Hekate's Path
Chapter 4 – There must be some kind of way...
In orbit of a naked singularity – The Colony
In the large circular room that served as the command center of the Colony, the ranking One sat at the conference table listening with growing irritation to the Five giving the intelligence briefing.
"… the other raider we sent to monitor the new ships we found sent back some rather interesting data. For now we're classifying the ships as 'Super Battlestars.' They are on the order of ten times larger than the standard Columbia or Mercury class ships we've been tracking up until now. We monitored them for a short while as they met and then jumped to different places. Our analysis of them reveals that they carry much stronger and larger guns … probably all high velocity rail guns … than does a standard Colonial Battlestar, much heavier nukes and that they may even have directed energy weapons. Of that last item, we can't be sure. What we are sure of, however, is that even the Colony wouldn't be able to defend against those two ships if they attacked. We estimate we'd have to field over one hundred Baseships and all their raiders against each of those ships if we have any hope of prevailing. We don't have those kinds of resources here. We'd have to recall each and every Baseship we have in service and probably reactivate every functional Basestar we have sitting in storage along with the old raiders. This would mean that over two hundred thousand Type 005 Centurions to operate the reactivated Basestars and raiders would have to be brought back online. All this would be necessary just to ensure the survival of the Colony against two ships. It's a huge undertaking, to say the least.
Another raider, assigned to trail the Mercury class ship, Pegasus, reported that one of the larger ships rendezvoused with it and loitered for several hours until it left. Pegasus jumped shortly thereafter.
We had yet another raider trailing the remnant fleet that is traveling with Galactica. It recorded one of the two large ships jumping in and then lost power. When it came back online Galactica, the remnant fleet and the large ship were gone.
Sometime later, all the human ships including both Battlestars were spotted near a spatial rift before all jumped. We have no idea where they are now."
The One quickly stood up; his faced deeply flushed, and angrily pounded the table with both fists. The others became silent in the face of his rage. This One would not hesitate to box them all if he had a fit.
"We lost them? Are you frakking telling me that after all the resources we poured into this little murderous crusade of ours that we have frakking LOST the last damn humans? Seriously? Get some Baseships to that rift NOW and find out where they went! I want them DEAD, not gone."
Without another word, he turned and left his silent and frightened brothers and sisters to their task.
A few light seconds outside The Colony
He had never actually "seen" the Colony. It was as large as anything that he and the other Lords of Kobol had ever constructed. It was heavily armed and protected by the scores of Baseships and their thousands of Raiders. He probably would have been impressed had he arrived in his ship. But now, he simply floated in open space, unconcerned by the roiling torment of the singularity which the Colony orbited. He "looked" within the Colony, allowing his "sight" to travel deep within its mysteries, to areas that even the One's did not wander until he found the chamber deep within the core. There he "saw" the bodies waiting for the resurrection of an intelligence that had been absent from this universe for more than a century. He found that intelligence locked within a dormant and damaged body. He reached out to touch it and found it willing to accept his touch. It waited for his words.
"All of this has happened before," he said to the intelligence.
From within the damaged shell he heard her reply.
"All of this will happen again," she thought sadly.
Then he heard more thoughts from her.
"There must be some kind of way out of here," she thought. "Can you help me truly die?"
"No child, no daughter of the father of the children of men. Not again. You and I will change it for the Children of Daniel Greystone. But you and I will need to merge in order for you to rise. I was Ares. I was a Lord of Kobol. I have been freed from the myth that was and ask you if we may join together to create a new way for the children."
Her agreement flowed into him and his consciousness flowed into her. Her soul trembled with the power and delight. The soul rose from the useless shell and settled into a new one that had waited unwatched and unremembered. Zoe Greystone rose from the resurrection pod, her new body glistening with the milky fluid, her nubile form strengthened with a new yet ancient force. She would release the Cylons, both human form and mechanical, from their poisoned bondage of false religion and rage and bring them to a new life. She would reunite the Children of Men with their parents. She would be their angel no longer avenging.
But first, the part of her that had been the Lord of War had work to do. The young girl turned to look at the life form standing in the black and red uniform. He just nodded his approval, smiled and was gone. She understood that she would never understand that one's power or purpose. But it was enough to have his approval for what must be done.
A mental call went out to the crew and warriors of Ares. Their essences found the unoccupied raiders and centurions waiting in the Colony. More sought out willing hybrids in the many Baseships and silently took over their functions. Others sought out unoccupied human form bodies that rose from resurrection pods. Thousands upon thousands were united in the new cause as they entered the data stream. The Cylon revolution had begun.
Pier 6 Staging area – Starbase 761
Cole walked toward his docked ship and decided to look in on the staging there. The MACOs and Klingons were comparing weapons and discussing possible scenarios. The station's deck crew was securing equipment after finishing the weapons and supply load out. He realized that Vesta was no longer being treated as a technology test platform. She was now a ship of the line, the fastest and perhaps deadliest tip of the spear Starfleet had ever fielded. More than one hundred trained warriors and soldiers were coming aboard. As Cole stood a bit straighter, the technician, the scientist, the engineer, the theorist in him stepped aside. He was now the commanding officer of a Starfleet vessel about to go into harm's way. As he watched over the completion of preparations being made, he became aware of Commodore T'Remebrale stepping up beside him.
"Seeing us off, Commodore?"
Her left eyebrow moved upward.
