Before reading this story, read the first two Andromeda stories to know
whatthe frak is going on here, and then BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: TOUCHED
BY AN ANGEL. Then read BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, Story
#2 (the Pegasus).
  Did you read'em all? If you haven't, then go get'em and read'em.The
two Andromeda Stories can be found on the crossover page at:
        http://www.GalacticaFanfic.com
  Done? OK, grrreeAAAT! Well, As in the way the story #1 ended, you
probably knew what Story #2 was going to be about. Now that you've read
#2, you must know what this one's going to be about.
  Both previous BG/TBAA stories were written by Erin Gieg and myself.
However, with this one, I'm on my own. Will there be a Story #4? You
may ask, but even I don't know. Hey ERIN! Should we go for it?
  Also, this takes place at the same time that the first two TOUCHED BY
AN ANGEL stories takes place.
  BTW, this is completely independent of my BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE
NEXT GENERATION stories.

FOREWORD
The four angels, Monica, Tess, Andrew and Sam were introduced in story
#1. There is reference to another angel, named Rafael, a Thirteenth
Colony Hispanic angel who has been involved in cases with Monica, Tess,
and Andrew. I believe that he was introduced later on in the Touched by
an Angel series.
  In this story, there is also reference to a TBAA episode. Below is
shamelessly taken from the official TBAA webpage. (Problem: I cannot
remember its URL address!)#402 NOTHING BUT NET (Original airdate:
October 05, 1997)Writers: Daniel H. Forer and R.J. CollearyDirector:
Victor LoblProducers: Martha Williamson, Jon Andersen, and Robert J.
Visciglia, Jr.Guests: Paul Winfield, Cloris Leachman, Alexis Cruz, and
Charles Malik Whitfield.
  Tess, Monica, Andrew and Ruth (Ruth is another angel) arrive in the
announcer's box of a professional basketball game overlooking their
next assignment, that being Eric (E.Z.) Mony, the star point guard for
the Salt Lake Saints.
  Tess tells the others that Eric is angry and rebellious, with a
complete disregard for rules. As the angels look on, Eric shoves a
referee.
  Although Ruth is told that her assignment is only to observe the
situation, she is soon moving down in the stands in order to speak to
the referee. Due to her interference, a jersey thrown into the crowd by
Mony goes to a very impressionable 14 year-old named Darnell.
  Sam, the special affairs angel, arrives to explain that the case has
just taken a turn for the worse because a bond was formed between E.Z.
and Darnell.
  Later at the Boys Club, Sam coaches Darnell and his friends and
introduces Monica as the new tutor. Meanwhile, as E.Z. is disavowing
his status as a role model, we learn of the disappearance of a hockey
player by the name of Winston El Camio. As E.Z. prepares to leave the
stadium, Andrew introduces himself as the ghost writer who will be
writing his E.Z.'s tell-all book.
  Ruth, having recovered from her blunder at the stadium, approaches
Darnell. She tells him that E.Z. is not someone to look up to, that he
cannot read.
  Darnell then goes to E.Z. and blackmails him with the information,
demanding "a night in the life of E.Z. Mony" in return for his silence.
  While on the town, E.Z. takes Darnell to a casino and quickly loses
$100,000. Two henchmen of the casino then threaten E.Z. with his life
if he doesn't shave points, invoking the name of Winston El Camio as
evidence of their seriousness.
  The next day, E.Z. learns of the death of El Camio and has no choice
but to try and throw the game.
  Convinced that E.Z. will pull off the scam, Darnell takes bets from
his friends. When the game begins, E.Z. is miraculously unable to miss
and the Saints win. Darnell confronts E.Z. after the game and E.Z.
rebukes him, "You're livin' poor and you're gonna die poor."
  Darnell slinks out and the two henchmen enter to kill E.Z. As E.Z.
prays toGod, Andrew reveals himself and demands, in the name of God,
that the men leave.
  As the men exit, Andrew tells E.Z. God wants him to learn to read. In
the pressbox, Monica consoles Ruth, showing her the marquee which is
now flashing "God Loves You."
  As E.Z. and Darnell meet on the court, both look up at the flashing
marquee. E.Z. vows to learn to read and Darnell cries as he realizes
that he is truly loved by God.

I must also point out that while Andrew was telling E.Z. that God wants
him to learn to read, Rafael also consoles Darnell.

I had only started getting into that series during the middle of the
second or third season of TBAA. Now here I am, plunging into this
crossover without Erin, who knows more about TBAA than I do. Gosh, I
miss Erin already. Waah!! I NEED HER!! (Please keep your comments to
yourself:)

                       BATTLESTAR ANDROMEDA
                       TOUCHED BY  AN ANGEL
                    Story #3 of a crossover saga

                           Written by
                            Joe Chin


A battlestar was moving forwards in space. Following the huge warship
was a small fleet of freighters, Colonial movers, four agroships,
industry ships, tankers... all making up a fleet of a tad over fifty.
Some of these unarmed ships were those that were left behind by
Commander Adama, because the ships needed repairs before they were able
to get under way, and Adama did not know about them. Most of them had
just gotten to the rendezvous point a tad too late, and found that the
Galactica and the assembled fleet had left without them. Fortunately,
they found the Andromeda. A few others were ships that were salvaged,
made space worthy, and gotten into space, with intentions to complete
the rest of the repairs as they moved along. The few tankers were
mostly Colonial tankers loaded with people instead of fuel, but a few
captured Cylon tankers loaded with fuel and other supplies, also made
up the fleet. These Cylon tankers were originally sent out from Cylon
to replenish Cylon basestars and Cylon bases scattered throughout the
various regions of space. All of these ships were all on their voyage
under the flag of Commander Andrea, Commander Adama's younger sister,
to seek out and join the Galactica under the flag of Commander Adama.
Later on during their voyage, they encountered Commander Cain and the
Pegasus, and found out that Adama and the Galactica was leading two
hundred twenty odd unarmed and minimally-armed ships.
  The entire voyage started a yahren ago. All of the repairs were done,
but there were also other problems that crept up along the way, so
engineers and technicians and other repair crews were always working on
something.
  The four agroships left the Colonies with very little or no seed or
vegetation a tad over a yahren ago. Commander Adama's wife, Ila, who
was believed dead by Adama and their eldest son, Captain Apollo,
provided that, as well as stored food from a heavily-armored
underground alcove from what was left of the house that she and Adama
raised their three children in. A yahren after leaving the destroyed
Colonies, the agroships ended up full of life, with more than enough
vegetation to feed the entire people of the fleet three times over.
  The entire fleet was followed by a small warship that was a much
smaller version of a battlestar, but without the two landing bays on
its sides. The ship itself was the size of one of the battlestar's
viper bays.

Andrea's JournalIt has been a tad more than one yahren since leaving
the colonies with what is apparently, the second fleet of humanity from
the Twelve Colonies. Because of that, we have come to call ourselves
The Second Fleet. Still we have not encountered Commander Adama or the
Galactica or any of the fleet under his protection; we have named that
fleet under Adama, 'The First Fleet;' although we keep finding traces
of his presence. We have, however, encountered the Pegasus, under
Commander Cain, about half a yahren ago, but haven't seen or heard from
him since.
  We have just passed a system of five planets, and found fragments
from Cylon fighters and vipers, and debris of an entire basestar. The
only reason that we know that it was a basestar is because we found a
somewhat intact mega-pulsar, which only one battlestar of all of the
colonies have: The Andromeda. And the pieces of the massive ship that
was scanned would more likely form a Cylon basestar, and not a
battlestar. There is hope yet.
  It seems that we always get to the locations of the Galactica, always
a tad too late.
  Based on the energy readings that were picked up, this battle was
very recent. But from the looks of it, it looks more like the work of
Commander Cain than that of Commander Adama. But my very being tells me
otherwise. We have gathered a lot of the scattered debris to see what
we can salvage from it. At this very centon, my crew is analyzing the
scraps.

