Battlestar Galactica: Greetings From Earth

Prologue

"How much longer?"

The black-suited man shot an annoyed glance at the brown-
haired man whose silver suit stood out against the night.
Why did he insist on wearing that stupid outfit?   He
thought.   It makes him stand out like a beacon.
Still, he held his tongue, "Just hang tight.    I can't make
a move until the lead guard goes, and it's just the one
remaining guard patrolling the hangar."
"We could take them both out-----"
"Not when you're wearing that color outfit," he decided to
let it out, "Just what were you thinking anyway?"
The brown-haired man's nostrils flared, "This is standard
for all of us!    You know tech-workers and farmers can't
afford to----"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." he waved a hand, and then coughed
once, "Damn, it's so hard to breathe here."
"Occupational hazard, eh, Colonel?" the brown-haired man
noted, "How much longer do you think you can stay here?"
"Long enough to get my job done," the Colonel shot a glance
back at the hangar entrance.  Two black-suited guards
continud to pace back and forth.    "Though believe me,
after what I've seen here on Luna Seven, I shouldn't even
bother checking the inner satellites.     What's happened
here is proof enough of what the Alliance is up to."
"But I take it, you still plan on going to Luna One before
returning to Terra,"
"I have no choice," he grunted, "General Maxwell is
expecting me.    We need to get the best possible evidence
to present to the Presidium and prove that our President is
preparing to sell us down the river completely.      And
Luna One offers the best hope of that."
"Good luck," the brown-haired man said, his impatience
rising, "The more I learn about what life is like on Terra,
the more I consider it a blessing that I can never visit it,
let alone live there."
"I sometimes wish it could be the same with me," the Colonel
grunted as he trained his binoculars on the entrance,
"Okay....he's finally going.    He's on his way to get his
relief for the next three hours who patrols with the
remaining guard for two hours when his relief comes.    That
give us a window of.....ten minutes as soon as he
disappears.....now!"
The Colonel got to his feet and assumed an erect bearing as
he began to approach the hangar.    As he watched, the brown-
haired man gingerly stepped back toward the land vehicle ten
feet away, where a large canvas tarp covered the back end.
"Sarah," he whispered urgently as he pulled back the tarp,
"It's time!"
A striking blonde woman in her late twenties, wearing a
silver suit identical to his stuck her head out and quickly
got out of the vehicle.    Behind her were three children, a
boy and girl no older then six, and an older girl of twelve.
"Hurry, children," she whispered, "We're going to move
soon."
"Assuming our would-be-benefactor Colonel Watts is as good
as he says he is," the man sighed as he focused his
attention back toward the hangar.
"Michael, do you really think we could have gotten this far
without him?"
Michael shook his head, "No.   Even with all the programming
I've done for the ship, figuring a way past the guards and
getting off this planet safely would have taken a lot longer
if he hadn't shown up."
Sarah sighed, "I know I should feel grateful to him, and
yet....there's something so unlikable about him."
"I know what you mean," Michael admitted, "But I guess
that's why he's such an enigma."

************************************************************
****************************************

As Colonel Watts approached the black-suited guard, he gave
him a rigid salute.

"Halt!" the guard drew his weapon.
"Take it easy son, I'm Colonel Terzov from Alliance
Security.    Didn't the Commandant notify you I'd be here?"
The guard frowned, "Well....no.   I...." he snapped back to
attention, "I need to see your identification."
"Of course," Watts smiled and then in one quick motion
whipped out a pistol armed with a silencer.    His superior
training enabled him to shoot the guard between the eyes
before he could have a chance to react.
As soon as the guard fell to the ground, Colonel Watts
turned around and gestured frantically.     Immediately,
Michael, Sarah and the three children sprinted across the
open runway space as fast as they could go.     By the time
they reached the hangar building, Colonel Watts was hastily
inserting the dead guard's pass card into the automatic
lock.
"Got it!" he said in triumph, "Now get inside!"
The five silver-suited people sprinted inside, followed by
the Colonel.    In front of them were two ships.    One, a
small, one man shuttlecraft.    The second, a much bigger
craft, orange-colored and sleek in its contours.
"Well, there they are," Colonel Watts said proudly, "Our one-
way tickets off this planet forever." he turned to Michael,
"Got your magic programming disc ready?"
Michael tapped the pocket of his suit and nodded.
"All right," Watts said as he checked his watch, "We've got
seven minutes before the other guard comes back.     I'll
take off first and make use of the gun mounts to distract
Field Security long enough while you high-tail it out of
here, fast.     And I hope you can get clear of the tracking
before they can get any Destroyers into the area."
"I know what to do," Michael said as he motioned Sarah to
lead the children inside the larger craft, "I've studied the
components of this ship so much and flown the simulators so
many times I feel like I'm already proficient when it comes
to flying it for as long as I have to."
"Well, you'll only get one chance to see how good you are,"
he paused as his expression grew thoughtful, "You really
think Paradeen will be safe for you?"
"It should be," Michael nodded, "After all, we both know
what the Alliance did there.   There's no reason they should
be bothering with it again."
"True," Colonel Watts then extended his hand, "Good luck to
you, Michael."
The brown-haired man took the offered hand and shook it,
"And to you too, Colonel Watts.   I hope your mission is
successful."
"Well if it isn't, you'll find out someday," he said
nonchalantly as he then headed up the steps and into the
shuttle.    Michael lingered only for another second before
he hurried over to the orange ship and entered it.  When he
got inside, he saw Sarah was helping the three children step
into several pod like chambers.

"That should wait until we're away!"  He protested.
Sarah turned around, "What difference does it make?"
"None," he admitted and moved over to the control panel
where he stuck a computer disc into the main terminal.
Immediately, a number of systems began to power themselves
up.    As Sarah continued to help load the children in and
secure their chambers, Michael went forward to the cockpit
section, where he nervously settled himself into his chair.
Through the windows, he could see the shuttle light up and
hear the roar of its engines come to life.     As he watched
the shuttle move out through the hangar doors, he fired up
the engines of the craft and with trepidation began to
maneuver the control stick so it followed the shuttle out.
When the craft broke out into the clear night, he could see
the shuttle begin to pick up speed.    Just as Michael
pushed the stick forward so his craft could gain speed, he
suddenly saw a number of red lights start to flash all
around the air strip.    Clearly, their escape had now been
spotted.
Michael watched the shuttle rise from the ground and saw it
abruptly turn at an angle.   White flashes erupted,
indicating that it was now opening fire somewhere on the
base below.    As soon as the shuttle was out of his field
of vision, Michael then hit the switches that made the
spacecraft become airborne.     And then....a nervous
waiting period as the night sky turned into the darker
vision of space.     And then, checking the scanner to see
if anyone was following him.   But so far, all signs
indicated nothing.
"I think we've made it!" he finally allowed himself a happy
burst.    He activated the automatic pilot that would take
the spacecraft out of Luna Seven's gravitational pull, and
then dashed back to the control console in the mid-section
of the ship where he had loaded the computer disc.    He
activated the switches and then a new burst of activity took
place on the terminals.
"Automatic heading now engaged.    Computer control now
initiating course heading according to programmed sequence."
A computer voice filled the spacecraft.   And then, a pause
and the voice said, "Course is now set for the planet
Paradeen.   Estimated time of arrival in two months flight
time."
Behind him, Sarah let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she
whispered.   "We've made it."
"And no sign of Alliance pursuit," Michael rose from the
terminal.   "Colonel Watts' decoy appeared to work."
"Do you think he made it?"
Michael shrugged, "Who's to say?   But we can't concern
ourselves with that, Sarah.   His mission, his cause, the
whole damned war, can't concern us any longer.    We have to
think only of ourselves from now on."
"I agree," she glanced back at the chambers where the three
children lay motionless under the glass pods.   "And of them
too."
For only an instant, Michael thought of hugging her to show
his relief and gratitude.    But then he remembered that it
probably wouldn't be a good idea even under these
circumstances.
"Come on," he said, "Let's get ready.   We've got a long
night's sleep ahead of us."

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: :Ti"!S]d!!j^k"!C2,"!

From The Adama Journals

In the time that has passed since the internal crises
surrounding both the Borellian Nomen's plot to stage a
revolt aboard their ship, and the murder tribunal of
Lieutenant Starbuck, for which by the Lords' good graces he
was acquitted,  we have at last been able to resume the bulk
of our energies towards the goal of searching for clues that
might lead us to the Thirteenth Tribe and the planet Earth.
We continue to follow those coordinates given to us by that
strange and mysterious race of beings from a ship of lights,
which we know must one day lead us to Earth, but without any
sense of whether it will come in a day, or in a thousand
yahrens.

With my time not preoccupied by internal crises, it gives me
an opportunity to ponder more the true nature of those
beings who I feel rescued us from the evil intentions of the
mysterious figure who called himself Count Iblis.      Are
my own suppositions that they represent that higher being
man is destined to become upon his death, when he can become
one step closer to the Almighty?    Or do they in fact
represent something less supernatural?    Perhaps a race of
beings who reflect a common origin with man that goes even
further back then the emergence of life on Kobol itself, and
who have learned to evolve and develop at rates far beyond
our comprehension?     Such would be the skeptic's
interpretation of those beings.     My faith makes me prefer
to think of the former as the more likely possibility.
Any sign that proves to us that we live in a universe where
the absolute forces of Good, as well as Evil, are real,
proves as well the existence of a just and merciful God who
is ultimately in control of all forces of history.     And
if there is a sign of that, then we can live with the hope
that somehow, somewhere, our journey that has taken us so
far across the stars from our homes, and into this vast
unknown dimension of uncharted space, will not have been in
vain.


Chapter One

Six centars had elapsed since Starbuck and Apollo had begun
their long-range patrol sweep ahead of the Fleet on the
Epsilon 22 course.       To Apollo, it had seemed even
longer then that because the whole time, Starbuck had not
been able to stop pumping him for all the insider details
surrounding the blonde lieutenant's recent experience that
had seen him stand trial for a murder he had not committed.

".....I still don't get what Charybdis' original plan was,"
Starbuck said, not for the first time during the patrol.

Apollo rolled his eyes as he realized he'd have to go over
this again, "I'll try to explain it slowly this time,
Starbuck.     Chella, the guy you nearly ran over leaving
the locker room, was the original fall guy in Charybdis'
plan.     He knew that Ortega had been blackmailing Chella
as well as him, so he set things up to lure Chella down to
those levels, kill him, and then set it up to make it look
like Chella and Charybdis had killed each other."

"Well if that was the case, why'd he pick on me instead?"

"Because your getting yourself ejected from the game, fouled
up his plans," Apollo said.
"He now had to deal with you roaming those levels as well,
and that meant he didn't have time to eliminate both Chella
and Ortega.    So in the space of three centons, he figured
out that if he could catch you in the turbo wash with your
laser pistol lying unguarded in the locker room, he'd solve
all his problems."   The captain paused, "So the moral of
the story, Starbuck, is never let yourself get ejected from
a triad game again."

"Yeah," the blonde warrior chuckled, "I learned my lesson
about that the hard way.     But I got to tell you, that was
really a big gamble you took that Baltar would come through.
What made you think he'd turn on Charybdis?"

"I had to consider their past history," Apollo said as he
took a quick glance at his scanner to reconfirm that nothing
was there for them to investigate.    In another forty
centons they'd reach the end of their limit and would begin
the return to the Galactica.    "Charybdis was Baltar's
pilot.   The one who was sitting in a shuttle in the
Atlantia's launch bay waiting to get him off safely before
the attack began.    Now that means that either Baltar
trusted him to wait there until he was ready, or he forced
him to wait until the last micron.     Which do you think
more likely to have happened?"

"The latter," Starbuck admitted.   "Which means that no
matter how loyal an operative Charybdis was, Baltar never
trusted him to begin with."

"And so logically, he never would have trusted him in that
situation of me lying dead, and him being the only remaining
person in the Fleet who could identify Charybdis and provide
a tie-in to our defense to get you off the hook."   Apollo
paused, "The one thing you can't deny about Baltar is that
he's never willing to be consistent when it comes to matters
of his own survival.   That's the only bottom line with
him."

"Guess so.    I suppose I should be grateful just a bit to
that piece of bilge scum, but.....even I have my limits."

The captain laughed, "I know what you mean.    And believe
me, just from the look on his face, I know he wasn't glad he
had to be in the position of saving me and you."

"You were telling me the Commander made some kind of
adjustment in his sentence?"

"Not a significant one.     He's still in the Prison Barge
for life, but no longer in Solitary Confinement.    He's
free to move about the Prison Barge with the regular prison
population now."

The blonde lieutenant snorted, "Given the kind of people
there are on the Prison Barge to begin with, I'm not sure
he'd consider that an improvement."

"Maybe not, but there isn't anything Baltar could do that
would make my father think of commuting his sentence."

The sound of a piercing beep then filled both of their
cockpits.   Immediately, both warriors shifted their
attention back to their scanners.

"Apollo, my scanner just went crazy with a contact.    Reads
as a ship, but nothing that even closely resembles anything
in our database."

"That takes care of our first concern.    It isn't anything
Cylon," Apollo checked his computer.    "Scan for life
forms.    Could well be we're looking at some race unknown
to us that controls this quadrant of space."

"Could be," Starbuck admitted as he checked his scanner,
"Apollo, we need to get closer to get a life form scan.
Readings are too imprecise at this point."

"All right, activate turbos, and let's close the range.
But try not to alarm them into thinking we're going to
attack."

"Will do," Starbuck said as he hit his turbo, with Apollo
following microns later.    Ahead, the contours of an orange-
colored spacecraft were becoming visible.    Apollo shook
his head in fascination, as it didn't resemble any kind of
craft he was familiar with.    The only craft that came to
mind was a bigger, longer version of a shuttlecraft of some
type.

"Definitely not an attack craft, would be my guess," Apollo
said, "Okay, how about the life form scan?"

"Should have it now," Starbuck said as he hit the switch.
And then, his jaw dropped open in disbelief.

"Good Lord....." he whispered.

"What?"  Apollo jerked his helmet up.

"Apollo...." Starbuck hesitated, "The life form readings are
human!"

Apollo's head darted back down to his own scanner.     When
he saw the reading, it was his turn for his eyes to nearly
bug out.

"Lords of Kobol," the black-haired captain said under his
breath, "If there are humans aboard, then.....Starbuck do
you know what that conceivably means?"

"Yeah," the blonde warrior nodded, "It can't be anything
connected to an old Colonial settlement.    It has to be
something connected with-----" he hesitated to say the next
word.

Apollo decided to finish for him, "Earth."  He took a
breath, "I'm going to break radio silence and send an
emergency signal to the Galactica.    We need to talk to
them now."

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: FjG!!U":"!Vc>"!"?F!!

As soon as the long-range signal from Apollo reached the
Galactica's bridge, Colonel Tigh wasted no time contacting
Adama to tell the Commander what had happened.    By the
time Adama arrived on the bridge, he could sense a buzz of
excitement.

"Captain Apollo is sending back long-range telemetry signals
to us of this craft," the executive officer said, "I don't
think any of us can keep our eyes off it."

Adama stared at the monitor, where he could see the clear
image of the orange colored spacecraft.     The design was
totally unfamiliar to him, which he knew had to be a hopeful
sign to begin with.

