Episode 6:

Old Ghosts

Intersun Transport Colonial Eve, Colonial Survivor Fleet 'Kobol':

Seven Days, Two Hours ATA

"Good morning Betty," Cathy said to Betty as her daughter entered the main cabin after spending a night in the bunk room further down the ship.

"Morning," Betty mumbled as she rubbed her eyes and gave her mother a hug. "What have we got today?" Betty asked Cathy.

"Your father is having us over on the Hyperion later this afternoon for dinner and we'll stay over there until the Colonial Eve docks next," Cathy told Betty. Betty nodded as her mother spoke and walked over to a table by the entrance to the cockpit where a coffee machine was sitting. Betty took a plastic cup and started to make herself a coffee. "Did you hear about the Olympic Carrier yesterday Betty?" Cathy asked her.

"Yeah. At least we know there are other people out there though," Betty replied.

"I suppose..." Cathy started to say before she was cut off by Captain Collins calling to the passengers.

"This is your Captain. We've been ordered by the Hyperion to spin up our FTL drives for an emergency jump. If you could strap yourselves in we will be jumping in thirty seconds; thank you," Cathy grabbed the still dopey Betty and pulled her onto a chair. Cathy then stepped around her daughter and pinned her face to window to see what was going on. Cathy got out her binoculars and saw the alert Vipers shoot out of the Hyperion as the civilians flew away from the enemy ships.

"What's going on?" Betty asked after taking a sip of her coffee.

"Looks like a Cylon Base-ship and something else. We'll be away in just a moment," Cathy reassured Betty. Betty nodded and rested her head onto the back of her chair. Cathy looked out the window again and saw the Hyperion spin towards the Cylon Basestar and lock onto it. "Wait... That's no Base-ship," Cathy whispered to herself when she saw that the Basestar in the rear was in fact firing missiles at the other ship, which she thought looked a bit like a Battlestar. Cathy got and stepped past Betty as the FTLs on the Colonial Eve spun up. She opened the door to the cockpit and quickly walked inside.

Cathy walked up to Captain Collins as the security guard approached her from behind. "Captain, I need to speak with Hyperion, now!" Cathy said impatiently.

"Mrs Jenkins, what are you doing back here?" Captain Collins asked. "You need to be seated,"

"No, I need to speak to the Admiral now. At least connect me with the Viper frequencies," Cathy implored.

"Ma'am, Cathy, if you are quiet for a moment you'll hear that I'm already connected to the Vipers. Do you want me to play it on speakers, because I'm under orders not to..." Captain Collins started.

"Just in here please Captain. I have the clearance," Cathy told the Captain. Collins sighed and took off his headset. Cathy sat down behind him and listened to the Vipers as they discovered the second ship.

Battlestar Hyperion Admiral's Office, Colonial Survivor Fleet 'Kobol':

Seven Days, Four Hours, Thirty Minutes ATA

Cathy and Betty stood outside the door to the Admiral's Office on the Hyperion after the Colonial Eve had docked. The door swung open a moment later and John stood in front of his family. "Good morning," He said.

"Good morning John," Cathy replied. "Mind if we come in?" John held out his hand and Cathy and Betty walked inside John's office. Cathy looked around the room at the logs and astrogation carts on his desk. Betty walked over to the display cases and looked at her father's maps of the various Colonies as well as the Battlestar replica's on the other side of the display cases. Betty noted that John had changed from having a model of each Battlestar class to a handmade one of the four Battlestars in the fleet as well as a large model of the Battlestar Atlantia and the Battlestar Galactica; each to remember the ships' Commanders, his friends Adama and Nagala.

"What's this dad?" Betty asked when she saw a new model sitting inside one of the display cases.

"That's the Virgo Betty. She's the new ship we picked up," John said, approaching her daughter and pointing at the Columbia-class Battlestar, the original Virgonese design from before the First War.

"So it was a Battlestar then?" Cathy asked her husband. "I thought that was what I saw,"

"Saw?" John butted in.

"We have a pair of binoculars back on the Colonial Eve," Betty told John. The Admiral nodded slowly.

"So, you've been spying on us from your ship?" John asked. Cathy laughed and faced her husband.

"Not exactly; I'm just curious sometimes," Cathy replied.

"The Colonial Fleet defines that as spying Cathy," John told her.

"Well, anyway; what are you planning on doing with the Virgo John?" Cathy asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I'm swapping out some our crew to work over there while we train more officers," John replied.

"But you wouldn't have enough crew here, wouldn't you?" Betty asked.
"Yes, but I've got my best scientists re-installing our old networks from a few years ago," John said, sitting down on one of his chairs.

"Networks? But you've seen what happened during the attack..." Cathy started.

"Not Dr. Baltar's. It's FRAN; the Fast Response Assistance Network we had before the CNP," John explained. Cathy nodded as she picked up a copy of John's logs. "Hey! Cathy; do you mind?" John snapped after seeing Cathy open the log. "Sorry but it's still above your clearance," John told her as she put the book back down.

