The Milsian Princess
by AJ Marks
Part 13
Adama watched the first of the fleet arrive at Serria.
“We might be making this our home for a while,” Adama said to Tigh.
“Do you think our people are going to be safe here?” Tigh asked.
“I don’t know Tigh,” Adama said. “I have a meeting with the council and I suspect they will ask that same question. The problem is we are out of options Tigh.”
“Our fuel,” Tigh said.
“Yes, I’ve already got Doctor Wilker working on excavating the fuel from that moon, but it will take time,” Adama said.
“Will the council buy that, time to mine fuel even with the Cylons so close by?” Tigh asked.
Adama thought about the question seriously for several microns before finally answering. “They don’t have a choice. We either do this, or float in space without power and freeze to death.”
“I wish you well with the council commander,” Tigh said.
“I do too,” Adama said making his way off the bridge towards the council room. His mind went over the many possibilities that could happen before he finally entered the room Almost everyone already had arrived and he walked over sitting waiting for the last few to come in. He busied himself with notes and possible questions until Sire Uri stood up.
“Thank you all for coming, we seem to have a new development recently that I hope Commander Adama can fully explain to us,” Uri said.
“Thank you Uri,” Adama said. He then briefly explained everything from the first encounter of the Milsian Empire to the Alliance and the current situation including the fact the Cylons were involved. He finished sitting back waiting patiently for questions.
“So now what?” one council member asked.
“Doctor Wilker is working with several of our mining experts to figure out the best way to mine the fuel from the nearby moon. Until that time, the fleet is running dangerously low. For that reason we are here at a place called Serria, now under independent control under Governor Amy Barnes,” Adama said. “We have been given temporary sanctuary if we so require it.”
“And if what you say is true, the Cylons are nearby.”
“Yes, and they already know we’re here,” Adama said. “We’ve repulsed one attack already with the help of an Alliance battle-cruiser called the Nevada.”
“That is the one currently in Milsian space which is currently under civil war.”
“That is correct,” Adama said. “And the Alliance is allying itself with Baltar allowing Cylon basestars near their worlds. If we do nothing and think only of ourselves, billions will die.”
He let that comment hang in the air for several microns waiting to see if anyone might say anything. He wondered if they could leave so many to their fate when everyone knew they did not have the firepower, but could have the knowledge to stop another apocalypse from happening again.
“You realize we do not have the military might to help out much, especially if our fuel is so low,” one councilman said.
“Yes, I do realize that, but we have the knowledge that could mean victory or defeat. And I do not know where we might go if we decide not to help. I knew of only Earth, beyond that, I know of nothing unless someone here does?” Adama said.
“Well, we could leave, and then settle down and try to regain our strength while the Alliance and Milsian Empires fight the Cylons,” a different council man said.
“That’s fine, but our numbers are low, it would take more time than I’m afraid the thirteenth tribe would allow us,” the first council man replied.
“There is a time and place to pool the resources that we all have, I fear that now is that time,” Adama said.
“But will the Milsian Empire and the Alliance even work together?”
“I don’t know, but we must make them see that working together is to everyone’s advantage,” Adama said. “We have the experience that the Cylons will do anything say anything to achieve their goals.” He paused looking around the table seeing the echo of what had happened to the colonies in everyone’s eyes.
“Are they willing to accept us?”
“At the moment, yes,” Adama said.
“I suggest we vote on this, we could discuss this for the next yehren but now is the time of action,” one said.
Adama glanced around agreeing with the council man. He would have to wait to see what the vote would be.
*****
Mark paced on the bridge not sure what else to do.
“Sit down, you’re making me dizzy,” Kim said from her position.
“I know, but I’m nervous,” Mark said honestly. “I can control a battle in space, but down there, with little communications, and no way to know what’s going on, it makes me nervous for what I don’t know.”
“And you have an active imagination as well,” Kim said.
“It’s what allows me to figure out what the enemy might do,” Mark said. True, and right now his mind had a lot of different things that could possibly be going on down on the planet’s surface.
“Incoming communications,” Hans said.
Mark turned bringing up the screen feeling some relief seeing Crystal looking back at him.
“Crystal, what’s the situation down there?” he asked quickly.
“Well, it seems my uncle is dead, he would not allow himself to be captured,” Crystal said.
“I see,” Mark said, wondering how much that might affect the government of the Milsian Empire.
“I’ve put out a message of what happened throughout the empire, the next couple of hours will be the most telling,” Crystal replied. “For now though the fighting has stopped, I have no idea about the First Fleet. I have messages sent to the ships but I don’t know how loyal they were to my uncle.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Mark said. He felt slightly relieved knowing he now could concentrate on what appeared to be going on in the Alliance. The news that the Cylons now were helping did not ease his concern about the problems.
“Captain, you look concerned,” Kim said.
“Yeah, I’m about to suggest the very thing we’ve feared for the past several decades,” Mark said.
“I don’t understand?” Kim replied.
“We’re invading the Alliance, or more specifically, certain planets where the Cylons are to drive them away,” Mark said. He did not like the thought but had no political power to stop anything the government did dealing with the Cylons.