"Has our patrol tried contacting the people aboard?"
"They got no response," Tigh said, "Indication is that
perhaps those on-board might be in some kind of suspended
animation or hibernation mode."

"Hibernation?" Adama raised an eyebrow, "That's interesting.
The Colonies stopped using that technique for long-range
space travel eons ago."  He glanced at the screen again,
"Which from the standpoint of those of us who hope to find a
human civilization equal to our own would not be a hopeful
sign.    Still, it's way too early to form any judgments.
Not until we can make some kind of actual contact with
them."

"But if they're in a hibernation mode, how can we make
contact with them?"  Tigh pointed out.
The commander nodded, "That's a good point.    We'd have no
choice but to just have our patrol follow them to wherever
the craft's pre-programmed to go, but....since we have no
idea where that might be, and how far away it is, our patrol
could reach the point where they'd lose their ability to
return safely to the Galactica and would have to abandon
them."
"Then I think we have no choice," the executive officer
said, "We should tell Blue Squadron to take the vessel in
tow and bring her back to the Fleet."
"Attach tow lines?" there was an edge of skepticism in
Adama's tone, "That might run the risk of waking them up and
interpreting that a hostile act has been made on them.    If
this does represent contact with the Thirteenth Tribe,
that's the last thing I'd want to do."
"Then the only other option would be to get a new patrol out
to relieve Apollo and Starbuck and keep tracking them.
Are you willing to chance that?"
Adama sighed and glanced back at the telemetry data on the
monitor, taking in the view of the unfamiliar craft.   "No,"
he shook his head, "I can't chance that.    Tell Apollo to
go ahead and tow her in.    Hopefully we'll be able to
convince those passengers, whoever they are, that we mean
them no harm."
************************************************************
***************************************

"Start securing the tow lines, Starbuck," Apollo radioed,
"The Galactica just gave us the green light to haul her in."

"Activating tow line," Starbuck said, "We'll have to slow
down our speed to keep her secure.     It'll take, what,
seven or eight centars to bring her back?"

"Give or take a centar," Apollo said as he trained his eyes
on the craft for perhaps the thousandth time, trying to find
one sign in her contours that indicated a tie-in to Colonial
civilization.      Finally, he shook his head in frustration
as he realized that only a more detailed examination would
probably yield a tie-in.     If there was one.

As the captain activated his tow-line and saw it secure
itself to the starboard side of the craft, he suddenly felt
a new sensation go through his body.     Something that he
couldn't put his finger on, but it almost seemed like a
warning bell to him.    That maybe there was a good reason
for not going ahead with this.

He then shook the sensation off as he and Starbuck
maneuvered their vipers into position and began the process
of towing the mysterious spacecraft back toward the distant
goal of the Galactica's landing bay.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: `LR"!1&7"!kj_"!'+K"!

As the centars went by, Adama decided to temporarily retreat
to his quarters and go over all of the ancient texts in his
collection that pertained to the Thirteenth Tribe.     The
Book of the Word and the Testament of Arkada represented the
only definitive accounts he could trust, while anything else
fell completely in the realm of speculation.        At a
time such as this, when the possibility of first contact no
longer seemed so distant and remote as it always had since
the journey's beginning, the last thing he could let his
mind do was engage in speculation.      He needed to wait
for more definitive information to emerge, and then let
things fall as they were.
He was still immersed in his texts when the video-com chime
sounded.    He turned it on and saw that Tigh was looking
very concerned.
"Something the matter, Colonel?"
"A small problem," the executive officer said, "It seems
that news of this discovery by Captain Apollo's patrol has
spread too fast throughout the Fleet."
"What do you mean?" Adama came up in his chair.
"The IFB's found out," Tigh said, "Zara's spent the last
half-centar talking about nothing else."
The commander shook his head in disgust, "Apollo's patrol
isn't even back yet and they've found out already?"
"I imagine someone on the Bridge who's gone off-duty in the
last few centars talked, or at least talked to someone who
then passed on the news.     Adama, I think you'd better
defuse this quickly before it gets out of hand."
"Yes, tie me in to the Fleet unicom signal and I'll do that
right away.    How long before the patrol returns?"
"One centar,"
"Get quarantine facilities ready in Alpha Landing bay."
"Already done.   You're on unicom now."
Adama then took a breath and brought his voice to its most
disciplined and diplomatic tone.
"People of the Fleet, this is Commander Adama.    Rumors are
spreading faster than fact about a manned vehicle soon to be
brought aboard the Galactica.    I must ask you all to be
patient and cautious in your optimism.    The incoming
vessel will have to be placed in strict quarantine,
carefully, before we can allow anyone near it.     We can
not run any risk that might jeopardize our lives, or the
lives of whoever is aboard this spaceship." he then paused,
"As to where this craft originates from, I ask that you
refrain from any speculation or false optimism at this time.
Too much remains that is unknown to us at present, and only
the most thorough of examinations, which may take some time
to fully implement, can begin to answer those questions.
I can only assure you that all information will be made
available in as timely a fashion as can be done.     For
now, I ask that you return to your normal duties, and to act
with prudence and caution as far as whatever future events
may hold in store for us.     Thank you."
He shut off the switch and let out a sigh of relief, hoping
that he'd neutralized one potential problem for now.

************************************************************
***********************

By the time Adama returned to the bridge, Apollo and
Starbuck were within visual range of the Fleet, and so was
the mysterious spacecraft.     Now, each person on the
bridge was staring at the main viewing screen, unable to
take their eyes off the vessel.
"We're able to make our own telemetry scans," Omega said,
"Minimal lifesign readings.   No response to
communications."
"Doctor?" Adama turned to Dr. Salik, who had arrived on the
bridge a few centons earlier.
"This is only a snap judgment, but I would concur that
indicates hibernation or suspended animation."   The Chief
Medical Officer said, "If they were ill or incapacitated to
some degree, they surely would have found some way of
indicating that, or their lifesigns might have terminated by
now.     Those low metabolic rates clearly indicate bodily
functions slowed down to almost the same levels one is
subjected to in cryo-freeze treatments."
"Then how swiftly should we proceed in awaking them, if
indeed they are in hibernation?"
Salik looked up, "I would certainly not recommend proceeding
Ÿ_~swiftly', Commander.   We can't guarantee that these
people, however human they might be according to these
scans, are fully compatible with our own life-support
systems.     Until I can have my med-tech team go over every
component in that spacecraft down to the last detail, I
recommend going at a pace slower than a Canceran mollusk."
"Noted," Adama then turned to the Chief Electronics
Scientist, who had arrived at the same time as Salik, and
who was staring at the readings in slack-jawed fascination.
"Dr. Wilker, your analysis?"
"Amazing," the Chief Scientist murmurred, seemingly
oblivious to the Commander.    He said nothing else, and
Adama felt the need to impatiently tape him on the shoulder.
"Dr. Wilker, your analysis, please?"
"Oh!" he straightened himself out, "Our scans of the craft's
interior are more thorough then what the vipers have been
able to do.     Clearly safe for our teams to enter.    No
bombs or booby traps as far as we can determine.     The
craft itself contains two main reactors that power her
engines, but the cells indicate she's totally incapable of
faster-than-light travel, and in all likelihood not even
lightspeed."
"Which means if they put themselves in hibernation, they
expected a long journey to wherever they wanted to go, and
couldn't store necessary provisions for such a sustained
voyage," Adama said.    "How long could they conceivably
keep themselves alive in that condition?"
"Who's to say?" Salik shrugged, "Sectars, yahrens, maybe
hundreds of yahrens for all we know."
"Commander," Omega reported, "Captain Apollo and Lieutenant
Starbuck have detached tow lines and are landing in Beta
bay.     Our tractor beam has hold of the craft and is
guiding her into Alpha bay."
"Thank you.    Have them report to Alpha bay immediately,"
Adama turned to the two scientists, "Well, gentlemen, let's
take our first close-up look at this thing."
Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: >U,#!m_L"!%LG"!o?\"!

When the three of them arrived in the landing bay, Apollo
and Starbuck were already waiting for them.    Cassiopeia
and a team of several med-techs, as well as two additional
scientists from Wilker's staff also stood nearby.

"There it is," Wilker pointed.
Adama stopped to take in the view of the orange spacecraft.
Nothing about it struck any chord of recognition with him in
terms of design, which automatically told him that whatever
society these people came from had clearly not followed a
completely parallel state of development to Colonial
civilization.     From a comparative technological level,
the craft's size and slow speed suggested something in the
vicinity of one thousand to fifteen hundred yahrens behind
the level of Colonial technology since it seemed evident
that this kind of vessel served the same function as one of
the Galactica's shuttles might.

"We've been standing by, waiting for your orders,
Commander," Cassiopeia said, "How do you want us to
proceed?"

"No sign of movement since she landed?"
"None," Dr. Fairfax, Wilker's chief assistant shook his
head.    "Commander, if we're going to find out anything, we
need to get inside their now."
"Wait a centon," Apollo protested, "That thing couldn't
possibly accomodate a team this large.    If we send too
many people in their at once..."
"Then we send in fewer people, Captain!" Fairfax retorted,
"The sooner we stop standing around here, the better I'll
feel."
Adama glanced at the scientist with slight distaste,
wondering how it could be that Fairfax was the nephew and
namesake of a great battlestar commander.
"Very well," Adama said, "We'll proceed.    But I only want
Captain Apollo, Lieutenant Starbuck, Med-tech Cassiopeia and
Drs. Salik and Wilker to accompany me for this first look."
"Commander, I-" Fairfax started to protest, but a cold
glance ffrom the Commander cut him off and he slunk back to
where the others were standing.
"I think we're forgetting something," Salik said, "Do we
need to force open their hatch to get inside?    Because if
we have to blow it completely, I'm absolutely opposed to
that."
"We'll find out," Adama said as he led the group of five
toward the craft and placed his hand on what was clearly a
rear compartment door.     He found a hatch cover and with
great trepidation turned what looked like a handle to the
right.
A groaning sound emitted as the door suddenly slid open to
the right.     Feeling the tension rise, Adama then led the
group inside.  They immediately noticed a sterile smell
inside the rear compartment, and also that it was stuffy and
hot.
"The ventilation systems were powered done to almost
nothing," Wilker noted, "To save energy for a long-range
trip."
Adama then entered the next compartment and stopped in his
tracks when he saw before him, five pod-like chambers, each
containing the almost waxen forms of human beings.     Each
of them wore the same kind of odd, silver-metal looking
coverall.      What surprised him though was that only one
was an adult male.     The other was an adult female, and on
the other side he could recognize three children, one in her
young teens, the other two no older than five or six yahrens
old.
"A whole family of them," Cassiopeia said in amazement.
"This, I didn't expect," Adama said as he moved toward the
head of the compartment, glancing down at the brown-haired
man in the lead pod chamber.    "This couldn't have been
some kind of formal expedition or voyage if it had
passengers like this."
Starbuck was perhaps the most awed of the group, "They don't
even look alive."
Salik smiled, "Well, they are, Lieutenant.    Just like
being put in cryo-freeze makes one look dead even as the
body continues to function." the Chief Medical Officer
stopped to look at some of the instrument panels lining the
terminals.   "I can't quite make out the details on these
computers though.    It could well be that these people have
a language that isn't quite on the same wavelength as ours."
"He's right," Wilker said as he looked up from his study of
one of the computer terminals, "There's nothing I'd dare
touch myself.    It could be that these people are the ones
who'd have to teach us how to operate these things properly.
The sooner we can get one of them out of hibernation, the
better.    Preferably the lead one there." he motioned his
thumb toward the lead pod that Adama stood next to.
Adama frowned, "You're suggesting we start that procedure,
now?"
"Well it makes sense, doesn't it?" Starbuck spoke up, "We
aren't going to get anywhere figuring out where they come
from, if we can't read their computers, so why not wake them
up?"
Salik sighed, "Starbuck, Wilker, I think you should stop
thinking so impulsively.     If we bring these people out of
hibernation improperly, that could terminate their lives."
"Why?" the lieutenant asked.
"Because as you said, we don't know how to read their
computers, so it's quite obvious that we also don't know
what the proper procedure is for bringing them out of
hibernation, especially since we don't know if their life
systems are completely compatible with our atmosphere."
"So what does this mean, then?" Starbuck began to feel the
exuberance he'd felt all through the journey back to the
Galactica being replaced with exasperation, "We finally come
into contact with people who might be from Earth, and we
have to leave them in these tubes?"
"No," Wilker shook his head, "No, it doesn't have to mean
that at all.     Between myself and Dr. Salik, and with the
help of our support teams, we should be able to figure these
systems out.    I can pick one chamber and run tests on it."
"Run tests on it?" Apollo spoke up for the first time,
feeling that uneasy sensation return to him again, "Are you
talking about using one of these people as a testing drone
to figure out how their technology functions?"
Wilker bristled slightly, "That's a crude way of putting it,
Captain, but----"
"And what if one of them should short out during your so-
called Ÿ_~tests'?" Apollo didn't let up, "You'd just move on
to the next child?    I'm assuming of course the children
are the ones you'd want to do the tests on, since you said
it was important to get answers from their leader up front!"
The Chief Scientist found himself on the verge of losing his
temper, but then swallowed and turned his back to Apollo,
directing himself to Adama, "Commander," he said, "I believe
you've served your purpose for now.    The rest is in our
hands.    It's not a military matter anymore."
"That's true," Adama said, taken aback somewhat by Wilker's
cavalier attitude toward the situation.      But from a
technical standpoint, he knew the Chief Scientist was right
about the need to proceed, "But I want both of you to
understand this.      Who these people are, where they come
from, and where they were going, could well provide the key
to the survival of the entire Fleet.     I want no
unnecessary chances taken with their lives.     Have I made
myself clear?"
"Certainly," Wilker said, "But at the same time, we also
have to consider that bringing them here at all, may have
been fatal in the long-term for them."
"Which would justify taking rash action to get at some
answers too quickly, is that what you're saying, Doctor?"
Apollo didn't bother concealing the disgust in his voice.
Again, the Chief Scientist ignored him, "Commander, if you
would permit Fairfax and the rest of my team to come aboard,
along with the rest of the med-techs, I think we can get
started."
"Very well," Adama said calmly and motioned to Apollo and
Starbuck, "Captain.   Lieutenant."
As Apollo followed his father out, he could feel the sense
of discontent rising inside him.   Now he could pinpoint
exactly what the source of it was.     He was convinced more
then ever that bringing the strange vehicle aboard the
battlestar had been the wrong decision to begin with.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: F+,"!YhL"!gXP!!jbV!!

Chapter Two

For more than a sectan, Athena had been dreading the day
when her new temporary assignment would begin.    All the
people she'd spoken to had told her nothing but horror
stories of how impossible it was to handle a group of young
primary children not used to a new instructor.     And how
each of them were always grateful when the assignment ended
and they could get back to their regular duties as soon as
possible.   The previous night, she had lain awake in her
bunk, wondering how it was that a warrior with her record,
trained to fly shuttles, and who had distinguished herself
as a viper pilot at the Battle of Kobol, now found herself
about to take charge of thirty children for the rest of the
educational cycle, which still had several sectars
remaining.     It almost seemed like the ultimate comedown
in terms of what she was capable of doing.

