(Author's Note: This story picks up three weeks following the events of Volume II.)
Chapter One: A Matter of Conscience...
Seven Months and Three Weeks since the fall of the Colonies:
One by one the members of the Praetorium filed into the room aboard Olympica, their own makeshift war room. The matter at hand weighed heavily on each of them as they shared careful and reserved glances among one another. Being military officers they were privy to the details of the rescue mission, a mission that each of them felt was unwarranted; and it was here that they drew their plans to achieve their own ends.
"We have a guest today, straight from the Alestra," Jupiter said as he stood up and walked to the door, opening it for their visitor.
The room sat in stunned silence as Jupiter opened the door to a man who stood confidently in the doorway. The confident appearance caused many in the room to feel as though they had just been introduced to a smiling devil. The man entered and looked over each of the assembled officers analysing each and every one of them, studying their strengths but above all their weaknesses.
"Gentlemen," he said smiling as though he were their best friend. "My name is Solis, Donte Solis."
"What is the meaning of this?" Saturn demanded. The last thing he wanted was for more people to learn of the Praetorium's existence.
"Mr. Solis here is going to bring a small taste of anarchy to the entire fleet." Jupiter gave each a member a look before continuing, "The only way we can stop this fool's errand to Ostarsis is to paralyze not only the military but the civilian branches of power."
"What are you suggesting?" Neria asked.
"We use Mr. Solis' group to assassinate Governor Rush, Lt. Governor Fowler, the Quorum of Twelve, and any high-ranking members of the Admiralty."
Immediately the members of the Praetorium began to talk to one another in hushed whispers. Donte Solis let them talk, he had no interest in making them be quiet. He simply stood there smiling as he took in the view. They would go along with his plan, of that he had no doubt. He felt a powerful rush come over his body, the exhilaration of being able to shake up the system that had taken place since the Cylons attack was a potent drug.
One thought kept running through his mind, 'Dance my puppets!'
There was an excited buzz going about the ready room of the battlestar Athena. The ship's viper pilots, a motley crew from the various battlestars in the fleet, were waiting for the new arrivals from the Maytoria. This was their time to give the nuggets their call signs and welcome them to the squadron.
The hatch to the ready room opened and in walked the Athena's new commanding officer. Commander James Brannigan had been promoted to CO upon the unfortunate death of Commander Charles Watts; it had recently been decided that the promotion would be permanent. Therefore the man who just ten months ago had been the CAG of the Titan-class battlestar Basilisk was now in command of the Athena, Galactica's sister ship and veteran of the First Cylon War.
All the pilots stood at attention when Brannigan entered the room, not sitting until he reached the podium at the front of the room and told them to be seated.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning, sir!" they all said in unison.
"We have a new group of pilots who will be joining us today," Brannigan said, prompting a chorus of cheers and clapping.
"Now one of these pilots is an ensign by the name of Lacey Tolan…" He saw that a few of the faces recognized the last name. "She is related to Admiral Tolan; and I want to remind you that while we don't play favorites and make exceptions with embarrassing call signs… we might want to do things a little different in regards to her. As for the rest, have at it and make sure they are welcomed as a part of this fine crew." Brannigan began leaving the room, prompting the pilots to stand.
Moments later the new squadron of pilots entered the ready room, and the fun began…
With the election of the Quorum, it was decided to convert unused cabins on the Olympica into offices for the twelve members to use. Aurelia Gilliam's was located on E-Deck, Cabin 67. The recent weeks had been busy for her, especially when it came to the upcoming trial of General Alice Hyde for what she felt were war crimes committed against the Sagitarrons. She fussed with the few personal items she had on her desk, trying to look as neat and officious as possible. She had a visitor that would be arriving soon and she wanted to stress the importance of her and her position.
There was a knock at her door; she checked the time. That must be him… "Who is it?" she asked.
"Your date for tonight." The man's voice sounded serious, but knowing what she had read of him there was no doubt he was putting on a deadpan act.
"In that case, don't keep me in suspense," she said back to the man behind the door.