“Are you sure? Going to war with the Cylons like this?” Kim asked.
“If everything I’ve heard is correct, then the quicker we act the better our chances are. We need to push the Cylons away from our heavily populated planets,” Mark said. “We need to save lives.”
*****
Baltar turned around watching Lucifer walk into the command room.
“Report Lucifer,” Baltar said.
“The basestar commanders wish to know when to attack. They will not be content to wait for too long so close to humans,” Lucifer replied.
“Tell them to wait. We have a perfect opportunity here to deal this group of humans a death blow in one shot. If they combine with their enemies they would form a formidable foe against the Cylons,” Baltar said. “Any reports from our contact in the Alliance?”
“Yes, he states he has lost any contact with his contact in the Milsian Empire, and that he fears things have gotten worse over there,” Lucifer said.
“I see,” Baltar said. He thought about that for several seconds. What he did depended on what was going on in the Milsian Empire. If they remained unstable then he could move as he wished. If they remained under the current Emperor he could use that to his advantage. His biggest problem, the unknown faction winning the war.
“He also has no intelligence on what the other faction might be fighting against the Emperor,” Lucifer said.
“Wars could happen quickly or drag on for a long time,” Baltar said thinking out loud to himself. He needed the information of how long that war might go on. He recognized that if his contact had lost communications with the Milsian Empire then the Emperor’s side probably was losing at the moment.
He also knew that the last thing the Cylons needed, a united front of both the Alliance and the Milsian Empires especially considering how fast their ships could move. He needed to know as much information as possible.
“Shall I inform our contact you wish further information?” Lucifer asked.
“Yes, and as quickly as possible,” Baltar said. “Are all basestars in position?”
“They will be by the end of the day Baltar,” Lucifer said.
“Good,” Baltar said. He knew depending on the situation he might have to order the attack earlier than he expected. Seven basestars did give him a slight advantage at the moment. He would wait for the information then act.
*****
Tigh glanced at the screen wondering if he had seen things. He reread the message again to make sure. Nope, there was a small ship requesting a representative of the colonial fleet to head to the capital of the Milsian Empire. He had already sent the request off to Adama wondering if the council had finished up yet.
“Colonel, send a message to the ship that we’re going to be sending someone over,” Adama said, appearing on the bridge in a hurry.
“You’re not going are you commander?” Tigh asked. He did not need Adama to leave the ship at this point in time.
“No, the council agreed to send Captain Apollo with them. He has experience in politics and knows what is at stake here,” Adama said. “That and he already knows several people in the Milsian Empire and the Alliance. He is the perfect person.”
“I hope so commander,” Tigh said.
*****
Mark waited while the shuttle landed on the planet’s surface. Stepping out onto Milsia he felt strange. He had never expected to find himself here on a planet of an empire he considered, or at least at one time, the enemy. Now he found himself at the center of a revolution, getting the real heir to the throne and about to suggest invading the Alliance to destroy the Cylons. It all made no sense to him at all.
“Mark, I’m glad to see you,” he heard Crystal say. He found himself thinking the same thing. She looked the same, yet dressed in a more formal outfit he found himself thinking she looked more feminine than when dressed in the pilots outfit.
“Um, you too Crystal, you look different,” Mark finally said.
“This, not sure I’ll get used to that,” Crystal said.
Mark noticed several others, including Admiral Junkers. Mark felt his Alliance uniform stuck out and every eye had turned towards him.
“Empress, perhaps we should get down to business,” one person, with a general designation stated.
“Yes, your right,” Crystal said.
Mark followed inside the palace which showed the recent battle. Blast marks on the wall, blood stains, and cleanup crews were everywhere. Mark walked into the room selecting a seat hopefully far enough away to not cause a problem.
Crystal sat down at the head of the table, and he thought she looked uncomfortable. He probably would be as well if he had the same situation thrust upon him. He waited to hear what she had to say.
“Thank you all for coming. We have a lot to deal with and a short amount of time,” Crystal said.
“We must organize our defenses against any attack from the Alliance,” one person said. Mark had never seen him before.
“I do not think the Alliance is our primary concern, but instead, I’ve asked another group to join us, they should be here soon,” Crystal said.
Mark knew that the group would be the Colonials. With one of them here maybe he might not feel so out of place.
“Empress, the shuttle has landed,” another aide said rather quickly.
“Good, show him over here then,” Crystal replied.
Mark waited glancing around realizing that the First Fleet admiral seemed annoyed with Mark being there. The man kept glancing over at Mark. He figured the admiral probably wondered why an Alliance battle-cruiser captain would be in on such a meeting.
He glanced over at the door watching as Captain Apollo walked into the room.
“Captain Apollo, glad the Colonials could send someone on such a short notice,” Crystal said.
“Yes, we were slightly surprised to get the message, and that this has happened so quickly,” Apollo said.
“Time is of the essence, is it not,” Crystal said. “Captain Cave, what is the situation with the Alliance, the Cylons and the Alliance military?”
Mark glanced up suddenly at his name sounding so formal. He looked as everyone seemed to look towards him for an update.
