Battlestar Argo
by AJ Marks
Part 57: Message of Disaster
Ares sat on the shuttle that headed towards the Warspite. It was the ship he had decided to engage in talks with the Arbus, and this council. He hoped that by a show of force things would settle down. The Skartians would also be in attendance, as Allies of Earth. He still wondered just who this ‘council’ was. He had talked to Reejo who seemed to barely know of them.
The only thing Reejo could tell him, they were a group of races that lived beyond the Arbus Empire, who tried to push into Arbus territory several times trying to expand their influence. Their weapon were inferior to the Arbus, not to mention the Colonial or Cylons.
Next to him Bri and Troy were watching as the shuttle made its way over to the Warspite. Senator Sam sat a bit further away being the only government member in the fleet. They had decided to have him aboard to begin the process of ending the war between the Arbus and Earth.
“Did Nall really take Rebecca and Mary down to the planet’s surface?” Ares asked.
“Yeah, I thought it might be dangerous, but Reejo said it would help relations out,” Troy replied, causing Aries to think.
“It just might,” Ares said. Mary might do more being herself than anything they might accomplish at this meeting. He had no idea what to expect from the Arbus. the few they worked with mentioned those in power were the hard liners.
“Just relax sir,” Bri said.
“How do you do that,” Ares asked.
“What?”
“Know when I’m tense, or nervous,” Ares asked.
“Um, easy, you fidget with your buttons on your jacket,” Bri replied.
Ares glanced down noticing that he indeed had been. “If it was just the Arbus, then I wouldn’t care, but this Galaxy Council, I don’t have any idea about them.”
“We’ll take care of it one point at a time commander,” Troy said. “To be honest they might not even play a part at all!”
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Ares said. They all felt the vibration as the shuttle landed and the whine of the engines die down leaving the rumble of the Warspite’s engines in their place. “Well, after you.”
The group walked out the shuttle towards the elevator.
*****
Troy walked down the corridor watching Commander Ares and his wife Bri in front of him. What he’d said to Ares had been the truth. He didn’t think this council would play an important part in upcoming events.
There was something familiar to everything though as he walked down the corridor. It gave him an edgy feeling the closer he got. Something felt dreadfully wrong, but he couldn’t place what it was. Entering the room he found a spot and remained quiet as Bri sat down next to him.
He watched as the senator sat down next to the commander. An aide notified him that the ‘council’ shuttle had landed, as had the Arbus shuttle. Reejo was on his way up with a few representatives as were the council’s members. A few minutes later the door opened allowing Reejo into the room with two advisors.
“Hello Reejo,” Sam said.
“Senator, this is Tekal, and Takel,” Reejo said introducing the two with him. “Tekal is the new civilian governor, and Takel is the military governor.”
“Tekal, Takel, this is Commander Ares of the Battlestar Argo, Captain Troy, and his wife Captain Gabrielle, both are from the Argo. They represent several factions but are trusted advisors as well,” Sam said.
The door opened allowing the third group into the room. The first walked on four legs, reminding Troy more of an insect than a sentient being. The one behind him was a small looking man, with an even smaller head. It looked a bit strange but he waited to see what would happen. Sam introduced themselves once more to the new group then turned to Reejo.
“I am…”
“We know about your kind,” the insect being said. “Destroyer of civilizations.”
“This is an Earth warship, and you were invited,” Ares said calmly, but his tone held a strength of steel in it. He did not want to start with hostility.
“Humans, didn’t think they had it in them,” the smaller alien said.
“And your names?” Sam asked calmly.
“I am A’Buc, President of the Galaxy Council,” the ‘insect’ alien said. “This is my advisor, Grol.”
Troy watched as Grol took a seat but A’Buc continued to stand. He was a bit taller than most humans. Troy wondered if his race had furniture, and what it might look like.
“You are aware that this meeting is to begin a peace treaty between the Arbus and Earth, and its allies, the Skartian race,” Sam said.
“It will make little difference,” A’buc said.
“Maybe not to you, but to us it does. We’re the ones who shed our blood, we’re the ones who were attacked. Where were you during all of this,” Sam asked.
“Unimportant,” A’Buc said. “We’re here now, that’s what is important.”
“Not to us,” Sam said.
