So, here I am again. A little bit faster this time.
Thanks for your feedback, SnappleAddict. Hope you're still here.
Well, what does Adama think about people if he doesn't know about their loyalties? Read and find out!
"I have the reports, Sir." Saul Tigh was standing outside the Admiral's quarters.
"Come in." Bill turned away and walked to his desk and sat down. "Take a seat."
The Colonel closed the hatch and did as he was told. Finally Adama looked at him.
"What do you have?"
"The Raiders both impacted on deck seven, surprisingly close to each other. Apparently that was their goal anyway. From what Gaeta could tell me we lost a Division Chief and several deckhands there, exact number unknown. We can only guess but until now the people we're missing were almost certainly there."
"How much damage did they do to the ship?
"They pretty much banged us up there, but Chief Tyrol says he can patch it up in about two weeks. Nothing vital."
"Okay", Bill nodded and sighed. The worst part was about to come. The boarding had taken place two days ago and still the crew and the fleet were quite shocked. "What about the boarding?"
"Thirteen Centurions. They primarily attacked sickbay and CIC. On their way they killed twenty-three crewmembers and four marines. At sickbay we destroyed four of them but lost nine marines in the firefight. Two more tin cans were destroyed by marines and crewmembers in other parts of the ship, as it seems their mission was to let us spread out our forces. We lost one marine and two crewmembers there. Now, CIC. Seven Centurions attacked Lieutenant Angarus platoon. We were lucky these marines had been able to equip themselves with explosive rounds. Five Cylons were destroyed right outside CIC two others retreated. Four Marines were killed. The two retreating Cylons were followed and destroyed by Major Tigh and his men, but I'm sure you've already heard a detailed report from Apollo and Starbuck."
"I have" the Admiral said in a grave voice. He had not been happy about that particular incident. And even less after Captain Duney had filled him in about his son and Kara leaving Duney's marines without permission. He would have to deal with the two of them later. "Summary?"
"Eighteen marines killed as well as twenty-nine other crewmembers. A dozen injured and in sickbay. The ship will be at its full capabilities in about two weeks. The good news is: we lost no pilot and no aircraft."
"Forty-seven people dead" Bill repeated heavily.
"I know this was a bad day…" Saul agreed but Bill interrupted him.
"It was a bad day but still, much better than we could have hoped for."
"What do you mean?"
"Thirteen Centurions with an adapted tactic we did not see coming. We thought they would go after the auxiliary systems like they did last time and during the end of the Cylon War. But they didn't." The older Adama stood up and started wandering around. "They attacked sick bay and CIC for which we were not really prepared and still we made it with only forty-seven casualties, most of them crewmembers who were taken by surprise."
"The marines were up to their task." Saul couldn't help but feel a little bit proud for his nephew.
"They were indeed. How is Michael, by the way?"
"Still unconscious and in sick bay, but Cottle says it's only a matter of time for him to wake up."
"That's good news, Saul", Bill said and smiled. "That will be all for the moment, Colonel. Thank you."
Saul stood up as well and saluted before he turned for the hatch and left.
William Adama on the other side sat on his couch and considered his possibilities. He had been one of the most experienced officers of the Colonial fleet and had had access to information a Commander usually wouldn't have. One of these informations had been about a marine unit, the only marine unit who used call signs.
He got up again and called Colonial One. It took only seconds before he heard her voice.
"What can I do for you, Admiral?"
"I need to talk to you in private, Madame President. It's about our new people."
At first he only heard noises. People talking but he couldn't understand them. When he tried to open his eyes he was greeted by bright light that made his head hurt. Somebody said something and he felt a person at his side, touching him, but he still was too dazed to recognize anything.
"Where am I?" he asked but his voice was but a weak whisper.
"Sick bay, Major", a grumpy male voice informed him from his left side, the first sentence he understood clearly. Slowly he adjusted to the bright lights above him and could make out the figure of Doc Cottle standing aside him, smoking. "About time you woke up."
