Chapter 10.
In a small chamber 9.78 light years, or three parsecs from Galactica's present location, the humanoid Cylon model known as Cavil sat in a chair behind an immaculately-kept desk, his legs crossed and resting on the top of it. He had a smile on his face and his fingers were interlaced, two centurions stood behind him as the rightful owner of the desk stood on the other side of it.
"So I can conclude that the terms offered to you are acceptable?" The room was deathly quiet, only the humming of the two robotic Cylons could be heard. The centurions stood over six and a half feet tall, and were extremely intimidating to those who encountered them; the man standing opposite Cavil was not one of them, and did not intimidate easily, if at all.
"From the moment you and your Basestars entered our quadrant I realized that many things would be forever changed for our empire. Our brief encounter with your renegade Battlestar left us, shall we say…unfulfilled." The man's military bearing was like a razor. Cavil normally despised humans, but he was surprised to find himself liking this particular human very much.
"Well then, why don't we see what we can do about improving your level of…fulfillment?" The smile that crept across Cavil's face instilled a feeling in the man across the desk that he had not felt since he was a small boy. This feeling was a cross between unease and fear. He quickly concluded that this strange man was a force to be reckoned with even without the metal monstrosities hovering above him. The older man stood and extended his hand. Grasping the non-human hand the alliance had commenced.
Captain Elyssa DeAlma brought the Raptor down for a flawless landing on the alien tarmac. Once the hatch opened, Colonial Marines exited and took up a defensive position around the entrance to the craft, their machine guns at chest level and at the ready. Admiral Adama stepped out onto the wing and immediately was struck at how thin the air was. He stood erect and looked about; two columns of black clad soldiers advanced and peeled off to the left and right with precision as they got within ten feet of the Raptor. A lone figure emerged from the rear of the column and stopped a few short feet from the nearest Marine that stood near equal in height. The Marine took two steps to the left and turned his head towards Adama who stepped off the wing onto the tarmac.
"Admiral Adama, I am General Xalain of the Cronus Imperial Guard, welcome to Cronus."
Adama reviewed the man before him who stood at least four inches taller than he did. The black uniform appeared to be some sort of body armor, and there was no doubt that the man who wore it was in incredible physical condition. Pale skin and ice blue eyes displayed no emotion as the two military leaders sized each other up.
"General Xalain, thank you for personally receiving us." Replied Adama curtly. The two men stared at each other for almost a minute without blinking. Xalain smiled and broke the icy silence.
"You may instruct your troops to stand at ease, Admiral. You are here under the protection of Overlord Mazzax, the obvious talent of these fine specimen of warriors will not be needed." Assured Xalain, who clearly was impressed with the stature of the dozen Marines before him. Adama had shrewdly chosen twelve of the largest Colonial Marines assigned to Galactica in order to make a strong first impression.
"Your pilot may depart the craft as well, Admiral. As you may have noticed by now, our atmosphere is quite thin, and while we are quite comfortable here, your people will not acclimate easily to it, especially if confined to such a small craft."
Bill turned back towards the hatch and nodded to Elyssa and her ECO Lieutenant Ian "Hustler" Lichtenhan. The two stepped out and Elyssa started to secure the hatch with a keypad that was beneath a panel when Xalain spoke.
"No need for that young lady, anything we needed to learn about this particular craft was learned from Captain Nintius' Raptor." Adama merely frowned and gestured for Elyssa to come on down. She hopped down from the wing and stood before the General who stood more than a foot higher than her. With hands clasped behind the small of his back, he merely nodded his head to her. The Colonials and their escorts walked to a large transport on the side of the runway, two armed Marines remained guarding the Raptor, and six Imperial guards guarded the two Marines.
Soon the transport had arrived at a large set of gates that was heavily guarded, and fortified. The transport slowly advanced through the opened gates and onto a beautiful courtyard that contained a large structure made of fine-grained gray limestone with fifteen magnificent columns in all. Smooth opaque stones existed where one might find manicured lawn on such a palatial estate. DeAlma moved closer to Adama and whispered in his ear. "I'd bet my Raptor wings that we're looking at an exact replica of the temple of Apollo." Elyssa DeAlma was an expert in Colonial history and well versed in the religions practiced amongst the twelve colonies of Kobol.