The door opened, and in walked Admiral Tyrone Carter. Gilliam was impressed by the man, who struck her as more statuesque than anything. At a height of six feet and eight inches, and what she could only assume was a well-muscled physique under his brown skin, it seemed he was at the absolute maximum height allowed a Viper pilot.
"Tell me, Admiral, do you ever go out in civilian clothes? It seems you always have your uniform on," she said with a smile, trying to keep the mood light between them.
"Keeping everyone safe from the Cylons is a full-time job; I'm afraid it's all work and no play," he said to her… then seemed to decide to get to the point, "What do you want?"
She smiled at him, making a mental note to use a genuine smile instead of her political one. "Admiral Carter, I want a lot of things."
"Alright, what do you want the most?"
"The thing I want most... actually two things at this point. The first is to see Alice Hyde brought to justice. The second is to see that the military is put in its proper place and led by honorable men and women."
Carter shook his head before asking the only question he could think of, "How do you sleep at night?"
Gilliam flashed him another smile, "On the right side."
She pulled open a drawer and pulled out a thick folder, "This was given to me by a confidential source. I would like for you to take a look at it."
Carter took the folder and opened it to find a set of plans for the Ostarsis rescue mission, he glanced up at her with a look of disbelief. "How did you get a hold of these? This could be interpreted as grounds for treason; you're in dangerous territory here." He had heard of Gilliam's hostility towards the military; perhaps his last statement would put a little fear into her.
Gilliam seemed unfazed, "I have my sources; but they are confidential and that's all you need to you know. Please tell me it isn't true. Attacking Ostarsis head-on with almost all available warships?"
"It's true."
"Which of the five-stars had the great idea?" Gilliam said, knowing it had to have come from either Kronus or Tolan.
"Tolan's idea, and Kronus' planning."
"Of course it would be Tolan's idea… Is he crazy?"
"A little; but I've known Scott Tolan for years and I think it's what gives him his advantage. Who else could think of anything like this?"
Gilliam looked like she wanted to say something, but Carter cut her off. "Ms. Gilliam, attacking Ostarsis is the only hope those people have."
"The only hope?" she asked.
"The only hope," Carter reiterated.
"What about us?"
"You may want to explain." Carter said to her even though he had an idea as to where she was going.
"Do you want to leave us poor civilians virtually unprotected?"
"Not at all, but this mission is important. I would like to remind you that no matter what number of warships we have at our disposal the Cylons will still outnumber us. If they ever find us and launch a full-scale attack it would not be pretty. We need to rescue those people from Ostarsis, they are resources to both the military and the civilians that we cannot afford to pass up."
"As a consequence, we need to have every warship available to protect us instead of going off on some needless rescue mission." Gilliam pressed, wanting to make Carter see her side of the discussion.
"It's been said that politics is the second oldest profession. In the past seven months I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."
She was quiet for a moment; but finally gathered her thoughts and decided to stand her ground. "Look Admiral, maybe you don't understand the situation. The Cylons are out to destroy every last one of us! The military is a necessary evil in my eyes, a mere instrument of war. I have no use for war or violence in any form, so even having this talk with you violates my principles."
"Then why are we having this talk?"
"You are a part of the military; you destroy everything and ruin people's lives. I'm trying to be a voice of sanity and save lives. People will die on Ostarsis, both on the ground and in space. You plan like you're going to win this battle, but what if you don't? You are leaving a few damaged and decrepit warships, along with a baseship full of pirates, to save a quarter million of us… It's going to be a slaughter. I have to object to this… this madness."
"If the Cylons hadn't launched their sneak attack, all would still be peaceful. We didn't have a choice; the Cylons forced us here. That is what destroyed that perfect little world of yours. None of us advocated a war; we wanted to keep the peace."
Gilliam scoffed, "You have a strange way of showing it. What do you call those monstrosities you and your people serve on, weapons of peace?"
Carter was starting to lose his cool, "I have a question for you. Why is it people are so willing to believe the worse of our military? Why are the people who put it on the line the last to be trusted, and people like you the first?"
"You want to cross swords with me, Carter? Cause if we get into this, you might just find yourself fighting to keep your flag rank."
