Battlestar Pegasus: The Devil You Deal With
VS 5, Episode #11
By Eric Paddon
(Special thanks to Senmut)

     .............Sheba had barely gotten to her feet, when she suddenly
heard the sound of Apollo?s voice from somewhere above calling down to
her.  But before she could find the strength to call back, she saw the
entire hub plunged into total darkness.
     As her eyes tried to readjust to the dark, she became aware of
several pairs of eyes staring at her.  The red, unfeeling eyes of the
demons that inhabited this vessel that could only have been designed in
Hades itself.
     ?Are you afraid?? she suddenly heard a chorus of voices in that
hideous, low and high pitched tone, that she could only assume came from
the ones in front of her.
     ?No!? Sheba shouted aloud.  ?I refuse to be afraid!  I won?t be
afraid!?
     ?Sheba, hang on!? she suddenly heard Apollo?s voice from above
again, ?We?re almost out of here, but stay strong!?
     The sound of his voice produced a reassurance within Sheba that she
found overcoming both the sting in her leg, and the fear that had been
boiling up insider her and threatening to explode in a display of
emotional hysteria.
     But as she saw the pairs of eyes in the darkness approaching her,
and saw thin wisps of smoke coming from the floor which indicated they
were secreting that acid that had touched her before, she knew that she
couldn?t just wait for her boyfriend to come to her rescue.  More than
ever, she needed to find her skills as a warrior deep inside her and
apply them.
     She aimed her laser pistol at one pair of eyes and fired.  She saw
for a brief instant the glow of a human in a med-tech uniform.  But
behind the figure, she could see a large bank of consoles and what she
realized had to be some kind of lift apparatus that like the lifts aboard
the Galactica, conceivably offered access to the circular decks both
above and below.
     Time for a new approach.  She aimed her laser pistol not at the
eyes, but this time to the right.  As she hoped, her laser blasts struck
one of the consoles, sending up a shower of sparks that caused the beast
in front of her to stagger slightly, and more importantly give her a
clear path toward the lift.  She ran as fast as she could, and could
smell the acid dripping from the beasts bodies as she moved past them. 
Finally, in the blackness she could feel the back rail of what she knew
was the lift apparatus.  Now all she had to do was find a way to get it
to move up.
     Sheba saw the menacing red-eyes moving toward her again.  She fired
off another shot, to give herself some illumination.  When it struck one
of the beasts and gave off the glow of what it?s former appearance had
been, she looked to her right and left in search of any kind of control
panel.  But she had yet to find one when the glow faded and there was
blackness again.
     Feeling the tension rise as the eyes drew closer and she could smell
the acid again, she opened fire again.  And before she could turn her
head to search again, her eyes widened when she realized that the brief
flash she had failed to take note of the first time was a man wearing a
Colonial flight uniform.  One of recent vintage.
     She fired again, and got another view of the former man.  And her
mouth opened in horror.  
     ?Oh my God,? she whispered, ?No, please tell me it isn?t so.?
     The beast was now only several steps away, and feeling a wave of
panic, Sheba flailed her arms about to try and find in the dark any kind
of control switch.  Finally, she felt her arm brush against a lever of
some kind and suddenly the apparatus began to move downward.
     ?No!? she felt a wave of panic as she groped in the dark and found
it again, and this time pulled it toward her, which she felt certain
would send it in the opposite direction.  To her relief, the momentum
stopped and the lift began to move upward.
     But first, it came level with the deck she had just been on and she
saw again the eyes of that beast that had just sent the biggest fright of
her life through her.  She fired at it again, and this time there was no
mistaking her earlier suspicion.  The beast before her had once been a
junior pilot she?d flown with aboard the Pegasus.  Ensign
Wynn...............


     .............?Good Lord,? Adama was thunderstruck by the magnitude
of what they had told them.  ?It?s so incredible to think that a ship
like that, filled with......creatures like that could exist, but...I do
believe your story.?
     ?We were sure you would, Father,? Apollo and Sheba were both sitting
in chairs across from Adama, holding each other?s hand.  ?But.....from an
official standpoint, you can see why we didn?t think we could report
this.?
     ?Yes, I do understand,? the commander nodded, ?There are only a very
select few who have ever come to terms with the nature of who Count Iblis
really was.  And unfortunately that does not include the members of the
Council.  You are certain that this.....derelict won?t be lying in our
path by the time we reach the position??
     ?We are, Adama,? Sheba said, ?Because Iblis realized that there is a
way to defeat him within that domain, so that means if he ever plans on
springing a new trap, it?s going to be done by other means.?
     ?That makes sense.  And he has all the time he needs to think of
that.  It?s best we treat that as a problem that likely won?t affect us
in the short-term, but once it does, we have to be sure of how to act.? 
He then shook his head, ?It?s sad though, to learn how horrible the
Callisto?s real fate was.?
     ?True,? Apollo nodded, ?But at least we helped the last survivor,
Colonel Delambre, find some eternal peace.?
     ?And there?s one other thing we found out, Adama,? Sheba said,
?Iblis inadvertently revealed that the Pegasus is still out there,
somewhere.?
     Adama?s eyes narrowed, ?He what??
     ?That?s right, Father,? Apollo said, ?One of the.....creatures Sheba
saw was someone she recognized from the Pegasus.?
     ?A pilot from Silver Spar Squadron named Wynn,? Sheba jumped in,
?And he was used by Iblis to try and trap me, by making me think that
he?d enslaved the Pegasus and the entire crew, and that I had to
surrender to him in order to free their souls.  But I knew Iblis was
lying, because if the Pegasus had been enslaved, I know I would have seen
more visual evidence of that.  I think this poor pilot, Wynn,  got lost
on a patrol and ended up trapped and enslaved aboard the
derelict.?............


     "Six yahrens," Sheba whispered, rubbing her fingers over a bandage
on her left wrist. "How do you suddenly lose over six yahrens that were
so...so damned real?  Every event, every thought, every sensation. 
Especially," her voice suddenly cracked and she shook her head, trying to
fight back the tears. "Going through two pregnancies and having three
children? And then finding out they never even existed?  All the pains of 
childbirth, and all the joy of having them and loving them.......never
even happened?" She shook her head again, as her voice fell to a rasp.
"Why couldn't they have been real at least? Why couldn't we still have
them?"
     Apollo shook his head, feeling lost. He managed to come over to her
side but didn't touch her. "Sheba, I know it's not fair, and I'll tell
you up front, I have no answers. But we can't change what they were. An
illusion from....."  He trailed off, not wanting to even say the name
because of the blistering hate he felt for it.
     "Iblis," she finished for him. "Iblis." Her voice was a thick growl,
choked with fury. Her knuckles white where she clenched the fabric
beneath her. "That sick, twisted evil sack of mong! Why is he so obsessed
with wanting me? Why is it me, that he wants to suffer so much? What did
I ever do to him, to deserve something like this, having to spend the
rest of my life in total torment and fear of what that rancid crawlon is
going to do next to try and grab hold of me? What other sick... thing is
he going to try to do to me next?"  She visibly shuddered. "I don't even
want to think of how he could possibly top this diseased game he
played.".....................


     ...........The message from Cain ended and Sheba leaned back with a
thoughtful air.  After several microns of letting herself detune, she
pressed the chime to let  Apollo know  it was okay to come in.  As soon
as her husband entered, Sheba wasted no time getting to the point.
     ?We were right,? she said.  ?He?s found a new girlfriend.?
     ?And it was.....Kylie??
     ?Yes,? Sheba nodded, ?It?s Kylie.?
     ?My mother says she?s her best friend next to Cain on the Pegasus,?
Apollo sat down on the edge of the bed across from her while she closed
her personal comp and set it on the table next to the bed.  ?What do you
remember of her??
     ?She?s bright, beautiful and dedicated.  There wasn?t a chance in
Hades she would have let herself get evacuated to the Galactica.  I
always knew there were rumors about her being in love with my Father.?
     ?And he never noticed?? 
     ?She never let herself show it,? Sheba said simply.  ?It was more of
an......inner vibe she gave off that made everyone realize she was in
love with him, but she wouldn?t admit it.  Her former bunkmate, Carina,
is in the Fleet and she told me whenever she?d tease Kylie about being in
love with my father she?d laugh it off and insist it was just simple hero
worship.  I think.....she was just being sensible and decided  it was
ridiculous to think anything could ever happen between her and my Father,
so she kept her true feelings hidden.?
     She then looked at her husband and smiled, ?But.....we all know how
circumstances can change and make people finally confront their real
feelings, don?t we??
     He returned it, ?We sure do.  I?m happy for him and I hope it
lasts.?
     ?So do I,? Sheba leaned her head back against the pillow, ?He
deserves it.  I?m glad he told me about it.  I.....just wish I could find
the strength to tell him about......?
     The smile faded from Apollo?s face, replaced by an uneasy
expression.
     ?I know,? he said quietly.  ?I feel the same way about telling my
mother.  They *have* to know about Iblis and what happened to Ensign
Wynn, but.....how do you explain it and how do you warn them about him? 
If Iblis?s going to try something with them, he?s certainly not going to
do it appearing as himself as we knew him.?
     ?No,? Sheba sighed, ?But......Adama says we should wait until after
the Cannes mission at least.  Cannes is going to be their biggest test
and to burden them with the whole story about Iblis wouldn?t be helpful
to them right now.?  She then amended, ?Part of the story at least.  I
don?t.....ever want him to know about........? she trailed off and
shuddered.
     Her husband nodded in silent understanding.  ?He never will.  And
neither will my mother.?  Trying to change the subject to a happier one,
he then said, ?From what my mother says about Kylie, I wouldn?t be
surprised if she played a role in bringing them together.?
     Sheba was grateful for the change in subject, ?Neither would I.?


Prologue-Two Yahrens Ago

     ?This is Silver Beta Patrol requesting launch clearance.?
     There was a longer than brief silence over the comline circuit.  The
two Viper pilots who were waiting began to idly tape their control sticks
with impatience.
     ?Hello?  Core Command??  The lead pilot of the two spoke in a
sing-song tone to indicate his annoyance.  Finally, he got a reply from
the Bridge.
     ?Sorry Beta Leader,? Altair?s tone was apologetic, ?We?ve got some
com-line gremlins on our end.  Core Systems are transferred.  You are go
for launch.?
     ?Thank you, Core Command,? Ensign Wynn, the lead pilot said with
distinct sarcasm as he hit his turbo, which caused his viper to rocket
down the launch tube and exit the Pegasus.  A micron later, the second
viper with Sergeant Marshak followed and pulled up alongside him.
     ?Okay Marshak,? the ensign said.  ?Synchronize your chronometer to
mine.  We?re going to split up and rendezvous here at 1200.  That means
you give yourself four centars to explore Delta Section and four to get
back.?
     ?I understand perfectly,? Marshak made sure he had just enough
deference in his tone, but at the same time he was rolling his eyes at
how Wynn loved to interject that ?I?m an officer now? quality into
everything he said.  The two of them had come up as enlisted men in the
ranks of the Pegasus with Wynn achieving Sergeant at the time of the
Battle of Molocay.  But Wynn outranking Marshak in a Sergeant-Corporal
setting hadn?t changed the general camaraderie they?d always known with
each other.  It was only after the Pegasus had separated from the
Galactica not many sectars ago that things had changed.  Cain had given
automatic promotions in rank to all pilots so that mean Marshak finally
became a Sergeant but it also bumped Wynn to Ensign and officer status. 
And ever since, Marshak could sense something......off about his old
friend.  Wynn could still act like one of the guys over a Pyramid game or
a pickup handball match in the battlestar?s rec center, but there was an
intangible air of aloofness that didn?t exist before.  As if Wynn enjoyed
the fact that he had the privilege of being an officer even though from a
practical standpoint, there were no longer any real special perks that
came with the title.  Rank no longer mattered in the Officers Club and
the general scarcity of resources that the Pegasus operated under meant
everyone shared the load as equally as possible.  Only those in the top
echelon of the command structure, which meant Cain, Tolen, Ham and Skyler
still enjoyed any real perks based on rank.
     Maybe it?s because he?s reached the peak of how far he can go,
Marshak mused as he inputted his course heading for the deep patrol. 
Unless someone dies, no one can move up any longer.  And we?re all going
to die anyway once Cain decides its time to have the last big battle with
the Cylons, whenever that is.
     ?Course plotted,? he reported, ?Standing by for chronometer synch.?
     ?Roll off in five, four, three, two, one......mark!?
     The two vipers then peeled off in opposite headings, designed to
maximize the areas of their patrol search.  From the corner of his eye,
Marshak could see Wynn?s viper receding to a dim speck of light,
indistinguishable from the rest of the stars.  And then, he was gone.

          
     If Wynn had known what Marshak had been thinking about his attitude, 
the ensign?s 
reaction would have surprised the sergeant.  He would have freely
admitted that yes, he did revel in the fact that he was finally an
officer.  Yes, he knew it didn?t carry much in terms of actual privileges
any longer, but yes, he reveled in it because the status of being an
officer was the last privilege left in life for him to lock onto.
     Thank the Merchant of Death for that, he grunted as he set his Viper
on its heading into Beta Section.  That was the term all of the so-called
?Grumblers? aboard the Pegasus had come up with for Cain to indicate
their disenchantment with what had happened since the separation from the
Galactica.  All of them had been loyal to a fault with Cain and trusted
their lives to him, believing that he would be able to take out the
baseships at Gomorrah.  But for those like Wynn, victory over the
baseships would mean permanent reunion with the Galactica.  A chance to
become reintegrated into Colonial society as it still existed in the
Fleet.  Coming after more than two yahrens on their own following the
Battle of Molocay, it was exactly what Wynn wanted.  And was expecting. 
And then to his shock, after Cain had successfully taken out two of the
basestars......it wasn?t there.  Instead of rejoining the Galactica, Cain
had made his decision to go off on his own.  All for the purpose of
laying low until the Pegasus was one day strong enough to go out in a
giant blaze of glory that would theoretically prevent the Cylon Empire
from being able to ever pursue the Galactica again.
     Why wait?  Wynn thought not for the first time as he idly touched
his control stick which was set to cruise mode.  If Cain wants us all to
die, then why don?t we just get it over with?  Let?s go to Cannes or
better still, let?s slip all the way back to the Cylon capital and crash
the Pegasus into the Imperious Leader?s palace!  But no.....we?ve got to
commit suicide just right.  It has to be on his terms only.
     Wynn knew he wasn?t the only one on the Pegasus who felt this way. 
The ?Grumblers? were said to comprise up to a third of the remaining crew
on the Pegasus.  Among the pilots, Lieutenant Paris probably felt just as
strong about the matter as Wynn did with Lieutenant Banker also in the
mix.  But Captain Skyler, who had taken over command of Silver Spar Group
with the departure of both Sheba and Bojay to the Galactica, was firmly
in Cain?s corner and he?d let it be known that he would brook no
tolerance of open dissent in the ranks.  
     ?Curse him out all you like on your own time or if you draw a patrol
with a buddy who thinks the same way,? the Captain had warned, ?But
aboard ship and while on duty......your mouths will be shut tighter than
a Canceran clam?s.?
     Once, when Wynn had drawn patrol with Paris, he?d haltingly asked
the Lieutenant if he?d ever considered the idea of a mutiny against Cain. 
That perhaps it was time for the Grumblers to take charge of their lives
again by getting Cain out of the way and seizing control of the Pegasus. 
Given Paris?s reputation for being a Grumbler, Wynn wasn?t prepared for
what he heard next.
     ?No I haven?t, Wynn.  And if you think the idea?s viable, you?re
crazy.  Cain?s probably got more than half the crew on his side that?s
ready to walk into Hades with him, and that includes the only two guys
capable of commanding if we got rid of him.  If Tolen or Ham had any
thoughts of getting rid of Cain, I?d say we had a one in ten thousand
chance of doing it, but since both of them are loyal to the chain of
command we might as well just forget it.  All we?d be doing is trading
one form of suicide for another.?
     ?You really think so??  Wynn felt in a challenging mood.  
     ?Yes,? the lieutenant said flatly, ?So don?t ask me about it again,
Wynn.?
     ?All right, then forget about seizing the Pegasus,? the ensign
didn?t want to stop talking about the subject yet.  ?What if.....we just
went on a patrol and never came back?  Took off to some planet we could
just settle down on??
     ?And do what?? Paris snorted, ?Live in lonely isolation, marooned on
some rock??
     ?But we?ve come across human outposts like Attilla and Serenity,?
Wynn protested.
     ?Uh-uh.  That?s not my idea of living either.  Maybe if we still had
a large number of women aboard the Pegasus who?d go with the rest of us
and start a colony of our own, I?d take the escape route.  But most of
the women are on the Galactica now and the best looking one left is in
love with Cain, so that idea......forget it.?
     Wynn felt his exasperation mount, ?Then why the frack do you bother
being a Grumbler if you?re willing to just accept things as they are??
     ?Because hating Cain in private helps me keep my sanity, Wynn,?
Paris quietly retorted.  ?A Grumbler finds it?s his best way of coping
with the hand he?s been dealt with, and to keep doing our jobs,? he
paused, ?And we have to keep doing them, Wynn.  That?s the only real
purpose we have left in our lives.?
     Wynn had wanted to argue further but decided it was too risky to do
so.  Paris could easily choose to pull rank on him and make life aboard
ship difficult for him.  And Wynn also knew that a subordinate who
considered himself a Grumbler could be just as much of a threat by
reporting him to Skyler.  So from that point on, Wynn knew he had to keep
his idle dreams of mutiny or escape to himself.
     If only.....he thought as he settled back in his seat and prepared
himself for the long four centar lull of patrolling Beta Section, and
then he?d give himself four centars to get back and rendezvous with
Marshak.  He found the best way to make the time go by was to adjust the
volume of the chime alert to its highest setting so that if something
came up, it would jolt him out of whatever daydream or fantasy he chose
to let his mind wander into.
     And I can dream pretty big, he allowed himself a smirk as he relaxed
and let his mind wander to realms he knew he?d never experience in his
lifetime.  Sometimes, his daydreams could be rooted in the practical,
like living in the Galactica Fleet and becoming part of their journey to
the lost Thirteenth Tribe.  More recently, he would be in enough of a bad
mood to just his imagination run amuck.  Dreaming of escape to a planet
where there was a peaceful tropical island with all the food and water he
needed and where a beautiful woman in need of companionship was beckoning
to him.  
     That was the kind of fantasy he indulged in because he?d too
recently gone through the painful sting of rejection.  Rejection from the
only woman left on the Pegasus he?d ever had any kind of attraction to. 
A woman who?d been a good friend to him......and saw him as nothing more
than that.  That had closed off the only hope Wynn had carried of
enjoying a real relationship with a woman in the limited time he had left
to live.  With that gone, fantasy was his only option.
     But no matter how much he tried to let his imagination run wild, it
was still hard to shake the vividness of the event, only mere sectans
ago.  Painful and embarrassing events had a way of staying in the memory
with a vividness that only made the scars deeper.  Even now, Wynn could
see it all, just as it had been that day in the Pegasus ward
room...................


     ?Thanks for having lunch with me.?
     Bridge Officer Kylie looked across the ward room table with a
cautious air.  The last thing she?d wanted to do when she?d said yes, was
give the impression she was saying yes to the equivalent of a date.  As
far as she was concerned, she was just being nice to someone she regarded
as a friend, and nothing more.
     But he probably doesn?t see it that way.  Damn.
     ?I?m glad to make time,? she finally responded disarmingly, not
letting anything that could be construed as flirting enter her tone. 
?We?ve all had busy schedules these last few sectars.?
     ?Yeah, isn?t that the truth,? the young man in the pilot uniform
sighed.  ?What we?ve had to do since Gomorrah hasn?t exactly been what
any of us bargained for.  Lords know it isn?t what *I* bargained for.?
     Kylie felt her lips grow taut.  This was a subject she tried to
avoid at all costs.  As a general rule, she didn?t spend much time among
the so-called ?Grumblers? of the Pegasus who had come to resent the
permanent separation from the Galactica.  But this was the one man from
the Grumbler ranks that she?d enjoyed a real friendship with for nearly
three yahrens since her arrival aboard the Pegasus just before the Battle
of Molocay.  To see him this way now saddened her.  It made her wish she
could do something for him to ease his troubled feelings.  The problem
though, was what she knew he really wanted was something she
couldn?t....and wouldn?t give him.
     ?Kylie,? Ensign Wynn leaned forward slightly so he was that much
closer to her.  ?Don?t you wish sometimes you?d left the Pegasus when
there was a chance??
     ?No,? she decided that she needed to be candid with him about
this.....and a lot more.  ?I?ve never regretted it for a micron, Wynn. 
The Pegasus is my home, and my place is here.?
     He shook his head in amazement, as though he were at a loss for
words or if he was afraid of saying something he shouldn?t.
     ?Wynn,? Kylie said gently.  ?I know this isn?t what any of us
bargained for.  But.....we?re all warriors who promised to give our lives
if necessary when we signed up.  If we can?t face that prospect, then
we?ve been in the wrong line of work all these yahrens.?
     ?Come off it, Kylie.  What good is that promise when it isn?t for a
good cause any longer?  Just what are we *doing* now, cavorting about the
Alpha Quadrant trying to keep a low profile while we hunt for old Cylon
and Colonial outposts to restock our supplies??
     ?You?ve heard what Cain?s said.  Some day, we?ll have our strength
back to a level where we can take on the heart of the Empire and bloody
them up to the point where they?ll never even think of looking for the
Galactica again.?
     ?And do you believe that?? Wynn asked pointedly. 
     Kylie hesitated before answering, ?I trust him, Wynn.  He?s led us
from the brink so many times since he saved us at Molocay, and then again
with the two baseships.  There isn?t anyone else I?d want to serve
under.?
     ?Even if it means you?ve only got a few yahrens at most left to
live??  His voice grew softer, ?With no chance to ever know what it means
to have......loved??
     The attractive Bridge Officer felt like sighing.  She could see in
Wynn?s eyes an air of longing and desperation.  Trying to reach out and
ask her to do something she wasn?t capable of doing for him.  She knew
she was going to have to let him down and the only question was whether
it came now or a little later.  She decided it had to be the former.
     ?Wynn,? she said as gently as she could, ?I know why you?re asking
me all this, and why you wanted to have lunch with me.  You want to see
if there can be something between......us.  And there can?t.?
     Right away the sense of being rejected hit him, and Kylie could tell
he wasn?t going to take it well.
     ?Why not?? he kept his voice low.  ?We get along great.  And what do
we have to lose except a chance to know some......happiness before the
felgercarb finally hits the fan??
     ?That?s not what I want, Wynn,? Kylie shook her head, ?Not with
you......or any other man.  If I was in love with you, and you were in
love with me, and we thought we could share something *really* special in
whatever time we have left.......I?d feel different.  But you?re not in
love with me just as I?m not in love with you.?
     He said nothing at first and then shook his head sadly, ?You?re
really so sure about all that??
     ?About you, yes,? she tried to keep a note of sympathy in her tone. 
?You?re frustrated by the situation like all the other so-called
?Grumblers? in our ranks are.  It?s making you think about things you?ve
never had a chance for in life and maybe won?t get a chance to have.  I
understand that, Wynn.  I?ve thought about those things too.  But what I
can?t do is look for a cheap substitute just to satisfy a temporary urge. 
And you can?t either.  It just wouldn?t work.?
     ?It couldn?t hurt to try,? he smiled faintly.  It was clear he was
disappointed, but he didn?t seem to have the will to fight.
     ?Yes it would,? Kylie held her ground.  ?If I *do* end up having a
relationship of some kind in whatever time I have left to me.......it has
to be with someone I?m in love with and would *want* to share my life
with.  That?s not what we have, Wynn.  We?re good friends and fellow
warriors, but that?s it.?
     The ensign said nothing at first and then there was a sigh of
resignation.
     ?You still want to be friends after this??
     ?I?m always your friend, Wynn,? Kylie said with sincerity.  ?I?d do
anything for you, as a friend.  You know that.?
     Slowly, the uneasiness seemed to pass from the air, and they managed
to finish their lunch.  And nothing more was said about the matter.
     But for Ensign Wynn, the long walk back to the pilots bunk was
filled with angry thoughts directed at what the Fates had seemingly
cursed him to...............


     As Wynn?s viper continued on its leisurely patrol heading, he let
out a sad sigh of regret as the memory finished unspooling in his head. 
He?d kept up as much of a facade of normalcy as he could, not daring to
let anyone else in the Squadron know how much hurt he carried inside over
being rejected.  What made it harder to deal with was that he had no one
he could be mad at.  Least of all Kylie.  She?d summed it perfectly when
she?d said  he was in love with the idea of a relationship at this point
for the mere sake of it.  If the Pegasus still had its full complement of
female crew, there might have been others he could have sought out.  But
with all but fifteen of them evacuated to the Galactica before the final
confrontation with the baseships, it had left him with few options to
consider.  Kylie was certainly by far the prettiest of those left behind,
but that hadn?t been why he?d approached her.  She?d been the only one
among the fifteen who had been friendly to him in the previous three
years they?d spent together on the Pegasus.  They?d had a nice bond of
camaraderie that he felt counted for something.  Surely.....it could have
provided *some* basis for something between them.
     She?s probably too stuck on Cain, he sighed with regret.  Everyone?s
joked about how she feels about him without ever saying it to her face. 
Hell, even *I* wouldn?t say it to her face, not even when I could have. 
I could have asked her if Cain was why she wouldn?t consider something
between us.  And then she would have hated me for the rest of what?s left
of our lives, and then where would I be?
     So he?d refused to let himself disparage Kylie.  And building on
that, when he let his mind run amuck with the fantasy of a beautiful
woman beckoning to him, he?d refused to ever let his mind?s eye picture
Kylie.  He had enough sense to know that would have been cheap
objectification.  Similarly, he refused to let his anger with Cain make
him fantasize about Sheba.  If he was going to daydream about escape and
a beautiful woman, it couldn?t be anyone specific.  It needed to be
someone who existed only in his imagination.
     And so his mind had constructed the perfect woman to be stranded
with.  Someone no older than twenty-five but with the gravitas and
intelligence of thirty.  A woman of natural class and elegance, but who
would be at home in the primitive conditions of the island paradise his
mind envisioned.  He?d decided that a dark-eyed, dark-haired beauty with
long flowing hair would suit him best.  And above all.....she would
understand him completely.  Understand why he?d needed to escape from the
suicide trap the Pegasus had become for him.......
     DING!
     The sound of his warning chime, set to the highest level, jolted him
upward in his seat and caused the top of his helmet to scrape against the
canopy.  A quick check of his chronometer showed that he was more than
two centars into his outward patrol heading.  The daydreams of escape
were gone from his mind now and the professional instincts that had
earned him his rank now kicked back in as he checked his scanner.  It
showed a contact.  A contact that indicated a ship of tremendous size.
     Sweet Lords of Kobol, maybe it?s the Galactica?
     But that random thought of hope quickly died when he realized that
if it were the Galactica there should have been signs of the two-hundred
odd civilian ships of the Fleet.  The next thing that went through his
mind was even less encouraging when he realized that the vehicle?s
trajectory on the scanner seemed to indicate it was just......drifting. 
     He activated his war book manual to see if it could come up with a
match for something.  But after ten microns the message came back with:  
DOES NOT MATCH KNOWN SHIPS!
     Knowing that he was close to visual contact, Wynn cautiously raised
his head so his eye line now extended through his canopy window.  And
then, his mouth dropped open in stunned amazement.  Before him was the
largest craft of any kind he had ever seen in his life.  The ship made
even the Pegasus seem small and insignificant by comparison.  It seemed
to stretch endlessly, for as far as the eye could see. 
     The ensign let his eyes wander the entire length of the ship.  What
he took to be the front end of it, on the left side of his vision had a
stubby, pointed look but then it abruptly bulged to a massive height that
stretched far higher than any other ship he?d ever known, and he could
see various sections protruding outward, as if there were a seemingly
infinite number of compartments and passageways inside.  The landing bay
side pod stood out like a familiar beacon in terms of ship design, but
then working back the massive, bulky contours took over again before it
finally slackened off with the contours of what had to be the stern
section and visible signs of engine thrusters.  But the engines at the
rear couldn?t possibly begin to power something this size which meant
there had to be additional means of propulsion somewhere inside.
     Wynn could scarcely comprehend the kind of intelligence that had to
be behind such a vessel.  It wasn?t Colonial.  It resembled nothing
Cylon.  That meant.....there was some other force or race in the universe
that exceeded the technological capacity of both civilizations.  But if
so.....who were they?  Where did they come from?  And where had they been
all this time?
     His attempts to comprehend the sight before him ended when he heard
a crackling noise coming over his communications band.  And then.....a
clear voice sounded.  A soft, cultured sounding......feminine voice.
     ?Attention viper craft.  You are cleared to land aboard our vessel
immediately.  You will find our landing bay to be perfectly compatible
with what you are used to.?
     Wynn?s eyes narrowed in disbelief over the sound of the voice.  So
lilting and beautiful.  And she knew his craft was called a viper.  What
kind of person was this?  Was it a person at all or just an alien with a
lovely human sounding voice?  Or was it a voice created through the means
of a Languatron?  He dismissed the last possibility because a Languatron
voice always sounded halting and unnatural.  This voice flowed with a
natural rhythmic quality.  
     There was always the possibility it was an automated computer voice
of some kind.  The Computer Analysis of Personnel (CAP) system on the
Pegasus had such a female voice, but he knew enough about computer voices
to know that they required an authentic voice recording to be programmed
into its system.  So even if this voice he?d just heard was a computer
like the CAP system, the intelligence behind it still had to consist of
people who sounded just like the voice.
     He realized he needed to activate his scanner and get some more
definite readings on what was inside.  The data that came back was
immediately promising.  A normal breathable atmosphere......and a
positive on the presence of human life.  But before it could give
readings on how many life forms were aboard, his scanner was filled with
the snowy glare of static.
     ?Viper craft, do you copy my transmission?  We are prepared to
receive you aboard our ship.  Please acknowledge.?
     Wynn tried to gauge what his best course of action was.  Did he have
the authority to check this out on his own?  Whoever was behind this ship
and behind this transmission would surely want to speak to Cain.  And he
knew that as a lowly ensign, he certainly couldn?t speak for Cain or
reveal the intentions of the Pegasus.
     But then again......what if this ship and whoever?s on it is the
answer to all our problems? Or at the very least, the answer to *my*
problems?
     If he ignored the message or refused the hospitality of the
invitation, it could result in hostile action.  Perhaps there were
fighter craft on-board that could launch in an instant and destroy him. 
And then they might follow his trail and be guided straight back to the
Pegasus. 
     He decided for a variety of reasons, both practical and selfish,
that he would answer the feminine voice.
     ?Attention spacecraft,? he said carefully over the unicom frequency. 
?This is Ensign Wynn of the Battlestar Pegasus.  I am prepared to come
aboard if you will meet me unarmed.?
     A soft lilting laugh filled the cockpit before the voice answered. 
?We do not carry weapons, Ensign.  You will be greeted in friendship.  I
will meet you personally after your arrival in the landing bay.?
     Personally?  So I?ll be able to see a face to that voice......I
can?t *possibly* pass up this opportunity.  Maybe this exceeds what I?m
technically allowed to do but if I can facilitate the first contact
between us and a race that can change our situation for the better, it?ll
be worth it!
     ?Spacecraft, I am coming in for landing.  I look forward to meeting
you.?
     He brought his viper in toward the landing bay pod, which he noticed
bore a strong resemblance to the type one might see on a
battlestar......though of an older variety than the ones he was used to
seeing.  But that was the only architectural feature of this vast ship
that bore any resemblance to a battlestar that he could see.
     No uniformity of style.  It almost looks like it could have been
something just slapped together the way children build a big toy without
thinking of consistency.
     His viper entered the landing bay and the first thing he noticed
even before he came to stop was how there was an odd, reddish
illumination to the interior.  As though it were bathed in the perpetual
glow of emergency lights.  He slowly popped open the canopy of his viper
but for the moment left his helmet on.  Dropping to the tarmac below, he
looked about and saw again how the landing bay had a kind of generic
similarity to that of a battlestar....but not quite.
     ?Hello?? Wynn called out.
     ?Enter through the door that is directly aligned with your viper to
the right,? the feminine voice he had heard earlier filled the room as if
it were coming over a unicom system.  ?I am waiting for you on the other
side in the corridor.  And do please take off your helmet.  You will find
the air is quite normal.?
     Wynn removed his helmet and only when it was off did he frown
slightly, wondering how the voice knew he had it on.  Then he realized
she could likely see him on a monitor since she also knew where his viper
was in relation to the door he was to pass through.
     He came up to the door and saw there was a button to press.  Once he
did, the doors slid open with a loud creak that echoed down the entire
length of the landing bay.  It was the kind of sound that ordinarily
might have struck him an unnerving.  But his mind was only fixated on
being able to meet the person behind the voice he?d heard.  
     Beyond the doors was a corridor that was also filled with the
strange reddish emergency-light glow.  He stepped into it and tentatively
looked to his left.  But there was no one visible.  He looked to his
right and again saw.....no one.  Frowning with confusion, he looked back
to his left again and called out, ?Hello??
     ?I am here.?
     Wynn whipped around to his right and saw before him......the most
beautiful woman his eyes had ever seen.  She was tall and elegant looking
with dark brown eyes and hair that flowed down her back.  Her clothing
was like that of a formal gown, completely feminine though not revealing
in any way.  As Wynn focused his eyes on her, he realized there was
something oddly familiar about her.  The hair, the eyes and the face were
almost a perfect match for the woman of his daydreams and fantasies of
escape from the Pegasus.
     ?Welcome,? she smiled warmly, ?I?ve been expecting you.?
     He found it hard to take his eyes off her.  So great was her beauty
and how uncanny a match it was for what his mind had envisioned for so
long in the form of escape.  Escape from the slow march to inevitable
death that his life had become aboard the Pegasus.
     ?Am I not what you expected?? her voice grew more gentle with just
enough of a seductive lilt.  ?The answer to all your problems?  The
embodiment of all your dreams??
     Wynn shook his head in awed amazement.  The only answer he could
give to her questions was the same.  A simple, one-word, ?Yes!?  And
yet.....it seemed too incredible for his mind to comprehend.  The
resemblance was perfect......too perfect in a way.
     ?You wonder how this can be?? her voice grew more seductive, ?It is
a sign of how connected across the boundaries of space we have always
been.  You have dreamed there is someone out there who can provide you
with escape.  What you have never realized until now is that all this
time.....you have been aware of my presence, and you have reached out to
me.  Now, I have led you here to reach out to you.  Offering you the
escape your heart has yearned for since the Pegasus was parted from the
Galactica.?
     He was spellbound by her completely.  Spellbound by her beauty.  The
sound of her voice.  What she represented.  For Ensign Wynn, who felt
nothing but a heavy burden of anger and frustration that had mounted for
so long, it was as if a miracle had been granted to him.
     ?What is your name?? he managed to ask.
     She smiled warmly, ?My name is Helena.  And I am......yours, Ensign
Wynn.  If you so desire me.?
     He slowly nodded, ?I do.?
     The dark-haired beauty named Helena extended her hand, ?Come to me
then.  And be with me always.?
     The ensign took a step toward her.....and suddenly there was a
crackling sound filling the red-glowed corridor like that of a unicom
system coming to life.  Wynn stopped in his tracks and glanced upward
trying to figure out the source of the sound.  When he looked back, the
smile had faded slightly from Helena.
     ?It is nothing, Wynn,? she said with reassurance, ?Come to me.?
     He took another step and then......a panicked, male voice filled the
corridor.
     ?You fool!  Don?t listen to her!  By all the Lords of Kobol, if you
value your life and your soul, DON?T LISTEN TO HER!?
     Wynn frowned, wondering what that could possibly mean.  He looked at
Helena again, trying to see reassurance in her.
     ?Do not let your heart be deceived, Wynn,? her voice grew softer. 
?That is the voice of darkness and suffering.  The voice of those
like......Cain.?
     ?Your soul will be condemned for eternity if you follow her!? the
male voice shouted again, his tone one of pleading panic.  
     ?Close yourself to the darkness, Wynn,? Helena reached out to him,
?Give yourself to the light of eternal joy.?
     And then......Wynn felt his hand reaching out and touching
hers.......feeling it pull him to her so that they came together in a
deep, sustained kiss.  He closed his eyes and thought only of how
fortunate he was that this opportunity had come.......and how he didn?t
want it to end, ever.
     The taste of her lips against him felt sweet like that of a tropical
fruit one might find on the island he had dreamed of......but then
suddenly......the taste changed from sweet to something bitter and
acidic.  Abruptly he opened his eyes and they bulged wildly in horror at
the sight before him.  No longer did he see the beautiful face of the
dark-haired beauty named Helena, but instead he saw......an ugly
reptilian like face with horns protruding from the top.  He backed away
in horror and could see her entire body was red, scaly with talon like
claws instead of hands.  The feet.....were hooves.
     ?And now, Ensign Wynn,? the voice that now spoke was a hideous
demonic rasp, ?By your own free will......you are forever in the service
of Mephistopheles, the Prince of Darkness!?
     He wanted to run but was too frozen with terror......and he found
that he couldn?t run because he could feel.......something happening to
him.  He held out his hands and saw......that they were now just like
that of the creature before him.
     The sound of his scream was drowned out by the demonic minion?s
malevolent laughter.......accompanied by the simultaneous laughter of all
other inhabitants of the Derelict, now that their numbers had increased
by one.  The demonic laughter echoed in every corridor throughout the
vast ship that had been assembled from the parts of others over a period
of many hundreds of yahrens.
     In the one sheltered enclave of the Derelict, ex-Colonel Delambre of
the long-lost Battlestar Callisto, could only shake his head and weep for
the loss of another soul to eternity.


     ?Thank you for your report, Sergeant.?
     Marshak could only hide his inner frustration as he saluted Cain and
left the bridge.  ?Well, well,? the Juggernaut sighed as he moved across
to the navigation board with Tolen staying two steps behind him, ?After
all this time we suffer our first casualty since Gomorrah.?
     ?You?re writing him off, sir?? Tolen knew Cain?s decision was final
but he had to ask.
     ?You heard Marshak?s report,? Cain folded his arms and stared more
intently at the board, ?Whatever happened to Wynn happened long after
they went their separate ways, and it clearly happened so fast, he had no
time to activate his distress beacon.?
     ?Unless he was too far out of range from Marshak.?
     ?Not if they were following standard procedure,? Cain raised his
voice to a disapproving edge, as though he shouldn?t have had to say this
to Tolen.  ?They would have been outside scanning range of each other but
they wouldn?t have been outside the distress beacon?s transmitting range. 
Since I don?t believe Marshak deviated from procedure, then Wynn either
had no time to activate the beacon or else he violated orders and went
outside its transmission range.?
     He then slowly shook his head, ?Whatever the case, his disappearance
likely means something that could mean trouble for all of us if we tried 
poking our noses in the section he was patrolling.  So that means we?re
going to avoid it like the proverbial Piscean Plague.?
     Cain then made his way over to the rail and looked down, ?Kylie, set
new course away from Silver Beta Patrol?s heading.  I don?t want that
sector of space to be part of *any* course heading from this micron on.?
     ?Yes, sir,? Kylie dutifully replied.  But inside, the Bridge
Officer?s heart was crying for the loss of someone she had liked and
cared for as a good friend.  With no way of ever knowing the answer of
how and why he was now gone.

