BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE MARK OF CAIN by Eric J. Paddon Based on characters created by Glen A. Larson This is a work of fan-fiction and is not intended to infringe on any copyright laws Prologue The sun shined brightly over the Caprica seashore, and the gentle breeze created a ripple effect across the ocean's waves. It was a lovely day for taking it easy. Sheba stood on the outer deck of her house, and contentedly inhaled the salty fragrance of the ocean breeze. It always made her feel good to just be alive and enjoying life in the home she'd never thought she'd have again. Then again, could anyone in all the colonies ever have envisioned living in these planets again? That after fifteen yahrens of travelling across the universe, their journey would ultimately end where it had began? Even now, four yahrens since the return to Caprica it was still hard for a lot of people to believe it. There were times when Sheba almost found herself wondering if the quiet life of tranquility she now enjoyed was only an unreal dream. Her thoughts were distracted when she heard the sound of her robot-servant, Nova, coming out onto the deck. She turned to face him, and again felt that strange sense of irony that filled her whenever she saw Nova. Not that he was a robot, that she was used to. It was the kind of robot Nova was. Nova was a Cylon centurion. Originally programmed to destroy humanity. But now, like millions of other centurions salvaged from the wreckage of the colonies, he'd been reprogrammed to serve humanity. "I have finished programming tonight's dinner, Madame Sheba," he said in that low garbled voice of a Cylon. "Thank you Nova," Sheba smiled, "That will be all for this afternoon. Go downstairs until you're needed." "By your command," he turned and departed. Efficient, dutiful, everything you could ask for, Sheba mused as she came inside. Yet there was a time not too long ago, when he'd been one of an infinite number of nameless centurions who'd fought in that spectacular last battle in the colonies, trying to destroy humanity. She shook her head slightly and chided herself for thinking about it. All that was past now. The thousand yahren war between human and Cylon machine was done. And now, the victorious humans made use of their former adversaries in order to rebuild the civilization that had been destroyed so long ago. Four yahrens later, the 10,000 survivors of the Galactica's fleet had been able to perform a minor miracle on Caprica and Gemon, the two planets that had been selected for reclamation. Caprica's initial population of 8,000 had already tripled, while Gemon's had passed 6,000. Slowly but surely, the colonies were on the way back to their former glory. So far, there had been no new enemies for humanity that might have impeded the recovery. That fact alone was all that Sheba needed to keep herself from having any immediate thoughts about reactivating her warrior's commission. As her children grew older, she had slowly felt the desire to return to the work that had been her life for so many yahrens, but it was clear that the absence of any outside threat meant that for now at least, there was no need to act on that desire. She heard the chime of her video communicator and went over to answer it. She smiled when she saw her husband's image fill the screen. "Hi," Apollo smiled back at her, "How's everything?" "Just fine," she said, "I got Teague and Hera off to school all right. They'll be a little late coming home because they're going with some of the other children to the triad match tonight." "That should be fun," Apollo noted, "I'm glad Boomer set up the new league. Our people need things like spectator sports more than ever." "Their biggest problem is who to route for," Sheba said, "Do they act like loyal Capricans and cheer Boomer's squad to victory, or do they cheer for big brother Boxey, captain of the Gemonese?" Apollo laughed, "Sometimes I think the reason Boxey volunteered for duty on Gemon, is because he wanted to create scenarios just like that." His tone then grew serious, "Look Sheba, the reason I called, is because the Archives just delivered something to me. They've finally gotten around to restoring the computer tapes from the Pegasus." Sheba's expression grew stoic, and inside she bit her cheek, "Have you seen it?" "No," Apollo shook his head, "I felt you were entitled to see them first." "I see," his wife said, "Can you bring them home?" "No. They can only be played back on the computers here, in the Administrative Center." "I'll be there in less than a centar." she switched off the communicator, and pressed the intercom, "Nova?" "I am here, Madame Sheba." "Nova, I'm leaving for the Administrative Center. If I'm not back before Teague and Hera come home, see to it that dinner will be ready for them." "By your command." Sheba shut off the intercom and sat at the table for a centon, just staring out the window. She was finally going to learn everything. Nineteen yahrens since her father, the legendary Commander Cain, had taken the Pegasus off into battle and disappeared. Five yahrens since she'd learned the general details of what had happened to him from the dying breath of the last Cylon Imperious Leader. Four yahrens since her return to Caprica, and the discovery of the wreck of the Pegasus, strewn over a wide area in the heart of the capital city. Now, all of the secrets of what her father had done since leaving her would be known. And now, the story of how he had singlehandedly decimated the Cylon Empire, leaving only a small taskforce of baseships that the Galactica had destroyed in the last battle five yahrens ago, would be known too. Strangely enough, Sheba had never pondered too much about what secrets lay on the Peagasus' computer tapes. An incident that had happened to her just prior to the last battle, had left her with a strange sense of serenity about her father and what had happened to him, even before she'd learned the general story. And because of that, she'd never felt any rush to know the details. But now, as she left her house and got into her hover-mobile for the trip to Caprica City, she found herself trembling. The unconcern over not knowing the details, had disappeared and been replaced by a burning curiosity to know all the answers. The drive to Caprica City only took several centons. Along the way, she passed the multitude of construction sites and renovation work going on. Nearly all of them were manned by reprogrammed Cylons. By performing the nuts-and-bolts work of reconstruction, they freed their human masters to concentrate on the more important task of governing the colonies, and planning the eventual restoration of all twelve planets to their former glory. That however, was a long way off. As Sheba took one look at the wrecked vipers and Cylon fighters that covered the landscape, as well as the gutted buildings and rusted centurions that hadn't been attended to, she knew that the last four yahrens had not been enough. Finally, she reached the main part of the city. Or rather, what now served as the main part. What had been the heart of Caprica City was rubble now. Destroyed when the crippled Pegasus had crashed into it with full force, destroying the nerve center of the Cylon control of the colonies. That alone, had accounted for Imperious Leader's decision to abandon the twelve planets. The newly designed downtown was thriving with activity as Sheba slowed her vehicle. To one side, there was the Exchange Place where the businessmen and speculators gathered to increase their profits and keep the Colonial economy in sound order. Directly across the avenue was the entertainment and amusement center that attracted more crowds than any other spot on the planet. A large number of makeshift recreation centers, restaurants and even a red-light district had given the people the opportunity to indulge in the activities that had been largely curtailed during their fourteen yahren odyssey across the heaven!. She parked the hover-mobile by the Caprican Administrative Center, a modest structure that had once been the headquarters of a shipping company in the pre-Holocaust era. Since it had been the largest surviving structure with no damage in Caprica City, it was now the seat of the Colonial Government. On its roof, from a makeshift pole, flew the Colonial Flag. Apollo's office was on the top floor. The office of Governor-General of Caprica. "Good afternoon, Madame Sheba," Apollo's adjutant said as she entered, "You've been expected." "Thank you," she nodded as the door slid open and she entered the office, her stomach tense with anticipation. She saw that Apollo was not alone. "Hello Sheba," Adama rose and embraced his daughter-in-law, "We're glad you could be here." "It's good to see you," she smiled, "I wouldn't have missed this for anything." He let go of her and resumed his seat. Despite his advancing age and his recent decision to retire as commander of the Galactica, Adama remained vigorously active as the President of the Council of Twelve. "Everything in order at home?" Starbuck spoke up. The Governor-General of Gemon had his trademark cigar clamped between his teeth. Appointment to the second most powerful position of authority in the colonies, as well as marriage to Athena, still hadn't changed all of his habits. "It's no problem," Sheba sat down, "Nova has everything under control." "That old rustbucket really turned out well?" Starbuck had never gotten used to the idea of using reprogrammed Cylons to serve humanity. To him, a Cylon centurion was something to shoot at and watch explode into a million pieces. His whole way of thinking had always been that he wouldn't want to be with a Cylon and have to talk to one (as he did now with his own servant) even if he were all alone and stranded on some deserted planet. Then again, Starbuck mused, he had had that weird dream once about being stranded on a planet and repairing a dead centurion so he could have someone to talk to. The whole idea struck him as so silly that he could never remember any of the other details of the dream. Just as well, because they were probably not worth recalling anyway. "Perfect. I only wish Dr. Wilker would figure out a way to alter their voice synthesizers so they wouldn't sound so Cylon." Sheba then noticed the final guest in Apollo's office, "I'm glad you're here too, Bojay. You deserve to see this as much as I do." The only other surviving veteran of the Pegasus smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, now that we're all here," Apollo said, as he sat at his desk, "We might as well get started." He then punched several buttons on his console. And then, on the viewing screen above them, they began to watch the secrets of the dead be given up. Chapter One "All right Starbuck, let's get outta' here, the Pegasus is launching her missiles!" Apollo shouted. And then, he and Starbuck pulled away from the two baseships they'd gone in to engage. Knocking out their missile launch systems, and leaving them helpless before the Pegasus' attack. As they pulled away, Apollo looked back to see an impossibly bright wash of light against the velvet dark of space. "Did you see that?" Starbuck shouted. "I can't see a thing but spots," Apollo replied, "I've never seen a flash like that." "Can you see the Pegasus?" "No. There's too much smoke and debris. I can't tell if he made it or not." "What do we do?" "Here come's their entire attack force," Apollo said as he saw his scanner emitting more than a hundred blips. Cylon fighters hastily recalled from Gomorrah by Baltar's third baseship, to protect him from Commander Cain's onslaught. But too late to make the battle. "We turn around and we go home," Apollo finished, "As fast as we can." And then, the two Galactica pilots hit their turbos and left the battle site, uncertain of the final outcome. An uncertainty that would linger for the next fourteen yahrens. Aboard the bridge of the Pegasus, there was jubilation in Colonel Tolen's voice. "Direct hits and confirmed destruction of them!" Cain stood motionless and gave his next command with rapid swiftness, "Emergency light speed now! Get us out of here fast!" The order caught Tolen off guard. Up until now, the purpose of the attack was to take out the two baseships and open the way for the Pegasus to attack Baltar's ship head-on. "Sir...' the Executive Officer started. "Damn it Tolen, don't ask questions. Emergency light speed now!" Tolen knew there was no point in arguing the matter. Especially with the man known as the Juggernaut. The Pegasus lurched slightly as she picked up speed. In less than an instant, even before the explosions of the two baseships had died down, the aged battlestar was far away from where she'd been. "Status report?" Baltar's voice was flat and terse. "I regret to report that our two sister ships have been destroyed," Lucifer said. "And the Pegasus?" "There is no sign of her on our scanners." "Then at least she has been destroyed too." Lucifer hesitated slightly, "Presumably." "Not presumably," Baltar's voice grew cold, "If the Pegasus survived, she'd be on top of us by now. Commander Cain was after me specifically. And he is a man who never deviates from a set plan." The IL Cylon refrained from commenting. "We need to regroup Lucifer," the human traitor went on, "There is still the matter of the Galactica. I want you to organize a special team of fighters for a suicide mission. I want fighters packed with solonite so that when they ram the Galactica, she'll go without a sustained battle." "By your command," Lucifer bowed and departed. Far away, the Pegasus continued heading out to deep space. On the bridge, Cain paced back and forth in silence while clean-up crews attended to the damage the battlestar had sustained in the battle. "Sir," Tolen said quietly, "The Galactica is trying to raise us. Do you want to respond?" Cain leaned forward and sucked in his breath, "Negative," he spoke with finality, "Maintain radio silence." The exasperation inside Tolen finally reached the breaking point, "Sir, with all due respect, why are we doing this? The crew has a right to know." "All in good time, Tolen," Cain tapped his swagger stick against the railing, "I'll be in my quarters." As he made his way to his quarters, everyone who noticed him saw the image of the Juggernaut as never before. The firm iron jaw, the emotionless expression, the self-confident swagger in his walk. But when Cain finally reached the privacy of his quarters, the Juggernaut's iron discipline cracked. Wearily, he deflated into his chair. And then, for the next centar, he sat in lonely silence, as he watched the holographic images of his beloved daughter, over and over again. "Happy Birthday, Father," Sheba's smiling image radiated, "I love you." Finally, Cain's tortured mind could take it no longer. He shut off the hologram and broke down and wept, burying his head in his arms. Only now, was the full realization that he would probably never see her again, finally hitting him. Something he'd never thought he'd have to confront. But now, the reality was all too clear. If he went ahead with what he now planned to do, he'd be parted from his precious baby forever. Losing Cassiopeia for the second time didn't bother him as much. From what he'd seen, she'd found a good life for herself as a Galactica med-tech. And it seemed that she and Starbuck were drawn to each other. So she might mourn his apparent death, but she had a stable foundation to fall back on. There was no question she'd endure. In their brief time together again, Cassie had shown more inner strength and resiliency than he'd ever given her credit for. But Sheba. What would Sheba have in a new life aboard the Galactica, separated from him forever? What did she have to fall back on? Granted, Bojay was there too, so at least she'd have one friend from the Pegasus. But that would surely seem woefully inadequate. Sheba had been inseparable from him for yahrens. Her devotion to him was why she'd never even found the time to start any romantic relationships. He had been the center of her whole life. It wasn't that he doubted Adama's willingness to extend some compassion to her. Quite the contrary, he knew Adama well enough to know that his old friend would do all he could to ease the burdens Sheba would now feel. But would Sheba be receptive? Would she mourn for him to the point of withdrawing from everyone around her, from life itself? Cain had never been a particularly religious person, and he often scoffed at those who felt the need to pray. Nonetheless, he found himself doing exactly that. He prayed with every ounce of his strength that his daughter would be all right. That the hopeful future he envisioned for his daughter would come about. That Sheba would be able to move beyond the narrow world of being a great warrior and find someone to love. But he'd never have any way of knowing. Not if he went ahead with his new plan. "Forgive me, baby," Cain whispered between sobs, "Forgive me. I love you so much." He heard the buzz outside his door. Quickly, he wiped his eyes, straightened his posture, and spoke with his usual authoritative edge, "Come in." The door slid open and a grim-faced Tolen entered. "Ah I was just about to call you, Tolen," Cain said, "Damage report?" "It's coming along," the Executive Officer kept his voice even, "But we are at something of a disadvantage in our remaining strength. Our missile banks are expended and we have only forty-one available vipers. And most of them were undergoing overhaul and repair, which is why they couldn't be used during the battle." "Well we'll make use of them. We still have pilots, don't we?" "Yes sir," Tolen nodded, "Most of Silver Spar's pilots chose to stay with us. Including Lieutenant Skyler." "Good, good," Cain nodded, "Tell him he's promoted to Captain and that he's the new squadron commander. Anything else?" Tolen sucked in his breath, "Sir, it's really getting ugly on the bridge. There are a lot of men who want to know why we're not answering the Galactica. Some of them," he hesitated slightly, "Some of them have friends and relatives there. They'd really feel better if we could just let them know we're all right." Cain lowered his head, "No," he said flatly, "I know it's difficult for them, but there's no other way." Tolen bit his lip as he tried to hold back the frustration, "Request permission to speak freely, sir?" "Granted," Cain didn't look up. "Sir, I've trusted your judgment in all the yahrens I've served as you as your executive officer. And that includes a number of decisions you've made, that on the surface could have meant certain death for us. But what you've done this afternoon defies all common sense." Cain now looked up, "Explain." "We've left one baseship to menace the Galactica." "Not likely," he interrupted, "The Galactica has enough fuel from Gomorrah to elude her. And knowing Baltar, he's probably scared so much out of his wits, that by the time he regroups, the Fleet will be halfway across the galaxy." Tolen chose not to press that point, "Well even so, there's a sense among a lot of us that despite all the controversies you and Commander Adama went through, we still belong with the Galactica and her fleet." Cain let out a long, sad sigh, "Where the Galactica is going Tolen, we cannot follow. Just as the Galactica and her fleet can't go where we're ultimately going." "Why?" Tolen demanded, "And where the hell are we going?" The Juggernaut rose from his chair and stared out into space, "Right now Tolen, we're going to let those tincans think we're dead. We have to make them think that Adama and his fleet are all that's left of humanity in the universe. And if they do what I think they'll do, then that's when we return from the dead and go on the offensive." "How?" Tolen was unconvinced, "One battlestar against the whole Cylon Empire? Endless hit-and-run battles with no missiles and only one-third viper strength? For what? At least the Galactica offered some security for us. They're trying to lead humanity to a place of safety. Where in Hades Hole do we end up?" Cain turned to face him, "I've never heard you this way before, Tolen." The Executive Officer sighed, "I guess sir, what's bothering me the most is that after the euphoria we went through when we found the Galactica... well it's just hard to cope with the thought of being alone on the run again." "I understand," the Juggernaut conveyed sympathy, "But as God is my judge Tolen, I don't think we have any choice. Adama needs long-term security in order for humanity to survive, and this is the only way I can guarantee it." "The only way I can envision giving Adama long-range security is by staying with him." Cain sat down and stared at the table, "I'd agree with you only if I shared Adama's faith that this Earth he's headed for offers a real sanctuary to help fight back against the Cylons," he shook his head, "If there is an Earth, then I don't think it'll be any help whatsoever. My gut feeling is that when Adama finds Earth, he's going to find a backwards, primitive society, hundreds of yahrens behind us and powerless to defend herself. His odyssey will all be for nothing." He began toying with his swagger stick, "Sooner or later, the Cylons would catch up with us. And then we'd really be at a dead end. But if we're not with the Galactica, if we stay behind and raise major havoc in the Cylon Empire then they won't waste their time looking for Adama. They won't have the strength left to do it." Tolen stared at him and remained silent. "I guess I'm not making much sense to you, am I?" Cain smiled wryly. "To be honest sir, you're not." he admitted. The Juggernaut swivelled in his chair, "Come back later, when I've thought this out a little better." "What do I tell the men, sir?" Cain's back was now turned away from him, "Tell them we're not joining up with the Galactica, because we're headed for the greatest mission we could ever have hoped to undertake." Tolen exhaled in mild disgust, "Yes sir." He turned and departed, leaving Cain alone, staring out the window into the infinite blackness of deep space. In all the yahrens Cain had spent traversing the stars, space had never before seemed more cold and frightening to him. Chapter Two Two days had passed since the battle of Gomorrah had reduced Baltar's options to one. Now, as Lucifer entered the command center, he awaited to hear the results of that last-ditch effort. "Well?" Baltar's impatience was all too clear. "Our special assault patrol reports that there were two direct hits on the Galactica, one to the bridge, and one to the landing bay." "Has she been destroyed?" the impatience only grew. Lucifer paused for that brief instant that always unnerved Baltar. "Not exactly..." the IL Cylon started. "Will you come to the point?!" he raged. "The rest of our fighters were destroyed before the Galactica's destruction could be confirmed." Baltar sank back into his throne, "We have no more fighters?" "No. If it turns out that the Galactica has survived, then a new assault will be impossible for the foreseeable future." Just then, a centurion came up to them, "By your command." "Speak," Baltar waved his hand in irritation. "Our long-range communications monitors have picked up the inter-fleet messages of the Colonial ships. They indicate that the Galactica has survived and is underway again." Baltar dug his fingers into the side of his throne. "Do you have any new ideas, Baltar?" Lucifer allowed only a hint of sarcasm to enter his voice. "Later," he waved his hand, "Leave me for now." "By your command." As Baltar tried to plot his next move, he could never have guessed that for him, there would be no next attack on the Galactica. There would be continued stalking of her from afar, but he had a rendezvous with destiny one month in the future, that would see his power yanked out from under him, and would see him land squarely in the Galactica prison barge. In another distant quadrant of space, Cain had finally emerged from his quarters and called a meeting of his senior officers and warriors. The mood was not particularly pleasant among the men who had gathered in the room. Especially not for Captain Skyler, the newly promoted, and newly-appointed commander of Silver Spar Squadron. Right now, he would have gladly traded his new captain's wings for a spot on the Galactica. Skyler had never particularly envisioned himself as a leader of men. But then again, he'd always been flying in the shadow of Sheba and Bojay, who were without question the two best pilots on the Pegasus. Because of that, he'd never thought that he'd have to worry about command responsibilities suddenly falling on him. But now, the bizarre set of circumstances that he still couldn't quite fathom, had thrust him into the unexpected position of becoming the new squadron commander. And he hoped that when Cain showed up, he'd find out that it was all temporary. That soon, the Pegasus would rejoin the Galactica, which would bring Sheba and Bojay back, and return him to the anonymity he'd always preferred. When the Juggernaut finally entered the room, Skyler found himself anxiously holding his breath. "Gentlemen," Cain began, "I first must apologize to all of you for not having offered an explanation of my actions, and just what it is I have planned for us now. Colonel Tolen has told me that a number of you are quite frustrated by my refusal to let us radio the Galactica, and let her know that we're all right. And believe me, I understand your feelings. If there was any way I could signal the Galactica without running the risk of the Cylons learning that we're still alive, I would not hesitate to do it." Immediately, Skyler felt his faint hopes evaporate. He knew he wasn't going to like this one bit. Nor for that matter, were a lot of the other warriors gathered in the room. "But right now gentlemen," Cain went on, "The Pegasus is beginning a mission where for the time being, it is absolutely essential that the Cylons have no inkling that we're still alive. That is the only thing will give us even the remotest chance of succeeding. We must disappear from the face of the known universe for the next yahren. Maybe even two yahrens. "And during that time, this is what I expect will happen. Because we've given the Galactica and her fleet an enormous headstart, there is no way that the Cylons know where they are. And keep in mind, the Cylons are acting under the assumption that Adama's fleet constitutes all that's left of humanity. "That being the case, the Imperious Leader will make the only decision he can make, in order to track down Adama when he has no way of knowing where he is. He'll disperse his entire battle fleet across the galaxy to try and find them. He has no other choice if he thinks he has even the faintest hope of fulfilling his dream of exterminating humanity." Cain paused and let his words hang in the air, "Now can any of you comprehend the opportunity being presented to us, if the Cylons do as I think they will, and disperse their fleet across the galaxy?" There was no response. Skyler was trying hard not to show his disgust. "Well gentlemen?" Cain prodded them. Finally, Skyler decided to swallow his pride and play the part of a squadron leader, who understood military strategy. He haltingly raised his hand. "Yes Captain?" Cain pointed his stick at him. "Well um, if the Cylons disperse their baseships, they'll be leaving a lot of major installations open to attack, won't they?" "You're on the right track," Cain beamed, "But you've got to take it further. It isn't just major installations that will be open to attack. It's their entire Empire. The whole ball of wax. There won't be any baseship protection for a single outpost in the Empire, because they have no reason to think they'll need it. They'll all be looking for Adama. And that, is when we make our grand return from the dead. We'll have such a great element of surprise, those tinheads will never know what hit them." There was an uneasy silence in the room. Enough to tell Skyler that he wasn't alone in what he was thinking. "Uh sir," a young lieutenant named Banker spoke up, "Are you actually suggesting that we have the ability to wipe out the entire Cylon Empire, all by ourselves? We don't even have any missiles left." "No," Cain said simply, "I'm not a fool, Banker. This mission is one way, and eventually, I have the feeling that we're going to meet our final destruction. What I have in mind is a grander version of what we did the other day. Only this time, we're going to give our brothers on the Galactica some security that will be a lot more permanent." He began to strut back and forth across the front of the room, "We're going to inflict as much terror on the Cylon Empire as we can. And then, they'll be forced to recall their baseships. From then on in, it'll be a toe-to-toe slugging match. And hopefully..." he paused, "Hopefully, we'll take out a few of them as we go down fighting. But no matter what, the important thing is we'll be giving the Galactica more time to get away from the Cylons for good. And by the time we're through with them, the Cylons just might not be strong enough to try and look for her again." Again, the Juggernaut paused to let his words sink in. And again, the response was halting and tentative. None of them particularly like what they were hearing, but they were all too much in awe of the legend of Commander Cain to challenge him effectively. "Um, Commander," Skyler said, "Aren't you taking into account the risk that... well that letting the Cylons scatter their fleet, assuming they do that, well that might jeopardize the Galactica's safety?" "Adama is a good commander," Cain responded, "He knows what it'll take to get his people to safety. I'm not concerned with the danger potential of an isolated baseship finding him because I think that right now, Adama has his fleet headed into an area where they'll never be found. So to answer your question Skyler, I think the Galactica will be fine." "But sir," Banker mildly protested, "It sounds like you're contradicting yourself. If the Galactica is safe from any dispersal of baseships, then what is the point of our doing this?" The Juggernaut began vigorously shaking his head even before the young lieutenant had finished. "No, no, no Banker, I'm talking about two different things. I believe the Galactica is safe for the short-term. I think she'll have no difficulty eluding the Cylons for several yahrens or so. What I'm concerned with, is the long-term. As long as the Cylons have a fighting force, and an Empire of the size they have now, then they'll still have the ability to track down the Galactica for as long as they're willing, even if it took them a hundred yahrens. That, is why we have to give them a crippling blow. One that'll force them to spend their time rebuilding their Empire, instead of looking for the Galactica." He paused, "In the end, we can give our brethren a thousand yahrens of security if we're successful. I think it's a chance worth taking. And by the Lords of Kobol, I intend to make it pay off." Another pause as he lowered his head slightly, "That's all for now. I can't give you any more details for awhile, because they haven't been fully mapped out. Right now, our first priority is playing dead and finishing the repair work. In the meantime, you're all dismissed." The warriors of the Pegasus warily rose and departed. "Can you believe that felgercarb he was giving us?" Banker bitterly complained as he and the rest of Silver Spar Squadron shared some drinks in the privacy of the Officers Club. Skyler decided to be more pragmatic, "I won't disagree that it was felgercarb," he said, "But what else is there for us to do?" "I'll tell you what we should be doing," the dark-haired Lieutenant Paris said, "We should be rendezvousing with the Galactica and going to wherever the hell she's going." "I agree," Banker said as he downed his drink, "God, when I volunteered to stay with the Pegasus it was because I knew Cain could take out those baseships. But this? What in Hades Hole is all this, that he wants us to do? An ancient battlewagon with no missiles, and forty-one gimpy vipers manned by the second-string tier of pilots, to take on a whole Cylon Empire? How crazy can you get?" "If it were anybody but Cain, I swear to God I'd start arranging a mutiny," Paris said with equal bitterness. Skyler suddenly turned on him with a cold stare, "Stow that, Paris. Now." Paris frowned, "But Skyler--" "I said to stow it," he repeated coldly, "I agree that this whole idea of his is rotten. But as warriors, we've got no choice but to go along with it. Now I don't mind bitching about it because God knows I feel the same way. But there'll be no more of this mutiny felgercarb, even in jest. Is that understood?" He slumped back in his chair, "Yes sir." "That goes for you too, Banker," Skyler added, "I don't want to have to pull rank on any of you guys. The best thing you can do is to just keep your mouths shut about it, and just do your job." Banker dimly shook his head and finished off his drink. "God I'm sure gonna' miss Sheba," he said forlornly, "Did I ever tell any of you guys that I had a crush on her?" "Frequently," Paris snorted in disgust, "And every time, we kept telling you to make your move and you never did." "Are you kidding?" Banker's eyes widened, "Cain would probably have had me shoved out an airlock if he thought I was making a play for his daughter." "Well if that's true," Skyler interjected, "Then just think what he'd do if he ever found out any of you guys were ever considering mutiny." The other two warriors fell silent. "Live it up guys," Skyler said mirthlessly as he refilled his glass. "We're in for a long nightmare to come." Chapter Three From The Journal Of Commander Cain It is has been nearly two yahrens since I began this game of playing dead. A long agonizing time for everyone aboard the Pegasus. We've repaired our battle damage, have restocked our ammunition from some isolated outposts throughout the star systems and fixed our vipers. We are now ready. But it's for a battle that I know no one is looking forward to. I can pretty much tell that the crew has lost a lot of their old energetic hero-worship of me, and that their eagerness for battle has dramatically diminished. Behind my back, their nickname for me has changed from the Juggernaut to the Merchant Of Death. And by that, they don't mean death to the Cylons. I try so much not to dwell on all this, because I know that to do so jeopardizes my ability to carry out this mission. Yet the faces of my men are a powerful reminder to me of the frustration they feel. They have grown tired of all this. They would prefer the safety and sense of purpose Adama has given his people on the Galactica, somewhere far off in the distant universe. I would prefer it too, if I believed in Adama's quest. Unfortunately, I do not. I just don't believe that the key to one day beating the Cylons lies with an isolated planet somewhere at the other end of the galaxy. In the last two yahrens we have come across many isolated pockets of humanity that perhaps were part of the original expedition to Earth. But none of them have ever shown the ingenuity to develop a technology that would be capable of beating the Cylons. How in God's name could Earth? And so, I've spent the last two