And then, she realized painfully the reason why she'd talked
herself into volunteering for the assignment.     The more
she removed herself from the bridge and all kinds of warrior-
related activities, the more she could get her mind off
Starbuck.     For too long, she had been letting herself
brood over the fact that he was irrevocably lost to her.
Hearing Cassiopeia say on the witness stand during his
murder tribunal that they had a "very close" relationship,
only helped drive the reality of that home to her once and
for all.    As a consequence it had begun to make her feel
more restless in her usual bridge duties, and that what she
needed most was a new challenge in life to devote herself
too.     Going back to viper duty wasn't an option since it
would only put her in more close proximity to Starbuck.
And then, one night while she had been looking after Boxey,
her nephew had offhandedly remarked how he wished his
instructor was more like her.     She had asked him
questions for a centar about what his classes were like, and
learned that Boxey didn't think his current instructor, or
any of the previous ones, had done a good job connecting
with the class.      After that conversation, Athena found
herself thinking she could easily do a better job then that,
and had impulsively volunteered the next day to be a
rotating instructor for Boxey's second yahren primary group,
the instant a vacancy came up.    Without bothering to check
with others who'd had the job before to find out if it
really was a good idea to volunteer for such a position.
But now, as she'd collected herself that morning to begin
her job, her dread had given way to resignation, and she
decided that the least she could do was throw herself into
it.    Perhaps when all was said and done, she might come to
enjoy the job and even sign up for another semester term.
To strike a note of authority with the children, she decided
to wear her bridge uniform rather than the civilian clothes
most instructors wore.      Once class began, she found it
seemed to have the right effect on the children.     All of
them were in a completely deferential mood and not offering
the slightest signs of rambunctiosuness.
Is it the uniform, or the fact that I'm Adama's daughter?
she wondered idly.    She made a mental note to try at least
one session without the uniform at some point in order to
put that theory to the test.    After guiding them through a
review of their scientific exercises for the day, she
decided to break whatever feelings of boredom some of them
might have by focusing on the one story that any of them
with access to a video-com and the IFB these last two days,
knew all about.

"Let's see how well some of you are when it comes to keeping
up with current events knowledge."   She said as she made
her way forward, into the throng of children seated at their
desks.   "You're all aware that something special has
happened, right?"
"Yes!" her nephew suddenly spoke up, "We've found people
from Earth!"
Athena gently pointed at Boxey, feeling glad that the little
boy had provided her with an opportunity to demonstrate to
the rest of the class that not even familial ties could
affect her ability to show authority to them.
"Boxey, remember to use your questioning indicator when you
desire to address the class."
"Sorry, Athena," Boxey said, feeling properly chastised as
he settled back in his seat.
"You're excused," she allowed herself only the faintest
smile, as she returned to her position at the head of the
classroom.    "But Boxey is right to this degree.     If
you're all familiar with your assigned readings form the
Book of the Word and the Testament of Arkada, then you
realize that what might happen today is liable to affect
each of us, for the rest of our lives.     That's why we're
all nervous about it, I'm sure."
A chime then sounded from the desk in front of Boxey's, rung
by a blonde girl with braids.    Athena recognized her as
the daughter of Colonial Security Guard, Corporal Lomas.
"Yes, Loma?"
"If there are people aboard, why aren't they coming out?"
"We can't allow it now, because their craft has to be
decontaminated," Athena said and decided to come up with an
impromptu quiz for them.    Using current events as a
launching point for educational discussion was one teaching
tool they'd never seen before, and Athena could remember how
effective it had always been during her days of schooling.
"Does anyone know what that means?"
Boxey immediately rang his question chime.     For an
instant, Athena hoped that wasn't going to be the norm
because if Boxey was always first to chime in, then the
other students might think she was giving her nephew
opportunities to look better than them.    "Yes, Boxey?"
"It means they have to make sure there are no sick bugs
aboard the ship that can harm the rest of us."
"Exactly," Athena nodded, grateful that Boxey didn't mention
that he knew that because Apollo had gone through a full
decon procedure himself the other day after his one visit
aboard the craft.    "We're talking about thing that are too
small for us to see, but can have bad effects on us,
especially when we have people thrown together in an
unfamiliar environment for the first time.      I'm sure
some of us can remember that when we started our journey
nearly a yahren ago, there was trouble making adjustments."
Another chime, this from a brown haired girl at the back of
the room.   "Yes.    Lana?"
"When me and my parents came aboard the Galactica, we got
sick from the water."
"Your family's from Aquarius, right?"  Athena asked, feeling
glad that Boxey had told her about most of the backgrounds
of the students.
"Yes."
"You come from one of the outer colonies.    Because the
Galactica is mostly comprised of Capricans, Gemons and
Cancerans, that meant there was some incompatibility at
first, but in time that passed.     Everyone learned how to
do what, class?"
"Adjust!" they all said in unison.
"Excellent," she said with pride, "And with that in mind,
you can look at the central monitor and read the lesson for
today." she activated a switch and stepped aside so they
could see it.
"The human life form can adapt to many varied environments
and foods!" they again read in unison.
"Remember, it just takes time for adjustment to happen.
That's all that's happening now, before we can let these
visitors out."
Boxey, feeling restless to say what was on his mind, rang
his chime again.
"Yes, Boxey?"
"I heard my father say that it could be possible for those
people to kill us before we knew what hit us, if they were
carrying the wrong kind of bugs."
Athena was taken aback slightly by her nephew's remarks.
"Your father said that to you?"
"Not exactly," Boxey said, "He was having some argument with
Starbuck about it."
"I see," Athena sucked in her breath, trying not to let
herself look any more rattled then she already felt.
"Class, we're going to take a recess for the next fifteen
centons.     You're free to go to a refreshment station but
make sure what you get is fully consumed before class
resumes."
An approving noise went up from the students as they began
to disperse.    Athena came up to Boxey and immediately took
him by the hand.
"Come on," she said, "Let's find your father."

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: KnO"!26?"!:2g"!CK6!!

Several centons later, they caught up with Apollo, who was
heading toward the Officers Club.
"Apollo!" his sister called out.
Apollo turned around and smiled when he saw them, especially
Boxey.    He hadn't been able to spend as much time as he
felt he should have with his son in the last few sectans,
and it was beginnig to weigh heavily on his conscience.
"Boxey, how are you doing?" he patted his son's shoulder and
then grinned at his sister, "So is he making your first day
of teaching difficult?"
"Only because of something you said," Athena folded her
arms, "Are you trying to scare every child aboard the
Galactica out of their wits?"
"What?" Apollo frowned.
"I'm trying to tell them that what's happened with this ship
being found could be the most wonderful thing that ever
happened to us, and according to Boxey, you were telling
Starbuck that this could actually kill us all."
Apollo stiffened slightly and then glanced at his son,
wondering if he should rebuke him for eavesdropping again.
He decided not to and directed himself to Athena, "What I
said was that we and the people in that ship share the same
risk.   Either of us could be dangerous to each other."
"But we've decontaminated that ship!    You've been inside
it, and so has Father, and you went through decon with no
ill after-effects.    If you were afraid of a replay of what
happened to Boomer and Jolly when they contracted that
virus, you'd both still be quarantined!"
"We're safe, yes," Apollo said, "But as far as coming into
contact with these people, there's still a danger.    Our
air could be filled with things fatal to them, and once
they're released from hibernation, they could transmit bugs
to us that could be fatal to us.   All we've proved is that
the sealed environment of their ship isn't harmful to us."
"I see," Athena said, "So in other words, if they're from
Earth, they could be from a totally harmful environment to
us.    What do you expect me to do with a group of students
who've been taught to have hope about adjusting normally to
a new life on a new planet, if we're this close to Earth?"
He put a hand on his sister's shoulder, "You tell them the
truth, Athena," he said, "That hopefully we've taken a giant
step forward."
"Which in your opinion could just as easily be a step off a
cliff."
Apollo finally realized why Athena was so rattled by what
had happened.    Athena had once been the sunny optimist of
the family in the days before the Holocaust, matching the
disposition their mother was known for.    That had been
shattered beyond repair on the day she'd lost Zac and then
her mother, and it had made Athena far more cynical and
skeptical about life.     Now, at a time when she'd been
trying to recapture some of that optimism for the sake of
the children she was teaching, along came another jolt to
reopen her cynical nature.
"Athena," he said gently, "How about I come by to your class
and talk to them after we get some more information?     I
don't want to rattle them, or you for that matter."
"Sure," she sighed, "You just telecom me when you're ready."
"I will," he then glanced down at Boxey, "As for you, young
man, you're going to get it good for eavesdropping again."
But Boxey had heard this kind of reproach before, and like
the other times it always left him grinning innocently at
his father, and with it, all thoughts of stern discipline
were gone from Apollo's mind by the time he turned away.

************************************************************
****************

Inside the spacecraft, Salik and Wilker had spent the better
part of a centar working alone on their analysis of the
components.     The support teams had spent most of the last
two days in total frustration over their inability to come
up with viable answers on how the ship functioned.   Now,
the two senior scientists had decided to tackle things alone
for now.
"We've been at this for two days, and we're still no further
along then when we started," Salik said, "Not a single thing
in this vessel correlates to anything we're used to."
"We have to find a connection somewhere," Wilker found
himself growing more annoyed with Salik's comments.
"They're human.   The ship is powered by energy sources
similar to our own sub-light craft from a millennia or so
ago.     We just have to keep at it."  He paused, "And if
that means taking some chances, Doctor, I for one am more
than prepared to do that."
"Even if it means risking their lives?"
"For sagan's sake, how are we going to make things better if
we stay too cautious?" the Chief Scientists raised his voice
slightly.    "We could end up harming ourselves even more
taking that approach then if we were slightly too rash by
your reasoning."
"Granted," the Chief Medical Officer conceded, "But before
you even think about using one of those pods for tests, I
suggest you try a crack at the navigational system again,
and see if you can get some clues as to where this vessel
came from.     That should be more up your line of work
anyway, shouldn't it?"
Wilker threw him a cold stare and then went over to the
front of the ship.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: o6"#!kXh!!(BN!!#mc"!

When Apollo arrived in the Officers Club, he found the
effects of his conversation with Athena still leaving a bad
taste in his mouth.      And with it, he found all of the
nagging doubts he'd been having for the last two days
bubbling to the surface.

"Apollo?" Sheba inquired as he sat down at the table where
Boomer and Starbuck were also seated, "You look like you
just lost your first love."

She'd said it brightly, as a way of breaking tension, but
both Boomer and Starbuck found themselves wincing at her
choice of words.  Apollo glanced at her oddly for an
instant, as though he was also surprised by her using a
phrase none of his other friends would have used in a
micron.     Then, he reminded himself that Sheba was a
newcomer not too familiar with just who Apollo's first love
had been, and how he'd lost her.     He wasn't about to hold
her remark against her.    If anything, he felt determined
to cut Sheba more slack then he might ordinarily do for
anyone else.
"It's nothing," he waved a hand, "I checked back on their
progress, and they're not getting anywhere."
"You're just going to have to give them time," Boomer said
as he took a sip from his tankard, "Until then, we just sit
back and wait for results."
"Yeah," Apollo said, "Only they may not have much time.
That's the problem!"
"What are you talking about?" Boomer set his tankard down,
"You're making it sound like there's some choice to be made
here."
"There is," the captain's voice suddenly grew more
determined, "And I think we've been making the wrong choice
all along."
"Huh?" Sheba frowned, "Apollo, you found a ship drifting in
space with living beings inside, and we're doing all we can
for them.    What other choice is there?"
"Maybe leaving them alone," he settled back in his chair.
"What?" Boomer's face twisted in disbelief, "Is that what
we're supposed to do to the first humans we've come across
from another civilization, clearly with no connections to
our own?"
"Are you sure of that?" Sheba asked.   "You have come across
other humans before since leaving the Colonies, haven't
you?"
"Yes, but not since long before we crossed paths with you
and the Pegasus, Sheba," Boomer said, "And all of them we
could tie to planetary systems that were still on old
Colonial star charts.     Those humans were pioneers or
drifters from our own planets.     Their language, their
culture and customs were all familiar to us on one level or
another.    Then after Gomorroah, we run into the first
regions of uncharted space and we find nothing for well over
four sectars as far as humans go, and then bang!    We find
this spacecraft that has a totally unfamilar technological
design.      The one thing we can be sure of is that these
people are the first non-Colonial humans we've come across.
The only remaining question is, are they part of the
Thirteenth Tribe?     And when I say the Thirteenth Tribe, I
don't mean stragglers who dropped off the journey at some
point, I mean those who are part of where the Tribe
ultimately ended up.   That's one question we have to find
the answer to."
"Boomer's right," Starbuck chimed in, "The whole point of
this journey from the beginning isn't finding some place
nice to settle where there are other humans, it's finding
the place where the Thirteenth Tribe ended up.      If we
wanted to stop on a planet that was habitable, I could have
settled for staying Constable back on Serenity, or having us
all settle down on Attilla," he then took a puff on his
fumarello, "Which I have to admit did have some interesting
distractions to offer, as you no doubt recall, Boomer."
"Yeah, I remember," Boomer said as his mind recalled the
image of a skimpily attired voluptuous woman named Miri.
"I'll try not to remind Cassiopeia of that."
Starbuck grinned and took another puff.
"It isn't the need to find just the Thirteenth Tribe that
explains why we never stopped," Apollo looked as though he
wasn't going to allow himself to loosen up.   "We never
stopped because we're not strong enough to do that.    We've
been a hunted people, for sagan's sake!" he abruptly slammed
his fist on the table to emphasize his point.
Starbuck uneasily took his fumarello out and glanced
uneasily at his friend, "Well yeah, but that hasn't been
true for a few sectars now, Apollo.    I mean, it's been
awhile since we last saw any Cylons to worry about.     So
if we're not worrying about Cylons anymore, then my point
about waiting only for the Thirteenth Tribe stays valid."
He then paused, "At least try to lighten up, will you?"
"Oh come on!" Apollo refused to let up, "Why is it you have
to look at things all the time in absolutes?   Either we win
or lose!    Either we find Earth or we don't!    A girl says
yes or no!   The value of a civilization is based on what
lies between these extreme."
Sheba decided the time for being lighthearted had past, "I
think that's pure felgercarb, Apollo," she cut in, "We
fought our war against the Cylons because we believed in the
absolute goodness of the cause.     And it seems to me that
our destruction came about only when our leaders stopped
looking at things that way."
"That's not the point!" Apollo said, "I'm talking about
something else completely!"
"Are you?" Sheba remained unconvinced, "If you are, I
haven't noticed.    And I don't see why you're getting in
such a fit about what happens to these people.    The
experts are working on this, and they're trying to make sure
no harm comes to them.    And you then come up with some
felgercarb about how we should have left them alone?"
"There's an ethical component to this, that we haven't
considered."
"Where?"
"We've interfered with whatever it is they were setting out
to do when they put themselves in hibernation.    Did we
have the right to disrupt their voyage and put their lives
at risk simply to fulfill our own selfish goals?"
"Selfish?" Starbuck crushed his fumarello in the ashtray.
"Apollo, what choice did we have?    I was out there with
you.    We either had to take that ship in tow or else we
would have lost our ability to track her because we were
damn near out of fuel!     And are you going to tell me with
a straight face that that would have been the sound decision
to make?"
"Maybe it would have."
"I think you're dead wrong," Sheba said coldly, "And I think
it's wrong for you to act as though what's been done
constitutes some kind of heinous crime."
"You tell him!" a slurry voice from behind them suddenly
spoke up.
The four warriors turned around and saw a short man with a
moustache, wearing the black uniform of Council Security,
sitting on a barstool holding a near-empty glass in his
hand.
"Oh great," Starbuck said under his breath, "Now we have to
put up with a blackshirt who's totally crocked."
"You ask me, you and Shtarbuck are right," Council Security
Guard Reese slid off the barstool and stumbled toward their
table, still holding his empty glass.   "You know what we
oughta do?    Smash open those boxes and interro-" he
suddenly hiccuped, "Interrogate thhe whole-" he slurred out
the word as if it had three syllables, "lott of them."
"Hey Reese," Starbuck said gently, "Why don't you go quietly
and take a nice long turbowash, because believe me, I don't
need a crocked blackshirt for an ally."
"Oh you don't, do ya?" Reese suddenly bristled with anger,
"Ish not goooood enough for you when one of us decides to
agree with ya?    Only want help from your hotshot," he
hiccuped again, "pilots?" he formed the word contemptuously,
"Or if I was one of those from Colon-" anoother hiccup,
"Colonial Security, you'd listen to me?"
"You say one more word, Reese, and I'm going to stick that
glass of yours down your throat," Starbuck said coldly.
"Now get out of here."
Slowly, Reese skulked away, and then turned back, "Think I
will.   There's never any fresh air when I'm around you
arrogant clods."
Apollo suddenly bolted from his chair as if he was going to
follow the Council guard out and fight him.    Boomer
immediately grabbed his arm.
"Hey," the dark-skinned warrior said, "We came here to let
off steam, not fight."
"He's right," Starbuck smiled, "Besides, when it comes to
fighting, that's my job.   You're supposed to be my
conscience, remember?"
"Right now, your conscience wishes he were making a bigger
impact on you," Apollo refused to sit down, "Because I think
its hard to offer one life in sacrifice even for thousands."
"Is it?" Sheba said with disgust, "If that's true Apollo,
then the oath we've all taken as warriors to put down our
lives as individuals for the people of our nation suddenly
becomes meaningless."
"I'm not talking about us as Colonial Warriors sacrificing
our lives to save our own people!" Apollo said, not wanting
to argue with Sheba, but feeling he had no choice.   "We
took that oath out of our own free will.    We had a choice
in the matter.   What choice did we give these people?
That's the difference I'm talking about.    We didn't give
them a choice as to whether or not their lives should be put
at risk for our own sake."
The silence from the three warriors indicated that he'd
finally been able to connect with them.
"Look," Apollo said quietly as he sat down, "I'm not a fool.
I'm not saying we should have ignored that ship completely
when we encountered it.   I'm just saying we didn't take
enough time to consider every possible alternative.     If
we had we could have found one that served both our
interests.    Theirs and ours."
"Well even if that's true, Apollo, it's too late to look
back on that, isn't it?" Boomer pointed out.   "We just have
to deal with things as they are now."
"I wonder," Apollo then abruptly headed for the door,
leaving his friends feeling completely uneasy.
Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: 'E$#!'gE!!_+9!!"ik"!
Status: RO