Chapter One-The Present

     When Kylie stepped on to the Bridge from the turbo-lift corridor,
the first thing she told herself was to keep walking straight ahead to
the upper level command deck.  The first two times she?d entered the
Bridge in her new role as Senior Bridge Officer, she had unconsciously
out of habit stepped to the left and descended the stairwell to the lower
level where the station she?d had manned for six yahrens was.  The first
time she?d remembered herself only when she?d reached the lower level and
saw Bridge Officer Jacks sitting in the chair that had once been hers. 
She?d covered that mistake by turning it into a  ?walking tour? of the
entire Bridge.  The second time, she?d caught herself when she was
halfway down the stairs and she?d bid a quick retreat back up.  But that
had only called attention to her mistake and that evening, Cain had given
her a gentle reminder how she needed to let go of the past and what her
past duties had been.
     ?It?s the first rule of justifying the promotion you?ve earned,?
he?d said, ?When I became a squadron commander, I flushed away all
thoughts of what it was like to be an ordinary viper pilot and immersed
myself in the realization of what I was now.  You have to do the same. 
You don?t man the scanners and the helm anymore.  You?re the Senior
Bridge Officer and you need to make everyone know that, even if they used
to be your peers.?
     She knew her lover was right.  She needed to be unafraid to assert
herself when the situation called for it.  Otherwise she?d betray the
trust he?d placed in her when he?d promoted her.  And if that happened,
it would undoubtedly have an impact on their personal relationship.
     Still, Kylie knew she?d be dishonest with herself if she didn?t
acknowledge she missed the easy small talk with the likes of Altair and
Falstaff during a long duty shift.  When the tedium could be broken up
with jokes and asides because they were all part of the same group of
crew working the trenches on the Bridge.  All of that was gone now.  She
was out of the trenches and on the command level.  She could still
maintain her old friendships off-duty, but it could never be the same
again.  And she had to accept that.
     She?d also had to accept that her new duties meant she no longer had
the extra time to play ?Auntie? to Wallis and Kelli?s two children that
she?d had in recent sectars.  It had been easy for Cain to grant more
leeway for that when Kylie was just a Bridge Officer.  But her increased
responsibilities left her with limited spare time, and most of that was
taken up by her new relationship with Cain.  Even so, she still made sure
she gave little Linden and Karin one visit per sectan just to let them
know how much she cared for them.  It also gave the children an incentive
to behave themselves around their parents and Med-Tech Ivy, or otherwise
their favorite Auntie wouldn?t be visiting this sectan to play games or
dramatically re-enact the legend of Lord Georges slaying the draco.  So
far, the children had been a model of perfection, and more than once
Kylie had heard the deep expressions of gratitude from their mother.
     ?You?re the reason why my children have learned to cope with living
on the Pegasus,? the agro-tech had told her, ?I know you?re going to make
a great mother yourself someday.?
     If I?m lucky, Kylie tried not to sigh as she reached the railing of
the command deck.  It was something she dearly wanted for herself and for
Cain someday.  To know the joy of having children of their own, and for
Kylie to give the kind of love she?d never experienced herself as a
child.  But that could only come after the goal of liberating the
Colonies was achieved.  Until then, playing the role of Auntie to Linden
and Karin once a sectan was more than sufficient to satisfy the maternal
urge inside her.  Allowing her to keep her focus on her work and her new
command responsibilities, and to keep the dreams of the future in the
closet where they belonged for now.
     With Cain and Tolen both off the Bridge, she knew it was time to
test those new responsibilities.
     ?Patrol status?? she said aloud.
     Altair turned around and looked up, ?Silver Two Patrol scheduled to
launch in fifteen centons.
     She lifted an eyebrow, ?Weren?t they supposed to launch now??
     ?Ensign Marshak came down sick.  They had to reshuffle the duty
schedule to get a replacement to pull his patrol with Lieutenant Tegran.?
     ?Who?d they get?? Kylie asked as she slipped her headset on.
     ?Lieutenant Banker.  They just need the extra few centons to make
sure his Viper?s programmed for this proper coordinates.?
     Kylie made her way back to the Navigation Board on the other side of
the command deck. It revealed the course heading of the Pegasus and also
the designated areas for patrol sweep.  She studied it intently and felt
the stirring of a buried memory reawakening itself.  One that likely
explained why Silver Two Patrol wasn?t on-time getting off.  She then
crossed over and activated the internal vid-com that enabled
communication with any part of the battlestar.  Immediately, the face of
the Chief Medical Officer filled the screen.
     ?Life Station.?
     ?Dr. Laughlin, I understand Ensign Marshak reported sick and skipped
his patrol for today.  Is he currently in the Life Station??
     The white-haired Aerian let out a grunt, ?He?s in here all right. 
Marshak came down with the first case of an anxiety attack I?ve seen in
yahrens.  I think he?ll be okay, but.....he was really in an agitated
state when they brought him in.?
     ?Do you know what caused it?? Kylie kept her voice level, not
wanting to sound surprised by the revelation, even though it was much
worse than she?d anticipated.
     ?I?ve been more concerned with keeping him sedated.  I won?t get a
chance to ask why until he?s had some time to rest.?
     ?All right.  Thank you, Doctor.?
     As soon as she turned around, she saw that Cain had arrived. 
?Problem?? he asked.
     ?Ensign Marshak came down with an anxiety attack,? Kylie said.  
     ?Anxiety attack?? this caught him off-guard,   ?We haven?t had one
of those in yahrens.  Why would that happen when we?re nowhere close to a
potential battle zone??
     ?I have a theory,? his lover said as she guided him back to the
navigation board.  When they got there, she pointed to the line
indicating the planned patrol heading.
     ?This planned heading for Silver Two Patrol covers the same section
of space Ensign Wynn was lost in two yahrens ago.?
     Cain?s eyes narrowed.  ?I?d forgotten that.  Marshak was on the same
patrol, wasn?t he??
     ?Yes......and I think that explains the anxiety attack once he
realized he was going to fly into that same quadrant.?
     ?Ordinarily, an anxiety attack would mean a quick visit by me to the
Life Station and a threat to plant my boot firmly in a certain spot if
the warrior in question wasn?t back on duty in half a centon,? he paused,
?I take it you recommend I do otherwise.?
     ?Yes,? Kylie didn?t hesitate, ?Because in Marshak?s case it cuts
really deep.  He knows whatever happened to Wynn could just as easily
have happened to him if they hadn?t split up or if Marshak took Wynn?s
heading.  I don?t blame him for not wanting to face that when we still
don?t know the reason why Wynn disappeared.?
     Cain folded his arms and stared at the board, ?All Marshak had to do
was put in a request to be relieved from this patrol and I would have
granted it.?
     ?Commander,? she said with total conviction.  ?I strongly recommend
no disciplinary action be taken against him.?
     He slowly turned his head and looked her in the eye.  Kylie knew he
was testing her.  Waiting to see if she would stand firm when facing the
stare of the Juggernaut, and not the man she shared a bed with.  Her
expression didn?t change at all as she saw the full intensity of the
stare for nearly twenty microns.
     ?Recommendation noted, Captain,? he finally broke the silence.  ?If
Marshak is out of the Life Station in the next three centars......then
I?ll let it go.?
     ?Thank you, sir,? Kylie said evenly.
     ?Now as for this patrol, I want to make sure they cover the full
perimeter of where Wynn would have gone.  Only this time, we?ll have both
vipers stay together.  If things are still the same after more than two
yahrens......this time we?ll know.  And this time, we?re not going to
avoid whatever it was.?
     ?Why now??  Kylie asked as she felt the stirring of buried memories
trying to force their way up.  ?Why now and not then??
     Cain looked at her matter-of-factly, ?It?s different now.  Back
then, we were operating under a half-assed strategy that dictated
avoiding trouble.  Now.....if there is trouble, we have to face it
head-on, or else we won?t succeed in our bigger objective.?
     ?I understand,? she nodded and looked back at the Board, as though
trying to avoid his stare.  It didn?t go unnoticed.
     ?Something else?? his tone was softer, and this time Kylie knew it
wasn?t the tone of the Juggernaut questioning a subordinate.
     ?Nothing that should be talked about on duty,? her voice was firm
and professional.
     ?Okay,? he said quietly.  ?But.....off duty??
     She nodded but said nothing.
     ?Carry on, Captain,? Cain said with a friendly wave of his stick as
he left the bridge.  Kylie didn?t let herself linger in front of the
board as she made her way back to the railing on the other side of the
command deck.
     ?Is Silver Two Patrol ready to launch?? she called down to Altair.
     ?Silver Two Patrol completing pre-flight check.  They?ll be cleared
in......five centons.?
     ?Not good enough,? Kylie said on sheer impulse, ?We?re already too
far behind schedule.  Tell them to double-time it so they?re away in less
than that.  Preferably no more than three.?
     Altair tried to hide his surprise at seeing a burst of command
temper from Kylie for the first time.  He knew it had to happen someday,
but it was still something that he knew would take getting used to.
     ?Yes, ma?am,? he said dutifully as he turned around to relay the
order.


     Lieutenant Banker, who had been pressed into service to replace
Marshak for the patrol was taken aback by the order to accelerate the
pre-flight checklist.  But only because Altair had mentioned that the
SBO, meaning Senior Bridge Officer, had given the order.  Which meant
that it had come from someone who until recently had been junior to him
in rank.
     Suppressing the urge to let out a guffaw that he knew could easily
be heard on Kylie?s headset if he wasn?t careful, he had carried out the
order and within three centons, both he and Lieutenant Tegran had
launched to begin their patrol sweep.  Once they had settled in, Tegran
broke the silence.
     ?Kylie?s sure come a long ways, hasn?t she?? his tone was light.
     ?Maybe a little too fast,? Banker grunted.
     ?Oh come on,? Tegran joshed, ?Don?t tell me you resent her new
position??
     ?Maybe I do.....a little.  But I don?t intend to complain about it.?
     ?Except here, right??
     ?Only to a point.  I give her credit for what she did on Cannes.  I
just don?t think that entitles her to suddenly become number three in the
chain of command.?
     ?Number four,? Tegran corrected, ?Skyler?s number three.?
     ?Okay, four then.  But does leading one successful operation under
fire justify going that far, this fast??
     Tegran decided to zero in, ?If she were a man would you be asking
that question??
     ?Don?t make this a case of me being a sexist, Tegran,? Banker?s
voice grew cold.  ?I don?t have anything against taking orders from a
woman.  I used to fly in Sheba?s group and I didn?t mind because she was
the best of all of us.  With Kylie.....I?m not convinced she?s earned her
rank.  Sheba may have been Cain?s daughter, but she went through the same
hurdles we all went through.?
     ?And you think Kylie only got where she is now because she and Cain
share a bed?? Tegran didn?t mince words, thinking that it would cause
Banker enough discomfort to make him back down.  The awkward silence that
followed for the next few microns convinced Tegran that his instincts had
been right.
     ?Frack, Tegran, you *really* know how to......? he broke off and
shook his head, ?Forget it.  Forget I said anything.?
     ?So long as you treat her the same way you treated Major Ham, I?ll
be glad to,? Tegran said, feeling glad that he?d short-circuited what
could have been an unpleasant conversation.
     ?Hey, I respect the chain of command, Tegran.  I may have been a
Grumbler once, but I *never* stepped out of line!?  Banker snapped.
     ?Never said you did, Banker,? his wingmate decided not to provoke
him any more.  ?Never said you did.?
     After another awkward silence, Banker?s next words were that of the
professional warrior.  ?Full scan concentrated forward.  We should be
coming up on a planetary system in sector Omicron six in
approximately.......three point one centars.?
     ?I copy that,? Tegran felt glad they were back to business.  ?I will
vary my scan by differential of point nine-five to maximize our territory
while maintaining necessary overlap.?
     And with that, the awkward subject of Kylie?s new position was
forgotten.


     Kylie was still on Cain?s mind as he walked through the corridors of
the Pegasus for his periodic inspection tour of all areas of the
battlestar.  After more than two sectans since she?d become Bridge
Officer, he?d seen nothing to give him any cause for concern.  If he?d
felt any, he would have told Tolen to stay on the Bridge and effectively
keep her in a subordinate position.
     She?s going to do just fine, he thought.  Just fine.  So lost in
thought was he, that he didn?t notice Ila approaching from the other
direction.
     ?Hey!? his in-law said cheerily with a wave.
     ?Oh, hello Ila,? Cain straightened himself out.  ?Where are you
headed??
     ?The Lab,? she said.  ?The Galactica?s expert in ancient Kobollian,
Professor Pliny, just sent me what he thinks is the best translation of
the documents we downloaded from the weather planet?s computers.  I think
Arnoff, Festus and the rest of the team will find it helpful.?
     ?For recreating more examples of Kobollian technology??
     ?Yes, that?s the long-term goal.  If the Kobollian principle on
interstellar travel could be merged with what Dr. Ravashol came up with
when he created my shuttle.....then it would open up some interesting
possibilities.?
     Cain nodded, ?Yes.....I see what you mean.  The possibility
that......traveling between Earth and the Colonies one day might not be a
question of taking yahrens.?
     ?Mind you, it?s just an elaborate theory,? Ila cautioned.  ?When we
reach Arcta and finally get a chance to see Dr. Ravashol, we?ll get a
better sense if the idea is sound.  Having these translations ready to
present to him will be a big help.?
     ?I?m sure of that.  Provided nothing?s happened to him since you
left.?
     Ila?s reaction was neutral, ?We don?t have any control over that,
Cain.  For now, we should just hope and pray that the Lords have looked
after him.....and everyone else who?s part of the Resistance.?
     ?True,? the Juggernaut sighed, ?Trusting things to higher powers
doesn?t come instinctively to me, Ila.  But.....I?ve tried to learn how.?
     ?I?m glad,? the blonde Academician said.  ?It?s our greatest weapon
in what lies ahead.?
     The thing is, no matter how much I try, it just doesn?t feel natural
to me, Cain thought after they?d parted.  I?ve learned to accept that
Skepticism is wrong, but it all seems like an intellectual exercise to
me.  Do I really know what it means to have true faith......the kind of
faith Ila and Adama have?
     He had no answer for that as he resumed his inspection tour.


     For over two centars, Banker and Tegran had said little to each
other beyond a few perfunctory system checks.  The awkward exchange
they?d had at the start of the patrol had taken them both out of the mood
for the normal kind of small talk pilots engaged in to make a deep patrol
more manageable.  But finally, Tegran decided he needed to say something
that had been on his mind for quite some time.
     ?You think we?ll find out what happened to Wynn??
     Banker glanced over toward his wingmate, slightly surprised that
he?d broken the silence, but he decided it was a legitimate question to
ask.
     ?My honest opinion?  No.  It?s been over two yahrens since he
disappeared.  I always figured if he didn?t crack and go off to a planet
of his own, he probably was daydreaming about something like that when he
got hit by something unexpected.  Maybe a freak meteor or comet that just
pulverized him in the blink of an eye.?
     ?You think Wynn was the type who was ready to crack?? this intrigued
Tegran.
     ?I think he was headed in that direction,? Banker grew reflective. 
?Of all the Grumblers, he was the one who took things the hardest.  Paris
once told me that Wynn tried to sound him out about staging a mutiny
because that?s how ticked he was that he hadn?t gone over to the
Galactica.?
     ?Oh boy,? Tegran grunted, ?Lords rest his soul, I always thought
Paris was the biggest of the Grumblers, but if Wynn was too extreme even
for him.......?
     ?Yeah,? Banker nodded ruefully.  ?That?s the reason why I had no
qualms about taking this patrol because I never thought there was too
much behind how Wynn disappeared.  Of course I get why Marshak copped
out.  He?s convinced that if they?d switched headings when they
separated, then what happened to Wynn would have happened to him.  I
don?t think he?s right, but I don?t blame him for thinking that.?
     ?Neither do I,? Tegran then said confidentially, ?This is off the
record, but.......Marshak  told me he was going to fake his way out of
this patrol if it meant he?d have to cover the same area again.  By the
time we get back, he?s probably going to be out of the Life Station
already.?
     ?I won?t rat him out,? Banker promised as he then looked back at his
scanner, ?We?re less than thirty centons from the planetary system
and-----,?
     His words abruptly ceased as he saw the readout on his scanner.
     ?Banker??
     ?Um.....just a micron.  Tegran, check your scanner, I thought I
glimpsed something but....my scanner shows clear.?
     ?What did you see??
     ?Well.....it was just a brief flash, like some kind of big target
contact.  It was on the outer-edge of my scan beam, so maybe it moved off
into your scan zone.?
     ?I don?t see anything.  Must have been an optical illusion.?
     ?I guess......I.....wait!? Banker exclaimed.  ?Now I?m getting
something.....flickering, it?s.....some kind of beacon transmission! 
It?s......kind of going in and out like it?s weak.?
     ?Where is it?  I?m not picking it up, so I guess I should
recalibrate my scan.?
     ?Yeah, do that.  It was......Tau sector......six....six...six. 
There!?
     ?I see.....no, now it?s gone!  But.....there it is again!  It has to
be really weak, but it?s definitely there!?
     ?I?m going to move ahead of you to try and get a sense of its
trajectory.  You hold your position and keep an eye on it,? Banker said
as he made some adjustments, and then activated his turbo.  His viper
sped further ahead, leaving Tegran behind for the moment.
     Weird, Tegran thought as he looked at his scanner and saw the beacon
indicator flickering like a light fixture that was about to burn out. 
That thing?s either coming from a long ways off or else it?s a low power
transmission from nearby.
     ?Okay, the further I go, the more steady the signal,? Banker
radioed.  ?I should have its position calibrated in a few
microns........There!  I?ve got it!?
     Before Tegran could acknowledge him his eyes widened when he saw
another object entering the scan.
     ?Banker, watch it!? he blurted.  ?Something approaching you from
Epsilon seven quadrant and coming fast!?
     ?What the frack?,?
     And then, Tegran felt a sense of sick dread when he saw the new
object almost merging with the blip that represented Banker?s viper on
his scanner.
     ?Banker!?
     Several microns of long silence that seemed like an eternity passed
for Tegran.  He didn?t let himself relax when he saw the large object
move past the blip he knew to be Banker?s.  For all he knew, his fellow
warrior?s viper could have been struck and left intact, but with the
pilot rendered unconscious or dead.
     And then he saw the blip indicating that it was executing a slow
turn back toward him.
     ?Banker, answer me!?
     ?Now, I can,? his voice was disgusted.  ?Fracking meteor came out of
nowhere!  Like a rogue.  It clipped my port flap and I was losing my
navigational control.  I had to make sure I got a perfect 180 turn
executed before I lost it completely.?
     ?Have you lost it??
     ?It?s fracked out for good.  Luckily I got myself homeward bound
before that happened.  You?ll have to carry on without me.?  
     ?Wait a micron,? Tegran bristled, ?If you have to go back to the
Pegasus now then that means I?m going back with you.?
     ?Cain wants us to find out what?s out there, Tegran, and that beacon
signal means there?s *something* on that planet system that needs to be
checked.?
     ?But not by one viper!? he refused to be intimidated, ?That was the
other part of Cain?s orders.  He wants two vipers to check this out, and
if you?re damaged and have to go home, then that means the rest of this
patrol is now scrubbed.?
     ?Look, Tegran, you may have made Lieutenant now, but under seniority
rules----,?
     ?That doesn?t apply to this patrol, Banker.  You?re pulling
Marshak?s patrol, and Marshak is only an Ensign which means I?m
technically senior for this patrol!  And I?m not investigating that
beacon on my own.?
     There was a long silence that indicated the mutual scorn in the air
between the two pilots.  Tegran knew that he was exploiting a loophole to
in effect defy someone who was technically his superior, but he didn?t
care. 
     ?All right, Tegran.  You win.  I?ve got enough on my hands trying to
keep this tub flying all the way back.  But if Cain reams your astrum
over this, don?t expect me to bail you out.?
     ?Noted,? he said as he saw Banker?s damaged viper come into view. 
?Executing turn and will stay alongside you the whole way back.?
     As soon as he finished pulling up alongside Banker?s viper and they
acknowledged their position heading, the rest of their journey back to
the home base was spent in total silence.


     ?A rogue meteor?? Cain looked across his desk at Banker and Tegran
with pyramid-faced neutrality.
     ?Yes, sir,? Banker said, his bearing ram-rod straight.  ?It came up
out of nowhere.  I had barely three microns to react.?
     ?Did your collision alarm sound?? the Juggernaut pressed.
     ?That?s the funny thing, sir, it didn?t sound.  As if there hadn?t
been enough time for it to kick in and react to a pending danger.?
     ?So if I?m getting this straight, Tegran saw this thing on his
scanner before you saw it on yours, even though it struck your viper.?
     ?I can?t vouch for whether or not there was a gap, sir,? Tegran
spoke up.  ?I simply radioed Banker that he had something approaching him
fast and he said, ?What the frack? and then there was nothing until he
reported he?d been hit by it and that his ability to maneuver was
damaged.?
     ?Okay, so maybe there wasn?t a gap between the time you two saw it. 
But in theory, you should have seen that meteor much sooner, Banker.  I
don?t know of any meteor that could move that fast and not set off the
collision alert.?
     ?But that?s what happened, Commander,? Banker was sure Cain was
trying to probe him with repeated questions to see if he?d stick to his
story.  It was a technique the Juggernaut was noted for, in order to
ferret out whether he was getting an honest report from a subordinate. 
?It was as if the thing materialized from out of nowhere in a point of
space where it was already so close I barely had time to react.?
     The silence that passed made Banker tense.  Cain?s face was still
neutral, offering no hint of what he might say next.  And the lieutenant
knew that Cain could easily in the next micron tell him that he didn?t
believe his story and that it could only have been a case of Banker not
paying attention to his scanner properly.  But to Banker?s relief, Cain
waved his hand to indicate he wasn?t going to pursue the matter further.
     ?All right, Banker, we?ll move on from that.  Let?s get to the
matter of this transmission you were picking up before the meteor
appeared.?
     ?Flickering in and out, but I did have enough time to pinpoint its
origin as the planet we would have reached in another thirty centons.?
     ?Who made the decision that Tegran wouldn?t proceed after you were
forced to turn back??
     ?I made that decision,? Tegran spoke without hesitating, ?Your
orders were explicit that two vipers had to stay together at all times. 
If Banker couldn?t continue, then neither could I.?
     ?Then you acted quite correctly,? Cain didn?t hesitate either. 
?Whatever that transmission means, it has to be investigated by more than
just one warrior.?
     Thank you, Tegran felt a wave of relief go through him.  After all
the hints he?d gotten from Captain Skyler over the last several sectars
about not having sound command instincts, a vote of confidence on a
command decision from Cain was exactly what he needed.
     ?Thank you for your report, gentlemen,? the Juggernaut leaned back
in his chair and turned it away from them, ?Dismissed.?
     The two warriors saluted and departed.  As soon as the door had
closed, Tolen knew that was his cue to finally say something.
     ?If rogue meteors can suddenly spring up from out of nowhere in that
quadrant, then that could explain why Wynn disappeared without a trace.?
     ?Possible,? Cain didn?t face him, ?Getting pulverized by a rogue
meteor before the collision alert could sound would explain it.  But even
if that were true, it still wouldn?t tell us the whole story.  What
causes something like that to happen?  Is it a freak force of nature,
or.....is it something deliberate??
     Tolen nodded.  ?And what does that transmission they picked up,
mean?  Is that genuine or is it a lure?  It could mean that Ensign Wynn?s
viper was damaged by a meteor and he had to land on the planet, and after
all this time, if he can still transmit a distress beacon it would be
weak.  Or maybe Wynn saw the same thing and that?s what lured him into
getting destroyed.?
     ?Exactly,? Cain tapped his stick against the side of his desk and
then turned around in his chair so he could face the Executive Officer,
?Which is why we have to move in and get some answers.  But I?m not
putting any vipers or raiders at risk after we nearly lost one on this
patrol.  We?ll send in a shuttle team and that way when it reaches the
planet ahead of us, there?ll be a large party that can investigate things
more thoroughly.?
     ?You think that?s a good idea?? Tolen cautioned, ?A single shuttle
without protective escort??
     ?Well, we can partially solve that problem by timing the shuttle?s
launch to when we?ve cut down on the distance to the planet.  That way
they won?t be too far from us.  And if we sent it in fully cloaked, that
would provide them with the cover they?d need if the explanation behind
that rogue meteor lies in some form of intelligence.?
     The Executive Officer nodded, ?I?d agree with that.  And you?d want
only non-viper pilots on the shuttle??
     ?With one exception,? Cain said dryly, ?Ensign Marshak?s used up his
anxiety attack quota for the rest of his career.?


     Inside the center of a vast Derelict ship, a pair of red eyes opened
after deep contemplation of events that had taken place over the last few
centars.  And then, the talon-clawed creature the eyes belonged to began
to move forward......and with each step slowly transformed into the
appearance he?d taken before the people of the Galactica and her Fleet
more than three yahrens ago.
     ?All is proceeding!? Count Iblis?s voice filled every corner of the
Derelict.

Chapter Two

     As Senior Bridge Officer, Kylie was entitled to see the full report
on what the patrol had experienced.  She?d also gotten an informal
briefing from Tolen on what Cain?s plan for the next day was.  By the
time her duty shift ended, she?d had plenty of time to think.....and to
form some opinions of her own.  Opinions that she intended to share with
Cain.  The only question was whether or not she?d be sharing them in a
personal or professional context.  It wasn?t easy to answer that since
Kylie knew that her opinions were rooted equally in both.  If she let
professionalism carry the day, then she knew she should speak to Cain
immediately about it.  If she confined it to the personal context, then a
more appropriate time would be later that evening in the privacy of their
chambers.
     As she stepped off the Bridge she knew she had to make the decision
fast, and she decided that prudence dictated the professional approach. 
Even if there were personal considerations that shaped her thinking, the
greater good would be served by addressing the matter immediately.  And
so, instead of taking the turbo-lift down to the wardroom for an evening
meal, she took it to the level that would lead directly to Cain?s office. 
Once she reached the door, she deliberately pressed the chime so that
when she entered, Cain would know she had come to see him on a matter of
duty.  If she?d entered without pressing the chime, then Cain would know
she was now off-duty and if she desired a respite in their adjoining
chambers, he?d go to the Bridge so she could have it.
     Just one of the many things we do to prove we can have a
relationship and keep the normal commander-subordinate relationship in
place, she thought as the door slid open.  It?s a fine balance to
maintain, but it has to be done.
     ?Commander,? she said formally as she approached him.
     ?Yes, Captain,? Cain returned the formal tone.
     ?I?ve been briefed by Colonel Tolen on the situation for tomorrow,
and I have some thoughts on that.?
     The Juggernaut leaned back, ?Go ahead.?
     ?Request permission to head the shuttle team.?
     A quizzical look came over her lover?s face, and she could tell
right away that a good part of it stemmed from the personal rather than
the professional.
     ?Why?? he asked.  The one-word question itself revealed that he was
treating the matter from a personal standpoint, because if it had been
professional, he might have said something on the order of, ?Is there a
reason for this request??
     ?Because now that I?m in an important position in the chain of
command, I need to justify it.  This is as good a time as any for me to
do that, especially if you?ve ruled out viper pilots from participating,
save Marshak.?
     ?It?s only been a few sectans since your promotion, Kylie,? his
voice was now devoid of formality, ?You?re still getting acclimated to
being in charge of the Bridge.?
     ?I?m already acclimated to doing things on the ground,? she injected
a forceful edge.  ?And that?s all that matters for this.?
     Cain was silent.  The silence of one who didn?t have a good answer
except something rooted in the purely personal.  She knew she now had to
bring in the personal reasons for why she wanted this assignment.
     ?But my motives in this aren?t purely professional,? she said,
?Ensign Wynn was a close friend.  We didn?t have any kind of
relationship, but......he?d made it clear to me he was interested in
having one.  And that was just before he disappeared.?
     Cain leaned back, his expression now one of mild surprise, but to
her relief there was no anger or anything she would have considered
negative.
     ?You turned him down?? he asked.
     ?Yes,? she looked him in the eye, ?I told him I wasn?t interested in
a relationship just for the sake of having one.?
     ?And.....you?ve felt guilty about that?? Cain was choosing his words
carefully, not wanting to say anything that would upset her or cause any
friction between them.
     ?No, I?ve never felt guilty about that.  If he was brooding about my
rejecting him and that made him distracted, then that was entirely his
own fault.  But.....on a human level, and because he was a friend and
someone I thought of like an older brother I never had......it?s left me
with a scar that?s never had a chance to heal.......until now.?
     Her lover slowly rose from his chair, and when he reached his full
bearing, his expression was that of the Commander, and not her lover.
     ?I?ve already ordered Marshak on this mission so he can bury the
ghost of Wynn from his past,? he said firmly, ?You?re entitled to the
same treatment......for your own good.?
     ?Thank you, sir,? she sharply saluted him.  ?Request permission to
assemble the rest of my team, in addition to Ensign Marshak, for
tomorrow?s mission.?
     ?Granted,? Cain said, and then his tone grew soft and gentle,
?Professionally, you are dismissed.  Personally......if you prefer to
select your team from your work station in chambers.....then I?ll leave
now.  Ila?s expecting me for dinner in a few centons anyway.?
     ?I appreciate that,? all traces of formality vanished from her
voice, ?I?ll have the names ready when you get back for final approval.?
     ?No, I?m going to leave that to you, Kylie,? Cain shook his head as
he came out from behind his desk.  ?Command instincts require making
those kind of decisions on your own from time to time......and they
require me to trust your judgments.?
     He stopped in front of her and looked her in the eye, ?I trust you
completely, Kylie.?
     They came together in a long, satisfying kiss.  When they released
each other, no more words were exchanged as Cain left the room.
     I?m the luckiest girl in the universe, Kylie sighed as she headed
toward the far side of the room that separated Cain?s office from their
shared chambers.


     The one thing that had concerned Ila about Cain beginning a
relationship with Kylie was whether it would have a negative impact on
the regular dinners the in-laws shared, and where they could be candid
about all things impacting their lives.  To her relief and gratitude,
they hadn?t slowed down in the least.  What Cain had gained from finding
new love with Kylie hadn?t lessened his need for what Ila had given him
in friendship and counsel.
     This evening?s dinner had gone well, with the usual sharing of
messages they?d received from the Galactica.  Cain had talked about the
thirty centons he?d spent with Boxey, who as Sheba?s stepson was as much
his grandson as he was Ila?s.  The little boy had enjoyed hearing Cain?s
account of the recent Battle of Cannes and how success had been achieved
with so few losses.
     ?The only hard part was when I was talking to Sheba alone for a few
centons after that, and she?d sent Boxey to bed,? Cain had said.  ?She
asked me about the pilots who?d been lost, and I had to tell her about
Paris and Gaspar.  She knew them both.?
     ?How?d she take it??
     ?Well...come to think of it, she seemed to be accepting about how it
was all part of the risks.  But when I mentioned how they were the first
pilots we?d lost since Ensign Wynn disappeared, she suddenly got a bit
more tight-lipped.  I don?t know why that was the case, since I don?t
remember her being that close to Wynn.,? he then shrugged, ?Of course,
before today I never knew how close Kylie had been to Wynn.  As a friend
that is.  I suppose it?s possible Sheba had the same kind of friendship
with him.?
     ?Perhaps,? Ila nodded, ?In that case, you might have some good news
for her tomorrow if that signal means he could be alive on this planet
we?re headed for.?
     Cain shook his head, ?I doubt we?ll find Wynn alive.  Telemetry
analysis of what Banker?s viper recorded couldn?t confirm whether or not
the signal matched a viper beacon.  And even if it was, it was so weak it
could easily have been a dying automatic relay from a crashed ship with a
corpse inside.?
     ?If he?s alive, he won?t be the first among us to unexpectedly
return from the dead,? Ila smiled.
     ?Ha!?
     The dinner had continued to other pleasant subjects and also the
more serious matters of the Resistance, and what they needed to
accomplish before reaching Arcta.  After it had broken up and Cain
returned to his quarters, Ila had retreated to her bed to do some
reading.  It had always been a custom of hers to read a good work of
fiction as a way of relaxing her to sleep during the long periods of
separation from her husband.  Her preference leaned toward positive,
uplifting tales of love and human relationships, and nothing dark or
cynical in tone.  The Destruction and her going underground with the
Resistance had forced her to be less discriminating in terms of what she
could read.  It wasn?t for lack of books, but the topics were more narrow
given that their hiding place was the former Agricultural Institute.  A
textbook on animal husbandry was something that could only serve the
purpose of helping her fall asleep rapidly.  Upon arriving on the
Pegasus, she?d found that Cain hadn?t maintained much of a library for
pleasure reading since his tastes had run toward military history
journals and war stories.  Kylie had provided her with some books, print
and digital from her own files and there?d even been books that had been
left behind by Pegasus crew that had been evacuated to the Galactica. 
The most amusing had been the books of Kylie?s former bunkmate, Carina,
whose tastes had run toward sub-standard Aquarian romance novels.  Books
that were largely devoid of literary merit and skated toward the tawdry
without wholly crossing the line into outright vulgarity.  It was enough
to make the literary instructor in Ila wonder why Aquarius was the one
colony that seemed to possess a perpetual knack for turning out bad
literature in so many genres.
     The new connection to the Galactica had brought new reading
opportunities for Ila.  Adama had sent her digital files of a number of
books from his own personal library, that while not from her favorite
genres, at least had the advantage of being rooted in similar themes of
positive characters and moral wisdom.  She?d been pleasantly surprised to
find that Adama had a digital copy of the book that had always occupied a
special place on his library shelf in their Caprican home called Sharky
Star-Rover.  A simple, adventure story aimed for a young adult audience
that she knew Adama had treasured since his own childhood, which
accounted for why her husband?s copy was so well-worn from many yahrens
of re-reading.  Adventure stories were a genre Ila had respected without
getting into, but ever since she?d become a Resistance member and gone
through one set of adventures after another, she had a better
appreciation for them.
     And so, tonight she?d gone through the digital version of Sharky
Star-Rover, expecting to fall asleep to pleasant dreams of high adventure
or ones rooted in themes of friendship. 
     It turned out to be anything but.


     The dream was like the kind of dream Ila recalled experiencing more
than once before the Pegasus had succeeded in making contact with the
Galactica.  The kind of dream that with hindsight had convinced her she
was ?tuning in? to what was happening aboard her husband?s ship at that
very same point of time.  It was one of those dreams that she?d first
seen Apollo, looking different from before with his beard and equitail. 
And when she?d seen Boxey for the first time.  She?d found out later that
Adama, Sheba, Bojay and even Kylie?s old roommate Carina had experienced
similar dreams in which they?d been ?tuned in? to the Pegasus and been
able to discern the possibility that she, Ila, was alive.
     This time, Ila could see Sheba and Apollo in their chambers. 
Attending to their baby daughter Bethany Two and then dismissing the
nurse med-tech for the night.  Following them into their
chambers........Lords don?t let me see something I?ve no right to see! 
She thought.  But then she realized that her son and daughter-in-law
didn?t look as if romance was on their minds.  If anything......Sheba
seemed to have a troubled expression as she talked with her husband. 
Like before, Ila couldn?t make out the words at first.  They had a
hollow, distant quality, but slowly they assumed greater clarity and she
could make out the conversation.
     ?Apollo.....haven?t we gone long enough without telling them what we
know about Wynn?  I know it?s not going to be easy to explain,
but.......now that they?re past Cannes Garrison, they?ve got a lot of
down time on their hands and it seems like this is the right time to let
them know.?
     ?You?re probably right.  We?ve been putting it off for a long time,
and with Cannes behind them, we?ve run out of excuses.  I?ll talk to my
father about it tomorrow.  I know he?s been dreading the moment too,
because......how can you explain something like that, and what the danger
really means??
     ?We could have at least told them to beware of.......? abruptly the
voices grew hollow and hard to make out again.  In her subconscious, Ila
could feel the kind of frustration she used to feel whenever her home
vidcom system would suddenly falter during the middle of a live drama
broadcast.  Come on!  But after a few microns, the voices came back up
and she could now hear Sheba clearly again.
     ?.......after all, the two agro-techs on board the Pegasus, Wallis
and Kelli, were here when he was doing all those tricks everyone kept
calling miracles.  I?m surprised they haven?t heard his name from them at
least.?
     ?If they?re like everyone else in our population who remembers him,
they only recall a mystery man who came and went without a trace.  They
wouldn?t have any inkling of who he really was.....or is.?
     ?You?re probably right, but.....that means we *really* need to act
quickly on this now.?
     ?I agree.  But I think the tricky part won?t be so much explaining
him and what happened to Wynn but what he might try next.  We already
know how.....unexpected he can be.?
     ?I know,? Sheba seemed to shudder in horror, ?If he might try
something against my father or your mother......it won?t be any way we
could anticipate.?
     And then suddenly......the images of her son and daughter-in-law
grew fuzzy and indistinct, like the loss of a distant video transmission. 
If anyone had wandered into her chambers at that instant they would have
seen her tossing and turning in bed with a frustrated air, reflecting the
frustration she now felt within the dream.
     Who are you talking about?  What is it you know about Ensign Wynn
and what?s the connection?  And why would we be in danger?
     An ordinary person?s subconscious would have reacted to such a dream
by trying to force herself awake and take consolation in the fact that it
was only a dream that meant nothing.  But Ila?s intelligence and
perception was anything but ordinary.  She *knew* this was no mere dream. 
She was listening in on an actual conversation far across the stars
between her son and daughter-in-law and this was information of great
importance to her and Cain.  Yet it was maddeningly incomplete.  Just
barely out of reach in the same way they were out of reach whenever they
conversed over video monitors.
     So she continued to sleep.  Trying to summon back the conversation
and its meaning or to find some other place to ?tune in? to.  By sheer
determination she wanted to see if she could find out the critical piece
that was missing.  
     And because of that......when it was time for the shuttle to leave
the Pegasus and begin its journey to the planet that was the source of
the flickering transmissions picked up yesterday.......Ila was still deep
in the throes of a restless sleep.