In the landing bay, there were fragments from Colonial vipers and
Cylon-raiders scattered throughout the deck. There were also several
derelict but intact Cylon raiders, each surrounded by armed Colonial
warriors. There was also two intact vipers, but it was evident that
they were shot up.
  Captain Zane, Commander Andrea's son, and Lieutenant Io, Zane's
wingmate, got the cockpit of one of the vipers opened, and saw the dead
pilot inside, preserved by the vacuum of space because life support
systems were destroyed by Cylon lasers.
  "Blue Squadron," said Io. "I hope that it is not-"
  "It's not, unless Apollo has not eaten in sectons." Zane knew what Io
was going to say before he finished saying it.
  Io removed the helmet. "Or has much lighter hair than you," said Io.
Then he lifted his collar, looking at the pin on it. "Or got reduced in
rank from Captain all the way to Ensign."
  Zane smiled slightly. "No, Apollo and I have the same color hair."
  "The other one is from Red Squadron," someone bellowed across the
landing bay.
  "No doubt, the Galactica," said Zane.
  "The First Fleet," said Io.

Meanwhile, on one of the agroships, a dark-skinned man, Sam, was
walking around, admiring at the flourishing plant life, and leisurely
enjoying the view.
  Someething caught his attention. Nearby, he watched as several people
were moving a flatbed cart that held a very large purple piece of
fruit. There were guard rails on the sides of the cart to keep the
contents on the cart from falling off. That piece of fruit was the size
a human being, and resembled a double-headed missile. Sam watched as
they wheeled it to the doorway.
  "Fascinating, yes?" the man standing next to Sam asked.
  "That's a mush fruit," responded Sam.
  "That's right," responded the other person. "That is what mushies are
made from."
  The four workers had to stop at the doorway so that someone can push
the button to open the door. As they came to their stop, the large
piece of fruit rolled sideways, broke through the guard rail, and
rolled onto, Vella, who was standing next to it, and then rolled back,
knocking the flatbed cart over.
  Both, Sam and the other man went running to the scene. Sam went to
the downed woman, who was just sitting on the floor.
  "My leg," cried Vella. "My foot."
  Sam took a look at it, and said, "The connection between your leg
bone and your foot bone has been severed. This will hurt, but we must
set it back in place for it to heal properly."
  As Sam held her foot and lower leg, he gave a "Mmmmfff!" as he
struggled with it.
  That was followed by a, "CRACK," and then the woman painfully
yelling, "YEEEOOOOOWWWWwwww..."
  "Get her to the Life Center," said Sam. "We can do more for the pain
and help her heal there."
  Quickly, the four others stood the flatbed cart back on its wheels,
and lifted the woman onto it.
  "Hang on," someone said. With that, they ran, pushing the cart with
injured woman on it.

"All I can do is something for the pain, and put her leg in clay, and
let it harden. That will hold your foot and leg in place so that it can
heal by itself properly," explained the doctor at the Agroship Life
Center to Sam and the other four. "But then, it will take sectons upon
sectons, maybe even an entire yahren before she could walk normally
again." He turned to Sam, and asked, "Who are you, anyway?"
  "My name is Sam," Sam responded.
  "Are you a doctor?" he asked. "Or maybe a med-tech?"
  "You could say that."
  "Well, even if your actions were crude and ancient, it was the right
thing to do, and it was done right, Sam, but like I said, she would be
well within a few centons instead of many sectons if you took her to
the Andromeda Life Center. They can do much more for her on the
battlestar, with their more modern technology..."

A shuttle headed for the landing bay on the battlestar Andromeda.
  *Agroship shuttle requesting permission to land on the Andromeda with
our patient.* That was Sam's voice.

In the Andromeda Life Center, the woman was lying on a bed. Sam picked
up an instrument, and it hummed when it was activated. Sam held the
humming instrument over her ankle, slowly moving it back and forth.
After several microns, he turned off the instrument, and pushed it
aside.
  Her son, Puppus, just stood there, nervous and fascinated at the same
time.
  "There, Vella," he said, patting the woman's ankle area. "You should
be aaaallllll right now."
  "I don't feel the pain anymore," Vella commented nervously, "I don't
think." Slowly, she sat up, and then tried to stand. Then she walked
back and forth cautiously at first, and then continued as if nothing
had happened.
  "How do you feel?" asked the Andromeda doctor standing next to Sam.
  "It feels as if it has never been broken, Doctor," gleefully said
Vella. Then she picked up Puppus and started dancing around the Life
Center with him, his feet dangling in the air.
  "I just want to check and make sure," said the Andromeda doctor.
"Please come back here and have a seat."
  Vella climbed back onto the bed, and the doctor held another
instrument to her ankle. This instrument was connected to a scanner,
showing traces of her skin and the muscle underneath, and then the bone
structure of her ankle.
  "Very good," the doctor said to Sam. "Who are you? And are you a
doctor?"
  "My name is Sam, and you are?"
  "I am Doctor Lifer, Chief Life Station Officer of the Battlestar
Andromeda. You MUST be a doctor in order to do such a good job on
something as complicated like bone connections of the joining areas
like elbows, knees, ankles, wrists..."

The alarm to the door to Andrea's quarters signaled.
  "Enter," yelled Andrea through the closed door.
  The door opened, and then Zane and Io walked in. "Mother," Zane
started. "Those vipers WERE from the Galactica."
  "How do YOU know?" challenged Andrea. Because of her sixth sense,
this was not really news to her, but she had Zane and Io go through the
wreckage just to make sure her instincts were right.
  "The uniforms on two of the dead pilots," said Io, trying to sound
like he was sure of himself. "One from Blue Squadron, and one from Red.
Last I know, those two squadrons were assigned to the Galactica."
  "But none of them were Captain Apollo," said Zane. "One sergeant from
Red Squadron, and one ensign from Blue. But no doubt, it was the
Galactica that tangled with that basestar and won."
  "Red and Blue Squadrons were viper squadrons from the Galactica,"
recalled Andrea. "You're right, Io."
  "And we managed to recover the mega-pulsar that miraculously survived
the destruction of the basestar," pointed out Io. "With a few minor
repairs, it can be made fully functional upon installation."
  "It is very much like my brother to just destroy the enemy and then
move on," commented Andrea. "That intact mega-pulsar..." She trailed
off.
  "You mean, Commander Adama does things the old ways?" asked Io. "Does
not like taking the enemy's resources for his own use?"
  "Exactly," said Zane as he turned towards Io.
  "Well as for the dead pilots, we can let Life Station handle it from
here at  trying to identifying the fallen warriors," said Andrea. "And
as for the mega-pulsar, we can repair it, and save it. We just got a
new man in our Life Center, by the way, a Doctor Sam."
  "Oh, we have a new doctor in our Life Station?" asked Io.
  "Yes, we do," said Andrea. "He started about a few centares ago. Well
let's go to the Officer's Club. Your Aunt Ila says that she is making
something special. And I invited Doctor Sam to join us. Oh, and we
should also tell Ila that those pilots we found were not her son. And
that as far as we know, he is still alive on the Galactica."
  With that, the three walked out into the corridors.

"I've never tasted anything better than this since we left the
Colonies," complimented Sam, "Even if this is all that I am allowed
with the rationing."
  He was sitting at a table with Andrea, Zane, and Io. Finally, Ila
came along with her plate, and sat in between Io and Sam. While hers
was full, all the other plates on the table were almost empty, as Ila
had done some additional work before she sat down to eat.
  "Well, we can probably be a bit more generous once in a while if you
want more, Doctor Sam," said Andrea. "Go and help yourself if you
want." She looked at him with suspicion, but tried to hide it.
  "That is all right, Commander," he responded graciously. "I have had
even more just now than I had in an entire cycle."
  As an angel, Sam very seldom ate or drank. As Tess's superior in this
particular chain of command of God's angels, Sam very seldom got
heavily involved in an assignment, let alone actually having direct
contact with those that God was sending angels to.
  "Well, your addition to our crew is the occasion to indulge a bit."
  "And I am honored, Commander, but I have had enough."
  Zane, too, was suspicious. "Doctor," he started. "I have been on
every ship on the fleet. And for many sectons, I have not met or seen
anyone new that I have not seen before, until today when you came over
from the agroship with Vella. I wonder why."
  "Zane!" cried out Andrea. "Is THAT a way to treat our guest?"
  Zane stared at his mother. Ila, too looked at Zane with a bit of
annoyance.
  Io looked back and forth between Zane and Andrea and Ila. "Now is NOT
the time to start an argument," said Io. "I am sure that Captain Zane
meant no disrespect."
  "No, I didn't," said Zane. "I was just..." He trailed off, not
knowing what else to say.
  "That is all right," said Sam. "It's funny that I although have seen
Colonial warriors coming by to inspect the various ships of the fleet,
I haven't seen the son of the commander of our flagship. But I have
heard from others that he DOES just as much, if not more, of the hard
work as anyone. And he does get around. Some say, that he is very much
like the legendary Commander Cain. Always getting things done." His
eyes focused on Zane. "And, it IS an honor to finally meet you,
Captain."
  Only a few people on the Andromeda, those being Andrea, Zane and Io,
as well as a few who worked closely with them, such as Captains Lee and
Paddon knew thesecret about Commander Cain. Outside the Battlestar
Andromeda, only Commander Cain and Colonel Tolen himself knew. Tolen
knew because he was right there beside Cain on the command center of
the Pegasus bridge when Zane made contact with the Pegasus while on
patrol a half a yahren ago. Io knew because he was with Zane on that
same patrol in his viper.
  Zane smiled slightly, hiding his apprehensiveness, and nodded to Sam.
"The honor is mine, Sir. Welcome to the Andromeda."