Sergeant Castor of Colonial Security, the unit responsible
for all matters of military security had begun his
assignment of guarding the entryway to Alpha bay.     For
the last two days, it had been ordinary and routine.
This day though, he didn't have long to see that it would
not be routine on this occasion when three people, two men
and one woman in white Councillor's robes descended from the
turbo lift and approached the guard.

"Excuse me, but this area is off-limits."
The lead man, who had carefully groomed silver hair, seemed
indignant.   "Young man, do you realize who you're talking
to?     I'm Sire Geller, and this is Sire Domra," he
indicated the other man, whose hair was also silvery-white,
"and Siress Tinia," he then motioned to the woman who was in
the early stages of middle-age, and whose severe expression
marred what might have otherwise been an attractive face.
Castor seemed unimpressed, "I recognize your names," he
said, "But the fact that you're members of the Council of
Twelve carries no weight in a matter of military security."
"I don't think you understand, Sergeant," Domra stepped
forward and said coldly.   "We insist on the right to
inspect this vessel for ourselves and see what progress
there's been on the status of these humans, and how soon it
will be before they can talk!"
"Well, I'm not the one who can help you on that, my job is
to just guard this area and keep it quarantined for the
support teams to do their work," Castor held his ground.
"You'd need to get written authorization from Commander
Adama for me to let you by, so I suggest you take up the
matter with him."
"We shall see about this!" Geller's nostrils flared, while
Tinia's severe expression grew more visibly annoyed.    "The
next time we meet, Sergeant, you won't find yourself acting
so disrespectful of civilian authority!"
The three Council members then turned and went back to the
turbo lift that would take them one deck up.    Just as they
boarded, the adjacent compartment door opened and Apollo
emerged.
"What was that all about?" the captain asked.
Castor shook his head in disgust, "We've got some restless
Council members who are anxious to see those Earthians for
themselves."
Apollo looked at him with alarm, "Did you tell them this
area's quarantined?"
"Yeah, but judging by the looks on their faces, I don't
think they plan on taking no for an answer much longer."
"Great, that's all we need.     Castor, get some more guards
stationed here to beef up security.     I'll even get some
off-duty pilots detached to help out too."
"Thanks," the security guard grunted, "We'll probably need
it."

************************************************************
*******************************

"I've exhausted everything I can out of the navigational
system," Wilker's patience with Salik had now run out, "Now
unless you think I should be wasting my time sitting on my
astrum, I am going to check that support pod, now."

Salik let out a dismal groan but then shook his head in the
affirmative.   "All right, but I'm going to watch every move
you make, Wilker."
"Naturally," the Chief Scientist didn't hide the sarcasm as
he knelt down in front of the pod where the brown-haired man
lay.    He opened what seemed like a panel on a small box at
the base of the chamber and saw what looked like a maze of
wires and circuits.
"Okay," he pulled out a micro scanner, "I can try to hook up
this scanner to one of these units and get a direct reading
on what makes it run."   Slowly, with delicate precision, he
attached the wires running out of the scanner to the box,
and then activated the power to the scanner.
"Finally!" he smiled for the first time, "I'm getting some
concrete readings that are really helpful!    Atmosphere
indications of what's inside these chambers.    Now I can
recalibrate these findings."
After a centon, a sudden shower of sparks emitted from the
control box.    Wilker hastily pulled the scanner out and
got to his feet, while Salik watched the monitors above the
pod in alarm.
"What happened?" the Chief Medical Officer blurted.
"I must have shorted out a line," Wilker shook his head in
amazement.   "How are the instruments doing?"
Salik felt his heart pounding, "There's been a large drop in
the readings.    I think you must have hit the central nerve
of the life support system."
"Well, at least we're getting closer."
Salik glared at him, "Closer?   You could have shorted out
the entire ship.    Wilker, we can't go on like this.    We
have no idea how these systems operate and it seems like the
slightest move we make will likely end up terminating them."
"What are you suggesting then?" the Chief Scientist angrily
shot back.
"What happened?"
They turned around and saw a concerned Apollo entering the
compartment.
"Captain," Wilker said with exasperation, "We have little
enough room as it is in here.  Please do not interfere!"
"What's going on?" Apollo didn't budge.
"Well, about a centar ago we finally figured out that the
gas used in the system is stored in liquid form and
regenerated and recycled in some way throughout these
circuits."
"Dr. Salik?" Apollo looked at the Chief Medical Officer.
"Are you that optimistic?"
Salik hesitated slightly before answering, "Theoretically I
would agree with Dr. Wilker on that.    But, there is the
fact that we're dealing with a potential power drop to the
systems."
"How?" the warrior demanded.
"When we probe the systems, short-circuits occassionally
happen that result in power drops." he glared at Wilker, "We
just attempted it on this lead support chamber."
"You what?" Apollo's face twisted in horror.
"With all due respect, Salik, I can solve this technological
problem if you'd just give me the time to do it!" Wilker
jumped in angrily.
"And how much time do we have?"
"Who knows?" Salik shrugged, "How far is it to Earth?   How
far have they come from?   How far did they intend to go
before they were intercepted?     Those are answers we
couldn't begin to figure out at this rate."
"That settles it then," Apollo said forcefully, "I want you
to discontinue your work at once."
"Captain, you don't have the authority to-" Wilker started.
"I'm not asking you to do it, I'm ordering you to do it!"
Apollo angrily pointed at Wilker.  "I want you to leave this
ship now, Wilker!"
Wilker abruptly slammed his instrument bag on the ground,
"And what if I refuse, Captain?     I don't recognize your
authority on this matter, and unless I get it direct from
the Commander, I am not going to leave!"
"I'll take you direct to the Commander right now, and that
will settle this matter," Apollo held his ground, "But like
it or not, you're not staying aboard."
"Oh great, I wouldn't miss this for anything, Captain.   But
when we see the Commander, I can guarantee that you're the
one who's going to be in a lot of trouble, not me."
"We'll see about that," Apollo motioned him to come, " Dr.
Salik, you stay here and monitor the instruments.    Notify
me if there's any change."

************************************************************
*******************

When they arrived in Adama's quarters, both Apollo and
Wilker allowed their mutual anger toward each other to
explode in full force as they explained their positions to
the Commander.    Through it all, Adama maintained a
diplomatic posture, letting each of them have their say.
When they were both finished, he rose from his chair and
took a position between them.
"Apollo," he said to his son, "I can't say I approve of your
impulsive actions.    Even if I concede your argument, you
went outside the chain of command and had no authority to
order Dr. Wilker out without consulting me first."
"I didn't think I had any choice!" Apollo argued, "The way
things were going, there wasn't time for a vote."
"Ridiculous!" Wilker shot back, "All I needed was some more
time.    Even that quick scan I got on the pod chamber
yielded some concerete results.    If I can get a sustained
reading without any more short-circuits, I think I can find
all the answers I need."
"What did you find out?" Adama asked.
"The atmosphere they breathe is about one-fifth that of
Caprica and most of the Colonies.   Probably one-sixth for
that of the outer colonies."
"One-fifth," Adama digested that information, "That doesn't
sound promising.    That would indicate they come from a
planet that would be generally incompatible with our own
physiological structure.    At the very least one we
couldn't sustain ourselves on without proper equipment to
compensate."   He paused, "What else did you learn?"
"I went over the navigational system a hundred times to try
and get some clues as to where they came from, what
direction they were going.    It's still an unreadable
database for the most part, but I did keep seeing a number
of instrument readings that indicate a planet named Terra."
"What?" Adama's head jerked up, "Did you say Terra?"
"Yes," Wilker said, "Is that significant?"
"It might be," Adama felt his heart race, "Terra is the
Gemonese term for Earth.   That may be the link we've been
looking for!"
"Whether it is or isn't, is no longer the issue!" Apollo
jumped back in.
"What?" Adama didn't know if he'd heard right, "What is the
issue then?"
"The fact that we've illegally siezed an alien ship on a
course between two unknown points?"
"Ÿ_~Illegally' siezed?" the Commander was incredulous,
"Explain yourself."
"Well what else do you call it when you take a ship out of
its flight and tamper with its systems until its resources
begin to dwindle?"
Despite his frustration with Apollo's tone, Adama knew he
had to address that last matter with Wilker first.   "Well,
Doctor?   Are they dwindling?"
"There has been a slight power loss," Wilker conceded,
"That's to be expected.   We just don't know----,"
"What we're doing!" Apollo angrily finished the sentence.
It was too much for Adama, "Captain, I'm going to order you
to show some civility, or risk being placed on report.
Dr. Wilker is only trying to help us."
His father's words had an impact, and he relaxed slightly,
his voice calmer.   "Dr. Wilker, if I have made any
insinuations as to your motives, I apologize.     But we're
at a stage where good intentions don't count for anything
any longer.     We can't put those five people at risk any
longer."
"What are you suggesting then?" Adama demanded.
Apollo looked him in the eye, "We let them go."
The Commander's eyes narrowed and he looked as if he'd been
hit in the head, "What?"
"Yes," his son nodded, "We should let them go and put them
back on their original course."
"Apollo, I'm beginning to wonder if you need a session of
cathartic treatment!" for the first time, Adama wondered if
his son had all of his faculties together,   "How can you
possibly suggest we let them go without having made any
attempt to communicate with them, or any attempt to answer
the one question that keeps this Fleet moving through
space?"
"Because if we keep them here, they're liable to die before
we can communicate with them!" Apollo said forcefully,
"Father, you're drawing the wrong conclusion.    I think we
can increase our chances of communication and finding the
answers we want if were to let them go, and monitor them to
where they were heading."
Adama slowly nodded, but he remained unconvinced, "All
right.   At least there's a method to what seems like sheer
madness, but I don't think you've considered why that option
is out of the question.     How far away is their
destination?     What if they're a colonization mission
heading away from Earth, and not programmed to awake for a
hundred or a thousand yahrens?     We could end up chasing
them all the way across the stars and away from the main
heading that we know Earth has to lie on.      What you're
asking Apollo, would put more then just their five lives at
risk, it would put the lives of everyone in this Fleet at
risk!"
Before his son could respond, the chime sounded again.
"Enter!" Adama at this point felt as if he'd welcome the
distraction of another visitor.    As soon as he saw who it
was, he wished he'd denied entry.
"Adama," Sire Geller said angrily, "On behalf of the
Council, I must insist that some action be taken that will
expedite matters.     We have been denied access to the
ship, and there is no indication that you're even close to
getting these people revived."
"Sire Geller," Adama said calmly, "The last thing I need are
more opinions about what to do.   I am trying to find a
solution that will serve our interests without costing the
lives of five people."
"If their lives are at risk inside those chambers, then
perhaps it's time you just had the seals broken and found
some way to revive them immediately through the facilities
aboard the Galactica," the Council member shot back, "At the
very least, it would put an end to this intolerable inaction
you've been demonstrating."
"Inaction?" now for the first time, Adama began to
understand better his son's thinking, "What right have I to
pass judgment on those five people, reducing their lives to
this game of expediency and self-interest?"
Geller relaxed somewhat, and then when he spoke his tone was
more sympathetic, "You're right, Adama," he said, "This is a
troubling burden for you.    Perhaps things could be
alleviated if the Council took a vote on the matter.    Sire
Domra and Siress Tinia are both in agreement with me that
perhaps this matter might be decided best by civil
authority.   There is after all, no military danger that
arises from this craft and its passengers.    It's become a
matter of diplomacy."
"So that makes three of you who are agreed on having the
matter discussed," the commander's tone grew sour as he now
realized a deeper motive behind Geller's visit.   One that
went far beyond the matter of the spacecraft and its
passengers.    "In that case, I suppose we should dispense
with all other niceties and have the Council summoned
immediately."
"Whatever you wish, Adama," Geller bowed slightly and smiled
one of the most insincere smiles the commander could ever
recall seeing.    "We shall meet within the centar."
As soon as Geller was gone, Adama suddenly did a mocking
imitation of Geller's words to indicate his disdain,
"Ÿ_~Whatever you wish, Adama'," he said with disgust, "As if
things weren't already out of hand with the two of you
arguing, I now have to worry about the Council causing
trouble for me."
"Commander," Wilker said gently, "Is there any reason for me
to remain here?"
"No," he shook his head, "No, report back to Alpha Bay,
Doctor.   You have my permission to resume monitoring the
instruments, but for now, no further tests until I consider
the matter further.    Is that acceptable to you?"
"I suppose under the circumstances, yes," Wilker glanced
haughtily at Apollo, "Captain," he said curtly and then
departed.
Now that he was alone with his son, Adama put his hands
behind his back and shook his head, "I want you to know
Apollo, that you haven't done me any favors this day with
the way you've been acting."
"I've been trying to do what I think is right, Father," his
son said, "If I didn't feel strongly about this, I wouldn't
have thought it my place to act."
"But for what purpose?" Adama interjected sharply, "I've
heard nothing practical in any of your solutions that
indicate a positive outcome for our people.    What's more,
I'm astonished to hear you treat the matter of this craft
having a connection with Earth as though it's an
insignificant detail."
"If it seems that way, I'm sorry, Father," Apollo said
sincerely, "I don't belittle the significance of what Wilker
says about this term Terra.    I'm considering the prospects
of what might happen if this civilization they come from
turns out to be Earth, and then something goes awry and the
first thing we have to tell our lost brothers of the
Thirteenth Tribe is that we're responsible for the deaths of
five of their people.     How could we effectively make
contact with them, if we have their blood on our hands?"
His father nodded, "All right, I understand that.     But
Apollo, what I need are practical decisions to deal with,
and if Geller's tone is any indication, the Council won't
leave me with any practical choices to pursue.      Too many
of them are still resentful over their loss of face from the
Count Iblis affair, and would just love the chance to get
back at me by finding a new way of undercutting my
authority.      Now that Cylon pursuit isn't something we
have to worry about as much as we used to, they feel a lot
more secure trying to do that."  He sighed with resignation,
"In the meantime, double the guard down there with extra men
from Colonial Security and off-duty pilots.     And keep me
informed if anything new happens."
As Apollo left, he began to feel a sense of guilt over the
burden his father had now been subjected to.    But even
with that, his determined belief that the spacecraft needed
to be freed to resume its journey, remained solid.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: pGM"!<J"#!'J8"!(WC"!