"Sorry John. Look, I just don't think any kind of network is a good idea after what happened to the Galleon..." Cathy warned.

"It'll be fine. Before we apply it we'll test the CNP against the Cylons to find the faults and then we'll be in a better position to make sure the Cylons can't hack it. We're even developing a virus that infects anything that tries to enter the system without a Commander's nuclear launch key, which is impossible to forge," John told them. Cathy headed back towards the sofa when John's door buzzed.

"I'll get it," Betty said as she walked over to the door. She unlocked the door and opened it to see Lieutenant Amelia Jartell standing behind it. "Hello," She said as Amelia stood to attention, expecting John.

"Is the Admiral in Betty?" Amelia asked. Betty nodded and turned towards her father.

"It's Amelia for you," She called to John. The Admiral stood up and walked over to the door. Amelia saluted as John came up to her. John returned the salute and invited her in.

"Amelia, please," He said stepping out of the way so that Amelia could enter.

"What's the matter Admiral?" Amelia asked once Betty had closed the door behind her.

"Nothing's wrong my dear. In fact..." John said reaching into a cabinet. "...everything is very good..." John pulled out a Colonial Fleet jewellery box and opened it in front of Amelia. "...thank you, Lieutenant Colonel," Amelia started inside the box at the pair of Lieutenant Colonel Wings.

"Gods..." She whispered, still staring into the box. "Sir, I don't know what to say..." John smiled as he handed her the box.

"A thank you would be nice," John joked. Amelia chuckled as she took out the wings.

"Thank you sir, but I have to ask why I'm getting these," Amelia asked.

"If you are somehow unaware, we discovered a new Battlestar a few hours ago and it needs a CO; plus, I can't give a Lieutenant a ship," Amelia looked up at John in surprise.

"The... the Virgo sir?" She asked in astonishment. "Why not give it to Spinner or Colonel Virgon?"

"I need Colonel Virgon here and I would have given it Spinner if it wasn't for the fact that he'll be your XO. I need someone with more Command experience up front while we train new recruits; which will be your primary duty aboard the Virgo. I'll send some rosters to your quarters so you can start appointing a senior crew before the rotten masses arrive for training in your halls, hangars and MkIVs," John explained.

"Well... I, uh, can't thank you enough Admiral. I promise I won't let you down," Amelia said, saluting the Admiral. John saluted back and Amelia began leaving the room with a huge smile on her face.

"And Lieutenant Colonel," John called after her. "Your new uniform has been sent to your quarters,"
"Thank you sir," Amelia called back as she rushed through the door.

Battlestar Hyperion Senior Watch Officer's Quarters, Colonial Survivor Fleet 'Kobol':

Amelia sighed as she hung her Junior Officer's silver rimmed uniform back into her wardrobe. Even though she knew she'd only be gone for a few weeks, two months at most, she still felt like she was leaving home forever. After all, she had been posted to the Hyperion almost full time for the last five years, excluding a small stint on the Battlestar Imperious. Amelia quickly put a brush through her hair and thought for a moment. She spun her head around as her phone rang and so she placed her hair bands back into the wardrobe and shut the door before quickly striding over to the phone. "Jartell," She said as she picked the phone up.
"Amelia, um.. sir; could you give me a full list of transfers before I brief the pilots. The Admiral's going in at the moment but he can't stall them forever," Amelia heard Sam ask.

"Sure, wait one," Amelia said as she pinned the phone between her ear and her shoulder whilst she searched the folder on the table behind her. She picked out a sheet of paper and read out its contents to Sam. "Okay, we're transferring Lieutenant... sorry, Captain Gemeni, Green Squadron and Yellow Squadron. There's more but I think that's all the pilots. Just remember to tell them where the full sheets are," Amelia told Sam.

"Okay... Green and Yellow? Got it," Sam replied, finishing off his notes.

"Don't forget the Viper changes," Amelia quickly pointed out.

"I won't," Sam said. "Thanks, LC,"

"LC?" Amelia asked. "What's that?"

"It's Lieutenant Colonel, Amelia. It's what I've heard a few of the crewmembers call you. I don't think they've really met someone of your rank before," Sam told her. Amelia nodded to herself as she placed the paper back onto her folder. "Anyway, thank you sir," Sam said after an awkward silence. The two put down their phones a moment later and Amelia turned towards her wardrobe again. She grabbed her folder on the way past and slid it into her bag before opening her wardrobe and looking at herself in the mirror. Amelia stood still and un-tangled a few knots in her shoulder-length black hair and rolled her hair bands off of her wrist. After a moment she shook her head and placed the bands back in the wardrobe. Amelia took one final look at herself and pushed the wardrobe closed. She was finally ready to leave and start her new assignment on the Virgo.