The Milsian Princess
by AJ Marks
Part 4
Mark glanced down at the unexpected help from the Cylons. The reports that they had joined the attack caused the Milsians to flee rather quickly though not before the bombers had managed to heavily damage the Ark Royal. The ship was not destroyed, but from the reports it would be out of action for at least a year with that damage.
“Captain, Skull-seven is asking for permission to land,” Kim said.
“Granted,” Mark said. “I will be down at the hangar along with a security team to meet our rogue pilot.”
“Yes sir,” Kim said. “What if HQ calls?”
“Tell them I’m busy at the moment,” Mark said, turning to leave the bridge. Kim really would not be lying as he was busy. He did not want them to know the exact truth that an enemy pilot had escaped and stolen a Starcat and then helped them out in the battle. The pilot had destroyed eight enemy fighters, and three bombers possibly saving more lives in the process.
“Sir, you asked for a security team?” the head of security, Markus, said.
“Yes, follow me,” Mark said.
“Yes sir.”
Mark entered the hangar seeing it busy with people running around with the organized chaos that happened after a battle. He spotted John walking towards him.
“See you made it,” Mark said.
“Yep, though what’s up with Skull-seven, thought you said it was an enemy pilot?” John said, in a quiet voice when he reached Mark.
“She is,” Mark replied. Watching as the fighter in question landed. Mark motioned for the security team to stay back for the moment. He wanted to know why she had stolen the fighter, and then helped them and returned? She could have caused a lot of problems during the battle and made things worse, even with the help from the Cylons.
The small figure gracefully jumped down from the cockpit taking off the helmet allowing blonde hair to fall loosely around her shoulders. Mark had to admit, the woman was cute. He shook himself of that thought and walked towards her with John right beside him.
“Want to tell me exactly what you were doing?” Mark asked looking into her blue eyes.
“Getting revenge,” she said simply.
Mark’s eyebrows rose at that. It had been the last thing he expected to hear nor the cold hardness that appeared in her eyes.
*****
“Emperor, some urgent news from the latest battle,” an aide said, running up to Tony. He turned waiting for the aide to set the report down on the desk. The first thing he noticed was the causalities of the attack. The numbers were higher than any estimates. He frowned looking though the report rather quickly before finding what he wanted.
“Get me Admiral Jurez at once,” Tony said. He continued to stare at the report that an unknown force had helped the Alliance to defend itself from the attack. He wondered if this group might have anything to do with the group encountered at Serria,
“Emperor,’ Jurez’s voice said. Tony glanced at the monitor seeing the admiral’s face.
“Ah, admiral, have you received the report of the attack on Pacifica?” Tony asked.
“Not yet emperor,” Jurez said. “I only pray it was successful.”
“It wasn’t,” Tony replied his voice hard before continuing. “I’m sending you the report now. It seems the attack force was itself attacked by an unknown force. You’ll be receiving the specs of the unknown ships.”
“Are they a threat to us?” Jurez asked.
“I want you to see if they match the group you encountered, or if they know who they are,” Tony said. “I don’t have to tell you not to mention we were the ones attacking do I.”
“No Emperor, you can count on me,” Jurez said, looking down briefly. “I can say that from what I’ve seen these ships do not match any ships I’ve seen of this other group. I will contact them to see if they know.”
“Do so at once, we need that information now,” Tony replied ending the conversation. He would not have his grand plans ruined by some unknown group. He was too close to achieving victory to allow a setback like this.
*****
Apollo walked onto the bridge to see Adama and Tigh talking in hushed whispers and the rest of the bridge crew looking slightly nervous. Apollo understood that. When the officers started talking in whispers it meant bad news.
“Apollo,” Adama’s voice said. “I need for you to head back on over to the Kitakkim and meet with Admiral Jurez. He thinks he has some important information for us and wants our opinion.”
“All right,” Apollo said, not sure why the whispers, unless…his train of thought abruptly stopped. He hoped he was wrong.
