Battlestar Galactica / Stargate SG-1 Crossover
"The Thirteenth Colony"
Part Three
WAR CRY
By SG07

Posted May 2006

** 

     "Cain, how in Hades did you survive over twenty two yahren ago and
how did you find us now?" Apollo asked.
     Cain smiled a sidelong mischievous grin at Apollo, "Oh, Hades had
nothing to do with it."
     Apollo waited patiently for Cain to continue, but instead he paced
the room looking at the floor. Finally he exhaled sharply, looked Apollo
in the eye and said, "Apollo, You're never going to believe this, but..."
     "But what?" Apollo prompted.
     "It was a miracle." Cain simply said and gave him a small smile.
     Apollo squared off his shoulders and stated disbelievingly, "Last
time we met, you told my father that you made your own miracles." 
     Cain uncharacteristically said, "I was wrong."

**

     There are those who believe that life here began out there, far
across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the
forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. That they
may have been the architects of the great pyramids, or the lost
civilizations of Lemuria or Atlantis.
     Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now
fight to survive, somewhere beyond the heavens.

***

     A Colonial Viper came to a stop on the immense landing bay of the
Battlestar Galactica. Laser burns marred its sleek design, melted and
fused metal spotting the undercarriage and the left and right sides of
the craft. Smoke from the ruined metallic components and steam from the
temperature difference of the ship and the landing bay competed to reach
the ceiling beams of the bay.
     Starbuck and Bryan's damaged viper had landed without further
incident. As soon as the damaged viper came to a complete stop deck crews
descended on the craft from every direction. Some carried portable fire
extinguishers searching out any flames to extinguish, while others
quickly and expertly assuaged the ships damage.
     Starbuck shut everything down, first the ancillary controls such as
life support, electronics, and finally the engines. He paused momentarily
processing the events of the past few centaurs. Realizing he could no
longer delay the inevitable, he pressed the switch to open the canopy of
the viper. The see through canopy rose with an audible whirring sound.
Reaching its predetermined height it stopped as suddenly as it began.
Starbuck pulled off his Egyptian style helmet and leaned over to his
right. Shaking his head as he looked up and down the length of the craft
he muttered, "I sure hope I don't have to pay for the damage."
     Bryan smiled, "Well for what's its worth Starbuck, thanks. That was
an adventure of a lifetime! I can't imagine anything topping that."
     Starbuck came back to himself, "Stick around kid, something always
seems to be happening around here."
     Bryan smiled knowingly, "Tell me about it! Since I met you guys,
I've been shot at, ran a marathon back on P2S89G, fell in love with a
beautiful alien girl, lost the girl, been reprimanded by my boss, nearly
died in a space battle, and nearly crashed in the only fighter plane I've
been in!"
     Starbuck came back to himself, "Yeah, speaking of which, I got
another party to go to." He referred to the impending battle with the
Cylons bearing down on the Galactica.
     Fortunately for the fleet, Starbuck and Bryan took a barely
authorized joy ride in a training viper and happened upon a Cylon
Taskforce heading directly toward the Galactica. With Starbuck's
legendary skills in the viper and Bryan's ingenuity with electronics they
managed to barely survive to return and warn the fleet.
     Flight crews placed a tall, gray boarding ramp that began with
narrow stairs and terminated with a large flat, horizontal stepping
plate. Bryan pressed the button to release the restraining straps and
started to exit the viper, "Oh! And Bryan?"
     Bryan turned, "Yeah?"
     "Remember what I said." Starbuck quipped.
     Bryan inclined his head but said nothing. 
     "About Hera." Starbuck answered.
     Bryan smiled, "I will, thanks Captain."
     Artemeus, the flight chief interrupted them, "By the Lords of Kobol!
Captain Starbuck you are the luckiest man I know!"
     Starbuck started to pull a fumerello from his uniforms coat pocket,
thought better of it, and smiled instead. Shrugging he said, "Well, ya
know."
     Artemeus shook his head in a wide grin and then wiped his smile away
and was all business; "Core Command said you are to get your astrum to
your assigned viper."
     Starbuck smiled and nodded acknowledgement and raced to his new
viper he was assigned to in Section Eight of the landing bay.
     This left Bryan descending down the boarding ramp alone. Artemeus
grinned sideways, "Commander Apollo said you were to report to the bridge
immediately."
     "Yes, sir." Bryan gulped in apprehension and headed in a general
direction to find his way to the bridge. On the way he realized he
couldn't remember which turbolift to take and he needed to find his Air
Force Battle Dress Uniform or BDU's as they were called.
     His orders came from Commander Apollo himself and he had every
intention of making his way to the bridge as soon as humanly possible,
but to his consternation he couldn't remember where the uniform closet
was or how to get there. Alpha Landing bay was enormous. 'Each landing
bay had to be as long as an aircraft carrier back home.' Bryan thought to
himself.
     Frustrated he had to stop for directions, but the usually cordial
and polite Colonials, 'Well at least in my case', he thought. The were
too busy with battle preparations and running to and fro doing only God
knows what, that no one would give him the time of day, much less
directions. He would have returned to the damaged viper but already it
had been removed from the flight line, presumably so a technician could
fix it.
     Bryan was starting to get more and more frustrated and had to back
track a couple of times looking at different areas of the various turbo
lifts. "He wasn't sure if all turbo lifts in each area went to the same
level of the ship and did not want to inadvertently get even more lost.
Everything appeared to look the same to him. It was only when he finally
gave up and stopped looking, the small storeroom with several spare
uniforms and flight helmets he had left his uniform in were right in
front of him. Smiling to himself, he silently prayed his uniform was
still hanging up. After all it would be difficult enough explaining his
flight with Captain Starbuck, but showing up in an unauthorized uniform
would be hell to pay. 'I hope that Colonel O'Neil doesn't find out about
this.' Besides the Colonial uniform made him feel more like a cowboy in
the old American west than an actual super advanced race of humans that
travel in space as easily as he drove his truck to work. 'Sure would hate
to have to wear this ugly brown uniform all the time.' Thought to
himself.

***

     Inside Stargate Command a crisis of a different nature was taking
place. Senator Kinsey, Chairman of the Senates Armed Forces Committee was
the key leader in approving the Armed Forces budgets each fiscal year. He
had heard about the SGC's good fortune and believing all of it to be a
ruse of some kind, canceled his busy schedule and appointments and got to
the SGC in what he had hoped would be "In the nick of time" to stop any
further damage of the alien influence to Earth.
     Kinsey was a staunch advocate against any exploration through the
Stargate and once before had tried to shut the program down and almost
succeeded, that is if SG-1 had not disobeyed direct orders to stand down.
Luckily for SG-1 the attack on alternate reality Earth that Daniel kept
talking about after he returned from that mirror universe turned out to
be right. SG-1 single-handedly destroyed two Goa'ould mother ships as
they approached Earth orbit by penetrating their defenses. Mistakenly the
group believed they had been gating to a planet with a Stargate, which
actually the gate had been transferred to one of Aphophis pyramid
battleships. With the help of the Master Jaffa Bra'tac, his former
instructor, they escaped and dropped grenades into the shaft that
traversed down the center of the ship, to the heart of the shield
generator. Before SG-1 had been captured, they had planted enough C-4
plastic explosive to destroy the controls on the second ship and thereby
rammed the first. The group had escaped by stealing a pair of death
gliders.
     Now Kinsey had arrived in time to witness a frantic plea from the
other planet where the Colonials had been demanding travel to Earth.
     Stargate Commands radio came to life, "SGC this is base camp!
Satellite imagery has identified the entire Colonial Fleet taking up
positions in orbit! Several large ships are landing and shuttles are
arriving by the hundreds!"
     General George Hammond keyed the microphone, "Colonel Makepeace,
what's happening?"
     "Sir, according to reports from the Colonials, a combined force of
Goa'ould and those machines has nearly destroyed their space carrier. The
area is being overrun by civilian men, women, and children who are
demanding travel through the Stargate. The people are panicking. If we
don't get help the people might riot, sir."
     Senator Kinsey smiled arrogantly, "This is exactly what I was afraid
of. General we will not take on more problems, tell your people to lock
down the Stargate. No one is too come through that gate till further
notice."
     Hammond looked incredulous at Kinsey, "Sir, are you serious? There
are women and children in a war zone. We can't..."
     "Those are my orders general." Kinsey crossed his arms and gave the
general a look of finality.
     Hammond not to be bullied said, "Senator, you may control the budget
for this facility, but I am in command here." Then Sergeant Weaver,
"Sergeant! Tell Colonel Makepiece..."
     Kinsey was not a man to be toyed with and had destroyed other men's
careers for less impertinence, "General Hammond! I gave you a direct
order and for the record, I am the highest ranking person in this room.
The only person who out ranks me is the president. NOW then! I'll give
you one more chance, general. I suggest you carry out your orders."

***

     Bryan stepped out of the clothing issue locker and the coordinated
yet rushed pace of the Colonials had stepped up to full runs in every
direction. A couple of vipers were being frantically worked on from what
apparently had to be battle damage. Bryan was about to turn around and
enter the turbo lift that he had sought after when the floor fell out
from beneath him and he found himself falling hard sideways. Bryan
propped himself up on an elbow trying to get up when another rumbling
seized him and he promptly fell onto his face, this time cutting a gash
into the side of his right cheek. "Ow! Geez!" Bryan howled. Rubbing his
face with his hand he was rewarded to see part of his hand covered in
blood. "Great!"
     Experience spoke volumes to him and he just lay on the floor as two
more violent shudders rocked the deck again, then silence. Blood flowed
down his facial wound and ran in droplets down his face, staining the
collar of his BDU shirt. Unaware of the damage he focused on the only
thing that meant anything to him now was life. 
     Bryan did not need to be a seasoned space veteran like Starbuck to
realize that was not normal. He heard a noise above him and saw a long
flat blur coming toward him at incredible speed.
     Bryan's mind did not need to fully analyze the object to know that
being underneath that object would probably be a bad idea. He rolled left
as fast as he could and ripped the clothing on the right side his uniform
sleeve. A thunderous crash and sparks fell onto his head, singeing the
back of his neck. Rolling once more he missed several cables that fell
where he had been. Frantically Bryan looked upward as his mind screamed
to him, "RUN!" Beams and unknown electronic devices fell near him and it
would have appeared to an observer that he was dancing a jig. All the
time his mind barked orders to his body, 'Dodge left! Step back! Run!
Dive right! Bryan had known fear back on P2S89G when Hera and he had ran
for their lives, but this was a complete free for all, and only bad luck
or lousy footing would be the end of him.
     Bryan ran for cover, but the only cover he could find was a viper's
pitch-black launch tube. As he ran past the side of a viper a technician
was repairing; a beam fell unawares toward her. Bryan ran as fast as he
could but it seemed that time had slowed to a barely perceptible crawl.
Bryan's arms pumped up and down furiously as he tried to outrun the beam
heading toward the unsuspecting stranger. He plunged toward the
technician; arms outstretched holding nothing of his strength back. He
reached a juncture in mid-flight that his mind screamed that this was a
bad idea and definitely the point of no return, Bryan leapt as fast and
as straight as he could into the path of the girl much like a football
player tackling the quarterback would.
     A bone jarring crunch and the two forms fell toward the launch tube.
They landed on the catapult rail that was raised off the floor about
three feet and without intending too, they rolled off the railing and
fell, landing in a crumbled heap, arms and legs flailing in a tangled
mess.
     A thunderous crash and the beam lay where they had initially landed
on the catapult railing crushed the nose of the viper, which raised the
back end up. Bryan looked toward the railing where the beam had fell and
realized that only by sheer dumb luck they had survived because of
clumsiness! Sparks flew off cables that had been severed from up above
when the beam had fell and disappeared just prior to hitting the floor.
     The moment spent, reality came rushing back to him, as time appeared
to resume at normal speed. His heart raced as adrenaline pumped blood so
loud through his ears it seemed as if someone was beating drums right
into his ear canal. He willingly tried to calm his heart rate as he tried
to inhale great breaths of air. But for some reason he couldn't draw a
deep breath. 
     It was then that he remembered the girl who was laying on top of him
in a most undignified way. She had just turned her head back from seeing
her almost fate and looked deeply into his eyes, almost without emotion.
     Bryan started to ask if she was o.k. when she burst out weeping.
     Concerned that she might be hurt he asked, "Hey! Are you o.k.?"
Gently grabbing her with each hand he rubbed her shoulders and asked in a
firmer voice, "Are you all right?"
     She buried her head on his shoulder and sobbed. He rubbed the top of
her back gently, "Hey, shhh! It's o.k. You're all right now."
     The shaking and rumbling of the deck had died off all together, but
the two did not notice. Stray sparks hit the floor beside them and
vanished.
     She raised her head and Bryan noticed her features for the first
time. Her copper deck crew hard hat had fallen away. He peered intently
into the most amazing blue eyes, as deep as any sea back home. Her
beautiful dark, jet-black hair was silky smooth and had once been pinned
in a ponytail style. Instead of looking childish, it added an attractive
quality to her overall beauty. She was one of the most beautiful women
Bryan had ever seen on all two planets he ever been too.
     The technician abruptly came to herself and sat up taking stock of
truly what had happened. "You, you saved my life." She said using the
cuff of her orange coveralls to daintily clear the tears away.
     Bryan smiled losing himself in those eyes and without meaning too,
his eyes gravitated to more obvious natural features of a woman that a
man might take notice of. She misconstrued his actions and for the first
time she realized she was straddling a stranger in a most intimate way.
She bit her lower lip and smiled seductively at him and said, "Are all
Earth people this blunt?" All traces of the incident faded as quickly as
they had appeared, 'probably a coping mechanism.' Bryan thought to
himself.
     Bryan was not prepared for that statement and momentarily confused
muttered, "Huh? Excuse me?"
     She got up and with one hand reached down and gave Bryan a hand up
and purred, "There are easier ways to get a date in my society."
     Bryan was at a complete loss at her joke, "Uh, well. I, ah, what I
mean is..."
     "I'm Methany." She said.
     "I'm Bryan. Bryan Torres." He stuck out his hand for a professional
handshake; instead Methany had a different idea of a greeting. She closed
what little distance had been between them and kissed him hard and
passionate on the lips. Bryan had been so shocked at her behavior that he
just stood there as she rewarded her benefactor. When she paused to
breathe she said, "Well, Bryan Torres, I owe you my life. If we weren't
at battle stations I'd buy you a mug of grog." Beaming a beautiful smile
she pointed at him and said, "I'll see you later!" Methany put special
emphasis on "you".
     With nothing else said she spun around and dashed to where she was
needed. Bryan stood speechless for a few seconds and shook his head,
"Women." Then he made exhaling sound that blew air through his lips. Not
remembering his previous injury, he rubbed the right side of his face and
was rewarded with a red-hot searing pain. "Ow! Geez!" 
     Flight Chief Artemeus stood there in total seriousness and demanded,
"You!"
     Bryan looked around and saw that a man was pointing to him, "Who,
me?"
     "Yes, you! Come here!"
     Bryan walked hastily toward him, "Sir?"
     The man brusquely said, "You all right?"
     Bryan smiled, "I'm fine, just a scratch..."
     Artemeus grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him toward the
center of the landing bay, "Great, you get over there and tend the
wounded."
     Bryan stumbled a bit and said, "I am not trained as a medical
technician."
     "Well, you're the only one down here that I don't have to have
working in the landing bay, you see those people lying all over the
deck?"
     "Yeah?"
     "That's your job, now. Go!" He shoved a field medical kit into
Bryan's hand and said, "Do what you can." Then he took off grabbing other
technicians as they stumbled their way toward emergency positions.
     Bryan stood motionless for a moment at the debris and bodies strewn
all over the vast landing bay. Smoke created an ugly gray haze that was
rapidly diminishing as the environmental systems aboard the Galactica
removed the deadly toxins.
     Bryan came to himself and realized the first step in an emergency
was to call for help. Calling after Artemeus, "Hey! Did anyone call Nine
One One?" Not realizing what he had said would be lost on the Colonials.
     Artemeus ignored him and disappeared down the length of the bay.
Bryan took one more look at the incredible amount of damage and bodies
strewn about and shook his head, "Crap!" He said.