yahrens plotting the only strategy I can think of that might ensure the long-term survival of human civilization. And frequently I've found myself wishing I could be home again. Back on Caprica. How I wish it could be twenty yahrens ago, playing with my precious baby Sheba on the eastern shore, teaching her how to swim. Hearing Mother's voice calling us to dinner. I had too few centons like that. Maybe if I'd done it over again, I would have tried to enjoy them more often and not been so obsessed with rushing off to battle. Now Mother is gone, and I'll never see my baby again. And how could I have ever thought that when I took the Fifth Fleet four yahrens ago to save Molocay from the Cylons that I would never see home again either? I wonder what the Caprican eastern shore looks like now. What have the Cylons done to the colonies ever since Adama had to leave them behind in flames? I don't want to know. Nothing that Adama told me about what it looked like could ever prepare me for what I'd feel if I saw it with my own eyes. The thought of those heartless, evil machines living off the colonies as part of their Empire, the same way they live off Gomorrah is so repulsive to even think about. Caprica City. The Academy. My house. All gone or being used by the Cylons to promote their warped vision of a universe where every living thing is a machine programmed to destroy all other life forms. If only there was some way of fulfilling my ultimate fantasy. If only there was still some way of being able to win this war. If only there was some way to destroy the Cylon Empire. To take back the colonies. To restore them to their former glory. To reclaim our civilization. Our heritage. I guess maybe deep down I can't accept the idea that the war is totally lost. I can't accept the idea that the Holocaust marked the last battle of the war. Especially when I wasn't even there to do something about it. I shouldn't dwell on these things, but I can't help but wonder how I might have been able to change things if I'd been there. By God, if I'd been there, I'd have raised a riot with the President and the Council of Twelve and told them not to trust those Cylon peace overtures! And I'd have had something to say about Baltar being the Council's liaison with the Cylons! Even at the Academy, so many yahrens ago, I knew that there was something odd about Baltar that made him a man not to be trusted. How all the others couldn't have seen it, I will never know. And to have left the colonies totally unprotected. Unthinkable. I would have seen to it that at least one battlestar be there to protect them at all times. Where in the name of Kobol did all our concern for security go? I know, I know, I'm not a superman. But how can I not help but think I could have done something when I see how so much was wiped out without even a good fight? One centar, there are eight battlestars together, seemingly indestructible. Then, all of a sudden, seven of them are gone. The Atlantia, the Ricon, the Columbia, the Solaria the Andromeda, the Lunaria, and the Excelsia. I knew their commanders, and they were all good men. It's so hard for me to come to terms with the fact that they were all overwhelmed so fast. Surely the results could have, and should have been different. The simplest thing for me to do would be to place all the blame on Adar for being such a naive and gullible fool. And yet, it can hardly be placed all on his shoulders. Many of our people shared Adar's dream of finding a lasting peace, and can I really blame them? This thing has gone on for a thousand yahrens with no end in sight. All because the original race of Cylons let their machines get too sophisticated for them to handle. A thousand yahrens later, that terrible legacy has reared its ugly head in the worst way. A climate of opinion among our people made the destruction of the colonies possible. Sure, Adama was skeptical but he couldn't do anything by himself. During that time of euphoria there weren't enough men to help Adama voice any kind of skepticism. If only I'd been there alongside Adama then maybe our combined voices would have had some kind of effect on Adar and the rest of public opinion. Again and again, I don't find myself looking for someone to blame. I only keep asking why I wasn't there to do something. Where was I when all that terror and destruction took place? All alone out in deep space, trying to forget all the personal problems I faced back home with Cassiopeia, and how if I ever returned I'd have to resolve that situation that threatened to destroy my relationship with my daughter. I can never escape the burden of knowing that those personal concerns are the reason why I wasn't there to stop the destruction of everything I'd always fought the Cylons to preserve. Maybe that's why I could never follow Adama on his quest for Earth. Adama thinks it's all over and there can be no looking back. The war, the colonies, our heritage must be left behind as surely as our ancestors left their dying planet Kobol behind, seven thousand yahrens ago. Emotionally, I can't do that. My heart and soul belongs to the known universe, not the great unknown Adama's headed for. This is where I belong. And this is where I'll meet my end. So irregardless of whatever ill feelings the crew might have toward me, I have no other choice. My path is clear to me. I intend to make my last battle my finest. Chapter Four "Well gentlemen," Cain said to the warriors who'd gathered in the briefing room, "After analyzing all your reports, I think it can now be said that at long last, the Pegasus is back to 100 percent fighting capacity. At least, as far back to 100 percent as we could ever have hoped to achieve." His eyes slowly moved around the room as he went on, "That being the case, we are now going to go on the offensive, here." he pointed his swagger stick at a spot on the navigation chart, "Gomorrah. The weak link in the Empire. That's where we'll make our first strike." He paused as if to expect questions. When none came, he continued, "I intend to lay that planet to waste so it'll be of no more use to the Cylons. And then, once we've eliminated Gomorrah, we make our next move." "Begging your pardon sir," Banker spoke up, his tone and expression both sullen and massively indifferent, "But wouldn't Gomorrah by this time, have rebuilt her strength to defend herself? They were after all, constructing a defense garrison." "I've taken that into account," he said, "The amount of damage we inflicted on Gomorrah would take several yahrens to reconstruct. They wouldn't be finished by this point. Plus, I don't think the Cylons will have been giving it a high priority. They have no reason to think they need a major garrison on Gomorrah." Banker glumly sat down without saying another word. The Juggernaut returned to the board, "Now I intend to hit Gomorrah and wipe her out fast. So fast those tinheads will never know what hit them. And then, we go to the one place where we'll be least expected, even if they do have time to figure out what's happening at Gomorrah." Cain then paused for dramatic effect, "Can any of you guess which target I'm referring to?" But Banker, who'd been looking off into space, suddenly spoke with the same indifferent tone, "Does it really make a difference, one way or another?" Cain froze. This was the first time anyone in his command had ever so openly challenged his authority. Slowly, he made his way down the aisle and came up to Banker's seat. The lieutenant was still looking away into space. "Lieutenant," he said quietly. Banker slowly looked at him with the same expression of monumental indifference. "Lieutenant," Cain was staying under control, "Come up to the board and kindly present your alternative strategy." He looked him in the eye, "I don't have one, sir." "Then don't ever question my strategy again!" Cain's fury suddenly let loose and he slammed his stick against the edge of Banker's chair, "Is that understood?" "Absolutely," Banker remained totally unfazed, "I understand completely. I understand that you have totally lost control of your sanity." Cain went ashen. He stiffened noticeably as if he'd just been punched in the mouth, and slowly made his way back to the head of the room. Colonel Tolen decided to step in, "Lieutenant!" he barked, "Report to my quarters for disciplinary action immediately. You're on report for as long as I'm going to make it possible!" "Yes sir," Banker sighed and rose from his chair. "Hold it," Cain said softly, "Hold it right there." The Juggernaut softened his posture and seemingly dropped his bravado, "Lieutenant, I take it that you're upset because you think this a suicide mission?" "Yes sir," Banker said with slightly more respect, "I think this whole idea is crazy. The war is over and we lost. There isn't anything we could do to the Cylons unless we'd gone to Earth with the Galactica, and maybe found a secure place to strike back from." "Uh huh," Cain nodded and then looked out to the rest of the men gathered in the room, "Does that go for the rest of you?" There was no immediate response. "This is the only time I'm going to let you all speak freely without any disciplinary action, so if you have something to say, say it now." Skyler felt his body burning up with nervous anxiety. He wanted to get on his feet and speak his mind in even blunter terms than Banker had. But his duty to Cain and his loyalty as a Colonial warrior was holding him back, just as it had held him back for the last two yahrens. And Skyler knew that his compliance had kept all the other warriors who looked to him for advice, in check as well. Banker's cracking was an exception that he knew would not be repeated, unless he took a stand as well. With agony in his heart, he rose from his chair. Almost immediately, every other warrior in the room rose as well. "I see," Cain said, "Well that's all well and good gentlemen, but I think I ought to remind you all of something. None of you are here against your will. When I took us in on that engagement against the baseships, I left it all on a voluntary basis. If any of you wanted to back out and rejoin the Galactica, you had your chance." There was an immediate groan from several of the warriors and Tolen found himself wincing. He knew that wasn't the right thing to say to any of them. Skyler tried to sound reasonable and patient, "That was different sir. We all stayed because we felt we were going to survive the engagement, and that when we did, we were going to rejoin the Galactica. You never told any of us that this is what you planned to do. And to be quite honest sir, if you had, it would have made a big difference to a lot of us. Some of us might not have even stayed." Cain stared at him and absently twirled his swagger stick, "You would have preferred joining the Galactica's quest for Earth." "Yes." "And how long do you think that might take?" the Juggernaut stepped forward and his voice rose, "A yahren? A hundred? A thousand? And while all that goes on, the Cylons keep swallowing up the entire universe in our wake while they're looking for us? So that by the time we do find Earth, they just wipe out what's left of us?" "At the very least, Earth is something to live for, sir." Skyler raised his voice too, "What you're having us do, takes away any sense of purpose from the rest of our lives. The only thing we've got now is a slow death march to an end that has no purpose." "There is a purpose!" Cain snapped as he slammed his stick against the table, "Can't any of you understand? We're trying to destroy the Cylon Empire to a point where they'll never be able to bother looking for them again." "How much can we realistically destroy?" Skyler retorted, "Sir, when it comes to engaging a superior task force, there's no question that you're the best. But an Empire that encompasses Cylon, the colonies, and goes all the way out to Gomorrah with at least a hundred outposts in between? How can we ever be more than a minor nuisance?" "Because there won't be any baseships to protect their Empire," Cain shot back, "Their planetary defenses, however capable, are no match for a battlestar's firepower. A surprise attack can do to them just what they did to the colonies, and keep them occupied for the next hundred yahrens." The Juggernaut returned to the navigation chart, "Which ties in to what our next move will be after we eliminate Gomorrah. As I said, the last place we'd be expected to go to." "Where?" Skyler was dubious. "Right to the source," Cain said, "The Cylon capital. From where all their power flows." There was a stunned silence, broken only by the sound of a warrior's pen dropping to the floor. He smiled in satisfaction, "Maybe now it becomes clear to all of you. I'm talking about the destruction of the Cylon seat of power. The nerve center of their Empire. Destroy Cylon, and you destroy the Empire's ability to build new ships and new centurions. For all their expansion, they've always kept their manufacturing and administrative base on the home planet. Take it away, and the Empire's back is broken." "But sir," Skyler was now more confused than confrontational, "How could we make our way back without being detected?" "I just told you how. There will be no baseship protection," his smile widened, "In the end, we'll do to them what they did to the colonies. It'll be too late for their fleet to get back and save them." "You're assuming that the Cylon fleet will return." "Eventually they will," Cain conceded, "And that, I regret to say, is when we'll probably meet our destruction. We don't have the capacity to take out ten baseships. All we can do is to take down as many as possible before it's all over. We'll die, but in so doing, we'll have given the Galactica permanent security. What's left of the Cylon Empire won't have the time or capacity to look for her again." There was a long pause, "Now do any of you wish to challenge my battle plan any further?" With resignation, Skyler sat down. And in so doing, the desire to speak evaporated from all the other warriors. They all had the same defeated look. "Very well," Cain said, "The meeting is adjourned." he then turned and departed, walking with the confident swagger and bearing of the Juggernaut. Colonel Tolen followed him, an uneasy look on his face. Interlude "Can we stop this?" Bojay rose from his chair, "It's been more than three centars of looking at this, and I think I've seen enough. There aren't any more mysteries left for me." Apollo switched the computer off, "There's still a ways to go on this." "Yeah, but what else is there to know?" the Pegasus veteran stretched his arms, "Cain wiped out Gomorrah, wiped out the Cylon capital, took out four baseships. The Cylons didn't do as he thought and went back to looking for us, which led to our wiping them out in the last battle five yahrens ago." "Not interested in knowing the how and the why, Bojay?" Starbuck looked up. "Not really," he shook his head, "To be perfectly honest, after watching that briefing scene, I don't think I want to watch all the guys from my old squadron die. It's bad enough just watching their mental health self-destruct." He stopped at the door and nodded politely, "Thanks for having me over." "Glad you could be here Bojay," an amazingly calm Sheba said, s he left. Starbuck rose from his chair, "I'm going to call it a day too. It's a long trip back to Gemon, and Athena said she was going to wait for m. I don't want to keep her up. Especially not in her condition." "Yes," Adama smiled, "By all means. I wouldn't want you to be causing any stress on my unborn grandchild. Give my love to her." "I will. Goodnight everybody," Starbuck grabbed his jacket and then he too was gone. "Well Sheba?" Apollo looked at his wife. She let out a sigh, "I think I'd rather finish this. I'd much prefer having the book closed on all this for good." "Father?" "I don't mind finishing it either," he said, "But I'd prefer taking a break for dinner. And I think you'd better call home and tell Nova to see to it that Teague and Hera get put to bed." "I'll take care of that," Apollo said, "You two go down to the dining hall and wait for me." "All right," Adama smiled and put his arm around his daughter-in-law as he led her out, "We'll order for you." Once they had left the office, Sheba let out a sigh of detachment, "It's funny. There isn't a single thing I've learned that surprises me. It's as if hearing all this is only confirming something I've always known." "What do you mean?" Adama frowned slightly as they entered the turbo-lift. "You remember my...well my little mental blackout just before the last battle?" "Yes," he nodded, "I've always wondered what it was that got you to turn around and come back, because Boxey told me he didn't have anything to do with it." Sheba found herself staring absently at the floor. Her father-in-law's frown returned, "Something wrong?" "No," she shook her head but didn't look up, "No, it's just that I don't know if I should tell you this. Apollo is the only one who knows, and I felt that if I ever told anyone else people would think I was crazy." "You can tell me," Adama said gently, "Don't feel ashamed." She finally looked up at him and sighed, "Maybe later, after we're done with the rest of the tapes. Right now, I just don't know how to explain it." Adama felt like offering another gentle protest of reassurance but decided against it. After a moment's hesitation, he finally nodded. By the time the lift had arrived at the bottom of the shaft, he had changed the subject. "If there's one thing I've found ironic about learning all this, it's that your father turned out to be wrong about so many things." Adama said as they made their way into the dining hall. "What do you mean?" she asked as they sat down at Apollo's private table. "Well for one thing, when he left, he acted under the assumption that we'd already succeeded in escaping from the Cylons. But as you no doubt remember, Baltar's ship launched one last attack two days later. The suicide runs that nearly killed me and nearly killed Boomer, Athena and Boxey in the Rejuvenation Center. We didn't lose track of them until we'd captured Baltar a whole sectan later." "I remember. That was when that evil Count Iblis crossed our path." she tried not to shudder, as the mention of that troubling incident always unnerved her. "Yes. But what's even more interesting is that while your father succeeded in decimating the Empire, he turned out to be wrong in what he thought the Cylons would do next. Instead of rebuilding their Empire, they just went back to looking for us." "Which in the end, turned out to be better for all of us. If they hadn't, we wouldn't have finished them off and we never would have learned about the Empire's destruction." Adama smiled, "Little twists of fate like that are always enough to convince me that there's a God watching over the universe." "Me too," Sheba sighed, "Thank God all the wars and craziness are done with for good." Just then, a Cylon waiter came up and placed drinks on the table, then turned and silently departed. "And there's the most powerful reminder of how those days are over," Sheba added, "Can you ever get used to the sight of that?" "In a ways I can't," her father-in-law mused, "I spent my whole life convinced that you could never change a Cylon's basic hatred of humanity. That's why I was reluctant to let Dr. Wilker go ahead with his scheme to reactivate them." Adama paused to sip his drink, "I suppose it's poetic justice of a sort, that after a thousand yahrens of inflicting death and suffering on humanity, Cylons should do something constructive for humanity instead." "I agree. I always wondered though, just what exactly made the original race of Cylons build those robots in the first place?" He set his drink down, "The story's pretty sketchy, but from what I understand, the planet Cylon was being torn apart in a civil war between rival nations. Because the wars were causing such a drain on manpower, both sides decided to experiment in building robots that would in essence, fight the wars for them. This rivalry for superior technology was what let one side to achieve the breakthrough that developed the Cylon centurion as we know it. But although the breakthrough enabled that one side to win the civil war, they didn't count on their machines turning against them and destroying them as well." "What a tragedy," Sheba shook her head. Just then, Apollo came up and joined them, "Hi." "Hi," his wife grinned, "Everything all right at home?" "Well, the children got back okay. They had a lot of fun at the triad match. The final score was Boxey leading the Gemonese Greens to a 15-8 triumph over Boomer's Caprican Gold." "Hmmm," Adama slowly shook his head, "I'm not sure whether to be happy for Boxey, or disappointed for Caprica." For the rest of the dinner, they purposefully avoided discussing the Pegasus. Instead, they talked about the ongoing process of rebuilding the colonies. Of Teague and Hera's schooling. Of Starbuck and Athena's impending child. And other matters of family and work. Finally, they finished their dinner and slowly made their way back to the lift, and back to Apollo's office. "All right," Sheba sucked in her breath as she sat down, "Let's pick it up and get this over with for good." Apollo nodded and pressed the button. Chapter Five "Commander," Tolen said as he followed Cain down the corridor, "If I can speak freely." "Go ahead," the Juggernaut said briskly as he maintained his stride. "I think it was a serious mistake for you to have let your guard down in front of the men." "Was it?" Cain turned around and stopped, "I had to let them vent their feelings before they blew sky-high, Tolen. I had no other choice." "That's not the impression you've left with them," Tolen was angry, "For the first time ever, they saw the Juggernaut lose his composure. They've held back all this time because they've feared your wrath. You've been a larger-than-life figure to them. But now, you've lowered yourself and exposed your normal human frailties to them." "To make them understand!" Cain flailed his arms and then resumed walking. Tolen held his ground, "Mark my words Commander. Before today, the men hated you but still respected you. But they won't respect you after this." "So what are you saying?" again, Cain stopped and turned around. "That they might mutiny?" "Let me put it this way. After today, they won't so easily dismiss the idea." The Juggernaut gave him a blank stare for a moment. He then moved for the door to his chambers. Suddenly, the lights went red and the piercing wail of the klaxon filed the hall. "What in the name of Kobol?" Cain was totally bewildered as he quickly made his way to an intercom, "Bridge. What's happening?" "Commander, I...I don't know. We're surrounded by something I've never seen anything like before." "I'm on my way," Cain shut it off and began sprinting toward the turbo-lift with Tolen trailing him. Centons later, they were on the bridge. Cain looked out the viewing screen and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. On the screen, was a brilliant display of white lights moving rapidly against the backdrop of motionless stars. Moving faster than anything ever imagined by human eyes. "What is it?" Cain whispered in awe. Major Ham, the senior duty officer, shook his head, "We don't know sir. They're not registering on our scanners." "Not registering?" Cain's disbelief deepened. "We can't tell if it's natural or machine or what." "Get a patrol out to pursue." "It's already been done. Lieutenant Banker's leading five ships out." "Patch me through to him," Cain moved over to the console, "Banker this is Cain. Are you getting anything on your scanners?" "Negative sir. But whatever they are, they're way beyond anything I've ever seen before." "Have they made any hostile moves?" "No, not as far as we can tell." "Hold your fire until then. In the meantime, pursue and find out where they're coming from." "Yes sir, we--" abruptly Banker broke off. "What is it Banker?" "Something really big's coming up behind me. It's...oh God! It's, that sound... I can't..." "Banker? Banker!" There was no response. Only a piercing hum that could be heard over the intercom. Then silence. "Banker!" Cain shouted again into the communicator. "Answer me, damnit!" he turned to Major Ham, "Get me through to one of the other pilots. Now!" Ham was staring at the scanner in mute horror. "They're gone," he whispered. "What?" Cain rushed up to him. "Our patrol. It's disappeared from the scanners. There's no trace of them." "It can't be," Cain looked at the blank screen, "They didn't just go to their turbos and leave the quadrant?" "No. They were on the dead center of the scanner, and all of a sudden, they just disappeared." Stunned, Cain looked back at the viewing screen. The lights flashed by with less intensity and frequency. And then, they were gone. Several hours later, a grim-faced Tolen entered Cain's quarters. The Juggernaut sat behind his desk looking thoroughly drained. "Any word?" Cain looked up. Tolen shook his head, "Still no trace of the patrol sir. We're conducting a full-scale scanner sweep of all planets within the region, but so far we've turned up nothing." Cain leaned back and slowly exhaled, "And those lights haven't returned?" "No." "Well Tolen, it looks as if our best-laid plans have gone awry. Until we find out what happened to our patrol and what those lights are, we're staying put right here." He began staring off to one side, "For all we know, these things could be an even bigger menace than the Cylons. Either way, we have to know what they are." "I think that's a good idea, sir." Cain then rose from his chair and stared out the porthole into space. "I guess it is kind of frightening to envision the possibility of a greater threat to humanity, somewhere in the universe," Tolen went on. "Yes," the Juggernaut nodded, "For the last thousand yahrens, we've always thought of the universe in bipolar terms of humans and Cylons. At least, we were the only races of any significance. The others, like the Delphians, they only kept to themselves. But there's so much to the universe that we've never seen, so the idea of an advanced civilization, more powerful than anything we've ever known, shouldn't be too surprising." His tone suddenly grew more pensive, "I only hope the Galactica hasn't encountered anything like that." The intercom then chimed. When Cain didn't budge, Tolen answered it. "Yes Major Ham?" "We've just finished scanning a planet in Epsilon seven quadrant, Colonel. We're not picking up any lifesigns, but there are indications of a pretty large concentration of wreckage somewhere." "Dear God," Cain suddenly turned around and came up to the intercom, "Ham, I want several warriors to meet me in Alpha Launch Bay for a search expedition of that planet. We're going to take a look-see." "Sir," Tolen protested as Cain shut off the intercom, "Do you think you should be risking yourself in a situation like this?" "Tolen," the Juggernaut said gently, "I appreciate your concern, but let's look at it from this standpoint. If these things are part of a more powerful enemy, then it isn't going to make a cubit's difference what happens to me. I might have a large ego when it comes to facing the Cylons, but I'm not foolish enough to think I could beat something bigger. In the meantime, you'll be in command. If they come back while I'm down there, you use your best judgment." The Executive Officer gave up trying to argue, "Yes sir." he bowed slightly and departed. Alone, Cain cast an idle glance at the picture of Sheba on his desk. His concern for himself, his missing men, and the Pegasus did not rank at the top of his priority list at the moment. "What's this all about?" Paris asked as he and a young cadet named Ryan, followed Skyler down the corridor to the port launch bay. "I don't know," Silver Spar Leader shook his head, "Apparently, Cain wants us to check out one of the planets for signs of the missing patrol." When the three warriors arrived in the launch bay, they saw that Cain was already there, with his helmet under his arm. "Captain, Lieutenant," he nodded in acknowledgement, "And you, your name is?" "Uh, Cadet First Class Ryan, sir." the young warrior snapped to attention and saluted. "At ease Ryan. Glad to have you aboard for this." "Any idea what we'll be up against down there?" Skyler inquired. "None," the commander shook his head, "All we've got to go on is a signs of some kind of wreckage. We're not picking up life forms down there, but given the fact that whatever those lights were didn't register on the scanners either, we ought to stay on our toes. It might be advisable to carry an extra weapons pack." he then turned away and headed for his viper. "Sure," Paris chuckled sardonically as soon as Cain was out of earshot, "We have to survive this so we can be killed by the Cylons later." Skyler then angrily wheeled on him, "Paris, I have put up with your felgercarb for the last two yahrens long enough. You either stow it or I'll personally throw your ass in the brig." The dark-haired lieutenant shook his head, "Why do you always stand up for him, even when you know better too?" "Because he's your commander, and mine too." he refused to let up, "You took the same warrior's oath I did, Paris. And that oath says we all must be prepared to die fighting for our nation. Cain's plan is rotten to the core, but it's a plan motivated by patriotism, not insanity. That means you are going to obey orders, Lieutenant." Paris stiffened noticeably. He'd never gotten use to his old buddy Skyler pulling rank on him. It took him a moment to collect himself before he finally walked away to his viper. Skyler then glanced at the nervous visage of Cadet Ryan, "I hope you've learned your lesson from all this, Ryan?" "Oh I have," Ryan said hastily, "I have completely, sir." The squadron leader smiled at him and went over to his ship. With Skyler in the lead position, the four vipers made their way toward the reddish-gray planet just ahead. "Still no indications of lifesigns, Commander," he radioed. "You picking up that concentration of wreckage yet?" Cain responded. "Uh, yeah. Got it now. I'll bring us in close to that site." "All right then. At this point gentlemen, I'm not sure whether it'll be good news or bad if the wreckage turns out to be Banker's patrol. So let's just let our minds go blank and be prepared to face anything that might come up." The four vipers entered the planet's atmosphere and then emerged from the cloud cover. Beneath them lay a combination of open terrain and dense forests. Around them, the sky retained its odd reddish hue. "Sure is funny looking," Ryan commented. "That seems to be caused by all the red vegetation down there," Paris checked his console, "Atmosphere's okay though." "All right Skyler, we're following you down," Cain said. Skyler found a clearing just beyond the forest, and came to a graceful landing. The other three landed right beside him. Cain was the first to pop open his cockpit. He removed his helmet and took a deep breath of air. It then occurred to him with irony, that he hadn't breathed the normal fresh air of a planet since he'd last left Caprica, four yahrens ago. "All right," he hopped out of his ship, "I'll lead the way. Skyler, how far to that contact?" "Estimate about two hundred metrones, dead ahead." Skyler jumped out. "Bring your weapons to full power and have them drawn. Slowly, they made their way forward. They then cleared a small ridge, and to their amazement, saw the sky return to a normal color." "The vegetation's all scorched up here, that's why it now looks normal," Paris noted. "Weird," Cain grunted and then motioned his arm, "Should be over that ridge dead ahead, right?" "Yes," Skyler nodded. "Commander!" Ryan blurted. The other three turned around and saw the young cadet off to one side, hunched over the ground. "What is it, Ryan?" Cain asked as they made their way over. Ryan picked up a small object that had been half-buried with dust, "This is a Colonial laser pistol." "My God," Paris whispered, "Then the patrol did crash here." Ryan handed the pistol to Skyler, who studied it closely and then went ashen. "Commander," Skyler said evenly, "If this came from a Colonial warrior, then it didn't come from one of ours." "What are you talking about?" Cain frowned and took it from him. "Look at the markings. The Fleet emblem's wrong." Cain studied it for an instant and his expression hardened. "Sir?" Ryan looked at him in confusion. "This came from the Galactica." Cain said flatly. "The Galactica?" Paris's mouth dropped open. "Yes," there was no emotion in the Juggernaut's voice, "This is her emblem." An uneasy silence came over the other three warriors. "Was this pretty well-covered with dust?" Cain looked back at Ryan. "Uh, yes sir. It was." "Well, it certainly looks worse for wear. That means it's been here for a while," Cain paused to do some mental arithmetic, "If the Galactica came this way after leaving Gomorrah, she would have been here about a sectan after we separated." The Juggernaut then shot a glance toward the ridge, "Now the prospects of what lies over the ridge are suddenly more ominous. We'd better go take a look." Slowly, with trepidation, they made their way to the top of the ridge. And though he appeared more collected than the others, inside, Cain felt the nervous tension more than the others. If what lay beyond had some connection with the Galactica then could that mean that something had happened to his precious Sheba as well? But when they reached the top and looked down into the gully below, the fear that was building inside him, suddenly reverted to confusion. "Boy, whatever that is, it's big," Paris said in amazement, "But that doesn't look like anything Colonial." "Maybe it's one of the civilian ships from the Galactica's fleet," Ryan offered. Skyler shook his head, "I don't think so. It doesn't resemble one of them in the least. It's too big to be a civilian ship, and it's obviously not the Galactica itself." Slowly, the four made their way down the ridge and drew closer to the wrecked ship. "Hold it," Paris warned, "I'm getting some pretty strong radon readings. If we get too close to that thing, we'll end up poisoning ourselves." Cain put his hands on his hips and tried to make sense of the situatio. "Strange lights that go faster than anything known to man, and don't register on scanners. Five vipers that disappear without a trace, a lifeless planet, evidence the Galactica's been here, and a mysterious wrecked ship. What other surprises are we in for?" No sooner had Cain uttered his thoughts, when the sound of a soft lilting voice, echoed through the gully. "Hello!" The four men spun around brandishing their laser pistols. Then, when they saw what they saw, they slowly lowered them in disbelief. Ryan was so stunned, he actually dropped his. "Commander," Skyler nearly trembled, "Reassure me that I'm hallucinating, and tell me that what I think I'm seeing isn't there." "You're not hallucinating, Captain," Cain stared ahead, "I see it, but I don't believe it." "It's not possible," Paris whispered, "There aren't any readings..." he trailed off, unable to say anything else, Standing at the top of the ridge, waving to them, was a strikingly beautiful woman. Her beauty was almost indescribable. She was dressed in