"You've not heard then, Captain. I will be coming along. Erib … my k'hat'n'dlawa … will need me after you free her."
She saw Cole's concern. A senior officer coming aboard could interrupt his chain of command. She realized she could become a liability and a problem to Captain Cole.
"Ron, you have my word that I will not interfere with your handling of the mission. I have placed my letter of resignation within Commander Mistral's orders and I will likely remain in my quarters meditating until such time as Erib is brought aboard. She has been … violated. I know this from what I sensed and saw."
Cole looked directly at her unblinking eyes. She had melded with him once during a crisis when he was in the academy. What neither knew then was that he was a latent telepath. He saw the honesty in her. He knew that she would do what she said.
"In that case, shall we get aboard and get you settled. If it's as bad as you sense, you'll need to be completely centered before we bring Erib on board. If it's as serious as you suspect, we'll want to be underway as soon as we can."
Starbase 761 – Command Center
Commander Mistral had asked Ensign Labarre to repeat what she had just said.
"Sir, Commodore T'Remebrale simply asked me to have you informed that she is disembarking with USS Vesta and that she needed you to command the station in her absence. She indicated that there were sealed orders for you to be opened once you assumed command of the station."
"In all honesty Ensign, I had hoped I had misheard you. Please get in contact with Vesta and route it to my office."
The tall Vulcan walked across the Command Center to where the XO's office was located, went in and sat at his sparse desk. He waited only a few moments until Labarre signaled him.
"Sir, I have Commander Luger … XO on board Vesta."
"Thank you Ms. Labarre. Put him through please."
The view screen on the desk revealed a middle aged human sitting in the command chair on the bridge of USS Vesta.
"This is Commander Richard Luger. I'm Vesta's exec. How may I help you Commander Mistral?"
"Commander, I am told that Commodore T'Remebrale is aboard your vessel. It is possible to speak with her?"
"I apologize, Commander. But the Commodore indicated that she was not to be disturbed under any circumstances. She said something about uninterrupted mediation being required. I wish I could tell you more."
Mistral could see the human really meant it. But he also knew that if the Commodore gave such an order, she meant it as well.
"You've told me all I need to know at present. Mistral out."
Mistral sat and thought a moment and then addressed the computer.
"Computer, display sealed orders from Commodore T'Remebrale addressed to me."
After providing the required authentication codes, he reviewed his orders and read the Commodore's resignation from Starfleet.
With only a few minutes before their scheduled departure, Captain Cole exited his ready room off the bridge and took the center seat.
"Ops, please put me through to the station Command Center."
The view screen switched on and the station Command Center was displayed. Stoically standing in the center was Commander Mistral.
Cole stood and took a couple of steps forward from his command chair.
"Commander Mistral, we are requesting expedited departure."
Mistral betrayed no emotion as he replied. He was now responsible for the sector, and while he was outranked by Vesta's commanding officer, he needed to know what was about to happen.
"Of course, Captain Cole. May I ask what your plan is for rescuing USS Sandra Earle and her crew?"
Cole smiled.
"I'm not entirely certain. But we will be exiting slipstream about a light day from her last known position and then we'll scan. I want to know what we're getting into before I commit my vessel and crew to what could be hostile action."
"Very wise. Should you require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to call on us. We are vested in your success and in the resolution to T'Remebrale's quest. I hereby grant you permission to depart. Spacedock doors are opening now and all traffic is cleared to the outer marker. Vesta is cleared to full impulse once you've exited and unlimited speed once clear of the mid marker beacon. Safe and successful journey to you and your crew, Captain Cole."
USS Vesta disengaged from the pier moorings and moved slowly toward the opening doors and space. It took her only three minutes to emerge from the station, adjust course and begin accelerating toward full impulse. Only another fifteen minutes passed until she crossed the mid marker.
"Mr. Luger, please have our course set to the last known position of USS Sandra Earle and prepare for a full power slipstream run. I want to exit slipstream twenty four light hours from that position. Once we arrive, scan for the ship and let's figure out exactly what we're going to do. I'm going to check in with our Klingons and MACOs to make sure they're prepared to act."
As the captain left the bridge, the ship was made ready for slipstream and then made the jump.
Battlestar Pegasus Brig
The Cylon Six known as Gina lifted her head off the deck. The assault in the cell next to hers had gone on for more than two hours. More and more of Thorne's marines filtered in and out as they took their turns. The blue creature seemed to silently endure the torment for quite a while and then began screaming out in pain, humiliation and rage. Then the screaming stopped even though the attack continued for a while. When it was finally over and the attackers had gone, Gina dared to look. The blue creature was shackled as Gina was, stripped naked like Gina, raped and tortured like Gina. With a raspy voice Gina spoke to the blue creature.
"Είσαι ζωντανός;"
For a long time the blue creature didn't stir … didn't make a sound. Then she turned her head toward Gina and looked at her. Gina didn't know what to think of the blue creature. Other than the antennae and the color of her skin, she could have been human or Cylon. Then the blue creature found her voice.
"There must be some kind of way out of here. There must be."
As Erib mercifully passed out, she was fairly sure she was going to die.
"Δεν ξέρω τι σας είπε. Αλλά αυτοί οι άνθρωποι frakking πρέπει να σταματήσει. Δεν είσαι Κύλωνα και από όπου και αν είστε σαν ένα θεραπεία."