***

     Hammond squared off with Kinsey as Sergeant Weaver stared open
mouthed at both verbal combatants. Other personnel stopped what they were
doing in order to listen in, wondering who would win this argument. Open
mouths of astonishment gaped awkwardly at the spectacle.
     "Senator. You are directly interfering in this commands operation."
He continued to stare at Kinsey while he ordered Weaver, "Sergeant, tell
Colonel Makepeace that help is on the way and to hold the crowds back."
     Weaver turned to the microphone and depressed the send button,
"SG3..."
     Kinsey's eyes narrowed and his face turned beat red, "Ignore that
command, sergeant. Tell them to lock down the gate."
     Weaver stopped in mid-sentence and looked up at the general for
confirmation.
     Hammond turned to Weaver, "Carry out my last order sergeant."
     Weaver nodded once and keyed the microphone again, "SG3 this is..."
     Kinsey pointed to the airman, "Sergeant! You touch that microphone
again and I'll have your stripes."
     Weaver turned widened eyes toward the senator incredulously and
exhaled sharply.
     A crackling noise filled the air, "SGC, this is Makepeace, say
again, I didn't copy over?"
     "General Hammond, I am warning you." Glaring at Hammond, Kinsey left
the threat hanging in the air.
     Hammond's eyes twinkled dangerously as he smiled thinly, "Security
to the control room!" Hammond did not bother looking over his shoulder;
so confident his orders would be carried out immediately and effectively
without the slightest delay.
     Kinsey's eyes widened in surprise and demanded in disbelief, "You
wouldn't dare?"
     A few moments later four security forces airman came running into
the control room with M-16 rifles held loosely in front of them pointing
their guns upward, a determined look in each pair of eyes.
     Hammond's eyes followed the entry of the SF's and Kinsey took his
cue by turning his head in and huffed in disbelief, "Your making a big
mistake general. I'll have you removed from this command within the
week."
     Smiling Hammond ordered the SF's, "Escort the senator to the
conference room. See that he doesn't leave there."
     "Yes, sir!" The calmly walked up to Kinsey and flanked him, "Sir, if
you will follow me?" 
     When he did not comply one of the airman pushed his gun gently up
against the senator, "Sir, you will come with us."
     Still believing this to be a bluff of Hammonds he stated
confidently, "I am not going anywhere. Gentleman, you will escort the
general to his office and hold him there. He is to be confined there till
further notice."
     Turning back toward the airman he noticed that they stared at him
with determination, "Sir, if you don't come willingly we will be forced
to arrest you."
     Kinsey's look of complete control and air of authority deflated
somewhat, "Son, do you know who I am?"
     The airman nudged the senator more forcibly toward the door. Off
balance Kinsey looked down at the rifle in his chest and became outraged,
"How dare you! I am a Senator and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Armed
Forces Committee!"
     Hammond crossed his arms, "Senator, I strongly suggest that you
follow the SF's to the conference room. I would prefer that they did not
have to get "disrespectful".
     Kinsey was livid, "How dare you! Hammond, when I am done you won't
get a job flipping hamburgers!"
     Hammond nodded once to the senior SF and two airmen each grabbed an
arm, twisting it behind his back. They half carried and half pushed a
livid senator out the door as he screamed back toward the general,
"Hammond!" A couple of seconds later another scream reached his ears
faintly, "Hammond!"
     Hammond smiled a little too openly at the door the senator had been
taken through moments before, "Been wanting to do that every since that
arrogant..." Coming to himself he looked around at his peoples
open-mouthed stares. His grin dropped into a thin line as he remembered
his duty as a General Officer and said,  "Back to work people."
Scientists and military alike started at Hammonds command and with new
found respect quickly focused on their assigned duties or just left the
control room as quickly as they could. Hammond stared impassively at the
empty entrance, wondering what machinations he had set into motion in
this room. 
     Looking down at Weaver, "Sergeant, I want every SG team here armed
and ready for deployment in three minutes!"
     Weaver still shocked at the confrontation, stared open mouthed,
closed his mouth and with a new respect for his boss smiled
enthusiastically, "YES, SIR!"
     Hammond keyed the radio microphone himself and gave Makepeace his
orders, "Colonel Makepiece, this is Hammond..."

***

     A fleet of battlestars dropped from light speed and immediately
pummeled their mutual enemy without mercy as literally hundreds of vipers
overwhelmed the Cylon and Goa'ould fighters.
     Hera focused on the intricate dance of battle that all fighter
pilots in the universe, regardless of their nationality, machine, or race
dealt with; life. Just one more moment, and then another, and perhaps one
more moment.
     This endless loop of moments somehow stringed together a battle
which usually lasted only centons all the way up to a centaur.
     This latest battle was her longest one yet and it took all of her
reflexes, concentration, and skill; to not only destroy the enemy, but to
prolong her life as well as her wingmen, in this case, Starbuck's. So far
the battle was going well. She already had chalked up several confirmed
kills, but right now, this particular micron, she only cared about one
more moment of life. She pulled her viper out of a dive and a roll as a
death glider moved on to easier kills. She located Starbuck's viper as he
let loose his charge of death from the twin lasers mounted on the wings
of his craft. He did not see Cylon raider as it dived after him. 
     Hera hit her turbo's and dispatched the enemy fairly quickly. They
regrouped as a pair and flew headlong into the fray again.
     Hera's proximity alarm went off and she saw a spectacle not seen
since before the destruction of the Colonies. Hera's generation had only
seen the history scans of the awe-inspiring sight.
     In the micron it took for Hera to understand what was happening she
saw a fleet of battlestars drop from light speed and she knew
instinctively whom they belonged too. It was no hyper-spatial math after
all. The answer was quite simple. It could only be the one man in the
seven thousand-yahren history of the Colonies that had continually
snatched defeat from the jaws of certain death and return from it alive.
The only man that could possibly build a fleet of battlestars after
losing not only the war but also his world and the worlds he had sworn to
protect. 
     It could be none other than the Legendary Commander Cain, her
grandfather. With an excitement and awe that her maternal grandfather
could only have produced in her she grinned ear to ear as Starbuck said
the only thing to come to mind, "Holy Frack! By the Lords! Apollo was
right!"
     Hera asked quizzically, "Knew what?" She asked the blatantly
obvious.
     "Your father said over twenty two yahren ago that there was no
military way that Cain could survive, but if anyone could, he knew your
grandfather would."
     Apparently Starbuck was also quick to figure out where all the
battlestars had come from as well.
     Every comm circuit in a viper was flooded with whoops, whistles, or
sat in quiet awe, in between fighting for battle.
     After all it had been over twenty-five yahren since any warrior had
seen so many Battlestars in one area of space. To the ole timers it
seemed like the renaissance days of the Colonial Fleet, to the younger
pilots who grew up after the holocaust it was a sight they would remember
for the rest of their lives.
     Questions flooded the comm circuits and it was Boomer who got the
warriors to focus, "All right! Focus! We still got a job to do!"
     The enemy fighters who momentarily pressed their attack where
overrun by hundreds of fresh vipers coming in hot and flashing angry
orange bolts of fury from their laser cannons. Overwhelmed and a recall
signal from the retreating Goa'ould and Cylon Basestars had whole
squadrons of the enemy breaking formation and exiting as quickly as
possible.
     The vipers pursued till Boomer's comm signal chirped, "All viper
pilots return to base. Blue Squadron is ordered to land on the
Galactica's Alpha landing bay. Eagle and Raptor squadrons will land on
the Battlestar Pegasus. Red squadron will remain in the air as fuel
permits."
     Boomer announced to all viper squadrons, "We're getting a recall
signal from the Galactica. Break off; break off. We're going home!" Then
Boomer relayed squadrons landing assignments.
     Every warrior cheered as one! 'After the Galactica was stabilized;
the grog and ambrosia would flow freely in the officer mess tonight',
Boomer thought to himself. He had no idea how wrong he was.

