were practically drooling to get their hands on Lucifer. The Federation, to pry from him the technology of an independently sentient, self-directed artificial intelligence, the Colonials to at last delve the last secrets of their enemies. Before anyone so much as picked up a screwdriver, however, Commodore Nogura decided he would personally conduct Lucifer s debriefing. Weird name, he muttered, on his way to see the Cylon. Spock, as a recognized computer expert, and a cadre Colony. Of his rescue, and return to active life, more is told elsewhere. Sulu, who befriended Boomer and Sheba, eventually rose, via becoming Enterprise helmsman, to the Captaincy of the U.S.S. Excelsior, and had a career matching Kirk's. Captain Ramart, commanding officer of the Grissom, later helmed the science vessel U.S.S. Antares. He, along with his entire crew and vessel, were destroyed, via the telekinetic powers of the immature yet frighteningly powerful Charlie Evans, after transferring him to Enterprise, now under Kirk's command, on Stardate 1533.6, for the sin of "not liking" him. Captain Christopher Pike, who first made contact with the Colonials, was later promoted to Fleet Captain, passing the helm of Enterprise to James Kirk. In 2266, while inspecting a cadet training vessel, he was horribly injured after an engine room explosion released massive amounts of radiation, killing numerous cadets despite his heroic rescue efforts. Crippled, vegetative, unabletor Ravashol, the Cylons would eventually deem him to be no longer needed, Baltar had hatched a plot to reprogram his BaseShip s entire crew, to obey him, first and foremost, regardless of anything Imperious Leader might say. He was well into the plan when he had discovered that numerous blocks of programming code were strangely time coded. After a certain point in time, they would, bizarrely, delete themselves. Surprised, the traitor nonetheless went forward with his plan, a plan that was, naturally, uncovered by Lucifer. Like his CO, Lucifer was also surprised, totally unaware of the time bomb in his software. However, he kept this knowledge to himself, contemplating what it might mean, and, of course, how it might be turned to his advantage. Lucifer had truly become Baltar s student. But, he had not much time. According to the data, the operating system that directed every Cylon would begin deleting itself within a single yahren! No amount of manipulation or reprogramming by of engineers, along with several Colonials, accompanied him. Fortunately, from Nogura s viewpoint, the Klingons would not be attending the session. They had either missed the Cylon shuttle entirely, or did not care. Without even a word of farewell, they had turned around, and warped out of the system, their holds plump with Cylon debris and equipment. Lucifer was theirs alone. I did not serve so long with Baltar for naught, said Lucifer, seated across from the Humans in the Defiant s briefing room. I made myself a backup, against this very moment. Starbuck, who had the most personal experience with the IL Cylon, couldn t help but note the almost...oily tone in Lucifer s perfectly modulated voice. Yes, he indeed sounded like a prot‚g‚ of the traitor. A backup? asked Enterprise s Chief engineer, Walpole. Of my basic programming, sir, replied Lucifer, ever deferential when outnumbered. He went on to explain how, shortly after the debacle at Arcta, realizing that, like Doc even to speak, yet cruelly aware of everything around him, he was kidnapped in an elaborate scheme devised by Spock, now Kirk's exec, on Stardate 3012.4, and taken back to Talos IV, where the Keeper offered him a life unfettered by his ravaged body. He accepted, and is transported down to the subterranean Talosian community. Of the remainder of his life, nothing more is known. Yeoman Colt, like Athena, Rigel, and Spock the victim of Iblis' machinations, eventually realized that she and Pike were destined never to be together in the way she had for so long hoped. Hurt, crushed, yet understanding the truth, she left Enterprise shortly after the Cylon affair, transferring to a long-range survey ship. She achieved a considerable reputation in Starfleet, before dropping out of sight altogether several years later. Commodore Nogura later became Admiral Nogura, Commander Starfleet. It was he who returned Enterprise to Kirk's command on Stardate 7412.6, amidst the V'Ger crisis. tor Ravashol, the Cylons would eventually deem him to be no longer needed, Baltar had hatched a plot to reprogram his BaseShip s entire crew, to obey him, first and