The First Contact
"Frac, this is a long patrol!" Starbuck mumbled.
"That would be why the call it Long Patrol." Replied a laughing Apollo.
"Oh shut up Apollo." Starbuck said half-heartedly, again Apollo laughed.
"But you are right we should turn back now." Apollo said through his chuckles. "Wait did you hear that?" he asked.
And Starbuck did, it sounded like a voice coming over the COM system, "Yeah, I hear it but what is it?"
"I don't know, but it seems to be getting louder the further we go." They flew their vipers a little further knowing that if they went to far they wouldn't have enough fuel to get back to the Galactica.
"There it is Apollo!" They spotted what appeared to be some sort of shuttle, yet it appeared to be too big almost the size of a medium sized ship.
"Help, please, can anyone hear me? We have run outta fuel and are losing power fast!" Apollo and Starbuck couldn't believe it the voice was female.
"This is Captain Apollo of Blue Squadron of the Battlestar Galactica, we can hear you."
"Oh, thank God! This is Captain Gemma McCleaver of the Stargem, and we are having some serious malfunctions and need some major help!"
"Don't worry we're going to help you, now tell me how much power do you have?"
"Just about enough to keep life support going and that looks like it won't last much longer!"
"Alright, we are going to bring you back to the Galactica with us, don't worry about not having enough power we're going to attach towing lines to your ship and pull you back with us. Now I want you to shut down as much as you can including your COM system, save as much power as you can."
"Gotcha Captain, oh and Captain thank-you." Gemma shut down her COM and every thing possible but life support. She let out a sigh of relief leaning back in her chair she turned to look back in to the "Healing Center," to the two healing pods that held people in them.
"Don't worry you guys, they're going to help us, you're going to be just fine, I promise!"
"Galactica command this is viper pilot one,"
"Go ahead viper one, this is Galactica command."
"We've come across a shuttle of some sort, with at least one person on board and alive, but with very little power, we are bringing her back to the Galactica now."
"Shuttle bay two will be ready."
"Thank-you Galactica command viper pilot one out."
Back on Galactica
There was a huge crowd gathered within shuttle bay two as Commander Adama stood with Apollo, his son, Starbuck, Cassiopeia waiting for the decontamination chamber to be finished being put up.
"I don't know how long the crowd will stay under control, this is the first time this has every happened." Adama said.
"Commander, the chamber is ready." Adama nodded to young officer as he and the others entered the Stargem. What they saw amazed them. It was like a home; sleeping chambers, a visitation chamber, and much, much more.
"By the Lords of Cobol, look at this place." Adama whispered. Just then a young woman entered from a side door marked 'Command' she stood about 5'5, with brownish blond hair reaching down to her waist while in a braid, with crystal blue eyes that were filled with tears. She looked at the group, then at Starbuck and Apollo, unable to decide which one was the person she talked to while out in the middle of nowhere.
"Which one of you is Captain Apollo?" Apollo stopped forward
"I am, are you…"
He was cut off as Gemma throw herself into his arms crying harder then ever before whispering "thank-you" over and over again. Apollo looked shocked as he wrapped his arms around the woman before she toppled them both to the ground. He looked from his father to Starbuck to Cassi, each were just as shocked as he was. But before he could think to reply the women moved away from him.
"I'm sorry about that, Captain, its just that a few days ago when we started to lose power, I was so afraid that no one would come and now my prays are answered!" she rushed out while wiping away her tears. Adama moved beside his son,
"I am Commander Adama, this is Lieutenant Starbuck, and this is Cassiopeia" he pointed to each in turn. Gemma smiled at them.
"How did you come to be way out here and all alone?" At that Gemma's smile fell,
"I'm not" everyone looked confused
"not what?" asked Starbuck
"Alone."
"If your not alone, then who and where are your companions?" Adama asked while looking around. The tears were back in Gemma's eyes and she quickly blinked them away.
"I am sorry, I'm not usually this emotional, but if you'd been through what I have been through I bet you'd be just as emotional." She shook her head as if to shake away memories,
"But as to my traveling companions," she trailed off as a beeping noise started causing Gemma's eyes to widen with horror.
"NO NO NO!!" she ran back into the command center quickly followed by the others.
"What's going on, what is that noise?" asked Adama. After entering the command center Gemma took a sharp left, causing the others to stop. Visible in this room were two other women locked within tubes of some kind, hanging above the door was the sign "Healing Center." Just then a monotone voice came over the overhead COM,
"healing pod two is crashing, healing pod two is crashing…" it said it over and over again.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Gemma muttered as she fiddled with the control panel.
"Damn, damn, damn!" Gemma yelled as she ran over to the pod flashing red and punched a matching flashing red button causing the pod to open. Gemma caught the woman as she fell put of the pod, carrying her over to a table.
"In the panel beside that door is an O2 mask grab it quickly!" Gemma commanded almost frantically. Starbuck was the first to move, opening the panel there was only one item in it, grabbing it he hurried over to the table were Gemma was laying the unconscious women on,
"This it?" Gemma just nodded as she checked for a pulse. Not finding one, she grabbed the mask from Starbuck quickly assembling it so that she could breath into it.
"Do you know CPR?" Starbuck didn't have a clue what CPR was,
"No, I am sorry," Gemma ignored his apology, and just grabbed his hands placing one hand on top of the other in the center of the woman's chest.