     When Kylie arrived in Alpha Bay, appropriately wearing combat dress,
she saw the five members of the team standing in an orderly row in front
of the shuttle.  Four warriors and one Cylon.  With one exception, they?d
been picked by her without even utilizing the CAP system for guidance. 
It had come down to her own instincts since she knew her position
dictated knowing the capabilities of those who were now her subordinates
after more than six yahrens of being her peers.
     The warriors she?d chosen were like her, veterans of the ground
assault on Cannes Two.  Once again, Sergeants McCalla and Keuchel would
be flying the shuttle.  Once again, Sergeant Bernabe, who had dodged
enemy fire with her before would be there.  The only ?newcomer? she?d
chosen was the lone Cylon, Centurion Serpentine.  He was one of the
original group of four headed by Commander Cobre who?d been found on the
abandoned Cylon garrison at Delta Aquinas, and who?d been the first to
demonstrate the signs of Enlightenment that the Pegasus eventually
learned was a widespread phenomenon in the Cylon Empire.  They had also,
thanks to the Zykonians at Brylon Station, been given human voices to
replace their original synthesized ones.  Unlike the Cylon pilots who?d
joined the Pegasus later after the Gomorrah truce, Serpentine, along with
Commander Cobre and Centurion Festus (the fourth member of their team,
Centurion Lucifer, had stayed behind on Gomorrah to act as the go-between
with the new Enlightened Cylon leadership on the planet) did all their
work in the Electronics Lab assisting Dr. Arnoff.  Synthesizing data,
assisting in technical experiments and also ready to perform the kind of
analytical work on a planetary mission that a lab tech would have done in
the past.  But with so few people left on the Pegasus who were qualified
to do that, it made Festus and Serpentine the logical candidates to
choose from if a mission required the presence of a lab tech analyst.  In
the end, Kylie had chosen Serpentine over Festus since Festus had already
had his ?turn? so to speak on the Weather Planet and she?d also gotten
the vibe that ?Festy? preferred the environment of the lab to planetary
missions.  So Serpentine it would be for this mission.
     The odd one out was Marshak.  His presence had been dictated by
Cain, because like her, he needed to directly confront the likely fate of
Ensign Wynn and after bluffing his way out of the patrol yesterday, he?d
been left with no choice.  Kylie intended to keep a close watch on the
recently promoted Ensign.  Marshak had long had a reputation for being
competent as opposed to exceptional which was why he?d lagged behind a
number of his peers who?d gotten to officer rank much sooner.  That had
included Wynn.
     As Kylie drew up in front of the group, she was briefly surprised
when the four humans all gave her sharp salutes in perfect unison.  This
was something she hadn?t experienced since her promotion, and she needed
an extra half-micron to remember to return it.  As she lowered her arm,
she chided herself and vowed to never let that happen again.
     ?Okay, let?s get going,? she motioned them to step inside the
shuttle.  She waited for them to enter and once she stepped inside, she
saw that Bernabe and Marshak had chosen to pair up in the back row, which
meant that she?d be sitting next to Serpentine throughout the journey.
     I should have expected that, she sighed as she sat next to the Cylon
and waited for McCalla and Keuchel to go through the pre-flight
checklist.
     ?This should prove to be an interesting experience.?
     It took Kylie a few microns to realize the voice was that of
Serpentine, addressing her.  Thank the Lords his voice isn?t like the
other Cylons!
     ?Yes,? she managed to smile.  ?It should be.?
     And then she felt herself driven back in her seat as the shuttle
launched and cleared the Pegasus landing bay.


     ?Status??
     Tolen turned around and wasn?t surprised to see Cain on the Bridge
this early in the cycle. Any mission that took Kylie off the Pegasus was
something he would monitor the progress of from start to finish.
     ?Alpha Shuttle left five centons ago.  ETA to the solar system is
forty-five centons.?
     ?And our ETA at normal speed??
     ?Four centars.?
     Cain moved to the edge of the rail so he could look down below at
the work station where Bridge Officer Jacks manned the helm and scanners. 
The position that had once been Kylie?s.
     ?Jacks, concentrate all scanners ahead of us.  I want the shuttle in
our scanning range for as long as possible.  Also check for any signs of
unexpected meteors or comets or anything that pops into the quadrant that
shouldn?t be there at first glance.?
     ?Yes, sir.?
     He?ll never let himself show it, but inside he?s anxious about her,
Tolen thought as he looked at Cain, hunched over the upper deck railing. 
The only question is......how would he react if something ever *did*
happen to her?
     That was the one thing that had made Tolen apprehensive about Cain?s
relationship with Kylie.  He knew the Juggernaut had benefited from
it......but if he ever lost her as a result of combat or a simple
mishap........would Cain lose the will to command?
     That was a nightmare Tolen knew he didn?t want to face, ever. 
Especially since it would mean only one thing if that were to happen.


     ?We?ve moved out of communications range of the Pegasus,? Keuchel
turned around to face Kylie as he gave the report.
     ?Thank you,? she nodded, deciding it would be too deferential to
smile.  That was another fine point Cain had taught her regarding command
authority, and how it often required assuming an air of above-the-fray
aloofness most of the time instead of polite courtesy.
     ?ETA to planet?? she then added.
     ?Thirty centons.? the sound of a ping caused his head to jerk back,
?And we are getting a transmission beacon indicator!?
     ?Location pinpointed?? Kylie rose from her seat and cautiously made
her way up towards the pilot seats.
     ?Definitely originates on the planet itself,? McCalla said as he
glanced down at the scanner while keeping his hand on the control.  Not
originating off the planet in some kind of orbital position, it is
something at ground level.?
     Kylie glanced down at the scanner, and frowned slightly.  She?d
spent six yahrens studying scanner indications on the Bridge and knew a
lot of visual clues by instinct.
     ?That seems to be a bit stronger than what the telemetry data from
Banker?s viper indicated yesterday,? she noted.  ?That one was flickering
as if it was much weaker.?
     ?If it?s the same one,? Keuchel ventured.
     ?True,? Kylie nodded, ?We can?t confirm that yet, but it is
something to take note of as we get closer and when we arrive.  Stay on
it.?
     She turned to head back to her seat, and in the row behind her, she
could see the tight-lipped expression on Marshak?s face.  The last man
from the Pegasus to have seen Wynn alive was clearly feeling a burst of
inner anxiety.
     So am I , the Captain thought as she resumed her seat next to
Serpentine.


     ?Cain??
     The Juggernaut slowly turned around from his hunched position over
the railing and was surprised to see his in-law standing there.
     ?Hello, Ila,? he said.  ?What brings you to the Bridge??
     ?Have you shut off direct contact to the Galactica for now?? there
was an air of concern in the blonde Academician?s voice.
     Cain straightened himself out, ?I?m afraid so, Ila.  We need all our
power to scan ahead of us, and I can?t afford any drainages for now.  If
you need to send a message to the Galactica, it?ll have to wait until we
reach planetary orbit, and even then, it can?t be a direct communique.?
     ?I.....see,? her expression grew tight-lipped.  ?There?s nothing you
can do about that??
     ?Not under these conditions,? his eyes narrowed, ?Is this a serious
emergency??
     ?No......not really.  Nothing that justifies disrupting operations,?
she started to back away like someone engaging in a hasty retreat.  ?You
let me know when its okay to transmit.  I won?t bother you anymore about
it.?
     ?I will,? Cain?s puzzlement grew.  The Academician?s behavior was
completely out of character from the Ila he knew.  There had to be
something bothering her that made her want to make direct contact with
the Galactica. 
     It must be something personal.  But I thought she?d cleared the air
with Adama about Colonel Antony.  What could be troubling her?
     With a shrug he turned back and resumed his hunched posture over the
upper deck railing. 


     As soon as Ila was off the Bridge, she leaned against a bulkhead
wall and let out a slow exhale, trying to calm the inner tensions inside
her that had been present since she?d awaken from her long and troubled
sleep.  She knew it would have been foolish to have asked Cain to open
communications to the Galactica just so she could ask questions of Apollo
and Sheba about a dream she?d had.  Even though Cain had been through an
experience similar to Ila?s on the night Sheba had given birth, the
Juggernaut still had an air of cautious reserve when it came to acting on
such impulses.  Perhaps if he?d experience a dream like Ila?s last night
he might have been open to it.  Her word alone wouldn?t be sufficient. 
Especially when the power dream could put the Pegasus at risk by not
having fully active scanners in a potentially hostile region of space.
     What do I do now?
     Thinking back to the dream and what she?d been able to hear, she
realized there was one avenue open to her.  That meant paying a trip down
to the Agro-Lab for a talk with Wallis and Kelli.  When she arrived
several centons later, the two Galactica refugees were busy at work over
the makeshift garden they had created for agro-experiments.  The amount
of food they could generate was minuscule but they knew every scrap they
could force-grow could mean saving an entire cycle?s worth of stored crop
concentrates.
     ?Hello, Professor!? Wallis waved as he held a watering can in the
other hand.
     ?Hi, Ila!? his wife also waved from her position on the opposite
side of the garden.
     ?Hi,? the Academician kept up a friendly facade.  ?Am I interrupting
something important??
     ?No, just routine,? Wallis finished watering the vegetable plants
and set the can down.  ?Another two sectans and the crew will have some
freshly picked greens to go with their meals.  They could use some
diversity in the veggie department.?
     ?Don?t we all,? Ila chuckled and then grew serious.  ?Do you have a
few centons??
     ?Sure,? Kelli set her tools down and came up to Ila, ?Can I get you
anything??
     ?No thank you.  I.....was wondering if the two of you could help me
on something that I think Adama was referring to in a recent message of
his.  Something that took place when you two were still in the Fleet.?
     ?Sure,? Wallis pressed the button that would seal the garden under a
protective transparent tylinium cover.  When it snapped into place, he
leaned against it and folded his arms, ?What?s it about??
     Ila took a breath, ?Was there ever a time when there was someone in
the Fleet who.....developed some kind of reputation as a miracle man??
     The two of them frowned.  ?I?m not sure what you mean, Ila,? Kelli
said.
     ?It?s.....hard to explain.  Communications with the Galactica are in
a shutdown mode for now, so I can?t follow-up with Adama about this,
but......was there ever a stranger of some kind who became known for
performing incredible miraculous feats and who then disappeared after
that?  A kind of mystery man of sorts??
     The husband and wife agro-techs traded glances in mutual confusion. 
But a slow dawning seemed to come over Wallis first.
     ?Oh yes,? the Piscean native nodded.  ?I remember now.  Not long
after we were separated from the Pegasus.  Some stranger who suddenly
appeared before us and was promising he could do all kinds of miracles
about our food shortages and could even help us to find Earth,? he looked
over at his wife, ?Kell, don?t you remember that time Carmichael had us
look over those fruits that grew to twice their normal size in just a few
cycles?  The rumor was that he was responsible for it.?
     ?Yes,? Kelli said, ?But wasn?t he exposed as a fraud?  All of a
sudden after making all those fantastic promises, and even taking credit
for Baltar?s capture, he just disappeared.  I don?t think there was any
kind of explanation about what happened to him.?
     ?That?s true,? Wallis admitted.  ?Now that I think about it, there
was just some kind of brief statement that he?d decided to go back among
his people.  And no one ever bothered to ask anything about him again.?
     ?What was his name?? Ila was finding this level of confirmation
about her dream unsettling, but she kept a perfect Pyramid face.
     ?Ummm......? Wallis snapped his fingers as he tried to recall,
?Kell, do you remember??
     ?It was Count something,? his wife was also struggling with the
memory, ?Count..... Eebow, no that?s not it.  Count.....Iblis!  That was
it!?
     ?Yes,? Wallis nodded vigorously.  ?That was his name.  Count Iblis.?
     ?Thank you,? Ila acknowledged.  ?That?s a big help.?
     ?Why is this important?? the male agro-tech asked.
     ?I was just curious about this circumspect reference I?d read in a
message from Adama,? Ila wasn?t about to be candid with either of them. 
?I didn?t think it would do any harm to do some checking if you two knew
something about it.?
     Wallis then seemed to hesitate, and immediately Ila saw the look of
someone who knew something else but wasn?t sure if he should reveal it.
     ?Is there something else??
     He took a breath, ?Well.....I?m not sure it means anything, but it
would sound a bit awkward if I mentioned this extra detail I remember
about Count Iblis.  Not something I witnessed, but something Carmichael,
the operations chief of the Agro-Ship told me he?d seen.?
     ?What was it?? Ila?s curiosity was piqued and from the look on
Kelli?s face it was clear she didn?t know what her husband was about to
reveal.
     ?Ummm.....please understand, Professor, I don?t think it means
anything now, and maybe it?s the reason why Commander Adama was
circumspect about it, especially now that......well now that Captain
Apollo and Lieutenant Sheba are married.? 
     ?What does that have to do with it?? her confusion deepened.
     ?You?ve lost me, Walli,? even Kelli was baffled.  ?What are you
talking about??
     The agro-tech exhaled uneasily, ?This is what Carmichael told me. 
He was going through the main public garden of the Agro-Ship, which is
located right under the big dome.  It?s a place that?s opened to the
public on a limited basis where all you have to do is sign in and you can
wander through the place for about thirty centons minimum and if no one
else shows up, you can linger longer.  But Agro-Personal have free rein
at all times, so that?s why Carmichael was tending to some plants off the
main walkway and they didn?t know he was there.?
     ?Who didn?t know he was there?? Ila wished he would get to the
point.  When Wallis felt uncomfortable or intimidated in someone?s
presence it made him tend to stammer and go in circles.  It reminded her
of the first day she and Cain had met the agro-tech on Brylon Station,
when he?d been desperate to find a chance to get him and his family off
the planet they?d jumped ship from the Galactica to settle on.
     ?Well......Count Iblis was with Sheba.  She was giving him a tour of
the gardens, and when Carmichael spotted them, they were........? he
trailed off and lowered his head.  His face had now turned three shades
of red.
     Kelli decided to finish his thought, ?Kissing?  Is that what was
going on??
     Her husband looked over at her as though to avoid looking at Ila,
?That?s what Carmichael said.  He....made a hasty retreat after that to
make sure they didn?t know he?d been there.?
     He finally forced himself to look at the blonde Academician, who had
a stupefied look.  She?d heard something that went completely against any
expectation she might have had.
     ?Professor, I don?t think it meant anything.  If it did, it became
irrelevant a long time ago, since this was long before she and your son
got sealed to each other.?
     ?I?m sure of that,? Ila?s voice was barely above a mumble,
?That?s......all you can recall about this......Count Iblis??
     ?That?s all.  He was just.....there for a while and became a big
news story, and then suddenly he wasn?t there any longer.?
     ?And no one ever bothered to ask why he?d just left??
     ?I think people may have wondered, but it wasn?t the sort of thing
they kept dwelling on.  There were other things we had to worry about
after he was gone.?
     ?I see,? the Academician licked her lips, ?Wallis, Kelli, thank you
for telling me this.  I?m sure Adama will give me the full explanation
about it, but it?s likely to be done in confidence.?
     ?We understand, Ila,? Kelli said reassuringly, ?I?m sure it?s just
like what Walli said.  There probably weren?t any serious repercussions.?
     ?I?ll let you two get back to work,? Ila gave them a friendly
goodbye, but inside she was anxious to get out of the room and collect
herself.  The Agro-Techs had revealed one piece of the puzzle to her, but
it remained maddeningly incomplete.  Too incomplete to provide context to
the dream she?d had of Apollo and Sheba conversing.
     And how is this Count Iblis connected to Ensign Wynn?  She thought
as she left the Agro-Lab and began to walk aimlessly through the
corridors of the Pegasus.
     Only a direct talk with her husband on the Galactica could answer
that question.  And for now, that option was closed to her.

Chapter Three

     ?ETA to planet, ten centons,? Keuchel reported, ?Signal remains
strong.?
     ?And no sign of rogue meteors?? Kylie inquired.
     ?None,? the co-pilot shook his head.
     The captain settled back in her seat and decided it was time to make
a tactical decision.  ?When we reach planetary orbit and finish taking
full scan.....standby to deactivate cloaking device.  I don?t want us to
land fully cloaked if it isn?t necessary.?
     ?Ma?am,? Keuchel acknowledged.  That meant he wasn?t going to
follow-up her order with a question and would accept it completely.
     So far, so good, Kylie thought.  Stay relaxed.  You?re doing fine.
     ?It would seem most unlikely that this signal represents signs of a
large population,? Serpentine said.  ?It clearly fits the pattern of
something solitary in nature.  Whoever or whatever is responsible for it
is likely quite alone.?
     ?Logical,? she nodded and then looked at the Cylon, ?Not likely to
be from what?s left of a sleeper contingent as your group originally
was??
     ?Hmmm,? Serpentine mused.  Even though he now had a voice that would
allow him to chuckle, it was an emotional reaction that he had yet to
summon from within his now enlightened circuits.  ?No, not likely.  Our
data banks have already confirmed that this uncharted planet was never of
interest to Cylon strategists.  It is quite.......off the beaten path as
I think you might say.?
     Kylie was impressed by his use of the human metaphor.  ?Yes, it is. 
It?s well outside the path traveled by the Agro-settlers who colonized
Serenity and the adjoining systems, as well as the Luddites who settled
Attila and Cannes.?
     ?And only if there existed an alien race deemed an equal menace to
humanity by the High Command, would a Cylon outpost have been justified. 
Based on that intelligence, combined with the background details of the
last flight of this Ensign Wynn, I would compute the odds of this signal
being related to his disappearance as......roughly even.  It would be the
most logical of explanations, but owing to incomplete data, we must make
allowances for the unknown.?
     ?But when you say even odds that this is related to Ensign Wynn that
does not take into account whether he is alive or dead,? Kylie noted.
     ?No.  Whether he lives or not is not part of those calculations. 
Only that this is related to what happened to him.?
     ?I admire your thoroughness, Serpentine,? the captain allowed
herself a faint smile as she settled back in her seat.  Lords of Kobol,
when did I ever talk so......formally?  It sounds so unnatural, but like
Cain said, that?s how you *have* to talk in the presence of subordinates
and you?re in command.
     ?Captain?? 
     Kylie glanced to her right and saw Marshak standing in the aisle.
     ?Yes, Ensign??
     ?Captain.....when we land, you?ll need to send out an advance team
first to check the source of the signal as a safety precaution, right??
     Her eyes narrowed, ?Yes.  Prudence dictates putting us down some
distance from the source so an advance team can check it out first.?
     ?Then you know what I?m about to ask.?
     The attractive brunette nodded, ?Yes.  You want to go with the
advance team to make the first report,? she deliberately skipped a beat,
?Permission granted.?
     ?Thank you, Captain,? Marshak was relieved, ?I appreciate the chance
to compensate for my.....untimely illness yesterday.?
     ?Of course,? she gave him a knowing smile that she knew Marshak had
been faking and he knew she knew, but they?d never say so directly.  That
kind of game would help Marshak regain his confidence for this mission
where so much was riding on the line for him.
     Several more centons passed with just an isolated remark from
Serpentine that Kylie only gave the barest of polite acknowledgment to. 
And then came the report from Keuchel and McCalla that they were entering
orbit and undertaking a full scan of the planet.  From her vantage point,
Kylie could tell that it was somewhat reddish in color, which didn?t seem
promising if it lacked the vegetation that would have been needed for
someone to survive more than two yahrens.
     ?Scanning shows no signs of industrial development or technology,?
McCalla read.  ?Atmosphere is capable of sustaining human life.?
     ?So far, so good,? Bernabe muttered from the back row.
     ?Imprecise readings on vegetation.......can not pinpoint life forms,
if any.?
     Kylie frowned.  She?d read enough scanner readouts in her career to
know that if atmosphere could be analyzed, so too could vegetation.  The
life form reading didn?t surprise her too much, since she also knew from
experience that if a planetoid contained only a handful of life forms, it
wouldn?t register on a scanner from a general orbital reading.  But the
only way readings on vegetation could be imprecise would be if there were
only scattered pockets and not a widespread amount.
     ?Transmission source isolated??
     ?Locked onto it,? McCalla said.  ?We can bring her in as close as we
want to.?
     ?Deactivate cloaking device and put us down no closer than five
kilometrons from it,? the Captain said.  ?If there?s any radon
contamination emanating from the source, I want us to keep a safe enough
distance.?
     ?Cloaking device deactivated,? Keuchel said, ?Beginning deorbital
entry.?
     As the smoothness of space gave way to the bumping and buffeting
associated with the shuttle?s exposure to an atmosphere, Kylie felt her
body tensing, not from any concern that a rough landing was in store for
them, but because they were getting ever so closer to a moment of truth. 
One that would either provide excited joy and relief, or deflated
disappointment.
     If he is alive......how would he react to my promotion and my being
Cain?s lover, now?  Especially after he was practically pleading for me
to go to bed with him before he disappeared?
     The cloud cover of the atmosphere lifted and Kylie could see a
reddish tinged sky that matched the planet?s look from space.  That
struck her odd since the analysis didn?t indicate a red sun for this
planetary system so the sky?s appearance couldn?t stem from that.  It
would have to be something on the planet itself that accounted for it.
     ?Our scanner can?t come up with the specifics on what kind of
vegetation this planet has,? McCalla said, ?But apparently the vegetation
is the reason for why everything looks red.?
     That explains that, the Senior Bridge Officer thought.  This whole
planet is getting more curious by the micron.
     As if he?d been reading her mind, Serpentine then commented, ?Most
unusual.  My data base can not account for any type of known vegetation
that could create this atmospheric coloring.  Certainly nothing known to
Cylons or humans.?
     ?At bare minimum we?re going to come back from this mission with our
data bases expanded.?
     The shuttle glided to a gentle landing that produced no rough bumps
from uneven terrain that the crew could detect.  Once the two pilots had
shut down the engines they went through the post-flight checklist.
     ?We are just under one kilometron from the source, located right in
front of us,? McCalla said.  ?Exterior temperature is 85 degrees and
stable.  Signs of minor surface dust blowing about, not too serious but
it?s enough to keep us from having a visual fix from here.  Preliminary
scan indicates a metallic object, the right length to be a viper craft.?
     ?Radon leak indications?? Kylie asked as she rose from her seat.
     ?None indicated.?
     She looked toward the back, ?Marshak, you and Serpentine get in the
landram and cover the distance.  If there?s no radon at the source, then
you can get out and take up-close readings.  Report back on open
com-line.?
     The Leonine ensign and the Cylon technician rose and disappeared
toward the back of the shuttle to where the landram was stored in the
adjoining compartment.  The next phase of the operation would depend on
what they discovered.


     ?ETA to communications range with the shuttle?? Cain asked, still
hunched in the same position he?d maintained on the upper deck for most
of the last centar.  The Juggernaut had paused to take the requisite
micron needed to stretch his limbs but inevitably he went back to the
same position as before.  
     I wish he?d vary things a bit, Tolen thought.  He?s making me
nervous just by revealing how nervous he is inside about all this.
     ?Commander, we?ve got a meteor bearing down on us on the port flank! 
ETA to impact, twelve microns!?  Jacks urgently shouted.
     ?Lock port laser gun on target, now!? Cain ordered.  
     Gunnery Officer Falstaff, quickly switched on the appropriate attack
computer and right away could see the large object moving rapidly across
the screen on a diagonal track.  He would have barely a micron or two at
most to get the job done.  His thickly shaped thumb immediately pressed
the red button.
     ?Direct hit!? the gunner officer shouted.  ?Meteor blasted into
non-lethal fragments.?
     ?Second meteor approaching from starboard!? Jacks warned.
     ?Increase speed to full sub-light!  Program course for planet and
prepare for hyper-jump in ten microns!?
     ?Course is locked into helm!?  Jacks felt the burst of speed in the
battlestar cause him to push back in his chair. 
     ?Hyper speed!?
     And then, just one half micron before the second meteor would have
struck the Pegasus in its forward starboard region, the battlestar had
left that region of space behind her, leaving the meteor to wander about
aimlessly through the open void.
     No one was there to see it suddenly wink out of existence.


     ?Commander Cain has a remarkable sense of acumen,? the minion who
had called herself Helena said as she watched events unfold in the
favored presence of her Master.
     Count Iblis looked at her and smirked, ?I wonder where he gets that
from??
     She looked at him and matched the knowing smirk.


     As Marshak took the landram across the dusty terrain, his mind was
two yahrens back in the past to that last patrol with Wynn.  How his
friend had embraced becoming an officer as a way to combat the sense of
dead-end frustration that had settled in for the Grumblers of the
Pegasus.  It had haunted him many times over the last two yahrens,
especially when things changed for the Pegasus and the news of the
Resistance restored purpose to everyone?s life again.  Now he could
picture Wynn being back in his proper element again.  No longer a
Grumbler and anxious to serve.  What existed now on the Pegasus was a
scenario made for Ensign Wynn to make his mark.
     And I?ve missed you, you old madacca, Marshak sighed as he adjusted
the landram so it didn?t go too fast.  I?d give anything to see you back
with us again.  I hope by all the Lords this signal means you?re alive
somewhere on this rock.
     ?We are one kilometron from arrival to contact,? Serpentine was
sending the reports back to the shuttle.  ?No levels of radon emissions
whatsoever.  It should be quite safe to move the shuttle into closer
proximity.?
     ?We?ll take that under advisement when you finish your up-close
study, Serpentine,? Kylie radioed back.
     ?By your command,? the centurion said out of old force-of-habit,
even though Commander Cobre had told him repeatedly to avoid it.
     Once a Cylon, always a Cylon, Marshak couldn?t help but smirk as he
kept the landram on track.  When the scanner indicated they were just a
hundred meters away he gently powered back and brought the vehicle to a
stop.  Despite the swirling levels of dust, the Colonial Warrior and
Cylon Centurion both recognized what lay before them.  A completely
intact Colonial Viper craft.


     ?Exit hyperdrive!? Cain barked.
     The Pegasus immediately slowed and on the viewing screen the stars
were no longer streaks darting past them.  
     ?We came out approximately thirty centons shy of the planet,? Jacks
reported.  ?Proceed at normal speed??
     ?Yeah, might as well.  Keep scanners active for any more signs of
rogue meteors.?
     ?Yes, sir.?
     ?Altair, can you make contact with the shuttle??
     ?They must be on the ground, Commander.  We?ll need to close to
planetary orbit to raise them through the atmospherics.?
     ?Okay, stand by on that.?
     Cain finally relaxed from the hunched position and looked over at
Tolen, ?One rogue meteor I can buy as a natural phenomenon.  Two of them
in a matter of microns is a coincidence I don?t like.?
     ?And telemetry indicates if either of those hit us at their full
size, we would have taken some serious damage in vital sections,? the
executive officer noted.
     ?So you?re on the same wavelength I am, Colonel?? Cain gently
prodded, ?That those meteors were the product of some kind of
intelligence??
     ?Only for one reason.? Tolen said, ?About five yahrens back, there
was an intelligence report that said the Cylons were trying to construct
a navigable vessel camouflaged as an entire asteroid.  And then they had
to abandon it as too impractical.  So yeah, I can believe its possible
someone?s succeeded in doing something like that.  Causing meteors to
move independently through space and without warning.?
     ?Let?s find out if our resident expert has any thoughts on that.? 
He went over to his console to contact the lab.  A few microns later, he
had Commander Cobre on the monitor and was asking the lead Cylon aboard
the battlestar about the intelligence report Tolen had referenced.
     ?Oh yes, the Lucifer data banks do mention that.  But they?re also
quite clear that such a product never went past the laboratory study
phase because it was *much* too cumbersome and complex to develop.?
     ?But those would be the data banks up to a yahren ago,? Cain pointed
out, ?No chance that a breakthrough could have happened since then??
     ?Even allowing for a quantum leap in development, it would not
follow that such a device would become fully operational within a
yahren,? the lead Cylon said in the voice that had once been that of the
IL Cylon, Lucifer.  ?And surely if the High Command had achieved such a
miraculous breakthrough, they would not be using it in this section of
space when they are still unaware of our presence.?
     ?I would agree with your analysis, Commander Cobre,? Cain smiled. 
?Thank you.?
     He shut the vidcom off and turned back to Tolen, ?Well, there you
have it, Colonel.  If what we?re dealing with is the product of some kind
of intelligence, it couldn?t possibly be Cylon.?
     Tolen folded his arms, ?Which would mean we?d be dealing with a
completely different kind of alien life form, previously unknown to us.?
     Before Cain could say anything, the vidcom became active again and
Ila?s face filled the screen.  Immediately, he could tell that the blonde
Academician was in an agitated state, which wasn?t normal for her.  
     ?Yes, Ila?? her in-law leaned over to answer it.
     ?What just happened?? her voice reflected the agitated look.  ?I
almost got thrown out of my chair when we made that jump to hyperdrive.?
     ?We had to dodge a couple of those meteors ourselves, Ila,? he said
reassuringly.  ?Situation?s under control.  We?ll be in planetary orbit
in less than a centar.?
     ?Any word from them??
     ?Not yet.  Probably premature at this point.?
     Ila took a breath, ?Cain, if you can just give me five centons to
contact the Galactica, I?d appreciate it.?
     His visage hardened, ?Ila......just how serious a matter is this??
     ?If you put this on secure circuit, I can explain better.?
     He made an adjustment to the monitor and then keyed his headset,
while simultaneously motioning Tolen to leave the upper level.  The
executive officer dutifully nodded and headed for the stairwell.  When he
was halfway down, he turned briefly to look back.
     First he?s nervous about Kylie.  Now the Professor?s nervous about
something.  It?s getting contagious because now *I?m* feeling nervous!


     Before leaving the landram, Marshak donned a filtration mask to
protect himself from the blowing dust.  Then he and Serpentine, who
needed no such precautions walked the final ten meters to the viper craft
that stood alone in the barren landscape.
     ?Okay, we?re taking a closer look,? the Leonine ensign radioed back,
?The tail marking is definitely Wynn?s viper.  Matches it perfectly.?
     ?And it?s clearly not an illusion or a holo-projection?? Kylie?s
voice crackled through his headset.  
     Marshak rapped his fist against the underside of the viper, ?If it?s
a holo-projection, it?s in three-dimensions.  It?s here all right and
Serpentine sees it clearly too.?
     ?That is quite correct,? the centurion said.  ?The viper is
unquestionably there.  And yet.....there is something unusual about it.?
     ?In what way?? the Captain asked.
     ?Your Ensign Wynn disappeared two yahrens ago, did he not??
     ?Yes, that?s correct.  Two yahrens ago.?
     ?My preliminary observation indicates that this viper could not
possibly have been here for that long a period.?
     Marshak?s head jerked toward the Cylon in response to his words. 
The long silence on the com-line indicated the equally surprised reaction
on Kylie?s part.
     ?How can you tell?? she finally asked.
     ?If this had been here for two yahrens, it would be well covered in
the dust that flies about.  There is only a thin coating suggesting that
its presence here is somewhat......recent.?
     ?What about that, Marshak??
     The ensign was baffled, ?Captain, I?m not sure.  I agree, it doesn?t
look weatherbeaten from long-term exposure, but......if this ship had
been flying recently there?d be hot exhaust traces or at the very least
some visible residue on the ground.  I can tell right away this has a
cold engine that hasn?t been fired up in a long time.?
     ?Okay, stand by there.  We?re going to narrow the distance and set
down next to you.?
     ?Yes, ma?am.?


     Cain had finished listening to Ila?s account of her dream and why
she felt she needed to contact the Galactica to confirm the account.
     ?You?re absolutely certain you heard Wynn?s name mentioned in the
dream??
     ?Yes, Cain.  Twice.  And then they started talking about someone
that Wallis and Kelli remembered when I talked to them about it, as if
there was some kind of connection between this.....Count Iblis person
they encountered  and what happened to Wynn.?
     The Juggernaut was silent as he took in all that she?d said.  
     ?It doesn?t make sense,? he finally said.  ?I?ve mentioned Wynn?s
name to them before.  If they really know what happened to him, then why
didn?t they say anything??
     ?If you let me contact the Galactica, I can get the answer to that. 
If Adama?s the only one I can talk to, I?m sure it?s something he
probably knows too and Kobol knows he?s not going to hold anything back
from me after I made my confession to him about Colonel Antony.?
     Cain felt himself tensing.  He knew this was something that merited
direct contact.  And yet.....after what they?d just gone through with the
rogue meteors, they would need every scrap of power to guard against
another sudden appearance by using their scanners to the fullest.  A real
time conversation with the Galactica could easily deny them of the power
they?d need to deal with another unexpected crisis.
     ?Wait a micron, Ila,? he put his headset into a mute setting and
went back to the railing.
     ?ETA to planetary orbit?? he called down.
      Tolen, who was standing in back of Jacks?s console turned around
and looked up.  ?Fifteen centons.?
     ?Scanner?s clear,? Jacks chimed in.
     Which doesn?t really mean anything given how quick those two came up
from out of nowhere.  But I have to make my decision and fast!
     The Juggernaut then made it.


     The shuttle only needed twenty microns to cover the short distance
that brought it up to the landram?s position.  After getting a filtration
mask on for herself, Kylie quickly exited the shuttle followed by
Sergeant Bernabe who had also donned a mask.  They quickly made their way
over to where Marshak and Serpentine were standing underneath the ghost
viper from the past.  The ensign had just dropped to the ground,
indicating he?d been inspecting the viper?s cockpit.
     ?Anything else you?ve discovered??
     ?Not much else we can add,? Marshak shook his head.  ?Let?s assume
this got here very recently like Serpentine seems to think.  There are no
signs of tracks of anyone walking away from this thing, but that doesn?t
necessarily mean anything given how the dust blows in this section.  If
there were tracks, they?d be obliterated in less than a cycle.?
     ?What about the cockpit interior??
     ?Instrument panel is dead and the battery to transmit the beacon is
on the lowest power setting, which indicates it?s been in an active state
for a long time.  On the other hand, the cockpit interior doesn?t suggest
it?s been exposed to the elements for two yahrens either.?
     The jumbled contradictions were enough to make Kylie?s head spin. 
The reality of Wynn?s viper was all they had and yet so far it was adding
up to nothing.
     ?Captain!? she heard McCalla?s voice from inside the shuttle go
through her headset.
     ?Yes, McCalla??
     ?Our scanner readings from further ahead are starting to clear up. 
Vegetation is  concentrated in the zone six point six kilometrons to the
west.  We are now getting faint traces of life readings but nothing we
can pinpoint specifically.?
         ?You said readings.  That means multiple life forms??
     ?Yes, but we can?t distinguish between animal life or anything
intelligent.  I don?t know whether all this blowing red dust is what?s
causing the interference or whether it?s a byproduct of atmospherics. 
All we know is we can?t get the normal level of scan detail we?re used
to.?
     ?That could account for why the beacon signal was weak to begin with
and not registering clearly as a viper beacon on our end,? Keuchel
interjected.
       ?Possible but it?s all speculation until we get more data to
analyze, and it?s obvious we have to check those life readings out,? the
woman who had gone from being just a Bridge Officer two sectars ago to
fourth in line in the chain of command knew that she was being faced with
her first significant tactical decision unrelated to combat conditions. 
The flip side of what she?d demonstrated successfully on Cannes Two.
     Lords of Kobol, don?t let me frack this up.
     ?Okay, McCalla and Keuchel, the two of you are going to stand by
right here and continue checking the viper itself for anything
significant.  Bernabe and I are going to tag along with Marshak and
Serpentine in the landram and check those life readings out.  We?ll relay
everything we see back to you.  Have your hi-gain ready to signal the
Pegasus once she reaches planet orbit.?


     ?All right Ila, I?m going to give you five centons to talk to Adama
and find out what he knows.  If Adama doesn?t know and has to get Apollo
or Sheba, then break the connection and have them contact us when they?re
ready.  Whatever this thing means, the information has to be exchanged
quickly and if its not enough time, then they?ll have to transmit a
recorded message to us.?
     ?I understand,? Ila nodded vigorously and said a silent prayer of
thanks that she?d been able to convince Cain about this.  ?I?ll let you
know what I find out right away.?
     ?Yes, do that.?
     As soon as Cain?s face disappeared from the screen, Ila took a
breath and activated the switch on her personal comp that would tap into
the long-range Kobollian transmitter on the Bridge and send her image
directly to the Galactica, far across the stars.


     It was a routine day for the Galactica commander.  He had a good
deal of paper work to attend to, consisting largely of operation reports
from various ships throughout the Fleet.  That was to be followed by a
routine Council session meeting.  Until recently, that was the kind of
event that would produce dread in the Commander, but now that Siress
Lydia had disappeared forever and the Fleet Referendum on continuing to
Earth was behind them, that was no longer the case.  Now a spirit of
genuine collegiality and camaraderie existed on the body that Adama
hadn?t known since the days before the Destruction when he?d first been
elected as Caprica?s representative.
     It was because Council meetings were no longer something to be
avoided that Adama was thinking of leaving his paper work earlier than
planned so he could hopefully chat with an early arrival or two to the
meeting.  He had already risen from his chair when a tell-tale chiming
sound from his computer quickly forced him back into his seat.  The
two-note chime was the signal from the Bridge that he was being contacted
directly by the Pegasus.  And if it was a live transmission rather than a
recorded message, it could only be serious.
     When he switched it on, he was surprised to see his wife?s face. 
Looking more troubled than at any time he could remember since her
miraculous return to his life.
     ?Hello, Adama,? she didn?t wait for him to acknowledge her.  ?I have
to keep this brief.  I need to know if you or Apollo and Sheba know
something about a pilot from the Pegasus who disappeared two yahrens ago
named Wynn.?
     Immediately, her husband seemed to freeze and the expression Ila
could see on Adama?s face was something bordering on horror.
     ?Ila......? he struggled to get his words out, ?Has something
happened to make you ask this??
     ?You do know?? her alarm increased.  ?Adama, I?ve only got a few
centons.  We?re investigating a lead on a planet that might indicate Wynn
is alive.  But if you know what happened to him----,?
     ?Ila listen to me!?  Adama leaned forward in his seat, his voice
level rising in uncharacteristic panic, ?Stay away from whatever that is! 
By all the Lords, stay away!  It?s a horrible trap of the worst kind! 
Don?t respond to that message and I?ll explain everything later, but just
avoid the source of it!?
     ?We sent a shuttle team to investigate it-----,? things were moving
much too fast for Ila as she tried to come to grips with this image of
her husband that she?d never seen before in over thirty yahrens of
marriage.
     ?Get them back!  Immediately!  Ila, just stay-----.?
     But then to Adama?s horror his wife?s image abruptly disappeared. 
Leaving the rest of his words hanging in the vast chasm of space
separating the two battlestars.