Troy watched the war of words begin between the senator and A’Buc. The Galaxy Council members seemed almost hostile, but that might be how they always acted. He’d have to wait to see about that. The one thing he couldn’t help but feel was something familiar, almost menacing going on. It bothered him, especially considering he could not place what he felt.
“You all right,” Bri whispered to him.
“Tell you later,” Troy said back. He caught Ares looking over at him then back towards the others. They had finally agreed upon ending the shooting war, the rest would be worked out when the Earth government finally arrived.
The door opened allowing a young man into the room. He walked straight over to Commander Ares. Troy leaned forward.
*****
Renee waited on the bridge for word that a cease fire had been agreed upon. The battle had gone better than planned. The cleanup crews were working to help out those who had been damaged. Her ship was scanning nearby space for any floating fighters that had been disabled.
“Contact,” her scanner operator said. “One Arbus fighter, drifting away from the planet.”
“Let search and rescue know about it,” Renee replied.
“Yes captain.”
Renee wondered, for the first time, if this meant the crew of the Argo might actually be able to go home. Home, it sounded strange to her. Earth had been their home for a little over eight years. With peace with both the Arbus and the Cylons their very mission was over, war had finally become a thing of the past for now.
“It’ll be good to finally go home,” one said.
“You have no idea,” Renee replied.
“Commander, incoming message from Earth, for you alone,” the communications officer said.
*****
Gunther waited on the bridge of the Warspite. He had been given command of the battlestar not long ago, and the Warspite had come though without problems. He congratulated his crew on their abilities after the battle. The war would finally be over. He wondered what would become of the battlestars. Most were under a couple of years old. The Earth had three fleets, each with at least two battlestars, two cruisers and a handful of smaller support ships, with other ships still under construction. he imagined Earth would slip into peacetime operations, and most of the ships would probably be broken up, or converted for other uses.
“Commander, report of damage,” his second in command said.
“Thanks,” Gunther replied. He scanned though the report. The massive armor of the Warspite stopped most damage. The battlestar was a battleship for sure. It had improved armor, but no S-metal which would have made it invisible to scanners. The Warspite was designed for battle, pure and simple.
The viper squadrons had taken greater losses. The Warspite’s squadrons had lost fifteen pilots out of almost one hundred. The loss of live saddened him but he had a feeling they understood that things were different now.
“How long until repairs are complete,” Gunther asked.
“Within the hour.”
“Good, let me know if anything else happens,” Gunther said watching as his second in command walked out. Things were going to be different for sure. He also wondered when the first flight to the Colonies would start. The universe would be a different place from now on.
Entering his office he sat down and leaned back. He enjoyed the feeling that perhaps, he might one day actually command an exploration ship, and not a warship. That would be exciting, first contact with another race under peaceful terms with the entire mission to make contact.
A beep indicated an incoming message.
*****
Nall walked with Rebecca as Mary raced around trying to catch a small creature much like a butterfly.
“She’s persistent,” an Arbus figure said nearby. “But she won’t catch one unless they allow themselves to be caught.”
“Burning off her energy,” Rebecca said, watching Mary run around.
“After everything you allow your daughter to run around with so many of us around here,” the Arbus said.
“We know that not everyone is responsible, and times change,” Nall replied.
“True.”
They turned back to watching Mary as she tripped falling down. The small butterfly creature landed on her nose, causing a small giggle and smile from Mary.
“I guess it likes her,” the Arbus said.
“I guess so,” Nall replied.
“Can’t believe we forgot the camera,” Rebecca said, as they continued to watch the scene in front of them.
“No one wanted to carry it,” Nall replied. The camera was actually quite small but it would be one more thing they’d have to carry around. He turned to the Arbus standing nearby. “I’m Nall.”
“U’Vis,” he replied.
“Well, this is my wife Rebecca, and our daughter Mary,” Nall said.
“Nice to meet you,” U’Vis said.
“Pleasure is all ours,” Nall replied. He turned once more to look over at Mary, who once again was up and chasing. Now another one had joined the first one. They seemed to be teaming up to keep her distracted.
“The Vallers are quite intelligent and love to play. Seems they’ve found someone to play with,” U’Vis said.
Nall nodded his head as it seemed a few more had taken noticed. “They are not dangerous?”