a flowing white robe that somehow still managed to accent the contours of her body. Her hair was reddish-brown and flowed down to her shoulders. Her brown eyes were piercing, and her face carried a cool, almost regal look. Indeed, her very bearing seemed regal. She seemed like a woman would expect to find in the halls of a royal palace instead of the desolate surroundings of a desert planet. "Hello," she repeated and waved to them. "Hello," Cain answered as he put his pistol back in his holster, and cautiously made his way toward her. "I'd all but given up hope that I'd see another living soul again," she smiled at them. "You came from that ship?" Cain frowned as he stopped just several feet from her, amazed by how radiantly beautiful she looked, and how she seemed not to be disheveled in the least. "Yes," she nodded, "My name is Sapphira. I was a passenger aboard that ship when it was destroyed long ago." "Destroyed by who?" Cain's frown deepened. "The Great Powers," she said simply. Cain continued to stare at her with caution, "And what are the Great Powers?" "Forces far beyond your level of understanding. It would be too difficult for me to explain." "How would you know what's within our level of understanding?" he tried to maintain the skepticism in his voice, but for some reason found it difficult to do so. Sapphira's beautiful face broke into a frown, "I'm not sure. I...somehow just seem to know. You, you are Colonial warriors, aren't you?" "We are. You know of us?" "By reputation," she said, "It's difficult to travel the galaxy and not know about the legend of the Colonial warriors." Cain uneasily licked his lips, "Ah, Sapphira, you say you survived the crash of that ship. Exactly what happened?" She continued to frown and looked at the ground, "I don't remember," she said, "It was so long ago. I seemed to black out then, and the next thing I knew I was wandering the planet. It's taken me a long time to recover myself." "A very long time?" "Yes," she nodded. The unease in Cain deepened. And yet, there was something about her that seemed so strangely innocent. He tried to shake it off and continue the tough, skeptical posture, "Have you ever encountered any one else like us before?" "Certainly not. If I had, I would surely not still be here." "Yes, that's true," he nodded, "Well I can imagine that you must be tired after your ordeal, so allow me to extend some hospitality to you. I'm Commander Cain of the Battlestar Pegasus. This is Captain Skyler, Lieutenant Paris, and Cadet Ryan. If you like, we'd be glad to take you back to the safety and comfort of our ship." "Thank you very much Commander," she smiled and bowed her head in gratitude, "Perhaps I might be able to help you in return." "Oh, in what way?" Cain gently inquired. "How might you be able to help us?" Sapphira let out a sigh, "I'm certain there are many ways I might be able to help. Perhaps later, once I've had a chance to relax aboard your ship." "Very well," Cain returned her smile and motioned his arm, "I f you'll follow me?" "Gladly," Sapphira's smile widened as he began leading her down the ridge back toward the vipers. Behind them, the other warriors shook themselves out of their stupor and began following them. "I don't get it," Paris whispered, "The scanners said no lifeforms. Where the hell did she come from?" "Makes you want to ask not who, but what is she?" Skyler grunted. "The Commander sure seems taken with her," Ryan said. "No," Skyler shook his head, "Don't be fooled by the charm act. Cain knows what he's doing, and the smart thing is to take her back for more questioning. Obviously, the patrol isn't here, and we can't investigate the wreckage of the ship with those radon leaks. By taking her back, he's playing it just by the book." "What do you think the connection with the Galactica is?" Paris asked him. "I don't know," he shook his head, "But I'm sure that's the one thing Cain is most anxious to find out." "Please forgive me if my men and I seemed so surprised when we saw you," Cain said, "I'm afraid that the last thing we expected to find on this planet was a beautiful woman like you." "And what did you expect to find, Commander?" Sapphira's smile took on a coy mischievous edge. "Well, I had hoped to find five missing warriors from my ship," Cain's tone was neutral but he was finding it difficult to keep it that way, "They disappeared somewhere in this quadrant." "I'm sorry. I wish I could help you, but I know nothing of it. I have seen no one else like you." "Yes, so you said," he nodded, "These Great Powers you spoke of, that destroyed your ship. What are they like?" Sapphira pursed her lips, "It would be difficult to describe them to you. I can only say that they are a force that you have never seen the likes of before." "Oh, I have a feeling I have seen them before," Cain said as they drew closer to his viper. "Have you?" she lifted an eyebrow. "Perhaps," he looked her dead in the eye, "Strange white lights that move faster than the eye can comprehend." Abruptly, she turned away from him and looked at his viper in amazement, "Your ships look somewhat primitive by my standards, but they seem efficient." "Yes," Cain noted the sudden changing of the subject, "Yes they have served us well. If you let me help you, you can sit in the rear seat." "Thank you Commander," again she smiled that radiantly beguiling smile of hers, "This should be most interesting." Remarkable woman, Cain thought as he helped her in. Beautiful too, and there was something so damned innocent about her that almost made him want to trust her completely. But she was also a little too damned mysterious. He knew he was going to have to confront her at some point about the Galactica laser pistol, and he was going to make damn sure he got some answers to that. "All right, sit tight," he said as he closed the cockpit and started up the systems. The only way I'm going to treat you, he mused silently, is with extreme caution. "Commander Cain to the Pegasus. Prepare to recover planetary expedition in five centons." "Affirmative Commander. Preparing recovery in Beta Bay." "Also see to it that special VIP guest quarters are set up." There was a brief pause, "Uh, Commander, did I hear you right?" "You did," Cain responded tersely, "Don't ask questions Ham, just see to it." He then switched frequencies, "The three of you behind me?" "Yes sir, sorry we were a little late getting off," Skyler answered. "Quite all right. Keep your eyes open," he looked behind to Sapphira, "It won't be long before we're aboard the Pegasus. I hope our standards of comfort won't seem too primitive for you." Once again, her smile was both beguiling and captivatingly coy, "I'm certain they'll be much preferable to the planet." "How insensitive of me," Cain chuckled. "Quite all right," Sapphira's lilting tone grew softer, "If the qualities of the Pegasus are as fine as those of her commander, I'm certain I shall have a wonderful time." "Yes," Cain felt a strange sensation come over him. Mentally, he tried to shut it out, but emotionally, he felt it just the same. "Commander," Ryan's voice came through and jolted him back to reality. "Yes Ryan?" "I've got four contacts on my scanner, coming into the quadrant bearing vector four-one-seven. Request permission to check it out." "Paris, give him some assistance." "Yes sir," and then, the two vipers went to their turbos. "Sir, what about me?" Skyler radioed. "Well for the moment Captain, I don't want to risk too many men. Not until we find out what those things are." "Yes sir," a note of frustration crept into his voice. Cain did not let it go unnoticed, "It's only a precaution, Captain. I've lost enough men for one day." "Is your work usually this busy?" the mysterious woman inquired. "Not lately." Again, her melodic, lilting voice produced that funny sensation inside him. "Holy Frack!" Paris's voice blurted, " Targets confirmed. Four Cylon fighters." "Engage and destroy them! Skyler, you go help." The third viper broke away and went off. "You're not going to help?" she asked. "Only if they need me. But these Cylons aren't any good. They'll get rid of them." "Okay, there they are. Dead ahead." Paris said, "Ryan, go for the ones on the left. I'll get 'em on the right." "Gotcha," Ryan nodded and opened fire. Immediately, he got the first Cylon. But the second one veered off and Ryan was forced to go to his turbos to pursue it. The more experienced Paris, had no such trouble. In two shots, he destroyed the two Cylon fighters just as Skyler pulled up alongside him. "Need help?" "No, I've already got 'em. Ryan was supposed to take care of the other two." "Ryan, need some help?" Skyler radioed. "No problem, I'll have this last sucker in a micron," Ryan responded. The young cadet fastened his eyes on his attack computer, waiting for it to lock on to the Cylon fighter. Finally, the image blinked, signalling that it was locked. But just as he was about to press the fire button, he was distracted by a bright light that flashed past him. "What the...?" Ryan looked up as another light zoomed past. And then another. "Ryan?" Skyler's voice crackled. "Holy Frack, Captain! Those lights! They're all around me! Dozens of them!" "Dear God," Cain whispered, "Ryan, what do you see? Where are they coming from?" "I can't tell," the fear in the young cadet's voice was obvious, "There's now hundreds of them...Luminous and brilliant...They almost look beautiful...They...Oh God! God no! That sound!..." "Ryan!" Cain shouted and then wheeled around to look at Sapphira, "Do you know what he's talking about? Do you know what those things are?" "The Great Powers," she said simply but with a trace of sadness. Just then, a loud piercing hum could be heard. "Ryan!" Cain shouted again. "He won't answer," Sapphira said, "He is gone." "Commander," Paris radioed, his voice filled with horror, "He's disappeared form the scanner. There's no trace of him." The Juggernaut slowly exhaled and shook his head, "What about the last Cylon fighter?" "I don't see it on the scanner either, sir," Skyler chimed in, "Can't tell if he got it, or if it escaped, or.." he exhaled slightly, "Or if it's where he is now." "Great," Cain sagged in his seat, "Both of you return to the Pegasus. There's nothing more you can do now." "Yes sir," Paris said. "Yes sir," Skyler echoed, "Damn." As Cain's viper neared the Pegasus, he again heard that melodic, lilting voice from the back, "My sympathies to you, Commander. I imagine it's difficult to lose someone in your command." This time, Cain didn't allow the sensation to come over him, "Listen Sapphira," he said angrily, "You obviously know a lot about these 'Great Powers' as you call them, which have now taken six of my men from the face of the universe. When we get aboard the Pegasus, I'm going to expect some answers to a lot of questions." "All in good time, Commander," she said softly, "All in good time." All in good time, Cain grimaced as he set his viper down in the starboard landing bay. And what in God's name am I going to find out? Chapter Six As Cain led the mysterious Sapphira down the corridors of the Pegasus to the VIP quarters, crewmen stopped in their tracks to stare in amazed wonder at her. And when she had passed them, she left them in a dazed stupor for quite some time. Small wonder though, considering that of the Pegasus' complement of 1000, more than 95% were male. The Juggernaut's blood-and-guts reputation had generally made the Pegasus a less than hospitable environment for female warriors, and thus had contributed to the ship's status as the only battlestar in the Colonial Fleet without a sizable contingent of female pilots or bridge personel. Sheba's experience as a squadron commander had been the exception in the Pegasus's history, and not the rule. "Here are your quarters," Cain said firmly as he opened the door, "Anything you need, just use the intercom to ask for it." She looked about the elegantly furnished quarters in admiration, "Thank you." "I'll be back later," he went on, "And when I'm back, I expect you to be forthcoming." "Of course," She smiled at him. Cain awkwardly bit his lip. The sensation was coming over him again, and for the first time, he fully realized that it was physical arousal. It's as if she were casting some kind of spell over me, he thought. What is it about her that's causing this? And why do I....? Quickly, he shook himself back to reality and closed the door. And then, he uneasily made his way back to the bridge. Once there, Cain, Tolen and Skyler stood by the navigation board and tried to assess the situation. "As if these damn lights weren't enough, we now have the added problem of a Cylon presence in this region," Cain said, "Any guesses as to where they came from?" "I don't think they came from a baseship," Tolen said, "My guess would be a long-range scouting patrol from Gomorrah. We're barely within range to be on the maximum end of their limit." "I'm not sure," Skyler stared at the board, "Remember, we found that laser pistol from the Galactica on the planet. It could be that they've been trying to pick up her scent." "Well either way, it presents us with an awkward dilemma," Cain said, "We don't know if that last fighter escaped, or if anything got radioed back to where they came from. But on the other hand, a missing patrol is going to raise their antenna and make them automatically think there has to be a hostile presence in this region. Either way, it blows our element of surprise for any future move on Gomorrah." "Unless we attack now," Tolen pointed out. "Yes, but I'm not particularly keen on making the attack when we've just been reduced to thirty-six vipers. That would also mean leaving the area before we found out what this mysterious force is. And we'd be writing off our missing pilots as dead." Cain shrugged in exasperation, "Once we leave, we're committed. We can't ever return." "Well, whatever decision you make, Commander, has to be real soon. We're running out of time," Skyler noted. "Yes," the Juggernaut nodded, "But before I make it, I'm going to have a long talk with our mysterious guest. She alone, knows the answers that'll help me make it, and by God I'm going to get them out of her." Minutes later, Cain was back in the VIP quarters, thoroughly determined to not let himself be distracted by Sapphira's beguiling charm. "All right my dear young lady," he said with a noticable level of brusqeness, "I haven't got much time, so you'd do me a favor by giving me some direct answers." "I'll certainly do what I can to assist you, Commander," she continued to smile winsomely at him, "But I'm afraid you're going to find that directness will be impossible for the most part." "Why?" he folded his arms. "Because to be direct would require explaining things that are totally beyond your knowledge" "Try me." She laughed. A soft, beguiling laugh that only heightened her attractiveness, "Commander Cain, let me try to use a hypothetical situation that will make you understand my position. Suppose you encountered a civilization so primitive, that the people used only sticks and stones for weapons, wore animal skins for clothes, and lived in caves. Would it be easy for you to explain to them, everything about yourself and where you came from?" Cain allowed her words to sink in, "I take it then, that by your standards, I would belong to this tribe of primitive cave dwellers?" "If you like," Sapphira nodded. The Juggernaut slowly exhaled, "How could you convince me of that?" he softly demanded, "Where do you come from, to be so advanced?" "From a place you have never been to before, and would mean nothing to you, if I told you." Cain skipped a beat as he tried to think of his next question. But before he could, Sapphira spoke up. "You're about to ask me if I come from a place called Earth. I'm sorry, I don't." Cain's eyes widened, "How do you know of Earth?" he whispered, "And how did--" "There is nothing about your civilization that I don't know," she cut in softly, "Just as there is nothing about you, that I don't know." "What do you mean?" Sapphira smiled, "You were born on the planet Caprica. You graduated first in your class at the Colonial Academy. Your first command was the starcruiser Antilles." He kept his expression stoic, "You've been reading my computer file?" Her smile took on a more mischievous edge, "You were married once. To a woman named Bethany. Your term of affection for her was 'Mother'." Cain's composure cracked slightly and he felt the sweat break out on his forehead. She wouldn't have learned that from a computer file. "You have a daughter named Sheba," she went on, "You think about her constantly. She's somewhere far off in space aboard the Battlestar Galactica. You miss her---" "That's enough," he interrupted, his jaw clenched, "You've made your point. You're a mindreader of some sort." "Yes," she said, "And that is one of the few things about myself that is within your realm of comprehension." Cain struggled to regain the initiative, "But evidently there are forces more powerful than you?" he prodded, "Powerful enough to destroy your ship? The ones who've abducted my warriors?" Sapphira's smile faded and her gaze shifted away from him. She then turned around and stared out the window. "Well?" Cain pressed on. "Just as you fight the Cylon Empire," she said, "So do my people fight the Great Powers." "What do you fight for?" he took a step toward her, "What conflict can there be, between such advanced races?" She turned back to face him, her expression unsmiling, "The stakes in our conflict far exceed anything in your imagination." Sapphira suddenly took his hand, her voice soothing and gentle, "You should not remain here. Your mind is filled with curiosity about what they are, but there is nothing you can do to confront them." Cain quickly yanked his hand away from her, "Why?" he raised his voice, "What are they? Where do they come from? And who and what are you?" "I haven't convinced you?" "The only thing you've given me, apart from your mindreading, is some sweet charm, mixed in with a load of doubletalk," he snapped, "Right now, you've only convinced me that you're from an advanced race. But one thing you haven't convinced me, is that I can trust you." She seemed bemused, "You think I could be a threat to you?" she pointed to herself, "Remember Commander, I have not abducted six of your warriors." "For all I know, you could be one of them," Cain refused to be let u. She laughed, "I assure you, I'm not." "Then why have you lied to me already?" he demanded. "About what?" Cain marched over to the door and opened it. Outside, a security guard handed a laser pistol to him. He then closed the door and angrily came up to her. "This was found on the planet by my men," he said, "It came from the Battlestar Galactica. I want you to tell me what you know about it." She looked over it in amusement, "I know nothing of it. The only thing I know of the Galactica is from your mind." "I don't believe you," his words came out rapidly, "What do you know about it?" Sapphira sighed, "I understand your concern. You're worried about Sheba. You're worried if something's happened to her." Enraged, Cain lifted his arm as if to slap her. But Sapphira grabbed it and, in a powerful display of strength, forced it down and twisted it around his back, causing him to grimace in pain. "I wouldn't try anything rough, Commander," for the first time, her voice was cold, "You'll find that I don't let myself get pushed over by anyone. My strength far exceeds anything you're capable of." "So I can tell," he grunted, trying not to give an inch. "Remember that always," she said the words as though they were a command, "Never forget the things that make me your superior." "I don't gave a damn about your strength," Cain whispered through clenched teeth, "I want to know the truth. What do you know about the Galactica?" She let go of his arm and pursed her lips, "You have my word of honor that I know nothing about it. I can only surmise that the pistol ended up on the planet before I did." "Perhaps," Cain was unconvinced, "But not likely. The Galactica is searching for a planet called Earth. She has no reason to stop and investigate a dead planet unless there was something of interest," he paused, "Like your wrecked ship." "My ship would be of little interest to them. If they had arrived later, which they did not," her tone resumed its beguiling edge, "There are nothing but radon levels that would kill you, and my unfortunate comrades who ought to be left in peace for eternity." "What exactly did happen to your ship?" he tried to remain on the attack, "And how is it, that you were able to survive without a mark on you?" "I can not explain the type of combat that goes back and forth between the Great Powers and my own race." "Try me." "I won't," she was emphatic, "You are not prepared for that." Cain slowly shook his head in mild exasperation. "But there are more important things that I can tell you," her voice suddenly returned its gentle, lilting quality, "Things that can be of great help to you and your people." "What do you mean?" Her expression grew even softer, radiating an almost innocent aura of compassion, "Let me help," she whispered tenderly, "Put your trust in me. Anything your heart desires the most, I will be able to give you." Cain felt the sensation returning to him again. He bit his lip in what was fast becoming a desperate effort to maintain his composure. Again, Sapphira took his hand, "You're skeptical. But your mind also reveals a desire to trust me, because your situation is so desperat." He remained silent. But this time he didn't find himself pulling away from her. "It's very desperate," she went on in her lilting whisper, "You yourself know that ultimately, the fate of the Pegasus is death at the hands of the Cylon Fleet. But it does not have to be that way, Commander Cain. If you put your trust in me, your situation can be full of hope and joy." The Juggernaut seemed frozen. Sapphira smiled and squeezed his hand even tighter, "I understand your concern, Cain. You live with the memory of what happened to the Colonial Fleet at Caprica, and you know you should be skeptical and suspicious of me. You're afraid that if you trust me, I could lead you to an even worse fate than your current battle plan. Or even worse, I could bring about the destruction of the Galactica and the ones you love who are aboard her. Including your beloved daughter. The one person in the universe you wish you could see again." Cain mentally tried to make himself let go of her, but found to his horror that he couldn't find the strength. What is happening to me, he thought. What in the name of Kobol is happening to me? "You feel conflict inside you," she suddenly answered his silent question, "But let go of your conflict, Cain. Trust me. Ask anything of me, and I shall deliver it to you. But you must make your decision soon, Commander. You're running out of time." Finally, Cain managed to summon the strength to jerk himself away from her. And then, without saying a word, he quickly left the room. He could hear her soft beguiling laugh as the door closed behind him, and he felt as if he was going to be very sick. Walking at a brisk pace, and trying to shake off all the feelings and emotions that had run through him, Cain was back on the bridge in less than two centons. "Sir?" Tolen looked up from his console. Cain assumed his command position, "Set course for Gomorrah now. Top speed," he barked. Tolen came up to him, "Sir, have you found out anything?" "No," he shook his head, "I'm getting nothing from her but more questions. And that's what makes it all the more frightening." The executive officer frowned, "Then why leave the area?" Cain hunched over his computer console, "For a simple reason. Whatever she is, and whatever she belongs to, this area isn't safe for us. If we stay here any longer, we might end up suffering a fate even worse than the Cylons. I'm going to resume my normal battle plan before I lose another fighter." "You know what that means sir," Tolen pointed out, "We're writing off Banker and the others." "I know," Cain nodded, "Dear God, how I know." "Estimate time of arrival Gomorrah, in twelve centars," Major Ham reported. "For better or worse, Tolen, it all begins," Cain sucked in his breath, "And where it all ends, God only knows." "Estimate time of arrival, nine centars," Ham reported with mechanical efficiency. "All weapons systems to ready." "Viper pilots standing by on Yellow Alert." Cain idly tapped his stick against the railing, totally immersed in concentration. Then, something broke it. "Commander!" Tolen blurted. Cain looked up at the viewing screen and felt his heart sink, "Not again," he whispered, "Dear God, not again." Flashing by the screen at incredible speed, were the brilliant, pulsing white lights. "Do you want to launch, sir?" "No!" Cain shouted angrily, "I'm not going to lose any more men. Prepare laser turrets for immediate firing." Ham tensed himself as he activated the target computer on the Pegasus' laser guns. "They don't register on the scanner, Commander. It won't be easy to get off a shot." "Hades hole!" Cain retorted, "Just fire a shot at them. Anything to get them off of us." Ham kept his eye on the viewing screen as he put his finger on the button, and nervously pressed it. On the screen, they saw the burst of laser fire hit directly on one of the moving objects. But nothing happened. "Frack," Cain banged his stick against the rail, "They seem impervious to laser fire." The Juggernaut then angrily marched over to his console, "Security, this is Cain. I want our guest brought to the bridge now. And don't waste a micron getting here." "You think she'll know what to do?" Tolen asked. "I don't know," he shook his head, "But by God Tolen, I'm going to get some answers out of her even if I have to shove her into an airlock and turn down the pressure until she begs for mercy." With a sense of frustration and helplessness, they continued to watch the hauntingly beautiful lights zoom past the Pegasus. Then, Cain turned around and saw the myusterious Sapphira enter the bridge, flanked by two security guards. "All right Sapphira," Cain's tone was cold, "Give me some answers. Why are these Great Powers, as you call them, chasing us across space?" She stared at the sight of the lights and seemed to recoil in obvious revulsion. The Juggernaut did not let her reaction go unnoticed, "You seem to fear them. Maybe it isn't us these Powers are interested in. Maybe it's you." "I fear nothing," her voice was a cold monotone, her brown eyes piercing, "Not even them. They are the Powers that deceive. Beautiful in appearance, but only to mask their true purpose." "What do they want?" Cain pressed on, "What can they do to us?" "Much," she continued in her flat monotone, "But I shall see to it that they remain of no consequence to you or your people." She began walking closer to the viewing screen. As she passed close to the bridge equipment, a loud crackling static suddenly erupted. "What the hell?" a startled Cain murmurred under his breath. "Commander," Tolen couldn't conceal the fear in his voice, as he watched Sapphira draw up to the screen, "I don't know why, but somehow, she's causing our instruments to go crazy." The entire bridge crew watched in dumbfounded amazement as Sapphira stood there with her eyes closed, and her head tilted back. Then, with a flutter of her robe, she lifted her arm high into the air. For what seemed like an eternity to the crew of the Pegasus, she stood frozen in her position, as if she were in a trance. Cain watched in near-shock as the lights came by with less frequency, until finally, they were gone. An uneasy dead calm filled the bridge. Then, Sapphira abruptly turned around and looked Cain dead in the eye. "You've been skeptical of me, Commander. So now, I have performed a task that should leave no doubt as to my intentions. Behold!" she motioned her arm to the computer scanners where Major Ham was seated. Ham looked at the scanner and then his mouth dropped open, "Commander, I'm getting five, no make that six ships bearing toward us. It's...sweet Lords of Kobol, it's our patrol!" his voice burst into jubilation. Cain dashed up to him, his eyes bulging, "Are you sure?" "Yeah," Ham nodded in stunned happiness and tapped his earpiece, "Lieutenant Banker's requesting clearance to land." A loud cheer went up from the rest of the bridge crew. Cain looked up, his expression contorted into a mass of stunned disbelief, and stared directly at Sapphira. The beautiful and mysterious woman simply stood there and smiled her most beguiling smile at him. Chapter Seven In the Officers Club there was a jubilant mood of celebration over the safe return of the missing pilots. The warriors who had not been present on the bridge were all anxiously gathered around the bridge crew members, as they learned the details of what had happened. "It's the most incredible thing I ever saw," Ham said as he took a gulp of his drink. "She just stands there, goes into a trance and just like that, the pilots are back?" Paris was filled with awe and amazement. "Yeah," Ham nodded, "The lights just disappear, and then before you know it they were all back." "God," the dark-haired lieutenant leaned back, "If she's capable of fighting off those things, then just think of what she could do against the Cylons." Skyler, who'd been largely silent up to now, suddenly frowned, "What are you talking about?" "Just think of it, Skyler," Paris went on, "This strange mysterious woman is obviously from a race with powers greater than a half-dozen battlestars. If we could get her to help us against the Cylons, think of all the possibilities." "Wait a centon," Skyler raised his voice with a note of caution, "Wait just a centon. What makes you think we can trust her for something like that? Quite frankly Paris, the more I listen to Ham tell this story, the more bothered I am." "Bothered?" Paris's eyes bulged in amazement, "Why should you be bothered? Because of her, our buddies are back. What's there to be bothered about?" "She's too mysterious for my taste," Silver Spar leader went on, "If she's powerful enough to force those adversaries of hers to return our men, then how was it that she couldn't save herself and her ship from destruction? It doesn't make any sense." "I'm not sure I give a damn about all that," Paris said, "Look at the hard facts, Skyler. Our men are back, and she is clearly capable of giving us some much needed help." "I am looking at the hard facts," Skyler retorted, "And there's one hard fact you shouldn't have forgotten about, and that's the laser pistol from the Galactica that we found." "That probably wound up on the planet before she did. Remember, the thing was covered with dust, and they could have only been there one sectan after we separated." "Possibly," he conceded, "But it could also mean that she's preparing us for some kind of trap." "Well let's get the opinion of someone who saw the whole thing. What do you think Ham? Should we trust her?" The major shot an uneasy glance at the two of them, "To be honest guys, I'm not really sure. I agree it's best that we remain cautious with someone we don't know everything about, but at the same time there's something about Sapphira that makes you wonder if we've stumbled into something hopeful for our future." "Precisely," Paris jumped in, "Sapphira might very well be the only hope we've got for survival. And if her powers can give us a chance for survival instead of a slow march to suicide, I'm all for that." "So what do you want to see happen, Paris?" Skyler tried not to hide the sarcasm, "You want to see Cain turn over command to her?" The lieutenant leaned back and smirked, "That might not be such a bad idea, you know." Skyler shook his head in exasperation and he left the table. "Poor Skyler," Paris sighed, "Ever since Cain gave him captain's wings and a squadron command, he's been so protective of our dear Commander's reputation." Ham finished off his drink, "Haven't we always been that way toward Cain? It wasn't too long ago that we were all ready to mutiny when Commander Adama had him relieved." "Different scenario, and a different time," Paris said pointedly, "I always admired Cain's zest for dangerous battle because he always had a way to pull us out of the fire and let us go on to keep fighting for something meaningful. But when I volunteered to stay for the engagement with the baseships, I figured that this was going to be it. Things were different now, with the Galactica and all that. I believed that once those three baseships and Gomorrah were off our backs, we could finally go someplace where we could be safe from all that. But then, when you find out that he lied to all of us, and only wanted to throw away our lives for the sake of an ego trip, I lost all the respect I'd ever had for him. And if I'd had my druthers, I'd have organized a mutiny sectans ago." "So that's why you'd rather see Sapphira take over?" "It'd be a change for the better," he admitted. Ham smiled with a mischievous edge, "No qualms about turning the Pegasus over to a, ah, woman?" "Watch it Major," Paris grinned, "Just because Sheba is no longer here, doesn't mean you can voice something like that without any fear of retribution. There might only be fifty female crewmembers aboard our ship, but all of them together could still see to it that you were strung up by your ass over the reactor engines." The major laughed and ordered another drink. "Do you remember anything?" there was almost a note of pleading in Cain's voice, "Anything at all?" Banker absently gazed at the floor as he shook his head, "I"m sorry Commander. All I remember was this big white ship coming up behind me. Bigger than a battlestar, it seemed like. And then, I blacked out, and the next thing I knew, I was flying back into the landing bay." Cain somewhat dejectedly lowered his head, "All right Banker. I won't keep you any longer. You can go now." "Yes sir," he rose and made his way to the door. But when he reached it, he stopped and looked back at his Commander. "Um, sir there's something that's been bothering me for a while. I want you to know that I'm really sorry for my outburst in the briefing room the other day." Cain looked up at him in amusement, "Lieutenant, I haven't given that a micron's thought since it happened. It's all forgotten, as far as I'm concerned. In the meantime, you just relax and enjoy the festive mood that's taken hold of this ship." "Yes sir," he smiled and departed. "That's the last of them," Tolen said, "and they all don't remember a thing." "Yes," Cain absently swatted his stick against his desk, "The only significant thing was Ryan telling us that he didn't get that last Cylon fighter, and that it probably ended up where the rest of them did." "Which would seem to indicate that Sapphira was capable of making those adversaries of hers distinguish between who and who not to set free." The Juggernaut looked up at his executive officer with a wry half-smile, "If that's true, then I guess there'd be no doubt as to her total benevolence." "Meaning you still have doubts?" The two looked toward the door and saw Sapphira enter, still smiling in apparent triumph. "Your crew no longer seems to have any doubts about me," she went on, "Why even as I came here, Cadet Ryan actually