     Ila felt the thud against the battlestar simultaneously to her
husband?s words cutting off in mid-sentence.  This time, the force was
strong enough to knock her out of her chair to the floor.  Getting back
to her feet quickly, she started to twist the knobs on her comp
frantically to get the connection to the Galactica back.  But the screen
remained blank.
     ?Cain!? she felt her anger rising as she hit the switch to connect
her to the Bridge, ?I?ve lost the connection!  I need it back!?
     She heard nothing.  For the first time since her arrival on the
Pegasus she lost her temper completely as she yanked off her headset and
hurled it across the room.  And then she stormed out, deciding she
wouldn?t get any information unless she went directly to the Bridge.
It took her five centons to get there and when she arrived she saw a
scene that had clearly been one of total chaos that was only now starting
to settle back down.  She saw Cain clearly engaged in some kind of
conversation on his headset, his back turned to her.  As she stormed
angrily toward him, Tolen was just coming up the stairwell from mid-level
and moved quickly to intercept her.
     ?Don?t interrupt him,? the executive officer grabbed her arm.
     ?I lost transmission at the worst possible micron!? the Academician
snapped as she pushed him aside.  ?I need it back!  Adama was about to
give me a warning!?
     ?Ila, there?s nothing we can do right now!? Tolen stepped in front
of her to block her advance.  ?We took a hit from one of those meteors. 
Our scanners couldn?t spot it in time because we had power transferred
for the connection.  And that?s why we just took a hit that?s knocked out
the whole long-range transmission system!?
     The anger gave way to frozen shock, ?You mean.....we can?t talk to
them at all??
     Tolen grimly nodded, ?The system is damaged, and right now Cain is
chewing Arnoff?s astrum about getting it fixed.?
     The shock now turned to horror on Ila?s face, ?And if he
can?t......we won?t be able to talk to the Galactica again.?
     The executive officer could only give her a grim nod.


     ?Impeccable timing,? Helena remarked.  ?Now they know there?s a
threat, but they can?t get the details.  Cain will want to call off the
search of the planet.......but it will be too late.?
     ?Indeed,? Iblis smiled with malevolent satisfaction as the scene
unfolded before their omnipotent eyes.  ?And regardless of what the final
outcome proves to be, it will be.....most satisfying.?
     His gaze turned to another of his minions, who was crouched
obediently in a corner.  The clawed talons occasionally clicking against
the floor.
     ?It is time!? the Dark One commanded.
     And then, the creature?s appearance slowly changed as it stood
upright and began walking toward him.  Turning back into what he had once
been.
     ?I am ready, Master,? the former Ensign Wynn said with deep
reverence.

Chapter Four

     ?How long?? Cain couldn?t contain the anger he felt as he heard the
follow-up report from the Electronics Lab.
     Dr. Arnoff could only shrug, ?A minimum of twelve centars, perhaps
longer.  There?s no question the relay circuits can be fixed but because
they operate under a completely different principle from what we?re used
to, it simply can?t be rushed.?
     ?Then learn how to rush it, Doctor!? Cain snapped.  ?We can?t afford
to lose our only link with the Galactica.?
     The Electronics Scientist was unfazed.  He knew that to protest or
raise his voice wouldn?t serve a purpose when it came to defusing Cain?s
anger, which he sympathized with completely.
     ?If we do this wrong, Commander, then we could lose it forever.  If
that were to happen, we would be forced to go back to Gomorrah and
cannibalize parts from their communications system.  That?s something I
don?t think you?d want to have to contemplate.?
     The pointed, unemotional force of the words took all the fire out of
the Juggernaut.  His shoulders sagged slightly and his voice was
uncharacteristically submissive.
     ?Keep me informed, Doctor,? he said simply as he ended the
conversation and turned to face an equally agitated Ila.
     ?Twelve centars,? the blonde Academician shook her head, ?That?s
much too long now that we?ve already committed a search team to the
planet.?
     ?We should be able to contact them in a few centons.  I?ll issue an
immediate recall order and that should be the end of that.?
     ?Unless something?s happened already.?
     ?Let?s not get too far ahead, Ila,? he impatiently waved his swagger
stick.  ?Let?s try to take a step back and see what we?re dealing with. 
Adama clearly found out what happened to Wynn a long time ago and for
whatever reason hasn?t told us about that.?
     ?I?m sure he has an explanation for that,? her voice grew
instinctively defensive.
     ?Whether he does or doesn?t isn?t relevant right now, since we?re
not going to learn the answer to that for awhile,? he cut her off, not
wanting to get into an argument with her over that.  Inside, Cain was
seething over the knowledge that this information had been held back from
him, but if every part of Ila?s dream had been correct, then that meant
Sheba was aware of the reason too and had undoubtedly concurred in the
cover-up.  It would be pointless for him to say anything harsh about her
husband?s handling of the matter when the same could be said equally of
his daughter.
     ?Fair enough,? Ila acknowledged, ?I think we?re all in agreement
that these meteors are definitely the product of some kind of
intelligence.  An intelligence that defies the normal levels of human
comprehension.?
     ?No question,? Cain nodded, ?The first meteor that clipped Banker?s
viper on yesterday?s patrol was designed to keep the patrol from reaching
the planet to investigate the signal.  Whoever was behind it, *wanted* us
to get closer and send an entirely different team of people out to
investigate.  For what purpose......unknown but clearly there is one
since we do know the shuttle didn?t encounter any meteors along the way.?
     ?And the meteor attacks on the Pegasus were intended to cut off our
ability to talk to the Galactica,? Ila said,   ?That?s definitely
obvious.  I may not know the nature of the intelligence behind all this,
but based on what I dreamt and from my talk with Wallis and Kelli, it
wouldn?t surprise me if the mysterious stranger the Galactica encountered
named Count Iblis is the source of all this.  They said he had a
reputation for being a ?miracle man? and conjuring meteors out of nowhere
would certainly fall in that category.?
     ?Let?s get back to that matter,? Cain said.  ?In your dream, what
did Apollo and Sheba say about this.....Iblis person that tied him to
Wynn?s disappearance??
     ?Well.....they said that the trickiest part of explaining the whole
thing wouldn?t be the matter of who he is and what happened to Wynn.  It
all ran together like you can?t separate this Iblis person from the
subject of Wynn?s disappearance.  So if you?re asking if they were
talking about two separate things and I just missed the part when the
transitioned from one subject to the next, then my answer would be no. 
The two subjects are connected.  This Iblis person is the one responsible
for what happened to Wynn.  We just don?t know the details or
circumstances, or the nature of who Iblis is other than the fact he?s a
man who can do extraordinary things that some people perceived as
miraculous.?
     ?And which we?ve received confirmation of with these meteors,? Cain
grunted. 
     ?That ties in to what else they said about him.  That he can act in
a totally unexpected fashion.  And the last thing I heard Sheba say was
that if he might try something against you or me, it wouldn?t be any way
we could anticipate.?
     Cain?s eyes narrowed as he took in the meaning of her words.
     ?You and me,? he repeated her words.  ?In other words that this
Iblis could be targeting you and me personally, as a result of whatever
past encounter he?s had with Apollo and Sheba??
     Ila nodded.  And then she saw a distinct change in Cain.  Before her
eyes, she could see the controlled facade of the Juggernaut literally
crack.
     ?My God,? he whispered in horror as he bolted toward the stairs and
dashed down to the middle-deck level of the Bridge, ?Colonel, are we
finally in range to contact the shuttle??
     Ila made her way over to the rail and looked down.  She could see in
Cain?s posture and tone an underlying edge of panic and she knew exactly
what the cause of it was.  She could also tell that Tolen, who?d been
standing in between the consoles of Jacks and Altair, was caught off
guard completely by this.  Seeing Cain angry was one thing, but this was
something else entirely.
     ?Commander, we?ve just tried to raise them and......we can?t get
through to them.?
     ?Why in Hades not?? his voice raised and again it had the
uncharacteristic undertone of alarm and panic.
     ?We don?t know, sir.  I mean?the shuttle is there.  Telemetry
confirms she?s parked in a fixed location and we?re not getting signs of
damage readings off our scan, but......we can?t raise them.  Might be
atmospherics or it might be something deliberately induced.?
     His eyes narrowed and Tolen?s concern deepened because the look on
Cain?s face only further underscored how rattled the commander was. 
     ?Deliberately induced,? he said in a low tone and then straightened
himself as if trying to resummon his normal command instincts.  ?Then in
that case, we?ve got to do something about that since its imperative we
get our people off the planet as quickly as possible.?
     ?You mean launching another shuttle?? Tolen had to keep his own tone
even to avoid communicating his concern over Cain?s well-being.
     ?Or just a viper to set down next to them and tell them they need to
come back now.?
     ?Commander,? Tolen said calmly, ?Doesn?t that present just as much
of a risk??
     His head jerked up slightly, ?How??
     ?If this intelligence is hampering our ability to communicate, with
meteors popping up out of nowhere, then what?s going to stop it from
doing that to any viper we send out??
     Cain pondered that and it was clear that he knew that was something
he should have already thought of but had blinded himself to because of
his emotional state.
     Ila, who had been watching the exchange with growing concern leaned
over the rail and decided she needed to speak up, ?I think the Colonel?s
right, Cain.  If we send out a viper or a shuttle, then I think we?re
going to see another meteor appear out of nowhere.....or worse.  We?d be
putting the pilot?s life at risk for nothing.?
     The Juggernaut said nothing but then gave a bare nod of his head. 
     ?Keep trying to raise them, Colonel,? he abruptly ascended the
stairs to the upper level and moved past Ila without even an
acknowledgment.  His in-law quickly followed him out, determined to know
what was on his mind now.


     ?Bring it to a stop in front of the vegetation periphery,? Kylie
said as the landram moved across the terrain.  As it drew closer to where
the concentration of plant life was, the red glow of the surroundings was
growing more intense through the front windows.  Producing a quality that
Kylie couldn?t quite put her finger on.  Foreboding was the best term she
could think of.  It had the quality of skies that could suggest a storm
was about to come, but on her native Taurus, she could remember many days
of dreary overcast skies that were accompanied by no rain.  In more
introspective moments, she found it to be a metaphor for the life she?d
been condemned to of growing up in an orphanage because she?d been the
unwanted child born of an illicit romance between a married businessman
and his administrative assistant.  The orphanage had provided her safe
shelter from any kind of storm.....but the atmosphere was always like
that of a perpetually foreboding sky with no bright sunshine.
     If Wynn?s here, he won?t have found Paradise.  That?s for sure.
            ?Alpha landram this is Alpha Shuttle,? her thoughts were
broken by the sound of McCalla?s voice in her headset.  ?Do you copy us??
     Kylie gently touched her mic, ?We read you fine, Alpha Shuttle.?
     ?Glad to know that,? McCalla grunted.  ?We can?t raise the Pegasus. 
Our orbital scan telemetry indicates she?s arrived, but we must be
getting some kind of interference in the atmosphere.  Not even high-gain
is working.?
     ?Has to be atmospherics then, since it?s not affecting ground
communication,? Kylie mused.  This wasn?t the kind of development she
could consider disturbing......yet.  ?But if you can pick them up on
telemetry, then they?ve probably done the same with you.  They may send
someone down to make contact if it persists.?
     ?We?ll be waiting.?
     ?We?re going to be investigating what I guess you?d call a forest
pretty soon on foot.  That?ll probably put us out of contact with you for
a bit, but we?ll try to update as soon as we can. Signing off for now.?
     ?Good luck.?
     Kylie removed her headset and leaned forward so she could look over
Bernabe?s shoulder and get a better look at what they?d be walking into. 
What resembled trees rose to a height of about twenty feet.  That of
itself meant there had be water somewhere inside in order to facilitate
their growth.  They were tall enough to obscure any view of the interior
from outside the periphery.
     ?How much distance from the periphery edge will you give us?? she
inquired of Bernabe, who was doing the driving while Marshak took
readings.
     ?Ten metrones,? her fellow veteran of Cannes Two said.
     She nodded.  ?Before you shut down, swing us around so we?re
pointing away from it.  If we have to make a hasty exit, I don?t want us
facing the wrong direction.?
     ?Will do.?
     She looked over at Marshak, ?What?s the scanner saying??
     ?Damned if I know,? Ensign Wynn?s best friend shook his head, ?I?m
just getting a generic ?life forms indicated? reading.  But the damn
thing?s not cooperating on specifics!?
     She noticed the frustration in his voice.  The closer they were
getting to the scene, the more it seemed to put Marshak on edge.  All of
that was understandable to Kylie, but it also meant a likely point
against him in the final write-up she was going to have to make when the
mission was over.  Unless she saw his conduct improve.
     I need to watch him carefully so I?ll know for certain he?s
improved.
     The shuttle?s forward momentum came to a stop.  Bernabe then
maneuvered it around so it was pointing in the opposite direction and
shut the engines off.
     ?The dust levels have dropped off,? Marshak noted.  ?We should be
okay without filtration masks.?
     ?Noted,? Kylie rose, ?Okay, we?re going to pair up and fan out. 
Bernabe, you and Serpentine to the right flank.  Marshak and I to the
left.  But let?s not fan out at too wide an angle.  That way if one of us
spots something, the other can rendezvous quickly.  Make sure com-lines
are open at all time.?
     ?Weapons drawn?? Bernabe asked as he opened the landram door to let
them get out.
     ?At bare minimum, keep yours unholstered,? Kylie was halfway out but
then stopped to look back at the lone Cylon in the group.  ?You have your
automatic data recorder active, Serpentine??
     ?I do,? the Cylon said.  ?Even if we do not discover your missing
friend, we should learn some invaluable data on this plant life at bare
minimum.?
     The captain smiled, ?Glad you?re here to keep some bigger
perspective on all this.?
     The three humans and one Cylon stepped out and soon entered the
beckoning reddish tinged forest ahead of them. 


     ?Cain!? Ila called after the Juggernaut as she tried to keep up with
him, ?What do you plan to do??
     ?You?ll find out,? he said tersely as he kept walking through the
corridors until they came to the Electronics Lab.  When they entered,
they saw Dr. Arnoff busy at work along with Centurion Festus and six
other technicians.  The Electronics chief looked up and when he saw Cain,
his expression grew exasperated.
     ?Commander, I said it would need at least twelve centars, and we?re
not ready to send a man out to repair the circuits.?
     ?I?m not here about that, Dr. Arnoff,? he said, ?I want you to get
the teleportation device ready for transport to the surface.?
     Up to now, Dr. Arnoff had dealt with Cain by keeping an unemotional
expression and tone of voice.  But now, his thick eyebrows went up in
visible surprise.
     ?Commander,? he said calmly, ?I would remind you that we?ve only
used that for planetary transport of a human once, at Terra in the
successful rescue of you and Professor Ila.?
     ?You used it twice on that occasion,? Cain coolly reminded, ?And
there were no complications.  In fact, you have had no complications
whatsoever with *any* of your teleportation experiments.?
     ?And until more experiments are done, I would be reluctant to use it
again for human transport, barring a serious emergency.?
     ?Of which we have right now, Doctor, since we can?t communicate with
the shuttle and we need to get it and our people off the surface
immediately.  A viper or second shuttle is out of the question owing to
the danger factor caused by the force responsible for that meteor hit, so
this way, we?ll use the one means we still have left at our disposal!?  
     Why would he march down here to do this when he could have easily
just contacted him from the Bridge?  Ila thought.  Unless......
     ?Just a centon, Cain,? she spoke up, ?Who did you have in mind to
use the teleportation device??
     ?That?s my decision to make, Ila,? he didn?t turn around to look at
her.
     ?You?re thinking of using it yourself,? she was incredulous, ?Cain,
that?s the last thing you should be thinking of doing!?
     He wheeled around and looked her in the eye with the coldest
expression Ila could ever recall since her arrival.
     ?Don?t try to stop me, Ila.  This is my decision.  My risk.  Yes,
I?m doing it because I have a personal stake involved, and that?s exactly
why I?m the one who has to take the risk.?
     ?Except you?re forgetting something,? his in-law said pointedly. 
?If my dream is right and this whole thing is really aimed at you and me,
as Apollo and Sheba implied, then manipulating events to get you to go
down to the planet is probably what this.....Iblis person *wants* you to
do.?
     The old bravado of the Juggernaut suddenly returned to him, ?If
that?s the case and he?s issuing a challenge to me, then I?m all up for
answering it!? and then it faded, ?But that doesn?t mean you should take
any risk, Ila.?
     ?I?m always prepared to take a risk if it?s necessary, Cain? the
blonde Academician said firmly, ?But we?re clearly dealing with things
well outside our normal areas of comprehension, and that?s why we have to
tread as carefully as we possibly can.?
     ?So what?s your solution then?? he retorted.
     ?I think the teleportation device is a sound method of getting word
down to the landing party,? Ila held her ground, ?I?m only against you
taking the risk.  You?re indispensable to the well-being of the Pegasus
and long-term to the Resistance.  You can?t take this kind of a risk just
because Kylie is down there.  If anything, you?d be lending credence to
the idea that she only got promoted because of your relationship with
her, and not because she earned it.?
     Cain stiffened visibly and it was clear that the only reason he was
holding his tongue and not exploding with fury was because Ila had said
it.  When he finally answered her, his voice was calm and collected.
     ?My decision is final, Ila.?
     He turned away from her and looked over at Dr. Arnoff.  The
Electronics Scientist had the look of someone who wished he was someplace
else.
     ?Get the machine ready, Doctor,? Cain said firmly.  ?The Bridge will
give you the coordinates of the shuttle and where I?m to be transported.?
     Lords help us all, Ila thought.  For the first time she was
genuinely fearful of what might happen.  Her dream, the bizarre events
that had unfolded, her husband?s warning and Cain?s burst of recklessness
were adding up to something that she knew would test her faith to the
very limits.


     ?He has done as you expected,? Helena said.
     Iblis nodded, ?Because he has been struck at his most vulnerable
point.  And he will soon know what it means to be.......powerless to do
anything for the one he loves.?
     ?And that will be his destruction,? she said simply.  ?He will be of
no use to the Pegasus or the Resistance after that.?
     ?But that is secondary to you, is it not?? he looked at his loyal
servant, ?His destruction will serve a greater purpose for you.?
     She looked at him and smiled wickedly, ?Indeed it will.?


     As they penetrated deeper into the forest, Kylie tried to draw
comparisons with the lush jungle rainforest of Cannes Two she?d been on
just a sectar ago.  That planet had been rich in diverse planet life,
filled with many colors the eye could behold.  With this planet, the
perpetual red color suggested only a uniform sameness, camouflaging
whatever diversity might exist in terms of individual plant species. 
Whereas Cannes Two could be truly considered a Paradise, especially with
Cylon rule of the planet over, this planet, even in its most fertile spot
could only evoke the quality of a prison.
     If you are here, Wynn......do you still have your sanity?
     Ahead of her, Marshak came to a stop.  ?Captain, I think my scanner
is indicating where there might be some water.?
     Kylie stopped just five paces in back of him and checked her own
mini-scan.  The readings were fuzzy and static-filled, but every few
microns the gibberish gave way to readings that were coherent.  For just
a flash she could see the symbol for water.
     ?Yeah, I think I got it.  But how far?.?
     ?Thirty metrones at fifty-degree angle to the right......? he waved
his arm slightly, ?Frack, now it?s gone.?
     Kylie looked at her scanner.  She?d lost the brief indication of
water and saw only the gibberish again......but then it cleared up and
she saw something else.  Only it wasn?t an indication of water.
     ?Wait a micron, I?ve got something different,? she said.  ?I?ve
got.....a life form reading bearing sixty-six degrees to the left,
distance......forty metrones.?
     ?I?m not getting it,? Marshak shook his head.  
     ?Maybe you?d see it if you were standing where I am.  That?s
probably how crazy the atmospherics of this planet are.  Move a
millimetrone in one direction and you lose it completely.?
     ?What do we do, Captain??
     ?We investigate,? she said without hesitation.  ?Let?s move in
side-by-side.  Weapons drawn and ready.  But first, we?ll let Bernabe and
Serpentine know what we?re doing.?
     But when the brunette captain hit her com-line to signal Bernabe,
she was greeted by a burst of indecipherable static. 
     ?What the----,? she frowned and the motioned to Marshak to try his. 
The same buzzing sound emitted from his.
     ?Ground level communications weren?t being impacted when we drove
out from the shuttle,? Marshak said.  ?Why should they be affected now? 
Just because we?re in the forest??
     ?I don?t know,? Kylie looked around at her surroundings.  The trees
limited her view of the sky above, and the overall growth only revealed
what lay ahead of them by just a few metrones on all sides.  For the
first time, she began to feel a chill going up her back.  As if she now
felt as though she and Marshak were being observed from somewhere.
     Is that it?  Is someone.....or some *thing* fracking around with our
scanners and com-lines?  Trying to put us in a vulnerable position?
     The more she thought about it, the chill she?d felt gave way to a
sense of anger.  If they *were* being toyed with, then she was determined
to get to the bottom of it, and fast.
     ?Let?s go,? she pulled out her laser pistol to a fully drawn
position as they started to walk on the heading that indicated a life
form presence.


     ?You ever seen a planet like this?? Bernabe decided to try and make
small talk as he and Serpentine followed their separate path through the
forest.
     ?I must confess, Sergeant, my experience with planets is quite
limited,? the Cylon said in his human sounding voice, ?I can only claim
to have been on four.  First, when I was created on Cylon.  Then, when I
served at the garrison on Delta Aquinas, and finally, a brief visit to
Equellas after my team was reactivated by Colonel Tolen.?
     ?Well I only beat you by one planet,? Bernabe kept his tone light,
?My home planet Skorpia was the only one of the Colonies I ever got to
see.  Every other planet I?ve been on has strictly been in the line of
duty.?
     ?We are therefore not that dissimilar in our experiences.?
     The profoundness of Serpentine?s observation suddenly sunk in.  God
Almighty, he?s right.  Our lives haven?t been any different when you get
down to it.
     He was still thinking about it when the Cylon spoke again.  ?Most
unusual.?
     ?What is?? Bernabe shook himself back to reality.
     ?My scan of the plant life is revealing a total lack of anything
that would be considered edible for human consumption.?
     Bernabe stopped and frowned, ?Nothing??
     ?Nothing,? Serpentine was emphatic.  ?The plant life in fact appears
to contain secretions of a most.....unusual substance.  One that would be
most deadly to the human digestive tract.?
     ?And that?s true of every different species?? his eyes narrowed.
     ?It is.  While my scanner reveals over eighteen distinctly different
forms of plant life, all of them are contain the same acidic secretions
that would mean instant death for humans.?
     ?Lords of Kobol,? Bernabe shook his head. ?If that?s the
case.....then no human could have survived here for any indefinite
period.?
     ?Indeed,? the Cylon concurred.  ?Unless the viper arrived on the
planet only in the last cycle or two, it is doubtful that your missing
friend could be alive without means of sustenance.  Unless of course the
area Captain Kylie and Ensign Marshak are exploring contains samples free
from this deadly secretion.?
     ?But if you?re saying this area has nothing edible, then basically
there?s no point continuing to look for him here.?
     ?I do not detect any life forms in this section.  It would appear we
are exploring what I believe you would refer to as a ?dead end.??
     Bernabe hit his com-line, ?Captain, this is Bernabe.  We?re reading
no life forms and nothing but poisonous plant life in this section.?
     He heard nothing but static.
     ?Captain?  Do you copy??  Hearing nothing but more static, he let
out an exasperated grunt, ?Damn thing?s not working!?
     ?I do not think it is your com-line, Sergeant.  I would venture
there is interference generated by our surroundings.?
     ?Frack, we?d better get back to the landram,? Bernabe felt a sad
sense of defeat as he turned around to begin the long trudge back.


     Tolen had minced no words in telling Cain that he objected to the
Commander?s decision to use the teleportation device.  And before the
Juggernaut could say anything, he was quick to tell him something else.
     ?And no, sir, I am *not* afraid of handling the responsibility of
command in your absence.?
     Cain?s only response was a disarming laugh, ?That?s precisely why I
know I can do this with a clear conscience, Tolen.  Because I know that
regardless of what happen, the Pegasus is in good hands.?
     He shut off the connection to the Bridge and walked into the far
corner of the Lab where the Zykonian teleportation device had been
installed.  It had been used on multiple occasions to send people,
centurions and inanimate objects to different parts of the battlestar,
but planetary transport had been used on just two occasions.  The first,
to send Kylie and Sergeant McCalla down to Terra to rescue Cain and Ila
when they?d been taken hostage by the Eastern Alliance.  The second, to
transport two lethal tylium bombs to the surface of Cannes Prime to
destroy the Cylon garrison located there.  Unlike the contained
teleportations within the Pegasus, transport to a planet surface required
a heavier use of power to insure success.  The two previous occasions,
totaling four separate transports had gone off smoothly without a hitch. 
But for Dr. Arnoff that was hardly a fair sampling as to whether or not
the system was foolproof.  By contrast, the Electronics Chief had full
confidence in the other great technological breakthrough they?d received
from the Zykonians at Brylon Station, which was the cloaking device for
their vipers and shuttles.  It had been used with increased frequency to
the point where he had full confidence in its effectiveness.  Of course
one reason for why it could be used so often with minimal risk in
contrast to the teleportation device was the fact that if something went
wrong, it would only make a ship become visible (Arnoff could remember
having to reassure Captain Skyler there was no danger of a pilot inside a
cloaked viper or shuttle being unable to read his instrument panels).  If
the teleportation device failed, then it would mean certain death to the
person using it.
     Which was precisely the reason why, as he saw Cain take his place in
the teleportation chamber, Dr. Arnoff was sweating profusely.  Far too
much was riding on the outcome of this experiment.  If it failed......the
ramifications would be enormous.
     On the other side of the room, Ila was watching with a more pensive
air.  She hadn?t bothered trying to argue with Cain any further, knowing
it was pointless.  She?d spent the time instead trying to get some
insight into what this all meant.  She was now convinced that if
Commander Cain was indeed a target of this mysterious Count Iblis person,
then he was going to arrive safely on the planet and only *then* see the
trap sprung.  Consequently, she didn?t share any of Dr. Arnoff?s
anxiousness about whether the device would work or not.  That part, she
was now convinced, would go off without a hitch.
     ?Standing by to power system,? Arnoff said.  ?You?ll feel a tingling
sensation as it happened.  Perhaps some brief lightheadedness when you
arrive at first.  Will count back down from ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one......MARK!?
     He pressed several switches and a bluish beam emerged from the
nozzle located directly above Cain?s head.  The lights dimmed as the
teleportation device sucked in the maximum level of power needed to
perform the operation.  Cain?s body glowed and then.....was gone.
     ?God be with you, Cain,? Ila whispered.


     Bernabe tried his com-line again the instant he was outside the
forest zone, hoping that perhaps that might allow his signal to be heard
by Kylie and Marshak.  To his frustration he only heard the static again. 

     ?If the forest is indeed the cause of the communication failure,
they could only potentially hear you without the ability to acknowledge,?
Serpentine noted.
     ?You?re right,? the Skorpian Sergeant shook his head in disgust, ?It
was a stupid idea for me to think this would make a difference.  Let me
contact the shuttle first and then we?ll go after them.  At least we know
communications work with them.?
     He stepped inside the landram and quickly donned a headset.  ?Alpha
Shuttle, this is Alpha Landram.  Do you copy??
     He expected to hear a reply within microns but he heard nothing.  No
static, just silence.  He adjusted the console and repeated his message
again......and again heard nothing.
     ?Frack almighty!? Bernabe yanked off his headset and wanted to slam
it to the floor, but realized that wouldn?t be a good idea.  He stepped
out of the landram and shook his head in exasperation.  ?Now I can?t
raise the shuttle!  It?s like nothing works on this planet!?
     ?Most unusual,? Serpentine said in his non-emotional human voice. 
?My own scan does not indicate any change in atmospheric conditions since
we left the landram.  Theoretically, there should be nothing impeding our
ability to contact the shuttle if we were able to do so previously from
here.?
     ?Which would indicate what?? he looked at the Cylon.
     ?I would be inclined to think that......some outside force is
perhaps responsible for causing this interference.?
     Bernabe said nothing and quickly disappeared inside the landram
again.  He was only inside for twenty microns before he emerged again,
grim-faced.
     ?I tried raising them one more time and got nothing.  We?ve got no
choice.  We have to catch up to Kylie and Marshak and make sure they?re
okay.?
     ?I would concur.?
     At least he didn?t say ?by your command? this time, the Skorpian
thought as the two of them headed back into the forest.


     McCalla could feel a distinct air of restlessness as he sat in the
cockpit of the shuttle.  He?d left Keuchel to continue inspecting the
abandoned viper while he tried to override the interference and contact
the Pegasus.  Each attempt had come up futile.  Now that he no longer
could talk to the scouting party in the landram while they investigated
the forest area, it could only make him sit back and ponder things.
     He hadn?t known Wynn particular well before his disappearance so in
his case, there was none of the underlying emotion that someone like
Marshak felt about the possibility of finding him alive.  That meant
instead of focusing on Wynn and the ramifications of finding him alive,
he instead found himself thinking about Kylie.  Thinking of the strange
twists in her career from just a few sectars ago when the two of them had
teleported to the surface of Terra to rescue Cain and Ila.  He?d been
senior on that mission and she?d obediently followed his tactical orders. 
Now, the roles were reversed.  She gave the orders.  He followed.
     He felt no resentment about that.  Their shared experience on Terra
was enough to convince him that Kylie?s entire career as a warrior had
been wasted on Bridge duty for so many yahrens.  She had a natural
instinct for making quick judgments under pressure, and she also knew how
to use a laser pistol or demonstrate the finer aspects of hand to hand
combat as any warrior he?d seen.  He?d come away from the Terra mission
convinced she?d get her chance to do more in the future, and that time
had come on Cannes Two when she?d been forced to take tactical command of
the ground assault on a Cylon tylium depot after Major Ham had been
wounded.  During that time, he?d been in the shuttle waiting for the
tylium to be loaded and he?d seen her react with total coolness under
fire and no hesitation whatsoever when she?d ordered the shuttle to take
off without the injured Ham.  The mission came first, and Kylie was quick
to recognize that.  It was the kind of judgment a lesser warrior, thrust
into the same position under fire, might not have made as quickly.
     That?s why she?s now giving the orders, McCalla thought.  If I?d
been in her position, I?d have probably waited to get the Major loaded
on-board and that might have given a Cylon enough time to get off another
shot that could easily have struck the tylium crates, and all of us would
have gone up in a big orange boom.  And maybe the Pegasus doesn?t take
out the Cannes Prime garrison, and maybe the garrison ends up destroying
them.  The simple fact is that she?s that good and she deserves to be
where she is now.  If Cain had to fall in love with her to realize how
good she is, then so be it.  We all benefited from that.
     His thoughts were broken by the loud banging of a fist against the
outer door.  Jolted, he quickly opened the hatch, wondering why Keuchel
was doing that without checking in on the com-line first.  But when the
hatch opened, his eyes widened in shock when he saw Cain, his uniform
already coated in a later of red dust, hurrying aboard.
     ?Commander!? McCalla was at a loss for words.  ?Where did you.....?
and then he stopped when he realized it could only have been the same
device he?d been the first to use.
     ?Give me a status report, now, Sergeant!? Cain barked as he sat down
in the empty co-pilot seat.  ?Where?s the rest of the team??
     ?Um......well, we found an abandoned viper just ahead of us, sir. 
Didn?t you see it??
     ?No, I teleported right in front of the hatch!? he impatiently
snapped, ?And from this point on, Sergeant, no more questions from you. 
Just answer mine!?
     ?Yes, sir,? he tried not to sound rattled.  ?Well.....the viper
matches Wynn?s.  But we can?t confirm it?s been here for two yahrens. 
Keuchel is still inspecting it.  The others went off in the landram to
investigate a forest area six kilometrones away.  It?s the only place
someone would have gone to after they arrived.?
     ?Are you in contact with them?? the intensity of Cain?s questions
didn?t let up.
     ?No sir, not since they got out of the landram to investigate.?
     ?Get Keuchel back in here now, and then you take this thing right to
where the landram is parked!? the Juggernaut?s voice rose.  ?I want us
sitting right next to it in the next two centons!?
     McCalla gave a nervous nod and keyed the com-line, ?Keuchel, get
back in here, now!  We?re moving out!?


     ?Kylie?  Marshak??  Bernabe had abandoned all forms of protocol by
this point as he tried raising them again on his com-line.  He and
Serpentine had re-entered the forest and were now headed in the direction
they knew their two missing companions had taken.  But this new pathway
only brought the same result on the com-line.  A burst of static and
nothing else.
     Serpentine, who was several steps ahead of the sergeant was taking
readings, ?As I suspected, the vegetation on this side of the forest is
comprised of the same lethal properties we observed before.  This area
too contains nothing that a human would find suitable for consumption in
the slightest.?
     ?Never mind the vegetation, Serpentine,? Bernabe felt his
exasperation mounting, ?Can you at least get an indication of where they
are?  Forget about whether we find Wynn or some other life form, I?m only
concerned with Kylie and Marshak.?
     ?I am so far not picking up any life form indications.?
     ?That?s not possible.  They?re out there somewhere and they should
show up!?
     ?I can only report what I see,? the Cylon?s tone wasn?t defensive. 
It was strictly matter-of-fact.  Even with a human voice, emotional
inflections had yet to work their way into Serpentine?s speech patterns. 
?Although-----,? he abruptly trailed off.
     ?Although what?? Bernabe impatiently inquired.
     The Cylon said nothing.  He had come to a stop and his gaze was
downward.  If it weren?t for the familiar back and forth whirring noise
of his electric eye, he might have looked as if he?d been switched off.
     ?Serpentine!? Bernabe came up alongside him, touching his metallic
arm.
     Finally, the centurion spoke and for the first time, there was an
emotional tilt to his voice.  The sound of puzzlement.
     ?Most.....unusual.  As though.....it were the Makers.....or one of
them.?
     ?What are you talking about?? the Pegasus security guard was on the
verge of exploding.  ?What do you see and what are the Makers??
     More silence, but for the whirring of the eye.  Then, Serpentine
abruptly straightened up and resumed walking without saying a word. 
Leaving Bernabe no choice but to go after him.


     Keuchel?s bewilderment over his sudden recall was only magnified
when he entered the shuttle and saw Cain sitting in the co-pilot seat. 
As McCalla closed the hatch and powered up the systems, the Juggernaut
wasted no time bombarding Keuchel with a new round of questions.
     ?What does the viper indicate??
     ?The viper doesn?t look like it?s been here two yahrens, but at the
same time it doesn?t show signs it was flown in recently.  The best thing
I can say is that the viper could easily have been placed here.?
     ?Placed here??  Cain?s eyes narrowed, ?Like as if someone put it
there as a gigantic lure??
     ?I don?t know if I?d necessarily call it a lure, sir, but.......the
idea it was placed here rather than flown to this spot would fit the
facts more.?
     ?Exactly what I was afraid of,? he looked out the window and saw the
shuttle was slowly rising to a height of just twenty meters in order to
cover the short distance.  ?We?re going to round everyone up and get off
this planet as fast as we can.?
     ?Without waiting to see if Wynn?s really here?? Keuchel hadn?t
expected this.
     ?Forget Wynn,? Cain didn?t look at him.  ?We?re not going to find
him alive.  That much I?m sure of.?
     ?But Commander, with all due respect----,? and then he stopped when
Cain wheeled around and gave him the coldest look of a superior officer
to subordinate that the Juggernaut was capable of summoning.  One that
had the desired effect of intimidating the sergeant into submissive
silence.
     The shuttle began to move at minimum speed from its low altitude
position.  It only took thirty microns for the forest to become visible
through the red dust, and at the base of it, the unmistakable form of the
landram.  Immediately, McCalla throttled back on the engines and began to
descend so the shuttle touched down just fifteen metrones away from the
landram.
     ?Open the hatch now, McCalla!  Don?t even bother waiting for
shutdown,? Cain was already half-way out of his seat.  The pilot
obediently did so.  The shuttle still wasn?t at a complete stop when the
Juggernaut sprang out through the now open hatch.  


     Ila had returned to the Bridge after Cain?s departure.  Her mind a
jumble of emotions at this point.  Fear and trepidation over what they
were facing had now given way to frustration over the fact that she?d
been left in a position where she couldn?t do anything to address the
situation.  She wasn?t foolhardy to think she should go down to the
surface herself, but that meant she was now at the mercy of having to
wait for something else to happen.  And given the magnitude of what was
at stake, she knew there was nothing that could distract her in the
least.  All she could do was return to the center of operations where
she?d at least be on top of any news that could change the situation.
     She arrived and saw Tolen standing on the upper deck, his hands
behind in his back in the most commanding posture she?d ever seen him in. 
In all her time aboard the Pegasus, Ila hadn?t become particularly close
to the executive officer, but she?d learned enough to know that Tolen had
only recently become more assertive in his position, and willing to speak
his mind in ways he hadn?t in yahrens past.  But whether he could truly
fill Cain?s boots if the duties of command were to suddenly fall on his
shoulders was something Ila still hadn?t made up her mind about.  When it
came to the Pegasus itself, the answer was yes.  But when it came to the
more complex matters that involved the Resistance.......that was where
Tolen would be completely untested.
     Maybe it?s just as well the Resistance at this point is still
unaware that it?s the Pegasus and not the Galactica that?s headed home to
help.  If they knew it was the Pegasus, they?d be automatically thinking
about Cain coming home and if Cain then *wasn?t* there.....that could
have a negative effect on morale.
     She knew she was engaging in idle thoughts that had no relevance to
the current situation but for now it was the only thing she found herself
capable of doing as the vigil for information continued.  She decided she
might as well talk to the executive officer, but before she could reach
him, he had moved away to answer a signal on the internal vid-com line. 
Ila went over and saw that it was Dr. Arnoff contacting the Bridge.
     ?Yes, Doctor?? Tolen asked.
     ?Colonel......I don?t know how to explain this, but......? the
Electronics Chief sounded at a loss for words.
     ?But what, Doctor??
     Arnoff took a breath, ?We have long-range communications back.?
     Tolen frowned, not sure he?d heard him right, ?Say that again,
Doctor??
     ?The damage to our long-range communications that the meteor
caused......is no longer there.?
     By this point, Ila had arrived by Tolen?s side and heard every word
of the conversation.
     ?Dr. Arnoff, are you saying you were able to fix it?  Earlier, you
said it would be at least twelve centars.?  Tolen was trying to process
this news.
     ?Colonel, we haven?t touched it!? Arnoff exclaimed, ?It?s as if it
fixed itself all on its own.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but we?ve
gone over it again and again.  The damage is no longer there.?
     ?Stand by,? Tolen turned away and became aware of Ila?s presence. 
?Did you get all that, Professor??
     ?I did.  None of it makes any sense.  There *was* damage to the
system, because we I saw the signal go out in mid-stream.  But now, he
says it should work again??
     ?Well one thing?s for certain, Professor.  If he says it?s working
again, I suggest you get yourself hooked up to the Galactica as fast as
possible.?
     Ila didn?t even bother to nod as she turned and left the Bridge as
fast as she could run.


