The Uneasy Alliance
by AJ Marks
Part 11
Adama walked to the center of the room which was lit by candles as people stood all around. As many of the bridge crew and pilots were there as possible for the sealing, at least those who were not on duty. He glanced around and realized he knew them all professionally, and personally as their trip among the stars continued. He wondered when they became family and friends instead of just crewmembers.
Omega stood next to Adama waiting for the ceremony to begin and they watched as Riel walked into the room wearing a white dress which had been fitted for her. Adama recognized it as the same one Serina worn when she had wed Apollo and realized she had asked Apollo. Adama hoped Rigel and Omega’s time together was longer than Serina and Apollo’s.
As everyone got into position he noticed Cassiopeia standing next to Starbuck and wondered when his next ceremony would take place. It might even involve Sheba and Apollo, but Adama turned his attention back to the happy couple.
“Who gives Rigel?” Adama asked, beginning the ceremony.
“I do,” Tigh said speaking up and stepping forward. Rigel’s real parents had been killed, like so many others, during the massacre and she asked Colonel Tigh if he would do the honor. Like many others on the bridge they considered each other as family, Adama had the realization that if he had not been conducting the ceremony he would be giving her away. It was only fitting Tigh did the honors and he stood like a proud papa.
The ceremony went by quickly, and before Adama knew it, it was over. He looked over at Apollo and Boxey noticing that the boy had grown up some more and would be approaching his teens. That meant he would be interested in girls, and more. Would Boxey get sealed in the future?
“Congratulations,” Starbuck said to the newlywed couple.
“Thanks Starbuck,” Omega said shaking Starbuck’s hand. “I want to thank you for that push to ask her.”
“No problem,” Starbuck replied, but Adama could see a slight blush on the man’s face.
“Hey, I just wanted to congratulate you two,” Boomer said walking over to them.
“Me too,” Jolly said alongside Boomer.
“I’d like to stay and enjoy this party, but we’ve got patrol coming up on the system we’re headed towards,” Boomer said.
“And with the extended range of the vipers, we can now fly a patrol there and back finding out any problems before the fleet gets too close,” Jolly said
“Be careful you two,” Apollo said, as they two left the room leaving the group to the party.
Adama made his way over to the refreshments and grabbed a drink hoping for better times ahead.
*****
Niobe stood, still a bit in shock over what happened on her last flight. She had engaged one of the enemy ships and still been unable to destroy it but it had destroyed one of them easily. She looked over to see Deux Ex floating nearby having heard the report she gave. The others were standing silently at the moment, each knowing that talc had been a good man.
“There was one fighter?” DE asked.
“Yes, Talc and I decided to engaged to see what the Falcon could do against it,” Niobe said answering the question.
“The weapon systems worked this time,” DE asked.
“Yes, but the bullets lacked any power to penetrate the armor of the enemy fighters,” Niobe said to it.
“I understand, it will be added to a list of modifications to the next unit. It was wise of you to engage the enemy and try to find a weakness now limit any losses,” DE said.
Niobe wasn’t sure what it meant and she had lost a good man in the encounter. “What do you mean?” she finally asked trying to keep any anger out of her voice.
“If the flaw had not been known and larger numbers were present, loss of life would have been greater, now we have an opportunity to correct the flaw,” DE replied logically.
Niobe froze and realized that DE was telling the truth in its logical way. Talc’s death might have prevented even more people from dying by discovering the flaw but still wished it had not happened.
“We are working on a fix already,” DE said to them. “My only real unanswered question is why are they are in orbit and not attacking?”
No one had an answer for that question.
*****
“Report centurion,” Hades said watching the centurions enter the command room. He felt sure his ship had achieved orbit around the human planet in question. Now all he had to do was wait for the first reports to come in.
“By your command,” the centurion replied. “We have achieved orbit around the human planet. The basestar commanders report the patrols of the surface are complete.”
“Excellent,” Hades answered. “Were there any problems?”
“There is only one populated area, it’s a large area and our scouts came under attack, but a different type of fighter than what was reported,” the Centurion reported.
“Explain,” Hades asked wanting clarification and as much information as possible.
“The craft used inferior projectile weapons which our armor protects against very well,” the centurion replied back.
“Interesting,” Hates said. “Any place on the surface to form a base of operations from?” He had a plan already due to this information.
“There are a couple of places on the surface,” the centurion said.
“Select one and send down one of the basestars under the clouds to set up a base,” Hades ordered.
“By your command,” the centurion replied, turning to leave the room and carry out the orders.
Hades pondered what his next course of action should be. His goal was to destroy all human life on the planet, but he also wanted to know what was going on, where were these humans from? Even as he considered the question another centurion entered the room.
“Report,” Hades said waiting to see what the centurion had for him.
“Scanners report two Colonial vipers heading towards the system,” the centurion reported.
“Colonial vipers? Here?” Hades replied. “Are they sure?”
“Affirmative,” the centurion replied causing Hades to think about this latest development and what it might mean.
“Inform all basestar commanders to retreat out of the system,” Hades ordered thinking quickly. The destruction of the Galactica would propel him to the front of the order within the Cylon Empire. It would be his defining moment and something so many other basestar commanders had failed to do.
“By your command,” the centurion replied.
Hades needed to know where the Galatica was and how a trap could be formed. He would have to lay the trap carefully.