hugged me in gratitude for his safe return, and for your permanent deliverance from the Great Powers." "Yes, you certainly have cast a spell on them," Cain kept his tone dry. "I do not 'cast spells', as you so quaintly put it," the warmth in her voice dropped slightly, "Your crew has seen with their own eyes, that which I am capable of, and they know they can trust me." "To do what?" Cain challenged, "If we are to trust you, as someone we know will not harm us, then what do you intend to do?" Her smile grew warmer and took on its most beguiling edge, "Trust in me, so that I might become your leader. And then, I will be able to provide you and all of your people the things you have only dreamed about. Things that can become as real as the miraculous return of your pilots." The Juggernaut's expression froze, and for a long minute there was an uneasy silence. Standing off to one side, Tolen felt as if he were watching a clash between an irresistible force and an immovable object. Finally, Cain rose from his chair. "Tolen," he said to the Executive Officer, "Report to the bridge to await my next instruction. Keep us at full stop for now." "Yes sir," Tolen cast an uncomfortable glance at Sapphira as he made his way out. The silence lingered after his departure, as the two stood with their expressions locked on each other. Sapphira's beguiling, winsome smile, and Cain's frozen, implacable stare. Finally, the Juggernaut chose to speak, "You want to take charge of us?" "If you so desire," she continued to smile, "I do not command you or your people to follow me. I only ask it." Another silence passed before Cain responded, "If we refuse. Then what?" "You have that option," Sapphira admitted, "But ponder all the opportunities that you would forfeit, if you made such a rash decision." "What opportunities?" Cain demanded as his voice rose, "Explain yourself." Still smiling, she made her way over to his desk, where the framed pictures of his late wife, Cassiopeia, and Sheba sat. "You have a remarkable affinity for beautiful women, Commander," she said as she looked them over, "Let's see. Your wife, your daughter, the other I don't know." "What opportunities?" Cain angrily repeated. She ignored it and held up the picture of Cassiopeia, "Who was she?" Cain bit his lower lip, his eyes blazing with fury. But he remained silent. "Who was she?" her tone grew almost teasing, "Don't play games with me Cain. You can tell me." "I don't have to tell you anything," Cain angrily forced his words out in a low whisper. "No, you don't," she nodded, "But that wouldn't stop me from finding out." The muscles throbbed visibly in Cain's neck. "Let's see," Sapphira said, "Her name was Cassiopeia. Your mistress for about a yahren, following the death of your wife. A very special woman, who gave you emotional comfort and companionship at a time when you needed it desperately." Cain slowly raised a clenched fist. "Ah, ah, Commander," her tone was still playfully teasing, "You've already tried that before." Still trembling with rage, he lowered his fist. "Why do you fear me, Cain?" she set the picture down and slowly stepped toward him, "I only want to help you. I have powers that cane be of the greatest assistance to you. I can fulfill for you your heart's desire, and enable your greatest dreams to be realized." She was now only inches from him, "I feel what is in your heart as well as your mind, Commander Cain," her voice faded to a soft, lilting whisper, "You desire to see the Cylon Empire not merely crippled, but destroyed for all time. To see your civilization reclaimed." Amidst the rage and anger inside Cain, he suddenly felt the aroused sensation returning to him as well. No, his mind cried out. No, I cannot let this happen to me. I must be on my guard. I must be on my guard. "It's only been a dream to you," Sapphira went on, her tone taking on a seductive edge, "The stark reality of your current battle plan has been an inevitable death, because you lack the strength to destroy the Empire. And that is why your crew resents you. You and they have known that ultimately, the Pegasus would be destroyed. But it need not be that way." Trembling, Cain's composure cracked just a tiny bit. Enough to ask in a choked whisper, "You have such power? To destroy the Empire altogether?" "Had they a thousand times their power, the Cylons would still be as insignificant to me as a blade of grass," her voice became a soft sensuous purr, "Yes, Commander Cain. Such things are possible. You can defeat the Empire. Reclaim your civilization. And in time, I could fulfill a desire even greater to your heart than the destruction of the Cylons." She skipped a beat, "Your daughter. Sheba. Your greatest desire is to see her again." Cain felt the sweat break out on his forehead, and felt also as if his legs would give out from under him. "You've missed her so," Sapphira put her hands on his cheeks, "Without her, your life has been so lonely and full of agony. For two long, unbearable yahrens you have been alone. Your daughter is somewhere far off on the other edge of the galaxy. You have no one to turn to for strength or for tenderness. It has been an unspeakable misery for you." The iron-willed man called the Juggernaut, who had stood in the thick of combat so many times without moving a muscle, suddenly felt his body tremble. "But I can end your suffering," she went on as her voice grew even more sensuous. "I can be more than the one who saved your people from the Cylons. I can also be to you what Cassiopeia was. I can fill the terrible void in your heart, and make your life full and complete again." No, Cain wanted to scream. This can't be happening. This-- And then, Sapphira pulled his face to her and softly, tenderly, kissed him on the lips. The last two yahrens finally took their toll on Cain. In the space of an instant, he moved beyond the point of resisting by throwing all his doubts aside and pulling her tight to him. Chapter Eight Once again, the warriors of the Pegasus had gathered in the briefing room. But unlike the last briefing, the mood was decidedly upbeat. So much so, that only Tolen and Skyler found themselves frowning at the sight of the mysterious Sapphira standing at the head of the room....with Cain standing passively off to the side. "Gentlemen," she spoke with authority, and began moving back and forth across the head of the room, "I have been most appreciative of the gratitude you have expressed over the safe return of your comrades. As a result, I have had a most productive talk with Commander Cain, and he has agreed that I might be able to lead you, and assist you in your struggle." There was a noticeable stir in the room. Throughout it, Cain avoided looking at his men, staring absently at the ground. "Under the terms of this arrangement," she continued, "Commander Cain will retain command of the Pegasus, and of all tactical military decisions. My role, critical as it is, will be limited to the areas of strategy and support. In those areas, I have much to offer that will enable you to achieve a total military victory over the Cylons." The anxious buzz increased. And Skyler felt his sense of unease only deepening. "Yes gentlemen," she smiled, "Total victory, and assurance of survival. The one element of Commander Cain's battle plan that has made you uncomfortable, the fear of an eventual death, can now be removed. With my help, you will be able to inflict your revenge on those who destroyed your civilization....and live to enjoy it." An air of excitement now took hold over the men in the room. "Now I should caution you all about one thing," Sapphira said pointedly, "My display of strength in recovering your comrades from a horrible fate, represents the maximum capability of my powers. But in assisting your effort against the Cylon Empire, I must adopt some restraints on what I can do. For instance, it would be all too easy for me to lift my arm, and the Cylon Empire would be brought to its knees without even the need for you to fire a shot. But I operate under guidelines, dictated to me by my people over eons of time, that forbid me to act so boldly. "Do not look to me then, to make things totally easy for you. Look to me only for the extra degree of help that you need in order to achieve victory, and survival. That is all I can give you. But when it is all over, think of how much opportunity there will be for all of you. Perhaps even a reunion with those you left behind on the Galactica." She paused for a moment and stopped pacing back and forth, "I put it now to all of you. Are you willing to follow me as your leader?" Almost immediately, Paris stood up. It set off a chain reaction that saw virtually every other warrior in the room stand as well. Skyler looked about in dismay as he saw that he was almost the lone exception. "It is done then," Sapphira smiled and turned to Cain, who had remained seated throughout the entire briefing in total passivity. He rose and turned to the dumbfounded Tolen, "Colonel Tolen, resume course for Gomorrah. Top speed." The Executive Officer immediately noticed that Cain's voice lacked its usual edge of feisty authority, and his amazement only deepened. But finally, he nodded and left the room. Cain then faced the warriors, "Gentlemen, you have exactly one centar to enjoy the hospitality of the Officers Club for one drink only, on me. After that, you will be on Yellow Alert and at full battle readiness. Dismissed." The warriors all rose and were quick to file out. All except Skyler, who gave Cain an uncomfortable look before he finally departed. When they were all gone, Sapphira smiled at Cain, "You were right. Your men were most receptive. Their desire for hope is very powerful." Slowly, Cain made his way up to her. When the man known as the Juggernaut finally spoke, it was in a voice that was most unlike him. "They have seen the light," he whispered reverently. "Just as you have," she drew him close to her, "My love." And then, she kissed him on the lips with a great deal of passion. There was no resistance from Cain. Only joyous submission. "Colonel," Skyler ran down the hall to catch up with Tolen, "Wait up. I need to talk to you." The Executive Officer stopped but did not turn around, "You're not in the mood for a free drink either, Captain?" "Right now, I am more interested in knowing why you, the Executive Officer and Cain's closest friend, didn't show the same enthusiasm for that Sapphira that the rest of the warriors seem to have." Tolen finally turned around, his expression grim, "Two centars ago, I left his quarters and he looked like he was ready to strangle her. He had the same look on his face that he might have had if he were about to take on the Imperious Leader himself. And two centars later, she's got him eating right out of the palm of his hand. Seeing a transformation like that, especially to someone like Cain, has me scared shitless." Skyler incredulously shook his head, "Incredible. I'm probably the only warrior on the Pegasus who's had doubts about her. And after hearing that, I'm now convinced more than ever that there's something wrong about her." "Why have you had doubts?" they resumed walking toward the lift. "Because we still don't know anything substantive about her. Where she's from. What she really is." "Tell me why you're using the word, what?" a nervous edge crept into his voice. "Because she doesn't register on a life scanner, for one thing. And second, there are too many unanswered questions she left behind on that planet we found her on. Not just the Galactica laser pistol, but in her ship as well." "Didn't you study the wreckage?" Skyler shook his head, "There were radon levels all over the place. We would have needed decon suits to get a look, and we didn't have the time to go back and do that," he let out an exasperated sigh, "God, if only I could go back there with a decon suit, I'd finally be able to take a good look." "Out of the question," Tolen said with finality as the door to the lift opened and they stepped in, "We're heading away from that planet at top speed for Gomorrah. And at full battle readiness. If you even tried to sneak your way back, Cain would notice in an instant." "I guess so," Skyler's shoulder sagged, "God, it's all so frustrating. All around, it seems like the whole damn crew is losing its mind." "Can you really blame them, in a way?" Tolen questioned, "This crew's been on the brink of a nervous breakdown for two yahrens. And I can understand why they're willing to follow Sapphira so blindly. What I don't understand, and what frightens me the most, is the way Cain seems to have submitted to her." "That should tell us a lot about the kind of power she wields. You and I had better stay on our toes." "I intend to," the Executive Officer said pointedly, as the lift came to a stop and he got out, "I intend to." "Estimate time of arrival Gommorah, in five centars," Ham reported. "All weapons stations report," Cain's command came out mechanically, with no emotion. "All laser batteries at full power, with full ammunition capacity." "Defensive shields at full strength." "All pilots on Yellow Alert standby." Cain softly exhaled, "If we only still had missile strength." Standing next to him, Sapphira smiled, "You will not need missile strength, Commander. Your current level of strength will be more than sufficient to destroy the planet." He looked her in the eye, "What help will you give us, to make it so?" "I will keep that a secret for now," she continued to smile, "But when the time comes, you will see what it is. And it will be all you need to win, without losing a single ship." Slowly, Cain returned the smile and went back to his console. The planet Gomorrah stood alone in an isolated region of space known as the Cryllian star system. Once, for thousands of yahrens, it had been the home planet for a race known as the Delphians. They had been a benevolent race of fifty million, with no interest whatsoever in space colonization. Instead, they'd devoted themselves to making their own planet a center of high culture and learning, unmatched in the known universe. Although they were too distant to be frequented by human travelers from the twelve colonies, their achievements had become legendary in the fields of art, music, philosophy and architecture. For that reason, they'd always been referred to as the Delphian Empire. An Empire of reason and knowledge. All that had mattered little to the Cylon Imperious Leader, who could not abide the thought of any other race existing in the universe, and threatening Cylon order in any way. And so, just as he had ordered the final destruction of humanity, Imperious Leader had ordered the final destruction of the Delphians. And unlike the earlier assault on humanity, where survivors had fled aboard the Battlestar Galactica, not a single Delphian had escaped from the terror of the Cylon Holocaust. Imperious Leader then set about to turn Gomorrah into a model of Cylon culture and machine efficiency, as the Empire's outer capital. A place to be used as a stepping-stone for the Cylons to extend their dominion beyond the known universe. No sooner had Gomorrah been secured, then the team of Cylons seeking to convert the planet to their standards ran into an unexpected menace. The Battlestar Pegasus, fleeing the destruction of the Colonial Fifth Fleet at the Battle of Molocay, had arrived hoping to seek supplies from their Delphian allies. Finding instead, their Cylon enemies, they spent the next yahren making constant hit-and-run raids, preventing the base from acquiring its full capability. Then, Gomorrah's fortunes suffered another blow in the arrival of the Battlestar Galactica, bearing the survivors of the Cylon destruction of the colonies. In the great battle that saw the Pegasus destroy two baseships, Gomorrah suffered severe damage in a combined assault that saw its defense batteries destroyed, and its fuel depots raided. The Imperious Leader himself, had been present during the battle to dedicate the new base, and was quick to vent his wrath. The base commander was promptly executed and replaced by a new commander who had spent the last two yahrens overseeing the reconstruction of the base. The Commander was an IL series Cylon named Spektor. Imperious Leader had appointed him on the strong recommendation of Baltar, who had reported that Spektor's outstanding service as commander of a small garrison on the planet Atilla had entitled him to the job. Actually, what had impressed Baltar, was the effusive praise and the slavish compliments that Spektor had expressed to the human traitor turned Cylon commander, in his final dispatches from Atilla. And Spektor had never revealed the real reason for why he'd left the planet. It hadn't been because of Atilla's hostile climate to Cylon circuitry. Quite the contrary, Spektor had never revealed that the Cylon garrison had been driven from the planet by the small family of humans they'd originally conquered. Assisted by the Galactica warrior Lieutenant Starbuck, they'd reclaimed their home and inflicted a humiliation on Spektor that he was determined to keep secret forever. Now, Spektor had the sort of command he'd always envisioned for himself. And he was determined to make it a success, because now he realized that his position was not as secure as it had been. His most powerful ally, Baltar, had mysteriously disappeared. Driven by some strange whim to go out and seek the Galactica under a sign of truce, because of the sudden appearance of strange mysterious lights that had left everyone aboard his baseship baffled. His personal craft had left, and never returned. Now, Lucifer had assumed Baltar's command, and Spektor knew that his more advanced IL Series counterpart harbored a deep suspicion of him. Indeed, Lucifer long suspected that there had been much more to Spektor's sudden abandonment of the Atilla garrison. Fortunately for Spektor, Lucifer had not had any time to pursue the matter. Imperious Leader's order to disperse all ten Cylon baseships across the galaxy to find the Galactica and her fleet, had removed Lucifer from the scene, much to Spektor's relief. Allowing him to fully concentrate on the goals he had for the Gomorrah outpost. Today however, Spektor entered the base command center on a slightly disconcerting note. "Still no contact from our advanced scout expedition?" "All of their channels are dead," the gold plated command centurion responded, "If they have remained in continuous flight, their fuel would have been exhausted two centars ago." "How far out were they when they made their last report?" "They were nearing their maximum range." "Hmmm," Spektor mused, "Perhaps the patrol leader stretched things out a little too far." "Do you wish to launch another patrol to investigate?" The IL Cylon paused to think about that, "No, I don't think so. We're only at 50 percent fighter capacity, and it wouldn't be wise to risk any more for the moment." "The last dispatch from Cylon did promise the full reinforcement of fighters within another sectan," the command centurion noted. Spektor looked at him with amusement, "I hardly find that to be reassuring. It's been more than two yahrens since the Galactica and the Pegasus turned our garrison into rubble, and the Imperious Leader has given a very low priority to furnishing us with new raw materials from the home planet. Every new fighter manufactured in the last two yahrens has gone straight to a baseship." Just then, a shower of sparks erupted from the computer consoles. Slowly, the lights in the command center dimmed until they finally went out. "What's happening?" Spektor demanded. "Power systems rapidly dropping," one of the centurion technicians reported. "Why?" "There is no indication why. Indications are that the problem is occurring over the entire planet." "The entire planet?" Spektor was bewildered. "Planetary and interstellar communications have failed," another centurion reported. "Scanner systems are dead," the first one put in. The rest of the computer lights went out and the command center was plunged into blackness. "Outside, outside now!" the IL Series Cylon ordered. In the darkness, Spektor and some of the top level centurions made their way out into the daylight. "How can the power systems all fail at once?" he demanded, "The main generator was fully inspected only a sectar ago." "Unknown," the command centurion could think of nothing else to say. "Get some centurions over to work on it immediately. Without that power, we're blind, deaf and paralyzed." "By your command." As the command centurion marched off in the direction of the aerodrome, a frustrated Spektor began to pace back and forth across the colonnade. This was not the sort of problem he'd expected to deal with. "Estimate time of arrival Gomorrah, one centar." "All scanners clear. No sign of enemy ships." "Good, good," Cain tapped his stick against the rail, "Not much longer." Tolen looked up from his console, and felt an inner sense of revulsion at the sight of Sapphira standing next to Cain. Her bearing was perfectly poised, calm and collected. She literally towered over the hunched form of the Juggernaut. I don't know what's worse, the Executive Officer thought. If this doesn't go well, it's the end of us. But if we win, then we'll all be in her clutches for good. Somehow, the latter prospect seemed more frightening to him. "Status report?" Spektor sourly inquired of the command centurion. "We have made contact with Power Central through portable communications. They report that they have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the power loss." "Tell them I want that power back immediately," the IL Cylon's voice rose, "Everything on this planet is useless without it. And get back to the aerodrome and see to it that a full squadron is launched immediately." "That might be difficult with darkness approaching." "I don't care, just see to it!" he shouted. "By your command." "We should be entering the outer range of their scanner limit in a few centons," Tolen tensed. "All right," Cain remained in his hunched position, "Prepare to launch all squadrons." "Wait," Sapphira said firmly. Both Tolen and Cain turned around and looked up at her. "Wait," she repeated, "It would be wiser to delay the launching until you have closed the range." "But their scanners---" Tolen protested. "Are not operational," she cut in, "I have decreed it." Tolen's eyes bulged, "You've decreed it?" "Yes," she flashed one of her characteristically beguiling smiles, "Why should that surprise you, Colonel? Decreeing that Gomorrah be without power for her scanners or her communications, is not a difficult task for me. Or do you think it won't be enough?" "No, but how--" he started and got no further when Cain spoke up. "If you say they're not operational Sapphira, then we'll wait. Holding back until we've closed the range will allow for a more deadly assault. We'll wait until it's down to 1000 microns." "Why not 500?" she suggested, "The blow will be even more lethal." Cain nodded, "Very well, 500. Tolen, sound battle stations." The Executive Officer was still frozen in dumbfounded amazement. Cain hit his stick against Tolen's shoulder, "I said battle stations, Colonel." "Oh....yes sir. Immediately." The klaxon wailed and the red glow filled the bridge. And the sight of the red light bathing Sapphira suddenly made Tolen's blood run cold. Before, she had superficially looked wise and benevolent. Now, there was something about her that made her look....evil. The Executive Officer turned his eyes away and buried his attention in the immediate problem at hand. As darkness fell over the Cylon capital, Spektor began to relax slightly as he saw some of the lights on the buildings start to go back on. That had to mean the problem had finally been isolated. The command centurion came up to him, "Main electric power has been restored. We should also have interplanetary communications restored momentarily." "All well and good," Spektor said as they headed back into the command center, "But what about our scanners and interstellar communications?" "Those may take more time." "I see," his tone was matter-of-fact, "What about the security patrol?" "The aerodrome commander was unwilling to launch until the lights were back on. They should be able to launch soon." "There's going to be some very strong disciplinary action when I get to the bottom of all this," the IL Cylon said with a huff as the doors to the command center closed behind them. "Range 1000 microns and closing." "They haven't noticed us," a jubilant edge crept into Cain's voice, "We're well within their range and they haven't noticed us!" "Of course," Sapphira's mischievous tone persisted, "You doubted my ability?" He looked at her and seemed apologetic, "No, of course not. It's just---" She let out a hearty laugh, "Oh Cain, do not be so serious." He managed to smile, "All right, I'll try not to." The beautiful woman gently squeezed his hand, "Enjoy this day, Cain. You are about to witness a glorious slaughter." "500 microns and closing." Cain stepped forward and brought himself to his full bearing, "Launch all fighters! And take us into the planet with all guns firing!" The sound of his familiar bark made Tolen feel easier for the moment. But when he glanced over his shoulder and saw Sapphira standing there, the reassurance disappeared. Just how, he wondered, is this going to end? The forty-one vipers headed for the planet, with Skyler flying the lead position. Sweet Lords of Kobol, he thought. Who ever would have thought that I'd one day be the one leading all of us into the biggest military engagement of my life? Still, he wished Sheba and Bojay were here to lead them instead. Their presence was something he knew he could have faith in, as far as the attack was concerned. Unlike the lady Sapphira, in whom he still had enormous doubts. But it was time though, for him to put aside any self-doubt he had in his own capabilities. "All pilots switch to attack computers," he ordered, "Now before we begin, I'll repeat the order of attack. First the aerodrome, and then the main administrative center. The ammunition storage bunkers are off limits, because we need to reap some bounty from the planet." The vipers hit the atmosphere. Around them, the nighttime cloud cover swirled about, and then dissolved into the lights of the outer capitol below. Inside, Skyler felt the tension increase. Well Sapphira, he thought, let's see how easy you've made this for us. "Planetary communications restored." "Put me through to the aerodrome," Spektor tried to conceal the agitation from his voice. The commander's face came on the screen. "Is the patrol launched?" the IL Cylon asked. "It shall be airborne in five centons. We are waiting for final reacquisition of our systems." "You've been very lax in seeing to this," Spektor's tone grew colder, "You are going to figure very prominently in the next report I send to the Imperious Leader." Suddenly, in the background, a muffled explosion could be heard. The aerodrome commander darted his head in response. "What was that?" Spektor was shocked. But before the commander could respond, the communication line abruptly went dead. "What's going on here?" the base commander demanded, "Why has the line gone out?" Just then, a louder, more powerful explosion rocked the building. Quickly, Spektor and the command centurion made their way out. When they were outside and on the colonnade, Spektor stared in disbelief at the sight of a battlestar high in the sky, it's guns firing directly at the heart of the capitol. "It's impossible," he was incredulous, "Totally impossible." They were the last words Spektor ever uttered. A blast incinerated the colonnade, and Spektor's ambitions and concerns about his future and his position, became irrelevant for all eternity. Without scanners, the Cylons had no warning of the massive firepower that rained down on them from the sky. Without interstellar communications, they were unable to radio any warnings back to the rest of the Cylon Empire. There was never any doubt as to the outcome of the battle. "No fighters getting off, no anti-assault batteries in operation," Tolen could scarcely believe it, "And we haven't lost one fighter." "Magnificent," Cain whispered, barely concealing the ecstacy he felt, "For the first time, they're getting a taste of their own medicine. Notify the assault teams to land and secure the supply centers." "It is just as I promised," Sapphira's tone was triumphant, "With your trust in me, there is nothing that is impossible." "Yes," Cain looked at her in near-reverence, "You have our undying gratitude." "They aren't even putting up a fight!" Banker's jubilant voice crackled, "Sweet Lords of Kobol, this is so easy!" A little too easy, Skyler grimaced as he kept firing at the burning administrative center. A little too easy. As the vipers continued inflicting their firepower that turned the Cylon Empire's outer capitol into a raging inferno, Paris led a series of assault teams that landed to secure key installations. What little resistance they found, was easily disposed of. With a large sense of patriotic pride, Paris took down a Cylon flag that still hung from a pole amidst the rubble of the colonnade and the gutted administrative center. And then, the Colonial colors went up. Gomorrah was now theirs. Completely. "Secure from battle stations," Cain was ecstatic, "And tell all pilots to land on the planet and take part in the celebration!" Cheers went up from the bridge personnel. All except Tolen, who seemed drained. "Sapphira," Cain turned to the beautiful woman in white, "I'd be most honored if you'd share a celebratory drink with me in my quarters." "And I would be most honored to share in your greatest military triumph." He took her arm, and together they left the bridge. As they reached the top level, the crew acknowledged them both with thunderous applause. Again, Tolen was the lone exception. Seeing them arm-in-arm forced him to suppress a desire to gag. "My finest ambrosia, is unfortunately of very poor quality," Cain said as he poured two glasses, "The last four yahrens, since we left the colonies, have given us few luxuries." "You've endured very well," she took the offered glass. "Yes," his tone grew more intimate, "It's been one terrible struggle after another. But today, I feel as if we've finally achieved a sort of vindication for the things we've had to endure." "A toast then," Sapphira raised her glass, "To the military genius of Commander Cain." "I'm not worthy of it," he looked longingly at her as they clinked their glasses, "The credit for our victory goes to you, Sapphira." Sapphira made a face when she sipped hers, "Hmmm, you were right about the quality. No matter," she took another swallow and set it down, "Today marks the turning point of the war, Commander. For the first time, the Cylons have been given a serious blow. The future will bring much more. Victories even greater than today." Cain set his drink down, and dimly shook his head in awe, "I feel as if I'm in the presence of an almighty goddess." Her smile grew more beguiling as she placed her hand on his shoulder, "Kneel," she softly commanded. Like an obedient child, the man known as the Juggernaut obliged her. "Always remember, Commander Cain," she whispered softly, soothingly, and seductively, "For all eternity, you are mine. You will always obey me. Though others may try to break you away from me, you will never listen to them. Your mind, your heart, your soul are forever closed to them, and open only to me. And in return, I shall love you and give you all that your heart desires." On his knees, Cain looked up at her, his mouth open slightly, his eyes full of reverent obedience. The sound of the communication chime filled the room. "Your executive officer is calling," she went on, "Respond." Slowly, she lifted Cain to his feet, and in a stupor, he went over and answered the chime. "Yes?" his tone was normal. "Commander, our men on the planet want to know if you're going to join the celebration down there." Cain looked over at Sapphira. "Go," she said tenderly, "Go be with your men." "I'll be down there in a few centons, Tolen," Cain finally answered, "Have my shuttle ready." "Yes sir." Cain shut off the intercom and came back to her, "Come with me," he almost pleaded. "No," she shook her head, "This is a time for you and your men. Go enjoy it." He put her arms around her, "It's so difficult for me to be apart from you." "Do not worry my love," Sapphira's voice remained tender, "Nothing shall ever part us." Reluctantly, Cain let go of her and made his way to the door. With a motioning of his stick, he smiled at her and was gone. "Incredible," a male voice behind Sapphira spoke, "He's more pliable than I ever imagined." Sapphira smiled but didn't turn around, "Yes, it would seem that I've had much greater success with Commander Cain than you had with his daughter." "Different scenario," he stepped in front of her. A handsome middle-aged man with brown hair, dressed in white robes identical to hers, "Commander Cain's responsibilities are greater, which magnify his longings and desires, and thus makes him easier prey. Much more so than his daughter or Commander Adama." "I detect jealousy in your voice," she was bemused, "Are you perhaps jealous that I'm succeeding in areas where you have failed?" "Hardly," he smiled at her, "I knew from the very beginning that you were better suited to deal with Commander Cain. If I had done it, he never would have trusted me. The charm of a beautiful woman has a much more powerful effect on him." "And even if you wanted to do it yourself, you couldn't," she added in a tone that was ever so slightly pointed. "Because of your impetuousness the last time, the Powers have placed considerable restrictions on your activities." "Yes, I am paying a price for that," he conceded, "My apologies incidentally, for not having disposed of Captain Apollo's laser pistol. That must have caused an uneasy moment for you." "It is forgotten," she said, "My greatest threats lie elsewhere." He nodded, "Colonel Tolen and Captain Skyler. Be careful with them. Any signs of impetuousness or threatening moves, will bring your downfall as surely as it did for me aboard the Galactica." She mockingly laughed, "Being a woman prevents me from falling into that trap." "Of course," he smiled again and went over to the window where he looked down at the fire-scarred surface of Gomorrah, "How ironic. A thousand yahrens ago, I took the form of a living Cylon and gave them the breakthrough that enabled them to create the machines that destroyed them and bear their name now." "For which you are so remembered, that your voice is used for all the Imperious Leaders down to this very day." "Yes," he nodded, "And to think that today, my greatest pupil is being honored for the destruction of my own creation. Well done, Sapphira. Three hundred yahrens of service to me has prepared you well for this great task." She smiled back at him, "Your praise gratifies me, Count Iblis." "And I hope to give you more in the future," he bowed to her, "Until it is again convenient, goodbye." And with that, he was gone as quickly as he had appeared. "You shall reward me, Master," she whispered softly, with considerably less reverance in her voice than there had been earlier, "Perhaps in more ways