     Bernabe noticed that Serpentine was moving much faster than usual
for a centurion.  Speed was not a characteristic Cylon robots were noted
for, and it had always allowed humans to have the advantage in mobility
during face-to-face combat situations.  Yet somehow, for some reason,
Serpentine had summoned it from within himself.  It took all of Bernabe?s
energy for him to keep pace with the Cylon as they pushed their way
through the forest.
     Finally, after negotiating several metrones worth of thick brush
that had obscured their forward message, they came to a clearing.  Ahead
of them loomed the maw of a cave.  It cast a foreboding quality because
in contrast to the redness of their surroundings, the only color the cave
gave off was one of total pitch blackness.  It was like looking into a
starless void.
     ?There,? Serpentine broke his silence and pointed.
     ?There what??
     ?They are there.  We will find them inside there.?
     ?Just them?? the evil looking darkness was making Bernabe hesitate
from rushing straight inside the maw.  ?Or is it these Makers you were
talking about??
     Serpentine looked at him, and when he spoke, there was an air of
puzzlement.
     ?I do not understand your question.?
     ?You were----,? he stopped and shook his head, ?Frack, forget it! 
Let?s just go inside and find them!?
     ?By your command.?
     With his laser pistol drawn, Bernabe charged into the menacing
darkness ahead.


     ?Kylie?  Marshak?  Any of you copy??
     There was only static on Keuchel?s com-line as he and Cain stood at
the edge of the forest.  Finally, the sergeant shut it off and shook his
head.
     ?No explanation for why we can?t raise them, sir.  We?re going to
have to go in on foot if we want to look for them.?
     ?Can?t you pick up life form readings??
     ?No sir, I can?t.?
     ?Which leaves us deaf, blind and dumb!? the Juggernaut exploded as
he kicked a small stone in the ground into the forest as hard as he
could.  ?We need a reference point on where to look.?
     ?Are you suggesting we split up and search, Commander?? Keuchel
wished he could have avoided asking the question, but he knew it was
going to come up sooner or later.
     Cain slowly shook his head, ?Dividing our ranks even further doesn?t
appeal to me, Sergeant.  We go in, we go together.?
     ?Where??
     The Juggernaut stared into the forest with steely-eyed
concentration.  And then, he pointed his arm to the left.
     ?There.?
     And without saying another word, he entered the forest with Keuchel
trailing.


     Ila returned to her quarters and quickly settled herself at her
desk.  Before she could contact the Bridge to reconfirm the
communications link was working again, the two-tone chime sounded that
indicated a live signal was coming through her to her terminal.
     Lords of Kobol, they?ve figured it out too that communications are
back!  She turned on the screen and saw her husband?s concerned face. 
And she could also see he was flanked by Apollo and Sheba this time.
     ?Ila, thank God, we were fearing the worst,? her husband said. 
?Have you gotten away from the planet??
     ?No, Adama, we haven?t.  We?ve lost contact with the surface and
Cain.....he?s gone done to the planet himself via our teleportation
system.  He?s trying to get them off the surface now.?
     ?Ila, it?s a trap!  The whole thing is a trap!? Sheba chimed in
urgently, ?Whatever signal you?re getting, Ensign Wynn is *not* alive
down there.  I know that because.....I?ve seen him.  I know what happened
to him.?
     ?Tell me everything,? Ila said with rising anxiety.  ?Don?t hold
anything back.  Just what are we facing down there??
     ?Something horrible beyond belief,? her daughter-in-law said,
?You?re dealing with the ultimate face of Evil itself.?


     When Bernabe entered the cave, the blackness only seemed to
intensify at first, shutting out the light from behind within just a few
metrones.  As he gingerly made his way forward, he could start to make
out some details, but only in a kind of low-level red glow that reminded
him of emergency lighting on low power.  
     ?Kylie!  Marshak!  Are you here?? he called out.  His voice echoed
back from further in the cave but there was no response.  Some measure of
relief came when he heard the familiar whirring noise of Serpentine?s eye
from behind him.  It almost made him want to laugh at the thought that
the sound of a Cylon?s eye in the dark could actually be reassuring,
     ?My internal scan is more clear now,? Serpentine spoke.  ?Two life
forms are definitely up ahead.?
     ?Kylie!  Marshak!?  Bernabe shouted.  ?Answer me!?
     They moved another ten metrones, rounding a curve that took them
deeper into the cave and at a more downward angle.  And then......Bernabe
stopped as he could make out something moving on the ground.  Something
that seemed to be rolling and twisting about.  Not in resistance to
something, but rolling in an almost aimless fashion.  The Skorpian picked
up his pace and as he drew closer he could tell even in the near-dark
conditions that it was someone in a Colonial uniform.  And from the
general build it could only be Marshak.
     ?Marshak!? he dashed toward him, ?Marshak, it?s Bernabe!?
     He reached the figure lying on the ground and managed to roll him
over on his back so he could see his face.  And what Bernabe saw made his
blood freeze.
     It was unquestionably Marshak.  But the ensign?s face was a frozen
mask of terror that exceeded anything Bernabe had seen in his life.  Eyes
widened.  Mouth agape, but with no sound coming from it.  But what stood
out most to Bernabe was the hair.  Marshak had always had a full head of
dark brown hair.  Now.....the sides were streaked white, standing out in
the darkened conditions of the cave.  As though something had happened to
induce such a change.
     ?Marshak,? Bernabe whispered in horror as he pulled him up to a
sitting condition, ?Marshak, it?s Bernabe.  What happened?  Where?s
Kylie?? he slapped him lightly several times in the face.  The ensign was
non-responsive at first but then he blinked once and the terror-filled
expression returned to his face.
     ?You?re one of them too!? he shouted, ?You?re one of them too, just
like him!?
     He shook free of Bernabe?s hold and tried to back away by moving on
his rear end.  The Sergeant reached out and grabbed him, wrestling him to
the ground so he couldn?t get away. 
     ?No!  NO!? Marshak screamed, ?Please God, no!  Let me go!?
     ?Marshak!? Bernabe struggled to keep his hold on the warrior. 
Finally, knowing he had no choice he brought his fist across the ensign?s
chin sending him into unconsciousness.
     ?Frack almighty,? he slowly got to his feet, ?We?ve got to get him
out of here and get him sedated.  But we?ve got to find Kylie first. 
Where is she??
     ?She is somewhere nearby,? Serpentine?s tone had reverted to its
unemotional norm, which seemed inappropriate, ?But as to where she
is......I can not pinpoint it precisely.?
     Bernabe knew he was being thrust into an impossible position.  He
wanted to make sure Kylie was found because if she was the only one
unaccounted for, he could guess what the ramifications would be for him. 
But one look at Marshak?s unconscious form was enough to tell him that in
the absence of hard information, he had one crewman who *had* to be
attended to immediately.
     ?Help me get him to his feet, Serpentine,? he made his decision,
?We?ve got to get him out of here and back to the landram.  And then we
come back to look for Kylie once we?ve done that.?
     ?By your command.?  The centurion knelt down and slowly they helped
the unconscious Marshak to his feet so they could begin the long,
torturous journey back.
     God forgive me for leaving now, Bernabe thought.


     Cain wished he had a machete to hack away the brush as he pressed on
with Keuchel at his heels.  Not that it would have made too much of a
difference, but it at least would have enabled him to expend more energy
that was building up inside him and ready to explode with the intensity
of a supernova.  
     ?Sir,? the security guard managed to call after him, ?How far do we
go in this direction??
     ?Until we find them,? he said bluntly,   ?We go this way, we?ll find
them.  I don?t know how I know that, but I know this is the way to go.?
     For five centons they trudged on until finally, they came to a
clearing and saw the dark maw of a cave in front of them.  No sooner had
they stopped when they were greeted by the sight of Bernabe and
Serpentine emerging, each with an arm around a clearly unconscious
Marshak.
     ?What happened?? Cain shouted as he and Keuchel dashed up to them.
     Bernabe?s eyes widened at the unexpected sight of the Juggernaut. 
?We found him back in the cave.  He?s been through some kind of traumatic
shock.  Exactly what I don?t know.  I had to knock him out to keep him
under control.?
     ?Kylie!?  Cain shouted as he grabbed Bernabe?s arm, ?Where?s Kylie??
     Bernabe shook his head, ?Commander, we didn?t see her.  We had a
life form reading that indicates she?s likely in there somewhere, but we
had to get Marshak out first because he needs immediate medical attention
back on the Pegasus.?
     ?You left her in there?? his eyes suddenly grew wild with rage, ?You
lousy snitrad, how could you----.?  He seemed on the verge of wanting to
strangle the Skorpian Sergeant, so great was his fury.  
     But suddenly, his rage disappeared and Cain backed away from him. 
Keuchel and Bernabe said nothing as they watched him take several breaths
and when Cain finally spoke, it was in the voice of the old, familiar
Cain.
     ?I apologize, Sergeant,? he said with total sincerity.  ?You did
exactly the right thing under the circumstances.  Ensign Marshak needs to
be safely evacuated immediately.  I want you and Keuchel and Serpentine
to get him back to the shuttle, which is outside the periphery and
waiting, and then I want all of you to get back to the Pegasus.  I?ll
search for Kylie.....alone.?
     ?Commander, I can stay behind and search with you,? he stepped
forward.
     The Juggernaut slowly turned around and shook his head.  ?Thank you,
Keuchel, but....no.  I......now realize that this is my task, and mine
alone.  I?m not putting you or any other member of my crew at risk over
this.  I......have to face this alone.?
     ?I can at least stay at the periphery and wait for you, sir.?  an
edge of pleading entered Keuchel?s voice.
     ?No,? his voice grew more quiet and gentle.  ?No.  Just.....leave
the landram out there and that will be enough.  All of you......you?ve
been the victims of something that I now realize has been targeted at me
specifically, and that?s why I?ve no right to put any of your lives at
risk.  And that even includes you, Serpentine.  Because you and your
fellow Cylons who have joined our cause are just as much a part of my
crew and entitled to the same consideration I would give those who are
human.  All you can do now......is to offer me your prayers and hopes
that the Lords will guide me through this......and bring me and Kylie
back safely.?
     He then added simply, ?Dismissed.?
     And without saying another word, he headed into the cave.  Bernabe
and Keuchel both felt a mixture of frustration, admiration and horror as
the blackness swallowed him up.


     Cain moved into the cave, first experiencing the total darkness and
then the gradual sensation of being able to discern the outlines of his
surroundings as he went further.  The low-level, emergency red light
quality began to take hold casting a glow that he might have found
terrifying.....if he were capable of letting himself be terrified.  For
now, there was only within the Juggernaut a determination to find the
woman he loved and get to the bottom of this mystery as to why this trap
had been set for him.
     For a brief micron, he thought of how he?d been on the verge of
assaulting a member of his crew.  And how he?d been able to recover
himself because he?d heard a voice inside his head telling him not to do
so.  A voice saying two simple words.  Cain.  No.  A voice that he was
convinced was the voice of his late wife, Bethany.
     That had been enough to restore clarity to his mind, and make him
realize that if Kylie was trapped and in some sort of danger it was
because the forces behind the disappearance of Ensign Wynn, who had
clearly targeted Sheba at some point in the past, now wanted him.  With
the woman he now loved as the bait.  
     I understand the what, at least in general terms, he thought as he
went deeper and deeper into the cave.  But is it all about revenge on
Sheba by going through me?  Or does it go beyond even that?
     He was certain he?d find the answer......soon.
     Cain didn?t know how far he?d gone or how long it had been when he
suddenly saw it get brighter up ahead.  But the brightness was just a
deeper shade of red that only added to the eerie, foreboding atmosphere. 
If anything, the blackness behind him almost seemed less dangerous than
the red light ahead.  Still, he pressed forward.  Until finally, he could
make out a rock formation that almost resembled the kind of slab one
might see in an ancient burial tomb.
     And lying across that slab was the unmistakable form of Kylie.  Eyes
closed.  Her hands folded over her chest like a Kobollian ruler lying in
state.
     ?Kylie!? he shouted as he ran toward her.  Just as he reached her
side, he then heard a slamming sound from somewhere behind him.  Turning
back, he then saw that the pathway he?d been journeying down from the
faraway cave entrance was sealed off completely.  Leaving him trapped in
this eerie chamber that to Cain seemed straight out of Hades itself.
     Cain?s head darted around the room trying to see if there was any
other opening he could access.  He saw only solid rock formations bathed
in the same red glow.  And then......he saw in a recessed corner a
solitary figure standing upright.  Eyes blank and vacant.  His body
completely motionless.  Wearing a Colonial uniform.
     ?Wynn,? Cain whispered, thunderstruck by this latest twist, ?Wynn.?
     ?Welcome, Commander Cain.? a male voice sounded through the chamber. 
Deep and resonant, but with a distinctly menacing undertone.  It?s
booming effect was enough to make Cain?s flesh crawl.  ?I have waited
long for this day.?
     The Juggernaut tried to ignore the voice as he reached down and
touched Kylie?s hand.  It was still warm and to his relief, he could feel
a pulse.
     ?No, Commander.  She is not dead.  Her life in fact is not in danger
at all.  But.....she is under my control.  And soon, she will be forced
to make a decision that will have significant ramifications in your
life......and the life of your daughter.?
     ?Let her go!? Cain shouted.  ?If you want to play your sick games,
then do them on me and me alone!?
     ?I?m afraid not, Commander Cain.  You see, we are dealing with a
scenario where Captain Kylie?s actions, taken of her own free will, have
placed her in this situation.  She could have saved herself from this had
she chosen to place her life ahead of Ensign Marshak.  But of her free
will, she chose otherwise.  And because of that.....I am able to command
anything of her, short of her life and her soul.  Once she has carried
out my command.......she will be released unharmed, physically and
spiritually.?
     Cain had to summon every measure of his strength to keep his cool. 
Everything he had learned in thirty plus yahrens of being a warrior, and
priding himself on being the best under fire.  The bravado that had
carried him through countless missions that would have meant death for
warriors of lesser ability.  The unflappable calm that had saved the
Pegasus from the brink of destruction at Molocay six yahrens ago.  If he
truly took pride in all that he?d been as a warrior, he?d find that
bravado and calm now.
     ?Your name is Count Iblis, isn?t it?? he said it as a challenge.
     A mocking laugh filled chamber.  ?Oh, Commander, you try to
challenge me as if you think I?m no different from a Cylon commander
you?ve run rings around in the past with your tactical genius.  I
compliment you for the fact that you pieced together just enough from
what your friend Ila told you.  But it is only a mere trifle that you
have figured out.....one of my names.?
     ?You know my daughter,? Cain held his ground.  ?Is this your idea of
revenge?  Going after me through Kylie because my daughter defeated you
once before??
     ?And now your powers of deduction have failed you, Commander.  Which
is why at this point......it is best you learn the full truth.  The
reason why you.....and your daughter.....and now the woman you plan to
make your wife one day......are of interest to me.  But the explanation
is best delivered......by one even closer to you.?
     Ten microns went by with only silence in the chamber.  And
then......it was broken by a distinctly feminine voice.
     ?Hello......my son.?
     Cain wheeled around and saw standing in front of the now blocked
passageway a beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid to late 30s. 
Tall and elegant with brown hair flowing past her shoulders and
penetrating brown eyes.  It was a face he recognized immediately.  From a
holopic he had once found in the attic of his home when he was six
yahrens old.  And when he had asked his father who it was, his father had
promptly snatched it and tore it up, giving his son an angry warning to
never ask him about the woman in the picture ever again.
     ?No.....? for the first time in his life, the Juggernaut was totally
at a loss for words as he vigorously shook his head.
     ?Yes,? Helena smiled with a maternal air, ?I am your mother, Cain.?
     She slowly stepped toward him, ?And I have......*much* to tell you.?

Chapter Five

     For twenty centons, Ila listened to Sheba and Apollo tell her a
story that left her at a loss for words.  A story of who Count Iblis had
really been, and how that had led to a confrontation on a mysterious
planet that had seen Apollo seemingly killed in Sheba?s place only to be
restored later.  A story of a mysterious Derelict spacecraft that Apollo
and Sheba had been trapped aboard, filled with the minions enslaved to
Iblis.......including Ensign Wynn.  And finally, Apollo and Sheba had
told her of the most recent attempt by Iblis against them.  When he had
been able to freeze time and space and fool Apollo and Sheba into
thinking they were living in an idyllic Paradise world for five yahrens,
when all the time only microns had elapsed.  All the time waiting for the
moment of final submission on Sheba?s part.
     ?Iblis has an obsession with wanting to control me somehow, some
day,? it was a struggle for Sheba to admit all of this aloud to anyone,
but now her concern for her father had left her with no choice, ?I don?t
know *why* he?s targeted me from the beginning, but it?s clear that he?s
determined to have me somehow and someday.  And if what you say is true
that you?ve been lured to this planet because of a message about Wynn,
and that he and Kylie are now down there and out of contact.......it?s
clear that this is his idea of revenge on me.?
     She lowered her head and choked back a sob, ?I wish he?d tried it on
me again instead of him.  At least.....I?ve had experience fighting him
off.  He and Kylie have no idea what they?re in for.?
     ?Easy, Sheba,? Apollo put his arm around her wife and said tenderly,
?Easy.?  He then looked into the camera.  ?Mother.....have you heard
anything from Cain since he went down to the surface??
     ?No, we haven?t,? Ila shook her head, trying to shake off the numb
sensation she was feeling inside.  ?I suppose that?s probably all been
arranged by Iblis too.?
     ?Probably,? Apollo nodded.
     A piercing beep on Ila?s console indicated the Bridge was trying to
contact her.  She quickly shifted in her chair to answer it.  ?Yes,
Colonel??
     ?Ila, how much longer do you need to keep that connection open?  We
can?t afford to go more than another fifteen centons without major
recharging.?
     ?Give me five more centons, Colonel,? Ila said patiently and then
added, ?Any word??
     ?Yes,? the executive officer said flatly.  ?The shuttle is on its
way back with everyone except Cain and Kylie.  Cain is still down there
searching for her.  We?re standing by in orbit.?
     ?Understand,? Ila nodded and then turned back to the screen that
connected her to the Galactica, ?Did you hear all that??
     ?We did,? Adama?s tone was more subdued.  Part of that stemmed from
the fact that he wasn?t the one who?d been involved in any of the
experiences Apollo and Sheba had been through.  And part of it was
because he could feel some measure of relief that his wife clearly wasn?t
a target of the Dark One.  At least not now.  ?If it?s just the two of
them alone now, then things are totally out of your hands, Ila.  All you
can do is sit back and hope and pray that the Lords will give both Cain
and Kylie the strength and insight they need to get through this
challenge.?
     ?We?re going to wait as long as we can,? his wife said with
determination.  ?And I?m sure at some point, we?ll try sending another
team down there if we hear nothing from them.?
     ?Mother,? Apollo spoke up, ?Please......don?t go down there
yourself.  It?d be playing into his hands completely if you were suddenly
at risk.?
     ?I won?t, Son,? she reassured him. ?You have my promise.?
     ?And one other thing,? Apollo went on, his voice cracking,
?Please.....forgive us for not telling you about Iblis and what we knew
about Wynn earlier.  We were on the verge of doing it now, and......maybe
that?s the reason he decided to finally act.?
     ?I echo that, Ila,? Adama said quietly.  ?It was my responsibility
to share that information with you and Cain from the beginning.  And once
you?d neutralized the situation at Cannes, there was no excuse left for
not telling you.  When Cain makes it back......please tell him how sorry
I am.?
     ?Actually, now that I?ve heard you explain just who Iblis is and
what he means, I don?t think you have any cause to reproach yourselves,?
Ila said gently, ?If you had told us, then Iblis would have tried another
tactic that didn?t involve using Wynn as a lure.  From what you?ve said,
he clearly knows how to let unpredictability neutralize any failure to
have the element of surprise.  So for my sake......don?t feel any guilt
over your own actions.  It?s all up to Cain and Kylie to prove they?re of
strong enough character to overcome this situation they?ve been trapped
into.?  She then focused her attention on Sheba, whose eyes were red,
?Have faith in your father, Sheba.?
     ?I will,? she refused to let her voice crack this time.  ?Thank you,
Ila.  Please.....contact us immediately when you know.?
     ?We will.? 
     Not wanting to say any goodbyes, she switched off the connection and
then felt as if she were about to collapse out of her chair.  She?d heard
more than her mind ever could have comprehended about the meaning of
these things, and then she?d had to force a facade of reassurance to her
loved ones so that she wouldn?t have to feel the burden of their sorrow
in the next few centars.
     Lords of Kobol, please.  Don?t take Cain and Kylie from me.  I could
never be content on the Pegasus without them.


     ?I speak the truth, Cain,? Helena said softly.  ?I am your mother,
Helena.?
     He vigorously shook his head, ?My mother died when I was a yahren
old.?
     ?I did not die then.  I merely.....found a greater calling in the
Universe.?
     ?You......? Cain could barely summon the strength to force words out
of his mouth, ?You.....sold your......soul to......?
     ?I achieved immortality and true Enlightenment,? there was a
reverent, mystical quality in her tone.  ?And I so much wished for you,
my son, to be part of that.  But that was not possible.?
     ?You?re a liar!?  Cain shouted.  ?You?re not my mother!  This is all
a trick!  A trick to fool me!?
     ?She?s not lying, Cain,? another feminine voice spoke but in a sad
tone of voice.  Cain turned around and this time, saw a figure garbed
entirely in white.  And in an instant......he recognized his late wife,
Bethany.
     ?Bethany......? Cain whispered in horror.  ?You?re.....here too??
     ?I am not under Count Iblis?s control or in his service, Cain.? 
Bethany said, ?My soul is free  from bondage and in eternal service to
the Almighty.  But I am here to be an observer of events.  To insure that
the rules that govern the state of affairs in the Universe that even
Count Iblis is bound by, are not violated.  That requires nothing but
total candor of the stakes to you.  And to confirm those things that you
might not otherwise accept as the truth from Iblis and from Helena.?
     ?But.....if you come from.....the realm of all that is
good.......can?t you stop this insanity?? all of this exceeded Cain?s
ability to maintain any kind of bravado.  Now, his emotions were like
those of a frightened child.
     ?I can not interfere with any process that involves the free will of
the human mind, Cain,? Bethany shook her head.  ?What has come to pass
has been rooted entirely in the decisions you and Kylie have made freely,
and which you could have chosen to act otherwise on.  It is forbidden to
interfere with free will, ever.  From this time forward, events will be
decided entirely on the actions that Kylie will make.....of her own free
will.?
     The sound of her voice, which had always captivated Cain from the
moment he?d first seen her perform on a stage was the only thing keeping
him from breaking down.  Slowly, he turned back to Helena who was smiling
in seeming victory.
     ?She confirms everything.  Now you must accept the truth of who I
am.  And you will listen and understand......everything.?
     ?Yes, Cain,? Bethany said with sad regret, ?You must listen.?
     He drew in his breath, ?Go ahead.?
     ?I?m sure you know why the name Cain was chosen for you,? Helena
began.  ?Four hundred yahrens ago, it was your namesake who established
the House of Cain and its great tradition of uninterrupted warrior
service from one generation to the next from first born to first born. 
Not always producing exceptional leaders, but each in their own way, men
of honor and patriotism in their service records.
     A contemptuous smirk then formed on the corner of her mouth, ?But
then we come to your father.  A man driven by a mad desire to be the best
warrior the House of Cain had produced since its founder.  A man who
would do.......*anything* to achieve the fame, honor and glory of being
the most renowned of warriors in the Colonies.  A man who would be
willing to make.....the ultimate bargain to insure that nothing would
ever disrupt his ambitions.......especially not......a disastrous
performance in his greatest claim to fame.?
     Cain was trying hard to put aside the fact that he was hearing his
own mother speaking to him.  A woman he had no memories of whatsoever,
since he?d been told that she had died when he was only a yahren old. 
Not once had his father, with whom he?d always had a distant relationship
with, ever told him so much as a word about her, or what had happened to
her.  And because his father?s parents were long dead and he had no
siblings, there were no other relatives for Cain to talk to.  He?d just
come to accept the idea that the circumstances were too painful and
traumatic and the subject had never come up again.  Now, decades after
he?d put the matter behind him, it was being revisited in circumstances
he could never have comprehended.  The only thing he could do to keep his
sanity was to listen to what Helena was saying with as much detachment as
he could summon.
     It was because he?d managed to find some of that detachment that he
already had an inkling of what the first big revelation from her would
be.
     ?The Orion Incident? he said simply.  ?It didn?t happen the way he
said it happened.?
     Helena smiled with an air of pride that he found unnerving, ?Yes, my
son.  The Orion Incident.  The event that set your father down the path
that eventually led to command of the Battlestar Excelsia. What was the
official story??
     Trying to calm his emotions, he took a breath, ?My father,
Lieutenant Marcus, was acting as advance scout in the Neutral Zone
bordering the Orion Frontier.  Orion?s neutrality in the Colonial-Cylon
war had been respected for over two hundred yahrens by both sides, but
there were concerns the Cylons could violate the Neutral Zone and conduct
raids on Orion that might force them to abandon their neutrality and
strike an alliance with the Cylons.  His job was to patrol the border
area of the Neutral Zone without crossing into Orion territory and look
for any sign of Cylon activity or intrusions.  It was generally a dull
assignment for anyone who drew it.  If a Cylon was found to be patrolling
inside the Neutral Zone, then neither side could fire on the other unless
they?d been attacked first.?
     He needed to stop to collect himself again before resuming.  Before
he did, he looked back over his shoulder where he could see Kylie still
lying motionless across the slab.  And several feet behind her, garbed in
her ethereal white robe was Bethany, her expression one of sad-faced
stoicism.  The compounding irony of the two of them in the same place,
was on some levels even more overpowering to his emotions than the sight
of his mother.
     The Juggernaut knew he had to block them both from his head for now. 
He turned back, cleared his throat and resumed.
     ?Marcus discovered a Cylon ambush of an Orion diplomatic shuttle on
the other side of the Neutral Zone in Orion territorial space.  He made
the tactical decision to enter Orion Space and destroy the Cylon
intruder.  He was too late to save the Orion Ambassador?s shuttle from
destruction, but the telemetry recordings of the incident were the key in
the Orion Government?s decision to break relations with the Cylons
permanently and deny them all access to Orion resources.  Orion never
signed a military alliance with us, but from that point on we were the
only side in the war they?d make any trade agreements with for natural
resources.?
     ?And he was decorated for his attempt to save the Ambassador?s life
and for recording the precious information that enabled the Colonial
government to prove to the Orions the murder of their ambassador was an
act of Cylon treachery,? Helena said.  ?But that wasn?t how events
unfolded, my son.  Far from an act of courage and heroism.......your
father was the guilty party.  His talents as a warrior were far from
exceptional.  When he drew solitary patrols, he had a tendency to let his
mind wander and drift.  On that night, when he should have been looking
at his scanner, his mind was fixated on.......me.  His new wife of three
sectars, and who had just sent him a message telling him that she was
pregnant with their first child.?
     Cain bit his lip, as he found it was the only gesture he could make
to keep from trembling.  His mind was beginning to see outlines of what
the ultimate explanation of this was.
     ?Ours was *such* a passionate courtship and marriage,? Helena
whispered, ?I was everything to him.  I occupied his mind and thoughts on
a constant basis.  Because of his obsession with me......the idea of
ambition in his military career mattered less to him.  And that was why
that night, his distracted mind failed to see that his viper had drifted
from the Neutral Zone into Orion space.  And then......his visions of me
were shattered by the realization he was being fired upon.  Thinking he
was still in the Neutral Zone, he immediately thought it was a Cylon ship
and returned fire.  But it wasn?t a Cylon ship.  It was......the Orion
Ambassador?s shuttle.?
     His eyes narrowed as he realized the magnitude of this revelation. 
And yet......Cain wasn?t surprised or stunned in the least bit to hear
it.  He could remember his father?s refusal to talk about the incident
that had won him fame and set him down the path that eventually resulted
in command of the Battlestar Excelsia.  Cain had grown up thinking it was
just part of his father?s instinctive reserve and coldness.  Now he knew
the real reason for the years of formal distance and lack of emotion that
he?d seen in his father.  It was all to hide the shame over what had
really happened.
     ?He killed the ambassador,? Cain forced himself to speak.  ?And he
was able to somehow alter the telemetry tapes to make it look as if the
Cylons had been responsible for that.?
     ?The telemetry tapes were indeed altered.  But not because of what
he did.  Because he found someone who was able to do that for him.?
     All emotions in Cain were now suppressed, ?Count Iblis.?
     ?Yes,? Helena nodded.  ?Who else could help him perform the
impossible?  He couldn?t expect the Almighty or the Lords of Kobol to
answer any prayer to undo that which was done.  The actions were done out
of his own free will.  The free will that led him to be negligent in his
duties.  The free will that had now created a diplomatic incident that
could mean war between the Colonies and Orion.  What was done could not
be undone, and yet.....that was all he prayed for, because he knew that
even if the Colonial Government could smooth things diplomatically with
the Orions, he would still face punishment and disgrace.  The end of his
military career.  Eternal shame to the House of Cain.  The end of his
very reason for existing.?
     She took another step and began to slowly circle her son, who
remained frozen in his position, listening to every word she said, but
not wanting to follow her movements.
     ?He landed his viper on an isolated asteroid so he could put off his
return to his home base.  Screaming and begging for some way to let
things be changed so his reputation would be saved.  That was all that
mattered to him.  Not whether his nation would find themselves in a war
or a diplomatic crisis they could ill-afford, but simply.......his
reputation.  And that, is when Count Iblis appeared to him on that
asteroid and offered him an escape clause from his plight.?
     For the first time, the booming male voice filled the room once
again.  ?It was quite an amusing sight.  The self-appointed heir to the
House of Cain?s noble tradition of military excellence sitting all alone
on a rock on an empty asteroid crying desperately.  When I appeared to
him and told him what I could do......it was the answer to his prayer. 
As there were no other ships that witnessed the incident and the Orion
shuttle did not have time to radio a specific message of distress back to
their home planet.......all I had to do was alter the substance of
Lieutenant Marcus?s viper telemetry recordings so that it would show him
responding to an unauthorized Cylon attack on the shuttle in Orion
space.?
     ?But there was a catch to it all.? Cain?s voice was detached and
faraway.  Devoid of all emotion.  It was the only way he could steel
himself in the face of all this.  ?He had to pay a price for that unholy
bargain.?
     He forced himself to look Helena in the eye, ?You??
     ?You could say that, my son, but it would be an over-simplification
of things,? the mocking edge was gone from her, and in its place was the
barest hint of maternal feeling.  ?Under ordinary circumstances, the
price would be the soul.  His soul.  But Iblis saw how weak a man Marcus
was at his core.  That was a soul he had no use for.  He decided instead
to test further just how much Marcus was willing to sacrifice for his own
self-interest.  Would he be willing to even sacrifice.....his wife.....or
his son??
     Cain felt every muscle in his body lock.  If he even tried to, he
wouldn?t have been able to move the tiniest fraction of an inch.
     ?Yes, that is what it came down to, Cain,? Helena went on. 
?Following your birth, Iblis would have free rein for one yahren to
entice me to his side.  If I ultimately chose.....of my own free
will.....to follow him unto eternity, then the first part of the contract
would be fulfilled.  You would remain free from him for the totality of
your life.  If I did not submit of my own free will......then you would
represent the total fulfillment of the contract.?
     The silence in the cave seemed endless, as Cain stood frozen, filled
with shock by these revelations that left him incapable of moving or
speaking.  His mind was fighting back all the emotional instincts that
made him want to collapse in sobs and wails of anguish.  It was the only
weapon he had at his disposal, but all it could do was leave him
paralyzed and mute.
     Finally, the silence was broken by his wife?s voice.
     ?Be candid with him, Helena,? Bethany said sternly.  ?Your decision
wasn?t an act of self-sacrifice to save the life and soul of your child. 
You made your decision for your own selfish reasons, as surely as Marcus
made his decision for his.  You were enticed by Iblis because he offered
you dreams of immortality and power.  Gifts that he presented to you as
greater than any devotion to husband and child.  Least of all a husband
you would be apart from constantly while he pursued his military career. 
When you made your decision to follow Count Iblis, it was made with the
full knowledge that you were deliberately abandoning all vows you?d taken
to your husband and son.  The fact that it was the decision that saved
Cain?s life and soul was something you never knew, since Iblis didn?t
want you as the result of a decision rooted in the noble principle of
self-sacrifice.  He wanted you only because he made sure that *you*
wanted him in return.?
     Helena made no response.  As though that was the only way she would
let herself concede the truth of what Bethany had said.  She moved on as
if Cain?s wife hadn?t said anything.
     ?I?m sure you noticed that I said my acceptance of Count Iblis by my
free will only represented fulfillment of the first part of the contract
Marcus agreed to.  That was because Marcus couldn?t escape the matter of
offering a blood heir to his Savior one day.  It was only a question of
whether it would be from his seed......or yours.?
     Slowly, everything began to fall into place for Cain.
     ?Yes, Cain,? Helena whispered, ?You were spared.....but at the cost
of the contract remaining unfulfilled.  To complete it.......Iblis must
have the heir to the House of Cain.?
     ?Sheba.? he barely forced the name out of his mouth,   ?That?s
why......Sheba?s been targeted??
     ?Of course.  So long as she remains your only child.....she is the
chosen one for Count Iblis.?
     ?Listen to what she says, Cain,? Bethany said.  ?And now understand
the true circumstances behind something else that happened in our lives.?
     Cain managed to turn around and look at his wife.  Her face a
perfect picture of unemotional stoicism.  Only in her blue eyes could he
see the signs of how much this experience was torturous for her to be
part of.  
     ?My God,? Cain whispered in horror as he realized it, ?Our son.  The
child you lost.....?
     ?Yes,? Bethany nodded, not revealing the sadness within her.  ?The
miscarriage I suffered when Sheba was four.  It happened because I?d been
injured when I was rehearsing for a play.  Only after my death did I
learn the truth of what happened that day.  The injury caused to me that
resulted in my miscarriage was no accident.  It was deliberately staged
so it would happen that way.  So our son.....who would have become your
direct heir, and who would have been the one chosen to follow your path
as a warrior, was killed before he had a chance to live.  All so that
Sheba could remain the target of interest for Iblis one day.?
     Cain whipped his head back to face Helena.  Trying to comprehend how
the woman who had given him life could have become something so twisted
and evil.  And then he realized it was futile.  He couldn?t change what
his mother or father had been or become.  He wasn?t responsible for the
failed choices they had made of their own free will.  He could only be
responsible for himself.  And he could be grateful that he had never
betrayed the ones he had loved.  Despite the devotion he?d given to his
career, and despite the hardships of absence and distance he had imposed
on them for so many yahrens, Bethany and Sheba had always meant
everything to him beyond life itself.
     ?Now I understand everything,? he whispered with total hate, ?Sheba
can only remain a target so long as she is my only child.  But if I were
to marry again and have a son......as I might one day with
Kylie......that would free Sheba from your influence.  That?s why you?ve
lured Kylie into this.?
     ?You reason everything.....to a point.?
     ?What am I leaving out?? Cain demanded.
     ?The time for revealing information to you is now over, my son,?
Helena drew herself up.  ?It is time now for events to proceed that are
outside your control.?
     And before he could say anything in protest, she was gone in the
blink of an eye.  Cain turned around and saw that Bethany was still
standing off to the right of where Kylie lay.  Her expression still
sympathetic, but with the distance that indicated she was powerless to
free him or the woman he loved now from this evil place.
     ?Bethany,? he barely got his words out, ?What happens next??
     ?He will show you,? his late wife said simply, ?I can only observe
and insure that he does not violate the rules.  And as he is bound by the
rules, so too am I, Cain.  I wish there was more I could do for you and
for Kylie......but I can?t.?
     She then looked away from him, toward the wall of the cave formation
directly behind the slab Kylie lay on.  As though she was waiting for
something to become visible.
     ?And now, Commander Cain, you will see events come to a head that
will determine the future for your daughter and whether she will remain
the key to the contract?s fulfillment,? the voice of the one Cain knew to
be Count Iblis filled the sealed chamber again.  Echoing with a
reverberation that suggested his true origins.  ?As you are about to
see......the decision will rest entirely in the hands of the woman you
now love.?
     And then, like a cinematic projection coming to life in a theater, a
bright rectangular shaped light illuminated the space behind and above
Kylie?s tomblike slab.  The light was of the same unholy reddish tinge
that had been typical on the planet surface and here in the cave.  Only
now.....it projected a danger that far surpassed even the surroundings he
now found himself trapped in.
     Despite his frustration and his desire to do something, he knew that
all he could do was watch....and wait.


     ?How is he?? Ila was in the Life Station looking down at the sedated
and restrained form of Ensign Marshak.
     Dr. Laughlin?s expression was grim, ?He?s had a traumatic shock that
I don?t think any of us could begin to comprehend.?
     ?Is he dying??
     ?I don?t think he?s going to die.....physically.  But unless there?s
a dramatic change in the next few centars, he?ll probably be dead
mentally.  For now.....all I can do is keep him comfortable.?
     ?Do what you can, Doctor,? Ila said a quick silent prayer for
Marshak?s soul and well-being before she turned away and went over to
where Bernabe was sitting.  The Skorpian native was visibly trembling.
     ?You said there was a life form reading in addition to Marshak
before you found him??
     ?Serpentine said he had an indication,? he took a sip from a cup of
water that he?d gotten from the dispenser.  ?But he said he couldn?t
pinpoint it precisely.  It was obviously further inside the cave,
but.....it was so hard to make anything out, we just couldn?t see it.? 
He gulped down the rest of the water and put a hand to his head, ?Lords
of Kobol, I wish I had a *real* drink.?
     ?Not now, Sergeant,? she said curtly, ?Back up just a bit.  You said
Serpentine had an indication.  Didn?t you get an indication on your
scanner??
     ?Well....I wasn?t looking at mine so much by then, because I was
getting totally fracked up indications......excuse me ma?am.?
     ?Never mind your language,? she said curtly, ?Just don?t call me
ma?am if you can avoid it.?
     ?Sorry.....Professor,? Bernabe stopped to finish the water. 
?Anyway....Serpentine?s own scan was getting better information than
mine.  As if it wasn?t affecting his systems as much the way they were
affecting my scanner.  He was getting all the readings on the acidic
content in the plant life.  And then at one point.....? he stopped and
frowned.
     ?What??
     ?There was one really weird thing that happened before we reached
the cave,? his tone grew quiet.  ?He stopped and said he wasn?t getting
any signs of life readings then.  But then he seemed to indicate there
was another life form out there.  He got all puzzled and mumbled
something about.....how it was like one of the Makers was there.?
     ?The Makers?? Ila frowned.  ?What did he mean by that??
     ?That?s where it got even more weird.  He snapped out of it a micron
later and we moved on, and when I brought the subject up again, he didn?t
know what I was talking about.?
     ?As if he was being affected by something because he was a Cylon??
     He shrugged, ?I couldn?t say.  A few centons later we found Marshak
and I kind of forgot about the whole thing until now.? he shook his head
and looked over at the life station bed that Marshak had been strapped
to.  ?Lords, please let him be okay.?
     Ila looked back over her shoulder and took another look at the
Ensign.  Given his condition, and what he had likely seen to cause such a
shock, she was convinced of one thing.  Only the sight of Kylie, alive
and well, would set him down the road to recovery.
     ?Thank you, Sergeant,? she patted him on the arm.  ?Get some rest.?
     ?I don?t feel like sleeping, Professor,? Bernabe said, ?I?m too
scared of what I might dream.?
     She nodded in understanding and left the Life Station.  Her next
stop would be the Lab and hopefully some information from Centurion
Serpentine.