Sam was in his newly assigned quarters aboard the Andromeda. He sat
behind the desk there, with a pile of papers and a pen in his hand.
Although he was taking on an assignment himself, he had plenty of
paperwork to do as part of his position he held. "Hmmm," he said to
himself. "It seems that Darnell is now E.Z.'s reading teacher. And E.Z.
is a fast learner." Sam suddenly looked up.
  "Hi, Sam," said Tess. "How are things going?"
  "I believe fine, Tess," he responded. "I do have lots of paperwork.
Tess, you, Andrew and Rafael did a great job with that basketball
player, E.Z. Mony and his little number one fan, Darnell. E.Z. is
learning how to read. And Darnell is teaching him."
  "Good," said Tess. She was smiling. "I am sure that Rafael and Andrew
would be glad to hear about that." 
  "Also, Ruth is happily back at her present job."
  "Monica would be glad to hear about that," said Tess. "An angel being
an angel to a fellow angel. Whoever would have thought of that?"
  "But I am sure that you are not here to see how -I- am doing. And I
hope that the bit of good news helped lift some morale out here away
from Earth."
  "Well, Andrew and Rafael did most of the work with E.Z. and Darnell,"
responded Tess. "And Monica was the one who actually lifted Ruth's
spirits. And it IS good news."
  "You must REALLY be in a fix to need MY help."
  "I tried to convince Commander Cain to seek and join the Galactica
and the main fleet of humanity, but I cannot get him to budge. And
that... Hypnos, is really becoming a pain."
  "Well, Tess, if I am correct, it is Cain's time to sleep now. He IS
an obsessive man, Tess, and perhaps an unforgettable dream is just what
he needs. If you haunt him enough, using his friends and loved ones...
crying out for him... telling him how much they miss and need him...
After all, they DO need him, and he had left a daughter behind who also
needs her father... And he has a woman who loves him and a son who
needs his father right here as part of my assignment."
  "I see your point, Sam," acknowledged Tess. "But you know, Hypnos was
a great teacher. I mean, look at Monica and Rafael. They are both good
at their jobs. It is a shame that Hypnos has turned."
  "You are right, Tess, but you know that Hypnos, as always, will fail
in his devious attempts. All you have to do is be patient, and let God
handle that."
  "Thank you, Sam."
  With that, Sam was alone again in his quarters. He turned his
attention back to his work.

Zane and Io quietly walked into the bunkers where the other Colonial
warriors were sleeping.
  Io whispered to Zane, "You really got your mother upset, Zane."
  "I know," Zane whispered back. "I just hope that this Doctor Sam
turns out all right. The thing is, it seems that my mother played right
into his spell. I'll ask Lee if she can run a personnel check through
the computers in the morning."

Captain Lee, the Andromeda's exec, dressed in her blue bridge uniform,
walked into the Officer's Club, to find Zane sitting at a table. She
walked up to him, saying, "You wanted to see me, Zane?"
  Ila came by, and asked, "Lee, do you want your usual?"
  "Not this time, Siress Ila," responded Lee. "I have a lot to do this
cycle."
  "But you should have something," pointed out Ila. "A Colonial warrior
without sustenance is like a viper without fuel."
  "She's right, Lee," said Zane. He put his hand onto hers. "After all,
she married one, and raised three of them."
  "All right, but only a little bit, just to keep me going and to keep
you two happy."
  "Coming right up," said Ila as she scooted away.
  "So, Zane, you did want me to meet you here, right?"
  "Yes, Lee, but I need you to keep this to yourself. Most of all, I
don't want my mother to find out about this."
  "All right," she said reluctantly. "I'll see, but even if I keep it a
secret, there is usually no hiding anything from your mother."
  Ila came by and placed a small bowl with a spoon in front of her on
the table, saying, "Here you go, Captain Lee."
  "Thank you, Siress Ila," said Lee as she scooped up some of the stuff
with the spoon from the bowl and put it into her mouth.
  "Enjoy, Lee," said Ila. With that, she left them.
  "Lee," started Zane. "Can you run Sam through the library computers?"
  Lee almost gave Zane a shower with what she had in her mouth. After
she swallowed with some difficulty, she started. "Zane."
  Zane stared back at her nervously, almost ready to dive under the
table or jump back.
  "I am not sure if I should say this, but..." Lee paused nervously.
  "Yes?"
  "It is funny... that your mother had asked me to do the same thing
earlier this morning. And she also told me not to say anything to
anyone."
  Zane stared back at Lee. He placed his hand on hers again, and said,
"Lee, your secret is safe with me."
  "And yours with me as well," she said. With that, she picked up the
bowl and put the end of it to her mouth, and scooped the rest of the
contents stuck on its sides in.
  "Thank you, Lee."
  "But, Zane, keep in mind that it can be impossible to hide anything
like this from the commander, as I had said before."
  "I know," said Zane glumly. "She's my mother."
  The two of them walked out together.

"I don't appreciate you two sneaking around me like that," Andrea said
angrily to Zane and Lee. She was in her personal quarters with Zane, Io
and Lee.
  "With all due respect," said Lee. "Whatever in hades is wrong between
you two, please, solve it. Part of my job as the Andromeda exec is to
make sure that things run smoothly. And I cannot do that when there are
problems between one of the viper squadron captains and the commander.
It is already complicated when they are mother and son. And, I remind
both of you. It is not just the Andromeda we need to worry about, but
if the Andromeda is destroyed by those tin-heads, the Triton Six would
be next, and then there is the rest of the fleet to worry about, which
will follow immediately thereafter with very little or NO means of
defense."
  "You're right, Lee," said Andrea. "But- I just did not want Zane to
give away our suspicions about Sam. So, since you are BOTH here, I may
as well ask about how your search went with trying to get information
on this Sam." She turned to Zane, and said, "Yes, I had Lee do some
research as well. And, young man, you should know that you cannot hide
things from me."
  Zane looked at his mother like he had been caught taking one mushie
too many.
  "Well, he does not exist according to the fleet computers," said Lee.
"But- I must also remind you that it does not that mean much because of
the minor damage to the library files and auxiliary files from when
Commander Cain temporarily took command for that slugging match with
those basestars by Gomoray."
  "Yes," responded Andrea. "For the system to say that there is no data
on someone named Andrea, when the computer should read, 'Andrea,
Commander, Battlestar Andromeda.' You KNOW that something is wrong..."
She trailed off smiling.
  "Well," said Io. "It looks like... one problem solved. Now, all we
need are some Cylons."
  Everyone looked at Io with daggers in their eyes, and Io just sat
there with an innocent look on his face.

A Cylon basestar came out of light speed, and slowed down to a full
stop. In the command center, two Centurions walked in, saying, "By your
command"
  "Report" said the gold Cylon sitting on the large, plush chair that
was in the middle of the command center. This chair, however, was not
on a pedestal, but directly on the deck of the bare room.
  "We have reached our assigned position as ordered by Commander
Lucifer"
  "Anything on the sensors" the deeper voice of the gold Cylon droned
out.
  "Nothing at all"
  "Send out a patrol, just to be safe"
  "By your command" said the Centurion.
  The gold Cylon got up, and followed both Centurions out of the room.

From out in space, a horde of Cylon raiders emerged from the basestar.