than you intend." Chapter Nine "Ah, Tolen," Cain acknowledged his executive officer's presence as he entered the landing bay, "Decided to come down and join the fun?" "Yes," his tone was neutral, "If it's all right, I left the conn with Major Ham." "Fine, fine," Cain nodded as they entered the shuttle, "Now's the time to celebrate. We'll probably have only a few days before we'll have to move out of the area. The rest of the Cylon Empire will start getting inquisitive when the next routine dispatch from here doesn't come in." "You're sticking to the original plan?" Tolen asked as they settled in their seats, "The Cylon capital next?" "I don't see why not. We have a virtual iron-clad guarantee of success." Tolen looked away from him and slowly shook his head, "I wonder," "What was that?" Cain looked back at him. The Executive Officer sighed, "I'm sorry Commander, but I still don't trust Sapphira." An almost cold silence filled the air. "Do you now," Cain finally spoke, "Why?" Tolen sucked in his breath, "I don't know why sir, it's just that, well she makes me feel uneasy. There are too many things about her that I wish we knew." "Such as?" a hint of frost entered the Commander's voice. "What is she?" he said aloud, "Where does she come from?" Cain let out a disarming laugh, "I already know the answer to that Tolen. She's from an advanced strain of our own species. Powerful beyond our own expectations, but all-too human." "How do you know?" Tolen asked gently. "Oh I know," he said pointedly, "I've been close enough to her to know in my heart just how human she is." "Well--," Tolen abruptly stopped as he took in the full weight of what Cain said. "My God," he whispered horrorstruck, "You mean, you and she...." he was unable to say it. The Juggernaut gave a wry smile, "Much as I dislike revealing that to you Tolen, it ought to convince you that she is indeed, as human as the rest of us." "But..." Tolen was at a loss for words. This element he hadn't expected, and only put things in a more frightening perspective to him. "I don't know what you've seen about her that makes you distrust her, Tolen. But I've seen a lot to make me feel the opposite, even before she helped give us this spectacular triumph." Cain looked away from him and let out a sigh, "I've seen a wise, intelligent and compassionate woman. Blessed with gifts that enable us to fulfill the dreams that were beyond our wildest expectations. Especially the crew's. God Almighty, Tolen, you saw all the backbiting ever since I left the Galactica behind. You told me that it was a crew on the brink of mutiny. Sapphira's given them a reason for living again. Why should that make any of us feel uneasy?" "It's what she might throw at us in the future that has me worried," Tolen struggled to find his voice, "And what you've said, doesn't explain why you and she...." again, he couldn't say it. Cain looked him dead in the eye, "I'll give you the simplest answer to that, Tolen. I happen to love her. I've never met a woman so giving in nature. Just freely giving so much, and asking so little in return." "Except control of us," Tolen cut in, "The end of our own free will." "Nonsense," he brushed him off, "She hasn't compelled us, Tolen. She has given us a choice, and she has enabled us to see the wisdom of accepting her help. It isn't an end, it's a beginning. A beginning for all of us." Again, he looked away from him and smiled in contentment, "We're going to wipe out the Cylon Empire once and for all. And then, we can rejoin the Galactica and be with all the ones we left behind. To see Sheba again," his voice trailed off and he stared at the ceiling, a perfect picture of a man who is at peace. The shuttle finally came to a stop, "Ah, we've arrived," Cain perked up, got to his feet and slapped his swagger stick against Tolen, "Come enjoy the fun. I've always wondered what raping a Cylon city feels like." It took a long time for Tolen to collect himself and follow Cain out. The Great Auditorium in Gomorrah's capital city was the largest undamaged structure on the planet. Once, Delphians had given great music concerts, theatrical productions, and intellectual debates in this hall that had become renowned throughout the galaxy. Later, Cylons had gathered here to witness the execution of the last surviving Delphian, and see a race of 50 million become extinct. Now, every seat was filled by warriors and crewmen from the Pegasus, as they celebrated the greatest defeat ever inflicted on the Cylon Empire. From the wings, Cain came out to the center of the stage and was met by a deafening roar, as every person seated in the auditorium rose to their feet and applauded vigorously. For a moment, Cain let himself revel in the adulation they gave him. Finally, the Juggernaut held up a hand and the roar gradually diminished, until they finally resumed their seats and fell silent. "You'll all have to forgive me," he began lightly, "This sort of speech has been a lost art for Colonial commanders, for quite some time," which brought some mild laughter from the crowd. "I really don't know where I can best begin. But I think the one thing that should stand out in all our minds, is that not a single one of us lost his or her life in this battle, and for that we should all be grateful." Some scattered applause went up. "In particular, I'd like to express my gratitude to someone who could not be here, but who deserves a great deal of the credit in lifting our morale. I'm sure all of us feel the same way, in expressing our thanks to the wonderful Sapphira." The crowd broke into thunderous applause that equalled the introduction they'd given Cain. The Juggernaut smiled warmly in acknowledgement and allowed it to continue for several minutes.. In the front row, Tolen looked about in disbelief at the wild reaction the 250 odd warriors were giving to the mention of Sapphira. Several seats down, Skyler's eyes met the Executive Officer's, and he slowly shook his head in sad resignation. On the stage, Cain once again held up his hand and the applause quieted. "You and I have all been through a lot these last four yahrens, ever since all of us who were part of the Fifth Fleet, left Caprica to save Molocay from the Cylons. Which regrettably, we were too late to achieve. "I know that some of you," he paused briefly, "were originally stationed aboard our sister battlestar, the Celestia, under the command of my close and dear friend, the late Commander Sandlin. And I think it's fair to say that for you men, the nightmare has been the longest. And for those of you from the support ships of the Fifth Fleet as well. "Then of course, the nightmare continued when I had to tell all of you that for our own survival, it was impossible to even think of going back to the colonies. And you had to live with the anguish of knowing that all of your friends and family had no way of knowing you were still alive. "And then that awful day when we learned of the horrible destruction of the colonies. I shouldn't even begin to imagine what that did for all of you. "And since then, we had our brief time of elation when we found the Galactica, only to have that elation taken away by me," again he paused, "Which I freely admit, finally enlightened you all as to what a heartless egotistical bastard I really am." A massive eruption of laughter broke out at his good-natured self-deprecation, and for a moment, Tolen put his unease aside long enough to laugh as well. He almost hated to admit it, but Cain seemed like a different man than he'd been in the last two yahrens. At long last, he'd recovered the old rapport with his crew that had made him a beloved figure for so long. The rapport that had disappeared when they'd been parted from the Galactica. "Anyway," Cain continued when the laughter died down, "What it all comes down to, is that it's been a pretty hellish experience for us these last four yahrens. But now," his voice began to rise, "Now, at long last, we have reached the glorious turning point. The long nightmare is coming to an end!" Again, loud wild cheers erupted that lasted several minutes. When the Juggernaut resumed, his enthusiasm remained high. "We stand now, in the heart of the Cylon outer capital. And this is just the beginning. Tomorrow, we carry our triumph further, right to the very seat of the Cylon Empire. And when we lay the planet Cylon to waste, those tinheads will learn a meaning of terror that they didn't begin to learn today!" More cheering. "And gentlemen," he gestured his arm, "As our benefactor Sapphira has pledged to us, not only will we triumph, we will live to enjoy it!" The crescendo of noise continued. "To our victory and final triumph over the Cylons!" They rose to their feet and the noise reached its zenith. Standing alone in the spotlight, Cain never looked stronger. At the height of the roar, Tolen leaned over and gave Skyler a slight nudge, "I need to talk to you out back," he almost had to shout in his ear, "Let's get out of here." When the crowd rose to its feet, they gingerly made their way down the aisle, through the lobby and out the main entrance into the clear night. The lingering smell of fire still hung in the air. "Seemed like his old self," Skyler said out loud, "Even with those obligatory compliments for Sapphira." "Believe me, he's not," Tolen was grim, "I had a long talk with him on the way down." "And?" "He's lost it," he said bluntly, "Totally. Not only does Sapphira have him in her hip pocket, she has him in her VIP bed." Skyler went ashen, "You mean--?" "Yes." The flight leader shook his head and began to idly pace. Tolen went on, "I think it's a foregone conclusion that no matter what we end up finding about Sapphira, Cain is a lost cause. We'd have to go about it differently." Skyler stopped pacing, "I wonder. What if we're wrong? Suppose we've been misjudging Sapphira? Maybe she really is a force for good. Maybe it's us and not Cain, who's acting crazy." The Executive Officer smiled thinly, "I wish I could believe that, Skyler. But it's hard for me to believe that anyone could win Cain over so fast, unless it was through some kind of forced subjugation." "I dunno, Colonel. The one thing this battle has convinced me of, is she's not some kind of Cylon spy." "That only closes the door on the known evils. There's still the possibility she represents some unknown kind of evil, and that's an even more frightening one to consider." "Well how could we ever find out?" "There's only one thing we can do to get the upper hand on her," Tolen said pointedly, "And that's for you to go back to that planet you found her on, and take a look at the wreckage of her ship." Skyler half-smiled, "Do I have the time?" "According to Cain, we'll be getting under way in about thirty six centars. Using a full load in your viper to the maximum range, should be a twenty-two centar round trip. If I were you, I'd sneak away from this celebration and get going now." Skyler hesitated for a moment. "You haven't got much time," Tolen prodded him. The squadron commander remained motionless. His expression conveyed a mixture of torn emotions. "What's bothering you now?" Skyler let out a dejected sigh, "I think it's just occurring to me that going back to that planet to find information against Sapphira would be a form of mutiny. I'd be doing the very thing that I've been trying to keep all the other warriors from thinking about these last two yahrens." "This isn't mutiny, Skyler," Tolen was emphatic, "It's the only way of trying to help Cain. We're only plotting against Sapphira, not hi." "Suppose I find something?" Skyler tried to soound unconvinced, "What would we do next? How could you and I ever get Cain and the entire crew to change their minds about her?" "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," the Executive Officer said, "The first order of business is to find out what she is. And the longer you stand here, Captain, the less chance we have of doing that. You've got to get going now." Skyler slowly nodded, the tension and agony on his face all too apparen. Then he turned and quickly dashed off in the direction of the aerodrome. Later, aboard the Pegasus, a beaming Cain entered his quarters and as he hoped, found Sapphira waiting for him. "You enjoyed your moment of triumph?" "Yes." he came up to her, "But I wish you could have been there. They applauded more loudly for you than they did for me." She gently brushed her index finger across his lip, "Another time, my love. Another time." He smiled and they embraced. Then abruptly and without warning, she pushed him away, her face twisted in alarm. "Sapphira?" Cain was stunned, "Sapphira?" She held up a hand and looked away from him, "Forgive me, Cain. My mind has suddenly become occupied. I must be alone." She moved toward the door but Cain instinctively grabbed her arm. "No, wait," he pleaded, "Don't go. Tell me what's wrong." "I can't," she said gently, "It is something I cannot explain within the limits of your knowledge. I shall rejoin you later." "But--", he protested. "Please my love," she commanded gently, "Let me take leave of you. I shall be in my quarters, and I do not wish to be disturbed for the next few centars." "You've just had a few cen--" Sapphira put her hand on his shoulder, "Obey me," she commanded. And Cain suddenly dropped to his knees and forced himself to nod. She smiled and gently kissed him on the cheek, "You shall see me later," and then she was gone. Cain got to his feet and looked out into the corridor. But there was no trace of her. He then dejectedly made his way back to his desk, and deflated into his chair. Why must you be so mysterious, Sapphira? I trust you completely. You can trust me. He hoped that the passage of time would allow for more openness between the two of them. Chapter Ten Beyond the Cryllian star system, a lone viper raced through the dim blackness of space, headed for what would hopefully be a rendezvous with the truth. Skyler calmly checked his fuel gauge. The indicator said 56 percent capacity. That meant he was running short on time because the instant that indicator dropped below 50 percent, he'd have no way of getting back. "Not much longer," he muttered aloud, "Not much longer." And when he got there, a look at the wreckage, and then what? What would we find, and how would he and Tolen be able to use that against Sapphira? The twinge of guilt he'd felt earlier had been building inside himy ever since he'd quietly left Gomorrah and began his journey back to that empty red planet. Each centon that brought him closer to the planet only increased the guilt. There was no escaping the fact that what he was doing constituted an open conspiracy against his commander. A man he had deeply admired for so long. God, what if we're wrong, he thought for perhaps the hundredth time. I've shot down all the criticism that was ever levelled against Cain by anyone I happened to outrank. Why should I treat Tolen's criticisms differently? All right, it was true that Tolen knew Cain better than anyone, but was it not possible that the Executive Officer's hostility toward Saphira stemmed from a more personal motive? The sudden loss of his own influence with his commander? Maybe I'm not doing the right thing, he thought once again. Maybe I've made myself a pawn in a grandstanding power play. Is it really so wrong to trust Sapphira after the success of the Gomorrah raid? If she could give us something like that, what possible evil could she have in store for us? What is the right answer? What in the name of Kobol is the right answer? A white light suddenly flashed over his cockpit, breaking his tormented thought pattern. "What the---?" he blurted aloud. Another white light rushed past, followed by several more. "Oh my God," he whispered. The lights. The white lights that had abducted the six pilots, and whom Sapphira regarded as the enemy. Whatever they were, they were all around him. I'm already uneasy about finding out what Sapphira is, there's no way I want to know what these are, he thought as he suddenly hit his turbo and began to execute a 180 degree turn to the right. Headed in the opposite direction, Skyler felt the nervous sweat on his brow, as he checked his scanner. All clear. But that wasn't too reassuring, since they hadn't registered on the scanner the last time. He looked about him in all directions and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the lights were nowhere to be seen. He quietly exhaled and began to contemplate his next option. Do I resume heading for the planet? Or do I take the hint and go back to the Pegasus? Before he could answer the question, his rear scanner suddenly emitted a blip. What now? As he punched up his computer manual, he suddenly heard two loud laser explosions behind him. "Holy Frack," he whispered. This was something entirely different. Finally, the manual displayed its readout. A Cylon fighter. Where the felgercarb did this come from? Skyler thought as he hurriedly went into a roll pattern. He could see it now in the corner of his eye. It was indeed a lone Cylon fighter, opening fire on him. And he was having trouble shaking it. A good deal of trouble. Stay calm, he thought over and over, stay calm. And then, Skyler felt his ship rock as one of the laser blasts hit him in the rear engine. The Cylon fighter roared past him, obviously anticipating that the last shot would have destroyed him. It was a fatal mistake, because that gave Skyler one precious minute to stay behind it, and quickly lock on. He pressed the fire button, and finally, the fighter was destroyed. Skyler let out an enormous sigh of relief, and almost immediately turned his viper back on the heading that would take him home to the Pegasus. He wasn't going to tempt fate any longer. With his rear engine damaged, he hoped he'd still be able to make it. Cain had not left his quarters since Sapphira had abruptly left several centars earlier. He had spent the entire time since, reading. But mostly, he found that he couldn't concentrate. Only one thought filled his mind. Sapphira. His mind was utterly obsessed with her. Obsessed with being her at every possible moment. Inside, he felt feelings for her that were more intense than he'd ever felt for anyone else. Not for Cassiopeia. Not even for his beloved wife. Throughout his long yahrens of service as a warrior, Cain had always been able to keep his desire for companionship in check. Had it been otherwise, he'd never have allowed himself to run off from home to every glorious battle that beckoned. Even with Casssiopeia, he'd found that the challenge of deep space overrode any base desire to get back and be with her. Despite his reputation of weakness for the fair sex, Cain had always been able to keep his ultimate priorities in order. With Sapphira though, it was different. Like a man in the throes of a potent drug, Cain desired the constant presence of the stimulating agent to keep his spirits going. The longer the stimulant was away from him, the more suffering it caused for the addict. He set his book down, and quietly stared off into space. "Come to me, Sapphira," he whispered aloud, "Please come to me now." No sooner had he spoken, when the door slid open and Sapphira's smiling countenance filled the doorway. Cain let out a relieved sigh and immediately ran to her, and put his arms around her. "Don't do that to me again," he whispered, "I can't bear to be away from you for even a micron." "It's all right," she said gently as she relaxed in his embrace, "It's quite all right. You need not ever worry about that again." She then gently pushed him away, "But right now, my love, we must turn to the next phase. Make preparations to leave Gomorrah immediately." He nodded, "I understand. But couldn't we use an extra day to recover more ammunition?" "It won't be necessary," she said, "You have more than enough." Cain smiled faintly, "We certainly do. You're all the help we need." "Not quite. There is one other area that you will need help from. And that relates to the next planet the Pegasus will visit." "The Cylon capital," he grinned. "No," she shook her head, "That will come later. There is one other place you need to visit first." Cain's grin became a frown. Sapphira broke into one of her reassuring smiles, "Let me explain, my love." On the bridge, Tolen uneasily paced back and forth, trying to conceal as best he could, the anxious tension he felt about Skyler's unauthorized mission, and what the squadron leader would ultimately find, and tell him about. He then heard Cain's voice crackle over the intercom, "Colonel Tolen?" He answered it, "Yes, Commander?" "Recall all personnel from the planet immediately, and begin preparations to leave orbit. I want us underway within two centars." Tolen froze in shock. "Tolen?" Cain repeated when he heard the silence. "Um...Commander, I thought the plan was to wait another twenty-four centars." "They've changed," he said firmly, "See to it immediately, Colonel." "Um, yes sir. Yes sir, I'll send down the signal immediately." He shut off the intercom and slowly shook his head in dismay. Then, he made his way over to Major Ham's console. "Anything on the scanner?" he gently inquired. "No sir," Ham shook his head, "Scanner's clear as a Skorpian summer night." "Thank you," Tolen smiled gently and moved away. Frack, felgercarb and shit, he thought. "Come on, come on," Skyler muttered as he tried to coax more speed out of his crippled viper. But he knew it was futile. He was going as fast as he could go, with one damaged engine. Great, just great. I go off on an unauthorized mission to find out what Sapphira is, I end up running into these blasted lights, and then a Cylon fighter appears from nowhere to maybe keep me from making back. What did all this mean? The lone Cylon fighter, he'd finally figured out. It could only have been the one that had disappeared at the same time Ryan had. Evidently, the so-called Great Powers had decided at long last to let it go. But what did the lights mean? And what was the meaning of their bizarre relationship with Sapphira? All in all, this hadn't been the perfect end to the day he'd been hoping for. He tightened his grip on the control stick and tried once again to coax more speed, and hopefully beat his race against the clock to make it back. "Recovery operation completed," Ham reported as Cain entered the bridge. "Good," Cain nodded, "Tolen, prepare to take us out of orbit." Tolen cast a glance at the scanner and closed his eyes in despair. "Tolen?" Cain tapped him with his stick. Inside, the Executive Officer's mind was a raging torrent of unease. Fianlly, he decided that he had no alternative but to take a chance. "Um, sir...I think you should know that Captain Skyler has not yet reported back." "What?" Cain was taken aback, "What are you talking about?" "He's um, he's not back. He's....well I don't know where he is, but I think we ought to..." "Tolen," Cain said gently, but sounding thoroughly displeased as well, "What do you know about this?" "Well, nothing sir. Only that he's not come back for whatever reason." "Colonel," the Juggernaut continued to keep his tone low and calm, "I have a battle plan to get back to. I need to get this ship out of this area before word somehow gets back to the Cylons that we're quite alive and well, and you're telling me that my squadron commander has disappeared without a trace?" "Yes sir." Cain continued to stare at him in displeasure. Then, he made his way to the railing and angrily slammed his stick against it. "Damn it!" he shouted, "Of all the foul-ups to occur. Where is Hades Hole has he gone?" "I don't know sir," Tolen shook his head. "You lie," a cold voice came from the upper level of the bridge. Cain and Tolen looked up and saw the unsmiling figure of Sapphira on the top level, making her way down to them. The mysterious woman drew to within an inch of the Executive Officer. "You lie," she repeated softly, "You know precisely why Captain Skyler has not returned, and where he is." Cain looked back at Tolen with deepening displeasure. "Well, Colonel?" Tolen looked her in the eye and slowly shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about, Sapphira." "Oh yes you do," Sapphira repeated in that cold whisper, "I know everything about what you have done. You have sent the captain off in an effort to find information about me, that might somehow discredit me in the eyes of Commander Cain and the crew of the Pegasus. You are distrustful of me, and want to see me done away with." The Executive Officer noticeably stiffened, but remained silent. A grim-faced, but amazingly calm Cain, looked at him for a long moment. "Security," the Juggernaut said aloud. Two guards stepped forward. "Kindly escort Colonel Tolen to the brig. He's to be kept in confinement until further notice." The guards grabbed Tolen by the shoulders. With a sad aura of resignation, he offered no resistance. But as he was being led out, he managed to turn back and throw a menacing look at Sapphira. But no words came out. Sapphira only smiled at him in amusement, as he was finally led out. The stunned bridge crew fixed their attention on the command level, where Cain and Sapphira both stood alone. "Major Ham," he said quietly. Ham rose. He was visibly sweating, and were it not for his dark-skinned complexion, he would have turned red. "You are hereby promoted to Colonel, and will assume the duties of Executive Officer, immediately." "Yes sir," he managed to say. "You will launch a patrol to keep their eyes out for Captain Skyler. If he has not returned within another centar, you are to take the Pegasus out of orbit, and proceed on our next heading." "Yes sir!" Ham's voice rose in pitch. Cain nodded slightly and left the bridge with Sapphira trailing him. The new Executive Officer of the Pegasus dropped into a chair and didn't know whether to feel happy or sick. "Pegasus to scout patrol one, you have thirty more centons." "Affirmative," Paris acknowledged, "Will initiate return to Pegasus in twenty eight centons, if all remains clear." Inside his cockpit, Banker shook his head in disbelief, "It's crazy. The whole thing is so unbelievably crazy." "Yeah," Paris echoed, "But in a way, I'm not surprised that something like this has happened. Skyler's never trusted her to begin with, so it makes sense that he'd agree to Tolen's harebrained scheme." "Is it really all that harebrained?" Banker responded, "I mean sure, it was insubordinate and wrong, but is there anything really wrong with wanting to know just what Sapphira is?" Paris laughed, "Did you spend to much time around Skyler before the battle?" "No," his voice grew cold, "I spent too much time in a black vortex that I don't remember anything about. That's why I'd be interested in knowing the full truth." There was a brief pause, "Sorry. That was wrong of me. I'd kind of forgotten what that whole experience must have been like for you and the others." "I'd give a million cubits to know what happened," Banker went on, "And I almost wonder what might happen if he comes back, and the news about Sapphira isn't good. Then what?" "No chance of that happening," Paris was firm, "The only question is, is Skyler still alive and is he going to get back." "An he's running out of time," Banker's tone grew grim, "Come on Skyler, get back here." Skyler continued to nurse his wounded viper back toward Gomorrah. Going at full throttle with one less engine was burning up more fuel than he liked. The indicator dipped below 20 percent. Please God, don't let me down now. "Any word?" Cain punched the intercom. "No sir," Ham replied, "They'll be returning in ten centons." "Keep me posted," he shut it off and sat down. "God," the Juggernaut sighed, "I just can't believe Tolen would do this. He's been my Executive Officer for six yahrens, and I've never known anyone who was more loyal or devoted." "It is because of that, that he chose to conspire against you," Sapphira said gently, "He was in a position of great importance to you, and he resented me because he felt that I was undermining his influence with you." Cain sadly nodded, "That has to be it. I should have seen that when we talked aboard the shuttle. I could have said something to reassure him." "It would have made no difference. Sooner or later, the bitterness and resentment would have overwhelmed him." "Perhaps," he looked down at his desk, "I hate to see him locked up in the brig." "Don't regret your decision," she interrupted, "You must show no compassion toward those who would like to drive me away. If that were to happen, then all that you desire and hope for, would be lost." Again, Cain sadly shook his agreement, "You're right. I know you're right. It's just difficult to believe that it would come to this." She sat next to him, and gently squeezed his hand, "Put it behind you, Cain. Think only of the joy that lies ahead. Of victory. Of Sheba." He turned to her and smiled wryly, "Of us?" "If you desire it," Sapphira smiled back. Cain took her in his arms and kissed her, "I do." They were still locked in each other when the intercom buzzed again. It took more than a minute for Cain to find the strength to pry himself away and answer it. "Yes?" "Five centons, Commander. They still report no sign of him." "All right," Cain said grimly, "I'm on my way to the bridge. As soon as I'm there, you have us ready for immediate light speed." "Okay Banker, we're just about out of time. Get ready to head back in one centon." "Frack," Banker muttered, "Where could he be?" "We'll probably never know the answer to that," there was little emotion in Paris's voice. Ever since Skyler's promotion to squadron leader, he had come to regard his one-time friend as little more than a slavish yes-man. "All right," Paris said, "Let's head for home." The two pilots hit their turbos and headed back for the battlestar. "Scout patrol one has returned, Commander," Ham looked up as Cain entered the bridge. "No sign of Captain Skyler." The Juggernaut showed no emotion, "Prepare us for light speed, immediately. On heading delta eight, vector five-five-nine." The new Executive Officer punched it in and frowned, "Sir, I thought we were headed for Cylon." "We are. We have one critical stop to make first. And it's on that heading." "Where?" "Arcta," Cain said simply and walked away. Ham's frown deepened, and he got up to follow him, "Sir, Arcta is a frozen wasteland in the middle of nowhere. Why do we need to go there?" "I have my reasons," Cain said simply, "And that's all for now, Colonel. I have no intention of discussing it any further. Is that understood?" Ham slowly nodded, "Yes sir," he then went back to his console. "Leaving orbit now," the helm officer intoned, "Preparing for light speed in five microns." And then, the battlestar picked up speed and disappeared from the region. Amidst the fires and smoldering wreckage, the planet Gomorrah was now completely alone. Come on, Skyler kept coaxing as the indicator dipped below ten percent. Not much further. It can't be much further. He switched on his scanner, and he breathed a sigh of relief when the familiar mass of Gomorrah registered. "Thank you," he whispered. He switched on his communicator, "Pegasus control, this is Silver Spar leader. Request landing clearance." There was only silence. "Silver Spar leader to Pegasus, requesting landing clearance," Skyler repeated, his voice growing slightly uneasy. Still, there was only silence. Skyler checked his computer again, and suddenly he felt his heart sink. There were no indications of any ship around the planet. The only thing his computer showed was an ion exhaust trail. And that only meant one thing. The Pegasus was gone, and he was now totally cut off from his home base. There was only one thing left to do. Land on Gomorrah and refuel his ship from one of the storage depots. And then, hope for some miracle that he might be able to catch up with them. Assuming that a miracle was finally going to come his way. "Well Sapphira," he grimly chuckled, "Is there anything you can do for me?" His fuel down to almost nothing, Skyler guided his viper into the atmosphere, trying to lock on to the aerodrome. Night had fallen over the planet, and except for the dim glow of some of the fires that still burned, the scene below was one of blackness. This wasn't going to be easy. The warning chime sounded inside the cockpit. That meant his fuel was now gone. Stay calm, he thought. Stay calm. He straightened his viper into a gliding pattern, and searched for the aerodrome beacon. The viper was fast losing altitude, and he still couldn't find it. All right, to hell with the aerodrome. Just get this thing on the ground in one piece. With calm precision, Skyler mentally went through the procedure that had been grilled to him at the Academy. Keep it straight. Drop the landing gear. Look for any open area, even if it's only three meters wide. The ground was fast coming up. Contact in five, four, three, two, one. The viper made contact with the surface, and Skyler immediately applied his brake. So far, so good. And then, through the glare of his searchlight, he suddenly saw a dark form, looming up ahead. He put his foot to the brake and the viper came to a stop just ten feet short of the building that lay at the end of the avenue promenade he'd landed on. Skyler heaved a sigh of relief as he popped open his cockpit. If he'd crashed into the building, he might have destroyed his ship's ability to fly again. And then, he'd be cut-off for good. No time to relax though. It wouldn't be long before a Cylon search team came to investigate what had happened. He had to get to some fuel, and fast. He dropped on to the street and looked about. To one side, he recognized the ruins of the colonnade in front of the Administrative Center, where he and Tolen had spoken only a day earlier. Damn you to hell, Colonel, he thought in disgust. With his bearings adjusted, he began to sprint in the direction of the distant fuel depot center, and prayed that their targeting hadn't been so precise. In the cold, windowless cell of the brig, Tolen angrily paced back and forth, trying to let off some steam. He felt only livid rage that it had come down to this. He stopped pacing and slammed his fist against the steel wall. He was too angry to feel any pain. How can this happen? How in the name of all the Lords of Kobol, could this happen? Is Cain really that far gone? And good God, if Sapphira could read someone's mind, then will any of us ever be safe? And what about Skyler? What did he find out, if anything? No, he probably didn't find out anything. Somehow, it wouldn't surprise him if he learned that Sapphira had prevented Skyler from finding out. And that meant that he had sent the squadron leader to his death. God forgive me, he slowly sank to the floor. And God help the Pegasus. "Status report?" Cain inquired over the intercom. "Estimate time of arrival Arcta, in thirty centars." "Thank you," he shut it off and handed a silver chalice to Sapphira, "Well that gives us some time to relax for awhile." She smiled as she took the chalice and drank, "And what would you like to talk about?" "I wish you could tell me more about where you come from," he said, "I wish I could know all about the place that can produce a wonderful person like you." "I wish I could explain it you, so you could understand," Sapphira's tone took on an aura of mystique, "It's a