     ?Colonel?? Jacks turned from his monitor and looked up at the
Executive Officer.
     ?What is it, Jacks?? Tolen was projecting nothing but unflappable
calm to camouflage the anxiety inside him over Cain?s absence.  Even
though he?d been through a situation like this once before when Cain had
been taken prisoner by the Eastern Alliance on Terra, that was something
where he felt more on top of the situation.  Not so with this.
     ?I think we may have a problem with our escape thrust control.?
     Tolen descended the steps and came up to the helm officer.  ?What
are you talking about??
     ?Take a look, sir,? he punched in several buttons and then leaned
back so Tolen could see it clearly.  ?We have no power to our escape
thrust control.?
     The Executive Officer looked at the readout.  The escape thrust
control system that was essential to letting the Pegasus break orbit from
any planetary body was represented by a long opaque line that filled with
color only when power was applied to the system.  But even in an idle
state, there was always a trace level of power to produce a faint color
at the edge of the line.  Not so this time.
     ?Sir?? Jacks prodded.
     ?I don?t think there?s anything wrong the system, Jacks,? Tolen
broke his silence.  ?Something just doesn?t want us to leave orbit for
now.  And since we weren?t planning on leaving orbit until we hear from
the Commander, it makes the whole thing kind of irrelevant.  But keep
your eye on it just the same.?
     ?Yes sir.?
     Tolen moved down to the next console where Altair was at work.
     ?Anything??
     ?Not from the planet, sir,? the communications officer said.  ?But
we just got a new message file from the Galactica for the Professor.?
     ?She?s gone to the Lab, so send it straight to there.?
     ?Yes sir.?
     Ila?s been tight-lipped about what she learned from the Galactica. 
I can only give her so much leeway on this.  If we don?t hear from Cain
soon, I?m going to have to order her to tell me what she knows!


     When Ila arrived in the Lab, she felt relieved to see the lead
Cylon, Commander Cobre present.  If she had to ask tough questions of
Serpentine, she knew it would be easier if his superior was present to
give her support.  When she approached the command centurion and
explained the situation, he immediately agreed to be accompany her while
she questioned Serpentine and to let her have total free rein.  
     ?Were you experiencing a heavy level of interference on your scanner
readings in the forest, Serpentine?? Ila asked.  
     ?Apparently not to the same degree that Sergeant Bernabe was
experiencing on his own scanner,? the centurion acknowledged.  ?My
internal scan system was at best......a bit muddled, but it did not
affect my ability to tell that the plant life was lethal to human
consumption.?
     ?I need to ask you about something that Bernabe says happened before
you reached the cave,? Ila said,   ?He says that at one point, you seemed
to stop and you said something about......the Makers I think it was??
     There was silence from the centurion.  Ila decided to gently press
the point.
     ?Serpentine.....this is really important.  Don?t you recall saying
something about a life form that reminded you of.....the Makers??
     Finally, Serpentine spoke, slowly and deliberately, ?My.....memory
is not.....sure.....of what you say.  I....do not recall actually saying
any such thing.?
     ?But it could have happened,? Ila kept her voice gentle.  ?Maybe
your memory circuit has been clouded, but it?s possible you could have
said it.?
     ?I.....would not cast aspersions on Sergeant Bernabe.  I am sure he
is sincere in what he describes.  But I can not confirm his
recollection.?
     ?I see,? No I don?t, she added to herself.  It doesn?t make sense at
all.  Was he detecting some sign of Iblis?s presence?  And if that?s the
case, what does he mean by the term ?Makers?? And why do I have the
feeling I?ve heard that term somewhere before from a Cylon?  I?ve talked
to so many of them on Caprica who?ve been friendly to the Resistance but
I just can?t put my finger on who might have said it!
     ?There is little else I can say,? an apologetic edge entered
Serpentine?s voice, ?I regret I can do no more.  Especially with
Commander Cain and Captain Kylie still missing.?
     ?That?s okay, Serpentine,? Ila rose,   ?Thank you for all you?ve
done.?
     She and Cobre moved back into the main lab.
     ?Theories, Professor?? the command centurion asked.
     ?Nothing I could venture right now,? she shook her head.
     ?It is most.....unusual what has taken place.?
     Ila looked at him and mirthlessly smiled, ?*That*, Commander Cobre,
would rank as the ultimate in understatement!?
     ?Professor Ila?? Centurion Festus called over to her.
     ?Yes, Festy?? Ila had long since come to realize that the third
Cylon of the original group preferred the informal nickname given him by
the Pegasus crew.
     ?The Bridge informs me that you have a message from the Galactica. 
It has been sent to the main data base here so you can access it
immediately.?
     Ila hesitated for an instant.  She had yet to share the details of
what she?d learned form the Galactica with anyone else on the Pegasus
about Count Iblis.  She thought of taking it back to her chambers to
listen to privately......but then she realized that would be
self-defeating.  If it offered something of significance, then sooner or
later she?d be sharing the details with Tolen and the entire lab team at
bare minimum.
     Better to get it out of the way now and see what they have to add.
     ?Thank you, Festy.  I?ll give it a look.?
     The blonde Academician settled herself in the chair in front of her
work station and opened the file.  It was a brief text message with a
modest sized attachment.

          THIS IS A RECORDING OF IBLIS SPEAKING TO THE COUNCIL OF
          TWELVE.  HE MAY NOT ASSUME THE SAME APPEARANCE TO YOU,
          BUT PERHAPS THIS WILL HELP FROM A REFERENCE STANDPOINT.

          ALL MY LOVE AND PRAYERS FOR YOUR SAFETY.....AND FOR THAT
          OF CAIN AND KYLIE AS WELL.?A.


     Ila sighed and opened the attachment.  It was a low resolution video
file showing the Council table with the camera pointed straight ahead
toward Adama?s position at the head of the table with the large
translucent window looking out at the stars behind them.  The video
quality wasn?t sharp.  Adama was easy to spot with his snow-white head of
hair, but the other members were largely indistinct.  The only other
figure that stood out was a brown-haired man in white robes who was
standing behind Adama.  The face was not particularly distinct, but when
he spoke, the voice was clear and full of authority.
     ?You have agreed on three tests of my strength,? the man was saying. 
?The first is to deliver your enemy.  The second is to accurately plot
your course to Earth.  The third......? he paused slightly, ?The third
you cannot agree on.  Some of you want to know who I am and where I come
from.  The others are satisfied to accept me because of my work, and are
willing to follow blindly, provided that I guarantee your safety.?
     Certainly a charismatic sounding voice, Ila thought as she put her
hand under her chin and watched in fascination.
     ?Professor Ila??
     Ila reluctantly turned around and saw Commander Cobre standing
behind her, ?Yes, Cobre??
     ?I am curious.  Exactly who is speaking on that recording??
     She decided it was best to show some candor.  ?It?s a recording of
the man we think is responsible for luring us to this planet with the
false signal about Ensign Wynn.  He could very well be down on the planet
now holding Cain and Kylie prisoner.?
     Cobre said nothing at first.  When he spoke after some ten microns,
there was something suggesting bewilderment in his voice.
     ?That is......most odd.?
     Her eyes narrowed in puzzlement.  ?What do you mean, Cobre??
     ?I.....know this will sound quite hard for you to believe,
Professor,? Cobre?s words were slow and measured, ?But that voice is
familiar to all Cylons.  That is the voice of His Eminence, the Imperious
Leader.?

Chapter Six

     For some time, the only sensation Kylie knew was like that of
hovering.  Standing upright but with no feeling of any kind of ground or
surface beneath her feet.  Not sure if she could move forward because her
entire field of vision was a wall of blackness punctuated only by
swirling clouds of grey mist.  What caused the mist to be illuminated and
stand out from the surrounding blackness, she had no idea.  It was just
there.
     Trying not to panic, and trying to show the kind of levelheadedness
that she knew had to demonstrate in order to justify her new rank, she
tried to retrace everything that had happened up to the micron when the
blackness had taken over.  Trying to make sense of what had happened was
the only way she could begin to make sense of where she was now.
     She could remember walking toward the cave entrance with her pistol
drawn.  Marshak was several paces ahead of her.  This was the location of
that life form reading that had briefly registered on their scanner. 
Somewhere inside that dark foreboding maw.
     Then she remembered telling Marshak to halt.  The ensign had done
so, and they both stood there, eyeing it with a mixture of apprehension
and skepticism.
     ?Is it possible Wynn could be alive in there?? Kylie mused.  ?A
place of shelter while living off the plant life and the water you
scanned earlier??
     ?It would certainly fit,? Marshak felt anxious to move on.  ?His
viper is on the planet.  He could have made his way over to this region
and once he reached it, he stayed here while his viper continued to
transmit the beacon on low-level power.?
     ?For two yahrens??
     ?Why not?? he turned and looked at his superior.  ?Why not?  Or
maybe this isn?t the first planet he?s been marooned on.  Kobol knows
he?s had plenty of time to have adventures elsewhere and maybe he was
able to move on to here.?
     She could hear the anxiousness in his voice, ?It would mean a lot to
you to find him alive, wouldn?t it, Marshak??
     The ensign didn?t mince words, ?Yes, Kylie, it would.  He was my
best friend on the Pegasus.  Whatever happened to him two yahrens
ago......I should have been there with him.?
     ?Before we go in there, I have to know this,? Kylie injected just
the tiniest bit of a superior officer?s edge into her voice, ?Are you
prepared to handle it if we find only a skeleton?  Or if he?s not there
at all??
     He looked her in the eye, ?Kylie, I am prepared to handle *anything*
in there.  All I want is some simple damn closure.?
     She smiled respectfully and nodded, ?Marshak, so do I.  Let?s head
in.?
     They?d entered with pistols raised, and with Marshak still leading
point.  By now, she?d given up on trying to use the com-line again to let
Bernabe and Serpentine know what they were doing.  An active contact
meant they couldn?t waste time dithering over communication interference. 
The time to take action was now.
     Just like you?d do it, Cain, right?  She allowed herself a
half-smile as the darkness of the cave began to take hold.
     ?I think in a centon or two our eyes will adjust to the dark,?
Marshak said as they kept moving forward.  ?We should have packed the
infra-red goggles for this.?
     ?Duly noted,? Kylie said.  ?I don?t think any of us were expecting
to go......what?s the term for exploring caves?  I know there?s one for
it.?
     ??Spelunking?,? the ensign said his boots crunched over the pebbles
in the surface.  ?It?s a Leonian term.  There were a lot of caves there
for recreational exploring.?
     ?I?m sure they?re still there.  Someday you?ll get a chance to see
them again when we liberate the Colonies.?
     Marshak let out a chuckle, ?Wasn?t a favorite pastime of mine, but
thanks for that optimistic note, Captain.? 
     Their easy chatter was broken by the sound of a ping.  Marshak
stopped and looked down at his scan.  ?There?s that life form again. 
It?s not too far ahead of us.?
     ?Okay, let?s ease our way forward,? she shook her head, ?If he?s in
here, why would he go this far inside when all he?d have to do is set up
camp near the entrance??
     ?Protection from wild animals??
     ?We haven?t seen anything like that out there.  In fact there?s been
no animal life, period.?
     ?Nothing we could see at least----.?
     His voice stopped in mid-sentence, as did his footsteps.  Kylie came
to a stop just behind him.
     ?What is it??
     ?Captain.....something?s just ahead of me, it.....?
     ?Quiet,? she warned as she moved alongside him and pointed her laser
pistol toward the dark void ahead.  It was hard to make much of anything
out, other than the fact that the black seemed to give way to something
more reddish in color further away.  As they listened they could hear the
distinct sound of something scraping against the sandy rock surface. 
Something that reminded Kylie of hearing long nails run over a classroom
drawing board.  Growing up in a Taurean orphanage, she?d heard that kind
of sound many times from some of her fellow orphans if they were in an
unruly frame of mind.  And she?d even done it herself once.  It was the
kind of sound designed to make the flesh on one?s back crawl.  And it was
having that effect on her now.
     The scraping noise stopped and she could now hear another sound.  A
sound that reminded her of......breathing.  But nothing that resembled
normal human breathing......or even normal animal breathing for that
matter.
     Kylie felt herself instinctively backing up just a step.  Her pistol
still pointed.  She was on the verge of whispering to Marshak that they
needed to start making a quiet retreat.  But before she could do so, the
breathing noise abruptly stopped.  And then came a new sound.  The sound
of boots crunching the pebbles underneath, just like she?d heard from
Marshak when they?d entered the cave.  But she knew the ensign was still
alongside her and the sound didn?t come from him.
     What in Hades.....?
     Her mouth fell open when she saw the outline of someone approaching. 
Someone distinctly human in shape.  Drawing closer until......even in the
dimly lit reddish glow of the dark she cold make out the tell-tale sight
of a Colonial uniform.
     ?Wynn?? Marshak broke the silence, his voice a rising level of
stunned shock and excitement.  ?Wynn, is that you??
     Kylie was concentrating on the face.  Yes.  By God, it was Wynn! 
Looking unchanged from that night two yahrens ago when they?d last spoken
to each other and he?d unsuccessfully tried to talk her into going to bed
with him.  Here he was, alive and seemingly well after mysteriously
disappearing without a trace.  It all seemed to add up, just as Marshak
had said.  He?d ended up on this planet, had found this area of forest
vegetation to subsist on and had made use of this cave as a shelter.  Too
good to be true perhaps......but there he was.
     But wait, she thought as an alarm bell formed in her head.  It *is*
too good to be true.  Why didn?t he call out to us?  Why isn?t he saying
anything now?  Why does his uniform look so.....immaculate after two
yahrens?  And those eyes......
     That was the thing about Wynn?s face that was different.  The eyes. 
Kylie could still remember his soulful pleading eyes looking into hers
that last night they?d talked.  Gray eyes that perfectly matched his
inner melancholic state about the situation that existed on the Pegasus
then.
     Only now those eyes were a glowing, otherworldly shade of bright
red.
     ?Wynn, you old madacca you!? Marshak was running toward him.  ?We?re
here to take you home!?
     ?Marshak, no!? Kylie shouted in horror, ?It?s a trap!  It?s
not----,?
     Marshak threw his arms around his friend in a giant embrace.  There
was no reciprocation.  Instead, the face of Wynn seemed to stare blankly
at Marshak, who still had his hands on his friend?s shoulders.  
     And then.....the transformation took place.  Where the face of Wynn
abruptly disappeared and was replaced by a snout-nosed visage more ugly
and hideous than anything Kylie had ever seen in her life before.  Horns
sprouted from the head.  The body shape morphed as the Colonial uniform
disappeared and was replaced by skin that seemed leathery in nature.  The
boots were now claw-like talons that immediately explained the scraping
sound from before.  And in the dim light, Kylie could make out what
seemed like a tail protruding from the back.
     All of this happened in a matter of microns.  Marshak?s hands were
still on the shoulders throughout the entire process.  And then......the
ensign let out a blood-curdling scream of terror.  Before, he?d been
touching and holding his best friend.  Now, he was touching something
that exceeded every nightmare he?d ever experienced or imagined.
     The creature?s arms suddenly wrapped themselves around the screaming
Marshak and began to drag him off back toward the darkened abyss of the
cave?s depths.  It took Kylie a micron to shake herself out of the
terrified stupor within herself to realize what she needed to do.  She
emptied her laser pistol at the creature, whose back was now to her with
frantic intensity.  As the laser blasts struck the creature, she was
greeted to another horrific sight.  Where for a brief instant, the demon
was gone......and it was Wynn once again.  When another blast struck him,
the pattern repeated itself.  The creature then spun round so it was
facing Kylie and when a third blast struck it in the face......the face
become Wynn?s once again.  Only in that brief instant, Kylie could see a
face that was tortured and filled with anguish.  As though.....for that
brief flash, it was the real Wynn.
     And then, as the effect of the blast faded with no physical effect
whatsoever, the shape of the creature returned and spun round, still
carrying Marshak and moving off toward the cave depths.  The ensign?s
screams had stopped as though he had gone into a catatonic shock.
     Kylie knew she had to act.  If her first instinct had been
self-preservation she would have turned in horror and run toward the cave
entrance as fast as her legs could carry her.  But she knew she couldn?t
let this unholy creature that Wynn had turned into drag Marshak away to a
fate that could only be worse than any kind of death imaginable.  She was
in command of the mission.  She was responsible for the lives of those
Cain had entrusted her to command.  Marshak was in danger and she owed it
to him, to the mission, and to her own sense of honor and integrity to do
something about it, no matter the cost.  If she didn?t......then
everything she had done to earn her sudden promotion in the ranks would
have no meaning.  She?d stand exposed as a coward who?d left one of her
men in the lurch.  She?d justify the sentiments of anyone who thought her
promotion had come solely because she shared the same bed with the
Commanding Officer.
     But even had the situation been reversed, and she?d been the
subordinate to Marshak.....she still would have done what she knew she
had to do.
     She ran after the creature, and out of sheer instinct to release the
terror and tension from within her began to shout as though she were in
her martial arts class during Recruit training.  The sound she?d let out
whenever she related the story of Lord Georges killing the draco to
Wallis and Kelli?s two children and reached the climactic point of the
draco slaying.  It may have been false bravado, but it helped remove the
terror from her system and allowed her to feel anger for what this
perversion of Wynn had done to Marshak.  And how determined she was to
rescue the man whose life she was responsible for.
     She opened fire again, first to illuminate the darkened passage as
she went further into the cave.  She caught sight of the creature again. 
Not moving particularly fast, which meant she was narrowing the gap
between them.  Still carrying Marshak.  What Kylie noticed this time
though was a feature in the creature?s backside she hadn?t seen before. 
The clear shape of......wings.
     ?Drop him!? she fired again and shouted at the top of her voice. 
?Whatever you are, if you have just one speck of what you used to be,
then DROP HIM!?
     The creature seemed to slow down but still held onto Marshak. 
Kylie?s momentum was causing her to close in on the creature.  Letting
out another martial-arts yell, she raised her pistol and charged into the
back of the creature bringing the butt-edge of her weapon down on the
back of the head, right between the two horned protrusions.  It didn?t
have much effect other than to cause it to lower its upper half slightly.
     Kylie had now climbed up on its back and clubbed it in the head
again and again with frenetic intensity.  Each blow caused the creature
to hunch over more and more until......Marshak?s body rolled out of its
arms and came to a stop several feet away.  The ensign, who had been
silent the whole time since his initial blood-curdling scream stirred
slightly but made no other movement.
     Kylie continued to pound her pistol against the creature?s head. 
She was filled with hate inside not for the creature but for whatever had
been responsible for turning Wynn into this.  She knew it could only have
been the result of an outside force beyond any comprehension of hers, and
whatever it was could only represent something evil in its purest form. 
Her one raging thought was that if she could incapacitate or even kill
this creature she might be doing the man who had been such a good friend
to her a favor.  The favor of release.
     The creature continued to stagger down the slope of the cave with
Kylie on its back.  By this point, Marshak had managed to lift his head
and open his eyes.  He could see the captain still pounding with all her
strength on the back of the head.  In the now jumbled state of his mind,
the ensign was thinking back to the day he?d seen Kylie in the target
range room of the Pegasus firing her laser pistol with such perfect
precision she?d busted the target computer?s scoring system completely.
     And then, having already been through one terrifying shock, he was
greeted to the sight of another, as the creature?s wings suddenly
extended and with Kylie still on its backside, it began to fly away at an
incredible rate of space down the darkened shaft of the cave until it was
no longer visible.  Returning Marshak to a surrounding of total blackness
and emptiness.  And leaving him all alone with no one to turn to or get
help from.
     The Ensign began to laugh and cry hysterically for over ten centons
until he slipped back into the catatonic state of uncomprehension Bernabe
would find him in much later.


     Kylie couldn?t remember much after the creature had suddenly taken
flight with her still on top of its back.  She could remember her laser
pistol falling out of her hand, leaving her with no weapon to attack it
any longer.  That hadn?t stopped her from landing a punch against its
side, which allowed her hand to feel the leathery roughness of its skin. 
But when she pulled her hand away she was aware that there was a moisture
on her knuckles.  Her mind first thought it was blood, but it had a
different kind of feel to it.  A feeling that soon began to take on a
burning, itchy quality.
     And that was when her mind went black.  She didn?t know how much
time elapsed until she began to experience a new awareness of her
surroundings,     This strange realm that seemed like the cave......only
it wasn?t.  Where she stood but her feet touched no ground.  Where
illuminated clouds of fog rolled about, without any sense of where the
illumination came from.
     Am I dreaming?  Or am I.....someplace else?  Am I.....dead?
     But just as soon as that thought passed through her, she then heard
a voice......from somewhere, ?You are not dead.?
     Her head darted about trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. 
The voice had a distinctly......feminine quality.
     ?Who are you??  she managed to call out.
     ?I am the one sent to prepare the way for you, Kylie.?
     Her head whipped around and she saw standing before her, an
elegantly dressed woman in her late 30s with brown hair.  Someone totally
unfamiliar to her.
     ?Who are you?? she demanded.
     ?You can call me Helena,? she smiled with a mocking edge.  ?And you
are about to learn how heavy the burdens of a tough command decision
*really* are, Captain Kylie.?


     Cain had seen everything unfold from his vantage point.  It had all
been in the form of a projected scene right above where Kylie?s body
still lay motionless on the slab.  
     ?You are seeing what Kylie is experiencing right now in total
detachment from the flesh,? the voice of Count Iblis filled the chamber. 
?All this you will be permitted to witness, Commander Cain.  But you will
not be able to intervene.  She will not hear you or be aware of your
presence.  She will be faced with choices......that only she can be
permitted to make.  Choices that will determine her fate......your
fate.....and the fate of......others.?
     ?Watch yourself!? Bethany interjected harshly.  ?Cain?s life and
soul are not at risk, nor is Kylie?s.  Do not toy with his emotions by
implying something that you know to be untrue.?
     The voice was non-responsive at first.  And then, it said simply.
     ?No more talk from any of us, until events have concluded,? his tone
was commanding, ?Watch now, Commander Cain.  Watch everything.?
     The man who reveled in the nickname of the Juggernaut knew it was
powerless to protest.  He cast a quick glimpse at Bethany, who was
avoiding his gaze.  Cain now knew that his late wife?s presence was meant
for one purpose only and that was to provide him with a voice he could
trust regarding all these horrible revelations.  If she confirmed them to
be true, then he had to believe them.  Whatever realm she was part of
now, it was clear she wasn?t permitted to give him what he wished he
could have had right now.  Namely, her shoulder to lean and cry on.  If
the woman he loved now was to be parted from him, then only the woman he
had loved before as his wife could give him any kind of comfort.  But
clearly, comfort was something she could not give.
     Reluctantly, he turned his gaze back to the projection on the
wall......and watched.


     ?Observe, Kylie,? Helena motioned her arm.  ?The man who set all
these events in motion.  Ensign Wynn.  Ride with him now two yahrens ago
during his last patrol, and see where his mind was occupied......and why
he never returned to the Pegasus.?
     Kylie suddenly saw the scene change around her, and she found
herself looking at a viper flying through space.  Like a camera zooming
in she had the sense of drawing closer to it until.......she realized she
was now inside the cockpit with Wynn.  Not occupying his body, but more
like occupying a corner of his mind so she could observe and hear all of
his thought patterns from that time.  She soon realized that she wasn?t
limited to what his visual perspective had been.  She could literally
move about in a perfect three hundred sixty degree circle to see what
things looked like from every angle.  She could zoom in, zoom
back......it was a staggering level of freedom of movement that defied
anything she knew.
     As she adjusted to what she could see and hear, she now focused in
on Wynn?s thought patterns.  Hearing his silent musings as the long
patrol for him continued since he?d separated from Marshak.  His deep
bitterness over the plight of the Pegasus since the separation from the
Galactica.  And the painful sense of rejection within him as his mind
recalled his conversation with Kylie just two nights before.
     Lords of Kobol, Kylie thought.  If I?d had any idea he was *this*
bitter, I would have gone to Cain and told him I was afraid for his
well-being.  That he might crack under pressure because of the
bitterness.  No, I wouldn?t have told him about Wynn begging me to go to
bed with him, but......maybe it would have done him some good to know a
friend cared that much to go see the Commander about helping him.  Or
maybe it wouldn?t have made a difference, but.....at least I could have
tried!
     ?A missed opportunity for you, wasn?t it, Captain?? Helena?s voice
suddenly intruded, and the effect caused the entire scene Kylie was
witnessing to freeze like the pause setting on a video playback. ?Wynn
came to you for help.  Needing you.  You rejected him.  You had no
feelings for him to justify that kind of relationship.......but perhaps,
it might have made a difference in Wynn?s thinking as he continued in
that patrol.?
     The scene continued.  Now she could hear Wynn?s mind chastising
himself for any thoughts of bitterness toward Kylie.  That relieved her
somewhat, but the absence of any blame or bitterness toward Kylie still
revealed a problem for Wynn that he clearly wasn?t coping with.  Now, she
saw and heard Wynn?s mind going off into the realm of private fantasies
and daydreams.  Consciously avoiding any fantasies about Kylie or women
he knew but constructing in his mind the image of ?the ideal woman? to
escape to a faraway planet with.  It was the kind of daydream that Kylie
knew male warriors were prone to indulge in, in moments of loneliness and
weariness.  It explained why the all-male domains of certain bunk rooms
were sometimes lined with pin-up images of beautiful women in little
clothing on the walls.  Kylie had known her share of female crew on the
Pegasus who could be easily offended by such open displays of the male
tendency to objectify women.  She respected their viewpoints and
sympathized with them to a degree, but for the most part she tended to be
more tolerant.  In her experiences as a warrior, the predominantly male
crew of the Pegasus had always treated her with the highest respect and
never engaged in anything she would have been personally offended by. 
Perhaps their circumspectness had been influenced by their awareness of
her feelings for Cain, but Kylie preferred to think they would have acted
the same if she?d had no feelings for Cain.  That was how high her regard
for her fellow warriors had always been.
     As she watched, she could now see the face of the woman Wynn?s mind
had created to daydream about.  And right away......she noticed something
familiar.
     ?You!? Kylie exclaimed, which caused the scene to freeze.  She was
now looking around trying to see where Helena was.  ?You were the one
influencing his mind!?
     She laughed, ?My image was......useful to the task.  I admit nothing
else.  Continue watching, Kylie.?
     Knowing it was a waste of time to interrupt the proceedings, she
vowed to say nothing more and just watch how things unfolded.  Now she
saw just how much Wynn could let his mind dream when given the chance. 
If she could have felt the flesh on her back crawl, it would have been
palpable.  Only because there was something so.......violating to be able
to look into someone?s inner-most thoughts as she was now.  She could
only imagine how she?d have felt if someone had ever accessed her private
thoughts and dreams at various points of her life.  
     She then saw Wynn the daydreamer snap back into Wynn the warrior
when his viper gave off a reading.  Followed by.....the sight of the
massive ship floating through the stars that seemed like it had been
assembled from the parts of a thousand different ships.  Then the sound
of a voice filling the cockpit telling him to land......
     Helena?s voice.
     Even before events had fully played out, Kylie?s mind was
anticipating what would happen next.  Wynn?s arrival in the darkened
landing bay of this vast Derelict spaceship.  Helena, approaching him. 
And then.....the moment of submission.......and hideous transformation.
     The images of the past then winked out and Kylie found herself back
in the undefinable void of darkness and swirling mistiness.
     ?Of his own free will,? Helena said emphatically.  ?Remember, Kylie,
he *chose* to land on the Derelict ship.  He could have acted cautiously
and insisted he had no authorization to make contact with anyone.  And he
could have returned to the Pegasus to inform Cain of what he saw. 
Instead.....he chose to give in to his own selfish instincts.  His desire
to find escape from what he saw as the futility of life on the Pegasus.?
     ?But not after dealing from a marked deck,? Kylie was seething.  ?If
you don?t fill his mind with the image of yourself......or send a message
to him in that deep sultry voice......he doesn?t give in to those
instincts.?
     ?What of it?? she scoffed.  ?Why should it be inevitable that he
give in to such temptations?  Are not temptations the normal part of
living?  Is it inevitable that every temptation be accompanied by
surrender of the will?? she shook her head.  ?No.  The surrender of the
will is merely one part of the free exercise of the will.  He had the
choice.......he lives eternally with the consequence.?
     There was a flash of light and Kylie could see standing like a
frozen statue, the motionless form of Wynn.  Exactly as he had been when
she?d first seen him approaching in the cave.  The only difference was
the eyes were closed, concealing the unholy red orbs she could remember.
     ?What is he now?? Kylie decided it would be better to keep her
temper in check for now.  ?Is that still his true self?  Or is his true
self still......the other form??
     ?He is both......though not equally,? Helena said.  ?Even when
submission takes place, the ability to be what one once was is still
possible......if one is so favored.?
     She whipped her head back toward Helena, ?Favored by who??
     Helena said nothing.
     ?Who?? Kylie repeated, trying to move toward her, but feeling no
ground beneath her feet, she only had the sense of a sluggish movement
through air.
     ?The Greatest of All,? she said simply.  ?The One Most High.?
     The brunette captain tried to reach back into her memory of the
instructions in religion and the Book of the Word that she?d received in
the orphanage every sectan.  She?d listened to them mostly with bored
indifference growing up.  Feeling no antagonism or hostility to the
concept of faith, but with no great regard for it either.  Only now was
she realizing the error of her ways as she tried to remember the lessons
and the names.
     ?Mephistopheles,? she finally remembered.  ?That?s who you serve. 
That?s whose bidding this has all been for.?
     ?You have said so,? Helena said simply.
     Kylie felt the contempt returning.  ?And you.....gave yourself to
him?  You don?t strike me as the kind of person who would have.....let
yourself be fooled so easily.  You could only have done it with your eyes
open about what you were in for.?
     ?My history is of no relevance to you,? her tone grew cold.  ?We are
only concerned with Wynn.  His history.  His future.  Which is entirely
under......your control, Kylie.?
     Her eyes narrowed, ?Mine??
     ?You pride yourself on the fact that you have risen rapidly through
the ranks to a position of command importance after so many yahrens of
competent, but quite ordinary Bridge duty on the Pegasus.  You have
demonstrated your courage in battle conditions by showing your
determination to save Ensign Marshak.  Now what about Wynn?  What are you
willing to do......for him??
     Kylie tried to take in the meaning of her words.  ?What are you
saying??
     ?I?m saying Kylie, that if you want to see your friend Ensign Wynn
freed from the consequence of his decision made two yahrens ago, it will
only be as a result of *your* actions and what *you* choose to do. 
Ensign Wynn?s final fate......is entirely in your hands.?


     ?The Imperious Leader?s voice??  Ila was thunderstruck by Cobre?s
revelation.
     ?Yes.  That is to say, the voice that *all* Imperious Leaders have
had from the beginning.?
     ?What do you mean from the beginning, Cobre?? Ila knew this was
going to reveal things of major significance, even if she couldn?t think
of any impact they had on the current situation regarding Cain and Kylie.
     ?Well.....since the time when the Cylon robotic race displaced the
original Cylon race as the masters of our......dominion as it were.?
     ?You mean when the Cylon robots turned on their creators and
destroyed them.?
     ?That is perhaps an indelicate way of putting it, Professor Ila,
but.....I can not in all honesty dispute that.?
     ?I don?t mean to cause offense, Cobre,? Ila said reassuringly, ?It?s
just that.....what you said about the voice of the man on the recording
isn?t something I expected to hear at all.?
     ?Indeed.  Just as I never expected to hear the voice of His Eminence
coming from a human body.  We have long been accustomed to associating
that voice with only him and all his predecessors.?
     ?At the beginning of your race?s rise to power.?
     ?Yes.  I believe that at the time the robots came to power, it was
decreed that the highest of Cylon robots, the Imperious Leader, should
always be set apart from all other Cylons to denote his supreme
authority.  He would be the only Cylon given a third brain, and
regardless of which class he originated from, his two previous Cylon
brains would be placed in a body frame different from all other Cylons.?
     Ila found herself rapidly taking notes on what she was hearing.  All
of this was information she?d have to tell Adama about.  
     ?Cobre,? out of habit she found herself biting on the edge of her
stylus once again, ?Isn?t it true that the Imperious Leader?s body is in
the form and shape of an original Cylon??
     ?The original Cylon race?? the command centurion asked.
     ?Yes.?
     ?That is true, but to be more precise, it is the body of one
*specific* Cylon.  And therein lies the matter of the voice.?
     ?Yes?? she felt herself tensing.
     ?I can not give you his name, because that is in a file that not
even the late Commander Lucifer had access to,? Cobre said, ?But the body
and voice of the Imperious Leader is meant to pay homage to the greatest
of all living Cylons.  The one who made possible the original
breakthrough in robotic technology that led to our creation.?
     A chill went through every part of Ila?s body as many things that
had been pondered by countless generations of humans for the last
thousand yahrens suddenly fell into place.  Along with the cryptic words
of Serpentine.
     The Makers.

Chapter Seven

     Kylie tried to process the magnitude of what Helena had said.  She
took her time before she found the strength to summon any kind of
response.
     ?You?re asking me to trade my soul for his??
     Helena laughed, ?Hardly.  Do not be influenced by the popular
fiction works you read in your youth.  Souls are not traded like cubits
on the exchange.  The soul is given.....and is forever the Master?s.?
     ?But if I understand you right......your Master is prepared to
release Ensign Wynn if.....I do something??
     ?Yes.  But you will not be commanded to give your soul in exchange
for his.  The soul is not to be given under duress, and certainly not as
a result of what you would call.......self-sacrifice.  The soul is given
because of the *desire* for something.  Ensign Wynn?s soul belongs to the
Master because he wanted something.  He wanted escape from the Pegasus. 
He wanted.....me.  All this he received after he made the
decision......of his own free will.?
     ?Then why is your Master prepared to release him?? Kylie found all
of this surreal in addition to terrifying.  ?Aren?t such decisions
irrevocable for eternity??
     ?If physical life is extinguished,? Helena said.  ?There have been
those for whom the soul has been given *prior* to the extinguishing of
physical life, and who serve alongside those for whom physical life is
over.  Had Wynn?s physical life been extinguished......the option you are
being presented would not be available.?
     She began to nod in understanding, ?And no doubt that?s *exactly*
how it was intended from the beginning two yahrens ago.  That Wynn?s soul
be enslaved......without being actually killed.  Otherwise, this whole
game that?s been played to lure me here would never have been possible.? 
Each word she spoke was uttered with complete contempt.  Contempt for
what Helena was, and even greater contempt for her Master.  She found
herself wishing that she could have faced him herself.  To hear
everything from someone who was essentially an underling struck her as
patronizing.
     ?That is true, Kylie,? she admitted, ?Someday.....as a result of
your own actions, the Master knew you would find yourself in a position
of rising influence.?
     ?*Not* as a result of any influences or bargains that came from you
or him!? the brunette captain angrily snapped.  ?You don?t control my
life that way, if all our decisions and actions are the result of free
will!?
     ?Quite true.  You have indeed earned your position.  I merely note
that the Master is *more* than capable of foreseeing events of the
future......even if he is not the prime instrument of it.  You would
certainly not doubt that.?  Hearing no response from Kylie she pressed
on.  ?Regardless of how the details played out, it was inevitable that
one day, the currents of history would bring you to this position, and to
your hour of decision.  But before you can make that decision, you will
be required to see and learn more.?
     ?I?d rather not,? at this stage Kylie didn?t think she had anything
to lose now that she knew her own soul wasn?t at risk.  ?Let?s just cut
through all the felgercarb and get to the point.  What am I supposed to
do in order to gain Wynn?s freedom??
     ?Not yet,? her voice grew cold.  ?And do not engage in pointless
acts of defiance, Captain.  You won?t be struck down for them, but you
will insure that you remain in this state of......suspension as it were,
much longer.?
     ?All right,? Kylie wished she could have folded her arms but she
found she couldn?t feel them, or any other part of her body.  ?If I?m to
learn something, then start teaching.?
     ?Much better, Kylie,? Helena?s mouth broke into the insincere smile
she?d seen one too many times already.  ?Let?s begin with a simple
question.  Wynn?s actions were predicated on his belief that he had
nothing going for him in his life aboard the Pegasus.  Especially after
your rejection of him.  What are *you* living for, now?  What is
different compared to what it was like for Wynn??
     There was a dubious expression on Kylie, as though she felt she was
being given a trick question.  That immediately prompted Helena to widen
her transparently fake smile.
     ?There is no trick, Kylie.  Be completely candid.?
     ?You know the answer to that,? Kylie hesitated.
     ?It must come from your own mouth,? the smile faded, ?Remember what
I said, Kylie.  Such defiance is a total waste of time.?
     ?All right,? she let out an exasperated sigh, ?What?s different now
is that the Pegasus has a definable purpose now.  She?s going home to
take part in the Resistance fight against the Cylons.  Where there?s a
chance to actually win the war and still be alive after it?s over and the
Colonies are liberated.?
     ?And you are.....confident of success??
     Kylie looked her in the eye without blinking, ?Indeed I am.?
     ?That?s good to know,? the fake smile returned.  ?And after the war
is over, and the Colonies are liberated......what future do you see for
yourself??
     She was determined to hold nothing back now.  ?When the Colonies are
liberated, Commander Cain and I will become sealed to each other,?
Kylie?s voice was filled with defiant pride.  It was the first time she?d
ever made such a declaration about her relationship with Cain to an
outsider.
     ?And you intend to have children??
     The bold defiance in Kylie faded just a bit.  Not because she wasn?t
afraid to say the truth, but because she realized there could only be an
ominous reason for Helena asking the question.
     ?Yes,? the beautiful brunette Captain said.  
     ?A nice......tranquil domestic scene of Cain in
retirement.......married to you......and raising your children.  A scene
perhaps.......like this.?
     Helena raised her arm, and like before when she?d seen and
experienced what had happened to Wynn, Kylie could now see and feel
herself in a new scene.  A scene inside an elegant house in a location
she didn?t recognize.  She could see.....herself.  Looking at minimum ten
to fifteen yahrens older than she was now.  The mullet hairstyle that she
considered a personal trademark of hers had changed to a more
conventional style, and was now more near-blonde than brunette.  The
civilian dress she was wearing though, still favored the more bright
colors and unconventional design patterns that she had always preferred,
and it showed off her legs to just above the knees.  It was clear that
she hadn?t let herself become overly conservative in her appearance, if
this was how she looked as a wife and.....mother.
     Just as she?d formed that last word in her mind, she saw the front
door of the house open and two small children, a boy and a girl dash in. 
The boy was clearly the older of the two, probably no more than six or
seven while the girl was five.  For just a brief micron she wondered if
she was seeing Linden and Karin, the two children of Wallis and Kelli
that she?d enjoyed looking after when she could aboard the Pegasus and
who knew and loved her as ?Auntie Kylie.?  But she quickly realized that
was impossible.  This was much further in the future than the two yahrens
it would be when Linden and Karin reached the ages of the children who
had just entered the house.  And as her eyes adjusted to the scene, she
could see there was no resemblance either.  The boy in fact, was clearly
a young version of Cain.  The same brown hair.  The same firm, iron jaw. 
When she saw his face clearly for the first time, she felt her heart
melting when she saw a face that could only have been the way Cain had
looked as a child.
     She saw the older version of herself pick the boy up and hug him
with deep maternal feeling.  Kylie could see her lips moving, but no
sound came out.  She strained to try and pick up any kind of sound, any
snatch of a word that could tell her more.  She wanted to know the boy?s
name.  Wanted to hear her older self speaking words of tenderness to her
son.  But there was only silence.
     ?Why can?t I hear anything?? she suddenly shouted.
     ?You are being presented with a scene of what *might* be your
future, Kylie,? Helena said sternly as the action paused with the older
Kylie still holding up her son with a proud expression.  ?Nothing more. 
Dialogue is irrelevant.  So too are such particulars as the names of the
children, and where you are living.  You need only......a general feel
for what might be in your future.?
     The action resumed and Kylie saw her older self put the boy down and
turn her attention to the girl.  A closer look at her face revealed a 
nose identical to her own as a child.  The eyes were blue like hers, but
the shape of them was unfamiliar.  When the older Kylie picked the girl
up, it made her feel a sensation of tears in her eyes.  This was a scene
of maternal affection that drove home to Kylie what she?d never
experienced as a child.  Forced to grow up in a Taurean orphanage because
she?d been the unwanted result of an illicit affair between a married
businessman and his personal secretary.  She had never met either of her
parents, nor had she ever learned their names.  Nor had she wanted to. 
She?d grown up full of bitterness over the fact that she?d been callously
tossed aside and left in an orphanage on a planet that they didn?t even
come from.  Producing in her a determination that if she ever had
children of her own, she would give them all of the maternal affection
and love that had been denied to her in her life.
     And now......here was a scene suggesting she would get that chance
one day.
     Or.....would she?  If she was seeing it as a result of this unholy
scenario she?d been plunged into, then.....there would have to be a catch
to all of this at some point.  
     That was why the tears of joy she?d been experiencing up to that
micron were abruptly replaced by tears of horror and fear.  Fear even
greater than when she?d seen Wynn transform before her eyes into the
demonic beast.