"Well, I never meet a Viper pilot yet who didn't like a good bar fight, ma'am."
"You'd best stand down Admiral; I can be either an asset to you or an enemy. You and I belong to the same party, and I had hoped your loyalty would lie there. It seems you are on the side of your peers in the Admiralty. Knowing that, I can't place any value on anything you say."
"Where does that leave us?"
"The trial of General Hyde will continue; and I will do all I can to obstruct your suicide mission. I may not have any real power under the changes Governor Rush made, but I will find every loophole that can be used to my advantage. I can and will resolve this to the outcome I desire." This time Gilliam did not even smile at the man.
"Listen to me closely, Ms. Gilliam. You will not get in the way of this mission, and if you do cause this to fail then I can guarantee that Admiral Tolan will have your ass... and I'm going to own your soul." With that said, Carter turned around and stormed out of the room. The slamming door caused the walls to shake, and only added to the way in which Aurelia Gilliam had been stunned.
"I don't like the way he said that," Gilliam said to herself; she began to wonder if she had pushed Carter too far.
The door opened and she jumped in her seat, only to calm down when it was her top aide, Eli Hunter.
"I just passed Admiral Carter in the hallway; he looks pissed! What's the matter, something serious?"
She tried to compose herself as best she could, "Oh no, no, we're just handing the safety of the entire fleet over to a bunch of criminals."
He tried to make light of the situation, "Well, as long as it's nothing serious." He took the seat in front of her desk and looked at her for a moment before asking, "How do you feel?"
She tried to look as though she was not bothered but knew Hunter would see right through it, "Awful, but it beats being dead." Gilliam decided to just vent, "They don't understand my work! All the military wants to do is destroy everything the Federalist Party stands for! Before they came everything was in its proper place, planners to think, workers to work..."
"You do mean the Cylons…, right?"
"With the way the military has been acting, is there really much of a difference?"
"Aurelia, of all that's holy!" Hunter exclaimed; he could not help but feel it was out of line.
"There's nothing holy about me, Eli. Except maybe what I'd do to those warmongers if I get the chance."
"You would need a blessed miracle if you wanted to take them down."
"I make my own miracles; but have it your way."
Hunter realized that arguing with her would be fruitless. One day she would have to let go of whatever animosity she held towards the military; he only hoped it would happen before it was too late. "I'll have some vintage Ambrosia brought to us."
"I should think so," Gilliam said, hoping the alcohol would help to calm her nerves. Thinking of something else she could use right now, she reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. If there was an occasion where she needed a smoke, this would qualify.
After his meeting with Gilliam, Carter knew it was important he meet with Scott Tolan. There was something about his talk with her that kept nagging him. He realized in a way that she did not fully appreciate the situation they were in. The Raptor's journey from the Olympica to the battlestar Colossus only gave him time to ponder the predicament they might find themselves in.
"Scott, she sees this whole rescue mission as a gamble. She worries you're risking the lives of everyone with this operation."
"Everything we do has an element of risk, Tyrone. Besides, this is my gamble. If I win, we all win."
"You have to realize that if you're wrong, Gilliam will destroy you."
Tolan looked his friend and fellow flag officer right in the eye and his words left no room for argument, "I'm not wrong. Despite what some people may think… I do know how to win a battle."
Carter for a moment thought his friend might be having a moment of doubt, but he realized that Tolan was fully confident in both himself and the mission. In a way it was oddly reassuring, especially in light of the heated exchange he had earlier with Aurelia Gilliam. The Quorum delegate from Sagitaron would second guess her chances of stopping the Ostarsis mission if she saw what he was seeing at this moment. Carter felt his confidence rising knowing that Tolan would not waver and would find a way to pull off this mission.
"I could grow to dislike that woman," Carter said.
Tolan's expression turned to one of bemusement, "What do you mean, 'grow to'?"
Carter tried to change the subject, "How do you like your new home?"
"The latest technology, incredible size, and everything else I could ask for."
"I feel a 'but' coming on," Carter said, knowing that Tolan was holding back.
"Very observant… The truth is that the Colossus is no Victorious and at the end of the day, I would rather be on the Vic than here. Colossus is a great ship with a fine crew; but there is only ship that I want to have as my flagship."
