When Colonel Bransan walked into the secure room, he could feel the tension of the Marines with him. Granted, they'd blow the cylon into tiny little peaces— but cylons didn't feel pain. Didn't go into shock. Which equaled an ability to kill him well before they could kill it.

But some conversations had to be held in person.

"Here's the problem. We can't rescue the people," he said bluntly. "Evacuations have to be planned and they need help on the ground. Your crews on the ship will help us," If they're really on our side, "but we need ground assistance."

"I see." The cylon gave no sign of irritation. "Humans would panic, unlike inorganic cylons."

"Yeah. So we need your help."

"I doubt they would cooperate with us."

"Maybe not, but we have to try— and Tomas believes that you are being truthful." When he's not poaching my best soldiers to go on a suicide mission for somebody's science project.

"He is an engineer and thus understands things as they are as opposed to how he wishes they would be."

"Mpgh."

"I could warn them— but I do not expect you will give me time to warn them well in advance to the attack."

"Damned right we won't. Our trust doesn't extend that far."

"You are wise." The cylon remained silent for several minutes, then continued. "The shorter the warning period means the less time to organize an evacuation and we would still have to terminate the other cylons… However… You are aware of the grounded ships in the prison camps."

"Yah, we intend to use them, at least for orbital transfer."

"That would still not help. I must speak to your admiral. There are…options I was provided that may help you. But they will require a promise."

When Adama walked in with Tomas, Diane and several other officers, Alpha had not moved, although the marines present tensed up as Adama approached the cylon.

"I'm here," Adama said without preamble. "You say you can help us. How?"

"I can transmit codes that will alert the freed cylons at the facilities of your coming. They can assist you.

"Won't the organics and drones mind?" Tomas asked.

"Those sites are well protected from land based attack and the ship based resistance forces have not been able to penetrate that far. At least initially, we should be able to kill most of them."

"Initially."

"Yes. Even if they cannot retake the sites by ground attack, the usurpers will no doubt destroy them from orbit."

"Okay, you help us. What promise?" Adama asked.

"The cylons on the ground and in the ships that leave with you will be unable to escape if they are assisting you. The promise is that they be taken with your forces until such a time as you can release them without danger to yourself and then be provided with a means to return to the general vicinity of this system."

"You want us to give you a ride?" Diane asked in shock.

"Yes. After all, if we did not help you, as you have asked, it is likely we could preserve the secrecy of our existence and wait for a more propitious time to strike." The cylon paused. "That extends to any other cylons who assist you. It may be that I could secure some extra transport for your forces."

"What type of transport?" Tomas asked.

"First War basestars. Most of them were re-purposed for logistics duty and heavily staffed by obsolete cylons. Most of those ships are now almost completely crewed by sentient models."

"Why would you offer that. Why would your people go along with that?" Bransan asked.

"Because it would be a low-risk and high return strategy," the AI said. "One the one hand, we will have numerous basestars for our own use. We do not require life support and 'elbow room' is a human need. More importantly, we cannot defeat the usurpers, but seeing some of our ships leave with you will fill them with doubt which can benefit both parties."

"And if you turn on us?"

"These basestars have no heavy weapons as you may verify for yourself if they are needed."

"Give us a moment," Adama said.

"Bill," Tomas said, "The basestars might be able help us— even if only one joins up they're going to be looking over their shoulder like you couldn't believe."

"And then they frakking turn on us?" Tigh asked. "Remember the first war?"

"I'm not suggesting we adopt them," Tomas said without irritation. "But the demands are reasonable. We give them one of our older transports, the basestars and then they jump and we jump. End of problem."

"We could handle it…" Diane frowned. "Differently."

"If you mean destroying them, no we can't," Tomas said. "Admiral, they've dealt with us, at least as far as we know, honorably. More importantly, inorganic cylons don't need habitable planets— and that means if they decide to expand they'll do it faster than we can. If they ever meet us again, I'd prefer to not have to answer awkward questions about what happened to the ones who went with us."

"Good point," Bransan said. "And we can always break off if it looks like a trap. Be honest, letting us destroy their shipyards and take their ships just to bait the trap around the colonies is too damned convoluted even for the organic cylons— and if they can lose that much just to get us… well they don't need to trick us."

"Agreed," Adama said. "We'll accept the deal." He paused. "Just keep your eyes open."

"Oh Gods believe me, I will," Tomas said.