y a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary offy a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary offy a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary offApollo was exhausted. The escape from the shattered Colonies had been a nightmare, and the fleet survey was a disaster. Trying to make sense of it, and find one person hidden somewhere among those two-hundred-twenty vessels, quite likely present under an assumed identity - possibly more than one identity, perhaps even among their own crew - was impossible. Nonetheless, the captain followed the commander's orders, and continued the search. "Anything, Boomer?" he called across the chamber. "Nothing, Apollo. If the information is correct, the crassidie should be aboard the -Rising Star- - probably another of Ortega's 'friends' that we didn't root out the first time. But is there any chance this'll work? If this spy is there, we've got no way to identify him or her...." "We've got to." Apollo's expression was grim. "The Cylons have a spy in the fleet. It's the only explanation for the way they keep finding us. If we'd monitored that communication frequency, we've have found the spApollo was exhausted. The escape from the shattered Colonies had been a nightmare, and the fleet survey was a disaster. Trying to make sense of it, and find one person hidden somewhere among those two-hundred-twenty vessels, quite likely present under an assumed identity - possibly more than one identity, perhaps even among their own crew - was impossible. Nonetheless, the captain followed the commander's orders, and continued the search. "Anything, Boomer?" he called across the chamber. "Nothing, Apollo. If the information is correct, the crassidie should be aboard the -Rising Star- - probably another of Ortega's 'friends' that we didn't root out the first time. But is there any chance this'll work? If this spy is there, we've got no way to identify him or her...." "We've got to." Apollo's expression was grim. "The Cylons have a spy in the fleet. It's the only explanation for the way they keep finding us. If we'd monitored that communication frequency, we've have found the spApollo was exhausted. The escape from the shattered Colonies had been a nightmare, and the fleet survey was a disaster. Trying to make sense of it, and find one person hidden somewhere among those two-hundred-twenty vessels, quite likely present under an assumed identity - possibly more than one identity, perhaps even among their own crew - was impossible. Nonetheless, the captain followed the commander's orders, and continued the search. "Anything, Boomer?" he called across the chamber. "Nothing, Apollo. If the information is correct, the crassidie should be aboard the -Rising Star- - probably another of Ortega's 'friends' that we didn't root out the first time. But is there any chance this'll work? If this spy is there, we've got no way to identify him or her...." "We've got to." Apollo's expression was grim. "The Cylons have a spy in the fleet. It's the only explanation for the way they keep finding us. If we'd monitored that communication frequency, we've have found the splowed him, gesturing to Starbuck to join them as well. With some reluctance, he did so. * * * * * Tigh stared down at his old friend's middle son - or the image of him, in the youth from another dimension. In pain, tortured worst by his own memories, perhaps over the edge of sanity.... Go home, and do nothing more? Go home, and grieve for the rest of his life for what could have been, should have been, might have been? Not knowing that it could have happened again? When the means to prevent it was here, at his command? "No, we're not going home," he muttered harshly. Akilles stared grimly at him, still half in shock. He'd never thought beyond finding Apollo and his refugee people. He hadn't considered they might wind up in the wrong place, or maybe in the right place, but too late. "Our mission stands, Major," the commander grated out. "We will find your Apollo and your Starbuck. We will find them and warn them. That is our mission as warriors, Apollo was exhausted. The escape from the shattered Colonies had been a nightmare, and the fleet survey was a disaster. Trying to make sense of it, and find one person hidden somewhere among those two-hundred-twenty vessels, quite likely present under an assumed identity - possibly more than one identity, perhaps even among their own crew - was impossible. Nonetheless, the captain followed the commander's orders, and continued the search. "Anything, Boomer?" he called across the chamber. "Nothing, Apollo. If the information is correct, the crassidie should be aboard the -Rising Star- - probably another of Ortega's 'friends' that we didn't root out the first time. But is there any chance this'll work? If this spy is there, we've got no way to identify him or her...." "We've got to." Apollo's expression was grim. "The Cylons have a spy in the fleet. It's the only explanation for the way they keep finding us. If we'd monitored that communication frequency, we've have found the spicers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whaticers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whaticers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whaty a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary offy a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary offy a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary offto protect our people. We will find them; we will warn them and protect them as best we can, if we have to spend the rest of our lives hopping between universes. We can't do nothing and let this happen to our people again, in any world." Tigh glanced at Dr. Ravashol. "Get back to your formulas, Ravashol. Starbuck, help him. Set new coordinates, find a way to take us to the right