CHAPTER NINE
IAV SUMTER – LANDING BAY ONE
Cain and Annan looked outside the raptor's hatch viewport as the landing bay re-pressurized. After Gorde had announced that his sensors indicated the re-pressurization had completed, Cain noticed that an interior hatch had opened.
"Looks like they are not entirely trusting of us", Annan remarked as about twenty armed troops – Cain guessed them to be marines given their style of dress – marched into the landing bay.
"Those troops are holding themselves in check though", Mal remarked, "They've formed a two-row cordon. Otherwise, they would have fanned out and surrounded this ship".
Cain nodded his understanding, but was also cynical enough to think that given that they were in their ship, they wouldn't have to do so: there would be other means to ensure control…
Just then, Cain noticed two persons walking between the cordon. Cain gestured to Mal and Inara to look at them.
"The one on the left is in diplomatic uniform", Inara noted, "quite high-ranking too, judging from his insignia".
"The one on the right is whom I'd be more worried about", Mal stated, "That person's plain dress style, plus his mean demeanor is something I've seen on only one other person".
Inara understood. "An operative, you think?" she asked. Mal nodded.
Cain and Annan knew what Mal was talking about. At their earlier brief on the Pegasus, Mal had mentioned to Cain these shadowy people who were above and beyond the system, doing the dirty work for the Alliance to assure their control over the system.
"The fact that this is a high-ranking person, plus an operative with him means that the Alliance is taking your presence seriously", Annan deduced.
"With a warship like yours, plus the fighters, they'd be stupid if they didn't take you seriously", Mal answered.
From their fighters, Both Tricia and Tom Sanders were looking at the persons entering the landing bay. She noticed that they did not seem to be taking much notice of the two vipers parked behind the raptor. Was this genuine unconcern, or some kind of bluff?
In the raptor, Cain and Annan stood. Both adjusted their uniforms and picked up their briefcases. Cain's contained some papers, while Annan's contained the anti-eavesdropping device. Mel and Inara also stood.
"You two sure you can act military?" Cain asked as Mel and Inara put down their visors to disguise their faces. Both nodded.
"Keep your weapons at the port arms position like we showed you, and stay behind us. Keep in step, and don't say a word", Cain reminded them. Mal and Inara gave him a thumbs-up.
"Then let's greet our hosts", Cain announced. Nodding to Dundee, Dundee opened the hatch.
First Cain, then Annan stepped out onto the bay deck, followed by Mal and Inara. Cain noted that the artificial gravity seemed a little less than on the Pegasus, but the air seemed okay. At his gesture, the party walked forward.
"You are Commander Cain?" the diplomat – Barrett – asked as they walked up to him.
"Commander Garris Cain, Commanding Officer of the Colonial Fleet Battlestar Pegasus, BSG-89", he formally replied, "this is my aide, Lieutenant Annan".
"I am Ambassador Len Barrett, representing the Parliament of the Alliance of Planets. Welcome on board the IAV Sumter", Barrett replied, offering his hand to Cain, who took it and shook it.
Barrett then offered his hand to Annan. Annan shook his hand in response.
"Would the gentleman beside you be your aide?" Cain asked, gesturing to the operative.
"I am both the Ambassador's aide, and a representative of the President of the Alliance Cabinet", the operative replied smoothly.
"Were you expecting trouble?" Cain asked next, gesturing to the two rows of marines.
"Protocol, actually", Barrett answered instantly, "a person of my rank has to have twenty marines as an escort and honor guard at formal occasions. This rates as a formal occasion. Were you expecting trouble, Commander?" Barrett asked next, gesturing to Mal and Inara.
"Protocol as well, Ambassador", Cain replied, "These two, plus my escorting fighters", he added, gesturing to the two vipers on deck.
Both Barrett and the operative looked over at Sheba's and Blister's vipers. Sheba had made sure that the two vipers had been cleaned up as best as possible to give a suitable impression. Judging from the looks that the two hosts gave, Sheba had judged correctly.