***

     Bryan spent the next indeterminable time setting up a make shift
triage. Using common sense, Air Force training, and his knowledge of war
movies and old reruns of the TV. show M.A.S.H. he made two distinctive
spots. One was for the dead. That was obvious. The other pile consisted
of non-life threatening to serious, then to the 'Oh! My God! Their gonna
die pile.'
     In less than ten minutes Bryan had blood stained in patches all over
his uniform. Dust, sweat, and debris clung to his face as he worked as
quickly and efficiently as he could under the stress. Dust collected on
his sweat covered face, hands and back. All of the people that had only
superficial cuts, broken appendages, etc shuffled off to complete damage
control, leaving Bryan with only himself to help those more seriously
injured.
     Bryan used all of his first aid and CPR skills he had learned in the
Air Force. Fortunately, both were mandatory annual training in every
branch of military service in the U.S. He treated injuries according to
severity, the worst first and the least injured last. He wrapped bandages
around bleeders. He put tourniquets on those without limbs and marked
their forehead with a large "T" and wrote the time from the ballpoint pen
in his BDU pocket. Those with internal injuries he tried to make
comfortable as best he could.
     Bryan's thoughts repeated the same message continuously, "Assess the
patients: check for injuries, check airway, breathing and circulation.
Prevent further disability, stabilize, and move to another victim."
     Bryan noticed movement to his right and saw an orange coveralled
technician swiftly moving past him. He grabbed the technician running
past him and nearly tackled him to get his attention. "Go to that storage
locker and get as many uniforms or blankets as possible."
     The technician in orange coveralls tried to move past Bryan and in
anger Bryan yanked the fellow around and said, "NOW!" Pointing Bryan
waved his hand in a sweeping motion.
     The technician looked over the mass of bodies and saw his friends
and coworkers and nodded without saying anything. In a few moments he
came back with a large bundle of uniforms in his arms.
     Bryan knocked the clothes out of his hands and onto the deck, "What
are you waiting for? Go get some more!"
     The technician asked, "What the frack are you doing with this. Our
people are dying! Is this some primitive Earth ritual?" His sentiments
about Earth proved to Bryan this guy was one of the minority of Colonials
who did not believe a non-space faring Earth was advanced enough to
settle on.
     Bryan ignored the comment and wadded up a pair of pants and gently
put it under one of his injured patients head. He took a Warriors jacket
and put it over the chest of the victim, quickly and efficiently tucking
the edges under their chest, then balled up another garment and placed it
under the victim's legs. He turned his attention to the technician in
anger, "Its called shock! If we don't elevate their legs and keep them
warm they'll die from system shock. Now!" Bryan yelled, "Are you going to
help me or am I gonna have to knock you on your ass?" Bryan spit back
losing all self-control.
     The man saw Bryan meant what he said and nodded soberly, 'Maybe
these people are not as primitive as I heard.' He thought to himself.
Grabbing articles of clothing he mimicked the Earther. 
     At times he would hold the dying patients hand and watched the light
of life seep slowly from their eyes. It was almost too much for him to
bear. He needed more help! "Dammit! Where are the medics?" He complained.
     At some point Bryan noticed the unnamed technician left after he had
helped stabilize the living.
     Tears from the stress and horrifying scenes played over Bryan's face
from the countless victims injuries. He held a woman's hand that he had
never met prior to this battle. She asked him for water and he gave her a
sip from the bottle in the med kit. Dirt caked her face, while blood was
smeared on her face and limbs.
     She pleaded, "Help me! I don't want to die!"
     Bryan's anguish did not ease up and his mind willed him by sheer
force to do the only thing he could, he cried with her. His mind raced
for some sort of comfort.  Tears streaked down his face as he lamented,
"I'm sorry, I don't know how to use this medical equipment."
     "It hurts! Please help me!" She wailed.
     Helpless he stroked her auburn hair with one hand and held her hand
with the other. Then he did the only thing that readily came to mind,
which was from his religious upbringing, "Listen to me. I want you to
repeat after me, can you do that?"
     She squirmed in pain but managed a nod.
     Somberly, he began, "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy
name."
     She began tentatively repeating the unfamiliar words as her eyes
locked on his.
     "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven."
     She repeated his words though she had never heard them before and
the pain in her eyes lessened as she meditated upon the words and
wondered at their meaning.
     "Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who have trespassed against us."
     She gasped in unimaginable pain. Spasmodically her body twisted in
agony and convulsed. Blood ran out of the side of her mouth. She coughed
hard ragged coughs that spit more blood up.
     Bryan held her bloody hand with both of his as tears streamed down
his face unashamedly, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil."
     Her eyes never once strayed from Bryan's even while gasping again in
pain. He waited till the spasm ended and then concluded with, "For thine
is the kingdom, the glory, the power, now and forever. Amen."
     At these last words she struggled to say "Amen", "Ame, Amen." With a
final gasp of pain she said, "Thank, yoooouuuu..." Immediately after she
had that her body relaxed completely and air exhaled almost silently from
her lungs. Lifeless eyes stared blankly toward a perpetual heaven.
     The hand in Bryan's went limp and fell to the deck unmoving. His
eyes poured forth tears from reservoirs unknown and he rocked back and
forth as another patient cried for water. 
     With a sadness that could have written an epitome he silently pulled
the warriors tunic over her head. Something had changed in him. Years of
hard experience had been bestowed upon a once carefree young man and only
time would begin to show how his character had changed. His tears
expended, he slowly got up and moved silently with a slow methodical gait
to the next patient.
     His torment continued for an indeterminate time. Some people lived,
some died, while others groaned and moaned in agony. Because Bryan did
not now what type of medicine or dosage to give a patient for pain, or
how to properly use the electronic devices in the med kit, he could only
console them and mop their brow with a damp cloth.
     After a time Bryan heard a distinct sound throughout the quiet
landing bay. He looked up in time to see several shuttles landing as
quickly as they could. 
     The first shuttle carried what appeared to be several firemen who
carried portable equipment, presumably to help with a fire, while other
shuttles opened up as steam rose sharply into the air. The next wave of
people who came out of the shuttle noticed Bryan and came running with
all due haste. Medical relief had finally arrived but not from the
interior of the Galactica as he had supposed. He mused, "They must be
from some other ship in the fleet." Then another thought surfaced, "Uh,
Oh! That means its worse here than I thought!"
     The relief crews paused long enough to wonder at his odd looking
clothing with blood all over it, since it was not an authorized uniform
in the Colonies for either Med-techs or Warriors. Once they realized he
wasn't in immediate need of medical care they moved on to Bryan's make
shift triage area. Several men and women began using portable scanners
assessing the patients and treating them. Bryan stood motionless, swaying
slightly and dazed from physical and emotional exhaustion. He stared
dumbly toward the medics, hardly believing that his torment was over.
     A technician ran toward the row after row of patients lying still
with warrior's jackets and tunics over the top of their head. Shaking his
head in grief, he nodded to Bryan once as he passed by him and then
helped the other Med-Techs.
     A man approached him asking, "Son? Who are you and what is that
uniform?"
     Bryan gave the man a quizzical look and thought, 'I know their fleet
is large, but I thought everyone by now had seen some footage about the
Earth people. After all, they only have one news channel on their
television."
     Bryan decided to keep his explanation simple, found his voice and
managed to croak, "I am Sergeant Bryan Torres, from Earth."
     The man's eyebrows went up in shock, "Earth!" The stranger's
appearance certainly was no uniform the Colonies ever used. What would
woodland camouflage be used for in space? The young man was completely
dishelved, his uniform was in tatters and had several rips and pieces
torn away from it, and blood smeared several places on his torso and
appendages. His face had a long thin gash running diagonally down his
cheek. The blood from the wound had long since clotted with dried blood
and covered most of the swollen wound, making his wound look rather
serious. Dirt and caked blood caked other portions of his skin and face,
while sweat matted his hair down severely.
     Bryan nodded as if to a child, "I thought everyone in the fleet knew
about us."
     The man nodded in understanding, "I am not from the Galactica, and I
am Doctor Merrin from the Battlestar Pegasus."
     Bryan was confused, "What? I thought there was only one Battlestar."
Bryan said and pointed at the floor for emphasis.
     Merrin smiled and said, "That's a long story." Changing the subject,
"Tell me, did you do all of this yourself?"
     Bryan nodded slowly. He felt as if he was about to be reprimanded
again for using arcane and barbaric medical practices from a primitive
Earth. "I didn't know how to use the equipment in your first aid kits,
but I..."
     The doctor understood what Bryan was trying to tell him and smiled
fondly at him trying to put him at ease. He placed a reassuring hand on
his shoulder, "You did a great job, Sergeant. Unorthodox, but effective.
You saved a lot of people here today! You should be proud!"
     Bryan smiled weakly and saw that his patients were now in good hands
and that his personal burden had been lifted. He sighed in obvious
relief. That was when his adrenaline rush wore off and he stumbled
backwards. The doctor helped him sit down on the deck and used his
scanner, "Just relax son." Pausing a moment he allowed the hand scanner
to do its job. You're suffering from adrinolan shock. Your lifelines
indicate exhaustion and dehydration." He put a scanner up near Bryan's
head and pressed another device to Bryan's neck he thumbed a button and a
small hiss released its medicine. "Just relax Sergeant, you also have a
concussion. This will balance your lifelines, but I need you to stay
conscious." Merrin looked Bryan squarely in the eyes to ensure he was
heard, "Do you understand?"
     Bryan immediately began to feel better and nodded vaguely to the
doctor. Merrin called over his shoulder, "Barok! Hand me an Auto-Sealer,
and wipes!" A young man promptly brought the device to Merrin and he
began cleaning Bryan's wound. The pain from the wiping off blood and dirt
from his facial wound went ignored. A few microns later he picked up the
Auto-Sealer to mend the cut on his head. A whirring sound emitted from
the small device and a light beamed into his cheek. If Bryan had been on
Earth the nasty cut would have required several stitches and would have
left a nasty scar for the rest of his life, however being on an advanced
space ship, medical technology did the seeming impossible. The result was
a light four-inch scab, "There Sergeant. Just sit there and we'll handle
the rest. Your injury should not leave a permanent scar."
     Merrin pointed to a technician that was looking his way and the tech
came over and put a blanket around Bryan as he sat there with
disorienting thoughts.
     Bryan thought about a girl with deep-sea blue eyes and long
jet-black hair. A passionate kiss and something more he thought, 'Hera
sure is beautiful', His confused mind thought and then realized that
something was wrong, 'No that's not right!' He thought to himself. 'Hera
has blond hair and brown eyes. Who was that other girl?' Then his
thoughts became more confused. He tried to focus on one person, "Hera."
He stared off into the distance and whispered to no one in particular.
     Doctor Merrin began to set Bryan up with an auto-hydrator that would
replenish his dehydrated body.
     Barok walked up beside him, "Did he really say Earth?"
     Merrin smiled and put a hand thoughtfully his chin, "Yes."
     "By the Lords!" Changing the subject, "Will he?"
     Merrin momentarily lost in thought came to himself and smiled, "Yes,
yes. He'll be fine, at least physically. I can only imagine what
something like this would do to a young mind. He'll have to be counseled
of course."
     Barok nodded, "Did he really do this all by himself?"
     Merrin continued studying Bryan's form that was staring off
distance, "That's what he said. Amazing isn't it. Earth must be a really
advanced culture if one man could do all of this with no medical
technology at hand."
     "I'd love to see how far medical technology has progressed. Bet they
can cure the common cold!" Barok said.

***

     Colonel John Andrews of the U.S. Air Force more recently turned
Colonial Viper pilot believed he would never see his friends and family
again. They were up against impossible odds, how could they hope to win?
He would die doing what he had always done; defending people he did not
know. 
     The Colonial and Earth forces defending the Galactica were
hopelessly out numbered. It was only sheer stubbornness and anger that
kept him on the offensive. This enemy was relentless. He knew there would
be no surrender, no quarter given and no prisoners of war, not after
seeing the bodies of Air Force men shipped back through the Stargate to
Earth in body bags. The gate room had been filled with them.
Unfortunately, there was not much room, so bodies had been stacked like
so much firewood.
     It did not bother him so much that he was going to die, but the fact
that his family would never know the truth of how he was over two
thousand light years from Earth did bother him.
     "There won't even be anything left to bury."
     Colonel Michael Sharpe commanding Raptor squadron asked as he banked
hard left, "John? What did you say?"
     John was about to answer but he had his hands full as two Cylon
Raiders dived after him, as two Goa'ould death gliders close behind them.
He pushed his joystick forward all the way and hit his turbo. The viper
dived at an extreme angle away from his pursuer.
     His head and back slammed into his acceleration seat and he gained
one more moment of life. He checked his fuel gauges. There were actually
several small tanks. He had been using full battle thrusters for so long
his tylieum tanks were nearly exhausted, including his reserve tank.
     John called over to Michael, "Raptor One! Your fuel status, over?"
     Michael's voice sounded strained, "Standby." He said curtly as he
expertly dodged the enemy. Then a moment later, "Whew! Probably the same
as yours, but we are so busy I don't see how we can refuel now. It would
be suicide."
     "We don't have a choice. All squadrons prepare to..." 
     John was cut off by a screeching sound that alerted John to a
proximity alarm and although he did not expect to see anything in the
vastness of space he still looked through the cockpits canopy by reflex.
Battlestars as far as the eye could see appeared out of nowhere. Immense
ships of war opened fire on Goa'ould and Cylon alike without any preamble
or warning.
     "What the hell?" John demanded. Through experience he ordered
reflexively, "All Eagle and Raptor Squadron take cover behind the
Battlestars!"
     Michael asked in disbelief, "My God! Where did they come from?"
     "I don't know, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Mike!"
     "Roger that!"
     As both squadrons dove underneath the city-sized battlestar, fresh
squadrons numbering in what must be the hundreds flashed past them at
near light speed. It was more awe-inspiring than any battle over Baghdad
during the Gulf War he had seen. A rectangular column that spanned a half
astronomical unit attacked Goa'ould and Cylon retreating craft like an
angry hornets nest. His scanner registered literally over four hundred
Vipers blazing like supernovas toward the enemy unleashing fiery death
upon their common enemy.
     And in that moment, John knew he would live another day. Entire
squadrons of vipers banked sharply in precise formation. As one body,
each squadron headed toward different vectors to eliminate their foe.
     A voice called over their unicom, "Attention Galactica Viper
Squadrons, this is Colonel Ananias, Strike Wing Commander from the
Battlestar Pegasus, Silver Spar Squadron. Over."
     John did not want to confuse their new friends, so he kept it
simple, "This is Colonel John Andrews, Wing Commander of Eagle Squadron
and Raptor Squadrons. Boy! Are you a welcome sight!"
     Ananias was a little confused about John's using two names and the
non-regulation squadron names of predatory animals instead of the regular
colors standard. "Er, Colonel John Andrews." He said John's name as if it
was one long name, "We'll take it from here, since you're probably low on
fuel and the Galactica is obviously damaged proceed to the Battlestar
Pegasus for..."
     John smiled interrupted, "Colonel, we can refuel and be back in a
flash!"
     "Negative."  Ananias ordered. Then with an undertone of humor he
added, "You and your warriors all fought bravely today, let someone else
have a turn."
     John nodded his head by reflex knowing full well no one else could
see him, "Good luck."
     Ananias final words were, "To us all."
     John addressed both squadrons, "Eagle and Raptor squadrons we are
ordered to land on the Battlestar Pegasus immediately. Anyone out of fuel
has priority."
     A Captain Smith radioed John, "Eagle One, this Eagle Twelve, which
one is the Pegasus, over?"
     John frowned a bit at his ignorance, "Uh, I don't know, try that
bigger one over there."
     Captain Smith shrugged and muttered, "Roger."
     Aboard the Pegasus Commander Cain turned toward the transceiver in
shock and smarting pride, "What does he mean WHICH one is the Pegasus?
Doesn't Apollo require cadets to review history scans in the Academy?"
Then to himself, "Hmmmppphhh!"
     Tolan, his second in command, shrugged, and nodded to the comms
tech.
     A smirk crossed Mikes face in the darkness, " Battlestar Pegasus,
this is Raptor and Eagle Squadrons from the Battlestar Galactica, we're
nearly out of fuel; requesting landing instructions, over?"
     An unseen male voice announced, "Galactica viper squadrons, you are
cleared to land. Eagle Squadron will land in Alpha Landing Bay and Raptor
Squadron will land in Beta, transmitting landing beacon signal, now."

***

     The Cylons were winning obviously and the Galactica would soon be
gone. It neither pleased nor upset the machine race of Centurions
fighting the human remnant. It simply followed its instructions, first
from its original command set from their former Imperious leader and now
from their "god" Heru'Ur.
     Of course its programming was enhanced by Heru'Ur but it still was
not a conscious living being. Albeit its programming was significantly
more advanced than its previous master had included.
     "Continue assault on the battlestar." It droned slowly.
     The pilot centurion started to answer, "By your command." But
instead simply droned, "Which battlestar shall we attack?" Its mechanical
voice asked.
     The command centurion swiveled its head and stated the blatantly
obvious, "The last battlestar."
     "Scanners indicate fourteen battlestars including the Galactica."
     "Impossible."
     "No. Scanners registered thirteen other battlestars dropping from
light speed ten microns ago."
     The centurion contemplated its imperatives and in lieu of new orders
began to issue a continued attack.
     "Scanners indicate four hundred and twelve Colonial Vipers
attacking."
     "It is a human deception." The ships commander reasoned in its slow
mechanical voice.  "Recall all fighter craft and regroup." He contacted
his base ship and requested instructions.
     A flash of fire from several fighters at one time and the Cylon Wing
Commander's fighter blew into thousands of small micrometeorites as the
vipers descended on the other fleeing raiders like wild daggits ripping
apart their prey.