Chapter Three

When Wilker returned to the landing bay, he was surprised to
find a gathering crowd almost blocking his path back to the
spacecraft.      Pushing his way through the throng, all of
whom were dressed in civilian clothing, he managed to reach
the group of warriors who had formed a line in front of the
hatchway that led inside the craft.
"What's going on?" the Chief Scientist asked.
Boomer, who along with Starbuck and Jolly had joined Castor
and the rest of the Security team, let out a grim chuckle,
"We've got ourselves some increasingly unruly people from
all kinds of ships throughout the Fleet waiting to see these
people for themselves."
"Who let them aboard?     Shouldn't the Galactica have
denied them landing clearance to get here in the first
place?"
"I have no idea," Jolly shrugged, "But from the looks of
these people, I think a lot of them are close chums of the
Council members.     They must have come aboard with them
when they landed a few centars ago."
"That figures," Wilker looked back at the mob with slight
disgust.     He had no desire to see a gathering mob of
civilians anymore then the warriors did.     From his
standpoint, it could only mean trouble.    "According to
Adama, there's a Council meeting about to convene."
"And it looks like they've got inside information as to what
the outcome of that meeting is going to be," Starbuck noted.
"Doc, have you been cleared to go back aboard?"
"To monitor, yes."   The Chief Scientist said, "If you'll
let me pass."
But as soon as Wilker got by the group, a grim looking Salik
emerged from the hatchway, and stopped in horror when he saw
the mob.
"What is going on here?" he uncharacteristically raised his
voice, loud enough for the nearby crowd of twenty to hear.
"The makings of a mob, it would seem," Wilker's disgust
increased.   "We're not going to get a micron's peace if we
have to worry about this group hanging over our shoulders."
The Chief Medical Officer nodded, "For once, I concur with
you, Wilker.     Starbuck, Boomer, will you get these people
out of here, now?"
"We're kind of outnumbered at the moment, Doc," Starbuck
said, "And right now, I don't think any of us feel
comfortable making any unnecessary displays of force unless
they were to start rushing the ship.     Right guys?" he
motioned to his fellow warriors.
"Right," Castor nodded, "SOP calls for us to do nothing
unless they don't stay put."
"The situation in there is deteriorating more rapidly then
ever!" Salik hissed, "I need these people out of here!"  He
then angrily turned toward the chattering crowd, "Did you
hear me?    Get out, now!    You're not helping the
situation!"
"Don't worry about that, Doctor," a voice from the other
side of the landing bay suddenly pierced the throng.
The warriors looked over and Boomer and Starbuck both felt
their skin crawl when they saw Reese leading several other
blackshirted members of Council Security.      Except for
the reddened eyes and slightly disheveled hair, Reese
appeared to have shaken off most of the effects of his
drunkenness from earlier in the day.
"Reese, what are you doing here?" Starbuck demanded, not
bothering to conceal the disdain he felt for the Council
Security guard.
"We'll be taking charge of things now, Starbuck," there was
a smug edge in Reese's tone. "Just as soon as the orders
arrive."
"What orders?" Jolly demanded sharply.
"Orders from the Council," Reese folded his arms and threw
the warriors a smug smirk that only increased their inner
fury.    "The Council will be voting any micron now to
terminate the life support systems and let those poor people
out of their cages."
"Are you out of your mind?" Salik shouted in horror, "We
have no idea what levels of resucitation their bodies will
require!"
"Take it easy, Doc," Starbuck patted him on the shoulder,
"No one is going to get in there if we have anything to say
about this.    How about you and Wilker go to the Commander
and let him know what the situation is right now?"
"I think we'd better," the Chief Scientist said, "I might
have been for making probes, but pulling the plug on those
pods isn't what I had in mind."
"Then let's go," Salik motioned his fellow scientist and the
two of them hurried across the tarmac toward the nearest
turbo lift.
"And as for you clowns," Starbuck turned his attention back
to Reese and the group from Council Security, "I suggest you
get it through your heads that until we hear from the
Commander, we're in charge here."
The smug expression didn't fade from Reese's face as he
folded his arms contemptuously, "Until we receive orders
from the contrary, we are in charge here."
Boomer took a step toward him.    When he spoke, his voice
was low, but filled with disdain.
"Now you listen to me, you gallmonging snitrad," he decided
to use the worst epithet he could think of, "I suggest you
reread the manual, if you're capable of reading at all,
because this is a military ship, and that means that your
authority on this ship is nil.     That's why there's an
institution called Colonial Security to begin with."
"Damned right," Castor spoke up, trying not to explode, "So
why don't you and your gang of blackshirts haul your astrums
out of here, right now!"
"When the lives of civilians are at stake, then that means
we do have authority!" one of the other Council Security
guards, a man with a neatly trimmed beard jumped in angrily,
"Because that manual also says that the lives of civilians
are our responsibility no matter where they happen to be."
"Oh?" Boomer decided to stay disdainful, rather then show
fury, "What makes you think those people on board are
civilians?"
"What are you talking about?" Reese couldn't believe what he
was hearing, "Of course they're civilians."
Starbuck smiled and decided to go along with Boomer's
approach, "Well now, we really don't know that, do we?
Maybe they're mercenaries, come to mow us all down."
Castor looked at them, grinned slightly and decided to join
in as well, "That's right.   Or maybe they're Cylon spies
who've come to rescue Baltar."
"Exactly!" Starbuck pointed a finger in the air, "Cylon
spies.     Castor, you're a genius.   Of course that's true
of all you guys in Colonial Security.       Kobol knows we
can't say the same for your civilian counterparts."
"Quit the felgercarb!" the smug tone was gone from Reese's
face, replaced by exasperation, which was exactly the
reaction the warriors wanted to see.   "Two adults and three
mercenary children?"
"Hey, you never know what Cylon brainwashing techniques can
do," Starbuck shrugged nonchalantly.    "Speaking of which,
what did they use on you?"
"That does it!" Reese fumed as he motioned to the other
members of his team, "Take your positions, now!"
Suddenly, in unison, Starbuck, Boomer, Jolly and Castor all
pulled out their laser pistols and trained them squarely at
the group.
"One more step, Reese, and you'll be flatter on your back
then those people inside are," Starbuck's voice now dripped
with contempt.
"And that goes for all of you!" Castor barked at the rest of
the crowd, which had stopped their chattering amongst
themselves and were trained on what was happening.
"Because until we get orders to this contrary, military
discipline is going to remain in force!"
So focused was the crowd on the angry warriors and their
pointed pistols, that none of them noticed a light from
inside the spacecraft suddenly shining off the porthole.
Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: pHU"!GnE"!gFR"!#j'!!

Above the main pod, a number of lights were now blinking
madly, indicating that new systems were being activated
after a long period of being dormant.

Slowly, Michael opened his eyes and felt the stiff sensation
throughout his body he'd known would be there the instant he
awoke.      He managed to touch his cheeks and felt no trace
of facial stubble, which indicated that either he hadn't
been out long, or else the systems had functioned perfectly.
He reached over and activated the switch inside that allowed
the glass pod to slide open, and then he came to a sitting
position, stretching his muscles to get the stiffness out.
And then, he frowned as he realized he wasn't hearing
something he should have heard.    The throbbing sound of
the engines pulsing through the compartment.      The
programming had been set for him to be revived when they
should have been in standard orbit, but instead he had the
sensation that the ship was at a complete dead stop.

He stepped out of the chamber and when he took a breath, he
felt a heavy weight filling his lungs, as if the air was
thicker then it should have been.     Making his way across
the compartment, he looked out the porthole and was
surprised to see a crowd of people standing near the
spacecraft, wearing clothes totally unfamiliar to him.
"What in the name of...." he muttered as he felt an alarm
bell go off inside his head.     The thought that all of the
careful planning he'd done for so long had been for nothing
was the only answer that could explain things at this point.
And then, his eyes narrowed as he glanced at the instrument
panels above each support chamber and saw readings that only
made his alarm deepen.   He pulled out a card from the
pocket of his silver suit and inserted it in Sarah's
chamber.  Slowly, the blonde woman stirred but didn't open
her eyes.
"Sarah," he whispered and shook her arm, "Sarah, wake up."
Finally she tilted her head and managed to open her eyes,
"Michael?" she whispered.   "Are we there?"
Michael didn't respond, instead letting out a perplexed
grunt as if to indicate that he wasn't sure.
"Michael," Sarah came to a sitting position, her face filled
with concern, "What's wrong?"
Michael struggled to take a breath, feeling the thickness of
the air intolerable, "I don't know," he said, "But....we're
not where we should be.      And....for some reason, our
support systems are deteriorating."
"How?" she was bewildered, "What happened to us?    Did the
Alliance capture us?"
He glanced back toward the porthole, "I'm not sure.
There are people outside who don't look like they're from
the Alliance.    But if they're not.....then why are we here
instead of...." he stopped as he struggled to take another
breath.
"What are we going to do?" she touched his arm with concern.
"I have to find out what's happened," he said, "Sarah, keep
watching the childrens life readings.    If they deteriorate
further, then open the chambers and start giving them
oxygen."
"Are you sure it's safe?" her tone indicated that she didn't
want him to go.
"I don't know, but we can't just stay inside here and wait,"
he said matter-of-factly, "I'll be back in a few minutes."
And then, as he labored with each step, he made his way
toward the hatchway that led outside.

************************************************************
**********************************

From the micron the Council session had convened, Adama knew
it was going to lead to nothing but trouble.     Geller
wouldn't have bothered to have them meet if he hadn't been
sure ahead of time of having enough votes to secure passage
for whatever proposal he had in mind.
"In spite of what Dr. Salik has reported to us," Adama
leaned forward, "Am I to assume that all of you believe we
must just take them out of their chambers right now?"
"What choice do we have?" Domra sourly interjected.   "It's
been more than two full days since we brought this craft
aboard, and listening to the good doctor's report, it sounds
like he needs to have us wait until the next millennia
before he can come up with an answer as to how these systems
work."
"And since the doctor says that the life readings are
dwindling with each passing centon, any kind of delay is a
luxury we simply can not afford," Siress Tinia added.
"Luxury?" Salik spoke up from his standing position on the
far side of the room, where he had given his report.
"We're talking about peoples lives at stake, and you talk
about that as a luxury?"
"Dr. Salik, your humanitarian impulse is quite noble, but
when this impacts the lives of everyone else in the Fleet, I
think some greater practicality is called for," Tinia glared
at him.
"My brothers," Sire Anton spoke up in his soft-spoken tone,
"I must confess, I'm at a loss to understand this peculiar
impatience that some of us seem to feel.     We are not
facing a crisis situation that dictates the need to find
answers this micron, or even this day.     If Dr. Salik and
those who are qualified in these areas feel that more time
is needed to insure their survival before we find the
answers we want, what is the problem with respecting his
judgment on that?"
"My dear Anton, if those readings were stable, I'd agree
with you completely," Sire Montrose spoke up, "But we are
dealing with the reality of life support readings that are
steadily deteriorating, and from my standpoint that leaves
us with no choice but to follow Sire Geller's recommendation
that we proceed in a more timely fashion."
"Exactly," Geller said, "And with that in mind, I ask for an
immediate vote on my resolution to have those support
chambers opened as quickly as possible."
"Second!" Domra said emphatically.
Adama let out a dismal groan.    There was a part of him
that wanted to challenge the Council's right to even take
jurisdiction over such a matter, but if he did that, he only
knew he'd be asking for even more trouble.
"Moved and seconded," he said, "The vote will proceed."
When it was over, the results were nine votes in favor, with
only Adama and Anton opposed.     The youngest member of the
Council, Sire Antipas, who had remained quiet throughout the
proceedings, had chosen to abstain.
"It's done then," Geller said with a note of triumph, "The
removal of the five humans will take place immediately.
Prudence naturally, will be applied in the manner of their
removal.      I would suggest, Dr. Salik, that you begin
with the leader of the group, who would perhaps be most
likely to make a quicker psychological adjustment."
Salik, who had been trembling with visible rage throughout
the proceedings, shook his head, "In spite of your vote,
Councillors, I will not be responsible for this."
"You're not responsible at all!" Domra snapped, finding his
patience with the Chief Medical Officer growing thin.   "We
are.   The duly recognized authority of this government has
made a decision, and you are now expected to honor that."
"You ask me to carry out an order that runs contrary to
every medical and moral ethic I have based my entire career
on," Salik purposefully let his voice drip with contempt.
"I can not do so."
Geller glared at him, "Do you realize what you're saying?"
"Yes," Salik drew himself up, "That you now have a problem
with finding another doctor to carry out this order of
yours."
And then, with pride and satisfaction, he left the chamber.
Adama looked about the table and saw that most of the
Council members' expressions ranged from neutral to angry.
"Commander Adama!" Tinia said harshly, "I hope that you will
be talking with him soon about this."
Adama allowed himself a faint smile, "I intend to, Siress
Tinia.    But when I do, it will be to tell him that he's
given me one of the proudest centons of my life."
Domra seemed on the verge of gagging, "What?    Your
subordinate shows contempt for duly appointed authority, and
you consider that worthy of praise?"
The Commander rose and allowed only the faintest disdain to
enter his voice, "What Dr. Salik has done, Sire Domra, is
demonstrate that we are still a race worth saving."
"That is uncalled for, Commander!" Tinia suddenly exploded
with white-hot fury, "How dare you question our motives in
such a backhanded manner?      We understand there are risks
involved, but I have seen nothing from you or Dr. Salik to
indicate that a practical alternative exists to this
situation."
Adama was slightly taken aback, as he had never seen Tinia
this angry before.
"My esteemed colleague is correct," Montrose was glaring at
Adama as well, "If you wish to accuse us of being so evil,
then at least give us the courtesy of saying that directly
to us, and not hiding behind backhanded phrases."
Inside, Adama realized that he had made a tactical blunder.
He had allowed his frustration over the situation, and the
sudden demands of the Council to intrude at a time when he
should have kept his tounge guarded.     Now, the long-term
repercussions could be even more damaging than if he had
openly questioned the Council's right to intervene in this
affair.
God help me, he thought as he finally decided there was
nothing he could say at this point to make the situation any
better.     Instead, he turned his back to them and left the
chamber.

