Chapter 7: The Choice

"Okay," Colonel Amy Sokolov said. "How are we doomed?"

We were sitting in my cramped quarters aboard the Valkyrie sharing a drink. It was a few hours after the meeting with Cain on the Pegasus. I needed someone to confide in, and Colonel Sokolov was the best I had.

"We don't have the resources to fight a war against the Cylons!" I said, somewhat exasperated. "If we try we're just going to destroy ourselves! We'll be doing the Cylons' job for them! We'll be found, cut off, and slaughtered!"

"How do you know that?" Sokolov challenged me.

"Because it makes sense!" I pressed. "The Cylons have our outnumbered at least… At least forty to one. They slaughtered the Colonial Fleet while barely taking any losses."

"Are you really sure about that?" Sokolov asked me. "They only sent a pair of basestars and a few escorts at us when they were first chasing us. Besides, we saw Pegasus survived. There could be other survivors and the Cylons are spread thin fighting them. Us striking back now could be the thing that breaks the Cylons' back!"

"Maybe," I admitted. "But I don't think it's possible."

"Then tell the Admiral that," Sokolov said.

At that I remained silent. If I understood military law correctly it was within my rights as a subordinate to privately express my concerns about the decisions my superior was making, but in the end I was expected to follow my superior's orders, but I knew what Cain was like. At least how she was in canon. In this new reality Belzen could be alive for all I knew! I hadn't asked or checked. I was too shocked by the battle plan. What I did know was that apparently she had stripped the civilian fleet she'd encountered, but took on all the civilians. Whether I was dealing with Admiral Cain or Psychopath Cain was up in the air.

"Have you been in contact with Pegasus's XO?" I asked, going off a hunch.

"A little bit, off and on over official business like resupply and how many vipers we have," Sokolov replied.

"Do you remember his name?" I asked again, trying to phrase it like it was escaping my memory.

"I don't recall."

Damn. Damn damn damn!

"I see. Thank you for your time, Colonel," I said.

"Any time, Commander."

I was restless in my sleep that night. I got maybe four or five hours of sleep total. I tried to stave the fatigue off with coffee and working out.

Working out in my new body was weird. It was older than my original body, yes, but it was in good shape and had better tolerances. It was an interesting experiment to see how many pounds, or kilos since the Colonies used the metric system, I could press and finding my new limits.

I was drying off from a post-workout shower when my radio buzzed.

"Wolfkill," I said into it.

Sokolov's voice said, "Sir, the President of the Colonies is here to see you."

Fuck! What does she want?

"I see," I replied. "Can you give me five minutes, then I'll see her."

"You have it, Commander."

"Thank you."

I put down the radio and hastily finished drying myself and dressed. I even managed to squeeze in a quick brushing of my teeth before President Roslin came into my small cabin.

"Madam President," I said. "It's an honor to have you aboard again. I trust all is well on Colonial One?"

"Thank you, Commander, but all is not well," she said.

"I see. Please, have a seat." I gestured to my folding desk table and we both sat down. "What exactly is wrong?"

"I've heard from Admiral Cain that she intends to take our warships on the attack," Roslin said, "and take us back to the Colonies."

"Yes that's true," I replied.

"Such an act would be foolhardy at best. In our situation it's suicidal. However despite my objections, Admiral Cain seems intent on leading this fleet into destruction. She has ignored the chain of command and effectively staged a military coup."

"That is a harsh accusation, Madam President," I said carefully.

"It's the truth. She told me herself that military matters must come first. Vital food and medical supplies that the Fleet needs to survive are being withheld for the military! The civilian fleet is essentially just a supply depot for her to pillage at will!"

I knew a speech when I heard one. I asked, "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Commander, you're the only officer I can trust with this. I intend to lead the Fleet back to Kobol and leave before Cain strips it down for parts and its people are all press-ganged into being soldiers. I need your battlestar with us if we're going to be self-sufficient."

"Now you're the one talking about treason," I said heatedly and without thinking. "You're asking me and my crew to mutiny. That's what it is. Mutiny! Leave my brothers and sisters-in-arms hanging when they need us the most. You want to lead the Fleet to a place the Cylons know exist and are probably patrolling now!"

"You didn't encounter any Cylons while you were there. If they weren't there then they're not there now," Roslin argued. "And Admiral Cain has already committed treason by ignoring presidential orders to lead her own personal war of revenge!"

I couldn't argued against it because I had been thinking the exact same thing not too long ago. I was silent and Roslin pressed in.

"You know I'm telling the truth, Commander," she said. "Help me save humanity! I've read your reports about the Odin Vaults. I believe they exist too, but we need to go back to Kobol to find them. If we find them, we might find Earth too."

"You're asking me to betray my superiors," I said darkly.

"I'm asking you to save mankind," she returned, sharply.

A moment of pregnant silence hung over us. We had both said our pieces and now it was a contest of wills. I had always considered myself a stubborn, thick headed lout when I wanted to be, but this time I didn't know. There was so much at stake. Too much. I couldn't make this kind of decision on a whim and said so.

"I understand that I'm putting a lot of pressure on you." Roslin said in her teacher voice, "but this is the best for all of mankind. Earth is our destination, and Kobol is our key to getting there. I trust you to make the right decision. Just like I'm trusting you with this information."

With that she left. Left me to stew in my thoughts. Differing opinions fought a nuclear war in my mind. Was this the Stations of Canon reasserting itself on me despite all of my best efforts? Was the splitting of the RTF some preordained thing that was meant to happen just because Pythia said it would? If so than fuck that! I wasn't going to let fate or Roslin endanger the fleet!

I reached for the radio but stopped. There was that voice that asked what if she was right? What if Cain really was insane and leading us all to death? What if this was going to happen regardless of what I decided and we were all just screwed anyway?

No. We couldn't be. It wouldn't make sense for me to be here and all this to happen just for it to end in fire. Fate, for lack of a better term, had placed the decision before me. Follow Roslin or follow Cain. I was going to have to make a decision and fast, or have it made for me.

So I made my choice.