wonderful place. A place where a military genius like yourself could learn things that would keep you occupied for eternity." Cain let out a chuckle, "I like to think I'm not that bloodthirsty." "But you always have had a sort of fondness for conflict and battle, have you not?" "Not fondness," he drank from his chalice, "A natural instinct. An understanding of how to be the best at it." "And you've succeeded brilliantly at it." He set his chalice down, "Are your people always in a state of conflict with the so-called Great Powers?" "It is an eternal struggle," the mystical tone in her voice only increased, "A struggle for the very soul of the universe." "And is your side winning?" Sapphira sighed, "We have known our successes. And we have known our failures." He slowly nodded, as if to empathize with her, "Could I be able to help? Primitive and insignificant as I am, by your standards?" "Perhaps," she warmly smiled at him again, "Perhaps one day, it shall be your destiny too." In the space of two centars, Skyler had reached the fuel depot, and from one of the few intact bunkers had managed to bring back some fuel to his viper. This might not be enough to let me catch up with them, he thought as he loaded the fuel into his craft. But it's the only chance I've got. When he was finished, he got back into the cockpit and turned on his systems. Slowly, the viper backed away and then turned around, so it had a clear take-off route ahead. Skyler hit the turbo thrust, and in an instant was soaring high into the skies above, leaving the ruins of Gomorrah behind him. Moments later, he had broken free of the planet, and was back in the familiar darkness of open space. The ion exhaust trail of the Pegasus was still registering, but barely. Time was rapidly causing it to dissipate, and he had to get locked onto it now. He sucked in his breath and prepared to go to maximum turbo thrust. But then, a bright light zoomed in front of him, momentarily blinding him. When he opened his eyes, he saw another one. Oh God no. Not again. He hit his turbo thrust but nothing happened. His viper failed to pick up speed. "What's happening?!" he screamed aloud in frustration. Then, he heard a loud ringing sound in his ears. He strained to look behind him, and he froze in terror. Coming up behind him, was an enormous white ship. Bigger than anything he'd ever seen in his life before. And then, there was nothing at all, as he blacked out Chapter Eleven The Royal Palace of the Imperious Leader was the most imposing structure on the planet Cylon. Built as a massive fortress, eons ago by the original Cylon race of living reptilian beings during a time of planetary civil war, it now served as the nerve center of an Empire that had extended its power over half the known universe. Ruled by a leader who was determined to exterminate all other known species. The vision of pure Cylon order had been laid down by the Leader's immediate predecessor, who had carried out the destruction of the twelve colonies and then met with death at the battle of Carillon. Since then, the current Leader had carried on with similar ruthlessness. Whereas previous leaders had for the most part, been content to confine their struggle to eliminating their chief rival, the human race, the last two had found such ambitions stifling. A hatred of all other races raged within Imperious Leader, and he acted on that hatred with a fierce savagery. The results had been the total elimination of the Delphians, and the near elimination of humanity. Now, all that remained of concern was that infernal nuisance, the Battlestar Galactica and her fleet of 220 ships. For three yahrens since that tattered remnant of humanity had escaped the destruction of the colonies, Imperious Leader had watched with increasing anxiety as the Galactica repeatedly evaded all attempts to find and destroy her. And now, she had disappeared completely from their grasp. With no leads as to where she might be, Imperious Leader was left with only one option if there was to be any hope of picking up the Galactica's scent again. The entire Cylon fleet of ten baseships had to be dispersed across the maximum perimeter of the galaxy. The Leader had chosen to exercise that option. The very backbone and might of Cylon military supremacy was now scattered across the far reaches of space. Their only means of communicating with their home base was by interstellar transmissions that took months to receive. Knowing that the long wait for the Galactica would be a tedious affair, Imperious Leader had returned to his seat of power to attend to the routine affairs of the Cylon Empire. On this day, the Leader was relaxing from his routine royal burdens, sitting alone in his private throne room in deep meditation. Just then, his chief aide, an IL Series Cylon named Luna entered the room, "By your command." Imperious Leader looked up, "Speak." "A disturbing development has occurred. There has been no communication from our outer capital Gomorrah for over a sectar." "None?" Imperious Leader frowned, "Should that be too surprising? Interstellar communications from that far out take time." "Yes, but one of our relay outposts is close enough to discern that the communication links to Gomorrah are simply dead." "Have they launched a patrol to investigate?" "Unfortunately, they are beyond the flight range for a fighter." "What about one of our baseships?" he asked. "That would require a unibeam signal to all of them, and would mean leaving a hole in our search perimeter for the Galactica." The Leader was silent for a moment. "Inform the relay station to launch a patrol, and have a tanker accompany them so they can make it to Gomorrah," he finally spoke. "By your command," Luna bowed and departed. Most odd, the Leader thought. Spektor was supposed to be a reliable commander. But then again, he had appointed Spektor on Baltar's recommendation, and that might not have been a good sign. He put the situation out of his vast electronic mind and went back to his meditation. Slowly, the Pegasus made the transition to sub-light speed, as the aged battlestar drew near to a grayish-white planet. "There it is," Ham said as the bridge crew stared out the viewing screen, "Arcta." "Yes," Cain nodded and turned to Sapphira, "What exactly will we find there?" "Something of enormous help," she said, "Something that will make your final victory all but certain." He smiled thinly and nodded in acknowledgement, "I suppose it'd be futile for you to tell me what it is, right now?" "It would," she returned it, "Be patient my love. Always remember, that what I promise to you, will come to pass. But it wouldn't be right to make things too easy for you." "Your 'guidelines'?" "Yes," she admitted, "Unfortunate in a sense, but necessary. You must retain your own independent initiative. My task is only to illuminate the path, not force you down it." "Scanners indicate lifesigns, concentrated in one region," Ham spoke up. "Get a team ready to go down there, immediately." "I shall accompany them," Sapphira said, "It is necessary for me to be there." Cain turned around and frowned, "Why must you go? That could be very dangerous." "Not for me," she said simply, "Not for me." "I don't understand this," Banker said as he stepped into the shuttle that would take the team of six warriors down to the surface, "Here we are, with very little time to spare, and we stop to investigate a frozen ice planet." Paris shrugged as he settled into the pilot's seat, "Well whatever the reason, it has to be a good one." "Why?" the lieutenant's voice took on a measure of frost, "Just because Sapphira said so?" "Banker, why don't you drop it?" "I've got my reasons," he retorted, "Ever since Sapphira didn't deem it necessary to bring Skyler back for us." "Skyler brought on his misfortune all by himself." Banker started to open his mouth as if to protest further, but then the rest of the landing party came aboard the shuttle. Paris turned around to face them, "All right men, here's the lowdown on Arcta. It's an isolated planet that used to be on the outer edge of the Colonial supply line, but all contact with the colonies ended about twenty yahrens ago. The records don't indicate what kind of settlement was being supplied back then, so there's know way of knowing what to expect." "Uh, sir?" Ryan cautiously raised his hand. "Yes Ryan?" "Uh sir, I don't know if this means anything, but is anyone aware of the Galactica having been here before we hooked up with them?" Paris frowned, "There's nothing in the record about that, Ryan. Where did you get your information?" "Well two yahrens ago, I was talking to a Galactica pilot, who got wounded and was recovering in the Life Bay. A guy I knew back on Taurus named Cree. And when I asked him if he was feeling all right, he said that the battle wasn't close to what he'd gone through on Arcta. I didn't have a chance to talk to him further, because he got evacuated back to the Galactica." A frown came over Banker's face and he cast an uneasy glance at Paris. "Hey come on," Paris tried to sound reassuring, "It can't mean anything much, or else he wouldn't have made it back." "I wonder," Banker mused, "I wonder." Just then, the shuttle door opened and Sapphira entered. "Good day gentlemen," she said cheerily, "I've come to give you some support that you'll need on the planet." "Thanks," Paris seemed both pleased and relieved, "We could use it." "Something wonderful awaits you down there," she said as she settled herself into her seat next to Ryan, "The ultimate key to your victory." A skeptical Banker looked back at her without saying anything before he finally started up the systems. And then, the shuttle was away. Two days later, the Pegasus had left the ice planet behind, and resumed course for its next target, the Cylon capital. The aura of jubilation that had existed in the wake of the battle of Gomorrah, was now at a fever pitch. "I still can't believe it," a dazed Banker said in the Officers Club, "Never in a million yahrens would I ever have thought that we'd get a lucky break like this." "It isn't luck, Banker," Paris said with a note of triumph, "Chalk it up to Sapphira's genius. If it hadn't been for her, we'd never have known better to stop at Arcta, and if she hadn't been with us, we'd never have been successful with that Ravashol guy." "Forgive me for ever doubting her." "When I heard you two radio back what you'd found, my mouth nearly dropped all the way to the planet surface," Ham said, "To think that we'd find a weapon that removes the military advantage of the Cylon fleet. A pulsar weapon reconfigured into our missile banks, with the firepower of eight battlestars." "Believe it," Paris downed his drink, "Sapphira kept her promise. She's made it possible for us to destroy the entire Empire." "But what I don't understand, is how this Dr. Ravashol person wound up on the planet in the first place, and was able to build the weapon." "I asked him that," Paris went on, "The good doctor, it seems, was something of a misanthrope. Forty yahrens ago, he got kicked out of the Colonial Science Academy, because they didn't approve of his genetic experiments with 'Theta-class life-forms'. So he decided to take all his material and escape to the most isolated planet on the edge of the Colonial supply line. Arcta. The perfect place to conduct his experiments in total isolation." "Where he could become the 'Father-Creator' to all of his progeny," Banker smirked. "Then twenty yahrens ago, his Theta life forms made their community self-sufficient, so they were able to terminate their supply contact with the colonies. But when Arcta was officially stricken from the Colonial supply line, that gave the Cylons a reason to step in and establish a garrison there." "And because Ravashol was working on that pulsar device, the Cylons let him live so he could turn it into a weapon they could make use of. Installed into the mountain, they could destroy any ship that wandered into the vicinity," Banker jumped in. "How come the Cylons never thought of using the weapon for the same purpose we're using it for?" Ham asked, "Put that thing into a basestar, and they could have brought us to our knees a long time ago." "Because Ravashol was smart enough to lie to them, and tell them that the principle was totally impractical," Paris refilled his glass, "And thank God for the Cylon inability to show individual initiative, because they bought it." "So the Galactica comes by three yahrens ago, and destroys the garrison and the pulsar," Ham said. "Yeah, but Ravashol had to guard against the danger of the Cylons coming back, so that's why they built the new pulsar." "How did you talk him into giving us duplicate components to install in the missile banks?" "Wasn't our doing," Paris shook his head, "The good doctor wasn't swayed by any of our appeals to his human sensitivity. As far as he was concerned, his new pulsar gave him all the security he needed against the Cylons or anyone else. His first response was that we'd only be using the weapon on a dangerous crusade that had no guarantee of success. If we were to fail, the Cylons might conceivably capture the weapon and be able to use it on his colony." "So what changed his mind?" Ham asked. The dark-haired lieutenant took a gulp of his drink, "Sapphira. She took him aside for a private conversation, and when they emerged, he had suddenly changed his tune. Obviously, her powers of persuasion as a superior being was the key." "Incredible," Ham sighed, "The one thing that seems so unfortunate is that the Galactica didn't think of the same idea. If she'd had that firepower at Gomorrah, there never would have been any need to separate." "They never would have had the time," Paris pointed out, "They had three basestars coming up behind them, and had to get out of the area fast. Survival dictated that they not linger." "Poor Lieutenant Starbuck was so disappointed by that," Banker smirked, "A hundred duplicates of that beautiful girl Teena was hard for him to say goodbye to." The lighthearted conversation suddenly came to a stop, when Sapphira entered the Officers Club. All heads immediately turned toward her. "Don't mind me, gentlemen," she smiled ever so disarmingly at them, "Enjoy yourselves for the next seventy-two centars. And then, get set for the destruction of the Cylon seat of power!" Instinctively, Paris began to clap. And then, the rest of the warriors joined in as well. Including a totally convinced Banker. Sapphira seemed to bask in the adulation they gave her, and she acknowledged it with an affectionate wave. The loyalty and devotion of the entire crew was now complete. This in spite of the fact that none of them knew the specifics of how Sapphira had been able to secure the pulsar for them. It would have been an interesting conversation had they been able to see it... "This is a waste of time," the elderly Dr. Ravashol said as the door closed and he and Sapphira were left alone, "I have told your friends from the Pegasus as clearly as I can, that I will not let you have my technology." "Perhaps if you and I were to speak alone, I might be able to make you see things differently," her voice was soothing and gentle. "You can do nothing that will change my mind," the doctor was emphatic, "It was one thing for me to help the Galactica because she was in danger. You do not need my pulsar for defensive purposes. You only wish to use it for a warlike crusade that has no chance of succeeding." "But it can succeed, Dr. Ravashol," she smiled winsomely at him, "Your weapon is the very key to the reclamation of human society." "No, no," he turned around and hobbled away from her on his cane, "Absolutely out of the question." Slowly, Sapphira came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. The old man jumped around and looked at her with apprehension. "Do not fear me," her tone grew softer and gentler, "I only wish to help you." "How can you help me?" his voice was quieter but no less skeptical. "To solve your most important problem," she went on, "Your people's future." Ravashol continued to look her in the eye. Inside, he felt himself softening just a bit. "Your population is growing," Sapphira said, "More than you ever expected. It will only be several yahrens at best, before this shelter you have built will no longer be suitable." The old man felt his body tense. "It is a problem you have failed to inform your people about," she went on, "Your inability to foreshadow breeding amongst your life forms has put you in a terrible quandry. When overpopulation sets in, you and your life forms will be doomed. There is no other habitable place on this planet you can move to." "How could you know this?" Ravashol was astonished, "I have said nothing. I have given you no indication...." "There is nothing I don't know," her voice remained soft and lilting, "I also know how you fear that inevitable day when your people will realize that their Father-Creator has let them down, and will be unable to do anyhting more for them." She took a step closer to him and made certain her piercing brown eyes were fastened on his. "If you were to help me, then I could in turn help you and make it possible for you to be spared of that terrible end you now face." The old man trembled as he continued to look into her eyes, slowly feeling his self-control give way. "How?" he whispered, "How could you do this? Fulfill what has only been fantasy to me?" "Give my friends the pulsar components they need," Sapphira softly commanded, "This will enable the Cylon Empire to be destroyed forever. When that task has been accomplished, I will return and give you what you need in order for your people to find a new home." She slowly lifted her hand from his shoulder and placed it on his bearded cheek. "Do you trust me?" her voice grew sensuous. Ravashol remained captivated by her intense gaze for over a minute befoer he finally nodded. "Yes," he said, "Yes I do." "Well done," Sapphira smiled, "When I return to you, you and your people will be well-rewarded. Now go to your laboratory and retrieve those plans my friends need." The old man found it difficult to take himself away from her, but he finally turned and headed into the next room. Alone, Sapphira folded her arms and smiled in triumph. "Impressive," she heard Iblis' voice behind her, "Very impressive." "Thank you," Sapphira didn't turn around, "I have found a new task for when my work with Commander Cain is finished." "Our work," Iblis gently corrected, "Our work Sapphira." As the Dark One's presence faded from the room, Sapphira's expression grew slightly cold. "No, Count Iblis," she said to the empty room, "My work." As the rest of the Pegasus crew celebrated their latest piece of good news, the only person aboard who did not feel any devotion or loyalty to Sapphira angrily paced back and forth in the brig. Each passing hour only increased the intense hatred he felt for the mysterious woman who had set forward the chain of events that had landed him here. His static activity was broken when he saw the door to his cell slide open. And then, a sad-faced Cain entered. "Hello Tolen," he said gently, sounding like a father who'd been wronged by a favorite son. The former Executive Officer was silent. His stare was cold, frozen, and full of contempt and bitterness. "Tolen," Cain went on as he began to awkwardly pace back and forth, "Even though Sapphira thinks I shouldn't show any mercy, you've been my best friend for so long, that I felt I owed it to you to give you one chance to get out of here." Tolen slowly shook his head, "Congratulations," he said with heavy sarcasm, "That's the first time you've decided that you still have a mind of your own about things." Cain chose to ignore the insult, "Tolen, I know you're very bitter, but the fact remains, that what you did was an act of gross insubordination. And I had to treat you no differently than I'd treat anyone else." "That's what you're going to do to anyone who doesn't like Sapphira?" the sarcasm continued to drip, "Throw everyone who doesn't get down on bended knee into the brig?" "Of course not," he said sternly, "You don't have to like her, but I will not tolerate an open conspiracy." "We have a right to know what she is," Tolen held his ground. Cain let out an exasperated sigh, "I will not argue this point with you any further, Tolen. However, I am willing to give you one last chance. If you agree to apologize to her, and if you promise to never engage in any such stunt again, I'll let you out. I can't restore you to Executive Officer, but you'd have your rank back, and you'd essentially be back to your former duties." Tolen glared at him, but remained silent. His tone returned to its paternal edge, "I only want you to promise me that you'll stay in line from now on. We're on the verge of finally achieving something that had been beyond our wildest expectations, and I don't think that it's right for you to not be able to enjoy it. I know you lost your wife in the Holocaust, and you deserve to be a part of when we achieve our revenge." "Forget it," Tolen almost hissed, "I will not grovel in front of her. I'd rather stay in here and keep my self-respect. And I don't think any of us will ever live to see a fantasy like the destruction of Cylon come to pass." The warmth faded from Cain's face, and he finally nodded with stern sadness. "Very well. If that's the way you want things, then so be it. But it's the most recklessly foolish act I think I've ever seen in my life." "Nowhere near as foolish as jumping into bed with the first alien woman who ever crossed your path," Tolen spat. Cain stopped in his tracks and quietly turned around. And then, he landed a blow to Tolen that caught him on the jaw and sent the Executive Officer to the floor. The Juggernaut stood over him, breathing heavily, "I ever hear another crack about that," he whispered, "And so help me Tolen, I'll kill you." Slowly, Tolen got back to his feet, "I'd like to see you try," his tone was equally venomous, "And if you ever do, ask yourself how something could come to that. Do you honestly think I did what I did because of my pride? Or maybe your friend is trying to quietly muscle me aside only because I seem to be the only one who won't grovel at her feet. It only seemed like a sectar ago, when you said you'd shove her out an airlock if she didn't answer your questions. Well she still hasn't answered them. And I seem to be the only one who's still willing to ask." Cain slowly turned around and headed for the door. "If you're not careful Cain, it could very well end up being a trap just like the Holocaust. And this time, it'll be you playing the part of President Adar, and Sapphira will be playing Baltar." He looked back at him and almost smirked, "And you in the part of Adama? Not likely Tolen, not likely. I really pity you." "Just wait," he called out as Cain left, and the door closed, "Just wait!" And then, Tolen was alone again in the cold darkness of the cell. "You have new information on the situation at Gomorrah?" Imperious Leader inquired as Luna entered the throne room. "The reports are confusing and conflicting," the IL Cylon said, "The search team from our outpost was forced to turn back, because of a rather curious development. They reported that they encountered a large number of white lights, moving faster than they could comprehend." "White lights?" the Leader frowned. "That was the only way they could describe it." There was a long silence from the Cylon ruler. He was trying to recall something Lucifer had said to him more than two yahrens ago. "These bizarre white lights, which we could never figure out, caused him to go out and seek the Galactica under a sign of truce. He left and never came back." "Your Eminence?" Luna tried to get his attention. "Luna," he said quietly, "Issue the recall signal to our baseships." The IL Cylon was taken aback, "But Your Eminence...." "Recall them," he repeated, "There's something very disturbing about these developments. I want our Fleet back at the home base to coordinate a new strategy." "They are so far out into the galaxy that it would take more than two sectans, before they could be back," Luna protested, "And that means abandoning the search for the Galactica." "Luna," he said quietly, but with stern authority, "Carry out the order. Immediately." With a trace of reluctance, Luna obediently bowed, "By your command," and then he was gone. Chapter Twelve Slowly, Skyler felt the darkness begin to dissipate. Consciousness had returned to him, but he hesitated to open his eyes. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the growing brightness, and he felt nothing but terror and fear about what he would see. "You may open your eyes, Captain Skyler," a rich gentle voice that seemed to boom from high above. Skyler only felt the terror inside him increase. "You are quite safe, Captain Skyler. You are among friends," the voice grew even more gentle. Summoning all his strength, Skyler opened his eyes. The light that greeted him was so blinding that he was forced to shut them again, and return to a cautious squint. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position and looked out. He could see two rows of white-garbed beings standing in columns on the left and right. As far as the eye could see, everything was white. And then, Skyler let out a gasp when he saw that his uniform had turned white as well. "Where am I?" he began to tremble, "What is this place?" "A place of safety for now. At least you are safe from the Cylon scout patrol that we have just encountered. There was no way you could ever have made it back to the Pegasus." "Thank you," his voice was dry, "I think." "There is much you need to learn, Captain. You have now become the only hope for your comrades aboard the Pegasus, as well as those you left behind on the Galactica." "I don't understand any of this," he started walking toward them, "Who are you people? And what--" Skyler then froze as he reached out to grab one of them, and saw his hand go right through the white-garbed being. "Oh my God," he whispered, "Am I...am I dead?" "You are not dead, Captain," the voice continued, "For now, you are merely in the safety of our dominion." Skyler looked around at the other white-garbed beings. All of them looked alike, with their white garments covering the lower halves of their faces. "Who are you?" he repeated. "We fight a common foe, Captain." Slowly, Skyler collected himself, "Sapphira?" "She is a servant of the force of Darkness and Deception." The Pegasus warrior tensed, "Can you prove that to me?" he chose a skeptical tone, "You're the ones who abducted our warriors, and she's the one who gave us a victory at Gomorrah. How do I know you're not my enemy?" "Your questions are entirely reasonable," the voice admitted, "Your fellow warriors crossed our path at a time when we were engaged in a state of combat with our enemy. It was necessary to remove them for their own safety." "But Sapphira forced you to return them," Skyler refused to let up. "She did not force us, Captain. We merely pursued you so we could return them to you, before the Pegasus had left the area." His frown deepened, "You mean she didn't..." "Sapphira is capable of many things, but she has no control over our own actions, Captain." Skyler straightened himself, "I see. But at Gomorrah..." "Oh that was her doing, yes. An act she can perform without incurring a reprisal of punishment from us." "This doesn't make sense," he said, "If Sapphira represents evil, then how can someone evil end up doing something that's ultimately good for us?" "The forces of Evil and Darkness do not secure their victims through displays of terror and destruction, Captain. They lure them through displays of pleasure and joy that had previously been unattainable. And then, the soul becomes their willing slave for all eternity." Skyler slowly clenched his fist, "I still need more proof." "Very well," the figure motioned its arm, "You shall see." In an instant, the brilliant white of the ship was gone, and Skyler suddenly found himself standing back on the surface of the dead planet. And in front of him, lay the wreckage of the great ship. "Her ship," the voice suddenly boomed, "The ship she did not want you to see. Look inside, Captain Skyler." "But the radon..." "There is no radon Captain. Another one of her tricks. You may look inside." Slowly, with great apprehension, Skyler made his way up to the wreckage. The doorway was open and he was able to peer inside. He could see the clear, distinct shape of bodies. The faces were insdstinct in the dark, but they clearly had arms and legs... An instant later, he staggered backward in sick horror as he saw that the legs on one of them ended in a cloven hoof. "Oh my God," he gasped, "Oh my God." "Look again, Captain." "No," he vigorously shook his head, "No. Oh God no." "You understand the meaning of what you saw?" "Yes....Yes. But my God. That means Sapphira is...." "A servant of Evil itself. Of the one known in your lexicon as Mephistopoholes or the Prince of Darkness," the voice's tone was matter-of-fact, "For three hundred yahrens, she has performed his work, corrupting many others into the bondage of eternal suffering. Just like those who perished in that ship." He slowly forced himself to look up. "Who were they?" his voice was a hoarse rasp. "A race of beings who trusted Sapphira's Master, and who only learned too late the consequences of following him," the voice said, "When mortal life ceases in one who has given themselves to the Dark One, their remains assume the form you just saw. Symbolizing for all eternity their everlasting suffering and bondage." "But why....why do you let her do this? Why can't you stop her?" "We operate according to a principle that is most sacred to us. And that is our respect for the freedom of the human will. So long as Sapphira does not interfere with free will, then we cannot directly intervene to stop her. And your comrades have not been forcibly subjugated by her. From Commander Cain on down, they have given themselves freely." Skyler sucked in his breath, "But if you want me to do something to stop her, then doesn't that mean you'd be interfering..." "No," the voice interrupted, "We can not do anything directly. But that does not prohibit you from acting as the agent who can turn your shipmates away from her control. To save their souls from a horrible fate that presently awaits them." He allowed the words to sink in, "What am I expected to do?" "You must find strength within yourself, Captain Skyler. Sapphira is very clever. She knows that to interfere with free will would result in a temporary forfeiture of her powers, just as her Master found out in his experience with the Galactica." Skyler's eyes widened, "The Galactica?" "I am afraid there is no time to explain that, Captain. But you should realize that Sapphira's Master is determined to use the Pegasus and Commander Cain as an instrument toward achieving his revenge on the Galactica. In particular, on the Commander's daughter." "Sheba?" his stunned shock deepened. "It was not a successful experience for him. That's why Sapphira was sent to be found by you. To gain control of Commander Cain and to ultimately regain control of Sheba." "This is too much for me to comprehend," Skyler shook his head. "We regret not being able to tell you more, Captain, but time is of the essence. The longer Sapphira remains, the less chance you have of saving your friends." "Wait," Skyler protested. But before anything else could be said, he suddenly felt the blackness overtake him. Chapter Thirteen Billions of star miles away across the universe, Lucifer made his way into the control center of his baseship for his routine inspection. It was a task he always relished, because it always reminded him again that finally, this command was his. Completely. If he had believed in some sort of Supreme Being, he would have thanked it every day for having brought about Baltar's mysterious disappearance. To finally be free if that totally incompetent, cowardly human who saw himself as some sort of military genius. Who actually envisioned a place for himself in the Cylon Empire! What a fool. At first, Lucifer had found Baltar amusing but as time passed he found him to be more irritating than ever. Even more, the realization that Baltar was a constant impediment to his own command hope, constantly unnerved his circuitry. But all of that was mercifully in the past now. Baltar had gone off to seek the Galactica under a sign of truce and never returned. If he hadn't been captured and thrown in the Galactica brig, he was most probably dead by now. Whatever the case, he was out of the way. As he made his way down the command center, he saw the gold plated command centurion named Cannes come up to him, "By your command." "Yes?" Lucifer inquired. "We have received an interstellar message from Cylon ordering our immediate recall." "Recall?" the IL Series Cylon was puzzled. "The message is to all baseships." "Is there any reason specified?" "Negative," Cannes shook his head. "Most odd," Lucifer noted, "Either one of our sister ships has found and destroyed the Galactica or something unexpected has occurred. Set course immediately." "It will take at least a sectan, if not two to cover the distance." "Then let us not waste any time." "By your command," Cannes turned and departed. As the Pegasus continued to move through space, heading deeper and deeper back into the charted regions that were familiar to the crew, both Cain and Sapphira stood on the command level of the bridge plotting strategy. The sight of the two of them together had long since become both reassuring and familiar to everyone. No more did the mysterious woman's presence raise any eyebrows or any questions of skepticism. As far as the crew was concerned, Sapphira had long since proven her benevolence to them. "What next?" Cain mused as he looked at the board, "Where do we go next?" "You have very little time to decide," she noted, "Soon, the Cylon capital will learn about what has happened to Gomorrah. The main strike must take place before their basestar fleet is recalled." "True," he nodded, "Still, I'd like to make a demonstration of our new miracle weapon before going ahead with that. Maybe on one of their outposts." "I disagree," she said, "Time is of the essence. Make your main strike on the capital now, and worry about the outposts later. They are insignificant by comparison." Cain looked thoughtfully at the board and finally nodded, "Very well. We'll proceed as originally planned to Cylon." "Commander?" Ham called up to him. They came over to the railing, "Yes Colonel?" "Our scanner's picked up something approaching us. One craft. We're not able to identify it at this time." Cain frowned, "Just one?" "Yes sir." "Stay on top of it. Have a patrol stand-by to launch in case we need to intercept it." Ham nodded and went back to his console. The Juggernaut turned to Sapphira, "What do you think of--" And then he stopped when he saw the look on her face. At first it seemed only like an expression of dark unease, but there was something else to it. Something Cain had never seen in her face before. An expression that almost bordered on cold, unfeeling....evil. "Sapphira?" She abruptly turned away from him, "I must be alone," she said firmly and began descending the