“Oh no, one of the most gentle creatures on our planet. In fact having so many is an honor,” U’Vis said..
Nall glanced around noticing that indeed several other Arbus had stopped to watch Mary. Many looked stunned. He wondered what other type of creatures they would encounter.
Rebecca prodded him in the ribs causing him to look over at her. She motioned her head towards a young woman dressed in an Earth military uniform. Her stride was with purpose as she walked towards them. Her attention focused on Nall. He wondered what was going on now.
*****
Jax turned in the chair on board the Argo. She sat in the rec room while green squadron had patrol duties. She looked around noticing for the first time how much had changed since her first time on board.
Gone were most of the original crew, scattered across the fleet. Colonel Pratt had been promoted, as most of them had. Many were now in command of warships. She herself had been offered but had decided to remain behind. She was a fighter pilot, not an officer to sit behind some desk.. Looking across she noticed one other in the room that was also part of the original crew, Coronus. They didn’t talk much but they shared something no one else here did.
Opening the data pad she scanned though the report once more from home. Peace with the Cylons. It didn’t sound possible.
“Hey captain, whatcha got there,” another pilot said, sitting down next to her.
“Nothing much, a letter from home, some unexpected news, that’s all,” Jax replied.
“Well, you know, how about you and me,” he wiggled his eyebrows.
Jax was taken back to a time before the Argo arrived at Earth. Nall had tried the same thing many times with just about everyone on board the Argo. Almost all succumbed to his charm, except Bri.
“Try someone else,” Jax said, turning back to her data pad.
“So, where is home,” the man asked not giving up.
“At the moment, here,” Jax replied evasively.
“Career military, how sad.”
“Well, I doubt you’d understand,” Jax said.
“I’m just glad this war finally ended. Can’t believe that there are races like the Arbus out there. I always thought that the more advanced race would be peaceful,” he said.
“Not what I’ve thought. I thought they’d be just like anything else. Some would be warlike, others peaceful,” Jax said. “Kind of like the Skartians, more peaceful than warlike, yet the Arbus seem to more warlike.”
She quietly thought about the data that the Cylons wanted peace. She wondered what was up back home at the Colonies. The Cylons had been at war with the humans for a thousand years and never wanted peace, even when at one point it appeared the humans were going to win. She wondered what had changed, if anything. Her data pad beeped once indicating she had more mail.
*****
Pratt stood on the bridge of the Deadalus orbiting Earth. Reports had come back from the Argo that the battle had ended. Now the President along with his staff were boarding his ship in preparation for travel for the final surrender.
“Commander, President Xai’s shuttle is on its way up,” Amy, his second in command, said to him.
“Then I’ll be in the hanger,” Pratt said. He turned to walk off the bridge when the communication’s officer yelled out to him.
“Commander, we’re getting something strange here,” he said.
Pratt walked over to see what type of communications had been received. He walked over to see that the Daedalius had received a coded laser transmission. No other marking other than it was Colonial in origin.
“Strange,” Pratt said. He quickly took the communications officer seat looking at the screen. He typed a few commands as the computer translated the message. He stared in shock at what he saw.
“Commander,” Amy asked.
“Go down to the hangar, bring the President to my office, we have a problem,” Pratt said transferring the message to his office recoding it again.
He walked off the bridge towards his office leaving a stunned bridge crew behind wondering what had happened. He could hear whispers from several people already stating different opinions from the Arbus had defeated the fleet to something about this Galaxy Council. He didn’t say anything.
Walking into his office he sat down bringing up the screen once more. There the eerie words stared back at him.
“Cylons betrayed peace, fleet and colonies destroyed, Galactica alone.”
*****
Pratt wondered at the words on the screen. The news was possibly the worst he’d ever encountered in his life. He did not realize how long he stared at the words until the door chimed, indicating that the President had arrived. The door opened as the president walked in and sat down on the other side of the desk.
“Commander, everything all right,” Pakrov asked walking in behind Xai.
“Have a seat, and no, every things wrong,” Pratt replied.
“What’s happened, the Arbus didn’t follow though,” Xai asked.
“No, the armistice didn’t go through,” Pratt said. “It’s not much of a message, but the implications are enormous.”