*****
“Hey Jolly,” he heard the voice over the intercom say.
“Yeah Boomer, what’s up?” Jolly asked wondering what his wingmate had discovered.
“We’re coming up on the system, I’m not reading any movement from inside it, are you?” Boomer asked.
Jolly took a second to look over his scanners before replying. “No.”
“Let’s go in for a closer look,” Jolly said.
“I’m right behind you,’” Jolly said turning his viper into the system.
This system was much different than many of the other systems, larger as well. There was a large asteroid belt in the far distance of the system, followed by our large gas giants. The scanners picked up an asteroid belt separating the gas giants from the other planets which were more solid in nature.
“Jolly, you take the outer planet, see if there is anything near them, a moon might have life,” Boomer said to him. “I’ll scan the inner planets and we’ll meet near the asteroid belt.”
“Sounds good,” Jolly said turning his viper to make a scan of the closest planet. There really wasn’t much to see, he scanned the planets not expecting to get any life readings, gas giants were not the best place for life, but some moons were of a good size, but all were too cold to support any life.
Passing by one moon it came up with an interesting reading of Trylium but aside from that reading, no planet which would support life. He hoped Boomer would have better luck.
Boomer went through the inner four planets, all of which were smaller in size than the planet’s Jolly was investigating. He came up on one planet which seemed very different than the others, including its atmosphere. The most illogical part was the fact the planet had a layer of electrically charged particles which interfered with his scans.
“Jolly?” Boomer said.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Jolly asked.
“I’ve found an interesting looking planet, I’m going to investigate it closer,” Boomer said to him.
“All right, anything I should be aware of?”
“A lot of electrical static, the viper should be fine,” Boomer replied.
“I’ll be waiting nearby then,” Jolly said.
Boomer turned his viper down towards the planet riding through the atmosphere giving him a very bumpy ride. In seconds he broke through the clouds and what he saw before him amazed him. His sensors showed a large population of human life, but he saw nothing which looked like any city he knew of.
Instead, what he saw in front of him was a mass of mechanical beings flying quickly in his direction. He hesitated unsure what was going on when they engulfed his ship and started to tear it apart. He quickly hit the eject button before the viper exploded and waited to be shredded as well and closed his eyes.
After several seconds he opened them again to see that his attackers had stopped and appeared to be watching as he floated down to the planet’s surface. He looked out across the surface of the planet seeing remains of what might have been a technologically advanced civilization. Buildings in ruins caused him to wonder what had happened to everything, and where were all the people his scanners indicated were on the surface?
As he floated down to the surface he wondered about the attackers. Who were they and were they a threat to the fleet. He had no way to warn anyone right now and figured any communicator he had could not get though the electrical static surrounding the planet. His only hope now rested on Jolly.
*****
DE stopped what it was going as the alarm sounded indicating another ship had come down from the clouds and they were probably under attack again. Perhaps it was a new tactic as it detected an unusual pattern in its attack this time as there was only one ship. Was it some sort of trap designed to lure in the defenders?
Already several sentinels were rising up to challenge the attacker while others remained up and waiting for the main to attack to occur. They might be using this one ship as a diversion to a main attack and they had to be diligent in their guard.
The attacker was not the normal saucer shaped ship this time, and even stranger was it had not fired a single shot yet. Standing beside him looking at the screen were the other humans also looking as puzzled at the strange change in tactics and ships.
DE looked on watching as the Sentinels ripped the ship apart and it exploded. However before it did a piece was detached and it sent out a signal to stop. It wanted to know what was going on this time.
“Have any of the previous attackers done that before?” he heard Niobe aske.
“No, none of them have, this attacker is different,” DE replied unsure what this meant.
“It also never did attack,” Niobe replied.
“Most unusual,” DE sad as it continued to watch.
“There’s only a few reasons why it would do that, either its important information for recover, or there’s a living being on that ship,” Niobe said.
DE quickly factored it all in and realized Niobe was probably right. It would allow it to land, and then they would have their answer.
*****
Jolly finished up his scan of the outer planets while listening for anything from Boomer since he informed him he was headed to check out a planet. That had been some time ago, and two planets ago as well and the silence made Jolly nervous.
“Boomer, come in,” Jolly said over the communications flying towards the planet in question. He wasn’t yet worried, if Boomer was still flying in the planet communications might be impaired. He kept a lookout for any Cylons as well, as the rumor had been a large force had been spotted.
Jolly approached the planet calling out a few more times but received nothing in return. Now he was beginning to get worried about the situation, Boomer was never this late in reporting in when investigating a planet. He noticed the heavy electrical static in the atmosphere as well but plunged down through the currents before breaking out of the clouds.
“Boomer, do you read?” Jolly asked waiting for a few seconds. The electrical storm had proven very bumpy to go through and he hoped it had not damaged Boomer’s viper. He waited a second before repeating the message.
“Jolly, be careful, I was attacked, warn the fleet,” Boomer’s voice said.
“Cylons?” Jolly asked right away.
“No, but tell any rescue shuttle to be very careful. I’m not sure who attacked me but I’ll activate my homing beacon next time I hear your voice, don’t want them to find me.”
“All right, I’ll be back,” Jolly said, pushing the viper back up through the clouds and headed back towards the fleet. He wondered what the commander might say about this.
End part 11