“We want you over there right away,” Tigh said.
“I’ll leave now,” Apollo said, turning to head to the hanger and his viper. If his instinct was right then he mentally prepared himself to see a picture of something of a Cylon ship. If that happened he had no idea what his father would do then.
They had finally found Earth and if the Cylons were so close behind them he wondered if they would stop or continue on further into the Galaxy.
He hoped he would be wrong the entire flight over to the meeting.
“Thank you for coming captain,” Jurez said, as Apollo sat down in the meeting room.
“Well, Commander Adama said you had something important to show us,” Apollo said.
“Yes, we were recently attacked by the Alliance and some new ships. We’ve never seen them before and I’m hoping you might know them. If you’ve traveled as much as you say you surely have met some other groups, at least more than us,” Jurez said.
Apollo watched as he activated the screen and the image of a Cylon basestar and then a raider appeared on the screen. Apollo felt his heart sink at the sight.
“You have seen them,” Jurez said.
“Yes, they are Cylons, the same ones who destroyed our homeworlds,” Apollo said.
“Then you can give us hints on how to successfully fight them,” Jurez said.
“Yes,” Apollo said. “But I must inform my commander of this situation. He’ll want to know and he might be able to help you out even more.”
“Very well, we shall open a channel for you to speak to him,” Jurez said.
Apollo waited a few microns while the crew of the Kitakkim worked to get the link open to the Galactica. He watched them work efficiently yet there seemed to be the underlying tension he had become used to on board.
“We have the link admiral,” one tech said. Apollo watched as his father’s face appeared on the screen in front of him.
“Apollo, something wrong?” Adama asked.
“You might say that, it seems that they were attacked by the Alliance working with the Cylons,” Apollo replied wondering how his father would take the news.
“I see,” Adama said. Apollo saw the brow wrinkle in thought as he thought about the information.
“They would like the technical information about the Cylons,” Apollo said.
“Yes, I’ll have the files transferred over at once,” Adama said. “If you could send over the information about how far away this attack happened it will help us tremendously.”
“I think that can be arranged,” Apollo stated looking over at Jurez who neither confirmed nor denied the statement. The conversation ended leaving Apollo feeling slightly uneasy. The Cylons were not far behind them now.
He would have to wait until he got back to see what the fleet would do.
*****
Crystal walked along in silence with the captain of the Alliance battle-cruiser. She figured they were headed to the prison after all she was an enemy. She did not say much else after saying she wanted revenge, even though she had not gained revenge on the person she wanted.
She thought back to shortly after the doctor walked away. Several images and conversations had come back to her destroying everything she had known. Of course everything had been a huge lie concocted by someone else. She did not know exactly who, but she knew that Admiral Jurez knew. She had recognized him.
“So, why do you want revenge,” the captain asked.
“I have my reasons,” Crystal replied. She did not want to say much else. After all her problem was not the Alliance’s problem.
“We might be able to help,” he said.
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll do it by myself,” Crystal replied.
“How about telling me your name, I’m Captain Mark Cave, and this is the alliance battle-cruiser Nevada,” he said to her.
“Crystal,” she finally replied.
“Crystal, pretty name,” Mark replied. She glanced over looking slightly up at him wondering what he meant by that. She saw nothing in his appearance.
“So, what are you going to do with me?” she finally asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Crystal did not know what to do with that answer. She had thought he would slam her in the prison and toss the key for what she had done.
“A few others say that your flying skills are quite good,” Mark said.
Crystal shrugged slightly.
“I’m short on pilots,” Mark said.
Crystal wondered exactly where this might be going. He could not be thinking of what she thought he might.
“If you’re willing we could use your skills,” Mark said. “Of course you would be in the brig at the moment.
Crystal frowned at that wondering where the logic was in this situation. She would be locked up, yet allowed to fly a fighter.