"I do have my suspicions about Sam myself, but it can be because I do
not know anything about him," explained Doctor Lifer to Andrea in her
quarters. "But he DOES seem to have good intentions."
  "Well," said Andrea. "There is something about him. It seems to me
that he is not what he looks or seems to be, or claims to be. There is
a lot more than that, and I don't even know where to begin to
speculate."
  "Well, Commander," started Lifer. "For the past one thousand yahrens,
two of the most prestigious things a man could do are, be a Colonial
warrior, or a doctor with some ship training as a close second. But it
takes a lot more study and work, such as longer academy time, and then
you have to be a med-tech first. But the way I saw Sam perform on that
Agroship woman, there is no doubt that he IS a doctor. And a good one."
  "Well, should he really join your Life Station staff?"
  "I would say that maybe we should try him out, and then we will keep
a close watch over him. A man with such talent, if he finds out that we
are closely watching him, we can just tell him that we are just trying
to learn from him."
  "That may work," said Andrea.
  "And Andrea..."
  "Yes, Lifer?"
  Lifer just looked down.
  "Something wrong?" Andrea asked.
  "No, Andrea. Nothing's wrong. As wrong as everything has gone with
the peace accords with the Cylons, everything seems right. I just want
to thank you again for including me as part of the crew. For the first
time, I really feel that I belong someplace. You know, I never had any
real parents, since I grew up on an orphanage after my father and
mother were both killed by the Cylons."
  "I understand that your father were one of the casualties of the
Third Fleetat the first Battle of Cimtar."
  "Yes. There were NO survivors. Too bad we did not have someone like
CommanderKronus, where there were survivors, even if all of the ships
of the FourthFleet were destroyed. Or maybe someone like Commander
Cain, who took all thesurvivors of the Fifth Fleet aboard the Pegasus
and made his escape."
  "At that time of that Battle of Cimtar, Cain and I were little
children,dreaming of going into space and wiping out the Cylons... And
so were you."
  "Yes, and my mother died when Cylons bombed our city soon after the
Battle of Cimtar. I mean, the First Battle of Cimtar. But at the
orphanage, I was different from the other children. I always made
myself useful, and that was when I first decided that I wanted to be a
med-tech. I fixed my best friend's broken arm, setting his elbow back
in place before the med-techs got to him. The Life Center staff allowed
me to stay, and I watched as they healed his elbow the rest of the way.
That was where I got my name, because at the time, I just did not know
who I was. For some reason, which doctors said was caused by a head
injury. I did not know who I was, or who my parents were at the time.
But because of my instincts, they named me 'Lifer,' figuring that I was
going to be a med-tech. Well, they figured right."
  Both, Lifer and Andrea laughed.
  "Well, you did better than that, DOCTOR Lifer," said Andrea.
  Lifer blushed at that comment. "Well, that's what I get for trying to
do the best I can. But, I later on remembered who my father was at the
academy when I saw a picture of him on our history scans. I asked
around about it, but no one knew. The only problem was, and still is,
that I cannot remember his name, my mother's name, or the name my
mother and father gave me. But it is good to feel like part of a
family, even if that family is the crew and warriors of an entire
battlestar."
  "Well, Doctor, you DO have a new member of that family. From that
serious look on him, I am sure that he will feel the same way."

In the Life Center, Sam sat, looking a scanner Doctor Lifer walked in.
Sam turned and looked at him.
  "Welcome to our staff, Doctor Sam," said Lifer. "Your stationing on
the Andromeda Life Center has been approved." He held his hand out to
him.
  "Thank you, Lifer." Sam took Lifer's hand, and stood there, staring
at eachother.

On the bridge of the Andromeda, Andrea and Lee were both at the command
center,with Lee seated at the station there. On the scanner beside it,
Colonel Meine,the commander of the Triton VI was speaking to Andrea.
*Nothing in our recordsor other records on any of the fleet ships
either, Commander,* he remarked.
  "Thank you, Colonel Meine," she responded. "I'll be in touch."
  With that, the screen faded.
  Lee then looked up at Andrea, and said, "Commander, there was a
momentary blip about ten thousand microns. They reached nine thousand
microns and then went back."
  "Warbook readings?" She looked at the other scanner screen as the
warbook was searching through all the various known ship
configurations. Finally, the warbook stopped on the blueprints of the
side view and top view of a ship. The side view resembled the top half
of an ellipse, and the top view was a circular shape. Next to the
diagrams, CYLON FIGHTER was blinking.
  "Just what I was afraid of," Andrea muttered. "I want the Andromeda
on alertstatus, and all squadrons ready to launch. Alert Colonel Meine
on the Triton Six of our scanner readings. And bring the fleet to a
full stop."
  "Yes, Commander," responded Lee and several bridge personnel
erratically.

In the Life Center, Doctors Lifer and Sam were working away furiously
with med-techs, trying to get things prepared for casualties.
  "Are we under attack or something?" asked Sam.
  "Yes, we are, Sam," responded Lifer. "We must be ready to receive as
many injured people as possible, although we have not had this Life
Center completely filled with them yet."
  "It seems that there are a total of one hundred fifty vipers assigned
to a battlestar, and yet, there are three hundred fighters on a Cylon
baseship. And yet..."
  "Our pilots are that good, yes. And the Cylons aren't. Besides, a
viper is a whole lot more maneuverable in combat than a Cylon fighter.
I don't know why, but you can ask an engineer after things get
settled."

A handful of viper pilots were standing on a transport cart, heading
towards the viper bays.
  In a launch bay, various Colonial warriors were climbing into their
vipers, and there were others heading for theirs vipers, or already in
them.
  In the two vipers in front, Zane and Io were in their vipers. Landing
bay crewmen handed the duo their helmets, and gave them the 'thumbs
up.' Zane and Io returned the hand signal to their respective crewmen,
and then the crewmen climbed off the viper canopies, and started moving
them out of the way. Zane and Io exchanged a 'thumbs up,' and then
their cockpits closed.

Back on the bridge, the scanner on the command deck showed a split
image of Zane in his flight helmet and Meine aboard the Triton VI.
  *It is entirely up to you, Commander,* said Meine. *Captain Herman
also told me that he will support any decision we make, but nothing
would please us more than to take out more Cylons. Also at the same
time, we haven't had a real slug-out with a Cylon basestar ever since
we and Commander Cain went our separate ways. It has only been a few
skirmishes with Cylon tankers with only a few fighters as escort.*
  Zane pointed out over the comline, *The Andromeda sensors can pick up
the Cylons from a much farther distance than the Cylon basestar can
pick up the Andromeda on their sensors. And the optimum firing range is
also farther away... Unless the Cylon basestars went and had a major
overhaul over the past half a yahren."
  "Captain Zane is right about that," pointed out Lee. "All we have to
do is stay far away from the basestar and keep firing our laser
turrets. Then from that distance, their laser torpedoes would have
almost completely dissipated by the time they hit the Andromeda or the
Triton Six."
  "Well, I would like to attack," said Andrea. "I am sick of running
and dodging and evading, and turning the entire fleet around and taking
the long way off our course just to evade the basestar that we find
hiding in our heading."
  Meine's face on the screen showed determination. *Andrea, so am I.*
his image looked aside for a micron, and the looked back towards
Andrea, and said, *And so is Herman.*
  "Lee?" asked Andrea.
  "Attack," she said.
  "Zane, are you with us?"
  *Yes, Mother,* responded Zane. *Better yet, is there any chance of
capturing and taking over that basestar instead of just blowing the
pogees out of it? It would make a fine addition to the fleet.*
  "We don't have the required manpower for a massive operation like
that, Zane. But as you said, a ship the size of that basestar would
make a great addition to the fleet. The problem is, a ship as powerful,
and as massive, as a Cylon basestar would consume a lot of fuel."
  *I agree with your mother, Captain,* said Meine.
  *I guess we are better off settling for a nice fireworks display
then,* cut in Io's voice.
  Everyone laughed.
  "Paddon?" asked Andrea. "What does HE want?"
  *Attack,* said Captain Paddon's voice. *And everyone on Orange
Squadron supports an attack.