For almost a centon, there was silence in the chamber,
punctuated only by the seething from those members who were
most angry.    Sire Anton, the only member who had sided
with Adama, was sadly shaking his head, as if to indicate
that even he felt the Commander had not handled the
situation properly.
"This raises more serious matters that we as a body will
have to discuss at some future session," Geller had to bite
his tounge to keep his voice close to normal.   "But for
now, I suggest we proceed with the matter at hand.     Dr.
Wilker?"
The Electronics Scientist, who had remained largely silent
throughout the proceedings, abruptly stiffened.
"Are you capable of carrying out the removal operations
without Dr. Salik?"
Wilker hesitated slightly.    He wasn't that happy with how
things had developed, but he didn't see how he could follow
Salik's example at this point.
"If you wish me to," he finally spoke.
"You are so ordered," Geller said coldly, "Unless you wish
to follow your colleague's example?"
Wilker swallowed several times and then nodded weakly.
Without saying another word, he left the room.
"There is nothing more to discuss here," Geller said,
feeling a sense of vindication replace his anger, "Since our
President is not here, I will take the liberty of declaring
this session of the Council adjourned."

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: A2"#!+CY"!CpD!!A>"#!

After stopping by his lab to get Fairfax and other members
of his staff to assist him, Wilker made his way back to the
landing bay, feeling nothing but rising dread as he drew
closer.   As soon as he arrived, he'd have to explain the
situation to the angry warriors and security people, and he
knew it would mean another mess on his hands before he could
proceed without feeling a burdensome weight on his
shoulders.

There was one part of Wilker that wished he could have found
the courage to follow Salik's example, but that had never
been part of the scientist's nature.     Political arguments
had always revolted him, and he'd been determined throughout
his career to avoid them.      Taking a stand that could
mean the end of his career wasn't something he had any
desire to do.

When his team reached the landing bay, he saw the warriors,
now joined by Apollo as well, still standing in front of the
spacecraft, while the blackshirts of Council Security stood
some ten meters back with the rest of the assembled crowd.

"What's happened?" Apollo demanded, already knowing this
wasn't bound to be good news.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Wilker felt he could at least let the
warriors know he didn't like the decision, "The Council took
a vote.    They're letting them out."

"What?" Starbuck's face twisted, "I don't believe it!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Apollo was more resigned.

"Salik wouldn't do this!"

"Dr. Salik isn't doing it," Wilker said, "My team's been
left with no choice but to obey the order, gentlemen."

"Ever consider showing some backbone for a change, Wilker?"
Starbuck said angrily.

"Maybe I would, if you'd be willing to serve my time in the
brig with me," Wilker retorted gently.

"At the risk of interrupting this friendly chat," the smug
expression immediately returned to Reese as if a switch had
been thrown on, "I think there can't be anymore questions as
to who's in charge, right gentlemen?" he sneered at the five
warriors.    "Step aside."

"Apollo-" Starbuck started to move toward them, but the
capptain grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

"Let's not make things worse," he said gently, "The
Commander wouldn't want us to do that."

"Right," Boomer said reluctantly as he, Jolly and Castor
parted to the left so Reese could lead his team toward the
hatch opening.

But as Reese drew close, he and the rest of his team stopped
in their tracks when they saw a figure emerge.
Immediately, Apollo and Starbuck recognized the silver-
suited brown haired man they had seen inside the pod chamber
earlier.

"Good Lord," Jolly whispered.

The man glared suspiciously and pointed at them with his
left hand, as though he were aiming a weapon but no one
could see anything in his hand.  "Don't come any closer!" he
warned.    When he saw movement on the other side from the
warriors who'd stayed back, he abruptly pointed at them, "I
said don't come any closer!"

Reese, who was closest to him, abruptly cleared his throat
and straightened himself.   "We ah....we mean you no harm.
Welcome aboard the Battlestar Galactica."

"Of all the times for him to wake up, it has to be just when
he's taken charge," Starbuck muttered under his breath, as
he kept his eyes on the stranger.

"Quiet!" Apollo whispered sharply, as he felt his stomach
knot.

"Look, do you understand me?" Reese said, taking a step
toward him.   "Believe me, we only want to come aboard and
help."

Suddenly, the man whipped out a weapon with his right hand,
which the guard hadn't anticipated since his eyes had been
trained on the left hand.      A blue streak emitted and
struck Reese in the chest, and he collapsed to the ground.
Instantly, the other guards backed away, while the crowd of
spectators suddenly let out horrified gasps and began to
dash towards the other end of the compartment toward the
turbo lifts.

"Jolly, Castor, get them under control before they jam the
lifts!" Apollo shouted.     The two men ran off to control
the panicking crowd.

Wilker's support team immediately tended to the fallen
Reese.    The other Council Security guards were staring
angrily at the stranger, as though they wanted to take some
revenge on him right away.

"Is he okay?" Starbuck asked with genuine concern.   However
much he disliked Reese, seeing the guard killed was the last
thing he would have wanted to happen.

"He's alive."  Fairfax said as he checked his scanner.
"But he needs med-techs to treat him."

"Get him out, fast!" Apollo barked.   "Boomer, you help them
and make sure there's a clear path to the turbo lifts."

"Got it!" Boomer dashed over and helped the technicians and
the other Council Security men get Reese to his feet and
drag him off to the other end of the room, where Jolly and
Castor were finally making some headway at getting the crowd
under control.      Only Wilker, frozen in amazement,
remained behind with Apollo and Starbuck.

"Look," Apollo said calmly, "Please, in the name of
humanity, we mean what we say.    We only wish to welcome
you in friendship."

"Friendship?" the man suddenly roared.   "If you were our
friends, you wouldn't have brought us here!    You know
that!"

"No!" Apollo said hurriedly as he dropped his laser pistol
to the floor in what he hoped would be a gesture the man
would understand.   "Please, listen to us.    We're
brothers."

"You're lying!" he didn't lessen his tone, "Your markings
are not ours!"

Starbuck dropped his own laser and came up alongside Apollo,
"Are our markings those of your enemy?"

The man stared at him for what seemed an eternity to the two
warriors, but was only a few microns.   Slowly, he put his
weapon back in his pocket.

"All right," he took a breath and then suddenly coughed,
"All right.    Are you from one of our abandoned lunar
outposts?"

Apollo and Starbuck traded glances.

"You're aboard a ship," Apollo said gently, "The Battlestar
Galactica."

"Ship?" he coughed again and his breathing now became more
labored.   "That's....impossible.    No ship can....." he
coughed again, "This atmosphere is like that of Terra.  It's
killing me!    Don't you understand?   It's killing me and
it'll kill everyone else on board!" he began to slowly
collapse to the ground.

"Wilker, don't just stand there, get Salik and a med-tech
down here, fast!"  Apollo shouted, "Use the emergency unicom
for the ship.    Password number 390149!"

Wilker nodded and sprinted over to where the nearest telecom
unit was mounted.     Apollo and Starbuck made their way
over to the man, who was now sitting on the tarmac in front
of the hatch opening.

"Don't touch me," he whispered, "It'll contaminate me more."

"I'm sorry," Apollo said with all the regret he could put in
his voice, "We didn't understand your mission."

"How could you not have?" he coughed and blinked in
disbelief, "You're from Terra.   You have----" he coughed
again, "Watts!    Did Watts....?"

Unconsciousness then overtook the man and he collapsed.
Several agonizing centons passed before they heard a turbo
lift from the other side descend and the clatter of feet as
Salik and Cassiopeia approached.

"Don't touch him!" Salik warned.

"We didn't lay a finger on him!" Apollo got to his feet.
"He said he can't breathe!"

Cassiopeia quickly leaned over and switched on her med-
scanner, "He's right.    There's no sign of bacteria, it's
respiratory failure caused by the atmosphere density."

"All right, then get him into a decompression chamber in the
Life Station and have the atmosphere lowered to one-fifth
our reading!" Salik said, "Now!   And as soon as you're
done, the three of you go through full decontamination, just
in case he's carrying germs hostile to us.   Wilker, you
come with me!"

As Apollo, Starbuck and Cassiopeia lifted the man to his
feet and carried him off, the two scientists dashed inside
the hatchway.    When they reached the main compartment,
they saw the woman sitting up in her open chamber, but with
a dazed expression as though she were finding it hard to
breathe as well.

"Who...." she whispered, "Who are you?"

"Friends," Salik said gently, "We're friends.   You just
wait here, we'll have some help real soon." he turned back
to Wilker, "Get a stretcher and more med-techs down here
fast to transport her up to a chamber in the Life Station.
We'll leave the children in their pods for now and then have
more techs get ready to move them into our own chambers
which will keep their life readings stable."

Wilker, feeling glad that the decision to open the chambers
up had been taken out of hands nodded and dashed out again.
Once he was gone, Salik gently patted the young woman on the
shoulder with soothing, paternal reassurance.

"It's okay," he said, "Just lie down in there until we can
get you moved to safety."

"The children," her voice grew more broken as her breathing
became more labored.   "They're so young.    Make
sure....they're safe."

"We will, we will." Salik then glanced over at the three
chambers that still held the three youths, wondering if they
would be able to keep that promise for the long term.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: !<o!!K/O!!<g/"!oG$"!

Chapter Four

A full day had passed, and with all five of the spacecraft's
passengers now safely in chambers inside the Galactica's
Life Station, and back in a state of suspended animation,
events aboard the battlestar had stabilized somewhat.
But as Adama listened to Salik make his report, he knew that
it was only temporary and that soon, the crisis would erupt
again.

"Commander, there is no getting around the fact that our
atmospheric pressure, which is configured to that of all the
middle and inner Colonies, was literally crushing them
alive.     Even if the atmosphere had been adjusted for the
outer Colonies, that still would have been fatal."

"I don't understand," Apollo said, "They appear to be human
in every aspect.    How can there be such a disparity?"

"Human beings are adaptable, Apollo," Salik said, "Wherever
they came from must have had an atmosphere that steadily
grew thinner over a period of perhaps....millennia."

"Or put another way, our own Colonies could have developed a
thicker atmosphere in the seven millennia after they were
first settled," Sheba noted.

"Exactly," Salik nodded.   "But whichever explanation is
correct, the simple fact is that taking them out of those
chambers will kill them within centons."

Adama shook his head sadly as he felt the heavy sense of
burden returning to him.   "Very well, Doctor.    Thank you
for your report and let me know if anything else develops."

"Commander," Salik bowed and then shot a sly glance at
Apollo before leaving the room.  The captain noded faintly
to indicate acknowledgment.     As he looked about the room,
he saw that Adama, Starbuck, Tigh and Sheba hadn't noticed
their silent exchange.

"Well that's just great," Adama put his finger to his lips
in sad contemplation, "To come so close, perhaps to the very
humans whose tribe we've been seeking, and to see it reach
what seems like a total dead end."

"Maybe not," Tigh offered, "It might be possible after some
time to communicate with them even with them inside those
chambers."

"Possible," Adama admitted, "But even so....."

"No!" Apollo abruptly spoke up, his tone as angry as it had
been the previous day in the conversation with Wilker.

"What do you mean, no?" Tigh looked at him in bewilderment,
"With the lives of every man, woman and child in this Fleet
dependent on whatever answers they can give us to some
simple questions?     Are they from Earth?    And if they
are, can Earth support us?    Is it sufficiently advanced
technologically to help us in our struggle with the Cylons?
Or do they even have the technology to protect themselves
from a Cylon invasion?"

"You've made your point, Colonel," Adama said, "And Apollo,
before you give me another moralizing discourse about the
ethics of keeping them aboard the Galactica, I suggest you
remember that as well."

"I'm sorry, but the lives of those five people don't belong
to us!" Apollo wasn't backing down.    "They must be allowed
to continue on their journey."

"Maybe eventually they can!" Sheba cut in, "But what in
heaven's name is the reason for doing it now before we get
some simple answers to questions that would take only a few
centars for us to find out once they can communicate?
Apollo, are you so dense that you can't grasp the
siginificance of that?"

"No, Sheba, I know what you're saying, but I don't think
you're seeing why I think it's important that we let them go
as soon as possible."

"Then if there's a point tell me what it is in common
Colonial Standard, for sagan's sake!" Sheba felt herself
growing more frustrated.     However much she wanted to see
Apollo's point and avoid quarreling with him, it was proving
difficult for Sheba to avoid it.    "You keep wanting to
show how concerned you are with their well-being and how
ethically wrong it is to keep them here.   Okay, fine, but
make the case for letting them go without making it look
like we're throwing away our chance to find the key to
Earth, because if you're not taking that into consideration
then I think you ought to be sized for a restrainer and
placed in the Nuthouse!"

"All right," Apollo waved his arms and lowered his voice to
a calm tone, "All right.   This is my point.     Suppose
their destination is close by to where we intercepted them?
If we could let them go and track them to where they land,
we'd be in a better position to find out the information we
need.      We'd have a specific location to correlate what
they'd have to tell us.    I mean, there's one thing we're
not considering when you say we should interrogate them here
on the Galactica inside those chambers.     What incentive
would they have to tell us the truth, when they haven't the
vaguest idea of who we are and where we come from?     But
if we show a gesture of friendship to them by letting them
finish their voyage, then that means they'll trust us and
tell us all we need to know once our tracking team arrives
at their destination with them."

"It would have helped if you'd explained that sooner," Tigh
said sourly.    "When you put it that way, it makes sense.
But how can you be sure that we're close to their
destination?     How do we know it wasn't so far across the
galaxy it would take hundreds of yahrens for their ship to
reach it?"

"Because I think the closeness of their destination explains
why their life support power readings were dwindling.
They were in a timed program mode to wake them up when they
reached their destination.     It wasn't Wilker's probing
that caused the readings to drop, it was the simple passage
of time reaching closer and closer to the planned arrival
time."

"That's all theoretical Captain," Tigh remained unconvinced,
"You don't have star charts or anything concrete to back
that up, and that means you want to risk the well-being of
this Fleet on a whim."

"It's a chance we have to take, Colonel," Apollo said,
"Because the longer we keep them here, the longer we take
them on a heading going away from their intended
destination, and that means we'll face in all likelihood
some uncooperative people locked in pressure chambers who
can never get out, and hostile Council members who'll demand
even more drastic steps."

"If we let them go, then who tracks them?" Adama inquired.

Apollo shot a glance at Starbuck, who was slowly shaking his
head in resignation to the fact that he'd just been made a
Ÿ_~volunteer' again.

"The two of you," Sheba looked at him dubiously, "Putting
yourselves at risk to escort a ship to an unknown
destination, and by the time you find out how far away it
is, you won't have a prayer of having any fuel to make a
return trip to the Galactica."