     ?What is this?? Cain whispered in shock as he saw the same scene
unfold before him.  ?Is this.....really the future??
     ?You heard her,? Iblis?s voice said with remonstrance.  ?It is a
shadow of a *possible* future.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.?
     Cain glanced over at Bethany, looking for a confirmation he could
trust.  His late wife said nothing.  Her expression one of unemotional
neutrality.  But then, she slowly nodded her head in the affirmative.
     When the scene then showed Kylie and Helena engaging in
conversation, a wave of raging hate and anger then filled the Juggernaut.
     ?Why doesn?t that.....*bitch* tell her who she really is?!? he
exploded.
     ?Because it is of no relevance......unless Kylie were to deduce that
for herself,? Iblis spoke, ?There was a clue she could have picked up
that would have allowed her to make the connection.  But since she didn?t
observe it......she will never know that she is talking to.....the
grandmother of her potential children.?
     Feeling sick to his stomach, Cain knew what Iblis was referring to. 
The little girl the older Kylie had picked up had eyes shaped exactly
like Helena?s.  And Kylie had been too overcome by emotion to notice the
resemblance.
     He looked back at the scene playing out above Kylie?s motionless
body, wondering how this could possibly end.


     ?Professor,? Tolen said calmly but firmly as he entered Ila?s
quarters.  ?I need to talk to you.?
     Ila turned her chair so that she could face the Executive Officer
instead of her work terminal.  ?I?m happy to oblige, Colonel.?
     ?I need to know what you heard from the Galactica.?
     The blonde Academician lowered her head and sighed, ?I?m not sure I
can......yet.?
     ?That?s not acceptable, Professor,? Tolen moved toward her, coming
to a stop just three feet away.  ?Right now, we?re stuck in orbit.  Cain
hasn?t reported in.  I don?t dare risk sending a viper or shuttle down
there to check because they might get pulverized by another
self-generated meteor.  In short, I?m now in command of a ship that might
as well be blind, deaf, dumb and paralyzed.  If you learned something
from the Galactica that could shed some light on this, then I *have* to
know.?
     ?I?m not slighting you, Tolen,? Ila said with genuine regret.  Even
though she didn?t have a close relationship with him, she liked him and
had come to admire his increased maturity and strength as Cain?s
executive officer.  ?It?s just that.....I don?t think *any* of this will
make any sense until we find out what?s happened to Cain and Kylie.  What
I know still adds up to an incomplete picture, and it wouldn?t be enough
to give us something to act on.?
     ?I think I ought to be the judge of that, Ila,? Tolen decided to
match her informality.  ?Tell me what you know, and I can at least put my
mind at ease.?
     Inside, Ila felt torn and conflicted.  She knew Tolen deserved to
know what she?d learned.  Especially if Cain wasn?t going to come back
from all this and the burden of command would now fall on his exec.  And
yet......an inner voice seemed to be telling her not to.  That now was
simply not the right time.
     ?Colonel----,? she started and then stopped when the sound of the
unicom filled the room.
     ?Attention, Colonel Tolen!? Altair?s voice sounded, ?Please go
immediately to the Life Station!  Ensign Marshak shows signs of regaining
consciousness.?
     Lords of Kobol be praised!  Ila felt relieved that something had
happened that would get her out of the awkward situation she?d found
herself in.  At the same though, the news that Marshak was about ready to
regain consciousness and perhaps reveal what he?d experienced of itself,
offered some terrifying possibilities that she knew full well would
require her to be candid with Tolen about what she knew.
     ?I guess this is all on hold now, Professor,? Tolen said, in a way
sounding relieved that he?d been spared the need for an angry
confrontation for now, ?You?re welcome to come with me.?
     Ila got up and pushed her chair back, ?Indeed I will, Colonel.?


     For over five centons, Kylie watched the scene play out before her. 
Spellbound by the sight of her as a mother of two children.  And
terrified by the thought of how this could in any way be connected to
what was happening to her now.
     Finally, the scene ended abruptly just as she?d seen the older Kylie
take both of her children by the hand and lead them to the next room. 
She?d barely had a fraction of a micron to make out a figure that she was
sure was Cain emerging when the image winked out.
     ?What happened?? she demanded.
     ?You saw enough,? Helena reproached.  ?You now have a clear picture
of what represents a *possible* future for you, Kylie.?
     She focused back on the attractive but evil woman who had sold
herself out to the Prince of Darkness for reasons that she doubted she?d
ever learn.  
     ?Was that Cain I saw at the end??
     ?An irrelevant question,? she said, ?I will answer a relevant one. 
Yes, those were your children and Cain?s that you saw in the vision of a
possible future.?
     Kylie tensed, ?Meaning it?s possible that future I saw.....might not
happen??
     ?Only if you decide for it not to happen.?
     ?Why would I make such a decision?? Kylie tried to let anger drown
out her fear.
     ?Yes, why would you?? Helena mocked.  ?Why would you decide *not* to
have such a future for yourself, Kylie?  A future of absolute
contentment.  No more responsibilities to a military career rooted in
conflict, destruction and death.  Free to know marriage and the joy of
motherhood.  Giving to your son and your daughter the things you yourself
never knew all those years in the orphanage.  Isn?t that.....everything
you ever wanted, no matter what??
     The brunette Captain said nothing.
     ?You must answer, Kylie,? the sternness returned to Helena?s voice.
     ?Yes!? she practically spat the word out.  ?Yes, I admit it!  It?s
my greatest fantasy come to life, just like you were Wynn?s greatest
fantasy come to life before you got your claws on him!  What more do you
want me to say??
     Helena looked at her with amusement.  The air of one who had been
toying with someone for a long time and was now ready to drop the hammer.
     ?Only one thing,? she said simply, ?Are you prepared to condemn your
friend Wynn to everlasting bondage, torture and suffering......for the
sake of your own happiness??
     A slow dawning came over Kylie?s face.  And with it......a
terrifying realization of what this entire game was about.
     ?No,? she whispered.  All the bravado and defiance was suddenly gone
from her.  Replaced the pleading of a frightened child.  ?No, you?re not
telling me that I have to-----,?
     ?I am.?  Helena said forcefully and with triumph.  ?What matters
more to you, Captain Kylie?  The prospect of motherhood one day in a
future that hasn?t happened yet?  Or the prospect of seeing your friend
Wynn.....restored to his true self, in both body and soul??
     Tears were now forming in Kylie?s eyes as everything became clear to
her.  She might have asked how Helena or her Master the Dark One had the
power to prevent the future she had seen from ever happening.  But it was
all too clear to her that such power did exist.  It would be impossible
for her to deny it.
     That meant she had just been presented with the greatest and most
terrible dilemma of her life. Choose the life and soul of Wynn......but
at the cost of her greatest dream, now that she knew she and Cain had a
future together.  She had never let herself admit it openly to Ila or
Kelli, her two closest friends on the Pegasus now, but it was the one
thing in her life she wanted most once the time was right.  To enjoy
motherhood in its purest sensation and to raise children of her own who
would be the permanent legacy of Kylie and Cain?s love.  Now that she had
actually seen a vision of what that could be like.....she wanted it more
than ever.
     And I?m supposed to give that up for.....Wynn?  Why?  He made his
choice.  He couldn?t handle the pressure.  He made himself vulnerable. 
And he tried to kill Marshak who may very well be dead now.  Why must it
be me who has to make this kind of sacrifice?
     ?Just to clarify one point for you,? Helena spoke again, ?Ensign
Marshak is not dead.  He was found by Bernabe and Serpentine and is back
aboard the Pegasus.?
     The realization that Helena could read every thought of hers only
added to Kylie?s tortured anguish and misery.  Now she found herself
growing angry with the One she would have thought could protect her from
all this.
     God, if you?re there, why have You put me through this?  Why am I
being put to the test?  What did I do to be put into this position of
such terrible responsibility?  Why are you putting this burden on me? 
WHY???


     Cain could remember the last time he?d cried.  When he?d found
himself arriving too late to reach Bethany?s deathbed and say goodbye to
her one last time.  He?d unleashed a torrent of emotional sobbing and
grief not simply because he?d lost the woman he?d loved for over thirty
yahrens of marriage but because he had been unable to help her at the
end.  He was supposed to be the unflappable Juggernaut who could pull off
the impossible to save the lives of those he commanded.  Yet those powers
had failed him at a time when he would have gladly used all of them to
give Bethany what she had needed in those final, torture-filled days of
pain in her life.  
     Now, he found himself in a near-identical situation.  The woman he
loved now, whom he wanted to share the rest of his life with, was trapped
in a horrible situation that he was powerless to do anything about. 
Under those circumstances it was impossible to hold back tears, although
he miraculously managed to avoid breaking down.
     ?Tell her the truth,? he rasped his words out.  ?Tell her *why*
she?s been placed in all this.  It?s all because of some sick, twisted
deal my father made with you all those yahrens ago when he killed the
Orion Ambassador.  Why don?t you force *me* into a deal?  Why put the
burden on her shoulders??
     ?I?m disappointed in you, Commander Cain.  You were the one who
found her worthy to hold command position and command responsibilities. 
Why should she be spared of that??
     ?Damn you,? he clenched his fist and felt the tears touching his
lips. 
     ?At any rate, it is more proper that she make her decision *without*
any knowledge of its connection to the ancient contract.  That would not
result in a true test of her character.  She must make her decision not
in the context of what this means for the House of Cain.....but in the
context of what she herself is prepared to do for the life of another. 
And can she live with the consequences of whatever decision she makes.?
     ?It?s rigged either way for you,? Cain said bitterly, ?If she
chooses for Wynn, then that means you?re still free to go after Sheba
again.  If she chooses for her happiness......then that means one day
you?ll target our son.?
     ?What of it?? the Dark One scoffed.  ?You have no control over that. 
Nothing can be changed that has occurred.  So long as your first born is
not presented to me.....then I have free rein to continue seeking the
fulfillment of the contract.?
     ?Within limits, Count Iblis,? Bethany interjected again with a
harsh, angry warning.  ?Never forget what *your* limits are.  Or face
punishment of a worse kind than you have already received once before.?
     A hostile silence followed.  The silence that clearly indicated that
the source of the voice was angry, but knew he couldn?t challenge what
was said.
     ?What limits, Bethany?? Cain found himself unable to look at his
late wife.  Not when things had reached this stage for Kylie.  ?What is
he limited to??
     ?I wish I could tell you, Cain,? for the first time there was
sadness and ache in Bethany?s voice.  Not much, but just enough for him
to know it was there.  ?But I can?t.  Even I.....have limits.?
     He could only nod.  He wasn?t going channel his frustration and rage
by blaming Bethany.  That would have been cruel and unjust.  All he could
do was keep watching.....and waiting for Kylie to make her decision.


     ?Well, Captain?? there was a smug, triumphal quality in Helena?s
voice.  ?What is your decision??
     Kylie managed to turn away from her so she could look directly at
the frozen, immobilized form of Wynn.  As she looked at him, she thought
back to the night of their last conversation.  His attempt to seduce her
had been a call for help that she couldn?t answer.  Because she knew that
she couldn?t give herself to him when she felt only the feelings of
sisterly regard for him.  Feelings that had been established over more
than four yahrens of shared camaraderie aboard the Pegasus.  Wynn was the
only pilot who knew how good Kylie?s skill with a laser pistol really
was, and looking back, he was the only one who might have encouraged her
to break free of her Bridge duty shell and test her hidden warrior skills
much earlier than she finally did.  When the CAP program had unexpectedly
picked her for the Terra rescue mission.
     ?Here again, is what you will have one day......if you give him up.?
     Suddenly she was enveloped in the domestic scene of her older self
once again.  Seeing her pick up and kiss first the little boy that was
her son, and then the little girl that was her daughter.  That was
followed by another scene of her playing a game with them in a family
room setting.  Much like she sometimes played a board game with Linden
and Karin, only this was with her own children.  Children she could
devote her entire life to.
     Damn it!  This isn?t fair!  How can they have this kind of control
over me?  How can what I do now determine whether I have children of my
own or not?  And yet......I know they can do this to me.  I know that I
could lose the thing I want most in my life after the Colonies are
liberated and I don?t have to be in the military any longer.  I want to
be Cain?s wife and the mother of his children......*my* children!  How
can I let go of that?  For Wynn?  Does Wynn matter that much?  But would
I be able to live with myself if I knew it was *my* responsibility that
I?d condemned Wynn for all time to what I?ve seen him become?  Why has
this been set up so that no matter what decision I make, this monster
wins either way?
     Her mind suddenly stopped railing with fury as she remembered that
the Prince Of Darkness wasn?t someone who ?played fair? in any context. 
She had correctly noted that Wynn?s enslavement had been the product of
what she?d characterized as dealing from a ?marked deck?.  Which meant
that whatever decision she made was likely to have a consequence that
went beyond the mere ramifications of her happiness or her conscience.
     Then that means......it?s up to me to make a decision that will
*really* make him pay a price.  One where he *will* end up losing
something!
     In that instant, everything began to fall into place for Kylie.  The
domestic scene of her future self continued to play out around her but
for the first time, she seemed unaware of it.  For the first time the
anguish, the emotion and the fear was gone.  
     ?I?m ready,? she said with a sudden firmness and steely resolve.
     The scene winked out and she was face to face with Helena.  The
older woman?s arms were folded.  Her lips forming that contemptuous
looking sneer at the corners.  Clearly she was enjoying the scene for
reasons that Kylie didn?t want to fathom because she no longer cared.
     ?What is your decision, Captain Kylie??
     If her feet could touch the surface, she would have been at the
proudest, most erect military bearing of her entire career.
     ?A warrior who enters the Colonial Service from the beginning knows
and understands the risks they?re expected to take on behalf of their
nation.....and those they serve with.  That includes the willingness to
make the ultimate sacrifice for both nation......and comrade.  And to do
so with total selflessness and no thought whatsoever of the consequences
to his or her life.  I have always been prepared to do this from the time
I entered the Service     I wavered in that once, when I became scared
during the Battle of Molocay and I was afraid of the thought of dying
young.  Commander Cain, whom I first came to love as a mentor and
teacher, showed me during that battle the meaning of how to stay calm and
focused even when all might seem hopeless.  And after that.....I vowed to
never be afraid during a battle again.  Because of what he taught me.
     Kylie could feel her confidence building as she pressed on, unafraid
and determined.  ?And as I learned to unleash the talents that had been
hidden inside myself for too many yahrens as a warrior....it was because
of Cain that I knew how to act cool under fire during the ground assault
on Cannes Two.  When I had to take tactical command of the battle when
Major Ham was wounded and make a decision that was for the good of the
mission, and the survival of our people.  In such an instance, the needs
of the individual had to be made secondary to the needs of the
mission......and that taught me how command decisions will often involve
areas of sacrifice that don?t necessarily involve sacrifice to oneself. 
I had to decide that getting those tanks of tylium off the surface as
fast as possible so the Pegasus could make the bombs we needed to destroy
the Cannes Garrison......was more important than taking the extra time to
evacuate Major Ham in the shuttle.  By the good graces of the Lords of
Kobol......my judgment was vindicated, and not simply for the well-being
of the mission, but for Major Ham too.  He received better treatment from
the Cannesians for his wounds than he would have received aboard the
Pegasus.  And he is now fulfilling his Destiny in life by staying on
Cannes Two as Princess Shandra?s aide.
     ?But I?ve come away from that experience on Cannes knowing that if
Major Ham had died of his wounds.....I still would have made the right
decision.  Because I can feel proud that the Cannesians are a liberated
people now, and that the last major Cylon garrison between Gomorrah and
the Colonies is gone.  Because I helped to make that possible thanks to
the confidence in myself I received from Cain.?
     Now, Kylie zeroed in her attention on Helena.  Her arms were still
folded and her head hadn?t moved.....but the sneering look was gone.
     ?And now I?m on my first command assignment.  Responsible for the
lives of those who accompanied me to this planet.  That?s why I went
after the demon that Wynn is now so I could save Marshak.  Because it was
my responsibility to do so.  And now......because he is in my
presence.....because I am now his superior officer......that makes me
responsible for Ensign Wynn?s well-being.  And my duty to insure that he
is released unharmed, even if it were to mean the cost of my own life. 
Since my life apparently is not for you to take from me.......then you
may have as your price, the would-be destination of a road I have yet to
travel in my life......and may not travel at all if later circumstances
require me to sacrifice my life in the service of the Colonial Nation.?
     Kylie then said without hesitation, ?I choose for your master to
release Ensign Wynn from the bondage he was enslaved in two yahrens ago,
and to restore to him his life and his eternal soul that he never desired
or intended to give to you.  BUT.....in making this decision, your Master
is obligated to make a commitment as well.?
     A scowl formed on Helena?s visage.  ?You are in no position to make
such a demand!?
     ?Am I?? her voice rose.  ?This entire situation has been presented
as a case where *I* determine the outcome for my future and for Ensign
Wynn.  Well since I have decided that freeing Ensign Wynn from your
Master?s bondage matters more to me, that means I am going to make sure
this is a contract reached with nothing in the fine print to ensure this
will be a decision I?d have cause to regret later.?


     ?No,? for the first time an edge of disapproving anger entered
Iblis?s voice.  ?No!?
     ?You are the maker of this situation, Iblis!? Bethany interjected
forcefully.  ?You will be bound *completely* by what she is about to
say!?
     Cain could only watch in awed amazement as an inkling of what was
about to happen entered his mind.  Something he realized should have
occurred to him sooner, but for his own anguish over the situation.


     ?Once your Master has enslaved a soul, I don?t think he likes to
give up one so easily.  Especially for something that in the bigger
scheme of things for me, isn?t the greatest penalty I?d have to pay
myself.  There must be *another* reason why he?d so willingly give Ensign
Wynn back beyond ensuring that I can never have children.  It?s obvious
to me now what that reason is.  The only release your Master *really* has
in mind is a temporary one.  One that will allow Wynn to be restored to
us......but at the same time, make him a ticking time bomb ready to serve
your Master again at some future date.  Perhaps by the time we reach the
Colonies and link with the Resistance.  Perhaps what he?s *really* hoped
to achieve is that Wynn can be ?reactivated? for his purposes once
again.?
     Kylie shook her head and felt her confidence rising to new levels. 
?Your Master isn?t going to get that satisfaction.  The choice presented
to me was that if I sacrifice having children, then Ensign Wynn would be
restored.  That means his soul is restored for *all* time in the sense
that he will carry *no* residual effects of what he went through.  Like
any human being, he may be vulnerable to the same temptations the rest of
us are......but that will stem entirely from a clean slate from this time
forward.  When he is released......he is free without any hidden strings
your Master intended to pull on in the future, and he will *not* be used
by him to do his bidding as a result of what has *previously* happened to
him or anything he has *previously* experienced!  *That* is my decision,
and if my decision is somehow not within the rules of this game, then say
so now!
     For the first time.....uncertainty and alarm seemed to line Helena?s
face.  As though she hadn?t expected or planned for this to happen.  For
the first time......she almost seemed powerless.  Her silence filled
Kylie with a sense of triumph that she?d made sure her own sacrifice was
going to require one as well from her enemy.
     And then.....the Captain?s voice rose to the highest level of
command authority, mixed with contempt and hate for the woman before her.
     ?Do it......NOW!?


     When Tolen and Ila entered the Life Station, they saw Dr. Laughlin
and Med-Tech Ivy hunched over Marshak.  The Ensign was thrashing about in
a way that seemed completely involuntary. 
     ?Hold still!? the Aerian doctor had clamped his left arm on the
crook of Marshak?s right arm so he could use his own right arm to
administer a hypo shot.  Med-Tech Ivy, a big imposing woman in her
mid-fifties who knew how to use a sharp tongue to keep patients in line
was pressing on the ensign?s left arm.
     ?There!? Laughlin said as he pulled the hypo out.  ?That should do
it!  He should come round in a few microns.?
     ?Doctor, what happened?? Tolen asked.  ?Wasn?t he in a catatonic
state??
     ?Yes, up to a few centons ago,? the old Aerian tried to catch his
breath.  ?All his brain waves were bad, and then suddenly......they
started to act up which indicated he was coming out of that.....coma if
you will.  And then his body started thrashing about.  I think this
particular sedative will make him come round now that his brain waves are
back to normal.?
     Ila felt herself tensing as she looked down at the Ensign.  His
eyelids were fluttering and then.....his eyes opened wide.
     ?Ensign Marshak?? Tolen leaned over the bed.
     Marshak blinked and dimly shook his head in surprise, ?Colonel?  Am
I......on the Pegasus??
     ?Yes, Marshak, you?re on the Pegasus.  What happened to you?  What
did you see??
     ?See?? he frowned and shook his head, ?Colonel, I......I don?t
remember seeing anything.  All I remember is that Kylie and I were headed
toward a cave and then we stepped inside and.......I don?t remember
anything else.? 
     Ila felt her muscles sag in disappointment.  This wasn?t what she
expected to hear.  It meant that the Ensign couldn?t provide any context
to explain what had happened on the planet or shed any light on what had
become of Kylie and Cain.
     Unless.....
     ?You don?t remember anything?? the executive officer pressed again.
     ?No, sir,? Marshak shook his head emphatically again.  ?It?s
like......I stepped into a dark room and then suddenly I fell asleep and
woke up here.?
            ?I see,? Tolen tried to hide his disappointment.
     ?What about Kylie?? Marshak asked.  ?Did she see anything?  Did she
find out if Wynn was really there??
     ?Later, Ensign,? Tolen?s voice grew curt.  ?Professor, could you
come with me??
     Ila followed him out into the corridor.  As soon as the door to the
Life Station closed, Tolen came to the point.
     ?All right, Professor.  Time?s up.  We got nothing from Marshak and
that means I have to know everything you learned from the Galactica about
what we?re dealing with.?
     ?Colonel,? the Academician said carefully, ?Before you make me do
that.......I think Marshak?s sudden coming to, and the fact he can?t
remember anything, means the crisis has passed.?
     His eyes narrowed, ?What do you mean passed??
     ?I think it?s over down there,? she said simply,   ?Whatever
happened.....it?s over.  And I think we may be hearing from Cain pretty
soon.?
     ?How can you make a connection like that, just because Marshak?s
come to?? Tolen found it hard to keep up with this.  If it weren?t for
the deep admiration he felt for Ila and what she?d meant to the Pegasus,
he might have lost his temper by now.
     ?Because of what I heard from the Galactica,? she said simply,
hoping that would be enough.
     Tolen silently pondered things for a few microns.  And then, he made
his decision.
     ?You just bought yourself another fifteen centons, Professor,? he
said, ?Come with me to the Bridge.?


     As Cain watched the scene unfold, he felt a level of awe and pride
in what he was seeing from Kylie.  And receiving a reminder of why he had
fallen in love with her.  She was the first woman in his life who was a
true kindred spirit to him, as opposed to Bethany and later Cassiopeia
who had complemented his personality.
     And suddenly, the projected image above Kylie?s body ceased.  The
cave was now filled with an even greater darkness that concealed his view
of Kylie?s body.  Leaving only Bethany visible to him.
     ?Bethany?? he whispered.  ?What?s happened??
     ?It is done, Cain,? she said simply.  ?It is all done.  Iblis has
departed this realm and now....events will soon move forward again.?
     ?Was she right?  About Iblis planning to use Wynn again in the
future??
     ?It was an option he still wanted to have at his disposal,? Bethany
said.  ?Not one he would have invoked in the immediate future,
but......one that he knew could still serve his future plans.  But Kylie
has now denied him of that option, permanently.  Because on her own, she
reasoned that Iblis might have such a hidden clause in the choice being
presented to her.?
     Her expression softened and for the first time, it was entirely the
face of the Bethany who had been his beloved wife and not the more stoic
face of the Ship of Lights being.
     ?Oh, Cain,? her voice quivered, ?My dearest.  When I appeared to you
before and gave you my release so you could love Kylie with no guilt in
your heart......even then, I didn?t know that you and she would
experience this one day because of that love.  Even those of us who are
called into the Almighty?s service aren?t blest with total omniscience. 
I wasn?t permitted to know the full meaning of Iblis?s interest in Sheba
until this day.  Because that might have intruded on my ability to give
you the release you needed from me.?
     ?The whole reason for what Kylie was put through.......all comes
back to his obsession with Sheba?? Cain was struggling to come to terms
with all this.  He had been exposed to realms that he?d never paid much
attention to in his life.  Even with all the signs he?d seen in the past
yahren that pointed to the reality of their existence, he?d never been
able to give it the full commitment of deep faith that he knew Adama and
Ila possessed.  And even now.....he still wasn?t sure if he was capable
of it.
     Bethany took a breath, ?What I am about to tell you Cain is
something you will not remember when I leave you.  You will in
fact......not remember *anything* that has happened in this realm.  And
neither will Kylie......and neither will Ensign Wynn.  There will
be......a reasonable explanation for everything.  This is how it has to
be, because you cannot be weighed by the burden of what has just happened
as you continue your journey back to the Colonies.  And more
importantly......you can not be burdened by the fact that as a result of
today.......Iblis will make one more attempt to enslave Sheba?s soul
before the Galactica reaches Earth.  The one thing Kylie could not change
regardless of what decision she made, was preventing the heir to the
House of Cain from being a target in the future.?
     ?Because of that unholy Contract,? Cain tried not to let his hate
for both his parents show and found himself failing.
     ?That too you will forget,? Bethany said emphatically, ?Bitterness
and hate for those who did us wrong leads to nothing good.  You?ve spent
your entire life with no thought whatsoever of Marcus and Helena because
neither of them did a single thing on your behalf once they gave you
life.  Let it return to that, Cain.  It will let your bonding with Kylie
grow even more since the two of you share the fact that neither of you
experienced the love of parents at any time in your lives.?
     ?Answer me this, Bethany,? Cain felt his emotions calming for the
first time.  ?Why wasn?t he here?  He?s the one who made the bargain with
this.....Iblis.  Why did I only see Helena and not him??
     ?For a very simple reason, Cain,? Bethany said.  ?He isn?t dead.?
     Cain?s eyes widened in shock.  On top of everything else that had
happened, this was the biggest revelation of all.  ?What??
     ?This is something you may or may not learn in the future.  I won?t
confirm it one way or the other.  Your father, after being forced into
retirement,  planned his ?death? at a time when he knew you would be away
on a deep space mission on the Cerberus and wouldn?t be in a position to
investigate the details.  He made it look like he was involved in a
boating accident on Caprica.  What he really did was slip away to an
experimental laboratory on Sagitara that specialized in advanced
cryogenics.  He wanted to be put in suspended animation for a minimum of
at least three hundred yahrens.?
     ?Why??
     ?Because he wanted to outlive the fulfilment of the Contract.  He
knew that with Helena enslaved the next target would be your firstborn
son.  The fact that you were.....shall we say, a man of the universe
before we met, earned you a reputation that left him convinced you were
going to sire a son from one of your liberty port conquests and that the
Contract would be fulfilled in his lifetime.  The prospect of that
frightened him so much that that?s why he tried to find escape by going
far into the future, when there was no question in his mind that the
terms would have long since been fulfilled.?
     Cain tried to take all this in.  ?And right now he?s----??
     ?His Cryo-Chamber is buried under two hundred feet of rubble in the
ruins of the lab on Sagitara.  And it?s still functioning, meaning it
won?t activate itself for another two hundred sixty-five yahrens.?
     ?So right now.....he?s in a suspended animation void......and when
he comes to.....he?ll be trapped and unable to get out.?
     ?If things remain unchanged for the next two hundred sixty-five
yahrens,? Bethany nodded.  ?Perhaps they will.  Perhaps they won?t.  I
can?t say either way even if you wouldn?t remember the answer.?
     ?I wouldn?t need it,? her one-time husband shook his head, ?If
anything.....that sounds like suitable punishment for what he did.  For
making this day possible.?
     ?Exactly.  This day couldn?t be avoided if there was any possibility
you?d be in a relationship that might produce children.  And that?s the
reason Cassiopeia was never a target.  You?d made it clear to her from
the beginning that you would never ask her to marry you, and because of
that, she took all the precautions to avoid pregnancy every day of the
relationship.  Iblis knew he had nothing to worry about as far as that
was concerned.  That?s why he concentrated only on Sheba......until your
relationship with Kylie meant he had to act at last and make use of
Ensign Wynn as the lure.?
     A white glow suddenly enveloped Bethany, and she looked up slightly,
nodding in acknowledgment.  Then she looked back at Cain.
     ?I must go now.  In a few microns......you?ll be back near the cave
entrance, and everything will proceed as it must.  Subconsciously, you
will be grateful for the fact that Ensign Wynn has been returned to you
alive, and you will use that subconscious memory to discourage any
feelings of suspicion that might be directed at Wynn.  Such suspicions
would be understandable because of the recent experience of Flight Leader
Gryphon, and that is why it is up to you to make sure they never develop
among your crew.  When Ensign Wynn realizes he?s return to a Pegasus that
is headed home to liberate the Colonies and join up with a Resistance
movement.......it will give his life the purpose he felt it was lacking
at the time of his disappearance that made him vulnerable to
enslavement.?
     ?And Kylie?? Cain asked.  ?Will she carry any scars because of this? 
If what you?re saying is true......she?s going to find out she can?t have
children without ever knowing why that?s happened to her.?
     ?That can?t be avoided, Cain,? his late wife said.  ?She can not be
permitted to remember the details of her sacrifice for Wynn?s
sake.....and it will indeed leave her for a time with some pain and hurt
over what she has been forced to give up.  But her subconscious memory of
this experience will prevent that hurt from destroying her.  She will
always know she has demonstrated the ability to make the greatest of
command decisions under pressure.....as well as knowing how to face the
enemy head-on without fear.  Just as you taught her.  That will do much
to keep the sense of loss she must now feel from overwhelming her.  Your
love for her will provide the rest.?
     Her voice then grew tender and soft, ?And hopefully, Cain......from
this time on......I will never have to intrude in your life again.  As I
said once before, our time was precious and dear......but that time is
over.  Your time now is with Kylie.  And you have my blessing for nothing
but total happiness for the rest of your life.?
     ?Bethany, wait!? Cain protested.  ?Just one more thing.  Please. 
Even if I won?t remember it.  What will happen when Iblis tries to
enslave Sheba again??
     For the first time, Bethany smiled.  The perfect angelic smile that
had made Cain?s heart melt the first night he?d ever seen her, when she
was performing on a Caprican stage. 
     ?Do you have faith in our daughter, Cain??
     And for the first time since the ordeal had began, he found himself
smiling too.
     ?Yes,? he whispered, ?I do.?
     ?Then that?s all I need to say,? she reached out and touched his
shoulder.  Something that she would have ordinarily been incapable of
doing.....but for the favor that had been granted her this one time only.
     ?Goodbye, Cain.  My love.....my life.?
     The white glow intensified around Bethany and then it slowly faded
out along with her image. The instant she disappeared, the blackness not
only consumed the chamber, but Cain?s state of consciousness.

Chapter Eight

     The fifteen centons Tolen had permitted hadn?t fully elapsed when
Altair heard the signal emanating from the planet.  He frantically
motioned the Executive Officer who ordered it put on the full speaker so
it could be heard by everyone on the Bridge.
     ?Pegasus,? they heard Cain?s voice sounding hollow and faraway,
devoid of energy.  ?This is Cain.  Send.....shuttle with Med-Tech team to
the planet.  Set down.....next to the landram.  I?m here.  I?m unhurt. 
Captain Kylie is.....unconscious and so is......? his voice drifted off.
     ?Commander?? Tolen keyed in his headset so he could talk. 
?Commander, do you copy??
     ?I?m here, Tolen,? Cain?s voice faded to a whisper.  ?Just....send
the shuttle and a Med-Tech team......please.?
     The Executive Officer ripped off his headset and picked up the
unicom, ?Attention!  Dr. Laughlin and full med-tech team report to Alpha
Bay for immediate launch now!  Emergency situation!  Sergeant Keuchel,
Sergeant McCalla, report to Alpha Bay to fly shuttle to surface!?
     Tolen set the unicom mike down and turned around just in time to see
Ila leaving the upper level.  He knew right away that she?d just
volunteered for the mission and wasn?t going to take no for an answer.
     And I?m not going to give it to her.