dimension." "Yes, sir." "I have duties to tend to also," Akilles said, admiration and determination creeping through his tone. The three left the medical chamber, leaving Tigh and the doctor watching over the wounded soul. After a few centons, Tigh announced, "I'm going to the bridge, Cassanda. Call me if I'm needed, if Apollo has anything to say." "Yes, Commander," the doctor replied respectfully. Tigh returned to the bridge, for the first time feeling truly in command of the -Starwind-. The reaction of the crew when he arrived confirmed it; Akilles had already been there, and Tigh realized thiy a long time ago. As it is...." He closed his eyes and sighed. To think of how long there'd been another traitor in the fleet was to remember all the brave warriors who'd fought and died every time the Cylons located the refugees. So many of his friends, so many from his squadron - and worse, his own family.... And only his own work with the equipment in the celestial observation dome had accidentally picked up a transmission when he'd been listening for signals from Earth. "We've got to find him, Boomer, and soon. Might be our only chance...." "Yeah...." * * * * * It distressed the crew of the -Galactica- that they had to keep half their scanners turned inward to monitor their own people. It had been a shock the first time they accidentally picked up a location beacon. Now they suspected everybody, every signal. Jamming their own vessels was distasteful, but not one of them refused. Their very survival was at stake. On the bridge, weary off I wouldn't give to have you here now. *Baltar, that goll-monging daggit waste, why did he have to take you with him? Why did you have to die then? I would so gladly have taken your place, I should have insisted, I should never have let you try that mad plan. But you thought you could save the others.... *Almost better if I hadn't seen what has become of us. If you were alive, maybe you could have found the miracle to keep our people alive....* "Patrol Four just went silent," Omega reported dully. His eyes were fixed on the empty scan screen. The commander sighed softly. Bojay and Jolly, to be added to the litany of the dead, if any of their friends survived to memorialize them. "Let me know when the Cylons appear on our scanners, then launch intercept." "Yes, sir." No one questioned that it might be other than Cylons. It had been nothing but Cylons for sectons, since Baltar's attempted escape, and the deliberate explosion that had set Alpha Bay irreparably aflame and c I wouldn't give to have you here now. *Baltar, that goll-monging daggit waste, why did he have to take you with him? Why did you have to die then? I would so gladly have taken your place, I should have insisted, I should never have let you try that mad plan. But you thought you could save the others.... *Almost better if I hadn't seen what has become of us. If you were alive, maybe you could have found the miracle to keep our people alive....* "Patrol Four just went silent," Omega reported dully. His eyes were fixed on the empty scan screen. The commander sighed softly. Bojay and Jolly, to be added to the litany of the dead, if any of their friends survived to memorialize them. "Let me know when the Cylons appear on our scanners, then launch intercept." "Yes, sir." No one questioned that it might be other than Cylons. It had been nothing but Cylons for sectons, since Baltar's attempted escape, and the deliberate explosion that had set Alpha Bay irreparably aflame and c I wouldn't give to have you here now. *Baltar, that goll-monging daggit waste, why did he have to take you with him? Why did you have to die then? I would so gladly have taken your place, I should have insisted, I should never have let you try that mad plan. But you thought you could save the others.... *Almost better if I hadn't seen what has become of us. If you were alive, maybe you could have found the miracle to keep our people alive....* "Patrol Four just went silent," Omega reported dully. His eyes were fixed on the empty scan screen. The commander sighed softly. Bojay and Jolly, to be added to the litany of the dead, if any of their friends survived to memorialize them. "Let me know when the Cylons appear on our scanners, then launch intercept." "Yes, sir." No one questioned that it might be other than Cylons. It had been nothing but Cylons for sectons, since Baltar's attempted escape, and the deliberate explosion that had set Alpha Bay irreparably aflame and cicers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whaticers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whaticers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whats was now his ship. "Prepare for another dimension hop," he announced, moving to his command dais. "We'll be leaving this graveyard soon. And Lords willing, we won't see it happen again." icers took double shifts, their eyes glued to screens and scanners covering the entire range of frequencies and fleet communications. In space, long patrols flew extra wide patterns, searching for any little clue that might mean the Cylons were closing again, that they would once more have to fight their way out of a trap, that some other danger threatened. "Commander, autodistress just kicked in from Patrol Four, Bojay and Jolly." Omega delivered the ominous report in a voice cracked with stress and exhaustion. "Scramble the squadrons, standard defensive positions," was the fatigued response. Tigh stared blearily at the fore port, scarcely seeing it. He didn't have the energy to be furious. "Any transmissions?" The flight officer glanced at the communication panel, then shook his head. "Nothing on any channel." *They found us again - and with no transmissions. By Kobol, how? We're running out of space to hide. What will it cost to survive this time? Adama, my friend, whatost Adama's life. Nothing but Cylons and death. * * * * * The red alert klaxons drew the warriors from one grim duty to another. Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Boomer joined the general rush to Beta Bay and another launch, leaving a comp tech to close the files and prepare the chamber for attack. Intercept was already in space when Apollo and what was left of Blue Squadron reached their ships. They settled in to await further orders. Someone was crying in a nearby Viper. "What is it, Sheba?" Apollo asked softly, opening a private frequency. "We ... lost another patrol...." the woman whispered back hoarsely. "It ... was Bojay ... Bojay's gone...." Bojay. And if Bojay, then Jolly too. They'd been up together for today. Apollo felt grief settle like lead in his stomach. Jolly had been a friend for more yahrens than the captain cared to remember at the moment. Bojay had been with them since the loss of the -Pegasus- at Gamorah. "Cylon attack phaost Adama's life. Nothing but Cylons and death. * * * * * The red alert klaxons drew the warriors from one grim duty to another. Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Boomer joined the general rush to Beta Bay and another launch, leaving a comp tech to close the files and prepare the chamber for attack. Intercept was already in space when Apollo and what was left of Blue Squadron reached their ships. They settled in to await further orders. Someone was crying in a nearby Viper. "What is it, Sheba?" Apollo asked softly, opening a private frequency. "We ... lost another patrol...." the woman whispered back hoarsely. "It ... was Bojay ... Bojay's gone...." Bojay. And if Bojay, then Jolly too. They'd been up together for today. Apollo felt grief settle like lead in his stomach. Jolly had been a friend for more yahrens than the captain cared to remember at the moment. Bojay had been with them since the loss of the -Pegasus- at Gamorah. "Cylon attack phaost Adama's life. Nothing but Cylons and death. * * * * * The red alert klaxons drew the warriors from one grim duty to another. Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Boomer joined the general rush to Beta Bay and another launch, leaving a comp tech to close the files and prepare the chamber for attack. Intercept was already in space when Apollo and what was left of Blue Squadron reached their ships. They settled in to await further orders. Someone was crying in a nearby Viper. "What is it, Sheba?" Apollo asked softly, opening a private frequency. "We ... lost another patrol...." the woman whispered back hoarsely. "It ... was Bojay ... Bojay's gone...." Bojay. And if Bojay, then Jolly too. They'd been up together for today. Apollo felt grief settle like lead in his stomach. Jolly had been a friend for more yahrens than the captain cared to remember at the moment. Bojay had been with them since the loss of the -Pegasus- at Gamorah. "Cylon attack pha I wouldn't give to have you here now. *Baltar, that goll-monging daggit waste, why did he have to take you with him? Why did you have to die then? I would so gladly have taken your place, I should have insisted, I should never have let you try that mad plan. But you thought you could save the others.... *Almost better if I hadn't seen what has become of us. If you were alive, maybe you could have found the miracle to keep our people alive....* "Patrol Four just went silent," Omega reported dully. His eyes were fixed on the empty scan screen. The commander sighed softly. Bojay and Jolly, to be added to the litany of the dead, if any of their friends survived to memorialize them. "Let me know when the Cylons appear on our scanners, then launch intercept." "Yes, sir." No one questioned that it might be other than Cylons. It had been nothing but Cylons for sectons, since Baltar's attempted escape, and the deliberate explosion that had set Alpha Bay irreparably aflame and c I wouldn't give to have you here now. *Baltar, that goll-monging daggit waste, why did he have to take you with him? Why did you have to die then? I would so gladly have taken your place, I should have insisted, I should never have let you try that mad plan. But you thought you could save the others.... *Almost better if I hadn't seen what has become of us. If you were alive, maybe you could have found the miracle to keep our people alive....* "Patrol Four just went silent," Omega reported dully. His eyes were fixed on the empty scan screen. The commander sighed softly. Bojay and Jolly, to be added to the litany of the dead, if any of their friends survived to memorialize them. "Let me know when the Cylons appear on our scanners, then launch intercept." "Yes, sir." No one questioned that it might be other than Cylons. It had been nothing but Cylons for sectons, since Baltar's attempted escape, and the deliberate explosion that had set Alpha Bay irreparably aflame and c I wouldn't give to have you here now. *Baltar, that goll-monging daggit waste, why did he have to take you with him? Why did you have to die then? I would so gladly have taken your place, I should have insisted, I should never have let you try that mad plan. But you thought you could save the others.... *Almost better if I hadn't seen what has become of us. If you were alive, maybe you could have found the miracle to keep our people alive....* "Patrol Four just went silent," Omega reported dully. His eyes were fixed on the empty scan screen. The commander sighed softly. Bojay and Jolly, to be added to the litany of the dead, if any of their friends survived to memorialize them. "Let me know when the Cylons appear on our scanners, then launch intercept." "Yes, sir." No one questioned that it might be other than Cylons. It had been nothing but Cylons for sectons, since Baltar's attempted escape, and the deliberate explosion that had set Alpha Bay irreparably aflame and c