Battlestar Galactica: The Long Journey Back
Virtual Season 4, Pegasus series
By Eric Paddon
June 11, 2019

Chapter One

     The new agro-lab of the Pegasus wasn't much.  It was located in a
room that had originally been part of the crew barracks.  But ever since
the Pegasus had parted from the Galactica two and a half yahrens earlier,
the bunks had been empty because they had belonged to over fifty crewman
who had been evacuated as "non-essential personnel".  That left an area
of "wasted space" aboard the Pegasus and so, during her three sectan stay
at Brylon Station, a decision was made to convert the empty barracks to
an agro-lab that could help facilitate the limited growth of crops during
any future food shortages that might take place.
     What made building a new agro-lab even more practical was the fact
that the Pegasus had left Brylon Station with something they didn't have
before.  Agro-tech specialists.  In this case, a married couple named
Wallis and Kelli, who along with their two small children had abandoned
the Galactica during its stay at Brylon one yahren earlier, only to grow
disillusioned with their lives as unsuccessful landowners on the planet
surface of Brylon V.  Thanks to shrewd negotiating by Commander Cain and
Professor Ila, they had been able to persuade the Zykonians to let the
entire family leave with the Pegasus.
     I never thought recycled air would smell this good again, the blonde
woman named Kelli thought as she took readings on a soil sample from one
of the makeshift tables that had been set up to begin experimental
growth.  At least it has the smell of freedom.
     "How's it look?" Wallis called over from one of the adjoining tables
where he'd finished planting seed in the hopes of growing over ten
different vegetables.  The amount of food they could theoretically grow
wasn't going to be much.  Even if all five tables that had been set up
produced their maximum yield in due time, it would only be the equivalent
of five private gardens in one's back yard and with over several hundred
people aboard the Pegasus that would hardly serve as a substitute for
gathering food from other planets.  But at least with specialists, the
Pegasus could learn how to make use of their food more efficiently, and
having their own gardens could provide the necessary clues toward
achieving maximum efficiency.
     "So far, so good," his wife answered.  The experiment she was
working on dealt with testing the compatibility of seed stocks the
Pegasus  had kept for more than a yahren in long-term storage with Brylon
soil.  "But it'll be at least three more cycles before anything starts to
sprout."
     Her husband came over to her and saw the now open bag that had
contained the seeds used for the experiment.  The bag's place of origin
was clearly stamped on the front.
     "Serenity Colony," he said aloud.  "The Galactica was there too,
weren't they?"
     "Yes," Kelli nodded as she adjusted a switch that allowed more water
applied to be applied to the soil.  "After we lost the two support Agro
ships and the main one suffered that airlock failure in the Cylon raid."
     "Oh, right.  That's where they got the new seed from," he shook his
head as he recalled the memory, "Carmichael made us work round the clock
for three straight cycles getting all of that planted and force-grown to
get the Fleet back on a normal harvest cycle."
     "I remember," she smiled thinly as she kept working.
     Wallis then took a breath, "Kell," his face was in that seemingly
perpetual awkward expression because he often found it hard to clearly
articulate himself.  "Can you ever forgive me?"
     Kelli looked at him and frowned.  "For what, darling?"
     "For forcing you and the kids into a fools's errand.  We never
should have left the Fleet."
     She shook her head, "Walli, don't.  You didn't force me.  I believed
in what you were doing.  I wanted your dream just as much for myself and
the kids because inside I was just as mad as you were about the whole
situation."
     "Yeah, but.....it was my call ultimately to defy Adama-,"
     "Because I wanted you to," Kelli interrupted, her voice quiet and
tender.  "If you hadn't....I may have been mad at you forever for blowing
a chance I wanted us to take.  This way.....we both got our humbling
dose, and it doesn't matter any more.  At least we can move on with no
more regrets.  And be grateful to the Lords we're okay and the kids are
okay."
     He nodded, "Thanks, Kell.  I appreciate that," he paused, "Is that
nurse med-tech working out okay for the kids?"
     "So far," she went back to her work.  "Ivey, her name is.  Thank
goodness there was still one woman left among the med-tech division."
     "I wish Kylie could have done it," Wallis admitted as he idly used
his mini-data unit to input what she was doing. 
     "Ah yes," his wife smiled, "Your 'niece' that Cain made up for you. 
Though she's only five yahrens younger than me."
     "Well.....I admit I forced Cain to act on the spur of the moment on
that to come up with a better cover story for the Zykonians about why I
snuck aboard the Pegasus.  Still, I got the sense the kids really liked
her when she.....looked after all of you while I served my two cycle
sentence in the mines."
     "They did," Kelli nodded, "Unfortunately Kylie's job on the Bridge
is too important to let her be a babysitter for the kids."
     "Doesn't leave her much time for anything else," Wallis admitted. 
"Of course that's true of everyone else aboard.  We're the only married
couple with or without children on the Pegasus."
     "But at least we're among people again," the blonde agro-tech
sighed.  "Those burnouts Rotsler and Sharman didn't count.  And the
Zykonians after awhile were starting to prove that there is a stratified
order to how they view races that don't look entirely like their own. 
All things considered.......I'm glad it's worked out this way.  We've got
a purpose in our lives again."
     "And our first really big job will be coming up soon," he noted. 
"Back to the so-called 'weather planet' the Galactica visited with all
its mysterious bounties."
     "Assuming we don't run into trouble beforehand."


     The four days since the Pegasus had left Brylon Station and begun
their journey following in reverse the path the Galactica had taken into
this region of space had been filled with intense activity in every
section of the battlestar.  Most of it devoted to testing the overhauls
that had taken place at the spacedock facility that had put the
Battlestar in its finest overall condition since she'd last left the
Colonies five yahrens ago for the Battle of Molocay.
     Colonel Tolen at that moment was inspecting both landing bays to
make sure that all non-Viper craft were secure and ready for future use. 
The inventory consisted of eight standard operational shuttles, two
smaller Gamma class one-man shuttles, eight Cylon fuel tankers that had
been captured during recurring raids on the Cylon supply line in the two
yahrens between the Battles of Molocay and Gomorrah (and which could also
double as supplemental storage tank facilities on the battlestar), and
four food cargo vessels that had been scavenged from operational raids
over the last several yahrens both before and after the battle of
Gomorrah.  The Zykonians had generously inspected and modified the
components of the cargo and tanker vessels (all of which could be
launched from and landed inside a battlestar) to insure that they were in
working order.  Without them.....any operation to harvest food and mine
fuel from uninhabited planets would be almost impossible.
     The Zykonians had offered Cain two full size cargo vessels, one for
food, one for fuel that each would have offered twice as much storage
space as the smaller ships combined, but Cain had no desire to become
responsible for a convoy of ships that couldn't match the speed of the
Pegasus.  He was prepared to make use of unused shuttles for extra food
storage space if necessary rather than use anything that would restrict
the overall mobility of the battlestar.  What also mitigated against
using larger ships was the fact that he simply didn't have the manpower
to spare for constant flight operations and piloting of them.
     The final item in the inventory was the one-man shuttle that had
brought Ila from the Colonies.  Repaired and recalibrated by the
Zykonians it was ready to be used one day if Commander Adama's wife ever
decided she wanted to take advantage of the chance to try and reach the
Galactica and her family.  But she had chosen not to do so, believing
that for now, she was needed for the Pegasus, and eventually the
Resistance movement she had been an active part of for three yahrens.
     The Executive Officer found himself stopping alongside the shuttle
and idly tapping his hand against it, marveling at how it had been able
to bring Ila to them, and also pondering the magnitude of what it could
still do.  For now, it was the only thing they had at their disposal that
could ever let the people aboard the Galactica know the truth about what
had happened to the Pegasus since they'd parted two and a half yahrens
ago.
     And for Tolen, his one regret that Ila had chosen not to take
advantage of it for now was that it meant that Captain Apollo's mother
couldn't bring a message from Tolen to her son about what the executive
officer had gone through recently on a planet called Equellas.  Where
he'd been able to keep for Apollo a long ago promise made to a woman
named Vella and her son Puppis about coming back that Apollo was no
longer able to fulfill.  
     I hope someday he can learn what happened.  I'm sure that's bothered
him a lot over the yahrens even if he is married to Cain's daughter now.
     "Colonel!" the battlestar's Maintenance and Damage Control Chief, a
burly man named Abendego called over to him.
     "Yes?" he looked over.
     "Telecom, sir.  Professor Ila."
     "Thank you!" Tolen made his way across the tarmac to the wall that
separated the landing bay from the rest of the battlestar.  A telecom
unit was housed near the door and he picked it up. "Yes, Ila?"
     "Colonel, I've just finished final separation of all data the
Zykonians had on alien race spacecraft and uploaded it to the Central
Computer.  All Vipers and shuttles can tap in and update their logbook
manuals for immediate recognition of any alien craft from over 100 races
the Zykonians have dealt with."
     "Great job, Ila, great job!" Tolen was pleased.  "That's going to
make it a lot easier for our patrols in case any one of these races might
be trailing us."
     "Especially the Ziklagi," she sighed.  "I'm moving on to some other
items in the Zykonian files that look interesting."
     "You've been at it for three solid cycles with this, Ila.  Take some
time to relax."
     "This *is* relaxing, Colonel," Ila said with perfect
half-seriousness.
     I guess it is for her, Tolen thought as he put the telecom back in
the hook.


     For the Academician turned Resistance leader, the work was indeed
relaxing because Ila found it allowed her to reactivate dormant skills in
scholarly research from her teaching days.  In her twenty-five yahrens on
the Faculty at the Caprican Fine Arts Institute, she'd had over one
hundred monographs published in academic journals, as well as two books
that contained biographical studies of some of Caprica's great musicians
of the pre-Renaissance period.  All of that had required long centars of
studying primary source material in documents and data tapes and just as
her husband enjoyed doing that in his studies of ancient history and
philosophy, so too did she enjoy it in her chosen field.  
     It helped that her quarters, which had originally been the more
elaborate VIP guest quarters had been modified with Zykonian help into
more of a work station for Ila.  Now she had a desk with her own set of
dual computers that allowed her to access everything in the Central
Computer core of the Pegasus and analyze it for the reports she then
prepared for Cain and Tolen.  As was the case with her diplomatic skills
that she'd demonstrated with the Zykonians, Ila's academic background was
getting results done with the massive levels of new information they'd
received, much quicker than if it had been left to an ordinary computer
technician.
     All of which allowed Ila to carry on in her new life aboard the
Pegasus with no more of the inner anguish that had defined her earlier
days.  She had made her decision that the Lords had not fated her for
reunion with Adama and her children at this point in her life, and now
after one night of letting her emotions out with centars of
uncontrollable weeping, she had accepted things as they were and moved
on.  It couldn't stop the occasional pangs of regret that might pop
through her mind.....but they no longer dominated her thinking.  That was
what she'd done in the three yahrens she'd been part of the Resistance on
Caprica.  That was what she'd do now as a member of the Pegasus team.
     The initial days of research and analyzing would be spent on the
files given to them by the Zykonians.  For however long the Pegasus
lingered in regions of space that had been intruded on by the Zykonians,
their enemy the Ziklagi or any other race known to them, that information
took precedence over the greater levels of information to be divined from
the memory banks of the IL Cylon Lucifer (whose remains had been left
with the Zykonians as a good will gesture).  The time for further
assessment of critical Cylon data would increase in proportion to how
much closer the Pegasus came to the more familiar areas of charted space,
which were some ways off.
     So now, the task of getting the data on alien ship classification
isolated and uploaded, complete, she could now turn her attention to
intelligence reports and memorandums that the Zykonians had provided. 
Many of these, from what Ila could tell were often "raw" reports that had
been filed and presented and not necessarily distilled or wholly analyzed
by Zykonian leadership higher up in the command chain.  Consequently, the
potential was there for things to exist in these reports that none of the
representatives she and Cain had dealt with, would be aware of.
     But isolating them was no easy task.  First it required translating
the Zykonian documents into readable Colonial Standard.  Then came
breaking down the data into relevant categories and also making sure that
each document could be easily searched.  Dr. Arnoff of the Electronics
lab had done most of the major work in that area, but given how his time
was also taken up in the ongoing integration of the four Cylon defectors
into the ranks of the Pegasus, it forced Ila to pick up the slack in
getting the files set up.  That had been the harder work, but she'd made
it easier on herself by trying to treat the art of computer language as
no different from reading the language of music, which she was
well-versed in.
     Now, finally that part of the work was done and she could move on to
searching the intelligence reports using a number of terms to focus on
specific documents.
     The search term "Galactica" had revealed, as she'd expected, more
particulars about the visit to Brylon Station one yahren earlier that
hadn't come up in direct conversations with the Station personnel like
Commander Hir-Zykor, Governor Bougairil and Captain Xlax.  Given the
necessity of attending to the Pegasus's needs first there simply wasn't
enough time even in three sectans for every last detail to emerge.  But
now, events that she'd learned about in passing were coming into sharper
focus.  None of it changing the significant facts she already knew but
providing more helpful context.  Sometimes surprising, sometimes amusing,
sometimes even frightening.  But all of it very illuminating.
     Ila had started with the complete story of how her daughter Athena
had been injured in a shuttle accident aboard Brylon Station as a result
of a Ziklagi shape-shifter.  The Zykonian summary of the incident
revealed that the shape-shifter was named Korax and had a past history
with the Galactica that went back to well-before their arrival at Brylon. 
From that thread, Ila had learned of the Galactica's battle with a
Ziklagi warship called the Gee-Tih, and prior to that an encounter with
Ziklagi slavers operating in a system called Boron-Din.  Those incidents
had taken place before and after the stop at the "weather planet"
Agro-Tech Wallis had told Cain about and where the Pegasus was
tentatively headed for now.  The key intelligence to gleam from all that
was the Pegasus would have to guard against the prospect of being
encountered by  Ziklagi operatives, or conceivably another species taking
advantage of the current Ziklagi civil war trying to stake out their
"turf" as it were.  And if that happened, then Ila knew that Cain,
contrary to his usual instincts, would try everything in his power to
avoid a fight.  He wanted all of the weaponry at his disposal to be used
for one purpose only and that was against the Cylon Empire.
     Who said the long journey back would be easy?  She sighed as she
searched for other documents to tie up some more loose ends for her
benefit.  To her relief, she found confirmation that the Ziklagi
shape-shifter, Korax, who had been responsible for Athena's injuries had
ultimately been destroyed.  That at least was no longer a lingering issue
for the Galactica by the time they had left Brylon for their eventual
encounter with two Cylon baseships that had resulted in Baltar's
defection with his crew.  And afterwards when the Galactica had rescued
several Earth natives by the time they reached the distant Space Station
RB-33.

     Ila hadn't expected to find anything else in these reports that
would offer further hints to where her husband had gone after RB-33.  All
of the post-Brylon information she'd learned from a sentient, plant-like
creature called Ozko-Bolzakian.  A musician aboard Brylon Station, he had
traveled with the Galactica to RB-33, providing them helpful information
on the Earth natives, before leaving to go back to his home planet.  Yet
in what Ila could only regard as the Divine direction of the Lords, Ozko
had been motivated to leave his home planet once again and return to the
star circuit plying his trade which had led him back to Brylon and
playing the keyboard in the Har-Bitah restaurant.  Where his playing of a
song Ila knew well..... because it had been the song she and Adama
regarded as *their* song.....had made Ila seek him out and learn the most
important information she could have discovered about the Galactica's
immediate history post-Brylon.
     It was because she regarded all things regarding the Galactica's 
post-Brylon history as closed that her eyebrows went up when she saw a
small item in a seemingly innocuous Zykonian intelligence report that
apparently had never gone through the office of Station Commander
Hir-Zykor.  The only reason a copy had existed in the Station Commander's
files that had been turned over to the Pegasus, was because Hir-Zykor was
entitled to receive such reports as a matter of courtesy, but with the
understanding that he had no authority or responsibility to  respond to
them because that was the job of someone else in Zykonian authority.
     After going over it, Ila decided that a visit to Cain's office was
in order.  Not because she expected it to lead to any change in policy
but because she felt he was entitled to know what she'd found
immediately.


     As soon as Ila had arrived and presented what she'd found to Cain,
the Juggernaut wasted no time studying it.  When he was through, he
leaned back and faintly shook his head.
     "All right, let me see if I understand this.  A Zykonian cruiser
traveling well outside the boundaries of Zykonian influence, mapped a six
planet system, and on the third planet detected signs of a human
settlement?"
     "More specifically, the report calls it a 'Colonial Settlement',"
Ila said.  She was seated in the chair in front of Cain's desk.
     "Well how can they be sure of that?" Cain said.  "Maybe it's another
settlement of people from Earth who got lost or crashed  like this Byrne
person we know the Galactica picked up after their battle with the
Cylons."
     "Because their mapping report says, 'the settlement has one notable
structure, the contours of which correspond to one of the smaller ships
observed to be part of the Colonial Fleet during its time at Brylon. 
Best estimate is the ship has been rendered unable to escape the surface
again in order to serve as shelter for the inhabitants.  In addition, the
settlement is recent in being established and based on the ionic
compositions that confirm the recent presence of the Colonial Fleet, it
is reasonable to conclude that this is a colony the Colonial Fleet
allowed to be established."
     "I don't get why they didn't mention this to us!" Cain slapped the
papers against the edge of his desk.  "Did they think we already knew
about it?"
     "I don't think so," Ila shook her head.  "Assuming Commander
Hir-Zykor knows about this, he may have decided to withhold the
information once we convinced him that the Pegasus has had no contact
with the Galactica since long before they arrived at Brylon."
     Cain nodded, "That's true.  And since he was trying to manipulate us
into taking action against the Ziklagi in their frontier, which isn't
anywhere near where the settlement is located, he might have figured it
was in their self-interest for us not to know about it."
     "Possible," Ila conceded, "And then again, maybe he and the Governor
genuinely don't know because whatever future moves the Zykonians make on
this colony won't be decided by them.  Obviously Hir-Zykor has more
important things to do."
     "It wouldn't be the last time a bureautician forgot about
something," Cain smirked.  "All right, taking for granted that it is a
Colonial settlement, we're not supposed to assume the absolute worst, are
we?"
     Ila frowned.  "What do you mean?"
     "That a catastrophe of epic proportions happened and this small
colony of about.....maybe a hundred people or so is all that's left of
the Fleet."  Cain didn't like saying this but he knew he had to get it
out on the table.
     "No," the blonde Academician vigorously shook her head, "No, it's
not that.  If something that catastrophic had happened, then Hir-Zykor
would have *definitely* known it and he would have likely told us that. 
That would have been a more effective way of trapping us into fighting
the Ziklagi if they had something like that they could blame them for."
     The Juggernaut nodded, "I agree.  And this scout ship would have
reported a lot more in the way of evidence pointing to such a
catastrophe."
     "Besides which," Ila added, "If something horrible like that had
happened, I think you and I both would have gotten some indications of
that from......other quarters."
     Cain nodded, knowing exactly what she meant by that.
     "Okay, we're agreed on that.  The next question is......why would
Adama let a group of people leave and settle on a planet when last yahren
he stopped anyone from leaving to settle on Brylon V?  Wallis was quite
explicit that Adama said he couldn't so much as let one person leave
without risking a mass exodus."
     "Well this planet, according to the Zykonian scout vessel, doesn't
sound like the ideal sort of place to escape to," Ila nodded.  "Yes, it's
habitable.  Yes, it's fertile.  But it also has considerable volcanic
activity that can make conditions unstable.  If this were some organized
mass movement in the Fleet wanting to petition Adama to let them go and
settle on this world.....that would surprise me completely when they'd
surely wait for something better than this planet."
     "All right then," Cain leaned back in his chair, "Knowing your
husband as well as you do......put yourself in his position and think of
what kind of situation would make him allow a group of people that big to
settle on a planet like that."
     Ila smiled at the challenge.  She placed her notes down and brought
her hands together in thought.
     "Very well," Adama's wife said, "Adama doesn't change his principles
or his positions when he's convinced of their rightness.  That's why he
couldn't possibly allow to these people, what he denied to Wallis and his
family.  He couldn't run the risk of losing people who perform valuable
work for the well-being of the Fleet.  So therefore, he didn't *allow*
these people to settle there, he *forced* them to settle there, and he
had no problem forcing them to, because they aren't essential to the
well-being of the Fleet."
     Light dawned on Cain as he slowly came forward in his chair. 
"Prisoners.  These would be.....prisoners that Adama had......marooned on
this planet."
     Ila nodded.  "And it's my understanding there is a prison ship in
the Fleet, isn't there?"
     "Yes, yes there is.  That does make sense.  Adama might have been
dealing with some.....unknown problem or other with the prison population
he has and decided this was an ideal way to get rid of some, if not all
of them."
     "Stranding prisoners on a planet to let them make their own colony
wouldn't be the same as letting a qualified agro-tech and his family
leave the Fleet to a planet of their own choosing," Adama's wife went on,
"It fits entirely within the kind of leadership decisions he'd make."
     "I'd wager all the back pay I haven't gotten these last five yahrens
that you're right," Cain said, "Wallis said that the Fleet has reinstated
the Death Penalty, but it would be in keeping with Adama to try to avoid
that solution if possible."
     "So the only question left is, does this change any of our plans?" 
Ila was sure she already knew the answer, but it had to be discussed.
     Cain switched on his monitor and looked at the charts that indicated
the position of the six planet system they'd been discussing.  The chart
had to take into account a broader map of the quadrant to include it, as
well as the earlier reference points of Space Station RB-33 and Brylon
Station.
     "At bare minimum that system is multiple sectars of flight time off
from us and it's in the wrong direction," Cain said, "If it were in close
proximity to our current flight path, I'd certainly have us eyeball them
if not necessarily make contact, but I don't see any purpose served in
taking us further away from home to check out a population of people I'm
sure Adama was glad to be rid of and who I wouldn't want to be part of
the Pegasus infrastructure in a million yahrens.  They'd be more useless
than that deadbeat couple Rotsler and Sharman that we left behind on
Brylon."
     "Fundamentally, I agree," Ila said.  "The Zykonian report says they
plan only on watching them via satellite, and that the area is off-limits
to Zykonian ships for further investigation.  So that removes any
humanitarian impulse to go in for the sake of saving them from some
hostile enemy."
     "And if there had been one?" Cain looked up at her wryly.  "Would
you be thinking otherwise?"
     Commander Adama's wife sighed, "I'm just glad we'll never have to
know the answer to that question, Cain."