"What happened?"
"Well, from what I've heard you did a really brave and totally stupid thing, Major. Starbuck told me you wanted to take on a Centurion in a hand-to-hand fight. Not the brightest idea, I would say."
"Is she okay?" slowly the memories came back as well as his awareness. He could make out several beds with other patients in the room, some of them asleep or unconscious and others awake. He tried to sit up which caused a sharp pain in his right side and he fell back into the pillow with an angry and pain-induced hiss.
"Will you stay down until I tell you otherwise, godsdamnit?" Cottle glared at him. "And I thought pilots were the worst patients. First: Yes, Starbuck's okay; you wouldn't have asked if you knew her better. It needs more than a Centurion to bring this one down. Second: Your stupid stunt got you some nice bruises, a concussion and two broken rips. Your left shoulder should be okay after a while. No damage done to the bone but you lost a lot of blood. That's why you will stay down until we got you patched up and ready to leave, got it?"
"Yeah, whatever." Michael still felt weak but it got better. "Listen, I need to talk to Captain Duney, can you call her?"
"Don't need to. She's right over there." Cottle mentioned for one of the beds where somebody seemed to sleep. "Since the incident she always sleeps here. Says she wants to have an eye on the wounded marines. I'll wake her up while a nurse will have a look at you."
He left Ares' side and shortly talked to one of the nurses who nodded and then approached his bed. "Hello, Major. I'm Ishay. Would you mind if I have a look at your bandage?"
"Not at all, Ma'am." While the woman started doing her work he asked. "How bad is it? The situation, I mean."
"We lost a lot of good people, but we made it" Ishay said and smiled cheerless. "Thanks to you marines although you're lying here now."
"This one wouldn't be lying here if he wasn't so damn stupid" an angry voice cut her off. Captain Alexa Duney aka Hammer had appeared. She still looked a bit dozy and brushed a strand of her black hair out of her tanned face. "Hand-to-hand combat with a Centurion? Didn't know you have a death wish, Ares!"
"Keep it down, Hammer, it was the only way."
"To do what? To save two idiotic pilots who decided to leave without a word and go on a sightseeing tour while the ship was boarded?" She was definitely pissed off but Michael also could see the relief in her eyes. He waited for a few seconds and then nodded and said:
"Yeah, something like that."
"Okay, I'm done. You'll be out in a few hours, Major." Ishay said and left.
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"You're unbelievable, you know." Duney looked at him with sudden concern. "You easily could have died."
"I know. Sitrep." He wasn't going to argue with her.
"We lost eighteen marines and twenty-nine of the crew. No pilots."
"CIC?"
"All clear. None of the toasters made it there."
"Who did we lose?"
"Twelve SRTS and six of Galactica's marines. No officers but Sergeant Wood and Corporal Davis."
"Frak! They were good men."
"And all the others too. Seven marines are injured and not fit for duty, but they should be again in a few weeks. The ship's in good condition, a few scratches but nothing serious."
"Okay, thank you. That was good work, Alexa."
"We could have done better."
"You accomplished your mission, that's all what counts."
"Right." She stood there for a few seconds seemingly not sure what to do now, then finally she began: "You shouldn't have done that, you know. Leaving CIC and going into battle. You're the highest ranking of us. We lost Talos not long ago and it isn't easy for a crew or a team to lose the CO."
"And what about you?" The question took her by surprise and she searched for an adequate answer, but luckily she was saved by Starbuck who entered the sick bay in this moment, still wearing her flight suit. She'd been told that Major Tigh was awake when she came home from CAP.
"Look who's talking again!" the blonde pilot cheerfully exclaimed. Alexa face suddenly wore an expression of disdain as she watched her approaching.
"I'd better go now, Major. I'll come back later."
And before Michael could say anything she had left.
"What's up with her?"
"Well I think she believes you to be responsible for my current condition."
"Oh, come on! I didn't tell you to go on a boxing match with a tin can!"