***

     Several long hours of receiving refugees had threatened to overwhelm
the SGC's resources. When word of the miraculous last minute save by
other Colonial Battlestars, the influx of Colonials had been halted.
Instead a refugee camp had been setup on P2S89G. Colonials built it under
the direction of Earth SG teams that were now guarding the Stargate and
surrounding countryside.
     By the time the sun went down over forty-five thousand refugees were
planetside. Over the next forty-eight hours several thousand tons of
Earth based equipment would be shipped. The inventory included a very
similar setup of a deployed U.S. military base during a campaign or Air
Expeditionary Force (AEF) rotation. There was the WOC or Wing Operations
Center for the senior staff, which in this case included Colonel
Makepiece, his officers, and the Colonial Governmental contingent.
Bulldozers arrived during the night and began clearing several acres of
land for the base setup. In addition, several trucks loaded with gravel
were dumped to create a makeshift roads and streets. 
     A medical area comprising of Doctor Janet Fraiser and a small
contingent of her staff led the setup of several large tents that would
serve as an infirmary. This setup was standard operating procedure during
deployments that the majority of all Air Force personnel were required to
participate in either annually or every eighteen months. It was a welcome
routine for them and they could have practically set the base up with
their eyes closed if need be.
     In the next day or so several dining facilities would be setup for
the refugees. The Colonial police officers known as "Black Shirts" and
their Earth Air Force counterpart Security Forces (SF's) worked together
by setting up boundaries and several miles of concertina wire. The coiled
razor sharp barbwire spiraled round and round and had been stacked upon
each other two high. It lent to the allusion of a giant slinky toy common
several years ago in mainstream Americana life. Although the wire would
cut clothes as easy as flesh, its primary design was to entangle an
intruder and delay them till forces could arrive on scene.
     Portable Shower Tents and restroom/lavatories were hastily setup
after shipment through the Stargate, and the camp was divided into two
groups, families and single. The latter was setup in separate areas for
men and women. Upon realization a third area was setup for the orphans
from the orphan ship. Within twelve hours after the initial planet fall,
two hundred tents had been erected that housed up to fifteen individuals
if they did not mind giving up their personal space, with many more being
set up by the Colonial men and women who could free themselves from their
families needs long enough to help.
     This joint base camp was an interim solution to so many people
needing refugee status on Earth. Simply put, even utilizing the Stargate
non-stop would require thousands of hours to process so large a group. In
order to remedy unnecessary suffering, the base camp on this side of the
Stargate had been created.
     Colonel Makepiece of the SG3 Marines was the senior ranking Earth
officer and took command of the base. Fortunately, the colonials also had
tents, food and water as well. The ships that landed had facilities for
personal hygiene and cooking so the immediate needs that night were seen
too. Those that could not fit in tents slept in the larger transports and
shuttles till proper facilities could be constructed, while several opted
to sleep under the stars. A luxury not usually afforded during their
twenty-five yahren journey.

***

     After several other SG teams had traveled to P2S89G, as well as all
of the shipments, a new signal came through. The gate opened and Weaver
announced, "Inbound traveler, inbound traveler. Security to the
embarkation room!"
     Weaver stared intently with one hand poised over the iris palm
scanner that would open the iris in order to allow a traveler to pass
through to Earth.
     The monitor received a GDO signal and confirmed its authenticity,
"Receiving Tok'Ra I.D. Opening the Iris."
     A few seconds after the iris opened up and disappeared into the
Stargate. The Tok'Ra agents stepped out onto the ramp.
     Hammond had just entered the control room, and looked down to see
Sam's father, Jacob Carter and two of his associates arrive.
     Jacob looked upward to Hammond and said with a playful smile on his
face, "Who's been holding up the damn gate?"
     With a smirk on his face George went down to meet his friend.
     Hammond came down to the embarkation room and smiled, "Jacob, what
brings you back to Earth again so soon?"
     Jacob smiled and shook George's hand, "Every time I call you the
gates busy!" Laughing the two old friends left and headed to his office.
     Hammond smiled, "We've been busy here."
     Jacob gave him a sardonic grin, "No kidding. I was wondering when
you were going to stop long enough for me to get a turn. I have been
trying for the last two hours!"
     Hammond regarded him seriously, "It's going to be even busier than
you imagine. You might want to leave soon or it could be several days
before we can let you back through."
     They headed upstairs to Hammond office. Jacob started to take a
shortcut through the conference room, but Hammond stopped him short, "Ah,
let's go around."
     Jacob smiled, "You got something in there you don't want a Tok'Ra to
see, George?"
     Hammond looked down for a second, "I got Senator Kinsey locked up in
there."
     Jacob smiled even wider, "You mean that arrogant son of a ..."
     "The same."
     Jacob shook his head, "You don't mind playing with fire, do you?"
     Hammond harrumphed, "You don't know the half of it, Jacob. The
president was not very happy how the good senator came storming in here
giving orders."
     Jacob said, "Maybe you better start from the beginning."
     Hammond led Jacob to his office and told him what had happened.

***

     Inside Hammond's office, "Basically, the President agrees that we
need to keep the Stargate project as quiet as possible, but there are
people on the other side of the gate who fled their space ships in order
to come to Earth..." Hammond told him.
     "But you don't have the facilities to process some many people."
     "Right."
     "You know you could send them to the Alpha site?" The Alpha site was
a world within the Stargate network that the Goa'ould did not know about.
The SGC had learned that a race known only as the Ancients who had
actually built the Stargate network throughout this galaxy had several
Stargate addresses that the Goa'ould did not know about. It was an ace up
their sleeve. 
     Originally, Earth had only the cartouche symbols he had found on
Abyados sometime after the first mission through the Stargate. During
their first couple years traveling through the Stargate, SG-1 had
traveled to a world where a single room was accessible. After mistakenly
awakening an artifact, the device downloaded all of the knowledge of the
Ancients into Jack's brain. That device began rewriting "software" in
Jack's brain so that eventually he could not even speak English. One of
the benefits of the SGC received from the ordeal before the Asguard race
removed that knowledge from Jack's brain. Before that happened Jack for
reasons unknown to him reprogrammed massive amounts of data in the bases
central command computer mainframe. This allowed them to find a planet
that was being utilized as a bare bones facility in case the Goa'ould or
some other danger destroyed the Earth. An Alpha roster of personnel for
immediate deployment stood by in case Earth was doomed.
     Hammond shook his head, "Afraid not. There is even less resources
there, than here. The Joint Chiefs and the President have decided that we
will ship as many people we can through the Stargate to this facility in
the timetable that the gate operates on and then send them upstairs where
they will be sent to Peterson Air Force Base and live in several hangers
for the interim. P2S89G will be the staging area and even now
construction is underway to setup an interim camp."
     Jacob processed that thought and asked, "I thought you said their
carrier was almost destroyed and the enemy was pressing in for the kill?
There's what? Close to seventy thousand people in their fleet, right?"
     "Right. You and I both know it would take weeks to ship all those
people out. The best we can do is get as many as we can through, but."
     Jacob tilted his head, "There's more?"
     Hammond smiled, "Turns out that their battlestar is not the last
after all. Apparently a small fleet of battlestars had found them and had
been trailing them for sometime. They managed to defeat their machine
enemies and the Goa'ould."
     Jacob smiled, "More than likely they scared them off."
     "Right. Which brings me too...?"

***

     The Galactica hung motionless in space and listed to its side
approximately fifteen degrees. To an observer approaching from afar the
ship could have been skewed sideways or on an even gyroscope for what the
ship itself considered level. Such was three dimensional space, however
if the darkened view ports and the raging fires from multiple hull
breaches covering the old girl weren't enough the Beta Landing Bay was
missing. Where the long cigar like arm used to lay empty space now
blanketed. The three support columns that held her fast exhaled round
burst of fire from punctured emergency blast doors. Electronic equipment
and electrical cabling that a few centons before had been hard wired to
sensitive equipment, now resided emptiness and blew large arcing flashes
of electrical current. Every now and then solar wind would push a cable
into the hull where it grounded itself momentarily and then arced in an
expansive flash of power.
     Bodies and debris littered space without prejudice. A gaunt,
freeze-dried form floated freely toward two electrical cables. The body
used to be apart of the deck crew in Beta Landing Bay. 
     Where sensitive organs that had housed three of the five human
senses used to be, gaping holes of destruction now resided from the
explosive and sudden decompression. The form drifted into two cables that
individually were not quite touching themselves and closed the electrical
circuit. Instantaneously exploding the form into small oblong shapes that
rocketed outward in a three hundred and sixty degree angles toward
infinity.
     A large freeze dried ball of blood in the shadow of the Galactica's
side drifted out of its minus two hundred degree haven and where the
distant suns rays touched it, it exploded into super heated red gases
that expanded into distant nothingness.
     The other landing bay known as Alpha Landing Bay was intact and from
a distance the interior could be seen with a few distinct fires flaring
every now and then. Internal structural damage could be made out as beams
and equipment mounted from above had obviously crashed on the deck. A
handful of forms darted around on small machines pushing debris out of
the way. Large support beams littered portions of the deck, while a whole
beam weighing several tons had creased a very large dent into the top of
two shuttles and cleaved a viper just before the cockpit clean into.
     The rear of the Galactica was dark as no power to the energizers or
tylieum reactors or energizers as they were called powered the enormous
beast. Scorched marks and pockmarks of melted metal blanketed the
surface.
     The bridge was no better than the rest of the ship. Pockmarks of
destruction and multiple hull breaches laced the sides, top and bottom. A
few turrets around the side of the ship on either side had been destroyed
as well.
     The relative calm of the outside however did not match the confusion
and chaos that reigned inside.
     Whole sections of the ship had lost complete power. The lack of
power meant that no new heat or oxygen was being circulated, nor were the
gravity energizers currently on. From previous training and drills
colonial warriors and technicians free floated and did their best to stay
calm and not further deplete their oxygen and heat source.
     Many areas of the Galactica had already begun to lose heat and
families had to float in the middle of the living quarters as a whole
body to continue generating heat.
     Per previous training the children faced the parents and clung to
their chests as the parents held onto each other. Near silent whimpering
of the children were the only testimony to anyone's presence in the pitch
black environment.
     On the bridge of the Galactica, beams lay strewn across the bridge
and bodies littered the decks from various injuries. Apollo continued
barking orders in an efficient manner even as he groaned inwardly at the
sheer chaos of the bridge.
     Red lights dimly lit the bridge as the fleeting source of power
drained it at a slow rate. Whole sections of bridge equipment lay dark
and motionless.
     Stale air began to permeate every deck in the vast ship as carbon
dioxide levels raised.
     Major Samantha Carter sat atop an incapacitated Colonial. Her arms
methodically pumped up and down on the mans chest and she counted under
her breath, "One; one thousand, two; one-thousand, three; one thousand."
     When Sam's count reached fifteen, Daniel who knelt beside the head
of the injured person; turned his head sideways and inhaled deeply.
Gently, he tilted the head back and pinched the nostrils and blew two
gentle puffs of air into the mouth. The unconscious forms chest rose up
gently.
     Daniel inquired with his eyebrows on their patient's chances of
survival, "Sam?"
     Sam said nothing verbally but gave a serious, small sideways nod of
her head indicating the victim probably would not make it unless the
medtechs arrived soon.
     Sweat dripped off her pretty face as the constant strain of
performing CPR took its toll. Daniel more than once tried to relieve her,
but she adamantly refused. Her blond hair was dark where sweat pasted it
to her neck and shoulders. Dirt smudged her cheeks. After the two breaths
she continued her ministrations and near silent counting.
     Jack and Teal'c lifted a beam together. Teal'c muscular physique
strained as they lifted the beam up and then dropped it to the side of a
fallen warrior.
     Jack went over the victim's head and placed two fingers over the
neck, just over the artery. After a couple of moments he said, "Come On!
Come On!" 
     Teal'c looked expectantly to Jack who stood up and sadly shook his
head. Feeling helpless he voiced his frustration, "Where the hell are the
medics?"
     "O'Neil, should we not continue searching for survivors?"
     Jack waved off Teal'c "In a second I want answers."
     Teal'c frowned noticeably and followed Jack. They reached the
circular command section in the middle of the bridge and stopped near the
stairs. Apollo leaned over a railing and talked to Omega.
     Omega reported, "Commander, that's it. All primary and secondary
energizers are out."
     Apollo huffed, "How long till secondary energizers are back online?"
     Omega shook his head and Apollo barely saw it, "Commander, the
energizers need to be completely overhauled. This is it. In less than
five centons all residual power in the capacitors will have run out.
We're dead in space."
     Apollo slammed his fist on the railing. "That's it then. Prepare to
abandon ship."
     Omega once again shook his head. "Sir, with power out on several
decks, most people won't make it."
     Apollo's heart seized him with great pain and sadness. "Issue the
order anyway."
     Athena stood up so Apollo could make out her form, "Apollo, the comm
lines are down."
     Apollo sighed, "Then send someone to..."
     Jack interrupted, "No power? Don't you have batteries or something?"
     Apollo turned to Jack, "What?"
     Jack made a frown, "You know a storage container holding backup
power?"
     When Apollo did not respond Jack inclined his head forward and
raised his hand palm up, finishing what he thought was the obvious
answer, "In case you lose your generators?"
     Apollo nodded in understanding, "No."
     Jack shook his head in exasperation, "No?"
     Apollo clearly irritated exhaled sharply, "No. The power consumption
of such a device would not power even life support."
     Thinking the conversation was over he begun issuing orders, leaving
Jack to himself.
     Jack raised his hand outward in frustration, "Am I a wall here or
something? I..."
     "O'Neil, perhaps the Naqadah reactors Major Carter brought might
restore power to vital areas of the ship?"
     Jack turned to face Teal'c and was fully prepared to loose his
frustration on him when Teal'c revelation stopped him cold. Jack smirked
and slapped Teal'c's shoulder with the back of his hand. Smiling Jack
nodded to him.
     Teal'c stoically dipped his head to his friend in acknowledgement.
     Jack surveyed the bridge despite its red lighting casting shadows,
"Carter?"
     Sam stopped CPR as she neared exhaustion, "Sir?" Then she said,
"Over here."
     Jack and Teal'c came over to her, "Will he?" Indicating her patient.
     Sam shook her head sadly, "No, he's dead."
     Jack changed the subject, "Can you rig the Naquadah generators to
power the ship?"
     Sam frowned, "Even with the reactors we have, I seriously doubt we
could power the entire Battlestar. It would take hundreds of gigawatts,
we don't..."
     Jack huffed, "How about life support?"
     Sam raised her eyebrows mentally calculating, "I would have to run
several Naquadah Reactors in a series, and then ground them all to a
major bulkhead on the Galactica's superstructure, then account for the
power conversion ratio of the Colonial measurement system..."
     Jack lost his patience, "Yeah! Yeah! Can you do it or not?"
     Sam blinked, "I think so. I'll need help."
     Apollo had overhead a small portion of the conversation.
Interrupting he inquired, "Colonel?"
     Jack turned to face him, "We just might be able to save the ship."
     "How?" Apollo asked hopefully.
     Sam interrupted, "We should be able to Macgyver a series of Naquadah
reactors together to keep life support and gravity going."
     Apollo sighed in near relief, "What do you need?"
     "Several people to help carry the reactors and someone to show me
where to hook it up, and someone who can help me convert our measurements
into yours, so we don't blow the relays."
     Apollo turned to Omega, "Omega, show her where to set up." Turning
to Athena, "Athena, get those warriors over there to follow Omega!" Then
to Sam, "Concentrate on life support. We can work without gravity, but we
can't live without air pressure, heat, and oxygen."
      Jack turned to his team, "Teal'c and Daniel help Carter."
     Apollo smiled thinly, "Major, you better hurry, there's only centons
left before we asphyxiate or freeze to death."
     As he mentioned the word freeze Sam unconsciously shook and realized
it had noticeably cooled and the temperature was nearly fifty or sixty
degrees Fahrenheit already. So intent on providing CPR to the wounded
Colonial, the heat she had generated from the act prevented her from
noticing the temperature change, until now.
     Sam nodded and the combined team raced from the bridge as fast as
they could.