*Meanwhile, in the Life Center, Sam picked up an instrument, and
connected parts of it to a probe, and watched the scanner. On the
scanner, there were two bright dots on it. Sam turned a
screwdriver-like tool in one of the instrument's holes, making the dots
on the scanner screen move.
  "Doctor Sam, that's my job," said a med-tech.
  Sam looked back at him, saying, "I am only trying to help. Keep in
mind that we doctors started off as med-techs, too."
  The med-tech looked around, and said, "Thank you, Doctor Sam. I think
that the Life Center is all set."
  "Very good," said Sam as he managed to get the two bright dots on the
screen into one bright dot in the middle. "Well, we just wait," said
Sam. "And hope for the best. The best that we could ask for is that we
worked hard at preparing for nothing, and all our viper pilots come
back alive and all right."
  "Or if anything, at least injuries that we can heal, and save those
fancy fliers," responded the med-tech.
  "All we can do now is pray..."

Back on the bridge, Andrea said to Meine, "I think that you should stay
behindwith the fleet... Just for in case a second basestar approaches.
I'll alsoleave Orange Squadron with you."
  *But Commander,* started Meine. *It is not easy for a battlestar to
win aslugging match with a Cylon basestar. And Purple Squadron will be
outnumberedFOUR to one.*
  "He is right about that," Lee said, "I mean about our viper
squadrons."
  *And Commander, you will have to be within the basestar's sensor
range for lasers, and extremely close to the basestar for missiles, to
have any effect.*
  "He's right about that, too, Andrea," pointed out Lee. "Launching a
missilefrom beyond their sensor range... Those tin-headed gallmogging
Cylons... willpick up those oncoming missiles, and then their laser
turrets would blast them long before their detonations can occur within
range to have any effect."
  "Does anyone know the sensor range of a Cylon squadron patrol, if
they shouldlaunch one?" asked Andrea.
  *About the same as a squadron of vipers,* said Zane, *Depending on
how many fighters they launch.*
  "Zane and Paddon," said Andrea. "I want you to meet me in the war
room. Meine, I want YOU there, too. Bring Herman if you want. We have
to work on a battle plan. Meanwhile, keep that Cylon basestar at the
edge of OUR sensor range. I do not want them to pick us up on theirs.
And let the word go forth to all ship commanders of the ships of the
fleet, that if we back away or maneuver ourselves sideways or
something, I want every ship in the fleet to move along with us." She
then addressed the man at the communications post. "Romulus. Contact
Doctors Lifer and Sam and have him report to the war room as well."

Sam went to examine one of the stasis tubes. In it was Tess, a soft
glow surrounding her that lit up the inside of the tube.
  "Tess, what are YOU doing here?" asked Sam.
  "I have completed my assignment, Sam," she said. "Commander Cain and
his crew are trying to repair the Pegasus so that he can seek out
Adama."
  "You chose a drastic way to depart your assignment, Tess."
  "But God's children on the Pegasus are still alive, Sam. I recommend
that you do the same thing with that basestar near here."
  Sam looked around the Life Center in thought. The only other presence
besides the two of them were Monica and Andrew, waiting around, and
Doctor Lifer, waiting to get busy.
  "I think I will, Tess," said Sam.
  Monica and Andrew both gave Sam the 'thumbs up.'
  Then Romulus' voice said, *Doctor Lifer and Doctor Sam, please report
to the war room for a meeting.*
  Sam and Lifer jumped up straight, and started walking towards the
exit of the life center. Sam looked back to see Tess, Monica and Andrew
gone.

Back on the basestar, the gold Cylon was on the bridge with other
Centurions.
  "Report" said the gold Cylon.
  "Lucifer has reported that he had to retreat from the Galactica and
took on heavy damage while attacking the Galactica" reported one of the
Centurions."And the other basestar was destroyed"
  "There is another basestar in the area" said the gold Cylon. "Ask its
I.L. commander to advise"
  "By your command" The communications Centurion then looked down at
his station, and pressed a few buttons on it. After a few microns, he
looked at the gold Cylon and said, "Last report from that basestar was
that the supply convoy sent to replenish us with fuel and supplies is a
centar late... He was going to try to locate them"
  "Ask him what we should do right now" said the gold Cylon.
  "By your command" it said. Then it looked down at his station, and
said, "They do not respond... The last-"
  "They do not respond" asked the gold Centurion, cutting off the
Centurion.
  "No response to our request for orders" responded the Centurion.
"Either they are unable to respond or his basestar has been destroyed"
  "Sensor readings" asked the gold Centurion.
  "Nothing on our sensors" responded another Centurion. "Nothing to
report from our patrols"
  The communications Centurion suggested, "We should go to Commander
Lucifer's last known location and attack the Galactica... They probably
would not expect another attack so soon after fighting two basestars
this far away from Cylon and their Colonies"
  "Prepare to take us to Commander Lucifer's last known location and
let's attack the Galactica..." ordered the gold Centurion. "Prepare for
lightspeed"
  "By your command" With that, the Centurion got to work at its
station.

Andrea, Meine, Lee, Herman, Zane and Paddon sat at a table in the war
room. "Well, I doubt that the Cylons know about our mega-pulsar," said
Lee.
  "The mega-pulsar was captured from the Cylons," explained Zane, "and
was installed on the Andromeda as an afterthought before she launched
from Germoni Deep Space Station Ninety Eight. They were not included in
the original designs, which was what Commander Cain probably saw."
  "I am just glad that Commander Cain did not know about it," said
Andrea. "Because the Cylons would know about it now, if I know
Commander Cain."
  "Well," said Meine, "We are so far from Cylon and Colonial space that
I doubt that there are more baseships out here. They probably put this
one here to try to ambush the Galactica and the First Fleet of Humanity
after Adama had blown the pogees out of that other basestar we found."
  "They probably sent an entire fleet of basestars," said Andrea.
"Because that one basestar was destroyed by Adama, they would send an
entire fleet to hunt him down. Therefore, here is my plan."
  Lifer and Sam walked in. "Sorry for our being late, Commander,"
commented Lifer. "But we were trying to prepare the Life enter as best
as soon as we went on alert status when we got your call to come here."
  Andrea nodded to them, saying, "Nothing important yet, Doctors, but
you did the right thing with your preparations. Have a seat, you two."
  Everyone watched as she went up to the star map on the wall.
  "First off, the Andromeda will go in by itself. No vipers; as they
will stay on various ships throughout the fleet. But the Andromeda will
go in firing its lasers, and the Triton Six will be on standby."
  "Commander, I must object," said Meine. "Their fighters will overtake
the Andromeda if there are no vipers to help defend it, even with the
enhanced weaponry range."
  "Meine," started Andrea. "If another basestar happens to be nearby
out there and decides to attack the fleet... Remember that those ships
have very little or NO defensive capability. And certainly they would
not last long against a basestar."
  "But-" started Meine, but he was cut off by Andrea.
  "With luck, I can get the Andromeda within firing range and blow the
pogees out of their launch bays before they launch too many of their
fighters."
  "That should not be too hard," commented Lee, "Provided that we move
in fast and our first shots are precise."
  "Actually," started Meine, "the Triton six is better for the job of
blowing the landing bays. It may be smaller and less powerful, but it
is much more maneuverable than a battlestar, and it can move much
faster. And being smaller gives a smaller target for the basestar to
try to hit. Also, being a smaller ship and does not emit as much power,
it would be more difficult for the Cylonsto pick up the Triton Six."
  "I have another option," said Sam.
  Everyone looked at him in shock.
  "Now what kind of option would a doctor have?" asked Herman.
  "Wait," said Andrea. "Let's hear him out before we criticize him."
She signaled to Sam. "Doctor Sam?"
  "We have a few Cylon tankers in the fleet. I would suggest that we
transfer the people and its cargo off one of them and then send it to
the basestar, with explosives. It will save many lives that way."
  "Brilliant plan," said Meine, "But they may destroy it long before it
reaches the basestar without clearance."
  Andrea thought about it. "His plan may work," she said, and then went
into deep thought.