"I understand, you've had a love for the Vic ever since you first took command." Carter admitted, knowing he had a similar affinity for the Sphinx.
Tolan walked over to a box that lay that on one of the desks in the room and pulled out a piece of paper, "Come have a look at this."
Carter walked over and held up the paper Tolan had taken out of the box, "It's a report from the Kios, Woods went to Armistice Station the day the Cylons attacked. Fleet Headquarters had sent out a general message requesting an FTL-capable ship to check on the Station's officer. The officer in question was overdue coming back from Armistice Station. Woods intended to jump there and check on him. Instead the Kios was disabled by the Cylons and its crew taken prisoner.
"Going by what Bridget has mentioned in her communications, the Cylons did not destroy the Kios. In theory, it could simply be sitting there at Armistice Station."
"That's only in theory though."
"Well Tyrone, just consider me an optimist."
"Alright then, what do you have in mind?"
"I want you to lead a recovery mission. I believe the Priam has become available, you and the Atlantia are to jump with it to Armistice Station and see if the Kios can be salvaged."
"Sounds simple enough, is there any particular reason why you want the Kios?"
"If salvageable then we have a new battlestar to add to our fleet. If non-salvageable then we have a source of spare parts and other materiel for our ships."
"You can count on me."
There was a knock on the door; and a young ensign entered the room.
"Excuse me, there is a reporter waiting to interview Admiral Tolan," Ensign Lucien Whitfield announced. While he had Colossus as his flagship, Ensign Whitfield was serving as his aide.
"Very well, Ensign; please escort Miss Coschignano here for our interview," Tolan said. As part of an attempt to put a more 'human' spin on the Colonial Fleet, Governor David Rush had assigned two reporters to the task of interviewing various people in the Fleet. The task of interviewing him came to a young reporter by the name of Brandy Coschignano from Caprica.
"On that note, I'll go back to Atlantia and bury myself in so much paperwork until we leave for Armistice Station that no reporter will want to interview me," Carter said as he quickly left the room.
"We should all be so lucky," Tolan muttered.
When Coschignano entered the room Tolan excused himself for a minute. A thought had come to him, and he wanted to act on it. He closed the door to a private study that adjoined his flag quarters and picked up the phone. A minute later the Colossus' communications officer had patched him through to the battlecruiser Nemesis.
"Admiral Morton, this is Admiral Tolan. I have a job for you." Tolan filled Albert Morton in on the details of Carter's visit with Aurelia Gilliam before giving the information concerning the job he had in mind.
A moment later the connection was severed and Tolan let out a sigh of relief. Admiral Morton was to go over to the Olympica and take the documents concerning the Ostarsis mission from Gilliam. He was to also make sure that she had not made any copies of them. The charge of treason would hopefully keep her in line, but there was another reason for going this route.
Someone had leaked those documents to Gilliam, and it troubled him knowing that it probably came from a person serving in the Colonial Fleet. Someway, somehow he would get to the bottom of this.
"Did you get the documents I sent?" the woman on the other end of the phone asked.
"Yes I did; they were very insightful. I had no idea the Admiralty was going to go with such a gamble," Aurelia Gilliam said, the exchange with Admiral Carter still fresh in her mind. She had recently been contacted by this mystery woman, who only gave her name as "Neria." It seemed obvious she was a member of the Colonial Fleet; but that was the furthest she was able to get with discovering the woman's identity.
"It's a shame really, all this because of one man's lust for another woman."
Gilliam was not quite sure what to say, "What do you mean 'lust for another woman'?"
Neria laughed, "Admiral Tolan was involved with a lower-ranking officer by the name of Bridget Woods. He was a Major at the time, and she was an Ensign. Caused quite the scandal, but she is now the leader of a group of prisoners on Ostarsis. This isn't so much a rescue mission as it is an errand of lust… I mean love."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because Ms. Gilliam, if this information was to be leaked… well it would put the good Admiral Tolan in a very uncomfortable light. Plus it would change the way this fool's errand to Ostarsis is viewed."