"This whole thing gets weirder by the minute," grumbled the Admiral quietly. She was right though, Adama had seen enough representations of the architecture of the gods in museums and the sacred scrolls through his lifetime, and this looked chillingly familiar.
The transport stopped and the occupants all stepped out onto the courtyard. Up close, the temple was huge, DeAlma was in her glory; she had studied the Gods throughout her life and was considered an expert. She had seen depictions of the temple of Apollo a thousand times, but to actually see a replica of the actual temple in person was breath taking. Xalain walked towards the temple and slowly mounted the four steps onto the landing and waited. Fifty yards ahead of them was another finely polished step leading up to the statue of Apollo, which was placed in an adyton, or inner sanctuary. Xalain stood quietly.
"What are we waiting for, General?" asked Adama. Xalain said nothing; his eyes were closed as if in prayer. Adama crossed his arms at his chest, and was starting to become annoyed at being ignored. Elyssa recognized the signs and quietly stood next to him.
"Sir, I would think it ill-advised to 'crack his thick skull,' if that is what is currently going through your mind at the moment. We're fairly outgunned and outnumbered down here." Adama cocked his head and let slip a slight smile.
"Okay, but if he starts chanting I'm going to crack his skull." Quipped the Admiral as he forced himself to relax. Footsteps could be heard approaching from behind the great statue, the sound grew louder by the moment. Xalain dropped to one knee and looked to the floor. Stepping out from the shadows came the Overlord of Cronus; resplendent in crimson robes. The sleeves just below the elbow were tied by gold braid, and a large broad sword hung from a golden belt. His hair was jet black and tied in a ponytail that rested between his broad shoulder blades. He was not as tall as Xalain, but Adama instinctively knew that the man was just as deadly. He walked like a monarch, and stopped before his general who remained at bent knee.
"Please rise my friend, your respect for your overlord goes unquestioned." Said Mazzax as he rested his palm on Xalain's shoulder who immediately stood up and moved to the side. Mazzax's face looked as if the gods he worshiped could have sculpted it; handsome, with piercing green eyes. "You must be Admiral Adama of the Galactica, welcome to Cronus." His voice, deep with bass, boomed across the temple.
Adama stepped forward and slowly nodded his head. He was unsure how he should greet this planet's ruler, but one thing he was sure of…he sure as hell was not going to bend knee.
"Thank you, Overlord. Your presence this far out in space, away from all the known colonies comes as a great surprise. We did not expect to find humans this far out in uncharted space."
"What colonies would that be, Admiral?" replied Mazzax, his eyes narrowing.
"The colonies of Kobol; birthplace of humanity." Replied Adama. The look of recognition on Xalain's face at the mention of Kobol did not go unnoticed by Elyssa. "Overlord, I do not wish to be rude, but I would like to know where two of my officers are, and what their condition is." Said Adama pointedly.
"Take care of your tone Admiral, on Cronus there is only one man who demands answers and that is I." said Mazzax without trace of emotion. "You stand on the holiest ground throughout this planet, I would ask that you show some respect."
"I am well acquainted with Apollo, Overlord. However I journeyed here to discuss my missing pilots, not to be given a theology lesson." Countered Adama. The two leaders stared silently at each other for a brief moment, and then Mazzax finally spoke.
"Does the hawk answer to the sparrow…does the mighty oak tremble when straw is thrown at it? Guard your tone Admiral; this is your final warning. I hold the lives of your two officers in my hand. They trespassed in our airspace, yet I have treated them as guests. I am a generous host, but the bane of those who do not respect the rule of comity."
Elyssa cleared her throat loud enough for Bill to have heard her. She had always held a special place in Bill's heart. She was like a daughter to him, and he often relied on her opinions. Taking a deep breath, Adama spoke again, this time with less of an edge.
"Overlord, you are indeed correct. I stand as a guest in your home, and I apologize if my concern for the well-being of my officers may have come across as a sign of disrespect."
Mazzax realized that the female in the group was a moderating influence for the Admiral and decided to keep a closer eye upon her in the future. He stepped down to the landing and came within inches from Adama. He spoke. "Apology accepted, Admiral. We both have many questions, and they can be addressed after we have dined." He turned towards Xalain and spoke. "Please escort the Admiral's party to the imperial hall, see to it that the admiral's missing pilots joins them immediately." Mazzax nodded to Adama and turned, walking back the way he entered the great temple.