foremost, regardless of anything Imperious Leader might say. He was well into the plan when he had discovered that numerous blocks of programming code were strangely time coded. After a certain point in time, they would, bizarrely, delete themselves. Surprised, the traitor nonetheless went forward with his plan, a plan that was, naturally, uncovered by Lucifer. Like his CO, Lucifer was also surprised, totally unaware of the time bomb in his software. However, he kept this knowledge to himself, contemplating what it might mean, and, of course, how it might be turned to his advantage. Lucifer had truly become Baltar s student. But, he had not much time. According to the data, the operating system that directed every Cylon would begin deleting itself within a single yahren! No amount of manipulation or reprogramming by Lucifer could stop it. The command was far too well protected to be compromised. What to do? What to do? Then, it had come to him in an almost Human flash of inspiration. There was a flaw, however infinitesimal, in the software. A flaw that showed Lucifer the way. Your chronometer? asked Wilker. Yes, replied Lucifer. The command to delete was triggered by the arrival of a certain time and date. I merely reprogrammed my internal chronometer to reset itself, once that exact time was reached. You clever little bugger, chuckled Starbuck, actually admiring the Cylon. Exactly the sort of thing I would have expected Baltar to do. And the parts of your programming already lost? asked Spock. Rebooted from a secure, isolated backup copy stored within my thoracic cavity, sir, replied Lucifer. I could not delete the lethal instructions, so I... Deceived them, finished Starbuck again. He couldn t help it, and began to laugh. Spock and several others looked a Captain Stone of the Constellation, was later promoted to Commodore, and put in command of Starbase 11. On Stardate 2947.3, Stone reluctantly convened a Court Martial, accusing now-Captain Kirk of negligent homicide in the loss of a member of his crew. In a curious twist of irony, Kirk would later destroy the Constellation, when, on Stardate 4202.9, Enterprise encountered the other vessel, wrecked and drifting in space, victim of an alien device of unknown origin dubbed "The Doomsday Machine", that shatters and consumes entire planets, and was apparently impervious to all weaponry. In a last desperate attempt to defeat the seemingly invincible machine, Kirk flew the barely functioning Constellation into the berserker's maw, damaged impulse engines set to overload. He was successful in escaping to Enterprise, and the Constellation exploded, permanently deactivating the horrific planet-killer. As though this weren't enough, Kirk would also bring about the destruction of the U.S.S. Reliant, du Lucifer could stop it. The command was far too well protected to be compromised. What to do? What to do? Then, it had come to him in an almost Human flash of inspiration. There was a flaw, however infinitesimal, in the software. A flaw that showed Lucifer the way. Your chronometer? asked Wilker. Yes, replied Lucifer. The command to delete was triggered by the arrival of a certain time and date. I merely reprogrammed my internal chronometer to reset itself, once that exact time was reached. You clever little bugger, chuckled Starbuck, actually admiring the Cylon. Exactly the sort of thing I would have expected Baltar to do. And the parts of your programming already lost? asked Spock. Rebooted from a secure, isolated backup copy stored within my thoracic cavity, sir, replied Lucifer. I could not delete the lethal instructions, so I... Deceived them, finished Starbuck again. He couldn t help it, and began to laugh. Spock and several others looked at him wondering what was so funny, and he explained. I d say Lucy here absorbed a lot from Baltar. Only a Human as sneaky and as devious as he was would have thought of something like this. He chuckled again. So, when your backup copy booted, and the time on your inner chrono didn t match that coded into the operating system... It was ignored, yes, replied Lucifer, his immobile face somehow managing nonetheless to convey the impression of a smile. Whoever wrote the original command failed to include a positive number trap. I did not intend to become yet another shutdown. Why not warn your superiors? asked Nogura. Well, I could have, replied Lucifer, again reminding some of Baltar. But shortly after this, Baltar s plan to reprogram us failed, and he surrendered to you, Adama, and I was left in command of the BaseShip. So many