Chapter Two

     "Silver Spar Leader to Pegasus Core Command, beginning forward
patrol sweep for next three centars ahead.  ETA to return, six centars."
     "Copy, Silver Spar Leader.  You confirm recalibration of your
logbook to reflect new ship data entries?" Major Ham radioed back.
     Captain Skyler tried not to let the annoyed grunt he felt rising
inside him make a sound as he rechecked his computer.  "Affirmative, Core
Command.  If I see anything non-Cylon, hopefully the book will tell me
just what it is."
     "We'll be in bigger trouble if it can't," the Senior Bridge Officer
said.  "Goodbye and good luck."
     Silver Spar Leader activated his turbo to begin his forward patrol
assignment.  Because this represented unknown and potentially hostile
territory, Cain had decided that he only wanted one viper out on patrols
for the time being so that in the event anything hostile was encountered,
a quick retreat could be executed without having to coordinate a
multi-ship probe.  Avoiding combat, as Cain kept stressing in each daily
briefing.
     Funny, Skyler thought as he settled himself into a groove.  I've
commanded the squadron for two and a half yahrens, and I still haven't
had my first real combat test as a squadron leader. When the time comes,
will I prove I earned the promotion when we lost Sheba and Bojay to the
Galactica?
     It was hard to avoid such moments of self-reflection and self-doubt
as time passed waiting for the tipping point to arrive.  The moment when
he'd finally know if he'd truly been worthy of Cain's trust when he
respected his seniority position in the Squadron and made him the Strike
Leader.  He'd waited two and a half yahrens.  He'd never been among the
so-called "Grumblers" that had been prone to complain about their plight. 
But the moment for Skyler to prove himself still hadn't come.
     Since the arrival of Commander Adama's wife into their ranks, Skyler
was at last getting the sense that if the tipping point hadn't arrived,
it was easier to discern it approaching on the horizon.  They were
finally, truly taking the road back home to take part in a fight for what
had been taken from them.  In a battle that they hadn't been part of
since they had been off in deep space when the Destruction took place.
     Like so many members of the Pegasus crew, the enormity of not being
home when the Destruction happened haunted Skyler.  A married brother
with three children on Gemon......gone.  His aged mother, who lived in a
Senior facility in declining health......gone.  A former girlfriend of
his named Shayleen, whom he'd broken up with just sectans before the
Pegasus and the Fifth Fleet had shipped out for Molocay......gone (and he
had found time to confirm that from the Fleet census rolls the Galactica
had made available to all Pegasus personnel).  More than once he'd had
nightmares of seeing their faces and hearing them say almost in unison,
"Where were *you*?"
     That was why Skyler from the beginning was quick to embrace Cain's
vision of not staying with the Galactica and being part of something,
*anything* that would deliver some kind of payback to the Cylon Empire. 
He had no ties to anyone in the Fleet to make him think otherwise.  And
he wasn't sure he really believed in the existence of Earth (though he
now had to reassess that in light of the evidence that had emerged about
the Galactica finding apparent Earth natives) so that made the idea of
going out in a blase of glory in the Colonies something he had no qualms
with.
     Except now......there was a distinct possibility that it didn't have
to be a final blaze of glory.  That the Pegasus could go home to a war
that could somehow, against seemingly all possible odds......be won.
     And then?
     His thought pattern was shattered by the sound of his scanner
emitting the tell-tale beeps that indicated it had detected something of
interest.  Slowly, he cut back on his speed since he wanted to see if he
could scan it without making visual contact.  Cain and Tolen had both
stressed in the briefing to patrol pilots that they needed to take all
possible steps to avoid detection.  The Galactica's visit to Brylon
Station certainly made all the races that had contact with the Zykonians
aware of the existence of Colonial ships in general and thus, any alien
craft encountered in this section of space had in theory the ability to
scan a viper and know right away what it was.  But if detection couldn't
be avoided, then it was still necessary to obtain a complete scan of the
alien craft for cross-reference and worry about the ramifications of
detection later.
     He pressed the switch for correlation to entries in the logbook, but
got back the message he didn't want to see.  NOT CLOSE ENOUGH FOR LOGBOOK
IDENTIFICATION.  With an annoyed tap of his wrist against the control
stick, he gently increased his speed to cut down on the distance, hoping
that whatever this was had limited range.
     Looking ahead through his canopy, Skyler could now see the shape of
the craft starting to form.  Not very large in size.  Bigger than a
viper.  Maybe not quite as large as a shuttle.  Cylindrical shape.  
     The contours, not surprisingly, didn't call to mind anything he was
aware of.  Now all he could do was hope it matched something in the
updated logbook.
     A line of type appeared on Silver Spar Leader's monitor that gave
him an answer.  Not a perfect answer, but an answer at least.  One that
merited a relieved smile if not a satisfied grin.
     Skyler activated several more switches necessary to get information
on course heading, followed by a life-form scan.  Once he heard the chime
indicating that he had the data, he immediately banked his Viper to the
right and went to his turbo to get away from the contact.  Not knowing if
it had time to scan him.  But if Skyler were willing to place a wager on
the odds, he would have seen them favoring the prospect that yes, he had
been scanned.
     Had Skyler been able to mentally teleport himself to the interior of
the contact, he would have known he'd won the bet with himself.


     "This is Silver Two returning from rear patrol sweep," Lieutenant
Banker radioed.  "Negative contacts.  We are not being pursued."
     "Thank you, Silver Two, you are cleared to land in Beta Bay," Bridge
Officer Altair answered.  The communications officer then passed the
information to Tolen, who had assumed watch on the Bridge for this
period.
     "Thank you, Altair," the Executive Officer nodded pleasantly as he
went over to the Navigation Board on the upper level.  Bridge Officer
Kylie was assisting Major Ham in marking the planets and star systems on
the charts with the names that had come from the Zykonian data bases.
     "Well so far, so good," Tolen said.  "We aren't being pursued by
anyone hostile or trailed by inquisitive scouts."
     "It's not surprising, because our wake is almost entirely Zykonian
space," Ham observed.  "The big test for us is likely going to come from
what Skyler's patrolling ahead of us, right now."
     "Sirs?" Kylie volunteered.
     "Go ahead, Kylie," Tolen nodded.  He always appreciated how the
senior most woman in rank still aboard the Pegasus was never afraid to
assert herself.
     "Preliminary analysis from Professor Ila indicates the Ziklagi
haven't expanded their frontier to include the 'weather planet' in the
past yahren," she pointed at the upper right edge of the chart which was
where the planet was marked.  "Their frontier would begin at a point just
above where the chart ends."
     "Recalibrate to show the proximity of the known Ziklagi frontier to
the weather planet," Tolen said.
     The Bridge Officer reached down and made the adjustment so that the
navigation board now moved the "weather planet" to the middle.  And now
Tolen and Ham could clearly see "Zikalgi Frontier" marked above it.
     "Hmmm," the Executive Officer mused.  "Too far out for them to have
colonized that area, but.....certainly you'd have to assume it's close
enough for them to have scouted it."
     "I agree," Ham nodded.  "If we don't run into a Ziklagi probe vessel
at bare minimum, I'd be very surprised."
     "Well, don't forget the Ziklagi are supposedly in a nasty civil war
in their home quadrant," Tolen pointed out.  "Maybe even probe ships are
something they can't spare right now."
     "Colonel," Altair called over.  "Silver Spar Leader is returning. 
He has information on a contact detected in his forward patrol sweep."
     "Looks like your hunch is about to be confirmed, Major" Tolen noted
as he picked up the headset to talk to Skyler.  "Silver Spar Leader, this
is Colonel Tolen.  What did you find?"
     As soon as Tolen heard the answer over his headset, he frowned
slightly.
     "I see," he finally added.  "Captain, as soon as you're aboard,
report to Commander Cain's quarters for debriefing.  He'll want your
report firsthand."
     "What is it?" Ham frowned as the Executive Officer removed his
headset.
     "Something a little.....unexpected." Tolen said.  "I'm on my way
down there.  You have the con, Major."
     "Yes, sir."


     "Give me the name of that race again you say this ship belonged to,
Captain?" Cain asked fifteen centons later as Skyler stood before him
with Tolen sitting off to one side.
     "Risik, sir," Skyler repeated.  "R-I-S-I-K.  That's how it's spelled
in the logbook from the Zykonian data."
     "I don't remember that name coming up at all in any of the briefings
from the Zykonians.  I was expecting it to be Ziklagi," Cain shook his
head slightly.  "So what kind of ship, basically?"
     "Well, apparently the logbook isn't thorough enough to be specific
with that.  The reading is 'probability of scouting type ship'. 
Apparently this race isn't one the Zykonians are completely up on, or
else the Professor's data that was uploaded to our systems was
incomplete."
     Cain leaned over to the vidcom on his desk that connected directly
to Ila's quarters and office.  "Professor Ila?" 
     "Yes, Commander?" both of them had already worked out an
understanding that whenever either used their formal titles when
contacting each other, that a formal briefing was in session.
     "Could you do me a favor and bring up all Zykonian data on a race
called the Risiks?  R-I-S-I-K."
     "One centon," the Academician paused as she went back to her
keyboard and typed in the search.  "As soon as I have it, stand by on
your monitor too."
     "I'm keyed in to your station," Cain acknowledged.
     A centon later, she was giving a report in the crisp, academic tone
she'd used many times in the classroom.
     "Risik.  Operates on a more distant frontier from Zykonian space. 
Most intelligence about them comes from pirate operatives at RB-33
Station----that's where the Galactica rescued that second member of the
Earth ship crew-who have engaged in illegal trade and smuggling
activities with them."
     "They don't have diplomatic relations with them?"
     "Nothing formal.  Just a two person purchasing mission at Brylon
Station for legitimate trade operations." Ila studied the readout on her
terminal.  "Insomuch as there are fifty purchasing missions on the
station, it's not surprising they didn't stand out.  And clearly the
Zykonians don't get much from whoever operates there.  A lot more in this
file comes from data exchanges the Zykonians made with the Ziklagi, under
the terms of the treaty Adama settled with them.  The Ziklagi have a
small diplomatic mission in the capital city of the home planet of
this.....Risik race.  But they're confined to a small section. 
Evidently, this Risik race is rather......xenophobic and not given to
friendly association with other races which presumably also accounts for
why their presence at Brylon is so minimal."
     "Great," the Juggernaut rolled his eyes.  "That's all we need to
come across now.  Anything else?"
     "Hold on.....this can be such a jumble keeping up with all the names
of these alien races."
     "Like reading a collection of fifth millennium Aquarian proverbs?"
Cain couldn't resist, given Ila's background in the literary arts.
     "Try fourth, if you want to talk about the most insufferably boring
collection the Colonies ever wasted parchment on," she quipped. 
"Okay.....here's one more alien race to chew on.  The Ke'zar, which is
the name of a race the Risik are at war with.....or have been at war
with.  This is only known second-hand from the pirates through
small-talk.  The Zykonians don't know anything about them."
     "And I'd rather not know anything about them either, if they don't
operate in this section," Cain said.  "When we start getting back to
familiar territory for us, I'll be glad to flush all of this out of my
personal memory bank.  How thorough is the data on Risik ships?"
     "Not extensive," Ila said.  "Only scout class ships and small-sized
trading vessels.  There's no data on warships that they have on their
end.  The scout ship data probably comes again from the pirates.  If the
Ziklagi have data on their warships......it doesn't look like they shared
that with the Zykonians."
     "Is there a picture of what a Risik looks like in the data base?"
     "Standing by.....now."
     Cain saw an image come up on the screen.  He was taken aback when he
saw it was remarkably humanoid looking which made it a contrast from the
reptilian like Zykonians and the even uglier Ziklagi.  The key difference
though was the total lack of hair and a more muscular build.
     "If there were two of them at Brylon, I don't recall seeing them,"
Cain shook his head.  "Professor, upload this into the database logbook
for all pilots," he said.  "Just on the off-chance we end up seeing one
of them in the near future.  That'll be all for now."
     "I'll take care of it, Commander," Ila said with polite deference
and then broke the connection.  Cain did likewise on his end and leaned
back in his chair.
     "All right, Captain," he returned his attention to Skyler, "How many
of these Risik were there in this.....probable scout vessel?"
     "Only two, sir.  Weaponry seemed minimal.  The contours suggest that
it's possible this kind of ship could also fly comfortably within a
planetary atmosphere."
     "And possibly disrupt any landing party activities of ours once we
reach the weather planet," Tolen noted.
     "Yes, it's a potential problem to be sure," the Juggernaut brought
his fingertips together.  "You think you were scanned?"
     "Yes sir," Skyler said, "I think it couldn't be avoided given how
close I had to get to the contact.  If their scanning capability is half
as good as ours, I don't see how it could have been avoided."
     "All right, that'll be all, Skyler," Cain said.  "Enjoy a round at
the Club."
     As soon as the Captain had departed, Tolen rose from his chair,
"Sir?"
     "Yes, Tolen?" Cain still had his fingertips together, looking
askance as if he were musing.
     "If the primary objective is to avoid all contact with alien races
as we make our way back......maybe we should just avoid this weather
planet entirely.  We are top heavy as it is in food thanks to the
Zykonians."
     "Can't," Cain shook his head.  "It isn't the food that grows there
that I'm interested in, Tolen.  It's what makes the food grow there and
according to Wallis and Kelli, help make that planet what it is.  They
say it's Kobollian technology that does it.  I can't pass up a chance to
find a sample of that and have Dr. Arnoff analyze it up-close."
     Tolen thought back to the briefing Cain had given four days ago when
they'd left Brylon Station.  Cain had mentioned Kobollian technology
then, and he'd heard him say that it might be possible to one day use
Kobollian technology to directly contact the Galactica.  The fact that
Cain thought of Kobollian technology primarily in terms of what it could
do there, as opposed to how it might help the Resistance effort in the
Colonies was telling from the Executive Officer's standpoint. 
     He wants to have some chance.....*any* chance to be able to talk to
his daughter again.  And I'm sure he wants it for Ila too, so she can
have the same chance with her family.
     

     "Well, Dr. Laughlin?" Dr. Arnoff, the Electronics specialist took
the Chief Medical Officer aside.  They had just finished a lengthy
conversation with Commander Cobre, the command Cylon centurion from the
four defectors.
     The old Aerian doctor shook his head.  "I don't get why you asked
for me, Arnoff.  This is all your field, not mine."
     "But can't you tell how increasingly......sentient he and his
colleagues are becoming?" Arnoff noted.  "Especially now that they're
talking like humans, or more specific in this case, just like an advanced
class Cylon."
     "Aye, you told me Cobre took the voice program of that advanced one
we captured and left the spare parts behind of," he nodded, "He's much
easier to talk to, I grant you.  And he really seems proud."
     "That's just it!" Arnoff waved his arms, "Pride is an emotion. 
They're not supposed to feel anything like that.  And he also spoke of
how his memory and processing systems are more efficient.  No other
circuitry of his has been replaced other than the vocal program.  Yet
it's as if he's suddenly developed the capacities of an advanced Cylon as
well as the voice."
     "Then maybe you should have studied the voice program more to see if
it has more special properties."
     "We *did* study it.  Me and four Zykonian technicians.  The voice
program has nothing special.  IL Cylons like Commander Lucifer have a
second brain to give them the ability to reason and even feel certain
basic emotions to motivate their actions."
     The Medical Officer still seemed dubious, "I still don't get what
this has to do with my area, Arnoff.  Unless you're really expecting me
to treat these Cylons as if they're self-evolving into something
sentient?"
     "Their behavior falls more in the pattern of how a sentient being,
rather than a machine would react," the Electronics scientist held his
ground.  "Cobre feels 'better' so to speak, because he has a new voice
and its making him more.....efficient.  Is that any different from how a
human reacts when he takes something that has no medicinal value but he's
conditioned to *think* it will improve him?"
     "You're talking about how the human mind sometimes reacts to a
placebo?" Laughlin was beginning to get why he'd been dragged into this
area, but he was still skeptical.  
     "Yes, that's exactly it!  The change in the voice program should
have no effect on the output performance of these Cylons, and yet there
is a noticeable difference as if their single brain *perceives* it to
have this incredible side benefit."
     The Medical Officer rubbed his chin, "If what you're saying is
true......then if the centurion class in general had its voice program
changed, the......independence in them would increase well beyond the
programmed capabilities that could have been anticipated."
     "Certainly well beyond what the centurions were already showing,
which was considerable.  After all, they'd already switched sides to help
us before the change."
     Laughlin grew more thoughtful.  "Have you talked with the Professor
about this?"  Increasingly this was how Ila was being referred to
throughout the Pegasus since they recognized that to call her 'Adama's
wife' was too awkward and failed to respect her professional background.
     "No, I haven't," Arnoff admitted.
     "Well she seems to be the one who's already had firsthand experience
with Cylons acting independent," the Medical Officer said, "As soon as
she can be pried away from that new work station of hers, we might find
out more about what she's seen of their independence back in the
Colonies."


     Far away from the Pegasus, the scout vessel had returned to its base
where a report had been filed that in rapid order made its way through
the Risik Star Force channels, right up to their Council and ultimately
to its Supreme Leader.
     The report was enough to send him into equal parts rage and
enthusiasm.  Rage over what the lone Viper craft embodied with its
reminders of past humiliations so great that they dared not be revealed
publicly outside the inner areas of the Council.  
     Enthusiasm over the fact that after a long, cold period of no leads
to follow, one had at last emerged that could be acted upon. 
Immediately, he ordered Admiral Trilligan to give a full briefing to the
nearest available warship commander.  Whose task would be to investigate
this area......and act.

Chapter Three

     The Pegasus drew closer to the solar system that contained the
much-talked about 'weather planet'.  With no more reports of any further
alien ships, Cain shifted his attention to the matter of how the planet
would be explored.  That required the presence of the only two people who
had been to the planet previously, the former Galactica agro-workers,
Wallis and Kelli.
     "You have to understand, Commander," Wallis said, "Kelli and I never
saw the specific locations on the planet where Kobollian technology is
present.  Our job was to simply help gather the food resources for
transport up to the Fleet after things stabilized there."
     "Wouldn't they be easy to pinpoint on the surface?"
     "That's just it, Commander," this from Kelli.  "The control stations
the Kobollians set up to control the weather and create this 'safe zone'
for the food to grow in, are all hidden below ground in caves.  It was
only sheer luck that two people from the initial landing party stumbled
across one of them after the systems broke down, and the weather patterns
were being unleashed across the entire planet."
     "And thankfully one of them understood the Kobollian language,"
Wallis said.  
     "Amplify that for me, will you?" Cain asked.
     "Well one of the earlier planets we encountered prior to entering
Ziklagi space, was a place called Ki.  That was a planet that we knew had
been settled by a splinter faction of the 13th Tribe that chose not to
continue to Earth.  They settled themselves into a fairly productive
civilization that reached Fifth Millennium levels......and then they
destroyed themselves in some type of nuclear holocaust.  The survivors
that were left regressed to the level of primitive cave dwellers while
the planet's ecosystem became totally fracked up.  There were all kinds
of creatures that----,"
     "I asked for amplification and you're making it harder to follow,
Wallis," Cain held up a hand.  "Get to the essential point on the tie-in
with the weather planet."
     "Sorry, sir," he tried not to stammer. "Two of the cave dwellers on
Ki were taken back to the Galactica.....or should I say, they stowed away
on a shuttle.  A hunter and his wife.  After we left Ki, we had no choice
but to integrate them into the Fleet so we put them to work.  The woman,
whose name was Pili, was assigned to the main Agro-Ship in the same
division Kelli and I worked in."
     "Okay, okay," Cain held up a finger.  "This.....Kian named Pili was
part of the initial expedition, and she was the one who understood
Kobollian and was able to get the system fixed."
     "Yes sir, that's essentially it." Kelli said, knowing there were
other details to the story that Cain likely would have regarded as a
distraction.  "The bottom line is that relocating these relay systems
will require a prolonged search, and once they're found, you'll need
someone who knows the language to decipher it on the scene.  There are
vocal command elements to the systems and Pili was able to understand
those, so a reading knowledge may not be enough."
     "All right," the Juggernaut sighed.  "Is there anything else we need
to know before we send the first teams down there?"
     "Only that if one of the systems break down again, it'll require
quick evacuation from the planet because weather conditions will
deteriorate rapidly.  Cyclones and typhons will become the norm across
the entire surface."
     "Thank you.  I want both of you to stand by because you'll be part
of the first team that goes down there to take readings.  And then when
we get one of our food cargo vessels down there, I'll expect you to
supervise operations there."
     "Yes, sir," Wallis nodded and they left, leaving Cain to contemplate
one detail they'd mentioned.
     Someone has to be there who knows Kobollian......


