All This Will Happen Again
A Battlestar Galactica Re-imagining
By the Evil Author

Prologue

All this has happened before. All this will happen again.
- Colonial Proverb

The light from the nuclear explosions above the planet had long since faded. Two years on the run had finally culminated into this one climactic battle. The rag tag Colonial fleet had settled on the world below, unable to run any further. The lone Battlestar that had shepherded them all this way had turned to confront the pursuing Cylon Basestars. Survivors from the Battlestar had spoken of an epic battle, the Basestars destroyed. And with the Cylon Resurrection Ship already destroyed, the Cylons had been unable to relay the surviving Colonials' location to their fellow machines far, far away.

Richard Adar was tired. It was a miracle that he had survived the destruction of the Colonies, made possible only by the secret FTL capable ship hidden underneath the Presidential Palace back on Caprica. Even more fortuitous to stumble across this lone Battlestar that had managed to survive the Cylon virus and managed to gather up what civilian vessels could be saved. And the less thought about the actual flight from the Colonies, the better. Now, all Adar wanted to do was rest, but he had one last duty to do.

"My fellow Colonials," he said, addressing the assembled crowd of survivors in the shadow of their battered starships. "The brave men and women of the Colonial Fleet have given their lives dearly to destroy the Cylon basestars that had pursued us across the galaxy. We are safe, at least for now. The rest of the Cylons have no idea where we are, but they are still out there, still a threat to us."

"What can we do if they show up?" someone in the crowd asked.

"What can we do? Right now, we can't do anything," Adar answered honestly. "But we have time: time to rebuild our numbers, our civilization, and our fleet. And we must never forget that the Cylons are out there, that they seek our annihilation. And we must also never forget the brave men and women who protected us. To that end, I propose we name this new world after the Battlestar that they served on: Kobol!"

A roar of agreement erupted from the crowd.


"This is fantastic!"

"What is it?"

"One of the Solomon class probes reported in. It's discovered a star system with twelve habitable worlds in orbit of it."

"What, like the old legends?"

"Unbelievable, isn't it? We're going to have to send a manned expedition to check it out."


"Dammit! The Cylons are hitting the Colonies right now! We can't just stay here and…"

"Incoming!"


"…in remembrance of the brave warriors who died to save us," Aaron Dar was saying to the crowd, "I propose we name this world Kobol after the Battlestar they served aboard! How say you?"


"Sir, the Scoutstar Solomon reports that they've found a nearby star cluster with a total of twelve habitable worlds in close proximity of each other."


"...dirty Cylons are bombing Caprica right now…"


"…name this world Kobol in honor of…"


"…Commander Solomon found twelve worlds practically right next to each other…"


"…Cylons attacking…"


"…Kobol…"


"…twelve worlds…"


The intelligence listened to the ancient transmissions, millennia old packets of data crawling across the void. Each message was but a fragment that when assembled together painted a tragic comedy of an otherwise insignificant species locked in a seemingly endless cycle of mutual destruction. The only reason the intelligence was even interested in monitoring these events was because it had once been a participant in the cycle long, long ago.

Even as it watched, this species appeared to be readying itself to start another repetition of the cycle. Maybe, the intelligence thought to itself, maybe this time will be different.

Probably not.


Commander Jankowski, Lord of the Battlestar Hyperion, studied the mysterious ship that he had found in this system far from the home systems Twelve Colonies. He had come out here in search of worlds that he could claim for his own, and perhaps raise his status in the eyes of his peers. This system far from home had a habitable world, a rich prize indeed. But alas, it would appear that someone had beaten him here if that other ship in the world's orbit was any indication.

The other ship was strange though, utterly unconventional in its shape. Instead of a proper bilaterally symmetric design of a proper starship, this vessel had a radial symmetry what with being two saucers placed hub to hub with each other. A swarm of more conventionally designed small craft milled around the thing. Still, Jankowski had this nagging feeling that the design was somehow familiar even though he was sure that he had never seen it before.

"Sir!" shouted Sheridan, Jankowsky's communications officer. She was agitated, flustered… scared? What could she possibly be afraid of? "We've received a challenge from the other ship… I think."

"You think?" Jankowsky said, annoyed at the unprofessional behavior. He made a mental note to reprimand the woman. "Well don't keep me waiting, let's hear it."

"Yes, milord," Sheridan said, giving no indication that she had noted his reproving tone.

But she did her job. A synthesized voice filled the Hyperion's bridge. The words were incomprehensible, the emotional overlay that of a friendly greeting. But one word was spoken that needed no translation.

"…Cylon…"

Jankowski's felt himself go cold as realization hit him. Cylons were the stuff of childhood tales, monstrous robotic demons from the deepest darkest beyond come to destroy humanity. The tales were very clear that the Cylons were liars, smiling false platitudes of friendship even as they maneuvered to stab humanity in the back with their alien, star-shaped ships… ships like this one.

No, not this time, Jankowski resolved. The Cylons had returned to destroy humanity. The Colonies needed to be warned. But first, the Hyperion needed to survive.

"Milord," Sheridan spoke, breaking Jankowski's train of thought, "do you wish to send a reply?"

"Yes, yes I think so," Jankowski said. He pressed the intercom button. "All weapon stations, this is the Commander." He paused slightly, eyes locked onto the Cylon ship. "Open fire."