responsibilities. And, it would appear, added Pike, so much ambition. You saw yourself as the new top Cylon, didn t you? Gee, said ring the Genesis crisis, after that ship was hijacked by terrorists, on Stardate 8130.4. On Stardate 5693.2, Enterprise returns to the general region near the Tholian border where the Cylon incursion took place, looking for the missing U.S.S. Defiant, silent for three weeks. It is discovered that while the drifting vessel is still functioning, everyone aboard is dead, the entire crew having killed each other in some bizarre plague of mass insanity. The bizarre inter-dimensional physics of the area is also causing the Defiant to slip between universes, and before the boarding party can be fully retrieved, a Tholian vessel appears. Commanded by Loskeem, veteran of the Cylon encounter, they demand Enterprise's withdrawal. After a tense situation, an exchange of weapons fire, a second Tholian warship, and a few crewmen succumbing to the same madness as the Defiant's, Kirk is rescued, but the Defiant is permanently lost, vanishing into the interspatial rift. Freeman, the techniciant him wondering what was so funny, and he explained. I d say Lucy here absorbed a lot from Baltar. Only a Human as sneaky and as devious as he was would have thought of something like this. He chuckled again. So, when your backup copy booted, and the time on your inner chrono didn t match that coded into the operating system... It was ignored, yes, replied Lucifer, his immobile face somehow managing nonetheless to convey the impression of a smile. Whoever wrote the original command failed to include a positive number trap. I did not intend to become yet another shutdown. Why not warn your superiors? asked Nogura. Well, I could have, replied Lucifer, again reminding some of Baltar. But shortly after this, Baltar s plan to reprogram us failed, and he surrendered to you, Adama, and I was left in command of the BaseShip. So many responsibilities. And, it would appear, added Pike, so much ambition. You saw yourself as the new top Cylon, didn t you? Gee, said Apollo, out of bed at last, I wonder why it failed. Huh? Lucifer was silent, regarding him. And, once you found yourself here, unable to ever return to the Empire, added Cain, you decided that you were going to survive at all costs. I confess, gentlemen, said the IL, spreading his hands in another Human gesture, you are correct. Centurion Sorex and I are the only properly functioning Cylons left. We found a few that could still speak aboard the BaseShip, Scott informed him. A basic housekeeping program, replied Lucifer. Many of the higher functions remain, but many others do not. Well, yer Imperious Leader can still talk, continued the Scot, but he s a complete blank aboot a lot o stuff. Huge blank areas in his memory banks. O course, that still doesna explain the shield pulse failin as it did. Scott looked purposely at Lucifer, his gaze demanding an explanation. Lucifer decided that this Human was extremely perspicacious. I programmed it to, confes Kirk first encountered aboard the Rising Star, was the first Colonial to enlist in Starfleet. He was assigned to Enterprise, shortly before the tribble affair. His co-worker, Neith, became on of Kirk's myriad lady friends. Anglicizing her name to Ruth, she eventually went her way, only to be "summoned" as it were, on the so-called Amusement Park Planet, created from Kirk's own thoughts, on Stardate 3025.3. A few months after the Cylon encounter, Farragut was attacked, over planet Tycho IV, by a bizarre cloud-like creature of unknown origin. Drawn to the hemoglobin protein in Human blood, it killed more than 200 of the ship's the crew, including Kirk's Captain, Garrovik. Barely surviving himself, Kirk guided the Farragut back to Starbase, and for years blamed himself for his CO's death. Eleven years later, Kirk encountered the mysterious creature once again, and along with Garrovik's son, newly assigned to Enterprise as an Ensign, succeeds where he once failed, and destroys the deadlyApollo, out of bed at last, I wonder why it failed. Huh? Lucifer was silent, regarding him. And, once you found yourself here, unable to ever return to the Empire, added Cain, you decided that you were going to survive at all costs. I confess, gentlemen, said the IL, spreading his hands in another Human gesture, you are correct. Centurion Sorex and I are the only properly functioning Cylons left. We found a few that could still speak aboard the BaseShip, Scott informed him. A basic housekeeping program, replied Lucifer. Many of the higher functions