"Well, There's a conference room nearby where we can more properly talk and make our acquaintances, Commander", Barrett said next, "so please follow us".
"Before I do, Ambassador", Can replied, "My guard is required to stay with myself and Lieutenant Annan. Do you have any problem with that?"
Barrett plainly did not like the sound of that, but then the operative stepped in.
"If you allow us two guards to be with us at the conference, then there would be no problem", he said.
Cain looked at Annan, then nodded.
"Oh, and your escort pilots and shuttle crew are free to leave their ships was well", the operative added.
"They'll stand by their ships for the time being", Cain said, "Standard procedure".
With a gesture from the operative, eighteen of the twenty Alliance marines marched off the deck. Only two remained with the Ambassador and Operative.
"Let's go, shall we?" the Ambassador asked rhetorically.
With the two Alliance Marines leading the way, followed by Ambassador Barrett, the operative, Cain and Annan – with Mal and Inara bringing up the rear – the party left the landing bay. Watching from the raptor's cockpit, Gorde made sure that the landing gear grip-locks were engaged, then he called out to Dundee.
"Snoopy, Contact Home Plate Alternate and let them know that Commander Cain has made contact with the Ambassador and we are standing by", he ordered.
Nodding, Dundee keyed his wireless and made the report. Sheba and Blister listened in on the conversation.
BATTLESTAR PEGASUS – COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER
"Thanks for the report, Newguy", Tolen acknowledged, "Report in every hour, and also when the Commander returns".
"Will do", Gorde replied, "Raptor Two out".
Tolen then turned to the weapons officer, Captain Lycoming.
"Is the rail gun primed and ready?", Tolen asked. Lycoming nodded in confirmation.
"Keep the rail gun trained on the Dortmunder", Tolen ordered, "so if the people on the Sumter try anything 'unwise' with the Commander, perhaps the sight of the Dortmunder getting destroyed will make them reconsider…"
IAV SUMTER – CONFERENCE ROOM – THREE HOURS LATER
"I must say, that is a remarkable story, Commander", Barrett answered at long last, "For you to escape destruction, yet still able to fight speaks volumes for you, and your battlestar".
Cain had decided to tell the entire story of the Colonies, and of the Cylon war that had devastated them. He had thought about some kind of deception, but thought that this time, the truth would be a better thing to say.
"From what you have said", the ambassador said next, "there are still other surviving elements of your Colonies, and fleet somewhere out in space. Do you think that any of them, or perhaps these Cylons, could suddenly show up here in Alliance space as you have?"
"Impossible to say, given the uncontrolled F-T-L jump that we made that got us into this area of space", Cain replied, "but the possibility does exist, particularly as the Galactica is looking for Earth".
"They won't find much there", the Operative replied, "When Earth-that-was was finally depopulated, there was almost total environmental collapse. True, it has been many generations since the great migration to the planets of the Alliance, but geologically speaking, Earth-that-was won't have had much of a recovery".
"Well, we could always send a patrol or remote probe to keep tabs on Earth", Cain suggested, "but that is not of immediate concern to me at the moment. My concern is where we could fit in your society".
Barrett leaned back, and then said carefully, "I'll be honest with you, Commander. Your F-T-L drive technology alone is something we could certainly use. That, plus your knowledge of the Cylons could help us prepare the Alliance Navy for the possibility of a Cylon attack, but the thing that troubles me is the potential for cultural shock".
"In what way?" Cain asked.
"We have always been taught to believe that Man had originated from Earth. Your story indicates that it was instead colonized by one of your tribes of Planet Kobol, and given the similarity of a lot of historical data you've provided to our history, it seems to bear things out on your side quite convincingly. But given that a lot of wars have been fought over religion in Earth-That-Was' past, plus the possibility that your presence here may also bring Cylons to do to us what they did to your home worlds, that could make things rather difficult, to say the least", Barrett replied.
"Is your government a theocracy?" Annan asked.