Crystal walked into what she figured looked like a security area. Several armed guards stood nearby and she was motioned into a cell.
“It’s probably temporary at the moment but I know John will want to meet with you for sure,” Mark said. “I wish you would tell us how we could help.”
“It’s my problem,” Crystal replied. She needed time to think about what happened. She only really knew she had been drugged. Now she wanted the truth, and for that she had to wait until the opportunity presented itself.
*****
Mark walked out of the security area when Markus walked up to him. He knew what the security chief would say and waited to hear it.
“So, want to tell me why you’re going to allow her to fly a fighter?” Markus said.
“I know, it sounds crazy and it came to me at the last second, but there’s something there, something going on that I want to know,” Mark replied. “You’ve seen other Milsian prisoners, this is the first one I’ve run across which has been drugged, and acts totally different.”
“I know, but it also makes me nervous. She might be a low-class citizen,” Markus said.
“And if she is I’ve never heard of them drugging then with mind altering substances,” Mark replied. “Something doesn’t add up.”
“Are you going to tell HQ about this?” Markus said.
Mark remained silent for a second. “Yeah, maybe they’ll have some answers about all this. Why someone would want revenge on the Milsians.”
“Good luck captain, I hope this doesn’t blow up in your face,” Markus said.
Mark nodded hoping the same thing. He walked a bit further coming across John who appeared to be heading to the brig.
“Ah, John, just the person I wanted to see,” Mark said, watching his friend’s eyebrows rise up.
“Me, why am I suddenly on guard by those words,” John said.
“I have something I want to run by you, and you might not like it, or might love it, I don’t know,” Mark said.
“I’m listening,” John said.
“What did you think of Crystal’s flying skills?” Mark said, continuing at John’s confused expression. “Crystal is the enemy pilot who helped you out in the battle in Skull-seven.”
“Hmm,” John said, and Mark could see his friend thinking about it quite a bit. “Well, she was very good, I wish we had an entire squad of her.”
“How would you like her in your squadron,” Mark said.
Mark watched John shift from one foot to the other deep in thought. After several second with only the engines rumbling he finally answered. “I’m not sure, the biggest problem will be trust. I know a few who might not have that problem. She saved their lives.”
“I know, she took care of several fighters and bombers probably saving the Ark Royal in the process,” Mark said.
“I’ll have to run it by the rest of the group,” John said.
“Okay, how many did we lose?” Mark asked.
“Five from Skull and seven from Crimson,” John said.
“Twelve fighters, we’re already shorthanded with the seven lost earlier, that makes it nineteen,” Mark said not liking that news at all.
“If you add in this Crystal, only eighteen, and I’ve heard there are no replacement pilots at the moment, the next class isn’t scheduled to end for another month,” John said.
Mark shook his head at this news. He wondered exactly when the government decided to totally screw the military over. Add in the fact the press no longer thought the Milsian Empire was a threat and everything seemed to be going straight to hell.
“I’ll go talk with her and the others, I hope nothing else happens real soon,” John said, walking towards the brig.
Mark had to agree. He headed back up to the bridge to see what damage the Nevada had received. After that he would file a report to HQ and see what they would say. He also wondered what might have happened if the Cylons had not become involved as they did. Their appearance seemed to cause the Milsian fleet to retreat. Perhaps they could form some sort of defense treaty. He would give his recommendations later on.
*****
Adama looked around the council room. Many people in the room he knew and had now worked with for yehrens now. Together they had led the remains of their people across the galaxy to this place. Now he would need to tell them he found Earth and the Cylons were here as well.
“Commander, I hope there is some good news lately. We know that you went to meet with another civilization, so who are they?” one council member asked.
“That councilor is a complex question. It appears we’ve found the empires of Earth,” Adama said.
“Earth? Are you sure?”
“Yes, it seems that they are at war with the Alliance,” Adama said.
“The Eastern Alliance, but I thought they were far behind us by now.”
