Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental multi-fandom project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. For more details, see the relevent section in my profile. This is The 365 Project, 2 December.
In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."
Disclaimer: "Battlestar Galactica" 2003 is the property of Sci-Fi (SyFy, or whatever they're calling themselves now) and used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.
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"Communications Error"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
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Commander William Adama looked at the paper in his hand again, frowning as though his displeasure would cause the words written to somehow alter themselves to more pleasing ones.
'All surviving Colonial forces; rendevous at Styx for count-off prelude to execution of contingency plan NOIRAM. Have any surviving civilians accompany to rally point to be organised for movement out of Cyrannus System for creation of fallback site. Do not confirm by communications, Cylons possibly now have access to Fleet channels. Rear Admiral G.P. Lemmor, Battlestar Cassiopeia, acting commander-in-chief, Colonial Fleet.'
Adama had heard of 'Jeep' Lemmor and he wasn't sure what he wanted to think of the Admiral. Lemmor had a reputation as an aggressive fighter, but he had also been considered one of Adar's 'fair-haired boys' and his rise to flag rank was attributed to the late President's support. There was no way of knowing or not if Lemmor would follow Adar's example and surrender to the Cylons just as soon as he had what was left of the Fleet and Colonial civilians in one place, especially since he seemed to be ignoring Adama's own call for a rendevous at Ragnar Anchorage and even 'President' - that is, Secretary - Roslin's own call for ships to come to her location. Not that Adama could blame anyone for the second, a frakking schoolteacher in charge of the government, that was one way to make things go from bad to worse. The first, though, Adama could only think of one reason why, in the present dire situation, anyone would issue a conflicting order regardless of differences in rank; if Lemmor really cared about reconstituting the Fleet and ensuring the safety of surviving civilians, he could have just jumped to Ragnar and the two of them could have sorted chain of command out after the situation was less critical; issuing a conflicting order to rendevous at Styx like he had proved that Lemmor appearantly cared more about being in control of the surviving Fleet elements than anything else. If he was as much of an Adar supporter as Adar seemed to be of Lemmor himself, then if Galactica arrived at Styx, there was a decent chance that Lemmor would continue the decommissioning of the Battlestar and have it scuttled and it's crew spread out over other ships - likely forcing Adama himself into retirement - despite the fact that the surviving Fleet would need every Battlestar or other combat vessel they could get, even if they were a little old. There were just too many variables to consider and not enough time to consider them in... The communications officer who had handed Adama the paper was looking at him expectantly, waiting for the 'Old Man' of Galactica to react to the message.
"Ignore it," Adama finally informed them, "The Cassiopeia was destroyed over Tauron; it's either an automated beacon or a Cylon trap, two things we don't have time for at the moment."
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Author's Note: Yes, the Battlestar Cassiopeia is a reference to the Classic BSG character. I'll also admit that I let my love of history out to play a little with the names of the contingency plan and the Rear Admiral.