{A Cylon tanker approached a basestar, and entered its landing bay.
Inside the landing bay, the tanker blew up in two explosions, sending
its impact throughout the landing bay. Then from out in space, the
basestar exploded three times in a mass of burning tylium.}

"I am sure it WILL work," exclaimed Andrea, with glee.
  "I'll take the tanker to the basestar," said Zane. "That is, if you
decide toimplement his plan."
  "I'll pilot that tanker," said Meine. "Then I will launch in a viper
from the tanker and try to get back here as quickly as I can. With
luck, that basestar will be pieces of scrap metal before they can get a
shot at me from any of its laser turrets."
  "No, Meine," argued Andrea. "I need YOU to command the Triton Six."
  "I'll go," said Io. "Since my luck is usually as good in my viper as
it is in Pyramids. And I have probably lost a hand in Pyramids only
twice that I can recall."
  "I will," said Sam.
  There were a few gasps from the people in the room, followed by a few
microns of silence as everyone looked at Sam in shock.
  "But you are not a Colonial warrior," objected Lifer, breaking the
silence. "You are a doctor."
  "Survival of this entire fleet is more important than one man,"
remarked Sam. "So far, all those who have volunteered for this happen
to be the most capable, and the most important personnel to the
survival of this fleet. Besides, I amsure that Commander Adama will be
glad to see his little sister's son again."
  "But a doctor is important to the survival of the various important
personnel," responded Lifer.
  "Yes," agreed Sam. "You are that important man," finished Sam,
signaling to Lifer.
  "All right, we will try the tanker idea," said Andrea. "If not, then
we will use both, the Triton Six and the Andromeda to destroy that
basestar, taking out the landing and launch bays first. Purple and
Orange Squadrons will be on standby on all of the ships of the fleet,
just for in case another basestar happens to encounter the fleet. If
there is nothing else, then dismissed."
  As everyone filed out of the room, Andrea called out, "Doctor Sam...
Zane... Do not leave yet."
  Soon the room was empty except for the three of them. Andrea walked
up to Sam.
  "Why would you want to take on such a dangerous mission, Sam?" asked
Andrea, "especially when you KNOW that you have very little, or NO
chance of survival?"
  "Because I want to do MORE than my part for this fleet," he
responded.
  "Sam, my son was right to question you about why he had never seen
you before when you first came aboard the Andromeda. I mean, you are
not even in any of the computers throughout the fleet. And I know that
there is a lot more about you than you are letting on. Who in hades are
you, really?"
  Suddenly, there was a soft glow that appeared and surrounded Sam. "I
assure you that I am not from Hades, Andrea."
  "By the Lords of Kobol," said Zane.
  Andrea just stared at him in shock.
  "Yes, Zane," said Sam. "I am an angel... sent by God." He looked at
Zane, and said, "Not the Lords of Kobol."
  "You mean, God has sent me an angel?" asked Andrea.
  "Yes, Andrea."
  "Why?" she asked.
  "God has sent me and my fellow angels throughout the survivors of the
Twelve Colonies because everyone was losing hope, and despair was
setting in, especially with the people of what you have deemed 'The
First Fleet.' Yes, the Galactica."
  "You mean, angels are all over."
  "Well, yes AND no," answered Sam. "There are only four of us working
with those of the Twelve Colonies. Two were assigned to the First
Fleet, one to the Pegasus, and me, here. But let me point this out."
  He walked over to the star map on the wall, and said, "This is where
your next course should be..." He placed his hand on the star map,
saying, "right here."
  Zane asked, "What did you mean by 'YOUR fellow angels,' Sam?"
  "I usually do not get out much," said Sam, "unless it is something
very important. And the remnants of the Twelve Colonies ARE very
important."
  Zane then asked, somewhat aggressively, "What makes US important? We
lost our homes, and so many people of our colonies were killed by the
Cylons. We are now but a race without homes, trying to find a new place
to start our lives all over again."
  "That was not part of God's plan, Zane," explained Sam. "The
original, biological Cylons were also God's children, but some of them
had turned away from him, and turned to evil. They built machines to
kill those who would not follow them, and then after a while, those
machines turned on them. And... you know the rest. But- those people
who did not survive the attacks are with God right now. And I must also
remind you that God loves you." He looked at Zane, and said, "I mean,
both of you, as he loves ALL his children, including all of those of
the Colonial fleets."
  "But so many of God's children have suffered throughout the Twelve
Colonies," said Zane. "Many have died."
  "As I said, they are with God," continued Sam. "And they would want
you all to keep on living, as God wants you to go on living. You did as
much of your part as you could, Zane. So did Adama and his crew, and
those on the fleet under his protection. So did so did Commander Cain
and his crew. And, so did your mother and her crew. And you are a part
of that crew, Zane."
  "Tell me, Doctor Sam," started Zane.
  "You can just call me Sam."
  "Well, Sam, what is there-?" Zane asked as he walked to the star map,
placing his hand where Sam had suggested that as their next course.
  "Someone who needs you and your help."
  "Who?"
  "I wish I could tell you, but I cannot. Even us angels do not have
all the answers. All that I know is that should be your next course of
your journey. I cannot make you go, because he gave you free will. All
I can do is advise. Now, let's get this tanker on the move before that
basestar gets away," he said, looking at Andrea, "And so that you can
go on that rescue mission, and then go find your brother."
  "Well," started Andrea. "I cannot just send someone out to die like
this, Sam, and..."
  "Andrea, I have received new assignments that I have to explain to my
fellow angels. How will you explain my disappearance? I mean, without
lying to your crew?"
  "I see your point," said Andrea. "But how do I explain to my warriors
and our people that I sent one of the best doctors to... die? That is
the way they will see it."
  "Andrea," addressed Sam. "You already know how it will end. You saw
the visions of that in your mind. That was a gift from God: the ability
to visualize events before they happen, and seeing me for who I really
am. And what those who know you call, 'your sixth sense.' Now, back to
those visions, that was ME in that tanker, Andrea. Think about it. Look
at it again."

{The Cylon tanker approached the basestar's landing bay. Inside the
tanker, thepilot's and copilot's seats were empty, as was the third
chair behind them.Behind that control area, it was empty as well,
except for two small boxes mounted on the wall, each with a light
blinking on and off. The two boxes were solenite charges timed to go
off as soon as the tanker was inside the landing bay of the Cylon
basestar. There was also a viper with its cockpit canopy open. The
inside of the viper was empty as well. The tanker was unmanned.
  The tanker went into the landing bay and then exploded. The basestar
itselfexploded three times in a massive fireworks display. When it all
cleared, there was nothing in space but debris.}

"Now," said Sam. "Place a viper pilot, ANY pilot, or any Colonial
warrior in there."

{The Cylon tanker approached the basestar's landing bay. As it started
entering the landing bay, a viper emerged from the tanker, firing off
its turbos. A Cylon laser turret fired several rounds of lasers, and
destroyed the viper. At the same time, another laser turret fired
several rounds, and destroyed the tanker. The tanker exploded, taking
only a small part of the basestar with it.From the other side of the
intact part, Cylon raiders were launching from it.}

"Your crew, and the people under your protection know you better than
you think," explained Sam. "As you know, you are known to them as the
Commander with the 'sixth sense.' They WILL understand. Meine questions
you a lot, but he is not trying to argue with you. He is trying to
learn from you, and your experience."
  "I understand that," said Andrea. "And I value his advice."
  "Also, you have one other person right here on your ship, Ila. Make
sure that she knows that she will see her husband, Adama, and her
children, Apollo and Athena, again. And remember that God gave you a
gift. Listen to your instincts. Use them wisely, and you will find what
you seek."
  "Does my aunt Ila know that you are an angel, Sam?" asked Zane.
  "No, Zane," responded Sam. "She needs assurance from your mother, not
an angel. Now, we've better get the tanker on its way before it is too
late."
  "Wait," said Zane. "How about fuel? Shouldn't a tanker explosion be
more effective when it is full of fuel?"
  "Yes, it would be," explained Sam, "But- it is not necessary when the
explosion takes place inside the basestar. And you NEED all the fuel
you can get. All that we need is enough fuel for a trip to the basestar
and back. Once the tanker is inside the basestar, the fuel that would
have been used to make the return trip would be more than enough to do
the job."