“Ah, well, if my information is accurate, not that good,” Mark managed to say rather nervously. He had only expected to listen to what everyone said, not give a small speech. “Talking with my superior and Governor Barnes they state the Alliance has allowed the Cylons to help out militarily. They have several basestars around high priority planets that I know of. Which planet’s I do not know yet.”
“Makes sense, would the loss of six planets hurt the Alliance’s ability to fight back?” Apollo asked.
“Depends on the planets, but if they were around planets such as Pacifica and Corestar, then yes, it would have a devastating effect,” Mark said. The loss of both the main political and military homeworlds would possibly cripple any counter attack. It was something everyone in the room understood. The Milsians had tried several times to knock out Pacifica.
“Do we know what planets they are at?” Apollo asked. “Amy Barnes of Serria has not been able to gain that information yet.”
“No, my communications was cut off before the admiral could tell me,” Mark said.
“We might have a possible solution, we have several spies in the Alliance government, but they were loyal to Emperor Tony, he handpicked them,” another person said.
“How high up?” Crystal asked.
“Well, a few senators, several more aides, and a whole network including into the military,” the aide said.
Mark blinked in surprise wondering how the people of the Alliance would feel knowing they had traitors in the government.
“Senator Agnot is one of them isn’t he?” Mark heard Apollo say.
Mark watched the man look over at Crystal before answering the question. “He might be, I do not know, only their code-names. We avoid any direct names in case transmissions are intercepted.”
“Even if these Cylons have a treaty with the Alliance, it’s one more reason not to trust them,” another person said. Mark thought the man looked like a general.
“If they are allied with the Cylons, it will become your problem. The Cylons are only concerned with annihilating all human life. They will use any mean to disrupt a counter attack,” Apollo said. “Right now the greatest chance we have of holding off and defeating the Cylons if we all work together. That means the Colonials, the Milsian Empire and the Alliance all working as one.”
“General Schliez, there is an old saying, united we stand, divided we fall,” Crystal said speaking up. “That saying seems to hold more truth today than at any other time in human history. If what Captain Apollo says is true, and we allow the Alliance to fall then we might have lost our greatest ally in the upcoming war.”
“So we are already at war with these Cylons?” the general asked.
“General, it matters not if you think you’re at war with the Cylons, they are already at war with you,” Apollo said. “They will not declare war, but attack when they think you are weakest.”
“And what are we to do about this?” Otto Junkers asked.
“That’s what I wanted to discuss, what a good course of action might be,” Crystal said.
“I have an idea, one that even I can’t believe I’m about to mention,” Mark said speaking up. He noticed everyone looking at him waiting to hear what he had to say. “The Milsian Empire in effect, invades the Alliance.”
“And have the entire Alliance down upon us at the once. It would be a war between the two of us, and we’re not in a position at the moment to fight the Alliance after our civil war here cost us several warships and people,” Junkers said.
“No, he’s right,” Apollo said suddenly. “How does the Alliance military feel about the Cylons?”
“Well, Admiral Corey was not too happy about that,” Mark said, recalling the conversation he had before he had been cut off.
“Could we expect any help from them?” Apollo asked.
“I don’t know. It’s difficult for me to contact them. I’ll see if we can, but there is no guarantee that I’ll get through,” Mark replied to him.
“I see, it puts us in a very difficult position then,” Apollo said.
“There is no position, we cannot afford to go on any type of offensive,” another admiral said.
“Admiral Garrett, how long do you think we could defend ourselves alone against the Cylons?” Crystal asked.
“Well, that would depend on their strength,” Garrett replied as they all looked over at Apollo.
“When we left the Cylons had probably around a dozen basestars. I do not know how many they have built since then, we have destroyed four. If they have the resources they can build a large fleet rather quickly,” Apollo replied.
“Hmm, and they have seven basestars here, it would be rather easy to cripple their strength,” Mark said.
“There is no real discussion here admiral, we are helping, it’s a matter of how we help,” Crystal’s voice said breaking through the tension. “Would a direct attack on the Cylons really do anything?”
“If they are stretched as thin as we’ve heard, yes, it could be yehrens before they recover enough and by then we could sweep to the heart of the Cylon Empire destroying them once and for all,” Apollo replied.
Mark thought that would be extremely ambitious especially considering how much amnesty there was between the Alliance and the Milsian Empire.
“We could use the spies in the military to find out where the Cylon basestars are, could we not?” Mark finally asked looking around at the group.
“Well, yes, if this alliance between the Alliance and the Cylons is not a secret they would have such information,” one finally replied.
“Contact them and see if you can get the information then, time could cost lives,” Crystal replied.
“Very well,” the man said getting up to carry out the order.
“I think until we know exactly where the Cylons are we should wait before doing anything,” Apollo said.
“We can use that time to strengthen our defenses in case the Alliance use this time to attack us,” one of the generals replied.
“Very well, priority repairs to all ships, push the repair crews hard if you have to,” Crystal stated. Mark looked over and thought he saw a bit of self loathing over her words.
“Very well empress, then we should get to work.”
“Dismissed for now then,” Crystal told them.
Mark watched everyone leave wondering what might happen next.
End part 13
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