     "Yes, I took a course in it during a semester break from my
teaching," Ila said over dinner that evening in Cain's quarters.  "Adama
was so consumed with the ancient writings that I decided it would be a
great way to bond with him if I acquired a passing knowledge in
Kobollian."
     "You still remember any of it?"
     "It's a language primarily to be read by scholars, not spoken," Ila
said.  "If I see any symbols in ancient Kobollian down there, I'll be
able to recognize them.  Verbal commands though....that's another
matter."
     "Half the battle at least," he said.  "I'm not ordering you to go
down there, Ila, but....."
     "Yes, you are, Cain," she smiled.  "Don't be so awkward.  These are
the centons when I'm not your in-law any longer, I'm just a regular
member of the crew."
     "You're more than that, Ila," Cain said simply and with total
sincerity.  "A lot more."
     She shrugged with a humble air and returned to her meal.  All the
while, Cain couldn't stop thinking of how utterly indispensable she was. 
Bringing skills in diplomacy, scholarship and analysis that his ship
lacked and sorely needed right now.  Not to mention all that she knew
that would someday serve them well whenever the Pegasus finally hooked up
with the Resistance movement she'd been part of for three yahrens.
     "Drs. Arnoff and Laughlin wanted to see me earlier today, but I
couldn't get away from my other work," Ila changed the subject.  "They
think our four Cylon friends are getting more and more independent thanks
to their new voices and want me to spend some time talking to them."
     "Is that a cause for concern?"  Cain asked as he sipped from his
chalice.
     "Hardly.  It's just that.....if the theory they're forming is right,
the whole process of Cylon centurion independence could be accelerated if
they were able to have their vocal programming altered to match that of
the IL class."
     "Which is normal human speech."
     "Yes.  They want to draw from my observations of centurions I've
seen in the Colonies who've defied their superiors.  That way they can
form some comparative judgments with what they're seeing in Cobre, Lucy,
Festus and Serpentine."
     "We're back to this subject again that I never get around to talking
with you about," Cain sighed.  "The particulars of events leading up to
when you took that shuttle out in search of Adama.  Where you've seen the
centurions act this way."
     "Well, if your overloaded mind can spare some time, we can finally
get started on that," Ila said with an almost impish air as she toyed
with her chalice.
     "Might as well," Cain leaned back in his chair, his dinner finished
now.  "You keep mentioning a Dr. Ravashol.  Just who is he?"
     "Dr. Ravashol was.....or rather is.....one of the most brilliant men
the Colonial Science Academy turned out," Ila said.  "A genius in the
areas of Biology and Electronics.  Capable of doing the jobs of both Dr.
Laughlin and Dr. Arnoff with one hand tied behind his back.  But it was
his theories in the former that got him into trouble.  Specifically, his
theories regarding the creation of a class of what he characterized as
"Theta class life forms" who were basically sub-human clones."
     "Created them?" Cain's eyes widened, "Out of what?"
     "That, I can't explain the particulars of, Cain.  But apparently
however he did it, he  alienated a large group of people in the
Scientific community, not to mention a lot of moral ethicists who thought
the very idea of creating what was basically a new species was
just.....wrong.  Dr. Ravashol insisted that his only intent was to create
a sterile race of biological workers who could live full life spans and
be more efficient than robots because you would have humanoid subjects
and servants who would look up to Man as his "Father-Creator" and swear
total allegiance to anything Man would ask of him.  Freeing Man from
unnecessary working tasks but at the same time avoiding the inherent
dangers caused by turning over such functions to robots."
     "Sounds more like he's talking about creating a life form just to
become a slave to mankind," Cain snorted.
     "That was yet another reason the doctor's theories were so
controversial.  In the end, they banned his experiments completely.  And
that led to his resignation from the Science Academy and his exile from
the Colonies.  He left them over ten yahrens before the Destruction with
his wife, and took all of his notes and research along with him to a
planet called Arcta."
     Cain shook his head, "I don't think I've ever heard of it."
     "It's in the Antiochean Cluster, Sector Sigma.  You actually weren't
very far from there when you picked me up near the Hattari System." Ila
then added, "And if you'd approached it any time in the last yahren and a
half, you might have stumbled across the whole story of the Resistance
even before you picked me up."
     "Section Sigma....." Cain was searching his memory, "I....have a
vague recollection of scanning that system at one point.  All that showed
up was an ice planet consisting of diethene storms."
     "That's it," Ila said.  "The perfect place for Ravashol and his wife
to conduct their own experiments in Theta Class life forms, far from the
judgmental eyes of Colonial Science and Colonial jurisdiction."
     "He would have needed an interior fortress to safeguard himself from
the elements!" Cain was amazed.
     "Oh he made one," Adama's wife nodded, "Right inside the highest
mountain formation on the planet, where he was able to create a society
of Theta class clones to serve his every need and allow him to conduct
other experiments in Electronics to help make the colony ideal.  He soon
supplemented the workers with a second class of Theta clones dubbed as
"planners" to make the community more populated."
     "Sounds like a dead-end existence.  How does he end up becoming
connected with the Resistance?"
     "I'm not even near that part of his story yet," Ila said, "I told
you it was complicated."
     "I've still got time," her in-law smirked.
     "Do you need another drink?" she returned it.
     "I'd rather be sober," he enjoyed the fact that their newly
discovered family tie through the marriage of Apollo and Sheba could let
them be even more relaxed in each other's presence than they'd already
been as good friends.  "Go on."
     "About several yahrens after Dr. Ravashol and his wife set up their
village, the Cylons arrived.  They were at the time moving out into the
Alpha Quadrant in the preliminary phases of what led to the conquest of
Gomorrah and the Delphians.  What attracted their attention to Arcta was
a pulsar device that was transmitting intelligence data across a fairly
large stretch of the quadrant.  Dr. Ravashol despite his craving for
isolation and privacy, was still enough of an egotist to want to let
others *know* what he was doing.  The Ravashol pulsar as a transmitter of
data wasn't at that point strong enough to reach the Colonies, but it was
strong enough to act as a beacon for the Cylons and lead them straight to
him.  Ravashol's wife was killed by the initial wave of centurions who
arrived and they imprisoned him, demanding that he reveal his secrets in
Electronics so they could develop more powerful weaponry.  They also
began to execute his Theta life forms."
     "And they broke him?"
     "Well.....this is where it gets interesting.  Barely a few sectans
after they imprisoned him, a new command centurion named Vulpa arrived
and he implemented a new policy.  He halted the executions of the Thetans
and reverted them to labor tasks.  Dr. Ravashol was released and allowed
to resume his projects with minimal interference, and in a further sign
of good will, Vulpa even had the centurions who'd killed his wife
executed.  The only thing Ravashol had to let the Cylons do was take
possession of the pulsar at the top of the mountain.  Which they turned
into a weapon capable of destroying any intruding ship into the
quadrant."
     "You're describing a man whose actions aren't all that different
from Baltar," Cain noted dryly.
     "To a point, that's probably true," Ila conceded.  "He did get one
concession from Vulpa.  The pulsar wasn't to be used against Colonial
ships.  Only other races the Cylons were trying to subjugate.  But that
changed after the Destruction and events conspired to push the Galactica
and the Fleet into that sector of space and right into the range of the
pulsar."
     Cain suddenly came forward in chair, "Wait a micron.  Now I know
what you're talking about!  Adama mentioned how they had to get past a
Cylon pulsar weapon that they sent a commando team down to destroy.  That
was about a sectar before we hooked up.  I never had time to ask him the
details."
     "I figured it was before," Adama's wife sighed.  "This was literally
the only thing any of us in the Resistance ever learned about where the
Galactica went."
     "You got the story from Ravashol?"
     "No," she shook her head, "From Vulpa."
     The Juggernaut's expression twisted into one of bewilderment at the
latest twist and turn he'd learned from her.
     "You sure you don't want another drink?" the Professor folded her
hands and smiled wryly.
     "My will is still strong," he declined, "Continue."
     "You probably know then, that a commando team, which I know Apollo
took part in, took out the pulsar and the garrison.  Dr. Ravashol was
initially reluctant to let this happen but was won over when he
discovered that his Theta clones had developed independence of their own
beyond what he 'programmed' them for.  He assumed they were all sterile,
but in fact they'd been having children and hiding them in their village
because the Cylons likely would have executed them as non-essential.  And
they didn't tell Ravashol about them because they feared he might
disapprove."
     "But he obviously didn't."
     "Exactly.  And he was willing to let the Cylons be driven out for
their sake so he allowed the commando team to destroy the pulsar and the
garrison.  Even though he had to guard against the likelihood the Cylons
would return after the Galactica safely passed through the system."
     "All right then," Cain said.  "When did Vulpa switch sides?  That
obviously didn't happen in connection with the Galactica's commando raid,
or else Adama would have mentioned that."
     "It was after the Galactica left," Ila lazily poured herself a tiny
refill.  "The Thetans were going through the wreckage of the garrison and
they found Commander Vulpa.....alive.  Badly damaged from the explosive
charges, but still in a functioning state.  Dr. Ravashol made the
decision.....to save him and return him to working condition.  Even
though Vulpa had carried out some ruthless treatments of the Thetans, and
had also threatened the Galactica......Ravashol appreciated the fact that
as a commander, Vulpa had instituted a more moderate policy than his
predecessor and had also executed the Cylons responsible for killing the
doctor's wife.  He felt.....he owed something to Vulpa in that regard. 
And when Vulpa was reactivated, he expressed his gratitude by declaring
his allegiance to Dr. Ravashol from that point on.  And pretty soon,
Vulpa was revealing what he *really* felt about advanced class Cylon
leadership.  It was quite a revelation."
     "Something the doctor could capitalize on when the Cylons did send
in reinforcements." Cain inferred.  Again, the Academician nodded.
     "The first wave of centurions arrived and ran into some unexpected
surprises that Dr. Ravashol held back from the Cylons previously. 
Ravashol and the Thetans could have blasted them all away but they also
knew that would just bring more reinforcements back so he took a chance
using Vulpa to appeal to them.  Vulpa basically told them that what had
happened at Arcta was the fault of the advanced class Cylons for forcing
them to pacify a planet with a harsh environment while they stayed safe
and comfortable on their command ships.  And that if they were willing to
work alongside *with* Dr. Ravashol and his people and not against them,
it would be much more productive and profitable for them.  About 80% of
the newly arriving centurions were won over.  The rest of course, died in
the name of the Imperious Leader."
     "Tell me if I'm guessing wrong on what happened next," Cain found
this spellbinding.  "Vulpa and the defecting centurions were able to put
on a ruse to the Cylon High Command that the planet had been pacified,
and thus to them, Vulpa is still loyally serving the Empire.  And then at
some point along the way, Vulpa made contact with the Resistance in the
Colonies."
     "You've got the parameters right.  Some of the arriving centurions
mentioned that there was discontent going on in the centurion ranks in
the Inner Colonies and that Resistance was breaking out.  One of the
reasons why the Cylon Empire was still interested in Ravashol was that
they wanted him to start building new weapons that could put down the new
Resistance factions.  And that's when together, Vulpa and Ravashol hit
upon how they could smuggle new weapons to the Resistance if Vulpa were
able to get them there under the cover of journeying to the Colonies to
confer with the commanders who were based there.  In the process, Vulpa
would be able to gather all the intelligence on just which command
centurions were still loyal, and which ones would be willing to tolerate
or even align themselves with the Resistance factions."
     Ila finished off her drink.  "Altogether, Vulpa has made six
journeys back and forth between Arcta and the Colonies using his cover as
a still loyal commander while covertly doing the work of the Resistance
with Dr. Ravashol."
     "You've met him."
     "Oh yes.  Everyone in Commander Deval's inner circle has.  He passed
along Dr. Ravashol's account of the Galactica to me, and that gave us the
clue that Adama had gone into the Alpha Quadrant of the galaxy to search
for Earth.  It was after the fourth meeting that Commander Deval smuggled
a message back to Ravashol through Vulpa requesting assistance on how to
modify a shuttle for the mission I ultimately took to seek out Adama."
     "Well that certainly is proof enough that Vulpa is sincere and not
pulling a triple cross."
     "We had to worry about that too initially," the Professor admitted,
"But Dr. Ravashol has been smuggled twice on Vulpa's shuttle to visit us. 
First, on Vulpa's second visit to confirm the sincerity of what Vulpa
reported.  And then on the fifth visit to demonstrate what was needed to
modify the shuttle for long-range travel.  And believe me, Cain, there
are more than a dozen other breakthroughs Ravashol has made possible for
the Resistance network as a whole to become something that's given the
Cylon Empire more fits than you could imagine.  All because they haven't
caught on to the fact that Vulpa has been bringing Ravashol's gifts to us
and letting us become something they never bargained on.  That's really
the biggest problem the Empire is facing.  They can't tell any longer
which centurions in the Colonies are loyal and which aren't, and if they
rotated groups out, they might run the risk that disloyal centurions will
end up spreading the insurrection to other command outposts that haven't
experienced this yet, like Gomorrah."
     "What stops them from building more baseships and just annihilating
the Colonies with more firepower and writing off all the centurions,
loyal and independent?"
     Ila was silent, staring down at her now empty chalice and rocking it
slightly in her hand.
     "Ila?" 
     "We have a theory about that," she finally said, still looking at
her chalice.  "The problem is, we can't confirm it.  Vulpa's tried to use
the backdoor way of finding out, but it looks as if the High Command,
which of course is 100% advanced class, isn't letting word get out to a
single centurion or even a single advanced Cylon who isn't in the home
quadrant of the Cylon capital itself."
     "You mean.....trouble on the Cylon home planet itself?  A revolt
taking place there?"
     "It may be something more than that," Ila's tone grew more distant,
which only heightened the sense of mystery about the subject.  "Something
that if it were true, would give the centurions who haven't yet found
their independence, even more reason to find it."
     "And what is that theory?" Cain gently pressed.
     The Academician hesitated, "I'm.....not sure I should tell you,
Cain.  Because if you started to form future battle plans based on an
unproved theory that's more speculation at this point......it might prove
counterproductive.  By the time we get closer to home again, we may find
out our speculation was wrong."
     "Fair enough," the Juggernaut conceded.  "It usually isn't good to
focus too much on point 100 of your likely itinerary when you're not even
up to point 20 yet."
     She managed to laugh, "Are you sure we're even that far, yet?"
     "Hopefully we're even further along.  At least as far as reaching
the first major objective which is Gomorrah.  Which....may end up being a
situation where we'll have to create some independence in the ranks, as
opposed to capitalizing on what might already be there."
     "Which brings us right back to where our friends Cobre and company
might play a considerable role."
     "Conceivably," he nodded.  "After we're done with this planet, you
should have that talk with them that Dr. Arnoff and Dr. Laughlin want you
to have with them."
     "I intend to."
     Cain rose from his chair and went over to the intercom so he could
summon a guard to haul away their dinner plates.  When he was done, he
looked back at Ila, with a  reflective air.
     "You know, it's......remarkable how Adama's actions in taking out
the pulsar weapon basically set the stage for all the help the Resistance
has gotten since then from Ravashol and Vulpa."
     "I know," Adama's wife sighed and then added with a distinct
yearning in her voice, "If only.....*he* knew."
     Cain felt a surge of emotion inside him since he had no response he
could offer her.
     Someday, somehow, by all the Lords, we need to *make* it so!

Chapter Four

     "Standard orbit, Commander," Kylie reported as the Pegasus assumed
its position above the so-called 'weather planet'.  Looking through the
viewing screen, Cain was struck by how only one perfect spot of untouched
greenery below was surrounded by angry, swirling clouds of white that
essentially covered the rest of the planetary surface.
     "Analysis?"
     "The safe zone is nine-hundred kilometrones in total square
diameter," Kylie read off the scan readings.  "Beyond the zone are
cyclones registering several hundred kilometrones in wind strength. 
Destructive power potential, force nine catastrophic."
     "All kept out by the safety systems left in place by the
Kobollians," Tolen marveled.  "It's amazing they went to all that
trouble."
     "Let's hope we find signs of how they did it," Cain noted, "Kylie,
transfer target landing area data to the ships we'll be sending down."
     "Transferred," the Bridge Officer keyed in the info.
     "Ham," Cain felt a surge going through him, "Launch all ships for
planetary study, now!"


     Three ships emerged from the Pegasus and immediately descended
toward several target areas within the planet's safe zones.  The first
ship was a shuttle containing the "historical study team."  This was the
group Ila was heading in her scholarly capacity and her ability to
discern potential Kobollian materials.  Nominal command in the event of a
military situation rested with Lieutenant Bryce, the head of the Security
division, while the shuttle pilots, Lieutenant Banker and Ensign Tegran
would offer additional security protection.
     The historical team also had one other member.  The Cylon centurion
who had taken the name "Festus".  Cain had decided it was important to
start integrating their defectors into the ranks of a regular operation
without making it seem that as a Cylon they were being given a "dirty"
job.  Sending one of them on an integrated assignment, rather than all of
them together would further help to build an overall sense of trust.
     The second ship was the Zykonian food cargo vessel that had been
provided.  Because it was an alien ship, four crewmen were to fly it,
with Lieutenants Angus and Paris in joint command, and support roles for
Sergeant Gaspar and Sergeant Harroun.  Wallis and Kelli as the agro-tech
workers would conduct the gathering of samples.  Ten additional Pegasus
crew would assist the four pilots in loading operations.  As would the
Cylon centurion who had taken the name Serpentine.
     The third ship, a small Zykonian provided tanker, would be manned by
fifteen crewmen to study tylium and solium reserve deposits that were
located in another section of the "safe" zone.  Centurion "Lucy" would
accompany them.
     During the operations, while the Pegasus  remained in standard orbit
above the planet, four vipers split into two groups would be operating
flank patrols to watch for signs of any approaching alien ships, with
particular attention for the Risik and Ziklagi.
     With all ships deployed, Cain could only sit back on the Bridge and
wait for his crew to bring back the results.  It was all out of his hands
now.


     The "historical team" shuttle landed in an area situated four
kilometrones from the northern most edge of the planet's safe zone.  This
was the only reference point Wallis and Kelli had been able to provide on
the approximate location of a critical relay station that had been
discovered by the Galactica security guard Sergeant Thomson and the Kian
cave dweller Pili during the Fleet's visit to the planet.  From here, the
shuttle's landram would depart to try and find the exact spot. 
Lieutenant Bryce and Ensign Tegran would remain with the shuttle, while
Lieutenant Banker would drive the landram, accompanied by Ila and the
centurion Festus.
     "Assuming no one else has been on the planet since the Galactica
came here, we might get some hints from any junk they left behind, or old
viper and landram tracks," Banker said as the landram moved out.  He then
glanced over his shoulder at centurion Festus in the back.  "Nice to be
working with you again!"
     "It is a pleasure," the centurion said.  His voice no longer a
mechanical drone of but a "normal" sounding voice that had been
reprogrammed into him at Brylon Station by the Zykonians.  Exactly whose
voice it had been, the Zykonians had not been specific.  They said they
had samples of four additional male human voices on file and three had
been chosen for the centurions, while Commander Cobre had received the
voice that had been Lucifer's.
     "You two worked before?" Ila decided this was a good way to make
conversation.
     "Festy and his buddies are old friends!"  Banker kept his voice
light.  "Tell the Professor how we saved you from the wreckage of that
old garrison on Delta Aquinas and then you helped us take care of some
nasty business on Equellas."
     "You and Tolen and Angus were polite enough to reactivate us. 
Although you were not *completely* candid with us at first."
     In hearing this new voice come from the centurion, Ila was struck by
how the normal inflections of speaking were present.  A human voice
programmed into a computer could still sound like a flat monotone.  But
clearly there were emotions within Festus that allowed him to make the
inflections in his new voice.  And that gave her the clearest indication
of just how deep the streak of independence ran in centurions in general
that she'd ever encountered.  None of the centurions she'd interacted
with on Caprica as part of the Resistance had undergone changes in their
voices, so on one level that obscured to a degree the true feelings and
emotions that had developed in the rebellious centurion class.
     Definitely something Commander Deval.....and Dr. Ravashol will want
to know.
     "How were you not candid?" Ila interjected.
     "We were told initially that the war was over and that the Empire
was destroyed, and that we had no choice but to work for the winning
side," Festus said.
     "Well.....we had no idea how you guys *really* felt about those
nasty IL's," Banker said.  "No hard feelings there?"
     "Not at all," the new human voice of Festus sounded polite and
respectful.  "You humans make for more......refreshing colleagues than
our former superiors."
     "We'll always remember to keep it that way," Banker said, "Working
for them must have been real....tough."
     "It was."
     "If only we'd known," Ila said with a slightly rueful air.  "Perhaps
hundreds of yahrens of needless death for humans and......centurions
alike could have been avoided."
     Festus turned toward the Professor and then said, "A wise insight."
     A beeping sound emitted in the landram, causing Banker to look at
the readout.
     "I had my scanner set to look for traces of residue from vipers or
shuttles that might have operated in this area, and I may have
something," the lieutenant said.  "Maybe right up.....ahead."
     "I see a cave formation all right," Ila noted.  "This could be where
that.....Thomson and Pili, I think their names were, discovered the
control station."
     "The report from Wallis also said we can't scan for the computer
relays that are buried under the rocks because they're protected by pure
neutrino," Banker added.  "So that's why we have to find the station
itself."
     "Neutrino," Festus said, "Most interesting."
     Ila looked back at the Cylon, "Yes, that's what you're made of!"
     "Primarily.  Neutrino as it is mined in the Cylon home system is
limitless, but it consists of impurities and imperfections that leave
anything manufactured from it susceptible to scanning and concentrated
laser fire.  That is why.....we have always been vulnerable."
     The scholar looked thoughtfully at the centurion, "But if your
neutrino deposits were pure......then the Empire would have been able to
block conventional scans and laser fire in anything they manufactured."
     "It is my understanding that neutrino only exists in limited
quantities in the pure state throughout the entire galaxy.  Even when
neutrino as we have it is processed......it cannot be made pure.  Cylon
science hoped to achieve a breakthrough in this area, but to my knowledge
they had not done so."
     "They never did," Ila said.
     And maybe.....they never will......if what I refused to tell Cain
about is really true.  But we just don't know for sure!
     Banker brought the landram to a stop in front of the cave.  Glancing
out the side window, his eyes widened in amazement and then he began to
laugh.
     "What is it?" Ila asked.
     "Professor," he said, "I think this is our lucky day.  Look!"
     The scholar leaned over Banker's shoulder to look out the window and
then she too began to laugh. 
     "You have seen something amusing?" the voice of Festus inquired
curiously.
     Ila turned around and smiled at the Cylon and smiled.  "Yes, we
have, Festus.  We'll get out and show you why it's funny."
     A centon later the three of them were out of the landram and
standing in front of a cave formation where on the rock front next to the
opening, they could see words that had been boldly written into the
surface by what had probably been a laser.

               SERGEANT THOMSON WAS HERE!

     And underneath the bold letters was an arrow pointing to the cave
entrance.
     "Oh, those Colonial Security Guards," Banker chuckled.  "The Lords
bless them."
     "Notify Bryce and tell him and Tegran that they should move the
shuttle to our position," Ila said.  "That way we can have everyone in
place at our primary location and not have to use the landram
constantly."
     "Will do, Professor."


     Elsewhere on the planet, the food-cargo vessel had landed in an open
area next to a maize field that Wallis and Kelli had led them to from
their previous visit on the planet.  Almost immediately, the two
agro-tech workers had gone ahead to inspect the flourishing crops of the
golden vegetable delicacy with Angus, the nominal commander of the unit,
accompanying him.
     "Part of this field was destroyed by a cyclone when the control
systems malfunctioned," Wallis pointed to one section that looked
flattened, "But the part that wasn't impacted has continued to flourish. 
There's probably about two hundred stalks that we can take that would be
ripe for eating now."
     "We have five storage bunkers on this vessel, two for fresh storage,
three for freeze-drying," Angus said.  "How much do we allocate for
maize?  Or is maize the only thing we should take from this planet?"
     "I guess that depends on how much you think the Pegasus has a taste
for it, Lieutenant," Kelli smiled.  "Mind you, there are other things
that grow on this planet, but our experience here the last time proved
that maize was the best thing this planet had to offer from a
vegetable/grain standpoint."
     "And it is the most practical item too," Wallis added, "Maize can be
ground up and used to make other things."
     "So your answer is?" Angus pressed.
     "We say yes," Wallis said.  "Fill up all the bunkers with it.  Fresh
storage and freeze-drying."
     "All right, we'll get on that, right away," Angus moved back toward
the vessel, leaving the two Galactica refugees alone for the moment.
     "This certainly brings back memories, doesn't it Kell?"
     "Yep," his wife sighed, "After more than a yahren and a half on the
Agro-Ship, this was our first trip to a planet again.  To see a reminder
of what we'd had on Piscera and......lost."
     "I think this place was when I finally made up my mind that we were
going to get off on the first planet we found that was half as good as
this one was," Wallis looked about.
     "Let's not dwell on that, Walli," she pushed the self-reflection out
of her head.  "Over and done with."
     "Yeah, I know," Wallis looked about and shuffled his feet.  But
inside, his mind still wasn't free of how disastrous Brylon V had been
for him and his family.  Where the Zykonians had gone out of their way to
give him good land and workers.....only to set impossible standards for
him to meet government quotas on growing and making it impossible to have
enough workers to help out, which he needed given the fact that Kelli
also had their two small children to look after.  Forcing him to take out
loans and accumulating debt that placed not only his land in jeopardy,
but also his freedom.  If the Pegasus hadn't come like a miracle from the
stars, he knew his fate would have been fifteen yahrens working in the
Brylon V mines, while his family likely would have been forced to become
urban dwellers and his children likely made wards of the state.
     And because the negotiations with the Zykonians had required him to
spend two cycles in the mines as an "example" to other non-Zykonians who
defaulted on their credit loans, he had a permanent reminder of just how
miraculous the Lords had been to him and his family.  He and Kelli had
always been Skeptics on Caprica and then on Brylon, believing that they
and not the Lords they didn't believe in controlled their destinies in
life.  That had been why they'd had little regard for Commander Adama's
entire philosophy of self-sacrifice rooted in a mystical journey for
Earth.  Within them both was a desire to be in control of their own
destinies once again, and the destinies of their children.
     The mines, while not on the order of a torture chamber or even the
harshest of prisons, still were sobering to Wallis.  A regimented
lifestyle of labor that wouldn't have killed him physically but would
have destroyed him mentally within a yahren.  Seeing all hope shattered
while regretting to the end the decision to disregard Adama's warning.
     Thank the Lords for a second chance, Wallis thought as he made his
way back over to his wife.  A true second chance.
     As the sixteen humans and one Cylon began the task of working, none
of them had any awareness that they were being watched.  By a tiny
video-drone that had been outfitted with a cloaking device made from
technical plans stolen from the Zykonians.  Rendering it invisible to not
just the people below but also to any scans from above by the Pegasus.


     "Well?" the Risik scout commander, whose name was Kraitch,
impatiently inquired of the vessel's third officer, who was studying the
video telemetry on his monitor that the drone was beaming back.  
     "Approximately......fifteen or so, give or take," the Third Officer
said.  "Much too numerous to risk going after someone from that group
unless one or two wander off."
     "That might happen during the night cycle," Kraitch said.  "Someone
wanders off to explore, out of sight of the main camp.  Then it should be
safe to move."
     "The first contact area was more promising," the Third Officer took
hold of the control stick which would now guide the cloaked video-drone
on a new trajectory.  "Much fewer in number.  Although if they do choose
to explore the caves, that would make them most.....inaccessible."
     "It ultimately doesn't matter where we get them from!" the Kraitch
snapped.  "So long as we get one of them to take back to Clubb."
     The commander then turned and went down to the lower level of the
vessel, leaving the other three crewmen, the pilot, co-pilot and third
officer, alone for now.  
     "We have to act before the next cycle," the pilot noted with an edge
of distaste.  "We can only keep ourselves cloaked until then, or else we
won't have enough reserve power to return to the flagship."
     "He'll probably have us do it in the night cycle then," the co-pilot
said.  "Hopefully, we'll be successful."
     The Pilot, who had long harbored an intense dislike of Kraitch then
glanced back to make sure the commander wasn't in earshot.  When he was
sure of that he spoke in a confidential, disdainful quality.
     "If it were up to me, we'd do it now," he said.  "We shouldn't wait
for the night cycle.  We should make our move quickly and then use our
greater level of reserve power now to escape this system before we're
noticed."
     "But the night cycle is the general procedure!" the Third Officer
protested.
     "And is it really more efficient?" the Pilot snorted.  "I sometimes
wonder why our infernal superiors never commission a feasability study
into doing things that are less orthodox."
     "Be careful of what you say," the Co-Pilot said gravely, "You might
as well sign your death warrant."
     "And by extension ours," the Third Officer added.
     The Pilot turned to face his fellow Risik and almost smirked at him.
     "If that happens, then I intend to make sure that Clubb will do
likewise for *him*," he disdainfully waved his hand downward where
Kraitch had disappeared to.  