***

     With flashlights in hand the combined crew of SG and Colonials ran
at breakneck speed barely slowing at corners. Manually climbing up access
ports and eventually made it to the assigned Earth storage rooms. After
retrieving the reactors, Sam grabbed two portable multi-meters designed
for measuring power output and input, a notepad, calculator and a pen.
Sam passed out cables to each person along with a reactor.
     Every corridor the ten members of the rag-tag team ran they saw a
blur of dirty faces, blood, and bodies littering the corridor. Each
person strained under the weight of the small but heavy weight of the
reactors. Naquadah was very heavy. Weapons grade Naquadah the size of a
football would have required two exceptionally strong individuals on a
litter system or carrier to haul it any appreciable distance. The heavy
properties of the rare and powerful element directly magnified any minute
or trace of power on an exponential mathematical curve.
     Combined with Goa'ould, Tok'Ra, or even the relatively primitive
Tau'ri technology it created massive amounts of power. In the Stargate's
case it allowed its other advanced components to channel power into a
wormhole connected to two points in space. In the Tau'ri Naquadah
reactors it carried enough power to be a super-conductor and act as a
remote power source to activate a Stargate that did not have a Dial Home
Device (DHD), or in this case life support, they hoped.
     At the last juncture they crossed a section of deck plating where
gravity ceased. Omega tried to stop short of the corridor as he saw
debris free floating and spinning but due to the train of personnel
running as fast as he and on his heels he was bumped into the corridor
and spun end over end down the length of it.
     He was not the only one, several others free floated down the
corridor. One by one they bumped into each other and somehow managed to
float toward their destination.
     Daniel fortunately was one of the stragglers who had been able to
stop in time. He swallowed hard and Teal'c cautioned him, "Daniel
Jack'son. Push off at an even stride and you should float straight down
the corridor."
     Daniel turned in the dim light, "Easy for you to say. Is this a bad
time to mention I have motion sickness?"
     To Daniel's horror Teal'c pushed him into the corridor and he
flailed with one arm and held his precious cargo with the other. Not
having experienced weightlessness before, he tried to paddle the air as
he would in a swimming pool on Earth. Not realizing the physics were
different all he managed to do was to start spinning sideways in small
circles, and upside down at the same time.
     Daniel's stomach threatened to expel his dinner. It was then he
realized that Colonial food definitely was not meant to go back the way
it had come in. His eyes widened and his stomach cramped as his mouth
spasmed. His mouth felt strangely dry and wet at the same time.
     When he had given up total hope until a strong hand grasped his arm
and in little time his position righted itself and Teal'c and he sailed
smoothly to the end of the corridor.
     Down the corridor Omega sailed into a new section and fell sharply
as he quickly discovered that gravity was still on in this new section.
"Oof!" He exclaimed.
     Sam soon found out as well, but Omega partially caught her at the
last moment. Together they helped the others.
     Reaching their destination, Omega pointed to the chief engineer,
"That's him."
     Demiclees the chief engineer, "What's this? I don't have time for
this!" He said in obvious frustration.
     The engine room was in total disarray and the oxygen in the room was
very stale.  Debris littered the room as several technicians had stripped
away a vast portion of an energizer.
     Sam interrupted, "We brought some of our Naquadah reactors."
     The crusty older engineer frowned, "Look! We only got centons before
we die. I can't believe any culture so far behind ours would have enough
power to turn the lights on here, much less the ship."
     Sam got into his face, "Either show me where the power cables are
for life support and gravity or we can argue about this till we all
suffocate. Which is it?"
     Omega interrupted, "Demiclees, we don't have time for this. Show
Major Carter where to setup, Commander's orders."
     Demiclees shrugged and pointed "Come on."

***

     On the bridge of the Galactica the air had gone from stale to
putrid. Apollo stood helpless by his chair. Sheba's nasty cut had stopped
bleeding but he insisted that she sit until the medtechs could check her
out, which at this time she felt was a moot point.
     Jack sat on the steps feeling even more helpless than Apollo. 
     Athena coughed and asked Apollo, "Shouldn't we make for the landing
bay?"
     Apollo nodded, "Go ahead." As soon as the words were out of his
mouth the red lights winked out for a moment. The bridge was cast into
total darkness.
     Jack reached for his flashlight when a harsh, bright white lights
clicked on throughout the bridge. Everyone blinked and shielded their
eyes until their eyesight adjusted.
     Fresh air began pumping life throughout the bridge and to Jack it
felt as clean as a spring breeze. Ventilation units immediately began
scrubbing the toxic C02 buildup.
     Jack stood up, "Yeah! Way to go Sam! I take back everything I ever
said about scientists."
     Apollo stood up in amazement as his ship came back to life before
his very eyes. He sighed greatly in relief and hugged his wife. She
laughed openly and kissed him not caring who saw.
     Ragged cheers rang throughout the survivors on the bridge.
     Lights on equipment that had not been damaged suddenly came to life
and equipment chirped and beeped as they began their routines.
     Apollo smiled and extended his hand to Jack, "Well done, Colonel.
Thank you."
     Jack smiled widely and shook his head, "Damn! She's good."

***

     In the engine room Sam hooked the last cable. She looked over at
Demiclees who nodded, "The ground is connected. Go ahead major."
     Sam inhaled sharply and pushed the on button of the first reactor.
Its light came on and nothing happened. She exhaled and began turning on
the other devices. When the fourth Naquadah reactor was turned on the
life support console came to life and beeped rapidly. Several tall
gauges, one for every large section of the ship registered the high toxin
levels of the ships and alarms blared.
     Demiclees shoulders sagged in defeat until Daniel said, "Look! It's
working!"
     Gradually the red area of the gauge at the top began falling slowly.
In under a centon the gauge entered the yellow area of critical and still
fell toward safe limits.
     Everyone in engineering cheered loudly and clapped each other on the
back. Within moments the gauge rested in the green safety margin.
     Sam shook her head and smiled, "Let's hook up the others to gravity,
basic electrical power, and see if internal communications can be
restored."
     Everyone pitched in with renewed vigor.

***

     Groups of families huddled in weightlessness when the life support
began again. 
     A father looked around in the darkness, "Did you hear that?"
     A teenage child said, "That's the ventilation!"
     Without warning the lights came on sharply and even though it nearly
blinded them they cheered.
     The father comforted his wife and children, "Soon we'll have
gravity." No sooner than he had said it he felt the telltale tug of
gravity as it gradually pulled them slowly and inexorably to the floor.
     The family cheered and knew they were going to be all right. 

***

     Similar scenes throughout the great ship happened as life was
restored piece-by-piece, and system-by-system. In the life center, Doctor
Cassiopeia worked methodically all the while she fretted to herself for
Starbuck's safety. Hoping she had a husband to come back to her.
     Over the yahren the unreachable and womanizing ladies man, Starbuck
had his heart captured by a woman that in another time and place in the
Colonies probably would not have met.
     Actually that's not entirely accurate, as a true space Casanova he
might have met her in the service of sociallator order.
     The sociallators were highly trained and educated women who served
the physical well being of men who for diverse reasons. For some men,
they provided an alternative for legally seeking companionship apart from
their spouses and without the majority of their society frowning upon
unwise liaisons.
     The service of the sociallator's had begun as an official
institution a thousand yahren ago and blessed by the Lord's of Kobol
themselves.
     Of course in any diverse culture certain groups, such as the tribe
of Gemons or Gemini did openly frown at such activities but actually
despised such deplorable behavior. Their planets more stringent customs
only sanctified the physical union of male and female once every seven
years during the full moon of their planet and by their priest.
     Certain side effects resulted from this, one being the Gemons were
renown throughout the Colonies for being some of the best pyramid card
players, among other things.
     A sociallator began her studies as a young woman. Its focus was not
the more garish or lewd acts of sex, but instead encompassed the overall
well being of the customer. Studies included an accredited degree in
medicine; including, standard practices and alternative and natural
healing medicines, acupressure, acupuncture, Chiropractor,
pharmaceutical, counseling and of course the more sensual arts of
pleasing a man.
     In most facets of the Colonial society a sociallator was looked at
in usually three ways: Everyone knew that their craft was one of high
skill and demand and not anyone could merely become one because they had
the correct body parts. Their career encompassed many fields of
expertise. Another opinion was that of some insecure women who were still
not comfortable in a sociallators presence. Which more than likely
stemmed from a feeling of inadequacy of a jealous spouse. Men on the
other hand justified the practice with either a total disregard to their
professional status and focused on the woman's more physical attributes
or they genuinely desired companionship from someone who would treat them
respectfully and not break their heart.
     Since the destruction of the Colonies there was not a high demand
for sociallators. Everyone had lost someone in his or her flight that
fateful night. After the fleet had put many light yahren behind them and
what was lost several people chose to find someone to fill that gap in
their lives. Without any persuasion couples gravitated toward one another
and in the first yahren alone many new mouths to feed flooded the ships
already cramped quarters.
     When Cassie had come aboard one of the surviving ships that fled the
Colonies, she had met Starbuck who had taken her back to the Galactica to
have her broken arm repaired.
     In the conversation afterward Starbuck vowed to find her a position
on the Galactica so she wouldn't have to return to the ship that housed
several Gemons who had despitefully treated her.
     Since Cassie's high education focused on a medical degree it took
little persuasion to place her in a med-tech career path.
     In less than ten yahren she had become a physician and after Doctor
Salik had passed on five yahren later she took his place as the most
senior medical officer.
     In complete darkness she had tried to assist the wounded but many
died on the table from the lack of power to advanced equipment.
     When the power came on again she immediately went to work on the
living.
     A stretcher came in with a bruised and battered young man she
recognized. She pointed to an empty bio-bed and checked his lifelines,
"Bryan? Can you hear me?"
     Bryan eyes still registered a detached shock from his ordeal. Not
knowing if the blood all over his uniform was his she immediately checked
him out.
     Doctor Merrin smiled, "He's just suffering from Adrinolan shock."
     She looked up, "Who are you?" She noticed the medical smock he wore
and knew he couldn't be a doctor from the fleet.
     He stuck his hand out, "Doctor Merrin from the Battlestar Pegasus."
     Cassie dropped her instrument in response and her hands went up to
her mouth, "Pegasus?"
     That ship meant more to her than most of the fleet. Prior to the
destruction of the Colonies, Cain and Cassiopeia were very close friends.
Through the service of the Sociallators Cain had been her regular client,
helping him adjust to the death of his wife, but as time wore on they
fell in love.
     She had believed Cain was lost at the battle of Molecay until his
triumphant return over twenty-three yahren ago. She was seeing Starbuck
then and a certain rivalry had ensued between the two. With Cain's
disappearance she had moved on and put her love for Cain out of her mind.
     He smiled a friendly smile, "Yes, I assume you are the Galactica's
doctor?"
     She nodded weakly, "All right, I can't deal with that now. What
happened to Bryan?"
     He smiled, "He saved a lot lives in Alpha Landing Bay, but it took
its toll on him."
     Cassie bent over and picked up the instrument and checked that it
still worked. She then scanned Bryan and discovered it just as he had
said.
     That was when Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel came running in. Daniel
huffed, "Is that Sergeant Torres?"
     Cassie nodded.
     Daniel went over to the phone and called the bridge.
     After having Athena patch her to Jack, "O'Neill?" Jack said.
     "Jack!" Daniel exclaimed.
     "Daniel. Good job. Where are you at?"
     "Jack, we're in medical, they just brought in Sergeant Torres."
     Jack's voiced remained silent a moment, "Is he..." Leaving the
question hanging.
     "I don't think so but you better get down to their life center. He
doesn't look good."
     Sam and Teal'c approached Torres on the bio-bed. "My God. What
happened?"