"I thank you for this; and the people of this fleet will thank you for stopping this insanity."
"As well they should…" Neria said before severing the connection on the secure line.
Gilliam put the phone down and pondered what the woman's motivations were for coming to her with the Ostarsis plans. She did not have long to think about it. The door opened and in walked Rear Admiral Albert Morton, and she guessed by the look on his face that he was not a social call.
"'Magnet', I still can't believe you ended up with that as your call sign!" Ensign Lacey Tolan said to Ensign Lynsie Medford, her friend and fellow classmate from the Academy.
"I know and they said it was because I was attractive, though I think they played it safe with you." Medford said. "I ended up with 'Ghost' as my call sign; I didn't think my skin was that pale!"
"What did your cousin, the Admiral, have for his call sign?"
"'Orion', like the great hunter from mythology, 'Ghost' doesn't sound quite as impressive as that." Tolan knew that Scott would be proud of her, and would let her know that she had a nice call sign.
"Does it feel different now that you're a bona fide Viper pilot?" Medford asked.
"Well to be honest with you, I still like we stepped back in time. The Maytoria was a relic, and now we're on one of the original battlestars."
"Not to mention we're now a couple of misfits." Medford was referring to the name of the Viper wing on Athena. Like on the Ares, Athena's air group had been culled from the squadrons on board the Victorious, Sphinx, and Helios. Major Jeremy Chandler, the CAG, decided to name the group 'The Misfits' and it stuck.
"Let's get to Ready Room Three; don't want to keep the squadron leader waiting," Tolan said as the two women turned the corner that would lead them in the right direction.
Meanwhile on the Athena, two officers were meeting to discuss recent events. They had not realized that they would be posted to the same ship, but yet here they were… two members of the Praetorium both serving on this one battlestar.
"I never thought we'd be posted together… Jupiter would not be pleased with this," Orais said.
"It's not like he could have done anything about it… I've been on here from the moment they brought this relic back into service. I had a nice gig on the Helios until I got moved here," Saturn said with the contempt obvious in his voice.
"From a Mercury-class to this… I'm surprised the Cylons haven't completely kicked this ship's ass."
"I think the only thing holding her together is habit… I wanted to stay on the Victorious, but that wasn't meant to be."
"At least Neria is still there; I doubt she's going to get transferred off the ship," Orais said, hoping the change in subject would help.
"Yeah and Jupiter can only get moved up if something happens to his CO, seeing as how he's the XO on his battlestar."
"You do realize who we have on this ship, right?" Saturn asked.
"Not particularly;, I only just arrived," Orais said bluntly, the irritation clear in his voice.
"A new ensign by the name of Lacey Tolan." Saturn saw the look in his comrade's eyes. "Yes she is related to Admiral Tolan--his first cousin, though from what I have been told she's more like his younger sister."
"We could use that to our advantage." Saturn smiled, "She could prove quite useful to us… one way or another. She could be turned to our side, or we could use her to send a message to the Admiral."
Captain Simone Merrick waited patiently in the ready room for her new pilots to arrive. Once the call sign assigning was over with they would arrive for their first briefing. She could have taken part in the traditaion, but opted out of it, just was not something she was interested in.
"Welcome to Viper Squadron Three of the Misfits. I am Captain Simone Merrick, your squadron leader. You are all here fresh from the Maytoria because this squadron was decimated in the Battle of Ochoa. Let me start by making one thing clear… I can't have grand-standers trying to hog the whole show. Results around here are based on co-operation and understanding. Discipline in the air is strict, because that's the only way an outfit like this can operate!" Merrick began her welcoming talk to her new pilots.
"Here I thought it was every man for himself," A male pilot said out loud. Tolan knew by the voice it was Clay Callahan, a freshman at the Academy who seemed to have a crush on her.
Merrick fixed him with a hard stare, "Not these days, it isn't. Just wait until the day you look over your shoulder and see a Cylon sitting on your tail, and you're not able to out-maneuver it! Then you'll know what I'm talking about."
"Come on, Reese, don't go getting all depressed on me," Major Andrea 'Artimus' Graystone chided her fellow viper pilot, and formerly clandestine lover, as she stood at the foot of his bed.