     The shuttle with Bryce and Tegran made the short journey to where
the landram was parked.  Once they were out, it was agreed that the
security chief accompany Ila, Banker and Festus inside the cave while
Tegran would remain at the base camp as a point contact.  The three
humans carrying out the exploration would take illuminators and full
field packs of rations and water to let them remain inside for as long as
they needed to.
     As nominal head of the group, Bryce took it upon himself to assume
lead position while Banker took the rear point in between Ila and Festus. 
The centurion had his own sensors active to detect any signs of air
toxicity that might necessitate a retreat by the humans, but which would
leave the Cylon unaffected and able to continue.
     The descent underground filled Ila with memories of what it had been
like just under three yahrens ago when Commander Deval had led her, her
friend Zakiya and several hundred other survivors of the Destruction down
into the underground sanctuary offered by the old Caprican Agricultural
Institute.  Which for the next yahren had been their home while they
lived under the ultimately mistaken belief that the Cylon occupation
forces had rendered the atmosphere and surface vegetation lethal through
pluton poisoning.  Only to discover one yahren later that the first wave
of centurion disobedience had stopped that from happening and provided an
opening for the Resistance movement to emerge.
     Going underground can offer protection......and it can also offer an
evasion from responsibility, she thought as she followed Bryce in the
lead position.  Despite the fact she was in early middle age now, the
vigorous hiking offered no complications for her.  She had always made
extensive use of the swimming facility the Institute had provided for
students and faculty, and she had also taken her share of mountain hikes
on Caprica over the yahrens.  That had prepared her for the physical
activity that had come with the Resistance movement and as far as she was
concerned, this trip to the planet was a trivial matter in terms of
physical complexity compared to what she'd already gone through the last
two yahrens.
     "It's actually a good sign that we can't scan the control circuits,"
Banker broke the silence.  "That means the neutrino safety coating is
still doing its job and we don't have to worry about the system breaking
down again."
     "Right now, Banker, I'll settle for finding the place first," Bryce
said tersely.  His tone seemed to offer a faint edge of the 'I'm in
command' aura that had the potential to rub everyone else the wrong way
if he went too far with it.
     "If I might make a suggestion," Festus spoke.
     "Go ahead, Festus," Ila said, knowing that the more he was
encouraged to speak, the better.
     "My own audio detection units might be able to discern the presence
of active circuitry in ways the human audio detectors can not notice
instinctively."
     "In other words, your ears are better than our ears, so you should
lead point," Banker quipped.  "I'm all for that, Festus.  You *should*
assume lead point."
     Bryce stopped and turned around and through the glare of the
illuminators piercing the cave tunnel's darkness, the slight annoyance on
his face was evident.  Seeing his expression, Ila decided she needed to
give the Security Chief a reminder of who was in operational command of
the survey.
     "Yes, I think that would be a good idea.  Lieutenant Bryce, I
recommend you assume position behind Festus."
     "All right, all right," there was more reluctance than resignation
in Bryce's voice as he stepped aside and allowed the centurion to move
past Ila and himself into the lead position.  
     Old prejudices die hard in some, Ila thought.  It's understandable. 
But it has to disappear if we're going to truly prevail against the ones
we *still* should hate.  That was the first lesson we all had to learn in
the Resistance.
     Several centons went by as they continued to make their way down the
winding, darkened labyrinth.  Only the back and forth whirring sound of
Festus (a feature that remained even with his voice program replaced)
punctuated the silence.  And then the centurion stopped and motioned his
gloved mechanical hand.
     "I detect the sound of computer activity just ahead.  I believe we
have located what we are looking for."
     "Lead the way, Festus!" Ila smiled brightly.
     Soon the three humans could hear the humming and clicking sounds
that indicated active computer terminals, and they could also see it
getting brighter.  Not enough to turn their illuminators off, but at
least the surrounding environment was no longer pitch black.  Around
them, the more narrow pathway of the cave incline that forced them to go
single-file widened as if they had just stepped into a high, vaulted
room.
     "Frack almighty, look at that," Bryce said in amazement.
     Festus turned and looked back at the security chief, "I was not
aware there was a deity known as Frack."
     Banker found himself choking to keep from erupting in laughter,
while Ila required a cough to avoid doing so.  Bryce merely rolled his
eyes.  But then the amusement vanished when Bryce's illuminator caught
sight of a skull against the wall.
     "What the----,"
     "Might have been one of the Kobollians who first built this," Ila
caught her breath.  "Nothing important ultimately."
     Their illuminators now revealed a number of console terminals with
blinking lights evenly spaced throughout the vast room.  The noise of the
computers was more intense revealing just how active they were.
     "Working continuously for seven thousand yahrens," the Academician
said with awe.  "That's proof enough of how massive their technology
levels were."
     "Okay, now that we've found the control center, what next?" Bryce
asked.
     "Obviously, we camp here for however long the Professor wants to,
right?" Banker increasingly felt a need to show more initiative than his
theoretical superior officer was showing.
     "Right," Ila took off her pack and set it on the floor.  "No chairs
in here unfortunately, so that's going to make it a little tougher to
study all of this comfortably.  For now, I'd like to have the
illuminators trained on the station I start with for analysis and when
I'm done with one console, we'll retrain them on the next one and so on."
     "Sounds good to me," Banker said.
     "Festus, I want you to record my verbal observations in your memory
bank so that way we can pass along a thorough report for Dr. Arnoff to
judge on whether or not we should try to take any of this equipment with
us later on.."
     "Of course," the Cylon bowed.  In the past he might have said 'by
your command', but increasingly that phrase was disappearing from the
lexicon of the four centurion defectors.
     "I'm also going to try to hook up my portable telemetry pack to one
of these units on the off-chance that the input and output components are
compatible," she shined her illuminator more closely on the terminal
looking for anything that would offer a clue on that point.  And then,
her eyes widened in amazement when she saw exactly what she was looking
for.
     "The Lords be praised!" she exclaimed.  "The Kobollian principle of
connecting one terminal to another is identical to how we reinvented the
principle.  I can just hook up the telemetry unit and everything I access
on this computer can be transferred to this one."
     "That is a most helpful development," Festus said.
     "Certainly makes your job that much easier," Banker observed.
     "I might as well check in with Tegran," Bryce was regretting the
fact that he'd come down here since only now did he realize how minimal
to non-existent his actual authority was.  He pulled out his com-unit and
spoke into it.  "Tegran, do you copy?"
     "I read you, Lieutenant," the Ensign's voice crackled.
     "We've found the Control Center and Professor Ila is beginning her
observations.  We may be here for the next few centars.  Anything
happening out there?"
     "No, sir.  Weather's perfect.  Starting to get a beautiful sunset. 
Nothing much really to do for now."
     "Well keep monitoring what the other two teams are doing and if
something goes awry, relay that to us immediately."
     "Yes, sir.  Standing by."
     
     
     "It will be night in two more tenars," Kraitch said.  "We act then. 
Your recommendation on our target?"
     The Third Officer looked up from the drone-probe monitor, "Target
two has a female who would be of value, but there are too many who
surround her.  Target three is also too plentiful in numbers.  But Target
one continues to show just a single individual by the cave entrance.  The
others who were part of that group are not in close proximity."
     "Target one then," Kraitch's tone was firm as he turned to the
co-pilot.  "Program coordinates to navigation system for when we move."
     "Coordinates programmed."
     Kraitch turned back to the Third Officer, "Destruct video-drone
immediately."
     "Destruct video-drone immediately."  He pressed a button and at that
instant, at a point above the surface out of the view of any of the three
landing parties on the planet, the video drone exploded in a tiny burst. 
Such devices were considered expendable.
     "Power levels to cloaking device holding at full capacity?" Kraitch
inquired of the pilot.
     The pilot looked over.  "Readout says holding at 90% capacity."
     The black eyes of Kraitch widened with an air of displeasure.  "90%? 
It's supposed to stay at 100% capacity for however long we're engaged!"
     The pilot's inner contempt for his superior only increased.  "We've
had it on continuously for 12 tenars.  The dangers of capacity leakage
grow exponentially the longer it is maintained." he then added, "Had we
acted sooner, we might have had full capacity."
     "Watch your tongue," Kraitch glared at the Pilot, vowing inside to
report his penchant for insubordination. 
     "If you like," the Pilot went on coolly, feeling no sense of
intimidation, "I could transfer reverse power to let us achieve full
capacity."
     "You know we need full reserve power to make it back to the
flagship!"
     "I'm aware of that, sir."  the cool, underlying disdain only
increased in his voice.  "I only wanted the record to note that we had
considered the option in case Commander Clubb were to ask us if we did."
     "So noted," the scout commander disgustedly rapped his fist against
the armrest of his chair, and then looked at the chronometer which was
now in a countdown mode to when they would finally make their move.


     "Commander?" Kylie was looking at her monitor.
     "What is it, Kylie?" Cain moved over to her station.
     "Something odd.  I was recalibrating our own scan sweep, and for
just a flash......I think something registered."
     Cain looked over her shoulder, "Where?"
     "Opposite side of the planet relative to our position."
     "Well.....could easily have been a meteor shower, which would
explain why it came and went fast."
     "Possibly," the young brunette woman acknowledged, "but.....our
preliminary analysis before we entered orbit didn't reveal any space
debris or meteor particles.  We needed to check that in case it might
interfere with planetary operations."
     The Juggernaut stared at the monitor for a centon, as if his mind
were trying to will another flash of something.  Kylie's judgment was
sharp, and that's why he took the report seriously.  But so far, he saw
nothing.
     "Which of our patrol flanks is closer?"
     "Captain Skyler and Sergeant Marshak."
     Cain moved over to Bridge Officer Altair's communication station,
"Notify Captain Skyler that his viper is to assume closer proximity to
the planet itself and to maximize his scan for any sign of anything
around the planet or leaving it."
     "Yes, sir."

Chapter Five

     Nearly two centars went by while Ila verbally recorded her
observations of the first two control terminals in the complex.  She had
located the primary Master Control station which also was the station
that could automatically repair any damaged relay systems throughout the
planet.  Ila's basic reading knowledge of Kobollian allowed her to
decipher the main symbols on the panel that indicated which would power
the system, shut down the system, and which would execute repair work
automatically.
     Ila had also located a verbal command system similar to the CAP,
computer analysis of personnel system that had become standard on all
battlestars some yahrens ago.  Her own speaking knowledge of Kobollian
was much less precise but she had been able to get the system to respond
to her command that all interactive options be presented visually on the
monitor and for the verbal program to be set aside unless a command was
given to reactivate it.
     "If we have visual command readouts only, this will make it *much*
easier to get it to tell us how various other components work and if
we're lucky, it will explain some basic principles behind Kobollian
technology in ways that can really be helpful," Ila noted. 
     "What are some of the potentials?" Banker asked, fascinated by what
was going on.  This in contrast to Bryce who'd been restlessly fidgeting
the whole time and repeatedly stifling the urge to yawn.
     "The one I'm most interested in is communications," the Academician
said.  "Specifically, long-range instant communication.  I'm trying to
find out if there's something in here that taps into that kind of
technology, like a beacon to other would-be travelers that explains the
existence of this 'way station' resource."
     "Yeah, I understand," Banker knew he didn't need to ask her any
further why that was important to Commander Adama's wife.
     Absently, Bryce pressed his com-line, "Tegran?  Anything new?"
     "No, sir," the Ensign's voice by this point was showing some signs
of fatigue.  "Only that it's night now."
     "Stand by," the Security Chief got to his feet, "Professor, I think
maybe at this point it'd be a good idea for morale to give Ensign Tegran
some relief or at the very least something else to do than just sit on
his......" he caught himself in time, "Rear doing nothing.  Maybe you
could return to the surface and have him hook you up to Dr. Arnoff on the
Pegasus?"
     "Dr. Arnoff needs to get briefed," Ila admitted.  "But as far as who
makes the initial report to him, I believe that's going to be Festus's
job, isn't it?"
     "I am more than happy to return to and relay to Dr. Arnoff
*everything* you have said, Professor Ila," there was an edge of what
seemed like enthusiasm in the Cylon's voice.  "And perhaps Ensign Tegran
will welcome my appearance."
     "You can find your way out okay?"
     "My optical sensors will enable me to return to the surface without
your illuminators."
     Bryce shrugged, "Tegran, Centurion Festus is on his way out now. 
Get ready to hook him up with the Pegasus so he can talk to Dr. Arnoff."
     "Yes sir, I'll get the hookup in place."
     "Signing off."


     "Now we move!"  Kraitch ordered.  "Program course immediately to
Target One!  Remember to deactivate cloaking device when we're in the
atmosphere."
     With trepidation as to whether this would come off successfully, the
pilot engaged the thrusters.
     The scout commander then directed his attention to the Co-Pilot and
the Third Officer.  "Move quickly when we're on the ground.  I want that
prisoner on board immediately so we can take off in seconds."


     "Commander, there it is again!" Kylie called over, which brought
Cain back to her station, with Tolen right behind.
     "All empty now," Cain said.  "How long was it up?"
     "Just a half-micron."
     Tolen shook his head, "A meteor would usually be on a scanner longer
than that unless it broke apart in a real big hurry."
     "Yes.  And two times with this doesn't strike me as a coincidence,"
the Juggernaut keyed in his headset, "Skyler, this is Commander Cain.  Is
your scan picking up anything?"
     "Nothing registering where I can make visual contact."
     "Get yourself right above the safe zone and watch for *anything*!"


     Tegran had notified the Pegasus to let them know that Dr. Arnoff
needed to stand by for a report from Centurion Festus.  Altair had told
him that they would have the Electronics chief summoned to the Bridge and
would contact him again when he was ready.
     Preferring the perfect night-air conditions to waiting inside the
shuttle, the ensign stepped back out and soon noticed the Cylon emerging
from the cave.
     "Hello, Festus!" he waved to him, "Having fun down there?"
     "I have yet to determine what constitutes 'fun' as the human mind
describes it, but it has been most satisfying."
     "I'll have you hooked up to the Pegasus  in a-----,"
     Abruptly, the Ensign stopped as the clear, quiet night sky was
shattered by a light coming from directly above him and the noisy sound
of what could only have been some kind of craft.  It caused him to look
up.  And it also got the attention of Festus, who also looked up.
     And then a blinding flash of light shot downward directly toward
them and Ensign Tegran was suddenly unaware of anything that was
happening.


     "Commander," Altair called over.  "Something funny just happened.  I
had an open line ready for Ensign Tegran, but suddenly the connection
died."
     "What do you mean the connection died?" Cain looked across at him
from Kylie's station.
     "I don't know sir, it's as if something jammed the connection or
shorted it out.  I can't connect to the shuttle.  It's not a case of the
line being active and Tegran not answering, something is interfering with
our ability to connect."
     Cain touched his headset again, "Skyler?  Skyler, concentrate on the
area where Alpha Shuttle landed."
     "Moving in to Alpha Shuttle zone," Silver Spar Leader answered as he
took his Viper on a new heading into the atmosphere.
     The Juggernaut looked over at Tolen, who was visibly concerned. 
"Thoughts, Colonel?"
     "At this point, sir, the only question I think that's left is, is it
Risik or Ziklagi?"
     "And frankly I don't give a damn which one it is, so long as I can
just get the basic answer!" Cain rapped his swagger stick against the
rail with visible disgust.


     The cylindrical Risik scout ship landed some twenty feet to the
right of where the shuttle and landram were parked.  A ramp opened and
immediately, the Co-Pilot and Third Officer emerged with their own
weapons brandished.  Both could see the unconscious form of Ensign Tegran
lying in front of the shuttle.
     "There!" the Co-Pilot motioned with a sweep of his arm.  The two
Risiks picked up their step and quickly were alongside the motionless
Pegasus officer.  They knelt down and began to lift him up so they could
carry him back into their ship.
     And then suddenly both were startled as laser fire shot over their
heads.  The Co-Pilot looked over toward the cave and his black eyes
widened as he saw the sight of Centurion Festus holding a laser pistol
pointed at them.
     "Leave him be!" the human voice emitted from the robot with an air
of visible anger as he pointed his laser at the two Risik again.
     "Get him back to the ship!  I'll cover you!" the Co-Pilot barked at
the Third Officer.  The junior officer grabbed the unconscious Tegran and
began to drag him toward the ramp of the Risik ship.  The Co-Pilot began
firing more heavily toward Festus who had to back into the cave to avoid
getting hit.


     As the firefight erupted outside the cave, far below in its
interior, the distant sounds of the exchange were echoing all the way
into the ancient Kobollian command center.
     "Listen," Banker came up from his seated position on the cave floor,
"Do you hear that?"
     Bryce strained to listen, as did Ila, who had stopped working on the
Kobollian computer terminal.  Alarmed, Bryce activated his com-line. 
     "Tegran?  Tegran, what's happening?"  Hearing no response, the
Security Chief quickly turned back to Banker, "Banker, we've got to find
out what's happening!  Follow me!  Professor, you stay here!"
     "No, I'm going!" Ila started to move toward them, but Banker grabbed
her by the arm.
     "Professor, you can't," he said quietly and calmly.
     "I've been in firefights with the Resistance!" she snapped.
     "You weren't issued a laser pistol to come down here, which means
you're unarmed, and what's more, Professor, you are indispensable on all
levels."
     "Come on, Banker!" Bryce snapped angrily as he stood in the archway
opening that led back up the path to the surface with his laser in one
hand and an illuminator in the other.
     "Professor, we haven't got time to argue.  Please wait here until we
find out what's happening!"
     Without waiting for her to say anything, the two Colonials were
dashing out toward the distant exit point, leaving Ila alone in the
ancient Control Center with only her own illuminator and Banker's to
pierce the overall darkness of the room.
     The Academician, who had been through her share of life-threatening
missions on Caprica for the Resistance could only sit back and with
frustration, wait for more information. 


     Festus and the Risik Co-Pilot continued to trade fire.  Finally,
just microns before Banker and Bryce arrived from the depths of the cave,
the centurion was able to score a direct hit on the Co-Pilot, who
collapsed to the ground.
     "What's happening?" Bryce shouted.
     The Cylon defector motioned his arm.  "They're attempting to kidnap
the Ensign."  The voice was still calm, since clearly the centurion had
not yet mastered the ability to demonstrate alarm or shouting.
     The two warriors looked out and their eyes widened in horror as they
saw the other Risik dragging the unconscious Tegran into their
cylindrical spacecraft.
     "Let go of him!"  Bryce shouted angrily as he dashed towards the
Risik craft and opened fire.  But he was too late as the ramp started to
retract even as the Third Officer was still dragging Tegran inside.  All
the Security Chief could do in frustration was fire a series of shots at
the craft structure which had very little effect.  And then, the
mysterious alien craft gave off the telltale sound of its engines getting
ready to lift off the surface, which caused Bryce to stagger back toward
the cave where Banker and Festus had to take cover.  They watched
helplessly as the vehicle containing their comrade rose high into the
night sky.
     "Tell the Pegasus what's happened!" Bryce flailed his arms above the
roaring din as Banker dashed toward the entrance of the shuttle.


     Skyler had taken his Viper down into the atmosphere of the planet,
making sure his speed was slowed down so that he didn't at some point fly
out of the "safe zone" bubble and find himself surrounded by the angry
typhon clouds that bordered the protected area.  If he did that, the
results were liable to be fatal.
     Abruptly, he heard the pinging sound of a contact on his scanner
coming from somewhere below.  He was just about to key in the logbook
when he heard the urgent voice of Cain coming through.
     "Skyler!  There's some alien ship down there that just snatched
Ensign Tegran!  I want you to force that ship back down!  Engage her, but
to damage, not destroy!"
     "Holy Frack," Skyler felt jolted to hear this double revelation as
he quickly keyed in a response, "Yes, sir!"
     He pushed his speed back up as he set course to intercept the target
he had just scanned.  Knowing that this was his first true test since
becoming a squadron leader.


     The Risik Third Officer had left Tegran's unconscious body on the
lower level as he scrambled up to his station.  Kraitch ordered him to
assume the now vacant co-pilot seat while the pilot was trying to bring
the scout ship up to escape velocity speed.
     "What happened?" Kraitch roared from his command position.
     "They put up resistance, and we now have a dead co-pilot!" the Third
Officer felt like spitting at Kraitch but kept his eyes on the console.
     "Commander!" the pilot warned, "We're being pursued by one of those
fighter craft of theirs!"
     "Maneuver us into position to open fire at him!"


     Her patience exhausted, Ila decided to return to the surface, and
was greeted to the sight of Bryce looking over the dead Risik.  Festus
was standing several feet back.
     "What happened?" she stepped out of the cave.
     "An alien spacecraft landed and incapacitated Ensign Tegran," Festus
said.  "Two of them emerged to take him prisoner.  I was able to kill one
of them, but the ship took off with the Ensign."
     "Lords of Kobol," Ila whispered with horror as she ventured up to
where Bryce was kneeling over the body.  She immediately recognized the
general appearance from the research briefing she'd done for Cain.
     "That's a Risik," the Academician said.  "Why would they go to the
trouble of abducting someone?"
     "Well, we're not going to get the answer from him," Bryce said with
disgust as he turned the body over.  "That's out of our hands for now."
     Banker then emerged from the shuttle, "The Pegasus says they have
Skyler pursuing the alien craft with orders to force it down.  As soon as
he can do that, we're supposed to take the landram to wherever it
crashes."
     "Everyone load in there and stand by," Bryce then glanced at Ila,
"Yes, you too, Professor.  I'm not fool enough to leave you alone all by
yourself when there could easily be more of those ships trying to pull
off the same thing."
     "Thank you, Lieutenant," Ila tried not to sound sarcastic.  Before
she turned to head over to the landram, she took another look at the dead
Risik lying on the ground.
     There's more about them we don't know.......and have to find out. 


     Skyler finally caught up to the contact.  Thinking back to the craft
he'd encountered during the patrol the previous day, this one was similar
in nature but slightly larger.  An exact match for it didn't come up in
the logbook but the "probable Risik reading" that had taken place with
the first one came up again.  One key difference the computer was able to
tell him from a scan though, was the warning, "VESSEL ARMED".
     Remembering Cain's order, Skyler adjusted the firepower of his turbo
lasers so that they would be at only 50% capacity.  That would give him
the flexibility to aim for a more direct hit that would not result in
total destruction instead of forcing him to make an indirect shot.
     The Risik craft, which had been rotating in a clockwise direction
abruptly began to rotate in the opposite direction which slowed down its
speed.  Skyler had to back off the throttle so as not to overshoot it and
keep it lined up in his forward field of vision.
     Finally the vehicle aligned with his attack computer sights and
blinked.  Skyler's finger came down on the red fire button just as he saw
some blue streaks emerge from the Risik craft in his direction.  Without
waiting to see the results of his laser blast, he hurriedly went into a
roll pattern, which was not an easy maneuver when done inside the
atmosphere of a planet.  A raw pilot might not have had enough time to
execute it just right.  But Skyler had just enough experience to get it
done with enough time to spare as the laser streaks from the Risik craft
missed his viper by the tiniest of margins.
     Now he rolled himself back to a level position to see what had
happened to the enemy ship that had kidnaped a fellow warrior.


     Even at only half power, the laser fire from Skyler's viper slammed
into the Risik ship with massive force knocking it sideways and
immediately causing it lose altitude.
     "We're hit!" the pilot shouted as Kraitch was thrown to the floor. 
"Maneuverability damaged!"
     "Get us out of here!  Escape velocity!"
     "I don't think we have it!" the Third Officer, who wasn't used to
manning the controls at the co-pilot's station was trying to make some
sense of what had happened.
     "Do you *think* anything, you fool?" the scout commander got to his
feet.  "Engage cloaking device!"
     "Reserve power levels dropping!  Not enough to engage it."
     Kraitch slammed his fist against the rail.  There was no doubt now
that he had failed completely in the mission objective that Commander
Clubb had sent him out from the flagship on.  To capture someone from
what was clearly a second warship from this so-called "Colonial"
civilization that had made alliance with the Te'reans and learn about its
full strength.  Even if he were able to bring his crippled ship back to
the flagship, Clubb was likely to have him executed for incompetence. 
Not because that was what Clubb personally would have desired for he had
served with Clubb in the Star Force for many years and the two had always
gotten along.  But Clubb was operating under enormous pressure from the
Supreme Leader to get results, and the only way he could preserve his
standing in the face of failure was to take swift retribution against any
underlings who had been responsible for that failure.
     The scout commander glanced down the stairwell to the lower level
where the unconscious form of the prisoner lay at the bottom.  Perhaps it
would be a minor victory of sorts if they could go out by inflicting one
casualty on the enemy.
     Summoning all the dignity he could as a loyal member of the Risik
Star Force, he turned to the pilot and ordered him to initiate the
self-destruct countdown.


     "Attention, Risik craft," Skyler had visual contact with it once
again as he opened his communication channel.  "You are to land
*immediately* on planet surface and surrender your hostage.  Don't force
me to open fire again."
     He heard no answer.  Even though the cylindrical craft was losing
altitude he needed to make absolutely certain it had no chance of
recovering to gain escape velocity from the planet.  He sized it up once
again and prepared to open fire as it started to blink on the attack
computer.
     And then, Skyler was forced to take his finger off the fire button
when the Risik craft abruptly veered more sharply downward toward the
surface.