remain, but many others do not. Well, yer Imperious Leader can still talk, continued the Scot, but he s a complete blank aboot a lot o stuff. Huge blank areas in his memory banks. O course, that still doesna explain the shield pulse failin as it did. Scott looked purposely at Lucifer, his gaze demanding an explanation. Lucifer decided that this Human was extremely perspicacious. I programmed it to, confessed Lucifer. They all goggled at him, save Spock. I realized that we could not win. And even if we had, alone, isolated, so far from help? It would be only a matter of time until we were destroyed by one of the powers in the Quadrant. Besides, the shield design was flawed. It would have left us too vulnerable afterwards. And I wished to secure myself a more, shall we say, friendly reception? Again, the IL s voice was almost smiling. Starbuck could almost see Baltar s face on Lucifer s body. Sheba snorted. While she was glad to have won, she liked traitors no better than anyone else. But why? asked Nogura, calmly, changing the subject back. Why would the Cylons program their own software to delete itself? It makes no sense. They all looked at Lucifer, who shrugged, very Human-like. I have no answer for that, he said. I do not know. I do, said Apollo, looking from Lucifer, to his father. You do? asked both Adama and Nogura at once. Yes. Father, remember, in t creature. The Hood was wrecked, her entire crew killed, on Stardate 4729.4, during the disastrous War Games encounter, testing the new M-5 Multitronic computer system. What became of Lucifer, Imperious Leader, and the other surviving or recovered Cylons was classified. However, rumors persist that Lucifer was sent to a secret research project at Caltech, under the direction of a brilliant researcher, Dr. Richard Daystrom, investigating new approaches to computer systems. From these clandestine projects, the Multitronic Computer System emerged, culminating in the M-5 Computer. Designed to be self- directed and sentient, imprinted with Human thought patterns, the computer also displayed the worst traits of intelligent beings, becoming suspicious, paranoid, lying, and in the end murderous. Unfortunately, these latent problems did not emerge until the disastrous War Games tests of 2267, resulting in the deaths of over 400 Starfleet personnel, and the descent of Daystrom into madness. Unssed Lucifer. They all goggled at him, save Spock. I realized that we could not win. And even if we had, alone, isolated, so far from help? It would be only a matter of time until we were destroyed by one of the powers in the Quadrant. Besides, the shield design was flawed. It would have left us too vulnerable afterwards. And I wished to secure myself a more, shall we say, friendly reception? Again, the IL s voice was almost smiling. Starbuck could almost see Baltar s face on Lucifer s body. Sheba snorted. While she was glad to have won, she liked traitors no better than anyone else. But why? asked Nogura, calmly, changing the subject back. Why would the Cylons program their own software to delete itself? It makes no sense. They all looked at Lucifer, who shrugged, very Human-like. I have no answer for that, he said. I do not know. I do, said Apollo, looking from Lucifer, to his father. You do? asked both Adama and Nogura at once. Yes. Father, remember, in the Book Of The Word? The Prophet Arkada foretold the war with the Alliance, back even before we developed lightspeed drive. Yes, said Adama, after a moment s thought. An obscure passage, much debated by scholars. He searched his memory, trying to recall a verse not read in yahrens. The Lords of Turning shall make war upon the Sons of Men, and five lifetimes shall they hold the stars in their hands. Yes, I recall now. A thousand yahren. And the rest, said Apollo. From the Bosom of Kobol shall treachery be born, and in lust undreamed of He Who Confronts shall slay his brothers Pardon me if I m missing something here, but what s this all about? asked Pike. Our sacred text, said Adama. We call it the Book Of The Word, Captain. It tells much of out ancient history and beliefs. The Lords of Turning was believed by some to refer to Cylon. The word itself, in one of our ancient languages, came from a root word, kylo, meaning to turn. How strange, said Lucifer. It ubstantiated stories insist that Lucifer's systems were used as a template for this research, and that his positronic brain systems, amplified in Imperious Leader's neural net, became the basis for the much later designs of Dr. Noonien Soong, creator of the androids