"She's right," Adama said, "I'd have to bring the Fleet to
almost total dead stop to give you a safety margin for
getting back if you're talking about using vipers to escort
them to where they're going."

"If this is close enough as I think it is, that shouldn't be
a problem."

"How are you defining Ÿ_~close by', Apollo?" his father had
never seen this kind of brazen determination in his son
before.   "As long as it takes to fly a long-range deep
patrol?"

"And not only that, how do you maintain your heading
alongside a craft that moves that slow?" Tigh added.

"We power ourselves down to sublight and match their speed
and heading."

"You've sure thought of everything, haven't you?" Sheba
injected a note of sarcasm into her voice.    Apollo was
showing the same kind of total certainty that he'd
demonstrated when he'd volunteered to head-up Starbuck's
defense in the murder tribunal.    And she'd seen firsthand
how Apollo had at one point made a costly blunder that
nearly destroyed Starbuck's chances of getting acquitted.

"I wouldn't be proposing this if I hadn't," Apollo didn't
look at her, or take note of the pointed edge in her
question.   "Father, don't you see the logic of it?"

"Not quite," his father leaned back in his chair, "Suppose
you make it to this planet.    Then what?    You've already
seen how they can't breathe in our atmosphere.    How could
you and Starbuck survive in their atmosphere?"

"It's different," Apollo said, "We can more easily adapt to
a thinner atmosphere for a short period of time."

"There you go again!" Tigh threw up his arms, "What are you
defining as Ÿ_~short-term'?"

Apollo looked at the executive officer, "I'm defining it as
long enough to do the job, Colonel."

An uneasy silence now filled the room, as though the others
were trying to think of any other reason to make Apollo see
how foolhardy his plan was.     And Starbuck, who had stayed
quiet the whole time, amusingly found himself wishing he
could think of one too.

Sheba finally realized the one remaining thing that hadn't
been considered.

"What about the Council?" she asked, "They acted quickly to
take jurisdiction over removing them from their chambers.
Would they allow you to let them go to carry out this scheme
of Apollo's?"

"Oh Lord," Adama rubbed his temple, "That's so true.   After
what happened yesterday, my relations with them are at a
lowpoint."

"Then Commander, maybe what you should do is invoke your
authority under the Martial Law statute and declare a
military emergency that necessitated letting them go,"
Starbuck spoke up and wondered how it was that when he
finally spoke, it was to come up with a solution for letting
the mission go forward.   "After all, they did shoot one of
our guards.    You could make the argument that these people
are the worst things we've come across since the Cylons."

"What are you talking about?" Sheba now wondered if Starbuck
was going crazy.   "No reasonable person would buy that
explanation in a micron."

"This is the Council we're dealing with, not reasonable
people," Starbuck smirked.

"Hold it!" Adama threw up his hands in exasperation, which
got their attention.    He then slowly brought them together
in quiet contemplation and looked up at Starbuck with a cold
expression that indicated he didn't care for the
lieutenant's flippancy.

"If I declare that it was a military emergency that
precipitated releasing them, I'd be insulting their
intelligence, Starbuck.    And while you might think it
would be amusing to try and pull that kind of stunt on them,
I would remind you that the men and women who serve on the
Council, no matter how stubborn and arrogant some of them
might be, are not Academy cadets to play pranks and tricks
on.    They are the duly appointed representatives of a
governing body with a long, ancient tradition that I have
the deepest respect for.    If I decide to use my authority
to let them go without letting them vote on it, I will tell
them the blunt truth that I did it because I felt it was in
the best interests of our people, and I will then let the
consequences fall as they may."

He then stopped to rub his temple again, "And given the mood
they're in now, initiating this plan could result in some
very serious consequences for the long haul."

His words had an intimidating effect on both Apollo and
Starbuck.    And for the first time, Apollo found himself
becoming more cognizant of the burden he'd be placing his
father under as a result of this, and he cursed himself for
not having realized that consequence much sooner.

Apollo came over and gently touched his father's wrist,
"Father," he said, "If you feel those considerations are
more imporant to consider, then I won't pressure you into
accepting this proposal of mine."

"No," Adama shook his head, "The bottom line is, we've been
left with no choice since keeping them sealed up in those
pressure chambers forever isn't a viable long-term
solution."    He paused, "You have one lucky break in your
favor.     Since there are no more civilians aboard that
craft, that put jurisdiction of the landing bay back under
Colonial Security's control.     Act quickly, and you can
get those chambers in the Life Station aboard the craft
before the Council has time to figure out what's happening."

"Dr. Salik has been preparing for this contigency," Apollo
said, "We won't waste a micron."

"The Lords of Kobol be with you," Adama clasped his son's
arm for a brief instant.   "I'll.....explain everything to
Boxey."

Apollo stopped in his tracks as he realized to his horror
that he hadn't thought out explaining this mission that
would probably take him away for a long time, to his son.
"Oh, frack.    Thanks."  He shook his head and wondered why
it was that he never seemed to consider the feelings of
those close to him when his mind came up with these plans.
"I promise you, Father, we'll get back with the information
we need."

Once Apollo and Starbuck left the room, Sheba found herself
sighing with a mixture of frustration and admiration.    And
wondering which of those two emotions was the more dominant.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: 8*]"!F?=!!ZKG"!VT7"!

When Apollo and Starbuck reached the Life Station, they saw
that only Salik and Cassiopeia were present in the room that
contained the five decompression chambers.   As far as
Apollo was concerned, the fewer people there were that knew
about this, the better.     But he also knew that he was
going to be needing the med-tech for this mission.

"We're set, Doc," Apollo said, "Cassiopeia, you'll have to
give us a hand so we can get these chambers back aboard
their ship."

"What are you talking about?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Who ordered this?"

"The Commander," Apollo said bluntly.

"Without Council approval?    Don't you know what they could
do to you both after this?"

"Hey, after facing a murder rap last sectar, how could I
possibly be afraid of what can happen over something like
this?" Starbuck smirked.

"Dr. Salik, you've got to stop them!" she looked almost
pleadingly at the Chief Medical Officer.

"Don't look at me, Cassiopeia," Salik said dryly, "I'm with
them.    In fact, I'm going along with them to help monitor
the equipment."

"No," Apollo shook his head, "You're too important to the
Fleet as Chief Medical Officer, Doctor.    We can't let you
accompany us."

"Accompany you to where?"

"To their destination, Cassiopeia," Apollo said, "Starbuck
and I will fly escort for their ship."

"Apollo, even if you force me to stay behind, someone still
has to monitor that equipment," Salik said and then stared
at Cassiopeia, whom he'd come to regard as his favorite and
best med-tech over the last ten sectars since she'd begun
working on the staff.

"Wait a micron," the blonde med-tech began to shake her head
vigorously.

"We could use your help, Cassiopeia," Apollo said gently.
"Those systems do need to be monitored."

"You're asking me to take part in.....in," she struggled to
find the right word, "Mutiny."

"It's not mutiny, Cass," Starbuck said, "The Commander's
given his full authorization for this mission.    He's going
to be taking all of the consequences, if there are any."

"Think of this more as an act of mercy, Cassie," Salik said
with the kind of paternal edge he only used on rare
occasions with her, "What they're planning is the only
chance these people have of surviving, and for us to get the
information we need from them."

"So what do you say, volunteer?" her boyfriend grinned.

"I guess I have no choice," she sighed, "But wait a micron.
There are five chambers.   We need one more person tp help
us."

"Get Nestor," Salik said, referring to one of her fellow med-
techs, "He's a good man who'll do what we ask.     Apollo
and Starbuck and I will start with these three."

************************************************************
***********************

It took them several centons to get the chambers detached
and loaded out into the corridor for its journey down to the
landing bay.    With each of them moving one chamber, the
pace was slower then they would have liked.

"Careful, Cassiopeia," Salik cautioned as he pushed his
containing one of the two small children around a corner and
motioned for her and her fellow med-tech, Nestor, to follow
with theirs.    The med-techs each pushed the other children
while Apollo and Starbuck were handling the two adults.

"Don't worry," she said.

"What did you say this was for, anyway?" Nestor asked.

"We're temporarily putting them back in their support
chambers aboard the ship to recalibrate our settings with
these chambers," Salik said.    "There are some things we
might have overlooked in the haste of getting them hooked up
into our own equipment."

At the head of the procession, Starbuck turned to Apollo and
whispered to him, "Sounds plausible, right?"

"Right," Apollo grinned.

They reached the maintenance turbo lift and with the lift
accomodating room for only three chambers, took two trips to
get them down to the compartment outside the entrance to the
landing bay.     Apollo reached the door and was on the
verge of opening it when his face suddenly went crestfallen.

"Oh frack," he uncharacteristically swore.

"What's wrong?" Starbuck asked.

"Take a look," Apollo motioned, "Look who came out of the
Life Station way too soon."

Starbuck peered through the window and a sour look came over
his face, "Frack and felgercarb," he decided to avoid using
the third profane word in the expression out of deference to
Cassiopeia.    "Reese and about four of his other
blackshirts.    I thought the Commander said Colonial
Security had taken things over in this area."

"Something must have happened in the meantime."

"What's going on?" a befuddled Nestor asked from the back of
the procession.

"Slight complication, Nestor," Starbuck said.   "In the
meantime, could you do us a favor?    Just say nothing, and
follow our lead."

The male med-tech gave Salik a puzzled stare.

"Do as he says, Nestor," Salik smiled, "They know what
they're doing."

Cassiopeia stopped herself from rolling her eyes as she
prepared to move the chamber she'd been pushing through the
door.

************************************************************
*********


"What'd it feel like?" one of Reese's fellow Council guards
was asking.

"Weird feeling.   A little worse then one of our own stun
setting pistols, but not too bad or else I might have been
on my back another cycle."

Twenty meters away, Boomer, Jolly and Castor were trying not
to show their disdain over the blackshirts recent arrival.

"Just when it was starting to get peaceful down here again,
they had to show up." the muscular Colonial Security Guard
sighed.

"Ÿ_~Council requests they stand by to prepare ship for
inspection by Council members'" Boomer disgustedly repeated
the words Reese had spoken when he and his team had arrived
several centons ago.    "The way they just run around at
their beck and call so obediently is what drives me nuts
most about them.     The average Council Security guy
doesn't sign up because he's committed to civilian law
enforcement, it's because he knows how to take orders from
those who'll give them nice perks eventually."

"That's always been their biggest problem," Jolly said, "It
starts with the rotten training and recruiting programs they
have.    It's always attracted the wrong group of people."

"People who would have made better bureauticians then
security men," Castor nodded, "I think if Adama appointed a
new Chief of Operations who had a different attitude, that
would do wonders for the program."

Their conversation stopped when they saw the door to the
adjacent compartment open, and then saw Apollo enter pushing
one of the decompression chambers, with Starbuck and the
others close behind.

"What's going on?" Reese frowned as he stepped toward them.

"Medical emergency," Salik said, "We're putting these people
back in their support chambers temporarily to take some new
readings."

"I wasn't notified about this," Reese looked at the group
skeptically.

"Come on Reese, word doesn't always travel so fast in this
day and age," Starbuck said in a way that would keep him
guessing as to whether it was good natured teasing or
condescension.  "It's only temporary."

"All right," Reese said cautiously.   "But if that means
those people are going back on board that ship, then Council
orders go back into effect." he turned back to face the
three warriors, "And that means my group is now back in
charge of this area until then."

"Oh but of course," Boomer said sarcastically, "We wouldn't
think of stepping on your centon of glory, Reese."

The dark-skinned warrior made his way over to Apollo and
Starbuck, who were moving their chambers inside.   "You guys
need help?"

"Not a bit, Boomer," Apollo smiled nochalantly, "The three
of you just stand by outside and give Reese and his group a
hand if he needs it."

"The only way I'd give him a hand is if it's my fist making
contact with his nose," Boomer said, "And if this is a
medical situation, why are you two involved?"

"You shouldn't be so inquisitive, Boomer," Starbuck managed
to pat him on the shoulder as he entered the hatchway.

Boomer shook his head in disbelief and made his way back
over to Jolly and Castor.

"Well?" the corupulent warrior asked, his arms folded.

"I have no idea," Boomer shook his head, "But in a way," he
glanced over at the ship again where he could see Salik,
Cassiopeia and Nestor bringing up the rear with the other
chambers.   "In a way I'm kind of glad.    I have a feeling
I'm not going to be a volunteer today."

"Huh?" Castor glanced quizzically at his triad partner,
"What does that mean?"

"Inside joke, Castor."

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: OX~"!Taa!!FZ,"!UpP"!

    As soon as they were inside, Starubuck finally let some of the
irritation he'd been feeling inside bubble over, "Okay, now we got
them inside.     But if we send those Life Station chambers back
out without these people in them, then even those Council Security
dimwits will realize we just sold them a bunch of felgercarb."

    "What are you talking about?" Nestor's eyes widened.

    "Change of plans, Nestor," Salik said, as he opened up the
seal on the chamber containing the adult woman.   "Get them hooked
up inside their own chambers."

    "I don't understand this!" the male med-tech said in
exasperation.

    "That's good," Apollo patted him on the shoulder, "Because
that way, you leave yourself in a lot better shape."

    "Apollo?" Cassiopeia was trembling as she backed away from the
now open chamber that contained the brown-haired man, "I think
he's coming to!"

    Before any of the others could react, the silver-suited man
had come upright in his chamber, staring at the five people inside
with suspicion and hostility.

    "Who are you?" he demanded, "What do you want with us?"

    "Take it easy, buddy," Starbuck held up a reassuring hand,
"We're just trying to help."

    "Help?" the man angrily barked, "My God, don't you know what
you've done to us?"

    "We know, we know!" Apollo said hastily, "That's why we're
trying to do what we can to put you and your people back on
course."

    The hostility faded slightly from his face as he took a
breath, "You....you really mean that?"

    "Yes!    Look what other proof can we give you?"

     His eyes then darted toward one of the ship's chambers on the
other side.   "Sarah!   The children!   Where are they?"

    "They're in these chambers of ours," Salik said, "If you can
help us put them back in your own chambers and get them
reactivated, your journey can resume quickly."

    The man stepped out of the Life Station chamber, and quickly
went over to a console that automatically activated the ship's
chambers.    Their glass doors slid open and now awaited the
return of their passengers.

    "All right, let's get started," Apollo said, "Starbuck,
Nestor, Cassie, you take care of the children and get them inside.
I'll place the woman in her chamber."   He then turned back to the
man.    "What is your name?"

    "My name is Michael," he said, still filled with suspicion.
"And that's all I'll reveal."

    "Okay, Michael," Apollo held up a hand and then pointed to the
others,  "I'm Apollo.   That's Starbuck.  Cassiopeia.   Nestor,
and Dr. Salik.    Will you help me with this woman?"

    "Her name is Sarah," he said.   "Yes, I will help put her back
in."

    It took two centons to place her inside the chamber, while the
other Colonials took care of the children.     Finally, when they
were in place, Michael activated a switch on the console and the
chambers slid shut.

    "Their systems are now coming back on-line," he then stared at
the five Colonials, "But before I step back into my own chamber, I
want some answers.     Are you from the Eastern Alliance?"

    Some frowns came over their faces.

    "No," Apollo said diplomatically, "What is this....Alliance?"