steps, "I am not to be disturbed for at least a centar." "Sapphira," he almost pleaded. But she stopped on the steps and put her hand on his shoulder. "Respect my wishes, Cain," she said firmly, "Do not defy me. Ever." And slowly, Cain nodded. She released his hold on him and left the bridge. The commander let out a sigh. As he prepared to go back up the steps to the command level, he suddenly looked down and saw that Ham was staring at him with a very puzzled expression. "Something wrong Colonel?" "No sir," he slowly shook his head, "Nothing at all." "Colonel Ham," the communications officer exclaimed, "I'm picking up a signal from that craft." "Put it on." And then, over the bridge intercom they could all hear a familiar voice. "Silver Spar Leader to Pegasus, requesting landing clearance in Alpha Bay. I say again, this is Silver Spar Leader requesting landing clearance..." "My God," Ham whispered, "Skyler?" "That's impossible," Cain slowly shook his head, "Simply impossible." "It isn't, Commander," the communications officer spoke up, "We're now getting his ID beacon. It's him." "Unbelievable," the Juggernaut whispered, "Tell him he can land, and the centon he's aboard I want to talk to him. He's got a lot of explaining to do." "Yes sir," the new executive officer calmly gathered his thoughts together, "I will." There were a lot of things he wanted to know as well. The instant Sapphira was alone in Cain's quarters, the white garbed figure of Count Iblis appeared. His expression even graver than hers. "Captain Skyler has returned," she said. "So it would seem," his voice was flat, "It was my expectation that you would have already disposed of him." "When I realized that he was not able to proceed back to the planet, there was nothing more I could do." "And so you allow the Powers to take him and tell him the full story," he shook his head, "That was very unwise." "What would I have done?" she retorted, "Make the same mistake you made with Captain Apollo?" His expression suddenly grew more intimidating, and he drew up to within an inch of her. "Do not taunt me," he whispered menacingly, "Always remember who I am, and where your place is. The Powers might be able to prevent me from acting directly on mere mortals, but they can't prevent me from doing whatever I choose with you." She froze in submission and slowly fell to her knees. "That's better," he said more warmly, "The important thing for you is not to panic. Deal with Captain Skyler in an effective manner. He might know the truth, but in the end it can only be useless information. Provided that you keep Cain firmly under control." "Yes Master," she whispered, "I will do so. Forgive me." "Very well," Iblis smiled and stepped back, "Carry on." And with that, he disappeared. Slowly, Sapphira got to her feet and drew herself erect. Inside, a raging tide of anger burned within her. "That," she whispered with a clenched fist, "is the last time I ever bend to you." And then, she calmly left Cain's quarters with a totally unemotional expression. Skyler had carefully set his viper down in the landing bay, and with a great deal of trepidation filling his body, slowly opened his cockpit. After blacking out, he had awaken an hour earlier and found himself back in his cockpit, locked on to the Pegasus' acquisition signal. He had spent the rest of the journey filled only with questions as to how he could possibly make use of all the information that had been revealed to him. No sooner had he opened the cockpit and prepared to get out, then his carefully collected psyche was instantly rattled. "Captain!" Skyler looked down and felt tense as he saw an angry Cain standing on the tarmac. What made him more tense was the fact that Ham, and not Tolen was standing next to the commander. "Commander," he acknowledged. "Get down here!" Cain's tone was savage as he motioned his finger, "Now!" Skyler dropped to the tarmac and stood at attention as the Juggernaut came jaw-to-jaw with him. "You've got a lot of explaining to do," he whispered pointedly, "Would you mind telling me exactly what you've been doing all this time?" Skyler tensed and said nothing. "In case you don't understand the severity of what you've done," Cain continued, "You should know that Colonel Tolen is sitting in the brig on charges of conspiracy to commit treason. Unless you want to join him, I suggest you give me some answers now!" Skyler sucked in his breath, "If Colonel Tolen is in the brig, then I assume you already know why he sent me out." "Indeed I do," his voice dripped with savage fury, "And would you care to explain what you found out, and how it was you were able to find your way back?" He froze slightly when the lift to the hangar deck opened, and he saw Sapphira step off. With a seemingly regal flourish, she came up alongside Cain. "I will repeat my question," Cain said, "What did you find out, and how did you find your way back?" Skyler threw Sapphira the coldest expression he could summon. "Nothing," he said, "Absolutely nothing. I didn't have the fuel to reach the planet. As for making my way back, once I reached Gomorrah I had an extra fuel tank installed and just locked myself on to your exhaust trail." Cain looked over at Sapphira, "Is he telling the truth?" She smiled the faintest of smiles and slowly nodded, "He is." Skyler tried not to frown. Obviously Sapphira knew exactly what he'd gone through, but for whatever reason wasn't going to bring down her wrath on him. At least not yet. "I would not recommend imprisonment," she went on, "The Captain will be needed for the upcoming battle." "Very well," Cain said, "Captain, you're confined to quarters until battle conditions arise. Is that understood?" Skyler stiffened and saluted sharply, "Yes sir!" "Dismissed." With his bearing upright, Skyler walked away from them, wondering what sort of conversations had transpired between Cain and Sapphira concerning him. For now, the best thing for him to do was to play it cool and watch his step. An hour later, Skyler lay in his bunk staring up at the ceiling. Trying to come to grips with what he confronted, and how he was supposed to go about it. Nothing was coming to him. He heard the chime on his door sound, and looked up to see Ham enter the room. "Major," he politely acknowledged. "Actually it's Colonel now," Ham said, "But you couldn't have known about Tolen." Skyler allowed a faint smirk, "I take it that Sapphira exposed him?" "Yes," he nodded, "And quite frankly, I'm amazed she let you off lightly." "I have a feeling she's got other plans for me." Ham lightly wiped away the sweat from his brow, "I really shouldn't be here talking to you, Skyler. But I'll be honest, Sapphira's got me feeing very nervous right now. I shouldn't have any reason to feel that way, and yet...." "What did she do while I was away?" Skyler interrupted. Ham briefly recapitulated the details of Arcta and the pulsar weapon. "Good Lord," Skyler's mouth fell open, "You mean to tell me that this battlestar, all by itself, can now singlehandedly take out the whole Empire?" "Exactly," the colonel nodded, "The whole crew's in the biggest state of bliss they've ever felt. And they all thank her for it." "So why are you bothered, Colonel?" he slowly swung his legs around and came to a sitting position. Ham let out a nervous sigh, "The way she leads Cain around on a leash. It just isn't like Cain to act that way. It just doesn't make sense for him to be so...so...slavish. It makes me wonder if she got him under her thumb through some kind of mind control or something." Skyler let out a mirthless chuckle, "You don't know how close to the truth you really are." "You mean you did find out something?" "Oh yes. I found out everything. Sapphira knows it, but she must think it would be easier to keep me out of the brig for the time being." "Well what is she?" Ham seemed to tense. "Let's see, how does that old Aquarian proverb go? 'A man can walk into Hades with both eyes open--but even the Prince of Darkness can not fool a dagget.'" Ham frowned in blank incomprehension, "Huh?" "I'll put it in perspective," Skyler said, "I'm the only dagget amongst this crew." Slowly, a wave of horror rushed over Ham's face. "I'm not kidding," Skyler went on, "Sit down and listen to the story of the millenia." For the better part of a full hour, Skyler recounted what had happened to him. Throughout it all, Ham never uttered a sound. Only the look of wide-eyed horror revealed his thoughts. "So what do you think?" the captain casually asked, "Am I ready for the insane asylum?" The executive officer slowly shook his head, "I honestly don't know. Do you really think I can easily believe a story as fantastic as that?" "I don't blame you," he admitted, "I don't exactly have any proof. It's my word against the woman who's done so many miraculous things for us. That pretty much leaves me outnumbered." "But what in the name of Kobol do you think she has planned for us? Assuming that you're right." He smiled without mirth, "I don't know. But after what I saw in that wrecked ship, I don't even want to begin contemplating what that might be." Ham sucked in his breath, "I'll keep this under wraps for now. And I guess I'll watch my step too." "We'll have to do more than that," Skyler rolled back on to his bunk, "Thanks for coming by Colonel." The executive officer meekly nodded and left, leaving Skyler alone. Trying hard to think. "Having trouble Captain?" Skyler bolted up and saw the robed form of Sapphira standing in front of him. She had appeared from nowhere without making a sound. Her arms were folded and her desirable mouth was turned in a bemused smirk. He slowly drew himself up and stared at her with cold contempt. "Come come Captain, aren't you going to say anything?" "Why should I?" he softly retorted, "If you're going to kill me, you might as well get it over with." "What makes you think I'd kill you, Captain?" her tone remained bemused, "Do you think that is what I have planned?" "I don't know what you have planned. All I know is that you are pure evil. That's all I need to know." "But what can you do, Captain?" Sapphira taunted back, "What proof do you have? And how could you ever convince the crew? Colonel Tolen is in the brig, and even Colonel Ham isn't willing to trust you completely. And I can assure you that there is no one in the crew who feels as doubtful of me as he does." "So get it over with," his voice took on an aura of disgust, "Go ahead and kill me. See if I care. At least I know I won't suffer the same fate as the victims of that ship on the planet." "Ah yes," she smiled, "They have become most productive servants of my Master." The casual way with which she spoke, completely chilled Skyler. He forced himself back into a sitting position. "One of his greatest successes," she continued, "And the Pegasus will represent the greatest triumph for all eternity." "Better than the Galactica was?" Skyler shot back, "From what your enemies told me, that wasn't one of his finer moments." The smile briefly faded from Sapphira's face. "What exactly happened there?" he tried to go on the offensive, "Did you fail aboard the Galactica? Is that why you're now focusing on the Pegasus? To get even?" "Your comrades aboard the Galactica were lucky," she said softly, "They will not be lucky again. And there will be no failure here, Captain. I control Commander Cain completely. For all eternity, he is mine." "Yes, you've sure played to his emotions real perfect. Filling his need for female companionship. Promising him all the crazy fantasies he's thrived on for yahrens. I got to hand it your Master, Sapphira. Sending you to deal with Cain was a shrewd move. Cain would have seen through a male emissary in ten microns." The smile returned to her face. "But I will say this," he continued, "The fact that you could have met failure aboard the Galactica tells me that I can beat you. And so help me Sapphira, I'm going to figure out what that is." "See if you can," she whispered, "By then it will be too late." And then, she suddenly disappeared. A stunned Skyler dropped back onto his bunk. He should have expected a sight like that, but witnessing it was a sharp reminder of just what he was up against. And he had a sickening feeling that her parting words just might be right. "Status report?" Imperious Leader inquired of Luna. "Still no contact with Gomorrah." The Leader grimaced, "What about the signal to our baseships?" "Nine of our ten baseships acknowledge receiving our unibeam signal. Only number seven remains unaccounted for." This clearly did not please the Cylon ruler, "What more unexpected surprises are we in for? First Baltar reports of a mysterious phenomenon of lights and disappears. Now we lose total contact with a baseship and our outer capital." "What shall you have us do?" Imperious Leader was silent as he tapped his hand against his throne. "I want every outpost between here and Gomorrah to have round-the-clock patrols on constant alert. If some sort of threat is entering our domain, they'll know soon enough what it is." "By your command." "Five more days," Cain whispered in jubilation, "Five more days and the very heart of Cylon civilization will be atomized." "Yes," Sapphira gently encouraged him as she rubbed his shoulders. "I'm still worried about the three outposts that remain between us and Cylon," he went on, "I'd feel better if we eliminated them." She kept rubbing his shoulders, "I've come to agree with you. It's possible that they might become alerted to our presence. Better to test our weapon on them first." "I sometimes wonder if you have some kind of control over that," he looked up at her. "Perhaps," Sapphira smiled coyly, "Would you desire such a test?" He matched her smile, "I think I might." "It shall be done. And you will be one step closer to your dream." "And when that's done Sapphira," Cain skipped a bit, "I'd hope very much that you and I could be sealed." Her smile faded slightly. She continued to rub his shoulders, but said not a word. "Sapphira?" Her smile returned and she gently pulled him to her. "If you desire it," she whispered sensuously, "It shall be yours as well." The Juggernaut looked into her eyes. "I love you," he said, "More than any woman I've ever known. Even more than I loved my wife. You've overfilled all the emptiness in my life." And with that, there were no more words said, as they kissed each other and dissolved into a steady stream of lovemaking that carried them well into the night. From a corner, Count Iblis stood and watched them intently. Everything was proceeding exactly as it should. And yet, as he watched the two of them, the disconcerting feeling he'd sensed earlier in his conversation with Sapphira gradually returned to him. He would keep his eye on her, and make certain that there were no mistakes this time. Chapter Fourteen "Anything new with regard to Gomorrah?" Imperious Leader's voice was detached. "No," Luna hesitated slightly, "But I'm afraid a more distressing development has occurred." "Yes?" his voice perked up. "Outposts one, two and three have suddenly gone silent as well." The Leader rose from his throne and came to within an inch of the IL Cylon. "Nothing?" his tone was incredulous. "Nothing." Imperious Leader began to pace about, "Those outposts are within our own star system. What's going on here?" "I'm afraid our intelligence service is at a loss to explain these mysterious communications blackouts. The only possibilities would defy common sense." He wheeled on Luna, "Yes?" "Well the first would suggest that by an incredible coincidence, communications has failed on baseship seven, Gomorrah, and our three outposts." "And the second?" Again, Luna hesitated. "Out with it!" Imperious Leader demanded. "The second would suggest that a hostile force has entered our region of the universe." The Leader stared at him, "You think this likely?" "Regrettably, there seems no other explanation. And yet, as you know, there is no known potential force capable of this." A long lingering silence filled the air before Imperious Leader finally spoke. "Bring defense forces to full readiness. And continue monitoring the progress of our returning basestars." "By your command." Cain awoke, his arms wrapped around Sapphira's voluptuous form. He softly kissed her on the forehead, and in seconds, she was awake. "Good morning," he smiled at her. "Good morning," she returned it, "So this is the day at long last." "Yes," he sounded exhilarated, "Today the Cylons finally pay for what they did to the colonies." "After your little demonstrations at the outposts, there'll be no question as to the outcome." "And we'll owe it all to you," his voice dripped with love. Sapphira sat upright in the bed, letting her naked torso hang out, "I only advised you. You have carried them out with your usual military genius." He reached over and began to slowly caress her breasts, "This is the last time I want to be a genius," he whispered, "I'm old and I'm tired, Sapphira. When we come through this, it'll be the end of my military career." She let out a sensuous purr in response to his touch, and softly embraced him. "You have so much more ahead of you, Cain," Sapphira said softly, "Victory. Reunion with your loved ones. And beyond that, things that go even beyond your dreams." "I can hardly wait," he kissed her again. And then, their state of passionate bliss was shattered by the sound of the red-alert klaxon. Reluctantly, the Juggernaut let go of her, "I guess it's started. Can we continue this later?" "Absolutely," she smiled back at him. Cain rose and went over to get his uniform. Sapphira continued to lie in the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a satisfied expression. Suddenly, in front of her, she saw an image. The face of Count Iblis staring at her. But it wasn't the handsome human face of Iblis. It was the face of his true form. She stared at the angry visage for what seemed like an eternity. If Iblis had expected her to tremble in horror and submission, he was in for a disappointment. Sapphira did not tremble. She did not bend in submission. Instead, she smiled back at the apparition. A smile of determination and triumph. "We'd better get to the bridge," Cain said as he reentered the room, making the last adjustment to his uniform. "Of course," Sapphira rose from the bed, totally composed, "Give me a centon to dress." She cast another glance at the ceiling. She saw Iblis's human face slowly return. The anger had been replaced by an expression of bewilderment. Moments later, as Sapphira followed Cain out, she shot another glance behind her and smiled winsomely at the apparition, as if in triumph. She quickly turned away, "There is one thing you should do, that I think will ease your conscience about..." The door closed, cutting off her words. And then, Iblis suddenly emerged in the room. Never before had he felt so bewildered. "What is this?!" he raged, "What is this?" But there was no one to answer. For now. The thick steel door opened, and the corridor lights streamed inside the cell. The sudden return of the light caused Tolen to back up against the wall. "Get on your feet Colonel," the guard said, "Cain's letting you out." Slowly, the one-time confidant of the Juggernaut got to his feet, "Why?" "You'll have to ask him," the guard said, "He wants you on the bridge now." Slowly, Tolen's eyes adjusted to the red glare of the alert lights, "What's happening?" The guard broke into a grin, "We're giving a little thank-you present to the Imperious Leader for what he did for humanity at the Peace Conference." Slowly, it dawned on Tolen, "I'll be damned," he whispered. And with that, he slowly made his way for the turbo-lift. As Skyler rode the tram down to the launch bay, he could hear the sounds of his fellow pilots, full of excitement and eager anticipation. Knowing what he knew however, produced a note of caution inside the squadron commander. Perhaps the victory they'd all hoped for would come, but what would be the terrible price Sapphira would exact? He shuddered as the memory of what he'd seen in the wrecked ship came back to him. He knew exactly what was going to happen. And how he could prevent that, he had no idea. "What's happening? Why the Red Alert?" Cain asked as he and Sapphira entered the bridge command center. "We're 2500 microns out from Cylon," Ham said, "And we just ran into one of their advance patrols. Silver Spar's gone out to intercept." "Good, good," Cain nodded. "If they have a patrol out though, they might have their deep scan on us. They probably know we're here now." "Well that won't make a difference with our weaponry," the Juggernaut exuded confidence, "Keep us on course. When we're down to 500 microns, we'll unleash our new weapon." At that point, a weary looking Tolen entered the bridge and made his way up to the command center. "Reporting as requested, sir," he saluted limply. His voice flat. "Glad you're here Tolen," Cain's tone was gentle, "I wanted you to see once and for all how wrong you've been. Thanks to Sapphira, you're about to see the heart of Cylon civilization destroyed in a matter of centons." "Terrific," he murmured. "Shouldn't that remove the doubts, Tolen?" Cain persisted, "This is what all of us have dreamed about for yahrens." The former executive officer shot a glance at Sapphira, who stood there smiling winsomely at him. "If you don't mind sir, I'll reserve judgment until after the battle." "And if we are victorious, Colonel?" Sapphira spoke for the first time. Tolen sucked in his breath, "Then I will get down on bended knee and beg your forgiveness." "So be it," she moved over to the computer monitor, her white robes fluttering as she moved, "Come and see for yourself." "Here they come," Skyler radioed the other pilots, "Twelve ships in all. Looks like an advance defense perimeter." "We're ready to atomize them, skipper," Ryan eagerly responded. "Okay, let's head on in." With that, the first shots of the battle of Cylon were exchanged. In the control center of the Imperial Palace, Luna felt his circuits tense as he saw Imperious Leader march into the room. "Well?" he demanded. Luna summoned all his intelligence to strength, "Our outer fighter perimeter has encountered a squadron of Colonial vipers." "Colonial vipers?" the Leader was thunderstruck, "That's impossible." "I'm afraid it's true." "Sir," one of the centurions at the consoles turned around. "What is it?" Luna looked at him. "Scanners show a single battlestar approaching the planet. 2000 microns and closing." Now Luna was at a total loss for words. "The Galactica," was all the IL Cylon could utter. But Imperious Leader vigorously shook his head. "No," he said, "Not the Galactica. She's too far away." "Then what..." "The Pegasus," his tone grew angry, "It's the Pegasus." Luna was baffled, "But the Pegasus was destroyed more than two yahrens ago," ""No," the Leader kept shaking his head, "Her destruction was never confirmed. Only assumed." He paused and stared at the scanner, "So the legendary Commander Cain has returned from the dead again. Get all our fighters launched immediately and bring our anti-assault batteries to full power." "They're launching their entire defense force," Tolen observed. "Keep us at top speed," Cain tapped his swagger stick, "We'll drive right through them. Stand by to fire the pulsar batteries." "1000 microns to planet range," Ham reported, "Cylon defense force, 20 microns and closing." "Activate pulsar at five micron intervals!" the Juggernaut barked. "Arm weapons and stand by to attack," the command pilot of the lead Cylon fighter ordered. Suddenly, without any warning, a massive explosion incinerated the fighter to their right. "What was that?" the command pilot demanded. Before either of the two pilots could answer, another explosion destroyed them as well. Imperious Leader was shocked as he watched the progress of the battle unfold on the scanners. "Our fighters are being blasted out of the stars, and yet they're not close enough for the Pegasus' laser turrets. And their are no vipers there," he shook his head, "What's going on?" "One of our fighters reports that the Pegasus has some form of a pulsar weapon," a centurion reported. "A pulsar weapon?" the Leader's bewilderment deepened, "No battlestar has that type of weaponry." "She's broken through our defense screen," a note of alarm crept into Luna's voice, "This does not look good." "500 microns and closing." With the outer patrol disposed of, the forty-one vipers headed into the planet. Simultaneously, the Pegasus moved in as well. And despite all of his anxieties, Skyler couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction as he led the vipers in. Finally, four yahrens after the destruction of the colonies, it was truly payback time. From inside the Palace, Imperious Leader heard the first muffled sounds of explosion. And then, they gradually picked up in intensity. "Your Eminence," Luna said with concern, "It might be best for your safety if you went down into the bunker complex." The Leader remained motionless and mute. Suddenly, another explosion erupted, this time shaking some plaster from the ceiling. "Your Eminence," Luna pleaded. Imperious Leader let out a dejected sigh, "Very well. Keep a direct channel open to my quarters." Slowly, the Leader made his way to the turbo lift that would take him to his well-fortified bunker. As he entered it, another explosion sent a shower of sparks from the computers. "Incredible," he mouthed as the doors swiftly shut. "Our vipers are hitting them pretty good," Ham tried to keep his voice level, "Their anti-assault batteries are holding up but they probably won't much longer. Only one ship lost so far." Cain hunched over the railing, "All right," he said firmly, "Let's move in for the kill. Make one sweep around the planet and keep firing the pulsar at every possible micron." Behind him, Tolen looked over at Sapphira, who continued to smile winsomely at him. The long days he'd spent in the cell had slowly eaten away at his resolve. For the first time he'd felt doubts enter his mind about his attitude toward Sapphira. And now, he was seeing the Cylon capital destroyed. The ones who had destroyed his family in the raid on the colonies were paying the price at last. He had never expected Sapphira to continue things this far. He'd expected her to make her move before this point. But nothing was happening. Only something wonderful. Slowly, he came over to her and looked at her with an expression of tortured regret. "Forgive me," he whispered, "I was wrong." Sapphira put her hand on his shoulder, "You are forgiven, Colonel," she said in her soothing, lilting voice, "You shall be well-rewarded for your faith." "She has entered the atmosphere and destroyed all our anti-assault batteries," Luna's voice crackled over the monitor. "I see," Imperious Leader sounded detached, his voice full of resignation, "Can you get a preliminary damage assessment?" "The city's on fire," Luna stopped as another explosion rocked the command center, "So is every other city on the planet. Planetary communications have been destroyed. The situation is absolutely hopeless." "Is the recall signal to our baseships still being transmitted?" "It was knocked out a centon ago." "No matter," Imperious Leader leaned back in his throne, "They will return." "Even when they do sir, I am afraid it will be quite hopeless. The firepower of that pulsar could easily destroy all our baseships..." Abruptly, the transmission ceased and Imperious Leader felt the room shake around him. In an instant, he realized that the Imperial Palace had taken a direct hit. The leader of the mightiest Empire in the universe was now completely cut off and totally alone. Even worse, Imperious Leader knew all too well that the very nerve center of his Empire had been shattered. The home planet housed the administrative and command center of the Empire. More important, it housed the manufacturing center that created the Cylon army and war machine. Only here could new centurions and new warships be built. Alone, in his darkened bunker, Imperious Leader now had to admit the unthinkable. His dream of total Cylon order throughout the universe had now been set back by hundreds, if not thousands of yahrens. The Pegasus made two more orbits of the planet, firing its pulsar at regular intervals. Finally, when it became clear that there was no activity on the planet except for the raging fires, Cain recalled all the fighters and secured the Pegasus from battle stations. The battle of Cylon was now over. "Full scan of the planet shows nothing operating," Ham said with hidden jubilation. "Glorious," Cain whispered with a large smile on his face, "Absolutely glorious." He straightened himself and spoke loudly so everyone on the bridge could hear him, "All right everyone, let the celebration begin!" A chorus of excited cheers went up. A giddy, festive atmosphere took hold over the entire bridge. Cain looked over at Tolen, who seemed deflated by the whole experienc. He smiled at his old friend and took him in a fraternal embrace. "It's all right, old friend," he said, "Everything's all right now." "Yes," Tolen seemed on the verge of tears, "By all the Lords, yes." Cain turned to Sapphira, who was still smiling in triumph. "Well my love," he extended his arm, "Shall you join me?" "Yes," she nodded, "I..." Sapphira suddenly stopped and her expression grew tense. "Is something wrong?" Cain asked with concern. "No," she straightened herself, "I need some privacy. I'll join you in a centar." "Very well," he said, "I'll wait." She turned and with her robes fluttering, she left the bridge. "Commander, I'm really sorry," Tolen said as he came alongside Cain, "You were right all along." "It's done," he said abruptly, "It's done. You have your rank and your old post back. Nothing more needs to be said about it. Ever." "What will be next for us?" "Next?" Cain smiled, "Next, my dear Tolen, will find us on a homecoming journey." He looked at the Juggernaut, "All the way back home?" he asked, "Back to the colonies?" "Exactly." Once Sapphira had entered Cain's quarters, she promptly looked about and called out, "Show yourself." When Iblis appeared, there was a look of both anger and betrayal on his face. Sapphira folded her arms and seemed to smirk at him. Iblis's expression only deepened. Finally, she broke the silence, "Yes?" "What are you up to?" he whispered, "Just what are you up to?" "Are you worried about something?" her voice seemed to taunt him. "I sense disobedience in you," Iblis hissed, "I sense the disobedience of a fool who dares to think that she can usurp my authority." "Your authority?" Sapphira scoffed and began to pace about, "What good is your authority? What success has it brought you?" "Hold your tongue," Iblis spat, "Remember who you are speaking to." "I know who I am speaking to," Sapphira looked him in the eye, "A fool who couldn't succeed at the simple task of enlisting the Galactica. An overconfident imbecile who stumbled and looked foolish. I, on the other hand, have succeeded by avoiding the very mistakes you made. I am also the one responsible for the seeds of future success with Dr. Ravashol and his people. That would indicate to me that I am more than your equal. I am your superior." He moved up to within an inch of her, "Once, you were a mere mortal whose existence meant nothing. Three hundred yahrens ago, you gave yourself to me. I made you. I gave you a place by my side. You were, and are, nothing without me." "Just as you were nothing once," she retorted without changing her expression, "When you were but an insginificant member of our enemy. There have been so many like you, Count Iblis. Yourself, the one named Satan who holds dominion over that planet the Galactica is headed for. You have done well before, but your time has passed." Iblis slowly backed away from her, barely concealing the look of venomous hatred in his expression. "You shall suffer greatly for this," he spat, "Do not think you can escape my wrath." "I don't fear you," she refused to be impressed, "So long as I control the situation, you are powerless against me. I have succeeded in enslaving the Pegasus for myself. And it is I, who will enslave Dr. Ravashol's people and the Galactica as well. They shall be my servants. Not yours. And once I am through, I think my legions shall be sufficient to handle any action you might consider taking against me." "I will not allow this!" he roared, "Commander Cain is to be my servant! I will not allow you to deny me my chance of revenge on the Galactica!" "Ah yes, your eternal fixation with Sheba," Sapphira enjoyed watching his outburst, "Your greatest failure. You had plans for her. The very plans I now have for her father. But for you, Sheba will forever remain an unfulfilled dream. I control events now." "Perhaps for now," the Dark One struggled to regain the initiative, "But should you lose control of the Pegasus then your claims of superiority are forfeit. The restraints I am under now will no longer be valid." "That day will not come," she smiled, "Colonel Tolen has now been neutralized and Captain Skyler is powerless. Nothing stands in my way now." Trembling with rage, Iblis disappeared. Alone, Sapphira allowed herself a soft laugh of triumph. Chapter Fifteen Skyler felt emotionally drained as he entered the merriment and celebration that was going on in the Officers Club. He had allowed himself a brief period of satisfaction as he had watched the Cylon capital burn, but now the unease had returned. He alone, knew what Sapphira had in store for the Pegasus, and he felt powerless to do anything about it. As he got his drink, he did a doubletake when he saw Tolen sitting by himself at a corner booth. He cautiously made his way over. "Colonel?" he inquired gently. Tolen dimly looked up. His eyes were red, and his expression was of one who had obviously had too much to drink. "Can I join you?" Silver Spar leader sat down. Tolen let out a drunken giggle. "Go right ahead," he slurred, "It's the time for everyone to mingle together." "Colonel," Skyler grabbed Tolen's glass, trying to keep him from taking another drink, "Are you interested in knowing what I found out about Sapphira?" "Hey, hey take your hands off," the executive officer protested, "A man's drinks are his own." "Colonel," Skyler quietly pleaded, "Don't you remember?" "Oh yeah," Tolen slurred his words again, "I remember. My curiosity that got me in the brig. But I'll tell you something Skyler. I don't give a daggit's felgercarb anymore about Sapphira and who she is. Because now I know that Cain had the right idea. Lucky man, the commander." Oh God, Skyler thought with sickening horror. Don't tell me Tolen is gone too. He can't be gone. "Colonel," he went on, "You don't know what you're saying." "Yes I do," the colonel looked away from him, "I was flat-out wrong. Sapphira is a force for good. I never would have expected her to let us destroy the Cylon capital, but she did. We've gotten the greatest miracle in the face of the universe handed to us. She's made every one of Cain's nutty ideas come true. That's all there is to it." "No," Skyler grabbed Tolen's hand, "Don't you understand, Colonel? It's all part of that gigantic trap we talked about. God, can't you listen? I was there. I saw everything. I know what she is." But the executive officer did not