     "I will *not* throw away my life to satisfy *your* sense of honor!"
the pilot had his hands around Kraitch's throat.  When he had refused to
initiate the self-destruct sequence, the commander had lunged violently
at him to try and push him aside so he could activate it himself.  The
Third Officer meanwhile, ill-prepared to handle the flight of the craft
himself since it wasn't part of his training, was now desperately trying
to keep it from crashing into the surface at a too violent angle.
     Kraitch slugged the pilot in the head which sent him into
unconsciousness.  The commander pushed him out of his chair and was
preparing to sit down and activate the self-destruct sequence himself. 
But before he could do so, a burst of laser fire struck him in the back
and he collapsed to the floor.  The startled Third Officer turned around
and had time to see the angry face of Ensign Tegran, sprawled down at the
top of the angled stairwell holding his laser pistol, which was now
pointed at the one remaining Risik.
     As the Risik stared at him, the voice of Skyler filled the interior. 
"Attention, Risik craft, level off your approach and land immediately on
the planet surface!"
     "You heard him!" Tegran snarled as he ignored the throbbing pain in
his head and kept his laser pistol pointed at the Third Officer.  "Put
this piece of felgercarb on the ground *now*!"
     An alarm siren now kicked in and a programmed computer voice
sounded, "Surface approaching.  Thirty seconds to impact."
     The Third Officer looked back at the controls and hoped he'd
correctly remembered which was the right one to press.


     "Skyler, what's happening?" Cain's anger and frustration was
increasing.
     "She's about twenty microns to impact on the surface.  At that
angle, it could plow straight into the planet's core! 
No....wait.....wait she's leveling just a bit.  Might be enough......."
     "Don't take your eyes off it!"
     "It's getting hard for me to maintain my altitude, sir!"
     "Hades hole with that!  Just stick with it!"
     "Impact in ten microns," Kylie called over from her station where
she was monitoring the trajectory of the Risik craft, "Nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four, three, two, one......"
     "Skyler!" Cain's voice was at it's loudest.
     "No explosion!  No explosion or fire!" Skyler radioed.  "Give me a
micron to circle and activate infra-red visual."
     "Transfer telemetry to us immediately!"
     Cain looked over Kylie's shoulder again where the telemetry visual
from Skyler's viper would appear on her monitor.  A micron later, the
infra-red visual scan of the crash scene was visible to them.
     "Sir, looks like she didn't break apart on impact."
     "Is anyone still alive in there?" Cain tensed.  He had only lost two
members of his crew since leaving the Galactica.  The first, a viper
pilot named Ensign Wynn who nine sectans after Gomorrah had gone off on a
patrol sweep and never come back, leaving no clue as to what had happened
to him.  The second had been Sergeant Doyle during the Delta Aquinas
mission.  Those losses he had been philosophical and accepting of.  This
one, represented something different.  If Ensign Tegran was dead, then
that would make it something personal from his standpoint as far as the
Risik were concerned. 
     "There is one occupant confirmed alive inside," Skyler radioed. 
"Maybe two at the most."
     "Human or Risik?"
     "Sir.......I don't think the computer can tell.  It's saying there
are two humans potentially alive in there."
     "What?" the Juggernaut's anger and confusion was deepening.
     "Commander," Tolen's voice was calm as he could see how agitated
Cain had become by these unexpected events.  "The Risik are humanoid in
appearance.  We've never done any bio-scans on them, so the computer
probably can't tell the difference if the internal make-up is similar."
     The calmness of his Executive Officer had the desired effect on
Cain, and he immediately relaxed himself back to a more level, command
bearing.
     "Pass along the coordinates of the crash site to the landram team
and tell them to get their astrums there right away.  Also tell Dr.
Laughlin to have a med-tech team launch to the surface and get there as
well.  If Tegran's alive, I want him back here immediately."
     "And if one them is alive?"
     "I'll want him locked in the brig," Cain said coldly.

Chapter Six     

     The crash site coordinates were relayed to the landram, which turned
out to be twenty-five centons of drive time away.  An anxious tension
filled the vehicle throughout the entire journey with minimal
conversation from any of the occupants.  For Ila, it meant that all the
work she'd been doing had now become of secondary importance while they
anxiously pondered whether or not Tegran was alive.
     "I should have kept two of us on the surface at all times," Bryce
finally said aloud.
     "If I may," Festus interjected.
     "Go ahead, Festus," Ila said quickly, so she could prevent Bryce
from saying something snide, which she was sure the Security Chief was in
a frame of mind to do.
     "Had there been two on the surface, both would have been likely
immobilized.  It would not have affected the outcome of what transpired."
     "And you weren't affected by that blast because it clearly has no
effect on non-biological beings," Ila purposefully avoided the term
'mechanical' which was in keeping with how she and the Resistance leaders
had spoken with defecting centurions over the last two yahrens.
     "Yes, I was unaffected, though it required me to move back.  I
regret I was not able to prevent the Ensign's abduction."
     "Don't be hard on yourself, Festy," Banker chimed in, "If you hadn't
been there, you wouldn't have taken one of the snitrods down and
disrupted them."
     "Since I assume the term snitrod is pejorative in describing the
enemy, I appreciate your sentiments."
     Concerned as she was about Tegran's fate, Ila found herself smiling
slightly in satisfaction that everything had worked so well with Festus
and his fellow Cylons as far as integration went.  More than ever, she
knew that was going to be the key to breaking the back of the Empire
itself.
     "Alpha Landram, this is Med-Shuttle One," they heard the voice of
Dr. Laughlin, "Our ETA to crash site landing is eight centons, what's
your ETA?"
     "Med-Shuttle One, we are five centons away.  Please land fifteen
metrone minimum from crash site to accommodate us."  Bryce radioed.
     "Affirmative, Alpha Landram.  I have full med-tech team standing
by."
     Two centons later, with the landram forward lights piercing the
nighttime conditions of the planet surface, the wrecked Risik craft came
into view.
     "There it is," Bryce said.  "Looks like it stayed intact and didn't
break apart upon impact."
     "Scanning for fuel leak residue," Banker checked his console, "Looks
to be contained."
     "Banker, you and Festus check it out," Bryce said and then turned
back to face Ila, "Professor, I think----," but Ila cut him off by just
raising her hands up in resignation.  She knew she'd have to wait until
next time to make it clear to Cain that in the future, she should be
armed like all other warriors when going down to a planet.
     The lone warrior and the lone Cylon got out of the landram and made
their way over to the crashed Risik vessel.  It was clear it had managed
to level off before impact since it lay upright on its base.  Damage from
the one viper blast it had absorbed was apparent even in the  night
conditions.  What wasn't easy for them to detect was an opening to access
the interior.
     "Lieutenant?" Banker used his com-line, "I don't see how we can get
into this thing.  We may have to use a solonite charge to blast a hole."
     "We're still scanning at least two life forms in there," Bryce
answered.  "Maybe Tegran still has his com-line.  Give it a try."
     Banker nodded, "Tegran?  Tegran, do you copy?"
     A burst of static went up which revealed the com-line was active.  
     "Tegran?" Banker repeated.  Still hearing nothing, he switched back,
"It's active but I'm not getting anything."
     "It could have fallen loose from him and it's just lying under some
debris in there," Bryce ventured. 
     "Maybe, but we're still left with how do we get in there?  The
med-shuttle's going to be here any micron now and they expect us to
move."
     Bryce let out a sigh, "Okay, put a small charge in place at the
bottom."


     Inside the downed craft, Banker's voice had sounded clearly, but
Tegran had no way of getting to his com-line because it had clattered
down the stairwell, out of reach.  And he was still looking suspiciously
at the Risik Third Officer with his drawn pistol.
     "Until my friends get in here, I'm not lowering this," the warrior
said.  
     "I am not your enemy," the Third Officer said with what sounded like
a resigned air.  "You can retrieve your device and answer your friends."
     "Oh, I see, you only like to abduct your friends, is that it?"
Tegran snarled with disgust.
     "I only carry out orders," the Third Officer said as he pointed to
the body of Kraitch which lay sprawled across the floor along with that
of the pilot.  "His orders, which come from Commander Clubb, which come
from the Supreme Leader.  That is our way.  You surely follow a similar
code, do you not?"
     "Abduction and hostage taking isn't our style unless there's a good
reason."
     "But there is a good reason in the minds of the Star Force and the
Supreme Leader," the Third Officer's tone was patient.  "Surely that
would be obvious to you and all of your comrades."
     Tegran looked at him with the expression of one who'd heard the
words of a maddeningly obscure Aquarian philosopher spouting maddeningly
obscure words of 'wisdom'.  "You're not making any sense."
     The Risik stared at him, wondering why his point wasn't clear, "The
raid at Ne'Chak!"
     "The raid at.....where?" Tegran's confusion deepened.
     "How can you not know?" it was the Third Officer's turn to show
surprise.  "We know it was not your ship that carried it out, but you
have surely been in touch with them!  Your ship is identical!"
     "Ident-," the Ensign stopped as he finally added things up.
     Holy Frack, he's talking about the Galactica!
     Before he could say anything else, there was an explosion from below
the stairwell.  Microns later, the sound of Banker's voice calling up was
audible.
     "Tegran?  Tegran, are you up there?"
     "Yeah," he could only mumble at first but then recovered himself,
"Yeah, I'm up here!  And I've got someone who has a *very* interesting
story to tell us!"
     "Can you get down from there?"
     Slowly, the warrior got to his feet and looked at the Risik who had
a strange air of resignation in his expression.
     "You stay right there," the Ensign warned as he then turned to the
stairwell and looked down.  He could see Banker through a blasted opening
at the bottom and could also hear the whirring sound that indicated the
presence of Festus.  Despite the multiple aches and bruises he felt in
his body, he managed to wave at them.  
     "I should be able to.  And I've got one survivor of this crew we'll
need to take into custody."
     "The rest of them are dead?"
     "One is.  I'm pretty sure the other remaining one is too."
     "Okay, Cain will definitely want to talk to him.  You get him ready,
and bring him down.  Med-shuttle's waiting to take you back to the
Pegasus."
     "Gotcha," Tegran turned and then noticed right away that the Third
Officer's head was at an odd angle.
     By the time the ensign reached him, he had just enough time to see
the container that had undoubtedly contained some kind of suicide device
dropping from the Risik's hand to the floor.


     "Report from the surface, Commander," Major Ham said.  "Ensign
Tegran is alive and for the most part, well.  He's aboard the med-shuttle
now.  The Risik crew are all dead.  The one who survived the crash took
some kind of suicide pill before he could be questioned."
     "Well the good news outweighs the bad news but I still would have
liked to have gotten some answers from them," Cain said.  
     "There's one other thing," Ham said, "According to Tegran, the last
Risik did mention something that indicated knowledge of the Galactica."
     The Juggernaut's eyes narrowed, "I'll want to talk to him the
instant he's in the Life Station.  And if those snitrods know something
about the Galactica then I want that ship's data tapes thoroughly checked
to see if there's any mention of it in their files."
     "Yes, sir," Ham moved off, which allowed Tolen to get closer from a
more private discussion.
     "I couldn't figure a reason for why the Risik would have tried
something so daring right under our noses," the Executive Officer said,
"But if they've had a past run-in with the Galactica that could explain
it."
     "And obviously not a pleasant run-in from their standpoint, or else
they would have greeted us in friendship like the Zykonians did," Cain
said.  "That.....changes things somewhat as far as what I was thinking of
doing just now."
     "What were you thinking?"
     "That as soon as we had Tegran aboard, I'd shut down all operations
on the planet in the next few centars and get our astrums out of this
quadrant forever," the Juggernaut began to idly pace about the upper
level.  "I honestly do not want to get involved with *any* of the things
that are happening here.  It's none of our business.  I just want us to
get going for the journey back to charted space.  Zykonians, Ziklagi,
Risik, the whole lot of them......let them handle their own destinies."
     "But Adama's evidently had to think otherwise," Tolen said.  "And we
can't possibly leave this quadrant until we know we've exhausted
everything we can find out about what the Galactica's done and are they
okay now."
     "Yes, that can't be a loose end for us," Cain nodded.  "We've got to
find what's in that ship and see it if mentions the Galactica."
     "Of course if it's only a scout ship, it may not have all that
data," the Executive Officer pointed out. "This crew may have just gotten
a cursory briefing.  It's not like we send out scout ships or vipers with
the entire database in the Pegasus."
     "True.  That's why we've got to find out."
     "And if they don't have it?"
     Cain let out a grim sigh, "Then, I may find myself forced to do
something I absolutely don't want to do, and that's find out where their
flagship is.  That vessel couldn't possibly have traveled a great
distance on its own, it had to come from a much larger craft.  If this
ship doesn't have what we need, then we *have* to go looking for it on
their flagship."
     "But the only way we'd be able to get the data from the flagship
would be if----,"
     Tolen cut off when he saw the look on Cain's face that told him all
he needed to know.
     

     The med-tech shuttle had already left the surface with Tegran and
the body of the Risik Third Officer, which left the remainder of the
original team to search the Risik ship for any data material that could
reveal clues about the Galactica.  To compensate for the loss of Tegran
from the group, Sergeant Keuchel, who had co-piloted the med-tech shuttle
stayed behind.  The new arrival joined Bryce and Festus inside the Rizik
ship while Banker decided to stay in the landram to relay messages and to
also keep Ila company.
     "I'm sorry, Professor," Banker said as he settled back in his chair. 
"This whole business has sidetracked you from your work back in the
cave."
     "It'll keep," there was resigned acceptance in her voice.  "If it's
true that there are more clues to the Galactica in that ship......that's
first priority."
     The lieutenant didn't know if it was proper for him to make small
talk with a woman of her importance and stature, but he felt obliged to
try and bring up a subject that he knew would be of interest to her.
     "Um.....Professor Ila, there is something I think you're entitled to
know about.....a mission that Colonel Tolen and I were on just before we
found your shuttle."
     "The mission where you found the four Cylons?"
     "Yes, but.....something else happened there that wasn't really part
of the official report.  We.....used those Cylons to put down a bad
situation on a nearby planet called Equellas, and.....we found out
something interesting about your son, Captain Apollo."
     That go Ila's attention and for the next ten centons while they
waited for word from the others inside the Risik ship, Banker explained
to Ila how in the course of searching for a missing stash of ammunition
from a Cylon depot, they had come to a planet called Equellas.  Where
they had learned a remarkable story about Apollo being there several
sectars before the Galactica had hooked up with the Pegasus.  And the
kindness he'd demonstrated to a woman named Vella and her son Puppis. 
Ila listened to the story with rapt attention, saying nothing, but her
eyes told Banker how it had touched her deeply.
     "We could tell that.....he meant a lot to them," Banker said. 
"And....we wish there'd been a way of letting him know that things are
all right there again for Vella and Puppis, but.....I guess maybe letting
you know, sort of......helps compensate for not being able to tell him
personally."
     "Lieutenant," Ila said gently, suppressing every urge to let out the
tears of a mother's pride in her son, "Thank you.  I do appreciate it. 
And maybe.....someday he'll be able to know."
     "Of course," Banker nodded.
     If I get a chance to finish that work back in the cave, then maybe I
*will* be able to let him know someday!  Oh Apollo, what a wonderful
selfless man you are!  Just like your Father in every way.
     "Alpha Landram?" Bryce's voice crackled.
     "Go ahead, sir," Banker acknowledged.
     "Tell the Commander we've found some data discs that might have
something.  As far as tapping the hard storage memory banks......we're
probably going to need Dr. Arnoff down here for that."
     "All right, I'll pass that along.  Is that all you can retrieve for
now?"
     "Pretty much."
     "I think it'd be a good idea to bring those data discs out now and
then maybe we can get them up to the Pegasus right away for immediate
analysis," Banker would have preferred saying that as a command, but he
knew how sensitive Bryce's ego could be.
     "I agree.  Keuchel and I will stay here and wait for Arnoff's
shuttle.  Festus will go back with you and the Professor to main base at
the cave."
     "Copy," Banker had the feeling that Bryce wanted the Cylon out of
his sight and this was the most convenient excuse.  He looked over at
Ila, "I guess things are moving really fast now, Professor."
     "They certainly are, Lieutenant," Ila sighed.


     "I want you to explain what happened, Ensign," Cain said as he spoke
to Tegran in the Life Station.  The Ensign was sitting on the edge of a
bed.  He had refused to take off more than his uniform jacket and was
clearly anxious to get back to duty as soon as possible, but Dr. Laughlin
had insisted on holding him for the next 24 centars to study the effects
of what he had been subjected to.
     "It was the damnedest thing," Tegran rubbed at his forehead.  "I got
hit by this bright blinding flash and I was out cold."
     "When and how did you come to?"
     "Well....I don't know how much time had elapsed.  When I came to, I
was lying on the floor at the bottom of the lower level of the ship,
which is separated from the command level by a stairwell of sorts.  I
don't think they planned for me to just be lying there, because when I
came to, I could see what looked like some kind of stasis chamber which
from the way it was set-up before the crash pretty much wiped it out, was
intended for me.  My guess is they meant for me to stay in some kind of
suspended animation or unconsciousness until they got back to their
flagship or home base.  But they didn't have time to put me in there
because of all the commotion that erupted with Festy shooting one of them
dead and leaving them shorthanded.  From what I gathered, the dead one
they had to leave behind was the co-pilot and the one who dragged me in
manned other terminals but wasn't expert at flying."
     "But it was a four man crew," Cain said.
     "Yes, four.  The other two still aboard were the chief pilot and
then there was the overall commander of the probe.  When I came to, the
ship had been hit by laser fire from Captain Skyler and was having
trouble staying in flight.  I had to crawl my way up the stairwell to get
a good look at what was happening.  But one thing was clear.  The
commander and the chief pilot were going at each other.  I think it was
the commander who wanted the self-destruct activated and the pilot was
refusing and it led to a struggle."
     "Well if anything, that tells us that some members of the Risik are
a little less fanatical than others."
     "I think from what I overheard before the struggle broke out there
was already some underlying bad blood between the pilot and the
commander.  The pilot was saying how he wasn't going to throw away his
life to satisfy the commander's sense of self-honor.  The commander
knocked him out, and maybe it was hard enough to kill him.  He was
getting in the chair and I knew he was going to initiate the
self-destruct when I finally revealed myself and shot him dead."
     "And the final one?"
     Tegran rubbed his forehead once again, which was still throbbing. 
"I drew my pistol on him and told him to level the craft off and bring it
down since we could hear Skyler's warning message.  I don't think the
Risik's sense of honor included ending his life at pistol point which is
why he obeyed me when it came to putting the craft down.  But the instant
my back was turned afterwards.....that's when he chose to end things on
his own terms."
     "When did he mention the Galactica?"
     "He implied it," Tegran went on to recount the final conversation
he'd had with the Third Officer and the references to a raid on some
place called "Ne'Chak" by a ship identical to the Pegasus which could
only mean the Galactica.
     "All right, Tegran," Cain said, "You obey Dr. Laughlin and stay put
for the next 24 centars.  You did a great job under fire and if we still
had the ability to manufacture decorations, you'd get one.  Take it easy
for now."  Seeing the ensign's reluctance, he then added, "That's an
order."
     Dutifully, Tegran drew his legs back up so he could lie down once
again.  As Cain made his way out, he went over to the next room where Dr.
Laughlin and two med-techs were studying the dead body of the Risik Third
Officer.
     "You got a full bio-scan of him?" the Commander asked.
     "Yes, fully logged," the elderly medical officer said, "The next
time we scan a ship that has Risiks aboard we'll be able to know right
away."
     "How different fundamentally are they from humans, beyond the
heads?"
     "Oh.....remarkably the variations aren't too extensive," the Aerian
led him over to a med-monitor.  "Similar internal organs.  Even an
appendix and tailbone.  The DNA reading though is where it really starts
to diverge.  The preliminary estimate is 80% similarity.  Which leaves
enough of a variance for the external divergences.  I'd wager there's
probably some common tie somewhere, but just where it is, I couldn't
begin to speculate without knowing their broader history."
     "Well, maybe we'll catch a break on that with these data tapes,
Doctor," Cain said.  "Let me know if you find anything else."


     "Dr. Arnoff's shuttle just left," Tolen said as Cain arrived on the
Bridge.  "He recommends using the shuttle systems to get a first look at
the data tapes they've found and tying in to the telemetry aboard the
Pegasus.  That way we speed up the ability to take a preliminary analysis
of the tapes before he checks out whether the Risik craft's hard data can
be accessed."
     "I concur.  Put the tie-in to Kylie's terminal and then relay to my
quarters so I can study it from there," he then asked, "Is Ila still at
the crash site?"
     "No, she's on her way back to the cave to resume going over the
Kobollian Control Center.  When Dr. Arnoff is done with the Risik ship,
she wants him to join her over there."
     "I hope and pray we have enough time for that, Tolen," the
Juggernaut said.
     "Sir?"
     "If I'm right, the chain in command above this Risik ship is
starting to get nervous about an overdue probe ship of theirs," he then
added, "Colonel, order the agro and fuel teams to start closing down
operations.  I want them off the planet and back aboard within the next
twelve centars."


     Far out in space, the Risik warship that had launched the scout ship
was waiting for a message from Kraitch that they were returning with a
Colonial prisoner.  Commander Clubb, the captain of the warship, had
given Kraitch explicit orders that he was to return with a prisoner who
could be subjected to full interrogation......or not to come back at all. 
Even though he'd known Kraitch for years in the Star Force and considered
him one of his best men, too much was riding on this from the Supreme
Leader.  The intelligence report from the two-man purchasing mission at
Brylon Station had described the arrival of a ship identical to the one
that had inflicted a major humiliation on the Race at Ne'chak but not the
same one.  That ship had been called the Galactica and was responsible
for a convoy of some 200 plus ships, but this one called the Pegasus was
all by itself.  It was important for a prisoner to be taken so the exact
connection could be discerned.  Why had this second one not been present
at Ne'chak?  What coordination was taking place between them?  Was this
other warship in any contact with the Ke'Zar, the most hated enemy of the
Risik?  
     Two man scout vessels had been dispatched into the regions of the
Ziklagi frontier and just beyond it to look for signs of this departing
Pegasus.  One two-man scout ship had detected signs of one of their
fighter craft headed on what looked to be a patrol sweep toward one
specific planetary system.  Once that scout has made their report to the
Capital, that had resulted in the Supreme Leader sending Clubb's warship
out to intercept.  The best guess was that the Pegasus was likely
interested in the natural resources of this planet with the strange
weather patterns, and would send scouting teams to the surface.  That
would provide an opportunity to abduct a member of the crew in the same
way that the Risik had done so many times on Te'ra in the past.  That
would allow direct combat to be avoided since for now, it had to be
conceded that the best Risik warships would not be able to handle a
direct engagement with a so-called "battlestar".  What was needed was
intelligence and intentions and divining the true connection between the
two warships.
     But as time passed, Clubb was growing worried.  Kraitch was an
expert in the art of stealth for these kinds of missions and he also
could make use of the new experiments in cloaking technology that had
been stolen from the Zykonian files on Brylon (and also their counterpart
files that existed in the Ziklagi ranks, and which had been exchanged
under terms of their peace treaty).  It wouldn't be completely out of the
ordinary for Kraitch to bide his time and wait for the right moment to
make the snatch, but Kraitch knew how much was riding on this.  The
Supreme Leader had executed too many top names who had once seemed so
untouchable for so long.  There was no doubt in Clubb's mind that if
Kraitch failed, then he too would receive the Supreme Leader's wrath.
     That was why the sooner he got word that Kraitch's vessel, with its
additional three person crew of Pilot, Co-Pilot and Third Officer was on
its way back, he could feel relief.
     But as the tenars passed, the only report was nothing.
     This would not do.  A report that Kraitch had simply disappeared
without a trace would do nothing to get him off the hook with the Supreme
Leader.  If Kraitch had run into trouble then he had no choice but to set
course for the planet right now and find out what had happened.....and
hopefully get another chance to take one of the Pegasus crew prisoner.
     He gave the command to set course for the planet in question.  It
would take one full day of flight time.  His additional instruction was
to activate the cloaking device when they were within a half tenar from
the planet.  This carried risks.  While tests of the stolen cloaking
system plans had proved effective on small video drones and to a larger
extent on scout ships, the greater the size of the craft, the more
draining on power reserves it could be.  If he was to use the cloaking
system, he needed to use it sparingly.......lest his desperation become a
guarantee of final failure.
     If it would mean failure for the Race he had loyally served for so
long and believed in, Clubb at least would make sure it would not be a
sacrifice in vain.