     There?d been no further contact from Cain during the shuttle?s
flight to the surface.  Strapped in her seat in the front passenger row,
Ila couldn?t begin to wonder how this had played out.  Marshak?s
revelation that he couldn?t remember anything after it was clear that
he?d been through a horrific shock had told her that some outside force
had likely wiped his memory of the experience.  And if it had removed a
horrible memory from him......that made her optimistic that the forces in
the universe that were more powerful than Count Iblis had played a role. 
The same forces that had been responsible for hurling the Pegasus far
across the Alpha Quadrant to the environs of Brylon Station where they?d
been able to learn what had happened to the Galactica and could begin the
process of acquiring new information and technology that now made
communication possible and the ability to successfully liberate the
Colonies even more possible.  The same forces that Adama, Apollo and
Sheba were aware of from their own experiences with Count Iblis.  And the
same forces.....that contained the place Ila knew she had visited once
for a brief micron during that time when the Pegasus had been hurled
across the stars.  When she had seen the white-garbed form of her
youngest son Zac, giving her the brief word of reassurance she?d needed
when her arrival on the Pegasus had brought with it, the revelation that
Zac was dead.
     And if those forces had played a role.....then whatever machinations
Count Iblis had set in motion to lure Cain and Kylie to this planet were
over.  And the results, she was convinced would be ones not to feel any
despair over.
     But there were, she was sure, bound to be many questions.  Ones that
might not be answered ever, if it was the will of those higher powers to
decree they not be answered.
     The shuttle set down a mere five metrones in front of the landram,
which had maintained its silent vigil all this time.  When the engines
shut off, McCalla opened the hatch and the three person Medical team
headed by Dr. Laughlin hurriedly stepped out followed by Ila and then
Keuchel.  Once they were all outside, they looked about and saw no one
around there.  Keuchel assumed the lead position and quickly went up to
the landram door.  He opened it wide, expecting to see Cain seated there. 
But when he opened it, he froze in shock when he saw seated in
it......someone he hadn?t seen in two yahrens.
     ?My God......? Keuchel was stunned, ?Wynn??
     The ensign was staring straight ahead, his gray eyes vacant.  His
uniform had a faded look as if it had been exposed to a bright light for
some indefinable length of time.  He almost seemed like a frozen
mannequin who?d been placed there.  But then.....his head slowly turned
and he looked Keuchel in the eye.
     ?Cain?s in front of the cave with Kylie,? his words came out in a
raspy quality that sounded as if he hadn?t spoken since the day of his
disappearance.  ?She?s......been injured.?
     Keuchel was still frozen in shock as were the others who could now
peer over the security guard?s shoulder and see the lost warrior who had
now returned.  Only Ila seemed to be the least affected by it all, and it
enabled her to take some initiative.
     ?Come on, you heard what he said!? she raised her voice.  ?Keuchel,
you?re the only one who knows where the cave is.  You?ve got to lead us
there.  Doctor, leave one med-tech to look over Wynn and check his vital
signs.?
     ?Ummm.....? the Aerian quickly shook himself out of his shocked
stupor, ?Yes.  Yes.  Galen! You attend to him.?
     The med-tech named Galen had to be given a gentle push from Ila
toward the landram door while the rest of them, led by Keuchel moved out
and entered the forest.  It took them only five centons to reach the
cave.  Where they saw Cain kneeling in front of Kylie, who lay motionless
on the ground.
     The five of them hurried up to the Commander and right away all of
them saw the redness in his eyes.  He had clearly been crying.
     ?Cain,? Ila tried to get his attention, ?We?re here.  We?re here!?
     ?Kylie,? he muttered, his eyes still locked on her.  ?Kylie?s
unconscious.  I don?t know what? wrong with her.?
     ?Commander, please get out of the way and let us examine her,? Dr.
Laughlin moved in and gently pushed him aside.  It forced Cain to get to
his feet and take two steps back while the doctor and the two med-techs
attended to her.  It put him alongside Ila, though he didn?t seem to
notice her.
     ?Cain,? his in-law touched his shoulder, ?Are you all right??
     ?I?m fine,? his voice was still a faraway whisper.  ?Kylie.  I found
her unconscious in the cave with.....with.....? he shook his head.
     ?With Wynn??
     ?Yeah,? he nodded.  ?Wynn carried her out.  Then.....he stayed here
and I went back to the landram to contact you.  I knew they had to hear
me, not him.  When I got through to you.....I then came back here and I
told Wynn to go wait in the landram.?
     His words were faraway and like that of a lost child.  It was clear
he was shaken up, but not because of anything traumatic or shocking.  It
was Kylie?s condition that had put him in this state.
     ?How is she?? Ila called over.
     ?Breathing?s normal, even though she?s unconscious.  But....there
may be internal injuries in the abdominal region.  She needs to get a
full scan in the Life Station.?
     The med-techs broke out the canvas stretcher from the field pack. 
The three men carefully placed Kylie on it and then with Keuchel moving
into lead point, they headed out back through the forest toward the
landram.  Cain and Ila lingered for just a few microns before they
started to follow them but at a much slower pace.  Throughout the walk
back to the periphery Cain was mostly silent except for when he?d whisper
Kylie?s name again and again.
     I?m not going to get anything out of him, Ila thought as she finally
led him through the last steps back into the clearing.  She caught a
quick glimpse of the landram being loaded into the back end of the
shuttle.  The rear door then closed shut.  By the time they reached the
forward hatch, McCalla was waiting in the doorframe, hands on hips, his
expression matter-of-fact.
     ?We need to get going immediately, sir,? he said.  ?Dr. Laughlin
says he needs to have Kylie in the Life Station in the next thirty
centons.?
     ?Get moving, Sergeant,? Ila decided to do the talking since it was
clear Cain wouldn?t have said anything.
     He nodded and quickly settled himself back into the pilot seat. 
Keuchel was walking in from the rear after putting the landram away.  His
expression still dazed.  He shot a glance at the front row of the
passenger section, where Wynn was seated.  The missing ensign still had a
mostly glassy-eyed expression, as though he were in shock over being back
among his fellow warriors again.
     Ila sat Cain down on the edge of the front row so she could sit
between him and Wynn.
     ?Ensign Wynn?? she gently inquired.
     Slowly, he turned his head to look at her and a frown came over him.
     ?I......don?t know you.?
     ?No, you don?t.  I came to the Pegasus after your disappearance.  My
name is Professor Ila.  I?m Commander Adama?s wife.?
     ?You....came from the Galactica??
     ?No.  No, that?s very complicated to explain and it has to wait for
another time.  I need to know what happened to you, Ensign.  Have you
been here all this time on the planet??
     He shook his head with some vigor, ?No.  No.  Been somewhere before
this.?
     ?Where??
     ?Can?t remember,? he muttered as he looked ahead toward the cockpit. 
The shuttle was now starting to move and soon was airborne, but it seemed
to make no difference in him.  
     ?Can?t remember,? Wynn repeated.  ?But.....bad place.  I know it
was.....bad place.?
     ?What kind of place??
     ?Can?t remember,? he said again.  ?Bad.  Very bad.?
     They made him forget, Ila thought.  They made him forget where he
was, and what Sheba saw him become on that lonely awful Derelict of
Iblis?s.  But that?s probably a blessing for him.  Who could ever live
with the knowledge of being what Sheba said he?d become?
     She looked over at Cain whose expression was no different from
Wynn?s.  She was now certain Cain had been through a traumatic experience
of his own.  Something that accounted for all those missing centars
before he?d finally made contact.
     Something played out down there.  Something that resulted
in......Wynn being set free from what he?d become.  That?s how it had to
have unfolded.  And maybe......just maybe Kylie was responsible for that? 
Is that what this was all about?  Luring Kylie so she could be killed
trying to free Wynn?
     As the shuttle cleared the atmosphere and entered the starlit
darkness of space, Ila knew that her speculations had to give way to
prayers that Kylie made it through this next hurdle.  Otherwise, Cain was
liable to be lost forever in his stupefied air of grief.


     It only took three centons to get Kylie moved from the landing bay
to the Life Station.  Reluctantly, Ila decided she needed to stay with
Wynn to offer some comfort to the newly returned man.  It was clear that
Cain would snap out of his stupor once he got reassurance that Kylie
would be okay.  In Wynn?s case, the adjustment was clearly going to take
much longer.  And Ila knew she could never offer the slightest hint of
revelation that she knew what had really happened to him two yahrens ago.
     ?Wynn,? she said gently as she guided him through the landing bay to
the corridor exit.  ?It?s okay.  You?re home again.  Home among your
friends.?
     ?Home,? he slowly nodded.  ?Yes......home.  Home again,? 
     And then he lowered his head and began to sob.  Ila put her arm
around him in comfort as she led him to the turbo lift for a trip to the
Life Station.


     Laughlin had given Cain his private office for him to wait in. 
Because Cain was still silent and morose, the doctor had been forced to
guide him to his seat.  And then he closed the door and the Juggernaut
was alone in his thoughts.  They were largely blank and devoid of any
real substance.  As though he were waiting for some kind of signal to
tell him that it would be okay to fill them in again.  And that until he
received that signal, his mind couldn?t readjust from wherever and
whatever he?d been through, and now couldn?t remember.
     He didn?t know how much time elapsed until the old Aerian who had
served under him for more than fifteen yahrens re-entered the office. 
The doctor was wearing a white surgical coverall over his regular tunic
that was now in a state of half-undress which meant he?d performed some
kind of surgery recently.  His expression was carefully measured.
     ?Commander, she?s going to be okay.?
     Abruptly, Cain came forward in his seat.  The deadness disappeared
from his face, replaced by an air of intense relief and gratitude.
     ?Thank God,? he whispered.  ?All that time I was waiting on the
planet......something kept telling me in the back of my mind, I shouldn?t
worry.  That it would be okay.  I just.....couldn?t convince myself until
I knew for sure.  That she?d be okay.?
     ?She will be,? Dr. Laughlin said, and then after skipping a beat
added, ?Although.....there is something you need to know.?
     ?What?? the concern returned to Cain?s face as he rose from the
office chair, ?What do I need to know??
     ?Well.....she was suffering from some internal bleeding in the lower
abdominal area.  Probably the result of a fall she took.  To make sure
everything was okay, we analyzed every part of the lower half of her
body, and.....well that?s when we saw something we weren?t expecting at
all given that she?d just had a complete physical a sectar ago and
nothing showed up then.?
     ?What are you talking about, Doctor?? Cain was becoming bewildered,
?What did you see??
     Laughlin took a breath. ?We saw.....a tumor that wasn?t there last
sectar.  We removed it quickly and cleanly.  It hadn?t yet developed to a
cancerous state so it didn?t spread and there?s no disease in her
whatsoever.  She?s on track to live a normal healthy lifespan. 
But.....in order to get at it and remove it, we had to.......? he trailed
off.
     ?You had to what?? Cain stepped in front of him, ?What did you do??
     The Aerian looked him in the eye and said simply, ?Kylie can never
have children.?
     The news seemed to catch him off guard.  He slowly took a step back.
     ?I had to do what was best for her, Commander,? the doctor went on,
?It needed to come out to insure she was free from potential disease.  I
recognize of course that you and Kylie have been involved with each other
for some time, and that?s why I know this has to be something of a shock
for you to hear since you and she may have had plans, but-----,? he
stopped and shook his head, ?Oh Hades Hole, I?m babbling like an Aquarian
orator.  Cain, I?m sorry.  I?m really sorry for both of you.  The only
thing I can do is tell you to be strong for her, because......I had to
tell her when she came to and......it?s shaken her up a bit.?
     The Juggernaut seemed to draw himself up, as if to recover the firm
bearing that had been missing for almost the entire day.
     ?Let me talk to her.  Alone.  Send all the med-techs out if they
don?t need to check her.?
     ?I will.?
     Several centons later, he found himself approaching Kylie?s bed. 
She was lying on her side in a green hospital gown.  Her upper body was
hunched down slightly and turned away to face the wall.  When Cain pulled
up a chair and sat down by her side, she immediately closed her eyes as
if in shame.
     ?You?re going to be okay,? he said with reassurance.
     She said nothing and turned her head slightly away as if to avoid
facing him.
     ?Kylie,? he reached out and took her hand, ?Kylie, he told me.  It?s
okay.  It?s only important that you?re okay.?
     ?I wanted to have your children some day,? she suddenly spoke, her
voice cracking with clear grief.  ?I wanted to have a legacy of you to
love and cherish, always.  And now.....now I can never......?
     He tenderly stroked the back of her head, ?Kylie, it doesn?t matter. 
It doesn?t matter.  I wanted it too, but......I guess it just wasn?t
meant to be.  I don?t know why, except......there may be a reason for it
that goes beyond the medical diagnosis.?
     ?Yeah,? she sighed, but still avoided looking at him, ?Yeah.  The
only reason I can?t make myself scream and wail about it......even though
I want to......something keeps shouting in my head that I can?t do that. 
That if I did......I?d be......dishonoring something.  I don?t know why. 
But it?s keeping me from making me wish I could die.?
     ?You don?t want to die, Kylie,? his voice grew more tender, ?Not
when......we still have a future together.?
     ?Do we??
     He gently touched her shoulder which finally made her look directly
at him.  
     ?Yes, we do, Kylie,? Cain said with all the tender sincerity he
could.  ?And now that we?ve both gotten a lesson in how......fleeting
things can be in life, I want you to marry me.....now.  I don?t want to
play this waiting game any longer.  We should just do what we eventually
planned to do right from the start.?
     He looked her in the eye.
     ?I love you, Kylie.?
     His tender words of gentle reassurance were exactly what she needed
to hear at that moment.  Allowing her to reach down within herself and
realize that the inner voice that had been telling her that everything in
her life was okay, and that she had passed an important test with
distinction......was the complete and total truth.  It didn?t completely
heal the wound she felt in her heart right now.  But it at least meant
she could cope with it.
     ?I love you, Cain,? she answered him.
     ?Will you marry me when you?re out of this Life Station?? he smiled
mischievously.
     ?Yes!? she wanted to come upright in the bed and throw her arms
around her man.  But she knew she had to keep lying down for now. 
Instead, Cain leaned forward and lowered his head so their lips in a
gentle, but passionate kiss.  When it was over, he slowly backed away
from her, albeit with the greatest reluctance.
     ?We?ll talk later about a lot of things,? he took her hand, ?About
us.  About our future.  I don?t think we have to talk about what happened
down there, because......fracked up as my mind is about the whole thing,
I just *know* that you did well.  You?re a damned good warrior, Kylie,
and if anyone ever thinks you?re not worthy of your rank......they?re
going to *really* hear it from me.?
     ?Thank you, sir,? Kylie managed to smile back.  And
then......feeling some after-effects of the anesthetic kick in, she
lazily rested her head back on the pillow and was then fast asleep.  For
the next two centars as she slept, Cain didn?t move from his spot as he
kept looking down at her and holding her hand.


     ?We?ve recovered Wynn?s viper from the planet.  We?re able to leave
orbit now, and all things look to be running smoothly,? Tolen said that
evening as he sat in a chair across from Ila in her quarters.  The
Executive Officer had a thorough ?take charge? look in him.  ?Because of
that, I?ve decided Cain?s entitled to more leeway for now and shouldn?t
be bothered to leave Kylie?s bedside.  So that means it?s up to me to
find out what Wynn told you in the Life Station and fill Cain in later.?
     Ila, spent from more than a centar of talking to Wynn by his Life
Station bedside and then another two centars of writing it up and doing
some important cross-checking of materials, knew this was going to be a
difficult needle to thread.  Tolen clearly wasn?t in the mood to have
limits placed on what he was going to know......but she knew there was
going to be limits.
     ?Wynn?s memory is.....somewhat erratic,? the Academician began. 
?But some of it?s starting to come back.  The basic story he tells is
that.......about a centar after he separated from Marshak, he remembered
encountering a ship.  A ship that he says......abducted him.?
     ?What kind of ship??
     ?I asked him to draw a sketch of it,? Ila handed him a small sheet
of paper that had a crude drawing done with a stylus.  It showed a saucer
shaped type of craft.
     ?Doesn?t look like anything I?ve ever seen,? Tolen shrugged and
handed it back to Ila.
     ?Actually, there *is* something like it in our files,? Ila said as
she turned to her work comp and brought up a file on the screen.  It
showed an image of a similar looking vessel, but in a more official
looking type of artistic representation.
     ?Where?s that from?? Tolen squinted.  His expression indicated he
wasn?t seeing that great a resemblance to what was in the drawing.
     ?From the Zykonian files we had on the Risik,? Ila said simply.
     ?The Risik?? Tolen?s eyebrows went up.
     ?Yes.  And after this, I did a cross-check with files the Galactica
previously sent us about the Risik from their encounters.  There is a
resemblance between what Wynn describes and one of their scout crafts. 
Specifically the type that the Risik have used in missions to Earth to
abduct some of their natives.  Much larger than the class of ship we
encountered at the Weather Planet that nearly grabbed Lieutenant Tegran.?
     Already, the expression on the Executive Officer?s face was
telegraphing that he was having trouble accepting this explanation.  Ila
couldn?t blame him.  Tolen was a good officer with a keen felgercarb
detector.  But he said nothing, so she continued.
     ?He says he recalls something like.....being snatched out of his
Viper and that he was in some kind of stasis of sorts for some length of
time afterwards.  That accounts for why his uniform shows no sign of
being tattered after more than two yahrens.  He says that after this
undetermined time in stasis, his captors then released him, evidently
with an eye toward transferring him to another type of craft.  But he
managed to overcome them, and he found his viper being studied in the
craft?s landing bay.  He was able to escape in his viper, and
then.....that seems to account for how he ended up on the planet.  He
trudged his way on foot to the forest region, but quickly realized the
vegetation was poison.  He hadn?t eaten for some time when he went off
into the cave and according to him......he remembers hearing voices and
when he rose, he could see Kylie and Marshak approaching.  Marshak
immediately recognized him and started running toward him and
then.....suddenly the ground gave way under Marshak?s feet and started to
collapse.  It opened a  wide fissure that he was on the verge of falling
into----,?
     ?Who was falling into?? Tolen interrupted,   ?Wynn or Marshak??
     ?Marshak,? Ila knew she was in for trouble.  ?And.....Wynn says he
thinks he saw Kylie scramble and pull Marshak back to safety.  But then
some large rocks from above were jarred loose and struck Kylie
and.....she tumbled over the edge.?
     ?And where was Wynn during all this?? 
     ?He was on the other side, stunned from what was happening.  When
the whole..... tremor if you will subsided, Marshak was lying sprawled
across the divide, apparently unconscious.  Wynn looked down and saw that
Kylie had fallen about.....maybe ten or fifteen feet.  She?d caught a
lucky break because the opening up of the ground below had created a new
kind of ledge that Kylie had fallen onto instead of all the way through
the new fissure that......probably led straight to the planet?s core for
all we know.?
     ?Did you get a chance to talk to Kylie about this??
     ?She?s still asleep and recovering but the abdominal injury they had
to treat is consistent of what she might have experienced after a fall of
that distance.  I went back to Marshak and he says he just can?t remember
anything about what happened after he and Kylie entered the cave
but....he does say that he has a recollection of seeing Wynn and running
toward him.  He wasn?t sure if he only dreamed that or not, but.....that
seemed to strike a chord with him.?
     ?All right,? Tolen looked like he was trying to conceal some inner
anger, ?So I take it that Marshak somehow managed to crawl his way
further back toward the cave entrance where Bernabe and Serpentine found
him an incoherent wreck, and the reason they didn?t notice Kylie was
because she was lying on this ledge inside this newly created fissure. 
Where did Wynn disappear to during this?  Wasn?t he aware that Bernabe
and Serpentine entered the cave??
     ?Wynn seems to recall that he went back to try and figure out how to
get to Kylie.  That was what he spent the next few centars trying to do,
which was getting Kylie out of that hole and back up to the surface.  He
says he was in such a daze from the fact that he?d been found after two
yahrens that the next period was more like a surreal blur to him, just
like his abduction had been.  All he can remember is that he did manage
to get Kylie somehow to the surface by the time Cain arrived on the
scene.  He and Cain managed to get her to the entrance, and Cain then
went back to the landram to make contact.  Cain went back to the cave and
told Wynn to wait in the landram and that?s how things were when we
arrived on the surface.?
     Tolen sat there, idly drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. 
His face a steely mask of concentration.
     ?One last question,? he said, ?Did Wynn describe his abductors when
he made his escape?  Did their appearance match the known description of
the Risik??
     ?He says his impressions of them were general, but.....the physical
description of the shape of their heads is a close enough match.?
     Tolen rose from his chair and began to pace in front of it.  Slowly
shaking his head.
     ?I?m sorry, Professor, but this whole story of Wynn?s doesn?t pass
the felgercarb test.  In the first place, let?s assume he?s describing a
Risik abduction.  That makes no sense whatsoever.  We?re not even
remotely close to any region of space the Risik could have penetrated
with the kind of spacecraft they have.  And even if the Risik had learned
how to travel this far across the stars, this isn?t the region of space
they?re interested in.  The Weather Planet was the furthest any of their
scout ships was known to have penetrated going in the direction back
toward the Colonies and we put that behind us a long time ago.  The only
thing the Risik is interested in long-term is Earth.?  
     ?Of course it?s always possible that Wynn passed through some kind
of wormhole that brought him to a Risik region of space when he was
abducted,? Ila said.
     ?Oh, and then he passes through another wormhole to end up back
along the course of the patrol he was taking two yahrens ago?  And how
does any of this explain those meteors that appeared out of nowhere??  
     ?It doesn?t,? Ila admitted, ?Probably because there is no connection
if the meteors are just a freak phenomena of nature we haven?t learned to
understand.?
     Tolen shook his head even more vigorously.  ?Professor, I?m not
buying that for a micron.  And I don?t believe a word of Wynn?s account. 
It only barely holds together if you take it at face value without doing
so much as a minimum of digging.?
     ?Maybe that?s the reason, Colonel,? she decided she had to get to
the heart of the matter.
     ?What?s the reason?? he stopped pacing and looked at her.
     ?Maybe  a story that makes just enough sense superficially is all
we?re supposed to have,? Ila said carefully.  ?Just enough to satisfy the
official record.  So we can put it behind us forever.?
     Tolen?s eyes narrowed at first in confusion......and then they
widened as the light suddenly dawned on him.
     ?You know,? the Executive Officer said simply.  ?You know the real
story about what happened to Wynn.?
     ?I do,? Ila wasn?t going to lie to him.  ?I knew it before Wynn was
even found, because the Galactica had the answer a long time ago.  Don?t
ask me how they knew, Tolen.  Because you?ll never learn the answer from
me.  And neither will Cain, Kylie or anyone else on the Pegasus, and
certainly not Wynn himself because believe me Tolen, he truly doesn?t
remember the truth of what happened to him.  And for that, he should be
grateful for the rest of his life.?
     All of Tolen?s annoyance was gone as he resumed his seat.
     ?Ila,? he said gravely, ?If it was something.....that bad,
then.....can you assure me that Wynn showing up alive again isn?t a sign
of......potential danger to us??
     ?You?re asking if the forces that were *really* responsible for what
happened to him sent him back to us as a destructive plant to unleash on
us later?? Ila smiled mirthlessly and then sighed, ?It?s a fair question,
Colonel.  Especially after what we went through with Flight Leader
Gryphon being sent among us to infiltrate the Pegasus and sabotage her. 
But....no, I don?t think so.  Wynn?s return to us, along with everything
else that?s happened is a sign that......whatever went on down there has
been attended to and is over.  We?ll never know the real story of what
happened, but......is it not out of the realm of possibility that
if......a force in *opposition* to the one that can make meteors appear
out of nowhere exists......wouldn?t that same opposing power have the
ability to create false memories in Cain, Kylie, Marshak and Wynn so they
wouldn?t be troubled and scarred by remembering the true facts??
     Tolen let out a dubious grunt as he tried to grapple with what he?d
heard, ?Professor, you sure know how to present one whale of a
hypothetical!?
     ?No more than any of the things we have experienced would have
seemed incredible as hypotheticals,? Ila then added, ?I?ll only say that
my hypothetical is rooted in what I know about the real story, Colonel. 
That much I can tell you.  So no, I don?t think Wynn has been sent back
to us as a plant to one day destroy us or the Resistance.  I
think.....Wynn?s return may well be the truest example of a blessed
miracle any of us will ever experience in our lives.  That?s why.....he
needs to be welcomed back with total gratitude and joy that a lost
brother of ours has been found alive.  Don?t compound the horror of what
I know he went through by treating him with suspicion and distrust. 
Accept his account of what happened.  If my hunch is right......Cain and
Kylie and Marshak will accept it too.  And then we can just move on from
all this and get back to the mission at hand, which is reaching Arcta and
making contact with Dr. Ravashol and Commander Vulpa.?
     The Executive Officer?s period of silent contemplation lasted almost
twenty microns.  Then, he rose again, and his bearing and expression now
suggested one of acceptance.
     ?I wouldn?t have trusted Cain?s word alone on this, Professor,? he
said, ?But I trust you completely.  You?ve earned it.?
     ?Thank you, Colonel,? she said with gratitude and total sincerity. 
?And I?ll just add this.  I can never tell you or anyone about the real
story of what happened to Wynn.  But there *is* something I can tell you
and Cain about that I learned from the Galactica.  It concerns something
that may have a considerable bearing on our long-term future when it
comes to the Resistance and potentially finding more cases of
Enlightenment in the ranks of the Cylons.?
     He was clearly intrigued, ?Go on.?
     ?The full story has to wait until Cain is ready to resume full
command.  But it concerns important information about the deeper back
history of how the entire Cylon robot race came to be......and how our
knowledge of that could be the key to the Empire?s final defeat.?
     A smile came across Tolen?s mouth.
     ?Professor, that sounds like something that will *definitely* be
worth waiting to hear more about.?

Epilogue-The Galactica, One Sectan Later 

     It had been a day of happiness and celebration for Sheba.  Just one
sectan after the fear and apprehensions over the prospect of losing her
father and the Pegasus to the clutches of Count Iblis, she had witnessed
over the live video hookup, her father?s sealing to Kylie.  Adama had
officiated the ceremony while many well-wishers had crammed into his
quarters to watch (or for the most part, listen since the confines of the
room made it impossible for everyone to see the proceedings on the
monitor).
     Cassiopeia had been there with Starbuck holding her hand through the
proceedings.  The woman who had been Cain?s lover during the period after
Bethany?s death had confided to Sheba the previous night her happiness
and joy that Cain had found the courage to take the ultimate step with
Kylie that he?d been too afraid to do with her.
     ?More than ever, I see how the hands of the Lords work things out,?
the one-time socialator said to her.  ?Cain?s reluctance was all part of
the bigger picture.  So that one day, Starbuck would be the one meant for
me.  And so that Kylie would one day be the woman he was *truly* meant to
spend the rest of his life with.?
     She?d had a similar conversation before the wedding with another
guest, Kylie?s former bunkmate, Carina who worked as a maintenance tech
in the Fleet aboard the Celestra, having been among those evacuated as
?non-essential personnel? prior to the final battle of Gomorrah.  Only
this was from the perspective of feeling happy for Kylie.
     ?I know there was always a lot of kidding around about how Kylie
felt about your father, but.....I think I was the one who always *knew*
that her feelings went deeper than hero worship or schoolgirl crush.  All
she needed was the right time and the right opportunity to finally let
those feelings inside her out.  Just like she?s found the right
opportunity to let all that talent as a warrior she had underneath out.?
     Cassiopeia had also confided to her that she?d had conversations
with Carina about Kylie, and what kind of woman she was.  It had led her
to this observation about Kylie.
     ?She?s not like your mother.  And.....she?s not like me, either. 
She?s......more like him.  She?s the first woman he?s loved who can truly
*relate* to what he?s been as a warrior.  And that?s the kind of woman he
needs at this stage of his life.  Someone who can fight the battles
alongside him the same way you and Apollo have fought them together.?
     She?d found that observation profound, especially since it
dovetailed neatly with Kylie?s increased command responsibilities.  If
Kylie had still been just a Bridge Officer working the scanners and helm
as Sheba remembered her......there might have been the faintest air of
impropriety about it.  But because Kylie had demonstrated she was no mere
subordinate among Cain?s crew and had abilities her father could
appreciate on a deeper level......it made the rightness of the
relationship evident.
     Because the relationship seemed like a perfect match, it had left
Sheba troubled about just one thing.  The ongoing veil of silence
surrounding what had happened on the planet surface when the two of them
had disappeared for centars.....only to emerge with Ensign Wynn
miraculously restored, and with Kylie carrying the scar of being told she
could never have children of her own.
     She and Apollo and Adama had listened to Ila?s explanation of events
that night on the communications link.  They had all concurred that some
kind of confrontation with Iblis had taken place.  Of that, there was no
question because of Wynn?s presence and the fact he was now alive and
seemingly on the path to full recovery.  Something had happened that had
resulted in Iblis being forced to give up the soul he had enslaved two
yahrens ago, and which Sheba had seen proof of on the Derelict.  Combined
with the fact that Kylie had come back with a tumor that had necessitated
a procedure that ended her ability to give birth.  A tumor that had shown
no signs of existing only a sectar before during her last medical
examination.
     ?I talked to Dr. Laughlin and he says he?s never known a case of a
sudden emergence of something like that in so little time,? Ila had said. 
?I?m now convinced that tumor wasn?t there when Kylie left the Pegasus.?
     On this, there had also been concurrence.  And given the
ramifications of the tumor......it almost suggested that some kind of
price had been paid to secure Wynn?s release from bondage.  A price that
Iblis could certainly have appreciated.
     ?The only thing I can?t stress enough is this,? Ila had gone on,
?Don?t ever give the slightest hint of what you know about Wynn to Cain
or Kylie or anyone on the Pegasus.  I think if the Ship of Lights is
responsible for their memories being scrambled with an absurd story about
Risik abduction.....then they have a good reason for it.  Don?t do
anything to ever disrupt that.?  And they had agreed.
     They had also been surprised to learn from Ila about the stunning
connection between Count Iblis and the Imperious Leader that had been
established.  A connection that revealed ominous implications for how the
Cylon robotic race had been created in the first place, and how it had
resulted in death and extermination for the original race of Cylon
reptiles.  It was a connection that no one had ever been able to make
because Adama realized that the existing tapes of Iblis from when he?d
appeared before the Council of Twelve had never been played in the
presence of any Cylon in the Fleet.  The only person they realized who
*might* have been in a position to make a connection was Baltar.  But if
they had reason to believe Baltar had purposefully concealed this from
them, that was dispelled when Adama had later checked the recording of
the night Baltar had been brought before the Council and sentenced to the
Prison Barge.  Suddenly, a moment that had never made any sense before
when Baltar had first faced Iblis became clear.
     ?That voice!  There?s something about your voice.  I?ve heard it
before!?
     Another mystery from the past finally cleared up.  Revealing more
about the kind of power Iblis wielded throughout the universe.  And
yet......Ila had found the news less disturbing than her family members
did.
     ?It?s premature for me to go further on this point,? the blonde
Academician had said, ?But maybe this connection between Iblis and all
the Imperious Leaders in Cylon history isn?t a simple case of Iblis, at
one time in the distant past, taking the form of a living Cylon and
corrupting the Cylon race so they developed the machines that ultimately
destroyed them.  I know that sounds like the most obvious theory, and I
would agree with it to a point but......I?m not sure it?s the whole
story.  Whatever the whole story is could very well give us the answer
that explains the reason why so many Cylons have developed a strange case
of Enlightenment these last few yahrens that have sent the Empire into
absolute chaos.?
     If Ila was right, then that represented cause for optimism. 
Optimism that the dream she and her father were in pursuit of in the
liberation of Colonies, was even more realistic than they could have ever
imagined.
     But that still brought things back to the matter of Kylie and the
price Iblis had seemingly extracted from her.  The more Sheba thought
about it, the more she could see the ramifications for herself, and the
sickening obsession Iblis had shown in her from the time she?d first seen
him. Why do something that had resulted in her father unable to have any
children with his new wife....unless it was something essential to
Iblis?s future plans aimed at her?
     Three times, she had faced the nightmare of his torturing
temptations.  First when he?d presented himself as a miracle worker to
the people of the Fleet and affectionately treated her as a princess. 
Only to be thwarted by Apollo?s intervention.  The second time when Iblis
had tried to tempt her through sheer terror with the lure of the
Derelict, and in which Ensign Wynn had unknowingly played a role.  Only
to be thwarted by an encouraging burst of inner resolve and faith within
herself, and combined with Apollo?s guidance and the guidance of Colonel
Delambre, the one-time executive officer of the enslaved Battlestar
Callisto.
     And then after seeking to tempt her through terror, Iblis had tried
again through the sheerest form of pleasure.  When she and Apollo had
been placed outside of the normal boundaries of time and space itself to
experience for what had seem like five *yahrens* of life in an idyllic
setting of total Paradise to them.  Where she could cast off all the
inhibitions of life and enjoy it to the fullest with her husband and with
*three* children she had given birth to during the experience.  All of it
a lie.  All of it a fraud.  And it had only been Apollo, slightly less
vulnerable to the lure of the temptation who had been able to reason it
out and again, with Delambre?s counsel and advice, free them both from
the spell.  Transforming five yahrens of experience back into the mere
five microns that it had been.  
     The last experience had come at a tremendous cost to Sheba.  To have
known so fully *everything* her heart had desired in life, only to see it
yanked out from under her and exposed as a lie.  And not simply a lie,
but a sick game of Iblis?s.....reflecting the ultimate depths of how
twisted the Dark One?s obsession with her was.  That within Iblis there
was a simple *determination* to have Sheba?s soul for herself one day. 
And that no amount of rejection or failure that he experience would ever
dissuade him.
     Because of that......as she felt happiness for her father and for
Kylie this day......she was also filled with an underlying apprehension
over what it meant for herself and for Apollo.  And whether her newborn
daughter Bethany the Second, the absolute image of the non-existent first
child Sheba had known in the fantasy realm Iblis had created......might
herself be at risk from his machinations.  Perhaps even Boxey, who as far
as she was concerned was as much her son as he was Serina?s.  Whatever
the case......she knew in her heart, that another day of confrontation
with the Dark One was something she and Apollo wouldn?t be able to avoid.
     Now, several centars after the ceremony had ended and she?d blow an
affectionate kiss to her father and his bride, she?d gone to the
Celestial Dome to meditate.  In this place that Apollo had restored, she
had felt the stirrings of love for him grow.  In this place, she and
Apollo had shared intimate thoughts with each other in the period leading
up to their sealing.  
     And it was in this place, that she had come here alone once before
for introspection.  It had been just after the incident when Adama had
found himself accused of murdering an old rival for his wife?s
affections, Major Dorian, whose bones had been found after thirty yahrens
inside the battlestar?s Orlop Deck.  What had followed was a series of
events that culminated in the exposure of Dorian?s real killer, Sergeant
Decker (aka Tabor)......but not before he had put Boxey?s life at risk
and even sent Sheba into the Life Station at one point.
     That had been her second trip to the Life Station in a sectar.  The
first had been when the Ziklagi had shot her viper up badly and left her
badly injured.  That had come not too long after the incident on the
Derelict, and she?d wondered why, after being exposed to the very depths
of Hades itself in Iblis?s realm, she?d been forced to go through such
indignities that insulted her sense of honor as a warrior.  She?d come to
the Celestial Dome that night to brood about it......and had come away
feeling at peace thanks to the subconscious intervention of someone dear
to her.  Whispering words of reassurance to her that helped put things in
perspective and restore her sense of pride in herself and as a warrior.
     The one who had sat by her side that night suddenly appeared in the
Celestial Dome again.  But this time......she was visible to her
daughter.
     ?Hello, Sheba,? Bethany said with maternal pride.
     Sheba whirled around on the bench and saw the white-garbed form of
her mother standing there.  Her mouth fell open in disbelief.
     ?Mother----,? she whispered and got to her feet.  ?Where did
you.....??
     She laughed, ?I came in the usual way.  Although.....this isn?t the
usual way in how we appear to those we love.  It?s only a special
circumstance that allows it to be a direct visit, and not a visit of the
subconscious like the last time I appeared to you here after the Tabor
incident.?
     ?I remember,? Sheba nodded.  ?I.....remember how I was that night,
and.....you helped me to move on from that.  Made me see how selfish I?d
been.?  She shook her head, ?Mother, why are you here now??
     ?To clear the air on some things,? Bethany said as she drew closer
to her.  ?And to make sure your heart isn?t troubled on certain matters. 
It?s important for you to understand this.  You won?t remember my visit
after I go, and the particulars of what I tell you will be forgotten as
well......save for one piece of information.  One piece of information
that will remain in your subconscious and give you some hope for the
future.  So that this way, as your journey to Earth continues, you won?t
let your mind be distracted needlessly over the matter of Count Iblis.?
     ?Mother,? she braced herself, ?Do you know what happened to Cain and
Kylie on the planet??
     ?Yes I do.  I was there, by your father?s side.?
     And she then told her daughter everything that had happened.  About
Kylie saving Marshak from a horrible fate.  About Cain being spirited to
the depths of the cave and being forced to watch Kylie undergo a
challenge.  About the details of the challenge.  And the details of the
Contract......and the fates of Sheba?s own paternal grandparents.
     ?Now you know,? Bethany said simply after she?d finished.  ?Now you
know *why* you?ve been a target of Iblis all this time.  And now you know
that because of Kylie?s decision to sacrifice her ability to have
children......you can not escape challenge from Iblis again.?
     Throughout it all, Sheba had listened to her mother with rapt
attention.  Never questioning what she said, and feeling no horror or
anger over any revelation.  This was a learning period of great
importance for her.  One that she needed to absorb fully, even if, as
Bethany said, the memories of this would soon be removed.
     ?I understand why Kylie did it,? Sheba said simply.  ?To save the
life of a friend.....and to live up to the meaning of what it means to
justify command responsibility.  She needed to make her decision without
any consideration for what this meant to the original contract.?
     ?You are wise to realize that, Sheba.  Kylie?s challenge was a test
of her character.  The consequence she faced could not be
avoided......but she made sure Iblis lost the ability to use Wynn again
in the future.  And the challenge also strengthened the bonds of love
between her and your father that will sustain them for the rest of their
lives.?
     ?And you?re.....okay with that??  Sheba knew it was a silly question
to ask on all levels.  And yet....she wanted to hear the answer from her.
     ?I?m okay with it,? Bethany said simply.  ?Just as I was always okay
with what he had with Cassiopeia.  Memories of loved ones we lost are
things we can appreciate and cherish.....but we can never let ourselves
become chained to them, Sheba.  That was something Apollo had to realize
as well so you could be together now.?
     ?I know,? she felt embarrassed she?d asked, but even so, she was
still glad she had.
     ?And now that you know that you have to be prepared to face Iblis
again one day, let me leave you with this piece of information that will
remain within you as a way of facing the future with hope instead of
apprehension.  The reason I can do this is because.....Iblis?s demand
upon Kylie, even though within the realm of the contract, was still a
demand placed upon an innocent.  Just as the original enslavement of Wynn
was done in a way that violated the spirit of what Free Will means, if
not the letter.  That means while Iblis can not be punished for these
actions.....we nonetheless can exercise the spirit, rather than the
letter of the law on something of importance in return.?
     ?And that is??
     Her bearing assumed its most authoritative posture, bordering on the
regal.  The aura Bethany had emanated so many times over the yahrens on a
stage as Caprica?s greatest actress.
     ?Iblis?s power is vast across the universe, but it has its limits. 
Limits he is bound by, lest he face not only punishment, but total
destruction of himself should the violation be deemed the greatest of
offenses.  Such would be the case should he ever attempt to exercise his
power in a dominion where he is forbidden from having any authority
whatsoever.?
     She paused for emphasis, ?Iblis has no power over Earth or any of
its inhabitants.?
     Her daughter?s eyes slowly widened.
     ?Earth is not free from the forms of temptation and potential
enslavement of the soul that Iblis specializes in......but Iblis is not
unique among his kind.  His kind is allowed only specific dominions to
exercise their power, and never more than one in the same.  Earth....long
ago at the time of the Thirteenth Tribe?s arrival, fell under the sway of
another.  One who holds no contract that places you at risk in the way
you are now, Sheba.  That is why when you arrive on Earth and settle
there for the rest of your life.......you will have conquered
Iblis......forever.?
     Sheba?s mouth was open slightly in amazed wonder.  Whatever words
she wanted to form weren?t coming out as her mother backed up slightly.
     ?Forever,? Bethany repeated.  ?Your safe arrival on Earth will be
your triumph.  Look to that with confidence, daughter.  Let your mind not
be clouded with fear and apprehension as your journey in life continues. 
Let this information alone that I have told you.....remain in your mind
and heart, always.?
     Sheba was still too stunned to say anything as her mother backed
away further and gave her one last smile.
     ?Goodbye, Sheba.?
     And then the white light enveloped her, causing her to glow
until.....it faded out.  When it did, Sheba shook her head as the direct
memories of the visit disappeared like the fleeting memories of dreams
upon waking up.
     But when she left he Celestial Dome and returned to her
quarters.....there was only the happiness in her heart for her father?s
wedding.....and nothing but optimism for her future.

          Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last
Battlestar.....Galactica, 
          leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest.  A shining
planet....
          known as Earth.

          Facing the challenge of the Cylon tyranny, the Battlestar
Pegasus
          continues her journey across the stars to aid the cause of
Resistance
          and Freedom.  The journey that ultimately leads them.....home.