“We never learned how large their territory was, or the exact make up of their fleet,” Adama replied. “We only know that it appears they have teamed up with someone else from reports we received.”
“Someone else, the only other group I know of is,” the councilman stopped talking for a second looking directly into Adama’s eyes. “Tell me I’m wrong Adama.”
“I wish I could,” Adama said, with a sigh. “We received word that the Alliance along with the Cylons attacked one of their planets.”
Stunned silence greeted Adama’s words. He expected something like this though. He waited for the full impact of the words to sink in.
“Well, what do we do now?”
“I’ve sent them the technical information on the Cylons,” Adama said. He watched them all nod their heads at that. No one seemed to object to that.
“I guess the next step is do we try to help or not?”
“That is the plan, we need to know what we’re doing next before we can make a real plan. The Galactica cannot go on the offensive and protect the fleet at the same time,” Adama said.
“And what of those from Earth?”
“I don’t know yet,” Adama replied honestly. “I think we need to talk more with them. If we leave I have no idea where we’ll go.”
He glanced around the room wondering what they would decide.
*****
Crystal listened as another person entered the room and walked up to her cell.
“So you’re the Milsian pilot,” he stated.
Crystal looked up from where she was lying down into the man’s eyes. She noticed the pilot’s uniform and wondered what he wanted.
“That would be me,” she finally replied.
“Ah, someone who can actually talk, can you also carry on a conversation, or are like most other Milsians and have poor conversation skills,” the man replied.
“Both,” Crystal finally replied, hearing the man laugh.
“I’m John, leader of Skull squadron,” he said.
Crystal recognized the name. Skill had seen in the number of the fighter she had stolen to gain some vengeance.
“I’m willing to have you on my team, but how do I know that all this isn’t some sort of trick,” John replied.
Crystal thought about that honestly before replying. “You don’t,” she finally said.
“A straight shooter, I like you,” John said. “I do have one question, why did your own squadron shoot you down?”
Crystal had no answer for that question. She still needed some questions answered before replying to that question. “I don’t know,’ she finally answered hoping it answered his question.
“All right, your secret, for now,” John finally said. “I’ll talk to you later on this subject.”
Crystal watched him walk out wondering exactly how anyone in the Alliance could even trust her. She was an enemy pilot. Deciding not to think too much about that she instead thought about the voices she had heard. She had seen Admiral Jurez walk out of the office after discussing her mother’s death. They had not known she was listening to the conversation. It was the end of the conversation that haunted her. Whoever Jurez talked to stated Crystal would remain alive until a project had been completed. When that happened Crystal would be eliminated before she could discover her past.
That brought up the biggest question Crystal had. What did her past hold? What terrible secret that her mother that she had to be killed? Did Crystal know somewhere in her memories and had yet to find it? The questions swirled around her with no answers.
*****
Baltar turned to Lucifer as the Cyon entered the room.
“Report,” Baltar said, wondering what had happened now.
“By your command Baltar,” Lucifer replied. “The humans have contacted us again, and request another meeting with you.”
“Excellent,” Baltar replied. He had a feeling that his actions would help in gaining a trust with the human civilization.
“What shall I tell the Imperious Leader? I doubt he will be willing to accept a treaty with the humans,” Lucifer said.
“Are you still trying to figure us out?” Baltar said. “Trust, it will allow us to position our ships for an easy strike. Even the Imperious Leader will recognize such an advantage. By the time they realize what’s going on it will be all over.”
“I will explain that to him,” Lucifer said.
“And tell the Alliance I will be willing to talk to them. Perhaps it is time I met with some of the superiors,” Baltar said, an idea forming in his mind of what he could do.
“By your command,” Lucifer said, turning to leave the room.
Baltar knew he could mix in with the political leaders of the Alliance. Once they trusted him, it would be way too easy to place the basestars in perfect attack positions.
End Part 4
Comment below, or to AJMarks01@aol.com