***

     Jack exited a turbo lift and headed toward the life center. At the
end of the passageway he saw Starbuck enter the life center and muttered
to himself as he passed the sign labeling it, "Why can't they just call
it medical?'
     Close on Starbuck's heels, he saw Bryan on the bed with blood
covering most of his uniform. 
     Starbuck went to Cassie and hugged and kissed her gently. She sighed
in great relief that he had once again returned to her after a battle.
     "What the hell happened?" Jack said in his most authoritative voice.

     Starbuck saw Bryan's condition and started to ask his wife how he
was.
     Cassie said, "Relax Colonel. Bryan..."
     She never got to finish as Jack peppered Starbuck with his fury,
"You! I want a word with you!" 
     Starbuck shrugged, "I just got..."
     "I DON'T BELIEVE IT! I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! What the hell is the
matter with you?"
     Starbuck clearly frustrated squared off with Jack, "Whatta ya mean?"
     "How could you take him out in that ship?" Jack forcefully shoved
his index finger repeatedly into Starbuck's chest.
     Starbuck remained somewhat calm and pulled a fumerello out of his
coat pocket and started to put it into his mouth.
     Jack grabbed it and threw it down on the floor. "Answer me!
Captain!"
     Sam tried to get Jack's attention, "Ugh, Colonel, its not..." Jack
never heard her.
     "Look Colonel! I don't answer to you..."
     Jack got within six inches of Starbuck and screamed so hard that
spittle flew from his mouth, "I don't give a damn who you report to. You
stay the hell away from my people, IS THAT CLEAR, you arrogant son-of..."
     "Colonel!" Cassie said breaking Jack's concentration.
     In frustration and the heat of the moment Jack turned to her and
continued his flurry of words, "What!" It was more of a statement than a
question.
     "Sergeant Torres is fine. He's simply in adrinolan shock."
     "What?"
     Sam explained, "Bryan is in shock. After he and Captain Starbuck
returned to the Galactica he somehow got caught in the Landing Bay during
the worst of the attack. He ended up saving over thirty lives."
     Doctor Merrin did not know who Jack was but offered, "He even saved
a technicians life at the risk of his own."
     Jack asked, "Really?"
     Merrin nodded, "Yes. Those people would have died if he had not used
basic life saving skills to stabilize them."
     Daniel asked, "How did he do that?"
     Merrin smiled, "As the Crew Chief Artemeus said, a girl, some
technician, named Methany was working on a viper and the sergeant saw a
beam falling unawares toward her. According to the chief, he jumped into
her path and knocked her out of the way just as the beam would have
fallen onto them. Afterwards he stayed and tended the wounded." 
     Cassie spoke, "I am sure Sire Geller will be very grateful."
     Teal'c asked, "Why would a council member on your quorum be
grateful?"
     Starbuck bent over and picked up his fumerello and dusted it off,
"Because, she is his granddaughter."
     Teal'c eyes blinked but otherwise said nothing.
     "He is a very lucky young man to only have come through so much with
so few injuries."
     Sam asked, "Will he be all right?"
     Cassie smiled, "Yes, he is semi-sedated now, but it's his mental
scars that concern me."
     Jack nodded, "All right. Major Carter, I want a head count of all
our people on the ship. Daniel and Teal'c go with them and make sure they
don't need any help." Jack turned to leave.
     Daniel's curiosity got the best of him, "Jack?"
     "Yeah?"
     "Where you going?"
     Sam never got used to Daniel asking superior officer questions like
that and had to remind herself Daniel was not military. Prior to joining
on with the Stargate program, he had no affiliation with the any branch
of the military and therefore protocol meant very little to him. They
were more friends than supervisor to subordinate in their relationship.
     Jack eyed Starbuck with a dark glint in his eyes, "I gotta take care
of something. I'll meet you in the server room."
     Jack went back to the bridge and found Apollo still there giving
orders and ensuring his ship was going to survive.
     Jack rounded the raised circular platform that was the command area
of the bridge and easily walked the stairs two steps at a time.
     He saw Sheba was finally getting medical attention from a young male
med-tech, "Colonel, how are you feeling?"
     She smiled, "I'll live. How are your people?"
     Jack put his hands in his pockets and looked around the bridge
before he spoke, "Yeah, ya know? That's what I came up here to talk to
you about."
     Apollo paused a moment, "Did you lose anyone, Colonel?"
     Jack shrugged, "Major Carter is still getting a head count. Torres
got banged up and is being sedated, but he'll live."
     Apollo's shoulders relaxed a moment, "Thank the Lords."
     "Sir, when all of this is over and things get straightened out here,
we need to talk." He said matter of factly.
     Apollo lifted his eyebrow as a question.
     "Yeah, ya see. It's Starbuck and that stunt he pulled tonight. I
could have lost a good man today because of his devil may dare attitude."
     Apollo understood the gist of what Jack was saying even if he never
heard the saying before.
     Apollo nodded, "Yes, Colonel. After things get straightened out
we'll talk, and yes I haven't forgotten what he did." 

***

     As Cain's shuttle approached the Galactica he looked out at the ole
girl and shook his head. 'After all these yahren.' He thought.
     His thoughts were interrupted as his pilot requested landing
instructions, "Commander Cain's shuttle from the Battlestar Pegasus,
requesting landing instructions?"
     Cain's shuttle arrived with great pomp and ceremony. Commander
Apollo and Colonel Sheba  were wearing their dress uniforms. The Colonial
Flag waved tall and proud from its stand. 
     The shuttles hull had steam rising off of it from the difference of
temperature from space to an atmosphere. The door opened and a micron
later Cain in his familiar warrior's uniform stepped out. As a former
pilot, Cain had continued wearing his warrior's uniform instead of the
Bridge Officers blue tunic and pants. The only difference was that Cain's
shoulders sported gold braids around the brown shoulder patches
indicating he was a commander.
     His physical body and presence had diminished a little over the
twenty-two yahren since Apollo had last seen him, but his eyes still
shined with a youth and vigor that would rival any young warrior.
     Cain swaggered down the ramp smiling brightly waving his command
baton around at everyone. He noticed something odd though. A small group
of humans stood behind Apollo and wore totally unfamiliar uniforms. They
wore two piece uniform of green with insignia he couldn't quite make out
from this distance. He assumed he would find out soon enough and quickly
put that issue aside for now.
     The landing bay shuddered from the enormous roar of applause and
cheers.  His eyes rested on Apollo in his blue command uniform and did
not seem surprised to see Sheba standing beside him in a command uniform
also.
     Sheba bolted from her position and met her father halfway. Burying
here head into his chest she cried openly, "Father!"
     Cain enveloped his only child with a hug that appeared to wrap the
whole landing bay in a warmth of protection and security. "Baby! I missed
you so much."  Sheba cried pure tears of joy.
     The crowd watched on in respectful silence. Everyone in the fleet
knew who Sheba's father was and gave them a few microns respite.
     After several microns, he released her while she stood protectively
at his side. He turned toward Apollo openly offered his hand, "Commander
Apollo."
     Apollo smiled a toothy grin, "Commander Cain. Thank the Lords you
showed up when you did.
     Cain waved a dismissal with his baton, "Ah, you would have done the
same." Cain paused as he sensed another presence out of all the hundreds
of people in the bay staring holes into him. 
     Quickly looking to his right he saw a young warrior who was the
spitting image of Sheba twenty-five yahren ago, except for the blond
hair.
     He quickly looked to Sheba and then back to the girl. Cain's eyes
twinkled with delight as he deduced who this person was. "Turning to
Apollo and Sheba he asked, "And who do we have here?" 
     Hera stepped forward and smiled sheepishly. She felt as if she was
at a cadet review, She squared her shoulders and looked up into her
grandfathers eyes for acceptance and said rather quietly, "Hello,
grandfather." She tried pushing the lump in her throat she swallowed
rather sharply, "I'm Hera."
     Hera was not quite sure what Cain's response would be. She had heard
wonderful stories about how Cain was a loving father and yet at the same
time how he was the shrewdest man alive.
     Nothing prepared her for his open arms of acceptance. She dived for
his embrace, wrapping her arms around his torso and buried her head in
his chest, like her mother only centons before. His acceptance made her
feel complete and she wondered why she had even been concerned he might
not accept her. Tears slid down her cheeks. "Hera, my granddaughter." He
pulled her away several microns later, still holding her in his arms,
while she looked upward with an awe of respect.
     He smiled at her with a fathers love, "I have a granddaughter." He
shook his head and hugged her again. After he released her he turned to
Apollo incredulously, "Just one grandchild?" He asked holding his index
finger up.
     Apollo shrugged non-committal, "We've been busy."
     Cain shook his head reprovingly. Finally accepting that he looked
over Hera's shoulder, "Apollo, have you changed the dress code onboard
the Galactica?"
     Apollo took his cue, "Commander Cain, this special envoy from Earth?
May I present..."
     Cain looked sharply at Apollo, "Earth?"
     Apollo smiled, "Earth. This is Colonel Jack O'Neil, Major Samantha
Carter, Doctor Daniel Jack'son, and Teal'c."
     Cain expelled a sharp breath, and assumed an air of authority,
"Colonel."
     Jack smiled, "Commander, I have heard almost nothing about you."
They shook hands and Cain smiled to himself, 'I think I'm going to like
this man'.
     He quickly shook the others hands and stopped at Teal'c, "Teal'c is
it?"
     Teal'c did not smile but inclined his head respectfully, "Indeed."
     Cain sensed strength and a warrior's spirit that was stronger than
the others. "Interesting name. You are a warrior are you not?"
     Teal'c seemed pleased at the Commander's assessment and smiled
albeit a little, "I am a Jaffa. A race of warriors known and feared
throughout the galaxy."
     Cain lingered a moment before shaking his hand. "I knew it. Perhaps
we could share warrior stories, you and I? One warrior to another."
     Teal'c once again inclined his head.
     Cain turned his attention back to Apollo, "Well, enough of this
sentiment, there is a war on and I intend to win this one! Yes!" Cain
declared loudly, "By the Lords of Kobol! We are about to destroy the
Cylons once and for all!"
     His impromptu speech egged everyone into a frenzy of cheers that
threatened to seriously hurt everyone's hearing.