"When I say 'now' I want you to push down about an inch fifteen times in a row, got it?" Starbuck nodded Gemma tilted the woman's head back and breathed twice.
"Now!" Starbuck quickly began to do compression's. After the second set he felt one of the woman's ribs brake and he winced.
"Damn you Kai, don't you dare die on me! Not now, you have a promise to keep!" Gemma felt for a pulse once again this time she felt it,
"Oh thank God!" she continued breathing but waved Starbuck to stop compression's. Another few minuets and the unconscious Kai started to breath on her own. Gemma didn't realize she was crying again. She quickly assembled the O2 mask to the O2 tank. Starbuck laid his hand of her shoulder; slowly Gemma turned burring her face in Starbuck's chest. Starbuck held her close rubbing small circles on her back and whispering soothing words until she was calm.
Adama finally snapped into action,
"Cassie go get the Doctor immediately!" Cassi nodded and took off at a run. Apollo and Adama approached Starbuck and Gemma. Starbuck slowly held a finger to his lips and then slightly nodded to Gemma, who had cried herself into exhaustion, she had fallen asleep holding on to Starbuck. Shifting just a little to be able to pick her up and carry her to the visitation chamber. Sitting on a couch with Gemma on his lap, Starbuck held her closer.
"What do you think happened to them?" Apollo whispered.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out." Said Adama.
"Umm…Commander,"
"Yes, Starbuck?"
"Don't you think that should wait until she's a little more emotionally stable?"
"We don't have time to wait Starbuck, if we want to help the other two people on board this vessel we need to know what happened and what's wrong with them."
Starbuck nodded knowing the Commander was right, but he just couldn't stand to see this girl hurting so much. He didn't understand it, but he felt extremely protective of this young female captain. As Starbuck looked back to Gemma her eyes were staring back at him, and he was startled by how bright blue they were. She smiled weakly at him before sighing and cuddled closer to him,
"do you think you could tell us what happened?" Starbuck asked her.
Sighing Gemma just nodded her head, still refusing to admit that she was enjoying being held by this man.
"Well, it began almost a year ago, I think a year anyway, when my sisters and I were chosen to explore past the furthest known planet in our galaxy…"
"Which would be?" Adama asked.
"Please, I don't feel like a joke now."
Apollo, Adama, and Starbuck shared a confused look but let her continue.
"We were to investigate a legend about how we came to be. Everything was going fine until about two weeks ago. We had just reached the fueling station when were attacked by these strange ships. I've never seen anything like them before and I hope not to see them again."
Gemma shuttered at the memory, Starbuck held her closer.
"What happened next?" Starbuck asked.
"Well Asling and Kai were outside of the ship at the time the attack started but they were able to make it back inside. I was able to get the Stargem in the air but we were only half fuel and both Asling and Kai had both been hit by this odd green, I'm guessing laser things. After losing these things that had been chasing us, I cleaned out their wounds as best I could but they became infected and by the time we started losing power both of them…" Gemma had to stop because she was crying to hard.
Starbuck was slowly rocking her, and rubbing calming circles on her back.
"Can you describe the things that attacked you?" He asked. Gemma took a deep calming breath,
"this is going to sound crazy but machines, robots, with a single red light as their eyes."
Starbuck looked over at the commander and Apollo, they knew what attacked them Centurions. Before they could question any further, Cassi and the doctor came running in.
"I am here commander. Tell me what is wrong." Gemma looked at the doctor,
"You are here to save the lives of two people, hopefully. They are through here." She stood and led the doctor to the "Healing Center." After the doctor used some sort of scanner over Kai's body.
"Cassi we are going to need two healing chambers." He said as both Cassi and Apollo left to get the chambers.
"It truly is amazing that these two have survived on such primitive healing equipment." He was scanning the second girl the one still in the tube.
"I can not get a clear reading," he looked at Gemma,
"Can you get her out?"
Gemma nodded,
"I can, but I don't know if I should Kai has already crashed once I don't want that happing to Asling as well." Starbuck wrapped his arm around the girls shoulders,
"Its alright the doc wouldn't ask you two do something unless he was sure of the actions." Gemma nodded and made her way of the control panel, and started pushing buttons so fast no one could tell what she was doing. Then that monotone voice was back.
"Healing tube one is shutting down…Healing tube one is shutting down…" Gemma caught the girl as she fell from the tube and laid her on the table. Acting on instinct she checked for a pulse and breathing which thankfully she was doing.
"She's not as far gone as the other one but she's getting worse." The doc stated, causing Gemma's eyes to fill with tears. Just as Cassi and Apollo came in with two healing chambers followed by Boomer and Jolly. As Asling and Kai were put into the chambers Gemma walked over to them before they were closed off, and gave them a kiss on the forehead,
"Don't fret my sisters you will be well again and our promises kept." She whispered. As they were pushed out of the ship Gemma followed them until the main chamber.
"They will be alright, won't they?" Gemma asked. Starbuck stood beside her he shook his head,
"All we can do now is pray."
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the others on the ship, Adama, Starbuck, Boomer, and Jolly,
"I want to go with them, I don't want them to be alone." Adama nodded,
"Of course, Captain McCleaver, we shall escort you to the healing room." As they stepped out of the Decontamination Chamber Gemma was surprised to see all the people filling the bay. Many and most appeared to be civilians.
"Look there one is still alive, she can give us our answers!" someone screamed causing the crowd to surge forward.