Chapter 6 – History Lessons
"You okay?" Apollo asked. He was concerned. She hadn't moved for quite awhile. They had stopped about 50 yards from the camp so he could explain everything to her. He wanted her to know before he had to tell the others in her group. They had been friends, and he knew that he owed her that much to be honest and not give her false hope. She didn't look good at the moment, but then again, he couldn't blame her. He had to deliver the news that her father was dead and probably everyone else she had ever known was gone too.
"I just need a few minutes to take all this in…" she was ready to cry. She was ready to quit. She felt sick, then she felt angry, then she felt helpless. Every negative emotion she'd ever had, she was having now. Everything that she'd ever known back home was gone. Her father was gone, his ship and crew were gone, her home on Picon was gone, her apartment in Delphi, gone. Everything, gone. She had thought that her own situation was bad, and at that moment she realized how selfish she had been. Millions of people had died in a nuclear holocaust caused by the Cylons, and she was just stranded out in a distant quadrant. When she thought that no one had it worse, she believed that something would have to eventually go right for all of them, but then come to find out that they were lucky compared to the people who died on the colonies. And then there was the idea that Cylons looked like humans now. How could they manage that? Somewhere out there in the universe Cylons looking like people were walking around and trying to eradicate the human race. It was hard to believe, but there was no way that Apollo could be making all of this up. This wasn't a joke – this was their world now. Their situation. Well, not completely, Meg thought. Their world is eight, no make that nine, people living on a habitable forest planet in the middle of an unknown sector of the universe where no one was going to come looking for them. The only chance of seeing other people would be if these so called "humalon" models randomly showed up on their doorstep, something Meg didn't seem to think was very likely.
Apollo had given her time to think everything through. It was information overload. He knew that she was going to be fine in the long run, but it was quite a shock to tell her everything. Especially to deliver the news about her dad. Apollo had always respected Admiral Negalla, and had worked for him while aboard the Battlestar Atlantia, just before the end of the world. It was Admiral Negalla that had promoted him to the rank of Captain, just weeks before he reported to the Galactica for the decommissioning ceremony the day the Cylons attacked.
"I'm sorry about your father," he said quietly.
"Me too," she mumbled, holding it all in.
"He was a good man." Apollo thought back to the beginning, when things had been so much easier. Then it was Apollo and Cassiopeia serving aboard the Battlestar Atlantia. Then it was doing what they do best – flying. They had met when they were younger, being shuttled around from fleet event to fleet event because of their parents. They even attended the academy together. It was common knowledge to all the professors that two Battlestar Commanders' children were going to be in attendance in their classes. Neither Lee nor Meg liked the extra attention they received, so they tried to keep a low profile, but that didn't always work. Having different schedules and assignments, they often met up with each other to grab a drink and compare notes on what was going on in their lives. They never discussed their families – ever. Meg had a good relationship with her father, but she didn't want to be constantly referred to as "the Commander's daughter," and she knew that Lee's relationship with his father was strained. The day after graduation they had received their assignments and were both sent to the Atlantia as members of the same squadron. After serving together for some time, Negalla took command of the Atlantia, and Meg was sent to the Solaria, out of her father's direct chain of command. They kept in close contact with each other, and Cass often spoke of wanting to break up the monotony of the day to day operations of a Battlestar during peace time. On Lee's recommendation Meg had applied to Fleet Headquarters to be transferred to the Viper Test Squad and was accepted.
"So, who's in charge now?" she asked quietly, ready to move on and discuss their options, even though it was painful to do.
"Depends on who you ask," he said sarcastically. "My father has command of the fleet, as Admiral, and Gauis Baltar is the President of the colonies."
"That freaky science guy that's always on the Colonial Report?" she asked.
A nod was his only reply. His vote had been for Laura Roslin, and after all that had happened on New Caprica, he figured the others that hadn't voted for her were wishing that they had. Hindsight is always 20-20, he thought.
"I don't want to tell them just yet," Cassiopeia told him.
"Cass, they're going to find out eventually," he stated, and she knew he was right.
"Just let them enjoy themselves tonight, and we'll lay all the cards out on the table tomorrow." She hoped that was going to be good enough for the others.
Apollo was walking much better now on his leg – it was still a little sore, but he could walk on his own now. Still with a slight limp, they approached the camp slowly, with the others staring to find out what was going on. Apparently Simon hadn't really told them anything.
"Particle – we've got a guest for dinner tonight." she shouted at the man by the campfire, as she and Apollo walked up to join the others.
"But it's been so long since we've entertained," he sarcastically responded with a smile.
"Lee, Lt. Jon Carlisle, call sign, Particle. Particle, meet Commander Lee Adama, call sign "Apollo." Particle saluted and nodded to Apollo.
"Pleasure sir, welcome to… well, here…" he turned back to the fire, then started to ask more questions. "Commander, huh? What ship?"
"Pegasus," he replied almost too quickly, then remembered that the group had no idea any of the events that had occurred within the last two years.
"I thought that was Helena Cain's post?" he asked, but didn't really care to hear the answer as he turned back to poke the food in the fire more. Meg shrugged and she and Lee traded glances. "Guess things have changed since we've been out here in the middle of nowhere. Let's see, the rest of our rag tag group – over there is Rena Gergone, with Steve Silverton, and Michael Dent, that's Tyler Cortley over here by the fire, and I assume you've already met Doc Crier. Oh, and that's his partner in crime D'Anna Dungalo by the tent.
It was at that moment that Lee recognized their situation was more serious than he could have ever imagined. He was now looking at the women he knew as D'Anna Biers.
Next: Chapter 7 – The Cylon Plot