"You forced me to, Captain. You did a stupid thing when you left the marine escort and I had to do an even more stupid thing to save you two."
"I've heard that already." She sighed, grabbed a chair and sat down beside him. "Look, I'm not here for your tirade. All I wanted to do is to say thank you."
"It's not a tirade, Captain, it's just a fact" he corrected her calmly and smiled. "Apology accepted"
"Hey, I did not apologise!" the blond pilot objected and hit him playfully on the arm which caused him to flinch. "Oh frak, I'm sorry, did that hurt?"
"It's okay" he assured her. "Just don't do it again."
"I'll try not to. So, when does Doc Cottle let you out?"
"He probably wants to run a few tests first, but in a few hours I should be free to go."
"Sounds good. Let me know when it happens. Apollo and I do owe you a thing or two, okay?." She stood up and turned to leave. At the hatch she quickly glanced back at him and left with a smile.
"Women!" Michael sighed partly in frustration. "I'll never understand you."
"Madame President."
"Yes, Tory?"
"The Admiral is here."
"Send him in" Laura said, wondering why she and Bill still followed the protocol so strictly.
Tory nodded and left the room and seconds later the older Adama entered. Roslin studied him during the few seconds she had and she understood why this man had gotten the nickname 'Zeus' throughout the fleet. It had certainly started because his son was called Apollo but there was more that made this naming appropriate. Even now when they were in private he wore his professional face. No emotion showing off. His eyes had scanned the room when he had entered and were now fixed on her. Yes, Zeus, father of the Gods, was definitely appropriate for this experienced soldier.
"Madame President."
"Admiral, it's nice to see you." She smiled and waited until he took a seat. "How are the repairs going?"
"Not bad. About two weeks and we're completely done."
"That's good to hear. But it sounded like there is a problem when you called me."
"Indeed there is something I'm worried about. The marines who were integrated in Galactica's crew use call signs."
"I thought this is something only the pilots are doing?"
"It is. I've only once heard about one particular infantry unit." He seemed uncomfortable. "I was a Commander at that time and there was a meeting at the fleet's headquarters. We talked about several problems on Aerelon and Sagittaron. There had been some terrorist attacks and we were discussing several possible solutions."
"What was the outcome?"
"Nothing. A Colonel of the Marine Corps came in and handed an order from the government to Admiral Hayse. After that the meeting was cancelled. All I know is that not a week later marines attacked several targets on Aerelon and destroyed most of the terrorists. But no order had been given from the headquarters; this came right from the government."
"So you're saying this was a…what do you call it in the military? A black operation?"
"Something like that, yes. The problem is that these particular marines did use extreme force and rumour had it that they did not follow the rules of engagement. There was talk about an investigation but it never came to it."
"Why not?"
"Because we couldn't find out what unit it had been. They simply did not exist. All we found out was that they used call signs, which no marine unit did."
Roslin looked at him for a few seconds and then stood up and went over to one of the portholes, looking out and thinking about what she just heard. Finally she spoke:
"So you're saying this was an illegal operation, ordered by the government itself and you have the people who did this or at least people from the same unit on your ship?"
"That's a possibility. I gave the order to Lieutenant Gaeta to find me some facts, if there are any. I don't want another witch-hunt on my ship. The marines under Major Tigh's command are mostly responsible for our quite small losses during the boarding, but they do act differently than most of the marines I know."
"Differently?"
"It's hard to describe. They seem to distance themselves a little bit from the crew, same goes for the new pilots."
"What are you going to do?"
"I will have a close look on this and if there's really something hidden we'll find it and then we must find a solution to it. I don't want armed men under my command if I can't be sure about their loyalties. I just wanted you to know."
"I understand. Thank you, Bill."
"Madame President." He turned and wanted to leave when her last question hold him back.
"You really never found out anything about the marines from Aerelon."
"Nothing useable. There was a rumour about a nickname they probably gave themselves, but no prove."
"A nickname?"
"Yes, apparently they called themselves 'Reapers'."
FB?