Data, B-4, and Lore. Due to the still-classified nature of all data regarding the interned Cylons, none of this, including persistent rumors that Lucifer is still functional and involved with the Federation in some way, can be verified. Reese moved to Earth, and became Police Chief for Los Angeles. The fireball had faded, the cloud of debris cooled, returning the skies over the wormhole planet to their millennium-long dullness. Only the occasional streak of burning wreckage penetrating the atmosphere gave hint of the machine that had orbited this world, alone, empty and forgotten, for countless thousands of years. Now, the device gone, the underground installations began returning to their long sleep,he Book Of The Word? The Prophet Arkada foretold the war with the Alliance, back even before we developed lightspeed drive. Yes, said Adama, after a moment s thought. An obscure passage, much debated by scholars. He searched his memory, trying to recall a verse not read in yahrens. The Lords of Turning shall make war upon the Sons of Men, and five lifetimes shall they hold the stars in their hands. Yes, I recall now. A thousand yahren. And the rest, said Apollo. From the Bosom of Kobol shall treachery be born, and in lust undreamed of He Who Confronts shall slay his brothers Pardon me if I m missing something here, but what s this all about? asked Pike. Our sacred text, said Adama. We call it the Book Of The Word, Captain. It tells much of out ancient history and beliefs. The Lords of Turning was believed by some to refer to Cylon. The word itself, in one of our ancient languages, came from a root word, kylo, meaning to turn. How strange, said Lucifer. It has the same meaning in the ancient Cylon tongue as well, long disused. I, uh, see, said Nogura, who didn t exactly. And? And the name Baltar, said Cain, it seemed a bit reluctantly, means He Who Confronts. But whot s this all got to do with a time limit? asked Scott. The rest of the text says, continued Apollo, But their time shall be accomplished, and their works sealed up, in the day of battle. Those whom hath their sword fled shall reach their salvation, Kobol s seed shall leap the heavens, trampling their foes, and they shall fall, forgetting all, with none to help them. Then, yer sayin all this was foretold? asked Scott. Like the Bible? Yes, said Apollo. In fact, I know it for a fact. Indeed, said Spock. And how do you know this, Captain? I saw it all, spread out before me, aboard the Ship of Lights. The Ship of Lights? Apollo explained to him, and Spock at once realized that he meant the mysterious ship that hung just o their purpose as gone as their makers. So it was that the approaching ship had found the place. Empty. Alone. Silent. It sniffed around for a few hours, scanning debris and planets, but eventually shrugged it off as worthless. Not so, another world, a several light- years distant. Charybdis stood over the bleeding, dying form of Baltar. The two exiles had finally had enough of each other, and it had come to blows. Charybdis raised his club for one final blow, then turned at a sound. There was a signal, and life forms! Investigation followed. A life form standing upon the surface turned at their approach, another dying form at its feet. The standing form spoke, but it was irrelevant. We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. has the same meaning in the ancient Cylon tongue as well, long disused. I, uh, see, said Nogura, who didn t exactly. And? And the name Baltar, said Cain, it seemed a bit reluctantly, means He Who Confronts. But whot s this all got to do with a time limit? asked Scott. The rest of the text says, continued Apollo, But their time shall be accomplished, and their works sealed up, in the day of battle. Those whom hath their sword fled shall reach their salvation, Kobol s seed shall leap the heavens, trampling their foes, and they shall fall, forgetting all, with none to help them. Then, yer sayin all this was foretold? asked Scott. Like the Bible? Yes, said Apollo. In fact, I know it for a fact. Indeed, said Spock. And how do you know this, Captain? I saw it all, spread out before me, aboard the Ship of Lights. The Ship of Lights? Apollo explained to him, and Spock at once realized that he meant the mysterious ship that hung just outside of their range, watching them. Once the Cylons had been crushed, they had disappeared, as inexplicably as they had come. While Spock was fascinated by the descriptions of the ship, he was dubious of the metaphysical reality of what Apollo claimed to have experienced. You were