***

     The day had gone rather quickly. Cain endured a session with the IFB
news network and now this private meeting with Apollo himself. Later
another session with the council and numerous impromptu meetings, Cain
expected to look up Cassie and see how she had fared all these years and
finally sleep on his own Battlestar.
     Tollan was second in command of his fleet and was very good at what
he did, but Cain reveled in his fleet, although nearly ten times smaller
than the one he left, it was his and now the Colonies. A gift, to the
remnants of the Twelve Tribes of man and perhaps their brothers on Earth.
     Apollo could not sit down in his excitement but he sat on the edge
of his enormous desk. Finally he blurted out the one question on
everyone's mind.
     "Cain, how in Hades did you survive over twenty two yahren ago and
how did you find us now?" Apollo asked.
     Cain smiled a sidelong mischievous grin at Apollo, "Oh, Hades had
nothing to do with it."
     Apollo waited patiently for Cain to continue, but instead it was
Cain's turn to pace the room looking at the floor. Finally he exhaled
sharply, looked Apollo in the eye and said, "Apollo, You're never going
to believe this, but..."
     "But what?" Apollo prompted.
     "It was a miracle." Cain simply said and gave him a small smile.
     Apollo squared off his shoulders and stated disbelievingly, "Last
time we met, you told my father that you made your own miracles." 
     Cain uncharacteristically said, "I was wrong."
     Apollo looked doubtfully and asked, "Cain, what happened to you?
Last Starbuck and I saw were that both base stars exploded and then
nothing. By all rights you should be dead."
     Cain raised his eyebrows "I should have been, but I wasn't." Cain
paced the floor, "We saw a bright light also, but not the one Starbuck
and you saw. A fantastic ship made of brilliant white light, and there
was sound." Cain turned to face Apollo. "It was beautiful and
overpowering...It was like nothing I had ever seen before."
     Apollo finished for him, "The Ship of Lights".
     Cain smiled and nodded, "The Ship of Lights. They said you knew them
already."
     Apollo started to realize what had happened, "Why would they save
you? Their not supposed to interfere."
     "They mentioned that also, but they said that your lives had been
interfered with already by someone named Count Ibilis who had interfered
and now they were nudging fate back into proper balance."
     "Ibilis? I thought he was gone."
     Cain shrugged, "I don't know about that. Those..." He searched for
the right word and finally decided on, "Angels" didn't say much to me
except that he had been banished from our visible dimension, but he still
can influence the seen world or some other nonsense." Cain waved
dismissively, "I'll leave the correct interpretation with the
theologians."
     Apollo shrugged his head, rounded the corner to his desk and sat
heavily into his seat. Reaching for two glasses of ambrosia. Pouring a
drink for himself and then pointed at the other one indicating one for
Cain, who nodded assent.
     "I don't know", Apollo began as he handed Cain the other drink. "Ah,
it's just so hard to believe. I mean your such a..."
     Cain took the drink and smiled mischievously, "A what? A badacka?"
Cain referred to a now extinct furry animal back on Caprica that was an
herbivore, had long ears, a short raggedy tail and made irritating baying
sounds, and was renowned throughout the colonies for being the most
stubborn animal in existence.
     Apollo lips cracked a small smile, "Yes."
     Cain snapped his fingers, "Which reminds me, a mutual acquaintance
wanted me to deliver a message." 
     Cain paused dramatically and then simply said, "John says hello."
     Apollo's eyes widened, "John? The John?" The only person he ever
knew as John, except Colonel John Andrews of Eagle Squadron, was an
angelic being from the Ship of Lights who had acted as mediator between
his race and the Colonial remnant when he was last on a planet called
Terra. Now he knew that Cain was telling the truth. Only a handful of
people knew the details of the incident on Terra.
     "The last time I saw him was on a planet called Terra."
     "I know. He said that you helped prevent a war that would have
otherwise destroyed the planet." Cain smiled widely.
     "You know about Terra?"
     "I better. It's our new base of operations."
     "What?" Apollo started disbelievingly. He shook his head in
exasperation, "Cain, you better start from the beginning."
     Cain began, "It all started the last time you saw the Pegasus up
against two of Baltar's base ships. Baltar's ship pulled back to a safe
range and ordered the other base ship Commander's to take the Pegasus on.
We were outgunned and had the pogee's blown out of the hull on both
sides." 
     He began his tale:
     Captain Apollo, Strike Wing Commander of Blue Squadron from the
Galactica and his wingman Lieutenant Starbuck and the rest of Blue
Squadron were escorting several shuttles from the Pegasus that held
numerous wounded from a previous battle.
     The vipers flew in a staggered and relaxed formation. Several vipers
spearheaded the way back to the Colonial Fleet and the Galactica, while
others formed up on the left, right and the rear.
     Apollo and Starbuck took up the rear flank, "Apollo? According to my
scanners the shuttles are on a course that will take them well out of the
path of the returning Cylon Raiders." Starbuck said.
     Apollo frowned, "That's why were following this heading, it's the
safest route back to the fleet."
     "That means that Cain won't have any support when he attacks the
Basestars. There are more than enough vipers to protect the shuttles. I
was thinking what's one more viper or two if you get my meaning?"
     Apollo frowned even more, "Starbuck, that would mean disobeying
orders."
     "Whose?"
     Apollo was starting to get exasperated, "Cain's!" He said as if it
were obvious to anyone.
     "How can we be accused of disobeying orders, from a man whose
disobeying orders himself?" Starbuck returned.
     Apollo had been about to rebuke Starbuck and caught himself in a
sudden revelation, "Somehow that makes sense." Then to Boomer, "Boomer?
Starbuck and I are going to check out our rear flank."
     Boomer had heard every word and knew what they intended to do, "How
far to our rear?"
     Apollo said, "Don't ask too many questions."
     Boomer shook his head and smirked, "That's what I thought. Good
Luck."
     With nothing more to say Apollo and Starbuck pushed their turbo
button and swung their ships into a tight one hundred and eighty degree
angle and sped back the way they had come.
     The Battlestar Pegasus was fast approaching two of the three Cylon
base ships. Baltar had realized that Cain was after his hide and had
cowardly ordered his subordinate Commander's to move their ships up
forward of his while he retreated.
     Ever the tactical wizard, Cain was counting on that. His second in
command, Major Tollan reported, "Two base ships closing with us. The
third base ship is moving back out of range."
     "That third ship will be Baltar's."
     Tollan interrupted, "Sir, two ships approaching at just sub-light
speed, their vipers."
     Cain frustrated at last minute changes to his battle plans testily
asked, "Well who are they, what do they want? Identify?"
     Apollo and Starbuck moved into position, "Starbuck, I'll take the
one on the left."
     Starbuck stated the blatantly obvious, "I got the other one."
     Both vipers strafed the sides of the base ships that faced each
other one doing incredible damage to their mega-pulsar lasers.
     Tollan announced, "Both vipers are attempting strafing runs on both
base ships."
     Cain smiled deviously, he tightened his fist and shook it in the
air, "Their clearing a path for us. Arm all missiles. Point blank range."
     Starbuck dived into the superstructure of the enemy base ship. He
strafed another line of laser turrets and wondered how Apollo was doing.
     Apollo interrupted his thoughts, "It's nice in here. They can't fire
on us without hitting themselves."
     The Pegasus had slid right between both base ships so that one was
positioned on either side. Both vipers seeing the clash of the giants
fast approaching left the area in a heartbeat.
     Both fired on each other in a fist to fist slugging match. Support
beams fell and fires on both ships began.
     As the pair of vipers put some distance between them and the Cylons,
the first basestar exploded followed a micron later by the other one.
They exploded in a spectacular array of white hot light and debris.
     Starbuck yelled into the microphone in his helmet, "Do you see the
Pegasus?" Squinting his eyes he tried desperately to find it.
     Apollo turned away from the explosions, "I can't see anything except
spots! I've never seen an flash that powerful before."
     Starbuck registered the incoming Cylon Raiders on his scanners.
These were the same raiders that Cain's plan had racing back and forth to
a planet in this sector called Gomoray. The once Delphian home world, now
a modernized city of machine efficiency.
     The Cylons had destroyed over fifty million living beings in that
campaign and took over their cities as an outer capital world.
     Cain had cleverly used both Gomoray and Baltar as a means to get the
Cylon ships to head toward the Colonial Fleet and then hit the Cylon
capital with a strike team that had parachuted in. Once the strike team
blew munitions depot and the control center for the planetary laser
batteries, vipers descended on the planet unleashing their deadly laser
armament.
     Cain could have never anticipated that fortuities arrival of the
Cylons Imperious Leader. An ugly mechanical monstrosity with a huge
bulbous head covered in elegant robes. Its head contained three higher
function brains that provided near sentience.
     If Cain had known how close he came to lopping the head off of the
Cylon Empire he would have changed his battle plan. As it were, by the
time the raiders had reached their halfway point they turned back to
support the attack on the fuel depot and munitions depot on Gomoray. Then
Cain executed the final phase of his plan by going after Baltar himself
in his base ship. 
     Baltar fearing for his life had hastily ordered the raiders to
return. By the time that two of the base stars had been destroyed the
raiders were nearly out of fuel and would surely be lost in the abyss of
space.
     "Apollo! Scanners picking up a large force of Cylon Raiders! What do
we do?"
     Apollo smiled thinly, "We go home, as fast as we can."
     Commander Apollo remembered that incident vividly. Shaking it off he
asked, "I remember that much, but what happened then?"
     Cain arched one eyebrow and shrugged, "During that last moment just
as both base ships blew; time seemed to freeze." Cain stared off to a
point furthest in Apollo's chamber.
     "Then there was a bright light, warmth, sound almost like a heavenly
music, so loud, so overpowering that I lost consciousness, then...then I
awoke."
     Apollo smiled remembering a similar event.
     Cain continued, "I awoke in a vast chamber of brilliant white. The
room seemed to glow ethereally and their were people dressed in white."
Cain lost all focus momentarily and then came back to himself, "Apollo,
to say I was at a complete loss of words, would be an understatement.
     I tried to get up but I was somehow restrained, suspended several
degrees in a resting position but not quite lying down."
     A faceless being spoke, "Balron infusion complete."
     Cain knew he must surely be dead but the no nonsense warrior in him
asked, "Where am I? What's happening?"
     The faceless being seemed to glide toward him, "Commander Cain of
the Battlestar Pegasus."
     Cain eyed him warily but was helplessly restrained by unseen forces,
"That's right."
     "Do not be alarmed."
     Cain asked, "Am I dead?"
     The faceless being did not indicate whether he had heard him or not,
"Death is a primitive understatement of the existence in the universe as
you know it."
     Cain raised his voice, "Don't give me that double talk. Where am I?
Where is my crew?"
     The being countered, "Your people are in similar state of being. As
to your whereabouts, you are in a dimension not quite your own."
     Cain started in confusion and began again to demand answers,
"Look..."
     Without preamble the being spoke again, "You sacrificed yourself to
save the remnants of your people. Rarely is such a deed performed
selflessly."
     "Why are you doing this to me? If I am dead, then tell me, clearly."
     "As you measure death, no, you are not dead, merely apart from your
dimension, temporarily."
     "If my crew and I are not dead, why are we here?"
     Eyes that sparkled like diamonds that radiated warmth toward him,
"Because you surely would have perished in the conflict with our enemy."
     Cain's eyebrows arched sharply, "Surely the Cylons are not a threat
to you."
     "All the forces that corrupt and destroy that which is good is our
common foe", The faceless being spoke.
     Cain couldn't help himself but had to ask, "Cylons are machines,
they were programmed millennia ago by their reptilian creators. The
original organic beings were known as the Cylons but were destroyed by
the machines they created."
     "Yes and the machine Cylon race were created and programmed by Count
Ibilis who had the original Cylon race destroyed."
     "Count Ibilis? Who's that."
     "He was once what we are now, but was corrupted by evil and
darkness. He now uses his knowledge to pervert that which is good."
     Cain struggled with these metaphysic concepts, "Are you saying that
he is Hades?"
     "That is one name he is known by, as well as Mestopholes, the lord
of darkness is another also."
     Cain knew he was in over his head and finally began to listen.
     "Ibilis has already met with the Galactica and nearly destroyed the
remnant of your people, including your daughter..."
     "My daughter! Sheba." Cain strained under his restraints. "Let me
go! I have to save my baby!"
     The angel merely shook his head, "Your daughter Sheba is now safe.
Captain Apollo had sacrificed his life to save her."
     "Apollo's dead?" He remorsed over Adama's son.
     "He was only dead by primitive measures. He is alive and well."
     Cain frowned darkly, "Ibilis will pay."
     "That is not for you to say. He has forfeited his corporal existence
as payment for his deeds."
     "You have power over him? Why didn't you stop him?"
     Patiently the angelic being explained, "Because we value freedom of
choice above all else, his, yours, everyone's. We are not allowed to
interfere in the development of lesser advanced cultures."
     Cain huffed, "What do you call saving my life then?"
     "Your lives were not Ibilis to take."
     "Ibilis? I was fighting Baltar and his base ships."
     "That encounter was carefully manipulated by Ibilis behind the
scenes. You were not meant to sacrifice your crew at that time, but
instead were meant to provide protection for your people. Ibilis changed
all that and now events are unfolding as they should not."
     "How should they unfold? Who are you to say how events should
unfold?"
     "You can not understand at this time. We are the custodians of this
universe."
     The angel glided silently over to Cain and smoothly and quietly
waved his hand over Cain's face and Cain instantly stood up to his full
height.
     "Cain, your continued existence is vital to your people's success."
     "I'll take care of my crew."
     The faceless being shook his head indicating Cain did not
understand. "The remnants of your people who even now flee their
merciless enemy need your resourcefulness."
     Cain smiled and said, "Well then let my crew and I go and we'll be
on our way."
     The faceless being said nothing but simply stared at him a moment
and then vanished.
     Cain was suddenly alone in the vast chamber, "Wait! Where? How?
Hey!"
     A voice spoke from behind him, "Hellloooo!" a cheerful being said
from behind him in a British accent.
     Cain whirled and a human appearing male stood by him smiling. Cain
huffed, "Right. And who are you?"
     "You may call me John."
     "John?" Cain tested the unfamiliar word.
     "Yes." The angel simple stated. Cain looked this rather human
looking angel closely. He was a little taller than Cain, with sandy
blond, curly hair. A rather dignified face that shown from an inner
light. His eyes had wrinkles on the edges from what Cain surmised was
quite a bit of smiling.
     Cain had never heard that name before, "Well then, John. Perhaps you
could tell me, are you an angel too?"
     John mused over that and his eyes twinkled with light humor. "In a
manner of speaking."
     Cain leaned in close and slowly, so as not to provoke his host, he
pushed lightly into John's chest. It was solid. Cain raised his eyebrows
with the unspoken question.
     John did not seem insulted at the gesture, "Consider this a
reflection of intelligence."
     Cain accepted that and then got to the point of the conversation,
"All right, John, can I have my ship and crew back?"
     John gently put his arm on Cain's shoulder and escorted him through
a different chamber, "All in good time."
     Cain paused, "Why?"
     John smiled amicably, "Well commander, your battlestar was severely
damaged and we can't have you going into another battle with a dead hulk,
now can we?" John smiled openly.
     Cain shook his head in acknowledgement and then did a double take,
"What? What battle? We destroyed those Cylon base ships."
     John gently nudged Cain in the correct direction, "Yes, excellent
job by the way. Not our way mind you but...well...You need to be in top
notch condition."
     Cain seemed exasperated, "For what?"
     "Cain, you and your crew are all we have to work with. Your ship and
your skills are desperately needed on a planet called Terra?"
     "Terra? I am not going to Terra. I have to get back to the fleet.
They need me."
     John smiled apologetically as if a teacher to his student, "I am
afraid you won't see your people for many yahren." John remarked
diplomatically. "You have a job to do after all." He added rather
cheerfully.
     "What job?"
     "Terra has been saved by the Galactica, but a new threat from the
Cylons threaten their peace."
     "Galactica? How could the Galactica have saved this planet? We only
just left the fleet and there was only one habitable planet near them,
Gomoray."
     John smiled apologetically, "Time passes differently in this ship;
this dimension. When we arrive at Terra ten yahren will have passed by
your reckoning."
     "Ten yahren? Now wait a centon. I don't care about Terra, I have to
worry about my people."
     "Actually, this concerns your people's welfare as well. We can not
force you to do this but you must know that if you do not; not only will
Terra fall to the Cylons, but the Colonial Fleet as well as the planet
they seek."
     "Earth?"
     John nodded, "Earth."
     "It's real?"
     John once again guided Cain and this time they actually made
progress toward their destination.
     "Yes, and if you will follow my instructions, you will not only save
your brothers on Terra, but you will also save the fleet, and Earth
itself."
     The pair entered an observation window and there in the darkness sat
the Battlestar Pegasus. It nearly glowed in ethereal white.
     "Your ship has been repaired and fully stocked for your journey.
Your crew will be returned and soon you will be in the midst of a battle.
Fight Well."
     Cain turned to John in astonishment, "I don't nearly have enough
vipers to fight a prolonged battle. Most were transferred to the
Galactica."
     John smiled, "A full two squadrons I believe you call them still
remain, what with some older pilots who had moved on to desk jobs over
the yahren. Now then, the Pegasus is fully renovated, fueled to capacity,
and as good as new."
     Cain uncharacteristically resigned himself to the powers that be,
"What do I have to do?"
     John smiled in approval seeing that Cain was uncharacteristically
deferential, "You must win." John said in all seriousness.
     Cain shook his head and smiled, "I never lose."
     John smiled back, "Yes, we know. Now, listen carefully, I am about
to tell you what you must do, but before I do, remember the next time you
see the Commander of the Galactica, you will tell him simply, "John says
hello."
     "That's it?"
     John clapped him on the back, "That's it. Now then, the next several
yahren are going to be very exciting, you must..."John began to fill Cain
in on several key events that Cain must be prepared for.