    "You're lying," the hostility returned to Michael's voice
again. "How could you not know of the Alliance?"

    "Because we don't come from your system!" Apollo said, "We're
a brother tribe of humanity that's traveled a great distance
across the galaxy.     You and this craft are the first contact
we've had with anything from your civilization."

    A tense silence filled the air as the Colonials waited for the
man called Michael to respond to this.     The microns ticked away
with no response, and Cassiopeia could feel her heart pounding
nervously as she wondered what answer would finally come.

    "You expect me to believe that?"

    "How else can you account for the fact that we don't wear any
markings familiar to you, or that you're inside a ship that by
your own admission is bigger then anything known to your
civilization?"

    For the first time, Michael's posture relaxed slightly.   "You
know nothing about where we come from?"

    "Only that you come from a planet called Terra."

    "My people come from there, yes," Michael was still finding
this too much to believe, "But Sarah, the children and I.    We
were born on Lunar Seven.    That's where we escaped from."

    "Lunar Seven?" Starbuck spoke up for the first time, "Is that
another planet in the system?"

    "It's a satellite colony.....oh for God's sake, what is this
nonsense?     You know all this!    What kind of fool do you take
me for about coming from the other side of the galaxy?"

    "It's the truth, Michael.     We hope you can believe that,
but whether you do or not won't change what the truth is," Apollo
said with a touch more firmness.

    "Then what reason could you have for stopping us?" he
demanded.

    "Because we were hoping you could help us, Michael," Starbuck
said, "That your people could help us answer some questions we've
traveled a long ways to find answers to."

    "Like what?"

    "Like the location of Terra," Apollo said, "We need to know
what course your home planet lies on, and how far away it is."

    Michael shook his head, "You don't want to know that."

    "Yes we do," Apollo held his ground.   "Especially if that's
where you were heading."

    "I wasn't heading there."

    "Okay, okay," all the yahrens of studying his father's
approach to diplomacy now came to the forefront, "Where were you
heading, then?"

    Michael assumed a rigid posture and shook his head more
vigrously, "I'm not going to tell you."

    "All right," the captain said calmly, "But if you don't tell
us, then how can we put you back on course?"

    "This ship knows it's course!" he became indignant, "All you
have to do is put it back in space, and it will know where to go.
It's all pre-programmed."

    "All right, we get the picture," Starbuck stepped up alongside
Apollo, "But it wouldn't hurt to just trust us and let us help
you."

    "Whether you like it or not, Michael, you need us to get you
off this ship of ours and back on course," Apollo said, "Now
please.   Let us help.    I want to see to it you get to your
destination, but at the very least you can give us some
information about where Terra is because the location is of great
interest to us."

    "No," he shook his head, "If you're from the Alliance, it
would be crazy for me to tell you, and if you're not from the
Alliance, then I will not be responsible for your deaths.     If
you represent another tribe of humanity, you don't want to go to
Terra.    The Alliance destroyers are lined up between Lunar Seven
and there and would kill you all."

    "Oh, I wouldn't be sure of that," Starbuck decided he couldn't
resist, but Apollo glared at him, indicating that revealing the
nature of their technology wasn't the smart move yet.

    "Look, maybe we can discuss that afterwards."

    "Captain," Salik broke his silence, "We really don't have time
to discuss this with Michael much longer.    He needs to get back
into his own pressure chamber or soon he'll start feeling the
effects of our environment inside here.    This journey has to
begin in the next few centons."

    "Centons?" Michael's eyebrows went up in blank
incomprehension.

    "Will someone tell me what the frack is going on here?"
Nestor's exasperated voice filled the room.

    "All right, all right, everyone quiet!" Apollo threw up his
arms.   "Cassiopeia, you're going to stay here aboard the ship
when it takes off.     As soon as you're away, get Michael into
his chamber and make sure everything's prepared.      The rest of
us, we need to get these Life Station chambers off."

    "If we come off with empty chambers, then Reese and his goons
will start asking more questions."   Starbuck pointed out.

    "Cover them up," Apollo said, "And we'll get Boomer and Jolly
in to take out the extra ones.   We have to give them the heads-up
as well to keep Council Security back once these engines fire up."

    The black-haired captain then looked back at Michael,  "Do you
trust us?"

    "I'm still not sure," he admitted, "But I have to admit, I'm
beginning to think we have a few things in common......Apollo."

    "That's always a good way to start a friendship," Apollo
smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: j^S!!Uc!"!W>h!!=o6!!

 The first two support chambers came off with Apollo and Starbuck
wheeling them.   Nestor and Salik followed behind them with a
third.

 "Just a centon," Reese took a step toward them, "Where are they
going now?"

 "Back to the Life Station, Reese," Starbuck smiled, "We told you
that before, didn't we? We're starting with the two adults and the
older kid.    The two small ones we'll get last."

 The Council guard stepped back, "Okay, go ahead."

 "Boomer, Jolly?" Apollo motioned.   "Give us a hand here, will
you?    It's a bit of a tight squeeze around here."

 The two warriors, who along with Castor had been keeping their
distance from the Council Security men, walked over and followed
them out the door into the next compartment.   As soon as the door
closed, Apollo's voice took on an edge of urgency.

 "Okay, Salik, Nestor, both of you get out of here.    Your work
is done."

 "All right," the male med-tech said sourly, "And I hope I can get
an explanation on this at last!"

 "You will son, you will," the Chief Medical Officer patted him on
the shoulder, "I'll buy you a drink with my compliments and
explain everything."

 Once the two of them had disappeared round the corner, Apollo
turned back to his fellow warriors.

 "Okay, here's what it comes down to.   Both of you take the last
two support chambers that're inside that ship and get them out of
there.     Once you've done that, you're to make sure that Reese
and his goons keep their distance."

 "For what?" Boomer now realized that this was going to be more
serious then he thought it might be.

 "Those engines will be firing up as soon as you two are off,"
Apollo said, "We're letting them resume their journey."

 "You what?" Boomer's face twisted.    This wasn't something even
he would have given support to.

 "Boomer, we don't have time to argue about this.    The
Commander's okayed this plan, and Starbuck and I will be escorting
this ship to their destination.    Then we can get the hard
evidence we need.    By the time we get back, we're going to be
one step closer to Earth."

 "Sounds absolutely crazy," Jolly said, "But....since it comes
from you and the Commander, I guess it's the best option we've
got."

 "Glad you see it that way, Jolly.    Now just get that empty
chamber off, and get ready for Hades to break loose."

 "Catch you later," Starbuck threw them a friendly smirk as he and
Apollo took off down the corridor.

 Boomer dimly shook his head, "I was wrong.    I did become a
volunteer after all."

******************************************************************
*******************************

 A centon later, they were aboard the ship, where Cassiopeia had
quickly filled them in.   Michael had briefly returned to his
pressure chamber during the interlude to gather his strength
again, but was now outside again.

 "Do you feel okay to fly this thing off, Michael?" the med-tech
asked.

 "Yes, I'm fine.    As long as I don't step outside the ship I can
last for about five or ten minutes."

 "Michael, what's a minute?" Jolly frowned.

 "Never mind that, just as long as it's enough time to do the
job," Boomer said as he shook hands with Michael, "Sorry we didn't
get more time to chat, but good luck to you."

 "Thank you," Michael felt comfortable reciprocating the
handshake.    "I must take my position up front now."

 As soon as he was gone, Boomer and Jolly took hold of the two
remaining Life Station Chambers and moved them toward the hatch
that led outside.     Before they disappeared, the dark-skinned
warrior gave one final smirk to Cassiopeia.

 "Welcome to Apollo's club of volunteers, Cassie."

 "I'll be glad to trade stories when I get back," the blonde-med
tech returned it and then closed the door sealing the rest of the
ship from the outside.

******************************************************************
**************************
 Boomer and Jolly had gotten the two covered chambers away from
the ship, when they suddenly heard the sound of the engines firing
up.

 "What's going on?" Reese and the other Council Security Guards
bolted toward them.   "Why are those engines firing up?"

 "Council order," Boomer said, "Now that the people are off, we're
jettisoning the ship to cut down on the contamination risk to
ourselves and the Fleet."

 "I didn't receive any notification of that!"

 "You didn't?" Jolly feigned bewilderment, "You had your com-lines
checked lately, Reese?"

 "Hey, Castor, help us move these kids out of here!" Boomer
motioned toward the Colonial Security Guard.

 "Wait a fracking micron!" Reese exploded, "I want some answers,
and not this felgercarb you're giving me."

 "Come on, Reese, you're endangering these children by leaving
them out here in front of a ship firing its engines."   Jolly
said, "Even you can't be that cruel."

 "Now you listen here, fat boy," Reese snarled, "I've had enough
from you!"

 "Then shouldn't that be your cue to leave?" Jolly wasn't about to
let a cheap insult from Reese faze him in the slightest.

 "Let's go Castor, we can't keep Salik waiting," Boomer said.

 "No you don't!" Reese whipped out his pistol and in the process,
his hand jarred against the covering on the chamber, causing it to
fall to the ground.     Revealing the empty contents inside.

 "What the frack...." Reese said dumbfoundedly as he then snatched
the cover on the second one away, which also revealed an empty
chamber.

 "Hey Jolly!"  Boomer faked the tone of a chiding parent, "You
forgot the kids!"

 The only sound over the increasing roar of the engines was Castor
letting out a burst of laughter.    And then, before the stunned
Council Security guards could recover from the unexpected sight of
the two empty chambers, the orange craft moved down the tarmac and
out of the landing bay.

Errors-To: bsg-fanfic-bounces-
airys=mirarialpacafarm.com@lists.eyrie.org
X-UIDL: p-g"!,?M"!XjB!!,'b"!

 Adama was already waiting on the bridge, anticipating the centon
when it would finally happen.    As soon as he saw the indicator
on Omega's console that indicated the spacecraft had launched, he
wasted no time giving his next order.

 "Launch Blue Squadron patrol to intercept!"

 The indicator lights then went green, "Blue Squadron away, sir,"
Omega reported.

 The Commander ascended the stairs to the upper level where Tigh
was waiting.    The executive officer's expression was anything
but exuberant.

 "It's done then," Tigh said, "What now?"

 Adama sighed, "Now we wait, Colonel.    And we pray." he rubbed
the spot between his eyes, "I'll be in my quarters if anyone needs
me."

 "Does that include anyone from the Council?"

 The Commander smiled mirthlessly at his old friend, "Especially
them."

******************************************************************
***************************
 For a centar, Adama sat behind his desk, waiting for one of them
to arrive.    The only question left was how big a delegation
would it be.    No matter how big it was, he knew he was in for
his most difficult confrontation with the Council yet.

 When the delegation finally arrived, it consisted of four
members.    Geller, Tinia, Domra, and to Adama's surprise, Anton.

 "I've been expecting you," Adama kept his tone pleasant, "Won't
you sit down?"

 "Let's dispense with pleasantries, Adama," Tinia spoke, her voice
one of controlled fury.  "What explanation do you have for letting
that Earth ship go in defiance of Council edicts?"

 The Commander was slightly surprised to see Tinia assume the
position of leader for the group.     Tinia had not been one of
the more pro-active members of the Council in the past.    During
the Count Iblis affair she had actually been more sympathetic to
Adama's position then those who had been ready to turn control of
the Fleet to Iblis like Domra and Geller.     It was clear though,
that this was an issue that offended her deeply and made her
determined to speak out more openly.

 Adama rose from his chair and with hands behind his back, assumed
a full command bearing that indicated he was not going to let
himself be intimidated.    But when he spoke, he kept his voice
measured and calm.

 "Circumstances forced me to conclude that our best hope in
finding the answers we seek, lay in letting the ship resume its
journey."

 "And what circumstances were those, Commander?" Tinia didn't let
up.   "The fact that a majority of the Council had decided to
handle the situation otherwise?     And is this going to be your
standard operating procedure whenever we as a body decide upon a
course of action that isn't to your liking?"

 Adama held his ground, "Siress Tinia, I deeply regret that
circumstances have led to this unfortunate quarrel between myself
and the Council.     However, as military commander, it is my
responsibility to take what I consider to be necessary steps that
impact on the matter of finding the necessary information that
will lead us to the 13th tribe."

 "Oh is that so, Adama?" Domra cut in coldly, "This is a strange
new formula for finding information.    Letting the people who
have the information go before we had so much as one centon to ask
them a single question!"

 "Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Starbuck will get that information
from them, once the Terran ship arrives at its destination."

 "Adama," Anton spoke up, his voice calmer then his colleagues,
but it was clear that he wasn't going to side with the commander
this time, "You chose to gamble with the well-being of 70,000
people in this Fleet for the sake of five people whose lives
should not be weighed more in the balance.     I was all for
letting Dr. Salik take as much time as he needed to properly
revive them in favorable conditions, but this course of action you
took is inexcusable.     As is the disrespect you have
demonstrated to all of us on the Council in questioning our
motives, and in treating us as enemies rather than partners.
That simply will not do if you wish to maintain our respect for
your capacity to lead us."

 Anton's more soft-spoken tone, in many ways made his words more
devastating then they could have been from the angrier tones of
the other three.     Adama felt on the verge of seeing his firm
facade crack slightly, but he managed to stave it off.

 "What then are you saying, Sire Anton?" Adama asked gently, in
the manner of one friend asking another, "That the Council wishes
to strip me of my position as President of the body?"

 "We have not come to make proposals or motions, Adama," Geller
snapped, "We demand an apology."

 "As I have said, I regret that circumstances led to this
unpleasantness," the Commander said, "And on the matter of
questioning your good intentions as to what you felt was best for
the people of the Fleet in regard to reviving the Terrans, you
have my full apology."

 "That's not enough, Adama," Tinia said sharply, "We demand an
apology for your defying our orders, and we also demand you send
out a team of vipers to return the spacecraft to the Galactica
immediately."

 Adama slowly shook his head, "I am sorry, Siress Tinia.    That I
cannot do.    What I have done, I have done, and let me judged by
the results of how this plays itself out.    If events show that
the spacecraft's destination is not nearby and that we can not
obtain information from the Terrans, you are free to do whatever
you choose with me, and I will take the consequences.    But if
events show that my order was the correct one, and did lead to
productive results, there will be no point in my apologizing for
my actions to you, or to anyone."

 A stony silence filled the room.    The hostility hadn't faded
from Tinia, Geller or Domra, while Anton at least had assumed a
more pensive aura.

 "Adama," Anton broke the silence, "You are to give us the precise
calculations on how long Apollo and Starbuck can track that ship
until it becomes a point of no return for them to the Galactica.
And once that time has elapsed, you will appear before all of us
to report on the mission's success or failure.     And what you
report will then determine what we will do next."

 "That is agreeable to me," Adama bowed slightly in respect,
"Colonel Tigh will furnish you with the appropriate calculations.
In the meantime, I am ordering the Fleet slowed to absolute
minimum speed in order to increase their window of opportunity."

 "I concur," Anton said quickly, before Domra or Geller could
offer any protest, "We can consider this matter closed......for
now."

 "Of course," the Commander nodded, "Good day."

 But once the four members left, Adama collapsed into his chair
feeling the greatest sense of defeat he'd known at any time since
the journey had begun.      Anton might remain fair, but the fury
in the faces of Domra, Geller and Tinia was enough to tell him
that there would still be repercussions even if the mission turned
out to be a triumphant success.