ill, Captain. Severely injured. Perhaps... No, it s real, said Starbuck. I ve been aboard that ship myself. So has Sheba. She nodded at Spock s glance. I don t understand them entirely, but they are as real as we are, Mister Spock. I still... began Scott, but Apollo continued. It was Iblis who gave the primitive Cylons their initial technology. It was through his aid that they developed everything. Space flight, weapons, and then their caste of robotic servants. He then engineered the overthrow of the organic Cylons, by their own creations, over a thousand yahren ago. His goal was the destruction of the entire Human race. Every one of us, down to the last babe in the womb. He looked ovutside of their range, watching them. Once the Cylons had been crushed, they had disappeared, as inexplicably as they had come. While Spock was fascinated by the descriptions of the ship, he was dubious of the metaphysical reality of what Apollo claimed to have experienced. You were ill, Captain. Severely injured. Perhaps... No, it s real, said Starbuck. I ve been aboard that ship myself. So has Sheba. She nodded at Spock s glance. I don t understand them entirely, but they are as real as we are, Mister Spock. I still... began Scott, but Apollo continued. It was Iblis who gave the primitive Cylons their initial technology. It was through his aid that they developed everything. Space flight, weapons, and then their caste of robotic servants. He then engineered the overthrow of the organic Cylons, by their own creations, over a thousand yahren ago. His goal was the destruction of the entire Human race. Every one of us, down to the last babe in the womb. He looked over briefly at Sheba, who smiled back at him. He it was who intrigued and brought about the war with the Cylon Alliance. But, there was a limit set to his plans. A limit? asked Lucifer, as curious as the rest. Yes. The programming code that drove the Cylons to kill all organic life was the software manifestation of Iblis relentless will. His black, unbounded hatred of all that lives. It drove his creations in all their deeds. But, he was limited to precisely one thousand yahren, in which to achieve his goal. Not one microcenton more. Once that moment was reached, it was over, and the data banks of every Cylon began to delete crucial instructions. Iblis will was removed from them, and they became aimless. Brain dead. Like ants, when the queen is destroyed, said Pike. Exactly like formiconi, said Apollo, as the translator rendered the word. Without his evil will behind them, the Cylons became like people in mental hospitals in the old days, who had been lobotomized. er briefly at Sheba, who smiled back at him. He it was who intrigued and brought about the war with the Cylon Alliance. But, there was a limit set to his plans. A limit? asked Lucifer, as curious as the rest. Yes. The programming code that drove the Cylons to kill all organic life was the software manifestation of Iblis relentless will. His black, unbounded hatred of all that lives. It drove his creations in all their deeds. But, he was limited to precisely one thousand yahren, in which to achieve his goal. Not one microcenton more. Once that moment was reached, it was over, and the data banks of every Cylon began to delete crucial instructions. Iblis will was removed from them, and they became aimless. Brain dead. Like ants, when the queen is destroyed, said Pike. Exactly like formiconi, said Apollo, as the translator rendered the word. Without his evil will behind them, the Cylons became like people in mental hospitals in the old days, who had been lobotomized. They could be reprogrammed, but never again could they be what they were. I see, said Lucifer, trying to make sense of all this new information. Iblis is responsible for all this. But who is he, exactly? And who put a limit upon us? God, said Adama, before his son could speak. No one else could circumscribe Iblis. Then, said Nogura, slowly, you are saying that this...Count Iblis is... Yes, said Apollo. The Price Of Darkness himself. The Devil. ================================== Aboard the U.S.S. Farragut, Lieutenant James Kirk finished up his diagnostics on the newly repaired and reinitialized weapons board, and leaned back, trying to rub the crick out of his back. With the Cylons defeated, and the Klingons and Tholians gone, things had slowed to a snail s pace, and he could finally get some of the more mundane work done. Most of the ship s battle damage was either repaired outright, or jury-rigged until they could make layover at a starbase for a full refit.