***

     Cain stopped with his recounting of the event.
     Commander Apollo shook his head, "Cain, if anyone else told me that
I would never have believed them. Tell me, what happened to Terra."
     Cain shrugged, "After John finished speaking I woke up on the bridge
of the Pegasus. My crew had been returned and seemed as groggy as I did.
I ordered a check on all systems and that seemed to bring back the bridge
crew to their duties..."
     Cain awoke on he bridge sitting in his chair, "What? It must have
been a dream", He thought, until he saw his uniform was still a bright
white as well as his crew.
     Cain ordered, "Status? Check all systems."
     A few people responded and started spewing information back to him.
     A figure suddenly touched his arm lightly. Cain turned to see,
"John!"
     John smiled down at him, "You haven't time for that. Your brothers
managed a full assault with their entire space fleet and it is all but
destroyed. 
     Even now a Cylon Base Star has crushed the Terran space fleet and
has leveled several cities around the planet."
     Cain trusting his other worldly advisor ordered, "Battlestations!
Prepare to launch all squadrons."
     Tollan walked warily toward Cain and his "guest", "Sir, What
squadrons? Then all been." The sentence was interrupted by Cain.
     "Yes, Tollan, make a ship wide announcement for all personnel who
can fly a viper, regardless of flight status, proceed to Alpha landing
bay."
     Tollan made the announcement then read what his scanners reported,
"We are on the far side of the a natural satellite that is orbiting a
habitable planet and we're not alone."
     Cain smiled looking to John who nodded back, "Yes, I know. Tollan,
you'll find a Cylon Base Ship on the other side of Terra."
     "Terra, sir?"
     Cain nodded, "Swing the Pegasus around and we'll hit them from the
sunward side. Arm all missiles and mega-pulsar lasers. All qualified
viper pilots regardless of status will launch a the first wave to take
out any Cylon Raiders once they seen us. The rest of the vipers will take
out all raiders on the planet."
     Tollan was clearly shocked, "Sir? Where..."
     Cain motioned for Tollan to wait, "Just carry out my orders Tollan.
I'll explain it later."
     Tollan would have laid his life down for the one man he ever
implicitly trusted and nodded in blind faith, "Yes, sir."
     Cain once again stopped his jaunt into memory lane.
     Apollo smiled, "So, let me see if I understand you correctly. The
Ship of Lights saved you and transported you forward in time ten yahren
after the Galactica saved their planet, then you immediately went to war
with the Cylons and saved Terra..."
     "Yes."
     "Obviously you won." Apollo asked.
     "We totally surprised them. We took their base ship by surprise and
since the Pegasus had been newly refurbished we hit them at maximum
capacity. The battle took less than half a centaur."
     Apollo surprised asked, "Did the base ship get word back to the
empire?"
     "No, we jammed every signal. After we destroyed their base ship we
maintained a vigil and I sent patrols out to watch every corridor to
Terra.
     "You should have seen the victory celebration that Terra gave the
Pegasus!" Cain smiled fondly. "Their good people, great warriors! Yes,
they suffered and lost a lot, but that was a good day."
     "The combined Terran government of course remembered their last
encounter with Colonials who over time they called us Angels. Our white
uniforms did not help. Apparently, once they saw our white uniforms, they
put the previous encounter with you together and that went a long way to
opening diplomatic ties. You made some impression on them."
     After a moment of reliving an obviously enjoyable memory he
continued, "After the celebration Terra obviously wanted to sign a treaty
with us and with the instructions from John I had a new mission."
     "And that is?" Apollo prompted.
     "To build up Terra and a vast armada of ships, like my
Dagger-Stars!" Cain beamed with pride. "I realized that Terra needed a
large number of ships more than just a handful of Battlestars. The
Pegasus became the flagship of Terra's fleet and I became the fleet
commander. We also built over a hundred Dagger-Stars."
     Apollo nearly fell out of his chair as he exclaimed, "A hundred?"
     Cain smiled mischievously, "Yes. Over the yahren Terra recolonized
several of its planets the Cylons took over and we finally drove the
Cylons out of this part of the galaxy. Oh! Apollo, what a battle that
was!" Cain slapped his knee in memory.
     Apollo smiled back, "If you take orders from Terra now, then I doubt
they would let their fleet commander just run off with several of these
Dagger-Stars."
     "Ordinarily no, but as part of our treaty and later merging, I had
the foresight to specify a date and time that a small contingent of the
fleet would leave to help the Galactica and their brothers on Earth."
     Apollo fidgeted in his seat, "Cain, how did you find us? We had over
twenty yahren head start?
     "On the day we left Terra we came across the ship of lights again. A
messenger from their ship told me in a dream where to find you and they
opened a doorway in space that dropped us out laterally to your position
and we have been following you ever since."
     "Ever since?" 
     "For nearly four sectars."  Cain said.
     "Why didn't you contact us sooner?" Apollo asked.
     "Because we were told not too."
     By who? The ship of lights?
     "Yes."

***

     Sheba and Hera sat facing one another in Apollo and Sheba's state
room. Sheba shook her head, "Hera, I don't understand why you won't go
see Bryan in the life unit?"
     Hera turned away from her mother as tears slid down her cheeks,
"Mother, please, just."
     Sensing her daughter's emotions , "Hera? Whats wrong? I thought you
and Bryan...?" She left the question open.
     Hera sobbed openly, "I can't mother. I can't see him."
     Sheba gently turned her around and asked, "Why? Has he done
something to you?"
     Hera embraced her mother's arms and cried even harder. Sheba for her
part did her best to just console her and caressed her back gently, "It's
all right Hera, and it's all right."
     "It's not all right!" Hera moaned and sniffled.
     Sheba guided Hera's head up gently by the chin, "Honey, tell me. You
know I'll try to help."
     Hera looked up tentatively, "Oh! Mother! I told him I loved him and
he wouldn't even look me in the face!"
     Sheba's shocked expression, "Hera? How could you love him? You only
met him a couple of sectans ago. I mean, it's not as if you two had been
intimate. I mean you've only just met and..."
     Hera did not say a word but her eyes poured forth another round of
unending tears. The shocked look of a secret coming out poured forth with
every tear as she ashamedly did nothing but look down at her hands.
     Sheba drew back with a start, "Oh! Hera! You, you didn't. Right?"
She asked the question even though she already knew the answer.
     Hera continued looking down not saying a word. Her silence was
testimony enough.
     Sheba was flabbergasted, "Hera, didn't your father and I teach you
about our ways, our our peoples customs?"
     Hera nodded and mumbled, "I, I didn't mean too. Really!"
     Sheba's eyes flashed in misunderstanding, "He forced himself on
you?"
     Hera looked up in shock, "No! Nothing like that, I just, I mean
we..." Hera sucked in air and paused a moment, "We were just so tired
from running and..."
     "On the planet where you two got separated from your father?"
     Hera nodded her assent, "We." She sniffled, "We ran for so long that
we couldn't go any further. We were alone, and didn't know what happened
to father and Starbuck, Boomer, and Cassiopeia. I..." She faltered.
     Sheba put a reassuring hand on her daughters shoulder and somehow
she continued, "It started raining and we found a cave. It was so cold
and the storm was so bad we ended up holding each other to keep warm."
     Hera paused a moment before continuing, "We were all we had and..."
     Sheba looked into her daughters eyes with compassion. Hera's
countenance changed for a fraction of a micron into something she could
not readily identify. "What?" She asked.
     Hera found her voice, "I wanted him mother." She said unashamedly.
Her conscience reminding her of her predicament, she bit her lower lip
shyly as if to rebuke herself, "And he wanted me." After seeing her
mothers acknowledgement she continued, "We went through so much in such a
short time." She shrugged, "I thought he loved me too but now? I don't
know." She concluded hastily.
     Hera told her how out of the blue Bryan had been when he met her at
the rejuvenation center and told her he couldn't see her anymore. 
     "Just like that?" Sheba snapped her fingers.
     Hera sniffled again, "Yes, I asked him to tell me how he felt. I
don't understand why he wouldn't talk too me. He just broke off all
contact with me."
     Sheba's motherly instincts kicked in and she felt a slow burning pot
of anger churn within her.
     Sheba hugged Hera one last time and said, "It'll be all right. I
gotta go right now, but I'll be back in a few centons."
     Hera seemed confused but nodded absently, so consumed she did not
see the anger reflected in her mothers eyes.

***

     In Apollo's official chambers Apollo paced hastily in front of one
of his officers, "Starbuck! What in Hades possessed you to take Sergeant
Torres on a joy ride?"
     Starbuck's smile lessoned for just a moment, "It's not like that
Apollo. Look, I..."
     Apollo cut him off, "No! You look, Captain. Sergeant Torres could
have been killed in that little stunt of yours! Did you ever think of
that?"
     Starbuck's smiled faded once more as he mulled over it, shook his
head a little bit, and then smiled brightly, "Ah, Apollo."
     Apollo looked at him sternly and Starbuck knew he was on thin ice,
even with his best friend, "Commander", Starbuck adjusted his tone to
something more respectful. "Look Bryan had gone through something and I
was just trying to help him. I just couldn't get a word in aboard the
Galactica. People kept interrupting, ya know, with finding Earth and
everything.." 'Surely Apollo can't fault me for that' He thought
arrogantly.
     Apollo finished for him, "So you thought that you would take
Sergeant Torres out for a spin in ole Uncle Starbuck's viper, huh?"
     Starbuck smiled appreciatively, "Yeah, uh, that's it exactly."
Thinking the conversation was closed he smiled a little brighter, showing
his teeth.
     Instead of showing empathy for Starbuck, Apollo's made a scowl,
"Starbuck! Are you out of your fracking mind? Those ships are not toys or
your personal property. If I did not need you, you would be in
confinement!"
     Starbuck's smile dropped immediately, 'Uh, oh! He's really mad.'
"No, ya see..."
     Apollo smiled trying a different approach, "You know what, Starbuck,
you're a popular man in the fleet and I bet a lot of cadets look up to
you, especially now with you finding Earth and all that?" He mimicked
Starbuck's Maverick attitude.
     Starbuck smiled as he thought he might actually have made Apollo see
reason, "I suppose a few of them appreciate my..."
     "Good! Because I have a job for you?"
     Starbuck inclined his head questionably.
     "Your going to spend the next eight sectans instructing the next
cadet classes, on your off time, about ethics. I believe that course
begins a cycle after tomorrow." It was not a question.
     Starbuck frowned, "You can't be serious, and I already spent my
instructional time teaching cadets on the viper simulators?"
     Apollo did not smile, "I am serious."
     "But."
     "No! Not another word, Starbuck!"
     "But."
     "No buts, or by the Lords of Kobol, I swear I'll pull your
qualifications on a viper and have you checking the prison barge for
solium leaks in an environmental suit for the next yahren!"
     Starbuck knew Apollo was serious. His eyes widened in horror at just
the thought of that disgusting and potentially lethal duty. He bit his
tongue both figuratively and literally in order to prevent himself from
inadvertently saying something he would regret. 
     "Starbuck, why do you think your still a Captain and not a major?"
     Starbuck shrugged non-committal venturing a meek smile.
     Apollo's demeanor switched back into being Starbuck's friend, "Ole
buddy, you don't follow the rules. Now, I want you too..." He never
finished his statement as the door slid open, even though he had locked
it for this personal conversation with Starbuck. The only person who
could override his security code was ship security forces or his wife
Sheba. Sheba came storming into his Commander's chambers and demanded,
"HE'S GONE!"
     Apollo stood just to the left of Starbuck with his hand outstretched
and Starbuck looked like a cadet being disciplined.
     Apollo started to ask, "What? Who's gone?"
     Sheba was only too happy to answer his question, "HE'S GONE! I want
him off this ship. NOW!" She pointed to the floor sharply. Her eyes
stared at him with a fiery presence and her nostrils flared in rage.
     Apollo dropped his hand and in total confusion, "Sheba, what the
devil are you talking about?"
     Sheba paced the room like a caged animal, "HE'S GONE!"
     Apollo and Starbuck stood speechless. Sheba stopped in midstride and
noticed that her husband and Starbuck were staring at her open-mouthed,
"DID YOU HEAR ME?" She demanded.
     "Sheba, Wh..."
     "Apollo! He..."
     Apollo crossed the room and placed his hand