“The Cylons, I thought they were suing for peace,” Pakrov asked confused.
“I just received this message,” Pratt replied. He turned the screen so they could see it. “It’s from the battlestar Pacifica, Commander Backas ship. He wouldn’t send such a message without cause.”
“What’s this mean then,” Xai said.
“I’ll have to talk with Commander Ares, but it means our mission has failed, the colonies have been destroyed,” Pratt said in a quiet voice. “I need to let the others know.”
“So a panic can start,” Xai asked.
“No, because they deserve to be told right away, that’s their home. They fought to defend it. Think if the roles were reversed,” Pratt said typing a message out while waiting for the reply.
He finished his quick message then turned to Xai. The man sat there looking pensive for several seconds.
“Go ahead,” Xai said. “Let Commander Ares know we’ll talk about this when the Deadalius arrives.”
“Fair enough,” Pratt said. He put all those who had been on the Argo to receive the message then sent it.
*****
Troy watched as Ares took the data pad over the protests of A’Buc, and read it though. Without emotion, he turned handing it to him. They made eye contact then down to the data pad. This was the message Troy had dreaded, what he’d been feeling as it increased in strength before looking down to read it.
Troy glanced down stopping at the message that had come from the Pacifica. A sinking feeling came over him as he read it.
“It came true,” Troy said to Ares.
“I never thought I see the day,” Ares replied.
Troy handed the pad over to Bri who also scanned though it. He watched as her mouth sent open in a silent ‘o’ as she looked up.
“You’re mom and dad,” she asked. The silent question in her eyes.
“Don’t know,” Troy replied honestly. He had not even thought about that yet, the magnitude of the situation beyond comprehension.
“I’m sorry, but we’re trying to discuss something here,” A’Buc said. They appeared to be the only ones who didn’t seem to gasp that Ares, Bri and Troy were not from Earth.
“What’s wrong,” Sam asked.
Ares handed him the data pad. Troy watched as Sam went pale at the news.
“The Cylons, would they know about Earth?” Sam asked.
“That I don’t know,” Ares replied.
“I demand to know what’s going on?” A’Buc said.
“You want to know, fine, my home, my family, everything I knew has been destroyed,” Ares said.
“Well of course, the Arbus…”
“Not by the Arbus, compared to this enemy the Arbus are saints,” Ares said.
“The Cylons,” Reejo asked. His voice filled with understanding.
“Yes, it seems they finally won that war,” Troy said quietly.
“Who are these Cylons,” A’Buc asked.
“A race of machines my people have fought for a thousand years,” Troy replied before Ares could.
“The Earth hasn’t been at war with anyone,” Grol said.
“Not Earth, the Twelve Colonies. Earth is actually one of thirteen colonies from Kobal, the origin of humankind. The Cylons don’t care only to eliminate all flesh races,” Troy said.
The room was quiet at that statement. Troy glanced at Are and they understood that things would be different. Plans would have to be made.
*****
Renee glanced at the screen opening up the message. Her sudden good mood vanished as quick as it had appeared. She stood not believing what she’d seen. The Colonies and the fleet were gone. Well, not completely gone according to the message the Galactica had survived, but was alone.
“Ma’am,” one crew member asked.
“Just some bad news from home,” Renee said standing. She turned back to her crew. Most were now looking at her strangely. She knew that many didn’t understand however a few did.
“Captain, what’s wrong,” her second in command asked.
“They’re gone,” Renee said to him. “Destroyed.”
She watched as he frowned a bit then seemed to understand. “The Colonies?”
“Gone.”
“Why don’t you go to your office, I’ll continue here and let you know when Commander Ares makes contact,” he said to her.
“Good idea,” Renee said. She walked off the bridge in a state of shock.
*****
Gunther opened the file wondering what Commander Pratt would be sending to him. Perhaps it was information about the peace treaty between the Colonials and the Cylons. Opening the file he read the first couple of words stopping in disbelief at what he saw.
The words stared at him but he almost refused to believe it. The Colonies had fallen! Five battlestars were gone, well, it stated that the Glactica had survived but there was no proof that the ship had indeed survived the horror.