comprehend him. His expression remained that of one in a drunken stupor. "Forget it Skyler," he slowly shook his head, "I don't think you saw anything. We were both wrong. That's all there is to it." "No it isn't!" the captain grabbed him by the arm and forced him back into his seat, "Pull yourself together, Colonel. Listen to what I've got to say." Tolen's glazed eyes blinked, "I'm listening. Is that okay with all of you?" Skyler began to feel noticeably awkward when he realized that the second statement wasn't directed at him. Slowly, he turned around and saw Paris and Banker staring at him with cold expressions. "It's okay with me, Colonel," Paris said, "I'm really interested." "Me too," Banker's tone was only slightly less cold, "Suppose you tell us, Captain?" Skyler stared at them for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he threw up his hands in disgust. "Forget it," he said, "You'd never believe me. You're all under her thumb for eternity. I guess there's nothing I can do about that." "I'd be interested to know what you had in mind," Paris refused to let him off the hook, "After all Captain, you used to take pride in telling us what you might do if we ever thought about mutiny." "I'm not planning any mutinies, Paris," Skyler shot back, "I'm only interested in the truth. And if you knew what it was, you'd be scared out of your boots, just like I am. But if you prefer to be safe and comfortable kissing-up to Sapphira, then I guess I shouldn't disrupt your tranquility." With that, he turned and walked out of the club. Paris slowly shook his head, "What did getting lost in space do to him?" "Who knows?" Tolen slurred as he raised his glass and downed another drink, "Nothing I care about anymore. Only thing that matters is that we're going to win the war." And with that, the festive atmosphere returned. Alone and back in his quarters, Skyler angrily walked up to the porthole and stared out at the starry void. "You didn't tell me enough," he whispered angrily, "Why didn't you tell me what it is I'm supposed to do? I am lost. I am absolutely lost." He dropped on to his bunk and looked up at the ceiling. "Think," he muttered, "Think hard. Go back over everything you heard. Go back over everything she said." For the better part of an hour, he lay in silence. Trying to utilize all of his mental faculties. Occasionally, he shot a glance to the side as if he half expected to see Sapphira suddenly appear. And wondering if she might--- He stopped and frowned. His mind went back to the last time he'd seen her. What had he said to her? What had been his first instinct? Of course. He'd been afraid that she was going to kill her. His first words had been a glum "Go ahead and kill me." What had she said to that? She'd said...nothing. Why had she said nothing about that? Why had she changed the subject elsewhere? Was there a reason why she had steered clear of that subject? What if.... He suddenly bolted upright. "Wait a centon," he said, "Wait a centon. Maybe that's it." It wasn't much to go on, but for now there was nothing else he could think of. And with precious time running out, he knew he couldn't wait for another idea to occur to him. "Do you know where I can find the Commander?" Skyler's tone was urgent as he entered the bridge. Ham frowned slightly, "He's gone to the celestial dome with Sapphira." "I see. Thank you," Silver Spar Leader politely nodded and he quickly left the bridge. It took a moment before Ham suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with Skyler several days before. He wondered if he had just made a serious mistake. As Skyler walked down the corridor that led to the celestial dome airlock, he suddenly passed Paris, who was just emerging from the Officers Club. "Hey," the dark-haired lieutenant called after him, "Where are you going?" Skyler ignored him as he reached the airlock and began opening it. "Cain and Sapphira are up there," Paris tried to get his attention, "I don't think you should be bothering them." The squadron leader looked back at him and shook his head in amazement. "Paris," he said nonchalantly, "I could care less what you think. Come to think of it, I've never thought much of you at all. You are without question, a genuine pain in the ass." Paris flushed and he took a step toward him, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" "Strange as it may seem, Paris, I'm about to save your soul. You'll thank me for it later." Paris moved closer to him, "You're not going up there." "Oh yes I am," Skyler moved away from the airlock. And then, the squadron leader came at the lieutenant with a solid blow to the jaw that instantly left Paris on the floor and totally unconscious. Slowly, Skyler sucked in his breath as he went back to the airlock and opened the hatch. "This is the highest spot you can get on a battlestar," Cain said as he led Sapphira around the open celestial dome, "From here, the view is unobstructed and endless." "It is impressive," she nodded. They came to a stop and the Juggernaut let out a contented sigh. "Well we're on our way for the colonies," he smiled, "In one sectan, the last of the Cylon installations will be gone." "By then, the baseship fleet will have returned as well," Sapphira said, "The last phase is fast approaching." "Yes," Cain drew in his breath, "And then, all the other things you've promised?" "Of course," her voice was tender and understanding, "Everything. Our sealing. And then, the Galactica. Reunion with Sheba." "It all seems like a beautiful dream," he said, "A beautiful dream with no end." "I wouldn't bet on any of that sir," a voice suddenly sounded from below. "What the--" Cain looked down and saw a determined Skyler mounting the steps and into the celestial dome. "Captain what is the meaning of this?" the commander spluttered angrily. Skyler ignored Cain's angry stare. His gaze was focused on Sapphira. He noted with interest that for the first time, she wasn't exuding any sense of power or certainty. Wasn't putting him in place with one of her winsome smiles. He sensed that maybe, the hunch he was about to play was correct. "You seem nervous, Sapphira," he went on, "And I know you can read my mind. Have I stumbled on to the truth about your weakness?" "You are bordering on treason, Captain!" Cain shouted. "Am I?" Skyler gently retorted, "In that case Commander, I suggest that Sapphira administer the proper sentence of death." "You are mad," the Juggernaut was incredulous. Skyler ignored him and continued to stare at Sapphira, "Go ahead Sapphira," he tried to imitate the taunting tone he was so used to hearing from her, "Demonstrate your power and kill me." "Maybe that's what you deserve," Cain hissed, "If that's what you want, maybe you should die." Suddenly, Cain removed his laser pistol from his holster and pointed it at Skyler. The captain froze. This was something he hadn't factored into the equation. He looked at Sapphira who was now breaking into a triumphant smile. "I see," he whispered, trying not to show any fear, "That's your way out. You can't kill me, but someone else can do it for you. Is that a loophole in the rules for you?" With a confident aura, Sapphira gently leaned herself against Cain. "I think the Captain's endless babbling should cease, my love." "I would agree," Cain wrapped his finger around the trigger. Skyler knew he had only seconds to think. He had to think of something that would get Cain to stop. Something to get through to him. But at that moment, his mind was a total blank. And then, in a split instant he realized he had to direct his mind elsewhere and anticipate the shot. Cain pressed the trigger and fired. Skyler impulsively leapt to his right, hoping he'd anticipate it in time. He ended up leaving no margin of error as the laser blast whizzed less than a half inch above his left arm as he crashed to the floor and rolled away from where Cain and Sapphira stood. "I guess my aim's a little off," Cain's voice was cold and nonchalant as he took two steps toward where Skyler struggled to get to his feet. Skyler could hear Cain's approaching footsteps as well as a soft chuckle of triumph from Sapphira. There were still no ideas coming to him. He made a mental countdown from three and rolled to his right just before another blast from Cain struck the area of the floor he'd laid on. Already, he could feel the rapid exertion taking its toll on his body. He couldn't keep this up and win. Sooner or later, Cain had to finally hit his target. The sound of Cain's footsteps drew closer. The Lords forgive me, he thought with anguish. He had been the last hope for the Pegasus and he'd blown his chance on a foolish, impulsive thought. A horrible fate now awaited all of his friends and crewmates aboard the Pegasus. And then, a similar fate would probably be in store for everyone else on the Galactica.... In a flash, it came to him. Something the beings had told him about in an off-handed manner. "Commander!" he looked up at Cain's imposing form, "Before you pull that trigger again, I suggest you ask Sapphira about what happened to Sheba aboard the Galactica!" Cain's hand froze. His expression was still angry and determined, but Skyler could tell that he had struck a nerve. He only prayed that Cain's devotion to his daughter outweighed the devotion he'd given to Sapphira. "What are you talking about?" his voice was a hoarse whisper. "He is about to tell you a lie, Cain," Sapphira cut in, "More lies to try and turn you against me. Lies that will prevent your dreams from being ful-" But Cain suddenly pushed her to one side. "Captain," he brushed the pistol against Skyler's face, "I'm going to listen to what you have to say. And if I'm not impressed by it, then you are dead. Do you understand me?" "Perfectly, sir!" Skyler sucked in his breath as he struggled to his feet. "There is no need for this!" Sapphira shouted. Cain stared at her, his expression growing quizzical, "Why should you fear this, Sapphira?" he asked, "Especially if what he says will be a lie?" He turned back to Skyler and waved the pistol at him, "All right Captain, talk." "Sapphira is an agent of evil," his words came out rapidly, "She was sent by her Master Mephistopholes. The Prince of Darkness. Sent to enslave each and everyone of us for eternity." Sapphira suddenly broke into a loud laugh, "Cain, how could you believe such nonsense?" The Juggernaut looked at her. There was a disbelieving expression on his face. "Yes Cain," her voice grew tender, "Think of all you and I have shared together. Could you believe such foolishness? You know me. You have been close to me." "That was the whole plan, Commander," Skyler jumped in, "Her Master wanted her to play off your emotions the same way he did off Sheba." At the mention of his daughter's name, Cain's head jerked back toward Skyler. "Her master tried to do to the Galactica what she's doing to us now," he went on, "Unleashing Sapphira on you is his way of trying to get control of Sheba again. Commander, when that reunion with the Galactica comes, your daughter's soul will be as dead as yours is now!" "You can not believe such lies, Cain," for the first time Sapphira's voice was cracking, "Kill him." "If they are lies then why don't you kill me, Sapphira?" Skyler shouted, "Why must Cain do the dirty work for you? If I tell lies, then you strike me down." She seemed panicked as she looked pleadingly at Cain, "Cain!" The Juggernaut's expression was one of tortured confusion. Of someone being pulled at from all sides and not knowing which way to go. "How could I believe such a story?" his voice cracked, "How could I believe that the woman I love, the one who has made all my dreams possible, the one who has done so much good? How could I? But..." he forced himself to look at Sapphira, "But why don't you strike him down? Why do you fear..." he stopped, unable to go on. Suddenly, the celestial dome was filled with the sound of a loud, boisterous laugh. Cain and Skyler looked about in bewilderment. Sapphira though, seemed frozen with fear. The laughter continued. It came from an upper walkway of the dome. With their mouths hanging open, they saw the shape of a man emerge. Iblis seemed triumphant as he looked down at them, "And you dared to claim that you had made no mistakes! That you were superior to me!" There was only pure shock and disbelief on both Cain's and Skyler's faces. "Who...are...you?" the Commander barely managed to whisper. Iblis looked down at him and continued to laugh, "I feel as if I've always known you, Commander. That is to say, your daughter is the very image of you." Cain's muscles locked, "What, what in the name of all that's holy did you do to my daughter?" "Nothing that should concern you for the present," Iblis was nonchalant, "She escaped from me once. But I told her that there would be another time, and another place." He then turned his attention to Sapphira, "However, it is clear that you, my dear pupil, have made that other time a permanent impossibility. This is the price of your disobedience. You have lost control, Sapphira. And now you will pay the consequences of your failure." Skyler felt a wave of terror rush over him when he saw Sapphira's expression suddenly grow taut, and a look of pure evil and hate come over her. "You have no right to judge me," her voice was filled with venom, and Cain, never hearing this tone in her before suddenly took two steps away from her, "I will not accept any judgment from you." "Oh yes you will," Iblis retorted. Cain continued to back away from her, retreating to where Skyler was standing. "What is this?" he whispered, "This is madness. Absolute madness." "You have no power over me," Sapphira shouted back at Iblis, "I am supreme now. I have not repeated your foolish mistakes. You will exact nothing over me." "Sapphira!" Cain cried. She looked back at him and a sympathetic expression returned to her face. "A pity your faith was not strong enough," she said, "There were so many possibilities that lay ahead for us. You would have become my favorite." "For what?" it took all his strength to speak, "In God's name what?" "Control of the universe," Sapphira sighed as if contemplating a lost dream, "You and I, Cain. Together, we would have reigned supreme." And then, she turned away from him. "Were you really a human being once?" Cain called after her, still in a state of near shock, "How could you have become what you are?" But this time there was no answer, as Sapphira continued walking away from him. Cain stared at her in mute horror. His horror increased when she suddenly spread out her arms, and floated into the air, rising up. Higher and higher into the dome until she was level with where Iblis was. Iblis, his expression determined floated out so that they were separated by only a few feet. Below, Cain and Skyler were both filled with a terror that neither had ever known before. It was an incredulous sight to see the two white-garbed figures floating in the high reaches of the dome, with the myriad openness of space and the millions of stars in the background, only heightening the eeriness of the scene. "So this is how it ends," Sapphira said as she looked Iblis in the eye. "Yes," he nodded, "Goodbye." A burst of light erupted from his hands at her. Simultaneously, another burst from Sapphira's hands went toward him. Iblis's bolt struck Sapphira in the face, ripping away a portion of her lovely human countenance. And revealing something entirely different underneath. "My God," Cain almost screamed, "My God!" Skyler felt as if he was going to be sick. Yet neither of them could summon the strength to move. Sapphira countered Iblis move, and a blast from her completely tore away the top of his humanoid head, revealing his true appearance as wel. Now, the two of them darted about the upper reaches of the dome hurling more bolts at each other. The force of the explosive bolts suddenly caused the Pegasus to lurch violently. "Commander, we've got to get out of here!" Skyler managed to grab Cain by the arm and he struggled to get to the ladder. Cain refused to move. He was totally transfixed by the horrible sight of the battle. Of seeing Sapphira's human flesh flailed away more and more, and revealing more of her true self. An image that Cain recognized all too well from the sacred Book of the Word. "Sir!" Skyler yanked at his arm. Slowly, the Juggernaut lowered his head and followed him down the ladder. When he reached the bottom, Skyler dragged Cain out and sealed the airlock as fast as he could. Around them, there was pandemonium in the hallways, as the red alert glow filled the corridor, and the sound of violent explosions continued to erupt. From the intercom, Ham's panicked voice filled the air. "Stay away from all electrical circuitry! Stay away from all electrical circuitry! Something's happ--" A shower of sparks erupted from the intercom, cutting off Ham's words. And then, a violent explosion from somewhere within the great battlestar threw both Cain and Skyler to the floor. "Lords of Kobol," Skyler whispered, "The pulsar." There was no reaction from Cain. Only a stunned expression of a man in deep shock. "Commander," Skyler looked at him with concern. Just then, another explosion erupted. And then, Cain buried his head in his arms and began to sob. "Oh God," he whimpered, "What have I done?" "Sir, there was nothing you---" Skyler stopped and got to his feet. Something outside the porthole had caught his attention. He felt an immense feeling of relief when he saw that it was one of the lights. Another light whizzed past. Then another. Feeling elated, he ran back to the airlock that led to the celestial dome and pounded on it. "You're both finished!" he shouted, "You're both finished! They're here! The Powers both of you fear! They're here!" From inside, the sounds of screaming could be heard. The most hideous, bloodcurdling sounds that Skyler had ever heard in all of his life. He understood what it meant. By waging their battle inside the Pegasus, they endangered the battlestar. By endangering the battlestar, they endangered the life of someone they didn't control. Himself. The two of them had stepped outside their guidelines. Now, they were both about to receive the punishment from those who could administer it. The light outside the window grew even more blinding. Skyler felt himself breaking into a smile of victory and triumph just as he blacked out. Far away, Lucifer walked through the ruins of the Imperial Palace and tried desperately to come to terms with the situation. The discovery of what had happened at Gomorrah had been an enormous shock, but this exceeded anything he'd ever been programmed to comprehend. The command centurion Cannes came up to him, "Our parties confirm our survey readings. Total and complete destruction." "Is there anything salvageable?" the IL Cylon tried not to hide the incredulousness in his voice. "None," Cannes shook his head. At another corner of the room, two centurions struggled to clear away some debris. Once it was removed, they signalled Lucifer over. "By your command," the first one said, "We have found the hatch to the bunker." "Open it. Quickly," Lucifer motioned urgently. The centurions struggled with the hatch for more than a minute until it finally came open. Almost immediately, a thoroughly subdued Imperious Leader emerged. "Your Eminence," Lucifer bowed, "We had feared the worst." "So you've arrived," the Leader's voice was flat, "And the rest of the fleet?" "All baseships are here except for number seven." "Probably destroyed then," the Cylon ruler sighed, "Gomorrah?" "Destroyed." Imperious Leader looked down and shook his head, "What about the colonies?" "We have received word from them that there has been no attack there." "That will probably change," he said flatly, "Commander Cain is no doubt headed there right now." Lucifer was thunderstruck, "Did I hear you correctly?" "You did," Imperious Leader looked about the ruins of the palace, "This was all done by the Pegasus." "Incredible," Lucifer shook his head. "There is no time to waste, Lucifer," the Cylon ruler drew himself up into a posture of authority, "We must get under way immediately." And with that, the Imperious Leader left his seat of power for the last time. Chapter Sixteen Slowly, Skyler opened his eyes. When he did, he found a scene that was strangely quiet. A marked contrast to the chaos and pandemonium that had filled the battlestar only moments before. He went over and nudged Cain's motionless form. "Commander?" Slowly, Cain stirred and got to his feet. He leaned back against the wall and let out a long exhale. "It's over sir," Skyler said, "It's all over." The Juggernaut drew up his shoulders and looked at him. His expression was blank and hollow. "Sir?" Skyler shook him slightly. It took a great deal of effort for him to speak, "I'll be in my quarters," he said, "Get me a full damage report when its available." Skyler bit his lip and saluted, "Yes sir." And then, Cain turned and walked toward the turbo lift. Walking slowly with the heavy steps that an old man might take. Several hours later, both Skyler and a coldly sober Tolen entered Cain's quarters. The commander was seated at his desk, his hand on his chin, staring blankly with little comprehension of anything. "Sir?" Skyler said aloud. He slowly looked up. "Oh yes," his voice was distant, "Damage report?" "The pulsar's gone completely," the executive officer said, "It exploded and caused the worst of the damage. Our teams are repairing two hull breaches." Cain dimly nodded, "Anything else?" "Apart from that, things aren't so bad," Skyler said, "No damage to engines, vipers or other weaponry." "But the pulsar's beyond all repair," a note of glumness entered Cain's tone. Tolen shook his head, "Sir, it's nothing but a pile of junk now." Cain closed his eyes. "It's all over then," he seemed like he was in another universe, "Our only means of winning is gone forever now." "I'm afraid so," there was nothing else Skyler could say. An uneasy silence filled the room. "How could this have happened?" Cain asked aloud, "How could I have allowed this to happen?" "Sir," Tolen's voice was empathetic, "Even I'd come to believe in Sapphira too. You weren't alone." Cain smiled mirthlessly at him, "I should have listened to you then, Tolen," he sighed, "I am so sorry for what I did to you." "It wasn't your fault," the executive officer went on, "Sapphira played off an emotional longing that all of us felt. We were a desperate crew all searching for a glimmer of hope. Even if you'd rejected her, she would have come up with another way of taking control. She'd have had Paris or one of the others organize a mutiny that would have put her in charge." "It's not the same," Cain bolted to his feet, "It's not the same. My God, do you realize what I did with her? I loved her. I slept with her. With someone who was...." he shuddered. "I know," Skyler nodded, shuddering at the memory of the corpse in the wrecked ship and the sight of Sapphira's true form. "I know. But Commander, you can't change that. We've all got to pull ourselves together and try to salvage what we can out of this." "What is there left?" the commander sank back in his chair, "We're finished. All the hopes. All the dreams gone." Skyler shook his head in disgust, "Sir, from a practical standpoint of what's been accomplished, nothing has changed. The losses we've inflicted on the Cylons haven't changed and never will. We've succeeded in what your original plan called for." "I haven't been operating under the original plan for sectans," Cain sounded bitter, "Ever since, my hopes have been based on winning. On seeing the Galactica again. Seeing Sheba again. Now that's gone forever." "So it is," Skyler refused to let up, "But I don't think that should turn the legendary Commander Cain into a quitter." Cain looked up at him and smiled thinly at him, "I'm not willing to call myself a legend anymore. If there's one good thing that's come out of this whole sick ordeal, it's the fact that I've been shocked into rediscovering my own basic humanity." He turned around in his chair and looked out into space, "I never told any of you the real reason why I took us on this crusade in the first place." "Security for the Galactica," Tolen said. Cain turned around and shook his head, "That was the explanation for your benefit. But there was another reason for why I wouldn't let us stay with the Galactica and go looking for Earth. And that was my determination to keep on fighting the war no matter what. I justified it on the grounds that I didn't think Earth would be strong enough to help us, but the truth is I'd have done the same thing even if I knew for a fact that Earth would be the key." The two listened to him with rapt attention. "Ever since Adama told me the full story about the destruction of the colonies, I've carried a terrible burden in my heart about not having been there to prevent it. For all that time, I've been convinced that I would have prevented it if I'd been there." "Sir, we weren't in a position to help," Tolen said, "At the time, you knew that the entire Cylon fleet was lined up between Molocay and the colonies waiting for us to go back. If you hadn't taken us out into deep space, we wouldn't have survived." "I'm not sure of that," Cain folded his hands, "I've sometimes wondered if I was just more interested in the challenge of deep space instead of trying to find a way home. I...well there was a decision awaiting me back home that I didn't want to confront at the time. I have a feeling that played a role in more ways than one." Tolen and Skyler frowned at him. "I had a girl back home I was seeing. A girl named Cassiopeia," Cain went on, "We'd...had our thing for a couple of yahrens and it had reached the point where I knew I had to marry her at some point. And...well Sheba despised her. She barely tolerated the relationship and I knew that if I'd married Cassiopeia, it might have driven a permanent wedge between us. And....I have the feeling that if I hadn't had that burden hanging over me, I might have made a greater effort to get us home back then. And if we'd been home, then maybe something could have been done to prevent the destruction of the colonies." He looked up at the two of them, "That's why I was determined to have us take out as much of the Empire as I thought I could. I was more interested in avenging my pride then the Galactica's well-being. And I played with the lives of my crew as if they didn't matter a damn." Tolen and Skyler were both at a loss for words. "But as a result of this nightmare, I know better now," Cain sighed, "My experience with Sapphira makes me realize that I probably couldn't have done much even if I had been there. I would have probably been caught up in all the euphoria for peace and the end of the war that Adar and the Council of Twelve got into, just like I got caught up in the euphoria of thinking that Sapphira was going to win the war for us. I reacted no differently than they did to Baltar's offering of peace." Tolen lowered his head as the memory of an earlier conversation with Cain in the brig came back to him. "So here I am, with my humility restored, and no clue as to where to take us from here," Cain sighed, "There's not much left." "You have to make your decision now," Skyler said with understanding, but with just as much firmness, "The entire Cylon basestar fleet is going to catch up with us in about a sectan." "I know," Cain said, "Assemble the warriors in the briefing room. I'll be down in twenty centons." "I'll pass the word," Tolen said. And with that, he and Skyler turned and left, leaving the Juggernaut to his own thoughts. All of the warriors gathered in the briefing room were in a subdued mood. Waiting for Cain to explain everything to them. When the Juggernaut entered, Tolen let out a loud, "Ten-hut!" The warriors got to their feet, and stood at erect attention as Cain made his way to the podium. Skyler noticed right away that Cain seemed more self-confident than when he'd left him in his quarters. The commander's walk had the old brisk swagger to it. The iron jaw was there again, the face filled with the old determination of a leader. "Be seated," Cain said with the tone of authority. And the warriors quickly complied. "Gentlemen, an explanation is in order," he began, "It is a very long and complicated story, but you have a right to know about it. Last night, we felt joy and confidence over the knowledge that our greatest expectations lay at hand. But now, those hopes have been destroyed forever. And our options of where we go from here are not many." For the next hour, Cain told them the full, terrible truth about Sapphira and what had happened. The warriors listened to him with no interruption, apart from an occasional gasp from Paris and some of the others who had trusted her the most. When he heard the dark-haired lieutenant's quick outbursts, Skyler couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction. "This is not something any of us can feel proud about," Cain said when he had finished, "Except we can all feel grateful to Captain Skyler, who's actions, I am convinced, saved us from a fate that would have been worse than mere death." A murmur of assent went up. Skyler acknowldeged it with a faint nod, but said nothing. "Now the question that lies before us, is where do we go from here? As you know, the pulsar weapon is destroyed forever, and with it, our only hope of emerging victorious. If we were to engage the Cylon task force of ten baseships, then we will not survive. "The first option available to us, is a return to the battle plan that existed before we encountered Sapphira. We proceed to the colonies, destroy the installations there, and take out as many baseships as we can. "However," he paused for effect, "There is a chance of escaping from this region. It is a very remote chance, but if we were to try and elude the Cylon pursuit, we could try and seek out the Galactica again. The chances of actually finding her after all this time are very remote, but it is a chance you might consider worth taking. "At this point gentlemen, I feel as if I have played with your lives long enough. I will not compel you into any course of action against your will. The final decision, I leave to you." After a brief silence, Banker rose from his chair, "Commander," he said, "We've all discussed this, and I think I speak for everyone here. We want to finish the job you set out for us." "It's true sir," Ham joined in, "We're all agreed. We want to go home." Cain looked about the room and tried to keep the emotion he felt under control. How blessed I am, he thought, to have such brave men. "Colonel Tolen," he said firmly. "Yes sir!" the executive officer rose to attention. "Set immediate course for Caprica. Top speed." "Yes sir!" Tolen grinned and then exited. Cain turned to follow him out. He had barely taken a step when all the warriors, led by Skyler, got to their feet and began to applaud vigorously. The Juggernaut stopped in the doorway and looked back at the men. The tone of their applause only increased. With a self-confident smile of old, he tapped his swagger stick against his head in a salute. And then, he was gone. The Pegasus hurtled on through space at top speed. Bringing herself closer and closer to the home she had left so long ago. With that, she drew near to her final destiny. But before that day of reckoning came, she would see the Cylon installations in the colonies destroyed, and four basestars from the pursuing fleet as well. Cain could never have guessed it, but his last battle would ultimately make the dream he had harbored for so long come to pass in the not-too-distant future. Epilogue "All right," Sheba sucked in her breath as she sat down, "Let's pick this up and get it over with for good." Apollo nodded and pressed the button. But only silence filled the air. Apollo frowned and pressed it again. "What's wrong?" Adama spoke up. "Something's not right here," his son was incredulous, "Everything else is gone." "Gone?" Sheba came up in her chair, "How can that be?" "I have no idea," Apollo pushed the button again, "Everything from that point after Banker stood up to him at the briefing isn't there anymore." "Have they been tampered with?" Adama offered. Apollo pressed his intercom, "Strelka, did anybody come up here while we were at dinner?" "No sir," the adjutant's voice answered, "I've been here the whole time. No one came up." The Governor-General of Caprica was at a loss for words as he shut the intercom off. "It doesn't make sense," he said, "The Archives restored data telemetry for a period of time well beyond this." "Did they look at it before they sent it over?" Sheba asked. "No," her husband shook her head, "They had orders not to run the data. Only restore it to usability." Adama sighed, "I suppose they didn't do as thorough a job as they should have. It looks as though the story of how Cain destroyed Gomorrah, Cylon, the installations and the baseships is going to remain a mystery forever." Sheba rose from her chair and slowly let out a sigh of resignation. "Maybe it's all for the better," she said, "I've never felt I needed to know the full story anyway. We already know all that we need to know." She came up to Apollo's desk and put her arms around her husband. "Come on," she smiled, "Let's go home and play with our kids." It took a minute for Apollo to collect himself and get up. Even so, he found himself still staring at the computer. "It really doesn't matter anymore," Sheba said as she tugged him by the arm, "Let's just keep looking ahead." "Sound advice Sheba," Adama smiled, "Let's not keep Teague and Hera waiting." His son finally managed to smile as well. Arm-in-arm, the three of them left the room. The office was now dark and completely silent. But not completely empty. Adama, Apollo and Sheba had not been alone. A presence that none of them had been able to see, remained. "I'm glad we took out the rest of that," Cain sighed, "It would have been too upsetting for Sheba. And it would have opened up other memories about Iblis that she'd be better off not remembering." "You have chosen wisely," the white-garbed, resonant-voiced figure from the ship of lights said. "My greatest fear was that she wasn't going to get on with her life, after I left," he went on, "Thank God none of that happened. I'm so grateful for what Adama and Apollo have given her, and for what she's been able to do for herself." "Your fear was groundless," the figure said, "Except for the one incident prior to the last battle, when our intervention spared her from death. The reassurance you gave her that day has stayed with her ever since. That is why she feels no burden to know how your final fate came about." Cain slowly turned and looked at the figure's indescribable face. "Thank you for letting me see her again," he whispered with emotion, "I only wish I could talk to her as well." "One day, you shall," there was nothing but warmth in the figure's voice, "One day you shall." Outside the window, the bright lights flashed through the Caprican night sky. "It is time Cain," the figure said, "We must go now. There is much else in this universe that awaits us, and requires our attention." Cain nodded. With that, their presence faded from the room. Above, the lights continued to race through the sky before they slowly faded out. The End