Chapter Seven

     "Understand this," the deep, powerful voice of the white-haired man
spoke on the monitor in Cain's office.  "We have no designs of any kind
on Risik territory.  Our only objective is to continue unimpeded in our
journey to Earth and to unite with our lost brethren of the 13th Tribe of
mankind.  And to return to at last to their homes, the natives of Earth
you chose to abduct and imprison for your own purposes.  The liberation
of these Earth prisoners at Ne'Chak was not an act of imperialism or
aggression on our part.......but a mission of mercy for our brothers and
sisters.  And we give you fair warning that should we ever encounter
additional brothers of ours imprisoned against their will in any setting,
be it Risik, Ziklagi or any other race......we will not hesitate to do
what we did at Ne'Chak again.
     "In leaving you with this record of our journey across the stars,
and the danger we continue to potentially face from the Cylon Empire, it
is our hope that your leadership will see this as a goodwill gesture in
the event these pursuing forces from the Cylon Empire intrude into your
domain.  For we can attest from our personal experience, that the
determination of Cylon leadership to subjugate and eventually exterminate
all sentient races exceeds all other known standards of evil and
barbarism.  And perhaps in the event you are exposed to it.....you might
give pause to think less of these doctrines of racial superiority and
religious fanaticism that have motivated your actions for so many
thousands of yahrens......and have produced nothing but the folly of
waste in lost resources and opportunities for you.
     "I even give you at this time a message of hope to use against what
would be the common enemy of the Cylon Empire.  As you have seen, one of
their capital ships, which once pursued the stars seeking our
destruction, is now working alongside us as our allies in what we now
refer to as the 'Detente' among our people.  For we have come to
recognize that even those who once acted with determination to destroy us
*can* in fact learn to be productive partners and colleagues of ours in
peace, when the devotion to fanatical doctrines of genocide and hate
disappear.  You can draw from this experience as well if you were to
convince the centurion class of Cylons that they could gain much more in
a universe where they would be treated with respect and a desire to be
free of the dominance of advanced class Cylons who have made them do
their bidding for them.  Once that is made clear.....the desire to
needlessly kill disappears.  But it can only be done through positive,
constructive action.  It will not be done by meeting fanaticism with
greater fanaticism.  If that is your only weapon to use against the Cylon
Empire......your doom is all but assured.  
     "I conclude my remarks, by echoing the warning sentiments you have
seen expressed in the more.....blunt terms of your former prisoners as
well as the sentiments expressed by their fellow Earth native, Commander
Byrne in his message on the separate disc that is enclosed with mine. 
Upon our arrival at Earth, we fully intend to inform the population of
the threat you have posed to them in the past, as well as your would-be
hopes of invasion.  We are well aware that Earth, as it was last known by
those you imprisoned, is not a united planet that recognizes the dangers
posed by outside invasion.  We have even discovered that their own
collective memory of settlement by our ancestors, the 13th tribe, is as
forgotten to them as your own experience on Earth prior to their arrival. 
But it has not lessened our determination to lend our hand in support of
her defense, and to insure that no threat from any race, be it Risik,
Cylon or any other.....will interfere with her long-term destiny.
     "So consider this message a warning......but a warning that if
responded to in an appropriate spirit, can ultimately give your people
the first step toward a more hopeful future.  And if there is a day when
your race makes contact with ours again in the spirit of a new
attitude......I will rejoice in that.  As will all humans.
     "That is my farewell to you.....and to all Risiks.  On behalf of not
merely myself as Commander of the Battlestar Galactica and as President
of the Council of Twelve representing what is left of the Twelve Colonies
of Man......but on behalf of all humanity, that desires only the right to
be free to pursue our own destinies without fear."
     Commander Adama's face disappeared from the monitor.  Yet Cain
continued to stare at the now blank screen with an amazement that with
the exception of Ila's discovery and the revelation of Sheba's marriage
to Apollo, topped everything he'd experienced in the last two and a half
yahrens.
     "That's the end of that data disc, Commander," Dr. Arnoff's voice
came through from the speaker.  The Electronics Scientist was down on the
planet inside his shuttle, where he'd loaded the data disc into a
portable telemetry device that was then uploaded to the Pegasus central
computer and relayed from the Bridge to Cain's quarters.  For the last
centar, the Juggernaut had watched this first one unspool with no
expectations of what he might see, as had Dr. Arnoff. 
     As Cain brought his hands together, he found himself cursing the
fact that Ila hadn't been here to experience this firsthand with him. 
She was entitled to see this more than anyone else, yet at this critical
juncture, she was still off on her own assignment deep inside a cave on
the planet.
     She'll see it later, I know.  But dear Lords of Kobol, it would have
been better if we'd both seen it together.  She's the one I need to talk
to most after seeing this.
     "Commander?" Arnoff's voice repeated.  It snapped the Juggernaut
back to reality.
     "Yes, I'm sorry, Dr. Arnoff," Cain's voice resumed its normal
command timbre.  "You've tested the other discs?"
     "Yes, sir, but I don't think they're going to be as important.  One
of them consists entirely of messages from those Earth prisoners and
natives the Commander referred to and.....I could tell right away that
they're pretty harsh in their tone."
     "I can hardly blame them for that, given what Adama described," Cain
grunted.  "I don't need to see that one.  How many others?"
     "Two.  I think they're a bit more specific regarding these so-called
'war-crimes' the Risiks committed against the Earth prisoners-----,"
     "Let's not use the description 'so-called', Doctor," Cain said
flatly.  "We can take Adama's word for it.  But if they're only concerned
with that subject......then those can wait for another time as well. 
What's the situation as far as accessing that Risik ship's hard drive?"
     "Not good, Commander.  If I had a team of specialists that could
spend a sectan on this like I had at Brylon Station to crack Commander
Lucifer's deep memory, I'd be optimistic.  But under these conditions all
by myself, all I can do is see if Bryce and Keuchel can dismantle one of
their terminals and let us bring it back for future study."
     "That may be the best course of action," Cain said.  "I guess the
thing we'll never know is why the Risiks had these separate discs about
the Galactica independent of their hard drive."
     "This is just speculation, Commander," Arnoff said, "But generally,
if you keep important data on a portable disc and leave it off the main
system hard drive, then that means you're trying to limit the number of
people who have access to the information."
     "Good point, Doctor," Cain conceded, "It could well be that the full
details of what Adama talks about concerning this raid are high-level
classified details among the Risiks."
     "What do you want me to do now, sir?" the scientist changed the
subject.  "Unless Bryce and Keuchel dismantle a terminal and get their
data chips, I'm really at a dead end now."
     "For now, Doctor, I want you to do this.  Take one warrior and go
out in your landram and join Professor Ila at the cave and assist her on
her project.  We're running up against a time deadline now and I want her
to have every chance to find the breakthrough she's looking for.  Notify
Core Command when you've arrived at the scene."
     "I'll do that, Commander," Arnoff said.  "What should I tell her
about......her husband's message to the Risiks?"
     "Just tell her that we found a disc that brings the Galactica's
story up to date and that I'll give her a chance to study that when she
returns to the Pegasus.  Don't play it for her down there, it'd just be a
distraction."
     "Yes, sir.  Signing off."
     Alone, Cain leaned back in his chair contemplating everything he'd
seen in Adama's message to the Risiks.  It explained a lot as to why the
Risiks had acted with such hostility to their presence and why they had
tried to kidnap a Pegasus crewman in the same way that apparently they
had kidnaped many Earth natives at one point.  He could see why Adama
felt compelled to take action against them if it could result in the
freeing of the innocent Earth victims.
     Adama has an obligation to any prisoners from Earth he comes across,
because that's his destiny, Cain thought.  But may the Lords forgive me
for saying this, it's not *my* obligation because it's not *my* destiny. 
There may be other humans suffering in some Risik detention camp
somewhere on some other planet, but I simply don't have the time and
strength to go looking for any of them unless they're located along the
path back to the Colonies I'm taking now. 
     At least,  he had to note, his reasoning wasn't too dissimilar from
Adama's.  Adama had made it clear he wasn't going to backtrack his way
through space to hunt out other Risik detention facilities, since that
could easily jeopardize the lives of those he was responsible for in the
Fleet.  For Adama, the main mission, which was the journey to Earth, had
to come first.
     So too was it with Cain.  His main mission, which was getting back
to the Colonies to aid the Resistance and to help bring down the Cylon
Empire once and for all, had to come first.  The Risiks were
unquestionably brutal and hostile......but what they were doing in this
section of space was ultimately as irrelevant to Cain as the
Zykonian-Ziklagi conflict.  He needed to avoid being dragged into a
broader conflict with an enemy that would only waste his resources that
he needed for the fight that was to come. 
     But for the moment, while his business on the "weather planet"
remained uncompleted, he knew that he may not be able to avoid one
engagement with the Risiks, if they indeed sent a ship to investigate
what had happened to their probe vessel that had hoped to bring back a
prisoner.  How big would such a ship be?  Certainly not something on the
order of a battlestar.  Adama's tape made it clear how ultimately
one-sided the nature of the battle at this place called Ne'Chak had been,
and that the Risiks were not at the same level of Colonial civilization
in terms of military technology.  But even a small-scale vessel had the
potential to inflict damage and set back so much of the careful repair
and rehabilitation work that had taken place in the two and a half
yahrens prior to when the Pegasus found itself thrust clear across the
stars into this area of space, and which had then been seemingly
perfected at Brylon Station.  If he suffered any serious damage in an
engagement, then at the very least he would have to contemplate going
back to the Zykonian facility for help, and after their last visit which
had required so much careful negotiation on his part (with Ila's
indispensable help) he no longer had anything to offer the Zykonians that
would make them generous enough to do another overhaul job for him.  The
setback to the Pegasus, and more importantly to the mission and
ultimately to the Resistance, would be enormous.
     We have got to get out of here and the sooner the better, Cain
thought.
     "Tolen?" he switched on the intercom to the Bridge, "What's the
status on the food and fuel teams?
     "The fuel teams have topped off their surplus tanks with pure tylium
and solium.  They'll be off the surface in two centars," the Executive
Officer reported, "Wallis and Kelli report about two and a half to three
centars to finish filling up the last of the maize bunkers."
     "Once they're aboard, all warriors who've been part of those
assignments return to Yellow Alert standby," Cain was beginning to feel
the tension of a man who knew the clock was starting to tick downward. 
"Contact Keuchel and Bryce.  They can spend the next few centars trying
to cut away a Risik terminal from inside the ship, but the instant both
the food and fuel teams are off the surface, they're to close down
operations and get their shuttle back here immediately regardless of
whether or not they're finished.  A Risik terminal would be a nice
dividend to work on, but it's not essential."
     "Yes sir.  Does the same timetable apply to the Professor's
mission?"
     The Juggernaut slowly sucked in his breath.  The importance of what
Ila was trying to do weighed heavily on him.  It was the primary reason
why coming to this planet had been so essential to him.  If he didn't
succeed in taking advantage of the opportunity.......would another chance
ever come?
     "Not.....at this time, Tolen," he finally said.  "Leave them be for
now and I'll make a status check on their situation when the other teams
are off the surface."
     Cain shut off the intercom and got to his feet so he could look out
the porthole.  Below him was the planet, and from this angle, all he
could see were the massive cloud formations of the typhons and cyclones
that defined the normal state of this planet's existence.  All held back 
from the safe zone of the planet.  But Cain could feel in his body the
sense of an approaching storm of another kind.  One that might not result
in total destruction, but could still leave many hopes and dreams
shattered.
     Can it really be so?  He thought.  For the first time in my
life.......I'm scared of the prospect of having to fight.


     "Estimated time of arrival to planetary system?"  Commander Clubb
inquired.
     "Twenty tenars sir, at current speed."
     The Risik warship captain contemplated the speed indication and then
calmly ordered.
     "Increase speed output by.....five percent.  That should cut down
ETA by.....one tenar."
     "Yes, sir."


     "Dr. Arnoff, thanks for coming!" Ila greeted the electronics
scientist brightly as he entered the ancient command center with his
illuminator on full power.
     "I'm long overdue," he said as he then exchanged greetings with
Festus.  The Cylon, who had already developed a good working relationship
with Arnoff sounded pleased to see him.
     "Sergeant McCalla's joined Lieutenant Banker at the cave entrance,"
Arnoff said as he came over to where Ila was standing.  "They're stowing
the landram back in the shuttle."
     "Oh?" Ila raised an eyebrow.  "Something new happening?"
     "Well, Cain is winding down all operations on the planet.  The food
and fuel teams will be pulling out soon, and Bryce and Keuchel will
abandon the Risik ship and go back in their shuttle not long afterwards. 
In about several centars give or take......it'll be just our little group
left on the planet."
     Concern came over the Academician's face.  "How much more time are
we getting?"
     "I don't know, Professor," Arnoff admitted, "But.....I think Cain
would appreciate it if we could get things done sooner than later."
     "So would I," she looked back at the screen, "I'm still trying to
navigate my way through all this.  I keep getting a sense
that......somewhere in this Kobollian interface there's something that
will reveal the one thing that would help us the most."
     "And that is?"
     "A long-range communications transmitter," Ila was determined,  "The
Kobollians were capable of doing it over great distances in real time. 
In total defiance of the laws of all known science."
     "Why should there be one here at all?" 
     Commander Adama's wife smiled as she found herself thinking in terms
just like that of her husband, "To act as a beacon for their brother
tribes," she said.  "The 13th Tribe was so.....convinced that they alone
had found the perfect planet in Earth and that the other twelve tribes
were just.....playing it safe by settling in a system that was
comparatively speaking, not too far away from Kobol itself.  They may
have seen their brothers having second thoughts at some point and that
might have brought them along the same path.  And if they did.......a
beacon to a way station planet like this would have been essential.  Why
set this place up as a way station without a signal to guide them?"
     Arnoff put a hand on his chin, "It makes sense," he said,
"But.....according to Wallis, the Galactica wasn't led to this planet by
any signal.  They just lucked onto it during a patrol."
     "I'm gambling on the thought that whatever transmitter might have
existed doesn't work any longer or has become inoperable over time," Ila
went back to the keyboard and made some entries, "And what I'm hoping
this command center interface will do......is tell me the location of
where such a transmitter is located so we can get to its components."
     He digested her remarks and felt a stab of uneasiness, "That might
mean its located at the bottom of another cave a long ways from here!"
     "Which is why *if* there is one, the computer will give us an exact
fix....." Ila made some more entries, "And then we take the shuttle right
to the scene and disassemble it."
     "Why not tell the Master Control to fix it?" Arnoff inquired. 
"I'm......assuming the purpose of finding this is to have something that
would allow us to communicate with the Galactica.  If you find a
transmitter that's broken, then if the Master Control fixes it, you could
send a signal right away."
     "No," she shook her head, "We need to take the component with us
and.....find the way to adapt it to our own systems.  I don't want just a
one way means of communicating where we can't get an answer, I want us to
be able to *talk* directly to them."
     "But they'd have to have an ability to send such a signal on their
end already!" Arnoff protested.  "They don't have something like that."
     Ila's expression grew thoughtful as her mind went back to that brief
period when everyone aboard the Pegasus had blacked out while some
mysterious force of bright white lights had hurled them across the stars
from charted space into this previously unknown realm.  During that
blackout, Ila had experienced a vision of her youngest son, Zac, walking
toward her and giving her comfort and reassurance now that she'd learned
of his death.  Telling him that she didn't have to grieve for him any
longer and also telling her that he and Apollo had been on good terms
when he'd died.  All of that had stood out in her memory when she'd come
to because it answered her most immediate need at the time, which was
overcoming the grief she'd felt over the fact that her youngest, her baby
as she always regarded him, was gone.
     Yet now, nearly a sectar later....something else from that
experience was coming back to her.  Zac saying something that hadn't
seemed to mean anything at the time.
     "You also should know this.  They have the capability."
      That phrase, totally forgotten by her initially had now come back. 
And she was beginning to suspect she knew the reason why.
     "Do we know, really, Doctor?" Ila mused.  "We're learning so much
about what the Galactica has come across these last few yahrens.  How can
we be sure they *don't* have the capability to send and receive across
long distances?  As to why they haven't tried to contact us.....maybe
they just haven't felt a reason to."
     The Electronics Scientist wondered if this was the right time to
bring up a generic reference to the data disc of her husband that he and
Cain had spent a centar watching.  He decided against it for now.  Ila
was too much in a "groove" and seemingly doing well, that if he
interjected this, it might throw her off-stride and keep her from doing
what she wanted to do, which was to find the answer to this question of a
transmitter.
     He decided that Festus would offer some needed distraction, "Festus,
I hope our conversation isn't boring you."
     "I find human conversation such as yours and the Professor's to be
quite stimulating, Dr. Arnoff," the Cylon said, "I am in fact analyzing
it quite thoroughly and stimulating my own circuitry in the process in
ways that my.......former superiors never permitted me."
     "That's so nice to know," he smiled as he looked at the computer
screen interface that held Ila's attention.  All he could see was
Kobollian script.  A language he had no training in whatsoever.
     "What can I do to help?" he asked.
     Ila let out a self-deprecating chuckle, "You can keep me from making
a stupid mistake when it comes to analyzing the mechanics of all this. 
I've handled it fine up to this point, but I've only really succeeded in
figuring this out from a basic operator standpoint."
     "I'm game."


     "Our speed increase has shaved two tenars off the arrival time,
Commander."
     "Excellent," Clubb saw the chronometer recalculate itself.  Sixteen
tenars now and then he'd know.

     "Commander, this is Wallis," the agro-tech radioed.  "We're
finished.  I hope you love maize because we've got enough to last us for
more than a yahren at least."
     "As long as I can learn how to distill some of it into ale," the
Juggernaut said with a lighthearted air that concealed his developing
inner tension.  "Well done, Wallis.  You and Kelli come home and spend
some quality time with your kids."
     "We certainly will, sir," Wallis replaced the transmitter and then
stepped outside the cargo vessel.  The support team that had helped
harvest, load and store the bunkers of maize were making their way back
in.  But he noticed how his wife was standing alone in a harvested area
looking about with an air of deep contemplation.
     "Kell?" he came up to her, "It's time."
     "I know," she sighed, "I was just......thinking how good it felt to
really work the land again this way, and without......any fear."
     "Yeah, it did feel good," he admitted, "Even if it was just for a
day."
     "It doesn't matter to me any more if we never get to do something
like this again," Kelli looked about, "I just hope.....our children get
to do it one day."
     "If we do our part, they will," he managed a smile.  "Come on, let's
go.....home."


     "Can you go over again what you *have* taken from this place, apart
from trying to search for a transmitter?" Arnoff asked.
     Ila's eyes remained focused on the terminal as she made another
entry.  "There's a lot to go over that I've transferred to the portable
telemetry pack along with my earlier oral observations which are recorded
in Festus' memory banks."
     "Did you have any trouble hooking the portable packs to this
terminal?"
     "Surprisingly, no," she said.  "The basic principle of output and
input terminals for a computer that we devised are identical to how our
ancestors did it.  As if it was knowledge waiting to be remembered
somehow when we reinvented that basic technology again."
     "Incredible," Arnoff shook his head.
     "Anyway, we now have a full overview of how the control center was
built, and how much power is required to make it function.  Also a full
description of the elements that go into constructing it, and what
elements are needed to make it possible.  Some of them I know I've never
heard of.  Because all of the answers come back in Kobollian, I'll need
to do a more thorough translation after we leave, and then you can see if
what they describe is something we can come up with a practical
application for later on."
     "And if I can't figure something out.....maybe the Resistance can?" 
     "Exactly," she nodded.  "Every bit of data pertaining to the
technology of our ancestors helps.  For all we know, some of the
breakthroughs we've been seeing already may be similar in nature and
we've never realized it!"
     At that instant a chirping sound came up on the terminal.  Ila
squinted back at the readout which like all others was in Kobollian.  Her
expression grew slightly tense.
     "What is it?"
     The Academician drew in her breath, "I've finally gotten a screen up
that pertains to communications operations."

     "Food vessel is off the surface and headed back, sir," Major Ham
said.  "ETA in ten centons."
     "What about the fuel vessel?"
     "They're doing a final check of the tank units to make sure they're
secure.  They'll be taking off in approximately thirty centons."
     Cain idly tapped his stick against the rail, "Situation on the Risik
craft?"
     "No update.  I don't think they've gotten close to dismantling one
of those terminals."
     "They'll need to start shutting things down, soon."
     "There's one other thing, sir," Ham said, "The shuttle that Bryce
and Keuchel would come back in is the one that took Dr. Arnoff to the
surface.  The landram from that vehicle is back at the cave entrance with
Professor Ila's group.  The landram from the Professor's shuttle is fully
stored, but.....that still leaves one landram that needs to get put back
in its original shuttle."
     Cain's eyes narrowed, "The last thing I'm going to do is leave a
landram abandoned on the surface.  Notify Bryce and Keuchel and tell them
to close down on the Risik ship.  They're to take their shuttle first to
the cave entrance to get their landram stored and then I want that
shuttle off the surface."
     "Yes, sir."


     Bryce was hunched over a terminal on the upper level of the wrecked
Risik ship, still trying to make some sense of what it all meant.  He
only had the observations Tegran had made which had been relayed back
down to him, but without the services of a tech team, most of it was
guess work.
     Even though Bryce was the head of the Security unit, he'd
increasingly come to realize how minuscule his actual responsibilities
and authority were.  In an earlier age, the Security unit would handle
all ground-based survey teams keeping the pilots free to handle the
duties of patrol and defense, since having pilots caught on the surface
could be disastrous.  But because more than a quarter of the Pegasus crew
had been evacuated to the Galactica two and a half yahrens ago, that had
depleted the ranks of those who had been formally part of the Security
unit.  Combined with the lack of combat flights, pilots were increasingly
assuming more of the duties that had been part of the Security unit, and
that only served to further blur the lines of what had been Bryce's
authority.  The diminished role was enough to make the lieutenant feel he
had made a mistake not choosing evacuation to the Galactica when he could
have gone......but obedient and loyal that he was, he never openly
expressed that sentiment.
     Even this assignment, where he was supposedly in nominal command of
the original team had been unfulfilling.  The deference to Ila. 
Tolerating the presence of a Cylon in his ranks.  The fact that
Lieutenant Banker, a pilot, was not given to instinctively deferring to
him.  All-in-all, this had not been a positive experience for the
Security Chief.
     Maybe I should just have a talk with Cain about what my role is
really supposed to be, he thought as he looked over a terminal that had
caught his attention for some time.  There was something
distinctly.....important looking about it.
     "Lieutenant?" Sergeant Keuchel called up from the bottom.  "We just
got orders to close down operations and take the shuttle to the cave so
we can put the landram back in."
     "All right, just a micron," Bryce said.  "I want one last
observation of this item here, and then I'm on my way down......."
     He brought his finger down on the button.......and abruptly from an
emergency power source there was a red glow followed by a coming to life
of a dead chronometer readout, all to the accompaniment of what sounded
like a high-pitched alarm.
     "What the frack.....?"
     "Sir?" Keuchel called up, confused by what was happening.
     Stunned, Bryce saw the chronometer calibrate itself to a setting and
then start to count downward.  Immediately, he was on his feet and
scrambling down the stairwell to the exit.
     "Let's get out of here!" he dashed past Keuchel and over toward the
nearby shuttle.  His fellow warrior broke into a sprint and within the
next sixty microns, the shuttle door was closed and they were powering
up.
     Thirty microns after they were airborne, the wrecked Risik craft
exploded in a giant fireball.  Fortunately throwing up no debris into the
air to impede the shuttle's escape.


     "Commander!" Kylie called over in surprise from her station,
"Indications of an explosion at the Risik crash site!"
     Cain hurried over, "What about the shuttle?"
     "The shuttle is away and headed for the cave site."
     The Commander keyed in his headset, "Beta Shuttle, this is Cain. 
What in Hades happened there?"
     There was a brief silence before Bryce answered, "Um, the Risik
ship's self-destruct feature engaged, sir."
     Cain said nothing at first.  He had an inkling that what had
happened was strictly unintentional and in normal circumstances would
merit a sharp dressing down of Bryce.  But instead.....he decided to do
something different for the sake of morale.
     "That was smart thinking, Bryce," the Juggernaut said with approval,
"Once you realized there was no chance of getting access to their hard
data, you made certain the Risiks couldn't retrieve any part of their
ship......and also made sure they don't know we've got our hands on those
data discs concerning the Galactica." he paused, "Isn't that right,
Lieutenant?"
     Three beats of silence from the other end, and then Bryce answered.
     "Yes sir, that's *exactly* right!"
     "Good job, Bryce," Cain said positively, "Now you two get your
landram reloaded and then head back to the Pegasus."
     "Yes, sir!"