"It's not like that, Andie. We should be back there on the Vic waiting to get a piece of the toasters. Instead I'm lying in this bed because I got attacked and you're pregnant and having to watch me like this," Captain Reese 'Spartan' Pittman said, exhaling a deep breath to try to release some of his pent-up frustration.
"Well, truth be told you did have a part in my being pregnant. You were there in my office when we played that rousing game of 'Who's your CAG?'. Gods know what would have happened if it had been any other officer except my brother-in-law in command."
"No regrets?" Pittman asked, trying to do something besides complain about being out of action.
"None; we're both adults and we made a choice. The world as we know it is over; whatever lies ahead I want to experience it with you. How about you?"
"Well I guess I can give up seducing all those cute little ensigns that come aboard the Vic; some of them girls were cute… but none as cute as you."
She leaned over and kissed him, "Damn right they're not; and don't you forget it!"
"How's your sister?" Pittman had meant to ask about Emily Tolan, and there was no time like the present.
"She is still here on the Solace for the immediate future. Right now it depends on how well physical therapy goes, and the doctors can see if there was any residual brain damage from the coma. So far everything looks promising."
In the Kria Bunker on Ostarsis, the Resistance had managed to settle into a routine of training and waiting. There was a feeling of impatience among the lieutenants of the group's leader. Commander Bridget Woods, former CO of the battlestar Kios, was the only surviving member of the original three leaders of the Resistance. Jesse Quinn and Shane Cornell had sacrificed their lives to ensure that Bridget made it into the Bunker along with the other refugees that had been liberated from the Cylon prison camps. They had blown the entrance to the cave complex and given the Cylons the impression that all had been killed.
The quarters that normally would have been used for the President of the Colonies had become Bridget Woods' private quarters; the adjoining suite served as a meeting room with her lieutenants. The seven level bunker was able to hold the several thousand refugees housed there until the Colonial Fleet could commence their rescue mission.
Woods sat at her desk pouring over the blueprints for the Kria Bunker, in case there might be another way out of what had become a temporary home. She did not hear the door to her quarters open.
"Commander, is this a bad time to disturb you?" The unannounced guest, who almost made Woods jump out of her skin from shock, was Neveah Ratliff. At the age of twenty-nine she was considered a high-profile movie starlet until her capture by the Cylons; Ratliff had served as a 'comfort woman' for the leader of the Cylons, a model known only as 'One'. She had been kept in a nice house on Ostarsis and was only visited by the Cylon when he felt like 'playing' with her. Woods and Ratliff had developed a strong friendship in the time since they first met; if anything they were each other's confidante in this trying time.
"Not at all, Nev; what can I do for you?" Woods asked after getting over the shock of Ratliff's visit.
"I was curious if you had checked out the Holo Room yet?" Ratliff was referring to an area on the Fifth Floor that housed a large room with its own Holoband system. Holoband technology allowed for a seemingly full immersive virtual reality experience, similar to what existed before the creation of the Cylons. The bunker also had other amenities as well, such as a swimming pool that was sized at 50 meters by 25 meters. The room this was located in had a holographic projection of different outdoor scenes, ranging from the open plains of Leonis to the rooftop of a Caprica City high-rise building. There was a tennis court that Bridget had taken advantage of on several occasions.
"Afraid not, but it seems to be helping morale from what I've been told," Woods confessed; she felt the more claustrophobic should take advantage of the system. Her whole Colonial Fleet career had been spent on a battlestar; and never once had she felt a twinge of claustrophobia.
"I'm about to call it a night; I'll see you tomorrow. Nev," Bridget said as she walked over and opened the door.
"Goodnight, Commander," Ratliff said as she exited the room.
With her gone, Bridget closed the door and locked it. She was able to keep track of the few weeks that she had been down here. In truth, the monotony was bothering her more than anything else. At least when they had the caves it was possible to go out and rescue people or do something… productive. Now she was reduced to a waiting game and in this case patience was not a virtue she had.
"Scott, I know I shouldn't care how long it takes you to get here… but get here soon if you can," she said to an empty room.