The war with the Arbus had just finished, and with good news as well. Reejo seemed to be a leader who cared about others. A new change to the Arbus way of thinking, one that Reejo had stated many thought. Now instead of a peaceful voyage back to the Colonies to reunite long lost halves of humanity, they might be on the way to save it.
*****
Nall watched the young woman approach them. She walked right up to him.
“What’s wrong lieutenant,” Nall asked. The look on her face seemed a bit strange to him.
“Well captain, I just received a message to relay to you from the Argo. I hope you understand it better than I do,” she replied.
“Go on ahead then,” Nall replied.
“All right, they said to tell you that the Colonies have been destroyed, the fleet was destroyed and the Galactica is alone,” she told him.
Nall went still at what he’d just heard and asked her to repeat it. She did and the message didn’t change. He looked over at Rebecca who had an understanding look in her eye.
“Gone,” he said. “Did they say how?”
“No sir, does this make any sense to you,” she asked him.
“Yes, it means my home has been destroyed,” Nall replied. The woman looked at him strangely once more. “I’m not talking about Earth. I come from one of twelve world inhabited by humans. For a thousand years we’ve been fighting against a race called the Cylons. Now it seems they’ve won.”
“But the Cylons are just a made up training race,” she replied. “To help us with our tactics.”
“No, their real, and dangerous,” Nall replied to her. “Thank you for tell me. I’m going to the shuttle and see if there’s any more information.”
“Of course,” Rebecca said.
Nall gave Mary a hug then walked away towards the shuttle hoping they’d have more information for him.
*****
Jax opened the file scanning it thought while the guy continued to try and hit on her. His voice faded away as she read the message. A bit of shock went though her system at the words, though she wasn’t that surprised by it. She had thought a treaty with the Cylons was strange, now she understood what a ploy it had been.
Glancing up she noticed Coronus walking towards her. She could tell by the look in his eye that he’d either heard or read the news. Looking over at the man sitting next to her who had tried unsuccessfully to gain her attention.
“Will you excuse me,” she said. She didn’t wait for a reply instead got up motioning for Coronus to follow.
“You know,” he asked once they were in the corridor.
“Just read it,” Jax replied. “Can’t say it surprises me though.”
“Really,” he asked her.
“Nope, the Cylons will do anything to win, it’s their nature, even to bend or break rules of war,” Jax told him. “Remember the battle of Hades?”
“Ah yes, the human shields,” he said.
“They deliberately used human prisoners to shield their ships while continuing to fire,” Jax said.
“If it hadn’t been for Commander Zeus we’d have lost that battle,” Coronus said.
“And now, it seems, they’ve pulled the ultimate deception,” Jax told him.
“I was looking forward to a peace. Did you have anyone back home?”
“Nope, my older brother died on the Pacifica a week before I graduated from flight school, you,” Jax asked him.
“A sister, on Capricia. She was a nurse. I told her about my mission and asked her to come, but she wanted to remain. She’d fallen in love with one of the doctors. Seemed like a good man,” he said to her. “I hope to know one day what happened to her now.”
“Maybe she survived,” Jax said.
“Under Cylon rule, they wouldn’t last the year it’d take for us to return.”
Jax realized that he was right about that. She wondered what Commander Ares would say about all of this, if anything. She was sure he knew about it by now. If the Galactica survived then what would they do.
*****
Captain Scott relaxed on board the ship Colonial Bound. The ship had just finished taking on supplies when he was ordered to the bridge. Walking up there he noticed the crew standing there waiting for him.
“This just came in Captain,” his second in command said.
“Let’s see laddie,” Scott said. He figured the ship would be heading towards the Colonies to prepare for diplomatic relations between the Colonies and Earth. He scanned though the message then scanned though it again to make sure he hadn’t misread it.
“Captain?”
“Have all non-essential personal offloaded now. Stock up additional fuel and food supplies, non-perishables that sort of thing and set course for the refueling station on Centari One. I want the list quickly, and when I mean non-essential, the bare minimum to run the ship. The fewer on board the better,” Scott said
“What’s going on captain?”
“Search and rescue laddie, for the Galactica of the Colonies,” Scott said. “We leave the moment everything’s ready.”
He walked off the bridge knowing that the next couple of hours would be hectic, followed by a boring couple of months for the voyage to the Colonies.
End part 57