     A stunned Bryce keyed off his headset and then noticed Sergeant
Keuchel looking over at him with a half smirk.
     "Don't worry, sir," he said obediently, "If you won't tell him, I
won't tell him."
     The Security Chief suddenly broke into a relieved laugh, and for the
first time in a long while he felt at ease with himself.


     "Professor?" Banker had come down from the cave entrance and entered
the Control Room, "The other shuttle with Bryce and Keuchel just arrived
and they're putting their landram back in.  When they're done, that's
going to just leave our team as the last one on the surface."
     Ila and Arnoff didn't acknowledge his comment at first since they
were still engrossed in the computer terminal before them.
     "At the moment, they're both quite occupied," Festus observed.
     The Cylon's remark finally got their attention and they looked over
and saw Banker standing alongside Festus   "Oh, sorry, Lieutenant," the
Electronics Scientist said.  "What was that you said?"
     "I said the next to last team is about to leave the surface, leaving
just us," Banker said.  "How much longer do you think it's going to take
to finish operations here?"
     "We're not sure yet," Arnoff looked back at the screen that Ila was
attacking with vigor on the built-in terminal.  "The Professor just found
the door to what she's been looking for most."
     "I'm trying to get it to explain where the main transmitter is
located and what its position is relative to this complex," Ila said. 
"Unfortunately when I run into problems of not knowing what the right
term in Kobollian is, that's what slows this whole process down."
     "You're doing great, Ila," Arnoff said with admiration for the
intensity of her work ethic.  The amount of yahrens she'd spent as an
Academician had given her a great deal of self-training in computer
skills that were serving her well at this time just as much as her
rudimentary reading knowledge of Kobollian had.
     "Thank you, Dr. Arnoff," she said, "But if I can't get through this
last door, it's going to be frustrating."
     Banker felt awkward intruding at this point since he knew how
important their work was but it had to be done, "Um.....I do need to give
the Commander an update on how things stand."
     "Tell him, situation progressing but no definite timetable yet."
     "That would be an accurate summary," Festus concurred.
     The Lieutenant nodded and headed back to the surface.


     "Commander," Ham was back with another report.  "Beta shuttle has
its landram stored now.  They'll leave the surface in fifteen centons. 
The situation with Professor Ila is she thinks she might be close to a
breakthrough on something significant but it hasn't happened yet."
     "Thank you, Major," Cain acknowledged.  "Tell them we don't have any
new instructions just yet."
     "Yes, sir."
     Tolen could see the underlying tension in Cain from the way he kept
idly tapping his stick against the rail.  Not a hard rap to indicate
anger or frustration, just an occasional idle tap.  More of a nervous tic
on the Juggernaut's part that he'd never seen in him before.  No matter
what scenario he'd seen Cain go through, the Commander always managed to
keep an air of unflappable cool about him.  But this time, it was
different.  For the first time, Cain was truly dealing with an unknown
variable that he couldn't predict.  Cylons he knew how to out think and
outguess and that had served him brilliantly over the yahrens.  But an
alien race that he'd never heard of until just a few cycles ago, and
which had the potential to disrupt more important plans......that was
something else.  Cain didn't fear defeat or death at their hands, but he
did fear the greater consequences.  That much was apparent.  And that was
why he knew Cain wanted to get away from this planet and away from any
part of space that the Risiks could be found in.
     "Commander," the Executive Officer said gently, "Even if you don't
tell her what the timetable is, yet......what have you decided on that?"
     Cain didn't turn around to face him, "Two centars tops to get a
breakthrough," he said.  "And if she finds a breakthrough before
that......then it's a matter of how much time she'd need to follow up on
it."
     "Do we go to battle readiness if that happens?"
     "Two centars, yes," Cain nodded his head.  "And we increase our
security patrol.  I'll want ten vipers out covering our flanks to scan or
intercept anything that enters the area."
     "But if they see something, do they engage?"
     There was no response from Cain and it was soon evident to Tolen,
that was deliberate on Cain's part.  He knew he didn't have to bother
asking him again.
     He's nervous.......and so am I.


     "12 tenars, Commander."
     "Thank you."
     "Sir?" the communications officer for the Risik warship came up to
Clubb, "We were supposed to give Star Force an update by now."
     Clubb didn't look at him, "No response for now.  Not until we reach
the planet and find out what happened."
     "But sir----,"
     "After all, equipment failures and localized interference from time
to time do make it hard to communicate.  Isn't that so?"
     Slowly, the communications officer nodded and departed.

Chapter Eight

     The second shuttle with Bryce and Keuchel was gone, which left Ila's
team the last group on the planet.  Just knowing that seemed to make
Banker feel more uneasy since it conveyed a sense of total isolation that
reminded him of how the abandoned Cylon garrison on Delta Aquinas had
felt like.  And the first visit there, he remembered, had not gone well
and in the process, Sergeant Doyle had lost his life.
     Even so, he wasn't going to raise any objections.  He was rooting
hard for Ila to finally reach that breakthrough that she wanted to find.
     "I mistranslated again," Ila gritted her teeth as she found herself
forced to retype.  "When I type something wrong, it defaults me back to
the beginning of the question/answer sequence.  It's like a safeguard it
had built in.  If you don't type your request exactly right, it treats
the user with suspicion."
     "If you had the verbal command ability like that alien from the
Galactica used......" Arnoff started but Ila shook her head.
     "Sorry, Doctor, but that's been a non-option from the get-go.  My
reading and writing knowledge of Kobollian is about primary to junior
education level but as far as speaking goes, I might as well be an
infant.  We just have to stick it out my way."
     "Understand," the Electronics chief had no intention of challenging
her.  He'd found very little he needed to assist her with because she'd
done so well on her own.  Still, it was clear she valued the moral
support he was giving just from his presence.  Along with that of Banker
and even Festus.  At the very least, this whole experience was proving
the point Arnoff had made earlier to Dr. Laughlin that ever since the
centurions had gotten their new voices their behavior had been growing
more and more sentient to the point where they felt at ease expressing a
sense of working camaraderie with their human colleagues.
     "Okay," Ila sighed, "I'm asking again for specifics on long-range
communications and transmitters.  I hope this time I've got the word
right."
     She hit the enter command button and what she saw next caused her
eyes to light up and a smile to form on her mouth.
     "I've got it!" she exclaimed.  "I've got it!  It just posted a
readout concerning a communications facility!  The purpose is to
broadcast telemetry data on the planet's resources to would-be
travelers!"
     "The facility wouldn't happen to be here, would it?" Banker's
question had a pleading edge.  "It would make things so much simpler."
     "No, I'm afraid not," Ila shook her head.  "Master Control only
handles the power for regulating the ecosystem of the planet. 
Communications is separate.  Now, next question is.......is the system
operating?"
     She looked at the screen and read the Kobollian script that came up. 
"The system is not operating.  Not operating.  Well, that explains why
the Galactica never heard a thing and why we didn't hear a thing.  I'll
now ask for the precise location relative to our position."
     She typed in her entry and when she saw the results, she winced and
let out an uncharacteristic burst of profanity, "Frack.  Frack!  Didn't
type it correctly.  Lords, this thing is so particular!  Now I have to go
back through from the beginning phase again."  
     "Don't let it get you down, Professor," Banker needed to give her
some quick reassurance even though inside he was feeling nervous about
how it was all dragging out.  "You're doing great!"
     "It has been an extraordinary job under extraordinary conditions,"
Festus added in his own supportive way that he was learning to master.
     Lords what an unlikely team we make, Banker couldn't help but think. 
If somebody told me I'd be so chummy one day with one Cylon, let alone
four of them.......
     "Oh for a Kobollian dictionary," Ila sighed as she resumed her
typing.  
     The sound of Sergeant McCalla's voice on the surface then came over
Banker's com-line, "Lieutenant?"
     "Yes, McCalla?" he answered it.
     "The Commander wants to know if there's been a breakthrough."
     Banker looked over and saw Dr. Arnoff staring forcefully at him,
"Tell him, that we're on the verge of it.  The Professor's about to find
out where a transmitter is located."
     The lieutenant smiled and radioed back, "You heard that, McCalla."
     "I did," the sergeant sighed.  "I'll let him know."
     Ila let out a wry chuckle as she kept typing, "Last thing I need is
for Cain to start getting impatient!" she took a breath, "Okay.....I'm
back to where I was when I got them to acknowledge the existence of the
system.  Now pray I get this next question about the location right!"
     As soon as Dr. Arnoff saw a map display come up on the terminal, he
let out a grin, "By Kobol, I think you've got it!"
     "Maybe," Ila nodded.  "Okay, first we'll transfer this map to our
portable telemetry just in case I foul up the next question.  Dr. Arnoff,
you handle that and then confirm you've downloaded it."
     "Check," the Electronics scientist made sure the portable monitor
was secure to the ancient terminal.  Then, he went to work and copied and
pasted the image on the Kobollian monitor to his own so it was stored. 
"Okay, we've got it."
     "Next question," for the first time Ila had the sense she was
sweating from pent-up tension.  So much rested on this.  At the top of
which was her determination to find a way of communicating with the loved
ones she'd chosen to part herself from by not taking advantage of her
repaired shuttle to catch up with the Galactica.  She was secure in her
decision to stay with the Pegasus......but within her, just as she knew
it also existed in Cain, was the need to talk to them again.  To let them
know she was alive and that no matter how great the distance was that
separated them, she would always belong to them.
     I can't lose this opportunity.  I just can't.  Don't let me mistype
or mistranslate again.  Lords, let all those reference books of Adama's
come back to me.  All the complex parts!
     New sets of data emerged.  Slowly, she nodded her head in a way that
told Arnoff and Banker she hadn't made a mistake.
     "All right," her voice trembled and rose, "All right!  Coordinates
of communication station relative to our position........eighty-nine
kilometrones on the western border of the periphery.  Now let me ask for
a ground level visual we can key in on."
     An anxious hush came over the ancient Control Center.  The only
sounds were the whirring of Festus's single electronic eye and Ila's
fingers methodically typing the Kobollian words that she hoped were
correct.
     When Dr. Arnoff saw another picture come up, he let out loud exhale
that immediately spread to Banker, even though the lieutenant couldn't
see it.
     "Okay," Ila said.  "It's not in an underground cave, it's in a
surface level cave formation.  The transmitter is mounted in an open area
just ten metrones from cave entrance.  We won't have to wander
underground to get to it."
     "And eighty-nine kilometrones via shuttle is just a couple centons,"
Banker said.  "Are we ready to move?"
     "Not yet!" Ila held up her arms to signal them to be patient. 
"There's a question even more important than knowing where this is.  I
want to find out if they'll tell us how these transmitters are powered. 
If the Lords are *really* with us, we'll get the full scientific formula
that explains how they make transmitters like this work over long
distances."
     "That's definitely worth trying to find out," Arnoff nodded, "Go
ahead."
     The Academician took a breath and flexed her now tired fingers
before she returned to the terminal.  Slowly and methodically. 
Self-conscious of the responsibility, but strong enough to not let it
overwhelm her.  She'd been through enough harrowing experiences the last
three yahrens in the Resistance to not let herself be overwhelmed by
anything.
     "What," she whispered aloud as she typed in her question, "is the
basic scientific formula and principle behind the transmitter and how it
functions?  Please elaborate."
     A large amount of type appeared on the screen.  Ila squinted and
shook her head in amazement.
     "Dr. Arnoff," she said calmly and quietly.  "Get this downloaded and
transferred.  It's given us an answer that I can translate later.  And
after I translate it.....it'll be up to people in other fields of
expertise to try and figure it out because half the words in this don't
make any sense to me.  Of course, this is outside my field."
     "That's understandable, Professor," Arnoff said sympathetically as
he went back to work on transferring this latest piece of data.  "You
knew how to ask the right questions in Kobollian and that's all that
counted.  Praise the Lords you did it."
     "So is that it then, as far as this complex is concerned?" Banker
asked.
     "Basically, yes," Ila finally stepped back from the terminal that
she had been practically welded to for many long centars. 
"Unless.....there's one more question we should ask before I exit the
interface entirely."
     "There is," Arnoff said, "Ask it how we can disassemble the
transmitter safely."
     "Right, right," she nodded and took a deep breath.  Her bearing
suggested that the long centars of work and zeroing in on this difficult
task that no one else on the Pegasus was qualified to do, was starting to
catch up with her.  Arnoff and Banker were both beginning to feel some
concern for her well-being.
     She's shouldering so much all by herself, the electronics scientist
thought.  Just like she took so much on herself when she strapped herself
into that shuttle.  But in a way......that just gets back to how much of
a difference she's really made for us.
     As soon as Ila saw the next set of figures, her expression dropped. 
"Oh, frack."
     "What?" Arnoff leaned closer, "Mistranslation again?"
     "No," the Academician shook her head.  "There's only one way the
transmitter can be disconnected from its mount."
     She then turned away from the screen for the first time in a long
while and looked Arnoff in the eye, "We have to totally shut down the
whole Master Control system that keeps this planet stable."


     "What do you mean you have to shut down the whole Master Control
system?"  Cain was bewildered as he spoke into his headset.
     "Every component on this planet that the Kobollians set up was
designed and intended to last forever," Ila answered.  She and the rest
of the party had returned to the surface so she could communicate the
situation to Cain from the shuttle's communication system.  "If an error
or a flaw developed, then the Master Control was set up to self-correct
any breakdowns or handle any adjustments that an operator, fluent in
Kobollian by either verbal or typed commands, could then have rectified. 
That's what the Galactica team did when they ran into problems when they
were here."
     "And disconnecting any equipment----,"
     "There are safety features to prevent disconnection of *any*
equipment," Ila interrupted.  "If you try to disassemble the transmitter
or any other computer system for any other component, you'll get a fatal
surge of energy immediately.  Even if the system is off-line due to a
malfunction like the transmitter is right now."
     There was a long silence before Cain finally felt the strength to
ask his next question.
     "Ila......is getting this transmitter, *really* necessary?  You have
the formula and the technical description for how their principles of
transmission work.  Maybe that's all we really need."
     "Cain," Commander Adama's wife was firm, "We *need* that transmitter
device or else we have no legitimate reference to what the formula
description is talking about.  I can translate it, but I think even an
expert in the sciences will have trouble figuring it out unless they have
something tangible to work with.  And they certainly won't have an
understanding of how to actually build something with out it.  If we're
really serious about developing this capacity for ourselves, then we
can't pass up a chance to get at that device and see if we can adapt it
to our own systems."  
     "Some might say we're only trying to get at this for......personal
reasons," he didn't like saying that, but the Juggernaut knew it had to
be said.  "Does that make it worth it?"
     "It isn't just for that reason, Cain," Ila's determination
increased.  "The secret of this communication technology also benefits
the Resistance.  We need it as much for that as we do for.....contacting
the Galactica."
     Cain still felt conflicted inside.  Both by the fact that his
instincts told him they were running short on time, and also that a new
danger even greater than the Risiks arriving might erupt if attempts were
made to remove the transmitter.  Yet at the same time, he knew that
fundamentally there wasn't any way of avoiding it.
     "All right," he finally said.  "But.....you don't have to stay on
the surface to get at it.  I can send another team down to the
coordinates and they can move as soon as they know it's safe to remove
it.  Then your team can get off the surface immediately and team two can
handle the dismantling chore and face the risks of what happens
as......conditions deteriorate."
     Ila handed the shuttle com-line to Banker.
     "Commander, this is Lieutenant Banker.  In the interests of
efficiency, we want to play this thing out to the end.  Sergeant McCalla,
Centurion Festus and myself can handle the dismantling operation of the
transmitter."
     "How tall and heavy is this thing?"  Cain preferred not to talk to
the Lieutenant.  "You might need a dozen technicians to lift it free."
     "No sir, that's the amazing thing.  According to the computer data,
the transmitter is only ten feet high and weighs several hundred pounds
but that's manageable for two trained warriors and one nimble centurion. 
And our younger than he seems electronics chief is ready to help load her
in too."
     "Dr. Arnoff and Professor Ila are not expendable if something goes
wrong, Lieutenant," Cain felt his tension increase.  "I want them off the
surface."
     Banker handed the com-line back to Ila.
     "Cain," she said firmly, "We're just wasting time hashing this out. 
You want to get out of this system before a Risik warship arrives and
we'll be out much quicker if you just make use of the shuttle that's
already on the surface and has a team that's studied the layout of this
thing on the Master Computer and already knows the specs on it.  I have
to check out the communications center and the surrounding layout to make
sure there aren't any more warnings in Kobollian they need to know a
translation of fast and I also have to make sure that they've got it
lifted out properly.  Let us do the job and we'll bring it home."
     Up on the Pegasus bridge, Tolen passed a sheet of paper to Cain for
him to consult briefly.  He glanced at it and then spoke gravely into the
headset.
     "Ila, I've just gotten a reminder from Wallis, who was there the
last time, that when the Master Control goes off or becomes damaged,
what's going to start happening is a rapid deterioration of weather
conditions.  It's likely going to start raining at bare minimum while the
bubble collapses, and then you're going to certainly be dealing with an
occasional cyclone cropping up.  Add to that,  in a couple centars,
you'll get a full-force typhon blowing in.  Time is a luxury you're not
going to have the instant you throw that system into a shut down mode."
     "So be it," Ila was unfazed.  "Pray to the Lords they watch over us
until the job is done."
     For the first time, Cain had an inkling of just how much steely
resolve Ila had been demonstrating in missions for the Resistance on
Caprica.
     "All right.  Signing off for now.  You keep your com-line channel
open at all times, though."
     "Affirmative." 


     "Estimated time of arrival, 8 tenars."
     The communications officer then approached Clubb with an
increasingly worried expression, "Sir.....I think Star Force believes
we're avoiding them.  The requests we're not acknowledging are getting
rather......testy in nature."
     "They need to remember that mechanical failures in communication
can't be helped," Clubb was unfazed.  "That's just the way things are
some time.  Perhaps our ship will need an overhaul when we return to home
base."
     And then for the first time he looked the communications officer in
the eye, "And that's exactly how *you'll* remember all this, won't it?"
     He could only nod as he walked away.


     Banker was in the pilot seat and already had the shuttle in an
"idle" mode where it was powered up and only needed to start accelerating
to leave the surface.  Festus and Arnoff had assumed their places in the
passenger seats.  McCalla had chosen to accompany Ila back to the Control
Center to oversee the shutdown of the Master Control system and to help
her in case something happened on the way out.  Ila had insisted she
could do it all alone, but Banker had been adamant that she have an
escort ready in case she tripped in the dim light when both of them would
be running to get out fast.
     To save more time, Banker maneuvered the shuttle so its door was now
flush with the cave entrance.  When they returned, Ila and McCalla
wouldn't even have to step outside.
     The two humans in the shuttle were both too nervous to say anything,
which not surprisingly meant that it was the one Cylon that would break
the silence.
     "This regard for the well-being of comrades on a mission is.....most
fascinating."
     Dr. Arnoff turned and managed to smile at Festus, "We'd be thinking
the same if it were you in there, Festus."
     "You've demonstrated that," the Cylon said.  "And that is why it
is....fascinating."
     Banker could only marvel at how fortunate it had been that Tolen
hadn't followed through on his first instinct to dispose of the four
centurions after the mission objective on Equellas had been fulfilled. 
The foresight in recognizing that early sign of true independence had led
to a fortunate change in strategy that was paying enormous dividends.
     May this not be the end of the line for one of them!  Not to
mention, us.
     Through the pilot window he could still the message that had been
scrawled on the side of the cave exterior by Sergeant Thomson of the
Galactica, and for a brief micron he wished he'd taken the time to add
something underneath it.  And then he reminded himself that it wouldn't
matter.  After today, no one would ever be able to see anything left on
this planet.


     It took all the self-control Ila could muster to keep herself calm
as she returned to the Command Center one last time to perform the final
task.  A task that she knew would mean the end of over seven thousand
yahrens of lonely vigil this planet had provided as a way station for
those the 13th Tribe had hoped would one day follow in their wake. 
Utilized ultimately, only twice by her descendants, and the second time
had been as a way station in reverse.  It was hard not for Ila's sense of
history that she'd picked up from her husband, to not recognize the
deeper solemnity in what she was about to do.
     But it has to be done.  For the greater good.
     With McCalla keeping a watchful eye at the arched recess point that
led to the surface, Ila slowly backed her way out of the labyrinth
interfaces she had gone through since she'd first started so many centars
ago and with very little respite.  It was only adrenaline and the
consuming desire to finish what she started that kept her from being
aware of how tired she was after all this time and how she would likely
sleep for an entire cycle uninterrupted once she got back to the Pegasus.
     And now she was back to the initial screen where she'd started from
that dealt with the Master Control system.  Where options were presented
to her in the form of color coded buttons.  Blue, which was designed to
repair damaged relay stations.  Green, which was designed to start this
particular terminal.  Red, which was to shut down the Master Control
entirely and was the button she would have to press.  Next to that was a
Yellow button which could be used to reactivate the system after it had
been shut down.  If there'd been more time to work with and no
possibility of a Risik warship showing up and dragging the Pegasus into a
fight it could ill-afford to get involved in, she might have been able to
utilize that button and restore things after the transmitter was removed. 
But the Lords, she was convinced, had dictated otherwise.  This complex
and this planet had served its purpose.  And now it's time was over.
     Ila brought her finger down on the red button and abruptly a loud
sound filled the room like that of great machinery and power centers
slowly going into a shut-down mode.  
     Almost immediately, she dashed to the exit and fell in line behind
Sergeant McCalla with full illuminators blazing in the cave darkness as
they made their way toward the surface.


     Banker knew that McCalla wasn't going to waste so much as one micron
telling him that shutdown had taken place since it would then be a
footrace to get to the shuttle and to take off fast.  But right away he
could see the first telltale sign that something had changed when he
noticed the clear blue sky above start to darken.  Followed by the first
sign of a raindrop.
     "It's started," Arnoff murmured.
     Banker calmly sucked in his breath and rechecked the coordinates for
the communications station.  There could be no margin for error. 
Everything had to be done in a hurry.
     Festus had arisen from his chair and moved to the entrance which
looked out into the cave.  Immediately the Cylon began to flash his
illuminator, as though trying to provide a beacon for Ila and McCalla to
lock on to.  Arnoff, realizing the centurion's intent got up from his
chair and stood alongside him, calling out into the distance, "Hello!"
     Five microns passed before they could see the flicker of two
illuminators in the distance.  Outside the sound of the raindrops began
to pick up more with louder thumps against the metallic surface of the
shuttle.  Dr. Arnoff found himself trying to will the distant lights to a
greater size, which would mean they were closer than they actually were. 
But instead, he had to keep standing and waiting for them to get bigger.
     As the rain grew more steady, they finally heard McCalla call back
to them.  Banker was feeling his palms start to sweat as he put his hand
above the switch that would close the hatch.
     Finally, more than five centons after the first raindrop, an out of
breath McCalla and Ila stepped inside the shuttle.  Banker brought his
hand down on the switch to close the hatch and then immediately hit the
accelerator.  By the time McCalla had moved into the co-pilot seat, the
shuttle was already off the ground and rising in the middle of what had
become an intense rain storm.
     "Course plotted," Banker said, "Two centons ETA."
     Above the sound of the engines, the sound of a loud thunderclap
actually caused the shuttle to shake slightly.
     "I think the conditions are deteriorating faster than we
anticipated," McCalla kept his voice level.
     "Yeah," Banker grimly nodded.  And then his eyes widened in horror
as he saw a hook-shaped cloud starting to drop down toward the ground
right in front of him.
     "Frack!  Cyclone!" he veered the shuttle to the left to get it out
of the path of the forming monster.  McCalla then hastily rechecked the
internal navigation to make sure they were back on their programmed
course.
     From her passenger seat behind them, Ila was trembling.  Now that
things were out of her hands and she was no longer in control of events,
the repressed emotions and anxieties were starting to surface.
     Her only avenue to ward the anxiety off was to close her eyes and
pray.