"No, it's strictly secular", Barrett replied, "but religious faith still guides a lot of people. I've not even begun to ask about your religious beliefs, but religious clashes have been a hallmark of Earth-That-Was' history and that's something we have to consider, particularly if the view of Creation as established in our religious texts is suddenly thrown out the window".
"I also need to point out, Commander", the operative added in an ominous undertone, "that your ship - while impressive - is only one. You could probably do a lot of damage with the Pegasus, but given the fact you don't know where your other fleet assets are, plus your fuel and food stocks are not infinite means that we could wait you out. I'm not being threatening", the operative hastily added, "but I think that we all need to be aware of just what is at stake – for both of us".
"So what do you suggest?" Cain replied, impressed with the operative's grasp of the overall strategic situation. True, that unplanned jump had expended a lot of fuel, and while the Pegasus could – for a while at least – steal food from various worlds, the fact was that tyllium fuel could not be detected on either the Sumter or the Dortmunder and tyllium was the only fuel that both the sub-light drive and F-T-L drive on the Pegasus could use. As the Pegasus' ability to refine raw tyllium was rather limited, what the operative had said was very cogent...
"We could have the Pegasus go to one of our outer planets where we have a military base, but no substantial civilian presence. In return for giving you and your ship asylum here in the Alliance, we can (a) look over your battlestar and its materiel so that we can use your knowledge to build up our fleet to meet the Cylon threat, and (b) offer your people – if not a planet to settle on – work in our military. By your helping to protect us with your military technology, we can provide you a world to live on, and a chance for your crew to lead normal lives in our society".
"Also", Barrett added, "this will give us time to come up with a plan to eventually condition the Alliance population to your presence. By 'softening' the blow of a sudden announcement, and thus hopefully avoiding a crisis or conflict, that will make the integration of your people into our society a seamless and smooth process".
Cain thought for a few minutes, then said, "Could you excuse us for a few moments?", I'd like to confer with Lieutenant Annan".
"No problem, Commander", Barrett replied, standing. The operative followed suit.
"When you've finished chatting, just press that button on the wall", the operative said, indicating a panel.
As the Ambassador, operative, and the two Alliance Marines walked out of the room, Annan reached inside her briefcase and activated her device. After nodding to Cain, he spoke.
"Well, Captain Reynolds", Cain said without looking at Mel behind him. Mel didn't move as he knew that there could be a video device looking in on them, but he spoke.
"They laid things out pretty clear", Reynolds replied, "You are only one ship – albeit a warship. If your fuel is low, where would you get more? The idea of getting you to an Alliance post on an under-populated world does put you at their mercy, but it does give your crew a chance to – like he says – live a normal life".
"But in the end, Alliance interests will come first", Inara added, "and so if things do take a turn for the worse for you, your crew, and your ship, you may have to have a backup plan established".
"I can't see anything else, Commander", Annan said next, "but the bottom line is that in return for asylum, we would be putting ourselves in their hands, so any edge that we have will need to be kept under our control".
Cain nodded and thought for a few minutes. At the moment, the Alliance did have a hand to the throat of the Pegasus, given her fuel and long term survival situation. The Alliance wasn't squeezing the hand yet… far from it at the moment. However, if it chose to…
Cain stood up and walked over to the wall panel. Pressing the button, he waited. In a little under a minute, Barrett and the operative walked in. They had tried to eavesdrop on the conversation, but Annan's device had thwarted that effort, and both Mal's and Inara's discipline did not give anything away on the visual sensors either…
"I am going to need to confer with my senior staff", Cain said to Barrett, "so I'd like to return to the Pegasus, but I wish to reciprocate your hospitality with an invitation for you to visit the Pegasus say… this time tomorrow? That will give us time to consider what was said here".
Barrett and the operative looked at each other, and then Barrett nodded.
"Very well, Commander", Barrett said, "Let's get you back to your ship. I humbly accept your offer to visit the Pegasus and I look forward to it very much. I think the break until tomorrow will help immensely".
With that, all of them exited the room and headed back to the landing bay.