In the landing bay, a Cylon tanker sat, along with a few vipers.
Andrea, Meine, Lee, Herman, Zane, Io, Lifer, Ila, and several others
were gathered around Sam.
  "I suppose that there is no way to talk you out of this, Doctor?"
asked Andrea.
  "No," responded Sam.
  "Doctor Sam." That was Doctor Lifer. "I need your expertise in the
Life Center."
  "Doctor Lifer," started Sam. "All the expertise that you need is
here." He put his hand on the side of Lifer's head. "And here." He put
his hand on Lifer's chest. "If I don't do this, then both of our
expertise put together will not do us, or the fleet too much good. Now,
you have given Commander Andrea a few psychological examinations since
you became part of the crew of the Andromeda. And you believe in her...
'sixth sense.' You see, Lifer, I have that sixth sense too." As an
angel, Sam did have that sixth sense, and a lot more.
  "And you really have to take the risk of terminating yourself to save
us?"
  "Yes I do."
  "I don't believe it," uttered Lifer sarcastically.
  "Yes, you do, Doctor Lifer," responded Sam. "You know that this is
the right thing to do."
  Lifer looked at Sam with sadness. "Good luck, Sam."
  The two of them shook hands, and then Sam shook hands with Andrea.
Then he walked towards the tanker, receiving pats on his back from the
various Colonial warriors. Zane was the last one. Sam and Zane turned
to each other, and they both nodded their heads to each other. Then Sam
walked onto the tanker.

From the Andromeda landing bay in space, a tanker slowly emerged. The
tanker went forwards, and then made a U-turn, and then moved on. As
soon as the tanker was ahead of the battlestar, the Triton VI slowly
followed it, but then stopped when the tanker was far ahead. Being a
smaller ship than the Andromeda andemitting less power from ship
operations, the Triton VI was able to get closer to the Cylon basestar
without risk of detection by the Cylons.
  On the bridge of the Andromeda, Andrea stood at the command deck,
with Lee sitting beside her at the station there, and Meine was on the
scanner screen.
  *This is as far as I can go without the risk of moving into the Cylon
basestar's sensor range,* reported Meine.
  "That's all right, Meine," responded Andrea. "I just want to make
sure that the tanker makes it inside the basestar, because if that
basestar is not destroyed, then we have to attack."
  *Understood, Commander,* said Meine.
  "The tanker is in Cylon basestar's sensor range, Commander,"
commented Lee. "This is according to our sensors, and the sensor
readings that we are downloading from the Triton Six."
  "Keep a careful watch," said Andrea. "Make sure it is completely off
sensor range and inside the basestar before it detonates."
  "Yes, Commander," responded Lee.

The tanker approached the Cylon basestar. On the control center of
basestar itself, a Cylon Centurion at its station said, "Last I heard
the other surviving basestar picked up one of the supply convoy on its
sensors"
  "We seem to be picking up a second tanker" reported another
Centurion. "Must be another ship from that convoy"
  "Try contacting it, high scrambler" ordered the gold Cylon.
  The first Centurion fiddled at his station, and then said, "No
response... they must have had a communication breakdown"

*They would be trying to contact it by now,* said Meine over the
comline.
  "Yes," said Andrea. "Keep a careful watch, just for in case they
blast it out of the sky before it goes into their landing bays."

The Cylon tanker approached the basestar, heading towards one of its
landing bays. Inside the tanker, Sam turned the dial in the middle of
the station on the left, and went to the back. He went to the back of
the tanker, with two small boxes in his hands.
  In the back of the tanker, he placed one of the small boxes on the
wall, and then pressed a button on it. The small orange bubble on the
top of it lit up, indicated that the solenite charge was set. He went
to the other side of the wall, and put the other box there. He pressed
that button, and then went back to the front, and took the seat and
handled the controls.
  The tanker went into the landing bay of the basestar. Inside the
tanker, there was no pilot. Sam was no longer handling the controls.
The back of the tanker was also unoccupied. Sam was gone.
  The solenite charges wet off. The tanker in the landing bay exploded
in two explosions, setting off a fuel tank that the Cylons use to
refuel their fighters with in a tremendous explosion. From out in
space, the basestar exploded three times.

From the front window of the bridge of the Andromeda, the rear of the
Triton VI was in view. Beside it, there was a small point that blinked
on three times. Lee was looking down at her station, and said, "A
massive explosion has been picked up by the Andromeda's sensors. The
sensor data downloaded from the Triton Six verifies the explosion."
  *Mission accomplished,* said Meine over the comline.
  "End alert status," ordered Andrea with a slight smile. Her face
suddenly turned serious.
  The entire bridge crew cheered. Andrea turned to Lee, and said, "Lee,
you're in command." With that, she walked down the stairs of the
command center.

In the viper bay, Zane and Io jumped out of their vipers as the bay
crew were pushing the portable platform next to the vipers Zane and Io
ran to the noses of their vipers, and jumped off onto the deck. Other
pilots climbed out of their cockpits, and then down the stairs of their
mobile platforms. They all ran up to each other, exchanging hugs with
each other, shaking hands with each other...
  Io got away from the happy crowd, and went to Zane. "What's wrong,
partner? We should be happy that we won against that basestar."
  "Sam was a good man," said Zane.
  "You really changed your mind about him, Zane," commented Io. "At
first, you were suspicious about him, and now-"
  "Well, I managed to get to know him better."
  "Yes, he was a good man, but I am sure he would not want you moping
around like this. He did what he did for a reason. Come on, Zane. Let's
go."
  Zane followed Io to the lift.

Andrea was in her quarters. She sat behind the table, staring into
nothingness. Suddenly, her eyes focused on something a black cylinder.
She got up, and approached it. It turned out to be a swagger stick.
  As Andrea picked it up, memories surfaced.

{The Pegasus. It was almost out of fuel, and its engines needed a good
repair job, burned out under the command of Cain as he ran the engines
past its maximum tolerance range to hurry back to Gemoni. Andrea
assigned Captain Tolen to oversee the repair jobs of the Pegasus'
engines.
  Funeral arrangements for her best friend, Saleya, also Cain's wife
and Sheba's mother, were held, but as Cain had wanted it, it was tended
to by only himself, Andrea, Zane and Sheba.
  He thanked Andrea for helping, and isolated himself. He sent Sheba
off to theAcademy. His last trip aboard the Pegasus was taking Sheba to
Caprica and returning back to Germoni. Then he kept himself isolated.
  He took an extended furlon, fighting it out with the Gemonian
officials and the Council of Twelve to let Andrea take command of the
Pegasus.
  As Andrea stood there, Commander Cain circulated her service record
around the room.
  "READ IT!" he yelled at the man at the head of the table.
  "Well, she's got great credentials," said the man at the end of the
table, presumably the foreman of the meeting.
  "Well?" barked Cain. "Does she get command of the Pegasus or not?"
Cain swung his swagger stick on the table, making everyone jump,
including Andrea.
  "All right, Commander," said the foreman. "I elect Commander Andrea
to be Commander Pro-tem of the Pegasus during Commander's Cain furlon."
It was clear that he was afraid of Commander Cain.
  The man next to him said, "I... endorse." It was also clear that he
was nervous, with The Legendary Commander Cain standing behind him with
that swagger stick in his hand.
  "Let us now take a vote," said the foreman.
  "Yes," came from the rest of the people sitting at the table.
  "Any votes for 'no?'"
  The room was silent. Everyone looked at Cain with apprehension.
  "All right, then Commander Andrea will command the Pegasus during
Commander Cain's furlon..."}

Andrea held that swagger stick in her hand, staring intently at it.
Suddenly, the clear view of it in her hand went blurry.

{"I know you will take good care of the Pegasus," said Cain as he
handed herhis swagger stick.}

It that same swagger stick that she was holding in her hand.

{"That's why I want YOU and no one else to command the battlestar
during myfurlon," continued Cain.
  Andrea stared down at the pointer in her hand, knowing what his
giving it toher meant.
  Andrea stood in the landing bay of the Pegasus, with Cain's swagger
stick inone hand, and a small black box in the other.
  A viper's engines were shutting down, and landing bay crew were
pushing acanopy towards it.
  The pilot, Captain Tolen, removed his helmet as he climbed out of the
viper,and handed it to one of the crewman that pushed the canopy over.
Then he walkeddown the steps of the canopy and headed towards Andrea.
  "Congratulations on getting command of a battlestar, Andrea," he said
to her. 
  "Thank you, Tolen," Andrea said as she handed the small black box to
Tolen.
  Tolen took the box, opened it, and then looked back at her,
pleasantlysurprised. He was being promoted to Colonel!
  "Congratulations to you, too, Colonel," she said with a twinkle in
her eye."I want no one else but you to be my exec."
  Noting the pointer in her hand, he said, "Looks like that Commander
Cain completely supports it."
  "How did you know?" asked Andrea.
  "According to the Ensign Hobb of the Pegasus, when Cain designates
someone else to command the base ship when he leaves it, he also gives
him his pointer..."}

The end of her duties on the Pegasus was the last time she had seen
Tolen or Cain. That was until a half a yahren ago near the Kryllian
star system. Suddenly, something dawned upon her as she stared at the
swagger stick, and then she ran out of her quarters.