     "Commander, Alpha Shuttle is away and headed for the communications
site," Kylie said.  "But conditions on the planet are starting to
deteriorate rapidly.  Indications of rain storms and cyclones forming at
various intervals across the safe zone."
     Cain greeted the news with silence.  He then walked over to Altair's
station.
     "Inform all vipers currently on flank patrols to return
immediately."
     "Aye, sir."
     "You're taking down our defensive screen?" Tolen was puzzled.
     "Have to," the Juggernaut was matter-of-fact, "The instant the
shuttle is aboard I want emergency light speed so we're out of here
without leaving a trace but our ion fumes."


     It was the longest two centons in the lives of any of the four
people aboard the shuttle before it finally touched down alongside a
small fenced in perimeter from where the ten foot high transmitter stood. 
Just fifteen feet away from the perimeter was the cave entrance that
housed the communication station complex at ground level.
     Banker first maneuvered the shuttle so that like at the cave they'd
left it put the hatch flush against the entrance.  That enabled the hatch
to open and allow Ila to quickly dash out with a com-line in hand so she
could make sure there weren't any features inside the communication
station that could disrupt the effort to remove the transmitter antenna
outside.
     Once Ila was out, Banker closed the hatch and moved the shuttle
alongside the perimeter.  He then opened the rear hatch which ordinarily
the landram would exit from, since this was where the ten foot long
transmitter would need to be placed.
     Bringing the shuttle to a stop but keeping it in the idle setting,
he opened the hatch again.  He and McCalla unhitched themselves and
hurried out.  The rain in this area was less intense than where they'd
been but it was still a presence to be reckoned with.
     Immediately, they saw a new problem.
     "There's no gate!" McCalla had to raise his voice over the sound of
the rain and the wind.  "We'll have to blow away this part of the fence
to carry the thing through!"
     Banker nodded and the two of them retreated back into the shuttle. 
The Lieutenant then hit his com-line.  "Ila?  What do you see in there?"
     "I see a row of dead consoles that can't be turned on," she said
with resignation.  "And no Kobollian instructions that require my
translation skills.  Cain will say I didn't have to tag along for this
part of the ride, but we had to be sure."
     "Yes, we did," Banker nodded, "Professor, do you think you could
handle a short dash through the rain to get back in the shuttle?  It
would help if I don't have to back up"
     "Sure," Ila was non-plussed, "Remind me to tell you of the time I
had to crawl through the mud on an infiltration mission last yahren!"
     "I can believe it!" the lieutenant chuckled.  "We're going to blow
the fence so we've got an opening to carry the thing out."
     "Good luck!"
     As soon as Banker signed off, McCalla re-emerged from the back
carrying several charges he'd retrieved from the Ordnance Locker.  "Two
centon delay on these things.  They'll be pointed to blow away from the
shuttle and should give us a wide enough perimeter to carry that out.
     The lieutenant and turned to Festus, "Festy, if you don't mind
getting your shiny body wet, you come out and join us as soon as they've
blown."
     "It will be manageable," the Cylon said.  "Our outer shell is in
fact quite impervious to elemental moisture.  Contrary to human belief,
we do not rust easy."
     Lords of Kobol, he's even developing a sense of humor!  Banker shook
his head in amazement as he and McCalla hurried back out.  They'd been
out five microns when a wet and disheveled Ila hurriedly stepped back in. 
Almost immediately, Dr. Arnoff grabbed a blanket and draped it over her. 
She gratefully clutched at it but barely had time to relax before a flash
of lightning illuminated something ahead on the horizon.
     "Oh Lords," she whispered, "Another cyclone."
     The Electronics scientist nervously drummed his fingers on the side
of his chair.  "If that gets too close, this shuttle may not be the
safest thing to be in.  We may have to make a run for that cave."
     Ila lowered her head and began to pray silently again.


     "All vipers aboard, Commander," Tolen reported.
     Cain didn't acknowledge his Executive Officer.  Instead, he was
glancing first at Kylie whose shake of the head meant the shuttle hadn't
taken off, and then at Altair and Ham whose head shakes meant there'd
been no communication from them.
     The Juggernaut began to bang his swagger stick against the rail with
greater intensity.


     Banker and McCalla set the charges in place with their two centon
delay and scrambled back into the shuttle.  The lieutenant found himself
with one eye on the fence perimeter surrounding the transmitter and the
other on the ominous looking cyclone, which for now was moving across
their field of vision in the distance and not towards them. 
     When the charges blew, the two warriors were dashing out with Festus
now trailing behind them.  Moving to the forward part of the shuttle, Dr.
Arnoff could see that the charges had done their job, creating an open
space that would definitely be wide enough to carry the transmitter out.
     The transmitter was anchored to the ground by wires affixed to the
top that then spread out in a triangular pattern.  Each of the three used
a laser pistol to sever the wires at their ground base which now loosened
the base of the ten foot high transmitter.  Immediately it began to rock
back and forth from the increased howl of the wind.
     Arnoff watched as Banker and McCalla took up a position in the rear
and began to push the transmitter forward so that Festus, in the position
closest to the shuttle, could grab hold of it.  As the wind and the rain
picked up it was getting harder for the Electronics Scientist to see what
was happening.  He could tell that the three of them were struggling with
it.
     The scientist bolted from his seat and stepped out of the hatch into
the pouring deluge.
     "Do you need help??" he shouted over the wind.
     He could barely make out McCalla, who had rushed from the back to
the front to join Festus, waving his arm and motioning him to get back
in.  Reluctantly, Arnoff turned to go back inside.  But then he stopped
when his peripheral vision detected that the path of the cyclone was now
starting to change.
     And moving directly toward them.


     An uneasy quiet had settled over the Bridge of the Pegasus.  No one
dared say a word aloud or under their breath, because they knew the
Juggernaut wouldn't tolerate it.  He only wanted to hear one thing only
and that was news that the shuttle was away.
     It isn't the prospect of losing the transmitter that has him on
edge, Tolen thought.  It's the prospect of losing Ila.  If he loses
her......it could send him right over the edge.  That's how much he's
come to need her in running this ship.
     Hades Hole, the Executive Officer thought further, we *all* need
her!  She's changed everything about this ship.
     The only sound piercing the silence on the Bridge was the
increasingly louder and louder tapping of Cain's stick against the rail
which was practically a banging now.


     "Okay, okay!"  A drenched McCalla shouted as he bolted through the
main compartment from the rear landram storage area.  "We got that piece
of ancient felgercarb inside!  All we had time to do was slide it under
the landram housing!"
     Festus, the rain sliding off his metallic body was next, saying
nothing and taking a seat alongside Arnoff and Ila.  Finally, sprinting
in from the back was Banker.
     "The cyclone," Ila whispered loud enough for the new arrivals to
hear as the pilots scrambled to get themselves strapped in.
     Banker looked up through the forward windshield and could see that
the cyclone was at most two kilometers away and bearing down on them. 
Already, they could begin to feels its effects as the force of the wind
caused the shuttle to move slightly.
     "Rear compartment closed?" he barked at McCalla.
     "Check!"
     "Power systems on to max," He hit the switch and the engines groaned
to life.  Banker pushed the control stick forward and the shuttle began
to move slowly.  And then, there was a violent jerking motion as another
blast of wind rocked the shuttle and caused it to tilt for a brief micron
at a thirty degree angle.
     Ila was trying not to show any fear.  But because all of this was
out of her hands, it was harder and harder not to show it.
     It'll be okay, Mother.
     Her inner terror dissipated as she heard the voice in her head.  The
voice of someone she knew she'd seen and heard not long ago when that
mysterious force had hurled them across the stars and she'd blacked out
and during that blackout had seen him.  Her youngest.  Her pride and joy
that she'd doted so excessively on.
     "Zac?" Ila whispered under her breath, so softly that not even
Arnoff seated next to her, could hear her say it.  And then she leaned
her head back as far as she could and closed her eyes, not wanting to see
anything more in front of her.

     "Commander, cyclone is almost on top of their position!" Kylie
finally broke the silence which caused a sharp intake of breath from
everyone else on the Bridge and brought Cain and Tolen hurrying over to
her station.  They could see the scanning image that denoted the violent
storm formation aligned perfectly with the location of the communications
station.
     And then....they saw something else moving.


     "Full power to thrusters!" Banker barked.
     "We're practically in a vortex!" McCalla had his arms pushed forward
on the controls as hard as he could.  Between the intensity of trying to
control the shuttle and the fact that the two of them had emerged from a
drenching downpour and were shivering violently now, it was the most
discomforting experience either warrior had ever known in their careers.
     "Up angle!  Up angle!  Climb you piece of felgercarb, climb!"
     Dr. Arnoff saw the ugly funnel shaped cloud, distinguishable by its
darkness almost filling the field of vision of the cockpit windows.  He
could feel his heart pounding to the point where he thought it would
explode.  To his left, Festus just sat imperviously, and the scientist
wondered if the centurion for the first time was experiencing fear.
     To his right, he saw Ila, leaning back with eyes closed.....a
picture of calm that suggested she'd gone into a meditative state.
     How does she do it?
     The shuttle rocked violently again in the rear section which caused
the craft to pitch downward slightly.  Banker and McCalla, fearing a
stall in the atmosphere again pushed forward to level the shuttle before
pulling back to climb.
     "Gaining altitude and speed!" McCalla shouted, "I think......I
think...."
     Finally, the violent rocking motion of the shuttle and the heavy
sensation of the turbulent winds ceased as the shuttle broke free into
higher altitudes high above the atmospheric level.
     "We made it!" Banker let out a triumphant yelp.  "We made it!"
     "Congratulations, on your exceptional flying skills," Festus said in
his normal toned human voice, which brought forth tension-relieving
laughter from the two warriors and from Dr. Arnoff.
     But when the electronics scientist looks back at Ila again, the only
change in her expression was that she was now smiling in blissful
contentment.


     "They made it!"  Kylie let out a happy whoop as she saw the track
showing the shuttle clear of the atmosphere.  Almost immediately, the
entire Bridge burst into a celebratory air that Tolen hadn't seen the
likes of in yahrens.
     Above the din, a jubilant Major Ham was calling over, "Banker
reports everyone okay, and transmitter secure!  Requesting landing
clearance in Alpha Bay!"
     "Permission granted!" Cain was smiling but his overall reaction was
muted compared to everyone else's.  He moved over to Kylie, who was
finally containing herself once again.
     "Kylie.  The instant that shuttle is secure, I want emergency light
speed *immediately*.  I want as much distance from this planet along the
Epsilon 22 heading as you can give us!"
     "Yes, sir!"


     True to Cain's instruction, by the time the shuttle landed on the
Pegasus and was safely secure, it took exactly ten microns for the
battlestar to break from orbit and go to her top speed.  When the Risik
warship under Commander Clubb arrived at the scene five centars later,
all that could be seen was a planet that was now totally uninhabitable
due to the storms that covered its entire surface in every corner.  With
nary a trace that anything had once flourished or prospered on it......or
that anyone had ever walked its surface.
     All that was left for Commander Clubb was a mystery regarding the
disappearance of Kraitch's scout ship that he couldn't explain or account
for.  And no matter how much the Star Force or the Supreme Leader might
find that explanation unsatisfactory, it was all he could offer his
superiors.
     "Perhaps he did encounter this second battlestar that the Zykonians
say is called the Pegasus," Clubb would report some time later.  "If so,
he clearly did not exercise the skills of leadership he was entrusted
with, nor did his crew."
     "But he was *your* choice, Commander!"  Admiral Trilligan would say
in rebuke.  "*You* were the one who entrusted him to head such a vital
scout mission!"
     "His record merited it," Clubb would hold his ground.  "I am no more
responsible for his incompetence than are those who advanced the careers
of Admiral Beshik and certain other parties!  And I certainly haven't
lost a warship as a result of this experience!"
     That would be enough to let Clubb escape harsh judgment.  His needed
combat experience far outweighed any repercussions that might arise from
what ultimately amounted to no more than the loss of a single scout ship
and four Risik personnel.  If anything, the failure of this second
battlestar to hunt and engage Clubb's warship suggested a reluctance to
fight that was quite unlike what the Risik had seen with the Galactica
and her Fleet.  And only served to remind the Risik leadership up to the
level of the Supreme Leader that it was the Galactica that merited their
revenge for the humiliation of Ne'Chak, and nothing else.

Epilogue

Cain had slept for twelve centars uninterrupted after the Pegasus had
gone to light speed. 
It signified the massive sense of relief he'd felt to know that all these
tasks in this potentially hostile region of space were at last over.  And
finally, he could see more clearly in front of the path that his ship had
truly been destined for.
     After he'd awaken, showered and dressed, he was still in a relaxed
frame of mind in his quarters when Tolen entered.
     "Commander, we have now officially left the outermost edge of
charted Ziklagi space according to the star charts that were provided to
us."
     "The Lords of Kobol be praised," Cain lazily raised his swagger
stick into the air.  
     "Dr. Laughlin has completed all bio-scans that he can do with the
dead Risik," he added, "What do we do with it now?"
     "Jettison it into space like we do with all the dead," there was an
edge of dry contempt in his tone.  "May we never have to make use of that
data again."
     "The Galactica may well have to," Tolen pointed out.
     Cain didn't answer at first, as he kept looking askance with a lazy,
relaxed air.  Then, he slowly turned around to face the Executive
Officer.
     "Maybe," he said, "Maybe so, Tolen.  Adama decided he had to fight
them and God knows, I'm not faulting his reasons.  He saw a
responsibility to those prisoners from Earth the Risik were holding and
God bless him for taking action and doing what he could to liberate them. 
I hope when he reaches Earth one day that those people who suffered in
that prison camp on.....Ne'Chak or whatever it was, are able to know the
joy of what it means to be home again." he then paused, "Just like I hope
we'll someday, when all it's over, know what it means to be home again."
     "Sir," Tolen went on, "I know what you mean.  It's just
that......well in all the yahrens I've served under you, this whole
experience is the first time I've seen you......not anxious to fight."
     "I assure you, Tolen, I haven't lost my instinct for combat," he
chuckled dryly, "It's just a question of......knowing which enemies you
choose to fight against.  I don't doubt the Risik are brutal, tyrannical
and a menace to peace and freedom in this part of the galaxy.  Goodness
knows that if they'd succeeded in snatching Ensign Tegran, we would have
*had* to fight them just on general principle for the sake of one our own
men.  And it's especially disturbing to learn from those tapes that
they've had designs on Earth in the past and may one day have designs on
them again.  Assuming they don't continue to have trouble with this other
enemy of theirs, the so called 'Ke-Zar.'"
     "But it's not our concern, ultimately?" there was just an edge of
skepticism in Tolen's tone that was hard for Cain not to notice.
     "The same principle applies to them that applies to the Ziklagi," he
said.  "I wouldn't let the Zykonians force us into doing their bidding
against them, even though I can believe the Ziklagi is the worse side in
that conflict.  Just like I can believe everything that's bad about the
Risik.  But when we don't have an immediate interest to deal with, like
we would have if they had taken Tegran, then what does fighting them get
us, Tolen?"
     "I don't know, sir," the Executive Officer admitted, "Technically, I
agree with you.  We probably would have lost valuable resources engaging
them that would have had to be replaced, and given how long it took us to
get back to where we are now......that wouldn't have helped us one bit
toward our long-term goal."
     "We would have had to go back to Brylon Station and ask for help all
over again," Cain said.  "And given the position of weakness we would
have been dealing from, the Zykonians at bare minimum would have insisted
we do something on their behalf against the Ziklagi.  And the next thing
you know it's a vicious cycle that becomes never-ending with us bogged
down in yet another conflict."
     "I understand sir," Tolen nodded, "It's just that.....from a human
standpoint, the Risiks are different from the Ziklagi.  They're a race
that's committed themselves to basically......enslaving humanity which
puts them only one small step below the Cylon Empire."
     "I know," Cain pivoted his chair away from Tolen to avoid looking
directly at him, "That's what makes it......hard to avoid feeling some
sense of regret that more can't be done for whoever the Risik might be
holding prisoner in some other penal colony of theirs.  But.....at the
same time, Tolen, even Adama's had to face that decision and come to
pretty much the same conclusion I have.  Oh, if he finds another Risik
prison camp that's lying in front of him, then yes, he will do something
about it.  But he's not going to turn the Fleet around and go back and
try to hunt out where every last  human abducted from Earth at some point
might be.  If he does that, then he....." he started to laugh at the
irony, "Then by God, Tolen, he suddenly becomes just like me at Gomorrah. 
Wanting to do the impossible without any regard for the fact that he'd be
putting the lives of all the people in the Fleet at risk by leaving them
vulnerable to attack.  That's exactly what he'd be doing if he made that
his first priority."
     "Sir, I understand that," Tolen said, "I think what I can't help but
wonder is......if there are humans suffering in this general quadrant of
space, then why were we thrust into it by those......powers, if it wasn't
to do something the Galactica isn't able to do?"
     Cain looked at him again with a smile of admiration, "Tolen, thank
you for having the guts to put questions like this to me.  They need to
be asked.  And they need to be pondered.  I respect you tremendously for
doing it."
     Tolen smiled thinly in appreciation.  These were the moments when he
was grateful once again for what he'd gone through on Equellas in
conquering the demons of his past regarding his old friend Martin.  It
had finally allowed him to become once again a warrior in the truest
sense who could speak freely to Cain and be respected in return.
     "My gut feeling, Tolen, is that yes, we were sent into
this......unknown area of space that we never would have visited on our
own for a higher purpose.  But a purpose rooted in our main mission which
became clear when Ila was delivered to us.  The Lords mean for us to help
the Resistance back home, and fighting the Risiks or any other race in
this area doesn't help that cause just like turning around to find every
last prisoner held by the Risiks doesn't help Adama's cause in finding
Earth.  You have to look at what we have accomplished in this region,
Tolen.  The first thing they wanted us to find was Commander Lucifer and
mining his memory.  Then all the things we picked up at Brylon, which led
to Wallis and Kelli leading us back to what we found on the weather
planet that's going to help.  Collectively that's a lot that's going to
pay dividends when it comes time for us to fight again."
     He then turned his chair fully around so he could lean forward and
put his hands on his desk.  "And what by far was the most important thing
we learned from getting hurled across the stars to this area of space,
Tolen?  I think you know the answer to that."
     The Executive Officer nodded, "Finding out what happened to the
Galactica and where she is now.  With this.....information from the Risik
scout ship, and what we learned at Brylon and from Wallis and Kelli and
from Commander Lucifer's memory banks.......we basically know just about
everything that's happened to them since we separated."
     "And that's done a lot to put my mind at ease about.....going home,"
he sighed.  "Not having to......wonder if my daughter learned to be happy
in a new life.  And it's certainly been a blessing to Ila as well to know
all these things."
     Cain then stopped and looked up with an anxious edge, "Has Ila seen
the disc with Adama's message to the Risiks?"
     "She slept as long as you did after she got back," Tolen said,
"But.....Dr. Arnoff finally told her about it, and he made sure a
duplicate was sent to her quarters.  She's probably seen it by now."
     "Good, good," Cain nodded, "She.....needs to see it and after all
the hard work she's done for us at Brylon and on the planet......she's
earned a few cycles respite.  Which I hope all of us can avail ourselves
of in the near term."
     "We probably will, sir," Tolen knew it was time to turn the corner
now, "Wallis and Kelli are finishing a report concerning major points of
interest the Galactica encountered between Gomorrah and Ziklagi
territory.  That basically represents the last unknown region for us
before we reach charted space once again."
     "Good, I'll be interested in seeing that.  Are there any previews
you can give me?"
     "Well, they do make clear the Ziklagi were the first truly alien
race they ever came across post-Gomorrah.  So we shouldn't be running
into anything like that between here and Gomorrah."
     "That relieves me immensely."
     "But they do say there's a human civilization that will be hard to
ignore.  One that apparently has no connection with either the Colonies
or Earth."
     "Human civilization?" Cain lifted an eyebrow.  "Not merely humanoid
like the Risiks?"
     "No sir, human.  In every last respect.  And fighting a civil war
amongst themselves.  The Galactica at first thought it might be Earth,
but.....it turned out not to be."
     "Well now that definitely piques my curiosity," Cain rose from his
chair, "A human civilization that isn't Earth, and isn't an offshoot of
settlers who originally came from the Colonies theoretically has to have
some connection with a splinter faction of original Kobollian settlement. 
That might offer another opportunity for finding signs of Kobollian
technology to supplement the transmitter we found on the weather planet."
     "I'm not sure," the Executive Officer said, "Wallis and Kelli seemed
to indicate they were at least a millennium or so behind the Colonies. 
That might not be promising as far as finding Kobollian technology goes."
     "Well, time will tell when we get close to it," the Juggernaut said. 
"What's the name of this civilization?"
     "It's based on a planet called Terra."


     "This is Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica, President of
the Colonial Council of Twelve representing the Colonies of Mankind.  To
the leadership and people of the Risik race, I am now offering you both a
full accounting of the events that took place at the prison colony of
Ne'Chak, as well as an understanding of who we are, and why circumstances
necessitated our taking this action."
     Ila froze the image of her husband on the monitor of her computer. 
This was the third time since awaking that she'd watched the thirty
centon long message he'd recorded for the Risiks and which had been
miraculously found in the wreckage of the scout ship.  The first time
she'd watched to absorb the details of the story he had to tell regarding
the rescue of the prisoners from Ne'Chak.  An event that had clearly
earned the wrath of the Risiks and accounted for why they'd had scout
ships searching for any signs of Colonial ships, and accounted for their
abduction attempt of Ensign Tegran.  That was enough to tell Ila how
wisely her husband had acted in going the extra mile to liberate the
prisoners of Earth who had been cruelly abducted in similar fashion to
Tegran.  It was yet another reminder to Ila of the basic nobility and
integrity of her husband that she'd loved with such unyielding devotion
for so many yahrens.
     I'm so proud of you, Adama, she'd thought as she'd finished the
first viewing.  This whole terrible experience hasn't changed you at all. 
Even with all these burdens of responsibility that rests entirely on
you.......you're still the man I love.
     The second viewing had been to just enjoy the sight of his face once
again and the sound of his voice.  Cain had no recordings on the Pegasus
for her to see or listen to of Adama, and so this was the first time she
had actually heard his voice since a dark and terrible night when she'd
been trapped in the underground shelter of the Astral Needle in Caprica
City.  Not able to get out......but able to hear from above the messages
playing in the loudspeakers set up in the streets that everyone needed to
evacuate the planet to join the Exodus.  Messages recorded by.....Adama. 
Like a message telling her to come to him......only she couldn't.  At
long last, though it wasn't the same as being able to talk to him live,
it meant a lot to hear his voice and to see his face once again. 
Unchanged from what she'd remembered and spent many nights these past
three yahrens dreaming of.
     And now......she'd started her third viewing, just to freeze the
image of his face at the right moment.  Because his message had been
solemn and authoritative to the Risiks he'd never smiled once.  So she
could only wait for the moment when the expression wasn't quite so severe
and stern.  When that came, she'd frozen it.  Just to be able to gaze at
it once again and take it in.
     And then, from sheer unexpected impulse,  Ila found herself singing
to the image of her beloved husband.  Their song.


          "Sometimes in the mornin' when shadows are deep
          I lie here beside you just watching you sleep
          And sometimes I whisper what I'm thinking of
          My cup runneth over with love

          "Sometimes in the evening when you do not see
          I study the small things you do constantly
          I memorize moments that I'm fondest of
          My cup runneth over with love."


When she finished, she let out a deep, emotional sigh as she reached out
and touched the
frozen still frame of Adama, which gave off the illusion of him looking
back at her, even though he wasn't.  But she refused to cry.  She'd  done
that the night she'd decided that her destiny in life as the Lords had
willed it for her was to not use the shuttle to go back to him, but to
continue the fight for the Resistance.  The sadness would still be there,
but the tears she wouldn't allow herself.  That was how it had to be as
she pursued her calling across the long road back.....and he pursued his
calling on the long journey to the shining planet called Earth.
     If there are any tears left in me for him, Ila thought, they'll come
only on the day I get to talk directly to him again.....and to Apollo and
Athena and my grandchildren.
     And by all the Lords of Kobol, she vowed, I *will* see and talk to
him again.

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

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