The bridge of the battlestar Andromeda was mostly abandoned, with only
a few crew people at their stations. Lee sat at the station on the
command deck, and Andrea walked up behind her, with the swagger stick
that Cain had given her yahrens ago in her hand. "Lee, go on to the
party in the Officer's Club. I'll handle things from here."
  "Just one centon," said Lee as she typed in a coded sequence on the
keyboard. After a few microns, she stopped, saying, "There, Commander.
All set."
  "Thank you, Lee, now, go on before you miss the celebration."
  As Lee was just about to go down the stairwell from the command deck,
she had to stop and wait for Zane and Io to come up first.
  "Aren't you two going to the party at the Officer's Club?" asked Io.
"Everybody's waiting for you there."
  "Not just yet," said Andrea, "You guys go on." She placed the swagger
stick precariously on the station, and took Lee's place.
  Zane said to Io and Lee, "You two go on. I just need to talk to my
mother and see what's up."
  Io and Lee walked down the stairs of the command deck, and the walked
out of the bridge. Zane walked up to the command deck, and noticed
souvenir that once belonged to Cain, serving as a reminder to his
mother that she once commanded the Pegasus.
  "It's Commander Cain, isn't it?" asked Zane sympathetically.
  Andrea stared at her son, somewhat surprised.
  "It's Commander Cain that needs our help." It was more of a statement
than a question as he signaled towards the swagger stick.
  "That's precisely why I want to stay here, Zane," Andrea finally
admitted.
  "Well, you go on, Mother. I'll let you know if..."
  "You go on, Zane. I'll be fine." Andrea sat at the station on the
command deck.
  "Mother, I am concerned, too," replied Zane. "I mean, he IS my
father."
  "All right," she said. Then she pointed to the empty station in front
of the deck. "You can take the communications station."
  Zane stepped off the command deck, went to the station, and donned
the headphones there.

Lee and Io walked into the Officer's Club, where the other warriors
were celebrating their victory over the Cylon basestar. Meine, Herman,
and Paddon were sitting together at the bar area, and Ila was walking
around with mugs on a tray in her hand. Io took one of the mugs.
  "Would you like one, Lee," asked Ila.
  "I am not really thirsty, Siress Ila," responded Lee, "I mean,
thanks, but I have to remain as alert as I can as the Andromeda's
exec."
  "All right, good, more for the crowd," said Ila with a half a smile.
  Lee smiled back at her, and then went straight to Meine, Paddon, and
Herman, with Io right behind her.
  "Where's the commander and Zane?" asked Paddon.
  "We left them on the bridge," said Lee.
  "I don't think that they are in a mood to celebrate," said Io.
"Perhaps that they feel bad because Doctor Sam did not make it back
alive." Io soundedserious for a change.
  "It could be," said Lee. "Even Doctor Lifer is not around."
  "He was here before," pointed out Paddon, "but I only saw him for a
micron or two."

Doctor Lifer walked onto the bridge of the battlestar, and saw Zane at
the communications station, and then looked up to see Andrea sitting in
front of the station on the command deck.
  "I had a feeling I would find you two here," said Lifer.
  "Hey, Doctor Lifer," said Zane, looking up from the station and at
Lifer.
  "You two all right?" asked Lifer. "I noticed that you two were not in
the Officer's Club. Everyone is waiting for you there."
  Zane said, "Yeah, I'm all right."
  Andrea said, "I allowed most of the bridge officers to attend the
celebration there, and SOMEBODY has to keep an eye on things."
  "You seem to be looking for something-" Lifer paused, looking back
and forth at Andrea and Zane. "... specific. Are you expecting Doctor
Sam to come back?"
  Andrea and Zane did know exactly what they were looking for. They
were looking for a lone battlestar, but both felt rather awkward in
saying it.
  At that micron, a small bright dot appeared on the edge of their
scanner readings.
  "Mother, take a look at your scanner," said Zane. "I am feeding
sensor data up to your station."
  Andrea activated the warbook at her station. After flashing through a
variety of the blueprints of several vessels, it stopped showing the
blueprints of the side and top views of a battlestar. It also flashed a
blinking, EXTREMELY LOW ENERGY EMISSIONS on the bottom of the scanner
screen.
  "Get me the Triton Six, and have them verify those readings," ordered
Andrea.
  "The Triton Six has already asked if what WE were picking up was
real."
  "All right," said Andrea. "Acknowledge that and get me that
battlestar, Alpha Comline One."
  "The Galactica?" asked Lifer.
  "Mother, there is already a signal on Alpha Comline One." Zane
ignored Doctor Lifer's question because of the pressure and excitement
he felt.
  "Feed it up here, Zane," said Andrea.

The battlestar Andromeda, along with a fleet of fifty various ships,
all ofthem followed by the Triton VI, moved forwards towards the lone
battlestar sitting dead in space. A closer look of the front of the
lone lame battlestar's viper bay revealed the name PEGASUS.

On top of the Pegasus, Sam, Tess, Monica, and Andrew were standing,
staring at the approaching battlestar and the fleet of fifty ships
behind it.
  "You were right, Tess," said Monica, "If that battlestar is the help
that yousaid was on the way."
  "Well, what will happen to them?" asked Andrew.
  "They both want to find what Andrea calls, 'The First Fleet of Man,'
and go on their way," said Sam.
  "First Fleet of man?" asked Monica.
  "You know," said Sam. "The assignment that you and Andrew took care
of. That's what those from my assignment calls the fleet under Adama."
  "Oh," chimed Monica and Andrew.
  Tess asked, "Will they succeed?"
  "In finding Adama? Yes," answered Sam. "But that's all I can say for
now. But- Tess, thank you for the idea that you used to get rid of that
Cylon basestar."
  Tess groaned, thinking about her departure from her assignment.
  "How about Adama and his journey to Earth?" asked Andrew.
  Sam looked upwards and around for a short while, and then said, "I
don't know."
  Monica asked, "Tess, I understand that you had a run-in with Hypnos?"
  "Yes, I did," responded Tess. "He was trying to undermine my
assignment."
  "It is a sad shame," said Monica glumly. "Hypnos was a great teacher.
If he had not chosen to turn to the other side, I would have said that
he was someone to really look up to. I mean, Rafael and I would not be
who and where we are today if it was not for his mentoring when he was
working for God."
  "I agree there," said Sam. "Hypnos was a good teacher, but he always
messed up when he was out on an assignment. And now, he messes things
up with his devious assignments as well."
  Tess then turned to Monica and Andrew, and changed the subject. "You
saw all the despair on the main fleet under Adama's protection."
  "Yes," said Monica. "So many empty stomachs needing to be filled, and
so many people... just doing what they can to survive..."
  "Well, do you see what is in the back of that fleet?" said Sam.
  Monica and Andrew looked at the trailing ships of the fleet, focusing
on the Triton VI.
  "You mean, that small warship?" asked Andrew.
  "No, Angel Boy," responded Tess. "The four ships with the domes."
  Directly in front of the Triton VI were four agroships.
  "Agroships," said Monica.
  "Yes," said Tess.
  "Adama's fleet has only ONE of those agroships left in his fleet,"
explained Sam. "And with as much as it has on it, there is not enough
food to go around. On the other hand, Andrea's fleet has so much more
than enough, but they still ration the food, just for in case."
  The Andromeda maneuvered itself next to the Pegasus, and the four of
them watched as three vipers launched out of the front of the adjacent
viper bay of the Andromeda. Several shuttles also emerged from the rear
of the same viper bay. The three vipers synchronously made a U-turn,
heading towards the rear of the two ships. They mingled with the
shuttles that launched from the rear of the bay. The small ships then
made another U-turn, and went into the Pegasus landing bay.

Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the battlestar, Andromeda, leads a
ragtag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest...